7 Match Star Ratings For WWE WrestleMania 38 Night 1
3. Seth Freakin' Rollins Vs. Cody Rhodes
You'd have to go back all the way to Ric Flair in 1991 to find an example of WWE promoting an "outsider" with as much conviction as they did Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 38.
He arrived as expected in full American Nightmare regalia backed by the strains of Downstait, but the visual was so surreal - this was an AEW EVP bursting through the real Forbidden Door as a ready-made superstar with only minimal, reality-breaking "Can he still go?" murmurings from Corey Graves - that the crowd didn't get into the patient build in which Seth Rollins targeted his midsection. They couldn't get into it because they couldn't get over it. The surreal element was expected and indeed was the "WrestleMania Moment"-chasing purpose, but it was simply so weird that barely anything registered for at least five minutes. Ultimately, the two men crafted an absolutely cracking popcorn big match that evolved into something white-hot and truly momentous by the finish.
Cody's selling was masterful, and the occasion was so special that Rollins even got his 2019 Twitter schtick over at long last. The Kawada kicks - called by Corey Graves, amazingly enough - were such an effective way of intensifying the story. It's such a disdainful spot, and Seth's "Welcome back to the big leagues!" taunt did so much to enhance the competitive edge.
This was paced masterfully to arrive at the near-fall festival of drama at the finish, which itself was crafted brilliantly. Cody halting his Cross Rhodes onslaught to pay tribute to his father was a stirring way of conveying that he had returned for both himself and for Dusty.
Rollins was protected with no f*ckery, and Cody - at least for now - is such a star that he has broken the most petty and counterproductive WWE bubble bullsh*t.
Star Rating: ★★★★¼