WrestleMania 41: Did WWE play it too safe with a terribly predictable Night 1?

When all was said and done on WWE WrestleMania 41, Night 1, wrestling’s most Machiavellian man sided with Seth Rollins — a payoff that ended weeks of speculation over whether Paul Heyman would prove loyal to his “Tribal Chief” or his long-standing close friend CM Punk.

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It wasn’t a totally off-the-wall outcome, of course. But it was at least an example of a bonafide twist in an evening where surprises were few and far between. Having brought WrestleMania to the gambling capital of the world for the first time in more than three decades, WWE clearly took the decision to play things safe — perhaps even much too safe.

Don’t get me wrong: Night 1 of WrestleMania 41 certainly wasn’t a bad event. But for the most part it was terribly predictable. Barring Jey Uso becoming the first WWE main roster star to force Gunther to tap out, were there really any other payoffs that weren’t visible from outer space?

The New Day defeating The War Raiders via a dirty finish (and without any appearance from Big E); Jade Cargill overpowering Naomi using her typical finisher for a simple three-count; El Grande Americano utilizing the same steel forehead plate we saw on “WWE Raw” two weeks — time and again, WWE opted for the most predictable ending on the table on Saturday.

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Not everything has to be a twist, of course. But to find yourself almost four hours into the biggest spectacle in professional wrestling without a single double-take moment? It’s hard not to feel ever so slightly shortchanged in those circumstances. Where were the ref bumps, the betrayals and the run-ins? Where was the spectacle?

Even the entrances felt dialed down from previous years, with only Tiffany Stratton, Seth Rollins and CM Punk really getting anything resembling the proper WrestleMania treatment. The last time we saw Roman Reigns at WWE’s flagship show, he was accompanied by a full-scale orchestra. Was the Nevada Philharmonic booked up?

Perhaps the lack of gimmicks was part of WWE’s ongoing push to emphasize the sporting elements of its overall product. Anyone with the faintest interest in combat sports will have noticed the unprecedented number of UFC names in attendance in Las Vegas, including head honcho Dana White.

For all the grumbles, though, at least Night 1 delivered where it mattered most: In the ring. Unlike last year’s Uso anticlimax — in which Jey and Jimmy slogged it out with a repetitive display of superkicks — there wasn’t a single match that looked out-of-place on the biggest show of the year.

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Particular credit should go to Rey Fenix, who looked utterly undaunted on the big stage, despite being confirmed for his match less than 24 hours earlier (and having only debuted in WWE two weeks ago). It can’t be easy to go from smaller arenas to the 60,000-strong Allegiant Stadium, yet the daredevil luchador lived up to the family spirit of cero miedo in spades.

There were some super individual spots too: LA Knight executing a flawless BFT on an airborne Jacob Fatu; Jade Cargill pulling off one of the most spectacular powerbombs in recent history; and Seth Rollins reversing a full-speed spear into a pedigree — all of them were solid contenders for the spot of the night, and worthy entries for the ongoing highlight reel of 2025.

As impressive as they were, though, they didn’t quite make up for the lack of marquee moments. Take out the Seth Rollins rug pull, and was there anything that will still be talked about in six months’ time?

Of course, that might all change later on tonight. Leaving aside the earth-shattering consequences of a John Cena victory, Night 2 already has two potential cliffhangers, with Randy Orton’s open challenge (Malakai Black, perhaps?) and Lyra Valkyria’s unknown tag partner (fingers crossed for Becky Lynch) both set to be revealed.

At the halfway point, though, it’s hard to shake the conclusion that Night 1 was largely WrestleMania by numbers. A solid enough event in the ring, but lacking in pizazz on the whole. As the action returns in Sin City for Night 2, let’s hope WWE dares to raise the stakes.