After an at-times tough 12 months, WWE got here again with a bang, producing a surprise-filled and action-packed WrestleMania 38 in entrance of a mixed 130,000 followers.
And whereas some wrestlers shone brightly on the large stage, not all the pieces went precisely to plan – for higher and for worse.
We grade the important thing moments and matches from WWE WrestleMania 38 in our Report Card!
Re-watch WWE WrestleMania 38 LIVE on Predominant Occasion out there on Kayo & Foxtel. ORDER NOW >
NIGHT TWO WRAP: Lesnar dethroned in world title bout; 76yo WWE boss’ wild in-ring return
NIGHT ONE WRAP: Austin’s 19-year comeback stuns, Rousey shocked in revenge bid
GRADE: A
Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
Two finest buddies from Montreal, who many thought would by no means even get a shot in WWE, have been crucial parts of two of WrestleMania 38’s finest segments.
Each Owens (in opposition to Stone Chilly Steve Austin) and Zayn (in opposition to Johnny Knoxville) got the duty of carrying non-full-time wrestlers, and each utterly delivered.
Owens was the proper foil to Austin, who at 57 was by no means going to wrestle a typical match, however ended up doing greater than anticipated with assist from his youthful opponent.
Zayn arguably had a harder activity, doing the majority of the work in opposition to a complete non-wrestler in Knoxville, and was spectacular within the course of.
With WrestleMania focusing an increasing number of on spectacle than on pure wrestling, guys like Owens and Zayn showcased the crucial artwork of being the unhealthy man that will get the great man over. Backstage, they’d’ve gotten as a lot reward as – if no more than – anybody else.
Bianca Belair
In our view, that’s consecutive WrestleManias the place Belair has been a part of the most effective match throughout each nights.
After her stellar night time one predominant occasion in opposition to Sasha Banks final yr, Belair and Becky Lynch have been great of their Uncooked ladies’s title match.
Each matches have been the beneficiaries of being put collectively accurately, as a result of each instances they led to a well-liked Belair win. It’s all the time simpler to get an excellent crowd response whenever you’re giving the folks what they need, even when followers have been reticent to boo Lynch ever since she turned heel.
The query now could be whether or not Belair’s huge second will once more be squandered – in any case, at SummerSlam she seemed foolish by the hands of Lynch in a approach a well-liked fae ought to by no means – or in the event that they’re truly going to advertise her on the degree of Lynch and Charlotte Aptitude.
The dealing with of Cody Rhodes… up to now
We knew Rhodes was going to be Seth Rollins’ thriller opponent based mostly on on-line studies – however we didn’t understand how he could be offered.
Rhodes was by no means pushed on the predominant occasion degree in his first WWE run, however has constructed an intriguing persona that may simply develop into loveable or hateable relying on the context, whereas enhancing his in-ring talents because of matches with some future Corridor of Famers in different firms.
And what we’ve seen up to now is that Vince McMahon doesn’t love presenting ‘outsiders’ as superstars. It’s what cruelled the WCW invasion storyline in 2001, the best lay-up in wrestling historical past that by some means ended up being concerning the McMahons and Rock v Austin and ending within the house of eight months.
However after prolonged contract negotiations, Rhodes got here out precisely as he would’ve come out if he’d stayed along with his earlier employer – as The American Nightmare, with the identical music he’s used throughout each different main wrestling promotion.
Not solely that however he bought the win over Rollins and got here throughout as big-time. It all the time helps whenever you’re a contemporary face, however popping out of WrestleMania, Rhodes has simple momentum that they need to not squander.
We don’t understand how lengthy the world titles will keep unified, and perhaps ready till SummerSlam can be too lengthy, however Rhodes difficult Roman Reigns on July 30 at Nissan Stadium in Nashville sounds good to us.
GRADE: B
All the Pat McAfee v Austin Idea (and extra) phase
Anybody who noticed McAfee’s matches in NXT a few years in the past knew he might wrestle, and the ex-NFL punter’s match with Idea was just about excellent.
Idea did an excellent job within the Owens/Zayn function mentioned above, however he didn’t have to work across the athletic McAfee fairly as a lot as they did, because the commentator fortunately got here off the highest rope a number of instances.
In a way, it’s an issue that arguably the most well-liked good man over the complete weekend was a commentator – the celebrations after he pinned Idea have been huge – and goes to the corporate’s points constructing good guys on weekly TV. Nevertheless it was very pleasurable within the second.
We’ve docked the phase a bit as a result of Vince McMahon actually shouldn’t be allowed to wrestle at 76 years previous, as enjoyable because it was, and his ‘match’ with McAfee was a large number. It was purely there for the needs of getting Stone Chilly out for a stunner, however we nonetheless needed to sit via it.
GRADE: C
The Roman Reigns-Brock Lesnar predominant occasion
It’s not prefer it was going to be anything. The match was fairly good. The consequence was honest sufficient, with the youthful Reigns lastly beating Lesnar at WrestleMania after two failed makes an attempt.
Nevertheless it was precisely what you anticipated, and it was Reigns’ sixth Mania predominant occasion in eight years, and one other Reigns-Lesnar assembly with the very same type of match lacked the factor of shock that the remainder of the cardboard produced.
And as an entire, we’re only a bit puzzled with the path on the high of the corporate. Reigns and Lesnar have been pushed so very strongly that we’re left with few, if any, viable challengers for the brand new unified world champion Reigns.
Cody Rhodes makes some sense as talked about however is WWE going to go all the way in which with him as the person to lastly unseat Reigns? Everybody else on the principle roster has had their likelihood.
The hearsay mill has urged that The Rock will return at subsequent yr’s WrestleMania 39 in Los Angeles and tackle Reigns – which is sensible, given the entire Bloodline/household angle – however clearly he’s not the younger man to take WWE ahead. Reigns certainly wins that, or else his run has been considerably wasted.
After which we’re left in the identical spot we’re in proper now.
The place’s Rhea Ripley at?
Look, we’re a bit biased as a result of she’s Aussie, however they bought little or no out of her beating Asuka for the title eventually yr’s Mania, with the dealing with of her feud with Charlotte Aptitude nonetheless a sore level for a lot of.
Absolutely she deserves extra subsequent yr than being only a bit half in an eight-woman match for the tag titles.
GRADE: D
Charlotte Aptitude v Ronda Rousey
The SmackDown ladies’s title match was a disappointment, with Aptitude and Rousey exhibiting minimal chemistry – although Aptitude usually has that downside, so maybe it’s extra about her?
Parts of the bout have been stable and it was nonetheless pleasurable, however there have been just a few blatant errors and the ending was extra worthy of a TV match or B-level pay per view than a WrestleMania.
In any case, what’s the level of the largest present of the yr if we’re having a end – Aptitude tapped when the ref was down, then received off a kick to the face – that primarily builds in the direction of a future match?
It’s spectacular that Rousey has gotten again within the ring so shortly after giving start however she hasn’t been on the degree we noticed in her preliminary WWE run.
Her dropping to Becky Lynch at WrestleMania 35 was excellent; Rousey got here in as a pure star and helped push Lynch to that subsequent degree (in concept). Shedding to Aptitude doesn’t accomplish the identical objective, particularly once we know Rousey ought to’ve received based mostly on the visible submission earlier than the ref bump.
In the meantime Aptitude continues to be promoted as the kind of needle-moving, in-ring famous person that Sasha Banks truly is. We’d say it’s puzzling – particularly when she might’ve misplaced to assist get her nearer to her dad’s claimed 16 world title reigns – however then we go, oh yeah, her dad.
Messy finishes at WrestleMania
As talked about above, this was an issue in Aptitude-Rousey, but in addition in AJ Kinds’ loss to Edge on night time two.
Kinds was crushed when he was distracted by Damian Priest standing close to him at ringside, permitting Edge to counter a Phenomenal Forearm right into a Spear. Priest then joined up with Edge.
That is the type of end you get whenever you’re constructing in the direction of a WrestleMania match – the unhealthy man’s dastardly plan pays off, and also you need to put down your hard-earned cash to see the great man get his revenge – not whenever you’re truly on the largest present of the yr.
Sure, WWE has to placed on two stay TV exhibits every week, each week of the yr, so some storylines have to preserve going to construct in the direction of the following present.
However when these unclean finishes are used so usually on TV – the place they’re a crutch that’s closely relied upon – it makes it extra irritating whenever you’re given them on the large exhibits too.
GRADE: F
Vince McMahon taking a stunner
He’s 76 years previous so he shouldn’t be taking bumps, however holy moly that was the worst response to a stunner in WWE historical past.
Even worse than those Linda McMahon took again within the day. Significantly.