7 Match Star Ratings For WWE WrestleMania 38 Night 1

6. Drew McIntyre Vs. Happy Corbin

Cody Rhodes WrestleMania 38
WWE.com

This was a fine undercard attraction with no wasted fat that over-delivered on its thoroughly drab build and premise.

The first few minutes of a short match generated no heat whatsoever, which is always so stark on an occasion such as this. The dissonance between the visual of a gigantic stadium and the silent audio damned it, and badly, as a waste of Drew McIntyre. But the second half was over, entertaining and well-worked. It was nowhere near special, but both men attempted to create special moments and in doing so elevated something decidedly mid into something that just about belonged on one of the better WrestleMania shows of the modern era.

Drew popped the crowd with an incredible over-the-top rope somersault plancha, and while the first ever End of Days kick-out didn't quite receive booming "Holy sh*t!" chants, it did make the match feel like something bigger than the mid TV outing it effectively was elsewhere.

The post-match scene was risible - dumb anti-babyface b*llocks in a pathetic "WrestleMania Moment" quest - but it was at least mildly interesting in a way the match itself had no right to be.

Star Rating: ★★¾

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 surefire Undisputed WWE Universal 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!