Opinion

Mishal’s Top 5 Takeaways From WWE Clash Of Champions

Mishal digs into Clash Of Champions with his Top 5 Takeaways from this past Sunday’s PPV event on the WWE Network!

Published

5 years ago

October 3, 2020

Mishal Shuhaiber

WWE Clash Of Champions Roman Reigns Jey Uso

Mishal digs into Clash Of Champions with his Top 5 Takeaways from this past Sunday’s PPV event on the WWE Network!

Let’s face it, we had no real anticipation for 2020’s Clash of Champions event.

A show that for the most part was built poorly (at least on the RAW side of things), was completely inconsistent in portraying most challengers as a credible threat to the current champions defending their respective titles & one that never felt important because WWE’s creative team choosing to focus on a plethora of irrelevant storylines that removed from the ones relevant to the show itself.

To say the enthusiasm heading into the show was anything more than mediocre would be a simple lie because fans had every right to be pessimistic about what to expect from a show the company seemed to throw together at the very last minute. Outside of the 2 main events & Intercontinental Championship program, everything surrounding them was either shoved together only days prior to the event or served as the continuation to rivalries that have either severely overstayed their welcome. No major show should have that feeling behind it, not a single one.

On top of the troubles heading into the event, the show was marred by last-minute changes that shifted the entire layout of the card. Talent such as Shayna Baszler, Nia Jax & Nikki Cross were all pulled from their scheduled matches for the evening (presumably as a result of COVID-19, according to reports) which sent an already messy card in an entirely new direction.

Clash of Champions continued the 2020 trend in WWE of poorly building up your big monthly events, only to have them more often than not exceed your middling expectations heading in.

That being said, here are the 5 biggest takeaways from a show with a tonne going on.

5. The Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match was WWE at its very best

Every professional company has its own specific vibe & product to deliver to their fanbase. AEW is for the wrestling purists with its plethora of styles, Impact Wrestling provides a more ‘interactive’ experience due to its smaller audience, NJPW is all about the sheer physicality, even the NWA is all about an old-school throwback in a modern time & WWE excels when it is the walking Friday morning cartoon that we all know it is at its core.

This is what made Sunday night’s opening ladder match between Sami Zayn, Jeff Hardy & AJ Styles so much more special than your average multi-man ladder match, it embraced its absurdity in ways few matches ever have. Beyond just being a wild ladder match, this delved into territory I can’t recall ever seeing before in a WWE ring, but it wasn’t without its substantive story & character work. The match itself worked into all 3 men’s capabilities perfectly, with Hardy almost killing himself on more than one occasion, Styles playing the wiser more calculated competitor & Zayn fully embracing his devilish heel persona resulting in some of the most absurd moments I’ve seen in all my years of watching professional wrestling.

What started off as your standard 3-way match morphed into one of the most creative, daring & unique contests anyone could witness. Featuring countless dives which had me jumping out of my chair, a Swanton Bomb off a ladder that you could practically feel & handcuffs being used in a WWE match in ways you’d only dream of. Call WWE predictable all you want, nobody ever called Jeff Hardy dragging a ladder that was handcuffed through his earlobe into the ring to try and climb another ladder with at any point prior to this show, not a single one of you.

Beyond being amongst the finest matches of the year, it was a prime example of just how insane WWE can be when they let their performers run absolutely wild for over 20 minutes.

4. Does WWE care about tag team wrestling?

Tag team wrestling has always been a mood for WWE, never a fixture of who they are. Primarily featured when a large, marketable team or stable such as The New Day, The Shield, The Wyatt Family or The Usos is available to garner a steady flow of income off of, tag team wrestling has just never been a consistent element of the company’s programming for as long as I can remember, with interest coming in waves rather than out of a sheer passion for the style it presents.

The 2010’s saw interest spike every now & then, however, it’s largely an accessory to shows that tend to lack depth in order to fill time for the rest of the card. With the exception of the utterly outstanding Usos vs New Day program in 2017, WWE’s tag team division (outside of NXT) has just lacked any kind of significant identity for them to work with or garner fan admiration. All of this is the result of booking or management decisions, not the talent itself which has always been there, just never used in a manner that displays what they can do.

Clash of Champions was a bit of a rude awakening to how far the division has fallen, particularly over the last 12 to 18 months. Teams such as The Street Profits have been getting their shine with a solid reign as RAW Tag Team Champions (despite facing Andrade & Garza a combined 12,000 times in the past week alone), but almost everything else currently going lacks that ‘it’ factor to make something matter. Cesaro & Nakamura are in their own right undeniably superb talents, just fail to gel properly due to being thrown in a feud with Lucha House Party that does neither team any favours. And outside the select teams mentioned, what else does WWE have to offer with its tag team division?

Nothing, absolutely nothing.

Other remaining teams such as The Usos are embroiled in a fascinating storyline with Roman Reigns, The New Day have gone their separate ways for the time being & The Hurt Business is too busy trying to make ‘RETRIBUTION’ relevant at the time of this writing.

As much as we may all whine about the state of tag team wrestling in WWE, I think we can all agree that some effort is better than the little effort they’ve been handed because everyone involved in this deserves so much better than what they’re forced to work with.

3. Sasha Banks & Bayley is the company’s best-built feud in years

It’s rare that a modern-day WWE feud makes me as excited as the deeply personal feud between Sasha Banks & Bayley.

SmackDown over the last four to six weeks has been a testament to the importance of long-form storytelling, something the main roster has been lacking for the longest time. Unlike their red branded counterparts, superstars on SmackDown seem to have some kind of direction, whether it be Bayley & Banks, Reigns & Jey Uso, Sami Zayn’s quest to recapture his gold, Alexa Bliss transforming into ‘The Fiends’ slave of sorts or Bray Wyatt’s teasing of his return to feud with Reigns, the product has a sense of longevity to it that I truly treasure. A good chunk of it feels planned out, building on new stars & furthering the brand in a way that keeps my interest.

That is exactly why Banks & Bayley lands as well as it does because there’s a history behind the tragedy of their on-screen relationship. On top of being a solid duo, the characters of both women have developed substantially, with Bayley going full-blown heel while Banks re-discovers herself as ”The Boss” she was so widely known as in her NXT glory days. It’s the age-old tale of selfish heel vs fiery babyface that has created some of professional wrestling’s finest feuds over the decades, and for all we know, this could rank up there with the best of them when all is said & done.

With Hell in a Cell approaching under a month from now, it’s such a relief to finally see the company build up feuds that are worthy of being held in such a brutal, sadistic structure, something that has certainly been missing from previous events over the years. Of everything going, seeing these two former best friends collide inside the steel structure will be nothing short of spectacular.

2. The Ambulance Match will never satisfy fans

Ambulances matches are an odd one to talk about. Gimmick matches in general either work or don’t base on how believable they are, just how absurd or not the gimmick is or more importantly if it makes sense to the audience watching at home or in the rafters. For myself personally, the Ambulance match is a colossal waste of time, it’s basically the Last Man Standing stipulation with extra steps.

To others, they may find some kind of redeeming quality to it with its absurdity or the brutality that could come with it in the past, the truth is under PG- era guidelines or without a certain degree of talent, I’m just not sure this stipulation works with most competitors. Both Shane McMahon & Kane pushed their bodies to the absolute limit at the 2003 Survivor Series to make this thing work under the circumstance, but there was a degree of tension that came with their story that made all the better as a result. This past Sunday, I’m not sure the result WWE wanted was achieved.

I’m overwhelmed that Drew McIntyre gets to continue establishing his legacy as WWE Champion, simply because his reign has been the most well booked of any champion in the last half-decade at least, but also due to the importance of making sure the future is at the forefront of what you sell. On the other hand, this stipulation may have hurt the ”Scottish Psychopaths” reputation to some extent, as the booking did him little favours in defining the rage this entire rivalry has built up since SummerSlam. What felt like a deeply personal feud turned into a story more about the legends than the champion himself, and while the action held my attention fairly well elements of the booking compromised what should have been an absolute massacre on both men’s parts.

In terms of establishing the motive for Randy Orton to demand a rematch down the line, this achieved that pretty well, in terms of making your champion look like the force of nature you’ve been selling him as since the start of 2020? This fell short in that regard & if anything made him look substantially weaker than he was prior to this booking. While not a bad match this is one of those contests that is dividing the fans who’ve seen it since it’s the kind of thing you either enjoy or not depending on how you like your wrestling delivered to you.

1. Roman Reigns: Professional wrestling’s hottest star

In the midst of the chaos that has been 2020, one of the brightest shining lights, at least within the realm of professional wrestling, has been the short but immensely satisfying redemption story of the Roman Reigns character since his return at SummerSlam a little over a month ago.

Since the infamous split of The Shield in mid-2014 fans have been clamouring for Roman Reigns to play the character he seems so destined to portray. While I never thought Reigns was the worst babyface by any stretch of the imagination, it was clear that his character needed more progression to get to the stage that WWE wanted him to be at. Everything from his look, in-ring style, verbal ability & presentation screamed a monstrous heel who could run through any and everyone. For a while, we got glimpses of this potential. His feuds with the likes of Undertaker, Braun Strowman, John Cena, Brock Lesnar & even Triple H displayed just what Roman Reigns should have been from the get-go.

Despite taking the company a little over six years to get to this point, I’d say it’s better late than never. Reigns is in the role we all knew he would excel at playing, with a manager that ascends most of his clients to the very top of the foodchain, along with additional added history to their dynamic that makes everything all the more fascinating.

Sunday night was solidifying proof of just what about every fan knew prior to this booking change, and it feels so, so good to take in.

Reigns’ match against real-life cousin Jey Uso wasn’t a 5-star mat classic, it wasn’t unpredictable or anything out of left field and it was never meant to be. But it might have been the best pure form of storytelling & character work WWE, maybe even any wrestling brand has put on display all year. It emodied everything Reigns needs to be & after what feels like years, a true force of nature exists in the company outside of Brock Lesnar. Everything from his ground & pound assault of his cousin, constant resistance on being acknowledge as ”The Tribal Chief”, Heymans ringside antics & even the simple removal of his vest during matches created something you just knew was special while witnessing it. Heck, even the simple notion of a tribal bouquet being place around his neck post-match was pure brilliance. Sunday nights main event demands a rewatch, maybe even more than one, because it was the star making performance we all knew Reigns had in him.

After that evening it wasn’t hard to see what so many have known in the man for so long, whether we reference Vince McMahon’s insistence on putting him at the top of the card, AEW making it vocal of the importance he would represent to their or any brand (as Chris Jericho stated publicly) or how to the current locker room the man is the unchallenged locker room leader & the standard-bearer for the current crop of talent. One thing has never been clearer after Clash of Champions, Roman Reigns is without a doubt wrestling’s hottest commodity.

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Opinion

Chairshot Staff Picks: WrestleMania 41 Las Vegas

Time for The Chairshot personalities to put their money where their mouths are! WreslteMania 41 predictions from the “expert” staff at TheChairshot.com and Chairshot Radio Network.

Published

3 days ago

April 18, 2025

PC Tunney

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to the Chairshot Staff Picks. And what better setting than WrestleMania for this article to return! This 41st edition has one of the most stacked rosters in WWE history. So, without further ado, let us get to the predictions and prognostications…

AJ – The New Day
Andrew – The New Day – No one seems to hold tag titles long anymore.
Dave – The New Day – They have earned it.
DJ – The New Day – Feel tha Powah!
DPP – War Raiders – Big E distraction.
Jason – The New Day – We are not getting E in a working capacity though everyone wants it.
Patrick – The New Day – WWE doesn’t care about this match, so why should I?
Rey – The New Day – Its a New Day, bruh.
Rob – The New Day – New Day rocks and wins!
Greg – The New Day – New. Day wins. New. Day wins!

Tunney’s Take: War Machine – Yes, WAR MACHINE. I have personally had the pleasure of throwing back a few cold ones with these guys on more than one occasion. Not only being tag champs in WWE but defending the titles at Mania and against The New Day is really cool for me as a long-time fan. Would it be fun to see The New Day have another title run.. YES. I think it’s smarter to give the War Raiders a big Mania W.

Chairshot Pick: THE NEW DAY 9-2

AJ – Jade Cargill
Andrew – Jade Cargill – She needs to stay a dominant force.
Dave – Jade Cargill – Gotta gear her up for the long term.
DJ – No contest – Naomi puts another beat down on Jade.
DPP – Jade Cargill – Nervous for how this match will go.
Jason – Naomi – Way more runway with Naomi as a bad guy. Keep it going!
Patrick – Jade Cargill – Jade gets her revenge.
Rey – Jade Cargill – Best non-title feud going. Naomi should win but Jade sneaks by.
Rob – Naomi – Naomi gets help to win.
Greg – Jade Cargill – They ain’t beating Jade here.

Tunney’s Take: Jade Cargill – I imagine WWE sees Jade’s ceiling much higher than Naomi’s. What better way to keep Jade climbing the ladder towards a World Title than to pick up a decisive victory in Vegas!

Chairshot Pick: Jade Cargill 8-2-1

AJ – Jacob Fatu – “AJ does a pretty good LA Knight impersonation” – PC Tunney
Andrew – Jacob Fatu – I’m biased, Jacob for President.
Dave – Jacob Fatu – Getting gold back in the Bloodline is smart.
DJ – Jacob Fatu
DPP – Jacob Fatu
Jason – Jacob Fatu – Thanks for coming pal, YEAH!
Patrick – Jacob Fatu
Rey – Jacob Fatu – C’mon cuz! All gas no brakes with it. Yadadamean??
Rob – LA Knight – Solo costs Jacob.
Greg – LA Knight – Solo screws Jacob.

Tunney’s Take: Jacob Fatu – It has been quite the journey for the Samoan Werewolf. I feel like that journey and the positive turn around it has taken deserves to be rewarded. Let’s see what Jacob can do on his own. Plus, LA Knight is ready to challenge for a World Title.

Chairshot Pick: Jacob Fatu 9-2

AJ – Tiffany Straton
Andrew – Tiffany Straton – I hate Charlotte Flair, no objectivity here.
Dave – Charlotte Flair – Tiffy might be the future, but she kinda failed the litmus test.
DJ – Charlotte Flair – The Queen crowns the freshman.
DPP – Tiffany Stratton
Jason – Charlotte Flair – Tiff wasn’t ready for this spot. Charnos is inevitable.
Patrick – Charlotte Flair – Lol Charlotte wins.
Rey – Charlotte Flair – Tiffany SHOULD win but, if Charlotte can squash, she will.
Rob – Charlotte Flair – Charlotte gets number 15.
Greg – Tiffany Stratton – Lol Charlotte wins. (Actually she doesn’t)

Tunney’s Take: Charlotte Flair – Charlotte needs the title for the first time in her career. Tiffy has had a nice run but now needs to take that all important step of not losing momentum after losing the title. Despite the drama and lackluster build here, I see a really good match coming this weekend from these two.

Chairshot Pick: Charlotte Flair 7-4

AJ – El Grande Americano
Andrew – El Grande Americano – I’d like to see Gable gain some momentum. Rey is Teflon.
Dave – El Grand Americano – He needs a marque win much more than Rey.
DJ – Rey Mysterio
DPP – El Grande Americano – Grande wins with the switcheroo to prove he is not Gable.
Jason – Rey Mysterio – Unmask Grande at the end. It is fun but has a shelf life.
Patrick – El Grande Americano – TOTALLY NOT CHAD GABLE
Rey – Rey Mysterio – Someone’s mask is coming off and it ain’t Rey.
Rob – El Grande Americano
Greg – Rey Mysterio – Hall of Famer wins but doesn’t take the mask.

Tunney’s Take: Rey Mysterio – Go listen to DWI 471. DP, Greg and I lay out exactly what this match should be, FUN! Multiple Americanos!!!

Chairshot Pick: El Grande Americano 6-5

AJ – Jey Uso
Andrew – Jey Uso – Kinda booked themselves into a corner here.
Dave – Jey Uso – It just makes sense.
DJ – Jey Uso – Jey YEETS all over The Ring Genreal.
DPP – Jey Uso – Jey wins after normal Gunther beating.
Jason – Jey Uso – Land the plane man. YEET
Patrick – Jey Uso – Jey has earned this one.
Rey – Jey Uso – YEEEEEEEEEEEET!
Rob – Jey Uso – YEET
Greg – Jey Uso – If Jey loses we riot. We don’t cause he wins.

Tunney’s Take: Jey Uso – ‘Til sweat drop down my balls, ‘Til all these bitches crawl, ‘Til all… YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Chairshot Pick: Jey Uso 11-0

AJ – Roman Reigns
Andrew – Seth Rollins – I can see Rollins being the last piece of Team Rock.
Dave – Roman Reigns – I can’t see Roman losing two years in a row.
DJ – Seth Rollins – Paul Heyman is a Seth Freakin Rollins guy.
DPP – Seth Rollins – The Rock helps Rollins.
Jason – Roman Reigns – Seth’s favor is a red herring. Make-A-Wish Brooks got his main, now look at the lights.
Patrick – Seth Rollins – Seth Rollins… Paul Heyman guy.
Rey – Seth Rollins – I smeeeeellllllll a new soul to sell.
Rob – Roman Reigns – Paul Heyman helps Roman win.
Greg – Seth Rollins – Brock Lesnar returns to help Seth win.

Tunney’s Take: CM Punk – I really have no idea here. I picked Punk because nobody else did. This is going to be professional wrestling cinema at its finest. The story is thick and neatly woven. All the participants are legends and so are the potential party crashers. Will The Rock stick his nose in here? Will Brock Lesnar return to play a factor? Obviously, Paul Heyman has a Plan A… but what is it? All these questions and more will be answered Saturday as night 1 will definitely go out with a bang!

Chairshot Pick: Seth Rollins 6-4-1

AJ – Iyo Sky
Andrew – Iyo Sky – Rhea vs Bianca doesn’t need a belt to be compelling.
Dave – Rhea Ripley – Going with Rhea barely, hoping Iyo wins.
DJ – Iyo Sky – Unfinished business.
DPP – Iyo Sky – Rhea and Bianca are too consumed with each other.
Jason – Iyo Sky – More layers to Rhea/Bianca. Iyo rules.
Patrick – Iyo Sky – Iyo stole the build and gets the win.
Rey – Iyo Sky – Smart money is on the underdog champ.
Rob – Iyo Sky – Iyo survives.
Greg – Bianca Belair – Naomi helps Bianca win and turn heel.

Tunney’s Take: Rhea Ripley – Rhea is the best women’s wrestler in the world. Give her the biggest win on the grandest stage of them all!!! Bianca needs to go full heel. Iyo has been amazing in this build.

Chairshot Pick: Iyo Sky 8-2-1

AJ – Dominik Mysterio
Andrew – Finn Balor – I can see a Judgement Day meltdown incoming.
Dave – Bron Breakker – Bron is about to become a MegaStar.
DJ – Bron Breakker – Judgement Day implodes.
DPP – Dominik Mysterio – Finn take the pin.
Jason – Penta – I literally do not care because the winner is us, the fans.
Patrick – Bron Breakker – The WWE doesn’t care about this matchup, so why should I?
Rey – Dominik Mysterio – Only match without a clear winner. I choose chaos.
Rob – Bron Breakker – Finn and Dom cancel each other out.
Greg – Dominik Mysterio – Dom steals the pin from Bron, on Finn.

Tunney’s Take: Bron Breakker – The case can be made for any of these four to walk away with the most prestigious non-World title in pro wrestling history. The short of it is though that the Main Event picture isn’t really readily accessible for Breakker right now. Let this IC reign go through the summer, to SummerSlam.

Chairshot Pick: Bron Breakker 5-4-1-1

AJ – Damian Priest – “AJ does a pretty good Drew impersonation” – PC Tunney
Andrew – Drew McIntyre – Priest has not been interesting in this face incarnation.
Dave – Drew McIntyre – Time for Drew to get that win back.
DJ – Fuck finish – To be continued at Backlash.
DPP – Drew McIntyre – Physical matchup!
Jason – Drew McIntyre – Either one is fine here.
Patrick – Drew McIntyre – With two eyes, Drew turns the tide.
Rey – Drew McIntyre – Low key match of the weekend.
Rob – Damien Priest
Greg – Damien Priest – Priest wins, Drew tweets about it half hour later.

Tunney’s Take: Drew McIntyre – With the addition of the Street fight rules, these two behemoths have a really good chance to have one of the best matches of the entire weekend (winks at Rey Ca$h-A-Mania)! I do wonder what is next for both of these talents moving forward. Priest has staled since leaving the Judgement Day and Drew seems stuck in the same cycle for a while now. Very interested to see what the summer holds for this pair.

Chairshot Pick: Drew McIntyre 7-3-1

WHO WILL BE RANDY’S OPPONENT?!?

AJ – Nick Aldis – Orton wins
Andrew – Orton and Aldis vs Solo and Tama – Orton and Aldis win
Dave – Someone is getting an RKO!
DJ – A segment w/ the Wyatt s6cks.
DPP – Rusev – Aldis introduces Rusev who defeats Orton.
Jason – Nick Aldis – You got one more in ya, bubba. Aldis wins!
Patrick – Nick Aldis
Rey – Solo then Rusev – Solo in a squash and Rusev MATCHKA(wins)
Rob – Nick Aldis – Aldis proves himself, Orton wins.
Greg – Nick Aldis – Orton beats Aldis, they shake after.

Tunney’s Take: I would really love to see a singles match between Orton and Aldis. More likely this is some type of involvement with Solo and Tama. Rusev as a surprise challenger would be cool but, I feel that would be better left for RAW. An impromptu Goldberg retirement match would be crazy and fun, yet highly unlikely and illogical. Whatever happens, best believe exactly what Dave Ungar said, “Someone is getting an RKO!”.

AJ – Logan Paul
Andrew – AJ Styles – Logan doesn’t need the rub and should stay upper mid card.
Dave – Logan Paul – It’s the smart move and would be a statement win for Paul.
DJ – Logan Paul – Kross gets involved somewhere.
DPP – AJ Styles – AJ wins a great high-flying match.
Jason – AJ Styles – Just enjoy it or get a beer, nerds.
Patrick – Logan Paul – Logan Paul will main-event Mania sooner than later…
Rey – Logan Paul – Pass the torch, my wily vet.
Rob – Logan Paul – Kross helps Paul win.
Greg – AJ Styles – Styles wins after Paul’s cheating backfires.

Tunney’s Take: Logan Paul – Logan seems to really have dedicated himself to becoming great in this business. Anyone with that type of goal must have a World title on their mind. Beating AJ at Mania will be a great springboard for Logan into the Main Event sooner than later (winks at Patrick O’Dowd).

Chairshot Pick: Logan Paul 7-4

AJ – Liv & Raquel
Andrew – Liv & Raquel – Not really a fan of Lyra, she needs more work.
Dave – Liv & Raquel – This Bayley and Lyra team makes no damn sense.
DJ – Liv & Raquel – Bayley crashes out.
DPP – Liv & Raquel – Bayley continues a potential heel turn tease.
Jason – Bayley & Lyra – Finish the story!
Patrick – Bayley & Lyra – The WWE doesn’t care about this matchup, so why should I?
Rey – Liv and Raquel – Bayley want a title but it ain’t the ones in this match.
Rob – Liv & Raquel – Champs retain.
Greg – Liv & Raquel – Liv and Raquel retain thanks to Carlito and maybe JD.

Tunney’s Take: Liv & Raquel – Liv and Raquel need to be kept as the cornerstone of the women’s tag division for a lengthier period of time. Building tag teams in this division is difficult enough, let alone without a North Star.

Chairshot Pick: Liv & Raquel 9-2

AJ – Cody Rhodes
Andrew – Cody Rhodes – They are mentioning it so much, I don’t think 17 happens.
Dave – Joh Cena – Record falls and we head to summer with a built-in storyline.
DJ – John Cena – Some kind of Final Boss involvement.
DPP – John Cena – Cena wins and retires on RAW.
Jason – John Cena – Story’s over, “Captain” BIG MATCH JOHN.
Patrick – John Cena – A record breaking night for Cena.
Rey – John Cena – They’d be really stupid to turn John just to lose. (Post-Mania: Rock, Cena, T Scott, Seth & Drew, TEAM Corporate)
Rob – Cody Rhodes – Cody surprises us with the W.
Greg – Cody Rhodes – Cody wins to piss off Rock and set the table for Cena to turn back face. Crowd is behind Cena all the way through.

Tunney’s Take: Cody Rhodes – They had me until the threat of retirement. Been there. Done that. Didn’t fall in love with it back then. I love John Cena. I love this final run. John will get his 17th just not here. I expect nothing less than an absolute GEM of a match here to close WrestleMania 41. This has all been, is, and will continue to be about Cody Rhodes. WM40 defeats Roman Reigns. WM41 defeats John Cena. WM42 defeats The Rock (The Final Boss).

Chairshot Pick: John Cena 6-5

In closing I want to thank everyone on the panel for participating with their picks! You can follow each prognosticator/podcaster on X @ the handles below. We wait all year for this so remember three things… be respectful of others, comparison is the thief of joy and HAVE FUN!

AJ – @PhenomenalAJB
Andrew – @IWCWarChief
Dave – @AttitudeAgg
DJ – @TheMindlessPod
DPP – @itsmeDPP
Jason – @JediFett
Patrick – @WrestlngRealist
Rey – @itsreycash
Rob – @rbonne1
Greg – @gregdemarco44
PC – @PCTunney
TheChairshot.com – @ChairshotMedia

For the latest, greatest and up to datest in coverage, opinions, and podcasts ALWAYS #UseYourHead and visit TheCharishot.com

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About Chairshot Radio Network

MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)

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

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

Patrick O'Dowd's 5X5

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

5 days ago

April 16, 2025

Greg DeMarco

Shawn Michaels Kurt Angle WrestleMania 21

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

WrestleMania is the Showcase Of The Immortals, but it’s not always the championship matches that steal the show—or define careers. In fact, some of the most iconic, business-defining, and emotionally resonant contests at the Grandest Stage of Them All didn’t feature a title at all. These matches succeeded because of character work, in-ring execution, and the kind of storytelling that sells tickets and moves merch.

Here are the five best non-title matches in WrestleMania history—at least, according to me!

5. The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan – WrestleMania X8 (2002)

This was never going to be a five-star technical clinic—but it was always going to be the moment. “Icon vs. Icon” was a tagline, sure, but it was also the reality: the biggest star of the ‘80s vs. the biggest star of the Attitude Era. And Toronto turned it into magic. Hogan walked in a heel but walked out immortal (again), with the SkyDome shaking on every punch, every look, every gesture.

What made this work was its self-awareness. Rock and Hogan read the crowd and flipped roles mid-match—Rock became the arrogant aggressor while Hogan Hulked Up to thunderous applause. It’s not often a non-title match headlines a card emotionally the way this one did, but it dominated every headline and highlight reel.

4. Owen Hart vs. Bret Hart – WrestleMania X (1994)

Sibling rivalries don’t usually lead to technical masterpieces, but then again, this wasn’t your average family drama. Owen and Bret opened WrestleMania X with a wrestling clinic that stood tall over a night packed with title changes. Owen needed to prove he was more than Bret’s little brother, and he did it by out-wrestling the best wrestler in the company. Clean. One-two-three.

It wasn’t just a great match—it was perfect storytelling. Owen’s victory, contrasted with Bret’s later world title win, set the tone for an entire year of brother-vs-brother tension. Bret became champion, but Owen had the moral victory—and all the bragging rights. This is proof that opening matches can steal the show.

3. The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels – WrestleMania 25 (2009)

If WrestleMania moments could be trademarked, this match would be the reason why. The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels wasn’t about championships—it was about legacy. Michaels wanted to be the man who ended The Streak. The build was steeped in biblical imagery: light vs. dark, heaven vs. hell. And the match? Pure perfection. Each man brought everything they had—near-falls, psychology, reversals that had 70,000+ people gasping in unison.

It was 30 minutes of generational storytelling that transcended pro wrestling. And here’s the kicker—it wasn’t even the main event. Yet it dwarfed everything that followed. Meltzer gave it 4.75 stars, fans gave it their hearts, and WWE gave it a sequel the next year. A match so good it forced the company to run it back—because lightning actually struck.

Now, if THIS MATCH is #3, what could possible be #2 and #1…

2. Bret Hart vs. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin – WrestleMania 13 (1997)

This wasn’t just a match—it was the turning point of an era. The Submission Match between Bret Hart and Steve Austin was as violent as it was poetic, with Ken Shamrock enforcing the rules and the Chicago crowd growing more frenzied by the second. The brilliance? The shift. Bret Hart, the traditionalist hero, grew darker and more self-righteous by the second, while the disrespectful anti-hero Austin refused to quit, even when drowning in his own blood. There was no title on the line, but the stakes felt bigger than gold.

The infamous double turn changed the business. Austin’s defiance turned him into the voice of a new generation of fans—blue collar, anti-authority, Attitude Era. Meanwhile, Bret would go on to lead the heel Hart Foundation. WWE didn’t need a championship to create a moment that catapulted Austin into superstardom and ignited the company’s hottest era. This match is business-first booking at its absolute best.

1. Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels – WrestleMania 21 (2005)

Dream matches often disappoint. This one didn’t. At WrestleMania 21, Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle went hold-for-hold and spot-for-spot with Mr. WrestleMania himself, and together they delivered a masterclass in in-ring psychology. Every sequence had stakes, every near-fall had meaning. It was a stylistic war: Michaels’ heart vs. Angle’s intensity.

Angle forcing Michaels to tap was a statement—it told fans that pure wrestling, not just spectacle, could still main-event caliber storytelling without any need for a title. Michaels sold the ankle lock like death, and Angle’s post-match collapse sold the moment as a hard-fought war. This is the kind of match that keeps purists up at night, smiling, and leaves the storytelling fans like myself as happy as can be!

10 Honorable Mentions (Not Honorable, Just For The Heck Of It)

Edge vs. Mick Foley – WrestleMania 22 (2006)
A hardcore war that solidified Edge as a top-tier main eventer. That flaming table spear is still played in every Edge highlight reel.
AJ Styles vs. Shane McMahon – WrestleMania 33 (2017)
Everyone expected smoke and mirrors—what they got was a surprisingly technical, high-energy opener that kicked off the show right.
The Undertaker vs. Triple H – WrestleMania 28 (2012)
“End of an Era” wasn’t just a tagline. The Hell in a Cell match, with HBK as referee, was a brutal epilogue to a generation’s legacy.
Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho – WrestleMania XIX (2003)
A student-teacher battle of wills. Jericho’s low blow post-match was the perfect heel punctuation to a career-defining contest.
Randy Orton vs. Seth Rollins – WrestleMania 31 (2015)
The greatest RKO of all time. That curb stomp reversal belongs in a museum.
Floyd Mayweather vs. Big Show – WrestleMania XXIV (2008)
More sports-entertainment than wrestling, but a crossover moment that made mainstream headlines and paid off with a great finish.
Roddy Piper vs. Adrian Adonis – WrestleMania III (1987)
A retirement match with big heat, a hot crowd, and Piper walking off into the sunset (for a minute).
The Firefly Funhouse Match – John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt – WrestleMania 36 (2020)
Cinematic weirdness at its best. A meta masterstroke that broke Cena down in layers.
Bad Bunny & Damian Priest vs. The Miz & John Morrison – WrestleMania 37 (2021)
Bad Bunny stunned everyone. He didn’t just belong—he elevated the show.
Rey Mysterio vs. Dominik Mysterio – WrestleMania 39 (2023)
Father vs. son in a grudge match that played perfectly off real-life drama and Hall of Fame weekend emotions.

Some of these matches shaped legacies. Others shifted eras. But all of them proved that the most memorable moments at WrestleMania don’t need a title—they just need truth in the storytelling and fire in the execution.