4 Ups & 7 Downs From WWE WrestleMania 41 - Night 1 (Results & Review)
1. Main Event Salvages Show
Heading into the final match of the night, WrestleMania 41 Night 1 was on track to be one of the most disappointing 'Mania single-night efforts ever. The card underwhelmed and underperformed from what fans should be expecting from the market leader at their biggest show of the year.
But then Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and CM Punk came to the rescue. The three – along with Paul Heyman – produced an exhilarating triple threat main event that finally got “the noise” from the crowd, delivered real tension and drama in the ring, and provided a tremendous angle at the end that sets up a new direction for one of Raw’s biggest stars.
The wrestling was top-notch, with the superstars making it a true three-person battle rather than the usual “one person rolls outside while two men fight” routine. Rollins and Punk had an Attitude Era-style brawl through the crowd, punctuated by Reigns diving over the barricade onto both men. There was very little cooperation between any two of them – as you sometimes see two wrestlers team up on another briefly.
The closing sequence before the Heyman melodrama was excellent, with each man throwing haymakers at the others, going for their killshot. Rollins catching the spear with a Pedigree and adding a stomp has been done before, but Seth hit those and shoved Punk out of the ring with such urgency that it was legit shocking when Roman kicked out, even though your brain told you there was no chance that was the finish.
The sequence of each wrestler hitting his finisher on the other was really well done, giving the vibe that these three would continue fighting until something drastically changed to tip the scales – and that’s where Heyman came into play.
Heyman double-crossing both Punk and Reigns stays true to his slimy character, and it freshens up Rollins by aligning with the Wiseman. There’s legit intrigue there, and it raises questions for all three men.
Great ending to a subpar night. Hopefully, Sunday’s card will deliver a better show.