6 Things WWE Subtly told us on WrestleMania 38 Night 1: Losing superstar to get a huge push, Immediate title plans for Cody Rhodes revealed?
WrestleMania 38 Night One is officially in the books. The Saturday edition of The Show of Shows was epic in its own right, although there were a few flaws. It's hard to expect a perfect show, especially when it's on such a grand scale and requires an incredible amount of planning.
Apart from the bizarre match placement and the unfortunate cancelation of The New Day vs. Sheamus and Ridge Holland match, things couldn't have gone any better for the company at WrestleMania 38 Night One.
Here is what WWE subtly told us over the seven matches at WrestleMania 38 Night 1:
#6. The KO Show and the incredible in-ring return of Stone Cold Steve Austin
STONE COLD STUNNER to @FightOwensFight!!!
@steveaustinBSR
#WrestleMania https://t.co/JTbE7ebcdh
Kevin Owens has already created a valuable legacy in WWE, but adding a WrestleMania main event to his list of accomplishments only elevates him further. And it wasn't just any match - it was against Stone Cold Steve Austin.
Imagine being Owens in the beginning of 2022. He just signed a multi-million dollar contract with WWE, and Vince McMahon informed him that he would be having a WrestleMania 38 program against his childhood idol Stone Cold.
WrestleMania 38 was Austin's return to the ring after 19 years away - the last time he wrestled was against The Rock in his retirement match at WrestleMania XIX in 2003. Although KO technically lost the No Holds Barred bout, he truly won given the circumstances of it all.
It wouldn't be surprising to see him receive a huge singles push on RAW going forward as a further reward for his years of incredible service.
#5. New beginnings for Cody Rhodes after WrestleMania
WELCOME HOME. ❤️
@CodyRhodes
#WrestleMania https://t.co/SPsKxSAdFD
There was a lot of speculation that WWE planned a last-minute change for Seth Rollins' opponent at WrestleMania 38. While Cody Rhodes was always the rumored name, Shane McMahon's name recently popped up as he was invited to Dallas for WrestleMania 38 weekend.
Thankfully, it was Rhodes who returned after six years as Rollins' WrestleMania 38 opponent. In what was an incredible match, The American Nightmare wrestled for nearly 22 minutes and defeated Rollins after kicking out of the pedigree and using three Cross Rhodes to finish the four-time world champion.
Cody Rhodes is officially back and we are likely to see him on the RAW after WrestleMania. So if WWE introduces a new world title, it wouldn't be surprising to see Rhodes right in the mix and possibly a favorite to become the first world champion of its lineage.
It will be interesting to see how his run plays out, and his match against Seth Rollins indicates that WWE is going to treat him like a big deal this time around.
#4. Is a huge break-up on the cards after Drew McIntyre's win at WrestleMania 38?
Not so HAPPY right now...
@BaronCorbinWWE @MadcapMoss #WrestleMania https://t.co/fLY9tQPQGP
Drew McIntyre defeated Happy Corbin to end his undefeated streak of seven months. Not only this, but he shockingly became the first person to kick out of the End Of Days in over half a decade.
That's exactly how you build a moment, and even though the match was good and not exceptional, it's a moment that will live on for a long time. McIntyre won, and there was a tense moment during the match between Corbin and Madcap Moss.
With Moss winning the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal, it's clear that WWE views him as a big singles star, and the break-up seems inevitable.
#3. Ronda Rousey's title pursuits aren't necessarily over
😲😲😲
@MsCharlotteWWE defeats @RondaRousey at #WrestleMania to retain the #SmackDown #WomensTitle! https://t.co/yJqpE2HfZS
In what was arguably the most shocking result of WrestleMania 38 Night One, Charlotte Flair retained the SmackDown Women's Title over Ronda Rousey.
It's been a long time now that Flair has had a grip over the women's division. Ever since SummerSlam 2021, she has been a champion. Her new reign technically began when she swapped titles with Becky Lynch.
At WrestleMania 38 Saturday, Rousey made Flair tap, but the referee didn't see it. A moment of cleverness from The Queen saw her utilize the window to cheat and pin Ronda Rousey - leading to the shock result.
Everybody thought that Rousey was going to win, but that clearly isn't the case. With that said, the nature of the finish was a subtle indication that her title pursuits are far from over. Expect the feud to continue on SmackDown.
#2. The WrestleMania opener mishap and future tag team title plans
s get the WIN on #WrestleMania Saturday!THE ☝️s get the WIN on #WrestleMania Saturday!
@WWEUsos retain their #SmackDown #TagTeamTitles against @ShinsukeN & @rickboogswwe and continue their historic reign. https://t.co/k8NO26YDPX
The WrestleMania 38 opening match saw The Usos defend the SmackDown Tag Team titles against Shinsuke Nakamura and Rick Boogs.
It was all going well until Boogs tried to do a fireman's carry of both Jimmy and Jey Uso, legitimately injuring his knee. Michael Cole revealed that it was a legitimate injury and stated that it was a torn quad patella that will require surgery.
The Usos had to call the finish quickly and change it up as they retained the titles. This instantly eliminates Nakamura and Boogs from future contention, and The Usos are likely to keep defending the titles post-WrestleMania until the next big program emerges.
At this point, it's not hard to see them touching a year with the titles.
#1. Bianca Belair was always positioned to beat Becky Lynch at WrestleMania
BIANCA DID IT!!!!!!!
@BiancaBelairWWE is the NEW #WWERaw Women's Champion at #WrestleMania! https://t.co/hs5tl8ocCs
Bianca Belair vs. Becky Lynch was the match of the night at WrestleMania 38 Night One without a question. The two women went to war for nearly 20 minutes, and the finish saw the crowd get to their feet as Belair hit one of the best KOD's you'll ever see.
Everything about the match was perfect. While it was admittedly surprising to see Lynch enter first despite being the champion, it was clear soon that the reason why was because Belair's entrance was that much more epic.
With that said, both women played their role to perfection, and the build-up to the match was WWE subtly indicating on a weekly basis that Belair was destined for another WrestleMania moment.
This match could easily have headlined WrestleMania 38, although we understand the appeal of having Stone Cold Steve Austin go on last instead. Either way, it's only going to continue to elevate Belair and her status in the eyes of WWE officials backstage has likely only risen.