Welcome to our complete WWE WrestleMania 39 review, taking an in-depth look back at the historic two-day extravaganza that took over SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on April 1 and April 2, 2023. Entering the event, the stakes were extraordinarily high. This was the first WrestleMania under the complete creative control of Paul “Triple H” Levesque, and WWE was riding an unprecedented wave of momentum driven primarily by the Bloodline saga.
Looking back, “WrestleMania Goes Hollywood” provided a defining turning point for modern professional wrestling. It delivered a near-perfect first night, world-class physical battles on the second night, and a main event ending that stunned the wrestling world.
Table of Contents for WWE WrestleMania 39 Review
WWE WrestleMania 39 Review (Night 1 Breakdown)
Match 1: Austin Theory (c) vs. John Cena (WWE United States Championship)
Opening the show with John Cena was a smart promotional choice to get the stadium buzzing early, but the match itself left much to be desired. The story WWE wanted to tell was clear: Theory was attempting to prove that the legend was washed up, while Cena was playing his classic veteran role.
Unfortunately, the execution was slow and limited. Cena waded through his signature moves with visible caution, and Theory’s control segments lacked urgency. The finish—a referee bump followed by a blatant low blow from Theory to set up the A-Town Down—protected Cena, but it did little to elevate Theory into a genuine star. It felt more like an opportunistic win than a star-making coronation.
Rating: 2.25 / 5.00
Match 2: Men’s Showcase Tag Team Fatal 4-Way
Braun Strowman & Ricochet vs. Street Profits vs. Alpha Academy vs. Viking Raiders
This four-way multi-team match had zero build, but its sole job was to inject pure high-energy athleticism into the midcard, and it delivered cleanly.
The highlight came when Chad Gable delivered a mind-boggling German Suplex to Braun Strowman, drawing massive cheers from the crowd. Ricochet followed with a stunning Shooting Star Press to the outside, before Montez Ford hit his signature sky-high Frog Splash to secure the victory for The Street Profits. Fast, crisp, and executed with maximum efficiency.
Rating: 3.75 / 5.00
Match 3: Seth “Freakin” Rollins vs. Logan Paul
This was a masterpiece of sports entertainment spectacle. Logan Paul made his grand entrance ziplining down into the arena, accompanied by a mascot dressed as a giant Prime energy drink bottle. Seth Rollins countered with a flamboyant conductor outfit, leading 80,000 fans in singing his theme song.
Inside the ring, Logan Paul proved once again that his natural athletic intuition for professional wrestling is elite. The match shifted into high gear when the Prime bottle mascot was revealed to be YouTube star KSI. In a legendary comedy-action spot, Rollins pulled KSI onto the announce table just as Logan jumped off the top turnbuckle, causing Logan to accidentally smash his own business partner through the wood. Rollins sealed the victory shortly after with a mid-air Stomp off a buckshot lariat counter.
Rating: 4.25 / 5.00
Match 4: Becky Lynch, Lita & Trish Stratus vs. Damage CTRL (Bayley, Dakota Kai & Iyo Sky)
This match relied heavily on Hall of Fame nostalgia, bringing together two generations of women’s wrestling pioneers. Damage CTRL worked as the cohesive unit, isolating Lita and Trish Stratus to build a hot tag to Becky Lynch.
While Trish and Lita naturally showed some speed limitations compared to their prime years, their major spots were executed cleanly. The crowd erupted when Trish landed a Chick Kick and Lita hit a Moonsault, setting up Lynch to hit a Manhandle Slam off the top rope on Bayley for the pinfall. A solid, fun nostalgia trip that rewarded the live crowd.
Rating: 3.25 / 5.00
Match 5: Rey Mysterio vs. Dominik Mysterio
The emotional execution of this father-versus-son rivalry was brilliant. Dominik entered the arena in a police transport van wearing a replica of his father’s mask, leaning completely into his delusional “Dirty Dom” prison persona. Rey countered by entering with legendary rapper Snoop Dogg in a lowrider, paying tribute to Eddie Guerrero.
The match psychology was built on Rey hesitating to strike his own son, while Dominik abused his father emotionally and physically. The tipping point arrived when Dominik threw a drink at his own sister at ringside and shoved his mother, prompting Rey’s family to get involved. Bad Bunny, sitting at ringside, snatched a steel chain out of Dominik’s hands, allowing Rey to hit the 619 and a Frog Splash for a deeply satisfying babyface victory.
Rating: 4.00 / 5.00
Match 6: Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Rhea Ripley (WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship)
This was not just the match of the night—it stands as one of the single greatest women’s matches in WWE history. From the opening bell, both athletes eschewed standard wrestling rhythms in favor of a brutal, stiff, heavy-hitting fight.
Charlotte Flair wrestled with chip-on-the-shoulder intensity, landing a terrifying German suplex that flipped Ripley directly onto her face. Ripley fought back with equal savagery, selling her limb damage while unleashing brute force. The sequences in the final five minutes were breathtaking, featuring reversals into the Figure-Eight and Riptide. The finish—Ripley knocking Charlotte off the top turnbuckle and smashing her with a top-rope Avalanche Riptide—was a star-making coronation that blew the roof off SoFi Stadium.
Rating: 4.75 / 5.00
Match 7: The Usos (c) vs. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn (Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship)
For the first time in WrestleMania history, tag team titles headlined the show, and the match fully earned that spot. The story was built on two years of deep Bloodline manipulation, testing the bond between longtime friends Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn against the dominant brotherhood of Jimmy and Jey Uso.
The in-ring storytelling was emotionally exhausting in the best way possible. The Usos hit Zayn with every finishing maneuver in their arsenal, including a mid-air 1-D, but Zayn refused to stay down. Owens took huge bumps on the outside, including a brainbuster through the announce table. In the dramatic climax, Zayn faced Jey Uso alone in the ring—the brother who had trusted him most—and delivered three consecutive Helluva Kicks to end the Usos’ historic 622-day title reign. A triumphant, tear-filled payoff.
Rating: 5.00 / 5.00
WWE WrestleMania 39 Review (Night 2 Breakdown)
Match 1: Brock Lesnar vs. Omos (w/ MVP)
Night 2 opened with a classic attraction match. WWE kept this simple: two giants colliding to test raw power. Omos dominated the early minutes, body-slamming Lesnar with ease and trapping him in bear hugs.
Lesnar sold Omos’ mass convincingly, making his eventual comeback hit with extra impact. Once Brock found an opening, he delivered three consecutive German suplexes to the 400-pound giant. The highlight came when Brock lifted Omos onto his shoulders for a massive F-5 to score the three-count in under five minutes. Perfect opening spectacle.
Rating: 3.00 / 5.00
Match 2: Women’s Showcase Tag Team Fatal 4-Way
Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez vs. Natalya & Shotzi vs. Ronda Rousey & Shayna Baszler vs. Chelsea Green & Sonya Deville
Unlike the men’s showcase match on Night 1, this four-way match struggled to find a flow. The action felt disjointed, with several missed cues and sloppy transitions throughout the multi-woman exchanges.
Ronda Rousey was clearly dealing with an arm injury, entering late in the match to apply an armbar on Shotzi for a quick tap-out victory. It served its purpose of giving Rousey and Baszler a win, but it did little to engage the audience.
Rating: 1.75 / 5.00
Match 3: Gunther (c) vs. Sheamus vs. Drew McIntyre (WWE Intercontinental Championship)
An absolute, uncompromising physical war. These three men walked into SoFi Stadium and delivered a hard-hitting masterpiece that reminded everyone why the Intercontinental Championship holds such legendary prestige.
From the first minute, chops were ringing across the stadium until all three wrestlers had bloody, bruised chests. The match hit peak intensity when Sheamus delivered his White Noise off the top rope to McIntyre, followed by a Brogue Kick, only for Gunther to break up the pin at the last millisecond. In the climax, McIntyre hit Sheamus with a Claymore Kick, but Gunther dove in with a top-rope splash onto both men, powerbombed McIntyre onto Sheamus’ spine, and landed a brutal second powerbomb on McIntyre to retain his belt.
Rating: 5.00 / 5.00
Match 4: Bianca Belair (c) vs. Asuka (WWE Raw Women’s Championship)
Following a five-star war is a tough assignment, but Belair and Asuka delivered a technically sharp, highly athletic championship bout. Asuka debuted her dark “Kana” face-paint persona, bringing an aggressive, submission-heavy style to counter Belair’s raw strength.
The match featured smooth counter-wrestling, particularly around Asuka’s submission holds. Asuka attempted to spray green mist into Belair’s eyes, but Belair ducked, countered an armbar attempt into a powerlift, and nailed the Kiss of Death (KOD) to retain her title. A clean, professional outing.
Rating: 3.75 / 5.00
Match 5: The Miz vs. Shane McMahon & Snoop Dogg
What was supposed to be a surprise appearance turned into a real-time crisis response. Shane McMahon made a shock return to face host The Miz, but just seconds into the match, Shane tore his quad muscle while attempting a leapfrog.
Snoop Dogg stepped in with incredible composure. Seeing Shane down, Snoop entered the ring, punched The Miz twice in the jaw, threw off his sunglasses, and delivered an homage “Snoop Elbow” to pin The Miz on the spot. Snoop’s quick thinking saved a potentially awkward live TV disaster.
Rating: 2.50 / 5.00 (Rated for pure entertainment & recovery)
Match 6: Edge vs. “The Demon” Finn Bálor (Hell in a Cell)
This match was built on dark, supernatural themes, with Edge entering as his “Brood” persona and Bálor reviving “The Demon.” WWE painted the cell structure purple, which drew some visual criticism, but the weapons work inside was brutal.
Midway through the match, a ladder thrown by Edge caught Bálor directly on the forehead, causing a deep cut that forced ringside doctors to temporarily pause the action to staple Bálor’s head live on camera. Bálor showed incredible toughness to continue. Edge eventually took total control, hitting a Spear off the ladder before destroying Bálor with a Con-chair-to to wrap up their year-long feud.
Rating: 3.50 / 5.00
Match 7: Roman Reigns (c) vs. Cody Rhodes (Undisputed WWE Universal Championship)
The most anticipated main event in years. Cody Rhodes entered with the entire crowd backing his quest to “finish the story,” while Roman Reigns stepped into the ring with the calm confidence of a champion on a 900+ day reign.
The wrestling was high-level, slow-burn storytelling. Rhodes hit his signature moves, but the Bloodline’s interference slowly wore him down. Referee bumps allowed Solo Sikoa to land cheap shots before being ejected by the referee. Later, The Usos rushed the ring to attack Cody, only for Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn to make the save, hitting Stunners and Helluva Kicks on Reigns to leave him helpless.
With the crowd ready to erupt for Cody’s crowning moment, Solo Sikoa snuck back to ringside wearing a hoodie. As Cody ran the ropes to deliver a third consecutive Cross Rhodes, Solo struck him with a Samoan Spike out of nowhere. Reigns followed immediately with a thunderous Spear to pin Rhodes and retain his championship, leaving SoFi Stadium in total shock.
Rating: 4.75 / 5.00
Post-Show Editorial Breakdown
BEST MATCH OF THE WEEKEND:
Gunther vs. Sheamus vs. Drew McIntyre (Night 2)
While Zayn & Owens vs. The Usos carried the highest emotional stakes, the IC Title Triple Threat was a perfect 5-star physical masterpiece. It elevated the prestige of the Intercontinental Championship to historic heights.
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT:
Austin Theory vs. John Cena (Night 1)
With the spotlight on Theory to prove his worth against a legend, the match ended up sluggish and forgettable. It failed to give Theory the defining star-making performance he needed.
BEST PERFORMANCE:
Rhea Ripley
Ripley went toe-to-toe with Charlotte Flair in a brutal match, taking painful bumps and delivering an incredible performance that permanently solidified her status as the top women’s superstar in the company.
MOST IMPORTANT MOMENT:
Sami Zayn Pinning Jey Uso (Night 1)
The three-count on Night 1 capped off the most compelling storyline WWE had produced in a decade. It proved that long-term storytelling can deliver an unforgettable payoff on the biggest stage.
BEST BOOKING DECISION:
Putting the Tag Team Championship in the Night 1 Main Event
Rewarding the story of Sami, Owens, and the Usos with the main event slot gave Night 1 an iconic emotional finale that fans will remember forever.
WORST BOOKING DECISION:
The Handling of the Women’s Showcase Match (Night 2)
Rushing an injured Ronda Rousey into a messy multi-team match drained the energy out of the arena during the early part of Night 2.
How The Event Has Aged & Its Historical Legacy
Looking back at WrestleMania 39 years later, the perception of the main event finish has evolved significantly. At the time, Cody Rhodes losing to Roman Reigns felt like a crushing mistake that deflated the audience. However, history proved Triple H’s vision right.
Holding off Cody’s victory for another year built an even bigger groundswell of fan support, making his eventual victory at WrestleMania XL in Philadelphia one of the greatest moments in wrestling history. WrestleMania 39 stands as the event where WWE officially proved that long-form storytelling was back for good.
Final Verdict: WWE WrestleMania 39 Review
WrestleMania 39 was a massive success. Night 1 remains one of the single greatest wrestling shows WWE has ever put together, while Night 2 delivered unforgettable physical wars despite a controversial ending. It was a spectacular event that proved WWE’s creative era under Triple H was in safe hands. (…..)
OVERALL PLE RATING: 4.50 / 5.00
