WELCOME TO WRESTLE… uh…
Wrestle… Rainia?
Before the dreaded rain delay, Vince McMahon and the whole locker room were out on the stage and Vince welcomed everyone back with a heartfelt promo. Once we got the famous “Welcome to WrestleMania!” we saw an incredible video package.
And after all the greatness, Michael Cole announced the rain delay.
What followed was a real sports-like rain delay with actual unscripted promos from a bunch of people, and mostly everyone did really well with them.
What followed the rain delay was an extremely entertaining show. I want to personally thank the crowd for making this experience amazing. You were all wonderful. You made the show better. I have been recapping the main roster for one full year, and you were my first crowd. That’s insane!
We have to get into all of this greatness for WrestleMania Saturday. Show my tag team partner Rev. Claire Elizabeth all the love and check out the live blog of this show.
Let’s get into it!
The main event
Well I started crying immediately.
Both women soaked up the adulation and got emotional.
We got our first dueling chant of the evening for the main event. Belair and Banks shoved each other and Banks ducked a standing moonsault.
Banks did a suicide dive and Belair rolled through with Banks above her head. That was a great moment.
Belair did some squats with Banks and Banks grabbed her hair and di the running knee for a two count. Banks is great with an opening, and Belair gave it to her. Of course, Banks did her classic OMG SASHA moment and grabbed Belair’s hair and they played tug-of-war but Belair sent Banks into the steps.
Belair held Banks up and did a great suplex. Banks tried an arm drag but Belair got momentum with a kip up and standing shooting star press. Banks got her knees up as Bianca went for a 450 splash. My goodness Belair is strong. She two sit out powerbombs without assistance.
Banks tried a meteora but did a splash instead for a two count, and you could see the regret in her face. Sasha used Bianca’s hair to assist her with a Bank Statement. Smart roll out by Belair and she got to the ropes.
Banks tried to stomp on Belair but Belair moved out of the way and did the 450 splash for a near fall. Banks grabbed her hair again and Belair whipped her with it!
AND THEN BIANCA HIT THE KOD TO WIN!
This match was booked perfectly! Sasha used Bianca’s ponytail to her advantage, and it took that ponytail to slap the momentum out of her for Bianca to get the win. This was the moment that Bianca and Sasha both needed to seal the deal. Women can main event and this historical match proved it.
The welt on Sasha’s ribs from the ponytail looked nasty as hell. She was also brilliant here. Sasha is a GOAT tier performer, even if some of her moves look like she’ll get legitimately injured from them. A lot of talked badly about that, but I think she knows how to make it work.
This is the type of star making performance Bianca had in her. I’m so elated. Congratulations to both women.
The new beast slayer
Drew McIntyre got his wish, and was the first wrestler to enter the ring.
All of this just felt incredible, didn’t it? Real cheers. Real boos. People surrounding the ring.
McIntyre’s snap suplex got a roar from the crowd. He beat Lashley up in the corner and the crowd kept at it. Lashley threw McIntyre into the barricades to gain momentum.
McIntyre came back and tried to get the armbar in, but Lashley pummeled him to break it. Lashley backed McIntyre into the corner to break the futureshock DDT.
MCINTYRE DID A NORTHERN LIGHTS SUPLEX!
Lashley responded with a powerslam for the heavens. So impressive to see that on a big man. Lashley went for the Hurt lock but McIntyre got out of it. Then we heard the first WOOOO! chants from a crowd in over a year.
All the way up top, McIntyre went to suplex but Lashley knocked him off the ropes.
McIntyre’s first Claymore Kick was halted. But he did three futureshock DDTs and that got him a near fall. And then Lashley ducked a second Claymore and McIntyre launched over the ropes to take out the heels! The crowd went nuts and I almost teared up a little. McIntyre looked a little emotional before that.
Lashley went for the Hurt Lock but McIntyre blocked it. Then he countered the spinebuster with a Kimura Lock and Lashley got to the ropes! The drama in this match was amazing.
Lashley finally got the Hurt Lock in and Drew faded, but rallied to loud cheers. And Lashley locked it in again, Drew couldn’t get back up.
I am shocked that Bobby retained here. I was sure that Drew was going to get the win to start the show. I would have put money on Drew getting the win. Even though he didn’t this match was great and was the right way to start this show off.
I am so happy for Bobby Lashley. He deserved this win, truly. They’ve made him out to be a real monster, and now, I don’t know who slays this beast.
Maybe… another beast?
Thank you Bad Bunny
Bunnies. A lot of them.
Miz and Morrison entered to Hey Hey Hop Hop and a lot of bunnies accompanied them. We didn’t need it, but a bunny lost an ear so it was kind of worth it! I genuinely laughed at that part.
Damian Priest, I like you.
BAD BUNNY RODE IN ON AN 18 WHEELER!
Miz told Priest to tag Bad Bunny in, so he gave us what we wanted. Miz taunted him and then he got what he asked for. Bunny him in a wait lock and clocked him in the face again. Miz got Bunny in the corner and shoved his face, but Bunny took him down. He countered an arm drag with one of his own.
Mr. Bunny was having a lot of fun with this. Miz kicked him in the mid section and tossed him out of the ring. BAD BUNNY (MOVE)
Morrison tagged in and it slowed Bunny’s momentum. Miz kicked him in the face and Morrison bounced him off the announce table. The crowd chanted Benito (Bad Bunny’s name) and he did a tornado DDT to Miz.
Priest tagged in and cleaned house. He chokeslammed Miz but Morrison broke the pin. Tandem falcon arrows from Priest and Bunny got both men a near fall. That was so cool.
Bad Bunny lept onto Miz and Morrison like from the Royal Rumble but Miz got Priest in a Skull Crushing finale and Bunny broke the pin.
BAD BUNNY DID A BUNNY (CANADIAN) DESTROYER TO MORRISON! And then a cross body assisted by Priest to pin Miz.
That was ridiculously fun. Bad Bunny put in the work and he did great! He is a real fan of wrestling and you can tell he appreciated every moment of this. He got a kick ass entrance and got so much in to pop everyone. Miz and Morrison were the perfect foils.
Damian Priest got a big rub from this match, and thankfully because he’s likely to be alone going forward.
What a major celebrity moment for Wrestlemania. Thank you Bad Bunny for the weeks of entertainment. You proved you belong.
Swinging to victory
Cesaro went for an early Swing! He knew what we all wanted.
He did a corkscrew uppercut and that’s when Rollins started targeting the arm. He went for the gut wrench suplex, but Rollins got him up for the buckle bomb. Rollins kept being smart and attacked the arm more. Rollins did the superplex and falcon arrow for a two count.
Cesaro worked through the pain and did a whole bunch of uppercuts. He tried the swing again and Rollins grabbed the ropes. Rollins went for the curb stomp and Cesaro countered with the swing! He only was able to do about 10, though.
Rollins did the sling blade and a corkscrew splash for a near fall!
A surprise neutralizer got Cesaro a near fall. Wow I thought it was over there. Rollins did his old mentor’s move, the pedigree, but wasn’t able to capture the victory with it.
Rollins called himself a God and got Cesaro on the neck two times. But Cesaro countered a stomp with an uppercut similar to the Orton counter. And then the second swing! 23 times and a neutralizer, Cesaro picked up the win.
Cesaro got the win. Another finish I did not expect. Seth was on a roll leading up to this show and it’s so awesome to see WWE give Cesaro the win.
This was an awesome way to give Cesaro momentum post WrestleMania. Looks like what some have been saying may come to fruition. Cesaro could be in the world title picture very soon.
Omos debut ruled
AJ Styles nearly slipped doing his entrance and recovered well. That was funny.
New Day got Big E to do the entrance again, and that was such a delight.
So, Omos’ gear was very interesting. Before he took the jacket off, it looked like he had a button down on. Kingston twerked and drop kicked Styles. Woods did an elbow drop for a two count. Woods and Kingston were able to isolate Styles in their corner and do the stomps to Styles in the turnbuckle.
Styles got finger length away from tagging Omos, but New Day worked so well together to ensure Omos didn’t get in the match. Kingston taunted Styles and he got out of the ring to run around and tag Omos and it didn’t work.
This was a bit odd because it made New Day a bit heelish to me. I don’t blame them though. I wouldn’t have wanted Omos anywhere near me.
Finally Styles tagged in Omos and Woods kicked him in the legs, Omos didn’t move. Woods tried a drop kick and it didn’t work. Kingston tagged in and Omos tossed him aside. He grabbed Woods and Kingston and slammed their spines on his knee.
Styles used Omos’ shoulders to do the Phenomenal Forearm! Omos picked up Kingston and slammed him to the mat and got the victory.
This was incredibly fun. Omos’ wrestling debut was a success and New Day were the perfect team to do this. It’s also nice to finally see Styles as a tag champion. I’m a little confused as to why New Day were pretty much working heel for this.
It did make me want to see Styles and Omos as face tag champions. Omos looked like a lot of fun. Of course he wasn’t moving around like other big men, but time will tell if he will really get to do some more moves.
Shane McMahon is crazy
Braun Strowman was fired up!
Shane held the door closed and Ryker and Elias ambushed him with chair shots. They threw a chair in the ring and McMahon hit him over and over.
He tried to get out through the door and Strowman grabbed him back. McMahon went for his patented crappy MMA fighting and kept going for the leg Elias and Ryker targeted. He then grabbed a metal plate from the top of the cage and slammed it onto Strowman’s back.
Strowman launched him into the cage and did his own punches. McMahon got in between the ropes and the cage and Strowman put the hurt on. McMahon did the coast to coast and got a near fall. Ryker and Elias climbed up the cage and tried to take Shane out, but Strowman took care of them.
Both were up top and there was a toolbox and Shane grabbed it and hit Strowman, but Strowman recovered and ripped the cage open to pull him back in. Both went back up to the top and STROWMAN THREW HIM OFF TO THE MAT! HE JUST LAUNCHED HIM OFF THE CAGE! Ow!
Strowman picked him up and did the running powerslam to win.
That was quite a finish. We know that Shane is crazy, but wow he really is crazy! That must be writing Shane off for a while. Shane gets all the respect from me for that.
Braun was always going to win this, but honestly I was kind of hoping to get the train noise for this match. I really wanted to hear the crowd reaction to it. Braun did it for anyone who’s been bullied.
Just remember to gloss over the fact that he was bullying people a few months back.
Dominant veterans
Naomi and Carmella started off the tag turmoil.
Billie Kay was the star, as usual. She tried her best but Lana tagged Naomi after a Russian leg sweep.
Billie kay pinned Naomi, and the Riott Squad entered the ring. Alrighty then.
Billie dumped Ruby out and Morgan almost got pinned by Kay, but the referee saw Carmella holding Kay there. The Riott Squad won that bout, and out came Mandy Rose and Dana Brooke.
Brooke got really frustrated when Morgan broke her pin attempt and brought out some aggression. A nice spinning neckbreaker got her a two count. Ruby got the Riott Kick but Brooke returned the favor and broke her pin attempt. Rose superplexed Morgan, and Brooke almost got the pin but it was rolled up and Morgan got the win for the team.
Finally, Tamina and Natalya came in and I almost thought for a second Natty was going to get rolled up. Natty powerbombed Morgan and Ruby broke up the pin. Morgan worked her way out of a Samoan Drop and tagged Ruby. They worked together to get a pin but got a two count. Natty tagged in and was going for the sharpshooter, but tagged Tamina to so the splash for the win.
Wasn’t the group I wanted, but after the past month, it should have been expected by everyone. I was pulling for Ruby and Liv for this. I’m not quite sure how heel team vs. heel team for night two is supposed to go over.
I’m seeing a title change tomorrow, courtesy of a botched Reginald interference. That’s how this is supposed to end, right? It’ll get the tag titles primarily on SmackDown and Shayna Baszler will finally break from Nia Jax.
Grade: A
What were your thoughts on WrestleMania night one, and what are your predictions for night two, Cagesiders?