Opinion

Mishal: Is AEW Truly Well Booked?

Mishal explores a few of the finer points to assess how well AEW has been booked thus far.

Published

4 years ago

June 19, 2020

Mishal Shuhaiber

A brief summary

If there’s one guarantee, one thing in the entertainment that will always be prevalent for as long as any form of it exists, it’s the desire of fans to always portray their own personal preferences as the absolute, bonafide best thing out there for the world to see. It’s a trend that’s followed popular culture for as long as we can remember, the idea of being a part of something that’s ‘the best’ is always a reaffirming feeling to many, the content you consume is held in higher regard, more eyes are constantly on it & your opinions are likely to be taken more seriously when opposing the competition.

Wrestling is certainly no stranger to this, in fact, I’d argue wrestling fans engage in this more than almost any other fanbase out there. Sure, quarrels between other fanbases can be intense, such as Marvel & DC, Star Wars & Star Trek, The UK Office & US Office, basically any political system across the planet, wrestling fans though, we can display loyalty on an entirely different level. As hard as times may get in any industry, you won’t find many fans as loyal as those who follow professional wrestling, their dedication can be almost surreal.

From the days of the Monday Night Wars, the early days of the ‘Ruthless Aggression’ era in the early to mid-2000s, the rise of TNA, ROH or NJPW or as we’re all witnessing right now, the astonishing success of All Elite Wrestling, otherwise known as AEW.

AEW couldn’t have come at a better time, at least initially. Professional wrestling was (and to some degree, still is) seeing its biggest boom in years across the globe, not only was the WWE thriving and breaking financial records year upon year, the indie scene of the business had never looked hotter. NJPW in particular was injecting the wresting world with a product almost nobody can match today, shifting the conversation around the community as we know it, making it clear that WWE wasn’t the only brand in demand anymore. Rather than monopolize an industry, a new wave had arrived on the scene that wasn’t to be ignored. AEW capitalized on this to introduce what is arguably the biggest competitor the company has had since the days of WCW, a company run by those who were rejected by the WWE’s selective system who wanted wrestlers to create art in an environment unlike any other.

This wasn’t another TNA mind you, this felt different to anything that came before it. In its first year alone AEW has achieved incredible feats in the short span of time that it’s existed, from attendance records that have blown past industry expectations, a solid TV deal to air their programming, hoarding a plethora of overlooked talent & presenting the exact product that their competition doesn’t offer, something with far more grit to it than we’re used to seeing.

And for the most part, what we’ve gotten has been met with critical acclaim. Being fairly new to the product and only just catching up on what each show has to offer I’m probably a bit late to the party when it comes to talking about AEW, but I thought now more than ever would be a good time to take a dive into seeing if AEW truly is as well booked as it’s made out to be. Various online journalists, pundits & their rabid fanbase on platforms like Twitter have ranted endlessly about the product, so what better time to see where things really stand a little over a year after they came into existence?

Variety Like No Other

Right off the bat, AEW offers a product that virtually no other company in the industry does. I mean this as my biggest compliment towards their company in every regard, there isn’t a single one out there that has the variety for fans as they do.

From the high-flying style of Lucha Libre, to a more physical style that resembles the brawling style of British Wrestling, the insane physicality of Japanese wrestling, the hardcore tendencies that put places like CZW on the map, arguably the best use of comedic wrestling on the planet or more old school, classic storytelling we’ve seen from the days of Dusty Rhodes in the NWA (courtesy of his own son). AEW has something for everyone, and I mean everyone. While brands like NXT have a special place in my heart, their style always resembles a slight extension of WWE’s signature, more formulaic style, whereas AEW clearly has something aimed at catering to every class of fan watching their product. Rather than forcing you to buy into their take on wrestling, their programming is clearly more about giving the fan the most diverse experience possible & always leaving them with a little bit more to come back to.

Star Power

Depending on your stance on this topic, you’ll likely agree or disagree with this take. It’s become quite the meme to consistent bombard WWE’s comment sections with slander due to their use of older, less frequently used talent, particularly within the main event picture that I’ve always believed should focus on the future when necessary. It does seem like a double standard is in play when it comes to AEW, who are no strangers to this concept as the product stands.

Granted the company is using the likes of Chris Jericho, Jon Moxley, Brodie Lee, Cody, Dustin Rhodes & Shawn Spears within the boundaries of giving them new gimmicks that are heavily influenced by their own personalities, the principle does still stand that they are restricting newer talent from pushing upwards to new positions. Even with a plethora of new, fresh talent below the company is heavily hinging on ex-WWE talent to move their product forward. In terms of business practice, this makes perfect sense to anyone. Utilize established talent in the meantime for the sake of ratings, while building up the newer talent to a level that they can replace what’s been established, a strategy I’d argue AEW executes better than WWE on many fronts.

At times watching ex-WWE talent invade the screen can feel a bit reminiscent of TNA’s darker days (especially with some of the horrendous cheap shots they’ve taken to the product in the past), but for the most part the established talent isn’t often booked to sabotage newer talent or gimmicks, something I could write multiple articles about in regards to their main competition. And while this practice isn’t likely to be permanent due to the company’s ethic of making way for a new generation, at times the stars can feel like they overstay their time on screen.

Pay-Per-Views

There’s no way around it, AEW’s presentation in regards to their bigger shows have always drawn a bigger feel than most WWE shows not named WrestleMania. Most of this could be attributed to the layout of their product, the lower number of big shows across the calendar year, giving away a good number of more high-calibre matches on free TV & probably being smart enough to see how over-saturating your product with events can damage the product.

With the global situation as it stands, a lot of these criticisms are leveled more at the past booking of WWE, not the current product itself.

Glancing at their most recent string of shows, each one has an incredible feel to them, displaying every significant member of their product & giving each one a solid spotlight to shine under without neglecting the booking of their characters. The big matches feel big, but so does every other match in the bargain. AEW never portrays any of their matches as ‘lesser’ than others, it’s all part of their presentation in making the whole card feel like necessary viewing & not just the ones with the biggest names carrying them. If there’s one thing I can say AEW almost excels at, it’s presenting well thought out cards that aren’t just wise in regards to business decisions, but giving the fans what they want in the process.

The Best Promos In The Game

My favourite aspect of AEW programming, without question, is their openness when it comes to letting wrestlers be themselves, for better or for worse. WWE for so long has forced their talent into material that just doesn’t do the characters, or the talent themselves justice. Much of what they’re forced to spout doesn’t sound genuine, funny or simply fails to catch on with fans in the way they predict it will. A lot of this boils down to lazy writing but it’s a deeper-rooted issue that lies in the company’s constant need for control over every aspect of its programming.

AEW has thrived on this mistake. While not all of their promo work has been as fantastic as its top tier work, every talent feels like themselves, not a single one feels uncomfortable & the audience is far more receptive as a whole due to the creative freedoms given to everyone involved. Talents such as MJF, Chris Jericho, Jon Moxley & more importantly, Cody have brought out a side to their talents previously unseen before, crafting characters that aren’t just phenomenal to listen to but have turned everything they’re involved with into pure gold.

If AEW has shown the wrestling business one thing, it’s how much quality stems out of trusting the talents you hire to deliver on their promise to entertain those in the audience, and I can’t think of anyone who’s happier with this than a masterful storyteller like Cody himself.

The Women’s Division

I decided not to divide this article into the traditional ‘positive’ & ‘negative’ categories, but as it stands my actual issues with the product generally start here, with the first major one being the women of AEW. With women’s wrestling coming such heavy lengths since the start of the 2000s my expectations for AEW’s women were obviously high, considering what a resounding success WWE’s revamped take on the division has been since the 2014 ‘revolution’ took place with their call-ups of Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch & Sasha Banks.

That being said, this is the one section of AEW programming that’s completely dropped the ball for the most part. Not to say there isn’t talent in it, because there’s an abundance of it, just not utilized well enough to have the impact of its competition. Talent such as Britt Baker, Nyla Rose, Awesome Kong, Bea Priestley & Hikaru Shida all possess the ability to standout amongst the main roster scene, but just seem shoved into the background for the most part week in & week out. It doesn’t help that a good chunk of their storylines have done little to forward the division, namely the ‘Nightmare Collective’ lead by Brandi Rhodes, who in my opinion, is amongst the weakest female talents active under any company banner & flew by so quickly almost nobody talks about it to this day.

As women gain more & more opportunities across the globe with time moving on, this is a key area the company needs to enhance. Most of the present talent is either too weak, too underdeveloped or doesn’t receive the substantial attention needed to truly create ‘stars’ to represent them. As solid as the main event scene may look at the moment, neglecting a division that has become a central function of the North American business model for professional wrestling (especially WWE) seems like a costly mistake they need to fix sooner rather than later.

An Overcrowded Battlefield

Is it just me, or is there almost too much happening at times in AEW?

Nothing about this is necessarily a nudge at eventful programming, but the spacing out & planning of the companies shows at times seems to cram too many ideas into one place, a decision that can be quite jarring. For myself personally it’s the equivalent of throwing every conceivable idea at the wall and seeing what sticks the best at that very moment.

Understandably the company wants to jump into action as quickly as possible considering how much competition it has around the world, at times it just seems a lot of their creative ideas lose steam almost too quickly at times. Whether that be the latest debuts of both Matt Hardy or Brodie Lee, which granted were affected due to COVID-19, the failure to establish certain stables such as The Dark Order, The Librarian Gimmick which nobody cared for in the slightest or the previously mentioned ‘Nightmare Collective’. I love a product that is always changing, always adapting, but AEW at times rushes into things too quickly for its own good, leaving little room for anything to breathe. Generally, that kind of pacing to a product is humongous positive, in this case it’s made me want a little bit less if anything, since certain aspects of the show lose steam so quickly despite an incredible amount of potential in the long-run.

The saying always goes ‘’quality over quantity’’, and that’s incredibly relevant when watching their shows a lot of the time.

The ‘Ranking System’

When it comes to the ‘ranking system’ introduced in the brands early days, I don’t have much to say about it because it’s been seemingly abandoned altogether just a matter of weeks into the official launch of AEW Dynamite.

Clearly the company placed this system at the forefront to give off that more ‘sports-centric’ feel they had originally discussed prior to launching the brand on national television, but has had next to no impact on what’s been occurring since then. AEW tends to refer to it when it’s appropriate within the context of on-going storylines but is something that’s constantly overlooked in favour of pushing newer talent that needs more airtime. Which isn’t a bad decision at all mind you, just one that conflicts with something I thought would be a central element of how they decide who gains championship matches rather than Russian roulette.

Nothing about this is ‘good’ or ‘bad’, it’s just a complete waste of time that really has no baring on how anything flows from week to week. I like the idea of keeping track of win-loss records amongst talent, having it serve no purpose is something I heavily question since it seems like a tiny nudge at their opposition’s views on wins & losses that have been well documented.

And finally, Orange Cassidy…

I just couldn’t pass up a chance to drool over just how excellent the Orange Cassidy character is. Cassidy is a treasure to the wrestling world, he’s not only the most over wrestler on TV right now, he possesses one of the most unique gimmicks ever conceived on a grand stage in the business. Every angle or match the man is involved in may not be a ‘mat classic’ by any stretch, but it’s a strong bet that it’ll garner the biggest reactions on any given evening regardless of what’s before of after it. Cassidy is a charisma magnet, and considering he’s a wrestler who quite literally puts no effort into what he does in the ring, he has the audience more invested in him than practically anyone else around him at this moment in time. His match against PAC in particular is one of the most surreal spectacles you can witness in the past year of wrestling & is something everybody needs to check out.

Orange Cassidy will likely never be AEW Champion (although, never say never when it comes to professional wrestling), but he’s the gift that keeps on giving every time he comes on screen & whatever he’s a part of next, I’ll be the first to scream when he comes out to that squared circle.

Analysis – Is AEW well booked?

To answer this question simply would do it a disservice, hence my walking through the main sections of the programming I felt were important to analyse when answering such a question. AEW is a product that isn’t without its flaws, and at times it does feel like fans of the product hold a ludicrous double standard when held against its competition, but the hype behind the product is something I generally support.

It’s a unique breath of fresh air to have a wrestling product of this scope & size exist on a weekly basis opposing WWE programming, but one that needs work in areas I mentioned just prior to this. In terms of variety, characters, presentation & their aim as a company, it’s something every wrestling fan should vocally support rather than rally against for the sake of argument, but that isn’t the world we live in these days.

Most of us need to keep in mind that AEW is in its very first year of operations, and this time will be ideal for them to test the waters, make mistakes, course correct & see what works best in regards to what they want to accomplish in the long-term. Nothing about what they do will be perfect as long as they’re around, the important thing is that they build on the blunders they currently have as we speak rather than patiently wait around & fall behind.

AEW’s future is as bright as anything right now, and while they aren’t perfect in the slightest, what they’re offering fans right now is something special that demands attention.

Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!

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Opinion

Greg DeMarco’s Top 5: The Final Opponent For John Cena In WWE

It’s obvious that John Cena is nearing the end of his legendary career, and he’s suggested ending it at WrestleMania 41. Who should be his final opponent?

Published

2 weeks ago

April 11, 2024

Greg DeMarco

John Cena Last Match Randy Orton WWE WrestleMania 41

It’s obvious that John Cena is nearing the end of his legendary career, and he’s suggested ending it at WrestleMania 41. Who should be his final opponent?

John Cena recently appeared on the Pat McAfee Show, the Monday after his surprise (but mostly expected) WrestleMania 40 appearance during Cody Rhodes’ win over Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Championship. During that appearance, he confirmed what many expect, that he is nearly done with his in-ring career. But Cena even tossed out the idea of a time-frame, detailing that his acting schedule will likely take him through Christmas, and maybe Hollywood could “pump the brakes” to allow for one final run.

That run could easily begin at the Royal Rumble with a surprise entrance (or entering himself via TV appearances as part of the build), with a tease for his 17th world title win before finally settling in on his final match.

Fantasy booking and storytelling aside, the goal here is the final match–more specifically the final opponent. With a John Cena, you’ve got a ton of options. As such, it’s hard to narrow it down to 5, and one of your favorites is likely missing–be warned!

Greg DeMarco’s Top 5: The Final Opponent For John Cena In WWE

Honorable Mentions:

The Miz – A feud with John Cena gave The Mix a WrestleMania 27 main event–and a WrestleMania main event victory on top of it. Miz has been receiving more love than ever lately, and a match with John Cena would not be misplaced. Maybe he can use their WrestleMania 33 contest (and Cena’s personal aftermath) as fodder for it, too.
AJ Styles – The man who once made it popular to “BEAT UP JOHN CENA” is also nearing the end of his run, and could be the one candidate on this list that could realistically give us a double-retirement match. He would also be the guy who retired both The Undertaker and John Cena (and would probably end up being the guy who lost in both).
The Rock or Cody Rhodes – Both great options, but you have to figure their dance card for WrestleMania 41 is already full, potentially standing across the ring from one another. Either is an amazing option (including “Thrice In A Lifetime”), but I just don’t think it’s in the cards.
Trick Williams – Potentially a surprising addition to the Honorable Mentions, but the comparisons are there in terms of in-ring style/ability, promo skills, and the interplay they had in NXT (remember, it was Cena who is credited with encouraging Trick to not be afraid to go for it himself despite his relationship with Carmelo Hayes).

5. CM Punk

The fifth spot on this list was nearly interchangeable between several of the honorable mention names, but it really came down to Punk and Seth Rollins for me (with a hint of AJ Styles). The 2011 feud between CM Punk and John Cena was legendary, and is a moment that will forever be seen by me as the one that truly cemented CM Punk as a member of the growing list of all-time greats in WWE.

Punk is uniquely qualified for this match as he would make it mean more than a showboat for John Cena’s career and final match. It’s entirely believable that CM Punk would want to put John Cena’s career into the ground, and WWE has the video archive to support it.

Despite being #5, this could actually be a dark-horse for the match we get, and I can’t see anyone reasonably being upset about that.

4. Roman Reigns

John Cena and Roman Reigns have had two separate legendary programs. the first saw Cena, at times, embarrass Roman in promo exchanges in a feud that took place in the “pre-Tribal Chief” era. The second is more fresh and likely more memorable, as John Cena put Roman Reigns over in a football stadium in Las Vegas at SummerSlam (although it might be more remembered for the return of Brock Lesnar).

Reigns, a legend himself at his point (he’s featured alongside Steve Austin at the top of the “Forever” portion of the Then/Now/Forever/Together video that recently debuted) would provide a pairing akin to The Undertaker serving as Shawn Michaels’ retirement opponent at WrestleMania 26 9notice I didn’t say “final opponent). The end of Roman’s 1316 day world title reign has brought about a new appreciation for Reigns, which would further enhance this pairing at WrestleMania 41.

3. Bron Breakker

Bron Breakker is the picture-perfect definition of a juggernaut in WWE, a fast rising star who almost seems like a lock to main event WrestleMania one day (you never know–Seth Rollins JUST got his first WrestleMania main event last weekend). Breakker recently said farewell NXT as the natural in-ring competitor makes a transition to full-time main roster competition.

Breakker also fits the category of who “needs it.” Bring the man to retire John Cena would be quite the feather in the cap of Breakker’s early career, and would give him a moment that would be relived for generations to come. The only question mark is WWE “trusting” Breakker with this moment, as a sudden change of character could mean that Cena’s final match wouldn’t be seen or discussed as much. Breakker, to me, has given no reason for anyone to suspect that might happen, regardless of any controversies his father and uncle have been linked to.

2. R-Truth

Despite being 5-years older than John Cena, and making his in-ring debut in the same year (1999), R-Truth’s childhood hero hanging up the boots will undoubtedly be a hard-hitting moment for the man who has basically become the WWE Mascot. Truth emulating Cena in his matches, and of course the RawAfterMania moment with Cena, Truth, and The Miz hitting a Fifteen Knuckle Shuffle (thank you, Michael Cole) on The Judgment Day makes this a near can’t miss final match for both John Cena and the WWE Universe.

R-Truth himself is equally deserving of this match, as it would be a reward for all of his years in the ring as part of a career that seems age defying while proving that age is not only a number, but also a number that can be ignored (see Child Hero, John Cena).

While a rematch of their 2011 WWE Capital Punishment main event is an unlikely WrestleMania 41 match-up, it’s one I believe everyone would love to see.

1. Randy Orton

I mean, is there anyone more perfect? John Cena and Randy were inseparably linked for a good portion of their careers, and have shared the ring more times than Big Show has turned babyface/heel. Both are far into legendary status at this point, and Orton specifically is obviously focused on enjoying this stage of his career.

But Orton is still delivering great performances inside the ring, too.

Randy Orton vs John Cena was an exciting proposition many years ago, became a punchline for WWE booking a few years ago, but is now coming full circle as the perfect match-up to end the amazing career of John Cena. It has my vote, and should have yours, too.

Even if R-Truth would be the most fun option.

What say you? Who is the best candidate to stand across the ring from John Cena in his final WWE match, potentially at WrestleMania 41? Who did I leave out?

Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!

Opinion

Greg DeMarco’s WrestleMania 40 Saturday Results & Review

It’s the Granddaddy Of ‘Em All, WrestleMania! Night 1 of WrestleMania XL and Greg DeMarco has your results and review!

Published

2 weeks ago

April 8, 2024

Greg DeMarco

It’s the Granddaddy Of ‘Em All, WrestleMania! Night 1 of WrestleMania XL and Greg DeMarco has your results and review!

It all comes down to this–at least for the first night! A loaded card in front of a packed house, and I’d expect everyone to deliver one hell of a performance.

Women’s World Championship – Becky Lynch vs. Rhea Ripley (champion)

Greg’s pre-show prediction: Rhea Ripley retains

In my opinion, this match should be the main event of Night 1, but The Rock is back and that was going to take precedence (even if I disagree). Becky won this title shot at the Elimination Chamber, even though they were already building the feud before that event in Perth. Ripley herself main evented that event in a stadium, defeating Nia Jax.

It was revealed during her entrance that this is Becky Lynch’s “Flu Game,” as she has temperatures as high as 102 degrees throughout the week.
Rhea Ripley enters to a life performance of her entrance theme, which you can tell she dug.
Prime logo is center ring, just the black outline with “Prime” in the middle, and it is not at all bothersome. I can’t believe people made such a big deal out of bitching about that.
The stage looks dope, not at all “too small” as some had said. The whole environment looks great, honestly.
Rhea Ripley has been dealing with a wrist injury. She said on the Pat McAfee Show she didn’t expect to work with the wrist brace on tonight, but there it is.
Corey Graves points out that Becky’s training was likely impacted by her illness, and Pat McAfee scoffs at him for stating the obvious. I hope that isn’t what we get all night.
Commentary notes that is is 52 degrees and windy in the stadium, and I am reminded of Nick Khan’s comments about moving an outdoor WrestleMania to late April in the future, if they don’t get an indoor building (he did say “2026” when talking about that, which likely means the 2025 venue is indeed set).
Rhea’s Prism Trap is a fell of a submission finisher. Add in the body lock the way she did, and it’s even more impressive.
I just noticed the “Prime” turnbuckle pads and it’s…weird. I just didn’t expect it and can’t think of the last time we didn’t have the WWE/WWF logo on the buckles outside of Black and Gold NXT. WrestleMania 2?
I am also noticing that Dude Wipes seems to have sponsored the ring posts. Kudos to WWE (and the wrestling industry behind them) for being so damn desirable to sponsors!
That combo to get into the Riptide was fantastic–and the kickout was even better.
During the DisarmHer you can clearly see the commentary position, and Michael Cole is legit reclined all the way back. Love it–Cole is living his best life.
Rhea’s Riptide into the buckle before the proper Riptide was pretty sweet as well. Made Becky look insanely strong in defeat.

Winner via pinfall AND STILL your Women’s World Champion: Rhea Ripley

Hell of an opener, and if you didn’t know Becky was sick, you wouldn’t have known. Props to them both. That would have satisfied as a main event, but can now go down as one of the best openers in WrestleMania history.

Ladder Match for the Raw Tag Team Championships and Smackdown Tag Team Championships – DIY (Tommaso Ciampa & Johnny Gargano) vs. Awesome Truth (The Miz & R-Truth) vs. New Catch Republic (Pete Dunne & Tyler Bate) vs. A Town Down Under (Austin Theory & Grayson Waller) vs. The New Day (Xavier Woods & Kofi Kingston) vs. The Judgment Day (Finn Balor & Damian Priest, Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions)

Greg’s pre-show prediction: Awesome Truth (Raw titles) and A-Town Down Under (SmackDown)

As many expected, the belts are hanging separately, meaning we are most likely splitting the tag titles here. Triple H and company have put some serious work into building up the tag team divisions of both brands, and even though I expect the two winners to not be actual “teams,” but either way I actually like the way they didn’t make a big deal out of splitting the titles up, they’re just doing it. They have been defended separately since being unified, albeit rarely.

R-Truth makes a joke about DIY being DX and that’s now taken off. I love it.
The Miz is very under appreciated. Can literally do anything.
Someone is struggling with the “Titan Tron” videos tonight.
Not gonna lie, I am the biggest Pat McAfee fan, but he’s actually quite annoying right now.
Sign of the night: SANTA DESERVED IT.
Lots of green in this match, half of the teams wearing their “WrestleMania Green” gear.
Also, loving the Consequences Creed gear for Woods.
God Bless Finn Balor for taking that Airplane Spin into the ladder.
205 combined years of experience in this match. That’s an average of 17 years (Waller has the least with 7, Balor and Miz are tied for the most with 23).
“Dunne Mountain?!?!” Thank you Michael Cole for fixing that.
HOT TAG TO R-TRUTH!
Poor Finn Balor, not he takes the AA to the ladder after John Cena’s Five Moves Of Doom
R-TRUTH WITH THE PIN!
Hilarious.
A-Town Down Under gets the SmackDown tag titles!
And Grayson gets tossed through a ladder, still holding a title!
The match does continue until the Raw tag titles are also retrieved.
If Theory also got the Raw tag titles down, I will laugh my ass off.
Birminghammer is a fantastic name for a tandem (somewhat) Burning Hammer.
Tornado DDT through a table!
Air Raid Crash from the ladder!
And we still have more tables set-up.
JD McDonagh trying to get Finn–who has taken a beating–to get the Raw tag titles.
McDonagh through the tables!
PERFECTLY placed Razor’s Edge onto that chair.
Dude, that ladder is trashed. (And very unsafe.)
AA sends Damian outside!
I think everyone wants R-Truth to get this. EVERYONE.
YES!

Winners via belt retrieval, AND NEW:

SmackDown Tag Team Champions – Grayson Waller & Austin Theory
Raw Tag Team Champions – R-Truth & The Miz

Really good Ladder Match, but it’s hard to have a bad one. The tag team titles are split and it was really well done. It made perfect sense to do it that way, not make a big deal out of it and just let it happen. I am excited to see both teams win–not because I picked both, but because I think one team (Waller/Theory) have amazing futures and the other (Miz/Truth) will be a lot of fun, even if their run will probably be short lived.

Santos Escobar (with Legado Del Fantasma members Angel, Humberto, & Elektra Lopez) & Dominik Mysterio vs. Rey Mysterio & Andrade (with The LWO members Carlito, Joaquin Wilde, Cruz Del Toro, & Zelina Vega

Greg’s pre-show prediction: Dominik and Santos win, giving Dominik “revenge” for his loss at WrestleMania 39.

Look, this match doesn’t make a lick of sense–Dominik shows up two weeks ago and finds his way into another WrestleMania match with Rey? Definitely shoehorned. But Dominik is outstanding, so if this gets him on the card, I’ll take it.

More green in this match, and I am here for it.
Innovative Double Cross Body by Rey & Andrade.
Dominik showing experience beyond his years, making sure the ref sees his tag with Santos.
At this moment, I am wondering who turns–Carlito or Andrade. Gotta assume it’s one of them.
Three matches in and I don’t even notice the Primo logo in the center of the ring or on the turnbuckle pads.
Santos Escobar trying to unmask Rey Mysterio, as if we don’t all have Google.
Corey Graves making a great point about Rey taking some responsibility for the issues in his life, and Michael Cole immediately dismissing it.
It’s so hard to do a really good Dragon Screw Leg Whip, and Andrade (along with Dominik and Santos) just pulled off two to perfection.
Camera shot of Rey’s cross body shows the heaters above the ring. Good–keep ’em warm!
This could have easily been an 8-man tag team match. Maybe we get that Monday on Raw (which can also be where the turn happens, making my prediction here likely wrong).
Joaquin Wilde gets to do his NXT spot at WrestleMania, and that’s probably more important than officially being in the match.
Two masked men–definitely the Kelce Brothers–are here.
My bad, it was Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson. Good call, honestly. Great pop for them, too.
Looking at the reply, Dominik sold that ringpost spot like a champ.

Winners via pinfall (Rey on Santos): Rey Mysterio & Andrade

Fun tag team match that served its purpose. Needed? Maybe not, as I really wanted to get Liv Morgan vs. Nia Jax onto this card. But when you can get Rey & Dominik on the card, everyone will be happy. and of course the Jason Kelce & Lane Johnson appearances.

Brother vs Brother: Jey Uso vs. Jimmy Uso

Greg’s pre-show prediction: Jimmy Uso follows in the footsteps of Owen Hart and Matt Hardy and beats the “more talented brother.”

They’ve wanted this match all their lives–and the preview video was insane. Very well done.

Jey in the WrestleMania whites tonight.
And we get a hot start to the match!
“Big Brother Jimmy” is always a fun thing to hear.
More Dude Wipes sponsorship on this one–you have to wonder if having Dude Wipes on the posts for the opener was in error.
Superkicks. Lots of Superkicks.
Very enjoyable YEET/NO chants from the crowd.
Jey just kicking the hell out of Jimmy, including a Jumping Super Kick.
This has “Fight Without Honor” feels from old school ROH, where the winners have respect after. We will definitely see these guys together again.
Jimmy apologizing to Jey. Crowd is not buying it.
Of course it was BS, and Jimmy gains the advantage.
SPEAR. USO SPLASH. DONE.

Winner, via pinfall: Jey Uso

Jey breaks the babyface curse by beating his heel brother. Thought we might get an embrace between them, instead we faded out. A good match that was more about the story than the in-ring action. I can see some feeling like this hasn’t “lived up to expectations” because of the high expectations you’d have for an Usos match. Their best work will always be as a team, but I know this is a lifelong dream come true for both.

As for all the Superkicks, I mean….it’s an Usos match.

Six-Woman Tag Team Match – Damage CTRL (Dakota Kai, Asuka, & Kairi Sane) vs. Naomi, Bianca Belair, & Jade Cargill

Greg’s pre-show prediction: Bianca, Naomi, & Jade win when Jade scores the pin (probably on Kairi, who always seems to eat the fall)

This match is all about getting Bianca Belair on the card (she had to be), and Jade Cargill’s debut. It also got Damage CTRL on the card, which they truly deserve–even if it is to lose.

Respectfully, Dakota Kai. (Good thing the ring and surrounding area is heated)
Not gonna lie, Jade looks nervous. But this is a six-woman tag, and her portion is likely highly choreographed. Gonna be all good.
As I watch and enjoy the match (but am not typing much lol), this seems like a match where we’re all just waiting for Jade to come in and win.
No one has told Jade about the tag ropes yet, apparently.
And now Jade is in, and Damage CTRL makes her look like a million bucks.
Dakota Kai nicely gets herself into position for the finish, and Jade gets her WrestleMania win.

Winners via pinfall (Jade on Dakota): Jade Cargill, Naomi, & Bianca Belair

We knew what this one was about going into it, and that’s what it should have been. Jade still ain’t ready. I know it might be an “ego hit” for her to go to NXT, but she needs it. If Giulia can go to NXT, so can Jade.

Intercontinental Championship – Sami Zayn vs. GUNTHER (champion)

Greg’s pre-show prediction: Sami Zayn pulls off the major upset and is the one to dethrone Gunther

Gunther has had a stranglehold on the Intercontinental Championship, defending it like crazy in 2023 but slowing that down here in 2024. It’s not fair to say he’s outgrown the title, but that might actually be the case. It’ll be really interesting to see what happens with Imperium leading up to the draft, and at the WWE Draft itself.

Sami Zayn was the perfect wrestler to have their journey form backstage to the ring followed by the cameras. From his family to Chad Gable to Kevin Owens, it was all so perfect–maybe too perfect? (Not in that someone will screw him, but in that it might be too heavily foreshadowing his win?)
Gunther looked oddly nervous standing on that stage.
You know, the Intercontinental Championship is basically a third world title at this point. And we could see the end of a legendary reign. I think this deserved the Samantha Irvin In-Ring Introductions (aka “Japan Style”) treatment.
Gunther is smiling confidently now, we’re good.
Crowd is ON FIRE for these guys (and evenly split with their chants for each guy).
This is the 21st time the Intercontinental championship is defended at WrestleMania, and it makes you wonder what in the hell they were thinking for the other 11.
Looks like Dude Wipes is back on the ringpost!
Hell of a nearfall, followed up by a Helluva Kick from Gunthcr, and one from Sami!
That finish….AMAZING.

Winner via pinfall, AND NEW Intercontinental Champion: Sami Zayn

The athletes… the moments… the storytelling… professional wrestling is such a beautiful business. Sami Zayn’s win over Gunther was everything I had hoped it would be when I picked Sami to win. Absolutely beautiful.

Cody Rhodes & World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins vs. The Rock & Undisputed WWE Champion Roman Reigns

Greg’s pre-show prediction: Seth & Cody get the win after tons of interference and surprise appearances, making Roman vs Cody on Sunday a match where The Bloodline is banned from ringside.

So much involved in this one. As you know, If Rock & Roman win, Sunday’s WWE Championship match will be held under Bloodline Roles. If Seth & Cody win, then that mach will see ZERO Bloodline involvement. Personally, if Cody is winning the title, I’d rather it be straight up. But I wouldn’t be at all surprised if I am wrong.

Honestly, after the introductions, I realized I was just watching!
This was very much Steve Austin vs The Rock inspired, with them fighting all over the stadium, and pushing the envelope.
I loved The Rock basically neutering the referee–normally I hate that, but here it works.
That finish and the condition of Rollins both lay perfectly into night 2, I would imagine.

Winners via Rock pinfall on Rhodes: The Rock & Roman Reigns

Per rule, Sunday’s main event will now be Bloodline Rules. And given that, my prediction of Roman retaining might be harder to pull off. This was a good return for The Rock, and perfectly played into the whole story. Job well done.

Greg DeMarco’s Overall Thoughts for WWE WrestleMania XL, Saturday (Night 1)

in a vacuum, this was highly enjoyable show. Night 2 might end up being legendary if both Bayley and Rhodes win, and it could overshadow Night 1. But the scene was fantastic, production was top notch as always, and the fans went home having enjoyed one for the ages. The Triple H Era s well underway, and will likely kick into a higher gear with Night 2.

Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!