Live from MetLife Stadium in
East Rutherford, New Jersey Sunday, April 4, 2021 Commentary Team: Michael Cole and Tony Schiavone
Ring Announcer: Howard Finkel
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TAG TEAM TABLES MATCH : THE DUDLEY BOYZ & KEITH LEE vs. MARK HENRY & THE WORLD’S GREATEST TAG TEAM : This tables match was elimination style. The first team to have all three of its members put through a table would lose. The Dudley Boyz and Keith Lee were doing great as The Dudley Boyz put Charlie Haas through a table with the 3-D to score the first elimination of the match. They also worked together to score the second elimination as D-Von lifted Shelton Benjamin up to Bubba Ray so he could execute a sit-out powerbomb from off the top turnbuckle through a table. With a 3-on-1 situation, Mark Henry had his work cut out for him, but he received an assist from Jim Cornette, who cracked Lee on the back of the head with his tennis racket. Lee chased Cornette into the back. Meanwhile, Henry went to work on those damned Dudleys, eliminating both of them with a World’s Strongest Slam through tables. When Lee returned, the big men collided. Lee escaped a World’s Strongest Slam attempt, managed to get Henry off his feet by hitting him with a pounce, and ended the match by giving the 400-pounder a Big Bang Catastrophe through a table! (14:06) --
Winners: The Dudley Boyz & Keith Lee
MASH-UP WRESTLING WOMEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: ASUKA vs. BETH PHOENIX : Beth Phoenix gave Asuka a military press slam and covered her for a long 2-count. She lifted Asuka off the mat and put her in a double chicken-wing. Asuka quickly broke free, thus avoiding the Glam Slam. She countered with a variation of a victory roll to get a 2-count. Back to their feet, Asuka went for a roundhouse kick, but Phoenix ducked it and then gave Asuka a bridging German suplex to get another 2-count. Phoenix picked up Asuka and attempted a powerbomb, but Asuka punched Phoenix long enough to disorient her and then countered with a hurricanrana that sent Phoenix out to the ring apron. A running hip attack knocked Phoenix to the floor and then a topé suicida knocked her into the barricade. Asuka tossed Phoenix back into the ring and climbed the turnbuckle she went for a diving hip attack but Phoenix countered it into a release German suplex. Asuka flipped through and landed on her feet. Phoenix got up and received a roundhouse kick and then was put in the Asuka Lock. Phoenix couldn’t escape it and eventually had to submit. Asuka’s long title reign remained intact. (16:38) --
Winner: Asuka
BONEYARD MATCH: THE UNDERTAKER vs. BRAY WYATT : The Undertaker and Bray Wyatt fought all around the boneyard. Wyatt came with his family. Luke Harper and Erick Rowan helped Wyatt get the early advantage. However, The Undertaker also had family in the boneyard. When the Wyatt Family went to throw The Undertaker into the open grave, they discovered Kane waiting in there. He emerged from the grave to chokeslam everyone. With his brother’s help, The Undertaker mounted a comeback. He fought inside the grave with Wyatt and gave him a tombstone piledriver. After lifting himself out of the burial plot, he helped Kane get the upper hand on Harper and Rowan. The Undertaker gave Harper a tombstone piledriver at the same time that Kane gave one to Rowan. They tossed their bodies into the open grave on top of Wyatt, then dropped a pile of earth on top of the Wyatt Family to bury them and win the match. (22:50) --
Winner: The Undertaker
ROWDY RODDY PIPER & STING vs. ”THE MILLION DOLLAR MAN” TED DIBIASE & JOHN BRADSHAW LAYFIELD : This match should have been 2-on-2, but “Glorious” Bobby Roode and “Cowboy” James Storm made their presence felt. This interference backfired when Sting gave Storm a Scorpion Death Drop and Piper gave Roode a low blow. DiBiase tried to apply the Million Dollar Dream on him, but Sting lifted him up on his back and ran backwards into the turnbuckles to break it. A whip across the ring preceded a Stinger Splash and ten punches to the head. DiBiase fell to the mat and Sting put him in the Scorpion Death Lock. JBL entered the ring with a steel chair in his hands. The referee blocked him from using it and threatened to disqualify him. While that was happening, DiBiase was tapping out. Sting released the hold and ran over to dropkick JBL, sending him through the ropes. Sting tagged out to Piper and then jumped out of the ring to brawl with JBL. Piper stalked DiBiase, who was on knees begging and pleading for mercy. He attacked and whipped DiBiase around the ring, punching and kicking and clotheslining him. After DiBiase took a high elevation back body drop, he scrambled out to the floor. When Piper went out to get DiBiase, he received a low blow, and then he was thrown head-first into the side of the steel ring steps. DiBiase put Piper in the Million Dollar Dream and dropped him when he appeared to go limp. He got back in the ring. Meanwhile, JBL stood on top of a broadcast announce table with the intention of powerbombing Sting through the other. Sting resisted and managed to give JBL a Scorpion Death Drop, causing the table to collapse beneath them. DiBiase implored the referee to countout Piper, who began to stir half way through the count. However, what went unseen by the referee was two pairs of hands holding onto Piper from under the ring apron. The referee reached the count of ten. Roode and Storm emerged from under the ring, and the Billion Dollar Corporation stole a win right out from under Piper and Sting! (17:23) --
Winners: “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase & John Bradshaw Layfield
WWE INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: DANIEL BRYAN vs. RICKY STEAMBOAT : A classic back-and-forth game of one upmanship was on full display here as they chain wrestled and countered and reverse everything that was thrown at one another in the early going. As the match went on it felt like when one guy gave the other a move, the other would respond with something of his own. Both Bryan and Steamboat made attempts to submit the other with the Yes! Lock. Steamboat put Bryan in a figure-four leglock that was reversed, re-reversed, and reversed again several times. It was a long spot that was appreciated by the crowd. Bryan kicked out of the diving crossbody and Steamboat kicked out of the running high-knee strike. Bryan attempted a diving crossbody and landed it, but Steamboat kicked out it. About a minute later, Steamboat gave Bryan the running high-knee strike, but Bryan kicked out of it. When Bryan went for another running high-knee strike, Steamboat did a baseball slide under it. Bryan hit the turnbuckles and landed on the back of his shoulders and neck. Steamboat nailed him with a running dropkick, then put him on the top turnbuckle and executed a frankensteiner. After that, he went to the top rope and executed another diving crossbody. He stuck the landing and held it with a lateral press for the 1-2-3 to become the first WWE Intercontinental Champion. (26:17) --
Winner: Ricky Steamboat
WWE UNIVERSAL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: HULK HOGAN vs. JOHN CENA vs. ROMAN REIGNS : Hulk Hogan and John Cena were throwing punches at each other outside the ring when Roman Reigns rolled out of the ring and took them both through the barricade with a double spear. It was a while before Reigns started to move. He picked up Cena and returned him to the ring where he pinned him for a 2-count. Reigns lifted Cena onto his shoulders and went to the second rope where he jumped off, executing a Samoan drop. Reigns made the cover. 1…2… Hogan grabbed Reigns by the foot and pulled him out to the floor. He gave Reigns several punches and then whipped him into the steel ring steps.
Hogan entered the ring and gave Cena a big boot to knock him down. He scooped him up and executed a bodyslam. Hogan ran to the ropes and returned, going for the running leg drop. Cena popped up, lifted Hogan onto his shoulders, and in one fell swoop, executed the Attitude Adjustment. Cena covered. 1…2… kick out! Hogan was puffing his cheeks and shaking all over. He was hulking up. He got to his feet and blocked Cena’s attacks. Hogan threw punches, backing Cena into the corner. He gave him a cross-corner whip and followed in with a running clothesline. He sent Cena to the other side of the ring and gave him another running clothesline. He climbed to the second turnbuckle and gave Cena ten punches. Just as he finished, Reigns lifted him off the second rope and executed a sit-out crucifix bomb. He made the pin, but Cena broke it up at two with a kick to the back.
Cena and Reigns traded punches until Reigns went for a Superman punch. Cena ducked it, ran to the ropes and executed a leaping shoulder block. He did it again and again. Reigns got up and swung wildly at Cena, but missed and ended up on the receiving end of a spin-out powerbomb. Cena gave Reigns the Five Knuckle Shuffle and covered him. 1…2… Hogan stomped on Cena to broke up the fall. He scooped up Cena bodyslammed him on top of Reigns. He laid Cena out right next to Reigns, ran to the ropes and executed the running leg drop onto both men! Hogan covered both men. 1…2… they both kicked out.
Hogan picked up Reigns and tossed him out to the floor. He went back to Cena, who tried to surprise him by lifting him into a fireman’s carry. Hogan broke loose and gave Cena an atomic drop and then a vertical suplex. He floated over for the pin and got a 2-count. Hogan then flipped Cena over and applied a camel clutch. He held Cena in the hold for about half a minute before Cena started to power out. In an incredible display of power, Cena rose to his feet with Hogan on his back and then fell backwards to break the hold.
They were both down for nearly ten seconds but got up at the same time and took turns laying punches in on one another. Finally, Hogan blocked and landed several shots, backing Cena into the ropes. Hogan went for an Irish whip. Cena reversed it. He dropped his head for a back body drop, but Hogan cling to the ropes. When Cena looked up, Hogan took him down with a running big boot. Hogan gave him a piledriver. He cupped his ear in all directions, a signal that it is was time to end it. He ran to the ropes. When he turned, he was hit with a spear! Reigns left him clutching his ribs and stalked Cena. When Cena rose to his feet, Reigns nailed him with a spear. He pushed Cena’s body out of the ring, then stalked Hogan and gave him a second spear! Reigns made the cover. 1…2…3! Paul Heyman took the WWE Universal Championship out of the referee’s hands and presented it to its new holder – Roman Reigns! (31:14) --
Winner: Roman Reigns
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