WrestleMania 39 takeaways: Where does Roman Reigns, Bloodline go from here?
Hollywood was good to WWE and its fans this past weekend.
WrestleMania 39 was a star-studded event, featuring appearances from Snoop Dogg, Russell Crowe and others — but it was what took place in the ring that made this WrestleMania one for the ages.
Here is my review of the biggest two nights in professional wrestling in the year 2023.
MATCH OF THE WEEKEND: The Usos vs. Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens — Undisputed Tag Team Championship
Sami and Kevin defeating The Usos for the tag titles was undoubtedly the feel good moment of the weekend. Capping off WWE's best storyline in years with a win for Zayn and Owens in the main event made the whole ride to get there worth it. Plus, a majority of fans wanted Sami to be rewarded for his stellar work this year and that's precisely what we got. I also loved the finish. Sami hitting repeated Helluva Kicks to put an end to the Usos reign (no pun intended) made him look like a badass.
SURPRISE OF THE WEEKEND: Roman Reigns defeating Cody Rhodes — Undisputed Universal Championship
The match itself was an amazing main event. The kind of main event match you want to see at WrestleMania. Roman's win, however, was shocking. I would say 99.9 percent of people at the stadium were ready to see Cody's big moment. So to hold off on rocket strapping him at WrestleMania 39 for a later date was an unexpected decision. Hopefully, the reasoning becomes a little more clear post-Mania.
FEMALE SUPERSTAR OF THE WEEKEND: Rhea Ripley
Ripley proved she belongs at the top this weekend. The match with Charlotte Flair was a star-making performance and now the crowd is firmly behind her, despite the fact that she's a heel. At only 26 years old, Rhea clearly has a bright future ahead, and this weekend solidified that she'll be a big part of WWE's women's division going forward. You love to see it.
MALE SUPERSTAR OF THE WEEKEND: GUNTHER
After this weekend, there's no denying GUNTHER is a force. His match against Sheamus and Drew McIntyre might have been the best Intercontinental Championship defense in years at WrestleMania, and defeating two future Hall of Famers in his first appearance at "The Showcase of the Immortals" only cements his dominance going forward. In a post-match interview, GUNTHER told me he's not sure if a person who can beat him has arrived in WWE yet. After seeing his match this weekend, I'd have to agree.
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BIGGEST STORYLINE MOVING FORWARD: Will The Bloodline stay together?
The Usos losing the tag team titles will clearly make Roman Reigns' character an angry Tribal Chief and WWE will be in desperate need of babyfaces to pit Roman against over the next few months. Could Jimmy and Jey be potential challengers? The story with Sami made it clear that Roman isn't as loyal to the Usos as they are to him, so I could see a breakup happening in the near future to keep this story going. That being said, I was also convinced Cody Rhodes was going to end the Bloodline this weekend by winning the Undisputed Universal Championship, so it's very possible the faction's dominance over Raw and SmackDown continues for the foreseeable future.
Ryan Satin is a WWE analyst for FOX Sports. Satin previously appeared on FS1's "WWE Backstage" and founded Pro Wrestling Sheet, where he broke countless news stories as editor-in-chief. Follow him on Twitter @RyanSatin.