NIGHT ONELive from AT&T Stadium in
Arlington, Texas
On April 2, 2022 ***
WWE Commentary Team: Mauro Ranallo, Tony Schiavone, and Corey Graves
WWE Ring Announcer: Howard Finkel
WWE Backstage Reporter: Mean Gene Okerlund
Match recaps are not summaries of matches from start to finish. All matches are joined already in progress.
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WRESTLEMANIA KICKOFF MATCH: LITA vs. BAYLEY : Lita executed a Twist of Fate and made the cover. Bayley kicked out at the count of two. Lita dragged Bayley into position for the Litasault and climbed the turnbuckle. Bayley got up and pushed Lita’s feet out from under her, crotching her on the top turnbuckle. Bayley gave her forearms to the back and climbed the turnbuckles. She went for an inverted frankensteiner, but Lita landed on her feet. Lita hit Bayley with a front dropkick, sending her into the turnbuckles. Lita charged in and Bayley moved, causing Lita to slam her shoulder into the turnbuckle post. Bayley lifted Lita onto the top turnbuckle. She climbed up and tried to get Lita in a super Bayley-to-belly, but Lita fought her off, eventually knocking her off the top rope. Lita gave Bayley a Litacanrana and followed it with a Lita DDT. She went up top and executed the Litasault. 1-2-3! (9:38)
Winner by Pinfall: Lita
8-MAN TAG TEAM MATCH: THE ELITE (KENNY OMEGA, ADAM PAGE and THE YOUNG BUCKS vs. THE BLOODLINE (ROMAN REIGNS, UMAGA and THE USOS) : The Usos hit Omga and Page with superkicks, then went to the top rope and executed stereo frog splashes on them. Matt and Nick Jackson came in and attacked Jimmy and Jey Uso, giving them lots of superkicks and served up BTE Triggers. Umaga entered the ring and ran through Matt and Nick with a double clothesline. He gave them both Samoan Spikes. Page slingshot himself into the ring and took Umaga off his feet with a Buckshot Lariat. Before he could do anything more, Roman Reigns nailed him with a spear. Omega ran up from behind and executed a Kotaro Krusher. He picked up Reigns and lifted him onto his shoulders in the electric chair position. Reigns wouldn’t let him get a hand behind his neck and hit Omega with many punches until Omega stumbled, allowing Reigns to get back to the mat on his feet. Reigns gave Omega a powerbomb and covered. Omega kicked out, and Reigns immediately transitioned to a triangle choke. Matt and Nick Jackson tried to make the save, but the Usos cut them off with Samoan drops. Outside the ring, Page got to his feet, but the Samoan Bulldozer nailed him with a pounce that sent him crashing into the ring steps. With no one left to save Omega, he finally tapped out. (18:06)
Winners by Submission: The Bloodline
UWA UNIVERSAL WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: SASHA BANKS {c} vs. NYLA ROSE : Banks went for a diving attack off the turnbuckle, but Rose countered with a sit-out powerbomb that got a long two-count. Rose picked up Banks and gave her a front suplex to drape her over the top rope. Rose climbed the turnbuckle and gave Banks a diving knee drop to the back of the head, knocking her off the top rope in the process. She pinned her again, but Banks kicked out. Rose applied a camel clutch. Banks freed up her arms and Rose gave her seated sentons and re-applied. When Banks broke free the second time, Rose hit the mat with her seated senton. Banks cut off Rose’s circulation with some headscissors. Rose nearly passed out before getting to the ropes to force a break. When Rose got up, Banks gave her a few springboard arm drags. Rose got up in the corner and Banks ran in with a high knee to the face. Banks sent Rose into the other corner and took her out of the corner with a monkey flip. She went to the top rope and executed a meteora. She made the pin, but Rose kicked out at two. Banks tried for a whip, but Rose was too strong, and ended up reversing it. Rose charged in for a body avalanche, but Banks got out of the corner and Rose hit the turnbuckles. Banks executed the backstabber and rolled it into the Bank Statement. Rose tried to hold on for a few seconds before tapping out. (12:29)
Winners by Pinfall: Sasha Banks
SMACKDOWN TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: THE HART FOUNDATION {c} vs. THE DUDLEY BOYZ : Bret Hart ducked a clothesline attempt from D-Von Dudley, then caught him with a dropkick as he rebounded off the ropes. Hart followed with a pendulum backbreaker, some rope-assisted seated sentons to the knee, a side Russian legsweep, and a pointed elbow drop from the second turnbuckle. He made the pink, but D-Von kicked out. Hart then put him in the Sharpshooter. D-Von crawled toward the ropes, but Hart pulled him back. When D-Von appeared to be on the verge of tapping out, Bubba Ray entered the ring. The referee cut him off. D-Von tapped out, but the referee didn’t see it. Jim Neidhart entered the ring and started fighting with Bubba Ray. Hart released the hold and saw Bubba Ray thumbing Neidhart in the eye. Hart ran over and dropkicked Bubba through the ropes. Neidhart went back to the ring apron and Hart tagged him in. They set up D-Von for the Hart Attack, but Bubba Ray tripped Hart as he hit the ropes, and pulled him out of the ring, where he gave him a Bubba Bomb on the floor. Neidhart released D-Von and went over to leave the ring. The referee stopped him. Bubba Ray and The Anvil traded words. Bubba Ray jumped onto the ring apron, which had the referee get between the two and order Bubba Ray to his corner. Meanwhile, D-Von crawled over and delivered a low blow to The Anvil. Bubba Ray ran to his corner. D-Von tagged him. Together they gave The Anvil the 3-D. Bubba Ray covered him. 1-2-3! And just like that, there were new Smackdown Tag Team Champions. (14:21)
Winners by Pinfall: The Dudley Boyz
RICKY STEAMBOAT vs. SHAWN MICHAELS : Ricky Steamboat climbed the turnbuckle and went for a diving chop, but Shawn Michaels ducked out of the way. Steamboat turned around and Michaels gave him a dropkick. He whipped Steamboat into the ropes and dropped his head for a back body drop but Steamboat countered with a sunset flip that got a two-count. Once back to their feet, Steamboat lit into Michaels with chops before giving him a bridging northern lights suplex. Michaels kicked out at two. Steamboat picked up Michaels and whipped him into the corner hard enough for Michaels to flip up onto the turnbuckle. Steamboat climbed up and took him back down to the mat with a super belly-to-back suplex. He covered and Michaels kicked out at two. Steamboat grabbed Michaels and gave him a piledriver. He made the pin. 1…2… kick out! Failing to get the win there, Steamboat decided to apply a figure four leglock. Michaels remained in the hold for a while before he reversed it. Steamboat struggled to reach the ropes. Instead, he eventually turned it back over, causing Michaels to scramble to get to the ropes. When he did, the hold had to be broken.
Michaels escaped to the floor. Steamboat tried to hit him with a suicide dive, but Michaels sidestepped him and directed him into the barricade. Michaels picked up Steamboat and gave him a teardrop suplex on the floor. He grabbed Steamboat and tossed him back into the ring. Michaels climbed the turnbuckle and executed a diving elbow drop. He made the cover. 1…2… kick out! Michaels gave Steamboat some space. He started to tune up the band. When Steamboat reached his feet, Michaels went for Sweet Chin Music. Steamboat did a matrix evasion, then turned and hit an enzuigiri kick. Steamboat ran to the ropes and hit Michaels with a flying forearm. He pinned him for two. Steamboat picked up Michaels and gave him a float-over vertical suplex. Michaels kicked out again. Steamboat climbed the turnbuckles. When Michaels got up, he went for the diving crossbody. Michaels dropkicked him out of mid-air. Michaels made the cover. Steamboat kicked out. Michaels set up for Sweet Chin Music again. This time, Steamboat did a somersault roll to avoid it. When Michaels turned to face him, Steamboat gave him a hurricanrana. He hooked in the legs for the pin. Michaels kicked out. Steamboat laid in some forearm shots and went for the Irish whip, but Michaels reversed it. He went for a clothesline, but Steamboat ducked it. Michaels ran to the ropes and they both went for running crossbody blocks. They collided and both landed flat on their backs.
The referee administered his standing ten-count. Both men answered it at the count of nine. They got up and traded punches and then knife-edge chops. Steamboat hit Michaels with a dropkick to take him down and pinned him with a jackknife hold. Michaels powered out at two and reversed it into a backslide pin. Steamboat kicked out and took Michaels down into a crucifix pin for two. Michaels then brought Steamboat down into a la magistral for two. Michaels went for a sunset flip, but Steamboat rolled free and sat down on him with a double-leg cradle for two. Steamboat tried for a clothesline, but Michaels ducked it and brought him down into a school-boy for two. As soon as Steamboat got up, Michaels caught him in the ear with Sweet Chin Music, but Steamboat fell sideways through the ropes. Michaels went outside and picked him up. He tossed Steamboat into the ring and pinned him with a lateral press. 1…2… kick out!
Michaels created some distance between he and his opponent. When Steamboat started to stir, Michaels started tuning up the band. Instead of getting up, Steamboat rolled out of the ring. Michaels climbed the turnbuckle and took down Steamboat with a plancha from off the top rope. Michaels picked up Steamboat, who blocked getting tossed into the ring with a elbow to the face and then by slamming HBK’s face off the ring apron. Steamboat went for an Irish whip, but Michaels reversed it and Steamboat hit the barricade. Michaels charged at him, but received a back body drop over the barricade. Steamboat climbed over the barricade and went to work chopping Michaels’ chest. Michaels fired back with chops and punches. Steamboat gave Michaels a suplex on the exposed floor. He sent Michaels into the barricade with an Irish whip, then gave him a running clothesline to send him back to ringside. Steamboat climbed onto the barricade and went for a diving crossbody. Michaels countered it with a backbreaker. Michaels cleared off the announce table and placed Steamboat on it. He went to the top turnbuckle and went for a moonsault, but Steamboat rolled off the table, causing Michaels to hit nothing but wood!
HBK’s high risk didn’t yield a high reward. In fact, he laid on the floor clutching his ribs. Steamboat took advantage by tossing Michaels into the ring and going up to the top rope. When Michaels got to his feet, Steamboat dove off and landed the diving crossbody on him. He held the lateral press and hooked the leg. 1…2…3! Michaels made a kick out attempt, but he was a second too late. Steamboat was named the winner. After the match, while still clutching his ribs, Michaels interrupted Steamboat’s victory celebration to shake his hand before leaving the ring. (32:37)
Winner by Pinfall: Ricky Steamboat
SMACKDOWN UNITED STATES CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: WALTER {c} vs. BROCK LESNAR : Brock Lesnar gave WALTER several release German suplexes in a row. He lifted WALTER onto his shoulders. WALTER elbowed him in the side of the head and dropped down behind Lesnar. He shoves him into the corner and ran in with a wicked knife-edge chop. WALTER lit into Lesnar’s chest and didn’t let up until it looked like raw meat. Finally, WALTER gave Lesnar a series of release German suplexes. He climbed the turnbuckle and went for a splash. Lesnar rolled out of the way, then put WALTER in a Kimura Lock. WALTER scrambled around on the mat until he got a toe looped around the bottom rope to force a break. WALTER rolled out of the ring and went for a walk.
Lesnar left the ring and charged at him. WALTER put up his foot and Lesnar ran right into it. WALTER picked up Lesnar and whipped him into the barricade, then gave him a running clothesline to knock him into the front row. WALTER climbed over the barricade and went at Lesnar with chops to the chest and knee lifts to the mid-section. WALTER looked like he was going for a biel throw, but Lesnar turned threw it and sent WALTER flying over the barricade and landing hard on his back. Lesnar cleared off the announce table and went to pick up WALTER, but he raked Lesnar’s eyes and slammed his forehead into the turnbuckle post. WALTER went to pick up Lesnar, but Lesnar picked him up and ran with him across the floor until finally tackling WALTER into the barricade, dislodging it in the process.
When they finally got back up, Lesnar tried to take WALTER into the ring, but WALTER slammed Lesnar’s face off the ring apron then gave him a short-arm clothesline. He picked up Lesnar and gave him a powerbomb through the announce table. WALTER returned to the ring and told the ref to count him out. Lesnar was slow to get up, but he made it to the ring with half a second to spare. WALTER charged at him, but received an overhead belly-to-belly suplex. Lesnar picked WALTER, who slipped free right away and applied a Gojira Clutch. Lesnar began to fade, but he lifted WALTER on his back and ran him back into the turnbuckles to break it. Lesnar took WALTER out of the corner with a release German suplex. He charged at WALTER, who dropped him with a big boot. WALTER gave Lesnar a shotgun dropkick that sent him slamming into the turnbuckles, and then gave him a brainbuster. He went to the top rope and executed the splash. He made the pin. Lesnar kicked out at two. WALTER then picked him up and gave him a Golden Bomb. He covered. Lesnar kicked out again. WALTER picked up Lesnar and gave him a Burning Lariat, then picked up one more time and executed a Fire Thunder Driver. 1…2…3! (11:33)
Winner by Pinfall: WALTER
UWA UNIVERSAL TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: STRIKE FORCE {c} vs. HARLEM HEAT : Booker T tagged in Stevie Ray and he knocked down Rick Martel with a clothesline, then picked him up and put him in an elevated bear hug. Booker T hit him with a Harlem side kick, culminating in the Big Apple Blast! Stevie Ray made the cover. Tito Santana dove in with an axehandle smash to break up the fall. Booker T tried to attack Santana, but he saw him coming and hit him with a dropkick. Stevie Ray sent Santana over the top rope with a clothesline. He picked up Martel and tried to set him up for the Slapjack, but Martel freed his arms and swept Stevie Ray’s legs out from under him, then turned him over into the Boston crab. Booker T broke it up with a roundhouse kick to the back of Martel’s head. Booker T went back to the ring apron as Stevie Ray crawled over to make the hot tag. Booker went up to the top turnbuckle and took Martel off his feet with a missile dropkick. He gave him an elevated knee drop to the back of the head and pinned him. Santana made the save. Stevie Ray tried to attack Santana, but he ducked and sent Stevie Ray over the top rope with a flying forearm. Booker T tried to give Martel the Bookend, but he blocked it with elbow shots to the back of the head, then transitioned into The Stroke. He made the cover, but Booker T kicked out. Martel went to the corner and tagged out. Santana went to the top rope as Martel took Stevie Ray down with a diving crossbody from the ring apron. The moment Booker T got to his feet, Santana hit him with a diving flying forearm. He made the cover, hooking both legs. 1-2-3! (15:56)
Winners by Pinfall: Strike Force
RAW WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: TRIPLE H {c} vs. “MACHO MAN” RANDY SAVAGE : Triple H set up “Macho Man” Randy Savage for a Pedigree, but he countered with a back body drop. Savage hit Triple H with a couple running double axehandle smashes and then gave him the hairpull hangman. Savage climbed the turnbuckle, and as he did, Triple H rolled to the outside. Savage hit him with a diving double axehandle smash. Savage picked up Triple H, who raked his eyes and whipped him into the barricade. Triple H gave Savage a running clothesline, knocking him into the audience. The reigning RAW World Champion returned to the ring and told the referee to count him out. Savage slid back into the ring just in time to keep the match alive. Triple H charged at him and stayed on him with punches and kicks before whipping him across the ring. He charged towards him but got a boot to the face and a running bulldog takedown. Savage went for the pin, but Triple H kicked out at two. Savage picked him up and executed a vertical suplex. He gave Triple H a pair of leaping knee drops to the head before attempting another cover, which the Cerebral Assassin kicked out of at the count of two. Savage picked up Triple H and got him in position for piledriver, but Triple H countered with a back body drop. When Savage got up, Triple H kicked him in the knee and gave him a snap DDT. He made the cover. Savage kicked out at two.
Triple H changed tactics by going for a submission victory with a figure four leglock. Savage was in considerable pain, but he wouldn’t give up. His shoulders hit the canvas a couple of times, prompting the ref to count him down, but he got up at two. Finally, he managed to turn it over, putting Triple H in pain, and forcing him to claw at the mat until he made it to the ropes to force a break. When they were both back on their feet, they traded punches. Savage started to get the better of the exchange, laying in some rapid-fire jabs on the champ. He got him on the ropes and went for an Irish whip. Triple H reversed it and gave Savage a double-A spinebuster. He made the cover. 1…2… kick out! Triple H picked up Savage and started to hook him arms for the Pedigree, but Savage powered him into the corner, and then gave Triple H a suplex out of the corner. He picked him up and executed a piledriver. He made the cover. 1…2… kick out!
Savage sat down on Triple H’s chest and hammered away at him with several punches to the head. He got up and gave him a bodyslam, then pointed to the corner. He went out and started climbing the turnbuckle. At the same time, Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley ran around the ring and grabbed two heaping handfuls of Miss Elizabeth’s hair. Elizabeth cried out in pain as Stephanie shouted for Savage’s attention. He stood on the top turnbuckle and saw what was going on. Stephanie threatened to hurt Elizabeth, and Savage lost his cool. He got down from the turnbuckle and dropped to the floor, pointing at Stephanie and pleading for her to let his manager go. Stephanie pulled on Elizabeth’s hair as she backed away. The referee hopped out of the ring to deal with the situation. Bobby “The Brain” Heenan came over to demand the referee get back in the ring and count the Macho Man out. With the referee turning his back to Savage, Elizabeth, and Stephanie, Triple H was able to sneak up from behind Savage and hit him in the back of the head with the butt end of his trusty sledgehammer. Savage fell like a ton of bricks. Stephanie shoved Elizabeth into the steps and laughed about it. Triple H picked up Savage’s lifeless body and rolled him into the ring, where he executed a Pedigree and pinned the Macho Man. 1…2…3! (24:20)
Winner by Pinfall: Triple H
SMACKDOWN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: STING {c} vs. THE UNDERTAKER : The Undertaker put Sting in a chokehold. He went for a chokeslam, but Sting broke free in mid-air and took the Deadman down into a Fujiwara armbar. The Undertaker had to scramble to get to the ropes. He rolled outside after the rope break. The ref blocked Sting for exiting, so he went to the top turnbuckle and hit The Undertaker with a diving crossbody. Sting picked him up and went to throw him back in the ring, but The Undertaker blocked, elbowed Sting in the face and then slammed his face down on the apron. The Undertaker whipped him into the steps, then charged over and drilled him with a knee to the side of the head, which made an even bigger sound against the steps. The Undertaker picked up Sting and tossed him into the ring. Sting rolled away to the far side of the ring and got up, but The Undertaker stalked him. He gave him some uppercut throat thrusts until he got Sting trapped in the corner. After a few more shots, The Undertaker tried to whip Sting out of the corner. Sting reversed it, sending The Undertaker into the corner. He ran in and landed a Stinger Splash on him. Sting whipped The Undertaker across the ring, then followed in for another Stinger Splash, but the Deadman moved out of the way. The Undertaker scooped him up for a Tombstone, but Sting slipped free behind him and executed the Scorpion Death Drop. He made the cover. 1…2… kick out!
Sting couldn’t believe it. After questioning the referee, he decided to try for the Scorpion Deathlock. The Undertaker fought him off, eventually kicking him with enough force to put Sting on his back. The Undertaker sat up right. When they both got up, they traded punches. At first, The Undertaker appeared to get the better of the exchange, but then Sting battled back, alternating jabs to the head and chops to the chest. With The Undertaker on the ropes, Sting went for a whip. The Deadman reversed it and ran at him for a clothesline. Sting ducked it and ran by him. Both men came off opposite ropes and hit each other clotheslines, knocking each other out. The Undertaker answered the referee’s standing ten-count at eight, and Sting got up at nine, giving him a one-second advantage to attack with a big boot. The Undertaker followed it up with a chokeslam. He made the throat slitting gesture, then scooped up Sting and gave him the Tombstone. The Undertaker made the pin. 1…2… shoulder up!
The Undertaker looked wide-eyed at the referee. Paul Bearer held the urn up and shouted at him not to lose focus – that he must do it again! As he tried to pick up Sting, the Icon pulled him into a small package. The Undertaker kicked out at two. The Undertaker went for a big boot, but Sting blocked it, then gave him a dropkick and put him in the Scorpion Deathlock. The Undertaker refused to quit. He slowly made his way to the ropes to force a break. Sting allowed him to get up before running at him to give him a clothesline. The Undertaker went over the top rope but landed on his feet on the floor. He immediately tripped up Sting and pulled him outside where he gave him a chokeslam on the floor. He picked up Sting and rolled him into the ring. The Undertaker picked him up and gave him the Last Ride. He made the cover. 1…2… kick out! He picked up Sting again and gave him another Tombstone. 1…2…3!
A new Smackdown World Champion was crowned. Sting remained on the canvas in the middle of the ring for quite some time. When he finally started to move, he got up and offered a handshake to The Undertaker, who accepted it. Sting raised the new champion’s hand and clapped for him before bowing out of the ring to allow the new champion to take the spotlight. (21:14)
Winner by Pinfall: The Undertaker