Opinion

Mishal’s Top 5 Greatest Wrestlers Not Signed With WWE

Mishal checks back in with a Top 5 that is surely to spark some discussion–who are the best wrestlers not signed with WWE?

Published

4 years ago

September 10, 2020

Mishal Shuhaiber

Tessa Blanchard Impact World Champion WWE NXT Evolution

Mishal checks back in with a Top 5 that is surely to spark some discussion–who are the best wrestlers not signed with WWE?

It’s the age-old question among wrestling fans; who is the best wrestler in the world?

In any sport, in any profession, in any aspect of modern life, we as human beings always clamour, argue & debate who is the ‘best’ in any field that we choose to involve ourselves within.

Professional wrestling is no stranger to this, in fact, if you’ve ever met a professional wrestling fan, we’re 10 times more aggressive than any other kind of fan you’d likely come across at any point in your life. Despite this being one sport where all of us can bask in the beauty of what athletes do in the ring, a lot of us tend to draw battle lines between our own likenesses & rely on establishing our favourites as the ‘superior’ ones above any other wrestlers on any other brands.

Within mainstream professional wrestling, we so often see the biggest names under WWE’s banner referred to as the very finest on offer to every audience out there, the ‘Cream of the Crop’, if you will. But to many fans who’s eyes are solely on Vince McMahon & company, the industry is packed with so much talent it could make your head explode.

And that is why we’re here today, to take a quick glance at some of the immensely talented men & women lurking outside the world of WWE, with just as much talent as the likes of Roman Reigns, Drew McIntyre, Becky Lynch, Seth Rollins, Asuka, Adam Cole & whoever else you can name off the tip of your tongue.

Each star on this list is well worth the hype despite never signing for the ‘Granddaddy’ of sports entertainment, and despite never being recognized by a company commonly displayed as the standard-bearer for the business, still hold their own in every regard compared to those in wrestling’s No.1 spectacle brand.

Obviously this list lies heavily within my own personal preferences, but for now, here are some of the greatest wrestlers that WWE is still yet to sign.

Honourable Mentions

MJF – Arguably the hottest young star in the business right now. MJF has everything a superstar in or out of WWE should possess, from the solid in-ring work rate, incredible character work, embodying his character in every appearance he makes & cutting amongst the finest promos in the business right now. The only reason the man isn’t higher on this list is due to the limited amount of time we’ve spent with him on screen as opposed to some of the other names down this list, but it doesn’t remove from the insane potential MJF possesses at his age.

James Storm – While the heat & anticipation of a James Storm arrival in WWE is at this point, long gone for most fans, there’s no denying what a missed opportunity the man would have been for WWE’s product. Storm, in my opinion, is one of the most underutilized & overlooked stars professional wrestling has had over the last decade, including his lengthy tenure in TNA. It’s hard seeing someone who is the total package when it comes to being a star in the industry, and even though he isn’t signed to the bigger industry leaders, his work with NWA currently is still absurdly good.

Kazuchika Okada – No performers on this list (bar one) have managed to produce the quality of wrestling over the last number of years that Kazuchika Okada has. Okada is an in-ring performer that has few equals, presenting himself on an entirely different level opposite anyone he faces. The aura he carries with him, his methods of storytelling & physically demanding style of wrestling make him an entity for fans to bask in. The reality of Okada working under the WWE banner are slim not just based on realism, but the companies horrendous track record with Japanese talent (such as fellow former NJPW member Shinsuke Nakamura) is the starkest reminder of why we’ll likely never see the man enter Titan Towers.

The Top 5 Wrestlers Not Signed To WWE

5. Jay Lethal

Jay Lethal is somewhat of a forgotten locker room leader in the professional wrestling world. The former TNA star once referred to as ‘Black Machismo’ & multi-time Ring of Honor Champion is a name many, myself included, are shocked to never see step foot in a WWE ring, whether that be past or present. Having been such a staple in both companies for so very long, Lethal strayed on a different path as opposed to the veterans around him who swung over to the opposition.

Much like James Storm who was mentioned earlier, Lethal has a degree of loyalty to the smaller competitors outside WWE who allow him to explore his own character under his own accord. While the likes of AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Eric Young, Consequences Creed & dozens of others tested the waters under Vince McMahon, Lethal seems happy where he is & has been over the years.

His work in ROH, in particular, has been nothing short of extraordinary. Featuring a run with basically every viable title the roster competes for & incredible matches against the likes of The Briscoes, Silas Young, Christopher Daniels, Cody, Hangman Page & Adam Cole which have further cemented his status as one of professional wrestling’s most criminally overlooked talents. It’s unlikely and at this point a guarantee, that Jay Lethal will never see the lights of a WWE arena, which I think is for the best considering the incredible resume he’s built up under his own creativity.

4. Nick Aldis

Now, this one puzzles me.

By every measure that we can possibly muster, Nick Aldis is the epitome of what WWE looks for in their top stars, at least historically. The former ‘Gladiator’ has come a long way since being the vanilla heel of a bland British-led faction in TNA just as the 2010s rolled around, he’s managed to turn himself into your traditional, old school wrestling heel that works shockingly well within the current landscape.

Nothing about the man doesn’t embody the star that a brand like WWE yearns for whenever developing those who will carry their brand over the course of months or years, he’s the total package. While his in-ring work may not be the most flashy or complex when levelled against some of the surrounding talents in the industry, the man carries himself like few other characters in the business. Where he lacks in the ring, he makes up for with his insane ability to standout on-screen. His promo work is stellar, the character he presents is hateable but also incredibly charismatic & for old school wrestling fans like myself, he blends nostalgia into his programs in a way that never seems outdated, much like someone like Randy Orton does to many.

Nick Aldis is always one who gets a lot of flack from wrestling fans for some reason, but that’s never been an opinion I share considering how solid his current work has been under the NWA & his limited time in AEW. Like almost any style of wrestling, he’s not a flavour for everyone to enjoy, but in my eyes, he’ll always be a talent capable of reaching the highest points in the industry should he be given the shot to do so.

3. Alex Shelley

I’m going to tell you all something, Alex Shelley is one of the finest professional wrestlers I’ve ever watched in my entire life.

Understandably considering how many names everyone on the internet or elsewhere hurls around this name may come across as somewhat of a random draw, but Shelley deserves so much more than what he’s been given in his career up to this point. Nothing about this is to say what he’s accomplished at this point in time is any ‘minor’ feat, Alex Shelley has crafted a body of work so incredible it sometimes baffles me how he’s never been at the top of the food chain for any of the brands he’s been under.

Shelley oozes energy & charisma both in the ring & on the microphone that is somewhat infectious when you sit down to watch him. The in-ring style he puts on offer is fast-paced, never slows down & will always have you engaged regardless of your taste. On top of his wrestling, he has a personality perfectly suited to carry any segment on any show, one that can be hilarious without ever breaking the tone of the story he’s trying to convey. As far as not receiving dues in the industry, Alex Shelley is one of those wrestlers who have always & will always deserve better than what he’s accomplished, just simply for being one of the most consistent & passionate professional wrestlers I’ve had the pleasure of watching at home or live in person.

As much as I love his current partner in Chris Sabin, everyone should take a minute to check out just how awesome Shelley is when handed the spotlight anywhere he goes.

2. Tessa Blanchard

Charlotte Flair is always lauded as the era-defining 2nd Generation women’s wrestler that blazes a path in her journey to success like nobody else around at the moment. This is true, and anyone who keeps track of ‘The Queens’ record on RAW, SmackDown & NXT should know, Charlotte Flair is one of the most genetically gifted athletes on the planet right now, no matter where she goes, success follows right behind her.

That being said, she isn’t the only 2nd generation wrestler who’s broken barriers over the last few years, because Tessa Blanchard has a lot under her name to brag against the industries finest.

Her recent stint in TNA alone is nothing short of astonishing. Competing against the likes of Sami Callihan, Michael Elgin, Brian Cage, Ace Austin & Eddie Edwards, transporting the Knockouts Division into a new era & most importantly, being crowned the first-ever woman to win the Impact Wrestling World Championship sets her up as not just one of the most vital talents around, but one that is breaking boundaries similar to ‘The 9th Wonder of the World’ Chyna did back in the late 1990s. Blanchard has managed to break the very boundary of simply being restricted to the confines of a division based on her sex and is instead blazing a trail unlike anyone else currently active around her in any other brand.

While she’s currently up in the air following her departure from Impact Wrestling just a number of months back, it’s obvious that she’s a hot commodity to both WWE & their newly found competition in AEW, who are in desperate need of someone to shove their women in the right direction considering the state the talent is under right now.

1. Kenny Omega

I’ll put it simply so what I actually think is muddied up by my clear bias when it comes to this particular talent, but Kenny Omega has proven on more than one occasion that he’s arguably the best professional wrestler working today.

Omega has put on a plethora of 5 (and sometimes, 6) star classics in NJPW, ROH or AEW where he currently resides. Going from being a WWE developmental reject who had his quarrels with the creative process to one of the most highly-praised & unique performers of our generation, the fact that Omega is still young & has a long time left to move audiences around the globe is an incredible re-assuring thought for anyone worried about the future of wrestling. Omega is one of those wrestlers who always brings something new to the table in any of his matches, being an incredible storyteller, a damn good promo under the right environment & like I said, possibly the best talent working today.

Currently, I’ll admit that Omega’s work tends to pale in comparison to his historic run at the top of the mountain in NJPW where he & Kazuchika Okada blew the roof off of every arena they worked in front of in some of the best matches of the decade so far, but it’s clear that AEW knows that Omega is essentially their secret weapon, and to think his future doesn’t involve a long-awaited singles run in the company would be foolish to think under any metric. The level of talent he possesses is enough to make him into a star almost instantly since he’s already proven he can carry a brand much as he did over in Japan until AEW came into existence.

Kenny Omega is in the group of talent we can call the future of professional wrestling, heck, he could even lead that group depending on where you stand in terms of taste or preference. One thing is for sure, WWE has certainly not come knocking at Kenny Omega’s door for the last time, and if their intensity for currently signing talent is any indication, that will happen sooner rather than later.

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!