Opinion

WWE Week In Revew: September 2-8, 2018

Published

7 years ago

September 10, 2018

We’re coming into the homestretch for Hell in a Cell! A shocking title change took place on RAW, the Shield found themselves dealing with a lot more than the new faction of Strowman, Ziggler, and McIntyre, Bobby Lashley found meditation not to his liking, Charlotte and Becky’s feud gets nasty, Naomi has a new ally, and Almas and Vega learn a painful lesson about keeping their noses out of other people’s feuds. So let’s check out what’s going on this week!

RAW

Shield Vs Everyone: Strowman and his new friends were very proud of themselves for what the did to the Shield, calling last week’s beatdown ‘justice’. Unfortunately, the Hounds didn’t agree with their definition of ‘Justice’. Unfortunately, Corbin insisted on being a stick in the mud and tried to keep the warring factions apart. When that failed, he had the Shield arrested.

After Strowman had beaten Balor in the main event, he and his new buddies were preparing to possibly put Balor on the shelf for a long when the police van showed back up. To no one’s surprise, the Shield came out, having made bail, but before the fun could finally start, the Shield was jumped by the entire heel locker room. The Shield fought valiantly, but the numbers caught up to them and all three were left laid out. Safe to say, if the Hounds had been out for blood this week, they’ll be out of more than that next week.

RAW Women’s Division: After three years, the Bella Twins were in action against the Riott Squad in an incredible match that reminds us all why the Bellas were so dominate for so long. There were a lot of rough spots, and plenty of blame to go around on both sides, but the ladies all did a great job with the Bellas pulling out the victory. Welcome back, Nikki and Brie!

On the Women’s Title front, Alexa Bliss attempted to gain some momentum by taking on Nattie Neidhart. Alexa showed that she’d learned some submission moves of her own, making Nattie tap out to an armbar. When Ronda went to check on her friend, Alexa attempted to get the jump on the Women’s champion, only to be reminded that Ronda Rousey didn’t got undefeated for years by being easy to get a jump on and sent the former champ scurrying away to the safety of her lackeys.

In the third women’s match of the evening, Dana Brooke of Titus Worldwide teamed up with Ember Moon against the Boss-Hug Connection. Dana was accompanied by Titus and Apollo, who were bickering with each other and trying to give her advice. Their efforts resulted in Dana being pinned by Sasha, much to her chagrin. When both men tried to apologize, Dana snapped, saying that she was done with both of them, before leaving. Looks like Titus Worldwide has an opening for number cruncher.

RAW Tag Team Championship: It was announced by WWE on Monday that the B-Team will defend their RAW tag team titles against the Revival on RAW. This came a week after the Revival’s spectacular victory over the B-Team last week. Unfortunately, the Revival’s well-earned match didn’t happen due to Ziggler and McIntyre attacking them and deciding that they wanted the tag titles, despite doing nothing to earn them. Despite a valiant effort, the B-Team’s luck ran out and Ziggler and McIntyre are the new RAW Tag Team Champions. In a post match interview, the B-Team was still in shock over their loss, but vowed to invoke their rematch clause.

Constable Corbin: Corbin decided to be a stick in the mud and tried to stop the Shield and Strowman, McIntyre, and Ziggler from fighting. His solution, have the Shield arrested, didn’t go over very well. Corbin was also called out by Finn Balor, which caused Corbin to book himself against Balor for the evening’s main event, eventually, that was changed to Strowman vs Balor.

Undertaker vs Triple H: In a perfect world, and my dreams, the appearance of Shawn Michaels on Monday Night RAW would’ve been to answer Seth Rollins’ Open Challenge. However, that was not to be. Mr. WrestleMania was here to promote the Undertaker/Triple H match at the Super Show Down Under, and to pimp his new shirt. To no one’s surprise, HBK picked his best friend, Triple H to win. Then, we got a real surprise when, for the first time in over a year, the Undertaker was on Monday Night RAW. The Demon of Death Valley reminded HBK that he’d taken both HBK and Triple H on and beaten them both, including taking HBK’s career.

Bobby Rood and Chad Gable vs The Ascension: In a truly random, yet awesome move, Bobby Roode and Chad Gable formed a tag team and face the Ascension, who were not impressed. The match was pretty good, Gable and Roode worked together quite seamlessly, pulling out a victory over the Ascension and celebrating in the ring.

Elias: Elias’ new gig seems to be opening for the Women’s Division. However, he’s at least got a fans in Alexa Bliss.

Authors of Pain vs Jobbers: Authors of Pain showed up this week with a new manager: Drake Maverick, General Manager of 205 Live, and they were facing a hapless pair of jobbers, who didn’t really stand a chance.

Bobby Lashley: Corbin’s abuse of power had implications for Lashley this week. After his dominate performance over the Ascension last week, Lashley was called in for a performance review and told that he had anger management problems. In order to ‘help’ him, he was ordered to a meditation session with Jinder Mahal. It was clear before anything happened that Lashley thought the whole thing was BS, but he was a good sport an played along, right up until he was attacked from behind by Kevin Owens. After a great deal of back and forth that also involved Mahal and Singh, Lashley was laid out with a pop up powerbomb. Have a feeling Owens is going to regret that.

SmackDown Live

WWE Championship: Everyone has a breaking point, and AJ Styles has reached his. Samoa Joe’s disturbing mind games continued this week. He continued to taunt Styles and his family, and this time, Styles SNAPPED. He attacked Joe and beat his opponent rather severely before referees and GM Paige were able to convince him to leave. Joe seems to have gotten under AJ’s skin, but has he poked the bear one time too many?

WWE United States Championship: Nakamura wasn’t in action this week, presumably still claiming that he doesn’t have to defend the title since he’s the ruler of Nakamerica.

SmackDown Women’s Division: Charlotte and Becky’s feud hit social media on Monday. The two exchanged some harsh tweets, Charlotte accepted Becky’s challenge, vowing to make her former friend tap out. Becky’s reply was to say that Charlotte was doing the smart thing by running her mouth while she could. On Tuesday, the former friends would have a video face to face confrontation. The war of words was brutal and nasty. Neither woman pulled any punches and it’s clear that each woman is convinced that she’s in the right and that the other is to blame for the end of their friendship.

Naomi, on the other hand, finally got some backup in her feud against the IIconics, and it’s not who you would expect. The Queen of Glow took on Peyton Royce again this week, and made sure to take steps to keep Billie Kay out of the match. Naomi’s foresight paid off with a victory over Peyton Royce, but didn’t help her when the enraged IIconics attacked her. Naomi was saved by the returning Asuka, who helped her fend off the IIconics and sent them running.

As for former Women’s Champion, Carmella, she finally had a confrontation with R-Truth. It turns out, Truth had a different motive for tracking her down, they’re going to be partners in this year’s Mixed Match Challenge, so in the spirit of partnership, Carmella accompanied him to the ring for his match with Miz.

SmackDown Tag Team Championship: This was week two of the Tag Team Tournament and this week it was the Usos vs Sanity vs Team Rusev with the winner facing the Bar to decide who faces New Day for the SmackDown Tag Team Titles. The match was fantastic and the ending was a genuine shock: Team Rusev pulls out the victory

Miz and Daniel Bryan: On Tuesday, Miz and Maryse did an empty arena promo, daring Brie Bella and Daniel Bryan to come punch them in the face. Not surprisingly, Brie and Daniel were less than impressed with this, stating that the whole thing proved what cowards Miz and Maryse were since they did the promo when they knew the Bryans were in the building. However, they quickly had more pressing issues than Miz and Maryse, namely, Andrade Almas wanting a rematch. This week’s match was every bit was great as last week, with Bryan pulling out an actual victory, while Brie got some payback on Zelina Vega. They then found themselves being mocked again by Miz and Maryse, who claimed to have rented out an Italian restaurant for a date night. Brie and Daniel suddenly get an urge for some Italian and leave…still in their ring gear.

No sooner had they left, than Miz and Maryse miraculously show up, ready to face Brie and Daniel, then claim that they left because they were afraid of the It Couple, rather than the other way around. Before they can leave, Paige informed them that Miz had a match, with whomever wanted a crack at him. Miz insulted Paige and stated that he wasn’t ready and that she needed to be a good GM instead of a bad one. Paige told them that they were free to leave, but that they would also be out of their jobs.

While sulking about that, Miz ran into an old friend, R-Truth, who was still hunting for Carmella. Truth mistook Maryse for Carmella, which led to Miz challenging Truth to a match.

Before their match, Miz would take another shot at Bryan and Brie, scolding Bryan for bringing his family into the feud and said that whatever happened would be Bryan’s fault.

The match was really good, Miz and Truth worked seamlessly together, and Miz took some pot shots at Carmella. Truth would get the victory after Bryan’s music distracted Miz enough for Truth to get the roll up victory. Not satisfied with watching the Miz get beat, Bryan runs to the ring and punches Miz in the face while Brie works on getting her hands on Maryse. Before any real damage can be done, Almas and Vega run in, still angry over the earlier match. Unfortunately for them, they get a painful lesson about minding your own business when Bryan and Brie lock them into Yes!Locks while the Mizanins look on. Miz rushed to the ring, but stopped so suddenly, he fell on his butt when Bryan stood up. Daniel and Brie were the ones left standing, Hell in a Cell could be a different story.

Jeff Hardy and Randy Orton: Last week, Jeff Hardy announced that he wanted to take his feud with Randy Orton into the terrifying confines of Hell in a Cell. Randy, along with the rest of us, had been stunned by this announcement. This week, Randy seems to have gotten over his shock, in fact, he seemed to relish what he can do to Hardy inside Hell in a Cell, promising that what he’s going to do will be ‘sickening’.

205 Live

WWE Cruiserweight Championship: For the last couple of weeks, Drew Gulak has been demanding a rematch against Cedric Alexander and has been denied by GM Drake Maverick. This week, Alexander seemed to have made it known to Maverick that he was going to call Gulak out again and Maverick wasn’t happy about it. However, given the circumstances and the respect he had for Alexander, he won’t stop him, unless things get out of hand.

Alexander went to the ring and cut a promo, stating that he’d been champion for five months and between Buddy Murphy and Drew Gulak, he’s had a lot to deal with. Turning his attention to Gulak, Alexander tells the Philly Fury that if he has any integrity, he’ll come out so that they can finish this. Not surprisingly, Gulak didn’t come out, what was surprising is who answered: TJP!

The inaugural Cruiserweight champion pointed that Alexander calling out Gulak is pointless because Gulak is an opportunist. TJP, on the other hand, is impatient and he wants his title back. He claims that the front plate was made for him and that his next trading card will be a picture of him making Alexander tap out. So, on that note, we’ve got a match!

Alexander vs TJP was AMAZING! I have no really good words to describe it besides amazing. This match could easily be on a big PPV card. Alexander would pull out the win, but he and TJP made each other look like big money players. As TJP sort of predicted, Gulak waited until after the match to come out. He’s dressed for wrestling and announces that, big shock, he’s ready to accept Alexander’s challenge. Of course, Gulak being Gulak, he let Jack Gallagher do the dirty work on Alexander before slapping on the Gu-Lock.

Mustafa Ali: It turns out that Mustafa Ali hasn’t been cleared to return just yet, his appearance last week was because he was done with Hideo Itami’s reign of terror. Maverick repeated that Ali would not be competing again until Maverick was convinced that he was healthy enough to do so. Ali’s ribbing about Maverick’s AoP gear probably didn’t make Maverick very happy either. Time will tell when the Heart of 205 will be back in action, but Itami has been put on notice.

Gran Metalik vs Tony Nese: The neverending feud between the Lucha House Party and the Party Crashers continued this week, but it seems that Buddy Murphy and Kalisto had the night off. This time, Gran Metalik and Tony Nese locked up one-on-one without their respective team members at ringside. This match was wonderful, crazy, and amazing. These two worked together VERY well and put on a show-stealer of a match. Gran Metalik would pull out the win, but the score is secondary to the great match.

Buddy Murphy: Murphy took over Tony Nese’s interview, due to Nese having to run out to the ring. He’s got a lot on his mind with getting a Cruiserweight Title shot at the Super Show in Melbourne, and he’s determined to not let Cedric Alexander slip through his fingers again.

Noam Dar vs Brian Kelly: After vanquishing his TJP demon, Noam Dar may have a new rival to deal with: Lio Rush! The Man of the Hour, sporting a new haircut, made an appearance during the Supernova’s match against Brian Kelly and sat in on commentary. Rush said that he’d been slightly impressed by Dar as a wrestler and wanted to see the Scottish Super Nova up close. He also figured that Dar was a fan of his, which is doubtful. Dar and Kelly had a great match up, but Dar pulled out the win, much to Rush’s approval. Time will tell what will develop between the Man of the Hour and the Super Nova, I’m already excited about the match up.

NXT

NXT Championship: Tommaso Ciampa again addressed the NXT Universe by video and answered the burning question: Why hasn’t he been at NXT, defending his NXT Championship? It’s not because he’s afraid of getting his ass kicked by Johnny Gargano, or being questioned about the Aleister Black situation, no, it’s because he’s got no #1 Contender to play with. He’s also doing this because he’s tired of people’s expectations. He’s not a voice or a leader, he’s a predator and it’s time people saw that and follow him for what he is.

NXT North American Championship: We got a look at what happened after last week’s epic Champions vs Champions match between the Undisputed Era and Ricochet and Pete Dunne. Ricochet and Dunne were not happy with each other and each blamed the other for their losing effort. Each man wants the other’s title. In an effort to keep the peace, Regal comes out and announces a huge Champion vs Champion match in two weeks! One man could walk out a double champion, but where does that leave former NA Champ, Adam Cole?

NXT Women’s Division: Women’s Champion, Kairi Sane was in action tonight for the first time since winning the NXT Women’s Championship from Shayna Baszler at TakeOver. She took on the very talented Trish Adora in one-on-one action. While Adora managed to get in some offense, there was no stopping the Pirate Princess who put away her opponent with the InSane Elbow. As Sane was celebrating, she was attacked by former champion, Baszler, who made a lot bad pirate puns while informing Sane that she was invoking her rematch clause. Sane fought back and sent the Queen of Spades scrambling away.

NXT Tag Team Division: Undisputed Era wasn’t in action tonight but they were certainly on the minds of the War Raiders, who warned the Tag Champs that they can only run so much before the Raiders catch up to them and take those tag belts.

The long-awaited (I guess) debut of the Forgotten Sons happened this week, too, they took on the Street Profits in a really great match that reminded us of why Blake was one half of an amazing tag team with 205’s Buddy Murphy. This was a really great back and forth match that could’ve been anyone’s game, until two masked men stole Ford’s lucky (??) Black Solo Cup. The bandits were revealed to be The Mighty, but the distraction had bigger implications, it gave FS the opening to turn the tide and take the victory. Given Blake’s history and the performance they put on tonight, it’s safe to say that War Machine isn’t the only ones Undisputed Era needs to worry about.

Aleister Black Mystery: Regal’s investigation into the attack on Aleister Black continued this week. In the hot seat was Heavy Machinery, and Lars Sullivan. Otis was super nervous and ended up confessing to breaking the toilet last week due coffee giving him a pretty nasty sounding case of the runs. Regal, who somehow managed to keep a straight face during all of this, assures Otis that they aren’t in trouble for the toilet. He simply wanted to thank them for the footage they’d given him and wanted to know if they’d seen anything else. The boys come back with one little detail: Ciampa was hiding in the bushes, but that’s it.

Regal’s interview with Lars Sullivan, on the other hand, wasn’t quite as amusing. Sullivan again denied doing anything to Black and stated that if he had, everyone would’ve known about it. EC3 certainly learned that one the hard way.

Speaking of the One Percenter, he’s still out after the ass kicking Sullivan gave him last week and not cleared to wrestle, but Raul Mendoza, who suffered his own, less understandable, beatdown is cleared and will try and get some revenge on Mendoza next week. God help him.

Kona Reeves vs Kassius Ohno: There’s not much to say about this match. Ohno managed to get two offensive moves in before lights out. Afterwards, Ohno got on the mic, bemoaning the fact that he went from being all the buzz to being an afterthought. Well, that’s going to change. He’s going to create his own buzz by buzzkilling everyone else until he gets where he wants to be.

Johnny Gargano vs Veleveteen Dream: As if Johnny Wrestling wasn’t having enough trouble with his confidence crisis, but Velveteen Dream seems determined to to rub his face in it. The Experience came to the ring wearing a ‘Johnny Failure’ t-shirt and a ‘Who am I’ armband.

Needless to say, this match was AMAZING! Dream’s gimmick sometimes overshadows his talent, but it was out in full display in this match. Gargano was amazing as always, and the story was interesting and a test to see how Gargano would do NOT feuding with Ciampa. As far as that goes, it was pretty successful. Gargano’s dark side reared its head a few times, especially when he tied Dream into the ropes and superkicked him. The normally pro-Gargano crowd was actually torn throughout the match and that move may have cost Gargano some support. Unfortunately, Gargano’s desire to not lose the respect of his fans costs him as a distraction by a fan causes him to run into a Death Valley Driver and gives Dream the victory.

Afterwards, Gargano sat in the ring and contemplated how far he’s fallen. Even though the crowd cheers for them and his big fan at ringside is crying, he leaves without a word. Johnny Wrestling’s search for himself continues.

Overall Comments: Whew! That was quite a week for WWE! The build for Hell in a Cell continues and the cards for Evolution and the Super Show continue to take shape. Even though every WWE show was pretty good this week, there were a few things I had an issue with.

The total absence of the Shield. The fact that the top three guys on RAW were gone for almost the entire episode irritated me greatly
HBK and Taker: Okay, I’m a big fan of both of these guys, but it seems odd to me that HBK and Taker were given such a long segment and the top three guys on RAW weren’t there. If the price for having legends on is literally keeping the Universal Champ and IC Champ off TV, I’d rather have the current talent, and I’m saying that as a fan of HBK and Taker.
The Dana Brooke Thing: Okay, I’ll be the first to admit that Dana Brooke isn’t the best wrestler in the world, but her sudden departure from Titus Worldwide makes no sense and seems to sudden, much like the sudden coziness between her and Apollo. No, they aren’t Main Event Players, but at least give us a build for all of this.
The Revival/B-Team Issue: The Shield fangirl in me is pretty excited about where this seems to be going, but let’s not overlook the fact that the Revival and the B-Team got a dirty deal in this. A really promising feud just got short-circuited and it wasn’t necessary. Their feud with Ambrose and Rollins didn’t need them to be Tag Team Champions going into Hell in a Cell. Hopefully, things will be put right down the road, but I’m not happy with how WWE did this.

(Yes, I’m aware that all my issues are with RAW this week).

Final Thoughts: Overall, this was a really good week overall and the build for Hell in a Cell has been excellent, but there was some shoddy storytelling and that needs to be fixed.

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Related Topics:205 Live AJ Styles Braun Strowman Featured Monday Night Raw NXT Roman Reigns Smackdown Live WWE

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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

1 week 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

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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

1 week 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.