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

4 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.

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!