WrestleMania 38 Matches and Moments That Will Go Down in WWE History

0 of 5

Credit: WWE

WrestleMania 38 was two days filled with tons of action, but some moments were more memorable than others.

This is the biggest pro wrestling event of the year, so even if WWE doesn’t always build up every storyline in a satisfying way, it usually delivers when it comes time for the show. 

We saw some big returns, a few titles changed hands, and the 76-year-old chairman stepped into the ring for the first time in years.

A few of the matches stood out above the rest, but some of the most iconic moments took place after the final bell had rung.

Let’s look at some of the most memorable events from the marquee pay-per-view. 

1 of 5

When WWE announced Kevin Owens and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin would close the first night of WrestleMania with a talk-show segment, a lot of fans were left scratching their heads.

Thankfully, WWE had a trick up its sleeve. While we did get an episode of The KO Show, we also got a full match between Owens and Austin. This marked The Rattlesnake’s first time competing in the ring in 19 years.

Not only did he wrestle, but he and KO also had a full-blown No Holds Barred bout that saw them fight in the crowd, on the stage and in the ring. They used tables, chairs, an ATV and several cans of beer along the way.

Both men hit their Stunners, but it was Austin who ended the contest with his trademark finisher. If the 57-year-old feels he has more to give, this might not be the last time we see him lace up his boots.

Stone Cold closing out the first night of ‘Mania with a Stunner and a few beers is going to be something his fans are talking about for years to come. 

2 of 5

After six years away, Cody Rhodes made his return to WWE on Saturday night in a match against Seth Rollins that tore the house down.

The American Nightmare left WWE in 2016 to see what he could do on his own in the world of pro wrestling. After working for several prominent promotions such as Impact, Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro-Wrestling, he founded All Elite Wrestling with Tony Khan, Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks. 

When it was announced that Rhodes would be leaving AEW and was rumored to be re-signing with WWE, fans were in shock. Nobody knew how the WWE Universe would react, but when he showed up at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, the crowd went wild.

Seeing him return to a big ovation and put on a Match of the Year candidate with Rollins gives hope that this run will finally see him win the WWE Championship and fulfill a childhood dream.

Rhodes’ return was one of the worst-kept secrets in pro wrestling, but the moment his music hit on Saturday is still going to be something we will remember for a long time. 

3 of 5

When Becky Lynch defeated Bianca Belair for the Raw Women’s Championship at SummerSlam in 26 seconds, a lot of fans were upset. They felt it was a terrible way to end The EST of WWE’s reign just to get the returning Superstar some heel heat.

For months, it felt like WWE was not going to revisit this storyline. Lynch moved on to other challengers while Belair worked a few smaller feuds with people like Doudrop.

When it was revealed that Big Time Becks would defend her belt against Belair at The Show of Shows, a lot of people started paying attention.

Not only did we get to witness The EST recapture the belt she lost in the most unceremonious of ways, but she also did it in what was easily one of the best matches of the entire weekend.

They took each other to the limit and did everything they could to ensure this was an unforgettable chapter in their feud. We did not hear from Lynch during Monday’s Raw, so it’s tough to say if she will continue her rivalry with Belair or if the champ will move on to somebody new. 

4 of 5

We like to remember the good times, but not every memorable moment is something we can hold up as a great example of pro wrestling. Sometimes, it’s memorable because it’s so bad.

On Sunday night, Vince McMahon had two moments that will go down as being memorable for all the wrong reasons. 

The first happened at the end of his impromptu match with Pat McAfee. The WWE chairman finished off the former NFL star by kicking a football into his stomach. There is no way to convey to you in print how anticlimactic this was. 

A few minutes later, Austin came to the ring and offered McMahon a beer. Despite having hundreds of examples that tell him he should not trust Stone Cold in this scenario, Mr. McMahon accepted the can and closed his eyes as he took a big gulp.

What happened next is equal parts funny and sad. Austin went to deliver a classic Stunner, but the WWE owner stumbled. It ended up creating the most awkward Stunner in the history of the company. 

While it’s fun to laugh at stuff like this, we have to remember McMahon is 76 years old. At that age, most people are sitting on their couch enjoying retirement if they’re lucky. The WWE chairman is out there taking bumps. As bad as it looked, we have to give him credit for at least trying to make it work. 

Unfortunately for him, though, this is a moment that has already been turned into a GIF and shared thousands of times on social media, so it won’t be going away anytime soon. 

5 of 5

The match that closed Night 2 of WrestleMania was the biggest showdown on the entire card. Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns put the WWE and Universal Championships on the line in a Winner Take All unification match. 

While the bout they put on was in line with their previous encounters, seeing Reigns win clean and hoist both belts above his head triumphantly created a memorable image.

This is not the first time The Tribal Chief has bested The Beast Incarnate, but it’s the first time he’s done it on The Grandest Stage of Them All. Lesnar won their bout at WrestleMania 34 and Seth Rollins interrupted their WrestleMania 31 encounter by cashing in his Money in the Bank contract to win the title. 

Sunday marked their third ‘Mania encounter, and Reigns came out on top this time. This not only cemented him as the top star in all of WWE, but it has also led to a lot of speculation about what this means for the titles.

Will The Tribal Chief unify them into one? Will he defend them separately? Will he abandon one of the belts so WWE has to find a new champion?

Reigns said he will reveal his next step during Friday’s SmackDown, so hopefully we will get some answers to those questions then.