Get used to Roman Reigns as your Undisputed WWE Universal champion, because his reign isn’t coming to an end anytime soon.
If Cody Rhodes wasn’t the opponent and WrestleMania 39 wasn’t the moment, then it could conceivably be another year or two before Reigns’ shoulders are pinned to the mat.
It is at least safe to say WWE missed a moment on Night 2 of WrestleMania 39 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Sunday night.
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Rhodes came in with considerable momentum after returning from a pec injury to win the Royal Rumble.
He brought a tremendous family story and palpable buzz with him to Hollywood and it all, at least for now, has fizzled after a superb, emotional main event that many will feel had the wrong ending.
Sure, Rhodes can go on a redemption story like John Cena did after losing to The Rock at WrestleMania 28.
He can scratch and claw his way back to Reigns again, maybe at SummerSlam or next year’s WrestleMania or WrestleMania 41 if WWE can get The Rock and Reigns in the ring either this summer or in Philadelphia in 2024.
But WWE, just like potentially creating at new world title for Rhodes to win, risks it not having the same meaning as it would have in Los Angeles.
Rhodes, Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens came to end The Bloodline.
And instead of driving a stake into it, WWE left the group merely wounded after Zayn and Owens took the tag championships off The Usos on Night 1.
Maybe with the company being sold to UFC parent company Endeavor, WWE wasn’t ready to move on from its golden goose.
The match itself was everything you want from a WrestleMania main event with swing after swing of emotion, starting with seeing Rhodes’ family on screen in WWE for the first time – including his daughter, Liberty, giving him a hug during his entrance.
He even gave his weight belt to Brodie Lee Jr.
Rhodes and Reigns kicked out of all of each other’s big moves and submissions.
Owens and Zayn even came out to fight off The Usos from costing Rhodes the match.
It opened the door for what appeared to the emotional end sequence with Rhodes doing dad Dusty’s Flip, Flop and Fly and brother Dustin’s punch from the mat before going into the triple Cross Rhodes that has finished so many.
But after the second one, Paul Heyman distracted the referee.
It allowed Solo Sikoa – who had been tossed from ringside earlier – to come out of the crowd and give Rhodes the Samoan Spike and set up Reigns to deliver a spear to win.
It was almost as if the whole match and build – including have Reigns beat Sami Zayn at Elimination Chamber – was a giant troll job of the audience.
They finally had two babyfaces they could get behind, and neither was the one to beat Reigns.
That same emotion isn’t guaranteed six or 12 months from now.
It’s why Seth Rollins might be the real winner Sunday night: He’s the only man Reigns didn’t defeat during his run and hasn’t gotten a rematch.
Bianca Belair defeats Asuka
Reigns wasn’t the only current star solidified on Night 2 as Raw women’s champion Bianca Belair defeated Asuka in one of the best matches of the night.
Belair also got a super-special entrance with the young girls from the Divas of Compton dancing while dressed with her signature braid.
It was revealed at the WrestleMania press conference that the girl who danced directly with Belair had lost her mom earlier in the day.
Once Belair was able to avoid the Poison Mist, you pretty much knew Asuka had no chance.
Belair countered an arm bar by lifting Asuka up from the ground for a KOD.
It was Belair’s third straight win at WrestleMania as she has now started her own streak of sorts.
It could make a potential clash with Rhea Ripley in Philly that much more epic.
It’s unclear what’s next for Asuka, who is now 0-5 at WrestleMania.
Her more twisted gimmick feels a little less imposing now, too.
Belair facing regular Asuka might have been better instead of weakening her new gimmick after four months.
Edge defeats ‘The Demon’ Finn Balor
Speaking of weakening what should be a protected gimmick, “Demon” Finn Balor has now lost for the second straight time.
I get having Reigns beat him at Extreme Rules with a wonky finish, and I guess the babyface Edge needs to go over inside Hell in Cell to end their feud once and of all.
But Edge is a veteran with finite years remaining.
He and Balor – who needed to get staples in the ring to close up a huge gash in his head – put on a violent and fun spectacle.
The con-chair-to callback finish was fine.
But instead of reestablishing The Demon in a big way, it felt more like a pageantry prop to warrant cool entrances for Balor and Edge.
Gunther defeats Drew McIntyre, Sheamus
Unlike Balor, Gunther continues on the path to superstardom in WWE.
He retained the Intercontinental championship in the physical banger of a match we expected from him, Sheamus and Drew McIntyre.
The chest slaps were frequent and audible.
Gunther broke up a Sheamus pin attempt with a top rope splash and power bombed both of his opponents before pinning McIntyre for the win.
It’s time to start asking the question: Who will actually dethrone him? And after 290-plus days, will it come before he breaks Honky Tonk Man’s 495-day record?
Brock Lesnar defeats Omos
WWE did get the Brock Lesnar-Omos match just right as Omos tossed around The Beast early – leaving in question in the context of the story if he’d have enough left to lift him up at the end.
It was quite the spectacle seeing Lesnar German suplex and eventually F-5 Omos because it didn’t look easy.
The Beast needed this win.
Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler defeat Natalya and Shotzi, Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez, Sonya Deville and Chelsea Green
You could make the case Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler needed their win, too, to solidify themselves as the true No. 1 contender for the women’s tag team titles.
But the two – especially Rousey — felt barely in a match that felt like it was over a flash.
While the men’s four-way showcase match on Saturday night was a blast, this didn’t do much to elevate the women’s division despite some nice showings from Raquel Rodriguez and Chelsea Green.
As for surprises, Shane McMahon’s return for a match with The Miz truly was one, as he has not been seen on WWE TV since the 2021 Royal Rumble.
Unfortunately, McMahon tore his quad doing a leap frog, and Snoop Dogg pulled off the fun ad-lib of knocking out Miz and getting the win.
On the other hand, after weeks of Bobby Lashley and L.A. Knight teasing WrestleMania matches, neither got one.
Lashley, after his program with Bray Wyatt disappeared from WWE TV, had to settle for being acknowledged as the Andre The Giant battle royal winner, and Knight was nowhere to be found in L.A. of all cities on a card with just six matches.
That’s hard to imagine.
He couldn’t have at least tried to steal Miz’s hosting duties?
From an in-ring standpoint, this was another excellent night for WWE.
The matches themselves did not disappoint.
Unlike Night 1 – for which I’d like to raise my grade up to an A- – there were too many creative decisions that left somethings on the table.
Biggest Winner: Bianca Belair
Biggest Loser: Women’s tag division, Finn Balor
Best entrance: Bianca Belair
Best match: Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes
Grade: B+
This article was originally published at the New York Post and was republished with permission.
