Wrestlemania 41 Recap ~ 4/24/25

Wrestlemania 41 saw title changes, betrayals, upsets and many highlights and lowlights over its two nights last weekend. Night One began with the highly anticipated showdown between Jey Uso and Gunther for the latter’s World Heavyweight Championship. Despite his wrestling prowess and intimidation tactics, Gunther could not overcome his tenacious underdog opponent and ultimately tapped out when Uso got him into a sleeper hold, surrendering the title in the process.

Another title changed hands in the following match, as Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods (aka “The New Day”) defeated the War Raiders, Erik and Ivar, to win the World Tag Team Championships. There was no title on the line between Jade Cargill and Naomi, but plenty of personal beef as Cargill got the revenge she’d been seeking, pinning Naomi and getting payback for the underhanded attack that put Cargill on the shelf for months.

The United States Championship was on the line between L.A. Knight and challenger Jacob Fatu. The fiercest member of the Bloodline defeated the reigning champ with a series of brutal top-rope moonsaults to win the title, his first singles championship since joining WWE in 2024.

With Rey Mysterio injured, fellow luchador and WWE newcomer Rey Fenix stepped in to take on lucha upstart El Grande Americano. While Fenix performed admirably, he was unable to withstand a headbutt from Americano, who had inserted a metal plate in his lucha mask for a less than clean victory.

The penultimate match of the night was for the WWE Women’s Champion. Belt-holder Tiffany Stratton was the underdog against Royal Rumble winner and celebrated veteran Charlotte Flair, who had spent weeks mocking the younger wrestler as the lesser competitor. Champion and challenger had a ferocious back-and-forth match, culminating in Stratton delivering her signature “Prettiest Moonsault Ever” to retain the championship.

The main event of Night One didn’t feature a title on the line, but had layers and layers of backstory and grudges to spare. Roman Reigns’ longtime advisor and “Wise Man” Paul Heyman switched his allegiance to his old friend, CM Punk, as the two men faced off against each other and mutual rival Seth Rollins in a Triple Threat match. Heyman’s loyalty fueled the drama in and out of the ring, building a shocking twist ending where he betrayed both Punk and Reigns, allying with Rollins and aiding him in a victory over his foes.

Night Two began with another Triple Threat match, this time for the Women’s World Championship. Reigning champ Iyo Sky took on former champions Rhea Ripley and Bianca Belair. Ripley and Belair, having ignored or brushed off Sky through the entire build-up to Wrestlemania, focused their energy on each other rather than the champion. It proved their undoing, as the Japanese “Genius of the Sky” crushed both her opponents in a single moonsault to retain the title.

Drew McIntyre and Damien Priest settled a yearlong feud in a Sin City Street Fight. Crashing through tables and beating each other with steel chairs, the match ended with McIntyre pinning Priest after a brutal kick-and-chair combo to the head. The Intercontinental Championship was up for grabs next, as Bron Breakker defended his title against luchador Penta and Judgement Day members Finn Bálor and Dominik Mysterio. Much to Bálor’s disappointment, Mysterio got a surprise win, defeating Breakker and very likely setting the stage for a Judgement Day falling-out. Breakker, for his part, would ally with Paul Heyman and Seth Rollins on the post-Wrestlemania Monday Night Raw, solidifying his dominance on the roster with or without a title.

After Kevin Owens announced that he would need neck surgery, Randy Orton found himself without an opponent or a match at Wrestlemania. The WWE veteran issued an open challenge, which was answered visiting TNA World Champion (and wrestling fan favorite) Joe Hendry. Hendry held his own against the more imposing Orton, who ultimately took the win. Hendry earned his respect, however, along with a few punishing RKO finishers.

Next up was AJ Styles vs. Logan Paul. As always, Paul attempted to fight dirty with a hidden pair of brass knuckles. Styles was given his own brass knuckles by fellow wrestler Karrion Kross (who had been playing mind games with Styles for weeks), but refused to use them in the ring. Paul took advantage of Styles’ nobility to punch him out and take the win.

The last match before the main event was for the Women’s Tag Team Championship. With Bayley mysterious injured in the days before Wrestlemania, challenger Lyra Valkyria needed a new partner to take on Raquel Rodriguez and Liv Morgan of Judgement Day. Thankfully, Becky Lynch returned to help her friend and protege, and the Irish tag team ended up winning the belts off Rodriguez and Morgan. The victory was short-lived, however, as Raquel and Liv would win the belts right back the following night on Monday Night Raw. This put Lynch over the edge, turning on Valkyria and beating her into submission, bringing an end to their brief alliance.

Following his shocking heel turn at Elimination Chamber, John Cena had pledged to win the Undisputed WWE Championship off Cody Rhodes and take his revenge on an ungrateful fan base that he claimed had mistreated him for the past twenty years. The match itself proved to be somewhat anticlimactic, as fans expected Rhodes’ rival The Rock to make an appearance. Instead, rapper Travis Scott (a fellow Cena/Rock ally) showed up to distract Rhodes long enough for Cena to try beating the champion with his own title belt. Rhodes wrestled the belt away from Cena, but (like AJ Styles earlier than night) didn’t have the heart to fight dirty. Cena and Scott took advantage of Rhodes’ hesitation, leading to a pinfall victory, Cena’s 17th championship, and an unknown future for the now former champ Cody Rhodes.