WWE WrestleMania 38: Night 1 Review - April 2, 2022

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos def. Shinsuke Nakamura and Rick Boogs

What a weird choice for the opener. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't a bad bout by any means, but there were several other matches on this card that felt like they made more sense for this spot. That said, it probably ended up being for the better considering how strong the layout was on the whole for Night 1. This didn't last very long at all, which may have been due to Boogs getting injured halfway through. That was unfortunate, but they improvised as well as they could. The Usos' lengthy reign as champ continues.

Drew McIntyre def. Happy Corbin

This was perfectly slotted as the second match on the card because it wasn't going to be the hottest match and virtually no one cared coming into the show. That said, they exceeded my expectations and ended up having a pretty good match. What's interesting is that they've never had great chemistry in the past, but they clicked here for some reason and wrestled with more urgency and energy than I thought they would. Like most people, I was hoping McIntyre would become the first person to kick out of the End of Days, so it was an awesome moment when he did. With McIntyre winning decisively, let's please move on from this so McIntyre can start chasing championship gold again.

The Miz and Logan Paul def. The Mysterios

This was yet another match that was way better than it had any right to be. Miz played his role well and The Mysterios were fun as always, but Paul was truly the standout here. I can't believe I'm writing this, but I have to give credit where it's due: the guy was a natural in that ring and played the perfect heel. That's why I question the decision to seemingly turn him face afterward by having Miz turn on him, but oh well, we'll cross that bridge when we get there. This was a blast of a bout.

Bianca Belair def. Becky Lynch to Win the Raw Women's Championship

This could have easily headlined WrestleMania in almost any circumstance (okay, maybe not over the in-ring return of Steve Austin) and no one would have complained. That's how stellar of a match this was. The buildup had its ups and downs, but in the ring, there's no denying these two have exceptional chemistry together. The story they told was tremendous and the fact it could've gone either way was the best part. The crowd was very happy to see Belair finally get her moment. This was everything you could have wanted from these two and then some. Spectacular work.

Cody Rhodes def. Seth "Freakin" Rollins

I'm not exaggerating when I call this pure perfection. What's wild is that's basically what Lynch vs. Belair was as well, but Rhodes and Rollins managed to meet the same level of hype if not exceed it. Everyone with a working internet connection knew Rhodes would be Rollin's opponent, but it was all about the execution and they nailed it. Rhodes was in full AEW form as The American Nightmare, Downstait entrance music and all. As amazing of a moment as that was, the match itself was also outstanding. Rhodes winning clean cemented him as a star, as if he didn't already feel like one coming off that awe-inspiring entrance. This was a strong start to Rhodes' return run, to say the least.

SmackDown Women's Champion Charlotte Flair def. Ronda Rousey

I felt bad for these two because they had the unenviable task of trying to top the last few matches and they were already bumped from the main event slot. Of course, WWE ultimately made the right call by not having this go on last, but it still sucks for them. If nothing else, they worked hard, even if the crowd was hardly hot for anything they did. Rousey winning the title felt like a lock to me, but apparently they thought it was smarter to keep this cold feud alive through silly shenanigans. Why must WWE insist on Flair winning whenever she doesn't need to?

Kevin Owens Hosted The KO Show with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin; Austin def. Owens in a No Holds Barred Match

The idea of a talk show closing out WrestleMania sounded silly to me even a few short weeks ago, but this was better than I could have ever imagined it being. The pop Austin received for simply walking out on stage in his native Texas was thunderous, and the interaction that followed between him and Owens was incredibly entertaining. That would have been enough for me, but the match that followed was the icing on the cake. And yes, it was indeed a match that lasted over 13 minutes and featured plenty of bumps, including on the concrete on the outcome. It was something I thought I'd never see in 2022, let alone live. The crowd ate it all up and the best compliment I can give it was that it was a spectacle. Stone Cold celebrating his win was an outstanding visual. Props to Owens for a phenomenal performance as well.

Overall Show

Quite honestly, I don't have any complaints about this card at all and I have no clue how Night 2 is going to manage to top it. I was skeptical when they started out the show with the SmackDown Tag Team Championship clash, but it was wise because the show only got better from there and the pacing was perfect. Granted, Flair vs. Rousey wasn't exactly an instant classic, but it was enjoyable enough despite the dumb finish. Rhodes' return and Austin coming out of retirement were all-time 'Mania moments, two that I'll never forget experiencing in person. Top to bottom, this was one of the strongest shows WWE has produced in a long, long time. I'm looking forward to Night 2, but I don't imagine it will hold a candle to Night 1 when all is said and done.

SEE MORE: WWE Reviews