Greg DeMarco
Did You Really Want Braun Strowman To Win At WWE Crown Jewel?
Didn’t you detest everything Crown Jewel?

Braun Strowman failed to capture the WWE Universal Championship at Crown Jewel, and the internet was less than happy. But considering the controversy surrounding the event, isn’t it better that way?
It’s a question that needs to be asked, because everyone was up-in-arms over the results of WWE Crown Jewel and it has me scratching my head.
Okay, some of that is deserved–I’m looking at you Shane McMahon–but some of it actually makes sense. That’s why I’m dumbfounded at how upset people are at Braun Strowman losing to Brock Lesnar, and thus making Brock a part-time WWE Universal Champion again–at the big event.
Because in my opinion, this was the right call to make.
Before we get to the reasons behind this, let’s look at some of the rumors surrounding this match:
- Brock Lesnar signed a new contract. This is straight up bullshit to me. Brock already signed a new deal earlier in the year that pays him approximately $600k per match and $125k per appearance. Why would he need a new deal? That was an appearance deal and doesn’t have to end. They can just book him for more dates. If you only count October and November, he’s making $1.5 million for two matches and two appearances!
- Braun Strowman didn’t win because of backstage issues. Another round of bullshit? Maybe. I’d be more willing to buy into his knee injury talk than any backstage/behavior/attitude issues.
Now that we have that out of the way, let’s get to the matter at hand. But why didn’t Braun win at Crown Jewel?
Recommended Reading: Is Tag Team Wrestling Back On WWE Raw?
Short Term Booking?
Like I said on this week’s Greg DeMarco Show, this is likely a case of WWE booking backwards and actually not having a knee jerk reaction. When Roman Reigns had to relinquish the Universal Championship, it’s easy to think WWE first asks “What are we doing at Crown Jewel?” and/or “What are we doing with the Universal Championship?”
But that’s not how it work. I guarantee you the first question on their agenda was “What are we doing at WrestleMania?” And the answer was likely wither “Braun Strowman wins the Universal Championship” or “Seth Rollins wins the Universal Championship.” As much as you and I would love to see AJ Styles standing tall at the end of the night at Met Life Stadium in April, we all know it’s either Strowman, Rollins, or Ronda Rousey getting that spot.
You can’t look at booking on a single-show basis. Reigns leaving meant a quick overhaul over long-term plans (yes, WWE does long-term planning). If the plan is for Rollins or Braun to win the Universal Championship at WrestleMania (the original plan was almost assuredly Roman Reigns retaining that title), then they have to build the road to it. Yes, they could have used someone like Dolph Ziggler or Drew McIntyre, but the former has had that shot and the latter is likely starting his mega-push at RawAfterMania in April.
So you bring in the proven name in Brock Lesnar to win the Championship and take you down the Road To WrestleMania. The Royal Rumble could give us some clues if Seth Rollins or Braun Strowman emerge victorious at Chase Field in Phoenix.
Recommended Reading: Is Seth Rollins The Guy To Beat Brock Lesnar?
And Didn’t You Hate Everything Crown Jewel?
This is the part that kills me: y’all hated Crown Jewel! Really, the hatred for this event was off the charts. Folks were pissed that the WWE even considered having it, let along actually producing the event!
So do you really want THAT SHOW to be Braun Strowman’s crowning achievement? (See what I did there?)
Given the choice, I would pick WrestleMania 35 over Crown Jewel for Braun Strowman’s big moment 10 times out of 10. My viewpoint is the same if it’s Rollins, McIntyre, or anyone else. Brock Lesnar winning the Universal Championship isn’t a “moment,” it’s a stop on the road to ‘Mania.
You hated this show so much, be glad WWE didn’t use it to give Braun his big moment.
Sometimes you need to take three steps back and see things for what they really are. It’s already November, we are essentially a week away from what looks to be a kick ass Survivor Series card (on paper). Next thing you know it’s TLC time, and then we’re marching to NYC (err…NJ). Let it marinate, have some fun with it, and see how things shake out in the end. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.
What do you think… Will this all make sense by WrestleMania 35? Are you patient enough for that? Agree or disagree with me on Twitter @ChairshotGreg, @theCHAIRSHOTcom, and use #UseYourHead!
About Chairshot Radio Network
Launched in 2017, the Chairshot Radio Network presents you with the best in sports, entertainment, and sports entertainment. Wrestling and wrestling crossover podcasts + the most interesting content + the most engaging hosts = the most entertaining podcasts you’ll find!
MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)
TUESDAY - Musical Chairs (music) / Hockey Talk (NHL)
WEDNESDAY - The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling)
THURSDAY - Keeping the news ridiculous... The Oddity / Chairshot NFL (NFL)
FRIDAY - DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)
SATURDAY - The Mindless Wrestling Podcast
SUNDAY - The Front and Center Sports Podcast
CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS
Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history)
TheChairshot.com PRESENTS...IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends
Patrick O'Dowd's 5X5
Classic POD is WAR
Chairshot Radio Network Your home for the hardest hitting podcasts... Sports, Entertainment and Sports Entertainment!
Powered by RedCircle
Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!
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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

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.
About Chairshot Radio Network
Launched in 2017, the Chairshot Radio Network presents you with the best in sports, entertainment, and sports entertainment. Wrestling and wrestling crossover podcasts + the most interesting content + the most engaging hosts = the most entertaining podcasts you’ll find!
MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)
TUESDAY - Musical Chairs (music) / Hockey Talk (NHL)
WEDNESDAY - The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling)
THURSDAY - Keeping the news ridiculous... The Oddity / Chairshot NFL (NFL)
FRIDAY - DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)
SATURDAY - The Mindless Wrestling Podcast
SUNDAY - The Front and Center Sports Podcast
CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS
Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history)
TheChairshot.com PRESENTS...IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends
Patrick O'Dowd's 5X5
Classic POD is WAR
Chairshot Radio Network Your home for the hardest hitting podcasts... Sports, Entertainment and Sports Entertainment!
Powered by RedCircle
Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!
Blog
DeMarco: The Biggest WrestleMania Match WWE Is Afraid To Book
Greg DeMarco breaks down the one match WWE was seemingly afraid to book for WrestleMania, despite setting it up over the span of two years!

Greg DeMarco breaks down the one match WWE was seemingly afraid to book for WrestleMania, despite setting it up over the span of two years!
WWE loves its WrestleMania moments. But sometimes, the most electric moment is also the most terrifying. And if we’re being honest, there’s one match that could shatter the internet, define an era, and launch two careers into another stratosphere—if WWE had the guts to actually pull the trigger:
Rhea Ripley vs. Dominik Mysterio at WrestleMania 41.
Sounds crazy? Maybe. But it’s also he most logical, lucrative, and legacy-defining decision WWE could make for both stars. Let’s break it down like we always do here: not through fantasy, not through fan service, but through business. Because this match had major upside—and one very real risk.
Pro #1: A Headline-Grabbing Spectacle With Viral Potential
WrestleMania is about the moment—and Ripley vs. Dominik is a moment waiting to happen. Their on-screen relationship in Judgment Day has become one of WWE’s most compelling, meme-able dynamics, blending soap opera with real emotion and elite trolling. YouTube clips rack up views. Social media runs wild with edits and thirst traps. The chemistry between them? Off the charts.
A WrestleMania match between them isn’t just “intergender” for the sake of it. It’s the end of a long-term story that’s already over with the audience. WWE doesn’t need to create this heat—it exists. All they’d be doing is lighting the match and letting it burn all the way to Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Pro #2: A Massive Risk That Can Pay Off With the Right Booking
Let’s be real: intergender wrestling is still a hot-button issue. But the times are changing—and WWE knows it. They’ve already had Rhea get physical with Akira Tozawa, Solo Sikoa, and in the men’s Royal Rumble. Fans haven’t rejected it—they’ve embraced it, because it fits her character.
Dominik, meanwhile, isn’t some powerhouse male wrestler. He’s a weasel. A brat. And most importantly, he’s believable as someone who could get wrecked by Rhea and still come out better for it. This isn’t Chyna vs. Jeff Jarrett in 1999. This is something entirely fresh.
And if AEW can run intergender matches with stars like Adam Cole and Britt Baker without fallout, then WWE—a much more disciplined, family-conscious product—can do it right. Book it with logic, lean into the emotion, and structure the match like an unsanctioned war, and you’ve got lightning in a bottle. Plus there IS precedent for this in WWE. You have Chyna, of course, and more recently you have Becky Lynch vs. James Ellsworth.
Pro #3: Judgment Day Drama Finally Pays Off In a Big Way
Judgment Day has been one of WWE’s best long-term success stories. But you can only tease the implosion for so long before fans check out. Finn’s beefing with Priest. JD is being JD. But the real core—the engine that kept this stable at its most relevant—was Rhea and Dom.
They were the emotional center. The dynamic people actually cared about. So if they’re going to culminate in a match, you don’t do it on a random Raw. You don’t do it at Elimination Chamber. You do it at WrestleMania. And you do it in a way that matters.
This match would be the culmination of everything. Betrayal, heartbreak, dominance, redemption. Dom turned on Rhea, Dom costs Rhea the Women’s World Championship more than once (think the Raw On Netflix premiere, and rewrite the ending to Liv Morgan vs. Rhea Ripley) and now Rhea wants the revenge she never got. The story writes itself. And it sets the table for their next chapters with clean slates and elevated status.
Con: It Risks Undermining Rhea Ripley’s Star Power
There’s one real risk WWE has to weigh: Rhea Ripley is a top-tier star. Maybe the top star in the women’s division. She should have main-evented WrestleMania 39 Night One. She’s the face of cross-brand credibility. She moves merch. She trends. She wins.
Taking her out of the title picture for a “personal” match—even one this hot—is a gamble. If not done correctly, it could trivialize her reign, reduce her to a storyline prop, or worse: send a message that her biggest spotlight doesn’t involve a championship.
And make no mistake—there’s a business cost to that. Rhea is the division right now. If WWE doesn’t protect her aura and keep her looking like a destroyer, even in loss or emotional turmoil, the entire angle could unravel. The story only works if Rhea stays the alpha, even while taking the emotional damage.
Final Bell
Rhea Ripley vs. Dominik Mysterio at WrestleMania 41 isn’t a joke. It isn’t shock booking. It’s a rare opportunity where character, emotion, long-term storytelling, and business aligned perfectly. WWE has built this slow burn for nearly two years. The most unexpected—and potentially best—WrestleMania match was right in front of them.
All they had to do… was be brave enough to book it.
About Chairshot Radio Network
Launched in 2017, the Chairshot Radio Network presents you with the best in sports, entertainment, and sports entertainment. Wrestling and wrestling crossover podcasts + the most interesting content + the most engaging hosts = the most entertaining podcasts you’ll find!
MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)
TUESDAY - Musical Chairs (music) / Hockey Talk (NHL)
WEDNESDAY - The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling)
THURSDAY - Keeping the news ridiculous... The Oddity / Chairshot NFL (NFL)
FRIDAY - DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)
SATURDAY - The Mindless Wrestling Podcast
SUNDAY - The Front and Center Sports Podcast
CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS
Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history)
TheChairshot.com PRESENTS...IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends
Patrick O'Dowd's 5X5
Classic POD is WAR
Chairshot Radio Network Your home for the hardest hitting podcasts... Sports, Entertainment and Sports Entertainment!
Powered by RedCircle
Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!