HEYDORN’S TAKE: Don’t hold me to this – WrestleMania 39 Night One

WrestleMania 39 is here. I don’t know about you guys, but it feels like things have been building to this show for months and months. Finally, we get a payoff.

This has been one of the better built WrestleMania shows in recent history and the main reason for that is because of The Bloodline. That faction has not only carried WWE programming throughout 2022, but the group features characters that are over in the correct way, thus forcing everyone they work with to fall into place properly as well. The Bloodline will be featured in major matches on this year’s WrestleMania show and could it have really gone any other way?

The other reason is because the audience is aligned on reactions to babyfaces that are set for big spots on the show. Sami Zayn? Kevin Owens? That means you for night one. It’s going to be fun watching a full SoFi Stadium collectively cheering for an outcome.

Night one has more matches on it, presumably because the weight of Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns on night two. The card falls into place because the top is clicking so well.

Call this a preview, a calm look into the distant future, or a gaze into a wondrous crystal ball; just don’t hold me to anything, ok?

Austin Theory vs. John Cena – WWE United States Championship

Alright, WWE left money on the table with this one. John Cena needed to bring more to the table than simply running down the guy he’s trying to make with this match. That was the story and it didn’t work well. That said, Theory around Cena should be enough to tick him up to the next level for WWE. This won’t be a five-star classic, but it’ll work to shine the light right on Theory. Theory retains with underhanded tactics.

Rey Mysterio vs. Dominik Mysterio

What a wonderful build. This thing has been dramatic, personal, engaging, entertaining, and successful from a business perspective in building up a new heel in Dominik. The heat for this match will rival anything we see on this show and it’ll make for a tremendous environment. Dominik gets the W, but the feud doesn’t end.

Braun Strowman & Ricochet vs. Alpha Academy vs. Viking Raiders vs. Street Profits – Men’s Fatal Four-Way Showcase Match

Ya know, what can you say? This was a filler part of television and it’s a filler part of WrestleMania. Strowman and Ricochet seem to be a team that WWE is getting behind, though. So, I’ll take them to take this match.

Charlotte Flair vs. Rhea Ripley – WWE Smackdown Women’s Championship

Much like Austin Theory vs. John Cena, WWE did not get all they could out of this feud. And Charlotte Flair? I blame you. Sorry, folks, but it seemed like Rhea Ripley was working with a statue during the build to this match. No matter what Ripley hurled at Charlotte during promos, Charlotte just brushed it off and didn’t react to it. Any of it. That choice made Ripley seem less threatening. As a babyface, Flair needed to let her guard down and sell a bit.

Now, the good news for the match is that the audience will be into it because of their connection to Ripley. Wait, is that good? Ripley is a heel after all and attached to arguably the most over heel in the company in Dominik Mysterio. So, no. No! That’s not good. Unless we have a double turn here, this match will be a bit of a mess. Inside of that match, Ripley wins to become champion.

Seth Rollins vs. Logan Paul

I’ve liked this a lot. In a year where spots at the top of the card at WrestleMania were taken by other talents, a match with Logan Paul made sense for Seth Rollins. This isn’t a championship match, but it’s a valued spot on the show. Both guys seem to have chemistry and with Paul finally lined up as a heel, they should be able to construct a match that manipulates crowd reactions in the right way. Rollins wins this thing after dodging away from Paul’s punch that has knocked him out three times already.

Becky Lynch & Trish Stratus & Lita vs. Damage CNTRL

This is going to go exactly how you think this is going to go. Chick Kick, Lita Moonsault, Dis-Arm-Her, and then tap out. Legends go over here and they go over very strong.

The Usos vs. Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens – Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship

Previous reports indicate that this match won’t main event the night, but they will change course and it will. This has been one of the best built matches of the last 15 years in WWE. The feud is emotional and dramatic with characters that fans are invested in. That’s the battle and WWE won it with this program. A curveball prediction for you here. The Usos retain. Why? The Usos winning makes the story with Roman Reigns and The Bloodline moving forward infinitely more interesting because they’ll have championship and he won’t. A real interesting dichotomy there given how Reigns came to power with The Bloodline in the first place. WWE opts for more Bloodline and kind of sacrifices the momentum of Zayn and Owens to get it.

CATCH-UP: PPV PRIMER – WRESTLEMANIA 39 NIGHT ONE: Preview and predictions for Usos vs. Owens/Zayn, Theory vs. Cena, more