Opinion

Mathew’s Wrestling Quickies #2 Feat LAX VS Cage & Cobb

Published

7 years ago

October 6, 2018

Welcome back to my Wrestling Quickies.

The first time I did this about two weeks has been fairly positive since I got to talk about matches from other promotions that don’t really get covered on here and that’s what these quickies are all about. Plus, who doesn’t enjoy a good quickie from time to time? I found some matches from different promotions like the last time and maybe one of them making a comeback, but you will see some familiar faces.

So let’s just get right to it.

Three Way Match
Bandido vs. Flamita vs. Rey Fenix

Review: The match happened around August 2nd and AAA uploaded it a few days ago, so I figured it’ll be a good time to upload it. Both Flamita and Bandido were in my first quickie article when they fought each other in PROGRESS and that was an entertaining match, so why not bring them back but with an added person into this? So yes, we got a three-way match between these two and another big Luchador star and current AAA Mega Champion, Rey Fenix. Which of these of these three famous Luchadors will come out on top?

You do have wrestlers like Fenix, Bandido, Flamita, Pentagon, Drago, and Horus traveling all over the world to spread the word of Lucha Libre making a comeback and it’s been a while since they’ve been given that much spotlight everywhere since Rey Mysterio, but I’m glad that these five are helping to keep the spirit of the style alive wherever they go together. The match had a couple of slip-up’s but it’s expected due to the fast pacing of their nature and it doesn’t take away from the match at all. This is the type of match you would see in a Lucha Libre match and it’s the type you want to see as well when you look for these matches. It has energy, it has action, they’re quick, and they can carry the crowd over to make it fun. Fenix is one of the best in the indy scene right now next to Pentagon, especially together when they’re a tag team but both great individually as well and the same could be said for Flamita and Bandido. Flamita had Bandido on the turnbuckle and it looked like he was going to go for a Rana, but Fenix jumped off the ropes to hit a Super Hurricanrana on Flamita and he went over to Bandido to hit his Valagueza Con Desnucadora for the win. Very entertaining match and recommended if you love these guys or the Lucha style.

Rating: Bruce Prichard

Singles Match
Go Shiozaki vs. Nanae Takahashi

Review: We go to Japan now with a Joshi promotion called SEAdLINNNG and we have an intergender match here as Nanae Takashi will be taking on NOAH star, Go Shiozaki. For intergender matches, I’m sometimes on the fence with them depending on how they play out since some of them are a hit and miss, but can be really special if done right like how when Tessa Blanchard fought Brian Cage earlier in the year at Wrestle Circus and if you haven’t seen that match, I recommend it. This match took place on their show called Endless Summer which took place on September 5th but aired September 28th, Japan and their long air dates for big shows. I haven’t seen too much of Nanae but from what I’ve seen, she’s someone worth watching and has 22 years of experience in the wrestling industry, and I don’t have to explain that about Go Shiozaki. Which one of them will take it?

This one was better than how I anticipated it to go and glad that it was the case here because this one is probably one of my favorite intergender matches. If I had to pick a complaint or two, I’ll address it now and get it out of the way and it was the same with Ice Ribbon where you have a corner of the screen covered by a couple of people on commentary or just two people watching with comments and it hurt the match a little since stuff couldn’t have happened there or the expression on their faces or certain moves would just be blocked because having that side screen is important for some reason. Another big complaint that really pissed me off was the cameraman who kept moving around and zooming in/out when he really didn’t need to, especially in the Suplex part when he aimed way too high and barely got them, someone fires him for the love of Christ.

Anyway, now that I got the bad stuff out of the way and I can now talk about the match. Nanae did exactly what she needed to do in this match and that used her technical ability and to try and outmaneuver him since she’s not stronger than Go and it’s the smart approach about it. Go would mostly just chop her around the arena and throw her around just to show that he was stronger than her and a better wrestler than her. Nanae would get some offense when she reversed a Suplex with one of her own and would even get a Sunset Flip in to try and to get the surprise victory but Go kicked out at two. Go would hit the Gowan Lariat and instead of covering her right then and there, he just hits one more stiff chop to pin her for the win. The ending confused me a bit because I would’ve just ended it with the Lariat instead of just another chop, but okay then. Still a great match with a good story and did what they needed to do it right.

Rating: Bruce Prichard

Singles Match
Azusa Takigawa vs. Miyu Yamashita

Review: Our next match is from another Joshi company called TJP or Tokyo Joshi Pro and is apart of the DDT Universe streaming service, so if you don’t like DDT that much, you got other promotions there that you can check out like this one. The match happened on the September 22nd show and it was titled ‘How do you like Shin-Kiba?’ I love their event names, but our Princess of Princess Champion, Miyu Yamashita is set to take on Azusa in a non-title match in our main event. I’m very new to TJP and only watched one match involving Miyu and was very impressed with her and felt like she could be one of the top Joshi wrestlers in the upcoming years. Can the champion win or will Azusa win and become the next contender?

Match started off basic with trying to shoulder tackle each other down and Azusa would roll out of the ring and grabbed the microphone to give her a timeout and she also said some other stuff which I have no translation to since it’s not subtitled. She would go into the ring though and began to…sing a little song and even had Miyu chime in on it as her face accidentally hits the microphone but they laugh it off and Azusa swept her off her feet and tried to pin her for a two count. Once the little comedy spot happened in the match, it just turned into a regular wrestling match with was pretty solid with Miyu taking most of the control in the match and can see why she’s considered their ace of the company, she has a good look, balanced moveset, and can work a good match with more potential ready to be released into the wrestling scene. Azusa also managed herself pretty well in the match and can also see her being a bigger star and not bad for only wrestling for three years. Miyu would hit an Attitude Adjustment onto Azusa to try and put her away but Azusa would barely kick out of it and she wasted no time by hitting a running knee that I believe she calls the Crash Rabbit Heat, but I could be wrong and she gets the victory over Azusa.

Rating: Eric Bischoff

Tag Team Match
LAX vs. Brian Cage & Jeff Cobb

Review: Our next match is a tag team match that took place at Bar Wrestling. Bar Wrestling is a fairly new promotion that is founded by Joey Ryan and takes place in California. This took place on the September 12th show called Bar Wrestling 18: Victims, Aren’t We All! Our tag match for this one is between LAX members, Santana, and Ortiz as they take on the team of two of the biggest stars right now, Brian Cage and Jeff Cobb. This is sure to be a good one, but which one of them will win?

My God, both Cage and Cobb are incredibly strong, aren’t they? They would mostly throw around Santana like a rag doll for the majority of the match and one time, Cage had him up for a Stalling Suplex and both him and Cobb would tag each other in back and forth just holding him in the air for a good minute until Cobb was the one to deliver the Suplex on Santana. I would love to write about LAX more and how great they are as a tag team but they hardly showcased a whole lot into this match as it was mostly about Cobb and Brian, which is fine since they’re both strong individuals in this match that should overpower their opponents. Ortiz would be the hot tag of the match as they would hit their own variation of the Magic Killer, and it wouldn’t fully last long as Santana got tagged in and both Cage and Cobb would clean house with them once again. Cobb would slam Santana down which lead to Cage picking him up in a wheel barrel position to hit a Neckbreaker, then Cobb does a Sitout Powerbomb as it’s another two count. Cobb would have Santana on the top rope going for a Superplex, but Ortiz kicked Cage down and snuck up behind Cobb to have him in a Powerbomb position as Santana hits the Blockbuster on the way down and LAX gets the pinfall victory. This was a short and solid tag team match.

Rating: Eric Bischoff

ROH World Title Match
Jay Lethal (c) vs. Will Ospreay

Review: You heard it right, I will be covering Ring of Honor in this article and the match I’ve chosen is the ROH World Championship match where Jay Lethal defends the title against Will Ospreay. The match took place over the weekend at Death Before Dishonor show and Will made his challenge to Lethal about a month ago and is considered the first time ever as well, so he wants to prove himself all over the world, including ROH. Jay Lethal is known to being a fighting champion and will gladly accept the challenge. Will Jay Lethal retain or will Ospreay win the title?

I know a lot of people know Will Ospreay for his flips and flashy moves, but I think some people do forget that he actually can wrestle a match without the need of those, like his match against Drew McIntyre last year where we saw a different style of Will and we had that exact same thing here in this match with Jay Lethal. I’m not the biggest fan of ROH after feeling like poor booking and declining quality just hurt the product over the years, but I will admit that they will sometimes give us something enjoyable like this match right here between Jay and Ospreay. Jay Lethal is still showing that he’s still one of the best ROH has to offer and better established that’s not a Bullet Club member.

The match was technical, it told a great story between the two, both of these men had equal chances to shine to make it fair and balanced with their styles and again, props to Will Ospreay for adapting his style a bit to give us this different type of match and show he can work with anyone with any different style, plus I probably wouldn’t have liked it as much if Will wrestled as he does with the other juniors and I think people expected that but glad it wasn’t the case here. I really enjoyed the last five minutes of the match since you can almost believe Will could’ve had a chance to win it all here. Will-powered out of the Lethal Injection and he went for the Oscutter as Lethal caught him with a Cutter of his own and Will kicked out at two. Will went to hit Jay with the title and he drops it to psyche him out with a kick to the leg as he hits the Oscutter for a two count as Will can’t believe it! Will would then have Jay up on the turnbuckle and as he went for a Super Rana, Lethal caught him in mid-air for the Sitout Powerbomb and he capitalizes with the Lethal Injection and pins Will to retain the title!

Rating: Bruce Prichard

WRESTLE-1 Title Match
Manabu Soya (c) vs. Shotaro Ashino

Review: My ending surprise for this article will be from Wrestle-1. I would cover the show, but since I missed the past couple shows due to tournaments and it’s already October, I figured I would at least write about this match. This took place at Wrestle-1’s Pro-Wrestling LOVE in Yokohama, which was their big show that happened on September 2nd and last year on this show, Ashino and Jiro made it to my Top 25 matches of 2017 list. This year, Manabu Soya will defend his championship against former champion and winner of this year’s Grand Prix, Shotaro Ashino. These two fought in March for the championship where Manabu would defeat Ashino to win the title and less than six months later, Ashino won the Grand Prix and now gets his rematch for the title. Can Manabu retain once again or will Ashino reclaim what’s his?

I think the story of this math made the bout much better than their previous encounter in March, but both matches are great along with the rivalry. What I loved about the match more is Ashino and the intensity he brought into the match with his aggressive behavior and taking it out on Manabu for taking that title away from him and defeating Manabu and AKIRA for the Tag Team Titles a few months ago wasn’t enough as he wanted to take back what was his also. The build-up for the feud has been great and will probably be in one of my top feuds of the year just for the build-up and how their matches together went. Manabu did a great job taking Ashino to his limit as well since he’s also a great wrestler with a ton of passion and energy that again made the chemistry between the two great. Manabu would have Ashino right where he wants him to hit the Package Piledriver as Ashino kicked out of it, but Manabu would quickly get him back up to have him dazed enough to hits his Wild Bomber, the same move that made him win the title but Ashino still kicked out at two! Manabu would try to go for another one as Ashino caught him into a T-Bone Suplex for a two count, but he quickly turned it into the Ankle Lock and he has it locked in tight. Manabu was struggling out to get to the ropes and fight off the pain, but Ashino had him down locked and tight to make him not move as he refuses to tap out of the move until he just passed out and the referee called for the bell to crown a new champion!

That’s right, Shotaro Ashino has regained the Wrestle-1 Championship that he lost back in March. Manabu has had a fairly decent run with the championship, but Ashino being the champion is the right call for the company right now. Ashino is great in the ring and my favorite part of the shows next to Jiro and STRONG HEARTS. Wrestle-1 has been on a roll these past few shows and I hope they could keep the momentum going. Now the question is, who will step up to take the title away from Ashino?

Rating: Bruce Prichard and a quarter

Overall: It looks like we had another successful set of quickies for this article with some different and familiar promotions on here, and I gave you six this time instead of five. I hope you all enjoyed the next set of quickies and I hope to do a part 3 within the next week or so. Right now, I’m enjoying the ride and hope you all feel the same.

Favorite Match: Manabu Soya vs. Shotaro Ashino

Least Favorite Match: LAX vs. Brian Cage & Jeff Cobb

Score: 8/10

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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
PC – @PCTunney
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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.