Wrestlemania 41 – Night 1 got the WWE‘s biggest weekend off to a fine, if unspectacular, start. Titles changed hands, grudges were settled, and a historic main event capped off the festivities. Check out the results and grades below for opening night on the “Grandest Stage of Them All”.
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World Heavyweight Championship Match: Jey Uso vs. Gunther
Jey Uso made the entrance of his life heading down through the Allegiant Stadium crowd. Gunther, ever the stoic champion, looked especially focused and took the fight to the challenger early. After a mad rush from Uso, which included a near-fall from a Frog Splash, Gunther pulled a very clever spot where he managed to use the championship belt to almost steal the win.
The story of Jey no longer being afraid of Gunther was effectively used throughout, with the highlight being him laughing off the chops from the champion. The turning point came when Jey reversed a powerbomb into one of his own. A barrage of splashes led to a sleeper hold and the champion tapping out with Jey claiming the massive victory. It was as decisive a win as he could’ve gotten and the fans were totally there for it. Jimmy coming out after the match to congratulate his brother was a fantastic finishing touch that got Wrestlemania 41 off to a great start.
Result: Jey Uso def. Gunther via submission (New Champion!)
Grade: A-
World Tag Team Championship Match: The New Day vs. War Raiders
By far the biggest showcase this heelish iteration of The New Day has had to date. The same goes for the War Raiders who are getting the distinction of entering Wrestlemania as the champs. These two teams have had fantastic chemistry in the past and this was no different. The match was lacking a bit in aura and felt a bit thrown together but the talent involved made it work.
There was plenty of athleticism on display from the champions. It never ceases to be a spectacle given their size. The challengers played up the heel antics and wound up stealing the victory and the titles with Kofi holding down Erik’s leg from the outside. New Day immediately grabbing the titles and taking off running was a hilarious way to cap this off.
Result: The New Day def. War Raiders via pinfall (New Champions!)
Grade: B-
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Naomi vs. Jade Cargill
I have loved Naomi’s character work lately and really dig the new entrance. Jade, of course, looks like an absolute star. The question is always what kind of a match will we get from her. Naomi is super reliable and was showing it again here. She very much carried the early going. Once Jade started taking control, she seemed up to the task.
There was an incredibly impressive moment where Jade caught Naomi out of midair and turned it into a suplex. She’s truly a specimen. Another crazy reversal into a powerbomb signaled the beginning of the end and Jade hit her finisher for the pin. Naomi worked her butt off and Jade definitely held up her end and gets her Mania moment. Probably her most impressive showing yet.
Result: Jade Cargill def. Naomi via pinfall
Grade: B
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United States Championship Match: Jacob Fatu vs. LA Knight
Two of the most dynamic talents in the company were on display here, so crowd investment was high. Rock solid action in the early going with Knight hitting some of his go-to moves to great effect. Not a show-stealing bout but as good as you’d expect from a pair as consistent as these.
There was a crazy moment where Fatu went for a moonsault and Knight reversed it into a BFT. A tremendous spot that likely would’ve led to Knight retaining if not for Fatu’s ring awareness forcing the rope break. This was the last gasp for Knight as Fatu took over soon after and hit a couple of springboard moonsaults to pick up the win. As beloved as Knight is, Fatu was the right choice here and his star will continue to rise. Great showing and this is only the beginning for him.
Result: Jacob Fatu def. LA Knight via pinfall (New Champion!)
Grade: B
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El Grande Americano vs. Rey Fenix
Rey Mysterio’s unfortunate injury just ahead of Wrestlemania 41 opened the door for Rey Fenix to make his Wrestlemania debut. It was also, technically, the Mania debut for El Grande Americano. His suspicious similarities to Chad Gable notwithstanding, Americano made a fantastic entrance and came out ready to make the most of this match. The same goes for Fenix who was quick to show what makes him such a special talent. Americano getting in the face of Vikingo, who was at ringside, was a great moment as well. Would love to see him in a WWE ring.
Things eventually pivoted into a typical Grande Americano match with him placing the metal piece in his mask out of the referee’s view and eventually using it to pick up yet another tainted victory. A fun showcase for Chad…um, Americano, including a sick reverse 450 splash, but it felt like something that should’ve taken place on RAW rather than Wrestlemania. You could feel the plugged-in nature of Fenix substituting for Mysterio, especially with how easily he was dispatched. But he did the best he could in a tough spot.
Result: El Grande Americano def. Rey Fenix via pinfall
Grade: C+
WWE Women’s Championship Match: Charlotte Flair vs. Tiffany Stratton
Tiffany pulled out all the stops with a Barbie-inspired entrance complete with her own packaging. It’s hard to separate all the outside factors surrounding this match from the action. Particularly with Charlotte, who seems to be going out of her way to lean into the heat, and not in a good way. Case in point was an odd moment where Charlotte used one of Stephanie Vaquer’s signature moves and then taunted the crowd who wasn’t pleased. Unless that’s setting something up, it just felt out of place.
There were a couple of instances where the timing seemed to be off and the pace was pretty deliberate. Compared to previous Mania outings Charlotte has had with the likes of Rhea Ripley, this felt like a step down. Tiffany wasn’t at her best either and seemed pretty rocked by the end. The finish seemed to come out of nowhere, too, with Tiffany hitting the Prettiest Moonsault Ever for the clean victory. It was ultimately Tiffy-Time at Wrestlemania 41 but this match never truly fired. Biggest disappointment of the night.
Result: Tiffany Stratton def. Charlotte Flair via pinfall
Grade: D+
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Triple Threat Match: Seth Rollins vs. Roman Reigns vs. CM Punk
Seth literally brought the fire for his entrance and Roman had his typical main event caliber entrance. But this was Punk’s moment. The video package with him echoing his first WWE promo set to his old “This Fire Burns” theme was incredible. And having Living Colour in the house to play him to the ring live will always be welcome.
The action was fast and furious early, with them spilling out into the crowd. Each of the competitors was dishing it out in equal measure. There were tons of fantastic transitions, too. Rollins turning a Reigns Spear into a Pedigree and Punk dodging another Spear to have Roman nail Rollins were just a couple of great examples. Heyman loomed large over this match as well, with the cuts to his conflicted reactions adding a ton of drama. I also loved the throughline of Rollins repeatedly trying to get Reigns on his side to eliminate “the greater evil” in Punk.
Reigns putting both Punk and Rollins through separate announce tables created a fantastic visual of destruction on the outside. Ultimately, the finish came when Heyman did the unthinkable and betrayed BOTH of his charges in favor of aligning with Rollins, handing him a chair and the victory. A fantastic ending to an action-packed main event for Night 1 of Wrestlemania 41. This was also a well-deserved signature victory for Rollins, who has been such an asset for so long and had the most to gain from scoring this victory.
Result: Seth Rollins def. Roman Reigns and CM Punk via Pinfall
Grade: A
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— WWE (@WWE) April 20, 2025
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