The biggest event on the wrestling calendar, WrestleMania 37, took place over the weekend. The event was energetic, historic, and ushered in a new era for the women’s division by crowning two new champions.
The event was remarkable for several reasons. Firstly it was just brilliant to see fans in attendance. Their presence brought life and excitement that has been absent from wrestling for far too long. The set, stage and pyro was also a welcome return to WrestleMania norm. But from a women’s wrestling point of view, it was a game-changing and history-making show.
On Night One, Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair competed in a first-time-ever main event that set the wrestling world buzzing. The following night Asuka and Rhea Ripley clashed in a hard-fought match in another changing of the guard moment.
There was also tag team action on both nights that saw Natalya and Tamina win the Tag Team Turmoil match on Night One. On Night Two, the veteran team unsuccessfully challenged Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler for the Women’s Tag Team Championships.
Let’s get to the winners and losers of the weekend’s spectacular
Winner: Bianca Belair
The EST of WWE became the new SmackDown Women’s Champion in a historic main event of Night One. Belair looked every bit the megastar she is destined to be. Her superior power, athleticism and charisma were on full display and expertly delivered on wrestling’s biggest stage.
Belair was visibly affected by the occasion before the ring bell, but once it rang, it was go time. The EST was on fire and showed the wrestling world that she was not only ready for the main event. She is the main event.
A tremendous performance was capped off with an emphatic win and one of WrestleMania’s best moments in WWE history.
Winner: Sasha Banks
There couldn’t be a more fitting moniker of The Boss when talking about Sasha Banks. Banks proved that she is one of the best wrestlers in the world with her WrestleMania performance. She exuded superstardom with her look, actions and tremendous in-ring prowess. She gave the match everything it needed to succeed after a terrible build-up. Her heel antics were effortlessly brilliant and made Beliar shine ever brighter than she already was.
Not only is Banks an incredible talent in the ring but a fantastic person out of it. The footage of her laying at ringside looking up at Belair’s crowning moment, unable to conceal her grin, encapsulates the sheer magic of the moment and the type of person she is.
Winner: Rhea Ripley
Ripley completed the takeover of the women’s division when she won the RAW Women’s Championship from Asuka. The Nightmare was exactly that for the champion as she dished out as much punishment as she took. The action was slow but methodically hard-hitting as both fighters attempted to wear down the other.
Ripley brought star and firepower to the match and gave Asuka her hardest outing since Survivor Series. The match and ending portrayed Ripley as a powerhouse heel with the ability to hang with the company’s best and established her as a dominant champion.
Winner: Tamina
Tamina got a brilliant shine at WrestleMania. Firstly her splash won her team the shot at the tag team titles. Secondly, her performance in the title match was great. She and Jax threw down in a fantastic display of brute force and a powerhouse battle that had the crowd firmly behind the veteran.
Tamina had one of her best-ever performances, and the fans were fully behind it. Why WWE didn’t give her a WrestleMania moment by winning the titles is a strange choice and one they hopefully rectify soon.
Loser: Asuka
In the months leading up to WrestleMania, Asuka was treated incredibly poorly. WWE booked her into irrelevance to the point where she and the championship played second-fiddle to the tag team titles. Now she has lost the RAW women’s title, there is a possibility that her booking and usage gets worse. Hopefully, this isn’t the case, but if her position as champ didn’t result in prosperity, then what is in store for her without it?
Loser: Alexa Bliss
Alexa Bliss is excelled in her character work as the Fiend’s co-host. No matter how madcap the subject matter, Bliss has always seemed to make it work. But what happened at WrestleMania missed the mark with the majority of WWE fans. Her transformation from dungaree-clad Twisted Bliss into some sort of dark underworld queen that cost the Fiend the match was largely criticized by fans. Hopefully, the angle bears some decent fruit, and if anyone can turn it around, then Alexa Bliss can.
Final Thoughts
A highly successful WrestleMania overall that featured good to great matches over the two nights. The tag team title match was decent, but the result bizarre. Ripley vs Asuka was good but could and should’ve been better. However, it crowned Ripley as the new RAW women’s champion and restarted the division on that brand. But the event was all about Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair, who put on one of the best WrestleMania main events of all time and a truly magical moment.
What did you make of WrestleMania, and who were your winners and losers? Sound off in the comments below.
