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

4 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.

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

Up Next

Cook’s Top 5: 2011 Wrestling Memories

Don't Miss

Greg DeMarco’s ROH #469 Review: Pure Championship Tournament Kicks Off

Opinion

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

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

Published

2 weeks ago

April 11, 2024

Greg DeMarco

John Cena Last Match Randy Orton WWE WrestleMania 41

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

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

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

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

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

Honorable Mentions:

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

5. CM Punk

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

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

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

4. Roman Reigns

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

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

3. Bron Breakker

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

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

2. R-Truth

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

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

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

1. Randy Orton

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

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

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

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

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

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

Opinion

Greg DeMarco’s WrestleMania 40 Saturday Results & Review

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

Published

3 weeks ago

April 8, 2024

Greg DeMarco

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

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

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

Greg’s pre-show prediction: Rhea Ripley retains

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Winners via belt retrieval, AND NEW:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Brother vs Brother: Jey Uso vs. Jimmy Uso

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

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

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

Winner, via pinfall: Jey Uso

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Intercontinental Championship – Sami Zayn vs. GUNTHER (champion)

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

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

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

Winner via pinfall, AND NEW Intercontinental Champion: Sami Zayn

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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