Opinion

Is Charlotte Flair The Greatest Of All Time?

Is Charlotte Flair the G.O.A.T.? Mishal believes you can make a strong argument for that side.

Published

5 years ago

June 1, 2020

Mishal Shuhaiber

Is Charlotte Flair the G.O.A.T.? Mishal believes you can make a strong argument for that side.

There arguably isn’t a single name in the wrestling business these days that you hear pop us as much as the name ‘Charlotte Flair’.

Since her debut back in 2014 Flair has become the beacon of North American women’s wrestling. A talent beyond the levels of the vast majority below her, always booked at the very top of the division or card she’s on, generally given the most amount of TV time of any other talent (especially these days) & someone that doesn’t just carry one of the most prestigious last names in the business with pride but lives up to the hype at every given opportunity.

Wrestling doesn’t tend to dish out someone as gifted, as well-versed & as perfectly suited for its craft like Charlotte Flair. She’s an oddity, one that is usually mixed in opinion amongst fans, but someone that in many ways has defined her generation of female talent. Regardless of the hatred she may receive from a good section of the WWE fanbase it’s difficult to denounce that everything she touches is at the highest level of quality us as fans expect. From promos to matches, to developing new talent, to establishing the older ones, Charlotte Flair is what you look for in a locker room leader, but has still prompted sizeable debate in the ever-bickering online wrestling community.

As a result, I thought there’s no better time to answer a question every fan tries to answer in some way or another, is Charlotte Flair truly the ‘Greatest of All Time’?

Rather than a straight-up yes or no answer, I feel making the case from every aspect of her character would be the best way to gain a definitive answer to this question.

Carrying the Flair Legacy

Lugging the name ‘Flair’ behind your first name is never an easy standard to live up to. ‘Nature Boy’ Ric Flair is widely regarded as one of the best professional wrestlers to ever lace up a pair of boots in any company he made his mark in, whether that be WWE, NWA or WCW, everywhere the man went he cemented his name in the history books. Much of that success isn’t just due to an incredible body of in-ring work with a list of opponents that’s almost endless, it was his incredible character that has influenced so much of mainstream entertainment as we see it.

Flair’s initial gimmick was a form of tribute to the original ‘Nature Boy’ in Buddy Rogers (whom Flair defeated to essentially earn his signature nickname), and considering how iconic Flair made his character you’d think carrying his legacy forward would be next to impossible, but Charlotte Flair has done so with grace & elegance that only she could.

While comparing her attributes to those of her father might be a tad unfair considering their places in the industry, the apple certainly doesn’t fall far from the tree. Charlotte embodies her father in a way, with an aura of confidence that makes her an instant threat in any story, an in-ring track record that is likely more consistent than any female working today, mic skills matched by few around her (only even comparable against either Becky Lynch or Alexa Bliss) & of course, donning the signature robe that so many identify her lineage with after all these decades.

Charlotte isn’t trying to be what her father was, she’s a different version of him and uses that to not just separate her from his legacy but build one of the modern generations truly great female talents. On a personality-level, almost none of her peers possess the ‘big fight’ nature of Charlotte Flair, as it’s always obvious you’re watching someone out to achieve nothing but the highest of honours. Much like the legacy before her, she aims to present herself as the highest level of excellence in the sport, and for the most part, that presentation never fails her when the lights are on bright.

Holding All The Gold

As of this writing, Charlotte is a 12-time champion in WWE. It’s taken her less than a decade to hold almost as many prestigious titles in the company as it did her father to hold 16 lucrative titles after having a career that spanned the better part of almost four decades. Whether it be the NXT Women’s Championship (which she currently holds), SmackDown or RAW Women’s Championships or marking herself as the final-ever Diva’s Champion, it’s no secret that the light of the title picture shined brightly on Charlotte since her debut.

Her victories aren’t without memorability either, she’s beat the best there is to offer across generations of female competitors. The likes of Becky Lynch, Asuka, Sasha Banks, Paige & Bayley are just a few of the current crop of competitors that have tasted defeat at the hands of ‘The Queen’, a list that’s only expanding now that she has a fresh batch of opponents to fend off over in NXT.

Probably the biggest issue with Charlotte is the creative team of WWE’s insistence on inserting her into the title picture so frequently, an issue that plagues competitors from establishing themselves outside the championship scene itself. Very few of her marquee moments have come outside the title picture, while by no means a terrible thing it could one day lead to the worries of exhausting one of the companies top-tier talents since constantly placing her in the title picture may result in other talent being neglected from taking her spot. This is something I intend to touch on in a little bit, so I won’t harp on it too much right now.

‘Big Match Charlotte’

JBL once referred to John Cena as ‘Big Match John’, a nickname given to signify the importance of John Cena, the face of WWE, as the best big-match, big-time competitor on the roster as a whole. Regardless of his opposition, John Cena always delivered a main event match that the fans had to see, despite what their stance on his character may have been. It didn’t matter if he faced Randy Orton, Triple H, Daniel Bryan, Mark Henry or The Great Khali, he had a magical touch that made the main event match feel like a ‘main event’.

In my opinion, that same mentality can be applied to Charlotte Flair.

Charlotte Flair & John Cena could not be more different, but they, much like Ric Flair, gave you a main event level match that you just had to see with your own eyes. WrestleMania 32 was the first time it was put on full display when Flair was positioned against both Sasha Banks & Becky Lynch, despite all three women holding their own, nobody looked like they were more in their element than Charlotte Flair evening. She personified the main event scene, from her incredible in-ring style, facial expressions to convey a story & the presence she boasted during her entrance, if you were a fan, you knew the future had arrived.

Her subsequent matches only grew the confidence she already had in the ring. She followed up her iconic WrestleMania victory with an all-time classic rivalry against Sasha Banks later that year resulting in multiple first-time records that both women went on to break, re-igniting her NXT feud with Natalya in a series of stellar contests, becoming the first woman on the WWE roster to successfully defeat Asuka, crafting an absolutely brutal war with Ronda Rousey & engaging in what might go down as one of the finest feuds the women’s division will ever see alongside Becky Lynch. These aren’t even all the notable accolades, but a few of the most memorable ones from a list of performances that few other competitors can compare to.

Almost nobody performs at the main event level as good as Charlotte on the WWE roster. The clear levels of passion & work placed into her character make every storyline incredibly engaging, whether she be a heel or babyface, and that translates to her in-ring work which is always at the highest level possible. With the exception of perhaps someone like a Seth Rollins, Charlotte Flair is among the most reliant competitor when it comes to wanting your biggest storylines to be executed to the highest standard possible.

Obviously, this would be up to debate depending on where you as a fan stand, but Charlotte Flair is very much what someone like myself looks for in a main event level talent. I’ll stand by calling her ‘Big Match Charlotte’ because few other women hold the body of work that she does this early in her career.

The Queen of Overexposure

If there is one aspect holding back Charlotte this early on in a career that we can only hope spans as long as most desire, it’s the level in which she’s exposed on WWE programming.

Being essentially the ‘locker room’ leader of the division is quite the mantle to carry, and with that must come intelligence in how you present & execute your character in their respective storylines. Charlotte has been involved in some of the most memorable feuds to overtake the women’s division in many, many years, the issue seems to be that she’s the companies most consistent go-to talent, a booking route that raises issues.

Surely a creative team would want the focus of their programming to hinge on its very top-tier talents, those who can also draw the biggest numbers both on cable networks & social media platforms (e.g. Youtube), those who engage with their audience the best, but especially those best at telling their story between the ropes. With that style of thinking comes choices, and to many, Charlotte can be viewed as the obstacle placed in the way of fresher talent wanting their voices to be heard. Glancing at her booking when facing Asuka is a common prime example of the point I’m trying to make, yet her current stint in NXT is one of those times where her presence feels rather bitter to most fans I’ve come across.

NXT has established itself firmly as an official 3rd brand under the WWE banner, no longer being the expanded developmental system it once was for many, and a system that Charlotte herself had ‘graduated’ from a number of years back. Her return to the brand was at first interesting, as well as promising considering the roster of talent she had to contest against, but has ultimately felt like nothing more than a force to drive up stagnant ratings on Wednesday nights. Nothing about her current run as the brands champion screams exciting, rather a position for her to hang around since the amount of material the company has to offer her on the main roster has run thin. A seasoned veteran mixing with younger talent should be the perfect stepping stone for a newcomer looking to take the next big leap in their careers, instead, she’s done next to nothing of note since her WrestleMania victory. Having her act as a multi-brand champion does her no favours either since it only re-enforces the idea of her being ‘shoved down the throats’ of the casual viewing audience.

Presenting a character as the very best you have to offer isn’t a matter of exposure, it’s the very basic principle of ‘quality over quantity’. Fans don’t need a champion to appear on all seven hours of wrestling programming your company has to offer every week, they need he or she to deliver the very, very best that they can give in the ring. The reason superstars like Becky Lynch, Asuka, Shayna Baszler or even Daniel Bryan garnered the reputation they hold isn’t because of their TV time, it’s because they put every ounce of passion they had into what they wanted to become as a character.

Granted this is might just be a passing issue at its core, but considering the track record WWE has for giving us too much of a good thing, it’s something I hope they become more cautious of going forward, especially with someone as special as Charlotte Flair is to their current product.

Analysis – Is Charlotte Flair the GOAT?

At the end of the day, this question falls on you the reader, since it isn’t something I can ‘objectively’ prove to anyone.

Being the very best is a term that is widely thrown around any form of sport or entertainment, and it’s ultimately your legacy that defines that very characterization. The women of wrestling will always have a few solidified legends in their ranks, Mae Young, Fabulous Moolah, Trish Stratus, Chyna, Gail Kim, Sherri Martel, Bull Nakano or Awesome Kong, and placing a talent alongside any of those names is a formidable task to rationalize to any hardcore fan of the business.

Many of those talents are still remembered decades after their time had passed, whether it be for their persona, in-ring work or contribution to women & the industry, it’s ultimately how much of an impact you leave on the fanbase that matters most to some extent. Will Charlotte Flair be a name edged in the history books? As far as the record goes, she already has. She’s broken multiple barriers that have held women back in the industry so along (not to take away from any of those alongside her), captured more titles than most do at this stage in their careers, competed in every match imaginable & is one of only three women to headline a WrestleMania. Those accolades alone are worthy of some kind of historic recognition.

From my personal perspective, Charlotte Flair may very well be most talented, well-rounded female talent in all of WWE, and arguably on the planet if we think about it. Her career has had its fair share of ups & downs, like any performer, but she’s always managed to bring consistency to her programmes that I always admire, never giving less than 110% in any given match or promo she has to cut. Not only does she position herself as the best there is in the industry, but she also backs it up against the vast majority of her opponents. Carrying the legacy she does & the character she has to isn’t an easy task, but Charlotte Flair in my eyes is everything she sells herself as when it matters most.

Obviously my opinion is my own, and I’d love to see other perspectives on her aside from the ones I personally hold. Charlotte Flair is certainly a divisive figure, like most that reach the very peaks of the business, but she’s a name that nobody can seem to stop talking about.

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Opinion

Chairshot Staff Picks: WrestleMania 41 Las Vegas

Time for The Chairshot personalities to put their money where their mouths are! WreslteMania 41 predictions from the “expert” staff at TheChairshot.com and Chairshot Radio Network.

Published

3 weeks ago

April 18, 2025

PC Tunney

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to the Chairshot Staff Picks. And what better setting than WrestleMania for this article to return! This 41st edition has one of the most stacked rosters in WWE history. So, without further ado, let us get to the predictions and prognostications…

AJ – The New Day
Andrew – The New Day – No one seems to hold tag titles long anymore.
Dave – The New Day – They have earned it.
DJ – The New Day – Feel tha Powah!
DPP – War Raiders – Big E distraction.
Jason – The New Day – We are not getting E in a working capacity though everyone wants it.
Patrick – The New Day – WWE doesn’t care about this match, so why should I?
Rey – The New Day – Its a New Day, bruh.
Rob – The New Day – New Day rocks and wins!
Greg – The New Day – New. Day wins. New. Day wins!

Tunney’s Take: War Machine – Yes, WAR MACHINE. I have personally had the pleasure of throwing back a few cold ones with these guys on more than one occasion. Not only being tag champs in WWE but defending the titles at Mania and against The New Day is really cool for me as a long-time fan. Would it be fun to see The New Day have another title run.. YES. I think it’s smarter to give the War Raiders a big Mania W.

Chairshot Pick: THE NEW DAY 9-2

AJ – Jade Cargill
Andrew – Jade Cargill – She needs to stay a dominant force.
Dave – Jade Cargill – Gotta gear her up for the long term.
DJ – No contest – Naomi puts another beat down on Jade.
DPP – Jade Cargill – Nervous for how this match will go.
Jason – Naomi – Way more runway with Naomi as a bad guy. Keep it going!
Patrick – Jade Cargill – Jade gets her revenge.
Rey – Jade Cargill – Best non-title feud going. Naomi should win but Jade sneaks by.
Rob – Naomi – Naomi gets help to win.
Greg – Jade Cargill – They ain’t beating Jade here.

Tunney’s Take: Jade Cargill – I imagine WWE sees Jade’s ceiling much higher than Naomi’s. What better way to keep Jade climbing the ladder towards a World Title than to pick up a decisive victory in Vegas!

Chairshot Pick: Jade Cargill 8-2-1

AJ – Jacob Fatu – “AJ does a pretty good LA Knight impersonation” – PC Tunney
Andrew – Jacob Fatu – I’m biased, Jacob for President.
Dave – Jacob Fatu – Getting gold back in the Bloodline is smart.
DJ – Jacob Fatu
DPP – Jacob Fatu
Jason – Jacob Fatu – Thanks for coming pal, YEAH!
Patrick – Jacob Fatu
Rey – Jacob Fatu – C’mon cuz! All gas no brakes with it. Yadadamean??
Rob – LA Knight – Solo costs Jacob.
Greg – LA Knight – Solo screws Jacob.

Tunney’s Take: Jacob Fatu – It has been quite the journey for the Samoan Werewolf. I feel like that journey and the positive turn around it has taken deserves to be rewarded. Let’s see what Jacob can do on his own. Plus, LA Knight is ready to challenge for a World Title.

Chairshot Pick: Jacob Fatu 9-2

AJ – Tiffany Straton
Andrew – Tiffany Straton – I hate Charlotte Flair, no objectivity here.
Dave – Charlotte Flair – Tiffy might be the future, but she kinda failed the litmus test.
DJ – Charlotte Flair – The Queen crowns the freshman.
DPP – Tiffany Stratton
Jason – Charlotte Flair – Tiff wasn’t ready for this spot. Charnos is inevitable.
Patrick – Charlotte Flair – Lol Charlotte wins.
Rey – Charlotte Flair – Tiffany SHOULD win but, if Charlotte can squash, she will.
Rob – Charlotte Flair – Charlotte gets number 15.
Greg – Tiffany Stratton – Lol Charlotte wins. (Actually she doesn’t)

Tunney’s Take: Charlotte Flair – Charlotte needs the title for the first time in her career. Tiffy has had a nice run but now needs to take that all important step of not losing momentum after losing the title. Despite the drama and lackluster build here, I see a really good match coming this weekend from these two.

Chairshot Pick: Charlotte Flair 7-4

AJ – El Grande Americano
Andrew – El Grande Americano – I’d like to see Gable gain some momentum. Rey is Teflon.
Dave – El Grand Americano – He needs a marque win much more than Rey.
DJ – Rey Mysterio
DPP – El Grande Americano – Grande wins with the switcheroo to prove he is not Gable.
Jason – Rey Mysterio – Unmask Grande at the end. It is fun but has a shelf life.
Patrick – El Grande Americano – TOTALLY NOT CHAD GABLE
Rey – Rey Mysterio – Someone’s mask is coming off and it ain’t Rey.
Rob – El Grande Americano
Greg – Rey Mysterio – Hall of Famer wins but doesn’t take the mask.

Tunney’s Take: Rey Mysterio – Go listen to DWI 471. DP, Greg and I lay out exactly what this match should be, FUN! Multiple Americanos!!!

Chairshot Pick: El Grande Americano 6-5

AJ – Jey Uso
Andrew – Jey Uso – Kinda booked themselves into a corner here.
Dave – Jey Uso – It just makes sense.
DJ – Jey Uso – Jey YEETS all over The Ring Genreal.
DPP – Jey Uso – Jey wins after normal Gunther beating.
Jason – Jey Uso – Land the plane man. YEET
Patrick – Jey Uso – Jey has earned this one.
Rey – Jey Uso – YEEEEEEEEEEEET!
Rob – Jey Uso – YEET
Greg – Jey Uso – If Jey loses we riot. We don’t cause he wins.

Tunney’s Take: Jey Uso – ‘Til sweat drop down my balls, ‘Til all these bitches crawl, ‘Til all… YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Chairshot Pick: Jey Uso 11-0

AJ – Roman Reigns
Andrew – Seth Rollins – I can see Rollins being the last piece of Team Rock.
Dave – Roman Reigns – I can’t see Roman losing two years in a row.
DJ – Seth Rollins – Paul Heyman is a Seth Freakin Rollins guy.
DPP – Seth Rollins – The Rock helps Rollins.
Jason – Roman Reigns – Seth’s favor is a red herring. Make-A-Wish Brooks got his main, now look at the lights.
Patrick – Seth Rollins – Seth Rollins… Paul Heyman guy.
Rey – Seth Rollins – I smeeeeellllllll a new soul to sell.
Rob – Roman Reigns – Paul Heyman helps Roman win.
Greg – Seth Rollins – Brock Lesnar returns to help Seth win.

Tunney’s Take: CM Punk – I really have no idea here. I picked Punk because nobody else did. This is going to be professional wrestling cinema at its finest. The story is thick and neatly woven. All the participants are legends and so are the potential party crashers. Will The Rock stick his nose in here? Will Brock Lesnar return to play a factor? Obviously, Paul Heyman has a Plan A… but what is it? All these questions and more will be answered Saturday as night 1 will definitely go out with a bang!

Chairshot Pick: Seth Rollins 6-4-1

AJ – Iyo Sky
Andrew – Iyo Sky – Rhea vs Bianca doesn’t need a belt to be compelling.
Dave – Rhea Ripley – Going with Rhea barely, hoping Iyo wins.
DJ – Iyo Sky – Unfinished business.
DPP – Iyo Sky – Rhea and Bianca are too consumed with each other.
Jason – Iyo Sky – More layers to Rhea/Bianca. Iyo rules.
Patrick – Iyo Sky – Iyo stole the build and gets the win.
Rey – Iyo Sky – Smart money is on the underdog champ.
Rob – Iyo Sky – Iyo survives.
Greg – Bianca Belair – Naomi helps Bianca win and turn heel.

Tunney’s Take: Rhea Ripley – Rhea is the best women’s wrestler in the world. Give her the biggest win on the grandest stage of them all!!! Bianca needs to go full heel. Iyo has been amazing in this build.

Chairshot Pick: Iyo Sky 8-2-1

AJ – Dominik Mysterio
Andrew – Finn Balor – I can see a Judgement Day meltdown incoming.
Dave – Bron Breakker – Bron is about to become a MegaStar.
DJ – Bron Breakker – Judgement Day implodes.
DPP – Dominik Mysterio – Finn take the pin.
Jason – Penta – I literally do not care because the winner is us, the fans.
Patrick – Bron Breakker – The WWE doesn’t care about this matchup, so why should I?
Rey – Dominik Mysterio – Only match without a clear winner. I choose chaos.
Rob – Bron Breakker – Finn and Dom cancel each other out.
Greg – Dominik Mysterio – Dom steals the pin from Bron, on Finn.

Tunney’s Take: Bron Breakker – The case can be made for any of these four to walk away with the most prestigious non-World title in pro wrestling history. The short of it is though that the Main Event picture isn’t really readily accessible for Breakker right now. Let this IC reign go through the summer, to SummerSlam.

Chairshot Pick: Bron Breakker 5-4-1-1

AJ – Damian Priest – “AJ does a pretty good Drew impersonation” – PC Tunney
Andrew – Drew McIntyre – Priest has not been interesting in this face incarnation.
Dave – Drew McIntyre – Time for Drew to get that win back.
DJ – Fuck finish – To be continued at Backlash.
DPP – Drew McIntyre – Physical matchup!
Jason – Drew McIntyre – Either one is fine here.
Patrick – Drew McIntyre – With two eyes, Drew turns the tide.
Rey – Drew McIntyre – Low key match of the weekend.
Rob – Damien Priest
Greg – Damien Priest – Priest wins, Drew tweets about it half hour later.

Tunney’s Take: Drew McIntyre – With the addition of the Street fight rules, these two behemoths have a really good chance to have one of the best matches of the entire weekend (winks at Rey Ca$h-A-Mania)! I do wonder what is next for both of these talents moving forward. Priest has staled since leaving the Judgement Day and Drew seems stuck in the same cycle for a while now. Very interested to see what the summer holds for this pair.

Chairshot Pick: Drew McIntyre 7-3-1

WHO WILL BE RANDY’S OPPONENT?!?

AJ – Nick Aldis – Orton wins
Andrew – Orton and Aldis vs Solo and Tama – Orton and Aldis win
Dave – Someone is getting an RKO!
DJ – A segment w/ the Wyatt s6cks.
DPP – Rusev – Aldis introduces Rusev who defeats Orton.
Jason – Nick Aldis – You got one more in ya, bubba. Aldis wins!
Patrick – Nick Aldis
Rey – Solo then Rusev – Solo in a squash and Rusev MATCHKA(wins)
Rob – Nick Aldis – Aldis proves himself, Orton wins.
Greg – Nick Aldis – Orton beats Aldis, they shake after.

Tunney’s Take: I would really love to see a singles match between Orton and Aldis. More likely this is some type of involvement with Solo and Tama. Rusev as a surprise challenger would be cool but, I feel that would be better left for RAW. An impromptu Goldberg retirement match would be crazy and fun, yet highly unlikely and illogical. Whatever happens, best believe exactly what Dave Ungar said, “Someone is getting an RKO!”.

AJ – Logan Paul
Andrew – AJ Styles – Logan doesn’t need the rub and should stay upper mid card.
Dave – Logan Paul – It’s the smart move and would be a statement win for Paul.
DJ – Logan Paul – Kross gets involved somewhere.
DPP – AJ Styles – AJ wins a great high-flying match.
Jason – AJ Styles – Just enjoy it or get a beer, nerds.
Patrick – Logan Paul – Logan Paul will main-event Mania sooner than later…
Rey – Logan Paul – Pass the torch, my wily vet.
Rob – Logan Paul – Kross helps Paul win.
Greg – AJ Styles – Styles wins after Paul’s cheating backfires.

Tunney’s Take: Logan Paul – Logan seems to really have dedicated himself to becoming great in this business. Anyone with that type of goal must have a World title on their mind. Beating AJ at Mania will be a great springboard for Logan into the Main Event sooner than later (winks at Patrick O’Dowd).

Chairshot Pick: Logan Paul 7-4

AJ – Liv & Raquel
Andrew – Liv & Raquel – Not really a fan of Lyra, she needs more work.
Dave – Liv & Raquel – This Bayley and Lyra team makes no damn sense.
DJ – Liv & Raquel – Bayley crashes out.
DPP – Liv & Raquel – Bayley continues a potential heel turn tease.
Jason – Bayley & Lyra – Finish the story!
Patrick – Bayley & Lyra – The WWE doesn’t care about this matchup, so why should I?
Rey – Liv and Raquel – Bayley want a title but it ain’t the ones in this match.
Rob – Liv & Raquel – Champs retain.
Greg – Liv & Raquel – Liv and Raquel retain thanks to Carlito and maybe JD.

Tunney’s Take: Liv & Raquel – Liv and Raquel need to be kept as the cornerstone of the women’s tag division for a lengthier period of time. Building tag teams in this division is difficult enough, let alone without a North Star.

Chairshot Pick: Liv & Raquel 9-2

AJ – Cody Rhodes
Andrew – Cody Rhodes – They are mentioning it so much, I don’t think 17 happens.
Dave – Joh Cena – Record falls and we head to summer with a built-in storyline.
DJ – John Cena – Some kind of Final Boss involvement.
DPP – John Cena – Cena wins and retires on RAW.
Jason – John Cena – Story’s over, “Captain” BIG MATCH JOHN.
Patrick – John Cena – A record breaking night for Cena.
Rey – John Cena – They’d be really stupid to turn John just to lose. (Post-Mania: Rock, Cena, T Scott, Seth & Drew, TEAM Corporate)
Rob – Cody Rhodes – Cody surprises us with the W.
Greg – Cody Rhodes – Cody wins to piss off Rock and set the table for Cena to turn back face. Crowd is behind Cena all the way through.

Tunney’s Take: Cody Rhodes – They had me until the threat of retirement. Been there. Done that. Didn’t fall in love with it back then. I love John Cena. I love this final run. John will get his 17th just not here. I expect nothing less than an absolute GEM of a match here to close WrestleMania 41. This has all been, is, and will continue to be about Cody Rhodes. WM40 defeats Roman Reigns. WM41 defeats John Cena. WM42 defeats The Rock (The Final Boss).

Chairshot Pick: John Cena 6-5

In closing I want to thank everyone on the panel for participating with their picks! You can follow each prognosticator/podcaster on X @ the handles below. We wait all year for this so remember three things… be respectful of others, comparison is the thief of joy and HAVE FUN!

AJ – @PhenomenalAJB
Andrew – @IWCWarChief
Dave – @AttitudeAgg
DJ – @TheMindlessPod
DPP – @itsmeDPP
Jason – @JediFett
Patrick – @WrestlngRealist
Rey – @itsreycash
Rob – @rbonne1
Greg – @gregdemarco44
PC – @PCTunney
TheChairshot.com – @ChairshotMedia

For the latest, greatest and up to datest in coverage, opinions, and podcasts ALWAYS #UseYourHead and visit TheCharishot.com

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DeMarco: Top 5 Non-Title WrestleMania Matches In WWE History

Not all WrestleMania classics had titles on the line. Dive into the top 5 non-title matches that stole the show & defined legacies. #WrestleMania #WWEHistory

Published

3 weeks ago

April 16, 2025

Greg DeMarco

Shawn Michaels Kurt Angle WrestleMania 21

Not all WrestleMania classics had titles on the line. Dive into the top 5 non-title matches that stole the show and defined legacies.

WrestleMania is the Showcase Of The Immortals, but it’s not always the championship matches that steal the show—or define careers. In fact, some of the most iconic, business-defining, and emotionally resonant contests at the Grandest Stage of Them All didn’t feature a title at all. These matches succeeded because of character work, in-ring execution, and the kind of storytelling that sells tickets and moves merch.

Here are the five best non-title matches in WrestleMania history—at least, according to me!

5. The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan – WrestleMania X8 (2002)

This was never going to be a five-star technical clinic—but it was always going to be the moment. “Icon vs. Icon” was a tagline, sure, but it was also the reality: the biggest star of the ‘80s vs. the biggest star of the Attitude Era. And Toronto turned it into magic. Hogan walked in a heel but walked out immortal (again), with the SkyDome shaking on every punch, every look, every gesture.

What made this work was its self-awareness. Rock and Hogan read the crowd and flipped roles mid-match—Rock became the arrogant aggressor while Hogan Hulked Up to thunderous applause. It’s not often a non-title match headlines a card emotionally the way this one did, but it dominated every headline and highlight reel.

4. Owen Hart vs. Bret Hart – WrestleMania X (1994)

Sibling rivalries don’t usually lead to technical masterpieces, but then again, this wasn’t your average family drama. Owen and Bret opened WrestleMania X with a wrestling clinic that stood tall over a night packed with title changes. Owen needed to prove he was more than Bret’s little brother, and he did it by out-wrestling the best wrestler in the company. Clean. One-two-three.

It wasn’t just a great match—it was perfect storytelling. Owen’s victory, contrasted with Bret’s later world title win, set the tone for an entire year of brother-vs-brother tension. Bret became champion, but Owen had the moral victory—and all the bragging rights. This is proof that opening matches can steal the show.

3. The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels – WrestleMania 25 (2009)

If WrestleMania moments could be trademarked, this match would be the reason why. The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels wasn’t about championships—it was about legacy. Michaels wanted to be the man who ended The Streak. The build was steeped in biblical imagery: light vs. dark, heaven vs. hell. And the match? Pure perfection. Each man brought everything they had—near-falls, psychology, reversals that had 70,000+ people gasping in unison.

It was 30 minutes of generational storytelling that transcended pro wrestling. And here’s the kicker—it wasn’t even the main event. Yet it dwarfed everything that followed. Meltzer gave it 4.75 stars, fans gave it their hearts, and WWE gave it a sequel the next year. A match so good it forced the company to run it back—because lightning actually struck.

Now, if THIS MATCH is #3, what could possible be #2 and #1…

2. Bret Hart vs. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin – WrestleMania 13 (1997)

This wasn’t just a match—it was the turning point of an era. The Submission Match between Bret Hart and Steve Austin was as violent as it was poetic, with Ken Shamrock enforcing the rules and the Chicago crowd growing more frenzied by the second. The brilliance? The shift. Bret Hart, the traditionalist hero, grew darker and more self-righteous by the second, while the disrespectful anti-hero Austin refused to quit, even when drowning in his own blood. There was no title on the line, but the stakes felt bigger than gold.

The infamous double turn changed the business. Austin’s defiance turned him into the voice of a new generation of fans—blue collar, anti-authority, Attitude Era. Meanwhile, Bret would go on to lead the heel Hart Foundation. WWE didn’t need a championship to create a moment that catapulted Austin into superstardom and ignited the company’s hottest era. This match is business-first booking at its absolute best.

1. Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels – WrestleMania 21 (2005)

Dream matches often disappoint. This one didn’t. At WrestleMania 21, Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle went hold-for-hold and spot-for-spot with Mr. WrestleMania himself, and together they delivered a masterclass in in-ring psychology. Every sequence had stakes, every near-fall had meaning. It was a stylistic war: Michaels’ heart vs. Angle’s intensity.

Angle forcing Michaels to tap was a statement—it told fans that pure wrestling, not just spectacle, could still main-event caliber storytelling without any need for a title. Michaels sold the ankle lock like death, and Angle’s post-match collapse sold the moment as a hard-fought war. This is the kind of match that keeps purists up at night, smiling, and leaves the storytelling fans like myself as happy as can be!

10 Honorable Mentions (Not Honorable, Just For The Heck Of It)

Edge vs. Mick Foley – WrestleMania 22 (2006)
A hardcore war that solidified Edge as a top-tier main eventer. That flaming table spear is still played in every Edge highlight reel.
AJ Styles vs. Shane McMahon – WrestleMania 33 (2017)
Everyone expected smoke and mirrors—what they got was a surprisingly technical, high-energy opener that kicked off the show right.
The Undertaker vs. Triple H – WrestleMania 28 (2012)
“End of an Era” wasn’t just a tagline. The Hell in a Cell match, with HBK as referee, was a brutal epilogue to a generation’s legacy.
Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho – WrestleMania XIX (2003)
A student-teacher battle of wills. Jericho’s low blow post-match was the perfect heel punctuation to a career-defining contest.
Randy Orton vs. Seth Rollins – WrestleMania 31 (2015)
The greatest RKO of all time. That curb stomp reversal belongs in a museum.
Floyd Mayweather vs. Big Show – WrestleMania XXIV (2008)
More sports-entertainment than wrestling, but a crossover moment that made mainstream headlines and paid off with a great finish.
Roddy Piper vs. Adrian Adonis – WrestleMania III (1987)
A retirement match with big heat, a hot crowd, and Piper walking off into the sunset (for a minute).
The Firefly Funhouse Match – John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt – WrestleMania 36 (2020)
Cinematic weirdness at its best. A meta masterstroke that broke Cena down in layers.
Bad Bunny & Damian Priest vs. The Miz & John Morrison – WrestleMania 37 (2021)
Bad Bunny stunned everyone. He didn’t just belong—he elevated the show.
Rey Mysterio vs. Dominik Mysterio – WrestleMania 39 (2023)
Father vs. son in a grudge match that played perfectly off real-life drama and Hall of Fame weekend emotions.

Some of these matches shaped legacies. Others shifted eras. But all of them proved that the most memorable moments at WrestleMania don’t need a title—they just need truth in the storytelling and fire in the execution.