ARLINGTON, Texas — A coverage approach that has worked well for us at The Athletic is the evaluation or analysis of events in real time. It’s the best way to capture the surprise factor and moments as they happen.
So we figured why not use that approach at WrestleMania 38? That’s what Tyler Batiste and Damon Sayles decided to do.
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Here’s how Night 1 went down from AT&T Stadium:
Pre-show
Batiste: First, this DJ, Valentino Khan, is killing it with the mashups. Let’s get that out of the way.
Second, I’m more fascinated than most about match order and things like that. It sounds like “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s appearance on “The KO Show” will be the main event tonight, but I’m curious to see where Becky Lynch-Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair-Ronda Rousey and Seth Rollins-TBA fall. I would guess one of the women’s title matches opens the show, but … we’ll see.
Sayles: Valentino Khan has been the man. He can definitely rock a party. His past references include Diplo and Skrillex, so it makes sense. And yes, I’m also looking forward to Lynch-Belair and seeing Stone Cold. Should be a wonderful show. As WWE calls it, “stupendous,” even.
Batiste: As an aside, the main show hasn’t even started yet, and Damon and I have already heard a “Let’s go, Cena! Cena sucks!” chant on the concourse. Because, of course.
Sayles: I’ve covered Cowboys games here, Tyler. But this is my first live WrestleMania.
The Usos vs. Shinsuke Nakamura-Rick Boogs (SmackDown tag team championship)
Batiste: Pat McAfee was on the announce table, ready to dance, for a good minute before Nakamura came out to start the show. McAfee has kicked off Super Bowls. Not sure which was a better feeling for him.
Sayles: McAfee is a solid commentator and a fun person to watch when he’s just a fan. He loses it when Boogs shreds the guitar. Can’t wait to see him as a competitor Sunday.
Batiste: Rick Boogs failed to lift both Usos at the same time and went down on one knee after it buckled. Can’t figure out if it’s a legit injury or not. Looks like a trainer is in his corner near the steps, offering some assistance.
Sayles: Boogs didn’t return to the match — and it proved costly. The Usos got the win with a 1D on Nakamura. Trainers are still working with Boogs, too. It doesn’t look good. Definitely hoping for the best.
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Happy Corbin vs. Drew McIntyre
Sayles: This is a match some aren’t excited about, but Tyler, I think this one has intrigue after Corbin’s guy, Madcap Moss, won the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal on Friday. There’s been some low-key tension with them because of Moss’ terrible jokes directed at Corbin.
Batiste: I’m going to Las Vegas for a bachelor party in May, and I’m seriously considering replicating Happy Corbin’s ring gear.
#WrestleMania just became HAPPY-MANIA!
Happy @BaronCorbinWWE & @MadCapMoss are here! pic.twitter.com/1QBb34t7Vk
— WWE (@WWE) April 3, 2022
Sayles: Pics or it didn’t happen.
Batiste: This is decent action so far. People know McIntyre is good, but I think Corbin is a bit underrated. He was probably overused a few years ago, but he’s a big, athletic guy who’s good at getting the crowd to react. That’s what you want.
Sayles: McIntyre’s 6-foot-5 and 265 pounds. Let’s not forget that.
Batiste: McIntyre kicked out of Corbin’s finisher, the End of Days. Corbin’s been pretty open about not having anyone kick out of that move and taking pride in that because, honestly, you don’t see a finisher protected like that anymore. But, you know, things happen.
McIntyre. Claymore Kick. Victory.
Sayles: And to add something extra to the match, McIntyre pulls out Angela, his 5-foot sword, and … checks notes … SLICES the ropes, scaring Madcap Moss silly.
The Mysterios vs. The Miz and Logan Paul
Sayles: We’ve got our first match with a celebrity non-wrestler. Curious to see how Logan Paul does. Even more curious to see if Rey and Dominik can get through another match without any family tension. I know some are secretly (or blatantly, whatever) rooting for that.
Batiste: Dominik isn’t even his real son!
Sayles: You’re in timeout. I can’t take you anywhere.
Batiste: Logan Paul is up to the task in the ring. Shouldn’t be surprising, I guess, since he does have an athletic background. He wrestled in high school. I am curious about how this Steelers-colored ring gear is going over at home for these Northeast Ohio guys
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Sayles: Trust me. It doesn’t that work well in the home of the Dallas Cowboys, either.
I’ll say this: Logan hasn’t been terrible. We’ve seen a front split, a Blockbuster off the middle rope and a running power slam of Dominik. Far from terrible.
Batiste: And he knows where the camera is, which is half the battle in WWE.
Sayles: Add in Logan’s version of Three Amigos, a kip-up and a Frog Splash. FAR from terrible.
Batiste: THIS JUST IN: The crowd really, really loves Rey Mysterio.
Sayles: It looked like the Mysterios would pull it off, but The Miz gets the win with a Skull Crushing Finale on Rey. Wow. Huge win for The Miz and Logan Paul.
BUT WAIT … there’s more …
Batiste: The Miz hit another Skull Crushing Finale on … Logan Paul. I’m not quite sure yet who we’re supposed to boo/cheer here. We’ll figure it out. We always do. Sometimes.
Becky Lynch vs. Bianca Belair (Raw women’s championship)
Sayles: This is the match I’ve anticipated most, Tyler.
Batiste: Absolutely. This probably should be the main event, but Stone Cold is Stone Cold. Still, they’ve told a great story since last summer, and Belair is continually dominant and someone the crowd wants to see succeed. I … don’t think she’s going to win, though. (Check back in 30 minutes when I’m wrong).
Sayles: Agreed. This was a storyline I thought the creative team really butchered at first, but in the months past, it’s been really good. And the last couple of weeks have been gold. Bianca cutting Becky’s hair had an “expect the double-turn” feel to it. We’ll see how it ends.
Batiste: Damon as the Texas Southern band plays Belair to the ring: “I don’t hate this. I don’t hate this, dude.”
Sayles: I really didn’t.
What I almost hated was another quick pinfall for Becky. She got a 2 1/2 count on Bianca, and a few people here in the press box let out a sigh of relief. (Sidenote: There’s a lot of cheering in the box. It’s not like an NFL game, where cheering in the box is banned.)
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Batiste: In case our bosses are reading, we are NOT cheering. Very professional. At all times. In case any of our bosses are in here, too, those people you think are us are not.
Sayles: Good call. And Tyler’s correct, 100 percent.
Bianca Belair won the Raw women’s title Saturday night. (WWE)
Back to the action: It’s been a pretty good match so far, one that included Bianca putting Becky’s Disarm-her on Becky. Both women have made solid contributions to the match and have been fearless. Very entertaining.
Batiste: The crowd, as expected, is into this one. Maybe a little more pro-Belair than I expected. Yes, Lynch is the villain, but she’s so good that it’s hard not to cheer.
Sayles: A Bianca 450 Splash couldn’t take down Becky. Wow. Great match!
Batiste: Ignore that thing I said earlier about Belair not winning. It was a belated April Fools’ joke.
Sayles: A backflip off the middle rope (the reversal off a Manhandle Slam) turns into a KOD. The pin … 1, 2, 3. We have a new Raw women’s champion! Amazing!
Seth Rollins vs. TBA
Batiste: Time for Goldberg’s match!
Sayles: Didn’t we put you in timeout earlier?
Batiste: But, really, I think Shane McMahon comes out as a swerve then we get Cody Rhodes.
Sayles: Shout-out to Seth’s intro. The assist from a local school choir, I assume? Someone put in the comments section which school choir that was.
Batiste: I’m not even in the match (or a wrestler or terribly athletic), and my heart is racing to find out Seth’s opponent.
Sayles: Ladies and gentlemen … THE AMERICAN NIGHTMARE is here!
Batiste: This may shock you, but Cody Rhodes, thus far, has gotten the loudest pop of the night. (For the uninitiated, Rhodes left WWE in 2016 and wrestled on the independent circuit and in Japan before helping to launch All Elite Wrestling, which he left earlier this year.)
Sayles: For what it’s worth, Seth and Cody are two of WWE’s most technical entertainers. It isn’t far-fetched to say this match will only get better and better, because the best is yet to come.
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Batiste: This match is entertaining, but Damon and I have gotten distracted by trying to guess attendance. It’s a math game. Literally.
Sayles: We’ve gotta carry the one, Tyler. Solve for X. (Sidenote: This. Match. Has. Been. Everything. Outstanding performances!)
Batiste: I think I enjoyed Cody vs. Seth slightly more than Bianca-Becky. Maybe it was the anticipation. Early and possibly dumb prediction: Main men’s titles get unified Sunday, a new title gets introduced at “Raw” and it goes to Rollins. Then Rhodes stakes his claim and we continue this feud.
Sayles: Give it up for Tyler “Nostradamus” Batiste.
It’s now time to reintroduce the WWE Hall of Famers. Always cool to see an entrance by The Undertaker. Doesn’t matter if he’s wrestling or not.
Batiste: Gotta think someone who’s gone Hollywood headlines next year’s class, right? I’m thinking Batista, you know, because The Rock will have a match against Roman Reigns. Or maybe John Cena.
Sayles: So, you’re saying The Blue Meanie won’t make it?
Batiste: The announced attendance is 77,899. If anyone cares about that sort of thing. We obviously do.
Sayles: I actually thought it’d be more. I think Tyler was thinking less.
Batiste: Per “The Price is Right” rules, which we all follow, I win.
Sayles: I knew I should have bid $1.
Charlotte Flair vs. Ronda Rousey (SmackDown women’s championship)
Batiste: Probably a mixed reaction for Rousey. This is a tough spot to be in on the card, following Belair-Lynch, then Rollins-Rhodes, then The Undertaker.
Sayles: It’s relatively quiet at AT&T Stadium. But you said it, Tyler: It’s so tough to follow what we’ve already seen. And while Charlotte delivered a textbook spear to Ronda, it was followed by a badly missed moonsault.
Batiste: The crowd’s attention, at least a portion of it near the press box, was just taken by what appears to be a Hulk Hogan impersonator? Haven’t seen any beach balls tossed around yet so … that’s a plus.
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Sayles: The Wave hasn’t broken out, either. So there’s that.
Batiste: These two are doing a decent job. It’s just that the two matches before it were superb. And as I type that, they got on their feet when Rousey locked in that ankle lock. Didn’t get the win yet, though!
Sayles: I’ll give them credit. They’ve turned the audience’s attention back to the match. It started slow but is now one to watch. A lot of 2 1/2, 2 3/4 counts. Much respect.
Batiste: So I thought Lynch would retain and Rousey would win. That sort of happened, except it didn’t. Basically the same idea, though. I’m counting this as a correct prediction, Damon.
Sayles: Umm … OK. I got nothing.
The KO Show featuring “Stone Cold” Steve Austin
Batiste: All right, Damon. Gut feeling … do you think this turns into an actual bring-out-a-referee match?
Sayles: My gut says no. However, I do feel like we’ll see some action-packed moments. Some swings at each other, a couple of old-school “stomping a mudhole” moments by Stone Cold … maybe even a Stunner or two. It’ll be better, obviously, if the Stunner or two came from Stone Cold, but something from KO wouldn’t be frowned upon.
Batiste: Also, it looks like The New Day vs. Sheamus-Ridge Holland was cut. I’m 95 percent sure that match was slated for Saturday.
Batiste: I’ve been lucky enough to hear the glass break a couple of times, once at the beginning of WrestleMania XXX and also at 32 in Dallas. I feel like this time will be different.
Sayles: Kevin Owens comes out to boos (from angry Texans, of course, as he’s bashed the state for weeks now). Oh, and, Tyler, he’s in ring gear. Hands will be thrown in some capacity.
Batiste: These “What?!” chants could be louder. The crowd needs to coordinate a little better.
Sayles: Cue the glass breaking!
Batiste: Austin is wearing knee braces …
Sayles: Nineteen years. The Texas Rattlesnake is back.
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Batiste: I NEVER thought I’d say this, but Austin didn’t quite get that Cody pop. Still great, though! And it’s late.
Sayles: The entrance on an ATV definitely helped the pop. I want one of those, by the way. (An ATV, not necessarily the fanfare.)
Batiste: Now the crowd is on the same WHAT?! page.
Sayles: Stone Cold is coming through for the state of Texas. But KO’s jokes are funny. As a native Texan, I laughed. Not going to lie.
Batiste: Owens just challenged Austin to a no-holds-barred match. And now the wrestling world (and press box) waits … (Seriously. Damon and I haven’t said a word to each other in minutes.)
Sayles: Wow … we’re getting a ref, Tyler. Happy to say I was wrong.
Batiste: Steve Austin is the main event of a night of WrestleMania in 2022. What a time.
Sayles: The “You still got it!” chants are now heard.
Batiste: Gotta admit, I get a little nervous for every bit of contact Austin takes. But you have to think Austin wouldn’t do this if he wasn’t confident in (1) his health and (2) KO’s ability.
Sayles: They’re fighting in the stands … and Austin just took a suplex on the floor. Wow. Just, wow.
Batiste: Expected a match. Did NOT expect a suplex, much less on concrete.
Sayles: Corey Graves with the line of the night after Stone Cold cracks open a couple of beers: “Austin continues to drink on the job.”
Batiste: I’m not saying Austin should be the person to beat Roman Reigns. But I’m not saying he shouldn’t. Or let’s do Austin-Rock IV next year. (Please don’t listen to me.)
Sayles: STUNNER DELIVERED! And it was KO delivering, not receiving. But, Austin kicked out. Are you kidding me?!
Batiste: ANOTHER STUNNER DELIVERED … by the originator. Austin pins Owens … and keeps drinking beer. “Can still catch,” Damon says.
Sayles: And one more Stunner for the road. Courtesy of the Texas Rattlesnake. That was a lot of fun. And look at Stone Cold branding his beer: Broken Skull American lager.
Batiste: Think there’s still some time for us to grab one of those, Damon. We’ll be back tomorrow!
(Top photo of Cody Rhodes: WWE)
