WWE WrestleMania XLI
Las Vegas, NV - April 2025
CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, the WWE Undisputed Universal Championship was Cody Rhodes, GUNTHER was the WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Bron Breaker was the Intercontinental Champion, the US Champion was LA Knight, the Women's World Champion (on RAW) was IYO SKY, the Women's WWE Champion (on SmackDown) was Tiffany Stratton, the World Tag Team Champions were The New Day, the WWE Tag Team Champions were The Street Profits, the Women's Intercontinental Champion was Lyra Valkyria, the Women's United States Champion was Chelsea Green, and the Women's Tag Team Champions were Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez.
As has also become a familiar routine, Triple H started the show in the ring, welcoming the fans to the show.
In a shocking move, instead of the show beginning with the traditional rendition of "America The Beautiful," Jey Uso made his way to the ring to a massive ovation, with thousands and thousands "Yeeting" to his music, for his match against reigning WWE World Heavyweight Champion, GUNTHER. Uso came through the crowd, which is part of his gimmick, but also meant the entrance took minutes on end, the bell not ringing till minute 19 of the show. Despite GUNTHER's dominance, Uso came in as the favorite. From the start, GUNTHER and Jey paced themselves, GUNTHER getting some offense in, Jey striking back, GUNTHER retreating and so on until Jey ended up chopped across the chest while sitting atop the turnbuckles, sending him to the floor. GUNTHER took control, but Uso surprised him with a spear for 2. GUNTHER went for a powerbomb but Uso back body dropped him instead and then went for a splash, but got caught in the corner again and superplexed back to the mat. GUNTHER hit a dropkick and a powerbomb for 2. GUNTHER went for another but countered it into a head scissors, then hit another spear, and a splash for 2. GUNTHER went to the outside and looked like he was going to head home, but Uso unwisely went for a dive and got clocked in the head with the championship. GUNTHER hit a splash for 2 and then locked in a rear naked choke. Uso managed to get to the ropes with his feet, breaking the hold. GUNTHER laid in a series of knees in the corner and then a whole bunch of chops that sent Jey to the mat. A strike exchange led to another GUNTHER choke attempt, but Jey switched on him and hit a belly-to-back suplex. Jey looked to be going for another spear but got dropkicked. GUNTHER went for a powerbomb, but Jey countered it with a powerbomb of his own! Superkick! Another superkick! Spear! Uso Splash from the top rope and a second and a third! Jey applied a rear naked and GUNTHER tapped! This was a perfectly fine match, though I'll continue to be a "bearish" on Jey Uso as World Champion. As even Triple H said this week, Jey is not the best in-ring talent and, even against a world-class opponent like GUNTHER on the biggest show of the year, this match and moment was still just in that "B range," in no way bad, but far from legendary or epic or special. (3/5)
The World Tag Team Championships were on the line next as The War Raiders defended the belts against The New Day. I was shocked to learn that the Raiders have held the titles since December because they've been non-existent on the major shows this year. The New Day's gear was clearly inspired by the Giant Gonzalez, who made his lone Mania appearance at the last Mania to occur in Las Vegas (WrestleMania IX). The Raiders got some shine early with Erik (Raymond Rowe) slamming Ivar off the apron and onto both New Day members. They followed with a cool double-team move (Raymond hoisting Woods into the air with a gut wrench and then Ivar coming off the top rope with an elbow) for 2, but New Day fought back, cutting the ring in half and targeting Erik. Kofi hit a back-splash onto Erik, who was prone on the apron, a nifty move I hadn't seen him bust out before. Woods did a weird Flair-inspired strut apropos of nothing. Kofi went for an Air Hardy-like move but Erik caught him and slammed him into Woods. Ivar came in on the semi-hot tag (the crowd was not super into this match) and hit some cool moves, including a fun one in the corner and a Muta-inspired back handspring elbow to both New Day members. Ivar went to the top but got pulled down by Woods, who followed it up with a Codebreaker. Kofi went from a move off the top but dropped down into an Erik forearm. Moments later, Ivar hit a great spinning heel kick and then a moonsault! Impressive stuff, but Woods came off the top rope to break up the pin attempt. Woods and Erik met in the middle of the ring, trading blows. Erik landed an awesome knee to the face but couldn't capitalize. The Raiders went for their finish, but Kofi tripped up on Ivar on the ropes and the New Day hit a double-team move. As Woods went for the pin, Kofi held Ivar's foot under the ropes, allowing them to steal their 12th WWE Tag Team Championship. Not surprised by that finish at all. Ivar had a great night and these two teams showed that they deserved their spot on the card with this match. This exceeded my expectations. (3/5)
Naomi vs. Jade Cargill was up next. Cargill took control early, showing off her strength with a press slam from the corner. Naomi was clearly "leading" this one, taking the big bumps, pacing and spacing things. Naomi hit a great facebuster onto the floor and a vicious head scissors back in the ring. Cargill telegraphed a bunch of spots, but I'll give her credit, she ate some very hard-hitting offense. Cargill cut off Naomi's control with an awesome tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and then, catching Naomi off the top rope, a Jackhammer! Cargill with a jumping front kick, but Cargill walked into a back elbow and Naomi went for another splash - only for Cargill to counter it into a fallaway slam! Jade went up to the ropes but Naomi caught her and delivered a bulldog off the top rope and then a split-legged moonsault for 2. Naomi hit a superkick and then another one even more vicious than the first. Cargill caught the 3rd one and went for her finish but Naomi countered it into a victory roll for 2. Naomi applied a submission and the pins and counters continued, leading to a ridiculous Electric Chair-into-a-Powerbomb move by Cargill and then her finishing move for the W. Like the previous match, I expected one thing - a relatively sloppy, short squash match - but got something significantly better. It wasn't always pretty, but Naomi was on her game tonight and they delivered a match featuring sequences that were far more complex and intricate than anything Cargill had done before. Another above-average match. (3/5)
Jacob Fatu challenged LA Knight for the United States Championship in the next match. Knight came out swinging, bringing the fight to the Samoan Werewolf, hitting a neckbreaker early and going for his finish, but Fatu blocked it and then hit the pop-up Samoan Drop to a respectable pop from the crowd. Knight went for a back suplex but Fatu reversed it into a crossbody for 2. Fatu hit a front suplex that sent Knight belly-first onto the top rope. Knight hit a series of low dropkicks, including one to the outside, but got caught in a powerslam coming back into the ring off the ropes for 2. Fatu went for a senton but Knight got his knees up. Fatu went for another pop-up but Knight hit him with some shots to the head and turned it almost into a crucifix driver. Knight hit some body shots and some boots in the corner and then a running knee to a loud pop. Knight sent Fatu into the post a few times, hit a clothesline, and then went flying off the top with a big elbow for 2. Fatu came back, hit a superkick to the gut, and then went to the top himself. Knight prevented him from whatever he was going for and attempted a back superplex. Fatu elbowed him away but Knight came back and hit a german suplex off the top rope for 2.5! Huge move there. Knight went for a BFT but Fatu escaped, hit a superkick, and then a trio of running hip attacks in the corner. Fatu went back to the top and hit a swanton but only got 2.9! Dueling chants erupted. Fatu went for his finish, but Knight caught him with the BFT as he was coming down for another great near fall. Wow. The crowd went wild for that and loud Fatu chants started up. Knight went back to the top, but Fatu grabbed him by the throat. Knight stood on the top but Fatu superkicked his foot and Knight dropped down onto the top turnbuckle. Fatu rallied, hitting a pair of huge moonsaults to get the W to a huge ovation. Fatu getting a babyface reaction wasn't a surprise as he has been super impressive since joining the company, but LA Knight had his fair share of fans too and put on a great performance in his own right. A very strong match with no fat to trim and two terrific performances, even if the finish was never really in question. (3.5/5)
El Grande Americano (Chad Gable under a luchadore mask) got a big entrance for his match, which was supposed to be against Rey Mysterio but ended up being against Rey Fenix (Mysterio was injured the previous night on SmackDown). Vikingo was shown in the crowd and Cole noted that the WWE purchased AAA. They then showed Dana White in the crowd, who got booed. Some crazy spots in this, including Gable hitting a moonsault-and-a-half for 2. Smartly-worked match with a somewhat surprising finish as Americano got the dirty win after putting a metal plate into his mask and hitting a headbutt when Fenix came off the ropes and then a diving headbutt. Fun match. (3/5)
Shawn Michaels came out to announce the attendance.
Charlotte Flair challenged Tiffany Stratton for the WWE Women's Championship next. The crowd was definitely behind Stratton for this match, one of the more hyped and controversial bouts on the card. There was some sloppiness here and there, but Flair threw everything she could into this match and Stratton met her at every turn, keeping up with a hellacious pace of big spots and sequences. Not everything looked pretty, but I didn't catch any outright sandbagging or liberties; this match was Flair very firmly putting Stratton over as a tough, worthy World Champion. I'm sure some fans will nitpick moments here and there to try to make it out like Flair was unprofessional or "making it all about herself," but Flair is an undeniable heat magnet, star, and "big match" performer and this match had that feel because of her. Another good-to-great match, though not an all-timer, partially because while Flair oozes confidence and an undeniable air of superiority, Stratton is still in the early stages of her career and has yet made a full babyface connection with the crowd. In some ways, the support for Stratton has more to do with the fans' dislike for her opponents (Flair and, before her, Nia Jax), who are among the most unpopular among "smart" fans. Even Stratton's Barbie-inspired entrance, while visually interesting and grandiose, feels better suited for a heel rather than a fighting champion. (3.5/5)
Main event (of Night 1) time - CM Punk vs. Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins. Rollins came out first, dressed in all white. Reigns then made his way to the ring, which was not what I expected. CM Punk was given the grandest entrance, with a pre-match video package and then the band Living Colour on hand to play his entrance theme. The first third of the match - which went over or close to 30 minutes - wasn't too special, but it did set the stage for later developments as Punk needled Reigns by asking for guidance from "The Wiseman" Paul Heyman early on and we got some straight-up brawling between Rollins and Punk in the crowd to play off of their intense rivalry. Things picked up in the middle, though, once Reigns launched himself over the barricade with a flying crossbody/clothesline that took out both men. From there, this was a straight-up feast of signature maneuvers, finishers, false finishes, stolen finishers, crazy combos, and, eventually, furniture damage. It was as "main event" as a match could get, but because everything was so well-executed, it didn't feel overly choreographed or like "spamming" to me, something that can sometimes be the case when guys throw out every single thing they can think of into a match just to show they can (and, yes, that is a criticism of some of the over-the-top, "spotfest" AEW matches that don't pack any emotional weight but are overloaded with "movez"). I've always been one to criticize Seth Rollins, but this was a "career match" for him even before we got the shocking finish - which saw Paul Heyman turn on both his longtime friend and his Tribal Chief. Rollins countering a spear by Reigns into a pedigree was uncanny, the kind of spot that could and would look terrible 90% of the time but was executed beautifully here when it mattered most. Multiple times a Rollins splash hit at the exact right moment to break up a pin attempt or submission. I didn't even mind Rollins' usually-too-dramatic facial expressions in this match, maybe because, in this context, there was so much history and emotion that it finally made sense contextually. The best match of the night and even a potential Match of the Year-caliber match for the company. (4/5)
The next night, after a welcome promo from Stephanie McMahon, the other (Raw) Women's World Championship was on the line as IYO SKY defended against Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley. Like the previous night, the actual wrestling didn't start until close to the 20-minute mark and there was a whole bunch of gratuitous advertising and shilling going on before we got there. For whatever reason - overexposure, racism, whatever - Belair was treated like the heel by the crowd, Ripley had her fair share of supporters, and IYO also had many vocal supporters. Right from the bell, these three worked a fast pace, building the match between sequences that highlighted each of their strengths - namely IYO's agility, Belair's athleticism, and Ripley's power. Some of the spots were a touch "cutesy" and overly-choreographed, but, at WrestleMania, I appreciate the effort to give the audience something special. Belair doesn't always look comfortable when the crowd boos her, but she did a good job playing to the crowd here and having fun with the hostility. Highlights included Ripley sending IYO into Belair with a Razor's Edge, IYO's signature springboard moonsault to the floor, Belair getting kicked out of the sky when attempting a leapfrog by Ripley, and Bianca's 450 splash. The crowd chanted "This Is Awesome" at one point and it was absolutely deserved. In one of the best sequences of the entire weekend, Rhea managed to get IYO up for a Riptide in the corner from the top, but SKY countered it, attempted a moonsault, but landed on Ripley's feet only for Belair to catch her in the KOD only for Ripley to break-up the pin. Rehearsed or not, it was a brilliant sequence, perfectly executed. From there, Ripley and Belair went at it and the crowd ate it up, proving there is still plenty left on the table that the company can go back to with those two. IYO got back into the match and ate a wicked Alabama Slam-ish move into the post. Belair went for the KOD, Ripley escaped, a strike exchange ensued, Ripley went for the Riptide but got whipped and then hit with a KOD - only for IYO to hit a moonsault onto both to steal the W. Tremendous, tremendous match and maybe even a top 20-25 WrestleMania match ever. Insanely good spotfest. (4/5)
A "Sin City Street Fight" between Damien Priest and Drew McIntyre followed. The story here was, well, a bit thin, especially compared to where they were on the card last year. McIntyre's entrance included a set piece that was a nod to a new Doom game and an outfit that gave him trouble when he tried to climb into the ring through the ropes. Whoops. Priest was brought to the ring to the sound of Kerry King of Slayer's guitar, which was cool. These two came to "steal the show" and while they didn't quite do that - the opener was just too good - they came very close and put on a hellacious, physical, violent match with some impressive high spots. McIntyre was tremendous here, his facial expressions top-notch. Highlights included Priest hitting a Razor's Edge on McIntyre through a table, McIntyre nailing a Claymore after a chair was tossed into his face, and the finishing sequence, which saw McIntyre shove Priest off the top rope when he was attempting an Old School, sending him through two tables on the outside, and then hitting him with a Claymore into a chair that was positioned in the corner. A very, very good match that earned another deserved "This Is Awesome" chant from the crowd (as Cole noted on commentary). About as good a Street Fight as one would expect on a Mania show where time is somewhat limited (hey, they need as many minutes as they can to sell things) and the likelihood of anything too gory is very low to keep things "PG." (3.5/5)
Bron Breakker defended his Intercontinental Championship against Dominik Mysterio, Pentagon Jr., and Finn Balor (his Judgment Day stablemate). The IC fourway wasn’t all hits - Dom and Bron are still young and not yet at their peak - but the big sequences were well-executed even if there were a few moments where things looked a little less than polished (Bron’s weak charge into the post, for maybe the most glaring example). Overall, though, this was a good showcase for everyone involved, including Finn, who is likely to never have another major singles run but was invaluable in a match like this with so many moving parts. The ending sequence was fantastic and it will be interesting to see where Dom goes from here. Even more than on Night 1, the crowd was super into the title change, enough that Dom got babyface cheers. (3/5)
This was followed by Randy Orton’s open challenge, which was answered by Joe Hendry, the TNA World Champion. This was arguably more “segment” than “match,” but whatever you want to call it, it was fun stuff and was a legit shocker to see Hendry on the show (and for him to receive such a huge reaction). While Hendry appeared at the Rumble - as have other TNA talents - you don’t expect to see them at a Mania and I could see the argument that this spot could've and should've gone to somebody on the roster that needed the exposure. Anyone upset about Hendry looking like a bit of a fool is being a stick in the mud. This wasn’t a Miz Open Challenge or an Austin Theory Invitational. This was Orton and his finisher is an established game-ender and Hendry got to have a memorable moment, easily the biggest of his career. (3/5)
Logan Paul vs. AJ Styles was next. AJ is still unreal good and showed it here, his timing and execution and pacing on-point throughout. Paul took over after an initial AJ flurry and, I’ll give him credit, his offense looked good and impactful and “showboaty” the way it should. The mere “spectacle” of a Logan Paul match is no longer enough as simply seeing him compete becomes increasingly normal; in this match, Paul needed to once again show he could actually tell a story and he did. Of course, against AJ, you’ve got the benefit of a GOAT-tier talent, but this was no carry job. In fact, this may have been Paul’s best beginning-to-end match yet. Paul’s facial expressions and showmanship have always been a strength, but AJ also brought out an intensity, demanding him to do more than ever in terms of back-and-forth momentum shifts and building up to the false finishes. Paul’s Styles Clash didn’t look too great, so I’m okay with AJ essentially no-selling it. I was less enthused by the involvement of Kross and Paul’s buddy Jeff and then, in what wasn’t the first awkward camera angle of the match, a finish that wasn’t captured particularly well. A weak finish to an otherwise very good match for the majority of its runtime. This didn't need the overbooked ending. (3/5)
From here, we got the Women's Tag Team Championship match - Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez defending against Lyra Valkyria and her mystery partner (replacing Bayley) - Becky Lynch! Lynch got a huge ovation, returning to action after a lengthy hiatus. The match itself was the worst of the weekend up till this point, with Rodriguez looking particularly sloppy and off her with her timing (though, to be fair, her "big boots" looked even more punishing because of it). Becky also looked a touch rusty, though not terribly so. Oddly enough, like Flair the previous night, Becky is coming back to a very different division than the one she once dominated. While her Man persona is still incredibly over, I'm not sure she could've hung with Rhea, Bianca, and IYO and, even in this match, Lyra may have been the most impressive in terms of agility and energy. Liv, meanwhile, was fine but came off as somewhat "muted" compared to how captivating her character and work was before Mania season, when she was clearly the focal point of every match she was in. This was about Lynch's return and it was an effective way to pop the crowd and, for the WWE, hopefully bring interest to Raw. (2.5/5)
Steve Austin showed up to announce the night's attendance and almost accidentally run over a fan in the front row with his 4-wheeler. His promo was much funner than what Michaels did the night before. No surprise there.
And so we came to Night 2's main event - John Cena vs. Cody Rhodes for Rhodes' WWE Universal Championship (or whatever they call it nowadays). Cena had a "no-frills" entrance, which was cool and went well with his new heel gimmick. Rhodes, meanwhile, came out with a bunch of motocross stunt riders. The match started slow...and stayed that way, with Cena, at one point, purposefully doing his signature 5 Knuckle Shuffle in "slo-mo" to draw heat. It was an interesting choice to work the match in such a fashion, to keep the "moves" to a minimum, to work at a glacial pace, to give Cody so few hope spots. It made for a terribly boring and underwhelming match in which I caught myself, multiple times, wondering when they were going to get to the "second gear." And then came Travis Scott, hip-hop superstar, to push this further into "Not For Me" territory. Scott is not an imposing figure in the slightest but, for whatever reason, stood toe-to-toe with the WWE Universal Champion, which was insulting. He ate a Cross Rhodes, but it looked terrible. Cody had the chance to win the match by hitting Cena with the title but didn't because he's a "good guy" (even though we've seen Rhodes do all sorts of hardcore and violent spots in the past to hold onto his title). It made him look like a geek and allowed for Cena to eventually get the W. This wasn't the single worst Mania main event ever, but it was probably in the top 5. Other WrestleManias have ended with an unwanted heel victory - WrestleMania 2000 or even the first Cody(/Roman match at XXXIX - but usually that unwanted, disappointing ending came after a good match. This was a bad match with a worse finish, its only redeeming quality being the undeniable interest from the crowd and the "big match feel." (1.5/5)
Earning an impressive 3.11-out-of-5 Kwang Score as a whole, WrestleMania XLI was an overall good show featuring a handful of really strong matches - the main event of Night 1, the IYO/Belair/Ripley 3-way, the hard-hitting McIntyre/Priest match, and two matches that exceeded expectations in Fatu/Knight and Cargill/Naomi. Unfortunately, the last impression, the poorly-planned, poorly-booked Cena/Rhodes match, will likely be the longest-lasting and what this show will be most remembered for.
FINAL RATING - Watch It...With Remote in Hand
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