Opinion

WWE Week In Review February 4-10, 2019

With Elimination Chamber looming, how did the past week of WWE perform? Tiffany gives us her take!

Published

6 years ago

February 11, 2019

TiffanyMC

With Elimination Chamber looming, how did the past week of WWE perform? Tiffany gives us her take!

We’re a week out from the Royal Rumble and things are heating up in the WWE! As everyone prepares for the Elimination Chamber, how well did WWE build their matches?

RAW

Becky Lynch and Stephanie McMahon’s segment went about how I expected it to when it was announced that they would be doing a segment together. Becky definitely seems to be being built to be an Austin kind of character and she did a great job of that, even if Stephanie’s selling wasn’t as good as Vince’s.

The whole thing about Becky’s knee seems silly to me because she’s got two months to rest it, so it makes the whole point of her being ‘suspended’ kind of silly.

Ronda Rousey’s promos continue to make me cringe. She really needs a mouthpiece like Heyman is for Lesnar. Maybe make Paige Rousey’s new manager so she can just stand there and be a badass instead of opening her mouth or make her a Paul Heyman girl. I’d even settle for Lio Rush being her manager if it meant that I wouldn’t have to listen to another of her promos.

Open Challenge was a lot of fun. The look on Rousey’s face when Sarah Logan dead lifted her was hilarious. The problem with Morgan and Logan doing the challenge is that there was very little suspense, especially with Morgan. The challenge is a great idea, but it gets boring when there’s no suspense.

Ruby Riott’s interview did a great job of mixing the tropes of cowardly heel and friend who puts own ambitions aside to help her friends. I do think that Riott will be in line for the title after WrestleMania.

Boss-Hug Connection’s interview was more interesting because of the team of Nikki Cross and Alicia Fox. I like that they’re playing it more of Nikki allying with Fox just because she wants to rather than have her being a full-blown heel. Sasha still being upset about losing to Rousey was very in-character for her, as was Bayley playing the peacemaker.

The Fatal Four Way match was really good but really predictable at the same time. How many times does Revival get a title match before WWE puts the titles on them? It’s not like Glorious Alpha is setting the world on fire with tag matches. Heavy Machinery stood out as always, but I’m guessing that WWE’s going to decide which promotion they’ll go to before giving them a title run.

Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins segment was ‘eh’ for me. It would’ve been a cool segment back in the Edgehead days, but now I’m just like ‘Who cares?’. Still, I like that they’re going to try and end Hawkins’ losing streak, but I don’t really care either.

Kurt Angle’s segment was great…until Strowman, McIntyre, and Corbin showed up. I’m really over this feud. I get that WWE needs to give these guys something to do until the run up to WrestleMania, but I really don’t care and I hate them using Kurt to try and get it over.

Seth Rollins seems to be out with an injury, either in his back or his elbow. I’m a little confused as to why they’re pretending he didn’t make his decision last week.

Boss-Hug Connection vs Crazy Foxes was a very good match. RUMOR is that Sasha is injured and not cleared to wrestle, which explains why Bayley basically did the match herself, and why Fox/Cross got the jump on them. However, if Sasha was injured in her match with Ronda Rousey at Royal Rumble, WWE must be assuming that she’ll be fine in time for the Elimination Chamber match because she was at ringside and participated in the match.

Fox and Cross being annoyed with each other is interesting because this could be Nikki Crosses first ACTUAL main roster feud, but I’m not sure if crazy vs crazy is really going to be a compelling storyline for WWE.

Elias vs Jeff Jarrett. Let me preface this by saying that I’m a late-coming fan of Jeff Jarrett, mostly because of his TNA work. He’s a great competitor and has a great mind for the business. Having said that, I hated this match. I just really couldn’t get into it or into this feud, but I liked that Jarrett got some revenge on Elias and hopefully this feud is over.

Dana Brooke and Natalya’s segment was just odd. It was supposed to be funny and it just felt flat. I will admit that most of my problem is that I’m not feeling this feud and this segment didn’t help matters.

Finn Balor vs Bobby Lashley/Finn Balor vs Lio Rush was a reasonably good set of segments but what in the world was with the black bandage on Balor’s ribs? It looked like he was nursing a worse wound than hurt ribs. I find it interesting that even though Lashley is not involved in the Universal Title picture, WWE seems to be trying to build a rivalry between him and Lesnar. Lashley’s biggest problem remains his total lack of personality and charisma, which isn’t going to be cured by Balor or Rush.

Paige’s return should’ve been about more than promoting her movie. She’s a great talent and should be used for more than just promoting a moving.

Moment of Bliss continues to be a mess. I can’t think of a single episode that hasn’t been cringe-inducing. EC3’s debut on the show was a big ‘F’ for me. I’ve watched EC3 in TNA and NXT and he’s got the personality of a mop and average ring skills. He’s one of those guys that’s good to look at, if you ignore the fact that he constantly looks constipated.

I did love the return of funny!Dean Ambrose, it was a refreshing breath of fresh air after months of WWE’s confusing heel turn with Ambrose. Plus, it was a nice contrast to the human yawn that is EC3.

Dean Ambrose vs EC3: I have avoided talking about the rumors that Ambrose is leaving after WrestleMania because I’m firmly up the River Denial and think it’s a work. If Ambrose is leaving, him losing to EC3 makes sense, except for the fact that the way Ambrose lost did more for him than it did for EC3. 3, the debuting superstar got a cheap win over an established, top tier, star, which protects Ambrose and leaves open a couple of storyline possibilities for Ambrose.

Kurt and Braun Strowman’s segment was interesting. If Angle is retiring, him becoming Strowman’s manager makes sense since Strowman’s mic skills aren’t the best.

Mojo Rawley’s segment would be good with a higher tier star.

Braun Strowman and Kurt Angle vs Baron Corbin and Drew McIntyre’s match was interesting but I’m still not interested in the feud. It was a mediocre main event for the most part, which was disappointing given how good Angle was.

Thoughts: This was an underwhelming RAW. The lack of Shield members, except for Ambrose, was very telling. Thankfully, WWE still has plenty of time to build up the WrestleMania card because the card isn’t looking great right now.

SmackDown

Charlotte/Beck Lynch/Triple H segment was interesting and sets Lynch up as a Stone Cold Steve Austin type character for the Women’s Division, but I don’t like how they seemed to be finding a way to shoehorn Charlotte into a match that doesn’t need her. Also the whole thing about Lynch’s knee shows WWE’s ‘hand’ a little too much, but we’ll see what transpires between now and March.

Rusev and Nakamura vs Good Brothers match was okay. I’m hoping that WWE has bigger plans for this team and will give them time to gel because this first outing was kind of rough. Plus, the inclusion of Lana in the match, with a walking cast on her leg stinks of hypocrisy given that Lynch was suspended for not getting a tweaked knee looked at. I feel bad that the Good Brothers have been excluded from the title picture and are putting teams over so much because they were definitely the better team in this match.

Mustafa Ali is a STAR and his promo segment proved it to me. He’s got a ton of charisma and is a great underdog for the WWE Universe to get behind.

Paige’s return to SmackDown just to promote her movie just felt lousy. I wish WWE would find something else for her.

The Usos are proof of what a heel turn done right can do for Superstars, and they’ll have a good match with Shane and Miz, but I’m just not feeling it right now, it just feels like more of the same old stuff.

Mustafa Ali vs Randy Orton was a great match! Ali continues to wow in his matches, just like Rey Mysterio used to in his prime. Ali also proved that he can hang with any superstar and look great even in defeat, but I’m going to make a bold prediction: Samoa Joe is going to be the first person eliminated from Elimination Chamber because he’s been getting the jump on everyone with the Coquina Clutch. I did find Joe being put off by Rowan interesting.

Samoa Joe’s segment proved something: Joe’s not a physics major, but the segment was interesting and makes him seem like a viable threat for the WWE Championship.

Daniel Bryan’s segment was boring, to be honest. I’m over the whole ‘New Daniel Bryan’ thing. His whole shtick of being an outsider is pretty much nonsense that it’s amazing that they keep it going. It was funny to see people making their own Hempionship belts, but that was about the only really standout thing about this segment.

Jeff Hardy’s promo response to Bryan was very good and typical of Hardy’s underrated promo skills, and the hint of a feud between him and Styles is a dream that I hope we get to see.

Triple Threat Tag Match: Let me preface this by saying that I LOVE Feel the Fabulous, but why have them lose the tag match if you’re going to put them in the Elimination Chamber match for the Tag Titles? Also, can we scrap the Naomi/Mandy Rose feud, please? It’s not doing anything for either of them.

Andrade Almas’ promo against Mysterio was great and keeps their feud going without either of them competing on Tuesday, which is always good, but I hope we’ll get a definitive match for this feud sooner or later.

Asuka: Part of the reason I don’t want Charlotte involved in the RAW Women’s Match is because of Asuka. I don’t really see anyone in the SmackDown Women’s Division that could really go toe-to-toe with Asuka in a believable way at WrestleMania other than Charlotte.

Jeff Hardy vs Daniel Bryan was a fantastic match and a much better main event than the one RAW put on. Even the DQ finish didn’t hurt anything because it protected Bryan and Hardy. The run-in by the Chamber participants was expected since we’re about a week out from Elimination Chamber. Styles being the last man standing was interesting and raises doubts about Bryan walking out as Champion.

Bryan’s Promo after the show was stereotypical crybaby heel stuff and him trying to say that the other competitors running AFTER the match was interference but Rowan causing an ACTUAL DQ wasn’t, is a level of mental gymnastics I didn’t know existed in the human mind. It was Right Wing radio level and was very funny, though I’m not sure it was supposed to be.

Thoughts: A better, if not exactly awe-inspiring, SmackDown. They put on a more interesting show than RAW, but the long build toward WrestleMania is already starting to show.

205 Live

The Opener of 205 is always good and gets people excited…ish for the show and I kind of wish they’d do something like this for RAW and SmackDown.

Mike Kanellis vs Brian Kendrick: What in the heck is WWE doing with Mike Kanellis? He’s a great talent, Maria is a great heel manager, and their gimmick is nauseating enough to work in a heel capacity. Why is he on 205 and looking out of his depth? The match was really good, but it just feels like WWE has no idea what they’re doing with the Kanellises and it’s frustrating.

Ariya Daivari’s promo on Hideo Itami is baffling since rumor is that Itami was granted his release last week. Is WWE working everyone to have an actually shocking departure?

The promos for the main event were pretty standard ‘I’m going to win because I’m the best and everyone else is a loser’ stuff, but it’s always fun to watch the heels have selective memory loss when one of the faces have gotten the better of them, i.e Lio Rush about Cedric Alexander, who beat Rush fair and square.

Drake Maverick’s Office was an interesting segment. Gulak and Gallagher have had very little direction since the end of their feud with Kendrick and Tozawa. I did find it a little cringe inducing to hear to white guys talk about keeping a POC performer on the right path and thinking they need to accompany him. It’s just…ugh.

I love that Noam Dar has bounced back so quickly from the attack last week and I’m glad we’re getting a No DQ match out of this feud, even if the build has been a little lacking

The #1 Contendership Match was a lot of fun and pretty much what I expected from a 205 main event. I love that it came down to Alexander and Tozawa, no offense to Rush or Carrilllo, but these two could have a MONEY feud if WWE plays the cards right. I am stoked for Tozawa vs Murphy. I don’t think Tozawa will win, but it promises to be a great match.

Thought: GREAT 205, good matches and a great main event, but the lack of Mustafa Ali is still telling. His amazing skills aside, Ali was truly the heart of 205 and was easy for the audience to get behind and there really isn’t someone to fill that hole. Alexander is close, but he’s been champion, so has Tozawa, and Kendrick. Noam Dar could do the job, but it wouldn’t be a good. If they revamped Mike Kanellis and made the gimmick less gag-inducing, he would do a pretty good job.

NXT UK

Mark Andrews vs El Ligero was a fabulous match and could easily have main evented the show. It’s really hard to do face vs face matches, especially when the faces have very similar styles, but Andrews and Ligero did a really great job. This was a match where it didn’t really matter who won because the match was so good.

Oney Lorcan’s promo was really good, but Lorcan and Burch are better as the silent, beat-the-holy-hell out of someone type of team. I’m assuming that NXT UK shot a couple of episodes or another TakeOver in Phoenix because it keeps being referred to, so hopefully we’ll see those soon.

Pete Dunne’s promo about Walter was really good and sets the stage for Dunne vs Walter and Walter vs Mark Coffey.

Xia Brookside vs Candy Floss was another face vs face match that you had to watch carefully because both women had similar hair colors. That said, it was a really good match and I hope Candy gets signed to NXT UK soon because she’s a heck of a talent. It was nice to see Xia get a singles win, finally, since I predict that she’ll be a STAR in a few years. The addition of Rhea and Toni honestly didn’t make sense to me. Why would Rhea attack two women who weren’t even involved in her feud with Toni? Why not just attack Toni in the backstage area. Ripley standing tall wasn’t a total surprise, but the rest of it was just…why?

Jordan Devlin is definitely establishing himself as a top tier heel and it seems like his feud with Travis Banks is on the backburner for now, but the upcoming match with Noam Dar seem like it’ll be a really great one to watch and see if Dar will hang his hat in NXT UK.

Mike Hitchman vs Joseph Conners was a really good, if random and rough, match. It was enjoyable, the guys worked really well together, but I had no real investment in the match, which I’m actually okay with for now. Conners winning was a big surprise, but it seems like he might be getting groomed for bigger things, for some reason, so we’ll see what the future holds.

Jinny is a superstar I don’t get and the more I see her the less I like her. Her gimmick might not be so bad if she didn’t seem so average in the ring, but that’s me.

Ashton Smith vs Joe Coffey was a fantastic, if short match, and the outcome wasn’t a surprise, but I’m glad WWE’s continuing to book Joe strong even after losing to Dunne and Walter. Gallus is a great heel faction, so I’m hoping Wolfgang and Mark will get similar booking.

Walter vs Mark Coffey. I’ve said before that I don’t get Walter or his appeal, but he’s a good wrestler, even if he’s not my cup of tea. I just…I don’t get it. It was still a good match, but I’m not getting into Walter or his hype.

Thought: That was an okay NXT UK. There were lots of great matches, but some of the pairings seemed a little random. We haven’t seen the Tag Champs defend the titles yet, and Storm hasn’t defended her Women’s Championship since winning it in Blackpool. It just felt a little underwhelming.

NXT

Johnny Gargano/Velveteen Dream/Tommaso Ciampa was a really interesting segment. Since Dream seems to be getting handed the rocket, him choosing to face Gargano over Ciampa was a weird choice. Unless he views Gargano as a weak link. Also, the whole ‘will they, won’t they’ with the DIY reunion looks a lot like the Rollins/Ambrose reunion from 2017, without the extra drama. Given some of the ‘spoilers’ coming out about the upcoming Gargano/Dream match, it’ll be interesting to see what the future will hold for DIY.

Jaxon Ryker vs Mansoor that was a great match. Mansoor, or ‘Manny’, competed in the Greatest Royal Rumble last year and has finally made it to WWE TV. I was a little disappointed that Manny didn’t get a better showing, but WWE is clearly grooming Forgotten Sons to be contenders and possible rivals for Undisputed Era. Hopefully, Manny will get a better showing next time.

Ricochet’s promo with Cathy Kelly was really good and kept his feud with Adam Cole going, though I wonder if there will be as much interest in it without titles being attached since Undisputed Era is beltless right now.

Drew Gulak vs Eric Bugenhagen was a big ‘WTF’ for me. I’m not a fan of Gulak’s gimmick, it reminds me too much of RL politics, but the guy’s a heck of a talent, so to watch him deal with Bugenhagen was just ‘What?’.

I was actually cheering for Gulak when he won, to give you my opinion of Bugenhagen. Matt Riddle coming out made me roll my eyes SO hard, but the prospect of Riddle/Gulak was interesting enough to keep me watching.

Drew Gulak vs Matt Riddle: I have been quite vocal about the fact that I don’t like Matt Riddle, but I’ll give him his due, he and Gulak put on a great match and the show of respect after Riddle’s victory was nice. Riddle still annoys the hell out of me though.

Six Woman Tag was a really good main event. Even though I don’t care for Belair, she makes a good addition to Team Sky Pirates against the Horsewomen. Shafir and Duke are making good progress in their transition from the Octagon to WWE but they still have a ways to go, and that’s fine. I love that Io Shirai got the pin on Baszler, putting her in line for a title short, but it also sets up conflict with Belair which will be interesting.

Thoughts: Another solid, but largely uneventful episode. The matches were good and there was storyline progress, but nothing earthshaking.

Overall Thoughts: Other than RAW, WWE put on a very solid week of programming. Every show, including RAW had good matches and moved their stories forward, but it’s clear that WWE is playing it safe until March when the real ramp up to WrestleMania will start. Until then, I’m guessing that we’ll have more weeks of uneventful shows to watch, but as long as the storylines go forward, it should be fine.

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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

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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)

FRIDAY - DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)

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CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

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

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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

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.