Live from Sofi Stadium in the heart of Los Angeles, California. Saturday, April 1st, 2023
United States Championship match: Austin Theory (c) vs John Cena
What a way to start off the show, the ever-professional legend that is John Cena will never fail to get the crowd electric and on their feet. Probably not a bad call to start off your WrestleMania weekend with him and the ever so punch able heel, Austin Theory. I’ve admittedly always been a Cena mark and my inner child wanted to keep the hope alive that he’d win this match and start off the weekend of action on a very high note. Putting gold back around John’s waist would have created a tear in my eye but, realistically, we got about what most wrestling folk probably expected…John Cena putting Austin Theory over. It was a back-and-forth contest none the less, where we got to reminisce on the glory days of Cena a little as he hit his classic 5 Knuckle Shuffle, STF, and attempted an AA (or FU depending upon your era) or 2, but ultimately, Theory found the classic heel road to victory. Cena yanked Theory off the ropes in an attempt to connect with his finishing move the Attitude Adjustment, but Theory’s feet connected with the ref knocking him down. This didn’t stop Cena however, who quickly locked Theory into an STF as he wiggled off his shoulders, ultimately causing Theory to tap out…unfortunately, there was no referee and as John was dealing with getting him back to his feet, he was hit with a low blow, setting up for Austin’s finisher (A Town Down) for the pin and victory.
Result: Austin Theory retains
Men’s Showcase Match: Ricochet and Braun Strowman vs The Viking Raiders vs The Street Profits vs Alpha Academy
I mean what can you say? I was pleasantly surprised by this match in almost every aspect. I didn’t expect much from either Showcase match this weekend and that’s not knocking any of the talent involved in either as well because I am a fan of quite a few competitors in both contests, but they just felt like the “let’s get as many people as we can on the WrestleMania card” matches of the weekend and didn’t have much stipulation or excitement going in. This however was 8-9 minutes of nonstop action and excitement, “showcasing” everyone involved in one way or another throughout the match. The finish involved Ricochet who had just hit a springboard shooting star press on the outside of the ring and was setting up another on the inside on Angelo Dawkins, who got the knees up on him, ultimately setting him up for a big splash from Montez Ford and a pin by Dawkins for the win.
Result: The Street Profits win
Seth Rollins vs Logan Paul
The ultimate viral internet sensation Logan Paul vs arguably the best overall wrestler right now, Seth Rollins, feels like a bit of an odd mismatch, but this match went surprisingly well. I mean Logan has already gone 12 rounds with one of the best boxers of all time, Floyd Mayweather, so why couldn’t he go rounds with one of the very best wrestlers in the ring? It’s time to quit doubting this man’s ability. After ziplining his way to the ring with a Prime bottle mascot alongside him, Paul started the match with a flurry of offense busting out moves we haven’t yet seen in his move set. Between a standing moonsault, leg sweeps, a buckshot lariat, and even a submission move, Paul impressed in his Mania showing. Ultimately, Rollins battled back with a few suicide dives and a powerbomb and the action continued back and forth for a while. Highlights included KSI revealing himself as the Prime bottle mascot and being put through the announce table by a Logan Paul splash after Rollins moved at the last second yanking him onto the table, and a GTS followed by a frog splash by Paul for a close 2 count. Ultimately the will and in ring knowledge of Rollins proved too much for Paul as he landed a superkick and booming curb stomp on the internet star for the victory.
Result: Seth Rollins wins
Becky Lynch, Lita, and Trish Stratus vs Damage CTRL (Bayley, Iyo Sky, and Dakota Kai)
This match was cool for the simple fact that we got to see the women’s legends, Lita and Trish Stratus back in in-ring action at another WrestleMania, something I wasn’t sure I’d ever see again. Besides that though, I’m not entirely sure this match had the most purpose other than giving these legends an honest and epic stage to showcase their abilities after years of questionable objectification and get some “You Still Got It!” chants from the crowd. And to obviously get some of their most talented and popular women’s wrestlers on the WrestleMania card, yet again. None the less, this match created some awesome highlights for these women that will be used for video packages involving them for years to come. Becky and Lita giving a nod to Team Extreme with a Poetry in Motion top rope leg drop combo, Trish landing her iconic Chick Kick, Lita with a moonsault, and Iyo Sky reaching for the sky with an outside the ring moonsault, taking out everyone with one fell swoop. In the end, Becky Lynch got the upper hand on Bayley on the ropes, hitting her with a man handle slam off of the top rope for a 3.
Result: Becky Lynch, Lita, and Trish Stratus win
Rey Mysterio vs Dominik Mysterio
I had a lot of investment into this match personally as well. Rey Mysterio is a legend and a core part of my childhood (like the earlier mentioned John Cena) and I’ve felt less than impressed with the treatment he has received in his recent run in the company. I’ll give credit where it is due though, this story and build was epic, and Dom has gone leaps and bounds from where he was at last WrestleMania and is doing excellent work as a heel. However, my heart could not possibly take Rey Mysterio and his legacy being thoroughly disrespected through the entire build of this match, leading to yet another big loss for him. Dom entered in handcuffs in the back of a paddywagon donning one of Mysterio’s classic masks from Halloween Havoc ’97, leaning into the funny ex-con persona. Rey one upped him entering riding shotgun in a low-rider as Snoop Dogg drove with Eddie Guerrero’s classic theme playing in the background, before his music clicked on as he entered the stage. Rey’s experience allowed him the advantage earlier in the match, toying with Dom, before literally whooping him with a belt (shouldn’t have been such a bad boy Dom!) Dom only truly got advantage of the match after distracting Rey by messing with his family sitting ringside, throwing a glass of water in his sister’s face before getting a good slap from his mother later on. Rey almost had the match won at one point after a 619 to Dom before Judgment Day got involved, leading to the LWO’s arrival to even things back up. Near the end of the match, Dom had the upper hand before removing the top turnbuckle causing a momentary distraction of the referee and creating the opening for Dom to grab a hidden steel chain he had ringside to use on his downed father. Platinum recording artist Bad Bunny was ringside, however, and couldn’t stand to see things go down like that, yanking the chain from Dom’s hand and taking his attention away from Rey for the moment. Rey capitalized hitting him with a 619 into a frog splash for the 1-2-3 and momentarily restoring my heart.
Result: Rey Mysterio wins
Smackdown Women’s Championship match: Charlotte Flair (c) vs Rhea Ripley
Wow. Just wow, man. What else is there to say, these women put on a clinic. Rhea Ripley in the culmination of her revenge tour against THE main event woman herself, Charlotte Flair. These two met a couple years back at Mania in similar circumstances, Charlotte the champ and Rhea the Rumble victor, but this Rhea Ripley is a whole different animal. Much darker persona, more polished, more vicious, more confident. Yet undeniably, Flair was her biggest challenge to date. Charlotte said it herself, since she’s debuted, she’s either been the champion or challenging for the title in all 7 WrestleMania’s she’s competed in, truly a main event competitor. Ripley took the upper hand early, coming at Flair with the vicious confidence she’s oozed on the road to this match. Ripley went for a Riptide earlier on that was countered by Flair into a spiked DDT and near fall. The last half of that match was intense, filled with heavy back and forth moves and near falls to keep you utterly invested and on the edge of your seat. Ripley hit a booming German suplex on Flair at one point, causing her to do a complete flip in the air and take the majority of the impact of the mat to her face. Flair seemed to have it in the bag a time or 2 with her extensive move set, submissions, and a picture perfect moonsault onto Ripley, but the ferociousness and pure will of Ripley was proven to be too much in the end. Rhea dropped Flair face first into the post after an attempted dive into the corner and while she was in position, hit her with a top rope Riptide for the pin and win.
Result: Rhea Ripley wins and becomes new Smackdown Women’s Champion
Main Event: Undisputed Tag Team Championship match: The Usos (Jimmy and Jey Uso) (c) vs Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
My goodness, I feel like this match could be one of those that goes down in history just simply for the payoff and that feel good story. Not only the payoff of this incredible storyline, but the overall payoff in the real life of Sami and Kevin being lifelong friends. From main eventing together in the very first tag team match to main event at WrestleMania since the first one, and the only tag team championship match to ever main event, all four of these gentlemen have quite the accomplishment. The investment into this storyline for months going in and the emotion evoked from the audience from the opening bell with the square off between Sami and Jey was intense. The crowd was red hot when Sami had the upper hand early, but momentum changed fast as the experienced and focused champs took control. Things shifted eventually as Sami got KO in for a hot tag pulling the crowd back into it heavily. He quickly disposed of Jimmy on the outside and delivered a heavy splash onto Jey. Owens kept control for a few until the champs regained grip of the situation and laid the beat down onto Kevin. The match progressed in similar back and forth heavy-handed action with KO and Sami showing off some of their limitless talents throughout, including an apron brainbuster from Sami and a Swanton Bomb from Owens. A couple very close calls as the Usos laid out Owens through the announce table and hit Zayn with a 1-D, and Zayn and Owens hit a Helluva kick-Stunner combo onto Jey for both very, very near 2 falls causing fans to fall off their seats. Eventually, KO discarded of Jimmy from the top rope, as Zayn connected 3 Helluva kicks to Jey to serve as the final nail in the coffin for the longest reigning tag team champs in WWE history.
Result: Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn win and become Undisputed Tag Team Champions
Overall consensus:
Most forgettable match: Becky Lynch, Lita, and Trish Stratus vs Damage CTRL
This is taking nothing away from these women, this was still an overall decent match that saw some neat moves pulled out by all parties involved at one point or another. It just felt like the most out of place match on an otherwise killer card for Night 1. The energy from the audience was a bit off compared to the other matches, although there was still some obvious pop for the legends in Lita and Trish, along with fan favorite Becky. This just lacked the overall feeling of a WrestleMania match despite their best efforts and was placed in a tough spot on the card between Rollins vs Paul and Rey vs Dom.
Best entrance of the night: Rey Mysterio
WrestleMania is known for having some pretty epic and extravagant entrances from your favorite superstars, and I believe no one came close to outdoing the epicness in Rey Mysterio’s on Night 1 this year. From the low-rider and Eddie Guerrero music giving his obvious tribute to his deceased best friend, to Snoop Dogg driving him out with Nuthin But a G Thang bumping subtly in the background, to his classic theme clicking on as he ran up to the stage. This was all done so smoothly and gave an amazing encapsulation to the life and career of the man behind the mask, Rey Mysterio.
Best match of the night: Charlotte Flair vs Rhea Ripley for the Smackdown Womens Championship:
When I say these women put on a clinic earlier, I couldn’t have spoken anything more true. Charlotte proved yet again why she’s in the spot she’s in, in the women’s title match at WrestleMania. She’s just so fluent, polished, poised, and confident in that ring every time she enters and never fails to look like a million bucks inside the squared circle. Rhea Ripley proved to everyone that she is what she says she is and will continue to be a top contender for years to come in the women’s division. She was confident and vicious, but calculated and powerful, absolutely showing that she’s a force to be reckoned with. Charlotte vs Rhea and KO and Sami vs The Usos have potential to be match of the year contenders with how well wrestled and well executed they were from all parties involved. However, I’d give my personal edge to Charlotte vs Rhea for best “wrestling” match, tossing emotional investment to the side for the moment.
