WrestleMania 39's opening night was an intriguing affair. Night one of The Show of Shows has it all, from blockbuster contests to unexpected returns. There were also a few predicted title modifications.
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The buildup to WrestleMania is always exciting, but the second night of WrestleMania 39 this weekend has a little something extra. As he prepares to face Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns’ record-breaking reign as champion looks to be more in jeopardy than ever.
After winning the Royal Rumble, Rhodes earned his ticket to the WrestleMania main event. He now has one encounter left to fulfill his commitment to “complete the tale” and capture the world championship that evaded his famous father, “The American Dream,” Dusty Rhodes. As all is going on, Reigns has held the global championship since August 2020. During WrestleMania last year, he united the belt with the WWE championship.
The second night of the amazing Hollywood show will feature five additional matchups. As Asuka, her newest opponent, arrives, Raw women’s champion Bianca Belair hopes to keep the championship for an extended period of time. As part of a triple threat match, the intercontinental champion GUNTHER will face Sheamus and Drew McIntyre’s closest allies, putting his championship and extended reign on the line. When Edge and Finn Balor finally meet inside Hell in a Cell, they want to put a stop to their acrimonious feud.
WWE had no choice but to place the belt on Cody Rhodes in this situation. It’s unusual to have one babyface challenger who is both popular with fans and well-positioned to win the championship. With Rhodes and Sami Zayn, WWE was able to get two men in that position. WWE, understandably, decided not to place the titles on Zayn in the last pre-WrestleMania pay-per-view, but this move disappointed many fans. If they don’t immediately pounce on Rhodes, and complete the tale of his return to WWE, they will alienate fans while also likely never having a time so “perfect” to take the championships away from Reigns again.
With the introduction of Asuka’s darker side, WWE has completely missed the mark. The multimedia presentation they gave on Raw before WrestleMania was excellent, but it came too late. Asuka has often been portrayed as a comical villain rather than an insane killer. It’s a pity, since as a heel champion, this persona might have been quite interesting. When you consider that Belair is a dependable champion and Rhea Ripley – who also has a dark, gloomy aura – is now the champion, so Asuka’s odds are low.
No match stands out as being especially scheduled to attract fans like me as the intercontinental title fight. Three huge men who specialize in blunt-force aggression compete in the match. We’ve seen the three guys compete in fantastic singles bouts, and a triple threat should offer an added layer of turmoil to the mix. Sheamus, one of WWE’s most undervalued talents, does not appear to be in line for a title defense, and McIntyre does not require the championship. Gunther has had a long reign as champion, and it is expected to continue as he approaches Honky Tonk Man’s record for the longest term as intercontinental champion, which he has held since 1988.
After recovering from what appeared to be a career-ending injury, Edge has been excellent in the ring but inconsistent on the microphone. Balor isn’t a baby, but he’s in great form and one of the greatest superstars WWE has between the ropes. Judgement Day has seen a tremendous revival owing to the group’s individual performers. Dominik Mysterio’s snotty brat image has been a surprise success, and Ripley is in top form. Simply said, Balor winning has a significantly greater upside than Edge winning. Plus, WWE has so many “send the fans home happy” choices that letting Balor take the fall, especially in his demon form, would be imprudent.
The fact that Rousey and Baszler were granted free passes to the showcase bout says everything. They have the most star power and are by far the most united squad in this impromptu contest. If you wish to keep the former UFC champion out of the singles championship picture, start the MMA fighters’ quest to women’s tag team champions.
It’s been entertaining to watch Omos outwit Lesnar in their minimal physical confrontations. Lesnar is never shown to be at a disadvantage. Lesnar is generally on equal footing but not physically overpowered while competing against opponents like Bobby Lashley or Roman Reigns. Of course, all of this builds to a WrestleMania bout in which Lesnar performs several huge moves and has a “How did he do that?” moment when he strikes Omos with an F5.
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