WWE WrestleMania 38 Night 1: Ranking and grading every match
Night One of WrestleMania 38 has proven how capable WWE can deliver such an epic spectacle, no matter how fans feel about the weekly programming. The show was filled with incredible matches and moments.
No match was outright bad, although there were a couple of disappointments. That being said, most of WrestleMania Saturday exceeded expectations. From some in-ring returns to well-earned title wins, this show had it all. But which match was the best?
Let's look at all seven matches on WrestleMania Saturday, grade them, and rank them from worst to best. Do you think WWE will deliver as good a show on Sunday? Leave your comments below.
#7 The Usos vs. Shinsuke Nakamura and Rick Boogs - SmackDown Tag Team Championship
WWE opened WrestleMania with the energetic Rick Boogs playing the theme of Shinsuke Nakamura and accompanying him to the ring. But that was where his night peaked. Boogs suffered an unfortunate rough knee injury while carrying Jimmy and Jey Uso on his shoulders during the match.
The match suffered as a result, with it ending earlier than expected. Nevertheless, the action was solid. It seemed to build nicely into The Usos' trademark tag team epic before the injury cut it short.
Grade: C+
#6 Drew McIntyre vs. Happy Corbin
While many were not enthralled about this being Drew McIntyre's WrestleMania match, he put on a solid effort opposite Happy Corbin. The two long-time rivals had an action-packed contest, with both men hitting their regular offense.
The two-time WWE Champion dove onto Corbin on the outside and became the first person to kick out of his End of Days finisher. McIntyre hit the Claymore Kick for the win.
Following the match, McIntyre used his sword and literally tore the ring down. The overall bout turned out to be better than it was predicted to be.
Grade: B
#5 Rey and Dominik Mysterio vs. The Miz and Logan Paul
LOGAN PAUL HIT A FROG SPLASH AT #WRESTLEMANIA!!!
@LoganPaul https://t.co/9hpNIYgfwG
Logan Paul did great in his WWE in-ring debut, pulling out all the stops opposite The Mysterios. He hit a blockbuster, the Three Amigos, and a Frog Splash, among other moves. Paul was on the winning side, too, as The Miz used his experience to save the social media sensation from losing via a double 619.
Dominik Mysterio was also impressive on his WrestleMania debut. He dove all over the place but could not prevent The A-Lister from stealing the win. Miz then attacked Logan Paul after the match.
Paul ranks just below Bad Bunny in terms of in-ring celebrity performances at The Show of Shows. He certainly has an aptitude for pro wrestling and could stick around in WWE.
Grade: B+
#4 Charlotte Flair vs. Ronda Rousey - SmackDown Women's Championship
In another match with a questionable build from WWE, Charlotte Flair and Ronda Rousey delivered quite the performance at WrestleMania. Both brought their A-games, with Rousey upping the intensity during the match. Charlotte was great, too, as she hit a stiff-looking spear.
This was seemingly a battle of submissions, with the Ankle Lock playing a crucial role. However, neither woman would submit, at least in front of the referee. Charlotte Flair tapped out when he was down and took advantage of the situation.
The Queen shockingly retained her title after blasting Ronda Rousey with a Big Boot as she tried to wake up the referee. While WWE's placement of the match did no favors, this hard-fought battle delivered nonetheless.
Grade: B+
#3 Kevin Owens vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin in a No Holds Barred Match - WrestleMania Night 1 main event
.@FightOwensFight just gave @steveaustinBSR a STUNNER at #WrestleMania! https://t.co/GIxKFIyt0R
The main event of WrestleMania Saturday saw Kevin Owens challenge Stone Cold Steve Austin to an impromptu match, following a heated war of words on The KO Show. This was a slugfest from the beginning, with The Texas Rattlesnake controlling most of it.
Owens did have some hopeful spots and even suplexed the WWE Hall of Famer on the concrete floor. He and Austin fought back and forth into the crowd before going up the ramp for more action outside the ring.
The final moment of this match was StunnerMania, as Kevin Owens hit one on Steve Austin, who kicked out. Stone Cold then recovered and hit a couple on KO. It was an epic way to close the show, and the electricity was incredible.
The fans will go home delighted, having witnessed Austin's first WWE match in 19 years.
Grade: A
#2 Becky Lynch vs. Bianca Belair - RAW Women's Championship
Right from the grand entrances of both stars up until Bianca Belair's ultimate victory, WWE booked this RAW Women's Championship match to perfection. Becky Lynch brought her best at WrestleMania and almost got the win in seconds once again.
Belair kicked out of the early Manhandle Slam this time and went on to push Big Time Becks to her limit. We got some fierce moves from both women, with some close near-falls along the way.
The contest was expertly laid out, with The EST of WWE getting every bit of shine she possibly could. Becky Lynch put her over massively, falling prey to the KOD after an unbelievable backflip from Bianca Belair to avoid another Manhandle Slam.
Both women delivered their best match together at WrestleMania, considering their excellent chemistry. Lynch's controversial return and title win at SummerSlam has finally been avenged.
Grade: A+
#1 Seth Rollins vs. Cody Rhodes - The American Nightmare's WWE return
😲😲😲😲😲😲😲😲😲😲😲
@WWERollins @CodyRhodes #WrestleMania https://t.co/2nKqJ5n4Hz
We saw in-ring returns, shocking upsets, and a popular title change. But the true show-stealer of WrestleMania Saturday was Cody Rhodes' WWE return. In what was one of the worst-kept secrets in wrestling, The American Nightmare appeared at The Show of Shows, complete in his AEW presentation.
That only added to the atmosphere of his match with Seth Rollins, who grew into the contest over time. Both men pulled out all the stops to make this an epic battle, from powerbombs to the outside to inverted superplexes.
Rhodes dived all over the place and attempted the Pedigree, but it was Rollins who hit the move. The Visionary's trash talk was also great, as he welcomed the former AEW star "back to the big leagues."
The ending was emotional, as Cody Rhodes paid tribute to his father, Dusty, with a Bionic Elbow and hit the Cross Rhodes multiple times. It took four of the latter to put Seth Rollins down.
What a match this was, and what a moment. This is what WrestleMania is all about!
Grade: A+
Check out Sportskeeda Wrestling's WrestleMania 38 - Night 1 Post-Show Analysis: