Advertisement

WWE WrestleMania 35 Live Results, Highlights, and Grades

Patches Chance
Patches Chance

Daily DDT

Credit: WWE.com

It’s finally time. WWE WrestleMania 35 descends on MetLife Stadium today, and “The Grandest Stage of Them All” looks ready to live up to its monumental expectations. With 16 matches and 10 championships on the line, there’s a lot to look forward to today.

WWE WrestleMania 35 comes to East Rutherford, New Jersey and the home of the NFL’s New York Giants and New York Jets. In many ways, the build to WrestleMania 35 began the day after WrestleMania 34, but things really ramped up back at this year’s WWE Royal Rumble. That night saw Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins win their respective Royal Rumble Matches, leading to their championship matches tonight.

WrestleMania Kickoff Show

The Kickoff Show will feature three matches: the WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal, Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, and Cruiserweight Championship Match. In that third match, there’s the potential for a sleeper match of the night between Cruiserweight Champion Buddy Murphy and challenger Tony Nese. After fighting his way through a tournament, Tony Nese won the opportunity to challenge his good friend Buddy Murphy for the title, only to be attacked by Murphy after earning that opportunity. That leads to their match tonight, a heated, personal confrontation between two of the best in-ring performers WWE has to offer.

In the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, we’ve got this year’s in-ring celebrity involvement as Saturday Night Live stars Michael Che and Colin Jost will compete alongside Braun Strowman and many other superstars. It’s sure to be a chaotic contest, and we might see a few surprise entrants as well.

In the WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal, we’ll see the spotlight on much of WWE’s women’s division. Despite very little build going into the night, this will surely be a great contest and hopefully we can see several hardworking female superstars get their WrestleMania moments along the way. Don’t be surprised if we also see names from NXT or legends join the fray as well.

WrestleMania Grudge Matches

The main card features 13 matches, with 9 championships up for grabs. In the realm of grudge matches, we’ve got Kurt Angle competing in his farewell match against recent rival and former WWE Raw authority figure Baron Corbin. We’ll also see indie veteran AJ Styles face off against WWE stalwart Randy Orton, which is sure to be an unforgettable contest between two men who paved very different careers.

It’s been amazing to see the return of “The Big Dog” Roman Reigns after successfully fighting leukemia and sending the disease back into remission. Unfortunately for Reigns, his return was soon met with constant attacks from “The Scottish Psychopath” Drew McIntyre. While Roman Reigns is looking to prove WWE is still his yard, Drew McIntyre is trying to carve his path to the top at Roman’s expense. Both of these men will be staples in the company for years to come, making this a must-see contest.

More from WrestleMania

The final two grudge matches are certainly the most bitter. Triple H will take on former Evolution stablemate and longtime rival Batista, the latter making his return to WWE after five years away. Triple H has also been convinced to put his in-ring career on the line, meaning there are high stakes in this No Holds Barred brawl that could be either, or both, man’s final match.

Back at WWE Crown Jewel, The Miz got to the finals of the WWE World Cup, but was unable to compete due to an injury. Then-General Manager of SmackDown Shane McMahon took his place and won, becoming the “Best in the World.” This later led to an awkward but endearing partnership turned tag team between The Miz and Shane McMahon, only for the latter to turn on The Miz at Elimination Chamber and even attack The Miz’s father. This has built to their impending Falls Count Anywhere Match today, which is sure to be one of the craziest and most unpredictable fights of the night.

WrestleMania Championship Matches

On the main card at WrestleMania 35, a total of 9 championships will be contested through 8 matches. In the tag team realm, both the Raw Tag Team Titles and SmackDown Tag Team Titles have seen matches made just this last week. After a brawl broke out between the four teams on SmackDown, WrestleMania host Alexa Bliss made a Fatal 4-Way Tag Team Match for the titles between The Usos, The Bar, Aleister Black & Ricochet, and Shinsuke Nakamura & Rusev.

On the Raw side, The Revival escaped a title defense against Aleister Black and Ricochet on Monday only to find themselves against hometown favorites Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder today at WrestleMania 35. We’ll also see a second Fatal 4-Way Tag Team Match, as The Boss ‘n’ Hug Connection will defend the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles against The IIconics, The Divas of Doom, and The Samoan Slaughterhouse.

More from Daily DDT

Intercontinental Champion Bobby Lashley will continue his rivalry with Finn Balor, but this time Balor is bringing “The Demon.” When bringing “The Demon,” Finn Balor has yet to be defeated on the main roster in WWE, and he’ll look to continue that and leave as Intercontinental Champion. On the SmackDown side, we’ll see United States Champion Samoa Joe defending his title against veteran Rey Mysterio in what could quietly become an instant classic.

Universal Champion Brock Lesnar will make his first in-ring appearance since defeating Finn Balor at the Royal Rumble, and only his third since capturing the Universal Championship in November of 2018 at WWE Crown Jewel. Seth Rollins earned the right to face Lesnar by winning the 2019 Men’s Royal Rumble, and “The Kingslayer” looks to become “The Beastslayer” and Universal Champion by dethroning Brock Lesnar tonight.

WWE Champion Daniel Bryan defended his title inside the Elimination Chamber less than two months ago, and found himself very close to being defeated by late addition Kofi Kingston. After an hour-long gauntlet performance on SmackDown Live and an amazing effort at Elimination Chamber, 11-year veteran Kofi Kingston found himself with the support of the WWE Universe. Despite Mr. McMahon’s best efforts, Kingston fought through every obstacle to earn this opportunity, and now in his first one-on-one WWE Championship match, Kofi Kingston looks to leave WrestleMania 35 as the first black man to hold the WWE Championship.

For the first time ever, the main event of WrestleMania will spotlight the women of WWE, and there will be two championships on the line. In a winner takes all triple threat match, we’ll see Raw Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey, SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair, and “The Man” Becky Lynch give it everything they have to leave WrestleMania 35 as a dual champion. We saw this week on Raw just how much these three women want to tear into each other, and they’ll finally get the chance to do that tonight in the main event of WrestleMania 35. Also don’t forget that the nature of a triple threat match means anything goes, so there’s nothing stopping these three women from pulling out all the stops.

WWE WrestleMania 35 Announced Card

  • WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal (Announced Participants: Dana Brooke, Mickie James, Ruby Riott, Liv Morgan, Sarah Logan, Asuka, Carmella, Naomi, Lana, Mandy Rose, Sonya Deville, Zelina Vega, Nikki Cross)
  • Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal (Announced Participants: Braun Strowman, Michael Che, Colin Jost, Apollo Crews, Titus O’Neil, Tyler Breeze, Jinder Mahal, No Way Jose, Bobby Roode, Chad Gable, Kalisto, Gran Metalik, Lince Dorado, Bo Dallas, Curtis Axel, Heath Slater, Rhyno, Viktor, Konnor, Andrade, Ali, Shelton Benjamin, Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson, Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy, Otis, Tucker, EC3)
  • WWE Cruiserweight Championship Match: Buddy Murphy (c) vs. Tony Nese
  • Raw Tag Team Championship Match: The Revival (c) vs. Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder
  • SmackDown Tag Team Championship Fatal 4-Way Match: The Usos (c) vs. Ricochet & Aleister Black vs. The Bar vs. Shinsuke Nakamura & Rusev
  • Kurt Angle vs. Baron Corbin
  • Intercontinental Championship Match: Bobby Lashley (c) vs. “The Demon” Finn Balor
  • AJ Styles vs. Randy Orton
  • United States Championship Match: Samoa Joe (c) vs. Rey Mysterio
  • Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre
  • WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Fatal 4-Way Match: The Boss ‘n’ Hug Connection (c) vs. Beth Phoenix & Natalya vs. The IIconics vs. Nia Jax & Tamina
  • Falls Count Anywhere Match: Shane McMahon vs. The Miz
  • No Holds Barred Match: Triple H vs. Batista
    (If Triple H loses, he must retire from in-ring competition)
  • Universal Championship Match: Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Seth Rollins
  • WWE Championship Match: Daniel Bryan (c) vs. Kofi Kingston
  • WWE Raw & SmackDown Women’s Championship Winner Takes All Triple Threat Match: Raw Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey vs. SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair vs. “The Man” Becky Lynch

WWE WrestleMania 35 airs live on the WWE Network at 7 ET / 5 PT, and is expected to last between four and five-and-a-half hours. The WrestleMania 35 Kickoff Show will stream live at 5 ET / 2 PT on the WWE Network, WWE.com, the WWE App, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. Join us back here at 5 ET for live results, highlights, and grades for WWE WrestleMania 35.

WrestleMania 35 Kickoff Show

WrestleMania has officially kicked off in MetLife Stadium, and the Kickoff Show began hyping things up from the very start. We got a brief view of WrestleMania host Alexa Bliss backstage, where she will be talking to superstars leading up to their big moments at WrestleMania. Things then went backstage for a brief interview with Big E and Xavier Woods.

They were first asked about how it felt earning Kofi Kingston’s opportunity with their win of the tag team gauntlet, but things quickly turned to questions of whether Kofi Kingston had been too worn down by his difficult path to WrestleMania. The New Day assured everyone that Kingston’s tank is full to the brim, and he’s ready for things tonight.

Grade: A, The New Day are fantastic any time they get to talk, and this helped add a little more build to an already heavily hyped WWE Title match.

WWE Cruiserweight Championship Match: Buddy Murphy (c) vs. Tony Nese

The action got rolling with 205 Live’s cruiserweight showcase. Buddy Murphy looked confident upon arrival, but Tony Nese is in the midst of what could be his WrestleMania moment, and he’s clearly just as prepped for action. Things got off to a fast start with Murphy trying to hit a knee to end things right out of the gate, but Nese avoided it and the back and forth began.

These two men used to be the best of friends, and that familiarity was on display as the match got rolling and the counters were plentiful. Tony Nese utilized his striking ability whereas Buddy Murphy looked to capitalize with his power. Murphy looked to finish things off with Murphy’s Law on several occasions, only for Nese to slip out of it.

While some of the crowd was still getting situated during this match, by about halfway through they were already thoroughly invested in a great contest. As the match heated up, both men were looking to finish things. Nese hit a picture-perfect 450 splash and went for the cover, but Murphy still kicked out.

It didn’t take long for Buddy Murphy to hit Murphy’s Law, and it looked like things were over, but Nese barely got his foot on the bottom rope to break up the pin. With a final effort, Nese got Murphy into position and nailed the Running Nese. Murphy was out cold, and Nese covered him for the pin to become the new Cruiserweight Champion.

Grade: A, This was a great opening contest, and both Murphy and Nese brought their best. Fantastic crowning of Nese in what was definitely a WrestleMania moment.

WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal

The next match was the WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal, and the chaos of it was clear as many superstars made their way to the ring for the action. Only Asuka and Naomi got full entrances. Nikki Cross got the action rolling with her traditional insanity, but we saw great moments from several superstars. Maria Kanellis was the first woman eliminated, followed by NXT’s Candice LeRae.

The early parts of the match were a bit messy, as there were so many superstars trying to get their hits in and get an upperhand. We saw the elimination of Nikki Cross, Lana, and Ember Moon soon after. NXT’s Kairi Sane got some moments in, looking for her signature InSane Elbow, but we soon saw the continuing rise of The Riott Squad.

The trio really started to take control, eliminating Kairi Sane, but it was their targeting of Dana Brooke that backfired. Brooke was getting heavy support from the crowd and was able to eliminate Ruby Riott. After some moments from Zelina Vega, she found herself eliminated by Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville. That Fire ‘n’ Desire combo followed suit by eliminating Dana Brooke, much to the disdain of the crowd.

We saw some fighting on the apron that saw Mickie James eliminate Mandy Rose only to be knocked out by Sonya Deville. This looked to leave only three women, Sonya Deville, Asuka, and Sarah Logan. It was Deville who was first out, and Sarah Logan shockingly eliminated Asuka and looked to be a surprise winner. However, Carmella had been hiding outside of the ring. She slipped in, and after some struggle was able to eliminate Logan to pick up the win in the second annual WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal.

Grade: A-, There was some messiness early on, but this match really built up to a great ending. Sarah Logan and Dana Brooke had looked very strong, and Carmella embraced her win-at-all-costs strategy to emerge as the victor.

Raw Tag Team Championship Match: The Revival (c) vs. Zack Ryder & Curt Hawkins

The second hour of the WrestleMania Kickoff Show, which was apparently also airing on the USA Network, saw the Raw Tag Team Champions The Revival defend their titles against hometown heroes Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins. The crowd was firmly behind the team formerly known as The Major Brothers, and the importance of Hawkins looking to end his lengthy losing streak was clear.

Hawkins started the match against Scott Dawson, trying to gain some momentum but ultimately struggling to do so. He tagged in Zack Ryder, who tried to change the pace and looked ready to do so. He got some good hits on The Revival, only to find himself barreling out of the ring, which put control firmly back in the hands of the champions.

From there, The Revival kept Zack Ryder isolated. They continued to wear him down, and kept him cut off from tagging in partner Curt Hawkins at every turn. Ryder looked close to a tag, only for The Revival to team up on him, but Ryder countered it into a double neckbreaker.

He tried to make the tag, but Hawkins was sent flying off the apron with an attack from The Revival. Zack Ryder continued to fight back despite The Revival cutting him off from Hawkins at every turn. Things finally turned when Ryder back body dropped Dawson to finally make it to Hawkins and make the tag.

Curt Hawkins entered the fray with a flurry of dropkicks to both members of The Revival, really changing the complexion of the match and getting Hawkins and Ryder some great momentum. Hawkins looked for several near falls, coming up short each time. The action spilled to the outside, and a brawl saw all four men laid out.

After a close count out, both Hawkins and Dawson made their way back into the to keep the action going. Hawkins kept fighting as Dawson looked to finish things off, but Curt Hawkins suddenly caught Dawson in a small package for a three count and the win to end his 269-match losing streak and become a champion!

Grade: A+, This was a great tag team match, and probably got more time to develop a story than the other tag matches tonight will get. Curt Hawkins broke his losing streak in epic fashion, and this was a true WrestleMania moment.

Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal

The final match on the Kickoff Show was the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. If the WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal was a little messy, this was as messy as it gets. The ring looked like a complete mass of humanity. Michael Che and Colin Jost were near the back of that mass of humanity, and the second the bell rang they slid out under the bottom ropes and hid under the ring as the action got rolling.

Things were chaos from the start, with Lince Dorado, Curtis Axel, Tyler Breee, EC3, Bo Dallas, and No Way Jose eliminated in the blink of an eye. The eliminations continued, and things started to thin out with a few select stars getting some big moments. Heavy Machinery really impressed with a double suplex on Braun Strowman, and Otis even nailed a double caterpillar elbow on The Ascension.

Braun Strowman came back into the fray with a fury and began sending people out left and right, including Luke Harper and Mustafa Ali. Things finally wound down to just The Hardyz, Braun Strowman, and the still hiding Michael Che and Colin Jost. The Hardyz tried to work together and suplex Strowman over the ropes together, at which point Jost and Che slid back into the ring and tried to help them eliminate Strowman.

It was a great plan until it failed. Strowman powered out, send The Hardy Boyz crashing to the outside, and was alone with Jost and Che. Colin Jost quickly called for a microphone, introducing his therapist to try and diffuse the tension. Strowman diffused it by destroying the therapist and throwing him into Jost. Michael Che tried to escape by jumping over the top rope, but was caught on the apron by Strowman and got a stiff punch before he crashed to the ground.

This left only Colin Jost, who Strowman rushed in the corner, but Jost ducked and almost let Strowman eliminate himself with his momentum. Strowman stayed in, then grabbed Jost and sending him out of the ring with a huge throw. Jost landed in a pile of other competitors, effectively eliminating him and giving the win for this year’s Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal to Braun Strowman.

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1115024970092912641

Grade: A, This was as good as could be expected, really. It was always going to be a giant mess, but some stars got some good moments, and the celebrity involvement was fun without being detrimental to the match. Great job all involved.

Universal Championship Match: Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Seth Rollins

Right after the opening segment with Alexa Bliss ended, Paul Heyman made his way to the ring. He grabbed a microphone and made it clear that if Brock Lesnar wasn’t going on last, he would be getting his business done as quickly as possible so they could leave to Las Vegas where they are “ultimately” appreciated. Subtle. Lesnar made his way to the ring and was ready to go.

Seth Rollins got a deafening reaction as MetLife Stadium belted out “BURN IT DOWN,” and “The Beast Slayer” made his monumental trot down the ramp towards his destiny. Before he could even enter the ring, Lesnar kneed Rollins on the apron and began attacking him at ringside. With a serious of attacks, he then sent Rollins barricading into the apron and you could hear Rollins head hitting the steel girder underneath the ring.

He sent Rollins barreling over the announce table two times in a row, continuing to destroy him before the bell even rang. At this point, the match wasn’t even officially underway. Lesnar finally threw Seth into the ring, entered slowly, and ordered the bell to be rang. The referee first checked on the heavily damaged Seth Rollins. He kept trying to do so, but an impatient Brock Lesnar grabbed Rollins and sent him over the top rope yet again, the match still not underway.

After being thrown over the table and attacked a little more, Rollins was thrown back into the ring. He struggled to his feet, and the referee finally called for the bell and the match officially began. Brock Lesnar started with the same pace, attacking Rollins and hitting a serious of german suplexes.

Brock Lesnar looked to finish things off with an F5, but Rollins slipped out and shoved Lesnar into the referee. While the official was out of the ring, Rollins hit a quick low blow, completely changing things. Lesnar tried to get to his feet, but got a superkick from Rollins. He kept trying to rise, but Rollins nailed a stomp. One wasn’t enough, as we saw Seth Rollins hit two more consecutive stomps, pinning Brock Lesnar to become the new Universal Champion!

Grade: A++, This probably couldn’t have been done any better. Told a great story, showed the danger of Lesnar, showed Rollins resiliency and ability to capitalize and escape with the win. Great start to the main card.

Randy Orton vs. AJ Styles

The second match of WrestleMania 35 changed the pace with some non-title action from SmackDown Live. Both AJ Styles and Randy Orton had simple but epic entrances, showing how much this match is about respect and what they can do between the ropes. The match started with a traditional lockup, again emphasizing the desire between these two to prove their superiority.

After some early back and forth, Randy Orton tried for an early RKO, but Styles slipped away. Orton began wearing down AJ Styles with some targeting of the mid-section, even sending AJ flying off the apron and into the ringside barricade. AJ Styles began to fight back, hitting an ushiguroshi before dodging another RKO attempt, but Orton followed it up with a crisp spinning powerslam.

AJ Styles pushed himself back into the driver’s seat, targeting the leg of Randy Orton with several attempts at the calf crusher. He then looked to finish it with a Phenomenal Forearm, but saw that Orton was going to counter it with an RKO. AJ stopped mid-attempt, causing Orton to drop hard to the mat. AJ followed it with a springboard 450 Splash, hitting it clean and earning a near fall.

Randy Orton began to fight back into things, and the action found itself on the turnbuckle where Randy Orton hit an extremely high angle superplex, one of the most gorgeous I’ve ever seen. Randy began calling for an RKO to end things, but AJ slipped away, hit an enziguri, and rolled up Orton for another near fall.

Suddenly, as out of nowhere as you’d expect, Randy Orton planted AJ Styles with an RKO only for Styles to somehow kick out. Orton suddenly went all out, putting Styles on the turnbuckle and looking for an RKO off the top rope, but Styles slipped away and hit a pele kick. With Orton on the outside, he hit a Phenomenal Forearm to the outside. Back in the ring, Orton tried one last RKO attempt, but Styles countered it and hit another Phenomenal Forearm to secure the victory.

Grade: A-, Slow start and a bit of a lull during the match, but a really strong final sequence. Props to both men for getting a distracted crowd engaged back in things and finishing on the right note.

SmackDown Tag Team Championship Fatal 4-Way Match: The Usos (c) vs. Rusev & Shinsuke Nakamura vs. The Bar vs. Aleister Black & Ricochet

Another one of the night’s chaotic matches came next on WrestleMania as The Usos defended the SmackDown Tag Team Titles in a Fatal 4-Way Tag Team Match against The Bar, Rusev & Shinsuke Nakamura, and Aleister Black & Ricochet.

The match started crazy with lots of quick tags, as any competitor could tag any other to enter the match, but only two men would be legal at any time. Competitors kept tagging themselves in, each looking to garner an upperhand. This tendency continued throughout the match, making it very difficult to follow the action and know who was legal at any given time.

Ricochet and Aleister Black kept hitting big moments, even with Ricochet hitting a heart-stopping around the world hurricanrana on Cesaro. The Swiss Cyborg retaliated by going for his epic swing, and Sheamus grabbed Rusev on the apron and hit his ten beats of the Bodhran. Nakamura tried to stop Sheamus, and began a trend where Sheamus kept changing and delivering the beats to Nakamura, Uso, Black, all while Cesaro kept swinging Ricochet.

Finally Cesaro ended the epic swing and put Ricochet in the sharpshooter, but The One and Only fought out. The action continued to get crazy, and we saw The Bar ascend the turnbuckle to suplex Ricochet off the top. However, The Usos joined the grouping to backdrop The Bar and in the process. Rusev and Nakamura grabbed them, powerbombing The Usos and sending everyone crashing to the mat, but Ricochet somehow landed on his feet and rolled through unscathed.

Ricochet nailed the 630 Senton moments later, but the pinfall attempt was broken up by Jimmy Uso, Cesaro, Nakamura, and Rusev. Jey Uso tagged himself in only to get an uppercut from Cesaro. A series of kicks saw many different superstars knocked down, finally winding down to The Usos in the ring with Sheamus. Despite an attempt to block one, Sheamus received multiple superkicks before The Usos nailed the double splash from the top ropes to pick up the win and retain their titles.

Grade: A+, This was a fantastic match. Great execution from all parties, and some unforgettable spots that led to The Usos proving their dominance yet again. Ricochet and Aleister Black with some great moments in their first WrestleMania.

Falls Count Anywhere Match: Shane McMahon vs. The Miz

Next up, the very personal Falls Count Anywhere Match between The Miz and Shane McMahon was set to take place. Shane McMahon came out, dragging his entrance on for quite a while as he kept demanding a better introduction as “The Best in the World.” The Miz finally made his way to the ring to a huge reaction, also greeting his father Mr. Miz at ringside before sliding into the ring ready to take on The Miz.

Things started with acute strategy from Shane McMahon. Shane slid out of the ring, dodging the action, and even quickly slid around the ring and grabbed Miz’s father, aka Mr. Miz, goading The Miz towards him and capitalizing with a series of strikes. Back in the ring, he kept this going by beating on The Miz and holding a strong advantage in control of things.

Things quickly spilled to the outside where Shane cleared off an announce table. He hit several strikes to The Miz before grabbing a huge television monitor and slamming it into the head of The Miz. With The Miz out, Shane McMahon went to the top rope and looked for the elbow drop, but Mr. Miz suddenly appeared and stood in the way, preventing the attack.

Shane McMahon called for Mr. Miz to enter the ring, and Mr. Miz obliged. He threw his hands up in the ring, willing to fight, but Shane helped him with his stance. Shane looked like he’d then refuse to do so, only to rush Mr. Miz with a series of knee strikes and stomps. Just then, The Miz came flying into the ring in a fury, rushing Shane McMahon and sending the action back to the outside.

The Miz sent Shane McMahon into nearby barricades before demanding someone get help to his father. With help arriving, The Miz turned his attention back to Shane, leaping over the barricade to take him to the ground. At this point, things got really out of hand. The action spilled far into the crowd, going near the platforms and huge support beams that made up the lighting structure above the ring.

They continued to fight, Shane planting Miz with a DDT on the platform, but the action later seeing The Miz dropkick Shane off it and into the barricade. They continued to fight into the area where international announce teams were located, and The Miz sent Shane crashing through one of their tables. The Miz even sent Shane McMahon flying off that area, with Shane bouncing off the hood of a golfcart before crashing to the concrete floor.

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1115053706347601920

Things started to reach the climax now as they made their way to a serious of scaffolding structures that cameras. They fought their way up to the top one, where Shane McMahon found himself defenseless against The Miz. He began apologizing and begging for The Miz to stop, but Shane McMahon started wailing on him with punches, suddenly grabbing Shane McMahon and suplexing him off the structure.

It was an amazing moment, and both men went crashing through a platform on the ground. However, during the impact, The Miz ended up beneath Shane McMahon. The referee rushed in and counted the pinfall as both men were completely motionless. By virtue of the positioning, Shane McMahon picked up the win and defeated The Miz, but he definitely didn’t do so unscathed.

Grade: A++, This was really spectacular. I expected environmental insanity taking place all over the arena, and that’s what we got. Shane McMahon’s lucky win was very fitting as well, though The Miz definitely got the damage in to avenge his father.

WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Fatal 4-Way Match: The Boss ‘n’ Hug Connection (c) vs. Nia Jax & Tamina vs. The IIconics vs. Beth Phoenix & Natalya

Next up at WrestleMania we got our final tag team contest of the night as Bayley and Sasha Banks had to defend their WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles. Much like the Fatal 4-Way for the SmackDown Tag Team Titles, this match was sure to be a high-octane and chaotic contest. Things started with Tamina and Bayley, and Tamina set the tone early with lots of powerful offense, even knocking several opponents off the aprons and to the outside.

Beth Phoenix slid into the ring and started attacking Tamina, and a brawl ensued with several superstars involved. The attacks spilled to the outside where Nia Jax was sent barreling into the steel steps. Peyton Royce found herself in the ring with Sasha Banks, where the two traded near falls before a pair of kicks from The IIconics took down Banks.

We saw an early trend here that continued throughout as The IIconics tried their best to use traditional tag team strategy with quick tags to each other and isolation of their opponents. Of course, it’s not easy to keep that going in this kind of match. They attempted to suplex Beth Phoenix together a bit later, only for Phoenix to suplex both of them by herself.

We then saw some great tag team work from The Boss ‘n’ Hug Connection, including Bayley suplexing Sasha Banks onto Beth Phoenix only for Sasha to roll through it with a hurricanrana into the Banks Statement. Beth fought through it, rolling out and going for The Glam Slam, but Sasha Banks countered it. Natalya tagged herself in, suddenly finding herself in the ring against Bayley and Banks, and locking them both in a double sharpshooter.

Tamina re-entered the fray, superkicking Natalya to break up the submission. The IIconics slid in and tried to attack Jax and Tamina only to eat a pair of samoan drops. We suddenly saw Jax and Tamina look for simultaneous splashes off the top onto Sasha Banks and Bayley, but Jax was knocked off by Phoenix and the action spilled to the outside again.

After more back and forth, Bayley and Banks looked close to capitalizing as Sasha Banks nailed a frog splash on Phoenix, but Beth kicked out. At the turnbuckle, Bayley and Sasha Banks tried to suplex Beth Phoenix, but Nattie broke up things and knocked Banks offf.

Phoenix suddenly grabbed Bayley, going for an amazing Glam Slam off the top rope, but Billie Kay tagged Phoenix during the attack. The IIconics slid into the ring, throwing Phoenix outside and Billie Kay covering Bayley for the sudden win to become the new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions.

Grade: A++, I can’t stress how great this was for all four teams, but especially seeing The IIconics get such an amazing WrestleMania moment. It was a true culmination for them, and easily brought me to tears.

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1115060576873369601

WWE Championship Match: Daniel Bryan (c) vs. Kofi Kingston

Then, in a manner of moments, WrestleMania became KofiMania. The crowd, 80,000 strong inside MetLife Stadium, began chanting “KOFI” as Kofi Kingston made his way to the ring with The New Day at his side. Daniel Bryan entered the arena moments later to a much different reaction and with a completely different attitude, bringing his somber superiority while the excitement from The New Day was palpable.

Daniel Bryan started the match slow by slapping on a headlock, but the crowd continued their support of Kingston who started with a serious of counters. The expertise of both men was clear, but Kofi Kingston took an early upperhand with a dropkick before flying out of the ring with a trust fall to knock down Bryan.

The champion slid back into the ring, escaping to the other side to regroup and speak to his insurance policy, Rowan, at ringside. Bryan slid back in, sending Kofi into the corner and delivering a series of stiff uppercuts. He then looked for a submission, getting the challenger in a picture perfect and surely painful surfboard stretch.

Kingston fought out of it, only for Bryan to push back with a series of forearms to the back of the neck a bit later. He went for a back suplex, but Kingston landed on his feet and knocked Bryan to the mat before hitting a boom drop. However, Bryan rolled to the apron to avoid a pinfall. Kingston hit a baseball slide that sent Bryan to the outside.

Kofi Kingston came flying out of the ring with a springboard, but Bryan dodged and Kofi went crashing into the announce table. This was where the complexion began to change, with Bryan taking control and wearing down Kofi Kingston with every action. Back in the ring, he dropped Kofi on the ropes and landed a diving knee from the top rope to the back of Kingston. Bryan attempted a pin, but only got a near fall.

Bryan took control with a waistlock, keeping it on for several minutes and squeezing on the mid-section of Kofi Kingston. Despite the damage, Kingston eventually fought out of it only to get dropped into the corner where Bryan followed up with several of his signature running dropkicks. We then saw a great counter sequence with Kofi rushing him and hitting a double stomp, but Bryan caught him and locked on a devastating Liontamer.

Kofi Kingston kept fighting back at every turn, but Daniel Bryan refused to give him much of a lengthy advantage. After a series of exchanges, Kofi finally hit a huge crossbody that took him to the mat. On his feet, a brawl led to Kofi attempting Trouble in Paradise, but it was blocked. A series of near falls led to Bryan attempting the Lebell Lock, but Kofi slipped out again and later dodged a running knee attempt to hit an SOS.

It was only enough for a near fall, but Kingston’s fight stayed alive. Bryan began hitting several kicks, but Kofi started enduring and fighting through every single one of them. Kofi fought back, hitting a huge reverse suplex that earned a near fall, but Bryan rolled to the outside again after. Rowan suddenly approached Kofi, but Woods came out of nowhere to attack Rowan.

Despite this, Rowan caught him and sent Woods over an announce table. He then took Big E down, but turned around to get a Trouble in Paradise from Kingston. Xavier Woods and Big E followed it by planting Rowan with Midnight Hour to neutralize Rowan for good. Back in the ring, Kofi went for Trouble in Paradise but missed.

Daniel Bryan followed up with a running knee moments later, going for the pinfall but Kofi Kingston still kicked out. Bryan started a serious of stomps and put on the Lebell Lock, but Kingston still fought out of it. He got a final wind, wailing on Bryan with strikes and stomps. Finally, Kofi looked ready. Bryan rose to his feet and turned to eat a huge Trouble in Paradise. Kofi Kingston covered him, got the pinfall, and won! KofiMania ends with a new WWE Champion!

After the match, Big E and Xavier Woods toss away Daniel Bryan’s custom championship, revealing a traditional WWE Championship with custom sideplates for Kofi already on it. They presented the title to Kingston, and the emotion from both the crowd and all three men was palpable. Kingston kids entered the ring to celebrate with their dad, and The New Day revealed a present with new merchandise celebrating the win. One of Kingston’s sons even grabbed a shirt, climbed the turnbuckle, and tossed a new shirt to the crowd. It was the perfect ending for all of this.

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1115068380615139328

Grade: A+++, Extra plus because of the emotion of this moment and the story. On its merits, this was already a fantastic match, but I was in tears seeing Kofi Kingston’s crowning moment and his kids celebrating with him. KofiMania, baby. KofiMania.

United States Championship Match: Samoa Joe (c) vs. Rey Mysterio

Up next, it was time for the United States Championship to be defended by Samoa Joe against the veteran Rey Mysterio. We got a spectacular entrance from Rey Mysterio, who always goes all out for his appearances at WrestleMania. Meanwhile, Samoa Joe’s appearance was simple. He marched his way down the ring, ready for a fight, to a chorus of fans shouting “JOE-JOE-JOE-JOE” in rhythm with his music.

Things started fast with Samoa Joe hitting a hard kick and series of headbutts. The champion very clearly looked confident and dangerous, but Mysterio tried to fight back with a counter into a tornado DDT. It was clear Mysterio didn’t want to go down without a fight, but he didn’t get a chance to put up much of one.

Moments later, Rey Mysterio came diving off the top, but his attack was caught by Joe, who immediately locked on the Coquina Clutch. In the blink of an eye, Mysterio was out cold. The referee called for the bell, and the champion had retained.

Grade: B, There’s nothing wrong with this, but it wasn’t exactly an instant classic. Samoa Joe still looked amazingly dominant, and Mysterio looked completely shocked when he regained consciousness that things had ended. Great quick match.

Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre

Up next it was time for non-title action at WrestleMania 35, with Drew McIntyre facing off against Roman Reigns. McIntyre made his way to the ring first, with an NYPD drumline adding extra effect to his entrance music for a truly WrestleMania-worthy entrance. Moments later, we got a simple but powerful entrance by Roman Reigns, he walked out on the ramp before hitting his signature fist to the ground pose to a huge fireworks display.

Roman Reigns set the tone with a quick strike to get things, and followed up with a stiff samoan drop shortly after. McIntyre tried to turn the tides with a spinebuster and got an early near fall. He was hung up on the ropes a few moments later, leaving McIntyre prone for a moment so Roman could hit a leg drop to his back that crushed him against the second rope.

As the action came back in the ring, Drew McIntyre locked on an armbar and began to wear down Reigns and slow the pace. He continued to deal damage, kneeing him in the gut only for Reigns to slip out and toss him to the apron. Reigns hit a clothesline that sent the action back to the outside, where he slid out and went for the driveby, but missed. McIntyre capitalized by suplexing Reigns off the apron to the floor.

Back in the ring, Drew continued his assault with a huge reverse Alabama Slam that earned a near fall. The action moved to the turnbuckle where McIntyre climbed up, screaming at Roman that he “should’ve said no” to this fight, but Roman hit a strike that knocked McIntyre into a tree of woe position. Suddenly, McIntyre used his incredible core strength to raise himself up and throw Reigns off the top rope.

Drew McIntyre looked to finish things, but also send a message. He went to hit Dean Ambrose’s signature move Dirty Deeds, but Roman slipped out of it. Drew hit a strike that seemed to only awaken The Big Dog’s second wind, and Roman went on the offensive at that point. He tossed Drew to the outside, hitting the driveby before bringing McIntyre back into the ring.

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1115077566962888704

McIntyre quickly tried to escape to another side of the ring, only for Roman to follow him and hit a samoan drop on the outside. Back in the ring, things looked dire for McIntyre. Roman geared up for the Superman Punch, which missed on the first attempt, but Roman rebounded and landed it right after. He followed it with a huge spear to pick up the win over The Scottish Psychopath.

Grade: B+, This match was solid, but had some lulls overall and suffered a bit from a crowd that seemed a bit exhausted. I can’t blame them for that. However, this was still a great moment for Reigns and a strong showing by McIntyre even in defeat.

Elias is interrupted by…the doctor?!

Up next we got an exclusive WrestleMania performance by Elias, which was unsurprisingly interrupted. Before it was, things looked ready for a really special performance from Elias featuring…Elias? Yes, there were more Elias’s on the screen playing drums and piano while Elias was in the ring on guitar.

The crowd looked completely invested as Elias began to play, but the crowd interrupted by singing “ohh, walk with Elias,” which the performer in the ring happily gave a tune for. There was even Elias’s name projected onto the crowd. It was all great, until suddenly the screen changed and a black and white video of Babe Ruth classic baseball footage was shown the moment he “called his shot.”

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1115079210991665152

After the video played, we got the sudden thump of “Basic Thuganomics” by John Cena echoing throughout the arena. The veteran walked out onto the ramp in classic 2003 gear with a backwards baseball cap, baseball jersey, and “Word Life” knucks on his hands. Cena made his way to the ring, slipping right back into his classic “Doctor of Thuganomics” persona.

He laid down a series of inventive insults, all classic things for this version of John Cena. Finally Elias looked fed up with things, taking off his robe looking ready to fight. However, that fight also didn’t go as he’d planned. Cena hit a strike on him before landing the Five Knuckle Shuffle, with the knucks on, and following it up with an

Attitude Adjustment

F-U before leaving Elias laying in the ring.

Grade: A, Look this was just a fun moment. Elias got his “WrestleMania performance,” and we got a great throwback with “The Doctor of Thuganomics.” Just fun. Such fun.

No Holds Barred Match: Triple H vs. Batista

It was then time for one of the night’s most personal matches as Batista prepared to face Triple H in a No Holds Barred Match. We saw Batista make his way to the ring first, being driven out on stage in a fleet of SUVs and surrounded by security. He slid out of one of the vehicles in time to do his signature machine gun pyro display at the top of the ramp.

Batista made his way to the ring, walking around it after arriving and staring down special guest commentator Shawn Michaels for a few moments, even staring down Triple H’s parents at ringside. Then it was time for Triple H to come to the ring, and he did so with a quite ridiculous Mad Max inspired entrance. A long video played, and Triple H was driven to the ring in a crazy skull car straight out of Mad Max.

Things got off to a fast start as the bell rang with Batista going on the offensive. Both men fought back and forth and things immediately spilled to the outside, where Batista sent Triple H flying over the announce table into Shawn Michaels. He followed it by sending Triple H over a barricade into the timekeeper’s area.

Triple H emerged from that area with a toolbox that he slammed into Batista. He then pulled a huge steel chain out of the box, whipping it into the back of Batista twice in a row. He then grabbed a pair of channellocks from the toolbox, going to Batista and snapping them onto Batista’s fingers and wrenching back, even stomping on them against the steel stairs.

Batista tried to escape to the ring, but Triple H followed him into the ring with a steel chair and a pair of needlenose pliers. Triple H used the chair to pin Batista against the ring, then taking the pliers and terrifyingly using them to tear out Batista’s nose ring in the most cringeworthy moment of the entire contest.

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1115085594294489088

It was a good start, but the match really started to drag from this point. Both men were clearly not in peak condition, and really started to feel the effects of the contest. The action spilled back to the outside where Batista grabbed Triple H and dropped him back-first onto the announce table. He followed it moments later by dropping him on a second table before sending him into the barricade.

Back in the ring, Triple H went tried to regain control and attempted a Pedigree, but Batista countered. Things spilled back to the outside, where Batista slammed steel steps into Triple H. He then positioned steps on a table, attempting to Batista Bomb Triple H off one table into another, but Triple H countered and backdropped him on the table.

Things slowly made their way back to the ring, where Triple H brought his trusty sledgehammer from under the ring with him. He attempted to use it, but Batista dodged it and was able to plant a Batista Bomb, but Triple H kicked out. Batista followed it up by bringing steps into the ring and looking to send Triple H into them, but Triple H slipped out and powerbombed him on them, following it with a Pedigree, but somehow Batista still kicked out.

Things looked dire for both sides, and suddenly we saw Ric Flair appear at ringside, handing Triple H a sledgehammer. This gave the opening as Batista had one of his own, turning to use it only for Triple H to use the stairs a launchpad to leap into the air and drive the sledgehammer into Batista, hit a Pedigree after, and finally finish things off for the win.

Grade: B-, This started strong and finished strong, but lasted about twice as long as it needed to. Both men were struggling at times, and things started to drag, but we still got some great moments and a good final outing for Batista.

Kurt Angle vs. Baron Corbin

Finally it was time for the farewell match of Kurt Angle, and the power of the moment was clear. Baron Corbin made his way to the ring first with a lengthy and arrogant introduction before wrestling’s only Olympic Gold Medalist made his final entrance at WrestleMania 35.

The match started hard with Kurt Angle hitting an early suplex, but Baron Corbin changed the pace and took control of things. He began wearing down the veteran before getting caught in a trio of german suplexes. Angle then went for an early attempt at an Ankle Lock, but Corbin slipped away and nailed Deep Six for a very close near fall.

Angle fought hard, nailing an Angle Slam out of nowhere, but Baron Corbin still kicked out. Angle removed the straps on his singlet and looked ready to finish things off, putting the Ankle Lock on Corbin. It looked like “The Lone Wolf” might tap out, but he finally fought through and rolled Angle into the ropes to escape the move.

Moments later, Corbin looked in control as he began mocking desires of fans to have Angle face John Cena by doing Cena’s “you can’t see me” taunt. Angle responds with a stiff right hand and another trio of german suplexes. Angle was looking to finish things off, going to the top rope for the first time in years for his amazing moonsault.

Angle hit the moonsault to perfection, but Corbin had rolled out of the way. Baron Corbin followed it up by getting Angle to his feet and hitting End of Days to pick up the win and end Kurt Angle’s career with Corbin standing tall. After the match, Angle grabbed the microphone and thanked the crowd before asking for one last “you suck” chant to his music as he left the arena.

Grade: B-, Also a decent but uneventful match. Like Corbin or not, this was a win he can gloat about for some time. Kurt Angle hit his spots, and it was fitting for him to end his career by missing the moonsault. Thank you, Kurt. For everything.

Intercontinental Championship Match: Bobby Lashley (c) vs. “The Demon” Finn Balor

With only one match left before we reached the main event of WrestleMania 35, it was then time for Bobby Lashley to defend his Intercontinental Championship against Finn Balor. However, it wasn’t just any Finn Balor. We were greeted by the presence of “The Demon” Finn Balor, and that special presence and power was on display right from the start.

Balor started quick with a series of kicks and a clothesline that sent Lashley reeling. He tossed the champion to the outside before hitting a huge dive to the ringside area that took down Lashley. Back in the ring, Bobby Lashley tried to regain some control by slamming Balor into the mat. He followed it by suplexing Balor from the apron into the ring on two consecutive occasions.

He hit a clothesline that then sent Balor to the outside. Lashley joined him on the outside and threw Balor hard into the barricade. He looked to follow it up with a spear, but Balor countered it and caught Lashley with a slingblade. Balor then dropkicked Lashley into the barricade before tossing him into the ring. Balor climbed up onto the apron, but Lashley came out of nowhere by spearing him through the ropes and all the way to the ground outside of the ring.

It looked like dire straits for The Demon as Lashley followed it with another spear in the ring, but Balor still kicked out. Lashley looked to follow it with a powerbomb, but Balor slipped out. He then looked to hit a powerbomb of his own, but failed to lift Lashley. Not letting himself be denied, The Demon delivered knee strikes to Lashley and tried again, failing a second time.

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1115098040711274496

Balor hit more knee strikes, finally on the third attempt lifting the huge Intercontinental Champion into the air and planting him with a powerbomb. He followed it with a Coup de Grace, going for the pinfall and defeating Bobby Lashley to capture the Intercontinental Championship.

Grade: B+, This was a solid but not groundbreaking match. A great appearance by The Demon. Lashley had some great moments too, but The Demon’s extra effort showed to be enough, and give the crowd a great penultimate contest.

Raw Women’s Championship & SmackDown Women’s Championship Winner Takes All Triple Threat Match: Raw Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey vs. SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair vs. “The Man” Becky Lynch

It was finally time for the main event of WrestleMania 35, and the spectacle of it was quite clear. First, things cut to SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair who was in a helicopter, hovering near the stadium. The helicopter slowly landed nearby, and a literal red carpet was laid out for Flair. She stepped out on it and was quickly given her robe by people nearby, walking away towards the arena.

We then got the appearance of Joan Jett and The Blackhearts to sing “Bad Reputation” for Raw Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey. They got rolling and had a great performance, about halfway through which Rousey then began making her way to the ring, looking briefly happy about the performance before being completely focused as she headed towards the ring.

Finally, it was time for the entrance of “The Man” Becky Lynch. There were no frills. There was no red carpet. There was no live band. Becky Lynch simply stepped out onto the stage to 82,000+ fans singing her entrance music, and walked to the ring with a confident swagger showing just how much she understood that her own actions and attitude brought her to this moment.

The introductions were made, the crowd clearly a thousand percent behind “The Man” Becky Lynch. The bell finally sounded, and all three women looked like they were waiting to see what each other did. After a brief moment of caution by them, Lynch rushed Rousey and the fight was on. Things opened with a series of strikes between Lynch and Rousey, with Flair staying out of the action at first.

Rousey hit a kick on Lynch that knocked her out of the ring, and then Flair entered the fray by rushing Rousey with some stiff kicks of her own. The action spilled to the outside, where Rousey went for the kill early by grabbing Lynch and hitting Piper’s Pit into the barricade. She then moved to Flair, kicking her and landing Piper’s Pit on the ground outside of the ring.

Rousey moved her focus back to Lynch, aiming to hit a second Piper’s Pit, but Lynch slipped out and sent her colliding into the steel ringpost. Flair then grabbed Rousey, suplexing her hard into the barricade. Back in the ring, Charlotte Flair took a moment to gloat to a crowd that clearly wasn’t in her favor. Becky slid into the ring, and the two women started trading strikes.

Flair hit a kick to the knee to get Lynch on the defensive, and Flair looked to lock on Becky’s own Disarmher move. Lynch rolled out of it and rolled up Flair for a near fall before trying to lock the Figure Four on Charlotte. The queen pushed her way out of it, and Ronda Rousey suddenly slid back into the ring to rejoin the action.

Rousey hit kicks on Lynch and a judo throw before looking for an armbar, but Flair delivered a stiff knee to her. We then saw Flair and Lynch lift Rousey into the air, looking like they were about to double powerbomb her over the ropes to the outside. Rousey held on tight to their arms, blocking the move and trying to lock an armbar on Flair with the ropes assisting her.

Lynch backed away, coming in with a diving dropkick that hit Rousey in the back and sent her crashing to the outside in a heap. Back in the ring, it was just Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch, who started going at it with Flair gaining the upperhand. She started delivering stomps and a stiff knee drop, at which point the crowd began chanting for Becky Lynch and trying to rally behind “The Man.”

Flair made her way to the top and looked to go for a moonsault, but Lynch caught her and went for the Disarmher. Rousey slid back into the action, kneeing Lynch and going for an armbar on her, but Charlotte came in with a huge knee to the face of Rousey. Flair followed it up with Natural Selection on both of her opponents, going for a pin on each but only getting a pair of near falls.

Flair tossed Lynch out of the ring, proceeding to light Rousey up with stiff chops. Rousey powered through them, suddenly shouting that Flair “chops like a b*tch.” Flair responded by backhanding Rousey across the face, but Rousey quickly retaliated with an armbar attempt. Flair countered it, locking on a boston crab only for Lynch to slide back in and bulldog Flair into the mat.

Lynch then got both women in her grips, hitting a simultaneous reverse DDT to Rousey and DDT to Flair. Lynch followed with a spinning kick to Flair and rushed her in the corner, but Flair hit a big boot. Lynch retaliated with uppercuts and headbutts before rushing her way into an elbow by Flair. Lynch whipped her towards the corner, but Flair rolled over the ropes and to the outside.

Flair began to climb the ropes, but Lynch rushed forward, grabbing her on the top and coming flying off with a Bexploder Suplex that drove Flair into the mat. She only garnered a near fall, and moments later we saw Rousey coming flying into the ring with a cross body off the top rope to both Lynch and Flair. Ronda pinned them both, but got a quick kickout.

Rousey followed suit with a judo throw for each opponent before locking them both in an impressive double armbar. However, Lynch and Flair used this moment to fight out, lifting Rousey into the air only to powerbomb her hard into the mat. Rousey kept her grip, which only allowed Lynch and Flair to repeat the effort two more times. The third powerbomb dealt enough damage for Rousey to release, at which point Flair tossed Lynch to the outside and tried to pin Rousey, but only got a two count.

Lynch got back in the ring, slamming Charlotte hard for a near fall. She then locked up with Rousey, rolling through to go for a Disarmher, but Rousey kept fighting through it, using the ropes the rise up and dump Lynch into the corner. Rousey rushed towards her, but Becky dodged and was able to get Ronda in a Disarmher wrapped in the ropes moments later.

Charlotte Flair came in with a hard kick that knocked them loose, turning her focus to Becky Lynch who was still on the top rope. Flair climbed up with her before coming flying off with an amazing top rope Spanish Fly. It was enough for a near fall, but Ronda Rousey was back in the action only moments after. Flair suplexed Rousey, but Lynch targeted Flair for a Disarmher.

Flair fought through it, throwing her into the corner to counter the move. Becky Lynch rose to her feet on the apron only to eat a boot from Flair that knocked her to the outside. Turning her focus to Rousey, Flair hit a stiff kick to the knee and dragged Rousey towards the corner ringpost, wrapping her leg hard around the steel post before locking on a Figure Four on Rousey with her legs wrapped around the post.

Becky Lynch kicked Charlotte hard to break things up, only for Flair to then grab Becky and send her crashing into the barricade. Back in the ring, Flair locked on the Figure Eight and got full extension, but Lynch came off the top with a leg drop on Flair to break things up. At this point, the chaos and devastation of the fight was clear.

All three women were down, and the battle scars and damage delivered throughout was obvious. However, none of them were ready to go down without continuing the fight. Becky Lynch slid to the outside, going under the ring and pulling out a table. Lynch slid it into the ring, rolling in to set it up before being hit from behind by Charlotte Flair.

Flair rolled Lynch on the table and looked to climb the turnbuckle for a moonsault, but Lynch rolled off the table and struck Flair, now looking to powerbomb her off the top rope through the table. Before she can do it, Rousey rushes in and breaks things up, knocking Flair to the outside in the process. Rousey flips the table, shouting to a disapproving crowd that “tables are for b*tches.”

Rousey looked to plant Lynch with Piper’s Pit, but Becky slipped out. Flair was back in the ring and suddenly planted both women with a huge double spear. She pinned Lynch, but Becky kicked out. Flair then pinned Rousey, but Ronda kicked out. Frustrated, Flair turned her attention to the table, which she set up in the corner of the ring.

Flair then grabbed Rousey, slamming her face-first into the table several times before slapping her hard. Lynch came in, going for a sudden Disarmher on Flair, but Charlotte countered it and hit a spear on Lynch. IT was enough for another near fall. As Flair got to her feet across the ring, we could see Lynch and Rousey rising near the table. Flair rushed towards them, looking to spear them both through the table, but Rousey and Lynch countered and armdragged Flair through the table.

With Flair neutralized, this left only Becky Lynch and Ronda Rousey in the ring. They faced off for a moment before a flurry of strikes were thrown by both women, only for Rousey to hit a stiff knee. Rousey looked to finish her off with Piper’s Pit, struggling to her feet and hitting it hard, but in the process Lynch was able to shift her momentum and push Rousey into a crucifix pinning attempt. Rousey struggled, but Lynch kept the leverage just long enough for the count of three!

The bell sounded, and Becky Lynch was the new Raw Women’s Champion and SmackDown Women’s Champion. Ronda Rousey looked absolutely stunned about what had just happened, but the decision was clear. Lynch was awarded her titles and celebrated in the ring surrounded by over 80,000 fans chanting for her in celebration.

Grade: A++, This was a match worthy of being the main event, and it lived up to the hype. Despite a few rough moments with the women clearly feeling the effects of the damage they were dealing to each other, this told a great story of all three trying to take an opening to emerge with a win. Lynch didn’t need to dominate her opponents, just to survive long enough to secure a pinfall, and that’s exactly what “The Man” did.

WrestleMania 35 Gut Reactions

  • The Kickoff Panel is normally bland, but someone get Sam Roberts off my television. He can’t ruin my WrestleMania hype, but I still don’t want to see him.
  • Tony Nese looked great right from the get, but still feels a little out of place as a fan-favorite. The crowd was thoroughly behind him, though.
  • Dana Brooke and Sarah Logan really shined in the battle royal, which was a great thing to see for two relatively overlooked women.
  • Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder told a great underdog story with the help of The Revival, and Hawkins picking up the pinfall to capture the titles was a poetic end to his losing streak.
  • Luke Harper is back! His staredown with Strowman was a highlight of the match, and I can’t wait to see them square off down the road.
  • The opening video package for WrestleMania 35 gave me chills. WWE never ceases to impress in that realm.
  • Someone please get Hulk Hogan off my screen. The appearance of an unapologetic racist was not how I wanted WrestleMania 35 to start.
  • MetLife EXPLODED with a “burn it down” for the appearance of “The Beast Slayer” Seth Rollins.
  • Rollins vs. Lesnar could not have been done any better, and Seth Rollins capped it off by swinging the title around on the ramp like a maniac as is only appropriate.
  • I loved Randy Orton’s stage vipers.
  • Orton vs Styles turned out to be a pretty solid match, and good win for AJ Styles that puts him back in the discussion as a main event player on SmackDown Live.
  • Nearly blew out my speakers for Aleister Black’s entrance. Worth it.
  • I can barely process all of the insanity from The Miz vs. Shane McMahon. Such a great Falls Count Anywhere match, and such an evil way for Shane to escape with a win. He definitely got the damage he deserved though.
  • KofiMania Baby! I am crying! You’re crying! Everyone is crying! Tears of celebration!
  • Samoa Joe doesn’t get paid by the hour.
  • Seeing Roman Reigns back in the ring at WrestleMania doing the “ooahh” before a Spear was a really special moment.
  • I bought in hard and loved the Doctor of Thuganomics moment.
  • There were a few great moments, but Triple H vs. Batista was way too long, and felt like a struggle to get through. Not a great look.
  • It’s only right that Kurt Angle’s career ends with a missed moonsault. Thank you, Kurt.
  • The Demon is fantastic, and that finale with the powerbomb really showed the next-level that the persona takes Balor to.
  • The entrances for the main event were perfect for all three women, and really lent to the spectacle of things.
  • Props are due to Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, and Ronda Rousey for all giving it their all in a WrestleMania main event that will be remembered for years to come.

WrestleMania 35 Quick Segment Recap

  • Big E and Xavier Woods were interviewed and assured everyone that Kofi Kingston has plenty left in the tank for tonight.
  • Edge and Christian joined the Kickoff Panel to discuss Kofi Kingston’s
  • Q and Sal of TruTV’s Impractical Jokers were interviewed briefly on the stage about the matches they’re excited to see tonight.
  • We were treated to an absolutely flawless and unforgettable rendition of America the Beautiful by Yolanda Adams.
  • Alexa Bliss was introduced as host of WrestleMania, and snapped her fingers to make a “WrestleMania moment” with the appearance of Hulk Hogan, who hyped up the crowd and made jokes about the Silverdome.
  • Lacey Evans appeared again, for some godforsaken reason. She walked out, waved, and thankfully left moments later.
  • There was a recap shown of the WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony, then the class was introduced on stage to celebrate, including a full entrance for D-Generation X.
  • Backstage, Michael Che and Colin Jost were in a trainers area, but Alexa Bliss assured they were in great hands. The doctors showed up, revealing themselves to be Scott Hall and Kevin Nash, the latter of wish offered to start with a prostate exam.
  • Elias tried to have a WrestleMania performance, but was interrupted by The Doctor of Thuganomics and planted with an F-U.
  • Alexa Bliss was shown backstage with The B-Team who were modeling t-shirts made as if Daniel Bryan had won his match, only for Ron Simmons to interrupt with a “DAMN.”
  • Alexa Bliss came out onto the stage to announce a WrestleMania MetLife Attendence Record, which was followed by the largest 7-second dance break ever from Carmella and R-Truth.

WrestleMania 35 Match Results

  • Tony Nese def. Buddy Murphy to become the new Cruiserweight Champion
  • Carmella def. Dana Brooke, Mickie James, Ruby Riott, Liv Morgan, Sarah Logan, Asuka, Naomi, Lana, Mandy Rose, Sonya Deville, Zelina Vega, Nikki Cross, Maria Kanellis, Candice LeRae, Ember Moon, and Kairi Sane in the WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal
  • Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder def. The Revival to become the new Raw Tag Team Champions
  • Braun Strowman def. Michael Che, Colin Jost, Apollo Crews, Titus O’Neil, Tyler Breeze, Jinder Mahal, No Way Jose, Bobby Roode, Chad Gable, Kalisto, Gran Metalik, Lince Dorado, Bo Dallas, Curtis Axel, Heath Slater, Rhyno, Viktor, Konnor, Andrade, Ali, Shelton Benjamin, Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson, Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy, Otis, Tucker, EC3, and Luke Harper in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal
  • Seth Rollins def. Brock Lesnar to become the new Universal Champion
  • AJ Styles def. Randy Orton
  • The Usos def. Ricochet & Aleister Black, The Bar, and Shinsuke Nakamura & Rusev to retain the SmackDown Tag Team Titles
  • Shane McMahon def. The Miz
  • The IIconics def. The Boss ‘n’ Hug Connection (c), Beth Phoenix & Natalya, and Nia Jax & Tamina to become the new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions
  • Kofi Kingston def. Daniel Bryan to become the new WWE Champion
  • Samoa Joe def. Rey Mysterio to retain the United States Championship
  • Roman Reigns def. Drew McIntyre
  • Triple H def. Batista
  • Baron Corbin def. Kurt Angle
  • “The Demon” Finn Balor def. Bobby Lashley to become the new Intercontinental Champion
  • Becky Lynch def. Ronda Rousey and Charlotte Flair to become the new Raw Women’s Champion and SmackDown Women’s Champion

Thank you for joining us for live coverage of WrestleMania 35!

Patches Chance

Patches Chance

Patches Chance is a former co-expert and current contributor for Daily DDT. A fan since 2000, he has come to love all forms of wrestling, from the most technically sound to the silliest and most absurd. You can find him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @patcheschance, at his website patcheschance.com, or by email at patcheschance@gmail.com.