Best and Worst of WrestleMania 39 Night 1: Top faction wins first title in a year, bad decision made with John Cena (April 1st, 2023)
Welcome to the best and worst of WrestleMania 39 Night 1. It was a good start to WrestleMania 39 this year, and we can't wait to see what's in store tomorrow. A small shoutout to The Street Profits for winning the Exhibition tag team match - a match that would have been better if there were any actual stakes involved.
So let's jump right into the ups and downs of a fantastic night at the Showcase of The Immortals!
#4. Best: Rhea Ripley vs. Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 39
RHEA MF'N RIPLEY! 😤
#WWE #WrestleMania https://t.co/X8qd236pBj
Rhea Ripley and Charlotte Flair delivered in what was an excellent women's title match. Given the lackluster build-up to the match, it certainly delivered on a large scale.
This was the second time the two faced off in a singles match at The Show of Shows, and the spoils went to Ripley at WrestleMania 39 - who, by winning the SmackDown Women's Championship, has given The Judgment Day their very first title in a year.
She is becoming the biggest star of the faction, and this was nothing short of a star-making performance. While it was the right decision not to have them headline the night, they certainly delivered as though it was a main event of WrestleMania 39.
#2. Worst: John Cena wrestling like he has a flight to catch
#USChampion @Theory1 HAS DEFEATED @JohnCena at #WrestleMania! https://t.co/lMHWkV542A
John Cena and Austin Theory opened WrestleMania 39 with a United States Title match. The match was by far the poorest of the night, and we have to question what Cena's motivation was heading into this.
It didn't help that he only appeared once in the build-up, but this match-up featured none of his kick outs or "Super Cena" moments. He wrestled as if he had a flight to catch five minutes after the match, and everything felt so rushed.
Overall, it was likely the poorest that we have seen The Cenation Leader perform at WrestleMania - and that's saying a lot considering that just a few years ago, he was squashed in a few minutes by The Undertaker.
We have to cut him some slack because he is the greatest of all time, but that doesn't mean that a bad performance can't be called out. Austin Theory doesn't feel like he has been elevated in the slightest.
The fan reaction, as you can imagine, was not positive. The only good part about this match was Cena's unique entrance.
#3. Best: The outcome of Rey vs. Dominik Mysterio
.@reymysterio has defeated @DomMysterio35 at #WrestleMania!!! #WMGoesFilmy https://t.co/mr4NDyLTLY
Rey Mysterio and Dominik Mysterio didn't have the best match of the night at WrestleMania 39, but it certainly was a good one worthy of the stage. It was a great bit of storytelling, and Dominik's prison entrance was epic.
He has done his role to perfection, and at ringside, he got heat by pouring his sister Aalyah's drink on her face while also getting slapped by his mother. Ultimately, it was the returning music megastar Bad Bunny who made the difference.
Bad Bunny was at ringside to do Spanish commentary, and he got up to hold the chain that Dominik was about to use. He tugged it away, and the distraction allowed Rey Mysterio to get a well-deserved win.
While some might argue that the younger Mysterio should have won at WrestleMania 39, it was the right outcome given how many beatings his father took and how much humiliation he suffered in the build-up.
#1. Worst: The Six-Woman Tag Team Match
2 Hall of Famers & 1 Future Hall of Famer! 🙇
#WWE #WrestleMania https://t.co/TSLNLrXxpx
We were unfortunately disappointed by the returning legends Lita and Trish Stratus at WrestleMania. Ring rust is a very real thing, so perhaps Stratus can get a bit more slack for that.
Unfortunately, the three of them didn't gel as well as fans would have hoped, and it didn't translate to a good match on screen. The result was certainly the right one, but the match at WrestleMania didn't feel important at all.
#2. Best: Seth Rollins vs. Logan Paul
Rate this match on a scale of 1-5.
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Seth Rollins faced Logan Paul in a match that delivered as expected. The match went on third at WrestleMania 39, and it didn't surprise anybody that it was so good. The Maverick belongs in the ring, and as much controversy as he creates outside the ring, he and WWE are both benefiting from this partnership.
Logan Paul not only likes being hated, but he seems generous enough to put over superstars who are better than him. KSI made a surprise appearance as the PRIME drink mascot. In what will almost surely be a viral moment, Seth Rollins dragged him onto the announce table, with Logan Paul inadvertently splashing on his business partner instead of his opponent Rollins.
We don't have a single bad thing to say about it - not even about Rollins' unique pink gear that he wore onto the stage at WrestleMania 39.
#1. Best: The main event
The closing shot of Night 1 of #WrestleMania!
#WWE https://t.co/6vU2r7T3yz
WrestleMania 39 ended in the most spectacular way possible.
On a technical level, some would argue that Seth Rollins vs. Logan Paul will be the match of the weekend, while some of the hardcore fans will likely say that the NXT North American Championship match from Stand & Deliver was better.
What makes a wrestling match great isn't just technical abilities and flips - it's storytelling. And no match on Night 1 did that better than the main event. The Usos faced Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens for the Undisputed Tag Team Titles, and it was as much of a thriller as you would expect.
We have to commend The Usos for being the greatest tag team in WWE history, and their reign ending is a good moment to look back at how much they have truly leveled up since the days of being bland face-paint babyfaces.
But the night was always going to belong to KO and Sami Zayn. They had the crowd in their palm, and each kick out from each superstar made people around the world gasp for air.
There were many gut-wrenching and heart-stopping moments, but the climax was hard to beat. Sami Zayn is truly a master of storytelling, and we urge you to watch the finale, where he is standing from across the ring from Jey Uso.
It all came full circle, and thanks to Kevin Owens taking out Jimmy Uso, Sami Zayn hit three consecutive helluva kicks to end the incredible 622-day reign of The Usos.
WrestleMania 39 Night 1 ended in the best way possible - with the two best friends standing tall. Let's see if any match tomorrow can top that!
What do you think? Voice your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below!