WWE WrestleMania 38 Night Two Review

Welcome everyone, to SmarKDown’s joint review of WWE WrestleMania 38 Night Two, with individual comments followed by an overall average rating for each match. With Night One going down in the history book as a success according to the majority of fans, let’s see how Night Two will do.

WWE RAW Tag Team Championship – RK-Bro (c) vs. The Street Profits vs. Alpha Academy

Runn – Very good opener. It went non-stop action with no downtime, and they maintained a fast pace all the way through. Tons of great spots as well, with the final RKO being the highlight (though I’m not sure what Chad was aiming for there). ***1/2

Viper – A very fun and chaotic opener here. Everyone got their stuff in and delivered pretty well. Loved the insane top rope RKO from Riddle followed by another cool RKO from the Viper himself for the win. ***1/2

Rishabh – The perfect choice to be the opener. Every participant in this match got their moments. Lots of cool moments, great spots overall making for a very fun and enjoyable match. ***1/2

Prince Osborne – Really great start for the show here. All three teams were in sync with the moves that looked so good especially the back-to-back RKOs (a springboard & a mid-air) that amazed the fans. Gable Steveson’s cameo signals that his debut would be sooner than later. ***3/4

• Average rating: 3.56/5

Bobby Lashley vs. Omos

Runn – Short and sweet, nothing more, nothing less. Lashley picked up the win to boost his stock and gained some legitimacy back. This was exactly what I wanted it to be. **

Viper – This was never going to be good in ring wise, but it told a decent story with Lashley getting beat down by Omos until finally prevailing while showing off his strength. Thank god it was short as well. **

Rishabh – This is exactly how this match should have gone. It was never going to be a good wrestling match so it was best for it to be short and intense. No complaints here. **

Prince Osborne – It had a nice ring to it in terms of story, proving who’s the top giant currently. Lashley gained his composure sooner than later and Omos did his work well but it was short and ended when things actually picked up. It gave a clear picture that Omos needs to be tuned a lot. **1/4

• Average rating: 2.06/5

Anything Goes – Sami Zayn vs. Johnny Knoxville

Runn – This was just pure stupid wacky fun. Some of it I found silly, some of it I found amusing. Guess I’ll land somewhere in the middle. Entertaining crap. ***

Viper – Brutal, fun, hilarious. This was such a great experience to watch live. Zayn and Knoxville both took some brutal spots here. The Jackass Crew helping Knoxville was more enjoyable then expected, and it just kept getting more and more enjoyable with each passing minute. Loved it. ***1/2

Rishabh – I was looking forward to this match due to the unpredictability of what all could happen and I can say I was not disappointed at all. It was silly, hilarious, stupid, brutal whatever you want to say but at the end of the day it was entertaining and that’s what matters. This match was on the card just for the entertainment factor and it succeeded in doing that. ***

Prince Osborne – Goofy matches are actually entertaining in a silly way if done right. This is one of them. They went spot after spot with berserk tools to use as weaponry and gave us a light-hearted entertainer. Sami did his role great and Knoxville had some moves as well. But the involvement on Johnny’s crew and helping him win gave a good laugh. A match where the fans can chill and have a fun time. ***1/2

• Average rating: 3.25/5

WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship – Queen Zelina & Carmella (c) vs. Sasha Banks & Naomi vs. Rhea Ripley & Liv Morgan vs. Shayna Baszler & Natalya

Runn – It’s not that the action was bad or anything, but I have no reason to care about this match whatsoever. Everyone tried, I’ll give them that. But again, they didn’t give me any reason to care. At all. *3/4

Viper – It’s a pretty decent cool down match with some nice action all over the place before the epic streak of doom finally ends as Sasha gets a victory at WrestleMania. **3/4

Rishabh – I didn’t care about this match at all and it ended up being boring. It isn’t downright bad or unwatchable but I wanted it to end as soon as possible. At least Sasha got her first WrestleMania win so there’s that. **

Prince Osborne – Pretty good match that wasn’t really expected. All teams had the sense of urgency to become champs and displayed it with cool looking spots and nice mini-singles showdowns. Sasha vs. Liv is something I would be invested if it becomes a singles feud. The double Tower of Doom & the tag finish of Sasha & Naomi had my eyes locked to it – those were sick. And, the right team won! Felt really happy for Sasha & Naomi to have a WrestleMania moment together after a while. ***

• Average rating: 2.37/5

Edge vs. AJ Styles

Runn – This took a while to get going, but when it did, it never looked back. Edge and AJ are two master veterans of the business, and although they have slowed down considerably over the years, they never lost a step in the psychology department. This was an excellent dream showdown that, though might be a tad disappointing to some, delivered under the circumstance. I wasn’t sure about Priest’s interference, but if Edge can help groom him to be a star, then so be it. ****

Viper – While not as good as expected, this is a pretty fun and intense match here that got the time length it needed to fully develop. Personally love the finish where Damian Priest comes in to distract Styles while also forming a new faction with Edge which will be dope. ***3/4

Rishabh – This was a dream match that fans had been wanting to see for a long time and it had a great hype to it. It wasn’t really an all-timer but I enjoyed the match throughout. The match had some nice sequences and a lot of great moves. The finish was a bit weird for me at first but I guess it makes sense and the pairing of Edge and Priest will be interesting. ***3/4

Prince Osborne – A dream that lived up to the lofty expectations. They could’ve went with their usual fast-paced action match, but the action here was really good, and the story they narrated and the calculative approach was sheer excellence. The ending was done well to initiate the brand new unit of a revamped Ministry with Damian Priest. The choice of Priest makes sense as he idolized Edge on his career and the team looks so promising. ****3/4

• Average rating: 4.06/5

The New Day vs. Sheamus & Ridge Holland

Runn – Well, this existed. You could’ve skipped it and literally nothing will change. N/R

Viper – Bruh? N/R

Rishabh – First their match got cut from Night One and when it got shifted they got this. Well…. they certainly could have given it more time by cutting the unnecessary replays from last night but whatever, I don’t really care. N/R

Prince Osborne – I have no words to say about this atrocity. They let the team give a heartfelt tribute to Big E with the attire and the urgent start had me invested for a slugfest but it ended like nothing. Could’ve been scrapped from the card itself. So unfortunate! N/R

• Average rating: N/R

Pat McAfee vs. Austin Theory

Runn – Vince announcing Theory as a future World Champion gave me circa-2010 Drew McIntyre vibes, not sure if that’s a good or bad thing. Pat McAfee’s entrance was freakin’ amazing – the Seven Nation Army theme, the football punt to the crowd, the cheerleaders, just an epic entrance all round. This was a solid match executed effectively and elevated by a white-hot crowd. Theory is a star-in-the-making based on this performance. He carried himself like a superstar, and his facials, mannerisms, and selling, were absolutely top-notch. Pat continues to amaze me in the ring, and I think he could make a legitimate case for the top three best celebrity wrestlers ever. Austin coming out to raise hell made me feel like I’m back in the 90s again. And I wasn’t even born then! ***1/2

Viper – Fun match here with McAfee showing up his crazy athleticism before making a surprise victory over Theory. Really liked the action they presented in the short time they got. But now Pat’s facing Vince???? It was really funny seeing Vince wrestle in 2022. A random, but hilarious sight to see. Poor Pat. ***

Rishabh – To begin with, Vince announcing Austin Theory as a future Universal Champion was great to see and hopefully he does get a big push. Pat McAfee’s entrance was lit as well and the way he carries himself around is great. The match itself was really good and both men did an amazing job. As someone who isn’t a regular, McAfee is unbelievable and his display of athleticism was great here. The post match with Vince McMahon and Steve Austin was also very fun to watch and takes you years back to the Attitude Era Days. Loved every bit of this. ***1/2

Prince Osborne – One of the best celebrity attraction matches in the history of WrestleMania. Pat brought the absolute best from his side and amazed the crowd again with his incredible athleticism. From the entrance to the ring ability, he gave a run for everyone’s money and impressed McMahon without a doubt. Theory did the wrestling side of things neat while Mr. McMahon’s involvement added more value to the match. The finish is pretty obvious as Theory is planned to be protected. The post-match short face-off between McAfee & McMahon was nicely done and the classic Steve Austin wreckage was on point. It never ceases to be bored. ****

• Average rating: 3.5/5

WWE Championship & WWE Universal Championship, Winner Takes All Title Unification – Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Roman Reigns (c)

Runn – I expected a longer, grittier, and bloody contest between the two, but I will take what I can get here. The finisher spamming can get a little old at times, but for a match with this much hype surrounding, it worked perfectly fine. The ending was understandably abrupt, but I’m not complaining about the result. Roman is the correct, logical winner. Good main event. ***1/2

Viper – That ended much before I though it was, but it was what it was supposed to be. A pure finisher fest, and an intense one at that, before Roman finally won with another Spear because he’s the Ultimate Tribal Chief. ***

Rishabh – I expected a longer and much more physical match also involving blood. At the end of the day I would say it was quite entertaining and actually one of the better matches these two have had. Roman winning was the correct decision. ***1/2

Prince Osborne – Was it the same old structure? Yes. Was it entertaining? Yes, to a minimal extent. Was it main event worthy? I think so after all these days. Did it live up to the tagline? Heck no! It’s not the biggest ‘Mania match. It was a recycled version of all their previous bouts with a nice difference maker being the Kimura Lock that opened up a small chance for Lesnar to win but closed immediately. Predictable match, predicted winner and the aftermath will be obviously entertaining at the end. ***1/4

• Average rating: 3.31/5

Overall Show

Runn – Much like Night One, my expectations were fairly low at first. But the whole show ended up over-delivering for me. I believe there’s just about something for everyone on this show. If you love high-octane, non-stop spotfest, the three-way tag opener is simply for you. If you love slow-burn bout with tons of clever psychology, Edge/AJ is right there. If you love entertaining crap that you can laugh your ass off with, Knoxville/Zayn and McAfee/Theory/Vince are more than recommended. And lastly, if you are into a big-time main event match with a big-match feel, it doesn’t get any better than Brock/Roman. All in all, a fantastic show that I had a hella good time with. 8/10

Viper – From top to bottom, this was a really fun night. From the wrestling, to the moments, to the pure fan service, this delivered way more than Night One, and I overall enjoyed it so much. Great show. 8/10

Rishabh – I enjoyed Night Two slightly more than Night One. My expectations were again very low, and I would say the event exceeded my expectations. Some great wrestling matches, entertaining matches and cool moments. Good show. 7.5/10

Prince Osborne – The first night had great action and wowing moments and the second night easily carried the momentum from there and completed the quest of being STUPENDOUS! From the start gave by an emotional Triple H to all the matches being good to great, this was a fun ride. Pat McAfee & Johnny Knoxville had their special attraction roles done great while Styles vs. Edge stole the night. Feeling bad for The New Day after their unfortunate furlough of a match. But, that sole con was eliminated by the outpouring pros of the event. 8/10

• Average rating: 7.87/10

What did you think of the second night of WrestleMania? Share your thoughts using the comment section down below. Have a great day, and thank you very much for reading!

If you enjoy our content and would like to donate, your contribution is greatly appreciated and will help us improve and put out even greater content going forward.