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Post by Planktung on Dec 24, 2017 15:41:24 GMT -5
Following the signature WWE intro, a video package began with a shot of NXT’s very first episode on ION Television that took place on this day exactly two years ago. The audience at Full Sail was not sold out. The production and execution of the brand still had yet to be perfect. No one could have predicted that someday, NXT would be showcased at its own event during WrestleMania weekend. However, that’s exactly what we’re about to witness. That Full Sail audience has transformed into a sold out crowd of over 15,000 NXT Universe members. That one-hour timeslot on ION Television has become a two-hour block on the WWE Network. Tonight, several of the superstars who have contributed to the growth of NXT say goodbye to the brand. ”Ascension” by Gorillaz featuring Vince Staples began playing while clips of those who are competing in an NXT ring for the final time tonight were shown. Tyler Breeze in the past two years has seen himself go from a talent with marginal star power, to the reigning IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion. Before he can become a member of either RAW or SmackDown Live, Breeze must take on a man making his very first appearance in a WWE ring. ‘The Cleaner’ Kenny Omega. A number of weeks ago, Pentagon shocked the world when he and Maxine revealed Bray Wyatt as their master, joining him to form The Wyatt Tribe. Pentagon has one final task in NXT that he msut achieve tonight: beat Hideo Itami. On January 10th, 2013, Emma made history by becoming the inaugural NXT Women’s Champion. Since then, Emma has become the only two-time Women’s Champion to date in NXT, and has brought along Billie Kay and Peyton Royce with her on her rise to the top to form the trio known as Iconic. Two weeks ago, Emma was dethroned by Nicole Matthews, one of Iconic’s three opponents tonight in New Orleans. Just like Iconic, Nicole’s two tag team partners compete in NXT one more time this evening. ‘The Boss’ Sasha Banks and ‘The Irish Lass Kicker’ Becky Lynch. Lastly, the biggest main event in NXT history takes place when Finn Balor puts the NXT Championship on the lline against Sami Zayn. Balor has already confirmed that win or lose, he will be entering the WWE Draft in six days. Zayn, however, has not made any promises regarding his future. If he defeats Balor to regain the NXT Title, then ‘The Underdog from the Underground’ will remain with the brand. If he loses… who knows what becomes of Zayn? The sky is falling, baby, and tonight, the end of the beginning of NXT unfolds on WrestleMania weekend.
The intro graphic for NXT TakeOver: New Orleans was displayed before cameras hovered over the sold out audience in the Smoothie King Center. “Two years ago today, we introduced the world to NXT..Tonight, the first chapter of the underdog story comes to an end on WrestleMania weekend!” Rob Naylor stated before the focus was placed on himself and Josh Barnett at the announce table. Naylor said that just like many of the superstars competing tonight, he prepares for his final night at the broadcast booth for NXT. “Nigel McGuinness and I will take over the reigns of commentary for SmackDown Live, but let me say right now that being a part of the growth of NXT has been the proudest two years of my career. Josh, thank you for everything over these last few months, sir.” Naylor shook Barnett’s hand, the latter saing that the night is not over yet, so there was no need to say his goodbyes just yet. “Professional wrestling fans from all over the world have gathered here in New Orleans to celebrate the biggest weekend of the year for the industry, and NXT is ready to officially kick off the conclusion of the Road to WrestleMania.”
“Ten!” was the first sound heard over the PA system, the fans in New Orleans coming unglued for one of the most popular superstars in NXT today. Tye Dillinger made his way out onto the stage, looking out at the sea of fans in the arena who put up the “Ten!” hand gesture over and over again. Just a few months ago, Dillinger re-debuted on NXT television as ‘The Perfect Ten,’ and tonight, he competes for an opportunity at the NXT Championship. After Dillinger was settled in the ring, the entrance music of Kyle O’Reilly sounded to a negative response. O’Reilly, who has recently embraced the NXT Universe’s disdain for him, walked down to the ring, ready to not only extract revenge against Dillinger for his loss at TakeOver: New Orleans, but to also put himself in the top contenders’ spot for the NXT Championship.
At the sound of the bell, Dillinger and O’Reilly rushed into the center of the ring, the two exchanged strikes immediately. Dillinger was able to get the upper-hand, cornering O’Reilly while New Orleans shouted “Ten!” with every one of his punches. O’Reilly kicked Dillinger in the kneecap, giving him the opening to attempt the Guillotine. Dillinger turned the tables to pushing O’Reilly into the ropes, the two superstars spilling to the outside. Dillinger grabbed O’Reilly to throw him back into the ring, but O’Reilly stomped on his foot before sending him back-first into the barricade. O’Reilly kicked Dillinger in the chest repeatedly while he was positioned against the barricade, soon rolling him into the ring with his head and upper-body sticking out. O’Reilly kicked Dillinger in the side of his head before sliding into the ring. O’Reilly simply toyed with Dillinger at that point, picking his body up with his foot and then proceeding to kick him in the chest and neck. Dillinger was soon backed into a corner, where he showed that he still had fight in him by retaliating with forearm strikes. Dillinger stepped onto the second turnbuckle, leaping off and being met with a hard kick to the mid-section. O’Reilly picked Dillinger up with a Bridging German Suplex, getting only a two count. O’Reilly continued to stalk Dillinger before trying to throw him into a corner. Dillinger countered the Irish Whip and sent O’Reilly shoulder first into the ring post. Dillinger rolled O’Reilly up for the near-fall. Dillinger tried to keep the momentum going, lifting O’Reilly for a Vertical Suplex. O’Reilly landed on his feet and locked his arms in place for another German Suplex, Dillinger fighting out of it by backing into the turnbuckles. Dillinger grabbed O’Reilly’s right arm and brought his elbow-joint down onto the top rope. O’Reilly held his arm in agony before Dillinger chop blocked him behind the knee cap. Dillinger took O’Reilly’s damaged arm and applied a Cross Armbreaker, O’Reilly desperately trying to make his way towards the bottom rope. “Imagine the humiliation if Dillinger was able to make a submission specialist like O’Reilly tap out and earn a shot at the NXT Championship,” Josh Barnett said. O’Reilly was able to get a hold of the rope to force the break. O’Reilly headed out to ringside, trying to take a moment to catch his breath. Dillinger didn’t allow his adversary any breathing room as he headed to the top rope and leaped through the air with a Flying Crossbody. Dillinger rolled O’Reilly into the ring, pulling down his kneepad to signal the Tye Breaker. Dillinger got O’Reilly onto his shoulders, but when he tried to bring O’Reilly face-first down onto his knee, O’Reilly gripped his leg and turned the maneuver into an Ankle Lock! Now, it was Dillinger who was in dire need of a rope break. Dillinger reached the rope initially, but O’Reilly pulled him back into the center of the ring. Dillinger kicked O’Reilly away, getting to his feet to deliver a Superkick! Dillinger placed the dazed O’Reilly onto his shoulders once more, this time successfully connecting with the Tye Breaker! Dillinger got the cover, but just a millisecond before three, O’Reilly kicked out! The hearts of everyone in the Smoothie King Center dropped collectively as the number one contendership to the NXT Championship slipped away from ‘The Perfect Ten.’ Dillinger made the mistake of not going for the Tye Breaker again immediately afterwards, instead choosing to set O’Reilly up for a Superplex. O’Reilly shoved Dillinger off of the turnbuckles, ‘The Perfect Ten’ charging at his point. However, O’Reilly caught him and applied the Guillotine! O’Reilly had the hold cinched, Dillinger not taking long to drop to his knees. The official lifted Dillinger’s arm twice before trying for the third count that would end the contest. Dillinger kept his arm up, refusing to give in. O’Reilly released the hold himself, Dillinger trying to regroup until O’Reilly ran into him with a Penalty Kick! O’Reilly got the cover, finally defeating Dillinger and claiming the number one contender spot for himself.
KYLE O'REILLY IS THE NEW NUMBER ONE CONTENDER!
Kyle O’Reilly rose to his feet while looking out at the sea of disappointed NXT fans, ‘The Martial Artist’ not caring a single bit for their responses to his victory. O’Reilly looked down at the fallen Tye Dillinger, mocking his “Ten!” gesture in his face before exiting the ring. “Kyle O’Reilly picks up his first win at an NXT TakeOver, and it couldn’t have been a more satisfying one for him,” Josh Barnett said. O’Reilly’s arrival to NXT was marred by fan backlash towards him targeting somebody who they turned into one of their favorites in Dillinger. Now, O’Reilly heads into the new era of NXT as the number one contender for the NXT Championship, and will soon have a date with either Finn Balor or Sami Zayn.
A promo was shown for WrestleMania XXX that focused on the WWE Universal Championship match. John Cena and Brock Lesnar step into the ring as challengers in a Triple Threat match against the 2014 Royal Rumble winner, Derrick Bateman. WrestleMania is live this Sunday on Pay-Per-View and WWE Network.
Returning to the Smoothie King Center for the NXT TakeOver: New Orleans, former NXT Champion Kevin Owens was shown in the audience, the fans surrounding him going wild for ‘The Prizefighter.’ No matter what anyone thinks of him on a personal level, nobody can deny Owens’ contributions to the growth of NXT over the last year. Sunday at WrestleMania, Owens makes history by becoming the first ever former NXT Champion to compete in a one-on-one contest on the grandest stage of them all when he battles Randy Orton.
The opening keys to American Alpha’s entrance music sounded to a positive response from New Orleans towards the duo that has built up all of the momentum in the world thus far in 2014. Chad Gable and Jason Jordan stepped out onto the stage, the two donning track suits with hoodies over both of their heads. “When these two came together as a tag team, we expected big things from them. Chad Gable was Minnesota State Wrestling Champion in 2004, and was the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials Champion. Jason Jordan, who wrestled for Indiana University, at one points was the 2nd ranked heavyweight in the nation and held a record of 35-0 in his senior year. These are two athletes of the highest caliber, and tonight, they have the chance to add their biggest accolade yet to their resumes: the NXT Tag Team Championships,” Rob Naylor said. Gable and Jordan stepped through the ropes for the first time on a TakeOver event, awaiting the arrivals of their four adversaries. Jinder Mahal’s entrance music was the next to blare throughout the Smoothie King Center, the crowd not responding in the same manner that they did for American Alpha. ‘The Modern Day Maharaja’ walked through the curtain, staring down Gable and Jordan from a distance while covering his mouth with his black turban. Mahal’s theme music transitioned into ”Broken Dreams as Drew McIntyre joined him on the stage. “You mentioned how we expected big things from American Alpha,” Josh Barnett said. “Years ago, the same was said for these two superstars. Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal came into WWE with the highest of expectations. McIntyre was literally the chosen one of Mr. McMahon. Things didn’t work out for both men and they ended up finding themselves in 3MB. While they acted as an entertaining stable along with Heath Slater, it was never a position where McIntyre and Mahal’s potential could be fulfilled. Now, they’re in NXT with something to prove. Think about where some of their FCW contemporaries are going to be this weekend. AJ Lee has a Women’s Championship match. Derrick Bateman is defending the Universal Championship against two of the biggest stars in the history of professional wrestling. Bray Wyatt is going to be in the main event. McIntyre and Mahal want the same level of success as everyone I listed, and that journey to superstardom begins tonight with the NXT Tag Team Championships. The official stepped between American Alpha, McIntyre and Mahal to make sure both teams didn’t try beginning the contest early. The final piece of the picture, Ricochet and Uhaa Nation, were out to the best response of the match. The NXT Tag Team Champions handed their titles over to the official for potentially the final time since the odds were stacked against them like never before.
After the bell sounded, Ricochet and Gable started things off for their teams. After a handshake between the two, they locked up. Ricochet went behind Gable, pushing him against the ropes for an o’conner roll. Gable held onto the ropes, lifting Ricochet up over his head when he ran towards him. Ricochet landed on the ring apron, kicking Gabel in the side of the head. Ricochet stepped back into the ring and made the tag to Uhaa Nation, but didn’t leave the ring until after connecting with a Moonsault out of the corner onto Gabel. When Gable got back to his feet, Uhaa charged into him with a Clothesline the flipped him inside out. Uhaa got the cover, McIntyre breaking it up. The official forced McIntyre back into his corner, Uhaa picking Gable up for a Back Suplex. Gable countered the maneuver, rolling Uhaa onto his knees before tagging in Jordan. The powerhouses of the two crowd favorite teams stared off in the center of the ring before running the ropes for simultaneous shoulder tackles. Both men remained on their feet, Mahal tagging himself in once Jordan was closer. ‘The Modern Day Maharaja’ struck Jordan in the face before throwing him out to ringside. Mahal confronted Uhaa, flexing his own muscles to make it clear that he was the only true powerhouse in the match. Uhaa connected with an Enziguri to Mahal, covering him for the two count. Uhaa Irish Whipped Mahal out of one corner into the other, Mahal getting a boot up in time to fend him off. Mahal caught Uhaa with a Clothesline to the back of his neck before tagging in McIntyre. Uhaa wasn’t able to get to his feet as McIntyre kicked him back down every time he showed signs of life. ‘The Sinister Scottsman’ brought Uhaa up to his feet before running the ropes for a Claymore Kick. However, Jordan not only tagged himself in, but pulled the top rope down to send McIntyre crashing to the outside. Jordan rushed into the ring and planted Uhaa with a Belly-to-Belly Suplex. Uhaa got into a corner, Jordan going in for a Running Shoulder Thrust. Uhaa, however, was able to move out of harm’s way. Jordan spiked his head against the ring post, falling out to ringside. Jordan and McIntyre were both dazed when Uhaa leaped over the top rope and onto them! Gable climbed onto the top turnbuckle, looking back at the three superstars at ringside before joining the pileup with a Moonsault! Uhaa, McIntyre and American Alpha were all down when Mahal climbed onto the top rope, teasing an uncharacteristic aerial attack from him. Mahal then told off the New Orleans audience, garnering even more heat for his team. However, Ricochet ran onto the top turnbuckle, striking Mahal in the midsection before hoisting him up for a Superplex onto the group of competitors at ringside! Now, all six superstars were down and out while chants of “This is awesome!” rained down from the NXT Universe. Jordan was the first one to get to his feet, picking up McIntyre since he was the other legal participant. Gable stepped onto the ring apron, Jordan tagging him in so that the duo could deliver Grand Amplitude. They successfully planted McIntyre on the back of his head and neck, but just before the official could make three count, Mahal pulled Gable out of the ring, the latter landing hard on the floor. Mahal stepped onto the ring apron and fended off Jordan before tagging himself in. Mahal charged into Jordan with jumping knee strike, picking him up for the Kalas. Jordan used whatever remaining strength he had to back Mahal into a corner, Uhaa making the tag for himself. Uhaa ran from one corner into the other with a huge splash to both Jordan and Mahal. The dazed Jordan rolled out of the ring, Uhaa placing him in position for the Spin-out Powerbomb. Mahal was able to slide out of Uhaa’s grip on land on his feet behind him, locking Uhaa’s arms in place for the Kalas. Uhaa tried to free himself until McIntyre ran into the ring and connected with the Claymore Kick! That led to the Kalas, Mahal covering Uhaa while Mcintyre prevented Ricochet from making the save, the three count being made to end mark the new era of the tag team division.
DREW MCINTYRE AND JINDER MAHAL ARE THE NEW NXT TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS!
No one in the Smoothie King Center could believe what they just watched transpire. Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal, two superstars who were viewed as jokes just a few months ago, claimed the NXT Tag Team Championships. The two rose to their feet as they were handed the titles, Ricochet lying on the canvas with his hands over his head as he placed the blame for the loss entirely on himself for not being able to save Uhaa Nation in time. For the first time ever, superstars who made the jump from the main roster to NXT held gold in the brand. McIntyre and Mahal headed up the entrance ramp, the two showing off their new NXT Tag Team Championships to the sea of NXT Universe members who counted them out as soon as their alliance was formed. “They said that they weren’t going to sit on the sidelines anymore and be mocked while their contemporaries found success. Tonight, Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal delivered on their promise and are now the NXT Tag Team Champions.”
Backstage, Cathy Kelley was standing by with a man who sparked a lot of conversation among the NXT Universe at TakeOver: R Evolution, John Morrison. ‘The Shaman of Sexy’ stepped into the picture, Cathy asking if he could explain to everyone watching why he was shown sitting in the crowd at R Evolution back in February. Morrison stated that two years ago, he decided that he needed to take a break from not just WWE, but professional wrestling altogether. “I was burnt out and I didn’t like the direction that my career was headed. I could’ve just gone through the motions and collect paychecks, but that’s not what I wanted. I had to take a step back and let my passion for this business reignite. At the start of 2014, I made one new year’s resolution for myself and that was to get to NXT because right now, this is the place to be. I made a few phone calls and reached out to several people to see if the door was still open. Triple H invited me to TakeOver: R Evolution and afterwards, we talked business. I’m happy to announce that the first thing I did when I arrived in New Orleans was sign my new contract. As of today, ‘The Shaman of Sexy’ is a member of the NXT roster. To everyone who is leaving the brand next week to be part of the Draft, I wish you all the very best of luck. But, to everyone who is staying behind… welcome to Slam Town.”
Back in the Smoothie King Center, Rob Naylor and Josh Barnett were shown trying to collect their thoughts after the two most recent, stunning developments. Not only are Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal the new NXT Tag Team Champions, but as we just heard from John Morrison, ‘The Shaman of Sexy’ is now in NXT. “There’s change in the air tonight for NXT, but for Hideo Itami and Pentagon, closure is what they’re seeking. Up next, two of NXT’s hardest hitters finally do battle in what we know will be Pentagon's final NXT match. Whether or not this is Itami's last remains to be seen," Rob Naylor said to lead into a video package featuring the match's theme song, “Call Broken Arrow” by At the Drive-In. At NXT TakeOver: R Evolution, Itami and Pentagon took part in a Fatal Four Way match for the NXT Championship. Pentagon’s hopes of seizing the championship were dashed when Itami delivered a Burning Hammer onto a guard rail. Pentagon placed the blame for his loss entirely on Itami, vowing to get his revenge. Pentagon snapped the arms of Aiden English, Simon Gotch, Murphy, Blake and Rich Swann, all simply to send a message to Itami. After Pentagon and Maxine revealed Bray Wyatt as their master, it became apparent that Pentagon’s final match in NXT would be taking place on WrestleMania weekend in New Orleans. Because of that, then-NXT General Manager Dusty Rhodes decided to let Itami and Pentagon loose since this would potentially be their only opportunity to settle the score with each other.
After the completion of the video package, the lights in the Smoothie King Center shut before a mural was shown on the titantron. Several paintings of dismembered skeletons were depicted with one single entity standing over them, holding flaming sword with the words “Cero Miedo” visible in the fire. “… The journey is over. The Tribe has risen. We. Are. Here,” Maxine’s voice said before Pentagon’s entrance theme sounded for the final time at an NXT event. Pentagon and Maxine stepped out onto the stage, the New Orleans audience embracing the two Wyatt Tribe members with chants of “Cero Miedo!” At WWE/NXT Unison back in September, the world was first made aware that a mysterious, dark entity was on his way. Over a month later, Pentagon made his NXT debut and made it clear from the vey beginning that his malevolent actions were for the pleasure and satisfaction of an unknown ‘master.’ Since then, he performed sacrificial rituals on the arms of Solomon Crowe, Drake Younger, Aiden English, Simon Gotch, Blake, Murphy, Rich Swann and the biggest name of all, a headliner at WrestleMania this Sunday night, Paige. Pentagon’s journey to Bray Wyatt has been completed, but there is still one more sacrifice to be made tonight in the form of Hideo Itami. Pentagon and Maxine stepped into the ring, the two waiting for the arrival of their last remaining nemesis on NXT. First, however, Itami’s advocate, Paul Heyman, walked into the arena to a thunderous response. “Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Paul Heyman, and I am the advocate for the two most dominant and destructive forces in all of professional wrestling today! First, there is the man who on Sunday night at WrestleMania will welcome John Cena and Derrick Bateman to Suplex City and seize the WWE Universal Championship! ‘The Conqueror!’ ‘The Beast Incarnate!’ Brock! Lesnar! And then… there’s the man who is going to strike fear into the heart of the monster with zero fear! The rightful NXT Champion! Hideo! Itami!” After Heyman’s introduction, Itami made his way out to a deafening reaction from the fans in New Orleans. Itami sported a white and red one mask, removing it once he got into the ring to meet Pentagon face-to-face.
The bell sounded before Pentagon gave the “Cero Miedo” hand gesture to Itami. In response, Itami hoisted Pentagon onto his shoulders and connected with a Go To Sleep! The NXT Universe members lost their minds as Pentagon rolled the outside, Itami throwing up “Cero Miedo” to mock his adversary. After a few seconds, Pentagon rushed into the ring, Itami kicking him in the side of his left leg repeatedly. Itami whipped Pentagon into the ropes, catching him with a single-legged Dropkick. Itami got the cover, Pentagon able to kick out at two. Itami kicked Pentagon once in the back before following up with a shot to his chest. Itami ran the ropes and dropped a knee across the sternum of Pentagon, rising to his feet to then kick him in the side of his head. Pentagon stirred into a corner, Itami charging at him with a running Uppercut. Pentagon, however, was able to catch Itami by his arm, trying to force him onto the canvas to make him yet another ‘sacrifice’ to Bray Wyatt. Itami rolled out of the ring, Pentagon trying for a Baseball Side. Itami sidestepped Pentagon before grabbing him and delivering a German Suplex into the barricade! Itami backed away from Pentagon at the latter was sitting down against the barricade that he just collided with. Itami ran towards Pentagon, striking his knee into his face! Itami rolled Pentagon into the ring before heading to the top rope, looking for a Missile Dropkick. Pentagon dodged the attack, causing Itami to crash hard onto the canvas. While Itami was on his knees, Pentagon connected with a Superkick before transitioning into a Vertical Suplex that ended with Pentagon throwing Itami forward and onto his back. Pentagon ran the ropes and dropped himself onto Itami with a Running Senton, a nod to his master. Pentagon got his first cover of the match, but Itami was able to stay alive. Pentagon rolled Itami over, trying once again to lock his arm in place for detonation. Itami fought his way out of Pentagon’s clutches and rolled the Wyatt Tribe member into an inside cradle for the near fall. Both superstars rose to their feet simultaneously, then hitting one another with forearm strikes. While both were dazed, they followed up with slaps to each other’s chests, Itami’s starting to show battle wounds. The two men then came nose-to-nose, the match coming to a stalemate as the fans in the Smoothie King Center showed their appreciation for the hard-hitting contest. “This is WrestleMania weekend, and this is what happens when you put NXT’s two top brawlers head-to-head!” Rob Naylor exclaimed, Pentagon hitting one more huge forearm shot to the side of Itami’s neck. Itami then struck Pentagon with a headbutt, rocking him enough to get him up for the Burning Hammer. Pentagon was able to fight his way out of the maneuver, running towards Itami for a Slingbalde. Itami, however, was able to counter it and throw Pentagon onto the canvas with another German Suplex. Itami held onto Pentagon, delivering one more normal German Suplex before releasing Pentagon on the third, sending him crashing head-first against the turnbuckles! Itami was ready to finish the match until Maxine stepped onto the ring apron, Itami turning his attention towards her. She mouthed the phrase, “He’s here” to Itami before the signature of The Wyatt Tribe hit. The lights in the arena shut for a few seconds before coming back on to reveal Bray Wyatt in the ring! “Oh my God!” Naylor screamed over the NXT Universe that reacted with gasps and cheers at the sight of ‘The Eater of Worlds.’ Itami was stunned himself as he stood across from Wyatt, Pentagon seizing the opportunity to deliver a Superkick to the back of his head! Wyatt exited the ring as Pentagon finally locked Itami’s arm in place, reeling back and snapping it! Itami writhed around the canvas in agony while Heyman watched on from ringside in complete shock that Pentagon was able to ‘sacrifice’ Itami right in front of the master. “Now end him!” Wyatt shouted, Pentagon obliging as he picked Itami up, only to bring him right back down with the Pentagon Driver to score the victory.
PENTAGON DEFEATS HIDEO ITAMI!
As the announcement was made that Pentagon was triumphant, Bray Wyatt and Maxine both joined him in the ring, The Wyatt Tribe standing tall over the fallen, broken body of Hideo Itami. “I don’t believe what we just saw. Bray Wyatt, the master of Pentagon, is standing in an NXT ring and cost Hideo Itami a crucial victory.” As the chants of “Cero Miedo” rang throughout the Smoothie King Center, Wyatt took a microphone to address the NXT Universe. “What you all see before you is the kind of horror that you’re only used to seeing in fiction. The difference is that my Tribe and I are proof that monsters really do exist! This kind of malevolence is the reason why Pentagon and Maxine were both drawn to me, and now, their journey is complete. They proved their loyalty to me when they made an example out of Paige, but I told them that if they had unfinished business in NXT, they not only needed to take care of Hideo Itami, but I needed to be present to see the sacrifice of Hideo before my very eyes. Pentagon… Maxine… I am pleased to call the both of you members of my Tribe. Their business here in NXT is now finished. Now, they come with me to watch the fall of the witch that the masses idolize like a Goddess. When one door closes, another opens. Pentagon and Maxine bid NXT farewell, but you all know where to find them. The same way that you can find me. All you need to do is look up at the sky and follow the buzzards!” Wyatt extended his arms out while looking up at the ceiling, Pentagon taking the microphone from him. “¡Porque yo soy Pentágon y Wyatt Tribe! Cero! Miedo!” The fans in New Orleans continued to cheer on the trio as they exited the ring, Pentagon and Maxine doing so for the final time in NXT. As of this moment, they are full-time members of the main roster, and this Sunday night at WrestleMania, they will be at ringside to witness their master take on Paige inside of Hell in a Cell.
Returning to the live feed on the WWE Network, Sami Zayn was shown in the locker room area, pacing back and forth with earphones plugged in. Is tonight the final time the world will see Zayn in an NXT ring? According to him, if he does not defeat Finn Balor to become a three-time NXT Champion, it’s very much possible. Zayn and Balor meet in the main event in what is being billed as the biggest match in NXT history.
A special thanks was given to the band All Time Low for their song, “Nice2KnoU,” the official theme for the contest that was coming up next. “Remember their names. Sasha Banks. Becky Lynch. Billie Kay. Peyton Royce. Emma. For the final time, those five women will step into an NXT ring before they leave for the main roster next week in the Draft,” said Rob Naylor before a video package aired. The video started with the finals of the tournament to crown the inaugural NXT Women’s Champion back on January 9th, 2013. Emma became the first-ever NXT Women’s Champion, holding the title for over four months before losing it to Sasha Banks at the first event under the TakeOver banner. After Emma failed in her rematch against Sasha, the inaugural champion was sidelined with an injury that kept her out of action for the rest of 2013. During that time, Sasha and Bayley carried the women’s division and delivered what are considered two of the best matches in NXT history at TakeOver: Revision and TakeOver: Forever. Becky Lynch burst onto the scene in October and quickly made a name for herself by teaming with Finn Baler to take on The Addiction for the NXT Tag Team Championships. While Becky and Baler were unsuccessful, ‘The Irish Lass Kicker’ became an overnight sensation in NXT. Billie Kay, Peyton Royce, Nicole Matthews and Portia Perez debuted around that same time, setting the stage for the next phase of the NXT women’s division. After Emma returned from injury, she aligned herself with her fellow Aussies and defeated Bayley at TakeOver: R Evolution to reclaim the Women’s Title. Emma, Becky, Billie, Peyton and Nicole had their opportunity a few days later at showcasing their abilities to the WWE Universe for the first time in a WarGames match with teams captained by AJ Lee and the WWE Women’s Champion, Alexa Bliss. The match inadvertently spelled the end of an era in NXT as interest from both RAW and SmackDown in the NXT women skyrocketed. At that point, all that they needed to do was declare their intention to enter the Draft, and they were in. Sasha was the first name to become eligible for the Draft, but first, ‘The Boss’ had to make one last statement in NXT. During a Women’s Championship match between Emma and Nicole Matthews, Sasha made her return and attacked Emma, leading to Nicole dethroning her to become the new Women’s Champion. Feeling disrespected by NXT management and the fans, all three members if Iconic demanded that they be entered into the WWE Draft. Shortly after their inclusions were confirmed, Becky was also added to the list of available talent for RAW and SmackDown Live to draft next week. The stage is set for the end of an era in the NXT women’s division. Five of the six participants in this next match will compete in front of the NXT Universe for the final time. The final chapter in the current incarnation of the NXT women’s division happens now. ”One last time for old time’s sake. One more bend before we break.”
Becky Lynch’s theme was the first to sound in the Smoothie King Center, the fans coming unglued for ‘The Irish Lass Kicker.’ Becky stepped out onto the stage, smoke engulfing the environment around her as she looked out into the sea of NXT Universe members for one last time. “Becky Lynch signed her WWE contract nearly one year ago. She made her debut in NXT at the end of October, and on December 14th, she put on the performance of a lifetime against The Addiction in a match that will be remembered forever - no pun intended- in NXT. She never got to seize the NXT Women’s Championship, but after next week, she will become a threat to the WWE Women’s Championship, no matter who leaves WrestleMania this Sunday with it,” Rob Naylor said. Becky entered the ring and waited for her partners, Sasha Banks being the next to enter. “If you ask me, there is no NXT women’s division without this woman. Sasha Banks captured the NXT Women’s Championship and held it for nearly seven months. In that time, she and Bayley tore the roofs off of both Full Sail University and the Toyota Center in Houston. ‘The Boss’ staked her claim at the main roster a long time ago, and tonight, she says goodbye to the brand that allowed her the platform to showcase her abilities as one of the best female performers in professional wrestling today.” Sasha and Becky stood across from each other, both weary of the other. They came face-to-face, exchanging a few words before Nicole Matthews’ entrance music hit. The current NXT Women’s Champion made her way out into the arena, the only woman in this match who will be staying behind in NXT. “While we’re talking about those who are leaving NXT next week, we also have to acknowledge those who will remain on the roster here. Nicole Matthews will lead the women’s division into its next phase. I’ve heard rumors about who will be coming to NXT to be part of the women’s division, and I can safely say that if they’re true, Nicole will have the biggest target that any female in NXT ever has. But she’s ready for it. She is ready to take on all comers, but right now, her sole focus is on putting away Iconic for one last time.” Nicole shook Becky’s hand before turning to Sasha, ‘The Boss’ glancing at the championship that was once hers.
Nicole raised the title in the face of Sasha before cameras cut backstage, where Emma was shown frantically looking for her tag team partners. “Billie! Peyton! We’re on next! Come on!” Emma shouted out before a producer approached her, telling her that she needed to make her entrance now. The angered Emma had to walk through the gorilla position and onto the stage alone. “Where’s… where’s the rest of them?” Josh Barnett questioned as Emma consistently looked over her shoulder to see if either Billie or Peyton would show up. “The pioneer of the women’s division as far as the championship lineage goes. Emma was the first-ever NXT Women’s Champion, and is thus far the only superstar to hold the title twice. Once beloved by the fans, Emma has spent 2014 shunning them away, and perhaps it’s paid off since next week, she’ll become part of either RAW or SmackDown Live.” Emma made it all the way to ringside as she stared at her three adversaries. When Emma stepped onto the ring apron, the lights in the arena shut. “Twin Skeleton’s (Hotel in NYC)” by Fall Out Boy featuring Joey Bada$$ began playing as everyone looked at the stage in confusion. A bed was carried by four “servants” with attached poles appeared through the curtain, Billie and Peyton laying in it next to each other, the blanket covering all of their bodies except for their hands that they were holding. Emma, Becky, Sasha and Nicole were unsure how to react, the lone member of Iconic in the ring even being surprised by the entrance. “We… we’ve talked about the accomplishments of all women in this match. Billie and Peyton have admittedly not had as much success as the others… but they’re certainly leaving their mark on their final night in NXT,” Naylor said. When the bed reached the midway point of the ramp, the servants set it down. Continuing to hold hands, Billie and Peyton stood up in the bed and smiled at one another. “I just need enough of you to dull the pain, just to get me through the night until we're twins again. Until we're stripped down to our skeletons again. Until we're saints just swimming in our sins again.” They then posed in the center of the ring while the rest of participants in the match continued to sport their puzzled expressions. “… Okay, that was cool. That was pretty cool,” Emma said to her partners, seemingly forgiving them for not being found backstage.
The bell sounded as Emma and Nicole started things off, the Iconic member wanting nothing more than to get her revenge for losing the NXT Women’s Championship. She’ll never be able to invoke her rematch clause, so defeating Nicole at TakeOver is the next best thing. The two locked up before Emma pushed Nicole away, trying to catch her by surprise with a right hand shot. Nicole dodged it and planted Emma with a Neckbreaker, quickly covering her for a count of one. Emma struck the upper-back of Nicole before driving her knee into her spine. Emma tagged in Peyton, who kicked Nicole in her ribs before taunting Becky and Sasha. When Peyton tried picking up Nicole, the NXT Women’s Champion caught her off guard with a small package roll-up. Peyton was able to kick out, rising to her feet to then be brought back down with a shoulder block from Nicole. Peyton got back up and was whipped against the ropes, one-third of Iconic hanging on to the top rope to stop her movement. Nicole charged towards Peyton, who sent her crashing to the outside. Peyton headed out to ringside and drove Nicole into the ring apron before sliding back into the squared circle to tag in Billie. Just when Nicole stood up on the outside, Billie lifted her feet off of the ground and rammed her into the steel ring post. Billie rolled Nicole into the ring, dropping a quick leg across her neck before getting her own near-fall. Billie complained to the official before placing Nicole in a corner, chopping her a few times. She followed up by driving her foot into the clavicle of Nicole, Sasha and Becky desperately calling for the NXT Women’s Champion to try to make a tag. Billie backed into a corner, turning to Becky as she shouted “Straight fire!” in mockery of her. Billie ran towards Nicole, who was able to side-step her. Nicole was finally able to make a tag to Becky, who immediately rushed into the ring and planted Billie with a Bex-Plex. Billie backed against a corner, Becky showing her how “Straight fire” was done as she charged into her with a forearm smash. Becky stepped onto the second rope, catching Billie with a Missile Dropkick before getting the cover. After Billie kicked out, Becky tagged in Sasha, who delivered a Dropkick to Billie. After Billie backed into a corner in a seated position, Sasha charged into her knees-first. 'The Boss' tried placing Billie in the Bank Statement, but Peyton stopped the attempt. Emma acted as Peyton's back-up, knowing that she was going to try to save Billie from submission. Becky and Nicole retaliated, leading to chaos breaking out. Becky tried taking Emma down for the Disarmer, but their scuffle ended up spilling to ringside, as did Peyton and Nicole's. After the carnage was cleared from the ring, Sasha turned around and was drilled with a Big Boot from Billie! Instead of going for the cover, Billie assisted Peyton in her battle against Nicole. Billie delivered another Big Boot, this time to the NXT Women’s Champion. While Peyton rolled Nicole into the ring, Billie lifted the ring skirt and brought out a table. She positioned the table across from the side of the ring that faced the entrance before joining Peyton in the ring. Becky tried intervening, but when she got onto the ring apron, Emma pulled her down. Billie and Peyton brought Nicole up to her feet, lifting her up for a double-team variation of her own Razor’s Edge finisher. Together, Billie and Peyton ran towards the ropes and threw Nicole out of the ring through the table! The fans in the Smoothie King Center stood up after the impact of Nicole’s body crashing through the table. Billie and Peyton looked down at Nicole, smiling and laughing together before turning their attention to Sasha. The two stomped away repeatedly on ‘The Boss’ before Emma got on the ring apron, Billie tagging her in. “Billie and Peyton know how important it is for Emma to get her hands on Sasha after ‘The Boss’ cost her the Women’s Championship,” Barnett stated. Emma placed Sasha on the top rope, looking for a Superplex. Sasha, however, was able to fend Emma off with a elbow strikes to the head. After Emma fell to the canvas, Sasha quickly eliminated Billie and Peyton as factors by leaping onto them with a Flying Crossbody. By that point, Becky had made her way back onto the ring apron. While Sasha did want the glory for herself, she knew that Becky was in a better condition to close the match. Sasha tagged in Becky, who immediately Clotheslined Billie and Peyton over the top rope. Becky was rolled up by Emma, who nearly got the victory had the official not noticed her feet on the bottom rope. Emma tried to follow up, but Becky struck her in the mid-section and planted her with a Falcon Arrow that she was able to transition into the Disarmer. While the hold was cinched in from Becky to Emma, Sasha ran back into the ring and launched herself out of it with a Suicide Dive to Billie and Peyton! Emma tried to reach the ropes, but the pain from the Disarmer became unbearable as she submitted!
NICOLE MATTHEWS, BECKY LYNCH AND SASHA BANKS ARE VICTORIOUS!
Becky Lynch released the Disarmer as she rose to her feet, her arm being raised in victory after earning her first win at a TakeOver event. “Becky Lynch had one more shot at revenge against Iconic, and she just made the first-ever NXT Women’s Champion tap out!” Rob Naylor exclaimed. Emma rolled out of the ring while clutching her arm at the same time that Sasha Banks entered the squared circle. She and Becky stared each other down, ‘The Boss’ perhaps selfishly wishing that it was her who had gotten the victory instead of ‘The Irish Lass Kicker.’ NXT Women’s Champion Nicole Matthews slowly slid into the ring after taking a massive table bump just a few minutes ago, clearly showing the effects of her landing. On the outside, Billie Kay and Peyton Royce assisted Emma up the entrance ramp, Iconic stopping on the stage to look back at the ring. Nicole exited the ring, allowing Becky and Sasha their moment as this was the final time they would ever be in front of an NXT audience. Becky’s music stopped playing as the fans in New Orleans gave all women a standing ovation. Even Iconic had to take a moment to acknowledge the support of the NXT Universe. This is the end of an era in the NXT women’s division. After they walk back through the curtain, Emma, Billie, Peyton, Becky and Sasha will no longer be part of NXT. Next week, they venture into the main roster. No one knows where they’re headed. Some will go to RAW. Some will go to SmackDown Live. They’re going to be in a much different talent pool than ever before with the likes of Paige, AJ Lee and Alexa Bliss. And considering the hell that those three have been through in the division on the main roster… who knows what Iconic, Becky and Sasha are about to walk into?
Another video package was shown to promote WrestleMania, this time focusing on the WWE Championship match between AJ Styles and The Undertaker. ”Throne” by Bring Me the Horizon backed the video as clips of Undertaker’s WrestleMania victories were shown along with Styles’ historic first year as a WWE superstar. ‘The Phenomenal One’ battles ‘The Phenom’ with the chance to achieve what no one before him has been able to. Is The Streak going to come to an end on Sunday, or will it be extended to 22-0? WrestleMania XXX, live this Sunday night on Pay-Per-View and the WWE Network.
Returning to NXT TakeOver: New Orleans, the entrance music of Ricochet and Uhaa Nation sounded to the surprise of the NXT Universe. For the first time in 2014, the duo made their way down to the ring without the NXT Tag Team Championships after losing them earlier in the evening to Jinder Mahal and Drew McIntyre. “There’s been a lot of speculation about Ricochet and Uhaa Nation’s futures in NXT with the Draft coming up next week,” Josh Barnett said while the former Tag Team Champions entered the ring and took microphones. Ricochet started off by saying that when he and Uhaa made their debuts back at Unison last year, they knew that big things were expected from them. “We didn’t waste any time making an impact, and all of our hard work getting to WWE paid off in Madison Square Garden of all places when we became the NXT Tag Team Champions. But for the last few weeks, we haven’t been able to avoid questions about the Draft and whether or not we’ll be entering it next week.” Uhaa then said that during the road trips around Florida and the rest of the country, he and Ricochet have had conversation after conversation about the Draft. “We have to ask ourselves if this is the right career move. William Regal and Portia Perez have already told us that if we want to go the main roster, all we need to do is ask. But… we can’t help but feel that there is unfinished business for us here in NXT,” Uhaa said. Ricochet then stated that it would be easy for them to head to RAW or SmackDown Live now that they’re no longer the NXT Tag Team Champions. “But truthfully, what we want more than spots on the main roster is revenge against Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal so we can take back the NXT Tag Team Titles! Someday, we’ll make our way to the main roster, but it’s not happening in the Draft because the two of us are staying right here in NXT and we’re not going anywhere until we take our championships back!” Ricochet shouted passionately as the fans in New Orleans applauded the two of them. After making it clear that they intend on staying in NXT, Ricochet and Uhaa raised each other’s arms while the crowd continued to roar. Suddenly, the lights in the arena shut. The commotion in the audience was the only audible sound until the sound of a helicopter could be heard with undecipherable words being spoken through what sounded like a two-way radio. Music kicked in soon afterwards while a graphic appeared on the titantron, spotlights revealing the word “SAnitY” written on a brick wall. The same graphic that was first shown at TakeOver: R Evolution was now displayed in the Smoothie King Center as smoke engulfed the stage. Five individuals with masks covering their faces walked through the curtain, Ricochet and Uhaa both clueless as to what was going on. One could only assume that this was SAnitY, and the five of them walked down to the ring with body language that said they weren’t their to wish Ricochet and Uhaa luck in their quest to regain the NXT Tag Team Championships. Four of the unknown figures circled the ring while the smaller one remained at ringside. When the SAnitY members stepped through the ropes, Ricochet and Uhaa each went after two of them. The former Tag Team Champions were quickly overpowered due to the numbers advantage that SAnitY held. The lights in the Smoothie King Center were back on, the world getting a better look as SAnitY as they pulverized Ricochet and Uhaa. After both of them were taken out, the person at ringside removed their hood and mask, revealing herself to be Nikki Cross. She smiled sinisterly as she headed to the top rope, waiting for either Ricochet or Uhaa to get to their feet. It didn’t matter to her. Ricochet happened to be the first one up, Nikki delivering a Missile Dropkick to him! Ricochet was soon on his knees as one of the members who attacked him revealed himself to be one of the of the Cruiserweight Classic participants and the current PROGRESS Wrestling Champion, Jimmy Havoc. Havoc connected with a Shining Wizard to Ricochet before he pointed out to one of the other members that Uhaa was getting to his feet on the outside. That member headed out the ring apron and springboarded off of the second rope, landing on Uhaa with a trust fall of sorts. The individual took off his mask, revealing another Cruiserweight Classic participant in Darby Allin. Allin slid back into the ring, slithering on his knees while Nikki and Havoc moved out of the way for one of the other members so they could crash their knee into the jaw of Ricochet. That member removed his concealing gear, and it turned out to be Tommaso Ciampa. Ciampa, Havoc, Allin and Nikki all stood over the fallen body of Ricochet while the last remaining masked member finally revealed his identity: Eric Young. “Ladies and gentlemen… NXT has been turned on its head in the matter of a few minutes by SAnitY,” Rob Naylor stated. Eric Young, Nikki Cross, Tommaso Ciampa, Jimmy Havoc and Darby Allin are here. SAnitY has arrived.
For the final time, Tyler Breeze’s entrance music sounded at an NXT event. ”Look, everyone! It’s Tyler!” The reigning IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion made his way out onto the stage, holding his selfie stick while cameras got a shot of his vest that listed off his accomplishments in NXT on the back of it. “The only Mr. Money in the Bank in NXT history. He went on to cash-in almost a year ago against Sami Zayn. Breeze won the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship in the Tokyo Dome at Wrestle Kingdom. He holds two victories over Kota Ibushi. Whether you like him or not, ‘Prince Pretty’ has established himself as one of the foundations of NXT, and right now, he competes in between the yellow ropes for one last time against arguably his toughest challenge to date,” Rob Naylor stated as Breeze entered the ring. Breeze waited patiently near the ropes, looking out into the sea of NXT Universe members as his entrance music silenced. There was only one chant happening in the Smoothie King Center at that point, and it was simply the name of Breeze’s opponent. After the lights shut, ”The Wings of Icarus” by Celldweller began playing. The extended, epic intro only added to the anxiety in the arena. “Exit ‘Prince Pretty’… and enter ‘The Cleaner,’” Josh Barnett said. And just like that, in came Kenny Omega for the first time in an NXT arena. Omega stepped out onto the stage with a leather jacket and shades, slowly lifting his head up to get a glimpse of the fans that went rampant for him. “For many people, he’s the favorite to win the Cruiserweight Classic. When the announcement was made that Omega would be competing here tonight, no one could believe what they were in store for. No one was more shocked, however, than Tyler Breeze. The IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title may not be on the line, but Breeze is going to have to dish out more than ever before if he wants to put away Omega. He’s beaten competitors the likes of Sami Zayn, Kota Ibushi and Justin ‘Thunder’ Liger. He went toe-to-toe with Kazuchika Okada a few months back, but never before has he faced someone like Kenny Omega.” Omega stepped into the ring and stood across from Breeze, pointing a finger gun gesture in his face. The disgusted Breeze ignored Omega and continued to look at himself in the reflection of his iPhone’s front camera.
When the bell sounded, the chants of Omega’s name did not silence. Breeze tried ignoring the backing of the NXT Universe for his adversary as the two locked up, Omega going behind Breeze and trying to lift him up for the One-Winged Angel already. Breeze was able to slide off of Omega’s shoulders, Dropkicking him in the back. Omega was pushed towards the ropes, Breeze charging towards him. Omega lifted Breeze over his head and onto the ring apron, Breeze grabbing Omega’s head and pulling it down onto the top rope. Breeze stepped out onto the ring apron, leaping off with a Crossbody. Omega was able to catch Breeze in mid-air, throwing him into the barricade with an Overhead Slam! Omega rolled Breeze back into the ring, covering him for a two count. Omega then brought Breeze up to his feet, the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion defending himself with shots to Omega’s abdomen. Omega chopped Breeze across his chest, ‘Prince Pretty’ retaliating with a heavy elbow strike. Breeze managed to daze Omega to the point where he was able to Irish Whip him off of the ropes and connect with a Dropkick. Breeze mocked Omega by pretending to sweep the canvas with an imaginary broomstick before heading to the second rope. Breeze came down with an Elbow Drop, but Omega was able to roll out of the way. Omega ended up on the ring apron, Breeze choosing to go after him. Breeze struck Omega a few times in the head, but on the third attempt, Omega dodged Breeze’s shot. Omega locked his arms behind Breeze’s neck and planted him with a Dragon Suplex onto the apron! The back of Breeze’s head crashed onto the hardest part of the ring before he collapsed onto the floor, Omega rolling back into the ring. Omega kneeled in the center of the ring with his fists planted, the fans in New Orleans clapping the rhythm to the Terminator theme song. Omega ran the ropes and leaped out of the ring, crashing down onto Breeze. Omega sprang to his feet and looked at the sea of fans once again, ‘The Cleaner’ beginning to feel comfortable in an NXT environment. Omega rolled Breeze into the ring before climbing to the top rope, connecting with a Missile Dropkick to the back of Breeze’s head. Omega covered Breeze, the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion able to somehow stay alive by kicking out at two. Breeze crawled towards the ropes at that point, his only goal being to get back to his feet. Omega ran towards him to try to cave his head in with the V-Trigger, but Breeze sidestepped him. Breeze rolled Omega up tor a two count, ‘The Cleaner’ rising to his feet quickly thereafter. Breeze kicked Omega in the mid-section, looking for an Implant DDT. Omega countered maneuver and tried for a Clothesline that Breeze was able to duck. Breeze grabbed Omega’s arms and turned him over, delivering an Unprettier! Instead of going for a cover, Breeze ascended to the top rope, carefully watching his balance as the NXT Universe thought he was just going to attempt a Moonsault. Instead, Breeze soared through the air with the Phoenix Splash, one of the signature aerial attacks of Ibushi! Breeze missed the landing as Omega moved out of harm’s way. Omega quickly capitalized by wrapping his arms around Breeze’s waist, deadlifting him off of the canvas with a German Suplex! Omega bridged into a pin attempt, but Breeze somehow was able to get a shoulder up in time. Omega tried once again for the V-Trigger, successfully hitting it this time. Breeze almost fell through the opening between the first and second ropes after eating Omega’s knee. Omega pointed the gun gesture at Breeze one more time as he called for the One-Winged Angel. Omega hoisted Breeze onto his shoulders, but when Omega tried bringing him down, Breeze managed to land on his feet! ‘Prince Pretty’ struck Omega with the Supermodel Kick! Omega bounced off of the ropes, Breeze following up with the Beauty Shot! Breeze got the cover, but miraculously, Omega was able to kick out! The camera caught Breeze’s stunned reaction to Omega’s resiliency. Breeze hit Omega with both the Supermodel Kick and the Beauty, but that wasn’t going to be enough to put ‘The Cleaner’ away. Breeze attempted the Beauty Shot one more time, but Omega was able to counter it and catch him for a Powerbomb. After planting Breeze’s back onto the canvas, Omega ran towards a corner and released Breeze for a Buckle Bomb! Breeze collapsed near the ropes, Omega charging into him with not one, but two V-Triggers! Breeze was knocked out by that point, Omega lifting his dead weight onto his shoulders to finally, successfully hit One-Winged Angel! Omega covered Breeze, the official making the three count to mark the conclusion of Breeze’s run in NXT, and the beginning of Omega's.
KENNY OMEGA DEFEATS TYLER BREEZE!
The NXT Universe rejoiced at the result as Kenny Omega rose to his feet, looking down at Tyler Breeze while having his arm raised by the official. Omega slid to the outside, where he greeted the fans in the front row and thanked them. “This meant the world to Kenny Omega. He was once a part of WWE’s developmental system almost a decade ago, but he wanted to do things his way. He traveled the world. He made a name for himself in Japan, and now, it finally feels like Omega is in WWE on his own terms,” Rob Naylor said. Omega rolled back into the ring, this time with a microphone. “First and foremost… Tyler Breeze, good luck on the main roster. And I wish you even more luck as your try holding the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship hostage because you’re about to venture into a talent pool with people who would kill for the chance to hold that title. Now then… New Orleans. What you all saw just now is only a taste of what I have to offer to NXT. In two weeks, the Cruiserweight Classic begins and if you want to start placing bets on who of the 32 competitors is going to come out on top… you don’t have to look much further. There’s a reason why people call me ‘The Cleaner,’ and it’s about time for the WWE to learn how I’ve mastered the craft of professional wrestling in my time away. So, enjoy the show because Kenny Omega’s own ‘take over’ has only just begun. Goodbye… and goodnight!” Omega set the microphone down into the center of the ring before heading up the entrance ramp. ‘The Cleaner’ begins his journey to the top of NXT and WWE, but it’s important that no one overlooks the importance of this night for Omega’s opponent. Tyler Breeze has arguably been one of NXT’s ‘founding fathers’ if you will. He’s the only person on the show this evening who has been in developmental since FCW became NXT. One of the biggest superstars in NXT history has fulfilled his duties and is now taking not only his talents to the main roster, but the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship as well. Exit Tyler Breeze from NXT, and enter Kenny Omega.
The final WrestleMania XXX promo for the evening was shown, shining a spotlight on the main event this Sunday. ”So come rain on my parade, ‘cause I want to feel it. Come shove me over the edge, ‘cause my head is in overdrive.” Paige’s nightmarish year culminates in the same match type where her rivalry with Bray Wyatt started: Hell in a Cell. WrestleMania is live this Sunday night on Pay-Per-View and the WWE Network. ”I think we’re doomed, and now there is no way back.”
Returning to the live feed on the WWE Network, Rob Naylor and Josh Barnett put over the action seen thus far tonight at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans. “But ladies and gentlemen, there is still one more match to take place here in New Orleans. The biggest match in NXT history. The final chapter in the growth of NXT. With the biggest prize in the brand on the line, Finn Balor and Sami Zayn meet one-on-one for the first time ever.” A video package began playing that put both superstars’ paths to tonight into perspective. ”Citizen” by Northlane played as Sami Zayn’s debut back in November 2012 was compared to Finn Balor’s in May 2013. Zayn quickly made a name for himself in NXT, and would go on to headline NXT Arrival in February 2013. Zayn failed to defeat Kassius Ohno for the NXT Championship, beginning a journey to the gold that saw him briefly capture it from Adam Cole before having it taken away by a debuting Kevin Owens, who at one point was his best friend. ”If you thought you knew it all, don’t shift your view. You might slip and fall.” At that same TakeOver event, Balor made his debut alongside Hideo Itami. Very soon afterwards, Balor and Itami claimed the NXT Tag Team Championships, holding them all the way up until TakeOver: Revision. After Balor was betrayed by Itami, the two former tag team partners took their rivalry to the main event of Unison, where Balor showcased his Demon persona for the first time to the NXT Universe. At TakeOver: Forever, Balor teamed with Becky Lynch in an attempt to regain the NXT Tag Team Titles on his part. The duo failed, but on that same night, Zayn finally put Owens away in a Texas Deathmatch to win the NXT Championship. Zayn and Balor stood tall in the ring to close the show that evening, foreshadowing what was to come in 2014. At TakeOver: R Evolution, Balor pinned Zayn in a Fatal Four Way match that also involved Itami and Pentagon to become the new NXT Champion, ending Zayn’s reign after only one defense. Now, Zayn invokes his rematch clause to meet Balor on WrestleMania weekend. However, with the Draft on the horizon, both superstars have been forced to weigh their options considering the interest in them from both RAW and SmackDown Live. Balor has already confirmed that win or lose, he will be entering the Draft next week. Zayn, on the other hand, hasn’t masked his reservations about leaving the brand that he helped build. If he defeats Balor to become a three-time NXT Champion, he’ll stay right where he is. However, if he loses, Zayn will then have to give serious consideration to what he intends on doing with his career in the future. The battle to lead the graduating NXT superstars into the Draft is on. ”We’re caught in the undertow, deeper and deeper into the unknown. We’re caught in the undertow, follow the leader down with the undertow.”
For possibly the final time in NXT, Sami Zayn’s entrance music hit. Arguably the biggest, most important superstar in NXT history made his way out to the stage, shouting, “Let’s go!” in unison with the fans in New Orleans. Zayn danced his way down to the steel steps at ringside, getting the fans even more hyped than they already were with his infectious, energetic personality. “I was there the day that Sami walked through the doors of NXT for the first time. No one was sure what we were going to get from him because all throughout his run on the independent circuit, he was somebody who wasn’t going to be given a fair shot by the those running things at the time. He needed to change everything about him. Sami Zayn took one of the biggest gambles I’ve ever seen by reinventing himself in front of the NXT Universe, and in response, the fans helped get him to where he is now. If you ask me, there is no NXT without this man. We are here live in New Orleans on WrestleMania weekend in front of a sold out crowd of over 15,000 because Sami Zayn made this possible!” Rob Naylor exclaimed while Zayn soaked in the atmosphere, fully aware that if he doesn’t win the NXT Championship tonight, he may never feel this energy again. He has to savor the moment, but at the same time, he needs to seize it as well. Zayn sat in a corner as his music silenced, the fans in the Smoothie King Center continuing to applaud him. They know just as well as he does that this might be the end of the road for him in NXT. But, it also could be the end for the man making his entrance next week. The lights shut as a pulse was heard over the PA system. Red lights soon flickered at the sound of every heartbeat, the world knowing exactly what was about to happen. If Zayn wanted to become a three-time NXT Champion, he would have to do what he couldn’t at TakeOver: R Evolution, and that’s defeat ‘The Demon.’ Finn Balor crawled out onto the stage amidst all of the smoke as the red lights flickered at an accelerated pace. Soon, Balor’s entrance music fully kicked in as he stood up, a light shining down on his demonic persona. Where red paint would normally be on Balor’s body was replaced with gold to represent New Orleans. Balor returned to his crawling positioning, moving towards the NXT Championship that rested on the stage. After performing the arm-raising routine with the NXT Universe, Balor picked up the championship and began walking down to the ring. Zayn appeared unfazed by ‘The Demon,’ which was just what he needed for this encounter. Balor entered the ring and stood across from Zayn, placing the NXT Title down onto the canvas in between them. Zayn glanced at the championship before it was scooped up by the official, JoJo giving the pre-match introductions. The crowd reactions were equal for both superstars. Nobody in the NXT Universe took a side because they knew that regardless of the outcome, they were going to get a match that they would never forget.
This is it. The final match in the current phase of NXT.
The bell sounded as Balor quickly went in for a Dropkick into a corner, Zayn sidestepping him. Zayn covered Balor, who was able to slide out and stand on his feet. Zayn grabbed Balor for a Headlock, Balor pushing him off of the ropes. Zayn dodged a Clothesline from Balor, following up with a leaping forearm after bouncing off the ropes. Balor got back to his feet, only for Zayn to take him down again. Zayn Dropkicked Balor out of the ring, exiting to ringside in an attempt to deliver his Tornado DDT through the opening in between the turnbuckles. Balor had the move scouted, however, as he ran towards Zayn and hit the Slingblade onto the floor! Balor stepped onto the ring apron, trying for Coup de Grace. Zayn rolled out of harm’s way, Balor running towards him. Zayn was able to catch Balor and threw him into the barricade with an Exploder! Zayn brought Balor up to his feet, looking at the steel ring post that he intended on sending Balor into. Balor, however, countered it and sent Zayn over the barricade. Balor slid back into the ring, but only for a second as he wanted to restart the official’s count. Balor stepped over the barricade and into the crowd, picking Zayn up to deliver a strike to his head. The groggy Zayn was backed against the barricade as Balor ran towards him, the tables being turned against the champion as Zayn lifted him over the barricade with a Back Body Drop. Zayn stepped onto the barricade, waiting patiently for Balor to rise to his feet. Zayn launched himself at ‘The Demon’ with a Hurricanrana that sent Balor ribs-first into the apron. Zayn quickly stepped onto the ring, slowly picking Balor up into a Vertical Suplex position. Zayn kept Balor in the air for a few seconds before bringing him down with a Brainbuster! The thud that Balor’s skull made when connecting with the ring apron echoed throughout the Smoothie King Center as both Rob Naylor and Josh Barnett made note of Zayn’s aggression. “He doesn’t want to leave NXT without feeling like he accomplished everything that he set out to. The NXT Title is the most important thing to him right now, and we’re seeing that more than ever,” Barnett commented. Naylor then noted that Kyle O’Reilly has to be watching this match, hoping that his NXT Championship opportunity that he earned tonight isn’t too far off in the future as he would want to have either Balor or Zayn post-TakeOver while their bodies are still banged up. Zayn rolled Balor into the ring, covering him for a two count. Zayn picked Balor up and rested his body against a corner, Zayn backing into the opposite one. Zayn stared at Balor from across the ring, uttering the words, “I need this more than you do.” Zayn ran towards Balor for the Helluva Kick, but Balor prevented it by leveling Zayn upside the head with a heavy elbow strike. Zayn tried to retaliate with a Discus Lariat, but Balor dodged it and caught Zayn with a Pele Kick. Zayn fell back onto the canvas as Balor reeled himself back and set his challenger up for a Running Dropkick. Balor sent Zayn into the turnbuckles before heading up to the top rope, descending with Coup de Grace! Balor got the cover on Zayn, but to the shock of everyone watching, Zayn kicked out! ‘The Demon’ had to take a step back and understand that he was in a situation he had never faced before. “No one had ever kicked out of Coup de Grace until Sami Zayn decided that he was not ready to let go of his NXT Championship aspirations!” Rob Naylor shouted over the rampant NXT fans in New Orleans. Balor went back to the top rope, taking his time as Zayn began stirring to his feet. The desperation of Balor shined through for the first time in his year-long run in NXT as he attempted to stomp the back of Zayn’s head into the canvas. Zayn was able to dodge the attack, catching the NXT Champion when he landed on his feet. Zayn hoisted Balor into the air and brought him down with the Blue Thunder Bomb! Balor was able to kick out at two, but it appeared that Zayn had expected that as his first move after the kick out was to back against a corner. Balor crawled towards the turnbuckles, ‘The Demon’ not realizing the danger he was putting himself in. Zayn charged towards Balor, connecting with the Helluva Kick! Zayn pushed Balor down to the canvas, covering the NXT Champion. However, Balor got his shoulder up at two! Zayn anticipated the Blue Thunder Bomb not being enough to finish off Balor, but it was the failure of the Helluva Kick that left him in shock. Zayn held his head while breathing heavily, quickly trying to think of another way to keep the NXT Champion down. That was when Zayn picked Balor up and positioned him on the top rope. Zayn climbed onto the second rope, trying to lift Balor into the air for a Brainbuster that anyone who followed ‘The Underdog from the Underground’ prior to NXT would have been familiar with. Balor fought his way out of the attempted maneuver, leaping over Zayn to bring him back down with a Sunset Flip. The impact caused Zayn to end up on his knees, giving Balor the perfect opening to deliver Bloody Sunday. Balor returned to the top rope, staring down at Zayn before giving him the same hand gun gesture that Kenny Omega showed off earlier in the show. Balor leaped through the air with his second Coup de Grace! Balor covered Zayn, this time getting the three count.
FINN BALOR IS STILL THE NXT CHAMPION!
It’s over. The sound of the closing bell meant that NXT has seen the end of its current era. Finn Balor stood up and retrieved the NXT Championship, holding it high in the air in a bittersweet moment. He was on top of the mountain in NXT, but next week, he ventures into unknown territory. As will Tyler Breeze. Emma, Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch, Billie Kay, Peyton Royce, Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian, Michael Bennett, Maria Kanellis, Solomon Crowe and Drake Younger. All of those superstars are saying goodbye to NXT before heading into the WWE Draft where they will officially become members of either RAW or SmackDown Live. Balor will continue to defend the NXT Championship until the day he loses it, but it’s not known yet what Zayn will be doing. He made it clear last week that if he didn’t recapture the NXT Championship tonight at TakeOver, he would evaluate his options. ‘The Demon’ approached Zayn, who sat in a corner with his hands covering his face. Zayn, however, knew of Balor’s presence. He looked at the NXT Champion and saw him extending his hand out. Despite the two having gone to war just now, Zayn retained enough respect for Balor accept his handshake. Balor lifted Zayn to his feet, the two superstars coming face-to-face while exchanging words privately. Balor raised Zayn’s hand, the latter appearing to reject the idea of any celebration for him. Balor exited the ring and headed up the entrance ramp, not taking the time to say farewell to the NXT Universe since he knows he’ll be back in some capacity to defend the NXT Championship. Zayn, on the other hand, doesn’t know what happens next. Balor’s music silenced as Zayn looked out at the sea of fans who were giving him a standing ovation. “Thank you, Sami!” was the one chant that could be heard in the Smoothie King Center. Zayn fell to his knees and began crying, knowing that this might have been the end of him in NXT. What happens next is entirely up to him, but he needs to make a decision. He can stay behind and try to recapture the NXT Title like he desired… but he has a chance now to head to the main roster and try to make a difference for RAW or SmackDown Live like he did for NXT. Either brand would benefit tremendously from having Zayn on their roster, and he should be aware of the potential impact he can make if he enters the Draft next week.
No matter what comes next, NXT will forever be known as the house that Sami Zayn built.
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Post by Planktung on Dec 30, 2017 0:15:46 GMT -5
After the signature WWE intro aired, the live feed on the WWE Network cut directly to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. ”Happy Song” by Bring Me the Horizon played as a camera showed the ramp that led to the WrestleMania stage. Following that, a shot from the ring looking up at the Hell in a Cell structure was displayed. A panel of Renee Young, Michael Cole, Big Show and Nigel McGuinness welcomed everyone to the WrestleMania XXX Kickoff Show, the stands in the stadium slowly but surely filling up with members of the WWE Universe. McGuinness commented on his impression of his first WrestleMania. “It’s everything that everyone says it is. This is a spectacle that needs to be seen to be alive, and hopefully, this is just the first of many for myself.” Renee then said that while WrestleMania is the culmination of so many journeys for WWE superstars, it’s also the beginning for some. “Last year at this event, we saw Derrick Bateman capture the Money in the Bank briefcase to the shock of the entire WWE Universe. One year later, he’s defending the Universal Championship for the firs time since winning it at the Royal Rumble against two of the biggest superstars in the history of professional wrestling, John Cena and Brock Lesnar. For Bateman, this night marks the beginning of his reign as - in his words - ‘God of the New Era.’ I’m interested in hearing what you guys think about this match,” Renee said, turning the discussion over to the panel. Cole stated that Bateman’s rise to the top of WWE is something that no one could have predicted. “No matter how we may feel about Derrick Bateman personally, he has had the most meteoric rise in WWE over the past year. He won the United States Championship. He won Money in the Bank. He became Universal Champion by winning the Royal Rumble. He was the first superstar to pin the WWE Champion, AJ Styles. Bateman’s been able to back up his promises, despite his heinous character. Tonight is the biggest challenge of his entire career because he has to contest with not one, but two mega stars. I’ve gone on record before saying that I believe John Cena is the greatest superstar that we’ve ever seen in WWE. I’ve called countless matches of Cena’s at WrestleMania, and he really does become a different animal here. He already competes at the highest level out of anyone in WWE on a regular basis, and on the grandest stage of them all, he somehow finds a way to turn the dial up even more. I said that Bateman’s been able to back up every statement he’s made, but I just think that tonight is the exception. Cena adds the Universal Championship to his already Hall of Fame-worthy resume,” Cole said. Big Show went up next and said that while Cena is WWE’s ‘Franchise Player’ and Bateman could be on his way to being Cena’s successor, Lesnar is the one who is going to ‘conquer’ WrestleMania tonight. “Brock Lesnar is the biggest freak of nature I’ve ever seen. He’s athletic as hell. He’s stronger than a motherf-, you know what I’m getting at. When Brock Lesnar wants something, nobody is going to tell him that he can’t have it. Lesnar is after the Universal Title, and tonight, he’s going to get it by destroying Cena and Bateman.” McGuinness went last, predicting that Bateman would shock the world yet again. “It’s easy to count Bateman out of this match, but let’s not forget that he has been able to take out Cena and Lesnar in the months and weeks leading up to this contest. Bateman is a master manipulator. He’s a lot smarter and more calculative than most members of the WWE Universe will give him credit for. He’s worked too hard to just let Cena or Lesnar dethrone him. And keep this in mind: in a Triple Threat match, there are no disqualifications. That shifts the advantage in the favor of Bateman because he’s as diabolical as they come when he’s let loose. Derrick Bateman, you have my vote of confidence tonight.”
In the social media lounge, Cathy Kelley was shown preparing to conduct an interview with her guest: the RAW General Manager and host of tonight’s Unique Opportunity Battle Royal, Dario Cueto. Cathy encouraged the WWE Universe to submit any and all questions for Dario through Twitter by using the hashtag ‘#UniqueOpportunity.’
Remaining on the subject of the Unique Opportunity Battle Royal, Renee asked if the prize of having free agency in the brand split something that is actually as glamorous as it sounds. Big Show stated that he can see why it’s good, but also why he isn’t sure if it’s something that he would have wanted when he was active. “Having a brand split means that talent get some extra days off during the week. You need any amount of rest that you can get. If you win this Unique Opportunity Battle Royal, you’re going to be expected to go to RAW and SmackDown Live every week. You’re going to be expected to appear on all live events. If you win, you can pretty much kiss any off days goodbye. At the same time, being the only superstar who is allowed to appear on both shows going forward can bring in so many incredible opportunities. Unique opportunities, I guess you can say. A lot of the guys in this match tonight are young, fresh talent. They’re hungry for opportunities, so for them, there is no bigger or better prize than the freedom of being able to choose your own path in an era where everyone else will be bound to one show.” As for Show’s prediction, he said that as a big man himself, he has to look at another giant in this match. “The Unique Opportunity Battle Royal is Braun Strowman’s to win. Imagine the kind of destruction that guy will be able to do as a member of both rosters. He’ll be even more unstoppable than he already is.” Cole stated that while Strowman has to be seen as a favorite in the match, he’s going with the only superstar he believes can stop ‘The Monster Among Men’ from calming free agency. “Samoa Joe still has a score to settle with Strowman after their No Disqualifications match a few weeks ago. If there’s anyone in this Battle Royal who can stop Strowman, it’s going to be Joe.” McGuinness said that while Show and Cole picked their favorites based on power, he’s going with the guy he believes has the most brains out of anyone else in the field. McGuinness then lifted his arms into the air and shouted, “Adam Cole, bay bay!” McGuinness believes that Adam Cole will be able to outsmart all of his opponents and find his path to victory. “He stole Lana from Rusev. He qualified for Manifest Destiny 2014 almost a year before the tournament starts. He picked his spot and became Hardcore Champion when everyone thought that he had taken his ball and went home. Adam Cole is as cunning as they come, and tonight, he becomes the hottest free agent in sports entertainment… bay bay.”
Elsewhere in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, Rob Naylor, NXT commentator who will soon be calling SmackDown Live every week, was shown with a sea of WWE Universe members behind him. Naylor said that within the stacked WrestleMania card, there’s a Women’s Championship match that caps off what has been a historic and revolutionary year for WWE’s female competitors. “Who here believes that Sofia Cortez is going to leave WrestleMania as the Women’s Champion?” Naylor asked, a few of the fans responding with cheers. Next, Naylor asked if there was any support for Kaitlyn in the WWE Universe tonight, and the vast majority reacted with boos. “What about AJ Lee? Is AJ going to become a three-time champion?” Naylor asked, AJ receiving the most positive response thus far. “Last but not least, there’s the reigning and defending champion. Is Alexa Bliss going to retain the Women’s Championship at WrestleMania?” Surprisingly, Alexa had the most cheers. Even more than AJ. Naylor sent things back over to the panel after polling the WWE Universe, discovering that ‘Little Miss Bliss’ is viewed as the favorite heading into tonight’s Fatal Four Way match for the Women’s Title.
Returning to the WrestleMania Kickoff panel, Renee had a shocked expression on her face, being taken aback by the overwhelming support for Alexa Bliss in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Big Show stated that he disagreed with Michael Cole’s comment earlier about Derrick Bateman having the most meteoric rise in the past year. “Alexa Bliss literally came out of nowhere. She made her debut at the end of September, and by February, she was the WWE Women’s Champion. She’s built herself up in the last six months stronger than most performers do in their entire careers. Look at everything she’s been through since entering the Women’s Title picture. She’s gone through hell and back, and because of that, she’s earned the WWE Universe’s respect. Renee, you say that you’re surprised by the support for Alexa here tonight? I say that I’m surprised it took this long for people to get behind her, but I suppose that they chose the right time to do so because tonight, she walks out of WrestleMania the way she’s walking in: as the WWE Women’s Champion.” Nigel McGuinness said that for once, he was going to agree with Big Show. “This might come across as a major stretch to some viewers, but in my opinion, Alexa Bliss has been WWE’s hottest act in 2014 thus far. She beat AJ Lee in Last Diva Standing. She captained a team in the first ever women’s WarGames match. She pinned Paige, someone who is going to headline this event tonight. And now, Alexa is carrying the WWE Women’s Championship into the biggest WrestleMania of all-time. This young lady has overcome insurmountable odds both professionally and personally to get to this point, and her reign is not going to come to an end any time soon.” Being the odd man out, Michael Cole predicted AJ Lee to walk away from this match as champion. “AJ’s loss at WrestleMania last year to Paige was one of the most heartbreaking defeats I’ve ever witnessed. She had all of the momentum in the world. She was competing in her home state in front of her friends and family who have cheered her on, even when she was living in poverty and her looked like a lost cause. That night meant everything to her, and she watched it slip away when she tapped out to the PTO. That loss did a number on AJ’s mental state of mind, and as a result, ‘The Black Widow’ emerged. She’s had a year to prepare for this night and we’ve seen how she’s gone about doing that. Last Diva Standing. Tables, Ladders and Chairs. WarGames. AJ has been through it all over the last year, and I think her journey culminates tonight by achieving what she couldn’t last year and that’s becoming champion at WrestleMania.”
Continuing to focus on championship matches, Renee Young brought up the WWE Tag Team Title match that will pit The New Day against The Usos. Cole started off by saying that it’s been quite some time since he last saw a team with the kind of momentum that New Day currently have. “Wrestling Royalty were champions for a year, and I still believe that New Day have eclipsed them in popularity. They have cereal, for crying out loud. There are WWE Universe members in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome right now buying unicorn horns because New Day told them that they’re cool. Along with the over-the-top presentation of The New Day, they’ve held their own over the last few months against the likes of John Cena and CM Punk. They dethroned The Alpha Wolves to become Tag Team Champions. They’ve got everything going for them right now, and that only give The Usos even more incentive to not let this opportunity go. My money tonight is on New Day, but they’re going to have to bring their A game.” McGuinness said that while he sees where Cole is coming from about New Day’s popularity, revenue generated doesn’t equate to talent and hunger. “We’ve seen what happens when The New Day get too comfortable. They almost blew a 3-1 lead against The Alpha Wolves in the Best of Seven Series. Kofi and Big E were out pitching new product ideas and focusing more on their money rather than their titles, and that’s what allowed The Usos to make an example out of Xavier Woods. The Usos are in their heads. They’ve made it clear that they have waited far too long for this night to come and Jimmy and Jey will be damned if they let a couple of twerking unicorns take this moment away from them.” Lastly, Big Show said that taking out Xavier Woods to send a message was the biggest mistake that The Usos could’ve made. “The New Day needed a reason to ditch the comedy act and unleash hell tonight at WrestleMania, and The Usos gave them one. We will see a side of The Usos that we’ve never seen, but the same can be said for The New Day. They may have some fun when they’re walking down that ramp, but when the bell rings and it’s go time, Kofi and Big E are going to show Jimmy and Jey why New Day runs the tag team division. It took The Usos four years to get to WrestleMania, and if they’re not careful, it’s going to be another four years before they get back to this stage.”
“The Usos have their date with destiny tonight, and so does Kevin Owens when he becomes the first former NXT Champion to ever compete in a one-on-one match at WrestleMania when he takes on Randy Orton,” Renee Young said to segue into the next contest. McGuinness immediately predicted Owens to win without even hesitating to think about it. “Ten years ago, Randy Orton made his WrestleMania debut against The Rock and Mick Foley. Everyone counted him out and said that there’s no way he could defeat two men with Hall of Fame legacies. Guess what? Orton did the unthinkable, but now, ‘The Legend Killer’ is the legend. Orton is the veteran with a young gun targeting him. Kevin Owens has proven before that he can take Orton out. As far as I’m concerned, Owens is in the driver’s seat for this one and it’s going to be a spectacle to watch Owens, a guy who was told for years that he would never make it to WWE, beat Orton.” Big Show went up next, saying that towards the end of his in-ring career, he had a series of matches against Orton. “I had heard for years and years about how good Randy Orton is, but you don’t realize it for yourself until he’s standing across the ring from you and is trying to end you. Owens is a different animal that anything like Orton has ever faced, though. Owens is brash. He’s dangerous. He’s everything that Orton has ever been. Orion’s biggest advantage comes from experience, but I don’t think it’s going to take long for Owens to shake off the nerves of competing in front of over 70,000 fans. Is Owens going to win? He could, he could. But I’m going to play it safe and go with Orton.” Cole stated that he regularly visits Full Sail during NXT TV days, and in the two year history of that brand, Owens is probably the most “WWE ready” talent he’s seen. “The day that Owens walked through the doors of NXT, I said that he could be put on RAW or SmackDown the next week and he’d be an instant star. Kevin Owens is a special talent. Not only can he back up his mouth with his in-ring abilities, but as Big Show put it, he’s everything that Orton is. Owens has a lot more riding on the line than Orton does since it’s his first WrestleMania. This might not be the popular choice, but I really do think that Kevin Owens puts Randy Orton away here tonight.”
Backstage, SmackDown Live General Manager and new Hall of Famer Kurt Angle was shown walking towards the locker room, opening the door to find the SmackDown Live Commissioner, Shane McMahon, getting ready for his tag team match later tonight. Angle hugged Shane before asking him if he truly believes he’s making the right decision by getting into the ring against Triple H and Seth Rollins. “It’s a little too late to be asking that now, isn’t it? Hunter and Rollins tried to push me out of the picture and take over SmackDown Live. Our show, Kurt. Just for tonight, I’m putting away the suit and going to war with Dean Ambrose by my side,” Shane said. Shane resumed his preparations before Angle patted him on the back, the Olympic gold medalist knowing that there wasn’t anything he could do to try to stop his business partner from getting into the ring tonight against Triple H and Seth Rollins.
Returning to the Kickoff panel, Renee Young stated that it was a bit odd to see Kurt Angle try to be the voice of reason and try to stop someone from putting themselves in danger. Nigel McGuinness suggested that Angle’s reasoning had nothing to do with any sort of compassion for Shane. “Kurt Angle only cares if Shane is capable of running SmackDown Live along with him. This is purely business for Angle, and unfortunately for him, Dean Ambrose isn’t going to be enough to save Shane from the beating that Triple H and Seth Rollins will deliver to him in that ring tonight.” Big Show noted that he and Shane have battled before, and he believes that Shane is the craziest, most reckless individual he’s ever come across in the WWE. “It’s easy for Triple H and Seth Rollins to just brush Shane off. Up until Survivor Series, he was out of the game for quite a while, but we saw in his match against Derrick Bateman that he’s just as wild as he’s ever been. And you know what’s nuts? His partner is someone even crazier than he is. Shane and Ambrose can’t lose this match, nor will they lose.” McGuinness said that while Show has personal experience going up against Shane, he has personal experience against Rollins. “He’s not ‘The Architect of the Future’ for no good reason. Seth Rollins is the superstar who controls the future of the WWE because he IS the future. He and Triple H make a very talented and diabolical pairing. One that I don’t think even a team as crazy as Shane McMahon and Dean Ambrose can overcome.” Cole said that this match and easily be marred by outside involvement. “Stephanie will obviously not be too far behind, and neither will Angle, even if he doesn’t agree with Shane competing here tonight. As of right now, this match is not No Disqualifications, but that won’t stop all hell from breaking loose. And in that case, I don’t you can pick a favorite. I’ll go with Shane and Ambrose, but I don’t say that confidently.”
As the stands in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome began filling up, Renee Young sent things over to the commentary team of Mauro Ranallo and Corey Graves, both men ready to call their first WrestleMania. “I’ve been at WrestleMania twice before with FCW and NXT, but never have I been this close to the action on the grandest stage of them all. This event is truly the pinnacle of our profession, and we’re ready to kick things off right now,” Graves said. “Drake is already talking about draft day, but when it’s WrestleMania day, you know we have to do it for you. It’s time for our Kickoff bout to officially get underway here in New Orleans for WrestleMania XXX!” Ranallo said with great enthusiasm.
The first theme song to play in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome tonight was Wrestling Royalty’s as the longest reigning WWE Tag Team Champions in history made their way out to the stage for their first match since TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs. “It was at the 2013 Slammy Awards where after winning Tag Team of the Year for the second time in a row, Ted DiBiase announced that he intended to retire from professional wrestling. The Revival used that moment to strike and make a name for themselves in their debut, but Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder counted DiBiase and Hennig out. They didn’t expect Wrestling Royalty to try to extract revenge, but here we are on the WrestleMania Kickoff Show and we’re about to watch the present of tag team wrestling battle the future with a personal score to settle,” Mauro Ranallo said to recap the story between the two teams heading into this match. Last year, DiBiase and Hennig defended the WWE Tag Team Titles for the final time thus far when they defeated Randy Orton and Batista. They’ve been without the championships for nearly as long as they had them, but for the first time in two years, Wrestling Royalty do not have the Tag Team Titles in their sights. They simply desire revenge against the team that tired to retire them. After DiBiase and Hennig were settled in the ring, they looked out into the sea of WWE Universe members at their second WrestleMania together. The Revival’s entrance theme then sounded to a negative response from New Orleans. Not only were The Revival about to compete for the first time on Pay-Per-View as a tag team, but it just happened to be at WrestleMania. Dash and Dawson walked out onto a WrestleMania stage for the first time in their careers, neither of them showing any nerves. After fist bumping, The Revival walked down the elongated ramp, Corey Graves taking that opportunity to sing the praises of the ‘Top Guys’ once more before the biggest match of their careers. “The WWE Universe didn’t see the struggle that Dash and Dawson had to endure at the Performance Center. They were confined to the Florida loop of NXT, and while that was beneficial, it wasn’t where they wanted to be. Every time there was a TV day at Full Sail or a TakeOver event, they were in the backstage area, watching teams that they believe can’t hang with them take spots that they were hungry for. Derrick Bateman noticed the grind of The Revival, so he took it upon himself to sign them to the main roster back when he was a part-owner of WWE, and thank goodness for our Universal Champion because had he not stepped in, I guarantee you that The Revival would still be waiting for their big break because the higher-ups in NXT never saw the talent that was standing right in front them. The Revival are about to put down the greatest tag team of the modern era, and I couldn’t be any happier to call this moment.” Revival stepped into the ring, the official needing to come in between them and Wrestling Royalty to prevent an altercation that wasn’t within the boundaries of the contest. The bell sounded as DiBiase and Dawson started things off. DiBiase let his emotions get the better of him as his first move was to ram Dawson into a corner, repeatedly striking him until the official pulled him away. Dawson used that chance that catch DiBiase in the jaw with an uppercut before throwing him against the turnbuckles. Dawson drove his elbow into DiBiase’s clavicle a few times before Irish Whipping him into the opposite corner. DiBiase was able to get his feet up when Dawson charged at him. DiBiase went for a Clothesline, but Dawson evaded it and planted him with a Russian Leg Sweep. Dawson got the first cover of the match, DiBiase quickly able to kick out. Dawson applied a Headlock to DiBiase, berating him by saying that he should have stayed retired. DiBiase was able to slowly get to his feet, stomping on Dawson’s foot to free himself. DiBiase threw Dawson into his corner, running into him with a Clothesline before tagging in Hennig. The son of Mr. Perfect placed Dawson on his shoulders, delivering a Rolling Senton. Hennig stood to his feet close to The Revival’s corner, giving him the chance to connect with a Dropkick to Dash. Hennig stepped onto the second rope, dropping a Hammer Fist to the top of Dawson’s head as he was descending. Hennig dropped three quick elbows to the chest of Dawson before covering him, Dash grabbing his tag team partner’s foot from underneath the bottom rope to pull him out. As The Revival regrouped on the outside, Hennig and DiBiase both grabbed onto the top rope and leaped onto their adversaries! An uncharacteristic high-risk offensive attack from Wrestling Royalty as Hennig rolled Dawson into the ring, covering him for a count of two. Hennig tagged back in DiBiase, who placed Dawson on the top rope for a Superplex. Dawson, however, was able to slid off of the turnbuckles and tucked DiBiase’s head against the top turnbuckle, effectively trapping him. Dawson quickly tagged in Dash, who ran towards DiBiase with a Dropkick to his face! DiBiase fell to the canvas as Dash covered him, only able to get two out of it. Dash shoved Hennig off of the ring apron before turning his attention back to DiBiase, who was stirring to his feet. Dash caught DiBiase behind his right kneecap with a Chop Block, following up by applying an inverted Figure Four Leg Lock while Dawson climbed to the second turnbuckle. Dawson stomped onto DiBiase’s knee while Dawson had him in the submission hold. DiBiase reacting with anguish as he clutched his knee. Dawson covered DiBiase, Hennig sliding into the ring in time to break up the pin attempt. “Joe Hennig should have just allowed The Revival to pick up the victory right there and let Ted DiBiase live to fight another day. Because of him, Dash and Dawson are only going to inflict even more damage to DiBiase’s bruised and battered knee,” Graves said, ridiculing Hennig for his decision that forces DiBiase to keep going. The Revival began stomping away on Hennig, brutalizing him until DiBiase crept behind Dawson for a roll up. Dash quicky noticed the pin attempt and grabbed DiBiase, throwing him against the ropes. DiBiase could not run off the ropes due to his knee, so Dash charged at him. DiBiase sent Dash over the top rope, Dash landing on the apron. DiBiase elbowed Dash in the face before doing the same to a running Dawson. DiBiase tried to regain feeling in his right knee, using the WWE Universe’s energy to find his burst of momentum. DiBiase was able to run the ropes this time, only to be hoisted into the air for the Shatter Machine! Dawson got the cover while Dash prevented Hennig from intervening, The Revival picking up the biggest victory of their careers.
THE REVIVAL ARE VICTORIOUS!
Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder both rose to their feet, the two Revival members raising each other’s arms in victory after delivering on their promise to put away the greatest tag team of the modern era in WWE. “People chastised The Revival for thinking that they could beat Wrestling Royalty. Guess what? They just did. Another notch on the belts of ‘The Top Guys,’” said an elated Corey Graves. Dash and Wilder began heading up the entrance ramp, Joe Hennig being shown at ringside with his hands over his head while Ted DiBiase held his knee. In their Pay-Per-View debut as a tag team, The Revival shock the WWE Universe and have defeated Wrestling Royalty at WrestleMania.
Up in the skyboxes in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, the eligible NXT talent for Thursday’s Draft were shown filing in to take their seats and watch WrestleMania. In one skybox, NXT Champion Finn Balor, Sami Zayn, Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks, Drake Younger and Solomon Crowe walked in, the fans in front of the skybox turning around to applaud the six future WWE superstars. Zayn tipped his hat to the audience while Balor gave the “Too Sweet” hand gesture to a thunderous response. In a separate skybox, The Addiction, IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion Tyler Breeze, Michael Bennett and Maria Kanellis took their seats, Daniels and Maria both drinking Appletinis while Breeze took a selfie with the WrestleMania sign looming behind him. Finally, there was one more skybox to be occupied. Some chants of “Iconic!” could be heard coming from the WWE Universe when Emma, Billie Kay and Peyton Royce walked into the area, all three of them giving blank, emotionless glares to the fans. Billie and Peyton stood next to each other while holding hands, Emma approaching the end of the skybox to look to her side at the rest of the NXT superstars who will be joining the main roster along with them in four days.
Returning to the WrestleMania Kickoff panel, Renee Young stated that while it is almost time for WrestleMania and that should be their sole focus, it’s impossible to not talk about the upcoming WWE Draft this Thursday night on SmackDown Live. Renee asked who the analysts believe is the most valuable draft pick from NXT, Nigel McGuinness quickly answering. “You want to talk about the impact that women like Paige, AJ Lee and Alexa Bliss have had in the women’s division? The second that the members of Iconic hear their names be called out on Thursday, the main roster will never be the same again. All three ladies are future Women’s Champions, and I think that if you’re running RAW or SmackDown Live, you need to prioritize Emma, Billie and Peyton this week.” Big Show gave his input and went with the NXT Champion, Finn Balor. “Every once in a while, a talent comes along who just has all of the necessary tools right out the gate. To me, that’s Finn Balor. Immediately, he’s a top contender for the Universal or WWE Championship depending on which brand he ends up on, and it won’t be long before he’s holding one of those two championships.” Michael Cole said that as someone who has worked closely with NXT since its inception two years ago, it would be foolish of him not to give the nod to Sami Zayn. “Without Zayn, there is no NXT. Everybody who is getting drafted from NXT this Thursday owes it to Zayn because he’s the one who put the brand on the map. He’s the biggest reason why NXT has reached the heights that it has. The rules of the Draft reveal that two picks from NXT must be made every round. I think that RAW and SmackDown are going to have a difficult choice figuring out if they want to use that pick to draft Zayn or Balor because to me, it’s a given that they’re going in the first round.”
Backstage in the social media lounge, Cathy Kelley was standing by with the RAW General Manager Dario Cueto, who sported a white dress shirt and black bowtie as opposed to his usual, disheveled black shirt. Cathy presented the first question to Dario, that being if he believes that he and Stephanie McMahon will be able to coexist once the brand split goes into effect this Thursday. “I think that’s a question for Stephanie. I’m willing to put my differences aside in order to make sure that RAW dismantles SmackDown Live each and every week. She and I want the same things for RAW. We want the best talent. We want the best tag teams. We want the best women’s division… but knowing Stephanie, she’s also going to want the spotlight and that’s not something I’m willing to hand her. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens after Thursday.” The next question that Cathy pulled from Twitter asked Dario who he believes is going to win his Unique Opportunity Battle Royal. “It’s tough, isn’t it? I would take all of the superstars in my Unique Opportunity Battle Royal in the Draft if I could, but the question is who I think is going to win. My answer is simple. The person who I handpicked for this match. My baby brother. ‘The Monster’ Matanza Cueto.” Dario’s answer segued perfectly into Cathy’s final question, which asked Dario if he believes it’s fair for Matanza to be in this match. “… Why wouldn’t it be fair? I’m not handing Matanza the victory in this match. He has the same odds of winning as everyone else. I gave my brother an opportunity and I expect him to seize it. That’s all. Then, once he wins free agency, he’ll be able to lay waste to everybody on both RAW and SmackDown Live! The WWE will truly belong to the Cuetos,” Dario said before reclining in his chair with a sadistic grin on his face.
While Dario instills all of the trust in the world into his brother Matanza, Daniel Bryan will be doing the same tonight for himself when he puts his career on the line for one more shot at The Miz’ United States Championship. “All three of you were a part of the panel for Battleground, which was where Miz ultimately defeated Bryan after he was no longer physically able to compete. Have your predictions changed since that night in February?” Renee asked. Big Show said that while he didn’t actually give an answer at Battleground, he would have gone with Bryan. “Now… I really don’t know. We saw what Miz was capable of at Battleground, and unless Bryan has somehow miraculously recovered, it feels like Miz is just going to do it again. Only this time, Bryan’s career will officially end.” Cole reluctantly agreed with Show, stating that it’s not right that Bryan is in this position. “Miz knows exactly where to target. All it takes is one big move from The Miz and Bryan’s career is over. As much as I would love to see Daniel Bryan pull this off and not only save his career, but become United States Champion again… I don’t think that’s going to happen.” Lastly, McGuinness said that considering the era that Bryan comes from, it doesn’t surprise him that his career isn’t going to end on his own terms. “Look at me. I didn’t have a choice when I retired. My body didn’t agree with what my heart wanted, and because of that, I’m donning a suit right now instead of my wrestling boots. Four months after I retired, I watched Daniel Bryan become World Heavyweight Champion and I prayed that he would remain healthy and never have to go through what I did. Bryan’s body is telling him to stop, but he refuses to listen. So, as sad as it is to say, The Miz is going to make him stop.” All three guests predict that Miz is going to defeat Bryan, but all did so with sorrowful tones.
While the United States Championship will be contested in a very heated match-up, so too will the Intercontinental Championship when CM Punk defends against Cody Rhodes. Show started off by saying that he always saw an in-ring collision between the two of them coming. “When we all found out that CM Punk was giving up his WWE Championship opportunity against Bray Wyatt last July to let Cody Rhodes have it, I knew immediately that wasn’t Punk’s call. He was pressured into making that decision by The Uprising. Punk said that’s the one regret he has in his career and I fully believe him because if I gave up a shot at the WWE Championship and the guy who took it became champion, I’d never trust anyone again, and that includes myself. Tonight, we’re going to see a side of CM Punk that we’ve never seen before. A side of him that is fueled by regret, and that doesn’t bode well for Cody Rhodes one bit.” McGuinness said that regret isn’t the only thing fueling Punk tonight. “I believe that CM Punk feels like he let himself down this year. At WrestleMania 29, he walked into MetLife as the WWE Champion in the main event. Now, he’s not in the main event. He’s not the WWE Champion. It’s strange to feel like Punk has something to prove, but he really does and I think he’s going to make his statement by retaining the Intercontinental Championship.” Cole argued that while Punk might feel like he has something to prove, there’s no doubt in his mind that it’s the same story for Rhodes. “Cody was the 2013 Superstar of the Year. Everybody was talking about how he’s the next John Cena or the next Rock. The WWE Universe expected Cody to main event WrestleMania this year, but he’s not. He isn’t even the WWE Champion anymore. It’s the same situation that Punk is in, but Cody has more to gain. For him, this isn’t just about getting back at Punk for his betrayal last month in Chicago. This is about ‘The American Nightmare’ proving to the WWE Universe that their support that took him to the mountaintop wasn’t for nothing.
The countdown clock began winding down, reaching the five minute mark until WrestleMania XXX goes live on Pay-Per-View and the WWE Network, the panel having only two matches left to go in depth on.
“One year ago, just the thought of AJ Styles stepping into a WWE ring seemed unfathomable. Now, Styles is going to be defending the WWE Championship tonight against the greatest performer in WrestleMania history, The Undertaker,” Renee Young said to introduce the topic. Big Show said that Undertaker’s undefeated streak at WrestleMania is something that you would expect to hear about in myth and folklore. “But this thing is real. The Undertaker, who is already the most feared and revered superstar in WWE history, somehow manages to always step his game up at WrestleMania. But other than Shawn Michaels, I would say that AJ Styles is the best in-ring performer that Undertaker will ever face at WrestleMania. We don’t know what it takes to defeat The Undertaker on this stage because no one ever has, and that list of victims includes myself. But if there’s anyone who can crack the code, find the formula to defeat The Undertaker and do it, it’s AJ Styles. I’ll go ahead and gamble on this one. The Streak ends in that very ring tonight.” McGuinness said that every year, it feels like Undertaker’s opponent at WrestleMania comes just a little bit closer to making history. “Shawn Michaels came close. Then, Triple H came closer. Last year, I think a lot of people believed that Bray Wyatt was finally going to be the one. Now, all of the pressure is on AJ Styles to do what they couldn’t. The WWE Championship being on the line only furthers Styles’ drive and determination to pull off the most incredible victory of all-time at WrestleMania. All things must come to an end, and that includes The Streak. AJ Styles makes history tonight.” Michael Cole went last, saying that this may be the most difficult match that he’s ever had to predict. “I’ve called countless Undertaker matches at WrestleMania. There’s always a point where you believe that someone has The Undertaker’s number, but by the time that closing bell rings, you’re reminded that this is The Undertaker at WrestleMania we’re talking about. It gets to a point where you just figure that it is impossible for anyone to defeat ‘The Deadman’ on this stage. I know you said that all things must come to an end, Nigel, but I think The Streak is the exception. I think AJ Styles is going to come closer than anybody before him to pulling this off, but in the end, it’ll be like the rest of The Undertaker’s WrestleMania matches.”
Finally, the Kickoff panel reached the main event. Guaranteed to be the most emotional and violent match in the history of WWE. “At the end of this event, that Hell in a Cell structure is going to lower to the ground and become a murder scene. Paige becomes the first woman to ever headline WrestleMania. She’s also going to hold the record for the youngest superstar to main event WrestleMania at only 21 years of age, but I think we can all agree that while those milestones are nice, they’re not going to matter,” said Renee in a regretful tone. McGuinness said that if he’s being honest with himself, he isn’t sure if he intends on watching this match tonight. “We all know what’s going to happen. Paige is going to put up a valiant effort like she always does, but there’s no way she can beat Bray Wyatt. She’s trapped inside of Hell in a Cell with the most dangerous man in WWE today. My only hope is that this match is quick and as painless as possible for Paige.” Cole spoke next, saying that he doesn’t think a Paige victory is as far-fetched as some people believe. “She is absolutely the underdog, but we’ve seen what she’s capable of when the rulebook is set on fire and thrown out the window. Any weapon that she desires will be at her disposal. She’ll be locked inside the Hell in a Cell, but at the same time, The Wyatt Tribe will be locked out of it. It’s just Paige, Bray Wyatt, deadly weapons and a hell of a lot of bloodshed. There is a way for Paige to win. I just hope that she can find it because if she doesn’t, then she could very easily lose more than just her career tonight.” Big Show said that more than anything else at WrestleMania, he wants to see Paige pull this one off. “I really, really want Paige to put Bray Wyatt away and finally move on in her life and be happy… but that seems like a pipe dream at this point. There’s no going back now for Paige. She has to win this match, or as you said, Cole, her career won’t be the only thing that ends tonight. I’m scared to death for her. This is a very serious matter. A young woman with her whole life ahead of her is going to put everything on the line for the chance to finally beat the monster that’s been torturing her for months now. I hope Paige wins, but realistically, that’s not possible. The only thing I can say for sure is that if you’re at all squeamish, stay away from this one because it’s going to get ugly very quickly.”
The countdown clock reached its final seconds as Renee Young signed off from the Kickoff panel. WrestleMania XXX has arrived.
WRESTLEMANIA XXX IS LIVE!
After the signature WWE intro aired, a video package was shown that began with a shot of Bourbon Street at night, the area empty aside from one person. While an instrumental version of "Follow You" by Bring Me the Horizon played, shot of the individual working down the street was shown as he looked up at the sky, the video soon revealing him as WWE Chairman, Vince McMahon. The "Welcome to WrestleMania!" sound bite from WrestleMania 1 could be heard before quick highlights of WrestleMania throughout the last 30 years flashed on the screen. The video then focused on The Undertaker's undefeated streak on the biggest stage of them all while alternating between those clips and a shot of the WWE Champion AJ Styles walking down Bourbon Street. The audience in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome became audible at that point as they traded dueling chants of "Undertaker!" and "AJ Styles!" Styles continued to walk down the road until he ended up in a graveyard, every tombstone in front of him donning the names of Undertaker's victims at WrestleMania. Styles approached the tombstone with his name on it and the date of April 6th, 2014. Styles kicked the tombstone into pieces before lighting flashed in the sky, the video shifting its focus to that. Back on Bourbon Street, Universal Champion Derrick Bateman was shown pouring gasoline over the buildings that surrounded him, a TV in one of the shops showing his Royal Rumble victory back in January. As Bateman continued to empty the gasoline containers, the sign on one of the establishments read "Suplex City" while another said "Hustle Loyalty Respect." Bateman pulled out his lighter and when the song entered the chorus, he set Bourbon Street ablaze. Following that, shots of several of tonight's competitors were shown standing in the center of the burning environment. The names of superstars included Intercontinental Champion CM Punk, United States Champion The Miz, WWE Women's Champion Alexa Bliss, WWE Tag Team Champions The New Day, Cody Rhodes, Daniel Bryan, AJ Lee, Randy Orton, Kevin Owens, Shane McMahon, Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Triple H. After the song concluded, the screen faded out for a few seconds before returning to show Bourbon Street post-inferno. Very little of the surrounding buildings remained, leaving only one source of light: Bray Wyatt's lantern in the middle of the street. Footsteps could be heard approaching the lantern, Paige soon appearing in the video. 'The Anti-Diva' picked up the lantern and briefly stared at it while flashes on the screen showed the Hell in a Cell structure around her. Paige blew out the lantern before a voiceover from Wyatt stated, "We're here."
The opening graphic to officially welcome the WWE Universe to WrestleMania XXX appeared on screen while ”Throne” by Bring Me the Horizon acted as the supporting track to it. The biggest pyrotechnics display of the year shot off from the gargantuan stage in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome before cameras hovered over the audience of over 70,000 fans in New Orleans. The voice of Mauro Ranallo welcomed everybody to the biggest WrestleMania in history, both he and Corey Graves making their broadcast debuts for the grandaddy of them all. The Hell in a Cell structure hanging above the ring was focused on by cameras while Ranallo promoted tonight’s main event. “It is guaranteed to be the most violent and emotional match in WWE history. Paige becomes the first woman to ever headline WrestleMania when she takes on Bray Wyatt inside the demonic Hell in a Cell structure.” Graves then mentioned that several championships will be on the line tonight, including the Universal Championship in its first defense as Derrick Bateman puts the gold on the line against John Cena and Brock Lesnar in a Triple Threat match. Plus, the legendary undefeated streak of The Undertaker goes up against AJ Styles’ WWE Championship in one of the most anticipated bouts in the history of WrestleMania. All of that and so much more tonight in the final chapter before the ‘New Era’ officially commences this Thursday night at the Draft. WrestleMania begins right now!
Shane McMahon’s entrance theme was the first to play for the main WrestleMania card as the SmackDown Live Commissioner made his way out to a great response from the masses in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Shane stood on the stage for a bit, enjoying the sight of his first WrestleMania since X7 back in 2001. Just a few months ago, Shane resurfaced in WWE and put his stock in the company on the line against Derrick Bateman, a wager that would take him down the path to this match-up here tonight. Soon, Dean Ambrose’s entrance music sounded to an even bigger positive response than Shane’s. ‘The Lunatic Fringe’ walked out onto the stage, sporting a black baseball jersey to match Shane’s white one. Ambrose turned his back to the camera, revealing his logo on the jersey with “Game Over” written in place of his name. Ambrose and Shane walked down the elongated ramp together, both men ready to put Triple H and Seth Rollins behind them once and for all before the Draft on Thursday. “Dean Ambrose thought that he came out on top in this rivalry at SummerSlam last year when The Uprising defeated The Committee in WarGames. Triple H lost his power as a result, and Ambrose went on to win Manifest Destiny at Survivor Series. But ‘The Game’ just couldn’t let go of the fact that the man who deprived him of his COO position was going to compete for the WWE Championship. Hunter aided Seth Rollins, not because he truly sees potential in him, but because he just happened to be the superstar opposing Ambrose at the time. The alliance between Triple H and Seth Rollins conspired to remove Shane from his position as SmackDown Live Commissioner, and when those plans were thwarted, this match came to fruition,” Mauro Ranallo said to recap the story of this contest.
After Ambrose and Shane were settled in the ring, the two waited for a few seconds as the WWE Universe anticipated the arrival of their adversaries. Triple H’s theme music sounded as green strobe lights encompassed just about the entire atmosphere. On the stage, ‘The Game’ sat alone on a throne with RAW Commissioner Stephanie McMahon by his side, Hunter donning a red cape and golden crown with a skull mask attached to it. “You can have someone as death-defying as Shane McMahon. You can have a literal lunatic like Dean Ambrose… but right there is the man who has built his throne with the careers of everybody who tried their hand against ‘The King of Kings,’” Corey Graves stated. Hunter remained seated in the throne, his lack of any movement only adding to the anxiousness on the part of Ambrose and Shane to get the match started. Triple H’s music was cut off by Seth Rollins’, ‘The Architect of the Future’ rising on a platform from underneath the stage. Rollins stood still with his back turned to Hunter and Stephanie, and his eyes locked onto Ambrose and Shane. With gold attire to match Hunter’s, Rollins held a sword in his left hand. When his entrance music reached its pause, the silence lated longer than usual. Rollins turned the sword upside down and stuck it into the stage, causing not only the music to continue, but pyro to blast off as well. Hunter stood up from the throne and removed his cape, Stephanie taking off the crown for him. Rollins led the way while Hunter and Stephanie followed him, Graves using that sight to make a point to Ranallo. “You said that Triple H doesn’t actually see potential in Rollins and only took his side because he’s Ambrose’s rival. That’s where you’re wrong. Triple H knows that Seth Rollins is the superstar who is going to pave the way for the future. He knows that if he instilled trust in Rollins sooner, The Committee would still be around and he would still have his COO position. Triple H has known of Rollins’ potential since his days in NXT, and on the biggest stage in all of professional wrestling, Rollins will take the next step towards immortality by competing alongside one of the greatest of all-time.”
With both teams finally in the ring, the bell sounded as Ambrose immediately charged into Rollins, shoulder-thrusting Triple H out of the ring in the process. Ambrose cornered Rollins as he stomped away on him, pulling him into the center of the ring by his legs just so he could have enough room to fire away with left and right hand strikes. Rollins was able to slide out of the ring, but Ambrose returned to his pursuit by leaping through the ropes with a Suicide Dive. Ambrose pushed Rollins into the barricade before rolling him into the ring. Ambrose ascended to the top rope for an Elbow Drop, but Hunter provided an effective distraction by grabbing his foot. Ambrose kicked Hunter away, but Rollins bought enough time to be able to run onto the top rope and plant Ambrose onto the canvas with a Superplex. Rollins got to his feet while keeping his grip on Ambrose, delivering a Falcon Arrow for the first pinfall attempt of the match. Rollins rose to his feet and gave Ambrose a bit of his own medicine by stomping on his right shoulder repeatedly. Rollins brought Ambrose up to his feet and Irish Whipped him into his corner, charging into him with a forearm before tagging in Triple H. In came ‘The King of Kings,’ who threw Ambrose into the ropes and caught him in the face with a high knee. Hunter turned to Shane with a smirk on his face before resuming his attack on Ambrose. Stephanie applauded her husband as he delivered strike after strike to the forehead of Ambrose. Hunter then whipped Ambrose into the turnbuckles with enough force to make ‘The Lunatic Fringe’ bounce off of them. Hunter tagged Rollins back in before crashing Ambrose’s lower-back onto his knee with a Backbreaker. Rollins leaped off of the top rope, driving his knee into Ambrose’s chest and clavicle. Rollins tossed Ambrose out to ringside, seemingly trying to give him his receipt for the Suicide Dive earlier. When Rollins launched himself out of the ring, Ambrose sidestepped him. Rollins crashed onto the floor in front of Stephanie while Ambrose slid into the ring, quickly making the tag to Shane. Rollins re-entered the squared circle and was immediately taken down by Shane. The SmackDown Live Commissioner hit Rollins with his signature strikes numerous times before being pushed away. Rollins went to tag in Hunter, but was rolled up by Shane for a two count. Rollins got to his feet, only to be taken down repeatedly via Arm Drags. Shane Dropkicked Rollins before the tag was finally made to Hunter. ‘The Game’ came face-to-face with his brother-in-law, Stephanie shouting from ringside for her husband to pulverize him. Shane was able to block Triple H’s first attempt at a strike, punching him in the jaw a few times before whipping him off the ropes. Shane knelt down in anticipation for a Back Body Drop, but Hunter had it scouted and was able to bring Shane’s face down onto his knee. Shane was stunned momentarily, but was able to dodge Hunter’s next strike attempt. Shane brought Hunter down by his legs and slingshotted him into a corner. While Hunter was dazed, Shane stepped onto the second rope and leaped off, catching his adversary with a Bulldog. Shane got the cover, but Rollins was able to intervene. Ambrose stepped into the ring to even things up, Rollins hitting him with an elbow strike to the temple. Ambrose backed into the ropes, rebounding with a Nigel Lariat to Rollins. After Rollins rolled out of the ring, Ambrose stepped onto the ring apron with the intention of crashing onto Rollins with an Elbow Drop. Instead, Hunter was able to rush towards Ambrose, knocking him off the apron. Rollins capitalized by picking Ambrose up for a Buckle Bomb that sent him crashing into the barricade. Rollins slid back into the ring, sizing Shane up for a Superkick. However, Shane evaded the kick, causing Rollins to inadvertently take out the official. That was where this contest took a drastic turn.
Shane rammed Rollins into a corner, but Hunter was quickly able to assist his tag team partner. Shane tried fending off both Hunter and Rollins on his own, but paid the price by eating a Superkick followed by a Spinebuster. Noticing, that the official was down and out, Hunter exited to the outside and looked underneath the ring, bringing out his signature sledgehammer. Hunter began sizing Shane up, but soon, Rollins stopped him to point out that Shane’s business partner, SmackDown Live General Manager Kurt Angle, was walking down the ramp. The man who was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame last night stepped into the ring, trying to reason with ‘The Game’ and prevent any more harm towards Shane. Stephanie entered the ring as well, the RAW Commissioner getting in Angle’s face. “This is what Shane deserves!” Stephanie shouted in reference to Shane losing his ownership in WWE to Derrick Bateman at Survivor Series, which created a domino effect that led to a brand split without the McMahon-Helmsley regime in full control of things. Stephanie slapped Angle across his face once before doing so again. When Stephanie tried for a third strike, Angel grabbed her wrist. Immediately, Hunter struck Angle! ‘The Game’ stomped away on the Olympic Gold Medalist while Rollins grabbed the sledgehammer, leveling Shane in the skull with it. Hunter covered Shane while Rollins dragged the official closer to them. The official began the slow count, but before he could reach three, Ambrose emerged from ringside and broke up the pin attempt. Rollins grabbed Ambrose and brought him up to his feet, only to be kicked in the mid-section. Rollins dropped to his knee, Ambrose trying for his old Knee Trembler finisher. However, Rollins moved out of the way and once again, the referee took the maneuver. “Well… s***!” Ambrose screamed before turning around and walking into a Pedigree from Hunter. ‘The Game’ tried telling Rollins to wake up the official again, but suddenly, Angle slid into the ring and delivered an Angle Slam! “Are you kidding me?!?” Corey Graves exclaimed while the masses in New Orleans lost it. Angle, who was retaliating for what happened to him just moments, rose to his feet and planted Rollins with a German Suplex! Angle, who had not been involved in a physical altercation since SummerSlam, was finally let loose as he applied the Ankle Lock to Triple H! Angle had finally snapped and was about to do just to the ankle of ‘The Game’ until he and the WWE Universe were left stunned at the sound of D-Generation X’s entrance music. Mauro Ranallo said it best when he yelled out, “Now what?!?” to summarize the sheer chaos of this one match-up. Angle released the Ankle Lock and turned his attention to the stage, not expecting The New Age Outlaws and X-Pac to attack him from behind! D-X were relentless in their attack, all while Hunter, Rollins and Stephanie looked on with beaming smiles. “Hey, that one’s yours!” Road Dogg said to X-Pac when he noticed Shane starting to get to his feet. Pac delivered a Spinning Heel Kick to Shane, getting a measure of revenge for WrestleMania XV, which was quite ironic considering Hunter’s role in that particular match. Road Dogg and Billy Gunn held Ambrose up, allowing Hunter the opportunity to get a sledgehammer shot in on him as well. Just before ‘The Game’ could finish off Ambrose, the legendary sound of glass shattering echoed throughout the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. “Oh! My! God!” Ranallo screamed out over the WWE Universe members who were also going wild. D-X, Rollins and Stephanie all turned to the stage with their mouths wide opened as Stone Cold Steve Austin walked through the curtain! Austin stood on the stage, grinning at those standing tall in the ring while they challenged him to walk down the aisleway. Austin didn’t move, however, and that was because he was awaiting more backup. Next, the entrance music of The Rock sounded to an absolutely monstrous pop. At that point, Ranallo and Graves both dismissed their roles as commentators and acted as fans just like everyone else in the stadium. “‘The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment’ is in New Orleans!” screamed Graves. Austin and Rock stood side-by-side, this match having gone off the deep end by that point. The two WWE legends stood still in place on the stage, one more individual waiting to have his music played. For the first time in over half a decade, the entrance theme of Hulk Hogan was heard in a WWE setting. There were no commentary lines this time from Ranallo and Graves as they were both left speechless at the sight of ‘The Immortal’ Hulk Hogan walking out onto the WrestleMania XXX stage donning the red and yellow. Hogan pointed to D-X and Rollins before he, Austin and Rock began making the long walk to the ring. “That is Hulk freakin’ Hogan!” exclaimed Graves to finally break the silence on commentary. Ranallo questioned if this was planned by Shane, Angle and Ambrose in the event that Hunter had something up his sleeve, or if the legends were acting out on their own because it was the right thing to do? Hunter sent D-X after the three of them, resulting in a massive brawl at ringside. Hogan literally sent X-Pac flying with a Back Body Drop onto the ramp while Austin and Rock took on Road Dogg and Billy Gunn respectively. Per Hunter’s request, Stephanie started making a run for the backstage area, the RAW Commissioner trying to avoid taking any collateral damage from the mayhem. Stephanie stood on the stage, letting out a defeated scream. “You’ll all pay for this! I swear you will!” Stephanie screamed at the top of her lungs. When she turned around, she was struck in the head with a briefcase from her assistant, Allie! The same briefcase that contained Allie’s contract was used to finally let out all of her frustrations against the woman who had made her life hell since January! “F*** you, Stephanie! F***! You!” Allie screamed in the face of the unconscious RAW Commissioner. Allie probably just cost herself her job, but if this was her swan song, she was at least able to give Stephanie exactly what she deserved!
At that moment, the official was back on his feet and looked around the ringside area in about as much confusion as anyone could possibly be to anything. Ambrose and Shane both Clotheslined Hunter and Rollins respectively over the top rope. Before continuing their scuffles at ringside, Ambrose asked Shane to tag him into the match, making sure that the official saw. Afterwards, The New Age Outlaws entered the ring to try to escape their beatdowns. That ultimately failed as Austin and Rock followed them. Austin turned Road Dogg around and delivered a Stone Cold Stunner while Billy Gunn was the victim of a Rock Bottom! Rock had positioned Gunn perfectly in the center of the ring as he looked out into the sea of over 70,000 WWE Universe members continuing to go wild. Rock threw his shirt into the audience before running the ropes and connecting with the People’s Elbow! While all of that was taking place, Shane cleared the announce table furthest to his left and placed Rollins on the surface of it. Ambrose, Rock, Austin and Hogan all cheered him on, as did every single fan in attendance. Shane climbed to the top turnbuckle, looking across at the motionless Rollins before leaping off with an Elbow Drop through the announce table! “Shane McMahon just drove his elbow through the heart of ‘The Architect!’” shouted Graves. After slowly getting to his feet, Shane was able to grab Hunter and roll him into the ring. Hunter found himself surrounded in a scene very similar to SummerSlam, symbolically telling him that no matter what scheme he tries pulling for power, it’s always going to end the same exact way. This time, it wasn’t just The Uprising opposing him. It was also some of the biggest legends in the history of professional wrestling. Names from his past who showed up at the right time at WrestleMania to ensure that justice was delivered. Hunter stood to his feet and looked around, realizing that defeat was imminent. His tag team partner was laid out across the remains of an announce table. His backup in the form of D-X had all fallen as well. His wife was still unconscious on the stage via Allie’s first ever violent outburst. He was once again a hopeless, defeated man and all he could do was let it happen. Hunter tried one last time to battle back, but was kicked in the mid-section by Ambrose. ‘The Lunatic Fringe’ spiked him onto his head with Dirty Deeds before rolling him over to get the three count.
DEAN AMBROSE & SHANE MCMAHON ARE VICTORIOUS!
An absolutely thunderous ovation emanated from the WWE Universe members in New Orleans after the bell sounded, Dean Ambrose rising to his feet after being victorious once again over the two men who have been out to make his life hell, Triple H and Seth Rollins. “This was a year in the making for Dean Ambrose. After WrestleMania 29, it was his actions that caused the war between The Committee and The Uprising. Now, at WrestleMania XXX, Ambrose has finally put it all behind him,” Mauro Ranallo stated. Ambrose shook Shane McMahon’s hand, thanking the SmackDown Commissioner for fighting alongside him in battle. The two of them then turned to Hulk Hogan, The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin, the three WWE legends congratulating them as well. “Did you know about this?” Ambrose asked Shane, the latter shaking his head. Triple H, Rollins, D-Generation X and Stephanie McMahon were all shown laid out throughout the stadium, Austin asking for beers from ringside. ‘The Texas Rattlesnake’ handed some over to Rock, Hogan, Ambrose and Shane, the five of them toasting in the middle of the ring at the biggest WrestleMania of all-time. Hogan, Rock, Austin and Ambrose all posed in the ring while Shane greeted his wife and children at ringside, thanking them for their support in his comeback to WWE that allowed him to have another WrestleMania moment. Ambrose, Shane, Hogan, Rock, Austin and even Allie for that matter have put the final nail in the coffin of The Committee, and ‘The Lunatic Fringe’ can finally look ahead to the next chapter in his career with the WWE Draft on Thursday. Game over, Hunter and Rollins.
Backstage, RAW General Manager Dario Cueto was shown in his office, taking a sip of wine while watching a television monitor with a smile on his face. Dario clearly enjoyed the sight of Stephanie McMahon finally getting her comeuppance from Allie. The door could be heard opening as the Chairman of WWE himself, Vince McMahon, walked into the room. “Don’t you just love it, Dario? THIS is what we mean when we say ‘WrestleMania Moments!’” said an ecstatic Vince, seemingly not caring for the fact that his daughter was still unconscious on the stage. Dario agreed with Vince, but stated that no moment this evening will top what is to come later on in his Unique Opportunity Battle Royal. “You’ve got to at least give me credit for that one, Vince.” The Chairman was reluctant to agree with Dario that the Battle Royal was a great concept… “Although, if I wanted to, I could throw a wrench into your plans for this match.” Dario laughed off Vince’s comment, telling him that he can’t possibly have something up his sleeve. “You’re right. I couldn’t possibly have a plan set in place to take control of the match that’s being promoted by the guy who tried siccing his brother on me…” Vince continued to stare Dario in the eye before leaving the room, the RAW General Manager suddenly weary about what might happen in his Unique Opportunity Battle Royal tonight.
For the first time at WrestleMania, Kevin Owens’ entrance music sounded. ‘The Prizefighter’ received a massive ovation from the Mercedes-Benz Superdome as he walked out onto the stage, looking out at the 70,000 plus fans that packed the stadium. “Think about where that man’s been, Mauro. Kevin Owens has competed in front of only a handful of fans before when he was still trying to make a name for himself. Now, he’s reached the pinnacle of his profession. WrestleMania has just become KO-Mania!” Corey Graves exclaimed. Owens began walking down the ramp, reflecting on the journey that has brought him to this point. For years, he was told that he would never make it to the WWE. Whether it was his weight or appearance or anything trivial like that, people constantly made excuses for why they believe Owens wouldn’t succeed. Right now, people like Jim Cornette and Jacques Rougeau were watching the guy they put down for years walk into the ring at WrestleMania. Owens stepped onto the second rope and looked up at the skybox where the NXT stars who are entering the Draft were sitting. “I! Made! It!” Owens screamed at the top of his lungs at one particular person: Sami Zayn. Cameras showed Zayn standing up in the skybox, a look of frustration consuming his face. The two were separated in distance by more than a few yards, but in that heated moment, if felt as if they were face-to-face again. Zayn made it to WWE first, but it was Owens who would be debuting at WrestleMania before his former best friend.
Owens paced back-and-forth in the ring as he awaited the arrival of his adversary. One of the most accomplished superstars in WWE history, Randy Orton. ”Voices” finally sounded to a crowd response that surprisingly couldn’t match Owens’. Orton walked out onto the stage for his eleventh straight WrestleMania, ten years after his debut on the grandest stage of them all. “In 2004 at Madison Square Garden, Randy Orton walked into WrestleMania for the first time and defeated Mick Foley and The Rock. Now, the tables have turned and ‘The Viper’ is the one who is being hunted for a young, hungry talent. April 6th, 2014 will be remembered as the day that ‘The Legend Killer’ became the entity that he preyed on in his early days,” Mauro Ranallo stated. Orton made the slow, methodical walk down to the ring, keeping an anxious Owens waiting. It was the night after the Royal Rumble when Owens Powerbombed Orton onto the ring apron, trying to end his career. Orton came back with a vengeance not too long after, and now, the two manipulative and calculating superstars settle their difference in the middle of the ring at the biggest WrestleMania in history.
The bell sounded as Orton and Owens circled the canvas for a bit, Owens showing off his wedding ring to further drive an insult that he made towards ‘The Viper’ on Monday about the latter’s divorce last year. Orton charged towards Owens, who rolled out to ringside. Orton slid out of the ring, Owens ramming him into the ring apron. ‘The Prizefighter’ was successfully able to lure Orton into his trap, setting him up for a Powerbomb. Orton was able to fight out of it, sending Orton crashing onto the floor with a Back Body Drop. Orton picked Owens up and threw him into the barricade, stomping on his chest for a bit before rolling him back into the squared circle. When Owens got to his feet, Orton immediately tried for an RKO. Owens, however, was able to counter it into a backslide roll-up, Orton kicking out at two. Owens connected with a kick to Orton’s mid-section before throwing him into the ropes. Orton didn’t spring off of them as Owens intended, ‘The Prizefighter’ running towards him, Orton moved out of the way as Owens tried exiting through the opening between the second and top rope. Orton was able to catch Owens and bring him back into the ring for his patented rope-hanging DDT. Orton rolled Owens away from the ropes, striking him repeatedly in the forehead until the official pried him away. Orton tried kicking Owens, the latter able to grab his foot. Owens rose to his feet, trash-talking Orton while continuing to hold his foot until ‘The Viper’ delivered a very uncharacteristic Enziguri! Owens rolled out to ringside, Orton chasing after him. Orton got a hold of Owens, lifting him off of his feet and dropping him back-first onto the middle announce table! Orton grabbed Owens and rolled him into the ring, ‘The Viper’ climbing to the top rope. After Owens stood up, Orton leaped onto him with a Flying Crossbody! “Randy Orton turning the clock back at WrestleMania!” said Ranallo, acknowledging the throwback to Orton’s previous moveset. Orton covered Owens, but was only able to garner a two count. Both men rose to their feet at the same time, Orton able to block Owens’ strike and connect with a few of his own. Orton backed Owens into a corner and stepped onto the second turnbuckle, continuing to pulverize him until Owens placed him on his shoulders for a Powerbomb. Owens walked into the center of the ring, where Orton was able to slide out of his grip. Orton turned Owens around and went for an RKO, Owens countering it by ramming Orton shoulder-first into the top turnbuckle. Owens tossed Orton out to ringside before stepping onto the apron. ‘The Prizeifghter’ waited patiently for ‘The Viper’ to get to his feet, leaping onto him with a Cannonball! Owens got to his feet and quickly picked Orton up, planting him onto the announce table with a Back Suplex as payback for earlier. Orton remained laid out on top of the table, holding his shoulder that Owens had been targeting. Owens stepped onto the announce table, slowly bringing his adversary up to his feet. Owens held Orton by his face and shouted at him until Orton kicked him in the kneecap. Orton shook off his elbow and tried for a third RKO, this time onto the announce table. However, Owens pushed Orton away and caused him to crash onto the floor! Orton closed his eyes and swung his fist into the air, trying to conceal his agony after dropping back-first from a distance of a few feet. Owens rolled Orton into the ring before ascending to the top rope, soaring through the air with a Frog Splash! Owens covered Orton, the WWE Universe believing that was the end of the contest until Orton raised his good shoulder at two. The frustrated Owens stood to his feet and while he was eager to get the victory that believed wasn’t far off, he marveled at the sight of Orton trying to use his own body to stand up. “You hear those voices in your head now, Randy! They’re telling you that you can’t beat me!” Owens screamed at Orton before locking his arms in place for what appeared to be a Package Piledriver. However, Orton was able to free himself, somehow gathering the strength to lift him over his head with a Back Body Drop. When Owens staggered to his feet, Orton finally caught him with an RKO! However, Orton landed directly on his bad shoulder, ‘The Viper’ writhing around in pain. Orton had to crawl towards Owens’ fallen body to get the cover, but once he did so, Owens managed to get his foot on the bottom rope just in time. Orton slithered away from Owens and back into the center of the ring, gearing up for another RKO by slamming his fist on the side of his good shoulder onto the mat. Suddenly, Orton saw a different opening. One that didn’t involve an RKO, but something in his arsenal that would be even more effective in putting Owens away. Orton backed into a corner, sizing Owens up for the Punk Kick. Orton ran towards Owens, but before his boot could make contact, Owens hoisted Orton into the air with a Pop Up Powerbomb! After Orton crashed onto the canvas, Owens covered him to score the win in his WrestleMania debut.
KEVIN OWENS IS VICTORIOUS!
Perhaps the biggest victory of Kevin Owens’ career just transpired as he rose to his feet, the official raising his arm in the air while he looked down at the fallen Randy Orton. Owens headed to the second turnbuckle, shouting at the WWE Universe that he proved all of them wrong. The audience members in New Orleans responded with resounding cheers, seemingly agreeing with ‘The Prizefighter’ than in the last year, he has indeed made believers out of those who claimed that he would never make it to the WWE, let alone WrestleMania XXX. Owens began heading up the entrance ramp, mocking Orton’s taunt in a gesture that Corey Graves stated he had earned the right to. “Kevin Owens did exactly what he said he was going to do. He made it clear from the moment that this match was announced that he would beat Orton in the middle of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, and what just happened. Owens cut the head off of ‘The Viper’ and stands tall at the biggest WrestleMania of all-time!” ‘Fight Owens Fight’ reigns supreme at WrestleMania.
At this time, a video package was shown highlighting WrestleMania Axxess here in New Orleans throughout the entire weekend. WWE Universe members from all across the globe came out to meet with their favorite superstars ahead of the biggest WrestleMania in history tonight in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
For the first time ever at WrestleMania, The Usos heard their own theme song be played as Jimmy and Jey Uso walked out onto the stage, the two sporting “Day One Ish” hoodies, black joggers and white Air Force 1s as they looked out at the WWE Universe members who they believe have failed to support them enough throughout their career. “A lot of people believe that The Usos are just bitter,” Corey Graves stated. “If you ask me, The Usos have every right to be upset. They’ve been on the main roster for four years now, and they’re just now making their debuts at WrestleMania. They were promised the world heading into 2013, but were pushed aside by teams such as Wrestling Royalty, The Committee, Ohno and Cesaro, The Alpha Wolves and the unit that they’ll be meeting tonight, The New Day. The Usos watched every single tag team surpass them, and once they had an opportunity in the Tag Team Turmoil last month, they seized it. The Usos made it clear to both The New Day and the WWE Universe that they’re not here to please anyone but themselves and their mission statement will be fulfilled in just a matter of moments when they finally, finally become the WWE Tag Team Champions.” The Usos stepped into the ring, pointing at their hoodies to remind everyone that since day one, they’ve been waiting for this moment. Jimmy and Jey have stood on the sidelines for far too long. They believe that this is their time, and only one trio stands in their way of becoming Tag Team Champions at long last.
“Awwwwwwww N’awlins! Don’t you dare be sour! Clap for your world famous Tag Team Champs and feel the power! It’s a New Day, yes it is!” The entrance music of New Day commenced as the fans in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome clapped along to the rhythm, The Usos only becoming more annoyed at their opponents’ popularity. A few seconds later, a parade float with a unicorn horn sticking out of its front drove through the curtain. Kofi Kingston, Big E and Xavier Woods stood on the float, Woods playing his trombone while Kofi threw Booty-Os out into the audience. Big E was occupied with an air pump, using the tool until the inflatable Booty-Os box was standing upright for the world to see. “This is exactly why The Usos are irate,” Graves ranted. “The New Day are out here on a float, twerking and throwing cereal onto innocent people and somehow, they’re universally praised.” Mauro Ranallo stated that while New Day are the most colorful and extravagant team in WWE, they’ve been able to back up their antics with dominant in-ring performances. “They beat John Cena at TLC. They came out on top against The Alpha Wolves in the Best of Seven Series at Battleground to become Tag Team Champions. The New Day are all about having fun and letting loose, but when the bell rings, there is no better team in professional wrestling today.” After removing themselves from the parade float, New Day continued on their way to the ring, Kingston and Woods hoisting Big E onto their shoulders so that the latter could show off the WWE Tag Team Titles in the faces of The Usos. The official kept Jimmy and Jey away from the trio while over 70,000 fans in New Orleans chanted, “New! Day rocks!” as loudly as they could.
Once the bell sounded, Kingston and Jimmy started things off. The two locked up before Kingston went behind Jimmy and rolled him up for what was barely a one count. Kingston got to his feet and nearly ran into a Superkick from Jimmy. “Ain’t so tough now, ain’t you?!” Jimmy shouted, Kingston annoyed by the fact that he allowed one of his adversaries the chance to showboat. Kingston and Jimmy locked up once again, Jimmy able to back Kingston into a corner this time. Jimmy delivered a knife edge chop across the chest of Kingston before bringing him into the center of the ring for a body slam. Jimmy then stepped onto the second rope, trying to leap onto Kingston with a knee to his face. Kingston, however, was able roll out of the way, nearly catching Jimmy with Trouble in Paradise when he was back on his feet. Jimmy backed against the ropes, Kingston now the one able to taunt his opponent. “You fell on your ass!” Xavier Woods shouted from ringside. Jimmy tried kicking Woods, Kingston able to place him into an O’Connor roll for a two count. Jimmy lifted Kingston over his head when he charged towards him, Kingston landing on the ring apron. Kingston fended off Jimmy with an elbow strike before having to do the same to Jey. That distraction allowed Jimmy to push Kingston off the apron, one-half of the defending champions bouncing his head off of the barricade. Jimmy slid out to ringside and grabbed Kingston, but before he rolled him back into the ring, he threw him into Woods! Jimmy finally got Kingston back into the ring, covering him for the near-fall. Jimmy made the tag to Jey, who came in and kicked Kingston in the back before connecting with a Basement Dropkick. Jey locked in a Single-Leg Boston Crab onto Kingston, reeling his leg back while Big E and the WWE Universe tried to act as his rally unit. After Kingston reached the bottom rope, Jey released his hold. Kingston crawled towards a corner to try to catch his breath, a grave mistake as Jey crashed his backside into his face. Jey got another cover, Kingston once again kicking out at two. Jey rose to his feet and began kicking Kingston away with his foot while mocking the “New! Day rocks!” clapping rhythm. Kingston was able to get a shot in on the side of Jey’s face, but Jey retaliated with an even harder strike of his own. Jey brought Kingston up to his feet and twisted his arm before tagging Jimmy back in, the latter coming down from the top rope with both fists onto Kingston’s arm. Jimmy backed Kingston against the ropes and struck him repeatedly in the forehead until the official pried him away. Jimmy Irish Whipped Kingston against the ropes, Kingston able to hold onto the top one to stop his momentum. Kingston got a foot up with Jimmy charged towards him. Kingston ran after Jimmy, but was lifted into the air. Kingston, however, landed on the top rope and soared through the air with a Crossbody to Jimmy for a two count. Kingston dodged a Clothesline from Jimmy and delivered SOS, but instead of going for the pin attempt, Kingston finally made the tag to Big E. In came the powerhouse of The New Day, tossing Jimmy across the ring with a Bell-to-Belly Suplex. Jey tried to intervene by leaping from the top rope, but Big E caught him in his arms and delivered a Suplex to him as well. Big E charged into both Usos in a corner with a running shoulder thrust before trying for a double Belly-to-Belly. Jey crashed onto the canvas again, but Jimmy managed to land on his feet. Big E blocked a Superkick attempt from Jimmy before throwing him over the top rope. Big E sandwiched Jey against the turnbuckles before noticing Jimmy getting onto the ring apron. Big E tried for a Spear through the ropes, but Jimmy was able to prevent it with a knee strike. Jey kicked the dazed Big E in the back of his kneecap. On the ring apron, Kingston ran towards Jimmy, but was caught into a Samoan Drop Position. All Jimmy had to do was take one step forward and drop down onto the floor in order to plant Kingston’s spine onto the apron! Jimmy quickly slid into the ring and delivered a Superkick to Big E, who was down on one knee. Jey connected with a Superkick of his own before both Usos traded them! After eight Superkicks, The Usos delivered two more simultaneously to Big E before Jimmy headed to the top rope. Jey leaped out of the ring and onto Kingston, eliminating him as a factor. “This it, Ranallo! The vision of The Usos since day one is about to become a reality!” Corey Graves exclaimed on commentary before Jimmy crashed onto Big E with a Superbly Splash! Jimmy got the cover, but just a millisecond before three, Woods pulled him out of the ring! The irate Jimmy kicked Woods in the mid-section before throwing him into the steel ring steps. Jimmy slid back into the ring and ran towards Big E, who literally pulled a handful of Booty-Os out from singlet and threw them into his face! The distracted Jimmy was placed onto Big E’s shoulder for the Big Ending, one-half of the defending champions getting the cover. However, Jey intervened at the perfect time with a Superfly Splash to the back of Big E! Jey helped Jimmy to his feet, but the two brothers turned around then Kingston flew onto them with a Crossbody! All four participants in the match were laid out on the canvas while the masses in New Orleans gave each and every one of them standing ovations. “This is awesome!” was the only chant audible at that point as The New Day and Usos stirred to their feet at the same time. The two teams exchanged strikes for a few seconds before Kingston and Big E rebounded off of the ropes with a leaping Clothesline and shoulder tackle respectively. The Usos slid out of the ring, Kingston clapping his hands to get the audience behind him before making an attempt at a high-risk maneuver. However, Big E stopped his partner midway. He did so because he wanted to be the one to take the risk instead. Big E ran the ropes and actually flew out of the ring with a Suicide Dive! Big E grabbed the legal Jimmy and rolled him into the ring, getting him up for the Midnight Hour. Before Kingston could complete the double team maneuver, Jey shoved him off of the top rope! Jimmy slid off of Big E’s shoulders and was able to pick him up for a massive Samoan Drop! Jey went for a third Superfly Splash to Big E, but the New Day’s muscle was able to get his knees up in time! Big E rose to his feet and blocked another Superkick from Jimmy. Big E spun Jimmy around, allowing him to become the victim to a Trouble in Paradise! Big E got Jimmy on his shoulder one more time as he and Kingston finally delivered the Midnight Hour! Big E got the cover on Jimmy, the official making the three count.
THE NEW DAY ARE STILL THE WWE TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS!
After the closing bell, Kofi Kingston jumped into Big E’s arms for a celebration as The New Day would be leaving New Orleans with the WWE Tag Team Championships still in their possession. Kingston and Big E retrieved the titles from ringside before the latter exited the ring for a second. Big E looked underneath the ring and brought out a box of Booty-Os, Corey Graves questioning how many boxes New Day had scattered throughout the stadium. Big E ran towards Xavier Woods, who was still laid out at ringside. After opening the box, Big E poured the cereal onto Woods, somehow fully reviving him. Woods grabbed Francesca and slid into the ring, playing New Day’s entrance music while the 70,000 plus fans in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome chanted, “New! Day rocks!” as loudly as possible. Kingston and Big E clapped along with the rhythm, Mauro Ranallo making sure to give credit where it was due to The Usos. “Jimmy and Jey showed once again that even if they’re not the Tag Team Champions, they belong in the title picture. There shouldn’t be any hint of doubt in anyone’s mind that someday, they will finally become champions. Tonight, however, belongs to the trio who has turned their careers around over the last few months. This very stadium saw the New Orleans Saints go from finishing last in the NFC South one year to having a Super Bowl season the next, and now, it witnesses the conclusion of The New Day’s rise to the top of tag team wrestling. Indeed, New Day rocks!”
At this time, a special shout out was given to the band Bring Me the Horizon for the album That’s the Spirit, which features every song off of it serving as themes for every match here tonight at WrestleMania. In a short video shot from Bring Me the Horizon’s tour bus, the band not only thanked WWE for the opportunity to provide the soundtrack to WrestleMania, but they also wished luck to a fellow UK native, Paige, who makes history tonight by becoming the first woman to ever main event WrestleMania.
The first sight to the WWE Universe upon returning to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome was the arrival of the participants in Dario Cueto’s Unique Opportunity Battle Royal. Talent including Chris Jericho, Christian, Samoa Joe, Bobby Roode, Baron Corbin and Hardcore Champion Adam Cole walked down the elongated ramp, many of whom were competing for the very first time at WrestleMania. “Think about what a victory in this match can do for someone’s career,” said Corey Graves. “The winner of this Battle Royal will be the only superstar who won’t be bound to one single brand after the Draft on Thursday. That person will be allowed to switch back-and-forth between RAW and SmackDown Live as they please. They’ll have more opportunities for success than anyone else on the roster. They could actually become WWE and Universal Champion simultaneously. Whoever wins could easily become the most powerful superstar in WWE today.”
After the participants entered the ring, only a few were left to make their official entrances. Braun Strowman’s entrance music sounded to a mixed reaction from the WWE Universe, a number of fans growing to appreciate the dominant and destructive nature of ‘The Monster Among Men’ since his debut in December. Strowman walked onto the stage, raised both arms and let out a massive shout before beginning his walk to the ring. Cameras showed Joe, Corbin and Rusev keeping their eyes locked on Strowman, none of those three men forgetting about the Monster’s Ball match at Battleground that they failed to succeed in. The rest of the superstars in the ring took notice of Strowman, understanding that he would likely be their biggest obstacle on the road to free agency.
After Strowman stepped over the top rope, Roman Reigns’ theme song hit. ‘The One Man Army’ walked through the curtain at his second WrestleMania, Mauro Ranallo mentioning Reigns’ outing last year and the effect that it had on him. “Roman Reigns nearly had the Money in the Bank briefcase in his hands in MetLife Stadium, but it was swiped away from him by Derrick Bateman. Look at the year that Bateman went on to have, and it culminates tonight when he defends the Universal Championship. Roman Reigns could have been in that position had he not failed at WrestleMania one year ago. For Reigns, this is his chance to right the wrongs from the last year. On top of that, imagine the look on Dario Cueto’s face if his rival were to come out on top in his own Battle Royal.” Reigns stepped onto the second rope and looked down at his competition before raising his arms. As one of the favorites in this contest, Reigns was ready to cement his status as a free agent.
After Reigns’ music silenced, a track from Tenth Dimension called “Devil Amongst Us” began playing as the lights in the stadium dimmed. Only a few red lights on the stage appeared, illuminating RAW General Manager Dario Cueto and his brother, ‘The Monster’ Matanza Cueto. Dario, who is the host of this Battle Royal, accompanied his malevolent brother down the ramp, Matanza making his WrestleMania debut after only first making his presence felt just a few weeks ago on SmackDown by laying waste to Roman Reigns. In the ring, Reigns kept his focus on both Cuetos, Dario smirking at him while Matanza’s eyes attempted to instill fear into his heart. Ranallo and Graves both agreed that Matanza may be the most dangerous participant in this match because he’s still an enigma in WWE. Very little is known about him. We know that he’s Dario’s brother, but beyond that, nothing about him has been explained yet. We don’t know his backstory. We don’t know where he came from, where he’s been or why Dario decided to wait until he himself was in danger before utilizing him. Matanza stepped into the ring and came face-to-face with Reigns, the field seemingly complete for the Unique Opportunity Battle Royal.
Except it wasn’t just yet.
Right before the bell could be called for by one of the officials, Batista’s entrance theme sounded as the shocked WWE Universe came unglued. “WHAT?!?” Graves screamed into his headset as Batista walked onto the stage here at WrestleMania XXX, ‘The Animal’ appearing for the first time since August, shortly after turning his back on The Committee. “Mamma mia! Dave Batista is in New Orleans!” shouted Ranallo, trying to be heard over the screaming masses in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. No one could believe what they were seeing, especially Dario as his eyes looked like they were going to bulge out of his head. Vince McMahon wanted the RAW General Manager that he had a way of throwing a wrench into his plans for the Battle Royal. He didn’t just have a wrench. He had an animal. Batista walked down to the ring, competing for the first time in eight months with the opportunity to become a free agent.
When the bell sounded, Heath Slater ran towards Batista and began striking him repeatedly. Nothing that Slater tried had an effect on Batista, ‘The Animal’ grabbing him and throwing him over the top rope immediately. Heath Slater has been eliminated! Chaos ensued from there as all participants went after each other, Reigns and Matanza battling into a corner with Enzo Amore getting trapped behind them. Fandango stepped onto the top rope and tried for a Missile Dropkick to Samoa Joe, but ‘The Samoan Submission Machine’ simply walked away from his line of sight. Joe then picked Fandango up, throwing him out to ringside. Fandango has been eliminated! Off near one side of the ring, Primo and Epico began double teaming Rusev, The Shining Stars taking out their frustrations over the fact that Rusev ripped up one of their time share pamphlets a few weeks ago. The duo charged towards Rusev, who lifted both of them over his head and out onto the floor. Primo and Epico have been eliminated! After Rusev walked away from the ropes, he was taken out by a big shoulder tackle from Braun Strowman. At that same moment, Big Cass caught Matt Hardy with a Big Boot. The two giants turned to each other, Strowman taking the first shot. Cats retaliated with a few strikes of his own, actually managing to get Strowman against the ropes. Cass went for a Big Boot into an elimination, but Strowman held down the top rope and allowed Cass to fall out. Big Cass has been eliminated! Trying to avenge Cass’ elimination, Enzo jumped onto the back of Strowman and attempted to choke him out. With the greatest of ease, Strowman grabbed Enzo by his head and pulled him over the top rope. Enzo Amore has been eliminated! After Hardy had gotten to his feet, he entered a scuffle with the superstar who currently held the Hardcore Championship that once belonged to the ‘Broken’ man, Adam Cole. Hardy got Cole in a corner and punched him repeatedly while yelling ‘Delete!’ with every strike. Cole kicked Hardy away and the latter inadvertently bumped into Matanza. ‘The Monster’ picked Hardy up and slammed him onto the canvas with the Wrath of the Gods. Matanza brought Hardy back up, only to throw him out of the ring. Matt Hardy has been eliminated! R-Truth was the next superstar to try to his luck against Matanza, but ‘The Monster’ literally swatted him away during a Dropkick attempt. Matanza picked Truth up into a Gorilla Press position, throwing him onto the floor. R-Truth has been eliminated! At that point, Matanza, Strowman and Rusev all had two eliminations each, the behemoths of the Battle Royal dominating as expected. Mojo Rawley, still a relatively fresh name on the roster, tried charging into Bobby Roode in a corner with his fist. Goode was able to sidestep Rawley, throwing him over the top rope after the miss. Mojo Rawley has been eliminated! TJ Perkins began causing trouble for Chris Jericho and Christian, taking both of them down repeatedly with Arm Drags. Perkins hoisted Christian onto his shoulders for the Detonation Kick, ‘Captain Charisma’ able to block it by grabbing Perkins’ leg. Christian slingshotted Perkins towards Jericho, who held down the top rope to send Perkins over and out. TJ Perkins has been eliminated! Even though Perkins was already out of the match, Jericho decided to add insult to injury. He ordered one of the officials to hand him ‘The List,’ the fans in New Orleans popping massively as Jericho teased the clicking of the pen. “TJ Perkins… you just made The List!” Jericho yelled out before writing down Perkins’ name.”Y2J!” chants filled the atmosphere in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome until The Alpha Wolves went after him, Christian able to make the save for his tag team partner. About a third of the field had been eliminated, the match entering its next phase when Kassius Ohno tried for a Rolling Elbow to Cole. The Hardcore Champion moved out of harm’s way, catching Ohno with a Superkick that sent him over the top rope! Kassius Ohno has been eliminated! “Adam Cole, bay bay!” Cole shouted along with just about all 70,000 plus WWE Universe members in New Orleans. Antonio Cesaro grabbed Cole and tried eliminating him, but the Hardcore Champion managed to hang on. Rusev delivered repeated kicks to Strowman’s legs in the center of the ring, ‘The Bulgarian Brute’ weakening him to the point where he was able to get him off of his feet! Strowman, however, was able to slide off of Rusev’s shoulder and charge him into the ropes. The strength of Strowman managed to send Rusev over the top rope out and onto the floor below. Rusev has been eliminated! Strowman continued to dominate, picking up his third elimination of the Battle Royal. The Alpha Wolves began targeting Baron Corbin, the former WWE Tag Team Champions taking turns delivering Dropkicks into a corner to ‘The Lone Wolf.’ During Davey Richards’ third Dropkick attempt, Corbin caught him for End of Days into the top turnbuckle! All Corbin needed to do from there was lift Richards’ legs over the top rope and allow him to fall to the floor. Davey Richards has been eliminated! After Corbin took Edwards out with a Clothesline, Reigns caught him with a Superman Punch! Reigns tried for another one, this time to Matanza. “Matanza! Matanza!” Dario shouted to his brother to try to make him aware of Reigns’ intentions. Reigns was caught him mid-air during his Superman Punch attempt, Matanza not able to control his grip on Reigns as the two superstars fell over the top rope simultaneously! Roman Reigns and Matanza Cueto have been eliminated! The masses in New Orleans were shocked as many people in the WWE Universe predicted either Reigns or Matanza to come out of this match victorious. After realizing that he wouldn’t be earning free agency, Reigns took out his frustrations by Spearing Matanza into the barricade! Before Reigns could even get to his feet, Dario began running up the entrance ramp, figuring that the ‘One Man Army’ would be coming after him. Reigns could see Dario running in the distance before choosing to make chase for him while Matanza remained laid out at ringside.
The halfway point of the match had been reached as 14 superstars were left to battle it out for free agency. Jericho and Christian targeted Tyson Kidd and Adrian Neville despite having already come out on top in their rivalry. Jericho threw Kidd over the top rope, neither he nor Christian realizing that Kidd had skinned the cat to stay in. Christian charged towards Kidd, only to face elimination himself! Christian has been eliminated! Jericho went after Kidd, but was taken out with a Flying Clothesline from Neville. A few feet away in the ring, Cesaro was able to prevent Edwards’ attempt at a Tornado DDT. Cesar sent Edwards over the top rope, but one-half of The Alpha Wolves was able to stay in. At least until Cesaro caught him with an Uppercut. Eddie Edwards has been eliminated! After chop blocking Batista behind one of his knees, Austin Aries was able to run the ropes and catch him with a Dropkick. Aries rose to his feet and gloated to the audience, claiming that he would be the one to win the Unique Opportunity Battle Royal. During his taunts, Bo Rotundo crept up behind him and threw him out of the ring! Austin Aries has been eliminated! The fans in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome practically lost it as Bo jumped up and down with joy, Aries trying to get back into the ring as the officials ordered him to leave ringside. When Bo turned around, he came face-to-chest with Strowman. Bo looked up at the monster standing across from him, his confidence suddenly shot momentarily. However, the WWE Universe began chanting, “We Bo-lieve!” to assure Bo that he was capable of achieving anything he set his mind to. “I Bo-lieve, too!” he screamed before chopping Strowman a few times. Strowman grabbed Bo by his head and threw him across the ring with just one arm! When Bo got to his feet, Strowman charged him against a corner before Clotheslining him over the top rope. Bo Rotundo has been eliminated! Nine superstars remained in the match, the field for free agency narrowing. Neville charged into Jericho in a corner with a forearm strike before backflipping a few times for momentum. That ended up backfiring on him tremendously as Cole kicked him below the belt. Cole grabbed Neville and was able to throw him out to ringside. Adrian Neville has been eliminated! Cole was taken down by Corbin, who then went after Batista. ‘The Lone Wolf’ pulled Batista in for the End of Days, only to have it countered into a Spinebuster! Batista was on fire again as he gave Corbin the thumbs down gesture before hoisting him up for the Batista Bomb! ‘The Animal’ picked Corbin up and sent him over the top rope. Baron Corbin has been eliminated! Cesaro became the next brave soul to try besting Strowman, hitting him with repeated Uppercuts before trying for a springboard one. Strowman managed to catch Cesaro in mid-air before throwing him onto the ring apron, Cesaro sliding off to hit the floor. Antonio Cesaro has been eliminated! Kidd struck Roode with a few shots to the head before charging towards him, ‘The Glorious One’ lifting him over his head. On Kidd’s way down, Jericho caught him with the Codebreaker! The dazed Kidd remained on his feet, Roode able to eliminate him thereafter. Tyson Kidd has been eliminated! Jericho then tried for another Codebreaker, this time to Joe. ‘The Samoan Submission Machine’ was able to prevent the maneuver, keeping Jericho in his grasp. Joe perched Jericho onto the top turnbuckle before delivering an Enziguri! Jericho fell off the top turnbuckle and out onto the floor, bringing his journey for free agency to an end. Chris Jericho has been eliminated! Joe was looking for revenge against Strowman, trying to apply the Coquina Clutch. Strowman, however, was able to roll Joe over onto his back before getting him up for a Running Powerslam! Strowman grabbed Joe and tossed him out of the ring to pick up his sixth elimination, the most of the match. Samoa Joe has been eliminated!
The final four were all that remained. Braun Strowman, Adam Cole, Bobby Roode and Batista. The latter three turned their attention to Strowman, who stood on his own with no one by his side. Cole, Roode and Batista knew that if they wanted a shot at victory, they needed to eliminate the biggest threat in the contest. Batista went after Strowman first, but was shoved away. Roode was taken out with a huge knockout punch from Strowman, ‘The Glorious One’ rolling to the outside underneath the bottom rope. Cole was the only man left standing, Strowman staring down the Hardcore Champion who was more than a foot shorter than him. Cole waited for Batista to get back up to his feet, seemingly so they could double team Strowman. Instead, Cole went after ‘The Animal,’ perhaps assuming that if he shifted his focus to just Batista, Strowman would leave him alone. Cole kicked Batista in the mid-section repeatedly before backing away, gearing up for a Superkick. “Look! I’m not going after you!” Cole shouted to Strowman, who stared at him him confusion. Batista was able to sidestep Cole’s Superkick, running the ropes and delivering a huge Spear! Once Cole got to his feet, Batista charged into him with a Clothesline that sent him over the top rope! Adam Cole has been eliminated! Batista then ran towards Strowman, the two colliding shoulders. Neither man moved, leaving Batista to try again. Strowman grabbed Batista by his throat, lifting him up for a Chokeslam. Batista managed to slide out of Strowman’s grasp, lifting him up for a Spinebuster! The ring shook when Strowman collided with the canvas, Batista sizing him up as he staggered to his feet. Batista ran into Strowman with one Clothesline that rattled. ‘The Animal’ went for another one, this time able to back Strowman against the ropes. With every bit of energy he had stored, Batista delivered one more Clothesline that was actually able to send Strowman out to ringside! Braun Strowman has been eliminated! Batista eliminated Strowman, but didn’t realize beforehand that Roode was still in the match! Roode ran towards the fatigued Batista and lifted him over the top rope! Batista has been eliminated!
BOBBY ROODE WINS THE UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY BATTLE ROYAL!
“Give me a hallelujah, Ranallo! Bobby Roode is the only free agent in WWE!” Roode dropped to his knees and let out a massive shout into the air while the official tried raising his arm. Roode finally got to his feet while the 70,000 plus fans in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome sang along to his theme song. On the outside, Batista sat against the steel ring steps, glaring down at the floor in disappointment after letting his guard down and coming only one superstar short of winning the Unique Opportunity Battle Royal. Back in the ring, a single spotlight shined down onto Roode while he posed in the center of the squared circle, basking in his own glory. Because of this victory in his WrestleMania debut, Roode will not be drafted this Thursday night. Instead, he’ll be the only superstar on the roster allowed to appear on both RAW and SmackDown Live every week. Roode’s opportunities now are endless. He could theoretically become WWE and Universal Champion simultaneously if the stars align for him. No matter what, Roode’s status as one of the most powerful superstars in WWE today has been cemented. ‘The Glorious One’ has seized the unique opportunity and is now the hottest free agent in professional wrestling.
A promo was shown to advertise some of the upcoming Pay-Per-View events for the main roster. In four weeks, RAW will kick off the brand split era of Pay-Per-View with No Mercy on Saturday May 3rd. The following day, Sunday May 4th, SmackDown Live presents Backlash. Both events will be held at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The two brands will switch positions another four weeks later. Saturday May 31st belongs to SmackDown Live in the form of Judgment Day, while RAW brings Bad Blood to the WWE Universe on Sunday June 1st. Those events are set to emanate from the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. Then, in WWE’s first dual-branded Pay-Per-View of the brand extension, Money in the Bank is live on Sunday June 22nd from Chicago, Illinois as part of a double-headlining weekend with NXT TakeOver the day prior.
Back in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome for WrestleMania XXX, Mauro Ranallo and Corey Graves put over the action seen thus far tonight in New Orleans that has been filled with shockers including appearances from Hulk Hogan, The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin to assist Dean Ambrose and Shane McMahon, and as we just saw, Batista as a participant in the Unique Opportunity Battle Royal. “And to think, Ranallo, that there could be something even more shocking still to come,” Corey Graves said. “Up next, we could see the end of professional wrestling’s most legendary streak of all-time.” A graphic appeared for the WWE Championship match, the fans in New Orleans erupting as it was time for one of the biggest matches in history to take place.
Cutting to a video package, a highlight reel of The Undertaker’s WrestleMania matches up to this point were shown, focusing on the closing moments of each contest that have seen ‘The Deadman’ turn some of the most legendary names in professional wrestling history into statistics. Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Ric Flair, Randy Orton, Batista, Edge, Bray Wyatt, Kane. The list goes on of the superstars who have tried to topple The Undertaker at WrestleMania, only to fail. “Is there anyone who can defeat The Undertaker?” said a voiceover from Michael Cole captured at WrestleMania XXIX last year. ”Throne” by Bring Me the Horizon then began playing alongside footage from King of the Ring 2013, where AJ Styles made his WWE debut. From that moment on, the landscape of WWE changed drastically as Styles quickly rose in the ranks, capturing the Money in the Bank briefcase in his very first match at Payback a month later. Styles would go on to cash in his contract at Survivor Series during a title match between Cody Rhodes and Brock Lesnar to achieve something that just one year ago, nobody thought could conceivably ever happen. ‘The Phenomenal One’ became the WWE Champion. Styles has put away every superstar he’s stepped into the ring against thus far, including Randy Orton, Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and the current Universal Champion, Derrick Bateman. “The sticks and the stones that you used to throw have built me an empire, so don’t even try.” When Styles needed a fifth member for his WarGames team to combat Bateman, The Undertaker rose from the grave that Wyatt confined him to almost a year ago. Undertaker’s intention, however, wasn’t to get revenge against Wyatt. It was to test Styles’ ability to succeed as the new face of WWE. In the closing moments of WarGames at Battleground, Undertaker betrayed Styles by Chokeslamming him, allowing Bateman to pick up the scraps and become the first superstar in WWE to pin him. Undertaker made it clear to Styles that he wants a one-on-one match to find out for himself of ‘The Phenomenal One’ truly has what it takes and isn’t another flash in the pan talent who is just going to fade into obscurity. Styles upped the ante to the fullest extent by challenging Undertaker to their match at the event where no superstar has ever defeated ‘The Phenom.’ Styles even agreed to put his WWE Championship on the line, a condition that Undertaker warned him against. The dream match was made official, and since then, two additional confrontations between the two took place. In the first, Styles attempted to blindside The Undertaker with a Phenomenal Forearm, only to be the recipient of a Chokeslam once again. ”I’ll leave you choking on every word you left unspoken.” Six days ago on RAW, Styles was finally able to catch Undertaker where he wanted him. Styles laid out Undertaker, but only momentarily as ‘The Deadman’ sat up and stared a hole through the man who will be the next to challenge his undefeated streak. Something will reach its end tonight. AJ Styles’ WWE Championship reign or The Undertaker’s streak. ”So you can throw me to the wolves. Tomorrow, I will come back, leader of the whole pack. Beat me black and blue. Every wound will shape me. Every scar will build my throne.”
“Undertaker!” “AJ Styles!” “Undertaker!” “AJ Styles!” “Undertaker!” “AJ Styles!” The WWE Universe would not stop trading chants of the two competitors’ names for anything. For at least 30 seconds, cameras just hovered over the audience in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome that was split right down the middle. Half of this audience is ready to witness the end of the streak. The other half is ready for ‘The Phenomenal One’ to become a statistic just like everyone else before him.
The lights in the stadium shut as torches could be seen carried by druids on the stage. Smoke engulfed the area surrounding them, each druid facing another on the ramp with the torches raised slight over their heads. One druid who did not have a torch walked off to the side of the stage, approaching a piano. After taking a seat in front of the keys, he began playing a very moving rendition of Undertaker’s entrance theme. During his performance, a video was projected onto the titantron of the legendary urn standing alone in the middle of a rainstorm. This entire scene was drastically different from other Undertaker WrestleMania entrance setups. This didn’t feel like ‘The Deadman’ was trying to strike fear into the heart of his opponent. The music combined with the video, it was sad more than anything else. It felt like… like he knows the end is near. Undertaker might be expecting AJ Styles to give him his toughest challenge to date. One so demanding that even ‘The Deadman’ isn’t sure what will come from it. Undertaker has been a part of WWE for as long as many current fans have been alive. Some don’t know of a professional wrestling world without ‘The Phenom’ in it. If Undertaker’s streak ends tonight, that’s the end of him as well. The one constant in WWE will no longer be here, and it wasn’t until this moment that many people realized that.
After the completion of the piano rendition, the stadium became quiet until a lighting bolt struck the stage. After that, Undertaker’s normal entrance theme sounded to one of the loudest ovations of the night. The signature purple lighting effects brightened the stage as The Undertaker slowly walked through the curtain and into the smoke on the stage. Undertaker stood still for a few seconds before beginning his long walk down the entrance ramp with the torches from the druids hanging above him. “Whether tonight marks the end of his legendary streak or not, The Undertaker will go down in history as the single greatest performer in the history of WrestleMania. 21-0 is where he stands of this moment. Undertaker has spent two decades performing on the biggest stage in the world of professional wrestling without a single loss to his name. The last time he competed here with a championship on the line was at WrestleMania 24 when Edge did what AJ Styles is about to and defend gold against the streak. Every year, it feels like Undertaker’s adversary comes closer to figuring out the unknown formula for dethroning WrestleMania’s deity,” Mauro Ranallo said before Corey Graves added his comments. “Whenever you think of WrestleMania, this is the entity that comes to everyone’s minds first. The thought of Undertaker without his WrestleMania streak is unfathomable. ‘The Deadman’ seizing victory at WrestleMania feels just as natural to us wrestling fans as birth and death do. I can’t imagine a world where this man does not have his streak… but at the same time, there is a chill going down my spine not because of Undertaker’s entrance, but because I feel that I might witness something here in this match that I will be telling my grandchildren about someday. All things come to an end eventually is what we’re taught throughout our lives, but for many wrestling fans, the streak isn’t something that we’re willing to let go. It’s not going to feel real if AJ Styles pulls this off.” Undertaker walked onto the steel steps and raised his head as thunder sounded throughout the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. ‘The Deadman’ walked through the ropes and into the ring, waiting for the right moment in his music to remove his hat and roll his eyes into the back of his head. The lights in the stadium came back on while Undertaker removed his trench coat, the WWE Universe showing nothing but respect for the superstar who deserves it more than anyone else. Cameras showed various signs in the audience that perfectly highlighted the mood in the stadium. Some signs read “22-0.” Some had “21-1” written on them. A few just said, “Thank you, ‘Taker” to indicate that some people are already preparing for ‘The Deadman’ to ride off into the moonlight with his streak no longer a part of him. Undertaker stepped into the center of the ring as his music silenced, keeping his eyes locked onto the stage.
The opening organ notes to AJ Styles’ entrance music sounded to a thunderous reaction that managed to rival Undertaker’s. The defending WWE Champion walked out onto the stage, a giant pyrotechnics display being set off during the short pause in his theme. Styles removed his hood from his head and put his hands together. Normally, putting the gloves together would read “P1,” but tonight, they read “21-1” instead. The same design appeared on his black and purple gear, the champion already making it known to Undertaker before he even gets into the ring that he’s snapping the streak at all costs. “This time last year, AJ Styles had yet to even be presented his WWE contract,” Mauro Ranallo said. “We heard rumblings that Styles was on his way here, but it was one of the rumors that you absolutely could not believe until you saw it with your own eyes. I will never forget watching the King of the Ring last year and seeing that man stand in a WWE ring for the first time in his career. We all had very high expectations for Styles in his first year with the company, and he’s exceeded all of them. He became WWE Champion just five months after his debut. He’s defeated top star after top star. Future Hall of Famer after future Hall of Famer. And now, in his first match at WrestleMania, he has the opportunity to do what no one else has and defeat The Undertaker.” Styles walked into the ring, unstrapped the WWE Championship from around his waist and raised it into the face of The Undertaker. After the official backed Styles away, the first bell sounded as Justin Roberts gave the pre-match introductions. Both superstars received similar ovations once again before the official held the WWE Title high above his head, Undertaker and Styles facing off again.
The time has finally come. Something will come to an end tonight. AJ Styles’ WWE Championship reign or The Undertaker’s WrestleMania streak.
The bell to begin the match sounded off as the fans in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome continued to stand on their feet and trade chants back-and-forth with each other. Styles immediately ran towards Undertaker, getting him into a corner while being relentless with his strikes and kicks. “Styles is trying to finish this match right away, but I don’t think that’s the right move. The longer this match goes, the more it favors the champion,” Graves stated, believing that Styles isn’t being cautious. ‘The Phenomenal One’ is eager to end the streak as soon as he can, but he’s making himself vulnerable to a false move that could cost him everything. Undertaker fought back with his own heavy strikes, Styles dodging one before connecting with a Pele Kick! Undertaker, however, wasn’t even rattled by it! Undertaker grabbed Styles by his throat with both hands and threw him out of the ring! As Styles was getting to his feet, Undertaker ran the ropes and leaped over the top rope with a Plancha onto the champion! Undertaker silenced any critics who believed that his age would be a factor before he rolled Styles back into the ring. Undertaker grabbed Styles’ neck and delivered a Chokeslam! “No way! Styles is done!” Ranallo shouted as Undertaker got the cover, Styles kicking out at two! ‘The Phenomenal One’ was now fully aware of exactly what he had gotten himself into. There is no one better at WrestleMania than The Undertaker, and if Styles wants to end the streak, he needs to be more careful and not rush ‘The Deadman.’ Styles staggered to his feet, Undertaker allowing him to do so and keep the match going. Styles tried taking Undertaker down by his left leg, ‘Taker able to lift Styles up in a gut wrench position. Styles slid out of Undertaker’s grip and ran the ropes, but was immediately caught with a Big Boot. Undertaker grabbed Styles, who tried freeing himself with body shots. Undertaker connected with an uppercut to Styles’ jaw before placing him against the turnbuckles. Undertaker smashed his elbow against the side of Styles’ face repeatedly, the champion not looking like he stood much of a chance at that point. Undertaker brought Styles out of the corner before heading to the top rope to perform Old School. Styles was able to kick the top rope, causing Undertaker to fall onto it. Styles then hurried over to the side of the ring that Undertaker was facing. Styles stepped onto the ring apron before springboarding off of the top rope for a Phenomenal Forearm! Undertaker fell off the top rope and crashed to the outside of the ring, Styles trying to keep his momentum going with another high risk maneuver. Styles once again springboarded, this time with a Shooting Star Press to the outside! Styles was able to get Undertaker off of his feet, but neither were in the ring. Styles picked Undertaker up and rolled him into the ring, but the champion remained on the ring apron to try for another springboard attack. “Styles is relying on high risk right now because that’s what’s working for him, but if he stays on the offense in that manner for too long, Undertaker will find a way out of it,” Graves said. His prediction came true as Styles attempted a 450 Splash, only for Undertaker to counter it and catch him in Hell’s Gate! Undertaker had the hold cinched in as Styles desperately tried reaching the ropes. For as many people as there were begging him to hang on, there were also as many screaming at him to tap out. Styles was able to get a foot on the bottom rope, Undertaker releasing him before the official’s count of five. Styles rolled out to ringside, Undertaker taking a moment to catch his breath before going back after the champion. Undertaker charged towards Styles, but was lifted with a Back Body Drop onto an announce table! Undertaker landed on the table that was positioned in the center, one more table remaining off to the left. Styles stepped onto the middle table, grabbing Undertaker to try to place him in position for a Styles Clash. Undertaker was able to push Styles away. Styles went in for a strike, but Undertaker was able to grab his throat and throw him through the off-centered announce table with a Chokeslam! Styles’ body crashed through that announce table while Undertaker remained standing on the one in the middle that Ranallo and Graves occupied. Undertaker stepped back down onto the floor, approaching Styles’ beaten and battered body. ‘The Deadman’ rolled his opponent into the ring, covering him for what was somehow only a two count.
At that point, Ranallo made sure to mention that Styles recently had a back injury that kept him out of action for a short period of time in between the Royal Rumble and Battleground. He kept his workload relatively low leading up to this match to allow himself time to heal. After the Chokeslam through the announce table, Styles’ condition had to have worsened, as would his chances of ending the streak here tonight. Undertaker waited for Styles to pick himself up in a corner before charging into him with a Clothesline against the turnbuckles. Undertaker then hoisted Styles onto his shoulder, planting him with Snake Eyes before running for a Big Boot. As ‘Taker was in motion, Styles went after the leg that remained on the canvas. Styles was able to roll Undertaker into an attempt at the Calf Killer, but Undertaker was able to grab him yet again for a Chokeslam. Undertaker brought Styles back up to his feet, but after lifting him up for the Chokeslam, Styles delivered a DDT! Styles returned to the apron, removing his elbow pad as he wanted to try once again for a Phenomenal Forearm. This time, Styles was able to deliver the strike in the ring, covering Undertaker for the near fall. ‘The Deadman’ kicked out, but Styles already had his next move planned out in the event that he didn’t finish off The Undertaker there. The WWE Champion headed to the top rope, standing still up there before Undertaker sat up. Unable to attempt whatever it was he was looking for, Styles waited for Undertaker to get back up to his feet. Styles intentionally jumped over Undertaker, trying to repeat what happened on RAW by going for a Pele Kick. However, Undertaker actually managed to catch Styles in mid-air and deliver the Tombstone Piledriver! Undertaker placed Styles’ arms on his chest for the cover, but the streak wasn’t in the clear just yet as Styles got his shoulder up just before three! Undertaker rolled onto his back and looked up at the ceiling, realizing that putting away Styles and becoming WWE Champion was going to be just as a difficult of a task as any WrestleMania opponent before him. Undertaker called for another Tombstone, picking Styles up into position for it. Styles managed to counter it, landing on his feet while keeping a grip on Undertaker’s head and neck. Styles delivered an inverted Bloody Sunday before rolling Undertaker over to hit the actual Bloody Sunday! Styles didn’t bother going for a cover since he figured that wasn’t going to be enough. He picked Undertaker up for a Styles Clash, ‘The Deadman’ able to counter it with a Back Body Drop. Unbeknownst to him, Styles was able to land on his feet and connect with a Pele Kick to the back of his head! Undertaker was dazed and walked into a corner, Styles charging into him with a forearm smash. Styles stepped onto the second rope and fired away with right hand strikes to the forehead of Undertaker until he was caught in position for the Last Ride! Undertaker lifted Styles up even higher, but the WWE Champion was able to free himself from Undertaker’s hands. On the way down, Styles got Undertaker in position for the Styles Clash again, this time hitting it successfully! “I don’t believe it! The streak is over!” Ranallo screamed into his headset, the fans in New Orleans jumping to their feet. Styles covered Undertaker, but ‘The Deadman’ oxymoronically stayed alive by kicking out just a millisecond before three! Styles placed his hands on his head, irate with himself for not being able to finish off Undertaker with his finishing maneuver. The WWE Universe wouldn’t stop buzzing as every single one of the 70,000 plus fans in attendance felt their hearts racing at that moment. Styles just came closer than anybody else before him at ending the streak.
Styles and Undertaker were both fatigued and knew that all it would take to put the other away was one more big move. Whoever could hit it first would be leaving the Mercedes-Benz Superdome as a WWE Champion in a historic match. Styles rolled out onto the ring apron, trying for one more Phenomenal Forearm that he believed would seize the streak for him. Styles springboarded onto the top rope, Undertaker instinctively putting his arm to grab Styles for the Chokeslam. Styles was able to outsmart Undertaker by dropping back down onto the ring apron. Undertaker’s momentum caused him to fall onto one knee, Styles then going for the Phenomenal Forearm! After Styles connected with it, he returned to the apron yet again, this time hitting the 450 Splash that he couldn’t earlier! “Oh my God! He’s gonna do it!” Graves yelled out, the masses in New Orleans believing the same. Styles headed to the top rope, standing there for a few seconds as cameras showed his arms and legs very visibly shaking. He knew he was on the verge of making history, and this one final high risk maneuver could seal it for him. Styles soared through the air with a Spiral Tap, the first one he’s ever executed in a WWE ring! After Styles landed on Undertaker, he rolled over towards a corner while holding his back, the nagging injury that was aggrivated earlier by a Chokeslam through the announce table coming back to haunt him. Those in the audience who backed Styles cheered him on, trying to motivate him to fight through the pain and get the cover that would change his life! “AJ! You are three seconds from doing what we have all assumed is impossible! Get the cover!” Ranallo exclaimed while sitting on the edge of his seat, New Orleans ready to explode into both cheers and tears if Styles could just get the cover! ‘The Phenomenal One’ crawled towards Undertaker’s motionless body, draping one arm over him! The official began the count, but Undertaker was able to kick out!
Some fans in New Orleans were relieved while others were disheartened. Styles suffered from the latter emotion more than anyone else in the world at that point in time. If he had been able to get the cover immediately after delivering the Spiral Tap, he might have ended the streak right there and then. Styles slowly got to his feet, trying to figure out what his next move was after coming less than a millisecond away from the biggest victory in not just his career, but the history of professional wrestling. Styles returned to the only thing he figured he could at that point, which was another Styles Clash. Styles got the Undertaker into position for it, but struggled to lift him up because of the damage that his back had taken. Styles tried again, only to meet the same results. “For f***’s sake, not now! Not now!” Styles shouted angrily. As much as he tried, he just couldn’t get The Undertaker up. Styles was then thrown onto his back with a Back Body Drop. He stirred to his feet, only to be grabbed for yet another Chokeslam! After Styles’ body crashed onto the canvas, Undertaker gave the throat slit taunt to signal that the end was near. Styles stirred to his feet, only for Undertaker to pick him up off of his feet. Undertaker delivered his second Tombstone Piledriver to Styles, covering him to keep the streak alive for another year and capture the WWE Championship in the process.
THE UNDERTAKER IS THE NEW WWE CHAMPION!
“22-0 at WrestleMania and we have a new WWE Champion!” was Mauro Ranallo’s call immediately after the sound of the closing bell. Many fans in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome rejoiced at the fact that The Undertaker would be remaining undefeated on the grandest stage, but there were just as many who were heartbroken. They believed that AJ Styles had what it took to defeat The Undertaker, but for the 22nd time in a row, ‘The Deadman’ pulled out all of the stops and added another statistic to back up the theory that defeating him at WrestleMania is impossible. Undertaker was handed the WWE Championship, staring at the first piece of championship gold he’s held since 2010. Undertaker then glanced down at the fallen carcass of Styles, ‘The Deadman’ breathing heavily while nodding his head as if to say that even though Styles failed in his mission to end the streak, he earned Undertaker’s respect. “For the rest of his life, that one moment is going to haunt him,” Corey Graves said as a replay was shown of Styles’ Spiral Tap that he couldn’t immediately capitalize on. “Styles will forever ask himself what would have happened if he had been able to get the cover right away. That was the closest call Undertaker has ever had to losing his streak, and Styles will never know if that one move was all he needed.” Styles soon rolled out of the ring, regaining consciousness and realizing what happened. He rose to his feet and pushed a camera out of his face, walking as quickly as his injured back would allow him to since ‘The Phenomenal One’ felt nothing but shame and embarassment. “He’s never going to recover from this loss. Styles put everything on the line to challenge the streak, and he lost,” Ranallo stated in a somber tone. Undertaker knelt down in the ring and posed with the WWE Championship while a “22-0” graphic appeared on the giant screen hanging from the ceiling of the stadium. The Undertaker’s streak lives, and ‘The Deadman’ will carry the WWE Title into the Draft on Thursday where he will make the gold exclusive to either RAW or SmackDown Live.
A promo was shown for SummerSlam, emanating from Madison Square Garden in New York City. SummerSlam will be live on WWE Network and Pay-Per-View on Sunday August 17th.
Back in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, the Kickoff panel consisting of Renee Young, Michael Cole, Big Show and Nigel McGuinness were shown still stunned over the encounter between AJ Styles and The Undertaker, Cole referring to it as potentially the greatest match he’s ever seen. “That match will never be forgotten by anyone who watched it just now. AJ Styles came up short, but he gave The Undertaker the fight of his career. There’s no shame in coming THAT close to ending the streak, but this is a loss that’s going to take some time for Styles to bounce back from,” Cole said. McGuinness said that he predicted Styles would snap the streak, so now, he’s inclined to believe that nobody ever will. “AJ Styles had all of the tools to pull this off and he couldn’t. Undertaker will remain undefeated at WrestleMania for the rest of time, but right now, his focus has to be on carrying either RAW or SmackDown Live into the ‘New Era’ as the WWE Champion.” Renee then said that while Styles and Undertaker’s match will be a trending topic for years to come going forward when we look back on WrestleMania XXX, there were still plenty of other turn of events that deserved recognition, such as Bobby Roode winning the Unique Opportunity Battle Royal. “Rodeo’s got the golden ticket now to establish himself as WWE’s most powerful and dominant superstar, but just having free agency doesn’t mean this is his big break,” Big Show said. “Now, Roode has to work twice as hard as everyone else because we’re going to be seeing him twice a week. If he wants to make the most of this unique opportunity that he earned, he needs to trade in some of that pizzazz for aggression.” The WWE Tag Team Championships remain around the waists of The New Day, Cole saying that just like AJ Styles, The Usos are going to be feeling the effects of their loss for a while. “Jimmy and Jey had all of the momentum in the world, and they let the championships slip away from them yet again. Many fans are probably wondering at this point if it’s even worth believing in The Usos’ hype anymore. Will they ever actually become WWE Tag Team Champions, or are they going to be the team that always comes up short? It’ll be very interesting to see where both teams go from here, especially The Usos.” McGuinness said that having watched Kevin Owens’ progression over the last couple of years, he couldn’t help just almost shed a tear when ‘The Prizefighter’ defeated Randy Orton. “It felt like almost everybody doubted Kevin Owens at one point or another, but tonight, he validated his worth as a professional wrestler. Owens said he was going to beat Randy Orton here tonight, and that’s what he did. Not only that, but he did it in front of his family and the one person who he wanted to prove wrong more than anyone else: Sami Zayn.” In the opening contest, all hell broke loose when Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Kurt Angle and even Allie stepped in to make sure that D-Generation X and Stephanie McMahon didn’t allow Triple H and Seth Rollins to steal a victory from Dean Ambrose and Shane McMahon. “Talk about surreal,” Cole said. “Hogan, Rock and Austin in the same ring at WrestleMania to take out D-X. That’s a WrestleMania moment if I’ve ever seen one, and now, Shane and Ambrose can clear their heads and focus on the Draft this Thursday night where Shane will be busy putting together SmackDown Live’s roster. And one has to assume that he and Ambrose have had more than a few conversations about what ‘The Lunatic Fringe’ could bring to the table for Team Blue.”
Sending things back over to Mauro Ranallo and Corey Graves, the commentators noted that WrestleMania had only reached its halfway point, and many members of the WWE Universe already believe that they’ve just witnessed the Match of the Year. “Can you blame them?” Graves asked. “The Undertaker and AJ Styles jus tore the roof off of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Congratulations to the new WWE Champion. Still undefeated at WrestleMania, The Undertaker.” Ranallo then said that while the WWE Championship found a new holder here tonight, the fate of another title will be decided up next. “Four WWE superstars are prepared to drag each other through hell if it means that one of them can hold the Women’s Championship.” A graphic for the Fatal Four Way Women’s Title match appeared on the titantron, the fans in New Orleans ready to keep the action going with one of the most anticipated women’s divisions bouts in WrestleMania history.
A video package began playing that featured ”Follow You” by Bring Me the Horizon. The opening drum machine beat accompanied flashes on the screen of AJ Lee in agonizing pain more than once over the last year. “I sacrificed everything to become champion. I gave up who I was for this life of misery as long as it meant I could be on top,” said a voiceover from AJ herself. “My head is haunting me and my heart feels like a ghost. I need to feel something 'cause I'm still so far from home.” The next footage was from RAW’s show in the United Kingdom last April, where AJ began both her downward spiral and ascension to glory when she betrayed Paige to become Divas Champion. “Cross my heart and hope to die. Promise you I'll never leave your side,” was the line that played while AJ was staring at the Divas Title that later turned into the Women’s Title. At Extreme Rules, AJ partook in Last Diva Standing against Paige, the match that single-handedly changed the complexion of WWE from that point on. The violence in the match caused The Committee to distance themselves from AJ, which meant that she made an enemy out of her former best friend, Kaitlyn, in the process. At Payback, the debut of Sofia Cortez allowed Kaitlyn to become Divas Champion, ripping away AJ’s most prized possession. When the chorus of the song hit, a shot of Alexa Bliss was shown. ”So you can drag me through hell if it meant I could hold your hand. I will follow you ‘cause I’m under your spell.” The arrival of ‘Little Miss Bliss’ in the women’s division came seemingly out of nowhere when Kaitlyn, who was the head of the division at the time, placed her in a Tables, Ladders and Chairs match between AJ and Sofia at the very last minute. Ironically, those are the four women who will be in the spotlight here tonight. AJ was able to finally put Sofia away to become the new Women’s Champion, but very quickly, Alexa became the new number one contender. At the Royal Rumble, a controversial finish allowed AJ to escape with the championship still in her possession. The same situation occurred on SmackDown a few days later, leading to a Last Diva Standing match between the two of them. Thanks to an assist from NXT’s Iconic, Alexa defeated AJ to become Women’s Champion for the first time in her career. A rematch between the two was set for WrestleMania, but before that, WarGames took place at Battleground. AJ got her revenge against Alexa, Kaitlyn and Iconic, but vicariously through Sofia since she was the one to pin Alexa after a fall onto thumbtacks followed by a Frog Splash. Sofia now had a legitimate reason to be involved in the title picture, and so, too, did Kaitlyn after she pinned AJ in a tag team match. SmackDown Live Commissioner Shane McMahon made the decision to place Sofia and Kaitlyn into the match, creating a Fatal Four Way Elimination scenario. Four of the women who have helped shaped the women’s division into what it is now, for better or worse, are about to put it all on the line once again for the chance to leave WrestleMania XXX with the WWE Women’s Championship. ”And you can throw me to the flames. I will follow you. I will follow you.”
”Don’t get too close. That place is haunted. Fear not the ghost ‘cause she sent them running!” At the sound of AJ Lee’s entrance theme, the fans in New Orleans came unglued for the arrival of WWE’s ‘Black Widow.’ A spider web had formed over the entire front side of the WrestleMania stage, AJ walking through the bottom of the contraption and moving the web out of her way. AJ had a Medusa-like crown on her head, serpents sticking out from it as a reference to her theme music’s title. Her attire was a throwback to her previous designs, black and white plaid. The skull on the side of her shorts resembled Alexa Bliss, while the ones on her left and right kneepads appeared to be Kaitlyn and Sofia Cortez respectively. Last year at WrestleMania, AJ had her opportunity at the Divas Championship in her home state of New Jersey against one of the competitors in tonight’s main event, Paige. “AJ literally screamed, ‘I’ve come too far’ when she was trapped in the PTO,” Mauro Ranallo said. “This has been AJ’s dream since she was 12 years old, and over the last year, we’ve watched her dream turn into a nightmare. She became Divas Champion. She also became Women’s Champion, but it cost her just about every ounce of her soul to fulfill her destiny. The WWE Universe continues to show their undying love and support for AJ, but her own love for anything vanished when she submitted to Paige in MetLife Stadium. There is a chance that maybe, just maybe, a victory tonight can give AJ back her heart that has been trampled on.” While AJ was entering the ring, cameras showed the skybox with NXT Draft picks, focusing solely on the women. Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch, Emma, Peyton Royce and Billie Kay all watched AJ take her spot in the squared circle, the latter three feeling nothing but disdain for her. AJ, however, doesn’t need to worry about Iconic right now. She needs to worry about the three women that are going to be gunning for her right now.
The chaotic intro to Sofia Cortez’ theme song, “No Hassle Night” by The Dead Weather, sounded as the lights on the stage and even the titantron display flashed repeatedly to match the mini drum solo. After the song full kicked in, Sofia walked out onto the stage. Normally, Sofia would have a bandana with a skull design covering the bottom portion of her face. Tonight, she had the skull painted over her mouth. “In her own words, ‘The Baddest Bitch in the Building.’” Ranallo said. “Sofia made her debut at Payback by costing AJ Lee the Divas Championship. Fast forward three months later, Sofia defeated AJ to become Divas Champion one night after Hell in a Cell. Controversy resulted in the Divas Title becoming defunct in favor of the Women’s Championship. AJ claimed the title at TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs, leaving Sofia out of the title hunt until she picked up the scraps at Battleground and pinned Alexa Bliss to win WarGames. Sofia stepped into the ring, staring down AJ for the time being.
Other than The Usos, the longest-tenured member of the roster who would barely be making their WrestleMania debut tonight was the next participant to make her entrance. Kaitlyn walked through the curtain wearing camouflage overalls tucked into sand military boots, and a bullet belt to complete her war-inspired look for the evening. Last year, it was Kaitlyn’s influence that caused AJ’s mental deterioration that led her down the path to Last Diva Standing against Paige. In many ways, the state of the women’s division today is because of Kaitlyn. The former Divas Champion walked down to ringside, glaring back-and-forth between AJ and Sofia. “Not only was Kaitlyn responsible for AJ’s downward spiral, but without her, the rest of this field wouldn’t be complete,” Graves asserted. “It was Kaitlyn who brought Sofia Cortez to the main roster and establish her as a member of The Committee. At TLC, Kaitlyn was the one who placed Alexa Bliss into a match that she had no business being a part of at the time. Kaitlyn is the reason why four of the most calculating and coldhearted women in WWE are about to do battle at WrestleMania.” Kaitlyn removed her bullet belt, taking two of the shells and throwing them in the direction of AJ and Sofia.
One more piece remained to the puzzle of this Fatal Four Way Elimination match for the Women’s Championship. The lights in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome dimmed as a video package began playing. ”Sorry Not Sorry” by Demi Lovato accompanied the video that began with Alexa Bliss’ video submission for a WWE tryout two years. Alexa would go on to the be signed to NXT, but struggled to become a prominent figure in Full Sail University. After traveling to WWE/NXT Uprising, Alexa convinced higher-ups to allow her a three month “trial” period on the main roster. If she failed to impress, she would return to NXT. Alexa was taken under the wing of Natalya, whom she shockingly betrayed in November. Highlights of Alexa’s transition from a ‘glitter princess’ to the woman that the WWE Universe has come to know were shown while the video effects took a darker turn. “Now payback is a bad bitch and baby, I’m the baddest. You f***in’ with a savage. Can’t have this. Can’t have this. And it’d be nice of me to take it easy on you, but nah.” More highlights of Alexa’s journey to this point were shown, a voiceover from her being added as an audio layer over the end of the song. “I rose from my deathbed just to take everything from you three. Learn this the hard way: get out of my division.” The final shot of the video was Alexa posing with the Women’s Championship behind her head, winking at the camera.
Alexa’s entrance music sounded to a mostly positive reaction from the WWE Universe members in New Orleans, the defending Women’s Champion managing to earn what she didn’t have before from the masses: respect. Alexa walked onto the stage in a Winter Soldier cosplay outfit as her top, the metallic sleeve featuring her logo. The lights from the stage reflected off the rest of her shiny black gear, the fans continuing to show their surprising support for her. “Alexa said it herself on SmackDown. When she first arrived, most people didn’t know who she was. And if they did know, they didn’t care,” Ranallo said. “We can sit here and criticize the manner in which Alexa has gone about ascending to the top of the women’s division, but the fact remains that she made it to this point in such a short amount of time against all odds. Alexa made the most of her opportunities at the start of this year, and she came out of a Last Diva Sanding match victorious against the Women’s Championship’s yandere queen,” he added, referring to AJ with an anime term that means to show affection through violence and obsession. Alexa walked into the ring, unstrapping the Women’s Title and posing with it in front of the hard camera. Her wink synchronized with pyro blasting from the ring posts, ‘Little Miss Bliss’ then handing over the Women’s Title that she fully intended on having back in her arms at the conclusion of this match.
After the pre-match introductions, the Women’s Championship was raised into the air by the official as all four superstars glared at it. The year of agony and despair in the women’s division caps off with a Fatal Four Way Elimination match on the biggest stage in all of professional wrestling.
When the bell sounded, Kaitlyn targeted AJ while Sofia went after Alexa. Both AJ and Alexa were thrown to the outside before Kaitlyn charged towards Sofia. The latter held down the top rope, causing Kaitlyn to fall out of the ring. When Sofia ran the ropes in an attempt at a Suicide Dive, Alexa grabbed her feet from underneath the bottom rope. Alexa pulled Sofia out. the two exchanging strikes while AJ stepped onto the ring apron. She leaped off and tried to deliver a Hurricanrana to Kaitlyn, the but the strength of ‘The Hybrid Diva’ wouldn’t allow that to come to fruition. Kaitlyn kept her grip on AJ and swung her into the barricade! At that same moment, Sofia grabbed Alexa and threw her over the one remaining announce table! Kaitlyn then ran towards Sofia, going for a Spear that Sofia was able to prevent by kicking Kaitlyn in the shoulder. Sofia got a hold of Kaitlyn, using the ring apron to elevate her into position for a Sliced Bread onto the floor! After the back of Kaitlyn’s head collided with the ground, Sofia rolled her into the ring to try to score the first elimination. Sofia got the cover, but Kaitlyn was able to kick out at two. Sofia stepped onto the second rope, looking back to make sure that Kaitlyn was standing before going for a Crossbody. Alexa made her way onto the ring apron, striking Sofia a few times before Kaitlyn charged towards the latter. Kaitlyn wrapped her arms around Sofia and planted her with a German Suplex from the second rope! Alexa quickly tried to take advantage of the situation, covering Sofia first to get a near fall. The defending Women’s Champion went to Kaitlyn next, only getting a two count off of her as well. Alexa took Sofia’s motionless body and placed her on top of Kaitlyn before delivering Insult to Injury, driving her knees into Sofia’s back with a handstand Moonsault to follow up. By that point, AJ had re-entered the ring, proceeding to take down Alexa with a Thesz Press. Alexa was able to slide out of the ring, Kaitlyn rising to her feet. ‘The Hybrid Diva’ hoisted AJ onto her shoulders for an Electric Chair, but AJ was able to roll through and catch Kaitlyn in a pinning predicament. Kaitlyn managed to kick out on time, AJ running towards her for a Shining Wizard. After AJ successfully delivered it, Sofia grabbed her for an Inverted DDT. Alexa climbed to the top rope, taking Sofia down with a Missile Dropkick before rising to her feet, a majority of the audience in New Orleans showing appreciation for ‘Little Miss Bliss.’ Alexa grabbed AJ by her hair, pulling her up to her feet. Alexa placed her hand tightly around AJ’s neck, choking her before throwing her onto the canvas. She began climbing to the top rope, only for Kaitlyn to shove her off. Kaitlyn turned around and ran towards Sofia for another Spear, once again missing her target. Kaitlyn inadvertently ran head-first into the middle turnbuckle, Sofia rolling her up for a count of two. Kaitlyn was able to toss Sofia into the air with a Back Body Drop. AJ ran towards Kaitlyn and attempted to lick in the Black Widow. AJ nearly had the hold cinched, but Kaitlyn used her strength to her advantage and placed her into position for a Celtic Cross. AJ fought out of the maneuver and after she released herself, Sofia springboarded off the second rope and connected with La Sicaria to Kaitlyn! Unfortunately for her, Kaitlyn managed to roll out of the ring. Sofia was turned around and planted face-first onto the canvas with a Twist of Fate from AJ! Sofia remained motionless as AJ got the cover to pick up the first elimination of the contest.
With Sofia Cortez now eliminated, AJ, Alexa and Kaitlyn remained. AJ headed out to ringside, trying to roll Kaitlyn back into the ring. Kaitlyn, however, shoved AJ into the steel ring steps. Kaitlyn then turned around and was taken out by a Clothesline from Alexa off of the ring apron. Alexa charged towards AJ, driving her knee into her while she was back against the ring steps. The Women’s Champion picked AJ up and rolled her back into the ring, getting only a two count off of her. Alexa brought AJ up to her feet, placing her in position for a DDT before taking a few steps back. Alexa proceeded o deliver the DDT against the bottom turnbuckle! With AJ knocked out, all Alexa needed to do was get the cover and she would eliminate her greatest adversary. Alexa covered AJ, but Kaitlyn pulled her out of the ring! Both Ranallo and Graves expressed confusion over Kaitlyn disrupting a pin attempt in an Elimination match, but it made sense once Kaitlyn tried covering AJ herself. She was the one who wanted to take AJ out of the equation and extract her revenge after all this time. Kaitlyn covered AJ, but she was then pulled out of the ring by Alexa. ‘Little Miss Bliss’ struck Kaitlyn in the face with a hard left hand strike, Kaitlyn retaliating with a devastating Clothesline! The back of Alexa’s head bounced off of the canvas before Kaitlyn moved her out of her way. Kaitlyn looked underneath the ring, bringing out a table that wouldn’t be restricted since Fatal Four Ways were contested under No Disqualification rules. Kaitlyn set the table up against the barricade before turning her attention back onto the champion. Kaitlyn tried getting Alexa up for a Powerbomb with the intention of driving her through the table. However, AJ flew out of the ring with a Suicide Dive onto her! AJ kicked Kaitlyn in her ribs before kneeling down to deliver a flurry of right and left hand shots. AJ’s sequence was disrupted by Alexa, who tried throwing her back into the steel steps. AJ was able to go behind Alexa and latch onto her back, trying to choke her out. Alexa staggered around the ringside areas, trying to breath while having AJ suffocate her. Kaitlyn then charged into Alexa and AJ with a Spear through the table! The three women were down at ringside while the Mercedes-Benz Superdome erupted into cheers for the spot, a replay showing what everyone assumed regarding AJ taking the most damage in the Spear. Kaitlyn left Alexa alone since she deemed AJ as being more prone at that point. Kaitlyn rolled AJ into the ring, sizing her up for another Spear for good measures. AJ took quite a bit of time getting to her feet after the table bump, Kaitlyn remaining patient since she figured that she was on the verge of taking AJ out of the Women’s Championship picture. Kaitlyn went in for the Spear, but AJ hit her on the top of her head with a Superkick! Kaitlyn fell onto her backside, AJ running for a Shining Wizard! AJ got the cover, but Kaitlyn was able to get her shoulder up at two. AJ began climbing up to the top rope, holding her back while doing so due to the agonizing pain that the Spear through the table caused. AJ soared through the air with a Moonsault, but Kaitlyn got her knees up in time! Kaitlyn transitioned into a Triangle Choke, AJ fighting desperately to reach the ropes. “It was a submission hold that resulted in AJ losing last year at WrestleMania to Paige! The irony if Kaitlyn’s Triangle dashed AJ’s championship aspirations this year on the grandest stage!” Ranallo exclaimed while AJ had her arm raised, the masses in New Orleans pleading with her not to submit. While Kaitlyn had the hold locked in, Alexa climbed to the top rope and delivered Twisted Bliss to her! Alexa got a measure of revenge against Kaitlyn earlier for disrupting her attempt at eliminating AJ. After returning the favor with her finishing aerial attack, Alexa covered Kaitlyn to bring her hopes of leaving WrestleMania as Women’s Champion to an end!
The WWE Universe cheered joyfully at the announce that Kaitlyn had been eliminated. With ‘The Hybrid Diva’ out of the equation, only two women were left. The two superstars who were originally supposed to have a one-on-one match here tonight. They would be engaging in the encounter that they had been anticipating after all. AJ and Alexa crawled towards opposite sides of the ring, using the ropes to assist themselves up to their feet. They glared at each other intensively once they realized that it was only the two of them left. Neither woman had ever pinned or submitted the other. Their two non-stipulation title matches ended in controversy without decisive winners, and in Last Diva Standing, Alexa had the help of Iconic to win a ten-count contest. Finally, either AJ or Alexa would prove superiority over the other. They weren’t going to try to get the other disqualified or counted out or bring any type of shenanigans into this match. This is what they wanted. This is what they needed. One final encounter to prove once and for all who the rightful WWE Women’s Champion is.
AJ and Alexa slowly approached one another, both uttering the phrase that had been introduced at TLC and was still apropos in summing up what this rivalry was all about: “Get out of my division!”
AJ and Alexa traded strikes furiously in the center of the ring, both women desperate to get the upper-hand over the other. Alexa took AJ down to the canvas, trying to transition into her Single Leg Boston Crab that she coined the Sublission. AJ kicked Alexa away, the Women’s Champion charging towards her adversary. AJ countered Alexa’s Clothesline attempt into a Standing Spanish Fly, covering her for a two count! AJ rose to her feet and went for a Foot Stomp that Alexa was able to evade. AJ swung her arm at Alexa, the champion ducking it and placing her arms behind her head. Alexa planted AJ with Alexaonfire, a devastating Dragon Suplex! Alexa bridged into a pinning predicament, AJ kicking out to stay alive. Alexa stepped onto the back of AJ, stomping her head into the canvas repeatedly before shouting, “Who’s the champ?!” at the New Orleans that responded positively. Alexa ran into AJ in a corner with a forearm smash before bringing her away from the ropes for a DDT. AJ countered it into a Small Package rollup, Alexa once again kicking out. Both women rose to their feet simultaneously and delivered hard closed first strikes that knocked them out at the same time! AJ and Alexa fell to the canvas, the two of them remaining down while the audience of over 70,000 WWE Universe members stood up and gave them standing ovations. Several chants tried surfacing in the crowd that ranged from “This is awesome!” to “Let’s go, AJ!” and even “Let’s go, Bliss!” Both competitors began stirring to their feet, exchanging strikes that were noticeably less effect than the ones from earlier in their encounter. AJ grabbed Alexa’s head and drove her knee into it. Alexa fell back onto the mat, AJ climbing up to the top rope for another attempt at a Moonsault. Before AJ could jump, Alexa stood up and threw herself against the ropes, causing AJ to crash hard onto the canvas! Alexa capitalized by climbing the turnbuckles, leaping off with Twisted Bliss! Alexa got the cover, but somehow, some way, AJ kicked out! Alexa glanced at AJ in shock, not believing that after all that ‘The Black Widow’ had been through up to this point, she still had the wherewithal to kick out of her finisher. Alexa brought AJ back up to her feet, holding her face while shouting at her that she couldn’t beat her. AJ freed herself by launching herself at Alexa and biting her bottom lip! Ranallo and Graves initially believed that AJ was kissing Alexa before realizing that she was literally trying to bite her lip off of her face. Alexa pushed AJ away while placing her hand over her mouth to check for any blood. AJ ran into Alexa with a Shining Wizard thereafter! AJ backed against the opposite corner, choosing to go for another one to make sure that the champion would stay down. When Alexa got to her knees, cameras showed blood indeed coming from her bottom lip that AJ ravaged. AJ went for one more Shining Wizard, but Alexa was able to prevent it and counter into Sublission! Alexa reeled back on the hold, AJ’s height allowing their backs to touch! AJ was just about bent in half while she screamed in agony! “No! I’ve come too far!” AJ shouted, repeating the phrase that she did last year at WrestleMania when Paige had her in the PTO just before submitting. Alexa kept the hold in while AJ tried using the momentum given to her by the WWE Universe to reach the ropes. AJ crawled towards one side of the ring, tears beginning to stream from her face since she knew that she was only seconds away from repeating last year’s WrestleMania. AJ showed her will to fight as she managed to reach the bottom rope, Alexa having no choice but to break her hold. AJ was able to hang on, but it felt like it was only a matter of time before facing defeat for the second year in a row on the grandest stage. Alexa wiped away the blood from her bottom lip before trying to pick AJ up. Alexa hoisted AJ up for a Vertical Suplex, AJ fighting out of it to land back on her feet. AJ hit the Twist of Fate to Alexa, keeping a grip on her head and neck while rising back up! “She’s going for it again!” Graves exclaimed before AJ did exactly what he said and hit her second Twist of Fate! But she wasn’t done yet as repeated the process, delivering a third and final Twist of Fate! AJ covered Alexa and hooked both of her legs, the official making the three count to bring her year of anguish to an end.
AJ LEE IS THE NEW WWE WOMEN'S CHAMPION!
“She did it! AJ Lee is a four-time champion!” The masses in New Orleans erupted as AJ Lee remained on the canvas, holding her back while letting out tears of joy as opposed to agony as she had grown accustomed to. AJ finally sat up and was presented with the WWE Women’s Championship, ‘The Black Widow’ holding the gold in her hands once again after having it ripped away from her by the woman she just defeated, Alexa Bliss. AJ slowly rose to her feet and raised the championship, earning her moment of triumph at WrestleMania after a last year’s loss that began her downward spiral. “This means everything to AJ, She came so close last year to beating Paige and having her moment of glory at WrestleMania that she dreamt of ever since her childhood. Tonight, AJ can finally tell her inner-child, ‘We did it,’” Mauro Ranallo said. While AJ’s celebration continued, Alexa began heading up the entrance ramp, wiping away tears along with the blood from her bottom lip. She looked back at AJ, the two staring down briefly. AJ raised the title once again to show Alexa that after all of her efforts to rid the women’s division of her, she failed at the biggest WrestleMania in history. Alexa turned back around and continued her walk up the entrance ramp, Graves stating that she had nothing to be ashamed of. “Alexa Bliss said it herself. When she came to WWE, people either didn’t know who she was or they just didn’t care. Right now, every single one of those individuals are giving this woman a standing ovation because love or hate Alexa Bliss, she earned everyone’s respect over the last few months. Alexa will be champion again one day, it just won’t be tonight.” AJ not only was able to bring closure to her rivalries with Sofia Cortez and Kaitlyn, but she finally pinned Alexa, a task that alluded her for all of 2014. AJ proved once and for all that she owns the women’s division. While exiting the ring, AJ expressed an emotion that had been vacant from her for the last year: happiness. She smiled, and it wasn’t in a sadistic manner. She was actually happy for once. AJ walked halfway up the stage before turning around to hoist the title into the air one more time, pyro blasting from the stage behind her. AJ Lee is the new WWE Women’s Champion!
A promo was shown for the WWE Draft. RAW and SmackDown Live will take the stage and construct their rosters with a talent pool ranging from the current main roster superstars to a select group of NXT competitors. ’The New Era’ officially commences with the Draft this Thursday night on USA.
Back in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, Mauro Ranallo and Corey Graves once again congratulated AJ Lee on becoming the new WWE Women’s Champion, but also made sure to give credit to the other three women involved. “An incredibly hard fought contest that furthered the careers of all four of them,” Graves said before Ranallo noted that ‘career’ was a fitting word because while careers have been made here tonight, one could be on the verge of coming to an end momentarily. “The illustrious career of Daniel Bryan hangs in the balance coming up next as he puts it all on the line against the man who has been a thorn in his side since the day he walked into WWE.” A video package commenced, beginning with highlights of The Miz’s career up to this point. From the get-go, Miz was the target of hazing and bullying by various superstars due to his background as a reality television star. Miz never once considered quitting his dream job, an act that would be considered admirable for almost anyone else. However, Miz’s arrogance and egocentric behavior make it difficult to celebrate his accomplishments. Miz went on to not only become WWE Champion, but successfully defend it in the main event of WrestleMania three years ago. After a shot of Miz holding the United States Championship with one arm and his wife, Maryse, with the other, ”Avalanche” by Bring Me the Horizon started playing to lead into highlights of Daniel Bryan’s WWE tenure. Bryan was the polar opposite of Miz, coming into WWE with an established background as one of the best performers in the world and immediately gaining the respect of both his peers and the WWE Universe. The intro of the song accompanied Bryan’s accomplishments, including a Money in the Bank contract and two consecutive World Heavyweight Championship victories at WrestleMania. When the song slowed down as it led into the first verse, we were taken back to Battleground, where it looked like over a decade of wear and tear to Bryan’s body finally caught up to him. ”Cut me open and tell me what’s inside. Diagnose me ‘cause I can’t keep wondering why.” Miz defeated Bryan to retain the United States Championship, but the focus wasn’t placed onto ‘The Awesome One,’ which only infuriated the man who craves to be the center of attention. On an edition of Miz TV featuring Brie Bella, a scuffle between Brie and Maryse ended with Miz delivering a Skull Crushing Finale to Bryan’s wife. Bryan would return the following week to extract revenge against Miz, a match between the two being made official for WrestleMania. However, it was only established on the grounds of one condition: Bryan must put his career on the line. ”It’s like an avalanche. I feel myself go under ‘cause the weight of it’s like hands around my neck.” The Miz wants to ensure that neither Bryan nor a doctor have a say in when his career is over. He wants to be the one to finish it. In one of the more personal contests at WrestleMania, Bryan puts a 15 year journey at stake if it means silencing The Miz once and for all. But if Bryan’s body fails him again like it did at Battleground, no longer will the WWE Universe be able to greet him with “Yes!” chants any longer. ”Give me a remedy ‘cause when it hits, well, it hits like an avalanche.”
For potentially the final time, Daniel Bryan’s entrance music sounded. The thunderous roar of the New Orleans followed the opening notes as Bryan walked out onto the stage, taking in the overwhelming atmosphere for a second. Just about all 70,000 plus fans in attendance shouted “Yes!” over and over again at the top of their lungs to show the unanimous support for one of professional wrestling’s modern greats. “Even before Daniel Bryan signed the dotted line on his WWE contract in 2009, you couldn’t ignore the buzz surrounding him. Everywhere you went, you heard about ‘The American Dragon’ and the classics he was putting on throughout the independent circuit with the likes of CM Punk, Samoa Joe, Nigel McGuinness, Hideo Itami and AJ Styles. No one knew what to expect from Bryan once he joined the ranks of WWE. Everyone familiar with his work knew of his potential, but for someone like him, WWE was uncharted territory. Bryan didn’t let anything stop him from leaving his mark here. Former United States Champion. Mr. Money in the Bank. The 2013 Royal Rumble winner. He competed for and won the World Heavyweight Championship at two consecutive WrestleManias by making Chris Jericho and Kurt Angle tap out. Daniel Bryan is one of the most decorated performers of our time and if this is the final time that we’re going to be seeing him inside the squared circle, it’s been an absolute honor to be able to call his matches. Not just as a professional, but as a fan.” Bryan stepped onto the top rope and performed the “Yes!” chant with the entire audience in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, not a single soul in the WWE Universe ready to watch him retire here tonight.
While Bryan waited in the ring, a graphic appeared on the titantron labeled as “Breaking News” as a generic television news report tune played over the PA system. Several reporters, photographers and paparazzi members emerged from the backstage area and gathered on the sides of the stage as bodyguards put up rope barriers. More crew members laid out a red carpet as two news anchors named Jack Demetris and Catherine Montana appeared, the former asking his colleague what she believes is going through Bryan’s mind at that moment. “Obviously, he’s frightened. Right now, reality is settling in and Daniel Bryan finally understands what he’s gotten himself into. If he knew any better, he would forfeit this match and retire at his own discretion.” Demetris agreed with her before adding that Bryan never stood a chance. “It was nice knowing Mr. Bryan while we all did, but… wait… I’m getting reports that he’s here! Ladies and gentlemen, he’s here!” The anchors cleared the way as the cameras from the paparazzi flashed repeatedly. ”Quiet on the set! Can we please have quiet on the set?!?” Miz’s entrance music finally hit as the United States Champion walked onto the red carpet alongside his wife, Maryse. The two paid no attention to the news team and paparazzi, both looking down the ramp and into the ring at Bryan. Miz turned to Maryse, the latter knowing that if she even attempted to head down to ringside with her husband, the official would order her to leave. Miz kissed Maryse before she turned back and walked through the curtain. ‘The Awesome One’ continued on his way down to the ring, Corey Graves stating that while Ranallo’s claim about Bryan being one of the most decorated professional wrestlers of this generation is certainly true, the same can be said about The Miz. “If you ask me, Miz’s lack of an independent background like Bryan’s makes his accolades mean so much more. This guy came from nothing before heading to WWE. He was picked up for Tough Enough and came in second place. People didn’t feel like he paid his dues. They tormented him. He wasn’t allowed in locker rooms. But did The Miz give up? No. He persevered because he wanted this more than anyone else. He went on to become a multi-time Tag Team Champion. Three-time United States Champion. Mr. Money in the Bank. Two-time WWE Champion. Three years ago at WrestleMania, he beat John Cena in the main event. When Bryan came into WWE as a part of the first season of NXT, Miz was assigned to be his pro and the WWE Universe believed that it should’ve been the other way around. They told Miz every week that this rookie was better than he could ever dream of being. Miz had every right to be irate and he’s about to prove to the masses once and for all that he’s the better performer and has always been. Miz might be the biggest success story in WWE history, and it’s unfortunate that he has to be the one to bring Bryan’s career to an end here tonight.” The Miz walked into the ring and posed with the United States Championship one time before handing it over to the official. Title vs. Career is underway.
After the opening bell sounded, Miz ran into Bryan with a kick to his head, immediately trying to target his weakened area. Bryan was able to withstand the initial kick as he retaliated with a heavy slap across Miz’s face, responding with a few more. Miz was backed into a corner as Bryan reeled back and launched himself into the defending champion with Running Corner Dropkicks. Bryan took Miz down with a Tornado DDT before heading to the top rope, trying for a Diving Headbutt that most Ranallo and Graves advised against. Miz was able to roll out of the ring, but Bryan didn’t remove himself from the top rope. Instead, he soared through the air with a Flying Crossbody onto Miz, Bryan rising to his feet and looking out into the crowd in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome that commenced the “Yes!” chant. Bryan grabbed Miz, who shoved him into the announce table. Bryan fended off Miz with a kick to his mid-section before slamming him face-first onto the surface of the announce table. Ranallo and Graves both exited their seats with the feeling that something was about to go awry. Bryan slid back into the ring and ran the ropes, taking flight with a Suicide Dive. However, Miz was able to move out of harm’s way and as a result, Bryan crashed and burned onto the surface of the announce table! Bryan ended up between the announce table and barricade, Miz trying to capitalize on the situation. Miz rolled Bryan into the ring and got the first cover of the contest for a two count. ‘The Awesome One’ grabbed onto the top rope and began stomping on Miz’s head, the official quickly stepping in to stop him. Graves noted that Miz wouldn’t take kindly to being disqualified since that would save Bryan’s career. Miz kicked Bryan out of the ring before teasing a Suicide Dive. When Miz ran towards the ropes, he stopped and exited the ring normally. Miz taunted the WWE Universe by pointing at his head, as if to tell them that he was more intelligent than anyone else in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. When Miz turned around, Bryan connected with a huge kick to his chest. Bryan delivered a few more, the fans shouting “Yes!” with every collision to Miz’s chest. Bryan stepped onto the ring apron and leaped off with a knee to Miz’s face. Bryan rolled Miz into the ring, but took his time getting back in to regroup. When Bryan was on the apron, Miz grabbed him and pulled him over the top rope. Miz took a prone, kneeling Bryan and drove his head into the canvas with a DDT, covering him for what was only a two count. Miz picked Bryan up and perched him on the top rope, The Awesome One’ trying for an avalanche Back Suplex that would only be detrimental for the condition of Bryan’s head and neck. Bryan retaliated with strikes to the top of Miz’s cranium, trying desperately to get himself out of that situation. Bryan was able to ultimately push Miz off of the top rope, buying himself some time to think about his next move. Bryan turned around and took two steps onto the top rope, waiting for Miz to get back to his feet. Once the United States Champion took on a vertical position, Bryan leaped off the top rope with a Missile Dropkick! Miz rolled out onto the ring apron as Bryan kipped up, showing that he was able to withstand the fall and any damage done to his head. Bryan joined Miz on the ring apron, kicking him a few more times in his chest to further weaken him. Before Bryan could finish the sequence, Miz caught him with a thumb to the eye! Miz took advantage of the temporarily-blinded Bryan and placed him in position for the Skull Crushing Finale, delivering it off of the apron and onto the floor!
The fans in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome panicked and just about went silent after Bryan’s face collided with the floor after the Skull Crushing Finale. The official quickly checked on Bryan, who remained motionless with his face resting against the ground. Miz used the steel steps to himself up to his feet, both Ranallo and Graves showing great concern for Bryan after a fall that could easily spell the end for his career. The replay of the Skull Crushing Finale was shown, slowing down to highlight the impact of Bryan hitting the floor. Miz grabbed Bryan and rolled him into the ring, mocking the “Yes!” gesture to the audience members who now believed that they were only a few seconds away from witnessing Bryan’s stories career reach its end. Miz toyed with Bryan, who began showing signs of life by crawling towards the ropes. “What did I tell you, Daniel?!? Huh?!? I’ve told you since day one that you never had what it takes to be better than me!” Miz picked Bryan up and delivered another Skull Crushing Finale! “And this is it. This is how we say goodbye to Daniel Bryan,” Ranallo uttered in a deflated tone. Miz turned Bryan over and got the cover, but miraculously, Bryan kicked out at two! Miz backed away towards a corner and looked like he had seen a ghost after Bryan was able to get a shoulder up following not one, but two Skull Crushing Finales. The WWE Universe came unglued and rallied behind Bryan with more “Yes!” chants, Miz shaking head in disbelief. That expression of shock on the face of the defending United States Champion quickly turned to anger as he picked Bryan up, likely to attempt his finisher once more. Bryan, however, was able to slide out of Miz’s grip and roll him up with a backslide, Miz kicking out just before three. Both men rose to their feet at the same time, Bryan blocking a strike from Miz to deliver one of his own. The two rivals traded blows while the audience switched between “Yes!” and “No!” chants with every one depending on who was getting the offense in. Bryan hit Miz with an elbow strike, following up with a few more. Bryan whipped Miz off of the ropes, taking him down with a leaping Clothesline. When Bryan got to his feet, he held his head, the agony starting to catch up to him. Nonetheless, the knew that he needed to just fight through any pain for the sake of saving his career and becoming the new United States Champion. When Bryan returned to Miz, he was shoved into a corner. Miz ran towards Bryan, attempting his patented corner Clothesline. However, Bryan launched himself out of the corner and connected with the Busaiku Knee! The WWE Universe members that packed New Orleans were ready to explode as Bryan got the cover, but Miz managed to kick out! Bryan didn’t take any time to express disbelief over Miz now kicking out of his finisher. Bryan backed against another corner and waited for Miz to get up, “Yes!” chants once again taking over the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Bryan ran in for another Busaiku Knee, but this time, Miz was able to catch him. Miz slingshotted Bryan into the turnbuckles, following up with this third Skull Crushing Finale! Miz got the cover, but made the rookie mistake of not moving Bryan away from the ropes to prevent him from using his bottom foot to break the pin attempt at the very last second. Miz grabbed Bryan by both of his legs and slingshotted him into a corner again, but this time, Bryan was able to land with his feet on the second rope. After he kicked Miz away, Bryan leaped off with a Moonsault that he transitioned into a pinning predicament. Miz kicked out before rolling to ringside. Bryan tried for a Suicide Dive, but as he was emerging through the ropes, Miz caught him with a heavy strike to his head. Miz climbed to the top rope, waiting for Bryan to turn around so he could connect with a Double Axe Handle. However, Bryan countered it by striking Miz with a Superkick in mid-air, a nod to one of his trainers, Shawn Michaels. Bryan charged into the dazed Miz with the Busaiku Knee! Bryan didn’t go for the cover, but instead trapped Miz in the Yes Lock! Bryan had the hold cinched in as tightly as possible, the irony of Miz’s head and neck suffering in a fashion that could cost him the victory. Miz tried to reach the ropes, but Bryan kept him still in the center of the ring with nowhere to run. “Daniel Bryan is reeling back with 15 years of trials, tribulations and accomplishments that he’s not ready to let go of!” Ranallo shouted into his headset while the WWE Universe watched with anticipation, hoping for Miz to give in soon enough. Just a few seconds later, Miz tapped out!
DANIEL BRYAN IS THE NEW UNITED STATES CHAMPION!
It was as if the WWE Universe’s cheers shook the foundation of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome as Daniel Bryan released the Yes Lock that he had on Miz, taking a moment to lean back onto the canvas and catch his breath. Every exhale Bryan took was a sigh of relief as he was announced as the victor and new United States Champion, meaning that his career would continue beyond tonight. Bryan slowly stood to his feet, claiming the championship from the official as he raised it high into the air for the first time since 2011.”Daniel Bryan came here tonight to save his career, and that’s exactly what he did by finally righting the wrongs of every heinous action The Miz took against him!” Mauro Ranallo excitedly stated. Bryan stood on the one remaining announce table at ringside, hoisting the United States Title above his head with the “Yes!” taunt that all 70,000 plus members of the WWE Universe in New Orleans joined in on. Miz rolled out of the ring and walked up the entrance ramp, holding the back of his neck in a scene of satisfying irony. Bryan’s celebration continued as he remains an active member of the WWE roster, also commencing his second reign as the United States Champion!
A promo was shown for the WWE Cruiserweight Classic. 32 of the top Cruiserweight performers from around the globe compete in a single elimination tournament to decide who the best in the world among them truly is. With talent such as Kota Ibushi, The Motor City Machine Guns, King Cuerno and Kenny Omega, the Cruiserweight Classic is sure to provide the WWE Universe with some of the most astonishing and unforgettable matches in history. The Cruiserweight Classic begins Wednesday April 16th, immediately following NXT on the WWE Network.
Returning to the live Pay-Per-View, an overhead shot of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome was shown before heading back into the stadium, Mauro Ranallo and Corey Graves congratulating the new United States Champion, Daniel Bryan, on not only capturing the gold, but also keeping his career alive by defeating The Miz. “We mentioned earlier that Daniel Bryan was The Miz’s rookie in the early days of NXt, but Ranallo, remind me of something. Who was Daniel Bryan’s rookie?” Graves asked, Ranallo segueing into the next contest. “That would be the man who took matters into his own hands and changed the course of his career to become the first ever Universal Champion. What Derrick Bateman didn’t count on was having to defend the title against two of the biggest superstars in WWE history at the biggest WrestleMania of all-time.” A video package featuring the Triple Threat match’s theme song, ”Happy Song” by Bring Me the Horizon, played as the footage of Bateman’s Royal Rumble victory was shown. Last eliminating Paige, Bateman was crowned the first ever Universal Champion with a guaranteed spot in one of WrestleMania’s marquee matches to defend the gold. ”I’ve had enough. There’s a voice in my head, says I’m better off dead,” was the line that played when a clip of Bateman in his early days struggling to find success transitioned into his current mold as a main event-tiered champion. One year ago at WrestleMania, Bateman captured the Money in the Bank briefcase, but never had the opportunity to cash it in as injury forced him to relinquish his guaranteed championship match. Bateman’s cries of injustice on the part of Vince McMahon led to him being publicly fired on Monday Night RAW back in July. Bateman took matters into his own hands and found his way back onto the roster through manipulation and violence. Bateman’s victory over Shane McMahon at Survivor Series gave him part ownership of the company. Wanting to become AJ Styles’ next challenger for the WWE Championship, Bateman prevented Brock Lesnar, who was not pinned in the title match at Survivor Series, from earning a championship match. Lesnar retaliated at Concrete Jungle by attacking Bateman after the latter failed to defeat Styles. Bateman would meet Lesnar in the ring once again on the road to the Royal Rumble, using a steel chair to shatter the ankle of ‘The Beast Incarnate.’ Bateman eliminated Lesnar in the Royal Rumble match before going on to win, but that same evening, another superstar made it clear that he intends on completing his Hall of Fame resume by becoming Universal Champion. John Cena became a target of Paul Heyman after the advocate for Lesnar was on the receiving end of an Attitude Adjustment. While Bateman had his hands full with Team AJ Styles in a WarGames match, Cena was pitted against Heyman’s other client, Hideo Itami. After Cena defeated Itami, he set his sights back onto Bateman. However, so too did Lesnar. During a match on RAW the following night against Paige, Bateman was attacked by both Cena and Lesnar. A few days later, Vince McMahon announced on social media that at WrestleMania, Bateman would be defending his Universal Title in a Triple Threat match. ”The world has coalesced into one giant mess of hate and unrest. So, let’s all sing along a little Goddamn louder to a happy song and pretend it’s all okay. Let’s go!” In the weeks leading up to tonight, Bateman has made it clear both verbally and physically that despite being a heavyweight champion at long last, the chip on his shoulder is still present. Even though he won the Royal Rumble match, a fan vote took him out of the main event spot that he initially thought he solidified. Paige and Bray Wyatt will be in the headlining match while he isn’t, something that he took incredibly personally. In his own words, "John Cena and Brock Lesnar might not give a damn because they’ve had their WrestleMania main events, but this was my year! My year and you bastards ripped it away from me!” Bateman’s declaration has been that on the grandest stage of them all, he’ll make the transition from ‘The Devil Himself’ to ‘The God of the New Era.’ Bateman’s journey to becoming ‘God’ took a detour last Monday when he, Cena and Lesnar met to sign the contract for this upcoming match. ‘The Beast Incarnate’ was the one who stood tall amidst the chaos that ensued, Lesnar eager to wipe out WWE’s present and future in one blow to become the Universal Champion. The video concluded with a shot of Bateman holding the championship after his Royal Rumble win, a moment that he won’t let be remembered in history as the only time he ever stood tall triumphantly in a Universal Title match.
In what’s become sort of a tradition at any WWE event, John Cena’s entrance music drew a dividing line between audience members as they reacted with both cheers and boos. Cena made his way out to the stage, turning back to look at the WrestleMania stage, ten years following his debut match on the grandest stage of them all. Cena turned back towards the 70,000 plus members of the WWE Universe, each of whom had a response to him one way or another. “There’s nothing else out there like WrestleMania, and there never will be. This is number 11 for me. Time to make this one special,” Cena said to the camera lens in front of him before running down the elongated ramp to slide into the ring. “If history is meant to repeat itself, then the odds line up in favor of the WWE’s ‘Franchise Player’ because last year at WrestleMania, he overcame CM Punk and The Rock in a Triple Threat match to capture the WWE Championship,” Mauro Ranallo said before Corey Graves noted that Cena has proven before that on a WrestleMania stage, he can take the shape of a different animal if it means winning. “Two years ago, Cena defeated The Rock after striking him with a steel chair because he was that desperate to get the victory. With the Universal Championship on the line, a title that Cena’s resume won’t be complete without, do not be surprised if we were to see him pull out the stops that we’d be expecting from Derrick Bateman and not John Cena.”
While Cena ran the ropes in preparation for the contest, the theme music of Brock Lesnar sounded to a reaction that was still mixed, but noticeable more positive than Cena’s. ‘The Beast Incarnate’ walked through the curtain along with his advocate, Paul Heyman. Lesnar jumped in place for a few seconds before throwing his arms down to his side, pyro blasting into the air from the stage at the same time. “Brock Lesnar has made one point very clear before. In his mind, had he stuck around in WWE following WrestleMania XX, John Cena’s ascension to the top of professional wrestling would have never been,” Ranallo stated. “When Lesnar came back to the company after an eight year absence, Cena was the first superstar he targeted. At SummerSlam 2012, Lesnar made Cena tap out. ‘The Conqueror’ delivered on his promise in Staples Center, but can he do the same in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, especially in a Triple Threat scenario?” Lesnar hopped onto the ring apron, even more pyro emanating, this time from the ring posts. Lesnar stepped through the ropes and came face-to-face with Cena, both superstars ready to tear into one another. However, they still had to wait for one more participant in this contest. One of the most unlikely title holders to ever defend gold at WrestleMania, but also one of the most dangerous.
The lights in the stadium dimmed as the masses responded with yet another mixed reaction, showing that there was no clear favorite among the WWE Universe in this Triple Threat match. A barrel with fire burning on the inside was displayed in the center of the stage, women dressed up in Mardi Gras-inspired outfits soon appearing. Each one had either a John Cena or Brock Lesnar shirt, but the same thing happened to each piece of merchandise. One by one, they were played into the fire, a nod to the show’s intro that saw the Universal Champion set fire to his surroundings. After the women moved to one side, lights were projected onto the other to show Panic! At the Disco performing ”Casual Affair”. The extended intro to the track delivered the quote, “Looks innocent enough, doesn't it? But sometimes, there are dangers involved that never meet the eye. No matter where you meet a stranger, be careful if they are too friendly.” The song finally kicked in while the Universal Champion Derrick Bateman walked onto the stage in a full black suit with a golden Mardi Gras mask. ”Hey. A casual affair could go anywhere, and only for tonight.” Bateman looked down towards the ring, glaring at the two men who many people he’s far from being evenly matched with. When you think of some of WWE’s biggest names in history, Cena and Lesnar will always be mentioned in the conversation. Bateman wants to reach that point, and if he were to leave WrestleMania XXX with his championship reign still intact, it would be hard to argue against him having a case for being one of professional wresting’s pillars in the modern era. Two of the women who were part of Bateman’s entrance followed him down to ringside, his theme song entering its second chorus at that point. “We can say whatever we want to about Bateman and berate his God complex, but the fact of the matter is that he went from not even being featured on a show like to Superstars to competing in one of the headlining matches at the biggest WrestleMania in history,” Graves said. Once Bateman reached ringside, Brendon Urie repeatedly recited the lyrics, “I did it” during the song’s bridge. That same line played when Bateman looked at the WrestleMania sign at the Royal Rumble after winning the Universal Championship, and it would certainly be playing in his head again tonight if he managed to pull off the victory. The two women who accompanied Bateman began taking apart his suit piece-by-piece. Once Bateman was down to his black, gold and white wrestling attire, he removed his Mardi Gras mask at the same time his theme music entered the outro. When the song finished, the lights that shined onto Panic! At the Disco darkened before the rest of the stadium returned to its normal lighting setup. Bateman walked into the ring and stood across from both Cena and Lesnar, handing his championship over to the official.
Bateman proved everybody wrong by making it to this point, but his journey would have been for nothing if he can’t win the biggest match of his career. It’s make or break time for the man who has proclaimed himself to be ‘God of the New Era.’
At the opening bell, Bateman had a plan as he slid out of the ring and punched Paul Heyman! Lesnar quickly made chase for Bateman, the Universal Champion running to a different side of the ring before sliding in underneath the bottom rope. Bateman caught Cena with a quick right hand before dodging a Clothesline from Lesnar. Cena was the one inadvertently struck before Bateman charged his knee into the upper-back of Lesnar. Bateman shoved him into a corner, striking him repeatedly to try to get the upper-hand. Lesnar kept his hands up to prevent any of Bateman’s punches from connecting. Cena got a hold of Bateman and delivered a Back Suplex before Lesnar charged into him with a huge shoulder tackle! Lesnar picked Cena up and threw him shoulder-first into the steel post, leaving the ring to only himself and Bateman at that point. Heyman stirred to his feet at ringside, holding his jaw while shouting at Lesnar. “Let him suffer!” he screamed, Lesnar complying with his advocate’s demand. Lesnar wrapped his arms around Bateman’s waist, deadlifting him off of the canvas for a German Suplex! Lesnar released Bateman halfway across the ring before following up with another Suplex! “It didn’t take long, Ranallo, but New Orleans has turned into Suplex City!” Graves stated while the “Suplex City!” chants filled the atmosphere in the stadium. Lesnar tried for a third Suplex, but Cena ran back into the ring and grabbed Lesnar. Cena delivered a German Suplex of his own to Lesnar, which created a domino effect that caused Bateman to receive his third! Cena kept the bridge on Lesnar, barely able to get a one count. Cena rose to his feet with his arms still gripped around Lesnar, attempting another Suplex that was foiled by Lesnar backed him into a corner. Lesnar struck Cena in the side of his head with two elbow shots before turning around to toss Cena onto the canvas with a Belly-to-Belly Suplex. Lesnar hoisted Cena onto his shoulders, looking for an early F-5 before Bateman struck Lesnar in the same ankle that he injured back in January. Lesnar fell onto one knee, Bateman taking full advantage of the situation by stomping on his ankle over and over again. Cena ran behind Bateman and caught him with an O’Connor roll-up, getting a two count off of the Universal Champion. After Bateman pushed him away, Cena struck Lesnar with a Basement Dropkick, ‘The Beast Incarnate’ falling out of the ring. Bateman ran towards Cena, who placed him in position for an Attitude Adjustment. Bateman was able to free himself and land with his feet on the ring apron, Cena heading out there as well. Cena struck Bateman a few times before he was kicked in his right thigh. Bateman followed up by lifting Cena up with a Vertical Suplex onto the apron! Cena fell to the ground as Bateman returned to Lesnar, pushing him face-first into the ring post! Bateman walked over to the time keeper’s area and took a steel chair, Ranallo and Graves both noting that many in the WWE Universe were not expecting Bateman to have gotten in this much offense against both Cena and Lesnar. Bateman struck Lesnar first with the chair before doing the same to Cena. Bateman leveled Cena in his back a few more times, doing so to make sure that he couldn’t interfere in his plan to single out Lesnar in the ring and further punish his already injured ankle. Bateman rolled Lesnar’s carcass into the ring before stalking him. Bateman repeatedly struck Lesnar in the back with the steel chair, the fans counting every strike up until the final one at 17. Bateman then placed the chair over Lesnar’s ankle before heading up to the top rope, looking to repeat the scene from RAW in January and nearly cripple ‘The Beast Incarnate.’ Heyman intervened by stepping onto the ring apron and grabbing Bateman’s leg. The Universal Champion was able to kick Heyman away, but during that scuffle, Lesnar was able to free himself. Somehow, Lesnar was able to fight through the pain inflicting his ankle as he ran onto the second rope, throwing Bateman off of the top rope with an Avalanche Belly-to-Belly Suplex! Lesnar hopped around on one ankle while shaking off the other to try to restore feeling in it. Lesnar grabbed the chair that Bateman previously used against him, turning the tables by striking him nonstop with it! Even after Bateman was clearly unconscious, Lesnar continued to pulverize him. Cena slid back into the ring, but allowed Lesnar to continue tormenting Bateman for as long as he wanted to. When Lesnar threw the chair to his side, he turned around and was hoisted onto Cena’s shoulders for the Attitude Adjustment! Cena got the cover, but Lesnar was able to get a shoulder up at two! Cena’s response to Lesnar kicking out of the AA was to attempt the STF, Lesnar able to fight it until Cena began striking him in the back of his head with his right elbow. Cena was then able to cinch in the STF, Lesnar struggling to reach the ropes. “If Lesnar taps out, we’re going to have a new Universal Champion!” Lesnar had his hand raised slightly above the canvas, Heyman and many WWE Universe members pleading with him to not allow Cena to complete his resume with the Universal Championship. Bateman had risen back to his feet by that point, hitting Cena in the back with the steel chair to break up the Universal Title and save his title reign for the time being. Bateman hit Lesnar once with it before heading out to ringside, looking underneath the ring for something. Bateman then brought out the objects that pierced his cranium during the WarGames match at Battleground, bamboo skewers! The audience reacted with mostly cheers as Bateman rolled back into the ring, taking the skewers and trying to push them into the head of Lesnar. ‘The Beast Incarnate’ held onto Bateman’s arm and tried to prevent he skewers from connecting with him. A close up shot showed the sharpened tips of the skewers touching the top of Lesnar’s head, but Bateman didn’t have enough control to force them through his skin. Lesnar was able to overpower Bateman and push the skewers towards him. The objects grazed Bateman’s right pectoral, Lesnar taking the skewers in his own hands. Lesnar kicked Bateman in the mid-section, the Universal Champion dropping to his knees. Lesnar then turned the tables and pushed the skewers into Bateman’s head! A handful of the bamboo skewers stuck out of Bateman’s skull, the Universal Champion letting out horrifying screams of agony after having his head pierced with skewers for the second Pay-Per-View event in a row! Bateman slowly rose to his feet and turned around, Cena leaping off of the second rope with a DDT that only further drove the skewers into his head, the tips having to had inch closer to his brain.
After Bateman rolled out of the ring while trying to pull the skewers out of his head, Lesnar placed Cena onto his shoulders, delivering the F-5! Lesnar got the cover, but Cena was able to kick out with about a millisecond to spare. Lesnar didn’t let the fact that Cena was able to withstand his finishing maneuver get to him as he was only given more time to punish his two adversaries on his road to becoming Universal Champion. Lesnar exited the ring and took apart the steel steps, throwing the bottom portion into the ring. Lesnar held the steps in his hands, waiting for Cena to get back up. Lesnar charged towards Cena, who tripped him with a Drop Toe Hold that caused Lesnar’s face to collide with the steps! Cena tried capitalizing by getting Lesnar up for the Attitude Adjustment, looking to deliver it onto the steps. Lesnar, however, fought out of Cena’s grip and planted him with another German Suplex! Lesnar followed up with another German Suplex, and then another, and then another before Cena finally rolled out of the ring. Bateman ran back into the ring, no more bamboo skewers sticking out of his head. Lesnar kicked Bateman in the mid-section and placed him in a Gorilla Press position, throwing him out of the ring and onto Cena. Lesnar glanced at his two opponents lying motionlessly at ringside, ‘The Beast Incarnate’ turning back to the steel steps as he had an idea. Lesnar dragged the steps closer to the ropes, waiting for Cena and Bateman to start staggering to their feet. Lesnar ran the ropes, leaped onto the steps and then jumped over the top rope with an incredible Plancha! Lesnar crashed onto his two opponents before rising to his feet, letting out a huge shout before choosing to target Bateman from that point on. The defending champion went underneath the ring, Lesnar pulling him out by his legs before rolling him into the squared circle. What Lesnar didn’t know was that while Bateman was underneath the ring, he was able to secure a steel chain. Bateman wrapped the chain around his right fist and struck Lesnar in his abdomen. “Bateman knows about Lesnar’s past with diverticulitis and is creating a target out of it!” Ranallo exclaimed after Lesnar crumpled onto the canvas. Bateman struck Lesnar in the ribs a few times with the chain, ‘The Conqueror’ gasping for air thereafter. Bateman knew that he was in the position that he needed to be in to get the win, but needed to make sure that Cena couldn’t intervene at any point. What Bateman did was take the steel steps onto his shoulder, throwing them out of the ring to strike Cena with them! Cena was laid out at ringside as Bateman quickly picked the steel chain back up and wrapped it around his fist again. Bateman hit Lesnar in the back, abdomen, ribs, head, ankle and just about anywhere else he could with the chain to make Lesnar reach his most weakened state. After deeming Lesnar unresponsive, Bateman picked up the dead weight of ‘The Beast incarante’ onto his shoulders, planting him in the center of the ring with a TKO! Bateman rolled Lesnar over onto his back and covered him, the official making one of the more shocking three counts of the evening!
DERRICK BATEMAN IS STILL THE UNIVERSAL CHAMPION!
“Holy s***!” was Mauro Ranallo’s call after the three count. The fans that packed the Mercedes-Benz Superdome all rose to their feet with shocked expressions on their faces, hardly anyone believing that they just witnessed Derrick Bateman pin Brock Lesnar. Bateman looked out into the audience with a giant grin on his face as he was handed back the Universal Title in his first successful defense of his Royal Rumble prize. Bateman hoisted the title into the air while screaming at the fans, “F*** you! I was right! I was always right!” Even the fans who came into this match supporting Bateman couldn’t believe he actually pulled off this win. “When we look back in time at the biggest shockers in WrestleMania history, Derrick Bateman’s name will be brought up in back-to-back years,” Corey Graves said. “At WrestleMania XXIX, no one could believe it when he won the Money in the Bank briefcase. People immediately said he wouldn’t become champion and that his 15 minutes of fame would be over before they could begin. Those same people ate their words at the Royal Rumble, but still doubted him. They said he couldn’t beat John Cena and Brock Lesnar. They said it was impossible. Derrick Bateman just did what he’s made his career out of and has proven everybody wrong! AJ Styles made a promise earlier to retain his title and he failed to keep it. Bateman made the same promise and he delivered on it! Derrick Bateman just solidified his spot as the biggest superstar in the world!” Bateman headed up the entrance ramp, continuing to hold the Universal Title up above his head for all 70,000 plus fans in attendance to see. ‘The God of the New Era’ did exactly what he said he would by defeating two of WWE’s top stars in history at WrestleMania. Just like he said he would beat Shane McMahon at Survivor Series, win the Royal Rumble and beat AJ Styles at WarGames. Bateman joins The Undertaker as the two heavyweight champions carrying gold into the Draft and has all but guaranteed that he will be the first pick for either RAW or SmackDown Live. ‘The Devil’ becomes ‘God’ at WrestleMania and is going to shape one of the two brands into his own image of Heaven and Hell. Derrick Bateman is still the Universal Champion!
Returning to WrestleMania following Derrick Bateman’s shocking and monumental victory over both Brock Lesnar and John Cena, Justin Roberts thanked the WWE Universe members in New Orleans tonight for setting a new attendance record in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. He announced the official attendance number as 75,167. Every single one of them applauded for the accomplishment, making WrestleMania XXX one of the most successful in history.
“There aren’t many people in this industry who I consider to be true friends… CM Punk used to be one of them,” was the opening line from Cody Rhodes in the video package for the following contest. ”I wouldn’t hold my breath if I was you, ‘cause I’ll forget but I’ll never forgive you. Don’t you know, don’t you know? True friends stab you in the front.” After the intro to the theme song, ”True Friends” by Bring Me the Horizon, footage of Punk’s heinous assault against Rhodes in Chicago last month on RAW aired. The Intercontinental Champion brutalized Rhodes to the shock and dismay of the WWE Universe, his actions initially having no explanation. ”It’s funny how things work out. Such a bitter irony, like a kick right to the teeth.” Last July, a poll was held to determine which member of The Uprising would challenge Bray Wyatt on the July 29th edition of RAW from Atlanta, Georgia. Punk was victorious in the poll, but when it came time for the championship match, Punk announced that he wouldn’t be challenging Wyatt. Instead, Punk gave the title opportunity to Rhodes, who at the time had unfinished business with Wyatt stemming from their bloodbath at Payback. Rhodes would go on to become WWE Champion for the first time in his career, something that Punk referred to as the only regret of his career. While Rhodes was touted for the rest of 2013 as WWE’s next major star, Punk struggled to reach the heights that he once sat atop. Despite becoming Intercontinental Champion, Punk failed to win the WWE Title at Night of Champions in an Elimination Chamber, ironically being the last one eliminated in the contest by Rhodes. Punk came one match away from making the Finals of Manifest Destiny before losing to Dean Ambrose in the last match of the tournament before Survivor Series. ‘The Best in the World’ faced more adversity at the hands of The Wyatt Family before the time for WarGames came at Battleground. AJ Styles recruited Rhodes for his team, who then suggested that Punk be added since he believed that the Intercontinental Champion was someone he could trust. Punk reluctantly agreed to be on the team, but in the weeks leading up to Battleground, he and Rhodes butted heads more than once. Six days before the WarGames match, Punk walked out on his team. He would show up to Battleground, but hours after the decision was made to replace him with Paige. Punk began no-showing championship defenses, but finally showed himself just before Bobby Roode could be named the new champion in Punk’s absence. After Punk defeated Roode to become the undisputed Intercontinental Champion, he called Rhodes out to the ring, seemingly to explain his actions as of late. Instead, Punk attacked Rhodes, the footage from the beginning of the video replaying. ”You got a lot of nerve, but not a lot of spine. You made your bed when you worried about mine.” In Punk’s mind, his decision to hand over a WWE Title match to Rhodes only inflated the ego of ‘The Prince of Pro Wrestling.’ Had he taken that shot for himself against Wyatt, he could have captured the WWE Championship instead of enduring a year-long drought from the top spot. Rhodes would soon retaliate by attacking Punk, and an Intercontinental Championship match between the two was set in stone for WrestleMania, ”You can run, but you can’t hide. Time won’t help you ‘cause karma has no deadline.” Rhodes made it clear to Punk that while his name is forever tied to ‘The American Dream,’ at WrestleMania, he plans on becoming Punk’s ‘American Nightmare.’ Punk would later on confront Dusty Rhodes himself and tell him to his face that in New Orleans, he would deliver the beating to Rhodes that he should have when he was a child. ”And now you know, now you know. True friends stab you in the front.”
Cody Rhodes’ entrance music sounded to monstrous ovation from the 75.167 WWE Universe members in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome as Rhodes walked out onto the stage, donning white and gold tights with a leather, sherpa lined jacket. ‘The American Nightmare’ walked to both sides of the stage, setting off cannons that shot out fireworks like it was a 4th of July celebration. “Over the past year, no superstar has become as synonymous with just the acronym WWE as this man. Cody Rhodes put the company on his back and steered the ship in a way that very few have ever been capable of doing,” Mauro Ranallo stated. “Rhodes fulfilled his dream of becoming WWE Champion in Atlanta, Georgia on July 29th in front of his friends and family. He took on all challengers and rose to the occasion every time. He was named the Superstar of the Year at the Slammy Awards, but so far in 2014, CM Punk has been trying to prevent Rhodes from repeating those successes.” Rhodes, a former Intercontinental Champion who actually reintroduced the current title design almost three years ago, stepped into the squared circle and was eager to capture his first WrestleMania victory in three years, the last coming in the same city where he became WWE Champion.
The signature static intro to CM Punk’s theme music hit, the audience reacting in a mixed manner as many were still backing ‘The Best in the World’ despite his reprehensible actions as of late. The defending Intercontinental Champion walked through the curtain, looking down the elongated ramp at the man who he believes owes all of his success to him. “People in the WWE Universe are quick to dismiss Punk’s claim that Rhodes only reached the mountaintop because of him, but if you take the time to really assess the situation, you’d understand his points,” Corey Graves asserted. “Rhodes only became WWE Champion because Punk allowed him to challenge Bray Wyatt in his place. If Punk had never done that, Rhodes wouldn’t have ever become champion. He wouldn’t have been made into this company’s new poster boy. That Superstar of the Year award would’ve gone to Punk instead. CM Punk acknowledges that this situation is his fault, but he’s ready to take the one regret of his career and translate it into a WrestleMania moment. He let Rhodes have the WWE Championship. He’s not going to let him have the Intercontinental Championship.” Punk made his way down to the ring, standing on the top rope while raising the Intercontinental Title high above his head. After stepping down onto the canvas, Punk handed over the championship to the official, both superstars ready to collide in this anticipated one-on-one contest between two of WWE’s biggest stars thus far in the decade.
When the bell sounded, Punk and Rhodes ran towards each other, both men immediately exchanging strikes to their heads. Rhodes caught Punk with a Double Leg Takedown, the Intercontinental Champion trying to shield himself while Rhodes looked to get a few more shots in. Punk was able to grab Rhodes’ arm and tried transitioning into the Anaconda Vice, Rhodes able to counter it into a pinning predicament. After Punk kicked out, he slid underneath the bottom rope, Rhodes not allowing him even a second of time to catch his breath. Rhodes stepped onto the ring apron, leaping off with a Cannonball to Punk before landing on his feet. ‘The American Nightmare’ rolled Punk back into the ring, waiting patiently on the ring apron for his opponent to stand back up. Rhodes springboarded off the top rope with a Flying Crossbody, Punk fighting his way out of the pin attempt yet again. Both men rose to their feet, Punk catching Rhodes with a Roundhouse Kick. Rhodes was somehow able to withstand the impact of Punk’s kickpad striking the side of his head, taking the Intercontinental Champion down with a heavy Clothesline! Rhodes looked back at Punk, making sure he was standing before trying for the Disaster Kick. Punk was able to swat Rhodes away in mid-air with a Dropkick before going for his first pin attempt of the contest. Rhodes managed to kick out, Punk proceeding to stomp on his chest while holding onto the top rope. The official backed Punk away before Rhodes rolled out of the ring, ‘The American Nightmare’ now the one who needed to take a step back and rethink his gameplan. Punk ran the ropes and leaped out of the ring with a Suicide Dive, but Rhodes was able to catch him! Rhodes planted Punk onto the floor with a Vertical Suplex, ‘The Best in the World’ holding his back that had to be suffering excruciatingly. Punk stirred to his feet and rested against a ring post, Rhodes trying to splash Punk against it. When he attempted to do so, Punk moved out of harm’s way, causing Rhodes to smash his own face against the steel. Punk quickly grabbed Rhodes and threw him into the steel steps, continuing to hold his back while attempting to fight his way through the pain. Punk rolled Rhodes back into the ring, but he decided to head up to the top rope. Punk pointed both of his index fingers up to the ceiling before soaring through the air with a Diving Elbow Drop, but Rhodes was able to get his knees up! Punk’s elbow and shoulder collided with the knees of the challenger, the champion once again in agonizing pain. Punk used the ropes to assist himself to his feet, but when he did so, Rhodes hoisted him into the air for an Angle Slam! Rhodes, however, couldn’t get complete control of the maneuver, he and Punk both falling over the top rope. Rhodes took the most of the fall as the back of his head smacked into the ring apron on the way down. Both superstars were out for a while, the official beginning his count towards ten. Punk was the first to get to his feet, sliding into the ring as he would have been more than accepting of a count out loss for Rhodes. The WWE Universe cheered for Rhodes to get to his feet, ‘The American Nightmare’ able to do so and make it back into the squared circle at a count of nine. Punk quickly got a hold of Rhodes, lifting him up for a Vertical Suplex. After Punk delivered it, he transitioned into a second one, going for Three Amigos. During Punk’s attempt at a third Suplex, Rhodes was able to release himself and land on his feet behind Punk. Rhodes wrapped his arms around Punk’s waist and latched onto his wrist, attempting a Rainmaker. Punk dodged the Clothesline, placing Rhodes into position for what looked to be a Rainmaker of his own. Instead of Clotheslining Rhodes, Punk caught him with a knee to his jaw! The dazed Rhodes backed into a corner, Punk charging into him with a Running High Knee. Normally, Punk would follow up with a Bulldog, but he decided to try to end the contest right there and then when the opportunity presented itself. Punk placed Rhodes onto his shoulders, looking for the Go To Sleep. Rhodes was able to put his hands up and block the strike from Punk’s knee, catching the Intercontinental Champion with a few quick jabs before hitting him on the top of his head with the Bionic Elbow! Punk fell onto the canvas, Rhodes collapsing onto him as the official started counting. Punk, however, was able to get his shoulder up.
After Punk exited the ring, Rhodes ascended to the top turnbuckle, looking back to make sure that Punk was in the perfect position before he took flight. Upon confirming that Punk was now standing, Rhodes leaped out to ringside with a Moonsault onto the champion! Rhodes slowly rose to his feet, looking out at the sea of WWE Universe members who were cheering him on in his efforts to win the Intercontinental Title for the second time in his career. Rhodes slid Punk back into the ring, ‘The American Nightmare’ setting him up for the Angle Slam that he wasn’t able to deliver earlier in the contest. Rhodes got Punk off of the canvas, but Punk managed to land on his feet behind Rhodes. Punk got in a roll up for a two count. After both superstars were standing again, Punk kicked Rhodes in the mid-section, setting him up for a Vertical Suplex that sent Rhodes into a corner! Rhodes’ upper-back took the entire fall, Punk bringing him away from the ropes to apply the Anaconda Vice! This time, Punk had the submission hold fully cinched in, Rhodes struggling to free himself or make it to the ropes. The challenger tried using his open hand to strike Punk in the side of his face, the Intercontinental Champion moving further away from Rhodes’ fist. Rhodes leaned forward a few times, trying to see if he could gather enough momentum to force Punk onto his back for a pinning predicament. Soon, Rhodes was able to do so, scoring a two count that Punk needed to kick out of, thus releasing the Anaconda Vice. Rhodes wasn’t in the clear yet as Punk stomped on his hand that the challenger tried striking him with just moments ago. Punk put Rhodes onto his shoulders again, trying a second time for the Go To Sleep. In this instance, Rhodes was able to slide behind Punk, placing him in position for Cross Rhodes. Punk managed to lift his knee up just high enough to catch Rhodes in the nose. After Rhodes bounced off of the ropes, Punk got him off of his feet one more time, finally connecting with the Go To Sleep! “Rhodes is out! Punk is going to retain!” Graves called. Punk got the cover, but Rhodes stayed alive with a millisecond remaining! The Intercontinental Champion was stunned that his Go To Sleep wasn’t enough to put Rhodes away at that moment, thinking of any other way he could solidify the victory for himself. Punk looked over to a corner, seemingly having an idea that he believed was his only option, even if it meant inflicting a bit to himself. Punk brought Rhodes up to his feet and placed him against the turnbuckles before he began climbing to the top rope. Slowly, Punk brought Rhodes up to the point where he was standing on the second rope. Punk locked Rhodes’ arms behind his back, a good portion of the audience in New Orleans knowing what the champion was looking for. “No way. Punk is… Punk is going for a Pepsi Plunge!” Ranallo exclaimed. Punk couldn’t execute the maneuver as Rhodes fought his way out of it. Rhodes dropped down onto the canvas, pulling Punk off as well by his legs. The back of Punk’s head collided with the bottom turnbuckle, Rhodes bringing ‘The Best in the World’ into the center of the ring for a Figure Four Leg Lock! Punk let out several screams of agony, Ranallo noting how ironic it would be for Rhodes to get the win off of the submission hold of his father’s greatest rival. Punk had to dig down deep and find the energy to be able to crawl towards the bottom rope, latching onto it to break the hold. After Rhodes released the Figure Four, he brought Punk back up to his feet, trying for the Rainmaker again. This time, Punk was able to stop the setup by catching Rhodes with a Roundhouse Kick. Rhodes was dazed by the kick, but Punk couldn’t capitalize as quickly as he would have liked since he, too, was fatigued by that point. Punk tried for another kick across Rhodes’ head, but Rhodes ducked it. Rhodes lifted Punk into the air for an Angle Slam, sending him into the turnbuckles! Punk staggered into the center of the ring, Rhodes grabbing him to finally connect with the Rainmaker! Rhodes rose to his feet and removed the wrist tape from his right hand, the masses in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome feeling that triumph was near for him. Rhodes stalked Punk as the latter rose to his feet, not having any clue where he was. Rhodes got a hold of Punk and planted him onto the canvas with Cross Rhodes! After rolling Punk onto his back, Rhodes covered him with the hook of the leg as the official made the three count.
CODY RHODES IS THE NEW INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPION!
“And for the second time in his career, Cody Rhodes is the Intercontinental Champion!” Rhodes stood on his knees while catching his breath, the fans in New Orleans reacting positively for the title change that Justin Roberts announced to make official. The referee presented Rhodes with the championship, ‘The American Nightmare’ reclaiming it. Rhodes raised the Intercontinental Title above his head, finally feeling like his career was back on track after finishing 2013 as the Superstar of the Year. “CM Punk believed that he let Cody Rhodes take the WWE Title from him last year. Tonight, Rhodes actually did take the Intercontinental Championship, and it has to be one of the most satisfying victories of Rhodes’ career, putting away someone who tried diminishing everything he’s ever worked for,” Graves said, reluctantly congratulating Rhodes on his win. The dream lives on for ’The American Nightmare’ as he stands tall in front of 75,176 fans at WrestleMania as the brand new Intercontinental Champion!
A promo was shown for WrestleMania 31, emanating from the newly constructed Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. WrestleMania 31 is live on the WWE Network and Pay-Per-View on Sunday March 29th, 2015.
"Sometimes I wonder why are we all here? They call me a nihilist, I guess I'm just unclear. To why I bother, why I try. Death is on my mind so much, it makes me wanna die. So come and sing me, sing me asleep. I dealt with too much of this, now I'm in too deep. Cut off my wings, my flowers bloomed. You want salvation?. Well I'm sorry. We're all doomed."
When the electronic intro to ”Doomed” by Bring Me the Horizon kicked in, lights began flashing from the Hell in a Cell structure that lowered to ground level. The fans in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome reacted with both excitement and silent anxiety, no one knowing exactly what they were about to see. While the Cell descended, the video package for the main event of WrestleMania played. It was at Hell in a Cell in October where Paige and Stephanie McMahon were locked inside of the sadistic structure. ”Cut off my wings and come lock me up. Just pull the plug, yeah, I’ve had enough.” Paige dominated the match and had Stephanie defeated, but just before she could secure the victory, Bray Wyatt appeared in the squared circle. Wyatt laid out Paige with Sister Abigail before allowing Stephanie to get the win. Wyatt declared that he could see Abigail’s spirit within Paige, deeming ‘The Anti-Diva’ as the reincarnated version of his deceased sister. Wyatt and Paige would meet in a Casket match at Survivor Series, but prior to that, Paige gave an interview on WWE.com where she opened up about the loss of an unborn child years ago, and how Wyatt’s assumption that she had never lost someone like he did touched a nerve. When the Casket match arrived, Paige was battered, brutalize and bloodied at the hands of ‘The New Face of Fear.’ Wyatt would seal Paige inside the casket, neither superstar being seen for weeks following the event. At TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs, Paige would make her return to attack WWE Women’s Champion, AJ Lee. ”The walls are a funeral, I run with ghosts. No hint of movement, no sign of pulse.” Paige removed the hoodie covering her head to reveal pitch-black eyes with bloodstains underneath them. Paige made the transition to Wyatt Family member, taking on Sister Abigail’s spirit to the delight of Wyatt. Paige asserted her dominance in the following weeks on the road to the Royal Rumble match, where she had the opportunity to become the first ever Universal Champion. ”So come rain on my parade, ‘cause I want to feel it. Come shove me over the edge, ‘cause my head is in overdrive.” Paige would reach the final two of the contest, and it was at that moment where she realized that despite all she had done as a member of The Wyatt Family, the WWE Universe still loved and supported her. She had the backing of the entire world as she battled Derrick Bateman, only to come up short. Tears streamed from Paige’s eyes after her loss, the blood on her face disappearing in the process. The next night on RAW, Paige addressed the WWE Universe from a staircase, declaring that she knew exactly who she was. She was still ‘The Anti-Diva.’ Paige was once again defeated by Bateman, and after the contest, Wyatt attacked her. ”You must have made some kind of mistake. I asked for death, but instead, I’m awake.” Wyatt placed Paige in the same casket that he did at Survivor Series, leaving her body to rot at his Compound. After Wyatt became a member of Bateman’s WarGames team at Battleground, the two of them began experiencing hauntings that were easily traced back to Paige. Wanting proof that Paige was indeed dead and gone, Bateman was taken to Wyatt’s Compound. After the casket was opened, Wyatt and Bateman discovered that Paige’s body was missing. The two had to escape the premises as the Compound burnt to the ground, Paige’s leather jacket being found on the grass nearby. Six days before Battleground, Paige made her return to WWE, no longer a member of The Wyatt Family as she had returned to her true form. ”So leave a light on, I’m coming home. It’s getting darker, but I carry on.” Paige joined AJ Styles’ WarGames team in order to extract revenge against both Wyatt and Bateman. Paige and Wyatt brawled outside of the structure until they crashed through a table, Wyatt leaving the scene thereafter. On RAW the following night, Paige would finally defeat Bateman, allowing her to focus solely on Wyatt. Paige would challenge Wyatt to the same match type where their rivalry began: Hell in a Cell. Paige would be invited to a “Wyatt Family Gathering” on RAW, where Wyatt tormented Paige mentally about her miscarriage. Wyatt revealed the truth behind his sister’s death, stating that Abigail committed suicide by jumping off of a cliff right in front of him. Wyatt said that unlike him, Paige has to accept responsibility for the death of one of her loved ones, that being her unborn child. Paige cried in the center of the ring, repeating to herself that she didn’t kill her child. Wyatt set Paige up right where he wanted her as Pentagon and Maxine made their main roster debuts, revealing that Wyatt was their master all along. Pentagon would attack Paige before officially becoming a member of the newly-christened Wyatt Tribe. Paige was ready to announce her retirement from professional wrestling the following week, declaring that she couldn’t take the physical, mental and emotional punishment any longer. She was convinced to remain an active performer when Shane McMahon announced that she had been voted into the main event of WrestleMania by the WWE Universe. Paige will make history by becoming the first woman to ever headline the grand stage, but that sudden surge of happiness was only temporary. Two weeks ago on RAW, a distraction from The Wyatt Tribe cost Paige her match against Alexa Bliss. Paige would then be forced onto the stage while Wyatt literally tattooed the word ‘Run’ on the back of her neck, making sure that she carried his branding with her for the rest of her life. Six nights ago, Paige and Wyatt confronted one another on the top of the Hell in a Cell structure. Wyatt took out the only remaining letter that Paige had written to her lost child, luring her into his trap. Wyatt forced Paige to look down from the top of the Cell, stating that because his sister plunged to her death, ‘The Anti-Diva’ is going to have to as well. After planting Paige onto the roof of the structure with Sister Abigail, Wyatt stood tall over the ‘demoness’ that he intends to wipe off the face of the earth tonight in what is guaranteed to be the most emotional and violent encounter in WWE history. ”I think we’re doomed, and now there’s no way back.”
After the completion of the video package, the Hell in a Cell structure was shown surrounding the ring, both Mauro Ranallo and Corey Graves remaining silent as they felt that there were no words that could possibly set the tone for what was about to happen. The lights in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome dimmed as another video package commenced, this time for only one of the participants in this match. ”Youth” by Daughter began to play, the acoustic intro being accompanied by courtesy footage from Paige’s parents of her as a child. From there, the WWE Universe was shown some of Paige’s early moments in her career as professional wrestler that began when she was only 13. ”Shadows settle on the place that you left. Our minds are troubled by the emptiness.” Paige’s journey to WWE happened to be documented, ‘The Anti-Diva’ having a few months to prepare to leave her family and travel on her own to a new country for the opportunity to fulfill her dream. A clip of Paige at the airport was shown, her family members hugging her while crying. Paige began with Florida Championship Wrestling in 2012, clips of her time there being displayed. When FCW made the transition to NXT, Paige quickly became the brand’s top female performer, earning the admiration of the WWE Universe. In September 2012, Paige’s big break came when then-Divas Champion Eve Torres visited NXT to gloat about retiring AJ Lee at Night of Champions a few days prior. Paige confronted Eve, leading to her first title opportunity at Hell in a Cell. ”And if you’re still breathing, you’re the lucky ones. ‘Cause most of us are heaving through corrupted lungs.” At that point, a shot of Paige sitting in a dark room by herself was shown as she watched the video package on a small television screen. While Paige failed at Hell in a Cell, she managed to succeed at Survivor Series the following month to become Divas Champion, thus far her only title in WWE. Paige carried the championship into WrestleMania XXIX, defeating AJ. After that, her real story began. On April 22nd in the United Kingdom, Paige was betrayed by AJ, losing the Divas Title in the process. ”We are the reckless, we are the wild youth. Chasing visions of our futures.” Paige would get her rematch at Extreme Rules in the first ever Last Diva Standing match. The present day Paige who was watching this video unfold covered her eyes, refusing to watch any of the Extreme Rules highlights. That match changed the course of not only Paige’s career, but professional wrestling altogether. When Paige removed her hands from her eyes, she was shown in her Wyatt Family form. ”And if your’e still bleeding, you’re the lucky ones. ‘Cause most of our feelings, they are dead and they are gone.” The video package highlighted Paige’s time as a Wyatt Family member before ‘The Anti-Diva’ kicked the television away from her. Paige’s eyes were back to normal while the windows surrounding her shattered into millions of pieces. ”We’re setting fire to our insides for fun. Collecting pictures from a flood that wrecked our home. It was a flood that wrecked this home. And you caused it.” The glass ripped apart the sleeves of Paige’s jacket as she dropped to the floor, crying her eyes out while Bray Wyatt’s ‘fireflies’ began creeping into the room through the openings where the windows used to be. ”Well I’ve lost it all, I’m just a silhouette. A lifeless face that you’ll soon forget. My eyes are damp from the words you left, ringing in my head when you broke my chest.” Paige then stood up and walked away from the scene of broken glass and fireflies, heading towards an area outside that was consumed by fog, seemingly walking into the unknown.
Once the video was finished, Paige’s entrance music sounded to potentially the loudest ovation of the night. At the 13 second mark of the song, the stage lit up with Paige’s titantron graphics as ‘The Anti-Diva’ stood with mechanical wings spreading out from her back. Paige looked up at the ceiling while pyro blasted from the stage, the first woman to ever headline WrestleMania breathing heavily. Paige then released the wings and picked up her backpack from Extreme Rules that she had previously set down to side. After putting on the backpack, Paige began the walk down to the ring for a contest that still seemed unfathomable, despite it only being seconds away. “It doesn’t feel real to say that we’re about to witness Paige step into Hell in a Cell in the main event of WrestleMania. If there’s any woman in the world of professional wrestling who deserves this honor, it’s Paige, but at the same time, she doesn’t deserve what might happen to her. She’s 21 years old. She has her whole career and life ahead of her, and Bray Wyatt is going to attempt to shorten, or even end, both of those things,” Mauro Ranallo said to break the silence. Corey Graves said that while he hasn’t always seen eye-to-eye with Paige, even going back to their days in FCW and NXT, he’s beyond scared for her. “I know that Paige can hold her own in these situations. She can dish out punishment to Bray Wyatt… she just can’t dish out as much as he will.” Paige stood outside of the structure for a bit before walking through the door and into the hellacious environment that she demanded to meet Wyatt in on the grandest stage in the world. Paige slid her backpack underneath the bottom rope before entering the squared circle, ‘The Anti-Diva’ proceeding to open the backpack. She pulled out a small, black bag and poured thumbtacks onto the canvas! “This match hasn’t even started yet and there are already tacks in the ring!” Graves exclaimed. Paige threw the bag to the side and stood in front of the pile of thumbtacks, making it clear that she intends on making this match vicious and brutal from the get-go.
“New Orleans… we’re here!” After the signature intro of The Wyatt Tribe, Bray Wyatt blew out his lantern before his entrance music began playing. The fireflies filled up the stands here in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome as Wyatt walked out onto the stage. The light from his lantern could show Luke Harper, Erick Rowan, Pentagon and Maxine not too far behind him. ‘The Eater of Worlds’ slowly walked down the elongated ramp, Graves noting that if Paige wanted to walk out of Hell in a Cell victorious, she would have to overcome not only Wyatt, but the entire Tribe. “It’s been said before that Paige has made a career out of throwing caution to the wind. More often than not, she doesn’t know what she’s doing and puts herself into situations beyond her capabilities. Tonight more than any other night, she needs to know exactly what she’s doing. One false move will cost her everything because if she makes a mistake, Wyatt will immediately capitalize on it and make her suffer.” Harper, Rowan, Pentagon and Maxine all remained on the outside of the structure while Wyatt walked in, closing the door behind him. Wyatt climbed up the steps and entered the ring, blowing out the lantern as the lights came back on in the stadium, the leader of The Wyatt Tribe donning all white with black paint messily smeared across his arms. Wyatt put the lantern down and stood across from Paige, the two ready to combat one another in the main event of WrestleMania.
Never before has a woman headlined WrestleMania. Paige is about to make history, but at the same time, she might be history once it’s all said and done. The final chapter in the rivalry between Paige and Wyatt unfolds now. This is the end.
After the opening bell, Paige’s first move was to run towards Wyatt and try to take him down with strikes. Wyatt pushed Paige away, causing her to fall onto the thumbtacks! Paige’s flesh was already punctured just seconds into the match! Wyatt then ran the ropes, attempting a Running Senton onto Paige. However, ‘The Anti-Diva’ was able to roll out of the way! Wyatt then crashed onto the thumbtacks, both competitors being evenly matched now with tacks stuck in their skin! “Paige, Bray Wyatt, welcome to Hell!” Ranallo shouted while the two superstars backed against opposite ends of the ring, the audience of 75,167 standing and applauding them both.
Paige and Wyatt both charged towards each other, exchanging strikes in a showdown that Wyatt was easily able to win. Wyatt backed Paige against a corner before charging into her with a giant splash. Wyatt then threw Paige to the outside before he looked underneath the ring, bringing out a steel chair. Wyatt swung the chair, but Paige dodged the shot. She then quickly stepped onto the ring apron, running into Wyatt’s chair with her knee. The chair cracked Wyatt in the face, Paige following up by leaping off of the apron with a Tornado DDT! Paige went underneath the ring for whatever she could find, retrieving a kendo stick. Paige struck Bray in the side of his leg with the stick before targeting his back. Wyatt tried getting away from Paige, but ‘The Anti-Diva’ pursed him and continued to fire away with shots from the kendo stick. After Wyatt fell to one knee, Paige rolled into the ring and ran the ropes, taking flight with a Suicide Dive! Wyatt crashed against the steel wall, Paige having the advantage at that point. If she could just continue to onslaught of offense without giving Wyatt even the slightest bit of an opening to attack her, she had a genuine shot at defeating him. Paige tried going for her Bicycle Knee, but Wyatt was able to catch her before she could connect with it. Wyatt sent Paige over his head and onto the floor with an Exploder Suplex! Paige held her back as she roes to her feet, Wyatt charging into her to take her down yet again. ‘The Eater of Worlds’ was back in control as he tossed Paige into the ring before looking through the backpack that she had introduced. Wyatt laughed maniacally to himself before pulling out a staple gun. Wyatt glanced at the object and pointed it at Paige as if it was a real gun. Wyatt walked towards Paige before looking through his left pocket, taking out a polaroid image of a sonogram. Wyatt placed the sonogram on Paige’s forehead before stapling it to her! Paige was shaking after the staple pierced through her forehead, the WWE Universe members reacting with the shock and horror that she did. The worst part of it all was that she actually didn’t even know what image was stuck to her yet. Paige reached up to her forehead and had to pull the picture and staple out of her skin. ‘The Anti-Diva’ did so before turning the polaroid image around, finally seeing what it was. While the sonogram wasn’t actually hers, the symbolism of Wyatt stapling one to her head got to her. Paige covered her mouth as she began to cry, thinking only of her own unborn child as she glared at the sonogram. While Paige was distracted that whole time, Wyatt had brought out a barbed wire baseball bat! Wyatt approached Paige from behind and began raking the barbed wire across her head! “If the staple gun to her head wasn’t enough, Bray Wyatt is about to rip the flesh off of her face!” Ranallo screamed into his headset. Wyatt dug the barbed wire deeper into Paige’s flesh as she screamed out for help, no one able to do anything to stop Wyatt. The Wyatt Tribe’s master finally removed the barbed wire from Paige’s forehead, only to strike her in the back with the bat. Paige fell onto the canvas, a pool of blood forming underneath where her face was resting. Paige lifted her head up in front of a camera, the entire world getting a look at the wound on her forehead. Wyatt grabbed Paige and slammed her with a Urinagi onto the thumbtacks, covering her for the first pin attempt of the match. Paige was able to kick out at two, but she just barely got her shoulder up, showing that she was already in a very weakened state.
While Paige lied motionlessly on top of the thumbtack pile that she had brought into play before the match even started, Wyatt looked underneath the ring once again. What he brought out left the fans in attendance and around the world speechless. “No… he can’t,” Ranallo uttered as Wyatt walked back into the ring while holding a fluorescent light tube. Paige held one in her hands back in February on SmackDown when addressing her challenge to Wyatt, but to actually see one being introduced into this match was breathtaking to say the least. Wyatt raised the light tube and broke it over Paige’s head! ‘The Anti-Diva’ fell back down onto the canvas, the mercury from the light tube filling up the atmosphere around her while the lights set up above the Hell in a Cell structure reflected off of the pieces of glass that were both on the mat and in Paige’s hair.
Wyatt could have easily pinned Paige at that point to get the victory, but it wouldn’t have been good enough for him. He wanted to punish Paige even further and make sure that she wouldn’t ever step foot back in a WWE ring ever again. Wyatt took Paige’s body and threw out to ringside, perching her against the wall to the Hell in a Cell structure that faced the announce table. Wyatt backed away before charging into Paige, crushing her against the steel wall. At that point, Ranallo pointed out on commentary that Paige was covered in blood while Wyatt, whose attire was all white, barely had any stains on him. Only small, red dots on his back could be seen from where thumbtacks previously were. Wyatt ran into Paige again before reeling back for his third splash. However, Paige was able to move out of harm’s way and Wyatt crashed through the steel wall! Wyatt ended up outside of the structure as Paige stood against the ring apron, wiping away her own blood while trying to catch her breath. While Wyatt was down, the rest of his Tribe used that opportunity to rush into Hell in a Cell through the wall opening to try to take Paige out themselves. Paige kicked Maxine in the mid-section before being overpowered by Pentagon, Harper and Rowan. The three of them stomped away on Paige before Maxine gave them specific orders. Rowan looked underneath the ring and brought a table, setting it up before bringing out a barbed wire board to place on top of it. Pentagon was able to find another light tube, sliding it into the ring before grabbing the barbed wire baseball bat. Harper followed Pentagon into the squared circle and held up Paige, Pentagon ready to swing the bat against her head as hard as he could. However, Paige was able to free herself from Harper’s clutches, Pentagon inadvertently striking his Wyatt Tribe brethren in the chest with the barbed wire bat! Paige shoved Pentagon into Harper, causing the latter to fall back onto the thumbtacks! Paige then caught Pentagon in the jaw with a Bicycle Knee, Rowan stepping onto the ring apron to try to intervene. Paige noticed Rowan and quickly capitalized, Dropkicking him. Rowan crashed through the barbed wire board that he had set up on top of a table! “Paige is fighting for her life and has somehow found her second wind!” said Ranallo. Maxine tried to stop Paige’s momentum, but ended up on the receiving end of a Back Suplex onto the thumbtacks! Paige rose to her feet and let out her signature scream, letting the WWE Universe know that she was not going to allow anyone or anything to keep her down if it meant making each and every member of The Wyatt Tribe pay for what they’ve done to her. Paige glanced over at the light tube that Pentagon had brought it, realizing her opportunity of revenge. First, Paige began picking at the mask of Pentagon, ripping a hole into the upper portion of it to reveal his forehead. Paige wasn’t attempting to unmask Pentagon. She just wanted to make sure that she had a clear target for what she was about to do. Paige took the light tube and struck Pentagon with it right on top of the opening in his mask! Miraculously, Paige had taken out The Wyatt Tribe single-handedly, but none of those members were her opponents in this Hell in a Cell match. She still had to overcome the monster on the outside of the structure.
Paige exited the ring and walked through the opening in the Cell wall, taking a steel chair with her to have something to attack Wyatt with. ‘The Eater of Worlds’ had gotten to his feet right before Paige started battering him with the chair repeatedly. She delivered one final shot to Wyatt’s back, causing him to fall forward onto the surface of the one remaining announce table. Paige backed against the Cell wall, looking at Wyatt’s motionless body before glancing up at the top of the structure. Paige herself seemed shocked that she would even hatch the idea that she did, but she was beyond desperate to put Wyatt away. Not just in this match, but in her life altogether. Paige turned around and began scaling the Cell, the WWE Universe members in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome erupting. As she scaled the structure, one by one, it felt like the fans who showed excitement initial moved towards concern as their prevailing emotion. Paige stopped halfway up the Cell as if to ask herself if she really wanted to go through with her plan. At that point, she believed that if she didn’t seize every opportunity presented to her, she would be done for. Paige continued to climb the Hell in a Cell structure, soon reaching the top of it. Paige stood to her feet on the roof of the Cell, turning around as she slowly approached the edge of it. She looked down at the 20-feet drop in front of her, Wyatt still motionless on the announce table. Paige could hear the 75,167 fans that surrounded her, but in her mind, it was only herself and Wyatt in the stadium. Wyatt said that she would plunge to her death at WrestleMania, and if that’s the way things were going to go, she wanted to make sure that she could take Wyatt to Hell with her.
Paige took two steps forward and jumped off of the Hell in a Cell structure, only for Wyatt to move!
Paige crashed 20 feet through the announce table! The bloodied ‘Anti-Diva’ was immobile on the ground, the official quickly checking on her before calling for the medical staff. Wyatt crawled towards the Cell wall, using the small openings to help himself up to his feet. Wyatt looked down at the fallen carcass of Paige, who had not moved a single inch since jumping off of the structure. Ranallo and Graves went silent at that point, as did many of the fans in attendance. The footage of Paige’s fall was replayed several times, a slow motion shot highlighting the velocity and momentum with which she plunged through the table. The medics arrived with a stretcher for Paige, but Wyatt grabbed one of them and threw him against the Cell wall! ‘The Eater of Worlds’ screamed at the rest of the medics, “No! You don’t get to save her! Nobody does!” Wyatt picked Paige up and carried her back into the ring himself. “Bray! She might not even be alive!” Ranallo shouted as Wyatt’s only focus was on defeating Paige. Wyatt brought the lifeless Paige up to her feet, staring at her for a few seconds before some of her blood onto his chest. Wyatt then delivered Sister Abigail, covering Paige while the official for the contest had no choice but to head back into the ring and make the count.
”Why are you doing this? Why do you always put yourself into these positions with no escape? You torture yourself more than anyone else. You can blame your situation on whoever and whatever you want to, but the fact of the matter is that you’re the only person at fault. You just can’t let go of the past. You remind yourself every day about the pain you’ve endured and that only causes you even more agony. You can’t change anything about where you’ve been, the things you’ve done or the thing that have happened to you. The past is the past. It’s a part of you forever and as much as that sucks, you have to carry those scars. But you don’t need to let them weigh you down forever. Use what you’ve learned and create a better future for yourself because if you don’t, people will turn to you as an example of what could have been. Do you want that? Do you want to be the person who is remembered for what they could’ve accomplished? Only you can turn your life around. So do it. Move forward and don’t look back. It's not over 'til it's over.”
The official began the count, just about everyone watching in the stadium and around the world believing that this was the end of the bout. But somehow, someway, Paige was able to kick out! The Mercedes-Benz Superdome exploded, Ranallo and Graves trying to find some sort of explanation as to how Paige was able to get a shoulder up. “She’s had thumbtacks, barbed wire and light tubes stuck in her flesh! She’s soaked with blood and she literally fell 20 feet in the air! How the hell did Paige kick out?!?” A sea of “Yes!” chants filled the atmosphere as Wyatt exited the ring, bringing out another light tube. He didn’t stop there as the light tubes just kept on emerging, ‘The Eater of Worlds’ bringing six of the glass objects into the ring with him. Paige, who had slowly risen to her feet while her blood and hair covered her face, Superkicked Wyatt in his left leg. Paige took one of the light tubes and struck Wyatt in the head with it! Wyatt fell to both of knees, Paige doing so at the same time since her body couldn’t find the strength to stand. ‘The Anti-Diva’ took the broken piece of light tube she held in her hand and used it to carve into Wyatt’s forehead! Now, it was Wyatt who had blood pouring onto the canvas. Wyatt tried to stop Paige by grabbing her throat, attempting to choke the remaining bit of life out of her. Paige continued to poke at Wyatt’s forehead with glass, the two trying to force the other to pass out before they could. Ultimately, Wyatt was the one who faded into unconsciousness due to blood loss. Paige slowly stood to feet, limping towards the other five light tubes. One by one, Paige took the light tubes and shattered them across the back of Wyatt! The white shirt that Wyatt sported was now red after Paige pulverized him with every light tube she could grab. Paige backed against the ropes, still barely able to stand after everything she’s been through. Wyatt got onto his hands and knees, trying to get back up into a standing position. He managed to do so, but was immediately hit with a Bicycle Knee! Wyatt fell onto the thumbtacks, Paige losing her balance yet again. ‘The Anti-Diva’ crawled towards a corner, noticing Wyatt’s lantern sitting there. Paige picked up the lantern and slowly walked towards Wyatt, who was back onto his knees. Paige stood across from her adversary while holding his lantern, the one remaining object he had left to remember his sister. Wyatt then looked around the ring at his fallen Tribe members who weren’t able to overcome Paige. He then glanced up at ‘The Anti-Diva,’ unable to launch any sort of attack since he was incredibly weak. With his hand shaking, Wyatt reached into his right pocket and pulled out the letter that Paige had written to her unborn child. Just like Paige did at that moment with the lantern, Wyatt had something in his possession that meant the world to his opponent. Wyatt raised his arm and handed Paige the letter back, almost as if he was surrendering. He knew that he had been beaten and he wasn’t going to try to fight against it. All he wanted was his lantern to preserve the last memory of Sister Abigail that he could hold onto. Paige took the letter back and placed it into the pocket of her ring attire, trying not to spill any of her blood on it. Paige continued to look down at Wyatt for a few seconds before leveling him across the head with the lantern that shattered in the process! Paige collapsed onto Wyatt’s fallen body, the official making the final three count of WrestleMania XXX.
PAIGE IS VICTORIOUS!
It’s over. It’s finally over. Paige’s nightmare has come to an end as she managed to defeat Bray Wyatt inside of Hell in a Cell in the main event of WrestleMania. The fans that packed the Mercedes-Benz Superdome came unglued after the three count was made, but despite Paige being victorious, she had not moved at all ever since allowing her body to give in and fall onto Wyatt for the cover. The official was able to get the medical staff involved at last, trainers and EMTs swarming the ring to attend to both competitors while trying to protect themselves from thumbtacks and glass. The Hell in a Cell structure was soon raised above the squared circle in order to make it easier to assist Paige and Wyatt out of the ring. The shattered lantern was shown off the side of the commotion, Wyatt’s only remaining attachment to Sister Abigail now gone while Paige was able to take back one of the letters she wrote to her unborn child. “Nobody gave her a chance. Even those such as myself who had desperately hoped for Paige to win didn’t think it was possible. She just did it. She finally beat Bray Wyatt,” Mauro Ranallo stated. Paige was placed onto a stretcher that began making its way up the ramp before she suddenly showed her first sign of life since the conclusion of the match. Paige slowly removed herself from the stretcher, the medics pleading with her not to get off. “Just let me have this. Please,” she said in a very weak tone to match the condition of the rest of her body. ‘The Anti-Diva’ stood on the ramp and slowly walked towards the stage, her flesh still ripped apart in certain areas with glass and thumbtacks glistening from her. Paige turned around and looked out at the sea of WWE Universe members cheering her one before she fell onto her knees while crying. After the Last Diva Standing match at Extreme Rules last year, Paige did the exact same thing, but it was because she failed in that contest. This time, tears streamed down her face because she was finally able to say that she put her greatest foe away. Not only that, but she did so in the first ever instance of a woman main eventing WrestleMania. “Thank you,” said an emotional Paige to the WWE Universe while pyro and confetti were set off in the stadium. The girl who everyone counted out proved that no matter what may happen in your life, there is a light waiting for you on the other side if you can weather the storm.
Congratulations, Paige.
You earned your happy ending.
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