Greg DeMarco’s WWE WrestleMania Sunday Stream Of Consciousness

It’s WrestleMania Sunday and Greg DeMarco is back to see if WWE can follow-up a great Night One!

WWE WrestleMania is the Showcase Of Immortals, and it’s also when the WWE gets to showcase itself. After a tremendous Saturday, WrestleMania Sunday has a tough work to follow. Can it follow? Read on to see what Greg DeMarco thought in real time!

Randy Orton vs. “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt w/Alexa Bliss

• Honestly, this is a great choice to open. It might run long, and they can adjust where needed.
• Nice to see the video ring posts and ring aprons back. I understand why we didn’t have them last night (cage match), but this also help separate both nights.
• No more burnt #PizzaTheHut, who ruins my Bold Prediction on The #Miranda Show.
• Dude, Alexa Bliss AND The Fiend are insanely O.V.E.R. Randy is, too.
• A bit odd seeing The Fiend acknowledge the crowd.
• Goddammit Alexa Bliss is amazing at this character. It’s even better in front of fans
• “The Fiend has been restored!”
• Amazing entrance sequence overall.
• Bray Wyatt (the guy) keeps getting himself into better shape. Glad to see I’m not the only one who didn’t waste the quarantine.

Box like structure….you mean the box? #WresltleMania

— Christopher Platt (@therealcplatt) April 12, 2021

Glad to see Randy Orton keeping the "White Gear #WrestleMania" trend alive for 2021.

— Greg DeMarco (@ChairshotGreg) April 12, 2021

• In a rather odd ending, Alexa Bliss distracted The Fiend with fire and weird shit dripping from her head, allowing Orton to hit the RKO for the win. Obviously this is heading somewhere. Finn Balor?

Winner: Randy Orton

• So that started out WHITE HOT and ended on a rather odd note. We’ll see where this goes in the future. I like the idea that Alexa is pulling some strings…but why tho?

Bayley’s Back!

• “My fellow co-hosts,” and she’s a huge fan of his podcast! Love it.
• Bayley is doing her best Billie Kay impersonation, and it’s working.
• Hogan looks like a mascot for McDonald’s.
• Titus being upset that he can’t hang out with Hogan is just wrong.

WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships: Natalya & Tamina vs. Champions Shayna Baszler & Nia Jax

• I am actually surprised we didn’t get more Saturday ➡ Sunday carryover.
• Sad that Shayna Baszler is the second fiddle in this tag team, at least from the entrances. She’s such a bad ass, but she only has so many years left.
• Natalya with the ol’ babyface “C’mon you guys!” yell. That’s what you do when you’re not over.

I don't think anyone told Nia that Peacock edits shit out.

And other words, too.

— Greg DeMarco (@ChairshotGreg) April 12, 2021

• At least the right team won. Hopefully we find better champs so Shayna Baszler can dispatch of Jax and move on to somethign better.

Winners and STILL WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions: Shayna Baszler & Nia Jax

Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens

• A feud that has been going since 2009 gets the WrestleMania stage for the first (and probably not last) time. But Sami Zayn is doing his best work sans mask in pretty much ever.
• Sami Zayn seems overcome with happiness about working in front of a stadium crowd, and heaving them sing his theme. I bet we see babyface hero Sami at some point in 2021.
• Honestly we don’t need Logan Paul for this one, but his reach is undeniable.
• But Logan’s gonna pull a Mike Tyson and cost Sami in the end.
• “Expertly trained conspiracy theory expert” and “modern day Copernicus” are some of my favorite lines of the night so far.
• Rare referee naming by Michael Cole, calling Jessika Carr by name.

Brain Buster on the apron… glad to see nothing has changed with these two. #WrestleMania #SteenGenerico

— Greg DeMarco (@ChairshotGreg) April 12, 2021

• Jessika Carr is back to being “the official,” btw.
• Second time tonight a ref has had to pull their count before someone kicked out. Timing off, I am thinking it’s due to being in a stadium with fans for the first time in 1 year, 1 month, and 2 days.
• Nice recover on the Blue Thunder Bomb reference… when Zayn actually hit the move.
• STEENALIZER!
• “You could hear that echo through Raymond James Stadium” … that’s because it’s two-thirds empty.
• KO wins with the “You Did This” Stunner, and Logan Paul was worthless (so far).

Winner: Kevin Owens

• Thoroughly enjoyed that one, and I have a feeling that’s not their last WrestleMania showdown.
• Sami turns on Logan Paul and gets pushed over.
• Kevin Owens hits the Stone Cold Steve Austin feel good Stunner on the guest, as expected.

United States Championship Match: Sheamus vs. Champion Matt Riddle

I legit want Sheamus to destroy Riddle. Really, really can't stand the guy.

— Patrick O'Dowd (@WrestlngRealist) April 12, 2021

• Hard hitting match to start, crowd is out of it a little. Not surprised after Owens-Zayn.
• Top Rope Overhead Belly To Belly Suplex! That woke up the crowd, and they seem to be sticking with it now.
• Brogue Knee might be more effective than Brogue Kick.
• There were some botches in the match that definitely hurt it, but the finishing Brogue Kick was impressive, and “the right guy won.”

Winner and NEW United States Champion: Sheamus

Nigerian Drum Battle for the Intercontinental Championship: Champion Big E vs. Apollo Crews

• This is basically a No DQ Match that happens to have Apollo Crews in it, but I like that they named the stipulation after him. It’s a nice touch.
• PLUNDER! That adds to this match as well.
• I was literally just watching and not typing lol.
• Babatunde finally has a role, and Apollo has his championship win. Once again, the right person wins.

Winner and NEW Intercontinental Champion: Apollo Crews

Raw Women’s Championship Match: Rhea Ripley vs. Champion Asuka

• After losing at WrestleMania 36 (in the best match of the entire event), Rhea Ripley kinda needs to win here.
• Sometimes I really enjoy a live entrance theme. This is not one of those times. This rendition of Ripley’s Brutality theme sucked.
• Asuka should be the baddest woman on the planet, but instead she…dances. Don’t blame her level of success on WWE booking, it’s how she plays her character.
• You know, it’s weird. When the bell rang, Rhea Ripley seemed to lose steam.
• I think that early kick really rocked her.
• Rhea Ripley hits the Riptide, but I bet she’d love to have that one back. Right person, yet again, wins.

Winner and NEW Raw Women’s Champion: Rhea Ripley

• I really think that early kick in the corner rocked Rhea, and it hurt the match a bit. Rhea pulls it out in the end.

Universal Championship: Daniel Bryan vs. Edge vs. Champion Roman Reigns (w/Paul Heyman)

• Very surprised by the lack of a reaction for Roman Reigns. His entire turn took place with no fans, this is truly the first time he has fans for it.
• Edge wearing the white WrestleMania gear, it’s basically him and Randy Orton.
• Jey Uso immediately attacks Daniel Bryan… and it’s BRILLIANT.
• Jey was the MVP of the early portion of the match, before being taken out.
• WAY too much commentary talk about Roman losing his title without being pinned.
• For the record, I picked Daniel Bryan to win, beating Edge.
• We’ve settled into the typical triple threat match formula, and here’s the thing: IT’S WORKING.
• Roman Reigns is honestly selling his ass off for Daniel Bryan.
• So much happened in this match–so much. Hell of a way to close out one hell of a WrestleMania.

PAIN. #WrestleMania @WWERomanReigns @EdgeRatedR @HeymanHustle pic.twitter.com/IXqdv9HTJz

— WWE (@WWE) April 12, 2021

Winner and STILL Universal Champion: Roman Reigns

• I know I picked Daniel Bryan–and I got it wrong–but this feels like the right call seeing it live. Everyone had their spots, Edge had some moments where it would seem like he was going to win, but Roman Reigns supreme.
• Big E is freed up to feud with Roman, and Daniel Bryan and Edge can feud all summer. I think we are in for a fun ride through October’s WWE Draft over on Smackdown.

Overall Impressions

It’s too soon to call, I need to re-watch it. But this feels like an all-time great WrestleMania. So many things clicked, so many things seemed to go right. This was 7 hours of wrestling action, but it was spread over two nights. I hope this format is here to stay. Kudos to all involved, especially the crowd. Welcome back!