Bill Apter WrestleMania 39 scores from 'Mania night #1
Here is my exclusive score for each WrestleMania 39 match brought to you from my patented 'Mania Meter. It's scored on a 1-through 10 basis, with 10 being the highest rating!
UNITED STATES CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
Austin Theory (c) vs. John Cena
Winner and quick thoughts: Theory retained his title
The biggest win of @_Theory1's career!
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Fans had a ball with the "Let's go Cena -- Cena sucks" chants. Theory showed what good teeth he had, biting the challenger at times and using that tactic to break out of Cena's STF submission move. The champ also used brutal tactics kicking and punching.
Referee Chad Patton was knocked out, which enabled Theory to punch him in the groin. As the referee woke up, Theory had Cena in the pin position, and that's how he won.
WrestleMania Meter score: 5 -- Fair opening match. Didn't have that "something" one would look for in an opening WrestleMania match.
SHOWCASE FATAL FOUR-WAY TAG TEAM MATCH
Braun Strowman & Richochet vs. The Viking Raiders vs. The Alpha Academy vs. The Street Profits.
Winner and quick thoughts: The Street Profits
WHAT A SHOWCASE!
@MontezFordWWE & @AngeloDawkins pick up the W.
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The fans adore Otis. WWE needs to move him back to a babyface. Chad Gable was also amazing in the ring, with some of his moves worthy of praise, for example, his rolling suplex on Strowman.
Lots of high spots in this very entertaining match. There was also a WrestleMania moment as Ricochet dropkicked the other teams in suplex fashion of the top ropes. Dawkins pinned Ricochet for the win.
WrestleMania Meter score: 6 -- Non-stop action. Should have been the opener!
Seth 'Freakin' Rollins vs. Logan Paul at WrestleMania
Winner and quick thoughts: Seth Rollins
Mania W for The Visionary!
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Logan Paul's zip-line entrance was -- scary (all those stunts bring back memories of the horrible Owen Hart incident). He also had a 'mascot,' someone in a Prime Energy suit with him. Rollins' entrance with an orchestra maestro was also fantastic.
Logan Paul's performance again was like he has been doing this for years. Meanwhile, Rollins was also fantastic, and they were a perfect match. The end came when the Prime mascot, who turned out to be Logan's business partner KSI, interfered, but Rollins' was able to swerve him and take charge.
Rollins used a Pedigree, but Logan kicked out. The Visionary was nearly pinned with an incredible Logan Frong Splash, but he kicked out. Finally, a curb stomp saw Rollins take the spectacular win after he used a superkick when Logan came off the ropes in a Coast-to-Coast attempt!
WrestleMania meter score: 10 -- Excellent match!
Lita, Trish Stratus, & Becky Lynch vs. Damage Control
Winner and quick thoughts: Lita, Trish, & Becky.
2 Hall of Famers & 1 Future Hall of Famer! 🙇
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Lita showed no ring rust, and neither did Trish Stratus. Damage Control's triple teaming dominated most of the early going. However, the end came when Bayley was pinned by Becky after a Manhandle Slam following a wild brawl.
WrestleMania meter score: 6 -- Good action-packed match.
Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Dominik Mysterio
Winner and quick thoughts: Rey Mysterio Jr.
You love to see it! 🤗
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The pre-match videos leading up to this match were incredible. Dominik was brought to the arena by a correction officer and wore one of his father's masks while also being handcuffed. Rey was driven in an Eddie Guerrero-style car by Snoop Dogg. The heat was amazing, with the match getting the hottest audience reaction thus far.
Dom dazzled his dad early on with a few wrestling moves. He is quite the heel, drawing immense heat from the crowd. Rey took off his own belt and whipped Dom with it, and the youngster ran from the ring. The fans went wild for the spot!
Dominik tossed a drink into his sister's face at ringside and then catapulted Rey into the ring post outside the ring. As Dom told his mother to "Shut her mouth" again, she slapped him, and Rey tossed him back into the ring.
The LWO came out and fought with The Judgment Day as Dom did a 619 on Rey, then a Frog Splash, and got a two-count on the pin. The youngster then took the padding out of the turnbuckle and was also going to use a chain, but Bad Bunny, who was doing commentary with the Latin American broadcasters, took the chain.
Rey used a 619 and Frog Splash for the win. Rey's wife and daughter came in to celebrate with the Hall of Famer.
WrestleMania Meter score -- 10. Action and drama. The match was perfectly executed as the next or possibly final step in this family feud.
SMACKDOWN WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP
Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Rhea Ripley
Winner and quick thoughts: Rhea Ripley won the WWE Smackdown Women's Championship.
#SmackDown has a new QUEEN! 👑
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A very physical matchup with tempers flaring. Rhea showed her ferocity and wrestling skills as she punished the champion with holds and power moves. Charlotte used lots of her father's famous chops to weaken Ripley.
Rhea connected with an amazing suplex on Charlotte off the top rope, and Charlotte fell face-first. With Rhea out of the ring, Charlotte climbed the ropes to do her flip and connected with Rhea. There were so many false finishes in this match.
Both tried their submission moves over and over, but they did not do what they intended for a win. Finally, a "Riptide" from the top rope and Rhea Ripley is the new champion!
WrestleMania Meter score: 10. What a great match! The two of them deserve the highest accolades for their excellent athletic performances.
UNDISPUTED WWE TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH at WrestleMania
The Usos (c) vs. Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens
Winner and quick thoughts: Sami and Kevin won the tag team titles from the USOs!
The closing shot of Night 1 of #WrestleMania!
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The Usos came out alone, not with Paul Heyman, Solo, or Roman Reigns. The crowd pop for Sami and Owens was deafening.
Sami was double-teamed throughout the early going, and Owens seethed as he watched. Once Owens went in, he changed the direction of the match in his team's favor. High spots from both Owens and Sami looked like finishers but didn't work.
The Usos' teamwork was total precision as they slammed Owens through the Spanish announcers' table. Sami was being double-teamed, taking a terrible beating, while Jey even used a Helluva kick on Sami. Somehow, Sami came back, tossed Jey into the corner, and tagged Owens, who used his Pop-Up Power Bomb on both Usos.
Later in the match, a double Uso Splash failed to get a pin on Owens. After three Hulluva Kicks, Sami got the pin for the win!
WrestleMania Meter score: 10. Great highs and lows, and the fans got the result they wanted!