7 Ups & 3 Downs From WWE WrestleMania 38 (Night 1)

2. AEW’s Cody Rhodes Is WWE’s Cody Rhodes

Well, it was weird as balls to hear that entrance track in WWE after seeing it on AEW TV so many times, wasn't it? Corey Graves said it best when he shouted, "This is surreal!". That walk to the ring alone must've been a special moment for Cody - he tapped the ring post and took a deep breath before stepping through the ropes.

Home.

The match vs. Seth Rollins was a doozy too. Yours truly cannot lie; he was concerned that a standard back-and-forth bout would flop, but it ended up being a credit to the card and one of the best matches from WrestleMania's first night. This is one Rhodes will look back on for years to come.

Cody and Seth then added in some nice nods to old mentors/rivals from the past when they used Triple H's Pedigree as a false finish. Trips' retirement means he won't wrestle Rhodes himself, so inserting a few tricks from 'The Game' here or there worked for the fans and tied the story together.