WrestleMania 41: Champions, Chaos & Controversy

WrestleMania has always been the pinnacle of storytelling in pro wrestling—from the emotional rollercoaster of Daniel Bryan vs. Triple H to the iconic battles of Stone Cold vs. The Rock. WrestleMania 41 followed suit, delivering jaw-dropping moments, questionable decisions, and unforgettable performances. It reminded us once again why this business is the greatest form of sports entertainment in the world.

Night 1: Jey Uso Shocks the System

The night opened with the 2025 Royal Rumble winner Jey Uso challenging the seemingly unstoppable World Heavyweight Champion, Gunther. Jey’s entrance? One for the ages—loud, vibrant, and full of YEET energy. A perfect way to ignite the Mania crowd.

The match itself was hard-hitting and emotionally charged. Gunther brutalized Uso with his signature chops and powerbombs, even locking in his deadly sleeper hold. At several moments, it looked like Jey was done for. But the resilience of Uso told a powerful story—he reached deep, countered with superkicks and splashes, and in a shocking twist, submitted Gunther with his own submission hold.

The crowd was stunned for a full three seconds before the roof blew off. It was a poetic callback to Dragunov’s classic NXT UK win over Gunther—a brilliant bit of wrestling history.

New Day's Dirty Win & Booking Patterns

Throughout both nights, WWE followed a clear booking pattern: babyface win, then heel win, and so on.

Up next: New Day (BOO!) vs. the War Raiders. Despite solid work—especially from the freakishly athletic Ivar—the crowd still had Jey Uso vs. Gunther on their minds, and this match felt flat. New Day took the win by cheating their way to a record 12th Tag Team Title. That finish didn’t sit well with many, and rightly so.

Consistent Gold: Cargill vs. Naomi & Fatu vs. LA Knight

Next came two matches that delivered in spades. Jade Cargill vs. Naomi was a history-making, hard-hitting showdown. Naomi’s new persona is refreshing, and she absolutely deserves to be in the Women’s Title picture by SummerSlam. Jade, once again, looked like a million bucks and continues to grow into a megastar.

Then we had Jacob Fatu vs. LA KNIGHT (YEAH!)—another slugfest. LA Knight is already a made man, but Fatu? He’s criminally underrated. The man doesn’t miss. Fatu captured the U.S. Title with a massive moonsault, and this win feels like his launch out of the Bloodline’s shadow. As for Knight, don’t worry—he’s heading to the main event scene soon.

Americano Cheats, Rey Felix Shines

It was a travesty that Chad Gable wasn’t on this card after the year he’s had. But in his place, we got El Grande Americano vs. the debuting Rey Felix—originally meant to be a match against Rey Mysterio, who was injured the night before on SmackDown.

Felix is electric. The guy has “future star” written all over him. The match was fast-paced and fun, but ended with classic heel shenanigans: Americano headbutted Felix with a loaded mask and followed with a diving headbutt for the tainted win. A fitting finish for a sneaky character.

Stratton vs. Flair: Personal, Painful, and Powerful

Tiffany Stratton vs. Charlotte Flair didn’t have the strongest build until three weeks out—but when the promos got real, they got real. There was a shoot-style intensity leading into the match, and it bled into the ring.

Despite being green, Tiffany turned the crowd in her favor. I’ve never seen a heel-to-babyface turn happen so organically. The match was a stiff war: moonsaults, leg work from Tiffany, face shots from Charlotte. Tiffany targeted Flair’s leg and hit her picture-perfect moonsault for the win. The title was on the line, but it felt like an afterthought compared to the personal animosity.

Main Event Mayhem: Heyman’s Double Betrayal

The triple threat main event—Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins vs. CM Punk—was everything it needed to be. Big names, big match feel, and chaos. With Paul Heyman at ringside, the stakes were sky-high.

The storytelling? Chef’s kiss. Rollins tried to bait Roman into a Shield-style powerbomb on Punk—but Roman turned and dropped Rollins through the announcer’s table instead. Every man had believable chances to win. Near falls, wild submission sequences, and then—absolute controversy.

Heyman, who had stayed out of it all match, grabbed a steel chair and stood at the crossroads. Punk or Roman? He slid it to Punk—only to low blow him moments later. Fans were stunned. Then, Heyman handed the chair to Roman… only to turn on him, too. Another low blow.

The place exploded.

Rollins hit Reigns with the chair and followed it with a Curb Stomp for the win. Insanity. With Roman likely stepping away for a year, it looks like Rollins is getting the rocket strapped—and we might just be entering a wild new era on RAW with him leading the charge.

Final Thoughts: Mania Delivered, Even If It Was Messy

WrestleMania 41 was far from perfect, but it was memorable. It had moments we’ll be talking about for years—whether it was Jey Uso’s shocking win, Heyman’s shocking betrayal, or the rise of stars like Tiffany and Fatu. As fans, this is what we live for.

Chaos, controversy, and champions—just the way WrestleMania should be