Man, WWE likes to put on entertaining shows when no one is expecting it, don’t they? Although the build-up to the promotion’s biggest pay-per-view (or, sigh, “premium live event”), of the year, left a lot to be desired for many fans, the program itself was ultimately still very enjoyable. To be clear, the two-night Supercard was far from ideal (especially Night Two), and there are still many macro issues that cannot be covered up by part-timers or celebrities. Nevertheless, for at least two nights, WWE produced a fun event that satisfied a wide range of wrestling preferences.
The Winner of the Raw Women’s Championship is Bianca Belair
The story surrounding the Bianca Belair vs. Becky Lynch Raw Women’s Championship bout stood out as the most interesting of all the lacklustre plots leading up to WrestleMania 38.
A fast-rising star who has aced every in-ring test has the chance to redeem herself against the one hurdle she hasn’t cleared: the once-loved champion who’s slowly slipping into madness over the former’s ascent, thanks in part to the months of backstory the two had to work with (even if some of it flew in the face of reality).
In WWE, Cody Rhodes Reappears
There has been a lot of conjecture over the past several weeks regarding Cody Rhodes’ prospective return to WWE, including 1. whether the reports are accurate, and 2. what this potential homecoming may entail. In the latter scenario, would WWE maintain the “American Nightmare” look or would it revive one of Rhodes’ previous WWE midcard gimmicks from the 2010s, pigeonholing him once more as a member of the roster?
We finally got our answer at WrestleMania when, as Seth Rollins paced the ring in anticipation of his mystery opponent, darkness descended upon the Dallas crowd, which had previously only been filled with the clichéd line “wrestling has more than one royal family” that is familiar to fans of other sports than WWE.
Steve Austin is Returning to the Ring
Many fans were curious as to what WWE had planned for this segment when it was revealed that “Stone Cold” Steve Austin will address “The Kevin Owens Show” host’s ongoing mockery of Texas at WrestleMania. Would Austin do the typical things we see him do on WWE TV, or would it develop into a real match? Would there actually be a back-and-forth exchange if it were to turn into a match, or would Owens sell the entire time before being stunned?
