WWE ‘WrestleMania’ 39: Biggest Takeaways From Wild Weekend in L.A.
WrestleMania 39 went Hollywood as more than 80,000 fans packed SoFi Stadium for two nights over the weekend of April 1-2. They were treated to history-making moments and matches. None bigger than when Roman Reigns’ continued his 945-day reign by successfully defending the Undisputed WWE Universal championship against Cody Rhodes. One of the most shocking results ever on the biggest show of the year. It wasn’t all rainbows and butterflies for The Bloodline however as The Usos lost the tag team titles the night before to Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens.
Along with the buzz in the ring, there was certainly much outside as well with CNBC breaking news that a WWE sale is now official. Sources tell the outlet Ari Emanuel’s Endeavor Group, which also owns UFC, was revealed Monday morning as the buyer. Emanuel will oversee the new publicly traded joint company comprised of WWE and UFC now worth more than $21 billion. Vince McMahon remains in the fold as executive chairman with COO Nick Khan overseeing the wrestling side of operations.
All these developments lead to a lot of questions, one thing for sure is this past weekend marked the end of an era. The last WrestleMania under McMahon family ownership. What’s next for the “Roman” Empire? We’ll have to see what unfolds on Raw. Until then, here are 6 of the biggest takeaways from WWE’s Super Bowl.
Story Unfinished
Pro wrestling is at its best when a story and characters can get you truly invested. The Bloodline has done just that for the better part of more than two years. And for WWE, which produces hours of content 365 days a year, this is especially impressive. At the center of it all is the “Tribal Chief” Roman Reigns, The Usos, Solo, and “Wiseman” Paul Heyman. A Samoan Dynasty and family built up today by Reigns, who considers himself the “Head of the Table.” For so long, they have ruled WWE with Reigns standing as the Undisputed WWE Universal champion and Jimmy and Jey Uso dominating the tag division.
Cody Rhodes, Kevin Owens, and Sami Zayn seemed destined to take all of The Bloodline’s gold. For Rhodes, WrestleMania 39 was set to culminate a journey that began at last year’s WrestleMania when he returned to WWE after helping launch the new company AEW. The second-generation talent was not able to “finish the story” and take the title from Reigns due to interference from the champ’s cousin, Solo Sikoa.
On the opposite side of the coin, Zayn and Owens were former enemies who reunited based on a mutual mission of overthrowing The Usos. If there was ever an argument for WWE to be considered for an Emmy Award, this story would be it. From start to finish, it had all the drama and emotional connection as anything on television. Even though Cody’s would-be “American Dream” turned into an “American Nightmare,” there is always the next chapter.
Celebrities Take Center Stage
With WWE taking over Los Angeles, it’s no surprise celebrity fans wanted to get in on the fun. Snoop Dogg hosted WrestleMania each night with The Miz. During night 1, Snoop put Miz in a match with former football star and broadcaster Pat McAfee. The end saw 49ers’ George Kittle get involved, leading to McAfee winning. Then during night 2, Miz was put in another match; this time against the returning Shane McMahon. Unfortunately, McMahon tore his quad at the start, leading to Snoop chime in taking out his co-host with a punch and People’s Elbow.
Fellow music star Bad Bunny helped newly minted Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio take down his ungrateful son Dominik. The Grammy winner was on Spanish commentary as he is hosting Backlash from Puerto Rico. Russell Crowe showed up in the entrance video for Edge. Rapper Lil Uzi Vert performed during The Usos entrance. Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias stopped by the WrestleMania kickoff and Kevin Hart hyped up audiences in the opening video. Dancing with the Stars favorite Stacy Keibler returned to WWE for her Hall of Fame induction. Becky G and Jimmie Allen sang “America the Beautiful” over the two nights. Maria Menounos helped host the Hall of Fame red carpet.
Logan Paul Delivers Again
Logan Paul has proven a natural in the sports entertainment world of WWE. Love him or not, one can’t deny how seamless the viral social media star’s transition to the ring has been. The few matches the polarizing figure worked were all showstoppers. After turning heads last year at WrestleMania, Paul stepped on the grand stage solo with another incredible effort against heated rival Seth Rollins. His entrance saw him gliding from the sky in a similar way as Shawn Michaels did at WrestleMania 12 in Anaheim. He even had his own mascot in the form of a Prime Energy drink bottle. The person wearing the costume was revealed to be friend and business partner KSI. The boxer, rapper, and popular YouTuber failed to help Paul to victory. He received a splash from Rollins through the announce table for his troubles. Paul’s future in WWE remains uncertain, but the company would be wise to lock him under a new deal given his performances.
Reign of Ripley Begins
During the weeks leading up to WrestleMania, Charlotte Flair defending the SmackDown women’s championship would headline the first night. That honor ended up going to The Usos and Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens, but that didn’t stop her and Rhea Ripley from tearing the house down. They put on a show that brought the monstrous crowd to their feet on more than one occasion. With ring announcer Samantha Irvin and referee Jessika Carr, the match marked the first match on a WrestleMania where everyone involved was female. Ripley dethroned “The Queen” by executing a Riptide on her opponent from the top rope. As Ripley celebrated the win, cameras caught Flair visibly smiling as a new star truly emerged. Speaking of stars, the next night Bianca Belair retained the Raw women’s title in another strong match against Asuka. Ripley and Belair ruling WWE women’s wrestling. Love to see it.
John Cena Passing the Torch
John Cena has been killing it in Hollywood, which means less time for WWE. The long-time franchise player also isn’t getting any younger with his days as a regular active performer behind him. However, the 45-year-old remains a fan and comes in for that occasional rush of the crowd from time to time. This year. The Peacemaker star looked to teach the brash Austin Theory a lesson at WrestleMania. The record-breaking Make-A-Wish granter met with many of the organization’s kids at the entranceway before going to battle in a truly touching scene. Unfortunately, Theory would get the best of the veteran thanks to a low blow. The potentially career-defining win for the 25-year-old leaves the question if this was Cena’s passing of the torch. Cena defeated The Big Show in the opening match of WrestleMania almost 20 years prior, using the win to catapult him to superstardom. The verdict is out if Theory will do the same.
BangerMania
Gunther defended the Intercontinental championship against Sheamus and Drew McIntyre in one of the most physical matches in WrestleMania history. The brawlers battled it out right from the bell with a series of stinging chops felt by all three men throughout. Fans cheered on Sheamus hopefully he’d get the one title that has alluded him his entire career. It was not meant to be with Gunter hitting devastating powerbombs on Sheamus and McIntyre to retain. The win marked 296 days as the IC champ. With every victory, Gunther inches higher up the list of greatest champions ever to hold the gold.
