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Post by untit1ed on Apr 3, 2023 11:13:34 GMT 1
NXT Stand & Deliver 2023
Date: March 30th, 2023
Location: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California
Card
Pre Show
Apollo Crews vs Dabba Kato
(After he cost Apollo Crews at Vengeance Day, Dabba Kato explains his actions. Kato says that he can feel Apollo’s anger towards him, because he had that same anger for 8 months, he had that anger because Apollo was so busy looking forward to his future in NXT, he forgot about his own past, because who was the one who helped Apollo Crews become a Tag Team Champion, he did, who was there for every big moment Apollo had, he was, and then he comes back to NXT alone, not calling him at all when he need help, so since Apollo didn’t help, he decided to hurt, and yes, Apollo may have brought him into this world, but he’s gonna be the one to take Apollo out of it, because he wants a match at Stand & Deliver. Apollo Crews accepts, saying that what he and Dabba Kato did was special, they became tag team champions, they traveled up and down the road together, they shared family time together, but now that Dabba Kato cost him a chance at another NXT title shot, he’s not focused on the future, he’s not focused on the past, he’s focused on one thing, revenge. Crews scores the win with an impressive feet of strength of lifting Dabba Kato up for the One Handed Spinebuster.)
Main Card
6-Woman Ladder Match for the NXT Women’s Championship
Roxanne Perez (C) vs Cora Jade vs Tiffany Straton vs Zoey Stark vs Lyra Valkyria vs Indi Hartwell
(After Roxanne Perez collapsed back at Roadblock, Cora Jade starts to declare herself ‘NXT Champion’, going as far as to carry around a replica of the NXT Women’s Championship. Cora Jade then tells Shawn Michales to strip Roxanne Perez of the NXT Women’s Championship and officially make her the NXT Women’s Champion. HBK decides to go down a different route, and says that Roxanne Perez currently isn’t medically cleared, but she is not going to be stripped of the NXT Women’s Championship, instead, HBK announces that there will be a 5-Woman Ladder Match to crown an interim NXT Women’s Champion. Cora Jade defeats Ivy Nile to qualify, Tiffany Straton defeats Gigi Dolin after interference from Piper Niven to qualify, Zoey Stark defeats Sol Ruca to qualify, Lyra Valkyria (former Aofie Valkyire, but rechristned Lyra Valkyria after making the jump to NXT US), who debuted on NXT back in December defeats Piper Niven to qualify after interference by Gigi Dolin, and Indi Hartwell defeats Kiana James to qualify. Before the match begins, Stand & Deliver hosts Pretty Deadly come out, and inform all the women the match that this match will now be for the NXT Women’s Championship, because there’s 1 more competitor in the match, that woman being none other than the NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez, who has been medically cleared. Roxanne takes out almost everyone with a Pop Rocks on Cora Jade off a ladder, everyone except for Indi Hartwell, whose all alone in the ring, but unable to climb the ladder due to the beating her body has taken in the match after taking a Moonsault from Tiffany Stratton on a ladder. That changes for Indi when her kayfabe husband Dexter Lumis shows up, appearing for the first time since late 2021 when he was attacked by Legado Del Fantasma in the NXT Parking Lot. Lumis helps Indi climb the ladder, with Indi unhooking the title to become NXT Women’s Champion.)
Triple Threat Match for the NXT Tag Team Championships
Gallus (C) w/Joe Coffey vs The Creed Brothers w/Ivy Nile vs The D’Angelo Family
(The annual Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic takes place in March, with the finals featuring last year’s winners The Creed Brothers, who defeated Indus Sher and The Grizzled Young Veterans to make it to the finals, and The D’Angelo Family, who defeat Josh Briggs & Brooks Jensen and Pretty Deadly (a loss that sets Pretty Deadly on the path to become the hosts for Stand & Deliver) to make it to the finals. Before the match takes place, Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo confronts The Creed Brothers, telling them that The Don wants The Creeds to take a dive, he’s willing to pay whatever price they want to make it happen. The Creed refuse, saying that goes against everything they stand for. This leads to Tony D’Angelo paying off the referee to do a fast count on The Creed Brothers, which allows The D’Angelos to win the Dusty Cup, and set up a showdown with Gallus for the NXT Tag Team Championships at Stand & Deliver. The Creed Brothers are added to the match after it comes off that Tony D paid off the ref. Brutus Creed does not botch The Brutus Ball to the outside and the match is given a little bit more time. In the end, Gallus retains after interference by Joe Coffey.)
Falls Count Anywhere Match
Gigi Dolin vs Piper Niven
(Despite Piper’s victory over Gigi at Roadblock, the 2 former allies continue to feud headed into Stand & Deliver, with Gigi Dolin laying down the challenge for a rematch at Stand & Deliver, saying she let her emotions get the better of her back at Roadblock, she wasn’t focused on defeating Piper Niven, she was focused solely on hurting Piper Niven, and that’s what cost her, but now, there’s nothing more in the world than to Gigi Driver Piper’s skull into the ground and beat her, because not only does she want a rematch at Stand & Deliver, she wants… a Falls Count Anywhere Match! Piper accepts, saying Gigi has always made everything about herself, she can’t handle being second best to a star like herself, and now that she proved that, she wants to do everything in her power to try to fix that, so she’ll give Gigi what she wants, but it’s not gonna be another victory, it’s gonna be another beating. Gigi definitively wins after a Gigi Driver off the stage through a stack of tables. This is Piper’s final NXT Match, as she’s called up to the main roster after Wrestlemania.)
6-Pack Challenge for the North American Championship
Wes Lee (C) vs Dragon Lee vs Jordan Devlin vs Ilja Dragunov vs Tyler Bate vs A-Kid
(After his successful defense against Nathan Frazer at Roadblock, Wes Lee announces on the NXT after Roadblock in a backstage that he will be doing another open challenge later night. That interview is cut off by a brawl between Jordan Devlin and Ilja Dragunov (who returned to NXT in Mid February after costing Devlin an NXT Title Match against Bron Breakker after Devlin injured Dragunov in early November), with Wes Lee getting in on the action after Jordan Devlin badmouths him. Later that night, Wes Lee holds his open challenge, and it’s the same scenes as Roadblock, with a ton of guys from the locker room brawling to get a shot at Wes Lee’s North American Championship, until Jordan Devlin attacks Wes Lee from behind, before Devlin is then attacked by Ilja Dragunov, who ends up accidentally hitting Wes Lee with The Torpedo Moscow, before Deviln and Dragunov take each other out, with nobody getting the title shot. After this, Wes Lee is confronted by NXT GM Shawn Michaels backstage, who tells Wes that he can’t keep doing these open challenges, it’s hurting the roster because of the constant brawls. Wes tells Shawn that he’s trying to give the roster title opportunities he thinks they deserve, and not only that, he wants to defend the belt as much as possible because he constantly feels overlooked, so he needs to prove himself as much as possible, which is why at Stand & Deliver, he wants 10 of the best. HBK says he can’t give Wes 10 guys, so he’ll meet Wes halfway and give him 5, he’ll make it a 6-Pack Challenge, and as an added bonus, Wes gets to choose all 5 guys. Wes picks NXT’s newest signee Dragon Lee, both Jordan Devlin and Ilja Dragunov after a match between those 2 on an episode of NXT ends in a DQ after Devlin trash talks to Dragon Lee whose on commentary for the match, A-Kid after the inaugural Heritage Cup Champion constantly asks him to be in the match, and sets up a last chance battle royal to determine the final spot in the match, which is won by Tyler Bate (who returned from injury in late January). The closing moments of this banger of a match see’s Ilja Dragunov prepare to hit The Torpedo Moscow on Dragon Lee, only for Wes Lee to come out from nowhere and hit both Dragunov and Dragon Lee with his Cardiac Kick, pinning Dragunov for the win to retain his title.)
Loser Leaves NXT Match
Nash Carter vs Cameron Grimes
(After coming up short in the Triple Threat Ladder Match at Vengeance Day, and irate Nash Carter interrupts the conference call after the show and unleashes a rant on NXT GM Shawn Michaels, who then suspends Carter for a week without pay. Despite this 1 week suspension, Carter continues to sabotage NXT, invading house shows and causing matches to end in DQs, going on an unfiltered rant after losing a match to Tyler Bate, and getting kicked out of the CWC by security. Eventually, Shawn Michaels confronts Nash Carter on an episode of NXT. Carter says that wants to be the #1 guy on this brand, there isn’t a person in that NXT locker room who could lace his boots, he doesn’t care who he pisses off, who likes him, becaues he wants to bet he #1 guy, and for some reason, Shawn Michaels, of all people, is treating him the same way Vince treated Shawn, because Vince held HBK back because he wasn’t big enoug, he wasn’t a draw, but guess what, Shawn is now Vince, and he doesn’t know why Shawn is doing it, is it because of spite? Is it because he won’t kiss Shawn’s ass? Is it because he won’t do one of Shawn’s poses with him after a victory? He’s the biggest star in NXT and he’s being held back, but he’s gonna be held back no more, because not only is he sick of NXT, he’s sick of the man steering the ship who is steering is straight into an iceberg, and if Shawn loves this brand so much, why doesn’t he show everyone he’s got 1 left, because he wants a match with Shawn at Stand & Deliver, take off that stooge suit, put on the chaps, and tune up the band 1 last time. Shawn responds to Nash Carter, saying that for over a decade, he’s had the best in the world wanting to challeng him to their Wrestlemania dream match, people have been asking him for dream matches for so long, they’ve been backing the truck up to his front door for 13 years, year after year, they’ve done it so often, the drivers know his address by heart, and he knows Nash Carter thinks he’s something special, but he’s just a guy doing it in 2023, it’s happened before and it’s gonna happen again, and believe him, nothing would thrill him more than to whip Nash Carter’s ass at Stand & Deliver, but the reality is there’s someone who wants to whip Carter’s ass a hell of a lot more than he does, and he bleeds NXT even more than HBK, because Nash Carter, he will get his wish, he will have a match at Stand & Deliver, it’s just his opponent isn’t gonna be The Heart Break Kid Shawn Michaels, his opponent at Stand & Deliver, is this man. Outcomes Cameron Grimes who has been out for 5 months sine Halloween Havoc after injuries caused by Nash Carter in the North American Championship Ladder Match, who makes a b line for the ring and forces Carter into retreat. Grimes says that Nash isn’t the guy because he failed to win both The Iron Survivor Challenge at Deadline and The Triple Threat Ladder Match at Vengeance Day, and Nash wants to constantly look for a person to blame, but he’s got to be honest, the guy he needs to look at is the guy in the mirror, and Nash’s biggest problem, he thinks he’s bigger than the brand, NXT has never been about 1 guy, it’s built around a collective, which whether Nash likes it or not, he is apart of, and if he doesn’t like it, he can always walk out the door. Carter says Grimes has some nerve coming back, he put him on the shelf for a reason, and that’s because NXT over the past 5 months has been a hell of a lot better without Cameron Grimes, and now that he’s back, he’s gonna have to send him away again. With all these talks about removing the other man from NXT, Shawn Michales makes this match a Loser Leaves NXT Match. Carter scores the win after avoiding The Cave In by going under it, and hitting a UFO Cutter on Grimes, followed up with another UFO Cutter, ending Grimes NXT career.)
NXT Championship
Bron Breakker (C) vs Grayson Waller
(2 of the biggest stars in NXT finally collide. Grayson Waller says there are a lot of things that define Bron Breakker, strong, fast, athletic, and boring, he despises the fact that Bron was handpicked by Triple H & Shawn Michaels to be the guy, to be the face of the new generation of NXT, while he was just positioned as another new face, he had to make himself into a star, he had to make himself into the main attraction of NXT, and he for damn sure didn’t need the WWE machine behind him to turn NXT into The Grayson Waller Effect, he didn’t need the WWE machine behind him to create viral moment after viral moment, and now, after running this brand for 18 months, he’s finally right where he belongs, the main event of the biggest NXT PPV of the year, where he finally gets to take the crown that should rightfully have been his since day 1, where he gets to create his biggest viral moment, when he becomes NXT Champion. Bron Breakker says that for 18 long months, he has been the flag bearer for the new generation of NXT, this brand means everything to him, the NXT Championship means everything to him, he respects every NXT champion who came before him, but he doesn’t respect Grayson Waller, for 18 months, all Grayson Waller has done is talk, he’s like the Chael Sonnen of NXT, constantly runs his mouth, but he just can’t quite win the big one, as over the past 18 months, Waller has won 0 championships, he’s too busy trying to make himself go viral than keeping his eye on the ball, and at Stand & Deliver, he’ll too busy thinking about becoming NXT Champion when he’s across the ring from him, where Waller is going to be beaten within an inch of his life, and whatever is left of him will be pinned on the canvas, as he walks out still NXT Champion. Throughout the buildup, Grayson Waller constantly plays mind games with Bron Breakker, replicating The infamous Bret Hart metal plate trick, stealing the NXT Championship from Bron Breakker, and even starting a fight between himself and Bron at the performance center during a training session. Also in the leadup, Grayson Waller’s feud with Johnny Gargano from the main roster spills over into NXT, with Gargano showing up on episodes of NXT to get physical with Waller, and even getting into an altercation with Bron Breakker after accidentally superkicking Breakker when trying to attack Grayson Waller. This eventually leads to Shawn Michaels coming to an agreement with Raw GM Sonya Deville that the winner of the NXT Championship match between Bron Breakker and Grayson Waller at Stand & Deliver will go on to defend the NXT Championship against Johnny Gargano at Wrestlemania 39. Towards the end of the match, Bron Breakker accidentally spears the ref, which allows Waller to hit a low blow on Breakker, followed up with a pair of Rolling Thunder Stunners on Bron Breakker to become the new NXT Champion, and securing his Wrestlemania showdown against Johnny Gargano.)
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Post by untit1ed on Apr 15, 2023 6:38:31 GMT 1
Wrestlemania 39
Dates: April 1st and 2nd, 2023
Location: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California
Cards
Night 1
Pre Show
Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal
Solo Sikoa wins by last eliminating Chad Gable
(Entrants include: Solo Sikoa, Chad Gable, Shinsuke Nakamura, Ricochet, Dijak, Santos Escobar, Xavier Woods, Pete Dunne, Ridge Holland, John Morrison, Baron Corbin, Otis, Ma.çé, Mån.sôör, Dolph Ziggler, Mustafa Ali, Elias, Joaquin Wilde, Cruz Del Toro, Top Dolla, Ashante “Thee” Adonis, Angel Garza, Humberto Carillo, Madcap Moss, Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows, Rick Boogs, and Akira Tozawa)
Main Card
Austin Theory vs John Cena
(John Cena returns on the 03/06/2023 episode of Raw in his hometown of Boston, but before he can begin his promo, he’s interrupted by Austin Theory, fresh off losing the US title at Elimination Chamber. Theory says that everyone might not know this, but he became a WWE superstar because of John Cena, he remembers watching Cena on TV with his Mom, Cena inspired him, the hustle, the loyalty, the respect, he thanks John for that, which is why he came out here with a gift for John from the bottom of his heart, a gift that’s bigger than any movie role John is gonna do, it’s a gift of Cena and himself, one on one, on the grandest stage of them all, Wrestlemania. Cena initially declines, saying he’s not interested in Theory’s gift, because he hasn’t earned the right to give it, sure, he’s been watching and listening to Theory, but he doesn’t care, just like every fan watching, he doesn’t care about Theory, because he doesn’t believe Theory, he doesn’t believe Theory because Theory doesn’t believe himself, he’s a generic kid wearing fancy kicks and sunglasses indoors, but nothing inside, he’s Austin Theory’s ghost of Christmas’ future, because right now, Theory is in the stage of ruthless aggression, and ruthless aggression almost got himself fired, what a great opportunity it was, but everyone could see that the opportunity wasn’t enough, because Theory has been given opportunity after opportunity, and Theory doesn’t believe in himself, the opportunities aren’t enough, Theory has no heart, no soul, all the fans who have been watching him for the past 20 years, they show up because they believe, but they don’t believe in Austin Theory because he’s a pair of trunks away from being a jabroni, but he’ll give credit where credit is due, Austin Theory has one of the best names in WWE history, because that’s exactly what he is, a Theory, in theory, Austin should be great, in theory, everyone should be here for Austin Theory, but no one cares, because Theory wastes everyone's time, so he’s gonna give Austin Theory a gift, turn around and walk away and he might leave in one piece. The Now responds, saying he looks around, and he sees what’s on Cena’s shirt, it says Never Give Up, but John Cena is saying no, is John Cena saying that he’s giving up? And the hat, it says respect, where’s the respect for all of them, Cena has a golden ticket against the fastest rising star in WWE at Wrestlemania and he’s gonna give up, where’s the hustle? Where’s the loyalty? Where’s the respect? Don’t all the fans want to see John Cena at Wrestlemania? But he’s realised, you never wanna meet your hero, because all they do when you meet them, is disappoint. Cena responds, saying Theory really is a dumb son of a b*tch, he didn’t say no because he’s giving up, he said no because he was trying to save Theory from embarrassment, Theory isn’t ready, because if the 2 of them have a match at Wrestlemania and he wins, Theory loses everything, and even if Theory wins, he still loses everything because then he has to go out there the Monday after, in front of the ruthless Raw after Mania crowd, and explain, and he will be eaten alive, because everyone can see that Theory is full of sh*t, but because Theory brought the fans into it, he has no choice, so he accepts, because he may not care about Theory, but he’ll never give up on the fans, and he wants Theory to remember this moment, because Austin Theory just made the biggest mistake of his life. Theory responds on the go-home Raw before Mania, saying that according to John Cena, he loses everything at Wrestlemania, but that’s where he’s wrong, because for some reason, Cena thinks he’s exposed him on the mic, but all Cena did was expose himself, Cena showed the entire world that the 1 thing he can’t see is the future right in front of his eyes, it’s like Cena wanted to hit him with a reality check by saying nobody believes in him, not even Cena himself, but where Cena was wrong is that he doesn’t believe in himself, because he doesn’t do this for the fans, he doesn’t do this for some kid growing up that wants to be the next Austin Theory, and he certainly doesn’t do this to be the next John Cena, he does this for himself, he does this because he had a purpose way before anyone had an opinion about him, it’s sad, it’s so sad that he would’ve let Cena go down the hero, but John made it personal, and he already said it before, everyone looks up to John Cena, but it’s so fitting that Cena is going to be looking up to him, and that’s not a Theory, because he is going to make John Cena believe in him, and the fans that he loves so much, he’s gonna make them stop believing in John Cena when he goes A-Town Down at Wrestlemania. Unlike in real life, Cena actually hits the AA in this match, which Theory kicks out of, and Theory wins clean after 1 A-Town Down.)
WWE United States Championship
Bronson Reed (C) vs Braun Strowman
(Braun Strowman wins a Battle Royal to become the #1 contender to Bronson Reed’s United States Championship at Wrestlemania. Strowman says that Bronson Reed likes to proclaim he’s a mighty United States Champion, but he wasn’t so mighty back at the Royal Rumble when he eliminated his ass, and the next time he stands tall over Bronson Reed, it’s gonna be when he Monster Bombs him and becomes a 2-time United States Champion. Reed says that Strowman likes to call himself the Monster of all Monsters, but that isn’t the case, because The Colossal is superior to him in every way, and he’ll show that at Wrestlemania when he retains his United States Championship and shows why The Mighty, don’t kneel.)
Seth Rollins vs Logan Paul w/KSI
(After Logan Paul cost him both The Royal Match and the chance to become a 3-time Intercontinental Champion, Seth Rollins makes an appearance on Miz TV (Miz can show up on Smackdown in the leadup to Mania since he’s the Mania host), just so he can attack The Miz, steal his phone, and facetime Logan Paul to challenge him to a Match at Wrestlemania 39, which Logan accepts. Throughout the buildup to the match, both Seth and Logan constantly get in each other’s head, with Logan knocking out Seth twice, whilst Seth cuts off Logan’s mic while he’s cutting a promo. Logan says that he has accomplished in 1 year what Rollins has in almost 20, he’s better than Seth’s job than Seth is, he’s on his way in whilst Seth is on his way out, he works smarter, not harder, and at Wrestlemania, he puts Seth Rollins lights out for a 3rd time. Seth Rollins says that none of what Logan is saying is the reason why he doesn’t like him, because the reason why he doesn’t like Logan is because he’s the scum of the earth, Logan is a coward, a troll, a fraud a human dumpster fire, and he doesn’t want Logan anywhere near his house, and he’s done collecting his pound of Logan’s flesh at Wrestlemania, Logan is going to be sent far away from WWE. This is the same match that happened in real life, with Logan’s zipline entrance and Seth’s conductor entrance, KSI disguised as a PRIME bottle and his eventual reveal, Logan accidentally taking out KSI with a frog splash through the announce table, and Seth winning with a Frog Splash.)
8-Woman Tag Team Match
Becky Lynch, Lita, Trish Stratus, & a mystery partner (Alexa Bliss) vs Damage CTRL
(After Becky helped Liv Morgan end her feud against Damage CTRL, The Man begins her feud with Damage CTRL. Throughout the feud, Davenport, Kai, Shirai, and Storm constantly have the upper hand over Becky at every turn, with Becky turning away any chance for help she’s offered. Eventually, Becky faces off against Blair Davenport in a Steel Cage Match on Smackdown, with Lita making a surprise appearance to fight off Dakota Kai, Io Shirai, and Toni Storm, which distracts Blair as she’s trying to escape the cage, which allows Becky to score the win with a Manhandle Slam off the top rope. Over the next several weeks, Lita continues to appear alongside Becky, with Becky & Lit invading Raw to cost Damage CTRL in their Women’s Tag Title Match against Becky’s fellow Horsewomen Bayley & Charlotte Flair. This eventually leads to a tag match between Becky & Lita and Damage CTRL’s Blair Davenport & Toni Storm, which ends in a DQ after interference from Dakota Kai & Io Shirai. Damage CTRL beats down Becky & Lita 4-on-2, until Trish Stratus makes a surprise return, making the save. Becky, Trish, & Lita then challenge Damage CTRL to an 8-Woman tag at Wrestlemania, with Becky saying what Blair Davenport has done with Damage CTRL should be illegal, she has criminally wasted 2 former NXT Women’s Champions in Dakota Kai & Io Shirai, and a former NXT UK Women’s Champion in Toni Storm, with each damaging losses they suffer, the more damaged their young careers, so when Blair receives a beating 8 months in the making at Wrestlemania, they realise they’re better off without her. Blair accepts, saying that she didn’t recruit Dakota & Io, they found her, and Toni, she saw the light of the greatness that she could lead her to, sure there’s been speedbumps, aka, Becky, because she has continued to stand in Damage CTRL’s way, and if she thinks that 2 washed up has-beens are gonna help her get that elusive definitive wins she craves, she’s delusional, she doesn’t even have a 4th woman, because their showdown at Wrestlemania 39 will end the same way as it always has, Damage CTRL on top, and Becky crumbled at their feet. Becky responds to the claims of having no 4th woman, saying you’ll know who it is soon enough, and Blair, you might know her. The mystery partner is eventually revealed to be a returning Alexa Bliss, back after a brief hiatus to battle and beat Skin Cancer. The closing moments sees Blair surrounded by Becky, Trish, Lita, and Alexa, being hit by a Chick Kick from Trish, a Twist of Fate from Lita, a Twisted Bliss from Alexa, and a Manhandle Slam by Becky for the win. Alexa disappears from TV again after this due to going on maternity leave)
Raw Women’s Championship
Rhea Ripley (C) vs Bianca Belair
(A showdown 8 months in the making. Rhea says that somehow, someway, she knew Bianca was going to manage to find a way to get back her, it’s fate, no matter what, the 2 of them are joined at the hip, they’re destined to do this forever, but no matter how many times they face off, look who always walks away the victor, look who won between the 2 of them at Takeover: Portland, look who won when she cashed in her Money in the Bank briefcase at Summerslam, she has always been superior to Bianca, and at Wrestlemania, she once again humiliates The EST. Bianca says that Rhea may like to brag about how “she’s always won every single time they’ve faced off 1-on-1”, but she thrives under pressure, it’s why she’s undefeated at Wrestlemania for a reason, she can’t say the same about Rhea because this is the biggest match, and more often than not, when Rhea has big matches, she becomes frozen, like Elsa, and at Wrestlemania, Rhea Ripley will crumble under pressure as avenges her Summerslam humiliation and walks out a 2-time Raw Women’s Champion. Bianca finally defeats Rhea 1-on-1, scoring the win after 2 K.o.D’s to end The Eradicator’s 245-day reign as Raw Women’s Champion.)
Samoa Joe vs LA Knight
(After Samoa Joe puts LFDZ behind him, he begins a cross-brand feud with Bray Wyatt, with The Eater of Worlds and Uncle Howdy constantly playing mind games on Joe, however, a few weeks before the event, Bray Wyatt suffers an undisclosed injury, and the match is called off. This leads Joe to cut a promo on the go-home Raw before Wrestlemania, saying that Wrestlemania is the showcase of the immortals, it’s the biggest show of the year, and you can’t have Wrestlemania without Samoa Joe, so he is issuing a challenge to anyone in the WWE locker room for a match at Wrestlemania 39. Joe’s promo is interrupted by Smackdown star LA Knight. Knight says that somehow, someway, The Megastar and this bowling ball of a dummy have something in common, and that’s they are both victims of management by being denied the opportunity to compete at Wrestlemania, so he’ll take up the offer of this Samoan humpty dumpty for a match at Wrestlemania, bounce his basketball of a head all across the ring canvas, and slam dunk his ass at Wrestlemania, and that is not an insult, that, is just a fact of life. Joe says that for once, he respects LA Knight’s big mouth, because he’s just talked himself into the biggest moment of his career yet, and he’s written a check his mouth can’t cash. Towards the end of the match, Joe has Knight in a standing Coquina Clutch, only for Knight to take some steps back and force Joe into bumping the ref over, stunning the ref for a bit. This give LA Knight enough time to escape the Coquina Clutch by low-blowing Samoa Joe with a kick to the d*ck, and hitting 2 BFT’s on Joe for the upset win.)
Rey Mysterio vs Dominik Mysterio w/Zelina Vega
(Father vs Son. Dominik resumes his feud with Rey (which has been on and off after Rey moved to Smackdown, with Dominik ruining The Mysterio’s Thanksgiving, and trying to do so again on Christmas Eve, only to get arrested which leads to him becoming Ex-Con Dom) after he and Zelina Vega invade Smackdown and cost Rey in a match against Dominik Dijakovic. During his time on Smackdown, Rey Mysterio befriends Santos Escobar and the rest of Legado Del Fantasma, who turn face as a result and later rebrand as the reformed Latino World Order under Rey Mysterio’s leadership. In the weeks leading up to Wrestlemania 39, it’s announced that Rey Mysterio will be headlining the 2023 WWE Hall of Fame class. This angers Dominik, who challenges his “Deadbeat Dad” to a match at Wrestlemania 39, saying that WWE is really gonna induct a washed-up old man into the Hall of Fame? How many birthdays, how many Christmases, how many Thanksgivings, how many soccer games did he miss? All to make this Hall of Fame career, and Mami Zelina was right, he’s ashamed to be Rey’s son, he doesn’t know why the WWE is inducting him into the Hall of Fame, when the only Hall of Fame he deserves to be in, is the Deadbeat Dad Hall of Fame, because Rey earned the honor to be in the hall of fame at his expense, he put his entire life for this business, Rey chose all of these strangers instead of being there for his kids, is it an honor for Rey knowing that his son went all those nights without a father? He chose to wrestle Randy Orton in a nothing match at Wrestlemania 27 instead of being there for his son’s 8th-grade promotion, instead of giving his son a Mercedes like he wanted when he turned 16, he gave him a BMW, and it wasn’t even an M-Series, and because of that, he sees Rey for what he really is, a sad, ugly excuse for not a Father, but a man, because at the end of the day, he should’ve been Eddie’s son. Rey refuses, saying that if some punk kid was calling him out for a match at Wrestlemania, he’d gladly accept, but Dominik’s his own son, so he can’t. Eventually, Rey Mysterio has a match on Smackdown against LA Knight, with Rey’s wife Angie and daughter Aalyah watching on from the front row, with Dominik showing up to help LA Knight get the win, after the match, Dominik confronting his Mother and Sister, telling his Mom how does it feel to be married to such a pathetic loser? A coward who can’t even stand up to his own Son, did she know she married a deadbeat? She did because she sat there every night while Rey abandoned him, and that makes her nothing better, so that makes her Deadbeat Mom. Angie tries to respond before Dominik tells her to shut up. This finally puts Rey over the edge. Finally attacking his son, and accepting Dominik’s challenge for a match at Wrestlemania, saying Dominik should never disrespect his Mother like that, that’s his Wife, so because he’s finally been pushed to his breaking point, he’ll see his son at Wrestlemania. There is no Cinamoji Toast Crunch sponsorship for this match. Dominik still gets his prison transportation entrance, and Rey is still driven to the ring by Snoop Dogg. Most of the match stays the same, only now it’s Los Lotharios who show up to try to give Dominik the upper hand, only for The Latino World Order to show up, with the LWO and LFDZ taking each other out. Rey still wins after Dominik tries to cheat, but Bad Bunny (who was on commentary as the special guest Spanish commentator) stops Dominik from doing so, allowing Rey to hit the 619 and the frog splash for the win.)
WWE Championship
Karrion Kross (C) w/Scarlett vs Keith Lee
(Kross vs Lee 3. Karrion Kross says that ever since he first arrived in WWE 3 years ago back down in NXT, he’s been unbeatable, he doesn’t know what defeat is, every single time he has stepped foot in this ring, he has left with his hand raised as the victor, because he has dominated anyone who has even tried to step up to him, look at the names who he’s made pay the toll during his reign as WWE Champion, Kevin Owens, Samoa Joe, Elias, Brock Lesnar, AJ Styles, Matt Riddle, Johnny Gargano, Bobby Lashley, and Keith Lee, the same man who he defeated to become NXT Champion 3 years ago, the same man who is responsible for separating his shoulder and cutting his first reign as NXT Champion short, he already got his revenge on Keith for that back at Survivor Series, but now, now Keith finds himself once again in a title match against him, we’ve all seen how this plays out, because there’s already 2 dates that have forever plagued Keith Lee, August 20th 2020, and November 26th 2022, but now there’s gonna be a 3rd date, April 1st 2023, that’s the date that the final nail in Keith Lee’s coffin is nailed in as he once again pays the toll, tick tock. Keith says that it’s true, he has never defeated Karrion Kross, his first attempt, he’ll admit he got complacent, but he was this close back at Survivor Series: War Games, and if it wasn’t for Scarlett and that fireball, he would’ve left Survivor Series: War Games as the WWE Champion, but this time, on the grandest stage of them all, Wrestlemania, he exercises his demons once and for all, ends Karrion Kross’ 3-year long undefeated streak, and becomes WWE Champion. There’s a ref bump towards the end of the match, and Scarlett once again tries to launch a fireball into the eyes of Keith Lee, only for Keith to duck, and the fireball going into the eyes of Kross. The Limitless One then hits 2 Spirit Bombs, and a Big Bang Catastrophe off the second rope on Kross, scoring the 3 count to become the new WWE Champion, ending Kross’ 364-day reign as WWE Champion, and his 3-year undefeated streak.)
Smackdown Tag Team Championships
The Usos (C) vs Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn
(On the Smackdown after Elimination Chamber, Sami Zayn cuts an in-ring promo, saying that after coming so close to putting a bow on a storybook ending in front his his friends, his family, his city, his country, and coming up just a hair short, he feels a lot of guilt for that, he feels like he let people down, everyone told him to finish the story, and he feels like he did, but he’s realised, the story is never over, however, we are entering the final chapter, and that final chapter isn’t about him, and there’s one person he needs to talk to more than anyone else, so Kevin Owens, he’d love it if you came out here right now. KO then comes out to listen to Sami. Sami says he wants to say he’s thank you, he’s sorry, but he knows they’re past the point of words at this point, because let’s be honest, things have gotten a little messy, there’s a lot of things that the 2 of them have said that he doesn’t know if there’s any coming back from, but here’s thing, for months and the months, he’s said there’s only 1 thing he cares about, and that’s taking down The Bloodline, and he knows Kevin better than anything, when he gets something in his head, Kevin does it, nothing stops him until he does it, but here’s the thing, now he has a mission, he will make sure unless it’s the last thing that he does, he will not rest until he see’s with his own eyes that Roman Reigns and The Bloodline come crumbling down, but here’s thing, Kevin couldn’t alone, and neither could he, but he does think there’s only 1 way to get it done, and that is if they do it together. KO responds to Sami, saying he doesn’t need an apology from Sami, what he did had nothing to do with Sami, he didn’t do it for Sami, he did it for his Family because they were all in the front row, but at The Royal Rumble, they were all watching from home, and they had to watch him get the hell beaten out of him by The Bloodline while Sami stood there and watched it happen, he did for him because he needed to hurt The Bloodline, he did it for Sami’s family, Sami’s Wife, Sami’s Son, Sami’s Dad, so they wouldn’t have Sami get the hell beaten out of him like his family had to, that’s why he did it, he’s been fighting The Bloodline for months on his own, and that’s fine, because that’s the way he’s gonna keep fighting them, because he still means everything he said back in November after Survivor Series: Wargames, that he was done with Sami, and that stands Today, but if Sami needs help taking down The Bloodline, just ask his buddy Jey. Later that night, because Jey Uso isn’t at Smackdown, Jimmy Uso is informed by Roman Reigns through Paul Heman that if Jey doesn’t show up next week, they’re both out of The Bloodline. Jimmy cuts a promo in the main event segment, saying that Jey, if you’re not here, I know you’re out there watching somewhere, from Brother to Brother, I know you’re torn, I know you’re hurt, and when you’re hurt, I’m hurt Uce, but I just want to tell you I will always, always be here for you Uce, no matter what, just like I need you to be here right now, there saying there’s cracks in The Bloodline, now listen, I know there’s issue going on, everything has been crazy, we get a Sami Zayn problem, we got a Kevin Owens problem, they need to defend these Smackdown Tag Team Championships, and he knows you have issues with The Tribal Chief, and I can’t do this alone. Sami Zayn then interrupts, saying he’s not here to fight, he knows Jimmy wants to Jey, but he needs to talk to Jimmy, because everytime he hears Jimmy use the word Brother, it breaks his heart because that’s what Jimmy was to him, Jimmy was his dawg, Jimmy had his back in The Bloodline from Day 1, when Jey didn’t trust him, Jimmy did, when Paul Heyman saw no value in him and shoed him from Roman’s locker room, Jimmy saw value in him, Jimmy was the one who dubbed him The Honorary Uce, without Jimmy, there’s no Honorary Uce, there’s no Sami Uso, there’s no Feeling Ucey, but went things went south at The Royal Rumble, Jimmy didn’t even think twice, he took him down with 0 hesitation, and that hurt. Jimmy responds to Sami, saying he’ so damn selfish, Sami wants to blame him, Sami wants to put the blame on him when it was Sami, Sami was the one who made that choice, Sami was the one who had that chair in his hand, Sami was the one who pulled that trigger, Sami was the once who made the choice, Sami stepped on him, and on Jey, what was he supposed to do, Sami made his choice and he did what he had to do, that’s what Family do, but you know what Family don’t do Uce? They don’t betray you. Sami responds, saying Family doesn’t test your loyalty every single week, they don’t make you jump through hoops just to prove that you’re worth something, they don’t manipulate you every single week like Roman did to him, the way Roman has done to your twin brother Jey, not for weeks, for months, but for years, because The Bloodline is all about Roman Reigns, The Bloodline is about 1 man, and if it’s the last thing he does, he’s gonna make sure that Roman Reigns and The Bloodline come crumbling down, but there’s a way out for Jimmy, just like he told Jey, there’s a way out, Jimmy doesn’t have to go down with the ship, and as he looks into Jimmy’s eyes and he knows that Jimmy knows what he’s saying is true. Before Sami can finish, Jey Uso makes a surprise appearance, showing up in the crowd, which distracts Sami and allows Jimmy to surprise attack Sami, but no one knows whose side Jey is on. The next week, Sami has a match against Jimmy Uso, which Sami wins after a distraction by Jey Uso. After the match, it looks like Jey sides with Sami as they walk back up the ramp together, only for Jey to Superkick Sami, confirming he’s still in The Bloodline, with Jey saying “You thought I was gonna choose you? It’s Family shit”. Solo Sikoa then runs down and The Usos & Solo beat down Sami, until Cody Rhodes (who has been trying to get KO & Sami back on the same page) runs down and forces The Bloodline into retreat. The next week, Kevin Owens has a Street Fight against Solo Sikoa, which he loses, with The Bloodline beating down KO until Sami Zayn makes the post match save. After he saves KO, Sami offers a handshake, but Kevin refuses, leaving Sami hanging as he heads to the back. The following week, Cody Rhodes tries to get Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn back on the same page, saying that he has an incredible amount of love and respect for Kevin Owens, because 7 years ago when he was so bold enough to say good luck to WWE in your future endeavors, he said it with false confidence, he needed help, he needed contacts, he needed to know the system was out there, and thanks to Kevin Owens, he met some “Elite” friends, which bettered his livelihood, and it’s a favor he can never repay, but he wants to repay it now, so they need to have the conversation. Sami says that he hasn’t heard everything Kevin has had to say, and he’s got nothing more to say, because throughout the years, whether they were friends or enemies, they’ve done some pretty unspeakable stuff to each other, they’ve turned on each other, they’ve hurt each other many times, but they’ve always somehow found a way to come back and forgive each other, and get on the same page, and for the life of him, he just can’t understand why it’s different this time, so if there’s something Kevin needs to say or get off his chest, tell me, do it, if you need to punch me in the face, do it, do it so we can get back to working together, because it’s in both of their best interests, if they can come together, they can do something magical, they can be the ones to bring down The 1’s, and it may take years before this is totally repaired, they just need to work together. Kevin simply tells Cody that he’s heard Sami’s out, Cody got what he wanted, so he’s leaving. Cody stops Kevin, saying that they are in the people-pleasing business, it’s not just what he wants, everyone wants to see Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn back on the same page. Kevin responds, saying why should he fight with someone that doesn’t even want to be he’s friend, he appreciates Cody for trying, but he’s good. Sami then confronts Kevin Owens in the parking lot just as KO is about to leave, saying forget about everything he said about The Bloodline and fighting together, none of that stuff matters, what he said in the ring, he’s ring, they are friends, they will always be friends, they aren’t just friends, they’re brothers, and if he never wants to talk to him again, that’s fine, but he just wants to let Kevin know, he loves him. Later on in the night, Sami Zayn confronts Jey Uso. Jey says he has a job to do tonight, but Sami is gonna hear this, from Day 1, he didn’t like Sami, from Day 1 he didn’t trust Sami, they know that, he didn’t want Sami around his family at all, but then, week after week, they started like Sami, Jimmy liked Sami, Solo liked Sami, The Wise Man liked Sami, hell, even The Tribal Chief liked Sami, but not him, as a boy he always thought it was his job to protect his family and he always will, they tell him where to aim, he shoots, so the 1 time he put his guard down for someone who he thought loved him, what did they do, Sami betrayed him, Sami embarrassed him, Sami made him look stupid in front of the whole damn world, he called Sami his brother, do you know what that means to him? Somebody said he might second guess himself all the time, they may be right, but he knows 1 thing, from Day 1, Sami has always been a Fake Ass Uce, so what happened next, he had no choice. Sami interrupts, saying that’s a lie, Jey has had a choice since Day 1, and he choosesto take Roman Reigns’ abuse over and over again, that is his choice, he loved Sami, he loved his family, but he wasn’t gonna take that abuse the way Jey does, he keeps choosing it, and he doesn’t think Jey is mad at him, Jey is mad at himself, Jey isn’t mad that he hit Roman Reigns with that steel chair, Jey is mad he didn’t do it first. Jey then attacks Sami, with Jimmy running down to make it a 2-on-1 assault, only for Kevin Owens’ music to hit, and Kevin Owens coming out through the crowd, and takes out The Usos, finally embracing Sami Zayn and reuniting with him, and challenging The Usos to a Smackdown Tag Team Title Match at Wrestlemania, which The Usos accept. This is the exact same 5 star classic that happene in real life, capped off with 3 Helluva Kicks from Sami Zayn to Jey Uso, allowing Sami & KO to become the new Smackdown Tag Team Champions, ending The Usos’ 622-day reign.)
Night 2
Pre Show
Alundra Blayze Women’s Battle Royal
Raquel Rodriguez wins by last eliminating Shayna Baszler
(Entrants include: Raquel Rodriguez, Shayna Baszler, Emma, Tegan Nox, Sarah Logan, Piper Niven, Mia Yim, Zelina Vega, Carmella, Zoey Stark, Indi Hartwell, Natalya, Elektra Lopez, B-Fab, Lacey Evans, Xia Li, and Dana Brooke)
Main Card
Brock Lesnar vs GUNTHER
(On the Smackdown after Elimination Chamber, GUNTHER scores a quick victory over Madcap Moss. After the match, Der Ring General gets on the mic, saying that now that he is done with Sheamus, there is another man who he has is eye on, another man who he eliminated in his debut at The Royal Rumble, none other than the so-called “Beast Incarnate”, Brock Lesnar, who he is issuing a challenge to for a match at Wrestlemania, and he wants an answer by next week, because if Brock does not answer the challenge of Der Ring General, it shows that he is a coward, and cowardly acts are unacceptable in this great sport, so Brock, he wants an answer, the clock is ticking. Brock Lesnar shows up the following week on Smackdown, where he is interrupted by Imperium’s Ludwig Kaiser & Giovani Vinci. Brock says to Bartel and Aichner that up until the Royal Rumble, he had never heard of this GUNTHER guy, but after he was eliminated by him at The Royal Rumble, he’s intrigued by him, but he’s not sold, he wants these 2 to sell him on this match with WALTER. Vinci & Kaiser say that Brock Lesnar is The Beast Incarnate, and when Brock puts his hands on a man, that man has no chance, when Brock Lesnar takes someone to Suplex City, that man is in a world of hurt, and when Brock Lesnar hits a man with an F5, that man is done for, but at the Royal Rumble, Brock Lesnar had his hands full with Der Ring General, because when Brock Lesnar puts his hands on a man, he can do whatever he wants to that man, but when he tried to put his hands on GUNTHER, it severely backfired on his end, and we all know that deep down inside, it bother Brock Lesnar that he was manhandled the way he was byGUNTHER, and now that The Leader of Imperium has called him out, he has a chance to redeem himself. Brock then says he accepts, and takes both Vinci & Kaiser to Suplex City and lays them both out with an F5 each, before WALTER interrupts, staring down with Brock Lesnar from a distance. The match is a combination of a hoss fight and a finisher spamfest, with GUNTHER scoring the shocking win after a Last Symphony off the second rope, followed up with a Frog Splash.)
Fatal 4-Way Tag Team Ladder Match for the Raw Tag Team Championships
Judgment Day (Damian Priest & Joe Gacy) (C) vs The Street Profits vs The Viking Raiders w/Sarah Logan vs Imperium
Note
(GYV was originally supposed to be in this match instead of Imperium, but after they asked for their release, plans changed and I swapped them for Imperium)
(After their successful Raw Tag Title Defense over The Good Brothers, Judgment Day’s Damian Priest and Joe Gacy request to Raw GM Sonya Deville that she find them 2 of the best tag teams for them to defend the belts in a Triple Threat Tag Team Match at Wrestlemania 39. Sonya agrees to it, but goes one step further and makes it a Ladder Match. The Street Profits earn the Raw spot in the match after winning a tag team battle royal, whilst over on Smackdown, another tag team battle royal is held to determine who will represent Smackdown in the match, where The Viking Raiders and Imperium finish as the final 2, but Erik and Giovani Vinci both eliminate each other’s teams, but both feet hit the floor, leading to the match becoming a Fatal 4-Way Tag Team Ladder Match with both The War Raiders and Imperium qualifying. Even with the challenge of defending against 3 teams, Priest & Gacy manage to retain.)
Triple Threat Match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship
Swerve Strickland (C) vs Sheamus vs Drew McIntyre
(After hitting 1 full year as Intercontinental Champion, Swerve Strickland draws the ire of a new challenger who happens to be a former Intercontinental Champion, Drew McIntyre. In the weeks leading up to Mania, The Scottish Terminator says that Wrestlemania is just a few weeks away and he doesn’t have a match, he needs to remedy that, because there’s a certain mogul that he wants to beat the absolute schnitzel out of, so Swerve, he’s calling you out. Sheamus interrupts Drew’s promo, saying what is he doing? Is Drew gonna go behind his back like that, because Drew of all people knows how much that Intercontinental Championship means to him fella, it’s been 8 long years, Drew knows how bad he wants that title back, Drew knows how badly he wants to face Swerve at Mania, and now he’s going behind his back calling him out, he thought Drew was like his brother, but it turns out he’s just a backstabbing bastard. Drew responds to Sheamus, saying that friends tell the truth to each other, and the truth sometimes hurts, the truth is, Sheamus has had 2 chances at Swerve, and he lost, twice. Both Shinsuke Nakamura and Dominik Dijakovic interrupt, both of whom also want a shot at Swerve’s IC title, leading to a Fatal 4-Way #1 contenders match being set up between the 4 for the following week of Smackdown. That match ends with Sheamus and McIntyre pinning both Nakamura and Dijak at the same time. Adam Pearce initially wants to make a Triple Threat match for the IC Title between Swerve, Sheamus, and McIntyre, but Swerve demands that he only faces one of them at Wrestlemania, leading to Adam Pearce making a match between Drew and Sheamus the following week, with the winner challenging Swerve for the IC title at Wrestlemania. That match ends in a DQ thanks to interference by Top Dolla & Ashante “Thee” Adonis. Swerve then angrily comes down to the ring and scalds both Top Dolla & Ashante for interfering, telling them that thanks to their dumbasses, he knows Adam Pearce is gonna make it a Triple Threat match just to spite him. Swerve is proven to be correct, as Adam Pearce announces that Isaiah “Swerve” Scott will defend his Intercontinental Championship in a Triple Threat Match against both Sheamus and Drew McIntyre at Wrestlemania 39. Swerve says that thanks to his crew’s incompetence, he is now in a predicament where he can lose his Intercontinental Championship without being pinned or submitted, but he is gonna show why he is the greatest and most dominant Intercontinental Champion of all time when he walks out and still. It looks like Sheamus has the match won after countering a Claymore with a Brogue Kick, only for Swerve to break up the pin with a Swerve Stomp, hitting a House Call on Sheamus that sends him out of the ring, and hitting another Swerve Stomp on McIntyre for the win, allowing Swerve to move 1 step closer to becoming the longest reigning Intercontinental Champion of all time.)
Fatal 4-Way Tag Team Match for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships
Bayley & Charlotte Flair (C) vs Nikki Cross & Chelsea Green vs Candice Lerae & Shotzi Blackheart vs The Unholy Union (Kay Lee Ray & Isla Dawn)
(After winning the Women’s Tag Titles from Damage CTRL, Bayley & Charlotte Flair begin a feud with Nikki Cross, who wants the Women’s Tag Titles, but doesn’t have a partner. Bayley & Charlotte Flair request to Raw GM Sonya Deville that she make a Fatal 4-Way Women’s Tag Title Match at Wrestlemania, where they face 1 team from Raw, 1 team from Smackdown, and 1 team from NXT. Candice Lerae & Shotzi Blackheart secure the Smackdown spot after defeating Damage CTRL’s Dakota Kai & Io Shirai thanks to a distraction by Becky Lynch, Lita, & Trish Stratus, Kay Lee Ray (who turned heel after a match against Sol Ruca, which leads to her forming an alliance with her old rival Isla Dawn) & Isla Dawn defeat Kacy Catanzaro and Kayden Carter to secure the NXT spot in the match, meanwhile, Nikki Cross demands that Sonya Deville puts her in the match for the Raw spot, but Sonya refuses because Nikki doesn’t have a partner. Chelsea Green (who has been having problems with Deville about not getting any good opportunities) interrupts and wants an opportunity as well, so Sonya decides to pair Nikki & Chelsea up in a can they co-exist? Team in a qualifying match against Mia Yim & Tegan Nox, which Cross & Green win. Nikki & Chelsea’s oddball duo doesn’t last long, as Chelsea turns on Nikki towards the end of the match, which sets up The Unholy Union to hit The Backstabber/Swanton Bomb combo on Nikki for the win to become the 2nd NXT Tag Team to become Women’s Tag Team Championship.)
Anything Goes Match for the NXT Championship
Grayson Waller (C) vs Johnny Gargano
(After the events of Elimination Chamber, Johnny Gargano and Grayson Waller begin a cross-brand feud. Gargano addresses Waller’s attack on him, saying that Grayson Waller is obsessed with trying to make a name for himself at his expense, he did it to put himself on the map back at Wargames V, and he did it again to once again get more eyes on him at Elimination Chamber, because of Grayson Waller, he didn’t get the ending to his NXT career that he wanted, he never got closure in his last night in NXT, and he hates to say it, but he respects what Waller did to him back in December of 2021, which is why he waited, he waited to see if when he returned 9 months later, would Waller follow him and try to take him out again, and he was right, so now, he has a problem with Grayson Waller, because now, he wants a chance to finally end all this, end all of the disrespect that Waller has given not just him, but the NXT locker room, because no matter what brand he’s on, NXT will always be his home, and you don’t mess with another man’s home, so he wants a match with Grayson Waller… at Wrestlemania! The next night on NXT, Waller scores a victory over Tyler Bate, and gives his answer to Johnny Gargano’s Wrestlemania challenge, saying he’ll only let Gargano know his answer, if Johnny returns to the place that he claims to be the heart and soul of, he’ll let everyone know his answer if Johnny Gargano shows up to NXT next week. Gargano shows up on NXT the following week, with Grayson Waller appearing on the titantron, saying that he accepts Gargano’s challenge for a match at Wrestlemania 39, but he just wants to let Gargano know 1 thing, while Johnny Wrestling may have returned to his “home”, he’s at Gargano’s house, and he might go and pay Candice & Quil a little visit. Gargano then storms home, only to get ambushed by Grayson Waller, with Johnny’s Wife Candice Lerae, and their son forced to watch on. Also in the leadup, Johnny Gargano has an encounter with another man Grayson Waller has beef with, NXT Champion Bron Breakker, with Gargano accidentally superkicking Bron after trying to get to Grayson Waller. This leads Breakker wanting that Wrestlemania Match against Johnny Gargano, with Shawn Michaels making it that whoever walks out of Stand & Deliver as NXT Champion, will defend the NXT Championship against Johnny Gargano at Wrestlemania. After Waller defeats Bron Breakker at Stand & Deliver to win the NXT Championship, Johnny Gargano makes a challenge to Waller on social media to raise the stakes for the match, he wants to tear Waller apart limb by limb, he wants… an Anything Goes Match! Waller responds on social media, accepting Johnny’s wishes for an Anything Goes Match, saying he doesn’t want to steal the show with Johnny, he doesn’t want to have a 5-star classic like he wants with everyone else, he doesn’t even want to beat Johnny, he wants to hurt Johnny, he wants to embarrass Johnny, he wants to make Johnny regret the day he ever came back to WWE, and he’s gonna do it in front of all those fans who love him, the ones who chant Johnny Wrestling, he’s gonna do it in front of Johnny’s Wife Candice, in front of his Son Quil, he wants them to see their Husband & Father regret the day he messed with Grayson Waller, and now that he’s become NXT Champion, this title is the catalyst for the worst day in Johnny Gargano’s life, as he once again makes a name for himself at Johnny Gargano’s expense, only this time, as NXT Champion, and that, is The Grayson, Waller, Effect. This is the same match that happened at Stand & Deliver in real life, only Waller wins after jamming a thumb in the eye of Gargano whilst Johnny Wrestling has The Garga-No Escape locked in, with Waller then low blowing Johnny, and scoring the win after a Rolling Thunder Stunner.)
Los Angeles Street Fight
The Hurt Business (Carmelo Hayes, Trick Williams, & Omos) w/MVP vs Bobby Lashley, Shelton Benjamin, & Cedric Alexander
(After weeks of friction between MVP & Carmelo Hayes, MVP finally shows his true colors when he helps Carmelo Hayes win a match against Bobby Lashley. MVP says that for the past couple of weeks when it appeared he was trying to mend fences with Bobby, he was testing Bobby, he was trying to see if Bobby was gullible enough to believe he would be willing to run back to him, and boy did Bobby eat it up, because then he and Carmelo Hayes put on a charade to make it believe like there was tension, when in fact, they had this planned out from the start. Carmelo Hayes adds on to MVP’s comments, saying that ever since he arrived on Monday Night Raw, he has scored victory after victory over The so-called ‘Almighty’, every single time he steps foot in the ring with Bobby Lashley, he continues to prove why Bobby Lashley is not HIM, he continues to prove why Bobby’s limit is his starting point, and now, he wants to humiliate Bobby Lashley 1 final time in the City of Angels at Wrestlemania. Lashley accepts, saying that for nearly 9 months, Melo, Trick, and MVP have been a thorn in his side, but this has to end once and for all, so he doesn’t want Melo 1 on 1, he wants the entire Hurt Business in a Los Angeles Street Fight. Lashley then recruits his former Hurt Business stablemates Shelton Benjamin & Cedric Alexander, both of whom want a chance at revenge against The Hurt Business as well. After a chaotic brawl of a match, Lashley finally puts his rivalry with The Hurt Business to rest when he scores the win for his team after making Trick Williams tap out to The Hurt Lock.)
Smackdown Women’s Championship - if Liv Morgan is disqualified, she will lose the title
Liv Morgan (C) vs Asuka (By Technical Submission)
(With The Elimination Chamber now in her rearview mirror, Liv Morgan, approaching 1 full year as Smackdown Women’s Champion, now fully has attention diverted to her Wrestlemania 39 challenger, The Empress of Tomorrow, Asuka. Throughout the leadup to the match, Asuka constantly plays mind games on Liv Morgan, and it causes Liv to go insane, as she constantly gets herself disqualified in matches, ranging from ignoring the refs 5 count in the corner, refusing to let go of a submission after a rope break, and battering her opponents with a steel chair, as she is hell-bent on sending a message to Asuka. These frequent DQs by Liv forces Adam Pearce to impose a stipulation for the Smackdown Women’s title match at Wrestlemania 39, and that is if Liv Morgan is disqualified, she will lose her title. Asuka says that for the past year, Liv has done a good job at proving she can be the standard bearer for the Smackdown Women’s Division as she has gone through a who's who of opponents, but she hasn’t seen or faced anything like her, and at Wrestlemania, Liv is going to mentally crumble like the naive little girl she still is, as she leaves a 2-time Smackdown Women’s Champion, because Liv Morgan is not ready for Asuka. Liv says that Asuka still wants to think she was the same young, impressionable kid that she was back when she was in NXT and when she was in The Riott Squad, she’s had a lot of growth in those years, becoming a 2-time and longest reigning Smackdown Women’s Champion, 2-time and lognest reigning WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion, Money in the Bank Winner, Royal Rumble winner, inaugural Queen of the Ring winner, and a Wrestlemania main eventer, while Asuka wants to try and belittle her because she had to revert back to her old persona from a decade ago because Asuka’s star kept on fading day by day while her’s continued to shine brighter and brighter, by doing that, Asuka has dug her own grave, because she doesn’t want to just beat Asuka at Wrestlemania, she wants to hurt Asuka badly, she wants to damage Asuka so badly that she will have to hide behind that demon mask for the rest of her life, and sure, there may be some rule in place about her losing the title if she gets disqualified, but that just means she gets to control her rage as she permanently scars Asuka and hits 1 full year as Smackdown Women’s Champion. The match is a mixture of elite workrate, an all-out brawl, and Asuka playing mind games on Liv, constantly trying to goad her into getting disqualified. Towards the end of the match, Asuka brings a steel chair into the ring, kicks it towards Liv, and gets on her knees, begging Liv to hit her with the chair because she knows how badly Liv wants hurt her, and if Liv does it, she’ll lose the title. Despite the ref pleading with Liv not to use the chair, Liv picks it up, only to throw it away. The ref then removes the chair, with Asuka using this as an opportunity to try to spray the poisonus green mist into the eyes of Liv Morgan. Asuka goes for the mist, only for Liv to duck, deliver a spinning kick to the gut of Asuka, hit a 201 Facebreaker on Asuka which send The Empress of Tomorrow into the ropes, followed up with an Ob-Liv-ion, only Liv doesn’t go for the pin afterwards. Instead, she locks in the Rings of Saturn on Asuka, only she modifies it so it allows her to rain down elbows to Asuka’s temple. Liv, with a look of pure rage, repeatedly elbows Asuka in the temple until she’s out, scoring the win, hitting 1 full year as Smackdown Women’s Champion.)
Hell in a Cell Match
Edge vs Finn Balor
(After he and his wife Beth Phoenix came up short against his own creation at Elimination Chamber, Edge looks for a fresh start on the Raw after Elimination Chamber and challenges new US Champion Bronson Reed to a US title match, which Reed accepts. Reed wins thanks to interference by Finn Balor. Edge gets even with Finn and costs him in a match against Keith Lee the following week, which infuriates Balor, who gets on the mic after the match and challenges Edge to a match at Wrestlemania 39. The week after, Edge cuts a promo and demands for Finn Balor to come out to the ring, which he does, but not alone, as Damian Priest, Joe Gacy, and Rhea Ripley accompany him. Edge says he accepts Balor’s challenge for a match at Wrestlemania, saying he’s wasted the past year of his career with these 4, the year before he spent dealing with home invasions by Seth Rollins, he doesn’t have time for this, he needs to accomplish what he needs to do before he can be done, he’s running out of time, so Finn managed to sneak his way into Judgment Day and then proceeded to pull it out from under him, and it just 4 months, he made Judgment Day better because he leaned in to what the other 3 are, bitter immature malcontents, it’s worked, every week, they’ve left him laying, they made him utter the words “I Quit”, and then they still bashed Beth’s skull in with a conchairto, for the past 4 months, they’ve tried to make his life a living hell, and a lot of the time, they’ve accomplished it, so the way he see’s it, there’s only 1 way this can end… Hell in a Cell! Balor says he’s been to hell before, and it spit him out, because Hell couldn’t handle his demons, he’ll see Edge at Wrestlemania. A week later, Edge cuts a promo in a dark room surrounded by candles, saying if you push him, he will not just resist, he will throw you through a wall, Finn needs to know that he is a hostile man, he keeps it caged so he can be the man he’s become, so he can function in society, but inside the cage, well that’s cage no more, he won’t apologise for it, he won’t fight it, he will lean into it, he will revel in it, he will savor it, Finn has no idea what he’s capable of inside Hell in a Cell, he has no idea what goes through your soul when that steel door is slammed shut behind you, but he does, he’s been baptised inside the Cell by The Deadman himself, The Cell has become his friend, his partner, his cathedral of pain, it rewards him for the streak that runs through him, you cannot become what you need to become by remaining what you are, Finn, we are 2 men who clearly understand that, so he grasped what Finn meant when he said that Hell couldn’t handle his demons, as the scriptures say “yea though I walk through valley of the shadow death, I will fear no evil”, well he never has, because he’s the evil in the valley, so Finn, leave your normal self at home, go and dig up your Demon, and bring him to face The Devil. The following week, Finn cuts a promo in an empty grave in a graveyard, saying Edge, it was always gonna be this way, wasn’t it, dragging each other through the lonely wicked structure inside Hell in a Cell, now Edge, he’s familiar with The Cell, he says he thrives in the Cell, he says he was baptised in The Cell, and now, he wants to lock himself inside The Cell with him, so Edge, go to your dark place, light your candles, do whatever it is you need to do to unlock it, to summon it, but just remember, be careful what you wished for, because now, his Demons are no longer resting, his Demons are here by his side, and they’ll be there at Wrestlemania. The match is given more time as Finn doesn’t tear his calf in the leadup to Mania and doesn’t split his head open. Edge still wins after a conchairto, finally defeating Finn Balor on his 3rd try and finally ending his feud with Judgment Day.)
World Heavyweight Championship
Roman Reigns (C) w/Paul Heyman & Solo Sikoa vs Cody Rhodes
(The Tribal Chief vs The American Nightmare. Roman says has Cody ever been a World Champion? Sure, the NWA Worlds Championship he booked himself to win, but in WWE? No he hasn’t, has he been in the Wrestlemania main event before? Because he’s done all of that, so that means he’s the most experienced man in this year’s Mania main event, but here’s the kicker, he’s been groomed for this since he was just a little boy, not only by his Father, but by Cody’s Father too, so let’s talk about Dusty, now he has too much love and respect for that man to degrade him, they spent a lot of time together, The American Dream was the one who put the confidence in him, he was the first one to tell him that he had it, he couldn’t get it, couldn’t sell it if he wanted to, he is it, and they’d talk for hours, and they’d talk about everything, telling him about these main events, about being the guy, being the face of the company, main eventing Wrestlemanias, he called it all before, he was the best, he really was, but you wanna know what he always said about You? Nothing, he never said anything, it was like you didn’t exist, and he knows it’s a lot, but god he wishes Dusty knows you miss him, and he misses Dusty too, and Dusty may not be here anymore, but just know, if there’s anything he didn’t teach you, he will, and let’s get this straight, he doesn’t have a problem with Cody, he has a problem with what Cody represents, because Cody is what he used to be, he’s a “Professional Wrestler”, but now, he’s a fighter, which has allowed him to be the megastar around here, and Cody comes here, saying he’s gonna Finish The Story, but look at Cody’s track record, he didn’t want to be Stardust, so he ran away and went over to Japan and joined a faction right before that faction became a parody of itself, met some “Elite” friends who after running away from Japan, helped him form an “Elite” company where even despite literally setting himself on fire, he couldn’t get over in, and then he ran away and came back here, and got over, and then his body quit on him as his Pec went pop, he’s not cut out for this, and he wants to say that on April 2nd he’s gonna finish The Story, April 2nd is just a moment, an opportunity, a lottery ticket, his real moment is on April 3rd, where he has to wake up, look in the mirror, and then confront that adversity again, not like he’s used to, because when Cody looks in the mirror, he wants Cody to make a choice that his Dad can be proud of, otherwise, he’s just gonna do what he always does and run like a little bitch after he acknowledges The Tribal Chief at Wrestlemania. Cody says that for 900+ days, Roman Reigns has been The World Heavyweight Champion, no need to print the legend, the reality has become legendary enough, Roman has superseded hyperbole, but he wants to let Roman know something about him, for some, Roman has become this impossible mountain to climb, that’s been his thing, if you think about it, he can’t be anything more than Randy Orton’s understudy in Legacy, he can’t be anything more than Dashing, he can’t be anything more than The Facemask and the Brown Paper Bags, there’s no way that he’ll survive Stardust, there’s no way 10,000 people would pay to see his EVP friends indy show, and ever since then, the goal posts have continuously moved, and he has continuously punched it through the uprights, so for everybody else, Roman Reigns might be impossible, just not for him, and he’s heard Roman say that 1 of Dusty’s fabled kids is better than his actual kid, if that’s the truth, then Roman was the son that he always wanted, and that changes absolutely everything, because it’s not just a dream, or an urge, or a desire, or a story that needs to be finished, this becomes a necessity, now Roman says he doesn’t exist, I have to exist, and the only way that I can exist, and sure, ever since The Rumble, he hasn’t treated him like he exists, because he’s been dealing with Kevin & Sami, and over the past couple of weeks, he’s heard Mr. Heyman say that he needs to stay out of personal and Bloodline business, because The Tribal Chief doesn’t want a Cody Rhodes problem, but now that he’s got a Cody Rhodes problem, he’s trying to make things personal and bringing up the truth, he did run away, business broke his heart, he met adversity and ran away, he doesn’t hear people complaining though, because what he did when he ran away, made sure that 100% of every locker room can make a lot more money, so he’s not really worried about it, and in addition to that, Roman’s just labelling him as a wrestler, he tried, he started at 20, born and bred, he wanted to be a superstar, he still wants to be a superstar, but that’s the truth, maybe inside he is, just a runaway violent like the taste of blood in his mouth professional wrestler, and he’ll tell Roman what, nobody needs to bring up his Father 1 more time, he’s gonna vomit, he’s not coming to this ring to hit a Bionic Elbow, his brother still works the same place he started and left, the only thing Roman is gonna see at Wrestlemania is him, and he wants to talk about Family, he’s gonna bring up someone Roman doesn’t know, his mean-ass Cuban Mother, who in this moment, she would tell him to knock that boy out, and while he’s laying there, hit him again for good measure, tell everyone all this truth about April 3rd and what it means for him, let’s talk about what it could and will mean for you, April 3rd, Tribal Chief, you have to wake up and remember what it’s like to lose, he has to wake up without that Big Gold Belt that means the most in our word, and when that happens, here’s what else happens, Jey is gonna leave you, Jimmy is gonna leave you, Solo is gonna leave you, and then Heyman, he becomes an advocate again, and there Roman will be, a man without a family, a Roman with no Reign, a Chief without a Tribe, as his story, is finished. Most of this match is the same as IRL, Solo getting ejected (AND STAYING EJECTED!), The constant nearfalls, The Usos showing up, only for new Smackdown Tag Team Champions Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn to show up and fight off The Usos, and take out Heyman, before Kevin hits a Stunner on Roman that sends Roman into the corner, which allows Sami to hit a Helluva Kick on Roman, before Cody hits not 1, not 2, but 3 Cross Rhodes to become the new World Heavyweight Champion, finishing his story, and ending Roman’s reign at 952 days, as a massive set of pyro goes off, and Cody hoists up The Big Gold Belt as confetti rains down from the raftors, as Night 2 goes off the air.)
Note
(I had an incredibly hard time deciding who I wanted to go over in the main event, a part of me wanted to stick to real life, but a part of me wanted to go with what should’ve been the right call in real life, Cody going over. Ultimatley, I made my choice.)
GM Change
04/03/2023 - Sonya Deville resigns as Raw GM to become an in-ring competitor again, Smackdown GM Adam Pearce is named the interim Raw GM
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