16 Match Star Ratings For WWE WrestleMania 39

8. The Usos Vs. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn - Undisputed WWE Tag Team Title Match

Star Ratings
WWE.com

In contrast to Rhea Vs. Charlotte, elements of the main event did feel forced.

It was a very, very, very good match. It will enter the great canon of WrestleMania main events. Between the fact that a tag team match headlined, and the journeys of the babyface challengers, it was among the coolest and nicest things WWE has ever done on the grandest stage. The result was heartwarming. There was so much going for it, and, ultimately, it was a tremendous bit of business. The content of the action however felt self-conscious. A ticky-box exercise, to be a little too cynical about it.

WWE really wanted this to be a Great Match, and God knows Michael Cole told you that it was a Great Match over and over and over again with his incessant screaming. It was superbly worked for what it was - the 2.9 kick-outs felt agonising, Sami Zayn's "I've got you here" expression before unleashing the match-winning Helluva Kick was very well-acted - but what it was felt obligatory in places. The West Side Story stand-off felt particularly contrived. A moment like that rings hollow when you can practically hear Michael Hayes telling them that it'll pop 'em huge. There was an excess to it all, but that doesn't undermine the huge extent to which it accomplished what it set out to do: by the last five minutes especially, 65,000 people were living and dying with the drama. A formulaic TakeOver beg match in format, but something genuinely special in atmosphere.

A moment with a capital and lower case 'm', all at the same time.

Star Rating: ★★★★

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!