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REPORT KELLER’S WWE WRESTLEMANIA 38 – NIGHT APRIL 2, 3, 2022DALLAS, TEX. AT AT&T STADIUMAIRED LIVE ON PEACOCK & PPV
Smackdown Commentators: Michael Cole, Pat McAfee Raw commentators: Jimmy Smith, Byron Saxton, Corey Graves Announcers of the Ring: Mike Rome
Tonight after WrestleMania 38, join PWTorch columnist Greg Parks by reviewing the event live with live callers and emails.
• STAGE LIVE HERE PERSON 5 MINUTES AFTER THE FINDING OF THE BUTTON • CALLED: (515) 605-9345 • COMMENTS / QUESTIONS Email: [email protected] DO NOT LEAVE LIVE, CONSIDERED TO MAKE AND AFTER DO APPROXIMATELY AFTER THE TELEVISION SHOW IS OVER. -They opened with “America the Beautiful”. -Then a video package was shown for the WrestleMania happenings last night. Mark Wahlberg then previewed the second night and suggested that the sequel could be as good as the original. “This sequel is not the edge of your position, it is out of your position. “I’m not crying, you are crying.” -Jimmy Smith presented tonight’s event as the camera showed the people of the stadium. -The music of Triple H played and left with a big applause. He made his way to the ring and stood on the apron of the ring. He was wearing a suit. Fans shouted “Triple H! Triple H! ” He left his boots and microphone in the ring, then went to the ring and hugged his daughters who were crying for him. Graves explained that they recently discovered that his career in the ring was coming to an end. He also thanked Triple H. -Mike Rome introduced Gable Steveson on the ringside. (1) RK-BRO (Riddle & Randy Orton) vs. THE STREET PROFITS (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford) vs. THE ALPHA ACADEMY (Chad Gable & Otis) As RK-Bro came out, they went to the announcers on the ringside. Smith said RK-Bro was “the team that should not last”. When Gable “fought” them all, Ford slapped him. A quarrel broke out. Otis cleaned the ring. Ford made a leap into a crowd at the edge of the ring and then landed on his feet. Gable then climbed to the top rope and landed on a moon in a crowd at the edge of the ring. Otis took control of Riddle in the ring. Ford finally re-entered the ring. Dawkins came in with a label. Riddle threw Otis out of the ring and then gave a GTS to Dawkins. Riddle crawled and added a hot tag to Orton for a great pop. A powerslam landed on Ford and then played in the crowd. Ford pulled Orton to the side of the ring and tried to punch him in the bulletin board, but Orton blocked it and hit him in the office. He did the same to Gable. Orton returned to the ring. Orton and Riddle stereo gave DDT to Dawkins and Ford. They signaled for RKO, but Otis and Gable pulled them out of the ring. Otis shrugged Ford. Gable then jumped off the top rope with a bulldog for an almost fall. Ford landed on his feet after an Otis catapult. The Profits then gave Gable a top blockbuster rope for a near fall. Chaos broke out. Ford climbed to the top rope, but Riddle gave him an RKO from the top rope. “You must be kidding!” exclaimed Graves. Gable jumped off the top rope, but Orton caught him in the air with an RKO for the win. Orton was bleeding from above his right eye. WINNERS: RK-Bro at 12:00. (** 3/4) (Analysis Keller: An energetic crowd-pleasing start tag match. Essentially a spotfest, but they managed to give every big spot a chance to breathe. How many predicted a split between Orton and Riddle before tonight or tonight, but it does not look like a tag group collaboration that should end soon.) -Ridl and Orton hugged during their party. The Profits came in with red Solo cups for themselves and Orton and Riddle. They called Gable Stevenson to the ring. He stood in the ring apron in a polite reaction. They also gave him a red Solo cup. Gable came in and slapped the cup. Stivson took off his shirt and looked at Gable. As Chad began to speak, Steveson pulled the microphone away from him. Chad took it back. He told Steveson he was young and had a lot to learn. She told him to tremble when she was in his presence. Stevenson gave Chad a hug on a raised skewer. Steveson looked at the hard camera afterwards as the announcers gushed around him. He then joined Profits and RK-Bro in the ring for the red toast interrupted by Chad. [c] (2) OTIS v. BOBBY LASHLEY Otis came out first. A video summary of this match setup was then shown. Then Lasley made his entrance. He was without an MVP and played in public. Lasley went for a kick right after the bell, but Omos seduced him. He received several blows to Lashley. Lashley’s attempt to return was immediately thwarted. He grabbed Lasley’s face with both hands. Lasley took his hands off his face. “Oh my God!” exclaimed Graves. Omos then shot Lasley with a forearm in the chest. Lasley got up and slapped him. Omos repulsed with Diesel type elbows in the corner. Lasley avoided charging Omos and then hit him with an forearm. Lasley rolled on the floor and almost counted. Lasley got up and put Omo on the apron of the ring. He jumped from the second rope, but Omos grabbed him and lifted him to his shoulders. He picked it up and threw it on the mat. Omos lifted Lasley in his arms and then hit Lasley in the corner. Lasley faded, but was eventually released. A forearm run landed and then managed to do Omos suplex. He got up and played in the crowd, drawing his hands. He then fired Omos from behind and then another spear from the front for a clear victory. WINNER: Lashley at 7:00. (* 1/4) (Keller Analysis: Omos is very limited, but they have taken full advantage of what he can do with a rather dramatic battle between two strong opponents. It was not obvious to me who they would give the victory to, and that is a big support for Lashley and suggests plans for him in the main events for the rest of the year. I’m curious what this means for Omos in the future.) -A video package shown in the story Sami Zayn-Johnny Knoxville. (3) SAMI ZAYN vs. JOHNNY KNOXVILLE Sami came out first. Knoxville came in second, wearing a white cape and a red and white one-piece suit with a cape. Sami loaded him and nailed him to the bell in the face with a Helluva kick. Sami tossed Knoxville to the edge of the ring and then mocked Jack’s friends in the front row. He pushed one of them. Knoxville sprayed Sami with a fire extinguisher. He then pulled out a trash can with crutches from under the ring. Sami gathered up and kicked Knoxville and threw him in the ring. Sami limped on the crutch and then hit with that Knoxville. Cole mentioned Fred Sanford “for you from the ’70s.” McAfee said, “No one in the ’70s sees that.” (This is like 60 percent of today’s WWE demographics!) Sami reached out his hand under the ring, but pulled his hand away and pretended to be hurt. He pulled the apron ring and there was a table covered with mousetraps. He told Knoxville he was crazy to put it under the ring. He set the table next to the ring, he entered the ring again. Knoxville hit Sami in the ears with two trash can lids, using them as cymbals. Knoxville set a table in the corner and then tried to confuse Sami. Sami blocked it and gave Knoxville an explosion from inside the table. When Sami attacked Knoxville, Knoxville picked up an air horn and stopped him. One of Knoxville’s crew, the “Party Boy”, entered the ring and pushed Sami as he danced. He took off his shirt and pants. Knoxville said he has seen more of these body parts than any other man and has been to many locker rooms. Sami threw him out of the ring. Knoxville lifted Sami from behind for a near fall. Sami lowered Johnny with a forearm and then walked to the “Naked Boy” (“Party Boy”) in the ring. Another Knoxville crew member, “We Man”, attacked Sami. He is a small person. He hit Sami. “Are you kidding me?!” exclaimed an excited Cole. Knoxville gave Sami a DDT tornado for two measurements. “We Man” pulled a metal base with an attached prosthetic tibia. Sami fought Knoxville and then kicked We Man in the head. The fans disapproved. Sami climbed to the top of the rope, but Knoxville started the pyro from the rigpost. Sami fell into the corner. Knoxville then put a bowling ball in Sami’s open legs. “That was a crazy Knoxville move!” said Cole. Knoxville then used this tool to kick Sami in the legs. In the ring, Sami tried to run, but then got into a giant hand that Knoxville clenched in his face. Back in the ring, Sami succumbed to Knoxville. Cole said Sami could finish the games. Sami climbed to the top rope. Knoxville hit him in the area of the ball. Cole said he will not be able to have children after tonight. Knoxville then struck Sami on a table full of mousetraps in the ring. Jackass’s crew pulled a giant human-sized mouse trap from under the ring and then slid it into the ring. Knoxville succeeded Sami again. Sami landed on his back in the mousetrap. Knoxville opened the trap. It did not work at first when he pulled a string and the string broke, but Knoxville opened the trap with his hand and fell on Sami’s chest. He then scored a three-pointer. WINNER: Knoxville at 15:00. (Keller Analysis: That was pretty torturous, but that’s the point. I can not believe the mouse trap bracket broke when Knoxville tried to activate it. Things were not going well. The crowd seemed to be eating it. If you’ve not watched the Jackass movies, it probably felt like an unwanted company of idiots. But Knoxville played his part well and Sami was great in his tone and manners. fun.) [c] (4) CARMELLA & QUEEN ZELINA vs. NAOMI & SASHA BANKS vs. LIV MORGAN & RHEA RIPLEY – Fight for the women’s team title This played …
