Opinion

The Exposed Turnbuckle: They can’t all be “cool” heels

Published

7 years ago

July 13, 2018

by: Mike Neon

Someone on Raw (preferably) has got to take a hard turn. That’s all there is to it. Of course i’m breaking the kayfabe and speaking in terms of faces and heels here. I hear so many complaints about Raw being a “cheesy” comedy show, that I feel it may come down to the gravity at this point to keep it’s audience engaged and invested throughout it’s 3 hour air time.

In my opinion, if you are constantly working to build the matches at the next pay-per-view, and therefore putting the same opponents against each other in a variety of manners leading up to that point, the more emotional intensity you can plant, the more benefits you can reap at harvest time.

By harvest time, I refer to the lead-in episode that occurs right before the PPV, where you leave your viewers wanting more, and encourage them to sign up free for the WWE Network to watch the upcoming event. The last couple of “lead-in/go home” shows have been generally considered “underwhelming” by many.

The primary reason for this, is the lack of genuine “heels” on Raw. The only reason I specify Raw instead of “The Main Roster” is because I have hope for SmackDown.

With the recent and delightful “heel turn” of Shinsuke Nakamura, the appearance of Sanity, Andrade Cien Almas and Zelina Vega (please do something productive with them, they are amazing) as well as, the arrival of “The Miz” after the “superstar shake up” SmackDown Live has grown and imported quite a crop of potential heels, and I’ll reserve judgment until I see how they are utilized.

Bad Vibrations – Mike Neon (Shinsuke Nakamura)

Even Carmella is overachieving in her championship reign, and reinforcing her with Ellsworth and occasional the IIconics (who are absolutely fabulous at what they do) makes the babyface vs. heel dynamic even stronger on Tuesday nights.

Whether you find the eternal conflict of good vs. evil, law vs. chaos, right vs. wrong to be a “tiresome trope” or a “tried and true” method, I find that it is a basic foundation of conflict, which is the building block for emotional storytelling in the ring.

Unless you’re Kenny Omega and want to put together a 9 year pseudo-romantic love story between two men, and celebrate the power of friendship with flavors of Tolkien’s “The Fellowship of the Ring” giving you strength to finally conquer your opposition.

Obviously, things that half a million “hipster wrestling aficionados” hail as glorious may be off putting, or simply unable to be accommodated due to the other 9.5 million fans that the WWE is also trying to cater to, all with subdivisions of particular things and superstars that they have a preference to.

So that’s why we have to examine the Raw “conflict” situation in terms of accommodating the “many” at the expense of the “few”, while still keeping the characters and their branding relevant and valuable. After all, this is a business, and Raw has consistently been the biggest wrestling showcase in the biggest company for over 25 years.

First and foremost, yes I am aware that Raw is in the “PG-Era” as people like to call it, but being PG doesn’t have to mean free of unpleasant situations and real, emotional human conflicts. Sure, other shows can make that point with more graphic violence or risqué behavior but it’s nowhere near required for solid “heat” going into a much anticipated match.

I’ve seen some great examples of despicable behavior that is rewarded with genuine disgust from wrestling fans in other shows and promotions as of recent, even underneath the WWE’s own roof.

Notable highlights:

The recent conflict’s between Sami Callahan and Pentagon Jr, in which Sami, after attacking and removing the mask of the popular luchador with the help of his OVE posse, came to the aid of Pentagon’s brother Fenix in disguise, only to ambush and orchestrate a beating on Fenix after a delightfully heinous reveal, in which he ripped the mask from his face and glared with wild-eyed glee at the crowd, as he reveled in his own despicable actions until the actual Pentagon Jr. arrived to save his brother, sending Sami and the OVE to retreat.
Cerberus Callihan – Mike Neon (Sami Callihan)
NXT Takeover Chicago (and nearly everything leading up to this PPV). Tommaso Ciampa, is absolutely the best heel in wrestling at the moment. From attacking Johnny Gargano and ruining his title shot against Aliester Black, his altercation between with Gargano, Candice LeRae and security which led to LeRae being knocked unconscious trying to break up the fight, and even Ciampa pulling the wedding ring off of a dazed Gargano’s finger, spitting on it and tossing it into the crowd at Chicago. Ciampa is absolute Chernobyl in terms of generating pure nuclear heat from the NXT fans.
Nuclear Heat – Mike Neon (Tommaso Ciampa)
Antonio Cueto freeing his son Matanza from the “shackles of humanity” in order to make him a more fearsome competitor, and then unleashing him the following week on “Mr. Pec-tacular” in a brutal squash match before offering him up to the “gods” in some kind of Aztec ritual as the lights went off and Pec-tacular had disappeared with only Matanza remaining in the ring with his arms outstretched to the skies. (this literally happened again, with Cortez Castro this week, the body count this season is getting out of hand)
El Jefe Nuevo – Mike Neon (Antonio Cueto)

These villainous acts vary in ranges of believability, but hold a common thread in unmistakable cruelty. This is an element entirely lacking on Raw. It’s difficult to toss Lucha Underground into a comparison, because it’s an entirely different kind of show, but it makes me nostalgic for Undertaker vs. Kane type of conflicts featuring “supernatural” kinds of heels that produced many wild types of matches, and vignettes that didn’t entirely work all the time but were a spectacle none-the-less.

A spectacle that the WWE has never been to replicate successfully post-Undertaker. Bray Wyatt has succeed to some extent in bringing “supernatural, southern, gothic horror” to the big stages in SmackDown and Raw, and it’s been met with some degrees of success, but never has it been “over” in the same degree it used to.

Fireflys – Mike Neon

The Miz, who has his pulse on a great many things, went as far as to call Kane a “nostalgia act” and a “broke down demon” on SmackDown Live this week, while Bray Wyatt and Matt Hardy are mocked relentlessly by “The B Team” for the flavors of bizarre mysticism in their characters. Also, Kane got jokes. Dad jokes, and Nsync jokes.

Even the modern day the newer players in the mystic/supernatural gimmick game such a “Ember Moon” and “Aleister Black” seem to have supernatural tendencies limited to appearance only, because I find myself feeling like the illusion is shattered once they are handed a microphone. Also, If I’m Aleister Black, I’m never showing up to Full Sail University when i’m scheduled to address the fans again. This is routinely leading to ambushes and severe beatings for “The Dutch Destroyer”, most recently at the hands of my favorite human being, Tommaso Ciampa.

So despite the success that Impact has had with delivering creepy, character driven developments, such as the feuds between Su Yung, Allie, and Rosemary, and the random otherworldly madness of Lucha Underground, it seems that the WWE is generally avoiding the supernatural. I can’t remember the last time I even saw the extremely popular “demon” half of Finn Balor make an appearance.

However the “truly” sinister heel never goes out of fashion and it’s something desperately needed in the current paradoxical world of mainstream professional wrestling, where “heels” can find themselves accidentally “over” with the crowds with a clever slogan or good marketing, thus making it difficult to get “heat” on a “babyface”. Perfect examples of this are Rusev and Adam Cole who are usually cheered like top “faces.”

Therein lies the need for heels like Tommaso Ciampa, and Sami Callahan. True “pureblood” heels that can draw massive heat against any competitor. This type of heel looks to not only destroy their opponent in the ring, but to destroy their characters.

Ciampa in a heated promo against reigning NXT champion Aleister Black, told him he was not only going to destroy him physically but also destroy the “myth” behind him, and expose him as a flawed and vulnerable person hiding behind smoke and mirrors. Callahan went a step further in unmasking Pentagon, the ultimate show of disrespect in the world of Lucha Libre.

With Raw’s recent ratings revealing the lowest viewer-ship ever in the history of the program (no it’s not time to panic), it’s time for the creative forces within to start finding ways to draw in greater emotional investment in the characters and the booking.

Unfortunately, the powers that be, seem to be content in shooting themselves in the foot. A perfect example of this is the Bayley and Sasha feud, that exploded several weeks ago has been completely diffused into comedic therapy segments instead of turning into a series of nasty altercations which could have culminated into a brutal match at the appropriately timed “Extreme Rules” PPV that’s just around the corner.

The WWE unfortunately seems reluctant to “pull the trigger” on a Sasha Banks “heel” turn. This befuddles me more than I can say, because Sasha’s character has so many “heelish” tendencies, and served as an absolutely fantastic heel on NXT. I personally find that Sasha on her own is iconic enough, much like Alexa Bliss to sell merchandise on the merits of who she is, regardless of “face” or “heel” status, so I don’t find that it would be a large risk to go ahead and run with Sasha becoming a treacherous blessing on Monday nights.

$t. $asha – Mike Neon (Sasha Banks)

My biggest hope for a “super-heel”at this moment rests on the shoulders of Drew McIntyre. Elias is a little “too cool” in the sense of being an ironic heel, and Baron Corbin, proceeded to sing “Itsy Bitsy Spider” before Raw’s main event, so he’s right out of consideration. Thanks for that, by the way Baron/creative, or whom’st ever came up with that productive use of time.

Drew appears to be a genuine threat to anyone on the Raw roster, and seems driven to destroy “nonsense” and those who are “lazy and complacent” on the roster. It sounds like a solid foundation to build upon for the type of dastardly development akin to contemporaries like Ciampa and Callahan.

I’m predicting that eventually Drew is going to grow impatient with Dolph Ziggler’s showboating and antics, and someday soon, (possibly as soon as Extreme Rules on Sunday) is going to just lay out not only his opponent, but Ziggler himself. Imagine McIntyre decimating both participants in the match and looming over the carnage before walking out, holding the intercontinental championship hostage, daring the rest of the roster to try to take it from him.

Claymore – Mike Neon (Drew McIntyre)

At the moment, the best “heel” style torment on Raw is actually coming from Braun Strowman, at the expense of Kevin Owens. Imagine the heat that Strowman would be getting if he was constantly bullying Seth Rollins, Finn Balor or another “popular” wrestler. Braun’s relentless attacks on Owens and his property is really serious heel work, but in it’s current context, somehow the WWE has managed to reverse polarity on the situation in a bizarre way, burying Kevin Owens figuratively and sometimes literally along the way.

They collect some degree of cheers in a situation where a large, monstrous superstar is terrorizing a smaller, fearful superstar as the punchline of a joke that seems to be a misuse of both men, because running from Strowman doesn’t make Owens look cowardly, it makes him look human, and relatively wise. Strowman’s pursuit of Owens, doesn’t make him look tough, or help add to his image, mystique and legend either.

This cognitive dissonance, between the face/heel dynamic is becoming a common occurrence on Monday night, for example Nia Jax, spent her championship reign bumbling back and forth between trying to be a sympathetic “face”, and drawing “heel” heat during her feuds and promos.

Also, wearing a fancy robe isn’t a gimmick. “Hi, I’m nice guy Bobby Roode, I have an unnecessarily fancy robe and I crack jokes with the other good guys backstage.” “No, no, no, just stop.” This is a personal appeal on my behalf and the rest of the WWE Universe. Roode not being a “heel” is a waste of time, space and possibly oxygen. Maybe get him into the mix with The Revival, and let that be an old school “tribute” act, because you’ve got nothing to lose and it works for all parties involved. Otherwise, Roode is little more than an extravagant robe and a great theme song.

One thing is clear, with the bizarre absence of the Universal Champion Brock Lesnar, that only becomes a storyline when they feel like pushing it, and the main championship out of play, the creative forces behind Raw need to do something compelling to “right the ship” and keep it’s millions of fans invested in the product before the ratings “downturn” becomes a regular pattern.

Follow Mike Neon: @TheRealMikeNeon

Enjoy his art and entertainment: @neoncolosseum

Like him at facebook.com/theneoncolosseum

and always #UseYourHead

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Opinion

Chairshot Staff Picks: WrestleMania 41 Las Vegas

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

Published

3 days ago

April 18, 2025

PC Tunney

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

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

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

Chairshot Pick: THE NEW DAY 9-2

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

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

Chairshot Pick: Jade Cargill 8-2-1

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

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

Chairshot Pick: Jacob Fatu 9-2

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

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

Chairshot Pick: Charlotte Flair 7-4

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

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

Chairshot Pick: El Grande Americano 6-5

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

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

Chairshot Pick: Jey Uso 11-0

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

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

Chairshot Pick: Seth Rollins 6-4-1

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

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

Chairshot Pick: Iyo Sky 8-2-1

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

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

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

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

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

Chairshot Pick: Drew McIntyre 7-3-1

WHO WILL BE RANDY’S OPPONENT?!?

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

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

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

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

Chairshot Pick: Logan Paul 7-4

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

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

Chairshot Pick: Liv & Raquel 9-2

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

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

Chairshot Pick: John Cena 6-5

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

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

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

Prowrestlingtees.com/TheChairshot plenty of GREAT t-shirt designs! Makes an awesome gift!!

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CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE’s PPV/PLE history)

TheChairshot.com PRESENTS…IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends

Patrick O’Dowd’s 5X5

Chairshot Radio Network
Your home for the hardest hitting podcasts… Sports, Entertainment and Sports Entertainment!

All Shows On Demand

Listen on your favorite platform!

About Chairshot Radio Network

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

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

Published

5 days ago

April 16, 2025

Greg DeMarco

Shawn Michaels Kurt Angle WrestleMania 21

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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