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

1. A “Main Event” Struggle

WWE WrestleMania 38 Ronda Rousey Charlotte Flair
WWE.com

Hmm.

Charlotte Flair vs. Ronda Rousey wasn't bad (like, at all), but it couldn't top bouts like Becky Lynch vs. Bianca Belair or Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins before it. Worse, it was sandwiched between Cody's re-debut and Steve Austin's comeback. That was a death spot for these women.

Fans in Texas struggled to get onboard for anything but the closing stretch. Even that fell a bit flat; Flair hit a big boot (of all things) on Ronda to score the victory and hold onto her SmackDown Women's Title. Sometimes, it's wise just to give people a babyface tapping the heel out with an arm bar and then move on.

WWE want to drag this feud out a little more though, and they will. There's a rematch coming for these two. Do they merit it? Your writer isn't so sure. More content means more wobbly promos from Rousey, and it's hard to see her having a convincing argument for a redo despite the ref bump.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.