By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Join me for my live review of WrestleMania 39 night two at 7CT/8ET. Jake Barnett, Will Pruett, and I will host a same night audio review for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons).
Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship: WrestleMania night one concluded with Michael Cole questioning whether the demise of The Bloodline was upon us. The Usos lost the tag team titles to Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, and now Cody has a chance to deliver the proverbial death blow by ending Roman’s legendary championship reign. If not Cody then who? Everyone has their favorites, but all of the seeds planted during the build regarding what life without the titles could mean for Reigns point to this being the end of a major chapter. The build was filled with strong promos and no physicality. They created a mega match feel and after a night filled with crowd pleasing finishes on night one, I expect the weekend to close with the feel good Hollywood ending.
Cody Rhodes wins the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.
Bianca Belair vs. Asuka for the Raw Women’s Championship: The build to this match never got out of second gear. Asuka has new face paint and sprays mist, but they opted for mystery rather than telling us anything about her new persona. Belair and Becky Lynch have been victims of the company’s inability to create strong heel opponents. That needs to be addressed and it should start here with a title change.
Asuka wins the Raw Women’s Championship.
Gunther vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus for the Intercontinental Championship: This should be the most physical match of the show and an absolute war. The easy pick is Gunther retaining and continuing to be the strongest secondary champion the company has had in ages. But the Triple Threat also presents an opportunity for him to drop the title without actually losing if they want to get the belt off of him to position him as a challenger for the world championship. If there’s a title change, then Sheamus winning the one title that has eluded him makes the most sense. It’s a tough call, but I’m sticking with the champion.
Gunther retains the Intercontinental Championship.
Edge vs. Finn Balor in a Hell in a Cell match: The feud struggled to gain momentum in part because Balor just hasn’t been positioned as a strong heel. But the addition of the Hell in a Cell structure and our first look at the heel Demon persona have breathed life into the program. It’s a tough match to predict because they could opt for giving Edge a crowd pleasing win in what could end up being his last WrestleMania match, but there’s something to be said for protecting the heel version of the Demon. It’s WrestleMania, so I’m going with the fan favorite, but I don’t feel confident in making that prediction.
Edge wins.
Brock Lesnar vs. Omos: The live crowds seem more excited about this spectacle match than I am. Omos has taken losses to Bobby Lashley and Braun Strowman, so the unbeaten monster dynamic is gone. He could really use a win here, but Lesnar is far more important to the company and the only way Brock should lose is if his contract is up and he won’t be coming back.
Brock Lesnar wins.
Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler vs. Raquel Rodriguez and Liv Morgan vs. Natalya and Shotzi vs. Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville in a four-way tag team showcase match: This match feels a lot more random and predictable than the fun men’s version that took place on Saturday. It’s called a four-team showcase, but it feels like it’s meant to serve as a showcase for Rousey and Baszler.
Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler win.
Pro Wrestling Boom Live returns Monday at 1CT/2ET at PWAudio.net.
Is there another 2 hour pre-show scheduled?
As one of the co-hosts can’t stop saying… AWW YEAH!!!!!
LOL. Too much. I’ll pick it up at 8 eastern. Thanks