WWE WrestleMania Night 1 aired live from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, Florida. Bobby Lashley put the WWE Championship on the against Drew McIntyre in the first match of the night. Sasha Banks defended her SmackDown Women’s Championship against Royal Rumble winner Bianca Belair in the main event tonight.
WrestleMania Night 1 Results:
- Bobby Lashley def. Drew McIntyre to retain the WWE Championship
- Natalya & Tamina won the Tag Team Turmoil match to earn a title shot during Night 2
- Cesaro def. Seth Rollins
- AJ Styles & Omos def. New Day to capture the RAW Tag Team Championships.
- Braun Strowman def. Shane McMahon in a Steel Cage match
- Bad Bunny & Damian Priest def. The Miz & John Morrison
- Bianca Belair def. Sasha Banks to become the new SmackDown Women’s Champion
Here are the takeaways from Night 1:
Bobby Lashley Retained The WWE Championship
Bobby Lashley defended the WWE Championship against Drew McIntyre in the first match of the night. There was a forty minute rain delay to begin the show. MVP was ringside for the match. Lashley and McIntyre locked up in the middle of the ring to start off the action.
Lashley connected with a shoulder tackle but Drew hopped right back up. The WWE Champion took control of the match and beat McIntyre down for a few minutes. Lashley planted McIntyre with a Neckbreaker and went for a cover but Drew kicked out at two.
Lashley charged but McIntyre got out of the way and the WWE Champion crashed into the ring post. McIntyre went for an Armbar in the middle of the ring but Lashley escaped by unloading some punches to McIntyre’s face.
McIntyre hit a Northern Lights Suplex but Lashley responded with a slam of his own for a near fall. Drew battled back and connected with a series of elbows to the face. McIntyre followed it up with a Reverse Alabama Slam and went for the cover but Lashley powered out at two.
Both superstars battled on the turnbuckle and McIntyre went for a Kimura Lock but Lashley blocked it. McIntyre sent Lashley flying to the canvas and the crowd got on their feet. McIntyre went for the Claymore but Bobby countered with a Spinebuster.
McIntyre hopped right up and hit a Belly to Belly Suplex. Drew then followed it up with three Future Shock DDTs for a near fall. Drew went for the Claymore but Lashley slinked out of the ring. Drew then flipped onto Lashley and MVP as the crowd erupted.
Drew went for a Flying Clothesline but Lashley countered with an Exploder Suplex. Lashley hit another slam and set up for the Hurt Lock. McIntyre escaped and applied the Kimura Lock in the middle of the ring. Lashley battled through the pain and reached the bottom rope to break the hold.
McIntyre hit the Glasgow kiss and went for the Claymore but MVP distracted him. Drew then missed and Lashley applied the Hurt Lock in the middle of the ring. McIntyre tried to escape but Lashley wouldn’t let go. McIntyre passed out and Bobby Lashley retained the WWE Championship.
Natalya & Tamina Will Face Shayna & Nia Tomorrow Night For The Titles
Lana & Naomi and Billie Kay & Carmella started off the Tag Team Turmoil match. The last team standing will face Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler for the Women’s Tag Team Championships on Night 2 of WrestleMania 37.
Naomi hit Carmella with a Dropkick and brought her to the corner. Lana tagged in and connected with a Bulldog. Lana drove her knees into Carmella’s back but Carmella shrugged it off. Carmella slammed Lana to the mat at tagged in Billie Kay.
Billie bounced Lana’s face off the turnbuckle but Lana battled back with a Russian Leg Sweep. Naomi tagged in and booted Billie in the face. Lana booted Carmella out of the ring as Naomi hit a kick to Billie’s head for a two count. Billie Kay then rolled up Naomi for the elimination.
Riott Squad was next up and Carmella stomped Liv Morgan down in the corner. Billie Kay tagged in and planted Liv with a Suplex. Billie went for the cover but Ruby Riott broke it up at two.
Billie Kay rolled up Liv as Carmella shoved her boots on Billie’s back for leverage but the referee caught her. Liv hit Double Knees and Riott tagged in. Ruby hit Billie with a Senton for the pinfall elimination.
Dana Brooke and Mandy Rose were the next team in the match. Dana Brooke planted Ruby with a Blockbuster and went for the cover but Liv broke it up at the last moment. Dana followed it up with a Neckbreaker on Ruby for a near fall.
Liv tagged in and hit Mandy with an Enziguri. Morgan went for the cover but Rose kicked out at two. Ruby hit the Riott Kick but Dana Brooke broke up the pin. Mandy hit Liv with a punch and sent her to the turnbuckle. Rose sent Ruby out of the ring and perched Liv up on the top turnbuckle.
Morgan knocked Dana off the apron but she hopped back up and tagged in. Mandy hit Liv with a Superplex and Dana climbed to the top rope. Dana connected with a Swanton and went for the cover but Liv reversed it into a roll-up for the pinfall.
Natalya & Tamina were next up. Natalya went for a Sharpshooter but Liv was able to escape. Natalya planted Liv with a Powerbomb and went for the cover but Ruby broke it up at two. Tamina knocked Ruby out of the ring and went back to the apron. Ruby tagged in and beat Tamina down int he corner.
Riott booted Tamina in the face and Liv tagged back in. Ruby hit Tamina with a Senton and Liv went for the cover but Tamina powered out at two. Natalya tagged in and hit the Hart Attack on Ruby in the middle of the ring. Natalya smiled and made it seem like she was going for the Sharpshooter. Natalya opted to tag in Tamina and she hit a Splash off the top rope for pinfall victory. Natalya and Tamina will face Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax tomorrow night for the Women’s Tag Team Championships.
Cesaro def. Seth Rollins
Cesaro faced Seth Rollins tonight at WrestleMania. Cesaro leveled Rollins with an uppercut and went for the Swing but Rollins broke free. Cesaro hit a Dropkick and went for a Gutwrench Suplex off the middle rope. Seth escaped and hit a Buckle Bomb for a near fall.
Rollins and Cesaro then traded shots in the middle of the ring. Rollins hit a Superplex and rolled through for a Falcon Arrow for a two count. Cesaro responded with a flurry of uppercuts and posed for the crowd in attendance. Cesaro leveled Rollins with a Clothesline and went for the cover but Seth kicked out at two.
Cesaro set up for the Swing but Rollins countered into a roll-up for a two count. Cesaro went for the Swing again but Seth escaped and hit an Enziguri. Rollins went for the Stomp but Cesaro countered into the Swing for nine rotations and went for a Sharpshooter but Seth quickly reached the bottom rope to break the hold.
Seth dodged the Neutralizer and caught Cesaro with a knee to the face. Rollins followed it up with a Slingblade and made his way to the top turnbuckle. Seth hit a Corkscrew Splash for a near fall. Cesaro connected with the Neutralizer this time but Seth was able to kick out at the last second.
Rollins then planted Cesaro with a Pedigree for a two count. Seth shouted that he was a god because he survived the Neutralizer and the Swing. Rollins went for a Stomp but Cesaro dodged. Rollins stayed on the attack and leveled Cesaro with a kick to the back of the head.
Seth went for the Stomp but Cesaro countered with an uppercut. Cesaro lifted Rollins up onto his shoulders in a UFO Spin. Cesaro flexed for the crowd and Rollins with the Swing for 23 rotations. Cesaro quickly hit the Neutralizer for the pinfall victory. This was Cesaro’s first singles victory at WrestleMania and it was long overdue.
Styles & Omos Won The RAW Tag Titles
New Day defended the RAW Tag Team Championships against AJ Styles & Omos tonight. AJ Styles and Kofi Kingston started off the action. AJ went for the Calf Crusher early but Kofi blocked it. Kingston hit a slam and twerked in the ring as Woods played the trombone.
Xavier tagged in and tripped up Styles. Woods connected with an Elbow Drop for a two count. Woods applied a Headlock in the middle of the ring as Omos started at him from the apron. Kingston tagged in and hit a Double Stomp but Styles kicked out at two.
Styles went for an Enziguri but Woods ducked under it and dragged him back to the corner. Kingston hit a Splash and went for the cover but AJ kicked out at two. Woods climbed to the top rope but Styles escaped and tagged in Omos.
Woods tried to prevent it but he was too late. Omos got into the ring and the crowd erupted. Xavier booted Omos in the knee but he was unfazed. Kingston tagged in and leaped off the top rope but Omos caught him. Omos hit a massive Backbreaker and bent Woods across his knee.
AJ Styles leaped off of Omos’ shoulders and hit Woods with a Phenomenal Forearm. Omos then hit Kingston with a ridiculous Powerbomb for the pinfall victory. AJ Styles and Omos are the new RAW Tag Team Champions.
Braun Strowman Picked Up A Victory
Shane McMahon squared off with Braun Strowman in a Steel Cage match tonight. Jerry “The King” Lawler joined commentary for the match. Before the match, Elias and Ryker attacked Strowman and hit his legs with steel chairs. Shane hit Strowman in the legs with the steel chair several more times before trying to escape out of the cage.
Strowman brought Shane down to the canvas but McMahon danced around Strowman. Shane hit Strowman with some punches as Braun limped around the ring. Shane bashed Strowman in the face and went for the cover but Braun kicked out and sent McMahon flying across the ring.
Shane tried to crawl through the cage door but Strowman caught him with a massive slam. Strowman slammed Shane into the steel cage several times and McMahon collapsed to the canvas. Strowman hit a Splash against the steel and then grabbed his left knee in pain.
Braun went for a Running Powerslam but his knee gave out. Shane shoved Strowman into the steel and followed it up with a DDT in the middle of the ring. Shane connected with the Coast to Coast Dropkick for a two count.
Elias and Ryker started climbing up the cage and tried to get Shane out. Strowman launched himself into the cage and Ryker & Elias fell to the floor. Braun and Shane then battled on the top of the cage. Shane found a toolbox randomly and hit Strowman in the face with it.
McMahon had the match won but took a moment to taunt Strowman from the outside of the cage. Strowman grabbed Shane’s hand and peeled apart the steel cage. Braun dragged Shane back inside and beat the hell out of him in the corner of the ring.
Strowman and McMahon then fought on the very top of the cage. Shane pleaded for mercy but Strowman wasn’t having it. Strowman launched McMahon back down to the mat as the crowd chanted “holy sh*t!”. Braun said this was for every person that has ever been called stupid and planted Shane with the Running Powerslam for the pinfall victory.
Bad Bunny & Damian Priest def. The Miz & John Morrison
Damian Priest & Bad Bunny faced The Miz & John Morrison tonight. Booker T joined commentary for the match and Miz & Morrison had a bunch of bunnies during their entrance. Bad Bunny showed up on top of an 18-wheeler and got a great reaction from the crowd.
Priest and The Miz started off the action. Miz backed to the corner and told Damian to back off. The Miz demanded that Bad Bunny get in the ring and called him scared. Bad Bunny tagged in and jabbed Miz in the face and Morrison shouted “that was luck”.
Bad Bunny caught Miz with another right hand to the face and the former WWE Champion fell against the ropes. Bad Bunny took Miz down and unloaded some more punches. Miz battled back and stomped Bad Bunny to the canvas.
The Miz stared at Booker T for a moment and it cost him. Bad Bunny hit an Arm Drag that sent Miz out of the ring. Bad Bunny rolled up Miz for a near fall and The Miz retreated to the corner. Morrison gave Miz a pep talk in the corner of the ring and told him to not get angry.
Miz calmed down and booted Bad Bunny in the midsection. Bad Bunny hit Miz with a Hurricanrana and Morrison tagged in. Bad Bunny dropped John with a Headbutt and followed it up with a Splash. The Miz hit Bad Bunny with a cheap shot and tagged in.
The crowd booed as Miz taunted Bad Bunny in the ring. Bad Bunny battled back with some punches to Miz’s face and then knocked Morrison off the apron. The Miz prevented a tag and Bad Bunny rolled him up for a two count.
Morrison tagged in and did the Spin-a-Roonie to mock Booker T. The Miz and Morrison then stomped Bad Bunny down to the canvas as Priest pleaded for a tag. Bad Bunny planted Miz with a DDT off the middle turnbuckle and both men fell to the mat.
Damian Priest finally got the tag and unloaded some kicks to Morrison. Priest leveled John with a Clotheslines and fired up the crowd. Damian then hit a Chokeslam on Miz and went for the cover but Morrison broke it up. Priest and Bad Bunny hit Falcon Arrows in stereo but Miz and Morrison kicked out.
Bad Bunny hit Miz with a Crossbody off the top rope and rolled him back into the ring. The Miz hit Priest with a Skull Crushing Finale but Bad Bunny broke it up. Bad Bunny then hit Morrison with a Destroyer on the floor outside the ring and Miz looked shocked. Priest then lifted Miz up in the Electric Chair and Bad Bunny hit a Crossbody off the top rope for the pinfall victory.
Bianca Belair Won The SD Women’s Title
Sasha Banks defended the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Bianca Belair in the main event of Night 1. Bianca Belair was on the verge of tears at the beginning of the match but pulled herself together. Belair and Banks locked up in the middle of the ring to start off the action.
Banks shoved Belair down but the challenger hopped right up. Belair taunted Banks and went for the KOD but Sasha escaped. Banks bounced Bianca’s face off the turnbuckle and Bianca tumbled out of the ring. Sasha hit a Suicide Dive but Belair rolled through. Bianca showed off her power and walked up the stairs with Banks lifted above her head.
Belair threw Banks into the ring but Sasha caught her with a Dropkick for a one count. Sasha followed it up with a knee to the face for a near fall. Sasha slowed things down and applied a Headlock in the middle of the ring. Bianca broke free but Sasha caught her with a knee to the face.
Sasha went for a Double Knees but Belair caught her with a slam. Banks grabbed Bianca’s hair but it backfired and Belair threw her into the steel steps. Back in the ring, Bianca connected with a massive Vertical Suplex. Sasha went for an Arm Drag but Belair blocked it and hit a Dropkick.
Bianca hit a Standing Shooting Star Press and slammed her to the mat. Bianca went for a 450 Splash off the top rope but Banks got her knees up. Bianca responded with back to back Powerbombs for a two count. Banks connected with a DDT but Belair was able to kick out at two.
Sasha hit a Frog Splash for a near fall. Banks dragged Bianca outside and launched her into the steel steps. Back in the ring, Sasha used Bianca’s hair and locked in the Bank Statement in the middle of the ring. Belair was able to reach the bottom rope to break the hold and Banks was pissed off.
Bianca drove Banks to the turnbuckle and hit her with some kicks to the midsection. Belair and Banks battled on the top rope. Banks got Belair in the Tree of Woe and went for a Double Stomp but Belair dodged it. Belair then hit the 450 Splash for a two count.
Belair went for the KOD but Banks landed on her feet. Bianca whipped Sasha with her hair and the sound echoed throughout the stadium. Belair then planted Sasha Banks with the KOD for the pinfall victory. Michael Cole accidentally shouted “Sasha kicked out!” while the match was clearly over.
Opinion: Night 1 of WrestleMania absolutely delivered and it was excellent to see fans back. Bad Bunny impressed the hell out of me in a match that had zero expectations for. Cesaro and Seth Rollins had a very good match as well. The main event had a disappointing build but it was great to watch Bianca Belair have her WrestleMania moment. I’m sure there will be many more for Bianca during her career.
