READY TO RUMBLE
Here are the biggest takeaways from Wrestlemania 38 in Arlington
Apr 4, 2022, 10:53 am
READY TO RUMBLE
After 19 years of being sidelined by injury and show business opportunities, Stone Cold Steve Austin finally opened one last can of whoopass at WrestleMania 38 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
Austin was supposed to be a guest on heel wrestler Kevin Owens’ in-ring “talk show,” but Austin went all Will Smith on the host when Owens got lippy about Austin’s beloved state of Texas. A referee jumped between the ropes, a bell rang, and the interview turned into Saturday night’s main event.
Austin won by smashing Owens pillar to post while drinking several cans of his signature beer, Broken Skull IPA. Austin promptly announced his retirement, this time for good, after the match.
This was my 19th WrestleMania, including Mania 17 at the Astrodome and Mania 25 at NRG Stadium. This trip had some bonus excitement. I booked two nights at, let’s say an inexpensive motel a few miles from AT&T Stadium. I’m not a hotel guy. As long as the toilet flushes and the place has cable, I’m good. When I woke up Sunday morning and opened the door, the first thing I saw was bumper-to-bumper police cars in the parking lot. I asked someone with the motel what’s up? He said “the usual.”
The AT&T Stadium press box was packed with 125 esteemed journalists from across the U.S. and around the world. There were hard-hitting reporters from BILD newspaper in Germany, Al Jazeera, Mundo Deportivo, The Kelly Clarkson Show, Muscle and Fitness Magazine, Hollywood Life, The Athletic, Sirius XM, Bleacher Report, and Comicbook.com.
The Kelly Clarkson Show? Once I was in Germany and read a headline on the front page of BILD saying that Queen vocalist Freddie Mercury was ill. He died the next day. Not all press is good press.
WWE always packs a goodie bag for the working press — this year a souvenir program, commemorative WrestleMania hoodie, premium weight T-shirt and ball cap. It's not the Academy Awards.
As always, the Mania press box was catered: hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, mac ‘n’ cheese, quail (at least I think/hope it was quail), slaw, cookies, and cake. Unlike the Houston Astros, WWE doesn’t charge reporters to eat. If you’ve ever bumped into the sports media, you understand why the Astros would go broke feeding that bunch for free.
The night before Mania, Madcap Moss won the prestigious Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. Madcap also dabbles in standup comedy.
Samples: “I hear that Atlanta is the biggest city in Georgia. It’s funny, though, I didn't know they were basing that on weight.
“What do you call a Battle Royal named after the smartest Texans around? A Cattle Royal.”
Shecky needs to stick to wrestling.
With 77,899 fans crowding AT&T Stadium, here are the results from Night One (Saturday) of The Showcase of the Immortals:
Jimmy and Jey Uso successfully defended their Smackdown tag titles by turning back the challenge of Shinsuke Nakamura and Rick Boogs. I missed most of this match because I went back to catering when I heard they had hot dogs with sauerkraut, the unsung hero of the condiment industry.
Charlotte Flair retained her Smackdown women’s title by pinning former MMA superstar Ronda Rousey in a controversial match. Rousey locked in an arm bar on Flair which caused the champ to tap out. However, the referee didn’t hear Flair quit because he was busy being unconscious from an earlier collision.
When he regained his senses, Flair kicked Rousey in the head and earned the victory. I smell a rematch.
Seth Freakin’ Rollins fell to the returning Cody Rhodes, who was Mr. McMahon’s handpicked surprise combatant. Rhodes has spent the past few years with a rival organization before signing with WWE several weeks ago.
Bianca Belair won the Raw women’s title by defeating Big Time Becks Becky Lynch in a brutal match that absolutely stole the show at Mania.
The Miz and Logan Paul upset the father-son team of Rey and Dominick Mysterio. I’d be wearing a barrel with nothing under it today if I had bet on this match. While celebrating their victory, The Miz sucker shot Paul and stomped back to the dressing room. Thanks for nothing. Sorry, not sorry.
This year’s inductees of the WWE Hall of Fame are: the Undertaker, Queen Sharmell, the Steiner Brothers and Vader. Queen Sharmell and her husband Booker T (also HOF) live in Houston.
Night Two (Sunday) on the Grandest Stage of Them All:
Raw tag champs RK-Bro (Randy Orton and Riddle) kept their belts in a slobberknocker against the Alpha Academy and the Street Profits.
The Almighty Bobby Lashley speared and pinned the previously undefeated giant Omos.
Jackass star Johnny Knoxvillecontinue reading on CultureMap.com.
Fred VanVleet scored 37 points and the surging Houston Rockets won their ninth straight, beating the Miami Heat 102-98 Friday night.
VanVleet shot 13 for 17 from the field and made a season-high 9 of 11 3-pointers as the Rockets extended the league’s longest active winning streak. Houston also snapped a nine-game skid against Miami, which lost its 10th straight. It is the Heat’s longest skid since they lost 11th straight in 2007-08.
Amen Thompson returned after missing the last six games because of a sprained left ankle and finished with 18 points and seven steals while Dillon Brooks and Jabari Smith each added 11 points for the Rockets.
Houston rallied from an 11-point deficit early in the third quarter and got to 80-78 on Jalen Green’s jumper to close the period.
Miami’s Andrew Wiggins scored 30 points, his highest total since the Heat acquired him from Golden State for Jimmy Butler on Feb. 6. Kel’el Ware had 16 points and 14 rebounds, while Bam Adebayo also scored 16 points for the Heat.
Rockets: Houston remained second in the Western Conference.
Heat: Miami squandered its 20th double digit lead that led to a loss. Wiggins’ jump shot two minutes into the third period put the Heat ahead 65-54 before Houston rallied.
VanVleet went on a personal 9-2 run to start the fourth that put the Rockets ahead for good. He hit two 3-pointers, a lay-up and made 1 of 2 free throws that gave Houston an 87-84 lead.
The Rockets outrebounded the Heat 46-34 for their eighth consecutive game of winning the rebounding edge against their opponent.
Rockets host Denver on Sunday, and Heat host Charlotte.