(6) SETH ROLLINS vs. KEVIN OWENS
KO took early control at ringside and tossed Seth into the ringside barricade. Owens set up a powerbomb on the ring apron, but Seth backdropped out of it and took over. He gave KO a Falcon Arrow on the ring apron. Seth tackled KO with a running dive through the ropes, then yelled at him. “I warned you what happens when the lights are brightest, Kevin,” he said. “I become a god.” He dove at KO again and then said he’s making it too easy. He said he’s a disappointment and asked what his kids are going to think of him. Back in the ring Seth landed a slingblade. A couple minutes later they went back and forth mid-ring. Both went down, but KO got the better of it. “Come on, god!” KO said as he set up Seth for a superplex. Seth escaped with a sunset flip buckle bomb in the opposite corner. He landed two quick superkicks and then went for a Stomp, but KO hit a Pop-up Powerbomb for a two count. Both were slow to get up. KO pursued Seth at ringside. Seth hit KO in the head with the ring bell. The ref DQ’d Seth. KO was declared the winner. KO’s music began playing as Seth smiled. Phillips said Seth was a trying to intentionally get himself DQ’d.
KO took the mic and yelled, “Seth, no no no. It won’t end this way. I thought at WrestleMania you were god. Those weren’t the actions of a god, those were the actions of a little bitch.” He told him to finish it once and for all with a no DQ stipulation. Seth agreed to it.
Seth went after KO a ringside. He asked the ref, “I can’t do whatever I want?” He picked up the ringside steps and bashed KO in the head with it. (That was nasty and unacceptably stiff. Maybe they added a sound effect and it wasn’t as bad as it looked.) Seth then bashed KO with a chair across his back and shoulder. Seth tore apart the announce table as they replayed the chairshots. Then KO bashed Seth with the ring bell himself. The he hit him with the wood base of the bell, too flush in the head. KO plead off of the WrestleMania sign with a flying elbow drop onto Seth on the announce table. “How’s this for a WrestleMania Moment?” asked KO before he leaped. Seth gasped for air and moaned in pain. Back in the ring, Seth told KO he’s done enough. KO kicked him in the gut and gave him a Stunner, then scored a three count. “Kevin Owens has burned it down at WrestleMania,” Phillips said. They replayed it from a few angles.
WINNER: Owens in 17:00. (***)
This was as good as you’d expect these two to produce under these circumstances. That big move off the sign was a great visual, and I’m glad they finished it right afterward in the ring with a Stunner.
(7) GOLDBERG vs. BRAUN STROWMAN – Universal Title match
Braun came out first. Cole called it an incredible opportunity tonight. JBL said this is one of the best opportunities he’ll have. No mention of Roman Reigns here, which is just bizarre. It’s like they’re mad at him and pretending he never existed. Goldberg walked out of his locker room with the Universal Title over his shoulder and a gray beard growing in. JBL compared him to George Foreman, Muhammed Ali, and The Rock as one of the greatest of all time because he made a comeback and won big. Goldberg was chomping on gum during his ring entrance. He let out a big yell. Braun didn’t flinch. JBL said, “Don’t blink, neither of these men get paid by the hour.” They trash-talked mid-ring. Goldberg got in the first kick to the gut. Strowman side-stepped him and picked him up and set up a running powerslam. Goldberg slipped out and speared Braun. Then he hit a second spear. Braun got up. He hit a third spear. Braun kicked out. (Not as big of a moment without a crowd pop.) Goldberg waited for Braun to stand, then speared him a fourth time. He stomped the mat and let out a yell. Cole said Goldberg “is in a zone here at WrestleMania.” Braun countered a Jackhammer attempt into a powerslam. Then a second powerslam. “Just bomb after bomb after bomb,” said JBL. And a third powerslam. Cole said Braun was man-handling the Universal Champion. Braun then hit a running powerslam for the 1-2-3. Strowman showed real fire as he yelled “This is my time!” and his music played.
WINNER: Braun Strowman in 3:00 to capture the Universal Title.
You knew that’d be quick, and it was just a matter of who would win quickly. You have to wonder if that was essentially the script for a Roman Reigns win if he had participated. I get moving on from Goldberg, but it does seem now that Reigns won’t have that Goldberg moment to add to his list. Although at this point, who knows if Roman even ever existed, right? I think the crowd would have popped for Strowman beating Goldberg like that, if there was a crowd.
