[4.0] "Well bobby just botched half of his moves, and should never have defeated mcintyre in the first place. An embrassing start for the comeback of Wrestlemania. This match is also the official burial of mcintyre during the 2021-2023 awful booking period he got."
[8.0] "While it's unlikely to crack anybody's Top 5 or anything like that, this match might honestly be up there as one of the better WWE Title matches that we've seen at WrestleMania. It's not the lengthy 'epic' that we often see, but it has a great sense of physicality without needing to resort to a bunch of lazy finisher spam like we often see in a lot of similar matches (just look at a large number of Lesnar's WM title matches for some examples). Instead it's just two heavyweights throwing bombs and flinging each other around the ring. In fact, outside of the finish I don't believe there's a single finisher that actually connects all match. It's a nice change of pace. I think my favourite part of the match must be Drew's submission counters to neutralise Lashley's power, such as the awesome kimura reversal that he pulls out in the back half of the match. It mixes things up just enough to keep the match feeling interesting and dynamic, while also setting itself apart from most other big man matches through giving a greater sense of technical expertise as opposed to two lumbering giants. Part of me wishes they did a bit more for the finish, but at the same time I really appreciate the simplicity and how heavily it put over the Hurt Lock. Lashley and McIntyre have great chemistry, and while it would have needed a little more if it was going to close the show, for a show opening WWE Title match I thought they nailed it here."
[6.0] "I was so happy when Bobby won the title. Honestly everything leading to this match was fun. With Miz cashing in and having to defend the title against Bobby. Sure it wasn't the route we wanted but they did it well. Wished that Drew got his moment in front of a crowd. Still waiting for that. Match was solid. I was expecting them to go guns blazing and have a Brock Lesnar-esque match but still a solid encounter. The finish was lame though. That was a lame distraction by MVP which downgraded the match from my initial rating."
[8.0] "The build up to this match was pretty bad with the Miz of all people cashing in on Drew just to drop it to Lashley, but this was a good match and a great way to open the show. You don't usually see the WWE Championship open the show, but this time I think it really worked and got the crowd really hyped up. Lashley retained while Drew stayes super over with the crowd. Overall a fun match that I'd consider a highlight of the card."
[9.0] "The build to this match wasn't that good particularly because of Miz and his MITB bank cash in as an excuse so Bobby wouldn't dethrone Drew at WrestleMania and Drew ended up losing the match anyway, but this was still a really great match and opener to the show."
[6.0] "Good opener but sorely lacking in psychology at the end. McIntyre does a Kimura Lock which seems quite intense but Lashley doesn't sell his arm for a single second. 2 min. afterwards he wins the match with a Full Nelson. Zero Claymore Kick, zero Spear throughout the match. Good in itself but without really anything more, it's a shame. (3*1/4)"
[8.0] "This was a great start to wrestlemania and this was a really good match between two heavyweights this was a great way to start wrestlemania and this was a great match. ****1/4"
[7.0] "A great opener for WrestleMania. Lashley and Drew have some solid chemistry, and it was demonstrated here. The first match with fans for over a year, it was near guaranteed to be exciting for everybody watching. Lashley going over was quite the shock, but a solid booking decision and overall a very solid WWE Championship bout to kick off Mania."
[8.0] "BIG way to welcome fans back by starting things off with Lashley vs McIntyre ! I thought Drew would finally have his moment in front of a crowd but naw Lashley took him out I was shocked ! That was a great and physical battle between these two being ruthless for one another !"
[8.0] "While I personally would have booked Drew McIntyre to finally get the pop he so badly missed out on the year before, the match itself was a good old fashioned powerhouse duel. Both men looked very strong while Drew McIntyre put up a valiant fight which unfortunately wasn't enough by the end as he fought in vain to escape the Hurt Lock."
[9.0] "First of all, this match was the very first match in front of an active crowd after a year and a half spending in closed doors & the Thunderdome so the crowd was so over on one side. On the other side, the build to this match had such a good amount of hype needed in terms of physicality and character display. It delivered on all cylinders and I certainly enjoyed this being the opener of the night. Both men never miss as they did some great work in Impact but this was the best work of them because of their peak status in booking as well as specimen structuring. The offense itself was crispy and told a nice story of McIntyre pushing the best to avoid The Hurt Lock but trapped in the end. Lashley winning was actually unexpected as I thought McIntyre would receive the moment he received at the previous year's WrestleMania but felt happy with the strong ending. 4.25 out of 5 stars!"
[7.0] "The rain delay dampened (pun maybe intended? ) it a bit but I still enjoyed the big man offense here. The finish was a bit dull with Drew taking forever to pass out in the Hurt Lock but I dug Bobby Lashley getting the big WrestleMania win."
[7.0] "This was a really solid hoss fight. Two top guys beating the crap out of each other for almost 20 minutes, exactly what I wanted from this match."
[7.0] "A match that, although it lacks a bit of logic, was quite outstanding to be the initial match and correct, the result at the time was good but currently it was not very correct, there was good action in the ring, it was solid."
[7.0] "Would probably rate 7.5 if I could. This was a hell of a fun way to kick off mania 37. A bit of a throwback to hoss fights of yesteryears. Yes the finish was bad, I'd probably even say the wrong guy won in some respects but I'm sure Drew will get his moment infront of the fans in due time and this was still a blast to watch. Not up there with the greatest title matches in mania history but it's a damn good slugfest"
[7.0] "Another good match between Bobby Lashley and Drew McIntyre. While I'm not sure I'd call their encounters a classic (the last one, maybe? ), these two always deliver. They did so in TNA and they've done so in WWE. This one was an interesting battle in which I was genuinely surprised by the outcome. I think the passing out from a submission spot is a tad overdone these days, but when it actually makes sense for the characters, it can still be epic. Really good match, even if I was surprised by its card placement. Also great to see Drew McIntyre get the ovation he deserved for his great 2020."
[7.0] "A good hoss style battle . It starts off very good with both trying to over-power each other and with a showing of great power moves by both Lashley and McIntyre. It has hard hitting strikes in its own right but some strikes , majority of the strikes from Lashley were mistimed and looked lazy . McIntyre also showcased his athleticism through that tope con giro . MVP? s involvement was not very welcoming and I however did like how MVP were focused on avoiding the claymore at any cost . Lashley was able to lock in the hurt lock for the victory forcing McIntyre to pass out . Not much special content but it was a good contest to open the show . The arm work in the early goings played no role in the match and was not sold much either . ***3/4"
[9.0] "Great, hard hitting big man match. Bobby winning was the right call; he should keep the title a little while longer. Great way to start the show."
[7.0] "Das Bobby Lashley sich hier so clean durchsetzt hätte ich nicht gedacht, aber er gefällt mir in seiner Rolle derzeit außerordentlich gut und hat sich das sicherlich verdient. Das Match an sich war auch ein wunderbarer Brawl zwischen zwei großen Kerlen und es gab einige spektakuläre Aktionen zu sehen. Nicht so gut wie das TNA-Match zwischen den beiden vor fünf Jahren, aber auf einem ähnlichen Niveau und ein guter Opener. Da kann gerne noch mehr kommen. *** 3/4"
[7.0] "I believe 7 is fair enough. Tbh it felt kinda off since it was the first match with the crowd, but it all kicked in quickly. Not as good as the main event, but still an entertaining match with good winner and some nice spots. I particularly liked the stretch with the hurt lock they did. Definitely an adequate opener to one of my favourite Wrestlemanias."
[8.0] "Also wenn ich diese ungnädigen Kommentare hier lese, frage ich mich schon, ob wir dasselbe Match gesehen haben. Ein guter Opener, der richtig Laune machte. Lashley und McIntyre sind zwar noch immer nicht die Ober-Charismabomben - die Entrance der beiden war schon recht verkrampft und cheesy. Aber selbst das wurde im weiteren Verlauf besser - spätestens als Lashley von McIntyre als "Bald Bitch" beschimpft wurde, konnte man zufrieden grinsend "Geht doch! " attestieren. Das Match selbst war sehr sehenswert. Lashley konnte als pures, agiles Powerhouse überzeugen - aber noch viel besser gefiel mir McIntyre. Der hatte sein Moveset erneut deutlich erweitert und glänzte im Kampfverlauf regelmäßig damit - was von Lashley jedoch auch sehr gut verkauft wurde. Einziger Schwachpunkt dabei waren ein verunglückter Body Scissor Lock, aus dem dann ein noch unglücklicherer Kimura-Lock-Versuch wurde. Auch McIntyres Ideen bzgl. Match-Story waren grandios: Seine Überraschungs-Kipups, das "tote Mann" spielen, während er mit den Beinen am obersten Seil vom Ring Corner mit dem Kopf nach unten hing, sich dann plötzlich hochzog, Lashley in den Schwitzkasten nahm und nach unten slammte. Und natürlich seine spektakuläre Dive-Roll nach draussen! Dass Bobby Lashley dagegen im letzten Drittel gefühlt nichts anderes mehr einfiel, als immer wieder und wieder seinen Hurt Lock anzusetzen, sorgt dann für die einzigen Abzüge. Und das betrifft dann ja leider auch den davon geprägten Ausgang des Matches. McIntyre war klar der Mann des Abends!"
[5.0] "For two big guys this was a pretty dull, lifeless affair. The ending was weird too: Deep into the match Drew gets distracted by MVP just yelling and then Lashley gets him in the full nelson and Drew passes out. If the distraction was to give Drew an out then it didn't work because he just looks stupid now."
[7.0] "Ich war sehr überrascht über den Ausgang dieses Spiels. Ich dachte sicher, Drew würde die Show mit einem großen Babyface-Sieg starten, aber sie beschlossen, auf Lashley zu verdoppeln. Es ist nicht die schlechteste Entscheidung, ehrlich zu sein. Das Match war ziemlich gut und wie gesagt, das Ende war schockierend für mich."
[5.0] "Dies war kein heißer Opener, den Mania meiner Meinung nach braucht, geschweige denn eine Mania, die zum ersten Mal seit einem Jahr Fans hat. Das Finish war bis auf die Ablenkung sehr gut."
[4.0] "The rather frantic pace of this match gave the impression that this would go under 10 minutes, but it ended up feeling overly long and without any real substance outside of guys doing power moves."
[4.0] "The first WWE match in front of a crowd in over a year and it ends up being just your average match with a really silly distraction finish leading to their most dominant babyface passing out in a submission."
[7.0] "The first match with a somewhat proper crowd was always going to be special. Add to that the fact that Drew/Lashley have been on the top of their games meant this had the potential to be an all-timer opener but sadly, it just couldn't reach that level for me. Still, for the most part, this match was exactly what it should've been; two giant men beating the hell out of each other but for an opener, it went on for way too long. Plus, the distraction finish wasn't well-executed and made Drew look dumb in the process."
[5.0] "This was fun but it comes with problems. First, I think it shouldn't have gone for 18 minutes, these two would have a much better heavyweight hoss match in 10-12 minutes. And I think booking of Drew McIntyre in this was wrong."
[7.0] "Up until the finish, the match was very good. I liked it a lot. High quality and intense heavyweight brawl. However, the ending was like from a weekly TV episode. It was supposed to be the most important event of the year - why such a bullshit finish?"
[8.0] "Das fühlte sich richtig gut an. Fans, die bock auf das Match haben, 2 gut gebookte Wrestler in einem Titelmatch und ein offener Ausgang. Auch wenn das Timing nicht immer on Point war, mochte ich das Match richtig gerne. Für mich definitiv der Main Event und auch das MOTN, welches aus verständlichen Gründen in den Opener gepackt wurde. Gerne mehr davon in künftigen Main Events."
[8.0] "Match never got going. However the rain delay might have deflated the hype not only for Drew and Lashley but maybe the crowd as well. A good hoss fight but just never had a OMG moment. Lashley winning with the full nelson is super heelish and I'm glad Lashley went over because I didn't expect it. MVP looked great too."
[7.0] "The opener of the first night of Wrestlemania 37 and the first WWE match with an audience in more than a year, would be disputed between the world champion, Bobby Lashley, against the contender, Drew McIntyre, for the WWE Championship. The match seemed right to me to open Wrestlemania, however, I was a bit disappointed. It seemed a bit slow at first and lacking in intensity, when their rivalry had been one of the hottest on the way to the event. There was good use of kick-outs and power moves, yet it didn't feel like the intense match I was expecting. Although the result was adequate, I felt that the ending was quite anticlimactic and cold. In brief, a good match to open Wrestlemania, but it could have been a lot better, knowing the wrestlers that were involved. Rating: 6. 55 / 10. Stars: *** 1/2."
[6.0] "A Heavyweight match that was two big guys being Heavyweight guys? A right sight. Thankfully, this was a good one too. Other than Lashley kicking out of three future shock ddts, this was a solid match through and through with minimal complaints. Drew McIntyre worked well in the face role, rallying the crowd and selling for Lashley to held up his end too. The finish was well executed with Lashley rolling through Drew attempting the Bret/Piper finish and submitting Drew for the shock win. ***1/4"
[6.0] "Seh die Partie hier nicht ganz so stark, da hatte ich mir doch mehr erwartet. Lashley und McIntyre gehen relativ langsam zu Werke - das Tempo kommt dann zwar noch, allerdings so richtig in Fahrt kommt es für mich nicht. Klares Highlight ist für mich da der Dive von McIntyre, welcher heute sein Moveset weiter vergrößert hat. Das Finish kommt dann irgendwie auch plötzlich und unspektakulär, obwohl ich die Titelverteidigung von Lashley begrüße. Als Opener okay, mehr als ordentlich ist es für mich aber nicht."
[8.0] "It was the hard hitting match that I expected. Despite a small rain delay, the match didn't feel rushed nor overbooked. It was two muscular beasts slapping meat. Sometimes, that's all you need for a good opener. (***3/4)"
[7.0] "First off, the reason I gave this a 4-star is for the sake of the crowd. I mean, this is the first main roster match with a crowd in over a year, so the crowd was pretty loud in there, no need for the piped-in cheers like they usually do in Thunderdome. Second, this was Lashley's best game yet, he vastly improved since he returned in 2018. And third, McIntyre seemingly carry Lashley to a match. That's it. If this was held in a Thunderdome and with lazy booking, this would be a *** so yeah, I liked it. They are showing intensity, the crowd are cheering in this match so ****."
[9.0] "Match des Abends meiner Meinung nach. Mir kommt es vor, dass beide Wrestler immer besser werden. Bereits 2016 lieferten die ordentlich ab gegeneinander, und nun steigert man sich fast noch."
[5.0] "Unhübsche Kraftmeierei, Geschubse, Hits & Kicks. Das ist nicht wirklich schön anzusehen. Die wenigen Highlights kommen von McIntyre, als da wären die Future Shock Serie und der Dive nach draussen. Am Ende kommt dann ein Finish, das irgendwie lieblos und belanglos wirkt. Dank des Aufbaus fünf Zähler, das Match alleine kommt allenfalls auf vier Punkte."
[5.0] "Felt like any other match that happens midway through an episode of Raw. Hoped they would've started out the night with something fast paced or hard hitting. Unfortunately it was a pretty by the numbers match with a slightly botched finish. 2 ¼ stars."
[7.0] "Good way to start off WrestleMania Night 1. Bobby Lashley looked real dominant throughout the match. One thing that this match did not need to use is the weird distraction from MVP; that was very odd. But besides that, this match was quite decent. I'm glad that Bobby Lashley retained his championship; I didn't want another Drew McIntyre title reign going nowhere."
[9.0] "Great hard hitting match that sold both men as strong boss-level fighters with a finish that made Lashley (and the Hurt Lock) look strong and takes nothing from Drew."
[8.0] "This was very good. A terrific, hard-hitting match to start the show, with a shocking ending. Drew still looks strong because he didnt tap. Was definitely the right choice to put this on first, given that the heel was going over, and because it got the crowd hot and ready for more."
[8.0] "I think starting with this match gave some initial excitement to the show. It really delivered more than expected, lots of power moves, with the speed that Mcintyre always puts into his bouts. Lashley looked pretty strong, just like a champion should. Very good way to start Wrestlemania. (****)"
[8.0] "Ein sehr gutes Match was meine Erwartungen maßlos übertroffen hat. Das beste Bobby Lashley Match was ich bisher gesehen habe. Es gab sehr gute near falls und einiges an Action (*** 3/4)"
[8.0] "Lashley und McIntyre hatten ja in TNA Zeiten schon große Matches gegeneinander und diese Chemie merkt man ihnen durchaus an wie ich finde. Das war ein richtig spannender, intensiven Big Man Fight, welcher hin und her ging und keine langweiligen Momente hatte und auch genauso lange ging, wie er sollte. In meinen Augen war das ein richtig gutes Match, welches 8 Punkte verdient."
[7.0] "Decent match, but was nowhere close their best hoss fights and lacked a lot. The brawl itself was not bad, but it started slow and basic, and never really sped up until the later minutes, then flat finish ruined everything. Distraction felt very forced and redundant. How the hell Drew McIntyre, a wrestler with ages of experience behind, who would expect this from MVP got distracted that easily while preparing his goddamn finisher on the biggest stage of the all? It did not protected him, it made him stupid. Anyway, enjoyable effort from both men that should've been far better. ***"
[7.0] "good match to open the show here, but I am surprised at the result, not that I don't want Lashley to have a dominant title reign, but it's your biggest show of the year, it opens with your world championship match, it's the first show in over a year to have fans, and they beat their top babyface in the company? odd booking decision, but a good match (***1/2)"
[7.0] "A big surprise! The match was good, even if I was expecting something more violent. But most of all, I'm surprised that WWE left the title to Bobby Lashley, when everyone was hoping McIntyre would win!"
[7.0] "This one is my favorite of the show. Even with their place on the card that made me afraid they gave a good fight without being too much. This match was long and always interesting, I am not a fan of the ending but the in ring of this fight is very good, I was very invested. ***1/2"
[8.0] "Lashley und McIntyre haben einen richtig starken Opener geliefert. Als High Stakes Bout zwischen zwei Big Men war es mit gutem Pacing, Intensität und gesunder Härte genau richtig geführt und hat die Fans auch mit dem gleichmäßigen Matchverlauf hart reingezogen. Dazu kamen noch die kleinen Naucen wie der Dive nach draußen, die Story um den Kimura Lock, etliche Versuche um den Hurt Lock und MVP als wohl dosiertes Zünglein an der Waage, die das Match sehr rund gemacht haben (****1/4)."
[6.0] "Pretty fun hoss fight! Loved these two going at each other with power moves, Lashley has been so great recently, and even though I didn? t expect it, I? m glad he retained. This was, however, much less intense than it likely should have been, these two seemed to get caught up in trying to make this match feel like a spectacle, and this match involved much more playing to the crowd and long stretches of selling than was warranted. It also didn? t help that they really haven? t done a good job of getting me behind Drew, despite being a very good wrestler, he? s just an incredibly generic babyface who happens to carry a sword to the ring. Definitely not as good as it could have been, but a good enough opener. ***1/4-"
[8.0] "That ending was legendary. Started slow, kind of struggled to get going for a bit (main complaint), but built up amazingly. the last 5 minutes in particular were absolutely incredible. I was 100% sure Drew was going to win, I am pleasantly surprised. What an opener."
[5.0] "It had its moments, and little about this match was out-and-out bad, but the finish was weak and things just never seemed to click into place for the two. There was a number of decent power spots, as was expected, and Drew's submission wrestling is becoming a consistent source of enjoyment, but this just felt like a basic affair of trading momentum without ever really ramping up the intensity. Drew getting distracted by MVP simply yelling was dumb, and whilst the turnbuckle-reversal spot was cool, it's a bit illogical considering that Drew could have broken the hold by just keeping his foot on the ropes. This was a bit weak overall, especially considering it's the Mania match for the biggest belt in the company. Not awful, but this underdelivered and these two have already had several better matches together than this."
[6.0] "This was a pretty good match, which was important as they opened Wrestlemania. Both men did some intense promos backstage due to rain delay which tided us over until the night could finally begin. I think this had a good place on the card as it was quality, but nothing spectacular. The hurt lock looks pretty ridiculous to me, I don't get how you pass out from that and I found it surprising that Bobby retained."
[9.0] "Pre-match I thought it was big gamble to open mania with this. But it was very good. Great storytelling. The storm delay was almost too much for me. These dudes beat the shit out of each other and seemed to enjoy it. I didn't know if these titans would have any chemistry. They do and had a banger of an opener"
[7.0] "That was an "okay, but nothing special" kind of match. It wasn't great but it wasn't bad either. It was entertaining and I'm very much okay with the winner. The WWE Championship suits Bobby Lashley quite well and to throw that away for another WrestleMania title victory for DrewMcIntyre would have been a shame. He also got protected pretty well in losing via a distraction combined to never actually giving up, but rather his body giving up. He is not hurt or damaged by that loss in a way and is still very much atop the RAW roster. I'm curious to see where they are going with both these man post-WrestleMania now."
[9.0] "Great opening. It was a shame that the show started with a match for the most prestigious title but at least we watched the match with more energy. I was expecting a Hurt Lock break and a Claymore but those didn't happen. Lashley deserved that moment btw. 4. 25/5"
[7.0] "Good idea to put this match as the opener. The match itself was good but I think it wouldn't be a good finish to Night 1 of Wrestlemania. This was also the 1st WWE match with an actual crowd after a year and half and that was cool to finally see."
[8.0] "Two big guys who can wrestle? Yes please. This match was great, both men threw each other around and had devastating strikes. Can't believe Bobby kicked out of the triple future shock DDT's. Found it stupid Drew didn't hit the claymore because MVP shouted."
[7.0] "Both wrestlers worked hard, and the crowd was into it (which is awesome seeing and hearing an actual crowd), but there was something missing here for me. Don't get me wrong, I don't think it was a bad match, in-ring wise this match was very solid and very hard hitting. Still, it didn't hit this next gear for me, and I can't point a finger to what it is. Regardless, fun opener. ***1/4"
[7.0] "Good match. It was a very physical and testosterone filled match between two power wrestlers. The ending was a little weird but I was quite satisfied with the decision. Good action but the pacing was horrible. Thankfully the hard hitting action made up for that terrible pacing. Good match but has a lot of room for improvement. ***3/4"
[6.0] "The match is solid yet pretty basic. Good win by Lashley and good job by Drew who can make another run for the title anytime. The problem is that the match doesn't really grow."
[7.0] "Good opener, and this match felt so important because it is the return to the crowd. Really solid performance from Lashley and Drew, I? m glad that Lashley got the win and retained. It? s time for the almighty era. A really solid performance. ****1/4"
[7.0] "Hard to judge this one objectively, given it was the first WWE match in front of fans in so long. The hype was next level but the match itself was simply a good hoss fight. The awkward interjection by MVP was the only major crux, made Drew look silly, but the rest was very enjoyable, and I'm happy Bobby won."
[8.0] "Ein toller Opener für Tag 1 von Wrestlemania. Erstes Match vor Fans und gleich dann noch so stark. Lashley und Drew fangen recht langsam an, werden aber immer härter und härter. Drew vor allem haute ein paar Aktionen raus, die man so von ihm nicht kannte. Ende war dann wirklich spannend aufgebaut und Drew sieht trotz der Niederlage nicht schwach aus(****)."
[7.0] "Das Match war gut und auf einem ähnlichen Level wie damals das Match bei TNT. Man konnte die süannung gut hochhalten und einen für mich überraschenden Ausgang des Matches liefern (***3/4)."
[7.0] "This match falls for me just shy of a "good" match. I liked it, it was intense, great spirit from both competitors, I liked the suplex into a bridge done my McIntyre, but yea like others say something felt off in this match, I was not that interested, mainly because the whole build to it SUCKS, like it's really flipping bad, 1/10 for the build. In the end I think they made the good decision by making Lashley retaining, but I don't know who, excepting Reigns or maybe riddle (no Strowman PLZ), would be as legit to take the tiitle from him. Mc Intyre had his chance (which he was just given without earning it) and lost, its goodbye now for the title picture."
[8.0] "Somewhat surprising result with Bobby Lashley retaining, but they got the tone just right as the first match back in front of fans. They did really well dealing with the long weather delay too. Shocked that McIntyre would just be thrown off by MVP like that, but the aggression and carnage was spot on, and Lashley looks dominant. Wonder who can possibly beat him now?"
[9.0] "Als Opener bekamen wir einen echten Heavyweight-Clash, bei dem ich jeder Zeit auf den nächsten Powermove gespannt war. Ich hätte nicht gedacht, dass das für mich so gut funktioniert! Nach der ersten Abtastphase, als die Slams und Suplessen ausgetauscht wurden, war ich total drin! Der Dive, die Konter, der Einsatz des Kimura-Lock... Die Spannung war zum Greifen, richtig groß! Der Anteil vom MVP war vorhanden, aber nicht aufdringlich. Minimale Kritik an dieser Stelle: der Kiruma-Lock hatte augenscheinlich keinen Effekt auf Lashley, da er es absolut nicht gesellt hat. Und das hält mich auch von der Höchstnote ab. Mein klares Match of the Night trotzdem, zu meiner eigenen Überraschung!"
[4.0] "I wanted to love this, because they have a history of having good matches against one another, including a PPV one from last year which I enjoyed a lot. This one I didn't really care for much at all. Technically nothing wrong with it or anything like that, but felt like there was no real hook to it. With guys like these two, you could argue that "the hook" is watching two bad heavyweight mofos beat the shit out of each other (shout-out to Drew's recent matches vs. Sheamus), but it never felt like that was the case here except for the last 5 or so minutes when the action got legitimately hot. Very uninspiring for the most part, but there was some neat spots & counters here n' there alongside that mentioned nice finishing gear."
[7.0] "It was a solid and intense fight between two beasts and stablished heavyweights. I think that this was a fireproof for both, but it was the moment to solidify the Bobby Lashley's reign as wwe heavyweight champion. Good surprise and great match to open Wrestlemania."
[8.0] "Gute Wahl für einen Opener. Action geladen und spannend. Drew versucht das ganze Match über auf den Claymore hinzuarbeiten schafft dies aber nicht und verliert vielleicht gerade ebend wegen dieser Bessesenheit auf den Move am Ende des Match. Gute Booking Decision für mich! ****"
[7.0] "A solid opening match for the Mania card. Really wanted Drew to win since they broke up the Hurt Business for no reason (that I can see at this moment), but that didn't affect my enjoyment too much. Both guys came out looking monstrous so I can't be much happier than that for them. I do wonder what's planned for Drew now though."
[5.0] "This was fine I guess? I don't really know what the majority of people on here are talking about, because I thought this didn't deliver anything that I'd want from a big man vs big man match. There's no hard hitting interactions or monsters smashing each other, it was just a normal slow paced patterned WWE match that Drew probably could've had with a bunch of light heavyweights. ** 3/4"
[6.0] "Decent match, with a very flat finish. I rolled my eyes when Lashers took a powder 90 seconds into the match, and the brawl that followed on the floor was uninteresting, though mercifully short. Back in the ring, the pair had a good hoss battle with some amateur wrestling mixed in. Lashers and Drew gel quite well together, and I do believe that the two will have a very good match in the near future. ***¼"
[8.0] "A very hot opening bout that got the crowd invested from the opening bell. It wasn't an epic but it was the perfect bout to kick start the first show back with fans."
[10.0] "Ein sehr gutes WWE Championship match. Stimmung ist gut und McIntyre ist in höchstform und mit der Zeit gefällt mir auch Lashley gut. Es geht drunter und drüber. Gutes Powerhouse wrestling und auch technische moves sind vorhanden. Gute Story im match und nochmal eine deutliche Leistungssteigerung im Vergleich zum letzten Match im Vorjahr. Das Ende ist Super, McIntyre der star der pandemic äre bringt Lashley over der erst jetzt wirklich gefährlich wird und zum Star mutieren kann. Tolle Leistung mit schock Finnish."
[7.0] "I think the ratings for this match are too high. Their match in backlash last year was way better. This match was slow and only the last minutes were exciting."
[8.0] "Really good and strong. It was the first match with a live crowd in a year so the energy from the crowd really help the work. Happy to see Bobby retain and Drew is always amazing in what he does. ****"
[8.0] "Really strong big man match to start off the show. These types of matches have been the cornerstone of the RAW main event scene lately and it's still super entertaining. This match was put together to showcase both guys as the baddest men on the roster, and the hot crowd definitely helped push it over the edge. Serious big fight feels. The ending was really well done too, though I can see how people may have wanted the other result to happen. The entrances, action and star power were all you could ask for, it's really good."
[8.0] "This was very good. Drew and Lashley have good chemistry and they had another solid outing here. The finish surprised me but it makes sense. Lashley deserves to have a lengthy reign at the top. Not sure where either man goes from here."
[6.0] "A pretty standard match until the back half with a rather shocking ending. I think the right move to go with Lashley but it was really surprising they did it in this manner with drew. Definitely curious to see where it goes."
[6.0] "Very slow start, for the first 5 minutes I was very worried that this match could be a stinker but luckily the match got better as it went on. Final stretch was very good but the first phase of the match of the match was just too much of a drag for me to give this match ***1/2, but ***1/4 seems fair"
[8.0] "Very cool opener. Both men were super hot, and got in some seriously effective looking moves. Booking is very good, with Drew not tapping but being clearly downed by the Hurt Lock anyway. Was probably the right choice to put this on first, given that the heel was going over."
[8.0] "No one waited match like this. This was very good. Good for Drew, good for Bobby. First match and we got so got temp, good moves, good vibes. Wow. Great start for Mania. Interesting what next for Bobby Lashley"
[8.0] "Der Spot mit MVP, der die Claymore verhindert hat, war auf dem Papier wohl besser als er im Ring dann funktioniert hat, aber bis dahin geben es sich die Herren ziemlich ordentlich und geben einen echten Hoss Fight. Gutes Finish, gute Performance von Beiden. Mehr als ich erwartet habe."
