Opinion

Mathew’s Wrestling Quickies #1 Featuring Flamita vs Bandido

Published

7 years ago

September 20, 2018

So, this is my little experiment I wanna try to work on and see where it goes because if it’s successful, then I will keep it going from time to time. For those of you that know me, I cover Japanese promotions such as Dragon Gate, AJPW, Stardom, W-1, Sendai Girls, and other self-produced shows that I have the time for and whatever I get my hands on. For this, I will be covering about 5-8 matches from various promotions whether it’s from NOAH, MLW, Rev Pro, Progress, or just anything I can get my hands on that got uploaded within a two week time span from when I do these things and I call them my little wrestling quickies and no, I am not changing the name. Also, these matches will be at completely random from either I feel like a certain promotion or wrestlers deserves some form of recognition or a match that looks interesting to see how it turns out. I hope you all enjoy this little experiment and they’ll be like how I do my reviews with a little preview and how I do my rating systems, so let us begin.

King Of FREEDOM World Title No Canvas & Glass Board Death Match
Masashi Takeda (c) vs. Jun Kasai

Review: This first match is from the Japanese promotion called FREEDOMS which is based around death matches like how BJW is and this show took place on August 28th but the show got uploaded a couple weeks ago around the timeframe I do things, so figured I will give it a whirl. For those that know me, I’m not the biggest death match person but will appreciate a good one from time to time if it has a purpose or a good story behind it, except for CZW since they’re just terrible at it. Masashi Takeda is set to defend his title against Jun Kasai who has been part of some self-produced shows that I’ve covered like in Kawada’s Holy War. So which of these two will walk out the victor or at all?

If you’re one of those that had a weak stomach and felt really squeamish with how Orton twisted Hardy’s ear at Hell in a Cell, then this match isn’t for you since this one was incredibly bloody. This is one of those rare times that I’ve actually enjoyed a deathmatch fully and just enjoyed the brutality that both of these guys delivered to each other. Masashi is not only a very charismatic guy with a lot of passion for doing these matches, but he’s also a great wrestler once you get past his hardcore style of things and has shown he can go in the ring at the same time. Jun, we all know that the man is a psychopath and it’s clearly shown here in this match with what he does with these weapons to his opponents. The scars on their bodies are more severe compared to how Shuji and Sabu would have them that sometimes you just think how are they even alive from the crazy nonsense they do, but they do somehow find a way to make it safe while still making it look as dangerous as possible. They took advantage with the ring having no canvas as they would move the plywood around to place a piece of glass on there to throw their opponent into and they do just that here, they made sure whatever weapon they had in their disposal, it would be used in the match such as the light tubes, a cross with nails on it and would throw each other into, and even a knife. Masashi was throwing a lot of stuff at Jun during the match when slamming him down onto the plywood, doing a Spider Suplex onto the light tubes, and a Senton Bomb right after but Jun kicked out and flipped the fans off right away. Masashi would hit Jun with his Kokutai Ikkaisen Slam or Olympic Slam for another word as he won the match and retained his title. Probably one of the better death matches that I’ve seen this year with some wrestling and story in their mixed with just straight up violence.

Rating: Bruce Prichard

MLW Fusion Tag Team Title Match
Pentagon & Rey Fenix (c) vs Rey Horus & Drago

Review: I’ve heard about Major League Wrestling but didn’t get a chance to fully watch them until recently where I saw a match between the Lucha Bros defending their titles against Rich Swann and ACH which was a very entertaining match and it made me curious to see them again. This happened last week with Pentagon and Fenix defending their titles against Drago and Rey Horus who are also from Lucha Underground, so this should be a really exciting match. Will Lucha Bros retain the titles or will we have new champions?

At first I wasn’t fully feeling the match when we had some sequences that felt like it didn’t make much sense like Drago hitting random Superkicks in the beginning with almost all of them not fully connecting while his opponent didn’t sell it much either or a sloppy spot with Horus going for a Diving Crossbody off the top rope to both of them and as they caught him, Fenix fell down only to drag Horus down with him and it just looked really off. Despite those little nitpicks and the rather rough start, they picked up as the match went on as we see all four of them performing well like we know they could. Penta and Fenix are probably one of my favorite tag teams going on right now currently with them being in sync together every time they’re in the ring and just how they execute their moves together. Horus and Drago are no slouches either and were able to match whatever they could throw back at the Lucha Bros to give us an entertaining lucha style match. Penta would hit the Zero Factor onto Horus with Fenix Double Stomping onto him for that added effect but was able to kick out of it, so what do they do? They would do the same move again and Penta would get the pin this time to retain the titles.

Rating: Eric Bischoff and a half.

Singles Match
Flamita vs. Bandido

Review: This match happened at Rev Pro in an event called Brawl At The Guildhall which took place on September 7th and it’s sure to be a fun one as we have two Luchadors and current PROGRESS Tag Team Champions fighting against each other, Flamita and Bandido. I first started watching them in Dragon Gates months ago if you remember my early coverages around that time and I was very impressed with both of these guys, and it looks like I’m not the only one that thinks that since they’ve been creating quite a buzz together all around the world this year and rightfully so for that matter. So because of this and seeing that it was uploaded a couple days ago, I had to add them into my first article since they do deserve your time in the ring, great talent here. Which one of them will win here?

I was pleasantly surprised to see how well the Lucha Libre style goes over in the United Kingdom scene since the crowd was really getting into the match and even starting a Lucha Libre chant here and there into the match, so I am totally okay with this happening here. Flamita and Bandido did what they did best with their wrestling style and even give us a little bit of humor with them doing their little dance to taunt each other whenever they ran into the rope until they had enough and went back into wrestling each other. Like any type of Lucha style match, we get armdrags, springboards, fast pins, back and forth with the kicking and the two men do it without skipping a beat without overkilling any of their stuff and the fans going crazy. They did have one little mess up in the match when they were rolling each other up for the pins and it looked like Bandido slipped a little bit to not be pinned fully but he was able to quickly cover it up to not hurt the match as much. It’s crazy that both of these men are only 23 years old and are performing at this level, then again Flamita has been wrestling since he was eleven years old while Bandido only has about five years of experience in his name. Bandido was pulling a lot of stops such as going for a headscissors and turning it into a Canadian Destroyer, doing a Tilt-a-Whirl DDT and it was somehow still not enough to put Flamita away here. The two would hit Superkicks onto each other and Flamita hits a Spanish Fly for a two count. Flamita would be able to get Bandido onto the turnbuckle as he hits the 619 and tops it off with a 450 Splash off the top rope to get the victory.

Rating: Bruce Prichard

Singles Match
Hideo Itami vs. Naomichi Marufuji

Review: This match was from Marufuji’s 20th Anniversary show where he was in the main event to take on his old rival, Hideo Itami who was known as KENTA when he did wrestle in NOAH before leaving for the WWE. If you have followed their careers in Japan, you would know that they have what some considered as one of the greatest feuds in NOAH’s history with the battles they shared in the ring to produce some of the best in Japan. KENTA left NOAH in 2014 to leave for the WWE and he did appear to have a bright future there when he was transitioning rather well, but his various injuries over the years would ruin his momentum and probably some of the passion he had in him. However, when Marufuji booked this show, he did contact Triple H to see if he can have Hideo come back to Japan for the special event in which it was agreed upon and we have our main event right here for this special show. Does Hideo get the big win or will Marufuji stand tall in his special show?

Soon as the match begins, the crowd would just chant for KENTA, ignoring his WWE name and it’s nice to see how much Japan missed him. This match was more of a callback to their previous battles in NOAH and it sure was something special for the people that have followed them and for those that haven’t followed them, I’m sure you were able to get something exciting out of it. I like to think that this match and being back home in Japan for one night was able to give him that little spark again since I’m sure he misses home and can give WWE a general idea on what he can actually do and give them a reminder why he signed them in the first place, so I hope they see that while he’s in 205 since he’s slowly gaining momentum back again there. One thing I was worried about was how Hideo would fair into the match with not wrestling the Japanese style for so long and wrestling a long match and he was able to wrestle like he never missed a step and even lasted over a half hour here. Marufuji despite being beaten and battered from all the years he wrestled still showed he’s performing at such a top level that you can see why he’s still considered one of the best in Japan still.

Despite the match being great, they did mess up a little bit with Marufuji slipping a little with his Piledriver onto the apron and made it look like it was nothing, even Hideo missed the GTS on one of his attempts but was able to quickly pick him up to hit another one so he could correct his mistake and the fans didn’t seem to care and were rather pleased to see him hitting it again, even with the two GTS’ in the match, Marufuji was still able to kick out of them. By some miracle, Marufuji would hit a Spanish Fly and it’s a rare sight due to his age and incredibly bad knees and also hits the Shiranui for Hideo to kick out of it as well and both of these men are going all out still while trying to figure out what do they have to do to end it. Marufuji would have to end it the only way he could and that was by hitting the Emerald Flowsion in the center of the ring as Marufuji stood tall. In an interview, Marufuji talked about how grateful he was to Triple H for letting Hideo come back to Japan for one night to make his show even more special, and also said he would be honored to wrestle a match for the WWE to return the favor. Hunter, get a Takeover going in Japan so we can make this a reality. You did it for Jushin Liger, now do it for Marufuji.

Rating: Bruce Prichard and a half.

NEVER Openweight Title Match
Hirooki Goto (c) vs. Taichi

Review: You heard it right, the last match for this version is from NJPW as a little surprise to keep your interests up to show that you can expect them to show up sometime when you least expect it, but only for huge matches…well, except for this because I wanted to. I was gonna close it out with Tetsuya Naito taking on Minoru Suzuki from the same show, but it was rather underwhelming and it’s because of the fact that while both talents are amazing, their chemistry isn’t all there and it made the match not that memorable. So, with that said, I decided to do the Openweight Championship match with Hirooki Goto defending the belt against Lord Taichi. This one happened in the NJPW Destruction In Beppu show that took place a couple days ago and Taichi was able to get this opportunity during the G1 Finals show when he won the tag match where Goto was involved in. Taichi was not picked to be involved in the G1 Climax this year which I thought was a pretty bad decision since I honestly thought he would’ve done great and has had an impressive year ever since he moved up to the heavyweight division and had great matches against Naito and Tanahashi. Can Goto retain the title again or will Taichi claim his first singles title in his wrestling career?

The beginning of the match started off a bit slow with Taichi playing mind games with Goto by not fighting him right away as Goto sat in the ring Shibata style as he waited for him to return. Taichi also had some heel tactics in the match with Kanemaru attacking Goto when the referee wasn’t looking and would also use chairs in the match to try and get Goto counted out, which fails by the way. It looks like Taichi is gonna be doing what Minoru Suzuki did when he was involved with the Openweight Championship by having a bunch of outside interference but the difference is that it makes sense for someone like Taichi since a guy like Minoru doesn’t need it since he’s scary without help except for Taichi who is more known for this kind of shenanigans.

Despite this probably the weaker of Goto’s title defenses, it was still a very solid match with what they had to work with together since Taichi isn’t the most technically sounded guy in the roster, but the story is there and that was what they delivered in. Kanemaru and El Desperado would help try to interfere in the match when the referee was down until CHAOS members came out to even the odds and sent them to the back so it would be an even fight between Goto and Taichi as Goto hits the Ushigorishi and Shouten Kai but Taichi still kicks out of it. Takashi Iizuka would make his way into the ring with his little iron claw thing to try and take out Goto but he fails to do so and Taichi rolls Goto up for a two count. Taichi couldn’t win with sneaking up on him as he decides to hit the Last Ride and Goto kicks out again, but Taichi quickly picks him up and hits the Black Mephisto for the pin and we have a new champion! Miho ran into the ring hugging Lord Taichi with tears rolling down her eyes to celebrate his very first singles title win in his fifteen-year career.

Rating: Eric Bischoff and three quarters.

Overall: So I decided to wrap up the first edition of my miniseries with the minimum of five matches to get a better flow and setup instead of just filling up the max of eight matches in my first addition. I like to think it was a success and I think I’m gonna keep doing it for a little while longer for your reading pleasure.

Favorite Match: Hideo Itami vs. Naomichi Marufuji
Least Favorite Match: Pentagon & Rey Fenix vs Rey Horus & Drago
Score: 8.5/10

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Opinion

Chairshot Staff Picks: WrestleMania 41 Las Vegas

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

Published

3 weeks ago

April 18, 2025

PC Tunney

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

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

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

Chairshot Pick: THE NEW DAY 9-2

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

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

Chairshot Pick: Jade Cargill 8-2-1

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

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

Chairshot Pick: Jacob Fatu 9-2

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

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

Chairshot Pick: Charlotte Flair 7-4

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

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

Chairshot Pick: El Grande Americano 6-5

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

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

Chairshot Pick: Jey Uso 11-0

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

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

Chairshot Pick: Seth Rollins 6-4-1

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

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

Chairshot Pick: Iyo Sky 8-2-1

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

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

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

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

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

Chairshot Pick: Drew McIntyre 7-3-1

WHO WILL BE RANDY’S OPPONENT?!?

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

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

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

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

Chairshot Pick: Logan Paul 7-4

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

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

Chairshot Pick: Liv & Raquel 9-2

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

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

Chairshot Pick: John Cena 6-5

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

AJ – @PhenomenalAJB
Andrew – @IWCWarChief
Dave – @AttitudeAgg
DJ – @TheMindlessPod
DPP – @itsmeDPP
Jason – @JediFett
Patrick – @WrestlngRealist
Rey – @itsreycash
Rob – @rbonne1
Greg – @gregdemarco44
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DeMarco: Top 5 Non-Title WrestleMania Matches In WWE History

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

Published

3 weeks ago

April 16, 2025

Greg DeMarco

Shawn Michaels Kurt Angle WrestleMania 21

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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