Opinion
AJ’s Top 3 Favorite SummerSlams
AJ is back with his annual opinion article, and this time the SummerSlam buzz got him wondering about his personal Top 3.

It’s been a while since I have done any form of writing and SummerSlam is this Saturday. Of all the SummerSlams I’ve seen over the years; which ones are my favorites? While it’s not a revolutionary idea, I figured everyone loves to debate favorites of well, anything. Don’t worry though because this isn’t just going to be pure recency bias. I’ve watched the majority of them so with the ones I put on the list, it hit me more in some way shape or form whether it was story, a really good match or it just felt like a solid event.
At least this proves WWE is trending in a good direction for me, when it gets the ol’ brain juices flowing just because a show is around the corner!
#3: 2022 (Ol’ Brock Lesnar Has A Farm)
Starting off the show, we get Bianca looking for a rematch against Becky from last years SummerSlam and it was better than the 21 second affair that everyone claims was a squash. This time Bianca holds her own and beats the Man in a fairly decent match, good way to get the event started. Next up is the heat seeking missile, Logan Paul against the former heat seeking missile because, well he wasn’t cut out for it and wasn’t a guy in everyone’s eyes, The Miz. After they had their blow off at Mania with Logan coming out on top which… isn’t awful, I just don’t like Logan Paul because he has that dude bro aura and swagger to make him more hateable than any other person on the card. Which I suppose is his gimmick…so…kudos?
First Championship match is for the US Championship and it’s as expected that in Theory, he should never beat someone to the caliber of Bobby Lashley which is no surprise. Dominik and Rey still back when Dom wanted the good fight against the Judgement Day before joining them later. The former Colts players, which they hammered it dahn in this match up showed that the canal swimming, trash talkin’, podcastin’, current RAW Color Commentatin’ goofball we all love, Pat McAfee came out on top again Bum Ass Corbin.
Usos putting the Street Profits on lockdown in the penitentiary since I believe this was peak Bloodline with the belt collecting and running all of WWE. Liv beat Ronda Rousey which isn’t astonishing but it’s not something people had on their bingo cards for anything with WWE so it was a nice little shock factor. The most memorable part of the night is obviously the Main Event, Lesnar brings the tractor, Roman catching the Microphone and Brock stands on top of the vehicle. Damn good match that showed off what they do in the ring since Roman caught his stride as the main bad guy and Brock… liked people after all of this? That is still a weird statement in my head. Brock being a good guy people person. If Liv wasn’t on bingo cards for wrestling, that is not on bingo cards in any aspect of life really.
That is more of the event that had solid matches and story going for it. No weird double count out, multiple people involved, 5 tag matches on the card. Things made sense and weren’t convoluted, had shocking moments that were great to see like Liv actually getting a title defense and there were the results we all expected at the time like Theory losing in 4 minutes to Bobby Lashley.
#2: 2009 (Are You Ready for The Return?)
This event wasn’t that strong. It was strong with the star power involved in 2009 with guys like Rey Mysterio as Intercontinental Champion, Orton and Cena for the WWE Championship as it was becoming as stale as month old chips and CM Punk was facing Jeff Hardy before he ultimately returned to TNA at the beginning of 2010 after this PPV. For me, it’s not so much of the show itself, it was more of the memories because the Balai as our friends Chris Platt and Rey Cash like to call my brother and I, we were just coming back into wrestling and we were TNA Fans. We didn’t watch WWE that much really, it was just what came on after another channel had old ROH shows before they moved to three hours and swallowed the 8pm Eastern Slot. No, the reason why this has so many memories for me is three main reasons. First, Orton and Cena. They have had their rivalry since the beginning it seems, being each others foils like Hogan and Piper before them and there had to be a stipulation where if Randy was Counted Out or DQ’d, he’d lose the championship regardless. This was prime Viper Randy and the obvious joke we had of Super Cena where he very rarely lost, unless it was SummerSlam surprisingly enough.
Number two reason was CM Punk and Jeff Hardy. Hardys known for the Ladder and TLC matches in the past and this being the penultimate match for this feud and it was a banger of a match. If you didn’t know Punk before, it was a great introduction to his wrestling. I used to like Punk a lot because of this match because he could talk, wrestle… and not insanely personal with things in wrestling. In all seriousness, this was a great match. Ultimate risks, high reward for Punk grabbing the World Heavyweight Championship and he was given his next feud because of the final boss of SmackDown at that time. Thanks, Teddy Long.
The main and final reason though why this match gave me the memories flowing back is more of the fact that one of my closest and longest termed friends of 23 years, also loves wrestling. Back when we were younger, he’d do MoCap videos on YouTube with his figures. We’d have friends come over for parties at his house and we’d do the one thing WWE always told us not to do and that was try it at home. He was always stronger than me, I was always more charismatic. He had the power aspect and did things with brute force, I could talk my way out of trouble with parents if we did something wrong. There was always one thing that our respective mother’s always called us though… it’s on the tip of my tongue… oh right, ‘Degenerates’.
As soon as we were called that, we kind of parodied the DX line. I was limber enough to do the HBK pose and do a Superkick before it became the new DDT and he would just Spinebuster people and knew how to do the water spit. So what do you think was the main reason we even ordered this PPV for his 13th Birthday? I think the two guys we were pretending to be were set to return on a tank and toss out some glow sticks. The return of DX, Shawn Michaels coming back after Mania with Triple H to deal with the Legacy problem was an amazing return for them and made everything so much fun.
So we have the solid card and this one has a personal story… what’s my number one SummerSlam? Is it personal? Well yes but not going into that. Is it a good card? To me, it was a phenomenal card! Is it memorable? Seeing how wrestling fans still mention at least three matches to this day.
#1: 2005 (Octopus in the Washer, Lover’s Quarrel and Where the F%#$ is Vickie?)
Quite possibly some of the best matches I’ve seen and one that was just the most hilarious moments of overselling in wrestling history, I know why I love this SummerSlam but it’s also a really good card at the same time. Redacted beats Orlando Jordan in 25 seconds for the US Title and they made jokes about it like, he can make a coffee faster than he beat Orlando and stuff like that, it’s pretty funny. Angle getting sick of Eugene’s antics for his Gold Medal was also a great bit they had play up, the Year long feud of Randy Orton and Undertaker was still going on where Orton comes out on top this time around to get the win back from Mania, Jericho returning for the match with Cena in a whole promotional thing for each other’s groups, Fozzy for Jericho and the Chain Gang doing Bad, Bad Man for Cena leading up to a match for the WWE Championship. JBL won a 20 man battle royal on SmackDown to win the Championship…… Opportunity to face the newest member of SmackDown, Batista but the three main matches that a lot of people talk about to this day; Edge vs Matt Hardy, Rey vs Eddie for Dominik and Hogan vs HBK in the Main Event.
I have reasons to enjoy the Hardy/Edge match but it looked like a real fight, it really made us believe that Matt Hardy was going to kill Edge because real names were dropped during this tirade from Hardy. It wasn’t Edge and Lita, it was Adam and Amy. Matt was so dead set on beating the hell out of Edge that they made a situation into gold and it was a great moment for this match to happen, I believe it was also an Unsanctioned Match too which added the intensity until matt got concussed and knocked senseless that it looked like he couldn’t fight for anything but the build up was what made it seem like a marque match. It made it feel real, it made it feel awesome and it made it feel personal.
Eddie kept tormenting Rey Mysterio about Dominik not being Rey’s but Eddie’s for the summer. That’s all you heard from Eddie being the weasel he was is hanging out with Dominik, making the world believe it’s his son and what not (Let’s not do a fast forward to today where he has the mullet, mustache and everything like Eddie) but they settle this in a Ladder Match where the top of it is a document for the custody of Dominik and my god, this match is better than it should have been. I expect nothing else from Eddie because the man hated having a bad match, Dom got involved and stopped Eddie, Vickie was late and stopped Eddie. The whole match was good it was just very weird with the premise but was a great match. I wonder if Rey regrets his decision to win the match now…
Octopus in a Washing Machine… those five words have resonated with Shawn Michaels’ performance in this match, forever. It was supposed to be an amazing match up between Hogan and Michaels, Icon vs Icon it said and suddenly Hogan’s back gives out, can’t do a trilogy of matches so we can only do the one and then pull out of everything after. This match was set up to be a classic and instead turned into the most unbelievable sell fest ever. A Hogan big boot caused Shawn to tumble 3 or 4 times, getting crotched on the ropes had HBK bouncing higher than he should have, being tossed out of the ring made it look like Shawn never broke his back in 1998 from how much he flopped and flipped around like crazy. It’s bad… or maybe even good that a lot of current wrestlers watched this match that went, “I can sell like that, I want to be a wrestler” and did. So good or bad, I don’t know but for some reason this PPV has always had a place in my heart for how memorable it was.
Those are my top three SummerSlams so far but who knows, 2024 has potential to maybe bump something or at least get me to consider a shift. Should be fun to see how the show plays out! What are some of your favorite SummerSlams?
About Chairshot Radio Network
Launched in 2017, the Chairshot Radio Network presents you with the best in sports, entertainment, and sports entertainment. Wrestling and wrestling crossover podcasts + the most interesting content + the most engaging hosts = the most entertaining podcasts you’ll find!
MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)
TUESDAY - Musical Chairs (music) / Hockey Talk (NHL)
WEDNESDAY - The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling)
THURSDAY - Keeping the news ridiculous... The Oddity / Chairshot NFL (NFL)
FRIDAY - DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)
SATURDAY - The Mindless Wrestling Podcast
SUNDAY - The Front and Center Sports Podcast
CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS
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
Chairshot Radio Network Your home for the hardest hitting podcasts... Sports, Entertainment and Sports Entertainment!
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Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!
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.

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
Prowrestlingtees.com/TheChairshot plenty of GREAT t-shirt designs! Makes an awesome gift!!
About Chairshot Radio Network
Launched in 2017, the Chairshot Radio Network presents you with the best in sports, entertainment, and sports entertainment. Wrestling and wrestling crossover podcasts + the most interesting content + the most engaging hosts = the most entertaining podcasts you’ll find!
MONDAY – Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)
TUESDAY – Musical Chairs (music) / Hockey Talk (NHL)
WEDNESDAY – The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling)
THURSDAY – POD is WAR
FRIDAY – DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)
SATURDAY – The Mindless Wrestling Podcast
SUNDAY – The Front and Center Sports Podcast / The Oddity… Keeping the news ridiculous!
CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS
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
Chairshot Radio Network
Your home for the hardest hitting podcasts… Sports, Entertainment and Sports Entertainment!
Listen on your favorite platform!
About Chairshot Radio Network
Launched in 2017, the Chairshot Radio Network presents you with the best in sports, entertainment, and sports entertainment. Wrestling and wrestling crossover podcasts + the most interesting content + the most engaging hosts = the most entertaining podcasts you’ll find!
MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)
TUESDAY - Musical Chairs (music) / Hockey Talk (NHL)
WEDNESDAY - The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling)
THURSDAY - Keeping the news ridiculous... The Oddity / Chairshot NFL (NFL)
FRIDAY - DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)
SATURDAY - The Mindless Wrestling Podcast
SUNDAY - The Front and Center Sports Podcast
CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS
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
Chairshot Radio Network Your home for the hardest hitting podcasts... Sports, Entertainment and Sports Entertainment!
Powered by RedCircle
Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!
Blog
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

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)
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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.
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