Saturday, April 2nd, 2022
AT&T Stadium
Arlington, Texas
Follow me on Twitter: @WorkTheNetwork2
Brantley Gilbert is here to sing "America The Beautiful". I'm not going to pretend I know who he is. This goes to Mark Wahlberg giving us a Rock at the Super Bowl type of video. I miss the old intros with Vince screaming.
The Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders are introduced with "Thunderstruck" by AC/DC playing.
SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match
Rick Boogs & Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Usos
Rick Boogs of course plays the guitar here to kick things off. The Mike's Harder Farmer is in the crowd and they play in front of him. This is just glorious. Shinsuke tries to start things off quickly with a running kick to start off the match. Things settle down and the Usos isolate Nakamura. Boogs gets the tag in and slaps on a bearhug and turns it into a vertical suplex. Boogs shows off his power until both Usos were on top of his shoulders and his knee buckled. Nakamura comes in, as Boogs sells the knee injury outside the ring. Nakamura runs into a superkick and Jimmy hits a top rope splash, but Nakamura kicks out at 2. Nakamura gets another superkick and the 1D for the victory. It seems like they maybe changed the finish here, as Boogs looks to be legit hurt. You never like to see that and Boogs is one of the few newer guys on the roster that actually has some of that old school personality the roster desperately needs.
Match Rating: **1/2
Happy Corbin vs. Drew McIntyre
I don't even watch the weekly programming and I know that this feud has been going on forever. I will say that I'm a little surprised that they didn't do one of the bigger matches yet. McIntyre takes the fight outside the ring, but it eventually backfires when he tries to get back in the ring and is run into the ring post from the apron. The crowd is pretty dead already, but there are some boos sprinkled in towards Corbin. Corbin hits a Deep Six, but Drew kicks out. This probably would have been a good match to put a stipulation of some sort to spice it up. McIntyre hits a top rope chop and goes for the Claymore Kick, but Corbin rolls out. Drew then hits a swanton over the top rope on both Corbin and Moss. Corbin ducks under a Claymore Kick and Corbin hits the End Of Days, but McIntyre kicks out. I believe that is the first person to ever kick out of that move. McIntyre hits the Future Shock and then hits the Claymore Kick for the finish. This just all felt kind of flat. After the match, Drew has the sword and points it at Moss. He takes the sword and cuts the ropes and they collapse.
Match Rating: **
Rey & Dominik Mysterio vs. Miz & Logan Paul
Dominik is paying tribute to Eddie Guerrero with his costume. Paul gets to show off some of his athleticism before getting kicked in the head. Dominik hits a corkscrew to the outside before Miz is able to isolate Dominik. Paul looks good here and hits a nice 2nd rope blockbuster. The hot tag gets made to Rey and he still amazes me every time that I watch him. Rey goes for 619, but Miz gets up, so Mysterio hits a DDT. Rey goes for the Three Amigos, but Miz gets out of it before the third and Logan Paul hits the Three Amigos to some major boos. Logan Paul goes up top and hits the Frog Splash. The Mysterios fight back and hit the double 619 and the double Frog Splash. In comes the Miz and he hits the Skull Crushing Finale and steals the victory. This match was a great time, much like the Bad Bunny match last year. After the match, Miz celebrates with Paul and then hits the Skull Crushing Finale on Paul. Now that is awesome.
Match Rating: ***1/2
Stephanie McMahon is out here because she does whatever she wants. She introduces Gable Steveson to the crowd and gets a solid ovation.
Raw Women's Championship Match
Becky Lynch vs. Bianca Belair
The crowd is very much into this one and rightfully so. We get a fast and furious start that leads to Becky hitting the Manhandle Slam and almost stealing a quick victory. Becky misses with a moonsault and Bianca puts her in the Disarm-her. Becky gets to the ropes and we get some quick pinfalls. Bianca dups Becky out of the ring, but Becky pulls her out with her hair and then throws her into the steps. Bianca gets hung up on the top rope and Becky hits a guillotine leg drop for a 2 count. I am loving the energy in this match. I am not wanting to type too much here because I am just genuinely enjoying this match. They are up on the second rope and it leads to Bianca putting Lynch on her shoulders and dropping her on the top rope. Bianca hits a 450 splash from the second rope, but Becky kicks out. Becky hits a somersault kick to Bianca and that looks like that may have hurt. We get some stiff shots from both ladies and Bianca hits a spinebuster. Bianca goes for the KOD, but Becky holds on to the ropes for dear life. Becky launches herself, but she falls to the floor. She runs away from her and then pulls her by her hair again and into the ring post this time. Bianca just beats the countout and Becky has lost her temper. Bianca backflips off the second rope and hits the KOD for the victory and gets the huge pop. Dude. This match was insanely awesome. I am probably overreacting, but this was a freaking WrestleMania classic. Two performers that I genuinely enjoy that just went out there and just tore the house down. Bravo.
Match Rating: ****3/4
Seth Rollins vs. Cody Rhodes
Well I'll be darned. It's Cody Rhodes. I think it's safe to say he has come back a bigger star than he ever was in WWE, huh? We get a slow build to start, but things pick up as Rhodes suplexes Rollins over the top rope with Seth holding on and them both crashing to the floor. Cody goes for a crossbody off the top rope, but Rollins hits him with a dropkick. Cody hits a clothesline to send Seth over the top and hits a dive that sends him flying over the announce table. Cody hits a reverse crossbody from the top rope and gets a 2 count. On the outside, Rollins bounces back and hits a powerbomb into the barricade. He comes back in the ring and hits the Falcon Arrow for a 2 count. The pace picks up and it leads to Rhodes hitting the Cross Rhodes, but Rollins kicks out. I'm a little surprised at that in his re-debut. Cody goes up top, but Rollins crotches him and heads up to meet him. Cody is able to elbow him off, but Rollins leaps back up and hits an inverted superplex and a Curtain Call, but Rhodes kicks out at 2. Rhodes avoids the Phoenix Splash, but Rollins rolls through and they both try for Pedigrees. Cody hits a powerbomb and sells the ribs. Cody hits the Cody Cutter, but Rollins kicks out again. Cody takes too long and Rollins kicks him in the gut and hits the Pedigree, but Rhodes kicks out. Cody hits Cross Rhodes and sprinkles in a bionic elbow before another Cross Rhodes for the victory. The crowd was very lively for this one, which is a good sign for Cody's future.
Match Rating: ***3/4
They bring out the Hall Of Fame inductees and then announce the attendance as 77,899. This all took place in the span of like 53 minutes. That time is about as official as the attendance number.
SmackDown Women's Championship Match
Ronda Rousey vs. Charlotte Flair
Rousey comes out firing until Charlotte is able to hit an elbow on the apron. Charlotte dumps Rousey out of the ring and gloats for a little bit. She then rams her into the ring post and tosses her back in the ring. These two have an uphill battle having to follow the amazing Becky/Bianca match and the huge debut. Not to mention that we are starting hour 3 here. Charlotte hits a clothesline that in reality turned out to be more of an elbow tot he head. Rousey is able to hit a big knee to the face and get a 2 count. Charlotte hits a Spear, but it's not enough just yet. Ronda moves out of the way of the moonsault, so she goes for another one, but we have a miscue and she misses her, but goes for the pin anyways. Charlotte has Rousey in the tree of woe and then climbs up top. She pulls her up by her legs, but Rousey lifts herself up and hits a forearm. Rousey pulls her down by the arm and takes her to the mat. She hits the Piper's Pit and then goes for the armbar, but Charlotte rolls away. Rousey is able to get Charlotte into the Ankle Lock in the center of the ring, but Charlotte counters into one of her own. Rousey is able to push her face first into the bottom turnbuckle. Charlotte counters the Arm Bar and puts her in the Figure Eight. Rousey reverses it and they eventually get under the ropes. Rousey throws her off the apron to the floor. Rousey charges at Charlotte, but Charlotte catches her and hits a fall away slam into the barricade. Rousey hits Piper's Pit, but Charlotte gets her foot on the bottom rope. The ref counted 3, but he caught it after he made the call. Rousey argues with him and Charlotte hits Natural Selection and this time Rousey kicks out. Rousey kicks Charlotte and she hits the ref and knocks him down. Rousey puts the arm bar on and Charlotte is tapping. Rousey goes to wake up the ref and Charlotte hits her with a boot to the face and retains the title. This is a tough match to rate, as there were some really great moments but also just felt slightly off for both performer. The crowd wasn't quite as hot for it either.
Match Rating: ***3/4
Well, they cut New Day and Sheamus/Ridge Holland, which is kind of crazy to me.
It's time for the KO Show, which is your main event. This is also so bizarre to me, but I'm definitely intrigued. I love that Kevin Owens has kept up his KOMania shirts up. Owens insults the fans and then moves onto Austin until Austin's music hits. There will never be a better interruption entrance theme ever written. Austin gets quite the ovation considering we are 210 minutes into the show. In the middle of his entrance, Austin walks to the back and comes out riding a 4 wheeler. Owens' face there was priceless. Austin kicks down the KO Show sign and tosses the other one out of the ring. Owens cuts the music and tells Austin that this is his show. Austin goes off on Owens for a little bit before Owens tells Austin that he didn't invite him here to talk. He wants a No Holds Barred match here tonight. Austin doesn't respond before looking at the crowd and looking to be doing everything he can to hold back some tears. Austin calls for a ref and we're getting a match.
No Holds Barred Match
Kevin Owens vs. Steve Austin
Austin is still in great shape. They start trading blows to start and Austin stomps a mudhole in the corner. Austin calls for a beer and drinks one in the ring before stomping away in the corner again. This is starting to feel like the Bret Hart/Vince McMahon match, as Austin throws Owens out of the ring. Owens throws Austin into the barricade, but Austin bounces off with a clothesline. Owens finally gets some effective offense in when he throws him into the ring post. Owens brings out a table and leans it on the barricade. Austin reverses though and throws Owens through it. They start making their way into the crowd. I take back my comment about the Bret/Vince match because Owens suplexes Austin to the concrete. I can't believe after all of these years, Austin decided 2022 was the year to have a match. Austin is able to throw Owens from off the barricade and onto the announce table. Austin grabs a couple more beers and hits some more right hands to the face of Owens. Owens tries to take the ATV, but he can't get it started and Austin attacks him. He takes him for a ride up the ramp and Austin hits a suplex on the stage. He heads on to the other side and hits one over there for good measure. The then throws Owens down the ramp and then back into the ring. Austin drinks some more beers, but Owens pops up and hits the Stunner. He goes for the pin, but Austin gets the shoulder up. Austin hits Owens with a chair and hits the Stunner for the victory. This was in no way a good match, but they did what they could with the limitations that they had. Austin didn't get to end his career the way he wanted to, but I wish he would have done this years ago. After some more beer drinking, Austin hits another Stunner and is escorted out by some sheriffs. Owens was great in his role here, as you would expect. Austin brings in Byron Saxton for a beer and he gets a Stunner. Maybe that's the end of his announcing career? Wishful thinking. Austin brings in his brother and they celebrate and that's all.
Match Rating: **1/4
I think they could have easily cut this down at least 30 minutes, but with that being said, this was a really enjoyable show. Bianca and Becky was something truly special and one of the best WrestleMania matches ever. Cody/Seth and Ronda/Charlotte were both very worthy matches and the Logan Paul match was a blast as well. The first two matches didn't feel like WrestleMania, but it was all business from that point on.
Overall Rating: 80%
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