Opinion

Mishal: Has NXT Lost Its Edge?

Mishal asks a very important question about WWE NXT: has it lost its edge? It’s a topic that needs to be explored.

Published

4 years ago

May 17, 2020

Mishal Shuhaiber

Mishal asks a very important question about WWE NXT: has it lost its edge? It’s a topic that needs to be explored.

A ‘brief’ recap.

Very few brands across the history of professional wrestling have managed to garner the praise, respect, quality talent & following that the modern-day brand known as NXT has since it’s reincarnation during the early 2010s in WWE.

Once upon a time, the brand of NXT was essentially a ‘reality television’ game show, shot in front of a live WWE audience on that given week that blended together the reality of wanting to be a WWE superstar with that very world to try and create something that fits into the category of shows like The Ultimate Fighter, where mentors try to drag out the best in their ‘pros’ or ‘rookies’. Like most expected, it accomplished very little. With the exception of a brilliant start to the Nexus vs WWE feud which lasted all of 5 minutes & the exposure of one of the company’s biggest current stars in Daniel Bryan, the initial NXT was a failure by all other measures.

It wasted its top talents, did nothing for the live crowd, reduced potentially immensely talented performers to competing in ‘obstacle courses’, added nothing of value once each season ended & was more or less a completely pointless venture once fans & those in charge lost interest in it.

However, that’s when Triple H came into the picture.

Since around 2012 the brand underwent substantial changes, being placed in the hands of WWE’s COO to take hold of and inject with newfound energy, passion & offer something alternative for the younger talent outside the ranks of FCW (Florida Championship Wrestling) which garnered little to no exposure from most wrestling audiences. While its beginnings were certainly quiet compared to now, the brand introduced fans to something very different. Giving us the likes of Seth Rollins, Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Bray Wyatt, Cesaro, Sami Zayn, Big E, Bo Dallas, Sasha Banks, Bayley, Xavier Woods & a dozen others, it utilized many of the WWE talents being groomed for the main roster and produced a show that was about one thing; wrestling. It didn’t possess the spectacle of the main roster shows, the mainstream desires, the bigger names to draw huge audiences or worldwide appeal that could quite literally boost economies, it was all about wrestling’s roots & that changed the very nature of the company.

Instead of attempting to mimic the bigger brands surrounding them, NXT became its own thing entirely. It was about what the fans wanted & whom they fell behind, not what was ‘best for business’, as the company had so famously held up as their slogan for keeping many names down below the glass ceiling. This kind of product delivered energy, and a fanbase that instilled the passion in the likes of someone like myself for professional wrestling all over again, wrestling was cool for the first time in a very, very long time.

As the product grew, so did the NXT brands reach. Shows became larger in scale but still felt very contained & reserved, never straying away from what they were at their core, the fans & the squared circle. Newer talents came in from across the planet, many of whom we’d thought we’d likely never see with Finn Balor, Asuka, Shinsuke Nakamura, Samoa Joe, Kevin Owens, Adam Cole, Johnny Gargano, Bobby Roode, Drew McIntyre, Aleister Black, Matt Riddle, Ricochet, Ember Moon, Pete Dunne & too many others to name bringing a larger-than-life vibe to the brand that made this feel like the main roster product, but with booking & matches that catered to the interest of the paying audience first & foremost. It was almost surreal in a way, that a brand like this wasn’t just a wrestling fans dream but almost flawless, with every show receiving near-universal praise & always managing to give their audience something new to invest in.

It was (and for the most part, still is) an incredible time to be a fan of the business because even if what the WWE was doing on their headline shows such of RAW or SmackDown, NXT was the ideal counterbalance to your problems, generally offering solutions to a good chunk of the issues fans like myself had with the direction of their product. Despite it technically being under the WWE banner, the NXT brand felt very much detached from its actual ‘parent’ brand, embodying something that the main roster products could never realistically embrace due to the nature of the company & how it’s structured in the business world.

NXT was very much a wrestling fans biggest dream come true, but like any brand or company, it isn’t without slip-ups.

And as of late, something just doesn’t feel right to me.

In the midst of not just a pandemic that is shifting the entertainment business as a whole in a very different direction but a big creative change to the brand since late last year, the landscape of NXT looks a tad different. While it isn’t bad by any means, I wanted to look into why the NXT brand seems to have lost its ‘edge’ during these strange times we live in.

Familiar Faces

NXT’s decision to bring back some former main roster talents they’d lost over the last 3-4 years was at first an exciting decision for many people. Bringing back certain names can infuse a lot of nostalgia into the brand that would remind fans of former days before the brand became the phenomenon that it is, it could open the door to dozens of dream matches that fans have been clamoring for that the main roster likely wouldn’t satisfy & depending on the talents, gives some misused names a chance to re-establish themselves.

We’ve seen the likes of Finn Balor, Tyler Breeze, Fandango & most recently, Charlotte Flair make their returns to their original home of NXT and involve themselves with a plethora of different talent across the US version of NXT, as well as stars from the more recent UK branch of NXT which doesn’t always get the attention it deserves in an overcrowded marketplace. And while in theory, the idea sounds like something that could benefit talent in the long-run, I’m not sure it played out how we’d imagined.

Much of the flatness of this angle falls on external circumstances, whether that be the creative direction or the circumstances the company might have to operate under for the foreseeable future, but the results haven’t been up to the usual level of excitement that the brand gives off. Finn Balor had a decent little feud with Johnny Gargano which worked but ended in a manner that divided many fans, Charlotte Flair’s victory of Rhea Ripley at Wrestlemania added nothing of real value to the brand & any other remaining talents haven’t done anything to really justify their moves back ‘down’ from the main roster.

If anything this transfer of talent has resulted in the brand losing a slight bit of its own identity, based around newer talents from around the globe in search of a new chapter in their careers, and while the number of main roster stars returning has been minimal, can give off the vibe that a slight change of pace has been made to a product that was really hitting its stride.

Stagnant Storylines

In terms of writing, NXT isn’t really at its apex at this very moment.

There’s actually a lot happening on the brand; Gargano’s heel turn, Velveteen Dream chasing Adam Cole for the NXT Title, Charlotte Flair reigning supreme with her NXT Women’s Title, Karrion Kross (the former Killer Kross) eyeing Tommaso Ciampa, Matt Riddle making the most out of the situation with his NXT Tag Team Titles & an on-going Cruiserweight Tournament to boot.

On paper, all of this sounds plentiful, yet the only thing of genuine intrigue is the debut of Karrion Kross. Most of NXT’s remaining angles just don’t have the spark behind them that we’ve come to expect. Gargano’s heel turn came off a mostly panned performance against Ciampa which started that angle off on the wrong foot, Flair’s reign just doesn’t bode as well as you’d think despite starting off on NXT & the tag team scene across WWE hasn’t exactly been bursting with life as of late as it is. Even the chase for the brand’s main titleholder in Adam Cole just isn’t clicking despite the potential of Velveteen Dream finally claiming the brands biggest prize being a potential outcome, which shocks me watching the product every week.

Obviously the business is in a weird place at the moment, and with certain stars being limited on availability it does place products in a precarious position, NXT, however, has a general track record of making the most of that situations in the past.

Whether this is a transition period into a brand new era for NXT or just a period that’s taking its toll on the business entirely, it’s fairly clear that the volume might need to be ramped up on storylines with some fans beginning to display disinterest.

Have the ‘higher-ups’ spoken?

While I personally drift away from this theory, addressing it is worth some merit since it hasn’t only be mentioned by fans but some ex-WWE talent as of late. The issue being that the products current move over to the USA Network last year has somewhat sucked the product of its appeal to fans compared to what it once was, which in my opinion is a bit of a stretch.

NXT’s product, in spite of some structural changes to its overall airtime & distribution, has continued feel like it’s very much catering to the fans it once was prior to being moved against AEW Dynamite on the very same evening of its airtime. USA Network has granted the show more airtime (2 hours as opposed to the previous 60-minute version of the show that aired on the network) but if anything, this has helped flesh out more talent than in the past and grant more exposure to a number of stars not just on a writing level but to a whole new, more broad audience. It’s involvement in the Survivor Series show last year made things all the more fascinating for fans of every WWE show & it has made the show feel much more significant, even more than it was when it was being streamed.

Obviously, certain decisions have been made to satisfy some heads on the television network but none of them has necessarily wrecked what the product is supposed to be at its core. Most gripes with the product fall on how it’s being handled on a creative front, which I addressed earlier. If anything the move to the USA Network has been a tremendous gain for the brand & talent involved to truly strut their stuff in front of the world. We get more matches on a weekly basis, new characters more frequently & faith that others aside from just the WWE want the world to see what NXT has to offer.

Blaming the ‘higher-ups’ is a constant thing in many communities, particularly wrestling ones, and for good reason. Seeing NXT manage to continue to be what it was created to is extremely satisfying to a fan like me though, as it gives faith that this is a product that won’t be trifled with in the way the very first incarnation of NXT was back in the day. If anything, let’s be happy what we have now isn’t near what it was back in 2010.

Conclusion

NXT isn’t at its peak right now, as myself and obviously a few others have aired throughout the media. Most of its current gripes, however, fall on the shoulders of creative direction more than anything external to the product itself.

Having a platform like the USA Network is the least of the brand’s worries for the moment, and our concerns should lay where stories are being handled or aimed towards in the future. As the summer season has more or less began for the WWE it’s this transition period that concerns me the most, because the potential that the brand has on its hands right now isn’t reaching the levels of excitement I’m used to.

The current situation is a blend of a few things that have gotten us to this point, and while my flare for NXT isn’t as positive as I generally am, that doesn’t mean in any way that NXT won’t rebound from a small hiccup and knock it out of the park with what they do next.

Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!

Related Topics:AEW Dynamite Featured Featured Big Finn Balor Karrion Kross NXT Shinsuke Nakamura WWE

Up Next

News From Cook’s Corner 5.18.20: THE MA

Don't Miss

Cook: Can AEW Avoid The TNA Trap?

Opinion

Greg DeMarco’s Top 5: The Final Opponent For John Cena In WWE

It’s obvious that John Cena is nearing the end of his legendary career, and he’s suggested ending it at WrestleMania 41. Who should be his final opponent?

Published

3 weeks ago

April 11, 2024

Greg DeMarco

John Cena Last Match Randy Orton WWE WrestleMania 41

It’s obvious that John Cena is nearing the end of his legendary career, and he’s suggested ending it at WrestleMania 41. Who should be his final opponent?

John Cena recently appeared on the Pat McAfee Show, the Monday after his surprise (but mostly expected) WrestleMania 40 appearance during Cody Rhodes’ win over Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Championship. During that appearance, he confirmed what many expect, that he is nearly done with his in-ring career. But Cena even tossed out the idea of a time-frame, detailing that his acting schedule will likely take him through Christmas, and maybe Hollywood could “pump the brakes” to allow for one final run.

That run could easily begin at the Royal Rumble with a surprise entrance (or entering himself via TV appearances as part of the build), with a tease for his 17th world title win before finally settling in on his final match.

Fantasy booking and storytelling aside, the goal here is the final match–more specifically the final opponent. With a John Cena, you’ve got a ton of options. As such, it’s hard to narrow it down to 5, and one of your favorites is likely missing–be warned!

Greg DeMarco’s Top 5: The Final Opponent For John Cena In WWE

Honorable Mentions:

The Miz – A feud with John Cena gave The Mix a WrestleMania 27 main event–and a WrestleMania main event victory on top of it. Miz has been receiving more love than ever lately, and a match with John Cena would not be misplaced. Maybe he can use their WrestleMania 33 contest (and Cena’s personal aftermath) as fodder for it, too.
AJ Styles – The man who once made it popular to “BEAT UP JOHN CENA” is also nearing the end of his run, and could be the one candidate on this list that could realistically give us a double-retirement match. He would also be the guy who retired both The Undertaker and John Cena (and would probably end up being the guy who lost in both).
The Rock or Cody Rhodes – Both great options, but you have to figure their dance card for WrestleMania 41 is already full, potentially standing across the ring from one another. Either is an amazing option (including “Thrice In A Lifetime”), but I just don’t think it’s in the cards.
Trick Williams – Potentially a surprising addition to the Honorable Mentions, but the comparisons are there in terms of in-ring style/ability, promo skills, and the interplay they had in NXT (remember, it was Cena who is credited with encouraging Trick to not be afraid to go for it himself despite his relationship with Carmelo Hayes).

5. CM Punk

The fifth spot on this list was nearly interchangeable between several of the honorable mention names, but it really came down to Punk and Seth Rollins for me (with a hint of AJ Styles). The 2011 feud between CM Punk and John Cena was legendary, and is a moment that will forever be seen by me as the one that truly cemented CM Punk as a member of the growing list of all-time greats in WWE.

Punk is uniquely qualified for this match as he would make it mean more than a showboat for John Cena’s career and final match. It’s entirely believable that CM Punk would want to put John Cena’s career into the ground, and WWE has the video archive to support it.

Despite being #5, this could actually be a dark-horse for the match we get, and I can’t see anyone reasonably being upset about that.

4. Roman Reigns

John Cena and Roman Reigns have had two separate legendary programs. the first saw Cena, at times, embarrass Roman in promo exchanges in a feud that took place in the “pre-Tribal Chief” era. The second is more fresh and likely more memorable, as John Cena put Roman Reigns over in a football stadium in Las Vegas at SummerSlam (although it might be more remembered for the return of Brock Lesnar).

Reigns, a legend himself at his point (he’s featured alongside Steve Austin at the top of the “Forever” portion of the Then/Now/Forever/Together video that recently debuted) would provide a pairing akin to The Undertaker serving as Shawn Michaels’ retirement opponent at WrestleMania 26 9notice I didn’t say “final opponent). The end of Roman’s 1316 day world title reign has brought about a new appreciation for Reigns, which would further enhance this pairing at WrestleMania 41.

3. Bron Breakker

Bron Breakker is the picture-perfect definition of a juggernaut in WWE, a fast rising star who almost seems like a lock to main event WrestleMania one day (you never know–Seth Rollins JUST got his first WrestleMania main event last weekend). Breakker recently said farewell NXT as the natural in-ring competitor makes a transition to full-time main roster competition.

Breakker also fits the category of who “needs it.” Bring the man to retire John Cena would be quite the feather in the cap of Breakker’s early career, and would give him a moment that would be relived for generations to come. The only question mark is WWE “trusting” Breakker with this moment, as a sudden change of character could mean that Cena’s final match wouldn’t be seen or discussed as much. Breakker, to me, has given no reason for anyone to suspect that might happen, regardless of any controversies his father and uncle have been linked to.

2. R-Truth

Despite being 5-years older than John Cena, and making his in-ring debut in the same year (1999), R-Truth’s childhood hero hanging up the boots will undoubtedly be a hard-hitting moment for the man who has basically become the WWE Mascot. Truth emulating Cena in his matches, and of course the RawAfterMania moment with Cena, Truth, and The Miz hitting a Fifteen Knuckle Shuffle (thank you, Michael Cole) on The Judgment Day makes this a near can’t miss final match for both John Cena and the WWE Universe.

R-Truth himself is equally deserving of this match, as it would be a reward for all of his years in the ring as part of a career that seems age defying while proving that age is not only a number, but also a number that can be ignored (see Child Hero, John Cena).

While a rematch of their 2011 WWE Capital Punishment main event is an unlikely WrestleMania 41 match-up, it’s one I believe everyone would love to see.

1. Randy Orton

I mean, is there anyone more perfect? John Cena and Randy were inseparably linked for a good portion of their careers, and have shared the ring more times than Big Show has turned babyface/heel. Both are far into legendary status at this point, and Orton specifically is obviously focused on enjoying this stage of his career.

But Orton is still delivering great performances inside the ring, too.

Randy Orton vs John Cena was an exciting proposition many years ago, became a punchline for WWE booking a few years ago, but is now coming full circle as the perfect match-up to end the amazing career of John Cena. It has my vote, and should have yours, too.

Even if R-Truth would be the most fun option.

What say you? Who is the best candidate to stand across the ring from John Cena in his final WWE match, potentially at WrestleMania 41? Who did I leave out?

Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!

Opinion

Greg DeMarco’s WrestleMania 40 Saturday Results & Review

It’s the Granddaddy Of ‘Em All, WrestleMania! Night 1 of WrestleMania XL and Greg DeMarco has your results and review!

Published

4 weeks ago

April 8, 2024

Greg DeMarco

It’s the Granddaddy Of ‘Em All, WrestleMania! Night 1 of WrestleMania XL and Greg DeMarco has your results and review!

It all comes down to this–at least for the first night! A loaded card in front of a packed house, and I’d expect everyone to deliver one hell of a performance.

Women’s World Championship – Becky Lynch vs. Rhea Ripley (champion)

Greg’s pre-show prediction: Rhea Ripley retains

In my opinion, this match should be the main event of Night 1, but The Rock is back and that was going to take precedence (even if I disagree). Becky won this title shot at the Elimination Chamber, even though they were already building the feud before that event in Perth. Ripley herself main evented that event in a stadium, defeating Nia Jax.

It was revealed during her entrance that this is Becky Lynch’s “Flu Game,” as she has temperatures as high as 102 degrees throughout the week.
Rhea Ripley enters to a life performance of her entrance theme, which you can tell she dug.
Prime logo is center ring, just the black outline with “Prime” in the middle, and it is not at all bothersome. I can’t believe people made such a big deal out of bitching about that.
The stage looks dope, not at all “too small” as some had said. The whole environment looks great, honestly.
Rhea Ripley has been dealing with a wrist injury. She said on the Pat McAfee Show she didn’t expect to work with the wrist brace on tonight, but there it is.
Corey Graves points out that Becky’s training was likely impacted by her illness, and Pat McAfee scoffs at him for stating the obvious. I hope that isn’t what we get all night.
Commentary notes that is is 52 degrees and windy in the stadium, and I am reminded of Nick Khan’s comments about moving an outdoor WrestleMania to late April in the future, if they don’t get an indoor building (he did say “2026” when talking about that, which likely means the 2025 venue is indeed set).
Rhea’s Prism Trap is a fell of a submission finisher. Add in the body lock the way she did, and it’s even more impressive.
I just noticed the “Prime” turnbuckle pads and it’s…weird. I just didn’t expect it and can’t think of the last time we didn’t have the WWE/WWF logo on the buckles outside of Black and Gold NXT. WrestleMania 2?
I am also noticing that Dude Wipes seems to have sponsored the ring posts. Kudos to WWE (and the wrestling industry behind them) for being so damn desirable to sponsors!
That combo to get into the Riptide was fantastic–and the kickout was even better.
During the DisarmHer you can clearly see the commentary position, and Michael Cole is legit reclined all the way back. Love it–Cole is living his best life.
Rhea’s Riptide into the buckle before the proper Riptide was pretty sweet as well. Made Becky look insanely strong in defeat.

Winner via pinfall AND STILL your Women’s World Champion: Rhea Ripley

Hell of an opener, and if you didn’t know Becky was sick, you wouldn’t have known. Props to them both. That would have satisfied as a main event, but can now go down as one of the best openers in WrestleMania history.

Ladder Match for the Raw Tag Team Championships and Smackdown Tag Team Championships – DIY (Tommaso Ciampa & Johnny Gargano) vs. Awesome Truth (The Miz & R-Truth) vs. New Catch Republic (Pete Dunne & Tyler Bate) vs. A Town Down Under (Austin Theory & Grayson Waller) vs. The New Day (Xavier Woods & Kofi Kingston) vs. The Judgment Day (Finn Balor & Damian Priest, Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions)

Greg’s pre-show prediction: Awesome Truth (Raw titles) and A-Town Down Under (SmackDown)

As many expected, the belts are hanging separately, meaning we are most likely splitting the tag titles here. Triple H and company have put some serious work into building up the tag team divisions of both brands, and even though I expect the two winners to not be actual “teams,” but either way I actually like the way they didn’t make a big deal out of splitting the titles up, they’re just doing it. They have been defended separately since being unified, albeit rarely.

R-Truth makes a joke about DIY being DX and that’s now taken off. I love it.
The Miz is very under appreciated. Can literally do anything.
Someone is struggling with the “Titan Tron” videos tonight.
Not gonna lie, I am the biggest Pat McAfee fan, but he’s actually quite annoying right now.
Sign of the night: SANTA DESERVED IT.
Lots of green in this match, half of the teams wearing their “WrestleMania Green” gear.
Also, loving the Consequences Creed gear for Woods.
God Bless Finn Balor for taking that Airplane Spin into the ladder.
205 combined years of experience in this match. That’s an average of 17 years (Waller has the least with 7, Balor and Miz are tied for the most with 23).
“Dunne Mountain?!?!” Thank you Michael Cole for fixing that.
HOT TAG TO R-TRUTH!
Poor Finn Balor, not he takes the AA to the ladder after John Cena’s Five Moves Of Doom
R-TRUTH WITH THE PIN!
Hilarious.
A-Town Down Under gets the SmackDown tag titles!
And Grayson gets tossed through a ladder, still holding a title!
The match does continue until the Raw tag titles are also retrieved.
If Theory also got the Raw tag titles down, I will laugh my ass off.
Birminghammer is a fantastic name for a tandem (somewhat) Burning Hammer.
Tornado DDT through a table!
Air Raid Crash from the ladder!
And we still have more tables set-up.
JD McDonagh trying to get Finn–who has taken a beating–to get the Raw tag titles.
McDonagh through the tables!
PERFECTLY placed Razor’s Edge onto that chair.
Dude, that ladder is trashed. (And very unsafe.)
AA sends Damian outside!
I think everyone wants R-Truth to get this. EVERYONE.
YES!

Winners via belt retrieval, AND NEW:

SmackDown Tag Team Champions – Grayson Waller & Austin Theory
Raw Tag Team Champions – R-Truth & The Miz

Really good Ladder Match, but it’s hard to have a bad one. The tag team titles are split and it was really well done. It made perfect sense to do it that way, not make a big deal out of it and just let it happen. I am excited to see both teams win–not because I picked both, but because I think one team (Waller/Theory) have amazing futures and the other (Miz/Truth) will be a lot of fun, even if their run will probably be short lived.

Santos Escobar (with Legado Del Fantasma members Angel, Humberto, & Elektra Lopez) & Dominik Mysterio vs. Rey Mysterio & Andrade (with The LWO members Carlito, Joaquin Wilde, Cruz Del Toro, & Zelina Vega

Greg’s pre-show prediction: Dominik and Santos win, giving Dominik “revenge” for his loss at WrestleMania 39.

Look, this match doesn’t make a lick of sense–Dominik shows up two weeks ago and finds his way into another WrestleMania match with Rey? Definitely shoehorned. But Dominik is outstanding, so if this gets him on the card, I’ll take it.

More green in this match, and I am here for it.
Innovative Double Cross Body by Rey & Andrade.
Dominik showing experience beyond his years, making sure the ref sees his tag with Santos.
At this moment, I am wondering who turns–Carlito or Andrade. Gotta assume it’s one of them.
Three matches in and I don’t even notice the Primo logo in the center of the ring or on the turnbuckle pads.
Santos Escobar trying to unmask Rey Mysterio, as if we don’t all have Google.
Corey Graves making a great point about Rey taking some responsibility for the issues in his life, and Michael Cole immediately dismissing it.
It’s so hard to do a really good Dragon Screw Leg Whip, and Andrade (along with Dominik and Santos) just pulled off two to perfection.
Camera shot of Rey’s cross body shows the heaters above the ring. Good–keep ’em warm!
This could have easily been an 8-man tag team match. Maybe we get that Monday on Raw (which can also be where the turn happens, making my prediction here likely wrong).
Joaquin Wilde gets to do his NXT spot at WrestleMania, and that’s probably more important than officially being in the match.
Two masked men–definitely the Kelce Brothers–are here.
My bad, it was Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson. Good call, honestly. Great pop for them, too.
Looking at the reply, Dominik sold that ringpost spot like a champ.

Winners via pinfall (Rey on Santos): Rey Mysterio & Andrade

Fun tag team match that served its purpose. Needed? Maybe not, as I really wanted to get Liv Morgan vs. Nia Jax onto this card. But when you can get Rey & Dominik on the card, everyone will be happy. and of course the Jason Kelce & Lane Johnson appearances.

Brother vs Brother: Jey Uso vs. Jimmy Uso

Greg’s pre-show prediction: Jimmy Uso follows in the footsteps of Owen Hart and Matt Hardy and beats the “more talented brother.”

They’ve wanted this match all their lives–and the preview video was insane. Very well done.

Jey in the WrestleMania whites tonight.
And we get a hot start to the match!
“Big Brother Jimmy” is always a fun thing to hear.
More Dude Wipes sponsorship on this one–you have to wonder if having Dude Wipes on the posts for the opener was in error.
Superkicks. Lots of Superkicks.
Very enjoyable YEET/NO chants from the crowd.
Jey just kicking the hell out of Jimmy, including a Jumping Super Kick.
This has “Fight Without Honor” feels from old school ROH, where the winners have respect after. We will definitely see these guys together again.
Jimmy apologizing to Jey. Crowd is not buying it.
Of course it was BS, and Jimmy gains the advantage.
SPEAR. USO SPLASH. DONE.

Winner, via pinfall: Jey Uso

Jey breaks the babyface curse by beating his heel brother. Thought we might get an embrace between them, instead we faded out. A good match that was more about the story than the in-ring action. I can see some feeling like this hasn’t “lived up to expectations” because of the high expectations you’d have for an Usos match. Their best work will always be as a team, but I know this is a lifelong dream come true for both.

As for all the Superkicks, I mean….it’s an Usos match.

Six-Woman Tag Team Match – Damage CTRL (Dakota Kai, Asuka, & Kairi Sane) vs. Naomi, Bianca Belair, & Jade Cargill

Greg’s pre-show prediction: Bianca, Naomi, & Jade win when Jade scores the pin (probably on Kairi, who always seems to eat the fall)

This match is all about getting Bianca Belair on the card (she had to be), and Jade Cargill’s debut. It also got Damage CTRL on the card, which they truly deserve–even if it is to lose.

Respectfully, Dakota Kai. (Good thing the ring and surrounding area is heated)
Not gonna lie, Jade looks nervous. But this is a six-woman tag, and her portion is likely highly choreographed. Gonna be all good.
As I watch and enjoy the match (but am not typing much lol), this seems like a match where we’re all just waiting for Jade to come in and win.
No one has told Jade about the tag ropes yet, apparently.
And now Jade is in, and Damage CTRL makes her look like a million bucks.
Dakota Kai nicely gets herself into position for the finish, and Jade gets her WrestleMania win.

Winners via pinfall (Jade on Dakota): Jade Cargill, Naomi, & Bianca Belair

We knew what this one was about going into it, and that’s what it should have been. Jade still ain’t ready. I know it might be an “ego hit” for her to go to NXT, but she needs it. If Giulia can go to NXT, so can Jade.

Intercontinental Championship – Sami Zayn vs. GUNTHER (champion)

Greg’s pre-show prediction: Sami Zayn pulls off the major upset and is the one to dethrone Gunther

Gunther has had a stranglehold on the Intercontinental Championship, defending it like crazy in 2023 but slowing that down here in 2024. It’s not fair to say he’s outgrown the title, but that might actually be the case. It’ll be really interesting to see what happens with Imperium leading up to the draft, and at the WWE Draft itself.

Sami Zayn was the perfect wrestler to have their journey form backstage to the ring followed by the cameras. From his family to Chad Gable to Kevin Owens, it was all so perfect–maybe too perfect? (Not in that someone will screw him, but in that it might be too heavily foreshadowing his win?)
Gunther looked oddly nervous standing on that stage.
You know, the Intercontinental Championship is basically a third world title at this point. And we could see the end of a legendary reign. I think this deserved the Samantha Irvin In-Ring Introductions (aka “Japan Style”) treatment.
Gunther is smiling confidently now, we’re good.
Crowd is ON FIRE for these guys (and evenly split with their chants for each guy).
This is the 21st time the Intercontinental championship is defended at WrestleMania, and it makes you wonder what in the hell they were thinking for the other 11.
Looks like Dude Wipes is back on the ringpost!
Hell of a nearfall, followed up by a Helluva Kick from Gunthcr, and one from Sami!
That finish….AMAZING.

Winner via pinfall, AND NEW Intercontinental Champion: Sami Zayn

The athletes… the moments… the storytelling… professional wrestling is such a beautiful business. Sami Zayn’s win over Gunther was everything I had hoped it would be when I picked Sami to win. Absolutely beautiful.

Cody Rhodes & World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins vs. The Rock & Undisputed WWE Champion Roman Reigns

Greg’s pre-show prediction: Seth & Cody get the win after tons of interference and surprise appearances, making Roman vs Cody on Sunday a match where The Bloodline is banned from ringside.

So much involved in this one. As you know, If Rock & Roman win, Sunday’s WWE Championship match will be held under Bloodline Roles. If Seth & Cody win, then that mach will see ZERO Bloodline involvement. Personally, if Cody is winning the title, I’d rather it be straight up. But I wouldn’t be at all surprised if I am wrong.

Honestly, after the introductions, I realized I was just watching!
This was very much Steve Austin vs The Rock inspired, with them fighting all over the stadium, and pushing the envelope.
I loved The Rock basically neutering the referee–normally I hate that, but here it works.
That finish and the condition of Rollins both lay perfectly into night 2, I would imagine.

Winners via Rock pinfall on Rhodes: The Rock & Roman Reigns

Per rule, Sunday’s main event will now be Bloodline Rules. And given that, my prediction of Roman retaining might be harder to pull off. This was a good return for The Rock, and perfectly played into the whole story. Job well done.

Greg DeMarco’s Overall Thoughts for WWE WrestleMania XL, Saturday (Night 1)

in a vacuum, this was highly enjoyable show. Night 2 might end up being legendary if both Bayley and Rhodes win, and it could overshadow Night 1. But the scene was fantastic, production was top notch as always, and the fans went home having enjoyed one for the ages. The Triple H Era s well underway, and will likely kick into a higher gear with Night 2.

Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!