WrestleMania 41 is the ultimate spectacle, and there are few experiences similar. How can you not love wrestling? Wrestling (or sports entertainment, if you prefer) is one of the vertebrae in the spinal cord of culture and entertainment.
The Show of Shows just wrapped up its 41st installment, and I have a few thoughts and opinions on Nights One and Two. This series of mini reviews for each match from WrestleMania 41 Night One will contain the results and my star rating system. Let’s get ready to rumble and talk about WrestleMania 41 Night One! We kick things off with our opening match
World Heavyweight Championship: Jey Uso def. Gunther
I hate starting things off negatively, but I thought this match was subpar. Even the hype of the Las Vegas crowd was not enough to sway me into loving this match. Okay, so let’s not make everything immediately negative, and let’s give this match some credit. Gunther is one of the greatest wrestlers currently working today. Jey Uso is the hottest thing in a while, and I honestly can not fault Triple H for giving Jey the Royal Rumble win. I didn’t love it, but I get it. Championship, but there also lies my problem.
Jey Uso is not a very good singles wrestler, Gunther is one of the greatest of all time, and I could not buy this match. As I watched, I called each of the moments that would happen after my prediction, and it got stale. It is a shame this match could not connect for me, but I am glad it’s over. Much respect for Jey and his long career that has led to this huge WrestleMania moment, but this was not a good match. Rough start. 2/5 Stars.
World Tag Team Championship: New Day Def. War Raiders
This match was frustrating because I love both teams, but the momentum picked up right as it finished. This fight ended way too early before I could get into it. I should have known this match would reek, because the modern-day Vikings came out dressed as Clash of Clans characters, with commentary explaining who they were. That alone made me mad, but whatever, there are constant sponsorships that are manageable to ignore.
So that was awful, but once the action began, everything was fairly tame overall. The War Raiders got in some good defense, New Day had some decent tactical offense, both guys did some neat aerial moves, momentum is building up, and now the match is over via cheating. Cool. 2/5 stars.
Jade Cargill Defeated Naomi
Alright, finally, we are getting somewhere! At this point, this is the best match so far. Jade Cargill is great, and I am happy she is with the big W. Naomi is always entertaining, and it is great she got a singles match at WrestleMania. This match had some good, hard hits, a few decent spots, good chemistry between them, good performances from both women, and an overall solid and fun match. 3/5 stars. This was fun and I liked it.
United States Championship: Jakob Fatu Def. LA Knight
Now that we have a little momentum going, bringing in LA Knight to carry the hype was a good move. Jacob Fatu is the coolest member of the Bloodline because he is a Werewolf. That is awesome. The chemistry was there, this was fun, I am pleased with the results, and now we have a Werewolf with a championship. 3.5/5 stars.
Grande Americano Defeated Rey Fenix
Rey Fenix is one of my favorite wrestlers in any promotion, and I marked out when he finally debuted in WWE. Initially, this match was supposed to be Rey Mysterio vs Grande Americano, but Rey was not medically cleared to compete, so on very short notice, Fenix stepped in. Given the circumstances around this new mysterious figure, I think Grande Americano is Chad Gable, but I do not have the evidence to back it up. With that said, I was excited for some damage.
Unfortunately, despite the awesomeness of several moments and spots, I found this match quick and disappointing. But hey, during the post-event press conference, Triple H was pleased and appreciative of Rey Fenix, so I think that is a great sign that Rey is in protected hands for the future. If he is happy, I am delighted. I will never forgive the Las Vegas audience for giving Rey Fenix a mild reception during his entrance. 2.5/5 stars.
WWE Women’s Championship: Tiffany Stratton defeated Charlotte Flair
Night 1 of WrestleMania 41, up to this point, was inconsistent, but the final two matches of the card are total bumpers. Since the dust has settled on the event, I have not heard a lot of talk about this match, which is shocking to me, because I quite enjoyed this match. The looming threat of another super-powered Charlotte Flair squashing a young talent felt real. Tiffany Stratton had to dig deep down to fight this fight, and I had fun here.
Commentary noted in each title match that the current champion had the Champion’s advantage (If a count out or disqualification occurred, the champion would retain), but Charlotte Flair has the Charlotte Flair advantage. I liked this match and thought both women fought for their lives. 4/5 stars. It is Tiffy Time all the time.
Main Event: Seth Rollins defeated CM Punk and Roman Reigns
We are in the Paul Levesque Era of WWE. Storylines and details play a much greater part in the product than at any other time in the company’s history. The WrestleMania 40 main event saw Cody Rhodes dethrone God King Roman Reigns from his WWE Championship. While the main event of Night 1 from this year’s event is much less dramatic than that, the high-tension drama, gigantic stakes, and epic conclusions were all still there.
I am unashamed to be a complete mark (Super fan) for all three men in this match- CM Punk, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns. A triple threat between three of the most powerful men in the company, all with ties to manager Paul Heyman, and countless accolades among them, was destined to be an immediate smash hit.
Oh boy, yes, it was. The layers of history between any combination of two men can go back at least two decades, and all that history was on display. The chemistry between each combination of athletes was nuts, the spots and wrestling were nonstop, and the ending is the devilish handshake WWE has seen in a long time. Yes, that includes John Cena turning heel earlier this year.
As a major Seth Rollins fan, I was elated when Seth pinned Roman. I do not have the time to tell you the entire history between Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns, but after Heyman low-blowed Punk and gave the chair to Roman, I could smell subterfuge, but I was not sure if my sniffer was correct.
As if the wrestling part of the match were not already thoroughly entertaining, we got a Heyman double cross, Heyman and Seth’s powerhouse new alliance, and several question marks for the future. That is how you end WrestleMania, generate intrigue for the future, and tell a story. I give this one 4.75 out of 5 stars, and I honestly could give it a 5 because it was so cool.
WrestleMania 41 Night One by Nolen Kelly
On the rare occasion that Triple H puts on a lackluster show, the worst thing to be said is that it is bland. Aside from the triple threat and Charlotte Flair and Tiffany Stratton’s match, there was not much of anything on this card. On The Grandest Stage of Them All- a boring night is no bueno. WrestleMania 41 Night 2 was a significantly better event, and I can not wait to talk more positively about WrestleMania.
Night One of WrestleMania gets 2.5/ 5 stars.
