Opinion

Mishal’s Top 5 Takeaways: WWE Backlash 2020

Mishal is here with the Greatest Top 5 Takeaways Ever! (This is totally unrelated to the Backlash tagline…promise.)

Published

5 years ago

June 16, 2020

Mishal Shuhaiber

Mishal is here with the Greatest Top 5 Takeaways Ever! (This is totally unrelated to the Backlash tagline…promise.)

Another month, another WWE show in the books!

Since days are simply longer than they seem due to the climate we live in it feels like the last major WWE show I covered was well over two months ago, but we’ve only had roughly five weeks to recover since last months Money In the Bank event, which is no time if we really think about it.

WWE had a pretty heavy task carrying a show that can follow up how fun & eventful Money in the Bank ended up being compared to what was expected. Despite the circumstances, it was a show filled with creativity, stellar storytelling, good action, dozens of surprises & a clear sign of WWE finding their footing while performing in front of an arena without their traditional fanbase. And to follow up that show, the creative team (and everyone’s favourite, Vince McMahon) went all out, some would say too far out.

On a night of not built up of not just a solid match card but an endless amount of potential, we were promised a match billed to be ‘The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever’, a tagline so absurd that every corner of the wrestling community has written about it at this point in time. It was a tagline so absurd that the hype was likely never to be met, and with this match following up the incredible finals of the Intercontinental Title tournament between AJ Styles & Daniel Bryan on SmackDown, the weight this match carried was heavier than ever.

I, along with most fans, can say this was a show that defied my expectations on most levels. It was an evening packed with entertainment value & some steps that showed the product going in a direction I’d be on board with should they continue. That doesn’t mean it was a show without its problems, of which it had many in retrospect.

After doing the same for NXT Takeover: In Your House last week I thought the same should be applied to last nights show, and listing my five biggest takeaways from WWE Backlash would only be suitable.

Let’s take a dive into the biggest takeaways from WWE Backlash!

5. Jeff Hardy & Sheamus need to stop pissing around

Heading into a show marred with controversial decisions, the build to Jeff Hardy vs Sheamus holds the title for the most controversial build to a match in a long, long time. Not just a match billed as Hardy’s big comeback following a series of injuries that hindered the momentum of his singles run with the company, but one built on personal struggle & his need to bounce back from all the personal trauma he’s been through in real life over the last decade or so.

On paper, this could work under the right circumstances & careful booking, but this is WWE we’re talking about.

In all honesty, the match itself was quite solid for what it was. Despite the length resulting in things taking a bit of time to really get interesting, both rivals put on a solid contest with enough action, nearfalls & selling to invest you, for the most part, but the one pivotal factor that held this back was everything that had come before it in the weeks prior.

As hard as the commentary team and both men tried to sell this as a deeply personal, bitter grudge match, it’s incredibly difficult to buy into a match where the biggest selling point either heat or tension between the two was the fact that a jar of pee was hurled at the other just two nights prior. Completely undercutting the seriousness they tried to evoke.

Not only does a segment like we saw on the SmackDown prior hinder the investment of the feud, but it also makes the entire scenario difficult to take seriously, at least to the extent we were being told through all the hype leading into it. Should this feud continue, as most signs point to, WWE needs to ensure that they treat the feud in the manner it deserves & focuses on actually building the heat between the two rather than aiming to deliver the highest level of controversy possible.

4. The blandest babyface in all the land

It’s no secret that I’m no fan of the direction they’ve taken the Braun Strowman character. As talented as the big man is when given the right material, WWE’s handling of ‘The Monster Among Men’ has been underwhelming at the very best. Following a random start to the year as Intercontinental Champion, Strowman found himself receiving a Universal Championship Match against Goldberg at Wrestlemania following the abrupt exit of Roman Reigns due to health concerns, a match in which he finally ascended to the top of the mountain to become a big-time champion under the company banner.

All of this is fine in theory, as well as his follow-up feud with Bray Wyatt which ended up better than I wanted to give it credit for, the main issue with the new direction of this giant is simply how stale he’s become as a character, especially one that is meant to be the face of an entire brand.

Sunday at Backlash only re-affirmed my stance on the current Universal Champion, as he slogged his way to a title defence over The Miz & John Morrison that meant nothing to any of the men involved by the time the bell rang. Putting aside the match quality, which was sub-par at best, Strowman has clearly been deprived of the very traits that once made him so imposing. Rather than be a gigantic, unstoppable (at times hilarious) force of nature that tears through the competition regardless of their size, it seems like Strowman is your standard babyface champion in a 7-foot frame. He admittedly did flip a car over two weeks back in the build-up to his match at Backlash but beyond that brief stint, what does he have to offer besides his size at this stage?

Strowman has never been known for his long-form promo work & his in-ring ability is based more on him bulldozing opponents rather than actual wrestling, something that babyfaces in this day & age generally don’t do based on the current formula, and is something he executed far better as a heel back in the day. I’m all for Braun Strowman as the leading brand in the company, it’s just never been more clear that the longer his reign goes, the blander his character becomes as he morphs into your prototypical big man holding a championships belt. My main concern is what happens to the man once ‘The Fiend’ makes his inevitable return to WWE programming, which will require Strowman to be at this very best, something I can’t for the life of me say is on display right now.

3. Bobby Lashley is back!

It’s taken WWE’s creative team a staggering two years. A painful, annoying, confusing two years. But at long last, I think we can restore some level of faith in the companies creative team, as they’ve finally found the formula to making Bobby Lashley as dominant as he once was not too long ago.

Backlash was the ultimate chance for Bobby Lashley to make his comeback in the company, whether through a victory or another untimely defeat if there was one night where performance mattered it was this faithful evening in the WWE Performance Centre with the world watch. And much to my own delight, we got the Bobby Lashley we were promised upon his return back in 2018. This wasn’t the Lashley we’ve seen over the last 24 months, this was a new man. This man wasn’t resorting to complementing his ‘sisters’ to garner a reaction, show off his abs, pose as if wrestling fans care about aesthetic, steal another man’s wife or get shoved into a meaningless stable that amounted to nothing, or arm wrestle, this was the Lashley that resurrected himself in TNA (the 2nd time around), a true obstacle to overcome on any roster.

To add to the improvements in his character work, his match against Drew McIntyre over the WWE Championship was incredibly physical, exactly what these two men need with their in-ring styles. It was a contest with the biggest of moves, a breakneck pace & the good ol’ fashioned hoss fight we were expecting & thankfully received. Even in his loss, Lashley’s character is finally being pushed to a place where he seems comfortable, displaying cracks in the dreadful on-screen tandem with Lana, instead shifting his managerial efforts towards MVP in hopes of further success under the RAW brand. A move that virtually everyone is getting behind. Some of the shenanigans outside the match itself were a bit irritating since I wish they would just reboot the character on the spot rather than briefly prolonge it, but any change for the man is a positive one at this point. It was the first time since his return that he’s actually come across as a threat to anyone, a feeling I also give major props to MVP for helping to convey with his fantastic facial expressions at ringside.

While I seem to give the company a hard time in their portrayal of particularly newer or returning talent on a consistent basis, seeing them finally notice the strengths within previously mishandled characters is something I’ll always get behind as opposed to continuing to tarnish their records.

2. Another cinematic masterpiece

This point won’t be as long as the others, simply because it’s a shorter point that a good chunk of the online community has already beat to death well before I write this down.

If there is one major positive, one aspect of WWE programming that I’ll never criticize considering the circumstances, it’s their masterful cinematic storytelling as of late. In an attempt to diversify its program beyond the ring the company has fully embraced ‘cinematic matches’ to not just keep the momentum of their shows alive but offer fans at home something entirely different. And while it is different, I think the one thing people fail to touch on is how useful these matches are in helping acts that simply aren’t as popular or rivalries that aren’t clicking (such as The Street Profits vs Viking Raiders in this case) develop beyond being a feud purely set in the ring.

Sunday’s show was easily the most bizarre cinematic match to date, and that’s saying something. This could be due to it being completely out of the blue & unannounced prior to the event itself, giving off a shock value that was really needed for a show many (myself included) deemed as predictable. Their match was a completely fresh experience as opposed to what the company has done before it, rather than being a sophisticated platform of character work or character building, this was simply insane. All four competitors flew everywhere, used weapons to their advantage, were slammed through vehicles, off of platforms & even battled an army of ninjas lead by Akira Tozawa of all people. It made absolutely no sense and that was the best thing about it, it embraced the bizarre nature of wrestling by simply having a blast doing its own thing, and remains one of the funniest segments I’ve seen this year.

Whatever the company has planned for these matches next, consider me sold.

1. I was wrong (for the most part)

Let me first say, I take back most the criticism I gave this match in the weeks leading up to it.

On Sunday, Edge & Randy Orton exceeded every expectation I had going into the ”Greatest Wrestling Match Ever”. That’s not to say I don’t have my issues with it, because despite trying to enhance certain elements of the match, not all of those enhancements worked for me.

Certain additions such as the chimed in crowd noises, the overly edited style of some moments in the match & the overall length which went upwards of 40 minutes did drag this down from being an absolute classic, but still ended up being a pretty great match that I wasn’t expecting in the slightest. Clearly the company, as well as the wrestlers involved had seen the ‘mixed’ reception their marketing strategy received across the board and made it a point to excel beyond what we expected, and they did just that in spades.

Beyond being what it was meant to be, this felt like a glorious tribute to the industries greats. From The Rock, Bret Hart, ‘Nature Boy’ Ric Flair, Ricky ‘The Dragon’ Steamboat, Christian, Triple H & even ‘The Fink’ Howard Finkel of all people, this was a gigantic nod to the inspirations that lead both Edge & Orton to this point in their legendary careers. As a wrestling fan, you couldn’t help but be moved by what was on display, the levels of passion & knowledge on display were incredible sights to see, coming across as almost a wrestling fans wildest dream match. A small part of me thinks of this match as what I would have come up with playing with my action figures at a young age with my toy wrestling ring, a match with every big move you could muster until absolute exhaustion, and I couldn’t be happier with the result.

If you remove the tagline of this aiming to be ‘The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever’, I’d go as far to call this a classic in its own right, but sadly it just can’t compete with the matches I deem worthy of holding that actual tagline in my own mind, but it was fantastic nonetheless. My favourite thing is to be proven wrong when my mind is made up, and Sunday night was a humbling feeling of how cool wrestling can be when you least expect it to be. Hats off to Edge & Randy Orton.

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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 weeks 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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CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

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TheChairshot.com PRESENTS…IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends

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About Chairshot Radio Network

MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)

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Classic POD is WAR

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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

3 weeks 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.