Cody Rhodes: ‘We Are In The Last Inning’

Zayne made his way to the ring and was the Vegas betting favorite for a good portion of last week. Zayne had been on something of a losing streak before defeating Nakamura a few weeks ago, but quickly taking a sunset pinfall victory from Reed adds to the momentum.

Nakamura was the next entrant into the match, but before he entered the ring, he allowed Reed to give Zayne a goodbye present in the form of a big splash. It seemed like Nakamura would pick up the easy victory, but Zayne kicked out and managed to regain momentum. Nakamura went for a high-risk maneuver that Zayne was able to turn into the Heluva kick for the win.

Chad Gable, the odds-on favorite to win for many insiders and online pundits, was the 6^th and final entrant into the gauntlet match. Gable hit a huge suplex off the top turnbuckle, but Zayne survived, only to be put into an ankle lock. You could hear Gable screaming at Zayne while he twisted up his ankle, “I need this more than you.”

Zayne managed to turn the tide but was clearly favoring the ankle. Gable once again put the ankle lock on Zayne, but he refused to quit. That refusal paid off when Zayne hit Gable with a Heluva kick for a near-fall that was reversed into a near-fall kicked out of by Zayne. Then, bleeding from the mouth, Gable hit the Chaos Theory for another near fall. That is when Zayne was able to reverse yet another ankle lock to pick up the quick rollup pinfall victory.

McIntyre Throws Intervention for Seth Rollins

McIntyre was the night’s first segment as he and Seth Rollins continued the build for their Night 2 world heavyweight title match. The build has been excellent, and McIntyre is a large reason why, but the two cut heated promos filled with “inside baseball” references and potshots at CM Punk.

The match didn’t up the ante or raise the stakes, but it did showcase one of the best-built matches on the Mania card. Drew and Seth did not need The Rock, Stone Cold, or Triple H to make their match special. It was built on good old-fashioned mic work.

McIntyre called Seth a Junkie for being involved in the Mania tag match against The Bloodline and said that while he doesn’t appreciate the way The Bloodline has gotten involved in his matches, he also said that it was Seth who gave him the advice not to engage any longer—advice he received from Rollins.

Cody Rhodes Keeps Receipts

Cody Rhodes called it a receipt, the slap he landed on The Rock’s face Friday night at the end of SmackDown. A receipt, as it is defined in wrestling circles, is basically payback, or the tat end in tit for tat.

Cody gave an impassioned promo as he spoke about his mother and sister and the legacy The Rock did not mention Friday. He was questioned by Michael Cole whether or not Seth Rollins could ultimately be trusted. After all, it was at Mania when Seth etched his name in the history books by cashing in his Money in the Bank during the Reigns-Lesnar main event.

So, is Seth building up momentum only to make the sting of betrayal that much sharper when he turns on Cody? Cody Rhodes seems confident in himself and his trust in Seth heading into Mania. There was a bit about the idea of “finishing the story” and how it is bigger than just Cody. He said the story’s end belongs to his friends, family, and fans who believed in him.

Cody even referenced his throne-smashing AEW PPV debut – at that event, Cody walked out with a throne in the middle of the entryway. Before making his way to the ring, Cody smashed the throne to symbolize AEW ‘breaking’ the stranglehold WWE has had on wrestling. More specifically, it was Cody taking a shot at Triple H.

Now, after he finally returns to the company, Cody considers Triple H to be his closest confidant. The tears, by then, were flowing, and everyone in the arena was on Cody’s side. If Cody can walk into WrestleMania Night 1 and defeat The Bloodline in tag-team action, then Roman will be without backup for their night two main event. However, Cody will still bring with him the 6^th man energy (or 12^th man if you’re from Seattle) of the crowd, which has been alive at every event in the Road to WrestleMania.

The Judgement Day Receives Their WrestleMania Match

Adam Pierce and Nic Aldis announced that The Judgement Day would defend their tag team titles in a six-pack ladder match. Five teams will earn their way into the match with qualifiers on both RAW and SmackDown. The Judgement Day has had meaningful feuds or great matches with almost every team on the roster, and it appears that the WWE cannot decide which direction to take the tag champs. Several teams were shown on graphics, but you have to figure that R-Truth and The Miz will win a qualifier as they have been at odds with each other, building this feud for months with brilliant TV from R-Truth and The Judgment Day.

However, it is now time for the payoff, and a few tag teams are owed at this point, with DIY having one of the best matches this year and Tyler Bate and Pete Dunn have been on a roll lately while Imperium has secured huge wins. The Judgement Day later went to both GMs and complained about defending their titles against five other teams in a ladder match.

In-Ring Action

Becky Lynch vs Liv Morgan

Winner: Lynch by pinfall

Lynch hit the Alabama Slammer for the win but was given decent time. The match had been building since the RAW after Elimination Chamber when Becky interfered in Liv’s match with Naya Jax. Morgan returned the favor last week, and that was when the match was made.

Rhea Ripley made her way to ringside, smiling at both Morgan and Lynch. Morgan screamed at Rhea, claiming she would take everything from Rhea one day, just like Rhea took everything from Morgan. Lynch and Ripley went at it on the mic, not really doing all that much to raise the stakes of their match but just to keep the feud in everyone’s mind as we inch closer to Mania. Later, in the back, Becky and Liv shook hands to squash their beef before Jax attacked both women, putting Becky through the table. Becky challenged Jax to a Last Woman Standing match next week on RAW.

Damian Priest VS R-Truth

Winner: Priest wins by pinfall

It was another win off of the South of Heaven finisher and another interference victory from The Judgement Day. R-Truth was put through the wringer with this one as he was attacked following the match. This all feels like a build towards R-Truth and Miz getting Mania payback, but with four other teams in the match, the payoff may not be as meaningful as the build suggests.