WWE WrestleMania 38 Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights of Night 2
Roman Reigns. Brock Lesnar.
For the third time in WrestleMania history, those two industry giants squared off in the main event of WrestleMania 38, this time with the stakes higher than ever before. The WWE and Universal Championships were on the line in a Winner Takes All match that would shape the future of Raw and SmackDown for the foreseeable future.
With two world titles and bragging rights on the line, the most heated rivalry in the company came to a head in the show-closing contest of Sunday's action at AT&T Stadium in Dallas.
Who emerged with the gold and what went down on the rest of the card when Superstars settled grudges and tag titles were decided?
Find out now with this recap of Night 2 of The Showcase of the Immortals.
Triple H Opens the Show; Raw Tag Team Championship Match
The night's opening match saw RK-Bro's Randy Orton and Riddle successfully retain their Raw Tag Team Championship in a Triple Threat match against The Street Profits and Alpha Academy.
A high-energy three-way bout that featured one member from each team in the ring at the same time, it was the perfect choice to kick off the show.
The crowd was into it, the competitors were amped up and the Orton hot tag sparked a phenomenal finishing sequence that concluded with The Viper catching Chad Gable with an RKO mid-flight for the win.
The Profits showed respect to the victors post-match, suggesting the recently teased heel turn will not move forward. Given the lack of depth in the tag division, it is likely for the best that Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins stay fan favorites.
This was a fantastic way to kick off the show and set the bar for the rest of the broadcast.
Grade
B
Top Moments
- Triple H kicked off the show, making his way to the ring and leaving behind his boots, the symbolic sign that his in-ring career has come to an end.
- Ford's over-the-corner tope wiped out his opponents, and Gable's moonsault moments later did the same.
- The Orton hot tag is one of the best things in wrestling today. He was fired up in this one.
- Gable and Ford running back the monkey flip spot later, with the latter landing on his feet this time, was a nice touch.
- Gable interrupted a post-match toast between RK-Bro, The Street Profits and Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson. The two-time NCAA champion suplexed the heel.
Anything Goes Match: Johnny Knoxville vs. Sami Zayn
One of the most fun, original matches in WrestleMania history featured Johnny Knoxville and Sami Zayn in an Anything Goes contest.
Hijinx ensued, with Zayn punishing Knoxville early before members of the Jackass cast, including Chris Pontius and Wee Man, provided distractions and allowed their leader to get back into the fight.
Knoxville used a taser, a bowling ball and a giant mousetrap among other items to ultimately pin Zayn before celebrating with his friends.
This match was going to go one of two ways: It was either going to be a cluster of massive proportions that embarrassed everyone involved or a total blast.
Fortunately, it was the latter and both performers deserve props for crafting a match that kept the fans invested and entertained throughout.
This was a great example of garbage wrestling done at an elite level and perhaps Zayn's greatest accomplishment in his WWE run.
Grade
B
Top Moments
- The crutch shot from Zayn to the back of Knoxville was wicked. There was no way to mask the effect of that one.
- Pontius' cameo, and Pat McAfee's excitement over Party Boy's arrival, popped the crowd and helped Zayn's eventual assault on him draw greater heat.
- "His cheeks were just starting to get over!" McAfee exclaimed about Pontius.
- Wee Man's appearance popped the crowd, and his bodyslam of Zayn was a highlight.
Fatal 4-Way for the Women's Tag Team Championship
Sasha Banks and Naomi, Natalya and Shayna Baszler, and Liv Morgan and Rhea Ripley challenged Queen Zelina and Carmella for the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship in a Fatal 4-Way match.
A spotty contest, with almost too much going on for its own good, saw Banks and Naomi use tandem offense to score the pinfall on Carmella and the titles.
The effort was there and all eight women were highlighted well, but with so many competitors looking to get their stuff in, the match consisted more of spots and flashy sequences than any easily tracked narrative.
One of the two babyface teams had to win here and, given the fact that Banks had competed at six WrestleManias without a win, this was as good a time as any to right that wrong.
The Boss and Naomi are a dynamic team and will hopefully inspire the creative team to take the tag titles seriously.
Grade
C
Top Moments
- Corey Graves and Byron Saxton put over the previous partnership between Banks and Naomi during their time with Team B.A.D., establishing a history that did not exist among the other teams.
- Stereo tope suicidas from Morgan and Banks were a nice way to bring energy and pop the crowd early.
- The double Tower of Doom spot was sweet and brought the crowd back into the match.
- The look of disbelief on Graves' face after a near-fall from Carmella was amusing.
AJ Styles vs. Edge
Arguably the most anticipated match on the card among die-hard fans, AJ Styles vs. Edge did not disappoint.
A lengthy contest that started slow but built to its false finishes and high spots, it saw The Rated-R Superstar score the win after a momentary distraction from Damian Priest.
The former United States champion popped up at ringside, momentarily preventing Styles from delivering the Phenomenal Forearm. Edge capitalized and used a Spear that earned the Hall of Famer the win.
Was the contest the Match of the Year candidate that many expected it to be? No, but it was still a strong bout full of great in-ring psychology. Styles sold like a champ for Edge's arm work, while The Rated-R Superstar put over The Phenomenal One's late burst perfectly.
Priest's involvement sets up a potential star-making partnership with Edge. Most importantly, the finish suggests the feud with Styles will continue, giving them ample opportunity to improve upon this match.
Grade
B
Top Moments
- Edge's entrance was superb. He looked like a total badass as he emerged from flames and sat on a throne, with his latest Alter Bridge theme accompanying him. Great stuff.
- Styles appeared to pop his left shoulder back in place, putting over the work Edge had done on it to that point.
- The suplex onto the ring apron was scary, but both guys appeared to be OK.
- The false finish off the Styles Clash was fantastic.
The New Day vs. Sheamus and Ridge Holland
The match between The New Day and the team of Sheamus and Ridge Holland was deemed expendable on Saturday, so it was never expected to be a memorable contest. And it wasn't.
The sprint of a bout was more spots than anything, culminating with Holland pinning Xavier Woods following Northern Grit.
Why WWE continuously feels the need to put Sheamus and Holland over is a question only it can answer, but this felt like an opportune time to give Kingston and Woods the nod.
Instead, the same team that has won everything for the last two months scored another win that did nothing to elevate them or make the feud any more meaningful.
Grade
C-
Top Moments
- Kingston and Woods' tribute to Big E by wearing gear inspired by his WWE Championship win was cool.
- Sheamus carrying Butch away from the action, preventing his involvement and a disqualification, helped put over the tenacity of the newcomer.
Pat McAfee vs. Austin Theory
Pat McAfee showed up and showed out Sunday night, and he defeated Austin Theory in a match the Dallas fans were red hot for.
Raw athleticism from McAfee and solid heel work from Theory combined to make for a fun bout that exceeded expectations. Theory's ego proved costly as he tried for A-Town Down, only for McAfee to roll him up and grab a handful of tights for the win.
This was not an instance like earlier in the night, where Sami Zayn was instrumental in the overall success of his match with Johnny Knoxville. McAfee held his own, performed up to the moment and should be allowed back in the ring whenever the opportunity presents itself.
The post-match, which saw an impromptu bout between McAfee and Mr. McMahon, threatened to undo everything accomplished by the first match, though. The WWE chairman made the former NFL kicker look like a geek before earning a "win."
It usually takes Vinnie Mac a good two or three weeks to damage the hottest act in the company, so this was an impressive turnaround.
"Stone Cold" Steve Austin made the save, delivered the ugliest Stunner of all time to McMahon and added another to McAfee before standing tall.
Grade
B-
Top Moments
- McAfee joining commentary as he beat down Theory was a great moment and a callback to something The Rock used to do at the height of the Attitude Era.
- The former Indianapolis Colts player leaping to the top rope and delivering a superplex was a fantastic spot.
- Theory selling the Stone Cold Stunner was right out of The Rock's playbook and was superb.
- McAfee, still smarting after the Stunner, was caught enjoying a beer in a fun spot.