The time has lastly come! WWE Wrestlemania 39 is kicking off Evening 1, full with seven scheduled matches, the return of the legendary John Cena, and the showdown between WWE Smackdown Girls’s Champion Charlotte Aptitude and 2023 Girls’s Royal Rumble winner Rhea Ripley.
GameSpot is inside SoFi Stadium for this yr’s Wrestlemania, bringing you outcomes and a evaluate of the massive present dwell, because it occurs, mere ft from the ring. Until you are in attendance, the one approach to catch Wrestlemania is on Peacock (or via conventional pay-per-view). Whereas Peacock has a free tier, you will be unable to look at the WWE occasion via that. You may want a Premium ($5 a month, with adverts) or Premium Plus Peacock ($10 a month, no adverts) account. No matter which tier you select, there can be a couple of WWE-related adverts all through the present.
There are a number of methods to look at Peacock. Except for watching it on cellular gadgets and on the PC, you may stream the service on Amazon Hearth gadgets, Android TV, Apple TV, LG Sensible TVs, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Roku, Samsung Sensible TVs, Xbox One, Xbox Collection X, Xbox Collection S, Xfinity, and extra. As for when you may watch (and will tune into our dwell evaluate, take a look at the occasions for Wrestlemania beneath.
Begin time:
8 PM ET7 PM CT5 PM PT1 AM BST (April 1, April 2)10 AM AEST (April 1, April 2)
At present, there are 7 matches scheduled for Evening 1 of Wrestlemania 39. Austin Concept’s protection of the WWE United States Championship towards John Cena will kick off the present. Check out the night time’s full card beneath.
Evening 1 Match card:
Austin Concept (c) vs. John Cena (WWE United States Championship)Seth “Freakin” Rollins vs. Logan PaulTrish Stratus, Lita, and Becky Lynch vs. Injury CTRL (Bayley, Dakota Kai, and Iyo Sky)Braun Strowman and Ricochet vs. The Road Earnings (Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford) vs. Alpha Academy (Chad Gable and Otis) vs. The Viking Raiders (Erik and Ivar) in a Deadly 4-Means Tag Workforce MatchThe Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso) (c) vs. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn (Undisputed WWE Tag Workforce Championships)Charlotte Aptitude (c) vs. Rhea Ripley (WWE SmackDown Girls’s Championship)Rey Mysterio vs. Dominik Mysterio
Outcomes & Overview:
Austin Concept (c) vs. John Cena (WWE United States Championship)
Winner: Austin Concept through pinfall
Actually, having Concept and Cena kick issues off is smart. This can be a excellent approach to kick open the door to Wrestlemania. The one fault on this feud is that Cena solely made a single look to additional the feud. He is a busy man, certain, however it could have been nice to have him extra concerned within the buildup.
Concept received clear after hitting a low blow and nailing Cena with A City Down, which is precisely what ought to have occurred. Not solely do the shenanigans make a rematch wise, Concept simply bought the largest win of his profession and Cena loses nothing.
The one concern is with the video manufacturing in that the video feeds within the stadium glitched out as Cena was about to hit an Angle Adjustment. So these within the low-cost seats needed to squint fairly exhausting to see what was occurring within the match. Nonetheless, does not take away from this being a very good opener. Nothing spectacular, only a good match.
Score: 7.5/10
Braun Strowman and Ricochet vs. The Road Earnings (Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford) vs. Alpha Academy (Chad Gable and Otis) vs. The Viking Raiders (Erik and Ivar) in a Deadly 4-Means Tag Workforce Match
Winner: The Road Earnings through pinfall
It is exhausting to name a deadly four-way tag match “regular” however this match was principally that. Everybody bought in a few of their signature offense, there have been some distinctive high-flying moments, and even Braun Strowman went off the highest rope. The tower of doom spot was positively the spotlight of the match, and the gang was loads entertained. Two different standout moments had been Ricochet’s sundown flip to the surface and Angelo Dawkins derailing the Strowman Specific. Naturally, the gang went wild for each.
If I had a critique it is that storyline-wise, it is not all that enthralling. There isn’t any actual stakes of private story to this explicit bout. Nonetheless, it is a showcase win for the Road Earnings, who ought to have been the workforce to dethrone the Usos.
Score: 7/10
Seth “Freakin” Rollins vs. Logan Paul
Winner: Seth “Freakin” Rollins through pinfall
The Prime vitality drink mascot is precisely the sort of nonsense one ought to anticipate from Logan Paul. It additionally supplies a simple goal for an hilarious beating from Seth Rollins. Talking of Rollins, his Wrestlemania drip is flat out incredible–worthy of such a particular night time.
Paul was surprisingly dominant early on, particularly when he bought round to throwing punches. It is good to see him on Rollins’ degree on this match, as there’s been a lot invested in him as a fundamental participant in WWE. And having him virtually get the pin on Seth after a knockout punch was a unbelievable second. Whereas Paul has mentioned his WWE deal is expiring, that is actually taking part in out in such a approach to make him appear to be a powerhouse–in victory or defeat.
Having considered one of Paul’s YouTube buddies (KSI) within the Prime costume was a very good twist, on condition that most individuals in all probability anticipated his brother Jake to be in there. Having Paul be the one to by accident put KSI via the desk, although? That was pure magic. Much less magic is Paul persevering with to do finishers of AEW wrestlers with out them really ending the matches. First it was the Buckshot Lariat, now it is the GTS. Utilizing well-known finishers as run-of-the-mill strikes is not the very best look.
Rollins bought the win after a superkick and a stomp, although it does not actually damage Paul as he appeared like dynamite all through the match. There have been memorable moments, nice storytelling, and a wildly participating match. This one was superior and I am all for a rematch.
Score: 9/10
Trish Stratus, Lita, and Becky Lynch vs. Injury CTRL (Bayley, Dakota Kai, and Iyo Sky)
Winners: Trish Stratus, Lita, and Becky Lynch by pinfall
That is one of the simplest ways to make use of legends at Wrestlemania. Working them right into a match with top-level and rising stars makes for a very good combine. And at this level, Injury Ctrl may be a greater heel workforce than the Bloodline. They’re so good at being the worst, isolating their opponents, dishonest their approach to a bonus, and simply being imply. They tore aside the Girls’s Tag Workforce Champions Lita and Becky, which made for a reasonably unbelievable comeback by Trish.
Iyo Sky’s moonsault to the surface was clearly the spotlight of the match, although as soon as chaos took management and tagging out and in took a backseat, the motion was frenetic and tremendous enjoyable to look at. Everybody bought an opportunity to shine, and it was nice to see Trish and Lita get their signature offense in. Severely, her Twist of Destiny trumps any accomplished by a Hardy.
The nice guys received and the villains had been vanquished, however I would not be shocked to see some variation of those wrestlers in one other match quickly sufficient. The chemistry between this group is participating, and Becky and Lita nonetheless have the Girls’s Tag Workforce Championships to defend.
Score: 7/10
Rey Mysterio vs. Dominik Mysterio
Winner: Rey Mysterio through pinfall
Dominik having a prison-themed entrance is pure artwork and you will by no means persuade me in any other case. Having him carrying a fancy dress pseudo impressed by his dad’s iconic Halloween Havoc gear, although? That is the cherry on high. I do not fairly perceive why Rey got here out with an Eddie Guerrero entrance, although. He is not Eddie’s son, Dominik is.
Pricey WWE, please have company mascots at ringside for each match. The press field went wild after we realized the Cinnamon Toast Crunch mascot was leaping round at ringside like a maniac.
That is the second sponsored match of the night time and the visuals listed below are rather more entertaining than the one which was branded as delivered to you by TurboTax earlier within the night. Consuming cereal is approach higher than doing all your taxes.
Sufficient concerning the shenanigans earlier than the match, we should always contact on the shenanigans within the match. Rey actually whipped Dom along with his belt within the ring and it was hilarious, as was Dom throwing a drink in his sister’s face. Judgement Day is the very best factor that would have ever occurred to Dominik Mysterio because it made him a way more entertaining and well-rounded character. It is also nice for Rey, who has his first really significant feud in ages towards a son all of us need to see him beat the snot out of.
I actually love how even-handed the offense was between the 2, because the precedence right here ought to be constructing Dom right into a plausible competitor, even when he wants his Judgement Day household to safe the win. Whereas followers like to hate him, we have additionally gotten to look at him grow to be a reasonably good wrestler.
The interferences by Judgement Day and Legando Del Fantasma (or are they the LWO now, since they’ve the shirts?) added a very good quantity of fast-paced motion to the match. Rey bought the win, which needs to be the anticipated final result for many after Dom made Rey’s life depressing for thus lengthy.
This was nice storytelling, superior motion, and a cheerful ending to a feud that is been occurring for months. What’s to not love?
Score: 8.5/10
Charlotte Aptitude (c) vs. Rhea Ripley (WWE SmackDown Girls’s Championship)
Winner: Rhea Ripley through pinfall
That is an attention-grabbing match as a result of, on one facet you may have Rhea Ripley, who’s firing on all cylinders, probably the most participating she’s ever been, and is clearly the way forward for this division. On the opposite, you may have Charlotte Aptitude. She’s nonetheless rehashing her dad’s music, strikes, and catchphrases. She’s primarily been doing the identical gimmick her complete profession on the primary roster, by no means actually evolving. Her character and presentation really feel dated in a approach Rhea completely does not. That is not to remove from Aptitude’s expertise, which she has loads of. However she’s felt stale for a few years now and did not hassle reinventing herself in any respect after her most up-to-date absence.
These two traded some exhausting hits and glorious counters all through the match, with Charlotte turning Ripley’s Riptide right into a DDT incomes an enormous response from the press field. Severely, in the event you missed that individual sequence, return and discover it. When you’re at it, additionally rewatch Rhea’s enormous German superplex a few occasions. These two pulled out all of the stops.
The look on Rhea’s face after Charlotte kicked out of the Riptide instructed your entire story of this match. That is so a lot better than their earlier Wrestlemania bout, which fits to point out how far Rhea has come since her NXT days. Even Charlotte has a fireplace in her that we do not see all that a lot. I might wish to humbly request we see this facet of her far more usually.
Rhea gave Charlotte actually the whole lot she had and finally it was sufficient, after a high rope Riptide. It is exhausting to think about this not being the match of the night time, which I’d not have anticipated stepping into. Rhea has been on the rise for some time, however Charlotte actually stepped up right here to provide Ripley a wonderful star-making match.
Score: 10/10
The Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso) (c) vs. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn (Undisputed WWE Tag Workforce Championships)
Winners: Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens through pinfall
I actually cannot consider the primary occasion began with a Turbo Tax industrial set to “Security Dance.” I haven’t got any touch upon it as a result of I simply do not perceive it. However even that, plus a efficiency by Lil Uzi Vert, and an impromptu “match” between The Miz and Pat McAfee aren’t sufficient of a buffer between the primary occasion and Ripley/Aptitude. The group was on fireplace for entrances nevertheless it felt like they had been getting drained because the match rolled on.
That mentioned, this match was nonetheless a blast and, with the extremely private story concerned, simple to get invested in. We have all been ready for the Bloodline to be humbled. And whereas Roman could lose his titles to Cody Rhodes tomorrow night time, this was the primary brick to fall.
Let’s speak about standout moments, although. Sami hitting Jey with a brainbuster on the apron was vicious, as was hit touchdown an Uso splash on Jimmy. That is actually what this match was about, Sami standing as much as his former household. Hell, even Michael Cole referenced El Generico in the course of the match, a beloved masked wrestler that appears loads like Zayn however retired to run an orphanage in Mexico proper across the time Sami signed with WWE. A lot of the Bloodline story is the story of Sami Zayn and that was on full show right here. It is clear that he nonetheless has love for the Usos (nicely, Jey anyway), even when he has to destroy them to set them free from Roman. It is such a unbelievable story that is been instructed over the past yr.
In the long run, Sami and Kevin went over and, even higher, it occurred when Sami toppled Jey. This units the stage for some critical Bloodline turmoil shifting ahead and it is the primary time Zayn and Owens have received the tag titles in WWE. Simply fantastic. This wasn’t pretty much as good as Charlotte vs. Rhea however this was masterful storytelling.
Score: 9.5/10
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