Opinion

WWE Week In Review: January 28-February 3, 2019

Usual broadcasting, along with World’s Collide and Halftime Heat should make for an interesting week of WWE. How did it all shape up?

Published

6 years ago

February 4, 2019

TiffanyMC

Usual broadcasting, along with World’s Collide and Halftime Heat should make for an interesting week of WWE. Let’s see what Tiffany thinks!

RAW

Seth Rollins kicking off RAW was what I expected since the winner of the Royal Rumble usually kicks off the RAW after, but I loved Seth’s very humble bragging about winning the Rumble. The Royal Rumble has been a career maker since 1993 when WWF decided to make the winner the #1 Contender. Triple H getting involved was a nice nod to their former partnership during the Authority years. Dean’s involvement sets up a potentially great feud between him and Hunter, much like the brief one they had in 2016.

Ambrose vs Rollins: I always love watching Ambrose and Rollins face off and I wish they’d had more time on Monday, but I get that Rollins, as the new face of RAW, at least until Roman Reigns gets back, needed to really establish himself by beating Dean clean, I just wish the match had been longer.

Dean staying in the ring and the face off with Nia was really confusing. I’m not a fan of intergender wrestling since, in my opinion, no one looks good doing it. I’m also interested in hearing what Dean was going to say before he was cut off.

Bliss/James vs Samoan Dynasty was ROUGH watching. I am intrigued by Bliss/James being semi-babyfaces against heel!Nia and Tamina. That said, I can’t say I had any doubts that Jax/Snuka would be the winners given their size advantage over James/Bliss. So, Samoan Dynasty will be at Elimination Chamber, but I’m guessing Bliss/James will stay contenders afterwards because their work wasn’t awful.

Corbin vs Angle: I was really…not thrilled with the Corbin/Angle match. Given their verbal feud last summer leading up to SummerSlam, I had higher hopes for the match than what we got. It was a good match and Corbin has shown a lot of improvement since he first arrived in WWE, but it wasn’t a Kurt Angle classic, though I give Angle serious props for putting Corbin over, I’m not happy about him clearly jobbing to a lesser talent.

Balor/Lashley: The respect shown to Balor by the locker room after his match with Lesnar was nice to see. He really shined in that match and proved that he could hang with the monsters, very much like Shawn Michaels did in the 90s. The segment with Lashley and Rush was not a great one. Rush is a great, if extremely annoying, mic guy, but him calling Balor a twerp was dumb. That said, I did like the beatdown Lashley gave him. It sets up an Intercontinental Championship feud that will probably go to WrestleMania.

Revival vs Edgeheads was fun to watch, even if the build was stupid, in my opinion. I don’t get why WWE is booking the Revival the way they are, but seeing them get to be effective, ass-kicking, heels was a lot of fun to watch.

Daniel Bryan/Erik Rowan: I’m not a fan of Bryan being some sort of environmental version of Bray Wyatt, which is what him and Erick Rowan look like together. It’s obnoxious and I’m glad that the backstage segment was his only appearance of the night.

Elias/Jarrett: I’m going to admit that I was NOT a fan of Jeff Jarrett’s during his WWF/WCW run, but watching him in TNA was a real eye opener to how talented he is/was. That said, I’m not a big fan of this feud with Elias. I think there are better ways for someone with Jeff Jarrett’s head for the business to contribute to WWE than trying to squeeze himself into his old Double J gear and pretending its 1994.

The Dana Brooke/Nattie segment before their tag match was really interesting. Since Nattie comes from a family of tag team specialists, her being part of the Women’s Tag Team tournament was a no-brainer, but the addition of Dana Brooke since Ember Moon is injured was an odd choice because it feels like WWE realized that they didn’t have a lot of tag teams in their Women’s Division until after they decided to do this tag team tournament.

Mojo Rawley: I don’t like Mojo Rawley, so I tuned out his segment for the most part, though him quoting my favorite Michael Jackson song, ‘Man in the Mirror’, got my attention, but not enough for me to really care about what he was talking about.

Nattie/Dana Brooke vs Riott Squad: I’m not terribly surprised that the Riott Squad won the tag match against Nattie and Dana Brooke, WWE is favoring established teams over the ad hoc ones, but I am surprised at how bad they made Nattie and Dana look in the process and that Ruby Riott wasn’t in the match. I’ll admit that Dana Brooke isn’t the best worker, but her gimmick of trying too hard to impress more established wrestlers is irritating. I do love Liv getting some revenge on Nattie for Liv’s ignominious elimination in the Royal Rumble by rolling Nattie up for the pin.

Open Challenge: I was honestly surprised that Becky didn’t answer Ronda Rousey’s open challenge or attacked Rousey from behind. I did love Bayley answering the challenge and showing an edge, it was really refreshing because her Hugger gimmick gets really grating quickly and it was a great match, even if the end wasn’t a shocker.

If the pop for Becky was as loud in the arena as it sounded on TV, she’s the hottest superstar in WWE since the Attitude Era, that was incredible. Rousey’s promo, however, was a dud to me. She tried too hard to sound like a badass instead of just being herself and her dismissal of Becky’s career because Becky didn’t train for wrestling all her life like Rousey did in Judo was just…ugh. Hopefully, the promos will get better as they get closer to WrestleMania.

Strowman vs McIntyre: I hated Strowman vs McIntyre. I’m not a fan of either guy and really saw no reason to restart this feud other than WWE needing to find something to do with these guys since neither of them are in the title picture.

Brock Lesnar: Seth’s decision to face Lesnar wasn’t a shock to me. As much as I like the idea of Daniel Bryan vs Seth Rollins for the WWE Championship, Seth’s too important to RAW for them to let him go to SmackDown right now. Still, Seth managing to get in a few hits before being completely thrashed by Lesnar was nice, but it’s hard for me to buy him beating Lesnar at WrestleMania without any funny business involved.

SmackDown

Becky Lynch/Charlotte: I was happy to see Becky kick off Smackdown, but I wasn’t happy that Charlotte came out, seeming to insert herself in the Rousey/Lynch feud. Charlotte’s a great talent, but she has no business being involved in Rousey/Lynch. She got her chance at Survivor Series and now it’s Becky’s time to get the match she built in November and Charlotte would be excess baggage.

United States Championship: The US Championship double match thing was weird. I’m guessing that WWE’s realizing the big problem with doing away with the rematch clause is figuring out how to keep talent in a title picture when there’s no rematch clause. That said, I’m thrilled that R-Truth won, but the sequence of things was odd and kind of took away from the victory. It didn’t help Rusev or Nakamura either. I did like the teasing of a feud between Carmella and Lana.

Mysterio/Almas: I’m a big fan of Mysterio vs Almas, but I’m not really sure why Samoa Joe vs Mysterio was sacrificed for it.

Good Brothers vs Rusev/Nakamura: Loved the Good Brothers being faces, but I’m not sure what to make of a Rusev/Nakamura tag team just yet. Hopefully it’ll be better in practice than it sounds on paper.

Shane/Miz: The victory celebration for Shane and Miz was fun, if a little boring and sappy. Loved Miz’s dad being included, even if I’m not sure why he’s involved in this storyline. Them immediately calling for a match to decide who their next challengers will be was refreshing.

Mandy Rose/Naomi: Let’s talk about Mandy Rose’s ‘reasons’ for hating Naomi, because it was one of the dumbest things I’ve seen in a long time. A person gives you constructive criticism to help you improve so you can be successful and your reaction is to wait four years and try to ruin her marriage out of spite? Sit down and shut up.

Fatal Four Way: The Fatal Four Way for the #1 Contendership was really good. Otis Dozovic of Heavy Machinery has quickly become the star of the team, despite Tucker Knight being better in the ring. Heavy Machinery were the real stars of the match, but one of the more established teams winning wasn’t a big shock, even if it was a little disappointing. Usos vs Miz/Shane will be a good match and Heavy Machinery will probably get a shot down the road.

Daniel Bryan: Let’s get something straight about Daniel Bryan’s new belt, other than it looks like a craft project: No, no one’s going to light it up and smoke it on live TV. The belt is made of hemp and hemp is NOT marijuana. The spot with throwing the WWE Championship belt away was ‘eh’.

The segment with all the contenders cutting promos was good, Samoa Joe on the mic was savage and Orton’s laughter was justified. The Elimination Chamber stipulation wasn’t a surprise once Rollins picked Lesnar, it was more a question of who would be in it and there’s a pretty good mix of vets and young guys that should make the men’s Elimination Chamber match fun to watch.

205 Live

Kalisto vs Mike Kanellis was a good match, but it still feels like Kanellis is still trying to find his footing in 205. Lucha House Party is a gimmick that is getting old fast, even if they had nothing to do with Kalisto beating Kanellis, it’s just annoying.

Gulak/Gallagher: WWE needs to figure out what they’re going to do with Gulak and Gallagher. They’ve had very little to do since the end of their feud with Brian Kendrick and Akira Tozawa. However, the potential feud with Humberto Carrillo is an interesting one given his style compared to the No Fly Zoners.

Itami/Daivari: The Daivari/Itami team is an interesting one, but I’m not sure why Daivari is Itami’s mouthpiece when Itami speaks English.

Tony Nese vs Noam Dar: The attack on Dar by Nese was interesting in terms of their feud and I wish 205 had more time to really make the feud something special.

Buddy Murphy: Murphy’s lack of comment one way or the other about Nese’s attack on Dar was interesting. Nese being suspended removes his one supporter in 205, so you’d expect him to support Nese and the fact that he didn’t was odd. There’s still a question of who will be Murphy’s next big feud going into WrestleMania, but there’s plenty to time to sort that out.

Tozawa vs Itami: I loved the Tozawa/Itami match. 205 always puts on a great main event and this was definitely a great main event. Tozawa’s win was a little bit of a surprise since it seemed like Itami would be in line for a title shot. Daivari’s turn on Itami, seeming to turn him face-ish was DEFINITELY a shock, but an interesting turn of events.

NXT UK

Dave Mastiff vs Jay Melrose: If I had to pick a favorite superstar on NXT UK, it would probably be Dave Mastiff just because he’s so huge but moves so well and his match with Jay Melrose was why. Mastiff strikes me as a stiff worker, but he and Melrose worked really well together. Mastiff getting the win wasn’t a surprise, but it makes me wonder when the undefeated streak is going to earn Mastiff a title shot, unless they’re waiting for the WALTER/Dunne thing to be over with.

Xia Brookside: Liked the little vignette for Xia Brookside. She’s definitely one of my favorite female performers on NXT UK and I’m happy she’s coming back.

Grizzled Young Veterans are probably one of the best teams in WWE, but I’m extremely confused by the whole ‘People taking their shoes off when Zack Gibson comes to the ring’ thing. I just don’t get it. That said, they’re a great team and Gibson is pretty good on the mic, even if half the stuff he says makes no sense to American me. I love Lorcan and Burch, so the prospect of them taking on GYV is really exciting to me.

Walter vs Jack Starz: Walter may be one of the most hyped people in WWE right now, but I don’t get it. He looks like a character from a WWII movie. I will say that his chops look and sound like they hurt like hell, if Jack Starz’s selling is anything to go by, but I just don’t get what the big deal about Walter is. However, I like that they’re having one of the Coffey brothers challenge him and that Aichner and Barthel are Walter’s back up, making an interesting three way feud.

Jinny vs Kasey Owens: Jinny is another part of NXT UK that I really don’t get. She’s talented, but I can’t say she’s better than anyone else on the roster. Her one outstanding talent is being mean and there’s plenty of that in the Women’s Division in WWE. Her match with Kasey Owens was good, but I don’t get why Jinny is being groomed for a run at the title.

Rhea Ripley really has the chance to be a top heel in WWE and I’m excited to see her having a rematch against Tony Storm at the next NXT UK TakeOver, or whatever NXT UK Phoenix is going to be.

Moustache Mountain vs European Alliance was FANTASTIC. Aichner and Barthel have really gelled very quickly as a team and going up a very established team like Moustache Mountain can only help them improve, even in defeat, which did surprise me a little. I’m guessing that Trips wants to keep MM strong after TakeOver Blackpool while giving EA some needed ring experience. Love the match!

NXT

Kairi Sane and Io Shirai vs Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafire: I’m glad the feud between Team Sane and the Horsewomen is continuing, even if it’s without Dakota Kai, who is out with an ACL injury. Duke and Shafir have a lot of kinks to work out of their ring work, but I think they’re doing a pretty good job and stars like Sane and Shirai can only help them improve. The spot between Duke and Sane with their height difference was fantastic and I hope this feud continues.

Johnny Gargano: I’m glad Johnny Gargano finally won a singles title, but his interview was not much to write home about.

Bianca Belair: I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not a fan of Bianca Belair, and I’m not a fan of her reaction to Sam Robert’s comment about her not being worthy of being in the match with Baszler. If her reaction to criticism or people not being a fan is to tell them to kiss her ass, she needs to rethink things because it’s only going to get worse if she makes it to the main roster.

War Raiders: I’m warming up to War Raiders and I LOVED their entrance at TakeOver. I know the feud with Undisputed Era is going to continue but it was refreshing to see them get a moment in the sun, especially after their performance.

Matt Riddle: I don’t like Matt Riddle. Every time I see him, I see red, so I basically tuned out his post-match interview so I didn’t throw my remote through the TV.

Tommaso Ciampa: I think the best compliment to Ciampa would be having the praise of Paul Heyman and raises interesting questions about his future on the main roster.

After Show Footage Six man confrontation after TakeOver went off the air was fun and set the stage for the return of Halftime Heat, but I’m not sure what it all means beyond a one-off match.

Street Profits vs Forgotten Sons was a really great match between two teams that seemed to have gotten lost in the shuffle with the Undisputed Era around. I honestly thought Street Profits would get the win over Forgotten Sons, but the addition of Ryker made that win pretty much expected. I hope these teams will get more attention and consideration in the tag team picture down the road.

Worlds Collide

Battle Royal: The battle royal to determine who would get the bye in the tournament was really good. I like that WWE’s making the battle royals last longer and feel important instead of like time fillers. This match definitely had the feel of being anyone’s game, which is rare in battle royals. Jordan Devlin of NXT UK was a great choice to win the match, he gets a lot of heat and can back up his mouth with ring work.

Mark Andrews vs Drew Gulak was definitely a meeting of opposites in terms of personality and styles and a lot of times those can result in ‘eh’ matches, but that didn’t happen this time, thankfully. It was a really great match and let both guys show off their skills. I was a little disappointed that Gulak won, but Andrews definitely had made a statement about how much he belongs in WWE.

Travis Banks vs Keith Lee was a surprisingly good match. I’m not a Keith Lee fan, but he was really good in here and it wasn’t as big a squash as I’d feared given the size difference between Lee and Banks. I can’t say Lee’s win was a surprise, but it was a good starter match. One surprise was Devlin not interfering in the match and further his feud with Banks.

Shane Thorne vs Adam Cole was hard to get into because I actually forgot who Shane Thorne was. That aside, this was another great match. Cole’s a great talent and it’s always fun to watch him show off his skills and him winning wasn’t a real shock.

Dominik Dijakovic vs TJP was a surprisingly good match. TJP has gotten lost in the shuffle on 205, but that doesn’t take away from his great talent. Dijakovic has already established himself as a rough and tough customer, so this contrast of styles was fun to watch, but I had no illusions that TJP stood a snowball’s chance in hell of beating Dijakovic.

Cedric Alexander vs Tyler Bate was a dream match that lived up to the hype. This match was definitely my match of the First Round, both guys did amazingly well and worked so well together, you’d never guess that this was the very first time they’d been in the ring together. Bate won the match, but the fans ended up being the real winners.

Velveteen Dream vs Tony Nese was another first time match and it’s interesting that Nese was allowed to compete given that he’s supposed to be suspended from 205 Live after attacking Noam Dar on Tuesday. It was a good match, I wasn’t really blown away by either guy, but it was good. Sadly, the 205 guys seem to be the sacrificial lambs in this and Dream picked up the win.

Zack Gibson vs Humberto Carrillo was a really great match. I THINK this was another first-time match, but don’t quote me. Both of these guys are really great competitors and this match let both guys show themselves off for the Universe. Surprisingly, Carrillo is one of only two 205 Live guys to win his match and advance.

Jordan Devlin vs Drew Gulak I LOVED this match. Both of these guys are fun to hate and are great performers. Unfortunately, the 205 curse hit Gulak as Jordan hit Ireland’s Call and got the win.

Keith Lee vs Adam Cole ended up being the shocker of the Quarterfinals. On paper, this looked like a piece of cake victory for Lee who had the size advantage on Cole, but Cole ended up being a tougher opponent for Lee than anyone expected and ended up beating Lee with two superkicks and a Last Shot. I was honestly shocked Lee lost to Cole, but it was a great match.

Dominik Dijakovic vs Tyler Bate was another seeming no-brainer match that ended in a huge shock for me. I like Tyler Bate, but if you had asked me yesterday if he had a snowball’s chance in hell of beating Dijakovic, I would’ve laughed at you, but that’s what happened. Bate not only gave Dijakovic his longest match to date, but he handed him his first defeat with a Tyler Driver ’97.

Velveteen Dream vs Humberto Carrillo after two shocking victories, I was pretty ready for Carrillo to beat Dream, but that didn’t happen. There definitely seemed to be an effort to not have 205 guys make it past the quarterfinal, which sucked because the 205 guys are probably a little better known than the NXT/NXT UK guys. ANYWAY, Velveteen Dream would hit his Death Valley Driver and advance to the semifinals, but Carrillo definitely made an impression.

Adam Cole vs Tyler Bate was a match I was really excited about, I’m a fan of Bate and Cole’s a good competitor, so this promised to be a good match and it was. I honestly expected Cole to sneak out a win, but Bate’s Tyler Driver struck again and the Big Strong Boy put away the leader of the Undisputed Era and advanced to the Final Match.

Jordan Devlin vs Velveteen Dream was one of the few instances where I wanted the heel to win just so I could watch Devlin vs Bate. A betting man would’ve put his money on the Ace and he would’ve lost his shirt. Devlin and Dream put on a heck of a match but the Ace got trumped by the Purple Rain Maker, even after doing some serious damage to Dream’s ribs. It’s going to be Tyler Bate of NXT UK vs Velveteen Dream of NXT.

Velveteen Dream vs Tyler Bate was a really great match, but they almost seemed to be building to Dream winning by giving him no time to recover from the match with Devlin. That said, it was a FANTASTIC match. Dream would pull out the win with the Purple Rain Maker again, but he showed Bate respect after the match was over. Per the stipulation of the tournament, Dream is now entitled to challenge for a championship of his choosing.

Thoughts: This was a good tournament, but the lack of filler matches made it drag a little for me. I’m not happy that 205 Live basically got left out at the end and the final match was between Triple H’s pet projects.

Halftime Heat

For the first time since The Rock and Mankind had an Empty Arena Match during the halftime show of Super Bowl 33, WWE put on a Halftime Heat match. It is a six-man tag match between Ricochet, Aleister Black, and Velveteen Dream and NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa, NXT North American Champion, Johnny Gargano, and Adam Cole.

I have no words for how great this match up was. The atmosphere sounded amazing and these guys left it all in the ring. It was definitely better than the ACTUAL halftime show the Super Bowl put on, but that’s just my opinion. Velveteen Dream definitely seems to be getting the rub right now. He won ‘When Worlds Collide’ and got the pin in the Halftime Heat match, so we’ll see how that will pan out.

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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

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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.