The second night of Wrestlemania 39 is in the books, and as mentioned, I waited to write both reviews until the weekend was finished to be able to put the events into proper context, especially because of how the overall story of the organization unfolded over two nights. If you haven’t yet, please check out the review I wrote about night one, as it will make some references to the results of night two as well.
Brock Lesnar and Omos opened the show, and more than anything, I think this must be an indication that the office has done more or less all they can do with Lesnar. They pushed him so strong for so long that despite a few more years potentially in the ring, everything would be a recycled concept for him at this point. Brock was only showcased as a main event guy for years, and while I get that management wants a big start to the show, it was somewhat odd to see Brock in the opening match. The bout itself was probably as good as it could’ve been, but that was a rather low bar. Omos is such a presence, but similar to other giants that are tall even for the category of giants, there’s sometimes the hurdle of limited mobility. Omos isn’t going to exchange arm drags with opponents, not because he’s not athletic, but rather because he’s so tall that it’s just not physically practical. Brock made Omos look great as far as selling his offense, but the finish more or less shatters any mystique that Omos had. Keep in mind, and this is the most important factor, because of his limited in-ring skills, Omos hasn’t really had a stand out moment where he became a solidified star because more often than not, he was a background figure, similar to his role when he teamed with AJ Styles. If management truly saw something in Omos as a potential legitimate star for the company, the right call would’ve been to have him beat Lesnar. This is meant as a compliment, Brock could lose every match for the rest of his career and he would still be just as over as he is now. He’s bullet proof so a loss to Omos wouldn’t diminish his status. On the flip side, if Omos is just on the roster because he’s tall, which is what his defeat implies since it was a contest that gave Brock someone to beat without a major angle, then he has a very limited path in the company. This might be too harsh, but at this point, they should just release Omos because they aren’t going to make him a star after such a high profile defeat.
The women’s four way tag match only accomplished two things. It shoehorned more talent on the card, and if that gets them all a WM pay day then good for them. Secondly, it allowed Ronda Rousey to get a win so she doesn’t continue to complain on social media when she doesn’t get enough spotlight. As I wrote in an article last week, the Ronda Rousey experiment had its run and the novelty wore off. She is average at best in the ring and on the mic so there’s not much for her to do other than mid-card angles. The match itself was a cluster, and I don’t think the quality of the show would’ve been affected if it wasn’t booked on the card.
Thankfully, the IC title bout picked up the presentation of the event and it was a brutal bout that showcased all three competitors. Usually, triple threat matches can be very clunky, but the physical nature of this contest made it work and it was an example of how much talent is truly on the roster when they aren’t bogged down with lame scripting or counterproductive booking. The only criticism, if any, would be that the finish was telegraphed because Gunther disappeared so long before the conclusion of the segment. Speaking of Gunther, he’s such a top notch talent that I think he should break the record for the longest IC title reign. Sorry, Honky Tonk Man.
The Raw Women’s title match was an example of why the female division is still probably the best aspect of WWE programming. The entrances were very well done and gave the segment a major atmosphere. The young ladies that did the gymnastics routine for Bianca’s introduction did a wonderful job and their outfits to match Belair was a nice moment. Talent is talent, regardless of background, origin, or ethnicity. Bianca and Asuka proved how much talent they have in this back and fourth bout. It was a match where you really didn’t have an indication of who could win before the bell so there was an added layer of drama during the sequences. This was a really solid title match, and I’d say that Bianca retaining was the right call to continue the extended reign. The reason being is actually a compliment to Asuka, as she’s truly one of the MVPs of the entire company and doesn’t need a belt after all the championship success she already had. Bianca can continue with the reign to continue to build her star power.
The Snoop Dogg and Miz segment was going to be used for the exact same purpose as night one, and that was to pace the card, which is completely fine. I’m just guessing, but when Shane McMahon was introduced, I was wondering if his appearance had anything to do with the rumors that the announcement of a sale is imminent. Perhaps, Shane wanted one more moment at WM before the company leaves the McMahon empire? Unfortunately, he suffered a terrible knee injury during a leap frog just moments into the contest and that type of non-contact injury is often associated with an ACL tear. Amazingly, Snoop somehow called an audible and seamlessly took over before he pinned The Miz for the three count. Snoop’s involvement was fun, but I hope Shane McMahon recovers from the injury.
The HIAC match was fine for what it was, but the two biggest hurdles for this segment were that I’m not sure the Edge/Finn feud really had enough steam left to justify the gimmick match. Keep in mind, when Edge was originally exiled from The Judgment Day, the entire stable was thought to be dead in the water. Truthfully, from strictly a storyline perspective, Dominik and Rhea Ripley were the performers that saved the faction. Their progress is what gave the group a purpose. As we saw with the Mysterios match on night one, Dominik as a character made progress and had a meaningful angle that he made the most of with generating legitimate heat from the audience. Ripley’s win against Charlotte speaks to her ability and potential to be a major star for the company. Edge and Finn had pay-per-view matches before, but the premise of Edge being kicked out of the stable was flimsy to begin with so other than getting them both on the card for Wrestlemania, this feud already peaked a few months ago. Aside from the diminishing momentum of the rivalry, the fact that a cell match was stopped for blood when Balor was able to continue is somewhat ridiculous. As I’ve said before, if the office doesn’t want performers to cut themselves to bleed then that’s perfectly understandable, even if it goes against some of the traditional mindset, particularly with the thought that blading is an easy way to bleed if it’s done correctly. That being said, if a performer gets cut the hard way and they aren’t in any danger then the attempts to stop the blood are ludicrous. Either Finn was able to continue or he wasn’t, By nature, pro wrestling is selling violence in some form or fashion, if the occasional hard way blood is too much for the publicly traded organization then maybe they shouldn’t book gimmick matches where it’s possible that a hard way cut could happen. The stoppage really affected the momentum so this bout didn’t really get into second gear. Edge got the victory so hopefully, this is the conclusion of the feud.
The main event will probably be a topic of discussion for several months. Instead of trying to over analyze the results, I will attempt to put it as plainly as possible. It was definitely a high quality main event, both Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns showed why they were booked in that spot. However, quite frankly, I think the decision to have Roman beat Cody was absolutely the wrong call and it did serious damage to Cody’s chances of success as a top star in the future. Cody should’ve won, it might’ve been the obvious decision, but sometimes it’s still the right decision.
Cody Rhodes was brought back with a major introduction and he proclaimed he was going to win the title for his late father, Dusty Rhodes. Unless he was going to win the title at Wrestlemania, he should’ve never cut that promo and the office shouldn’t have booked it unless they knew for sure a win for the championship at WM was the official plan. Even the gruesome pec injury added to the narrative that Cody wouldn’t give up and was destined to win the title. The story of Cody winning the title in memory of his dad writes itself, it’s a classic moment that the audience can enjoy. When Cody lost, it tells the audience that he’s not the top guy they thought he might be, and even the legacy of his dad wasn’t enough for him to win the championship. Quite simply, there was no way for it not to be a complete and total letdown when he was pinned. An entire stadium was disappointed and it was such a letdown that it’s how the fans can lose faith that Cody can win the belt. Once the fans lose faith, even an eventual win isn’t as big as it could’ve been otherwise. There are certain circumstances where there’s a specific time frame to maximize success, and in this case, the WWE missed the boat on Cody Rhodes. For example, WM 14 was the time for Stone Cold to win the championship, would he have the legacy he has today if the office didn’t run with him at the right time? The history of the industry shows that organic scenarios yield the best results, and this was the time for Cody to finally win the WWE title. What’s so puzzling about all of this is that Roman Reigns had his major run as the undefeated champion that the office wanted to force for several years so what else is there to accomplish? After almost three years as the dominate champion, WM would’ve been the place for the defeat to finally happen. If management plans to keep the title on Roman for a potentially storyline with The Rock, it’s a completely misguided strategy. The Rock vs. Roman doesn’t need the belt, and The Rock would make a one-off appearance. Cody winning would’ve solidified a full-time baby face champion that could’ve drawn money for the company on a more regular basis.
At this point, I don’t see how any other stage in any other scenario would’ve been a bigger payoff for Cody than winning the title for Dusty at Wrestlemania. If the company was going to run with him, this would’ve been the time to to do. Cody lost and the majority of the audience is disappointed, how deflating is that? Where does Cody go from here? A mid-card feud cements the notion that he’s not a top guy, and an immediate rematch wouldn’t have the same impact as a WM win so I don’t see the upside to the defeat on the major platform. As far as Roman, he already beat all of the credible challengers so I don’t know where he goes from here either. The night two event of WM was very solid, but unfortunately, it will be known as the WM that had Cody Rhodes’ disappointing defeat in the main event.
What do you think? Share your thoughts, opinions, feedback, and anything else that was raised on Twitter @PWMania and Facebook.com/PWMania.
Until next week
-Jim LaMotta
E mail [email protected] | You can follow me on Instagram & Facebook @jimlamotta89
