INGLEWOOD, Calif. — It’s not all that often that any pro wrestling event, even WrestleMania, has two instant classic matches almost back to back. Night 1 of WrestleMania 39 was an exception.
In the penultimate scheduled match, Rhea Ripley and Charlotte Flair went back and forth in a physical, unforgiving and dramatic battle for the SmackDown Women’s Championship. It was the best match of Ripley’s career, one that made her a worthy new titleholder, and while Flair has had many big moments throughout her career, this was right up there with any of them.
That gave the main event much to live up to, but all four men involved in the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship pulled it off. Seeing Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens standing triumphant in the ring after ending The Usos’ record reign was a pitch perfect note on which to end Saturday night.
If you ask any member of the (announced) crowd of more than 80,000 at SoFi Stadium to pick their favorite moment of the night, it’s almost certain to be from one of those two matches. That’s understandable since both were so spectacular.
But the matches that came before them all had great bits of entertainment. Here were five of the best that don’t involve Ripley, Zayn or Owens.