Opinion

News From Cook’s Corner 6.1.20: Save Black Lives

So last week I closed News From Cook’s Corner with a guarantee that next week would be better. Welp…

Published

5 years ago

June 1, 2020

Steve Cook

So last week I closed News From Cook’s Corner with a guarantee that next week would be better. Welp…

I mean, I was kind of right. Professional wrestling news wasn’t nearly as depressing or disheartening over the past week. Unfortunately, the rest of the world more than made up for it. I never really know what to say when these things pop up, as I feel like I have little authority to speak on matters of racial justice. I’m a Caucasian from Kentucky that’s never had to worry about the idea that police wouldn’t protect me. My experience is not the experience of other people.

On one hand, I find it hard to believe I’ve benefited from racial privilege, because it’s not like my status in the grand scheme of things is all that great. One look at my rusted out Chrysler Concorde would tell you that. On the other hand, I don’t have to worry about being shot at if I have my hands in my pockets. I’ve never had police break into my house. If I got arrested for some reason, which I don’t plan on any time soon, I assume I would make it to the hoosegow in one piece. Heck, they might take me to Burger King if I ask nicely.

I know there is a percentage of you that don’t want to hear about these things in a wrestling column. You want my takes on pro wrestling & nothing else. I understand that, but I feel like I would be doing a disservice to the situation if I ignored it. I’ll address it one time, and then I’ll shut up and listen, as us white folk should probably do at this point.

Things need to change, and we need to play our part in that change. It’s become blatantly obvious we can’t trust our elected leaders to lead the way. The people at the top of our government got there by dividing the people, not uniting them. Uniting people is not in their best interest, and they won’t do anything that’s not in their best interest. Any true change in the way things are will need to start from the ground up. As little as we think our voice matters, it can still create change in concert with others.

Hopefully you’ll bear with me up on my soapbox for a little bit longer, as I offer my respect to the many pro wrestlers out there that have also commented on the situation in a responsible manner. That might cost them some fans & some social media follows, but some things are more important. Wrestling’s racial history is complicated just like society’s, and while great strides have been made by the current generation of wrestlers of color, there’s still a long way to go. Here’s hoping that people of color can continue to prosper in wrestling, and that those standing in the way either change or get out of the way. Pro wrestling is small potatoes in the grand scheme of things, but it’s also a reflection of society. Promoters that refuse to book wrestlers that make their opinions known are merely re-enforcing the current system.

Whether you like the current system or not, it’s not going to work long-term. The reaction gets louder every time. Our leaders might not have to worry about it because they won’t be alive too much longer, but those of us in the 18-49 demographic will have to address it. If I had the answers…well, I wouldn’t be launching into a wrestling news column.

But here we are.

WWE News

Matt Riddle is on his way to SmackDown, and WrestleTalk reports that Dominik Dijakovic is also expected to start on the main roster soon. I know that the success rate of NXT wrestlers on Raw & SmackDown is certainly hit or miss, but I can also see Riddle & Dijakovic doing very well. Both guys can work, and both guys also bring unique qualities to the table. Riddle has a certain charisma about him that should translate well to a network audience. People just seem to like him. As for Dijakovic…well, feast your eyes. Big, jacked dude that can do some big spots. You know Vince McMahon sees some potential in that guy.

I know the easy argument to make is that both guys will flop on the main roster because that’s what almost always happens. I’m willing to give it a chance though. It’s also a good thing to ease the NXT logjam that keeps people in their same spots forever, either on TV or off. Although at least now some of them get to be on TV by being the audience, so there’s that. Say what you will about WWE being slow to the draw by finally introducing a live paid audience weeks after AEW did, but they’ve already had the second best fan moment of the pandemic era:

Mood.@KacyCatanzaro #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/l4BrOIdqlo

— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) May 30, 2020

Number one is still Dr. Britt Baker DMD hitting Cody with her shoe, and I don’t see that getting topped. Actually, hold up, I think I just came up with a column for this week, or sometime pretty soon. So let’s not spoil any more of that future piece of business.

Drew Gulak is back with WWE after briefly becoming a free agent. There was a bit of disparity between what WWE wanted to give Gulak and what Gulak thought he was worth, which led to negotiations taking longer than expected. As things turned out on television, nobody knew Gulak was gone for any period of time except people like us that are obsessed with wrestling news. Hopefully Drew got a good deal. It could have been fun to see him reunite with some old friends in another promotion, but it does seem like WWE has some interest in using him right now. Hope it stays that way!

Samoa Joe is still waiting to get cleared from a concussion. The Wrestling Observer & many other sources expect to see him behind the announce table going forward, and if he does get cleared it’s unlikely he’ll be working a full-time schedule in the ring. Joe being on television constantly should help any future matches he has garner an extra bit of interest. Joe is 41 years old and has a ton of miles on his tires, so it is about that time to make the next transition in his career. He’s also good at announcing, which always helps.

This appears to leave Jerry Lawler out of the mix, which I would assume is perfectly fine with the King. He previously said he was only interested in coming back to Raw commentary as a favor, and would be happy to step aside when he was no longer needed. Lawler’s absence solves a couple of problems for WWE: it’s a bad look to have a 70+ year old flying around during a pandemic, and if he’s not there he can’t make “ramen noodle moonsault” jokes. Everybody wins here.

In other announcing news, Nigel McGuinness was among the names furloughed by WWE during the pandemic. Kurt Angle is already back on television again and his name was on that list, so all bets are off as to when we could see some of these people. Might be next week, might be next year. Depends on how that profit margin is looking.

Chris DeJospeh was released by WWE this week. He had been working as one of the top writers for SmackDown, reporting to Bruce Prichard. PWInsider noted that DeJoseph had received a promotion in the last week or so. My assumption was that he wrote the opening segment of this past Friday’s show, and somebody important watched it. SEScoops.com reported that DeJoseph was released due to inappropriate conduct & remarks during a backstage meeting that infuriated Vince McMahon. I’d love to hear more about that. I’d also love to see some footage of that. In any event, I never get too wrapped up in WWE writer comings & goings because they’re all Vince’s shows. I never notice much of a difference when a writer arrives or leaves.

Kairi Sane had one of the worst weeks one can imagine. Reports came out this past week that she was one of the first people that saw Hana Kimura’s social media posts and alerted people she knew in STARDOM to the situation. Just to show that no good deed goes unpunished, Kairi had her head busted open on the ring steps during a match with Nia Jax at the Raw tapings. You can guess how the reaction to that went. Fans were outraged at Nia Jax. WWE didn’t blame Nia Jax. That’s how it’s going to go as long as Nia Jax wrestles for WWE. I think all we can hope for is that Kairi doesn’t have to wrestle Nia anymore.

AEW News

I have to admit that I thought Double or Nothing would be way down from AEW’s previous PPV efforts as far as buys go. It didn’t feel like the buzz was there. Apparently it was, as Mike Johnson & Dave Meltzer are both reporting that the show did better than expected. In fact, it may have been the most purchased AEW PPV thus far. Even if AEW’s overall viewership is down, they’re turning more of those viewers into PPV buyers.

The one thing that generated the most negative comments online from the PPV was a spot in the Stadium Stampede match where Matt Hardy was drowned in a swimming pool so he could change into a different character. As Matt’s wife Reby pointed out, it’s a spot he’s done for five years now. Usually it was at the Hardy Compound in the Lake of Reincarnation, but Matt changing into different characters after going into water is nothing new. However, Chris Jericho did admit that the segment of the match could have been thought out better, and he understands why people would have been offended by it.

My Take: If they found the same icebox they used for Matt/Kenny vs. Le Sex Gods, nobody would have thought anything of it. Sometimes you just gotta read the room. Even if you personally loved Shad Gaspard and didn’t mean to invoke his memory in any way, you need to know that doing something similar to what led to his death will rub people the wrong way. Matt’s a smart guy and he’ll learn from it. We won’t see him drowning for awhile. Everything else about the Stadium Stampede match seemed to be a major success and I expect it to be a drawing card for AEW going forward, much to the dismay of the second-most beloved Kentuckian in pro wrestling.

Clutch Adams had a match taped for AEW Dark to air this coming Tuesday. It could have been a big deal for him to work Shawn Spears on YouTube, but now that won’t be airing. See, Adams had to go and be a homophobe on social media. 411mania was all over this story. Adams claimed that he couldn’t get booked in Beyond Wrestling because he isn’t “butt buddies” with the promoter. The tweet in question was deleted after Beyond Wrestling called him out and said they wouldn’t be booking him anymore.

Of course, once you make one social media faux pas, people start looking back in your history to find some more. I’m not a huge fan of this, as I feel that people do have the capacity for change and most of us would shudder at things we said years ago whether they were offensive or not. That being said, it was a bad time for people to find out that Adams made all kinds of racist and homophobic tweets seven years ago. That, along with I presume knowledge of Adams’ recent tweets, led to his match being removed from this week’s AEW Dark.

I’m sure some will get mad over Adams’ freedom of speech being violated or some such thing. Here’s the thing: Beyond is an independent wrestling promotion. They can book any indy wrestler they want. They don’t have to book somebody if they’re not inclined to, for whatever reason they want. Also, last I checked, referring to people with homophobic slurs publicly isn’t a good way to get on their good side. As for AEW, they can find anybody to job to Shawn Spears on Dark. Its an easy slot to fill. There’s no reason for them to risk it on somebody that is prone to outbursts on social media, or in real life for that matter. Dark is a big opportunity, and we’ve seen AEW hire indy talent that show something in a match with an AEW regular.

Simply put, Clutch Adams couldn’t have chosen a worse time to shoot his mouth off. If I was in that position, you wouldn’t hear a damn thing from me on social media from that Wednesday until the next Tuesday except plugs for AEW Dark and my match. Sure, if world events intervene you can comment on those, and hopefully in a way that won’t get you noticed in a negative light, but why would you go out of your way to talk shit? Makes no sense whatsoever.

Adams did post a heartfelt apology, and one hopes that he will learn from this experience and be better going forward. I will say that I’m not buying his explanation of “butt buddies” being “slang for being close or tight with someone”. Unless verbiage has changed since the days I hung out with people immature enough to use the term, I think it’s pretty obvious what’s being insinuated there. Like I said, I hope he learns and gets better.

One could argue that this would also justify independent promoters that don’t want to book wrestlers that aren’t homophobic & racist. We’ve heard about promoters making suggestions to wrestlers not to be activist, or simply hashtagging Black Lives Matter. My response? Those promoters are entitled to their decision. They should put their name on it, so we know where they stand. Beyond made it perfectly clear where they stand. AEW made their move If other promotions want to favor racism or other phobias, or excuse them in the name of talent, they should be decent enough to let the consumer know. Makes sense to me.

Danny Havoc

Right around the time I was going to put the finishing touches on this column, I was alerted to the passing of Danny Havoc. Havoc was most known for his lengthy stint with Combat Zone Wrestling, a promotion he watched rabidly as a teenager and wanted to wrestle for. So he flew out from Iowa to do just that, and they didn’t really have a school at the time. This was around when CHIKARA & CZW had combined their wrestling schools, and Havoc ended up learning a lot from Mike Quackenbush & Chris Hero. Now, you might not think Havoc learned a lot from those two considering most of his matches ended up being deathmatches, but it did give him the basics, and I think Havoc’s creative side was helped along by both Quack & Hero, two wrestling masterminds.

My childhood best friend & I watched a ton of CZW during my visits to his residence over the years, and we saw most of Havoc’s early work. Danny was willing to take an absolute beating from anybody on the roster, which served to get him over with a CZW audience that could be really tough to impress. It wasn’t surprising to learn that Danny was one of the most widely respected men in the CZW locker room.

It also wasn’t surprising to learn that Havoc put a lot of thought into his deathmatches. Havoc had a retirement match with Alex Colon for CZW that actually stuck for a couple of years, and it was interesting to see the drawings he made to plan out spots for the match, which were showcased when Vice’s The Wrestlers series aired an episode on deathmatch wrestling. A lot of people dismiss deathmatch wrestling as mindless blood & guts with no rhyme or reason, and there are a lot of those matches that fall into that trap, but the best at the craft really shine through. Danny Havoc was one of those guys whose deathmatches always had some meaning.

Havoc had a return match for Matt Tremont’s H20 promotion in 2019, and took part in a Game Changer Wrestling tour of Japan this year. He also competed on a GCW show in Cleveland in March, which would have been one of the last indy shows to take place before the coronavirus shut everybody down. I assume Havoc decided he was returning somewhere else than CZW when DJ Hyde botched buying glass for his retirement match.

Anybody that watched Danny Havoc assumed he wouldn’t live to the average life expectancy. The guy was born two years after I was. That’s way too soon. Sadly, we have to end this edition of the Corner paying respect to somebody that left this world way too soon.

I’m making no promises for next week. Calling my shot obviously didn’t work.

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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

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

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DeMarco: Top 5 Non-Title WrestleMania Matches In WWE History

Not all WrestleMania classics had titles on the line. Dive into the top 5 non-title matches that stole the show & defined legacies. #WrestleMania #WWEHistory

Published

1 week 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.