WRESTLEMANIA 41 NIGHT ONE REVIEW: SWERVE OF THE CENTURY

Heading into night 1 of WrestleMania 41, there were several questions on everybody’s mind. Would Jey Uso finally overcome Gunther? Would Charlotte become a 15 time champion? And perhaps the biggest question of all: what the hell was Paul Heyman going to do? 

 

GUNTHER VS JEY USO

 

The first match of the night started with Gunther defending his World Heavyweight Title against Jey Uso. This was Jey’s third opportunity at the title. That, combined with the fact that it was the opening match (which is typically reserved for getting the crowd energized) made this feel like a foregone conclusion. 

 

This was a classic heel vs. face match, with the heel champion utilizing every underhanded tactic at his disposal. He rolled out of the ring any time he started to feel out of control, he used a foreign object to get the upper hand, and he even used his opponent’s finishing move against him. 

 

Ultimately, all of his dastardly efforts weren't enough, as Jey was able to actually dominate most of the match and finish Gunther off in a rather unconventional fashion. After hitting three top rope splashes, Jey Uso applied a rear naked choke hold on Gunther. Gunther has used this move to finish off many opponents, and typically when you try to use your opponent’s finisher against them, it ends poorly for you. However, Jey was able to do the unthinkable and get Gunther to tap out, and the 61,000+ in attendance got to Yeet along with their new World Heavyweight Champion. 

 

NEW DAY VS. WAR RAIDERS

 

The Tag Team Championship was on the line as the New Day took on the War Raiders. The New Day came out looking like Unicorn Saiyans, and the War Raiders came out looking like they were cosplaying at their first ComicCon. Finding out that this match was sponsored by Clash of Clans explained the War Raiders outfits, but it still didn't excuse them. 

 

These teams were in a tough spot. Being second on the card and following an emotional title change is not easy. To their credit, this was an extremely hard hitting match and the moves the War Raiders were pulling out were nothing short of spectacular. For being so big, these men can really move. The spinning heel kick by Ivar was flawless, and the aerial moves made the audience gasp many times. However, the New Day ultimately hit a backbreaker into a double stomp from the top rope combo. That, along with Kofi holding his opponent’s legs down for the 3 count, was enough to give the New Day the victory. Just like that, we have two title changes in two matches. 

 

NAOMI VS JADE

 

This should have never been a match, it should have just been a runway performance, because both women looked absolutely stunning. Their costumes, their attitudes, their auras were the very definition of superstar. To some people’s surprise, the in-ring action was as solid as the pre-match pomp and circumstance. 

 

Jade hit many impressive moves, including a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and catching Naomi mid-air and turning it into a jackhammer. Not to be outdone, Naomi hit a top rope bulldog that looked like it was going to rip Jade’s face off. 

 

However, despite a few flashes of brilliance from Naomi, this was a 9 minute squash match that saw Jade get the better of the situation, as she should. 

 

LA KNIGHT VS JACOB FATU 

 

As far as the undercard of night one goes, this was the match of the night. LA Knight showed up in a Maserati, looking like a million bucks, while Jacob stalked his way down to the ring, with nobody from the Samoan dynasty in sight. 

 

The two exchanged thrilling high spots, including a springboard elbow drop from LA Knight. However, every time LA Knight seemed to get a little momentum going, Fatu stopped him in his tracks and regained control. 

 

At one point, Fatu tried a springboard Moonsault (his signature move) but Knight countered it into a BFT. Unfortunately for Knight, Fatu was too close to the edge of the ring and broke up the pinfall attempt by grabbing the bottom rope. Shortly after, Fatu was able to hit two springboard moonsaults to put the match away.

 

Perhaps the most interesting part of this matchup was the fact that Solo Sikoa was nowhere to be seen. Most people assumed, no matter how this match ended, Sikoa would make an appearance, for better or worse. The fact that Fatu got this win totally clean leaves Solo in a very precarious position. Fatu has found success without him, does he feel like he needs Solo in his life any more? 

 

EL GRANDE AMERICANO VS REY FENIX

 

This was scheduled to be a match between El Grande Americano (who some people think is Chad Gable) and Rey Mysterio. However, on Smackdown last night, Mysterio tweaked his knee. Not sure if this is a work or a shoot, given that earlier in the night El Grande was the reason that Rey Fenix was eliminated in the Andre the Giant Battle Royal. Either way, we were now left with El Grande vs. Phoenix

 

Given that this was Phoenix’s third singles match in WWE, it came as a surprise to see El Grande get the win here. Of course, it wasn’t exactly clean as he was helped by the stable of American Made. “El Grande” was given a metal bar to slip into his mask, that he used to put Phoenix away with a diving headbutt. It's still uncertain if Rey Mysterio is legitimately hurt or not, but what is unquestionable is the fact that Rey Fenix’s undefeated streak came to an abrupt end after only three matches. 

 

CHARLOTTE VS TIFFANY STRATTON

 

A match that originally had very little intrigue became fascinating as these two women exchanged very personal digs at one another leading up to this match. Charlotte entered the arena in a Rolls Royce, and much like LA Knight before her, we discovered that being driven to the ring does not help you in the match.

 

It was fun to see Tiffy enter the ring first. Despite being the champion, it was made clear that the champion is still one step below the queen. 

 

This match had all the potential in the world, unfortunately it was a botch fest. It was slow and plodding. The reversals were sloppy and telegraphed. It took the women more than halfway through the match before they both started targeting each other’s knees, which should have been the focal point from the very beginning. 

 

They both came out looking like a million bucks, but the spectacle of it all fell short to an obvious lack of chemistry. Ultimately, Tiffy hit the prettiest moonsault ever to get the win, but both women were capable of delivering better, and I’d bet that they'll tell you the same thing. 

 

ROLLINS VS REIGNS VS PUNK

 

Rollins comes out with a flamethrower, Reigns comes out with giant portraits of his family tree, and Punk comes out with Living Colour. This is clearly what the term “main event” was all about. 

 

From the very beginning, it was obvious that nothing that these three men did meant anything until Paul Heyman made his intentions known. 

 

The prevailing rumor going around the internet (and my podcast co-host Luke) was that Heyman was going to turn his back on both Punk and Reigns and help Rollins win. It seemed like a stretch that Paul would abandon his money makers for the past decade plus to go with a prima donna who has always been the third most important member of any group or show he’s ever been on. But even a blind wiseman finds a nut every once in a while, and that’s exactly what happened. Heyman betrayed Punk, then betrayed Reigns, before eventually exposing his loyalty to Mr. Becky Lynch and walking out with the winner, as he ultimately always does. 

 

FINAL THOUGHTS:

 

This was an OK night one, anchored by a shocking finale. Night two seems primed to be much more exciting. In five years, am I going to fire up Peacock to watch this event in its entirety again? No, but i’ll re-watch Knight/Fatu and the triple threat a few times. Now, let's move on to night two so i can get this taste out of my mouth.