Opinion

WWE Week In Review (10/28/18 – 11/4/18)

Published

6 years ago

November 5, 2018

This week, WWE gets ready to head to Saudi Arabia for the increasingly controversial Crown Jewel event, and the fallout of Evolution turns eyes towards Survivor Series.

On RAW,Seth Rollins demands answers from Dean Ambrose, Brock Lesnar and Braun Strowman prepare for their fight at Crown Jewel. The ladies of RAW all look to continue the momentum of Evolution, and the tag team division looks to establish a top team to vie for the Tag Team Championship.

On Smackdown, Styles and Bryan’s match at Crown Jewel is put in jeopardy, Charlotte is given an opportunity to bounce back from her loss at Evolution, Becky Lynch addresses her upcoming Survior Series match, and New Day looks to gain some momentum on the Bar.

On NXT, the fallout of the Aleister Black mystery continues to make waves in unexpected areas, William Regal decides the Heavyweight Championship match for War Games, and gives Undisputed Era some very bad news.

On 205, Mustafa Ali and Tony Nese vie to be the Number 1 contender for Buddy Murphy’s title, Cedric Alexander demands answers from Drake Maverick, and Brian Kendrick gets some surprising help in his battle against the Party of Gulak.

So, how did WWE do? Let’s find out!

RAW

WWE Universal Championship: Corbin kicked off RAW and said that while he was sorry that Roman Reigns was out with leukemia, he wouldn’t miss him and expressed the hope that Reigns would not return to RAW once he was free of cancer.

Turning his attention to Crown Jewel, Corbin began talking about the Universal Championship match between Braun Strowman but before he could do that, he was interrupted by Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar.

Heyman did his usual schtick of hyping up the match and vowing that Brock Lesnar would walk out as the Universal Champion. However, they were then interrupted by Braun Strowman.

Strowman came into the ring, and Heyman wisely bailed out, leaving Strowman, Lesnar, and Corbin in the ring. Strowman got on the mic and vowed to win the Universal Title and that Lesnar would get these hands.

Corbin, wanting to preserve his big main event, unwisely got between the two monsters and was shoved away by Strowman. Corbin then proved that he wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed and attacked Strowman.

Strowman, wanting to send a message to the smug Brock Lesnar, hit his monster powerslam on Corbin twice.

After the second time, Lesnar jumped Strowman and hit the F-5 before leaving. We’ll see who the better man is on Friday.

Seth Rollins vs Dean Ambrose: Last Monday, just a few short hours after Roman Reigns’ heartbreaking news that he had leukemia, his brothers in arms, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose beat Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre for the RAW Tag Team Championship. Triumph turned to confusion and anger when Dean Ambrose turned on Seth Rollins, attacking his now former friend with a vicious assault, ending with a nasty Dirty Deeds on the floor.

This week, Seth Rollins addressed the events of last week. He thanked the WWE Universe for their love and support of Roman Reigns. Turning his attention to his own situation, he expressed his happiness at being a 3x tag team champion but admitted his sadness about what happened last week.

In a moment of self-reflection, Seth admitted that he’d wondered if his betrayal four years ago was the start of all this, and that Ambrose had been waiting all this time to get his revenge. He also said that he knew Ambrose well enough to know that calling and texting wouldn’t get him anywhere, so he’d waited until RAW, when he KNEW Dean would be around, and invited his former friend to come out and explain himself.

Dean did come out, but not to the ring. He came through the crowd to the spot where the Shield usually waited before making their way to the ring.

Unimpressed, Seth tried to encourage Ambrose to come down and explain himself, only to be met with silence. Growing increasingly frustrated with Ambrose’s refusal to face him or explain himself. Rollins accused Ambrose of wanting the spotlight all for himself, of spitting on the Shield, of being selfish and cold-blooded. Several times, Ambrose seemed on the verge of explaining himself, but refused to speak, or was interrupted by Rollins.

Having worked himself into a full rage, Rollins berated Ambrose for turning his back on him on the night Roman Reigns left to fight leukemia and called him a soulless lunatic.

Whatever Dean’s reasons for turning on Rollins, it’s clear that that choice of words was the wrong one. Ambrose’s demeanor changed from angry to PISSED, but he still refused to speak.

Just as Ambrose seemed to be about to meet Rollins face to face, Rollins said he was coming up there and getting his explanation. Still without saying a word, Ambrose left, leaving Rollins and the audience with no answers.

RAW Women’s Division: Ronda Rousey defeated Nikki Bella at Evolution, but as she was celebrating her victory, she had an odd encounter with SmackDown Women’s Champion, Becky Lynch that consisted of them calling each other ‘Champ’. However, that odd moment had a purpose. It was announced that Ronda Rousey will face Becky Lynch in a Champion vs Champion Match at Survivor Series.

Evolution had two big tag matches and, amidst rumors of a Women’s Tag Team Division, the members of both tag team matches took part in a huge ten-woman tag match: Trish, Lita, Nattie, Sasha, and Bayley versus Mickie James, Alicia Fox, Ruby Riott, Liv Morgan, and Sarah Logan.

The match was crazy, but super fun. Everyone on the baby face side got a moment. We got to see Sasha and Trish team up, Lita hit her signature Moonsault and did stereo Twists of Fate with Bayley. Lita and Trish also paid tribute to the Hardy Boys by hitting a modified Poetry in Motion on Sarah Logan.

Ultimately, the babyfaces won when Nattie locked in the Sharpshooter on Alicia Fox and the audience got a great moment for women on RAW.

Nia Jax was flying pretty high coming into RAW. She’d won the big women’s #1 Contender Battle Royal and was now in line for a title shot against Ronda Rousey. When asked about her championship opportunity, Nia said that she was going to wait until after Survivor Series before challenging Ronda Rousey.

They were interrupted by Ember Moon, who was the only one to eliminate more people than Nia before ultimately being eliminated by Nia. Ember seemed full of praise for her experience at Evolution, but Nia was less than impressed, reminding the Shenom that she (Nia) had eliminated her from the match. Ember refused to back up, saying that she respects Nia and is grateful for the guidance Nia gave her when she first came to the main roster. She also said that she hoped the respect was mutual or would be after their match.

How did the match go? Well, Ember tried REALLY hard, but she was really no match for Nia one on one and there was no accidental count-out to help her. Nia dominated the match for the most part, though Ember did get in a little offense.

It did seem that Nia’s erstwhile cousin, Tamina Snuka, was going to cost her the match by suddenly showing up, but Nia was able to put Ember away with a huge legdrop before we got a staredown between the two women.

RAW Tag Team Division: Authors of Pain, along with Drake Maverick, have been creating havoc for weeks in the tag team division. This week, they faced Bobby Roode, Chad Gable and the Ascension in a Triple Threat match. Roode/Gable and the Ascension wasted no time in taking out Authors of Pain before turning their attention to each other.

The match itself was quick with Gable/Roode getting the victory. AoP was not happy about being defeated, even if they weren’t pinned. They absolutely destroyed their opponents before leaving in disgust.

Lucha House Party, which has been living it up on 205 Live, made their RAW debut against the Revival. Revival dominated the match, but Kalisto was able to get in enough offense that he was actually able to get a pinfall victory without ever tagging in Lince Dorado or Gran Metalik.

Elias vs Jinder Mahal: Last week, Elias turned face by breaking his guitar over Baron Corbin’s back. This week, the Drifter addressed the situation in his pre-match concert. He regretted breaking a Fender guitar on Corbin but admitted that it felt really good. He then revealed that he’d written a song for the acting GM and headed to the back to sing it to him.

Not surprisingly, Corbin wasn’t in the mood for music, but that didn’t stop Elias from playing and insulting him. The impromptu concert was interrupted by an attack by Jinder Mahal, with the approval of Corbin.

Back from commercial, Elias and Mahal lock up. This was a pretty back and forth match. Mahal, with a little help from the Singhs, dominated much of the match, but Elias was finally able to turn things around, hitting the Drift Away for the pinfall. Oddly enough, the Singhs didn’t try to interfere with the count.

WWE World Cup: We got several big updates to the World Cup tournament at Crown Jewel. After destroying Finn Balor, Lashley talked to Corbin and complained about not having quality competition, despite Balor beating him twice. Corbin agreed that Lashley needed better competition and put him in the World Cup. When Lashley mentioned that all the World Cup spots were filled, Corbin informed him that he was replacing Cena, who didn’t qualify, in Corbin’s opinion. Never mind that Lashley didn’t either, but Cena is OUT of the World Cup.

We also, FINALLY, go the brackets for the tournament. On the RAW side, it’ll be: Seth Rollins vs Bobby Lashley and Kurt Angle vs Dolph Ziggler. On the SmackDown side, it’ll be: Rey Mysterio vs Randy Orton and Jeff Hardy vs Miz.

Kurt Angle and Dolph Ziggler both cut promos vowing victory, but Dolph seemed to forget that Angle had competed, and won, at the Olympics and accomplished more in six years in WWE than Dolph had in ten.

Ziggler had more immediate fish to fry in the form of Apollo Crews, who has been trying to get some momentum going. The match was okay, it seemed to be more about Ziggler gaining momentum for Crown Jewel than Apollo gaining momentum. Ziggler would put Crews away with a superkick and get the pin.

DX vs Brothers of Destruction: The Brothers of Destruction cut a promo last night saying that the Reaper calls everyone to him, but that DX had resisted the increasingly loud call long enough and that at Crown Jewel, the Brothers of Destruction will do the Reaper’s work and take the souls of DX to hell, but that’s on Friday. Taker calls out DX, offering to take their souls now instead of waiting.

DX seemed to respond, but only Triple H came out. In a ruse worthy of HBK and Taker’s 1997-98 feud, HBK waited until Kane had been lured out of the ring before hitting Sweet Chin Music on Taker. However, Shawn and Hunter would’ve done well to remember that Taker never stays down long. Sure enough, Taker sat up and the show ended with a staredown.

Finn Balor vs Bobby Lashley: After Corbin’s dismantling at the hands of Strowman, a very amused Balor had thrown the acting General Manager a Too Sweet before turning his attention to Bobby Lashley.

Lio Rush came out first, and dissed Balor, saying that Balor wasn’t really an extraordinary man, he was just lucky, and if anyone knows about lucky wins, it would be Lio Rush.

The match between Lashley and Balor was pretty good. Lashley largely dominated match, but Balor was able to get some offense in. Unlike last week, Rush interfered in the match, the second time, getting Lashley disqualified by pushing Balor off the top turnbuckle.

Enraged, Lashley attacked Balor, not Rush, ramming the smaller man into the ring edge several times and beating him severely, while Rush trashed Balor, before finally leaving.

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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

2 days ago

April 18, 2025

PC Tunney

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

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

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

Chairshot Pick: THE NEW DAY 9-2

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

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

Chairshot Pick: Jade Cargill 8-2-1

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

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

Chairshot Pick: Jacob Fatu 9-2

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

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

Chairshot Pick: Charlotte Flair 7-4

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

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

Chairshot Pick: El Grande Americano 6-5

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

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

Chairshot Pick: Jey Uso 11-0

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

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

Chairshot Pick: Seth Rollins 6-4-1

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

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

Chairshot Pick: Iyo Sky 8-2-1

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

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

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

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

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

Chairshot Pick: Drew McIntyre 7-3-1

WHO WILL BE RANDY’S OPPONENT?!?

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

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

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

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

Chairshot Pick: Logan Paul 7-4

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

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

Chairshot Pick: Liv & Raquel 9-2

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

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

Chairshot Pick: John Cena 6-5

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

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

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

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

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

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Listen on your favorite platform!

About Chairshot Radio Network

MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)

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CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

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

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

Patrick O'Dowd's 5X5

Classic POD is WAR

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Blog

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

4 days ago

April 16, 2025

Greg DeMarco

Shawn Michaels Kurt Angle WrestleMania 21

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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