‘Stone Chilly’ Steve Austin made his in-ring wrestling return after 19 years on the sidelines as a part of a surprise-filled night time certainly one of WrestleMania 38.
Cody Rhodes made his shock return after defecting from rival firm AEW, whereas Bianca Belair received the Uncooked ladies’s title in an amazing contest with Becky Lynch.
The principle occasion noticed Kevin Owens welcome ‘Stone Chilly’ Steve Austin for an version of ‘The KO Present’.
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It become a No Holds Barred match, which Austin received with a Stone Chilly Stunner. He then surprised commentator Byron Saxton afterwards.
It was Austin’s first match again since his bout with The Rock at WrestleMania 19.
ULTIMATE GUIDE: All the things it’s essential to learn about WWE WrestleMania 38
1:58pm – Steve Austin def Kevin Owens in the primary occasion
Austin drank two beers and took a stunner, kicking out at two. He ducked a chair shot close to the ropes and Owens hit himself as an alternative, then copped a stunner and the pinfall.
Exhausting to fee one thing that’s not a standard match, however *** for what it was.
Owens got here out and did the stereotypical “I’m sorry… however not” factor, earlier than being interrupted by Austin, who seemed nice.
First he walked out – within the double knee braces, suggesting wrestling was coming – earlier than driving the ATV across the ring.
Owens challenged Austin to a No Holds Barred match proper now and he accepted… and the bell rang to make it official, Stone Chilly Steve Austin is having a wrestling match. (And one which wasn’t promoted as such! Bizarre! Most likely as a result of it’s somewhat bit smoke-and-mirrors.)
Given Austin’s age this was by no means going to be a technical traditional; it shortly moved into gradual walk-and-brawl outdoors the ring, with Owens bumping all over the place for him.
Having stated that Austin took a suplex on the concrete within the stands, earlier than Owens took two on the stage.
1:20pm – WrestleMania 39 venue and dates confirmed
WWE introduced subsequent 12 months’s WrestleMania 39 will likely be held at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium on Saturday April 1 and Sunday April 2 (US time).
The principle occasion Austin-Owens phase is up subsequent, so it seems they reduce the New Day-Sheamus/Holland match. Sheamus tweeted a scissors emoji.
It’s unclear why they might reduce the match once they performed roughly 20 minutes of video packages for tomorrow’s present – which they’ll repeat tomorrow – throughout this one.
1:12pm – Charlotte Aptitude retains over Ronda Rousey
This was a traditional PPV-type match with a screwy ending – not a WrestleMania-worthy clear ending. On the plus aspect, this helps clarify why the match didn’t go on final.
Charlotte acquired kicked right into a spear on Lil Naitch after which she tapped to Rousey’s armbar however the ref was down. Rousey went to assist him up and acquired a boot to the face… and acquired pinned off that?
This was was the most effective Rousey has seemed since her comeback on the Rumble however not an enormous fan of this reserving… she’s now had two WrestleMania predominant occasions (kinda) and didn’t win both of them. ***1/2
Some nice-looking floor reversals on this however fairly a number of spots the place they struggled, together with a really odd failed flippy one from Charlotte.
The ref Lil Naitch really counted three on Charlotte having her foot on the ropes after a Piper’s Pit, despite the fact that Charlotte’s foot was so clearly there from after the one rely, then waved it off.
Prolonged submission spots by each ladies – bear in mind once they tried to say Charlotte had by no means tapped out? Rousey reversed out of one of many best-looking Determine Eights Charlotte has ever carried out, and kicked out of Pure Choice.
12:42pm – Corridor of Fame celebration, crowd determine claimed
The Undertaker acquired a particular tribute as they celebrated this 12 months’s WWE Corridor of Fame inductees, together with Vader, the Steiner Brothers and Sharmell.
Then they claimed a crowd of 77,899 for night time one. The actual quantity is nearer to 60k although we received’t know for positive for months.
Charlotte Aptitude v Ronda Rousey is subsequent that means they appear to not be wrestling final, they usually’re treating the Austin-Owens phase as a match that wants a cooldown earlier than it.
12:28pm – Cody Rhodes def Seth Rollins
Not solely was Cody Rhodes the shock opponent for Seth Rollins, however he introduced his ‘American Nightmare’ nickname and theme music from AEW. Big second.
Rhodes received it after two Cross Rhodes in a row plus the Dusty bionic elbow, then a 3rd Cross Rhodes. ****
“There needs to be no distinction (from AEW to WWE),” Rhodes informed Selection in an interview that simply went stay.
“This was a spot that didn’t look after me. And it wasn’t that they didn’t have love and respect for me however as a wrestler, I wasn’t thought-about their most fascinating.”
FEATURE (from February): The shock defection set to ship professional wrestling’s hottest struggle for the reason that 90s into overdrive
Rollins acquired a giant entrance with… random individuals in Cowboys hats chanting?
Rhodes did a Stardust taunt at one level – you recognize, the excessive level of his profession – and Rollins kicked out of a single Cross Rhodes & a top-rope Cody Cutter.
Rollins hit an inverted superplex and held the dragon sleeper into one other slam which was fairly candy. Rhodes kicked out of a Pedigree.
Essentially the most promising factor about this was how properly Rhodes was offered. Precisely what WWE needed to do to make them a promising new house for any disgruntled AEW wrestlers… now we wait for a way they deal with him on TV.
11:48am – Belair def Lynch for the Uncooked ladies’s title
These ladies are superb & acquired loads of time. Belair wins the title with the KOD – that’s her second consecutive spectacular WrestleMania match. She’s among the finest big-match performers within the firm. ****1/2
WWE is so good at these big-time WrestleMania entrances that make the wrestlers really feel like large stars (regardless of a few of the pre-WM reserving).
Lynch got here out in a giant automotive with a elaborate graphics package deal intro (and was nonetheless common as a result of the heel flip simply hasn’t caught); Belair acquired a Texas Southern faculty marching band efficiency.
They went for a repeat of the SummerSlam end (hey bear in mind when Belair seemed foolish?), going for a gap handshake earlier than a fast Lynch finisher, however Belair kicked out.
Belair had an superior combo of dropping Lynch on the highest rope mixed with a Bret’s rope 450 splash, although her restoration at 9 on a possible 10-count was lower than convincing.
We acquired a Sasha Banks video package deal after this match, reminding us of how she’s being squandered within the tag title combine tomorrow.
Seth Rollins v Thriller Opponent is subsequent.
11:15am – Steph & Steveson phase
Stephanie McMahon got here out to introduce Olympic gold medallist and two-time faculty heavyweight wrestling champion Gable Steveson, so he may wave.
He’s gonna be on Uncooked sooner or later.
Becky Lynch v Bianca Belair is subsequent – so we’re getting a recap of the construct the place Belair seemed so cool at Mania final 12 months after which… let’s say, didn’t at SummerSlam. In the meantime Lynch needed to preserve claiming the followers had turned on her regardless of… let’s say, they didn’t.
11:08am – Miz and Logan Paul def The Mysterios
Miz & Paul acquired the win when the Mysterios each frog splashed Paul, however Miz had blind-tagged himself in and hit the Cranium Crushing Finale on Rey. ***1/4
I don’t assume it’s unreasonable to say Paul is already a greater wrestler than Dominik, and possibly Corbin from earlier within the present too; he did the Three Amigos at one level and he’s such a pure heel.
For no matter purpose Miz turned on Paul on the finish. I suppose he’s turning face, fully out of nowhere.
The Mysterios wore Los Gringos Locos tribute gear – good tribute to Eddie Guerrero and a throwback to the well-known When Worlds Collide PPV.
10:43am – Drew McIntyre def Glad Corbin
McIntyre overcomes the percentages (TM John Cena) and even kicks out of the Finish of Days – hey, they constructed a transfer up after which made the kick-out helpful, good! – getting the pin after the Claymore.
He actually deserves to be increased up the cardboard than this and labored onerous given his opponent to make this higher than the common TV-level match I used to be anticipating. ***
Within the post-match McIntyre tried to hit Madcap Moss with the sword, theoretically trying to homicide him, and as an alternative slashed the highest two ropes. In order that’s enjoyable.
Rey Mysterio and his giant grownup son vs Logan Paul and The Miz is subsequent.
10:22am – The Usos def Shinsuke Nakamura & Rick Boogs within the opener
Boogs went down complaining of a knee damage after making an attempt to hold each Usos, and the champs ended up pinning Nakamura after the 1D.
Nevertheless F4WOnline’s Bryan Alvarez reported it was a legit damage and that the end was modified due to it. Appears possible they went to the end early, which harm the match. **1/2
Dave Meltzer later reported Boogs had suffered a torn patella tendon.
Oh, and in case you had been questioning, they’re clearly nonetheless sweetening the gang noise.
Drew McIntyre v Glad Corbin is subsequent.
10:09am – First match confirmed, plus the claimed attendance
We’re underway in Dallas, with the SmackDown tag titles on the road first – The Usos vs Nakamura and Boogs.
However most curiously, Michael Cole promoted “over 70,000” followers inside AT&T Stadium. That’s nonetheless an exaggeration given they arrange for 60,000, but additionally an admission they received’t be getting close to the file from a number of years in the past.
Additionally there’s a bloke in a Souths jersey within the entrance row, due to course there may be.
9:43am – Who’re the favourites to win on WrestleMania Saturday?
Bookmakers in Australia have began itemizing odds for WrestleMania matches, that means we are able to get a glimpse of who the ‘favourites’ are primarily based on storylines and basic knowledge.
Ronda Rousey ($1.18) is a short-priced favorite to defeat Charlotte Aptitude ($4.50), whereas Bianca Belair ($1.37) is seen as barely much less more likely to take the title off of Becky Lynch ($3) within the ladies’s championship matches.
The Usos ($1.35) are tipped to retain over Nakamura and Boogs ($3.10), with Drew McIntyre ($1.08) a heavy favorite over Glad Corbin ($7).
The Mysterios ($1.42) are anticipated to knock off The Miz & Logan Paul ($2.75), regardless of the robust historical past of celebrities successful at Mania, whereas there needs to be extra pleased faces if The New Day ($1.58) beats Sheamus & Ridge Holland ($2.30).
Seth Rollins ($2.90) is predicted to lose to whoever his thriller opponent is ($1.38), with Cody Rhodes the $1.28 favorite to be the opponent forward of Shane McMahon ($5) and The Undertaker ($6).
And in the primary occasion, curiously they’re giving $1.60 favouritism to ‘Sure’ in “Will Steve Austin and Kevin Owens wrestle in an official match?”, which begs the query of why WWE would allow them to have a match and never advertise as such.
Oh, and for those who’re anticipating to get actually pissed off, you will get $2.20 odds on “will any title challenger win by way of DQ or countout?” throughout the complete WrestleMania weekend.
All odds by way of Sportsbet
WRESTLEMANIA 38 NIGHT ONE RESULTS AND STAR RATINGS
‘Stone Chilly’ Steve Austin def Kevin Owens ***
WWE SmackDown Ladies’s Championship: Charlotte Aptitude (c) def Ronda Rousey ***1/2
Cody Rhodes def Seth Rollins ****
WWE Uncooked Ladies’s Championship: Bianca Belair def Becky Lynch (c) ****1/2
The Miz and Logan Paul def Rey Mysterio and Dominik Mysterio ***1/4
Drew McIntyre def Glad Corbin ***
WWE SmackDown Tag Group Championship: The Usos [Jimmy and Jey Uso] (c) def Shinsuke Nakamura and Rick Boogs **1/2
Minimize for time/moved to nighttime two: The New Day [Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston] v Sheamus and Ridge Holland
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