I feel bad for those booked on Night 1 of Wrestlemania 38 on Saturday, opposite an all-blueblood Final Four, with Duke-North Carolina smartly inserted by the NCAA and TBS in the main event.
Let’s see, Night 1, Night 1, who’s on Night 1 …
Wow. Charlotte Flair vs. Ronda Rousey, Becky Lynch vs. Bianca Belair.
Whatever “Stone Cold” Steve Austin is going to do.
Whoever shows up to face off with Seth Rollins.
WWE and Peacock are hoping and praying for two blowouts.
Here’s a rundown on what you should make it a point not to miss, or at least catch up on, when you can change channels and look at your phones, the rest.
Can’t miss
I’ve got exactly one match in this category – Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar in the world title unification match.
And to be up front here, I don’t expect this to be a mat classic, anything like it.
What we’re looking for here is a good pro wrestling match, at the least a good sports entertainment match.
Will Paul Heyman swerve Reigns and re-ally himself with Lesnar?
I’m wondering, after seeing Reigns working as a face at a recent house show, and getting the backing of about 90 percent of the live crowd.
At least catch up on
The two women’s title matches, both on Night 1, you’ll want to watch on replay.
It would be a crime for WWE to put Rousey over Flair, but it seems likely. Rousey is still Irish spring green in the ring, worse on the mic, miscast as a babyface, but she’s also still Ronda Rousey.
Lynch hasn’t recaptured the lightning in a bottle that she had before her maternity leave, unfortunately.
I wouldn’t stray from the Final Four to watch these live, but I’ll track them down during the day on Sunday.
Change channels, look at your phones, the rest
Pretty much the remainder of the two shows.
Will Cody Rhodes show up on Night 1 to face Rollins? It’s a no-win if he does; he either beats a down and out Rollins, big whup, or loses to him in his return, and the air goes out the balloon.
The Austin-Kevin Owens thing has been just plain dumb. Owens hates Dallas, then mocks “Stone Cold,” and we’re supposed to get up for one of the two stunning each other.
Yay.
There’s barely enough between these two shows to make one three-hour show worth watching.
Good thing we have Duke-UNC this weekend.
Story by Chris Graham