WWE WrestleMania 35: Live updates, results, ratings and reactions – CNET

It’s WrestleMania time, aka Grapple Christmas! 

The biggest wrestling show of the year will be headlined by the first ever women’s main event. It’s a triple threat match pitting Raw Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey against SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair against Becky Lynch. It’s a winner-takes-all title match, meaning the winner walks away with both titles.

That’s only the first of three major title matches. Noted human death machine Brock Lesnar will face Royal Rumble winner Seth Rollins for the Universal Championship, while Kofi Kingston will get his first ever singles shot at the WWE Championship when he takes on Daniel Bryan. 

With over a dozen matches, these three championship bouts only scratch the surface. We also have the return of Batista, Kurt Angle’s retirement match, Roman Reigns’ first WrestleMania match since returning from his bout with leukaemia and, amazingly, much more.

The show is live on the WWE Network now. If you’re not a member or can’t watch along, follow along here for results and ratings. The latest results will be pushed to the top of the page. Needless to say, spoilers ahead!  

The Miz versus Shane McMahon

The Hall of Fame class of 2019 come out for their bows. DX get their own entrance. Shane O’Mac’s match is up next.

Shane comes out first and makes announcer Greg Hamilton introduce him as “The Best in the World” multiple times. 

The Usos retain SmackDown Tag Team Championships

We get a Lacey Evans walkout before The Usos come out for the SmackDown Tag Team Championship match. They’ll defend against The Bar, Shinsuke Nakamura and Rusev, and the team of Aleister Black and Ricochet. 

Crowd is noticeably quieter for this one, but the action is good. With four teams and two people in the ring at any time, it’s also too fast to recap. 

Crowd comes alive when Ricochet enters the ring and works his magic with Cesaro. Cesaro does his Cesaro Swing on Ricochet as Sheamus clubs… everyone. Awesome moment. Cesaro puts Ricochet in a sharpshooter, but one of the Usos breaks it up with a superkick.

Black and Rusev end up being the legal men, Black kicks the hell out of Rusev. Black is awesome. I wonder if we could be friends. Probably not. He tags out Ricochet, who I probably couldn’t be friends with either. Rusev hits a swinging slam. All eight guys end up on the turnbuckle for a  eight-person superplex spot. Ricochet hits a 630 on Sheamus, goes for the pin but it gets broken up by multiple guys. 

The eight guys trade finisher moves. Good stuff. Usos hit stereo splashes on Sheamus to retain. 

Rating: four stars. The crowd started soft but ended loud. Lots of great action in this match. It was a spotfest for sure, but a fun one. 

AJ Styles defeats Randy Orton

Jerry “The King” Lawler is out to commentate the next match. It’s AJ Styles versus Randy Orton. This could be a great one.

Chain wrestling to open the match. Orton goes for an RKO, AJ avoids. Crowd is hot on AJ, but there are some solid Orton chants too. Orton works on AJ’s legs, but AJ has a small comeback with a beautiful dropkick. Orton rolls out the ring, AJ hits him with an over-the-top-rope forearm. After some outside action Orton rolls AJ in for your first headlock of the night. 

Some back and forth action, including an Orton powerslam. Standard Orton pace here, slowing things down after the frenetic opener. AJ hits a calf crusher in the centre of the ring, but Orton gets the ropes. He’s a long-limbed man. Orton fights out but is selling his knee. Styles fakes a Phenomenal Forearm, leading to Orton going for an RKO and falling on his back. AJ hits a springboard 450 for a two count. Cool spot.

After some more back and forth Orton hits the best superplex I’ve seen in years. He then hits a European uppercut which knocks AJ out of the ring. AJ’ selling is on point tonight. Orton sets up an RKO, AJ counters with an enziguri but then Orton actually does hit an RKO. He gets a two count. 

Orton goes for a top-rope RKO. AJ sneaks out from underneath, hits a bicycle kick and Orton rolls out the ring. AJ his a phenomenal forearm on the outside. He rolls Orton in, hits another phenomenal forearm for the win.

Rating: 3.5 stars. Well wrestled. What you expected it would be, but not what it could be.

Seth Rollins defeats Brock Lesnar

The two get into a brawl before the match starts, which sees Lesnar F-5 Rollins outside the ring and generally wreck shop. Lesnar brings him in the ring and demands the ref start the match. Before the ref can, Lesnar throws Rollins back outside. Lesnar logic.

The ref rings the bell. Lesnar hits a few german suplexes and goes for an F-5, Rollins counters and the ref gets knocked down in the process. Rollins hits a low blow and then a curb stomp. Then another. Then another. 

Three curb stomps lays out The Beast for a three count. Rollins wins the Universal Championship clean.

Rating: Three stars. Hot segment to start the show but not much of a match. You can never be sure with Lesnar, but the way this match went makes it seem like he’s headed for UFC.   

Alexa Bliss, the official host for the night, opens the show. She says she can create a WrestleMania moment with a snap of her fingers. She snaps her fingers and out comes Hulk Hogan. It’s like WrestleMania XXX all over again — but without The Rock or Steve Austin. 

As Hogan and Bliss are flexing, out comes Paul Heyman. If Brock Lesnar isn’t on last, he’s on first. There’s your first WrestleMania shock.

Preshow results

WrestleMania’s two-hour preshow had four matches, one of which crowned new champions. Here are the quick results.

Andre The Giant Men’s Battle Royal: Braun Strowman wins by last eliminating SNL’s Colin Jost.

Raw Tag Team Championship match, The Revival versus Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins: Curt Hawkins breaks his 269-match long losing streak as he and Ryder become Raw tag team champs. 

WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal: Carmella wins by superkicking Sarah Logan out of the ring. 

Cruiserweight Championship match, Buddy Murphy versus Tony Nese: The cruiserweights kick off WrestleMania in a match that saw Tony Nese dethrone Murphy and become the new cruiserweight champion.