Opinion

Bodeen’s Top 5 Moments: WWE NXT (7/14/2021)

NXT Championship match and more… all part of Bodeen’s WWE NXT Top 5 Moments!

Published

3 years ago

July 17, 2021

Bodeen Green

NXT Championship match and more… all part of Bodeen’s WWE NXT Top 5 Moments!

As Raw and SmackDown begin to return to the road, NXT came to us from the Capital Wrestling Centre this week as fans were treated to a big night of action as Ember Moon and Dakota Kai faced each other in a solid opening match, as well as former Undisputed ERA members, Roderick Strong and Bobby Fish coming face to face for the first time ever in months with Johnny Gargano and Karrion Kross finishing things off for the night with a great main event for the NXT Championship as Samoa Joe looking on as the special guest referee as tensions between Kross and Joe continue to grow.

But what moments stood out above all on this action-packed edition of the black and yellow brand? Let’s find out right again as it is time to look at the top 5 moments from NXT this week.

5. Duke Hudson takes on Ikemen Jiro to open the NXT Breakout Tournament

NXT constantly receives a lot of criticism for its ability to make new talent with some fans thinking NXT has a dependency on independent talent such as Adam Cole who already have a big name for themselves. However, the NXT Breakout tournament has proven that NXT can still to develop new talent as they once again announced another tournament with the opening match taking place this week as Duke Hudson and Ikeman Jiro took on each other in a great match with both men doing a great job in showcasing their ability.

The match was the ultimate mix of styles as Duke Hudson was all about basic strikes and raw power, taking out the flash and glamour as Ikeman Jiro was the complete opposite wearing a flashy bright jacket and constantly using his agility and speed to get the upper hand throughout the match with Jiro even taunting the young Australian in the match, using this to his advantage as he got the upper hand against an overly aggressive Duke Hudson even Jiro even doing a tribute to his trainer, Tajiri by applying the Tarantula submission on the ropes. However, Hudson’s raw power and strength were too much for Jiro as late in the match Jiro hit Hudson with a flurry of strikes only to be caught in a side-walk slam to give Hudson the win, advancing him to the next round of the tournament.

This was a great match between the two men as they did a great job in showcasing their styles. Personally, I feel Hudson winning was the right choice. Hudson’s raw style is a great sight to see in a wrestling scene that is focused on high-flying wrestling. Despite the loss, Ikeman Jiro has some great potential in NXT and does not need to win the breakout tournament to become a star, as his fun attitude and charisma is great to watch.

4. Ember Moon and Dakota Kai open the show in a great opening match

Ember Moon and Dakota Kai would open NXT this week with both women putting on a great main event as they did battle as the NXT Woman’s Champion Raquel Gonzalez watched on from ringside. Both women would have an aggressive start to the match, talking trash to each other and exchanging holds as they tried to get the upper hand over each other. After several minutes of back and forth action between the two women, Ember Moon would get the upper hand hitting Dakota Kai with a pump kick, a neckbreaker and a suplex with Moon finishing things off with a crossbody for the top rope for a 2 count as Requel Gonzalez watched on.

Kai would quickly turn things back in her favour and would hit a running boot in the corner, dragging Moon to the middle on the ring, only to get a close 2 count to her surprise. Both women continued to go back and forth late in the match exchanging strikes, however, Kai would ultimately get the win hitting Ember with the GTK for the win over Moon in a great opening contest. After the match, Xia Li came out and ignored Dakota Kai and she went faced to face with Requel Gonzalez with a match for the NXT Women’s Title being made official for next week’s edition of NXT.

Xia Li’s title opportunity is surprising, while it is great to see Li get an opportunity for the NXT Women’s Championship it does feel a little sudden, especially as there has been no build between Gonzalez and Li at all. This will most likely mean that NXT will want to make both women look strong next week on NXT and have the title match be a no-contest, most likely ending due to interference from Dakota Kai. While small gripe I have is how little of a mention there was of Shotzi and Nox. While Ember Moon did say she was happy for their pair to make their SmackDown debuts last week I would have loved to see one final interaction between the two women, especially as they were a great tag team to watch and help put the NXT Women’s Tag Team Championship on the map. However, I do understand that the decision to move Shotzi and Nox could have been a sudden choice and with COVID restrictions and SmackDown just about to go on the road, there was a good chance the company could not do anything.

3. Santos Escobar and Dexter Lumis face each other as love grows between Lumis and Indi Hartwell

Love would continue to blossom between Indi Hartwell and Dexter Lumis once again after Lumis took on Santos Escobar in a fantastic match. Early in the match, Escobar would try to get the early advantage against the mysterious Lumis dropping Lumis with a shoulder but Lumis would get right back up and hit Escobar with the Thesz Press, sending Escobar outside the ring with Lumis never taking his eyes off Santos. A furious Escobar tried to have Joaquin Wilde and Raul Mendoza attack Lumis only for Lumis to not be in the ring, with Lumis then appearing under the ring, grabbing Escobar’s foot spooking Escobar yet again.

Santos would get the upper hand throughout the match thanks to Joaquin Wilde and Raul Mendoza constantly interfering. Despite his best efforts, the number game would prove too much for Dexter Lumis as Joaquin Wilde and Raul Mendoza distracted the referee when Lumis had Escobar trapped in the silence, allowing Escobar to tap with the referee’s knowledge. Wilde would then attack Lumis outside the ring whilst the referee was distracted, allowing Escobar to recover and hit the Phantom Driver to score the pinfall victory over Lumis. After the match, Legado del Fantasma’s celebration would be cut short as Hit Row came out as both groups talked trash with Legado del Fantasma walking to the back.

Later in the night, it was revealed that Indi Hartwell came out and tried to help Lumis to the back by carrying him but would struggle and drop him to the floor creating an awkward moment as Lumis and Hartwell looked at each other. Before anything could happen, Candice LeRae would come out and separate Indi from Lumis as love continues to grow between Indi and Dexter.

2. LA Knight sends Cameron Grimes to the broom

After Cameron Grimes lost to LA Knight in a great match last week, it was time for Cameron Grimes to be sent to the broom as Cameron Grimes became LA Knight’s personal butler. Despite being in a bad position Grimes would look on the bright side of things putting on a smile and eventually getting the upper hand over The Million Dollar Champion.

Things got off to a rocky start for Grimes, as Grimes was late for his first day of work for LA Knight, however, Grimes would keep a smile on his face and tell Knight that he was a man of his word and that he was going to hold up his end of the deal. Unfortatanly for Cameron Grimes, LA Knight wanted to make the best out of this opportunity as he sent Grimes to the back and had forced the rough-looking Grimes to have a makeover. However, Cameron Grimes would love his new look as LA Knight’s plan to humiliate Grimes backfired. Grimes would eventually be sent to work by LA Knight with Knight forcing Cameron Grimes to mow his lawn. Despite the daunting task, Grimes would get the last laugh yet again as he managed to find a kid to do his work for him, using his fortune to his advantage. A furious LA Knight would berate Grimes, slapping the money that Grimes tried to pay the child with, with Knight then yelling at the child, the child would then retaliate kicking Knight in the leg as Grimes made the best of his opportunity and used a rake to sweep the money, sending Knight into the pool.

This was a great series of segments between the two men. It was great to see Grimes have a smile on his face throughout and eventually get the upper hand over LA Knight, despite being in a weaker position. Hopefully, we see more of this pair in the future and see plenty of segments like this in the future as both men have plenty of charisma and chemistry working together.

1. Johnny Gargano and Karrion Kross battle for the NXT Championship with Samoa Joe as special guest referee.

Tensions between Samoa Joe and the NXT Champion, Karrion Kross would continue to grow this week as Samoa Joe was appointed special guest referee for the NXT Championship match between Johnny Gargano and Karrion Kross. Gargano and Kross would put on a great match as Gargano embraced the Johnny Wrestling of old embracing the fans as he pushed Kross throughout the match.

Gargano would show no fear against Kross, attacking the NXT Champion during the match introduction, however, Kross would get the upper hand sending Gargano to the corner and hitting Gargano with a snap suplex. Despite Gargano managing to hit Kross with a dropkick outside the ring and following it up with a running flip from the apron, Kross would get right back up and attack Gargano with Kross picking up Gargano by his neck and slamming him back into the edge of the announce table. Kross would then dominate Gargano throughout the match but Gargano would mount a comeback and embrace the Johnny Wrestling of old, hit Kross with a slingshot spear and hitting Kross with a suicide dive. However, Kross would then get the upper hand as he blocked One Final Beat and hit a Northern Lights suplex and hit a vertical suplex to regain control. Late in the match, Kross would apply the Kross Jacket on Gargano with Gargano just making it to the ropes. It would create more tension between Samoa Joe and Karrion Kross as Joe put his hands on Kross after Kross refused to break the hold. Both men would argue yet again after Kross tried to attack Gargano with steel steps outside the ring forcing Joe to put his hands on Kross yet again. This would allow Gargano to hit the suicide dive into a DDT on Kross, with Gargano throwing Kross back in the ring and following it up with One Final Beat for a nearfall.

Gargano would continue to embrace the Johnny Wrestling of old, attempting a DIY superkick but Kross would reverse it and would dominate Gargano, hitting Gargano with suplexes and powerbomb. Kross would then go to the corner and finish things with an elbow to the back of the neck to retain the NXT Championship. After the match, Joe and Kross would argue yet again with Kross putting Joe in the Kross jacket to close the show.

These were my top 5 moments from another action-packed edition of the black and yellow brand. What were your top 5 moments from NXT and as RAW and SmackDown begin to return to live crowds on the road, what would your thoughts be for NXT returning home to Full Sail University and leaving the Capital Wrestling Centre? Let us know your thoughts and opinions in the comment section down below

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

1 week 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!