Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt

Background: At TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs in December 2020, Randy Orton defeated “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt in a Firefly Inferno match. After the match, Orton doused The Fiend’s lifeless body in gasoline and set him on fire. Following this incident, Alexa Bliss, who had aligned with The Fiend months earlier, began to haunt Orton on a weekly basis, including causing him to lose multiple matches. On the March 15 episode of Raw, Bliss challenged Orton to an intergender match at Fastlane, and Orton accepted in the hopes of ridding Bliss from his life. At Fastlane, Bliss defeated Orton, thanks to the return of The Fiend, who appeared very grotesque with charred skin. The following night on Raw, Orton attempted to summon The Fiend. Bliss appeared on the stage holding a jack-in-the-box signaling the return of The Fiend, after which the lights went out. When they returned, The Fiend was standing in the ring. Orton performed an RKO on The Fiend, after which Bliss walked to the ring to taunt Orton. The Fiend then rose to his feet and attacked Orton with a Sister Abigail. Bliss then pointed to the WrestleMania sign, signaling a challenge, which was later confirmed.

Previous PPV matches: This is the fourth PPV singles match between these two men, of the previous three Randy has won 2 and Bray 1.

Wrestlemania Record: Randy Orton is 6-10 at Wrestlemania, Bray Wyatt is 1-3.

Match: Before Bray Wyatt makes his entrance he walks down a dark corridor and transforms back from the burnt Wyatt to The Fiend. Alexa Bliss then makes her way out and spins the handle on a huge jack in the box set up next to the ring. The top then pops up and Bray Wyatt rises out of it. Wyatt then dives off it, taking Orton out with a clothesline before dominating the opening stages of the match. The Fiend no-sells any offence Orton throws at him, including the hangmans DDT. The red light covers the ring for this match. Wyatt locks on the mandible claw and then sets up for Sister Abigail but as he does fire comes up from the turnbuckles and black liquid spews down the face of Alexa Bliss who is sat on top of the box. That distracts Wyatt who Orton then hits with an RKO for the three!

Result: Randy Orton wins by pinfall.

Review: This match was ok. Nothing special here just back and forth until Orton got the win. Interesting story with Alexa costing The Fiend the match, is this the end of their relationship? None of it made sense anyway but I’m sure it’ll get explained down the road.

Rating: 3.75/10

Shayna Baszler & Nia Jax (c) vs. Natalya & Tamina – WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship match

Background:

Previous PPV matches: This is a first time tag team match between these two teams on pay per view.

Wrestlemania Record: Shayna Baszler is 0-1, Nia Jax is 1-2, Tamina is 1-3 and Natalya is 1-4.

Match: Natalya and Shayna Baszler kick off the match and there’s some nice technical wrestling between the two before both tag out to the bigger girls. Natalya and Tamina hit a double big back body drop to Nia before taking out Baszler. No Reggie at ringside for this one. Tamina and Natalya work well together as a team. Baszler hits a massive knee to Natalya’s face. Nia takes Tamina out on the outside and the champions dominate Natalya for a while. Nia hits a powerbomb for a near fall, Tamina making sure the match continues. Tamina gets the hot tag and picks up the pace against Shayna. Tamina hits a Samoan drop for a near fall. Nia screams in the face of Tamina who fires back with a big powerslam for a near fall. Tamina then heads to the top for a Superfly splash but Nia rolls out of the way. Natalya tags in and locks the sharpshooter on Jax! Baszler breaks it up with a kirafuta clutch, locking it on Natalya who didn’t realise that Natalya was legal. Natalya taps out!

Result: Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler win by submission.

Review: I’m surprised by this result, I thought Natalya and Tamina might actually win, giving Tamina her moment. Common sense prevailed though and the better team won. I don’t mind the team of Jax and Baszler so this result is fine.

Rating: 5/10

Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn

Background: Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn are lifelong friends but with Sami seeminly going crazy with conspiracy theories, KO seems to be struggling with his friend. Sami Zayn then attacked his former best friend, kicking Owens in the face whilst he was on commentary. Sami has also been going back and forth with Logan Paul on Twitter and has invited Logan Paul as his guest of honour at Wrestlemania.

Previous PPV matches: These two men have fought on WWE PPV twice before and they currently hold one victory each.

Wrestlemania Record: Kevin Owens is 2-2, Sami Zayn is 1-2.

Match: The bell rings, Sami runs at KO who sees him coming and hits him with a pop-up powerbomb! It’s all Owens from here as he hits a big cannonball. Owens heads to the top but Zayn rolls out of the ring. Zayn hits a big suplex on the apron and then a Michinoku driver for a near fall. KO gets back into it with a frog splash for a near fall. Owens then hits a package neckbreaker for another near fall. Sami hits an exploder suplex in the corner and then looks for a helluva kick but Owens moves. Sami hits a blue thunder bomb for a near fall and then hits two more exploder suplexes and a brainbuster for a near fall. Owens hits a fishermans suplex off the middle rope and then a couple of clotheslines but Zayn hits a helluva kick from nowhere! Sami looks for a second helluva kick but runs into a superkick. KO hits a stunner and that’s enough for the win.

Result: Kevin Owens wins by pinfall.

Review: Yeah this match was decent enough but really a far cry from what they are capable of. It was back and forth and could have gone either way but in the end it was Kevin Owens with the big win.

Rating: 5.75/10

Riddle (c) vs. Sheamus – United States Championship match

Background: 3 weeks ago Sheamus attacked Riddle with his own scooter. Sheamus has beaten Riddle in a non-title match and tonight gets his shot at the gold.

Previous PPV matches: This is a first time PPV match between these two men.

Wrestlemania Record: Sheamus is 2-6 at Wrestlemania, Riddle wrestles at this event for the first time tonight.

Match: Sheamus goes right to work on Riddle as the match gets underway but Riddle soon gets back in to it and applies a sleeper which Sheamus powers out of. Sheamus domates for a while and heads to the top but Riddle goes up with him and hits a huge overhead belly to belly suplex. Riddle picks up the pace and hits a jackhammer on the second time of asking for a near fall. Sheamus hits a brogue kick but Riddle kicks out of the pinfall attempt. Riddle hits a German suplex on the ring apron and then a corkscrew to the outside. Riddle hits a floating bro for a near fall. Sheamus looks to hit white noise off the top but he makes a meal of it and lands on his feet, I don’t think he could take Riddle’s weight and stand on the top. Sheamus hits white noise the normal way and then a flying knee drop for a near fall. Riddle avoids a brogue kick and then looks for a springboard moonsault but Sheamus hits him with a brogue kick in mid-air! Sheamus hooks the leg and gets the three.

Result: Sheamus wins the United States Championship by pinfall.

Review: This was a good match from these two. It felt like a pay per view match, there was some good spots and neither man can complain. It was a shame about the white noise off the top but it didn’t affect the match too much. I liked Riddle as United States Champion so it’s a shame to see him lose but Sheamus is in great form at the moment.

Rating: 7/10

Big E (c) vs. Apollo Crews – Nigerian Drum Fight for the Intercontinental Championship

Background: After failing to defeat Big E for the Intercontinental Championship in January, Apollo Crews turned heel and began to embrace his royal Nigerian roots, including speaking with a Nigerian accent. On the February 19 episode of SmackDown, after Crews’ loss against Shinsuke Nakamura where Big E was on commentary, Crews attacked Nakamura after the match. Big E aided Nakamura, however Crews attacked Big E with the steel steps, taking him out of action for a couple of weeks. At Fastlane, Big E defeated Crews to retain the title once again, after which Crews viciously attacked Big E. On the March 26 episode of SmackDown, Crews pinned Big E in a six-man tag team match. Another match between the two for the title was subsequently set for WrestleMania 37. The following week, Crews changed the stipulation of the match to a Nigerian Drum Fight.

Previous PPV matches: This is a second PPV match between these two men, Big E previously beat Apollo at Fastlane.

Wrestlemania Record: Big E is 0-4 at Wrestlemania, Apollo Crews wrestles at Wrestlemania for the first time tonight.

Match: Wale sings Big E to the ring. The bell rings and both men leave the ring, grab kendo sticks and slug it out! The fight goes to the outside where the weapons that surround the ring come into play. Big E hits a massive spear on Apollo off the apron. Crews hits a death valley drives on the ring apron. I dare say that nobody else has hit that move since John Cena started using it as his finisher back in 2004. Big E hits a urunage off the apron and onto the ring steps below. Big E sets a table up in the ring but Apollo lays into him with a kendo stick. Crews then lays Big E on the table and heads to the top but Big E avoids a frog splash. Big E hits a big ending but from nowhere a huge dude comes and attacks Big E from behind. It’s Dabakato! He hits Big E with Umaga’s old finisher, The Samoan spike, lays Crews over Big E and the referee counts the 3!

Result: Apollo Crews wins the Intercontinental Championship by pinfall.

Review: This was a good match. It was fun which is what this card needed. These type of matches definitely have a place on Wrestlemania, they just break up a lot of the other serious matches. It’s a big win for Apollo Crews and I like that he has a bodyguard now, he needed it. Apollo is better now he has this gimmick then he has been his entire career up to now.

Rating: 7/10

Asuka (c) vs. Rhea Ripley – Raw Women’s Championship match

Background: Rhea Ripley made the challenge to Asuka shortly after Ripley debuted on Raw. Asuka accepted the challenge, setting up a big dream match. The two girls have been going back and forth physically ever since.

Previous PPV matches: This is a first time PPV match between these two girls.

Wrestlemania Record: Rhea Ripley is 0-1, Asuka is 0-2.

Match: Rhea Ripley is sung to the ring by Ash Costello of New Years Day. It’s a lovely fast paced start to the match with Asuka tying Rhea in knots. Ripley soon gets back into the match using her power. It’s Rhea’s power against the strikes and submission holds of Asuka. Rhea’s offence is slow but Asuka picks up the pace when she takes control. Asuka hits a hip attack for a two count. Asuka has been one of the stars of the past year. Rhea dropkicks Asuka off the top rope to the outside and then drops the champion on the ring apron. Asuka hits a hip attack on the apron and then a DDT off the apron to the floor below. Asukacounters a submission into an armbar but Rhea swings her into the corner to break the hold. Asuka manages to apply the Asuka lock but Rhea breaks it by countering into a pinfall. Ripley hits the Rip-tide and gets the three!

Result: Rhea Ripley wins the Raw Women’s Championship by pinfall.

Review: The finish came from nowhere there. Rhea Ripley wins the Raw Women’s Championship in her first month on the main roster. This was a really good match in the early stages but the pace soon slowed down and it almost fizzled out at the end. It wasn’t a terrible match though and I did enjoy it for the most part but I feel they could have put on an even better match. I look forward to seeing Rhea’s title reign unfold.

Rating: 6/10

Roman Reigns (c) vs. Edge vs. Daniel Bryan – Triple threat match for the Universal Championship

Background: After nine years and two neck surgeries, Edge made his return as a surprise entrant at the 2020 Royal Rumble, making it to the final three. The next year in 2021, Edge entered the match at number one and went on to win as a Raw wrestler and earned himself a world championship match of his choice at WrestleMania 37. Over the next week, Edge appeared on Raw, NXT, and SmackDown, confronting each brand’s world champion, but stated he would wait until after Elimination Chamber to make his decision. After SmackDown’s Universal Champion Roman Reigns retained his title against Daniel Bryan at the event, Edge appeared and performed a Spear on Reigns. He then pointed to the WrestleMania sign, indicating that Edge had chosen to challenge Reigns for the Universal Championship, which was later confirmed. This came after Reigns demanded Edge to choose him, and after Reigns attacked Edge with a Spear on the February 19 episode of SmackDown. However, Bryan also pursued Reigns for another championship match, mocking Reigns for defending the title against him immediately after Bryan had won SmackDown’s Elimination Chamber match. At Fastlane, Bryan faced Reigns for the championship once again, with Edge acting as the special guest enforcer; Reigns won the match after Edge attacked both men with a steel chair. On the March 26 episode of SmackDown, WWE official Adam Pearce scheduled Reigns to defend the Universal Championship against Bryan and Edge in a triple threat match at WrestleMania.

Previous PPV matches: This is a first time triple threat match between these three men.

Wrestlemania Record: Roman Reigns is 5-2, Daniel Bryan is 5-3 and Edge is 7-4.

Match: Roman Reigns goes right to work on both opponents, he tosses Daniel Bryan out of the ring and Jey Uso continues the assault, hitting Bryan with a superkick before doing the same to Edge! Edge soon fights back and DDT’s Jey Uso on the ring steps. Jey gets carried to the back by medics. Edge and Daniel Bryan go at it before Reigns gets involved again. Daniel Bryan picks up the pace until he attempts a suicide dive on Roman but gets caught and tossed. Roman needs to lose his golden glove. Reigns lays into Edge, hitting him with superman punches but Edge leapfrogs a spear. Both men then attempt a spear simultaniously and knock shoulders. Bryan hits flying headbutts on both men and gets a near fall on the champion. Bryan hits a running knee on Edge and then a big kick to the face of Roman for a two count. Bryan applies the yes lock to Reigns and then to Edge but neither man taps out.

Reigns powerbombs Bryan through the announce desk and then Edge drops Roman with a spear. Edge then applies a crossface to Reigns and uses a peice of the chair. Daniel Bryan then grabs Reigns’ other arm and locks on the yes lock! Bryan and Edge break each others holds with headbutts. Edge hits a spear on Daniel Bryan and then a spear on Roman Reigns but as the referee counts Reigns down, Daniel Bryan pulls the referee out of the ring! Edge hits Daniel Bryan with a con-chair-to and then looks to do the same to Roman Reigns but Jey Uso flies out of nowhere and lays into Edge. Edge disposes of Jey but turns around into a spear from Reigns. Roman hits Edge with a con-chair-to and then drags Edge on top of Daniel Bryan before pinning both men for the victory.

Result: Roman Reigns retains the Universal Championship by pinfall.

Review: This was a really good main event. Triple threats are always a tough one but this had a good energy to it. Roman Reigns just looks unstoppable at the moment. Daniel Bryan bought a faster pace to the match whilst Edge bought the intensity. I enjoyed this. And I love Roman Reigns at the moment, long may he hold the Universal Championship.

Rating: 8/10