Opinion

WWE Week In Review: November 26 – December 2, 2018

Published

6 years ago

December 3, 2018

This week, all eyes are firmly on TLC as WWE prepares for the final PPV of 2018. What did WWE do?

On RAW, Baron Corbin’s tyranny continues unabated and Strowman’s allies, Finn Balor and Elias, struggle to keep the resistance up. Alexa Bliss gets a promotion that means bad news for Sasha Banks and Bayley. The war of words between Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins continues and Rollin’s Open Challenge brings out a very real threat. Ronda Rousey and Nia Jax prepare for their own match, but the Riott Squad isn’t done with Rousey’s friend, Nattie.

On SmackDown, Becky Lynch returns and confronts Charlotte over her actions, but both must face a mutiny in the women’s division. The Bar struggles with the loss of Big Show against the Usos. Miz’s schmoozing of Shane McMahon continues. Randy Orton and Rey Mysterio try to put an end to their feud, and the celebration of Jeff Hardy’s career brings out a surprising opponent.

On NXT UK, the first NXT UK Women’s Champion is crowned, Jordan Devlin gets the shot of a lifetime against Pete Dunne, Eddie Dennis’ rampage continues, the Coffey brothers face an unexpected foe

On 205, Maria Kanellis’ plan for the Lucha House Party hits an unexpected snag, and Cedric Alexander and Mustafa Ali face Buddy Murphy and Tony Nese in a battle for supremacy.

On NXT, the fallout from War Games continues. Candice LeRae faces questions about her actions, Kairi Sane finds ready allies for her battle against Shayna Baszler and her friends, and Lars Sullivan and Keith Lee face off in an epic main event.

RAW

Baron Corbin vs Braun Strowman: Last week, Baron Corbin and his friends had run roughshod over Braun Strowman and his allies, Finn Balor and Elias, shattering Strowman’s elbow and leaving both Elias and Balor in heaps in the ring.

Corbin and company saw no reason to be remorseful about their actions, in fact, they were gleeful abut it. Corbin said that what happened to Strowman and friends was what happened to people who were on the wrong side of history. He was going to keep his job as RAW GM after TLC and anyone who had opposed him could expect the same.

As for Strowman, Corbin claimed that he’d sent a camera crew to Birmingham to talk to Strowman. Strowman was there and his arm looked nasty, but his anger wasn’t dimmed by the anesthesia. He vowed that, when he got back, he was going to make Corbin, Lashley, and McIntyre pay for what they’d done, even if he might not be at TLC.

At this point, the lights went out, but, instead of the Undertaker, the culprit was revealed to be Elias, who reminded us that WWE means ‘Walk With Elias’. Elias said that anyone, including pant-pissing Drake Maverick would be a better GM than Corbin. He also has a song for Bobby Lashley, which consists of singing ‘Bobby Lashley Sucks!’.

Elias vs Bobby Lashley (with Lio Rush, Baron Corbin, and Drew McIntyre: This looked like it was going to be a 3-1 handicap match, but it ended up being 1-1, at least at first.

Lashley dominated the first part of the match, but Elias managed to keep battling back, until he found himself outside the ring, which let Lashley get a cheap shot in and regain control. Elias came back and regained his footing, but the match was initially stopped by DQ after Rush pulled the ref out of the ring when Elias had the match won. Corbin got on the mic and declared that the match was now No DQ.

An enraged Elias snapped and was actually getting the better of Lashley when Corbin and McIntyre intervened, giving the Drifter a three on one beat down before Lashely would finally get the pin.

Later on, Corbin would take on Finn Balor one on one, or at least that’s how it started. When it became clear that he couldn’t beat Balor on his own, Corbin called in the troops and declared a 3-1 Handicap match instead. Balor and his demon have a lot of fight in them, but going against three huge men proved to be more than even they could handle, and Balor received a nasty beatdown to close out RAW. Will anyone stop the tyranny of Baron Corbin?

RAW Women’s Division: Alexa Bliss has been riding high since the RAW Women’s Team beat the SmackDown Women’s Team, even though the win came by Nia Jax sacrificing fellow teammate, Sasha Banks. Corbin, however, has been impressed by Alexa’s handling of the situation, and, admitting that he needed help running RAW, appointed Alexa as head of RAW’s Women’s Division, which is probably the worst idea he’s come up with.

Nia Jax has been on quite a roll since Evolution, she’s the #1 Contender for the RAW Women’s Championship, she became one of the most reviled people in wrestling after her reckless punch took Becky Lynch of Survivor Series, she’s reunited with her BFF, Alexa Bliss, and formed an alliance with cousin Tamina Snuka.

This week, Jax addressed her upcoming match against Ronda Rousey at TLC. She was proud of what she’d done, especially taking out Becky Lynch because that took something away from Ronda Rousey that Rousey had really wanted, just like she was going to take the title away. According to Jax, everyone knows Rousey can’t beat her, including Rousey. Nia would’ve beaten her at Money in the Bank if Alexa Bliss hadn’t interfered, but that’s water under the bridge. In fact, Ronda Rousey isn’t as good as everyone thinks she is, she can’t win when it really counts.

To prove her point, Jax showed footage of her match against Rousey and how close she’d come to beating Rousey. To press the point home, she showed footage of the Flair/Rousey match, which Rousey won by DQ.

Before this can get much further, Rousey comes out, dressed to fight. Ronda’s not worried about Nia’s jabs, she finds them quite funny. Rousey concedes that Jax has been very lucky these past few months, but her luck’s run out now. Rousey wants to fight and is willing to have that title match now, unless Nia and Tamina have a hot date elsewhere.

Uhm, EW!

Nia refuses to rise to the bait, at least a little. She’ll wait until TLC to get her match, but for now, she settles on getting a cheap shot in, with some help from Tamina. Nattie runs out to help even the odds for her friend, but is blindsided by the Riott Squad, who are clearly not over Ruby Riott’s defeat last week at the hands of Nattie. Rousey goes to her friend’s aid, but it’s clear that she’s got more problems than Jax and Snuka.

Sasha Banks and Bayley were talking in their locker room about how much fun they’d had at Starrcade when Alexa Bliss walked in. She wanted to thank them for helping her get the job as Head of the Women’s Division. Banks and Bayley, who have both had plenty of problems with Bliss, weren’t interested and told her to get lost.

Stung, Bliss suggested that the reason they’d never gotten along is because they’d never gotten to know each other, and she intended to change that. Banks and Bayley were skeptical, with very good reason, given Bliss’ track record.

One theme of this season of Mixed Match Challenge has been substitution. Ember Moon got her chance to compete in the Challenge because Alexa Bliss was injured, but with Strowman out with his elbow, another substitute needed to be found. Unfortunately, the injury bug is going around, and all WWE had to offer Ember was Curt Hawkins. Ember was…less than thrilled, Hawkins was over the moon. FINALLY, he had a chance to end his infamous losing streak, even if he had to settle for a tag team victory. Unfortunately, his enthusiasm did nothing to endear him to his partner.

Ember took on Alicia Fox, who was backed up by Jinder Mahal and the Singh Brothers. Thankfully, for Ember, the match was short and she was able to put Fox away with a thunderous Eclipse, though not before taking out Mahal and one of the Singhs with a double Eclipse.

Hawkins was more excited about the win than Ember was, though she warmed a little to him.

Alexa Bliss made good on her promise to have a little chat sesh with Sasha Banks and Bayley so they could get to know each other. She arranged a Q&A session in the ring with the Milwaukee crowd as the questioners.

It went about as well as could be expected. Banks and Bayley were both adamant that they wanted Alexa gone from RAW. Banks just wanted her sent to SmackDown, Bayley suggested hell. However, Banks and Bayley were right to be suspicious of Bliss’ motives because the Goddess showed how treacherous she was by having Jax, Snuka, James, and Dana Brooke, who had been an ally, jump Legit Huggers. Banks and Bayley fought them off, but any veneer of goodwill has been trashed.

Seth Rollins vs Dean Ambrose: After a near death experience, Dean could be forgiven for being a little more off-kilter than usual, especially when it comes to germs. Mr. Ambrose wasn’t at RAW this week, or so he claimed, because he was at his doctor’s office getting inoculated against every disease known to the human race. Why? Because Milwaukee is filthy and the people there are crawling with germs, and if they cheer for Seth Rollins, they’re probably too stupid to get their vaccinations, so Dean’s protecting himself. But don’t worry, he’ll be at RAW next week and will destroy Seth Rollins.

As for Seth Rollins, he re-instituted his Open Challenge, but before that got going, he addressed his former friend. He said that he was done chasing Ambrose around and that Ambrose could inoculate himself all he wanted, but there was no vaccine for the ass-kicking Rollins was going to give him. Rollins didn’t think that Ambrose was with his doctor, but is ready for him if he shows up.

The challenger turned out to be Ziggler, who is very happy to see that Rollins is back to being himself. However, for Ziggler, the return of Seth ‘Freakin’ Rollins means that Seth is going to drop that Intercontinental Championship to Ziggler. Never mind that Ziggler only beat Rollins because he had help from Drew McIntyre.

The match was amazing, as was expected, but without interference from either McIntyre or Ambrose to put the odds in his favor, Ziggler was defeated by Rollins with the Falcon’s Arrow. The Intercontinental Championship is still in the hands of the KingSlayer, but the Lunatic Fringe is still lurking.

RAW Tag Team Division: For the last few weeks, the Revival, long spokesmen for the traditionalists in the crowd, have found themselves in the embarrassing position of being beaten by the very untraditional Lucha House Party, and since LHP is being allowed to compete 3-2 due to a misunderstanding of Lucha House Rules, that embarrassment has started being tinged with frustration, which the Revival didn’t hesitate to vent before their match against LHP this week.

Despite the Revival’s best efforts to neutralize LHP’s numbers advantage, but the wily Luchadors were always one step ahead of them, pulling out yet another win over the increasingly frustrated Revival.

Drake Maverick has been the laughing stock of the wrestling world since his bladder malfunction during Survivor Series. His attempt to get AoP to extract some revenge on Bobby Roode and Chad Gable backfired badly. This week, Maverick defended his malfunction, citing that anyone would’ve done the same when confronted by a 7’ giant with his hand around their throat. The fact that LOTS of people have been in that position and HAVEN’T peed their pants on PPV doesn’t seem to have occurred to Maverick, he wanted to inflict his pain and humiliation on Roode and Gable, through AoP.

In the history of wrestling, there have been a lot of terrible matches, and this tag team CHAMPIONSHIP match was definitely one of them. Roode and Gable tried to get something worthwhile out of this thing, but they were hampered by questionable writing. Drake Maverick, with the cunning of a twelve year old, took off with Roode’s prized robe and let Roode see him ‘peeing’ on the robe. The distraction was enough to let AoP hit a low blow and get the pin, retaining the championship.

Jinder Mahal vs No Way Jose: Alicia Fox barely had time to register that she’d gotten beaten again when No Way Jose, and his followers, conga-lined their way to the ring for Jose’s match against Mahal.

The match was quick, and ended in Mahal’s favor, so Team Mahalicia broke even Monday night.

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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

4 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!!

About Chairshot Radio Network

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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

Chairshot Radio Network
Your home for the hardest hitting podcasts… Sports, Entertainment and Sports Entertainment!

All Shows On Demand

Listen on your favorite platform!

About Chairshot Radio Network

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)

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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

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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

6 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.