Wrestlemania 41 Night Two

COUNTDOWN SHOW 

The 3-hour pre-show began with a lengthy video recap of night one. Cody Rhodes and his glasses, Iyo Sky, Bianca Belair, and Rhea Ripley arrived.

The panel began once again with Michael Cole, Pat McAfee, Big E, and Wade Barrett. They spoke about Jey Uso’s win and Paul Heyman aligning with Seth Rollins. Cole and McAfee admitted they should have seen the latter coming. 

John Cena will be on McAfee’s show tomorrow. That sort of feels like a spoiler. 

The Women’s World title triple threat match will open tonight’s show.

There was a feature on the Razor Ramon/Shawn Michaels ladder match from WrestleMania 10, and they showed the final few minutes of Tiffany Stratton vs. Charlotte Flair from last night. 

There was a video package for Cody Rhodes vs. John Cena. Six different talking heads spoke about tonight’s main event. Cole promised us that he would call it down the middle. That seems unlikely. 

There was a Randy Orton video package. 

Belair did a sit-down interview with Byron Saxton. They’re putting a bit more emphasis on Belair being undefeated (minus a battle royal) at Mania.

Jackie Redmond ran down tonight’s card, and there was a Hall of Fame video. 

Two hours to go.

They aired more of Triple H’s interview with Peter Rosenberg. 

The panel is now Redmond, Big E, and Rosenberg. More wrestlers arrived, and Penta was shown taking a ride on the Goodyear blimp. 

Travis Scott, Jey Uso, and Tyler Breeze were nearby opening cards and signing them for fans. Jey had his newly won World title belt with updated side plates. The announcers wondered if he’d slept yet.

Video packages played for Rhodes and for Drew McIntyre vs. Damian Priest. 

Cathy Kelley interviewed Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez. Morgan went on a rant because she was upset that Kelly would think they took out Bayley. Kelley wasn’t accusing them of that — she just wanted to know their thoughts on Lyra Valkyria and her mystery partner. Morgan and Rodriguez weren’t too worried about it. Morgan called Kelley a dummy, and Rodriguez tussled her hair. The panellists talked about the match, and Big E not-so-subtly hinted at Becky Lynch.

We’re at the point in the pre-show where delirious fans in the heat chanted for Byron Saxton. 87 minutes to go. 

They aired the final few moments of last night’s main event. They focused next on AJ Styles and Logan Paul. 

One hour to go. 

There was a video for the IC title four-way. 

Tony Hinchcliffe spoke to Tessitore and Roberts. He was booed.

Kelley had a sit-down interview with Rhea Ripley. She tried to tell a sob story about how she can no longer trust anyone. That makes sense as it pertains to Judgment Day, but she also felt betrayed by Belair and Sky, and I have no idea why. They didn’t really do anything to her. Sky beat her clean for the title, and Belair won the Chamber. 

They aired the final moments of Jacob Fatu vs. LA Knight. 

Thirty-four minutes before WrestleMania, we watched Big E and Rosenberg play the Fatal Fury video game.

Cole sat down with Rhodes. Among the things he said, Rhodes said Cena is struggling with the fact that WWE has moved on without him while he’s kissing James Gunn’s ass. 

There was a video of Rosenberg playing poker with Big E, Jey Uso, and Killer Mike.

They aired Jey beating Gunther for the title. 

The panellists gave their final thoughts on tonight’s card, and they aired the Las Vegas video from last night, narrated by Dana White.

Ava Max sang the American national anthem. They made sure to let us know that she has over “50 billion streams worldwide.” 

WRESTLEMANIA 41 – NIGHT TWO

Cody Rhodes and his glasses, Judgment Day, Penta, Bron Breakker, and Randy Orton, accompanied by his wife, were shown arriving. This portion of the show was brought to us by a sponsor. Rhodes seemed to get a mixed reaction. 

Rhea Ripley, Iyo Sky, and Bianca Belair were shown getting ready. Belair was definitely booed. 

After the intro, Stephanie McMahon was in the ring. She said she was 16 years old the last time WrestleMania was in Las Vegas, and now her middle daughter was 16. WWE was a family, and she welcomed us home and to WrestleMania. Fireworks went off. 

Michael Cole, Wade Barrett, and Pat McAfee are tonight’s announcers again. 

Ripley entered last to a big reaction.

Triple Threat Match: IYO SKY defeated Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley to retain the Women’s World Championship (14:28)

***1/2

Thumbs Up

Sky took the fight to her opponents but was dropkicked out of the ring by Ripley. That led to an exchange between Ripley and Belair, which Belair got the better of. Sky got back in and knocked down both opponents with some sort of move off the top and a double dropkick. 

Belair gave Sky three consecutive vertical suplexes, including a delayed suplex at the end. The fans couldn’t help but applaud that. Ripley gave Sky a Razor’s Edge right into Belair, which looked awesome, for a two count. 

As Ripley put Sky in a Prism lock, Belair tried to catch Ripley in a KOD, but they wound up planting each other down with facebusters. All three women brought each other down with a triple suplex off the ropes moments later. 

Ripley booted Belair, and Sky hit Ripley with a springboard dropkick. As Sky posed for the fans, Belair pounced her (which drew more boos). Belair gave Sky a 450 splash before Ripley hit Belair with a Rip-tide for a nearfall. 

Sky went for a Meteora, but Ripley kicked her in the head. Sky countered an avalanche Rip-tide and went for a moonsault, but Ripley got her feet up. Sky stumbled into a Belair KOD, but Ripley broke up the cover. The crowd was going nuts. 

Belair started shoving Ripley’s face while taunting her. Ripley shoved her off the top rope moments later. Sky tried an avalanche poison-rana, but Ripely yanked her around and posted her. 

Belair and Ripley had an exchange until Belair slipped out of a Rip-tide and smacked Ripley with her braid. Belair had Ripley pinned, but Sky hit a moonsault to break up the pin and covered Belair for the win. 

The crowd was super into this, and they popped big for Sky’s win. This was a fun, fast-paced, chaotic match.

Flava Flav, Merab Dvalishvili, and Rich the Kid were in the crowd.  

McIntyre had a Doom-inspired entrance. Kerry King of Slayer played Priest to the ring. 

Sin City Street Fight: Drew McIntyre defeated Damian Priest (13:56) 

***

Thumbs In The Middle Pointing Up

They fought around ringside, and McItnyre got the better of it after repeatedly hitting Priest with the steel steps. Someone (McIntyre’s brother, apparently) handed McIntyre a cellphone, and he took a selfie over Priest’s prone body. 

McIntyre wrapped a chair around Priest’s head and went for a Claymore, but Priest managed to grab him with one arm, and he hit a chokeslam (with the chair still around his head). Priest hit McIntyre with a chair until McIntyre hit a spinebuster. 

Priest avoided an avalanche White Noise, and hit McIntyre with a Razor’s Edge through a table for a nearfall. McIntyre followed with a Future Shock DDT on the steel steps for two. Priest got the better of a strike exchange after dropping McIntyre with a clothesline. 

Priest tried the Undertaker’s rope walk spot, but McIntyre shoved him off the ropes and to the outside, through tables that were set up earlier. 

McIntyre placed Priest’s head against a chair that was wedged between the ropes. McIntyre Claymore’d Priest’s face into the chair for the pinfall win. 

This was pretty good. Priest got plenty of offence, but in the end, it felt like a decisive win for McIntyre. 

Jahmyr Gibbs, Daniel Cormier, and Tony Hinchcliffe were in the crowd.  

Like the previous matches, this one also had a sponsor. (On my Netflix feed in Canada, they mute the announcers when they read the ad. This happens on Raw, as well.) 

In years past, on packed shows, they would sometimes cut entrances short to make sure they got everything else in. They’re doing the opposite on this two-night Mania show. The entrances feel longer than usual, and not just because the ramp is longer.

Fatal 4-Way Match: Dominik Mysterio defeated Finn Bálor, Penta and Bron Breakker to win the Intercontinental Championship (10:31) 

***1/4

Thumbs In The Middle Pointing Up

Bálor gave Bron a slingblade before Penta gave Bálor a slingblade. Penta used a drop toe hold to drop Bálor face-first into Dom’s crotch. Penta snapped Bálor’s arm and set up for his finisher, but Bron hit them with a double German suplex. 

Penta avoided a spear and went shoulder-first into the ring post. Dom hit Penta with a slingshot senton before kicking Bron out of the ring. Dom hit Penta with consecutive suplexes. Penta avoided a third, but Bálor joined in to help Dom hit another. 

They tried to give Bron a double suplex, but he gave them a double suplex instead. (Carlito has appeared at ringside.) Bron handed out overhead suplexes and gave Bálor a Frankensteiner for two. 

Everyone traded moves until Dom noticed Bálor was near the ropes. Dom dropkicked Bálor into the middle rope and went for the 619 as the crowd popped. However, Bálor blocked Dom’s 619 attempt and stomped away at him as the crowd booed. 

Penta hit Bálor with a Penta driver, but Bron broke up the cover. Bron and Penta had an exchange that seemed to be leading to a super spear, but Carlito dropped the rope, and Bron fell out of the ring. Dom tried a schoolboy on Penta for two. Penta came back with a Canadian Destroyer and seemed to have it won, but Carlito yanked him out of the ring. 

Carlito set up Penta on the announce table, but Bron ran off the other table and speared Carlito through the table. Bron speared Penta, but Dom hit Bron with a 619. Dom went for a frog splash, but Bálor crotched him, and the crowd booed again. 

Bálor hit Bron with a slingblade, a dropkick, and a Coup de Grâce, but Dom broke up the cover with a frog splash on Bálor. Dom then pinned Bálor for the pinfall win. The crowd popped huge for Dom. 

Dom celebrated on the ramp with the IC title belt, but after they showed replays, he ran back down and posed in the ring as the crowd cheered. 

This was another good match, and the finish was clever—except that it was identical to the finish in the opening match. 

Randy Orton defeated TNA World Champion Joe Hendry in a non-title match (3:09)  

**1/4

Thumbs Up

Hendy entered wearing his TNA World Title to a pretty big pop. Fans waved their arms in the air as his music played. The announcers acknowledged him as the TNA champion. (McAfee thought the title would be in the line until Cole wised him up.) 

Orton went for an RKO right away, but Hendry fought him off and hit a neckbreaker. Hendry stomped the mat and grabbed Orton by the neck, but Orton just looked confused before poking him in the eye. Orton hit a draping DDT and set up for an RKO, but Hendry blocked it again and hit a fallaway slam. 

Hendry turned and did his pose, but Orton flew in with an RKO for the quick pinfall win. 

— Orton helped Hendry to his feet and raised his arm to the crowd before dropping him with another RKO. Orton mockingly turned to do Hendry’s pose, but did his own pose instead.

Dom and Bálor chucked Bron out of the ring early on, before Penta wiped them out with a dive. Bron knocked over Penta with a leaping tackle. Bron slammed Penta, gave Bálor a military press slam, and speared Dom, but Bálor broke up the cover. 

McIntyre cut off Priest’s comeback attempt and hit a flip dive. McIntyre went for a Claymore, but Priest chucked a chair at his face. It didn’t hit him with much force, so McIntyre came back anyway with a standing Claymore (instead of a running one) for two. 

Every time they talk about Penta, they call him the man who has taken WWE by storm. That line is so ingrained in Cole’s brain that he said the same thing about Paul here. 

Logan Paul defeated AJ Styles (17:44) 

***1/4

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Paul tried a slingshot dive with Styles at ringside, but Styles caught him in the ring skirt and hammered away at him. Styles also drove him into the barricade, right by Nick Khan. 

Paul gained the advantage by shoving Styles into the ring post and hitting a slingshot dive. Paul sent a drone into the air to film him as he choked Styles with the ring skirt. They kept the drone shot on Paul as he hit Styles with a frog splash for two. Paul hit an overbomb, but Styles got a rope break. Paul hit a moonsault onto a standing Styles for two. 

Styles was pissed and he hit Paul with a clothesline, strikes, a fireman’s carry neckbreaker, a sliding forearm, and a brainbuster for two. Styles set up for the Phenomenal forearm, but Paul grabbed him off the ropes, hit a rolling fireman’s carry and Lionsault for two. 

Paul avoided a Styles Clash and hit a Buckshot lariat for two. (McAfee called it a Buckshot lariat, too.) Styles ducked a right hand and hit a rack bomb for two. Styles went for a springboard 450, but Paul got his knees up and hit a Styles Clash. Styles rolled through and hit a Styles Clash. 

Paul’s crony, “Jeff,” tried getting brass knuckles for Paul, but Karrion Kross appeared and took them away. Styles chucked the guy aside. Kross pleaded with Styles to use the knux, but Styles threw them aside and punched Kross. 

Paul ducked the Phenomenal forearm and hit a big punch. Paul followed with Paulverizer for the pinfall win. 

Vanessa Hudgens, Rana Daggubati, Terrence Crawford, and Quavo were in the crowd. 

Becky Lynch entered last as the big surprise partner for Valkyria. Morgan and Rodriguez played this up like she was the last person they wanted to see. 

Becky Lynch & Women’s Intercontinental Champion Lyra Valkyria  defeated Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez to win the Women’s Tag Team Championships (8:43) 

**3/4

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The heels quickly took control when Morgan shoved Valkyria off the top into a big boot by Rodriguez. Valkyria almost made a hot tag, but Morgan yanked Lynch off the apron. Lynch ran after Morgan, but ran right into a boot by Rodriguez. 

Lynch did make a hot tag moments later, and she hit Morgan with clotheslines before hitting both opponents with running forearms. Lynch gave Rodriguez a Molly-go-round before hitting Morgan with a fallaway slam. Lynch put Morgan in a Disarmer, but Rodriguez broke it up. Morgan hit Lynch with Oblivion, but Valkyria broke up the cover.  

After Valkyria took out Rodrigeuz outside the ring with a tornado DDT, Lynch hit Morgan with a Man-handle Slam for the pinfall win. 

Valkyria and Lynch celebrated together, and now Valkyria is a double champion.

Stone Cold Steve Austin entered. 

He drove out around ringside in his ATV. He crashed into the barricade by mistake, and he laughed it off — but a woman in the front row was not happy at all. (She fell back into her seat when he collided with the barricade.) He checked on her, but she still did not look happy. 

Austin announced a sold-out crowd of 63,226. He wasn’t sure that number was right, so he started counting out individual fans but gave up around 18. He also announced a two-night attendance of 124,693. 

As Austin drank some beers, Nick Khan could be seen checking on the fan in the front row. Austin left the ring, checked on the fan again, and left. 

The main event is up next. The crowd popped big for the graphic. 

John Cena entered to his usual music wearing jorts. However, the screen and ramp were all black with his name in a simple, white font. His t-shirt, shoes, and accessories were all black as well, although his actual logo is colourful. 

Some people on dirt bikes rode onto the stage as part of Rhodes’ entrance. I’m not really sure what the connection is. Rhodes also wore his skull mask, which had some sort of mechanism that lifted automatically to reveal his face. 

They cut to another sponsor’s mascot before showing Rhodes embracing his family at ringside. 

(Compared to previous years, the entrances were nothing special this year.)

John Cena defeated Cody Rhodes to win the Undisputed WWE Championship (25:05) 

***

Thumbs Up

They stalled a lot for the first few minutes, with Rhodes getting the upper hand each time they did go at it. Rhodes hit a suicide dive, but when they hit the ring, Cena just punched him. 

Cena stomped away at Rhodes as some people cheered. (There’s a portion of the audience definitely here to boo Rhodes, but it’s not the majority.) Heel Cena stomping a downed opponent looked super weird. 

Cena hit a clothesline and made the match’s first cover for just a one count. Cena followed with a side slam for one, and consecutive axe handles. Cena went for another one, but Rhodes kicked him. Rhodes fired up until Cena poked him in the eye. Cena hit a tornado DDT for two. 

Cena hit consecutive shoulder tackles, but did it at a much slower and deliberate pace than when he usually does it. Cena slammed Rhodes and went to do the five knuckle shuffle, but Rhodes punched him, hit a powerslam and a Disaster kick. (The boos are louder now for Rhodes’ offence.) Rhodes hit a Cody cutter for two. 

They traded counters until Cena hit an AA for a nearfall. Cena chuckled. Cena hit the five knuckle shuffle, but Rhodes applied a cradle for two. 

Cena hit a super AA off the middle rope for another nearfall. Cena tried a diving leg drop, but Rhodes countered into a powerbomb for two. Rhodes came off the top with a super Cody cutter for two. 

Cena hit a third AA and applied an STF. Rhodes got close to the ropes, but Cena pulled him back to the middle. Rhodes did fight out of it and kicked Cena away, but Cena knocked down the referee. Rhodes hit Cross Rhodes, but the ref was dead. 

Cena exposed the turnbuckle and sent Rhodes into it repeatedly. Cena hit a fourth AA for a nearfall. (Cole exclaimed, “What a match!”) 

Travis Scott entered (to his music), and Cena laughed. Scott took his time getting to the ring, and he embraced Cena. They tried to double-team Rhodes, but Rhodes chased Scott off the apron, and he hit Cena with a Cross Rhodes. Scott yanked the referee out of the ring before he could count the fall. 

Rhodes called Scott into the ring, so he obliged. Scott leaped over the top rope and faced off with Rhodes. Scott tried to slap Rhodes, but Rhodes ducked and gave him a Cross Rhodes. 

Cena tried using the title belt as a weapon, but Rhodes yanked it away from him. Rhodes threatened to use it as Cena begged off. Rhodes fell for it because Cena kicked him in the balls.

Cena clocked Rhodes with the title belt. The ref rolled back in the ring and Cena pinned Rhodes for the win. That was it. Cena is a 17-time world champion. 

Cole tried to tell us that Cena was the greatest of all time and there was no debate. Barrett, normally the heel, called Cena a piece of garbage. 

— Fireworks went off as Cena posed, and they posted a big number 17 on the screen. Rhodes stumbled on the ramp and watched. Cena posed with Scott as the show ended.

Overall: Thumbs Up