Opinion

Week in Review: April 1-7, 2019

With how late WrestleMania goes, this is the week in review leading up to WrestleMania 35!

Published

6 years ago

April 8, 2019

TiffanyMC

With how late WrestleMania goes, this is the week in review leading up to WrestleMania 35!

RAW

RAW Women’s Championship Match: I wish I was more excited about the Winner Take All stipulation about the Women’s Championship, but I’m not. It honestly feels like WWE didn’t think that the story they’d been building for a year wasn’t big enough for WrestleMania and needed to be made much bigger. Hopefully, it’ll turn out better than it sounds to me.

I love the Riott Squad, but they were pretty unimportant in the tag match, the all-out brawl after the match was over was THE moment of the night. It’s not often that we see brawls like this in WWE and never in the Women’s Division and Rousey, Lynch, and Flair did a fantastic job. Though, I do have to wonder what kind of idiot thought it was a good idea to put two brawling women in the same squad car. However, moment of the night goes to Charlotte Flair for the amazing knee she landed on Rousey. Bravo, ladies.

Brock Lesnar and Seth Rollins: Seth Rollins REALLY needed a big moment to re-light interest in his Universal Championship match at WrestleMania and he did a pretty good job of it. I wasn’t thrilled about Heyman dismissing the Women’s match, but his selective memory about Lesnar’s career was amusing. I’m HOPING that Seth Rollins pulls this out somehow.

Eight Woman Tag: Even though this match wasn’t the best thing I’d ever seen from any of the women involved, I’m glad this match happened so Beth Phoenix could shake off any ring rust she might have. I’m also hoping that Sasha and the IIconics were just having a bad night because there were a lot of botches that didn’t do anyone any favors. I am hoping that Boss-Hug wins on Sunday, but I honestly can’t say I’m certain of it after Monday.

Batista: I was expecting a much longer promo than what we got, but I guess it was better than nothing.

Elias: I have a feeling that Elias isn’t going to get much concert time as much as they’ve hyped him as a musical act.

Jinder Mahal vs Apollo Crews: This was a match to build up the Andre Battle Royal and that’s the most that can be said for it. Crews has a lot of talent, that gets a little lost trying to cover for Mahal, who still stinks in the ring. It breaking down into a mock battle royal wasn’t a surprise, but it was very predictable.

Kurt Angle vs Rey Mysterio: I was a little disappointed, but not surprised, that Angle vs Mysterio didn’t happen. It’s clear that WWE wants to save Angle for WrestleMania. I’m still hoping SOMETHING will happen to keep Corbin vs Angle from happening, but it seems WWE is really serious about this match, and that’s a real shame.

Revival vs Aleister Black and Ricochet: I really enjoyed this match and I knew it was too much to hope that Black and Ricochet, who will be facing the War Raiders for the NXT Tag Titles on Friday, would win this match, but I am frustrated that no attempt was made to put them in the RAW Tag Team match since they got screwed over. Guess we’ll have to see what happens on Sunday.

Backstage: This was just a dumb segment to justify Strowman having a match and it sucked.

Roman Reigns: There’s been a lot of talk about who needs a win at WrestleMania more, Reigns or McIntyre, but since McIntyre has been getting in cheap shots and destroying Dean Ambrose, I’d say Reigns needs the win more, especially since McIntyre is as boring as paint.

Bobby Roode and Chad Gable vs Heavy Machinery: This was just a fun match. It looked like WWE hadn’t figured out what to do with Heavy Machinery, but they looked fantastic with Roode and Gable. Time will tell what will happen after WrestleMania since no RAW Tag Match has been made, but that can still change before Sunday.

Handicap Match: We went from fun to dumb so quickly, it’s actually pathetic.

Lashley and Rush: It’s been speculated that Balor might be bringing back the Demon for WrestleMania, despite claiming that he’d leaned on that persona too much. However, I’m glad that he’s doing it because it makes this never-ending feud with Lashley and Rush more interesting.

Rey Mysterio vs Baron Corbin: This was the Main Event of the go-home show of RAW and I can’t say it was a worthy one. The women should’ve ended the show, but I guess WWE wanted to give Angle one last final moment of RAW. The match was ‘eh’, but seeing Angle get some revenge on Corbin, and hopefully ‘taking’ him out of WrestleMania was a lot of fun. Thanks for the memories, Kurt.

SmackDown

Daniel Bryan vs Kofi Kingston: Well, it is officially official, Kofi Kingston WILL be facing Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania, or is he? Yes, the contract was checked over, notarized, and signed in a remarkably non-violent ceremony, with both men firing up the crowd with their promos. However, some sharp-eyed fans noticed that the date on the contract for the match was March 10, 2019, which was Fastlane, the match Kofi got screwed out of in favor of Kevin Owens.

Now, this could simply be oversight/laziness on WWE’s part since Kevin Owens signed the Fastlane contract meant for Kingston, or it could be another way for Vince to screw over Kingston if he should win the WWE Championship at WrestleMania. We’ll have to wait and see.

Kevin Owens Show: I’ve been very ‘meh’ about Styles vs Orton but their segment during the Kevin Owens show definitely got me more interesting. I loved them taking shots at each other’s career, maybe hinting at RL backstage issues between the two. This definitely is a WrestleMania match.

Eight Man Tag: We all knew that the Usos would likely face some backlash over their decision to forfeit their match against New Day so Kofi Kingston could go to WrestleMania, so the announcement of the Fatal Four Way Tag Match doesn’t surprise me and it gives Black and Ricochet a chance to be in WrestleMania.

Women’s Tag Match: The IIconics might not always be the best in the ring, but they’re hard to top on the mic, even if their gimmick is obnoxious. I’m really glad they’re getting this big WrestleMania opportunity.

Miz vs SAnitY: Shane definitely seems to be relishing his return to heeldom, but Miz turned it up to 11 in that handicap match, holy crap. This was another match I wasn’t totally sold on until Tuesday. I just hope Shane and Miz don’t literally kill each other at WrestleMania.

Becky Lynch: I LOVED Becky showing up in a cop car after getting ‘arrested’ on Monday night. Her interview was exactly what was needed to bring all the threads this storyline together and owned to up to WWE planning for Rousey vs Flair until Lynch turned everything on its head. I honestly hope that Lynch walks away as the champion at WrestleMania, but we’ll have to see.

18 Person Mixed Tag: Well, we had to have one clunker of the night and this match was definitely it. Too many people, too thrown together, too ridiculous. Plus, it turning into another ‘battle royal’ was just dumb. It sounds like there was supposed to be two separate matches and someone decided to just lump everyone together to have them on the show.

Samoa Joe vs Mustafa Ali: It was mentioned Tuesday afternoon that Rey Mysterio had suffered an ankle injury during his match with Baron Corbin, leading to speculation that Mysterio would be removed from the match and Ali might be put in. Both those theories were put to bed when it was announced that Mysterio would still be competing and after Joe put Ali to sleep with the Coquina Clutch after a quick match. So much for that.

205 Live

Oney Lorcan vs Kalisto: It looks like Lorcan is here to stay and he had a great match with Kalisto. I would’ve been happier if Cedric Alexander had done a run-in after what happened a couple of weeks ago, but I’m guessing that Lorcan’s going to be a big, monster, heel for whomever wins the title at WrestleMania down the line.

Drake Maverick’s Office: I’m guessing that Cedric’s dealing with an injury and needs a little time off because Maverick’s decision to bench him instead of giving him the match with Lorcan is just silly. I guess we’ll have to see, it could just be WWE wanting to rebuild Alexander into their super-over underdog to replace Ali.

Tony Nese and Buddy Murphy: TBH, I think 205 waited too long to start the build for WrestleMania, because they only gave themselves a few weeks to build this feud and it’s showing because there’s not as much heat as the Cruiserweights need to stand out on the STACKED WrestleMania card. However, I think they’ll do a great job, I’m just not sure it’s going to be a standout match.

Mike Kanellis vs Akira Tozawa: I’d really like to know what the heck WWE has planned for Mike Kanellis because they looked to be building him into something and then have him lose clean to Akira Tozawa. I like Tozawa, but the narrative for Kanellis really seems to be going nowhere and that’s frustrating.

NXT UK

Kenny Williams and Amir Jordan vs European Alliance: The Lucky Bad Boys haven’t had the greatest luck as a team, but they’re improving! This week, their luck got test against the European Alliance in a fabulous match that actually saw Williams and Jordan get another win, to the surprise of everyone in the ring and out of it. I’m not saying that they’ll be getting a Tag Team Championship shot out of this, but they are inching toward that goal.

Rhea Ripley: Considering that she ran away when Piper Niven showed up, Ripley really has no business trying to pretend she’s not scared of Niven, but I guess that’s part of the gimmick.

Jordan Devlin: I’ve made no secret of the fact that I like Jordan Devlin, at least as an in-ring performer, but why did they wait until the go-home show to push the idea that Devlin wanted to face Dunne instead of WALTER? I predicted that they’ll probably have WALTER win in New York, but now I’m not sure about that.

Isla Dawn vs Kay Lee Ray: This match frustrated me because of how Isla Dawn has been used. She went from challenging for the NXT UK Women’s Championship to basically putting over everyone else. I’m still hoping Dawn, Ray, and Niven will create a female version of Gallus because they’d make a great team, and this match was great, I’m just very frustrated.

Toni Storm vs Jinny: I’m over this feud already because I don’t get Jinny and I’m not invested enough in Toni to really want to see her defeat Jinny either. I’m just ‘eh’.

Travis Banks: I was hoping that the Banks/Devlin feud would continue, but I guess Devlin’s getting a push after TakeOver. I’m intrigued to see how a Banks/Ohno feud will go though.

Grizzled Young Veterans: I found this promo a little strange. Of all the teams to worry about, why focus on Williams and Jordan? They’re hardly the only tag team that consider themselves contenders for the Tag Titles. Anyway, we’ll see what happens after TakeOver, but the idea of Williams and Jordan getting a shot makes me pretty happy.

Trent Seven vs Joe Coffey: This was a great match, as usual, but it definitely feels like they’re building towards a rift in Moustache Mountain by making Seven look like he can’t go anymore and is hold down Bate. Seven looked great in match, but he still tapped and that could be another building block in the takedown of the Big Strong Boys. We’ll see.

NXT

War Raiders vs Jobbers/Cezar Bononi and Adrian Jaoude: This was actually pretty hilarious. Rowe and Hanson completely destroyed their first opponents in unseemly hast and then demanded another team and destroyed them too and even faster! I know it was to try and intimidate Black and Ricochet but it was so funny!

Candice LeRae, Aliyah, and Vanessa Borne: I’m glad that NXT is finally remembering that Candice is more than Johnny Gargano’s perpetually worried wife, so I’m thrilled that she’s being given a storyline with Aliyah and Vanessa Borne, who have been on a roll lately. Very excited for this match.

Jaxson Ryker vs Oney Lorcan: Oney Lorcan is a nasty heel on 205, but he’s still a beloved babyface on NXT, but that wasn’t enough to help him against the Forgotten Sons this week, much to my surprise. Since it doesn’t look like there’s a rift between Lorcan and Burch, I’m a little curious as to how they’ll explain Lorcan getting called up by himself.

NXT Championship Promos: These were really good, but also pretty standard promos for Gargano and Cole. They hit all the right talking points and still kept Ciampa in the storyline, in case he can come back.

NXT North American Championship Promos: Since I really don’t like either man involved, it was hard for me to really pay attention to what they were saying, but it sounded pretty standard for them too.

Kairi Sane vs Bianca Belair: This was a really great match, but the real story was the all-out brawl that erupted after Baszler attacked again. I have a feeling that the NXT Women’s Division is going to have a say in who wins that Fatal Four Way. I loved that Shirai stood tall at the end of the day.

NXT TakeOver: New York

NXT Championship Match: WrestleMania is usually the WWE show that makes history, but Johnny Gargano made some history of his own when he became NXT’s first Triple Crown/Grand Slam Champion after defeating Adam Cole in a breathtaking 2-out-of-3 Falls match that showed both men at their best. Cole had some help from the Undisputed Era, but Johnny Wrestling had come too far to be denied his prize and it was Johnny Wrestling who came out on top.

Even better than the victory was the celebration. Not only did Candice LeRae come out to celebrate with her husband, but Tommaso Ciampa, still in a neck brace came out to congratulate his best frenemy. Time will tell how that story is going to play out, especially since Ciampa’s return to in-ring competition is not a foregone conclusion, but it was a wonderful moment between two men who have been the best of friends, the best of enemies, and back again.

NXT UK Championship Match: Well, after nearly 700 days, the unbelievable finally happened, Pete Dunne was defeated by WALTER in an incredible match up that saw Dunne push WALTER to his limit, but the Stock Character managed to hold on before putting Dunne away with the WALTER Splash, but not before Dunne had kicked out of the WALTER bomb, which was crazy to watch. Time will tell what the Bruiserweight’s reaction is going to be, but this isn’t over by a long shot.

NXT North American Championship Match: I’ve probably said this too many times before, but I don’t really care for Velveteen Dream vs Matt Riddle. That said, this was a really good match with Velveteen Dream being the first person to pin Matt Riddle after rolling through the Bro-mission. Dream was a good sport, but I have a feeling this feud won’t be over.

Fatal Four Way for the NXT Women’s Championship: This was the match I was most looking forward to, hoping that someone would finally unseat Shayna Baszler, but that didn’t happen. It was an incredible match, but the fact that Baszler still retained is baffling to me since this seems like the perfect way to crown a new Women’s Champion while still protecting Baszler. I guess we’ll have to see what happens next week, but I hope they figure out a way to sort this out because they aren’t doing the Women’s Division a lot of favors.

NXT Tag Team Championship Match: Of all the teams in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, Aleister Black and Ricochet were the most unlikely team to win, but win they did and face the War Raiders in an AMAZING match. War Raiders are huge guys, but both of them are amazing athletes with both men hitting sentons that have to be seen to be believed. To no big surprise, Raiders retained, but Black and Ricochet were allowed to give the NXT crowd one last, emotional, farewell before making their full transfer to the main roster.

WWE 2K19 Million Dollar Challenge: AJ Styles vs Stephen T. Benson: I’m not entirely sure WHY this had to be part of TakeOver, but it was interesting, even though I know nothing about video games outside of Super Mario Brothers and the first Legend of Zelda.

Note: No, I haven’t forgotten about WrestleMania, The Showcase of the Immortals will be getting its own, separate, Week in Review Article which will be out Tuesday, April 9, so keep your eyes peeled for it.

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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

3 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

5 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.