WWE WrestleMania 39 Night Two - Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns

 

The cold open sells WM night two as the bigger event, which is an interesting tact to take historically. Miz and Snoop are out again, which is good if you didn't buy tickets for both nights live. The giant ceiling tron being shaped like a weight belt is perfect for tonight. Brock and Omos staredown and they somehow never quite manage to shoot it like Andre and Hogan in '87.

Omos gets gutwrench thrown and lands a headbutt. LONG BEARHUGS. Brock vs. Omos is being booked like Brock vs. Big John Studd. Not the all-action match it needed to be. Omos misses a slow corner charge and eats a short German suplex city. F5, but his back goes out. F5 hits and he wins it. This was good when Brock was on offense, which wasn't long and bad when Omos was, which was often.

Women's showcase - weird to see Ronda in the second match. Not too much to this one. SHOTZI DIVES TO THE FLOOR and thankfully doesn't get hurt. Raquel tosses Liv to the floor and everyone catches her. Hart Attack by Shotzi and Nattie. Nattie gets her double sharpshooter in that Liv breaks up. Ronda taps Shotzi with the armbar after Shayna knees her and loses her boot.

Balor-Edge video goes through the history of the Judgment Day. I forgot how lame Dominik was pre-pegging partnership with Rhea. Lashley Andre battle royal hype video sets up Lashley coming out. Gunther vs. Drew vs. Sheamus video hypes up Gunther as the conductor of a symphony of pain. ALL of Sheamus' on-paper WWE accomplishments get run down to make him seem like an easy hall of famer down the road.

Drew gets as giant intro as does Sheamus. Kaiser does a fantastic job with his ring intros anyway, but he stands out even more doing it on this grand a stage. Shame to not use Symphony No. 9 in full for Mania, but he gets it for a few bars. Sheamo and Drew clubberin! Everyone just chops the shit out of each other constantly before Gunther boots Sheamus down. Sheamus and Drew do the beats with Drew alternating a chop in for each club.

Sheamus clubs Drew with almost 30 BEATS! Giant lariat from Gunther to Sheamus! Drew belly to belly suplexes Sheamus into Gunther before hitting him with Future Shock. Shotgun dropkick from Gunther leads to the powerbomb and it gets 2. AVALANCHE WHITE NOISE from Sheamus! CELTIC CROSS HITS FOR 2.9!

Sheamus hits the boot on Gunther, but DREW PULLS HIM OUT - which explains Gunther moving into position AFTER GETTING KICKED so it could happen. DREW FLIP DIVE TO SHEAMO! CLAYMORE ATTEMPT BUT DREW EATS A BROGUE FOR 2.9! CLAYMORE INTO A JACKNIFE PIN GETS 2.9999 FOR DREW! WOW! Gunther splash! GUNTHER POWERBOMBS SHEAMUS ONTO DREW AND THEN POWERBOMBS DREW TO WIN! Woah!

Asuka vs. Bianca is up and Bianca gets a killer intro with kids dancing and one going into an insane spine-bending position. Asuka gets a bunch of copies before coming out and just being amazing. Asuka lands a nice kick before eating a Ron Simmons-like spinebuster. LIGERBOMB ON THE FLOOR BY BIANCA GETS 2 WHEN SHE THROWS HER IN! INSANE! 

Ankle lock by Asuka! Shotgun dropkick by Asuka into the post on the apron! Deadlift superplex that was almost a brainbuster gets 2. This match has been a good video package match - rough in real-time. Bianca gets a sloppy tackle. Boy is this an off night for her. ASUKA HITS A CODEBREAKER BY GRABBING THE BRAID AND GETS 2! Bianca avoids the mist and Asuka turns a KOD into a cross armbar, which won earlier for Ronda. Bianca gets her up for the KOD and wins it.

Miz and Snoop fill some time - THEY GOT OVER 81,000...but last night they said they sold out, so how it that possible? Miz complains to Snoop about last night and Snoop asks if he wants another match. Snoop brings Shane out. Miz vs Shane at Mania? Again!? WITHOUT MIZ DAD!? 

Shane cuts a short promo and should get a Warrior award for being blown up already. Shane slugs him and then Snoop slugs him!  Shane hits a leapfrog and blows his knee out. Snoop slugs Miz again! People's elbow by Snoop and Snoop pins Miz in Miz vs.Shane. I think. Okay, so Shane apparently blew his knee out. Snoop throwing Terry Funk working punches saved it! Epic Edge vs. Demon video. 

THE MOST EPIC CELL LOWER EVER happens. Goofy silver getup for Edge. No Gangrel or Brood theme! Finn Balor busting out the Demon for a blow-off makes sense. The Demon equaling goofy interpretive dance bullshit doesn't. The cell is silver but we get RED PROPS with a red chair and then a purple kendo stick. 

Impaler and killswitch get 2. Edge tosses a ladder at Balor and the medical staff works on him with Cole ranting about "the medical staff is working with the Demon!" Slingblade sets up the coup de grace that misses, as does an Edge spear into the ladder. Schoolboy gets 2 and a double-down. COUP DE GRACE hits for 2. IMPALER OFF THE LADDER GETS 2.

Thank God they put that platform on the cell for some reason. Coup de Grace "off the cell" misses! Edge spear gets 2.9! COLOR-CODED CONCHAIRTO WINS IT! Long Hollywood parody video with outtakes. Kayla chats with Bianca and the divas. Hall of Fame stuff - cool to Rey with Muta. Philly hype. Seth-Paul recap. 

Reigns vs. Cody is finally hyped up! IT'S FINALLY TIME FOR THIS SHOW TO END! Cody gets the Codyvactor and brings his daughter out of Brandi's arms before giving the weight belt to Brodie Jr! Roman gets a big piano intro! Slow burn to start the match leads to a disaster kick meeting a powerbomb by Roman. Cody skins the cat and tosses Roman out before a PK has him eat the apron. 

Solo hits Cody in the ribs on the floor. Within SIX MONTHS, Solo has gone from NXT guy to main event-level act and he feels natural in that role. This Bloodline angle has elevated so many. Glacial Roman offense. Let the record show that Nick Aldis vs. Cody Rhodes for the NWA World Tile at ALL IN was better than Cody vs. Roman in the main event of the biggest WrestleMania in history. Cody backdrops Roman through an announce table. Cody runs in to break the count.

Snap powerslam hits! Cody cutter gets 2.5. Suicide dive by Cody! Solo hits Cody with the weight belt and the ref hears it - so he ejects Solo! Roman goes to hit him with it and he gets kicked and hit with a Cross Rhodes for 2. It took the three Cross Rhodes chain to beat Seth - it should take a half-dozen to end this reign. Skin the cat is countered into a powerslam-turned-Uranage for 2! Superman punch is met with a Pedigree for 2!

Disaster kick is met with a Superman punch for 2.9! SUNSET FLIP COUNTER TO THE SPEAR GETS 2! Figure four! Roman taps...the mat to move movement, which doesn't count as a tap somehow. Back and forth apron punches before Cody jumps into a spear! 2.99999999! Massive! Guillotine choke is locked on!  Cody escapes! Pump kick by Cody, but the ref is hit! Usos save Roman and hit superkicks and a 1D on Cody!

KO and Sami save! Sami, KO and Cody get to celebrate at Mania together! Roman kicks out of the stunner/helluva kick! WWE is really making smart use out of the two-day format of Mania here - night one leads to night two being better in real-time and in video packages. CHAIN OF CROSS RHODES! Solo runs back when Heyman distracts the ref and SOLO SPIKES HIM AND ROMAN SPEARS HIM TO WIN!

Welp, they'd better have a Cody Coach bus tour ready. That's...wow.

WrestleMania 39 Night One - Usos vs. Sami and Owens

The highlight of the pre-show is the Miz's singing video package. Then Booker forgets that Sami is main eventing and asks who KO is teaming with. Wow. Snoop and Miz have no chemistry during their bit and Cena and Theory start the show off hot with a big Make-A-Wish intro that makes it feel like Cena's getting at least a one-day run with the title.

Cena gets an STF, but Theory bites him! Cena gets the tackles and the AA is avoided, but the STF is on and gets the tap when the ref's out! A-Town Down wins it in...a match. Nothing special about it or memorable beyond the intro. Four-team tag is up and it's among the best multi-man tags you'll see. Gable does the CHAOS THEORY TO STORWMAN and then Ivar does a moonsault that misses before BRAUN HITS A SUPERFLY DIVE! Super-duper powerplex!

STROWMAN EXPRESS! RICOCHET HITS A STANDING SSP AND LANDS TO SLAP THE ANNOUNCE TABLE! SSP on Dawkins meets the knees and he traps him for the rotating five star frog splash and cradles him to win. This was a billion times better than it had any right to be. Non-stop highlight reel match. Brock vs. Omos hype vid for tomorrow and now it's Seth vs. Logan Paul BUT FIRST IT'S 2K HYPE!

Logan Paul hops on a trapeze and roams around the arena and he gets A PRIME ENERGY DRINK TO WALK HIM TO THE RING. I'm having Saints Row the Third flashbacks. Seth gets A CONDUCTOR for his entrance! Seth gets a giant red flowing coat and came from being in WSX to this - quite a sight. Logan avoids a DVD and hits a gorgeous springboard crossbody. Koji Clutch by Logan Paul! Paul misses a BOX JUMP MOONSAULT! 

Stomp to the hand! Logan punches him, but he can't cover due to the stomp! KSI is in the Prime getup before Seth sidesteps a dive and Logan takes him out. Seth hits a pedigree for 2.9! KTFO elbow by Seth! Logan picks him up off a stomp and hits the GTS to a CM Punk chant. LOW-DOWN GETS 2.9! Coast to coast by Logan meets a superkick and the Stomp ends it. THIS RULED!

Women's trios is up with the heels getting a kinda-intro and the faces getting a giant comic book-style intro. Becky and Iyo rule for a bit before Lita slows it down with a flying crotch to the back of the head. Vertigo hits for 2. Trish rana to Kai onto her partners. Sliding D to the neck hits, but the Rose plant is avoided and countered into a back suplex. Rose plant hits for 2 before Lita saves. Iyo moonsaults hte pile! Litasault and the manhandle slam off the second rope to Bayley end it.

Rey vs. Dom is up! Dom gets a big prison hype video and HE DOESN'T HAVE MAMI! Dom's out in the Phantom mask and gear. Snoop's out with Rey for an Eddie theme lowrider entrance and then Rey's usual. Rey slaps hands with the Cinnamoji Toast Crunch mascot. DOM BUSTS OUT THE EARTHQUAKE GUN SHOW! Love this guy!

Rey spanks him with a belt and then Angie slaps him when he mouths off at he! ALLEY OOP TO REY INTO THE BUCKLE! Judgment Day comes out and allows him to get the edge. The LWO comes out to save Rey! 619 AND THE FROG SPLASH GET 2.9 FOR DOM! Bad Bunny prevents a chain and Rey's 619 and frog splash ends it!

Rhea vs. Charlotte is up and Rhea gets a big intro while Charlotte looks like a different person than last year. Char crossbody meets a back elbow and Rhea clubs her down for 2. Riptide turned into a DDT for 2! Charlotte moonsault leads to a super flipping German by Rhea! That gets 2.9! Chop block into Natural selection gets 2 and Rhea goes under the ropes. Charlotte takes her to suplex city before Rhea dumps her face-first off a bridging German! Moonsault off the top to the floor by Charlotte! RIPTIDE HITS FOR 2.9!

Rhea gets the Prism Lock! Charlotte gets the rope! Charlotte shoves Rhea into Carr and HITS THE SPEAR FOR 2.9! Back and forth forearms on the ground and Charlotte gets the figure four, BUT RHEA GETS THE ROPES! Rhea smacks her on the post up top! RHEA HITS A SUPER RIPTIDE TO WIN IT! 

Miz and Snoop do the attendance deal before Snoop says Miz should wrestle and Pat McAfee accepts! Miz wants out of it and Pat says that he has tiny balls. Miz jumps into a superkick before a standing swanton off the top to the floor! THE PUNT ends it!

Sami and KO come out with PWG-style logos on their gear. Sami's a great Ricky Morton and tags in Owens to run wild! APRON FROG SPLASH! Top rope frog splash gets 2! SUPERKICK PARTY AND A CANNONBALL! Cole brings up El Generico and Corey says he's glad that guy retired before he could get to WM. 1D and Sami kicks out! STUNNER GETS 2.9!

NOW IT'S CLUBBERING TIME! SUPERKICKS APLENTY TO KO! Sami kicked on the apron! DOUBLE DIVE COMING! IT HITS AND GETS 2.9! HELLUVA KICKS AND STUNNERS! They've done it! They've come from PWG, from ROH - filling small venues to now main eventing a sold-out Mania card! They did a fantastic job making this feel like a massive deal and both guys looked like conquering heroes. This absolutely worked as a replacement for Sami not winning the title.