9 Match Star Ratings For WWE WrestleMania 38 Night 2
Mr. McMahon deliberately works the worst match ever - but who failed to earnestly work the best?
For an analytical rundown of how good Night 1 was - and it was bloody good - click this link.
It was difficult, in light of Night 1, to project anything less than brilliance for Night 2 in spite of a wretched trademark build.
So what if Edge's new 'Benchmark' character reads from a film script that would get at best a C from a tired and generous high school media studies teacher - or that, in response, AJ Styles just had to say "F*ck's he talking about?" for his part in the mid at best storyline.
So what if the babyface Street Profits interfered in a few totally pointless matches, appearing as unlikeable heels in the process, for no other reason than WWE being creatively bankrupt?
So what if Johnny Knoxville used an evidently fake cattle prod in an embarrassing angle to "build" his match with Sami Zayn before f*cking off and leaving Sami Zayn to do all of the work which, incidentally, was significantly better on his own than it was on WWE television because of course it was? So what if the Women's Tag Team championship is a complete joke?
WWE delivers at WrestleMania. That much is certain now...
Well, it was on Saturday.
Sunday, not so much.
9. RK-Bro Vs. Alpha Academy Vs. Street Profits: RAW Tag Team Title Match
Without being a classic match in and of itself, this was the perfect PPV opener: a killer, compact, action-heavy spot-fest with a feel-good ending.
Because this is WWE in 2022, of course it was all backwards. A better version of this match with slightly different personnel took place on television mere weeks ago. Still, this was ideal for the slot.
The crowd was weirdly flat for the first few minutes - a byproduct of Saturday’s festivities probably - but they came alive when Randy Orton burst into the ring for his fantastic hot tag. It followed the same formula as the superior RAW match - successive back body drops on the announce table etc. - but that's hardly stopped Orton before.
Montez Ford impressed with his incredible aerial game and balance, Otis was bang up for the slapstick elements, and Riddle executed the move of the night with his Will Ospreay-inspired avalanche cutter. One gathered field with outstretched arms spot on the outside aside, this never really felt contrived. A spot-fest constructed with immersive positioning and by the end at a blistering pace, this was a treat.
Even the flying nothing executed by Chad Gable at the finish was permissible on the night. He's playing a pseudo-intellectual blowhard (to outrageously entertaining effect), so it was practically in character.
Star Rating: ★★★½