WWE WrestleMania 39 Saturday
April 1st, 2023
By: John Siino
SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA
Commentary: Michael Cole & Corey Graves
Match Card
- WWE United States Championship: Austin Theory (c) vs. John Cena
- Braun Strowman & Ricochet vs. The Viking Raiders vs. Alpha Academy vs. The Street Profits *RECOMMENDED*
- Seth Rollins vs. Logan Paul *RECOMMENDED*
- Becky Lynch, Lita & Trish Stratus vs. Damage CTRL *RECOMMENDED*
- Rey Mysterio vs. Dominik Mysterio *RECOMMENDED*
- WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship: Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Rhea Ripley *RECOMMENDED*
- Pat McAfee vs. The Miz
- Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship: The Usos (c) vs. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn *RECOMMENDED*
WrestleMania Goes Hollywood
The signature has added Roman Reigns saying ‘Acknowledge Me’.
Becky G starts the show singing America the Beautiful.
We see a video from Kevin Hart introducing the show with highlights of past WrestleMania moments as well as tonight’s matches and competitors. It ends with Hart asking what the pyro budget is for the show.
The host of WrestleMania, The Miz, is in the ring along with Snoop Dogg as the show starts. Miz says him and Snoop have a lot in common as they both do musical with Miz bringing up WrestleMania: The Musical. Miz compares Snoop’s movies to his Marine franchise. Snoop says it’s not about them but the fans before Miz runs down some of tonight’s card, as Sami Zayn gets a big pop.
WWE United States Championship: Austin Theory (c) vs. John Cena
Before John Cena comes out, they show WWE’s history with Make-A-Wish as there are children on stage who’s dream is to be at WrestleMania. Cena comes out and makes them all talk into the camera and be part of his entrance. Beautiful moment. Cena is sporting new GI Joe inspired merch going into his 16th WrestleMania match, as Austin Theory has on Hollywood inspired gear.. Cena starts the match taking Theory down with a shoulder block. Cena playfully keeps Theory in the corner, but Theory turns it around and goes to bite Cena’s ear, as Cena chases him to the outside. With Cena’s back turned, Theory attacks him from behind. Theory takes control, hitting a suplex for a two count, but Cena comes right back with his own suplex. Theory hits a jumping blockbuster for a two count, before heading to the top rope to pose. Theory hits a rolling dropkick and continues to taunt the crowd, as he tries another one, but Cena dodges it and puts on the STF, but Theory bites Cena’s hand to break out and take Cena down with a hard clothesline. Theory stays in control, and tries to pin Cena with his foot on Cena’s chest, but Cena kicks out at two. Cena is able to block a stomp by Cena and try the Attitude Adjustment, but Theory reverses it into a DDT for a two. They run the ropes, as Theory catches Cena into a sleeper hold, taking him down to his knee until powers out and backs Theory up into the corner, followed by two shoulder tackles, his back suplex and the Five Knuckle Shuffle. Cena lifts up Theory for the Attitude Adjustment, but Theory holds to the ropes and Chad Patton gets knocked down. Theory puts on the STF, as Theory taps out. Cena lets go thinking he won, but the referee is still knocked out. Theory hits a low blow, followed by A-Town Down for the pin and the win.
Winner: Austin Theory by pinfall at 11:20, to retain
Braun Strowman & Ricochet vs. The Viking Raiders (Erik & Ivar) (w/ Valhalla) vs. Alpha Academy (Chad Gable & Otis) vs. The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford)
Titus O’Neil joins commentary for this WrestleMania Showcase match. Ricochet and Chad Gable start the match, with Ricochet going right for a roll-up getting a one count, but Gable comes right back with an ankle lock. They go back and forth with take downs and pin attempts, before Otis tags himself in and knocks down Ricochet. Gable gets in and teases Braun Strowman, just for Ricochet to leap over him and tag in Strowman. Now all eight men get in the ring and start going at it until The Viking Raiders take everybody out including a springboard clothesline/German Suplex combo on Ricochet and the Ragnarök on Montez Ford. The Viking Raiders go to pose with Valhalla, just to turn around and get down by Strowman. Gable tries to hit a German Suplex on Strowman, holds on and actually rolls through with a outstanding rolling German Suplex on Strowman for a two count as the crowd erupts. Gable misses a flying headbutt, as Angelo Dawkins tags himself and gets pushed off the top rope by Ivar. Ivar now goes to the second rope as Valhalla tells him to go to the top, but he misses a moonsault. Strowman heads to the top next and hits a splash on Ivar that everybody breaks up. Otis lifts up Strowman hitting World’s Strongest Slam, before heading to the top himself, but Montez Ford kicks him off. Ford kicks Ricochet off, before Gable and Erik join in. Otis and Ivar join in as they hit a Tower of Doom with Ricochet involved as well. Strowman goes outside hitting the Strowman Express, but as he goes for a second lap, Dawkins takes him down with a hard tackle to a big pop. Ricochet follows that with a fantastic shooting star press to the outside, followed by another one as Dawkins puts his knees up. Dawkins holds onto Ricochet as Ford hits From the Heavens, and Dawkins rolls up Ricochet for the pin and the win.
Winners: The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford) by pinfall at 8:28
UpUpDownDown
We go to Xavier Woods who is backstage with Liv Morgan, Tyler Breeze, Butch & Ridge Holland as they simulate Seth Rollins vs. Logan Paul on WWE 2K23 on a special UpUpDownDown where they say Rollins would win 58% of the time.
Logan Paul vs. Seth Rollins
Logan Paul makes his entrance, ziplining down to the ramp as he’s mic’d hyping up his birthday. We see a blue raspberry Prime Drink bottle mascot following him down ringside. Musical composer Jasper Randall leads the crowd into a rendition of Seth Rollins’ theme, before he comes out in an extravagant red and pink outfit including a huge robe. Rollins starts the match playing with Paul, as he gets the crowd to continue singing his theme. They run the ropes, until Rollins knocks him down with a shoulder block but misses the stomp attempt. They run the ropes a bit until Paul tosses Rollins over the ropes as a call back from Royal Rumble. They tussle on apron a bit, until Paul hits a ‘Maverick’ Lariat. Paul loads up his fist and starts punching away at Rollins, but the referee has to pull him off. Paul stays in control a bit hitting a springboard crossbody and a standing moonsault for a two count. Paul puts on a seated Octopus hold that Michael Cole compares to Antonio Inoki. Rollins fights out until Paul hits a gut wrench suplex for a two. Paul springs to the top rope but misses a top rope moonsault as Rollins gets out o the way. Crowd erupts as Rollins starts attacking Paul with clotheslines, asking if Paul wants to play with the big boys and screams ‘come on, bitch’, tossing him over the top rope where he meets him with three back-to-back suicide dives. Paul’s hand is on the steel steps, where Rollins stomps it as commentary notes that’s the hand that knocked out Rollins twice. Back inside, Rollins goes for the pedigree but it turns into back and forth pin attempts until Paul knocks out Rollins again. Paul goes for the pin, but Rollins surprisingly kicks out at two. Paul goes for a stomp, but Rollins catches him with a sit out power bomb for a two count. Rollins goes for the stomp himself, but the Prime Drink saves Paul, revealing himself to be KSI. Rollins goes after KSI, distracting him enough for Paul to send Rollins into the ring post. Paul and KSI put Rollins on the Spanish announce team as Paul heads to the top, drinks a yellow Prime Drink, but as KSI is busy filming this, Rollins puts KSI on the table instead as Paul lands with the frog splash on KSI. Rollins tosses Paul back inside and hits the pedigree for a two count. Rollins hits a rolling elbow, followed by another one to the back of Paul’s neck. Rollins goes for the stomp, but Paul picks him up and hits the Go to Sleep. Paul heads to the top rope and hits the frog splash, but Rollins kicks out. Paul goes to the top rope for the Coast to Coast, but Rollins stops him with a super kick. Rollins hits the stomp and gets the pin.
Winner: Seth Rollins by pinfall at 16:16
Damage CTRL (Bayley, Dakota Kai & IYO SKY) vs. Lita, Trish Stratus & Becky Lynch
Lita, Trish Stratus & Becky Lynch come out to a Sin City inspired entrance, with a video package and once they make their way to the ring it’s in black and white with rain falling down. Very cool. All six start brawling before the bell rings, before Lynch hits Dakota Kai with a basement kick on the outside before tossing her in to start the match. Damage CTRL take turns making frequent tags, attacking Becky in their corner. Bayley stays in control on Becky, teasing Lita doing her pose, before being tossed to the outside. Lita comes in and takes IYO SKY down with a head scissors followed by Vertigo for a two count. Damage CTRL stay in ‘control’, hitting Lita with triple kicks as Bayley gets a two count. Lita finally is able to fight them off and make the hot tag to Trish who takes down both Kai and Bayley with a head scissors/bulldog combo before hitting a neck breaker on Kai for a two. They all start fighting on the outside where Becky and Lita lift up Trish into a hurricanrana tossing Kai off the top rope onto SKY and Bayley which looked very impressive. Lita uses Trish to hit Poetry in Motion on Kai followed by a leg drop on Kai for a two count. Becky puts on the disarmer but Bayley breaks it up. Becky and Bayley got at it until Bayley hit the Rose Plant, which Lita breaks up. Trish hits Stratus faction on Kai before Bayley hits Bayley-to-Belly on Trish. They all spill to the outside where SKY hits them with a top rope moonsault. All six women start brawling in the ring as Lita hits the Twist of Fate on SKY followed by the Chick Kick from Trish to Kai and the Lita Sault. Bayley and Becky are on the top, where Becky blocks a Bayley-to-Belly to hit an avalanche Man Handle Slam for the pin and the win.
Winners: Becky Lynch, Lita & Trish Stratus by pinfall at 14:39
Dominik Mysterio vs. Rey Mysterio
Bad Bunny is shown as he joins the Spanish announce team. Dominik’s intro video is showing him getting out of jail and being escorted to the arena in a van as he has police escort him to the ring. Dominik comes to the ring in handcuffs, wearing a Rey like mask. One of the police escorts is wrestler Dan Barry. Starts the week as a commentator for Bloodsport and ends it as a police escort for Dominik. Rey’s entrance is coming out to a low rider driven by Snoop Dogg as Nuthin’ but a “G” Thang is blasting. The song changes to Eddie Guerrero’s ‘Lie, Cheat, Steal’ theme before going into Rey’s Booyaka 619 song. Having Bad Bunny ringside sure makes me think we are getting Rey & Bunny vs. Dominik & Damian Priest at Backlash in Puerto Rico. We have a Cinnamoji Toast Crunch mascot ringside that I hope is Vickie Guerrero. Rey starts the match in control and whips Dominik with his belt sending him to the outside. Dominik goes to his mother ringside asking her if she’s going to let him do that, before tossing a drink into Aalyah’s face. Aalyah yah jumps over the guard rail and has to be held back. Back inside, Dominik takes over, hitting a Michinoku Driver for a two count. Dominik drags Rey to the outside by Angie and Aalyah and tells his mom to shut her mouth as Angie smacks the shit out of Dominik before Rey plants a kiss on Angie. Back inside, Rey hits a seated senton and a crossbody for a two count. Damian Priest and Finn Balor show up ringside, as Dominik flips Rey face first into the bottom turnbuckle as Bad Bunny is seen reacting to that. Rey takes control, hitting the 619 but as he heads to the top rope, Balor distracts the referee as Priest pulls off Rey. Legado Del Fantasma come out in their LWO shirts and take out Priest and Balor. Dominik takes control hitting the 619 and the Frog Splash, but Rey kicks out. Dominik tries to take off the turnbuckle pad, but as the referee goes to fix it, Dominik pulls out a steel chain that Priest hid in the corner, but Bad Bunny comes off the announce table and takes it away. Rey follows with the 619 and the Frog Splash for the pin and the win.
Winner: Rey Mysterio by pinfall at 14:30
WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship: Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Rhea Ripley
Charlotte Flair starts in control sending Rhea Ripley to the outside, but Rhea comes right back in and sends Charlotte to the corner. Rhea stays in control holding Charlotte down in a body lock, while talking trash to Charlotte. Charlotte gets out and rolls up Rhea for a two count. Rhea continues by hitting Charlotte hard on her back as the crowd is wildly into that. Rhea dodges a chop and hits a German Suplex for a two count. Charlotte fights off Rhea with a spinning back elbow and slams Rhea face first into the corner followed by a pair of clotheslines. Charlotte hits a about a dozen chops, sending Rhea to the corner where she traps Rhea’s leg on the ropes and jumps on it. Charlotte heads to the top rope and hits a flying cross body, but Rhea catches her and tries the Riptide, but Charlotte reverses it into a DDT for a two count. Charlotte tries the Figure Four twice, but Rhea kicks her off and puts on a roll-up for a two before they both kick each other down at the same time with big boots. Rhea starts stomping away at Charlotte’s feet, but she comes right back with a fall away slam before kipping up. Charlotte heads to the top rope, but Rhea meets her up there and hits a vicious looking German Suplex with Charlotte landing face first. Charlotte comes right back with the Natural Selection for a two count. They head to the outside where Rhea dodges Charlotte who goes flying into the steel steps. Back inside, Rhea hits a face first slam for a two count. Rhea goes for the Riptide but Charlotte turns it into a German Suplex. Charlotte goes after Rhea hitting another one, while holding on but Rhea elbows her way out and hits another one as Charlotte lands flat down on her face, that looked even more vicious in the replay. Charlotte comes right back with a big boot, but Rhea kicks out. A zoom in on Charlotte’s nose shows it’s damaged from that front face suplex. Charlotte kicks Rhea to the outside off the apron with another boot, and hits her with a top rope moonsault. Back inside, Rhea counters the Figure Four, dodges the Spear and hits a headbutt and the Riptide, but Charlotte kicks out as the crowd erupts. Rhea kicks out of a small package and puts on the Prism Lock but Charlotte crawls to the corner with her hands and takes out Rhea with a spear. They both charge up and go back and forth until Charlotte kicks Rhea down and tries the Figure Four, but Rhea escapes to the corner where Charlotte drives Rhea into the ring post, heads to the top rope but Rhea drops Charlotte face into the ring post and follows with an avalanche Riptide for the pin and the win.
Winner: Rhea Ripley by pinfall at 23:35, to become the NEW WWE SmackDown Women’s Champion
Byron Saxton is backstage with Austin Theory and asks him where his head is at after being John Cena. Theory said he said it, he did it and made Cena believe in Theory and asks into the camera if we believe in him now.
The Miz & Snoop Dogg are in the ring where they announce tonight’s attendance in SoFi Stadium at 80,497. Snoop says if only Miz had a match, but Miz said he put out an open challenge and nobody responded as people are scared of him. This prompts Pat McAfee’s music as he heads down to the ring. McAfee calls Snoop a legend before saying to The Miz that nobody saw Miz’s alleged open challenge but says thankfully he’s wearing his WrestleMania tank top and if Miz would still like a match to let him beat his ass right here, right now. Miz said there is nothing he would rather do but he’s only the host and can’t make matches official. McAfee says Miz’s tiny balls and gets the crowd to chant ‘Tiny Balls’ and says someone out of the 80,497 people should be able to make a match. Snoop says he could make it happen and gets a referee in the ring.
The Miz vs. Pat McAfee
Snoop leaves the ring and says he’ll be right back, as McAfee attacks Miz from behind followed by a spine buster. They head to the top where McAfee back flips off and meets Miz with a super kick as he falls down. Corey Graves is totally against McAfee on commentary as if he wants a match next with him. Miz gets sent to the outside and teases leaving before pushing George Kittle who’s ringside. Kittle jumps over the barricade and takes down Miz telling McAfee to jump off the ring post, which he does with a Swanton Bomb onto Miz. McAfee sends Miz back inside and hits the punt kick for the pin and the win.
Winner: Pat McAfee by pinfall at 3:36
Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship: The Usos (Jey Uso & Jimmy Uso) (c) vs. Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens
Lil Uzi Vert comes out to perform ‘Just Wanna Rock’ as The Usos then make their entrance. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn both come out with PWG inspired gear. Zayn and Jimmy Uso start the match but Jimmy screams to Jey Uso that he needs to handle this as Jey tags in as he comes in and takes Zayn out sending him into the corner. Jimmy & Jey stay in control keeping Zayn in their corner with chops and pin attempts. Zayn is able to make the hot tag to Owens who goes wild on both Usos including a Frog Splash to Jimmy on the outside and one on Jey on the inside. Jey dodges the stunner and hits a neck breaker for a two. Owens hits a Swanton on Jey but he gets his knees up, followed by a splash form Jimmy for a two. Owens dodges Jimmy in the corner, hitting him with a pair of superkicks and a cannonball. Owens heads to the top, but Jey holds him. Zayn grabs Jey and hits him with a brain buster on the apron as Owens hits a Swanton to Jimmy for a two count. Zayn heads to the top rope, puts the one in the air and hits an Uso Splash for a two count. Zayn hits a Blue Thunder Bomb but Jey breaks up the pin attempt. Jey follows with a superkick on Zayn before tagging Jimmy in as they hit multiple super kicks on Zayne before Owens breaks up the pin attempt and gets a superkick himself. Usos follow this with a double superkick on Zayn, but he still kicks out at two. They continue with another superkick, but Zayn keeps kicking out. They try the 1D, but Owens trips up Jimmy and sends him into the commentary table. They stop a powerbomb attempt from the table and slam Owens through the other commentary table. The Usos hit the 1D on Zayn, but he kicks out yet again. Jey hits Zayne with a Helluva Kick and starts yelling that he should of never left the Bloodline, but Zayn comes right back with an exploder suplex. Owens makes his way back to their corner and makes the hot tag to Owens who hits a pop up powerbomb to both Usos. Zayne hits Jimmy with a Helluva kick as Owens hits a stunner to Jey, who kicks out. All four men are a face off as the crowd gives them a standing ovation before they start going at it with superkicks. Usos hit a double Usos Splash as Owens kicks out. Usos hit a double super kick spot and put Owens on the top rope, but Zayn pulls Jimmy to the outside as Owens drives Jey off the top rope. Owens makes the hot tag to Zayn and hits Jey with a Helluva Kick, followed by a second one. Jimmy comes in but Owens takes him out with a stunner. Zayn hits another Helluva Kick for the pin and the win.
Winners: Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn by pinfall at 24:17, to become NEW WWE Undisputed Tag Team Champions
