Want more wrestling news, rumors, and results? Be sure to visit PWInsider.com and PWInsiderXtra.com.
Welcome to PWInsider.com’s live coverage of the WrestleMania 41 Kickoff Show! The show is airing on Peacock and YouTube:
Michael Cole welcomes everyone to the show to start things off.
Jey Uso is shown arriving.
Gunther is shown walking down a hallway.
Iyo Sky is shown arriving.
Bianca Belair is shown walking outside.
Rhea Ripley is shown walking inside the stadium.
Bron Breakker is shown walking outside.
A video package airs for WrestleMania 41.
Michael Cole and Pat McAfee arrive on the stage and pump up the crowd. Cole wishes Nathan, a fan, “Happy Birthday” before things get started. Cole names all the shows that are happening this weekend and all the fans are ready for them. McAfee is excited for the weekend and all the festivities.
Cole briefly talks about the Sin City Street Fight and introduces Drew McIntyre. McIntyre soaks in the fans singing his name and says that everyone is starting to see the truth. McIntyre always tells the truth and the fans get it. McAfee brings up Cole calling McIntyre a hypocrite and wants to know if Cole has anything to say about the fans showing love to McIntyre. McIntyre cuts him off and wants to know if the fans saw his social media PSA. Apparently, everyone has listened to it so far and he thanks the fans. It must be because when McIntyre talks, everyone listens…unlike when Damien Priest talks.
Cole points to someone wearing a Cole shirt, so McIntyre throws him a deodorant since he’s the type of person who needs it. Cole brings up last year’s WrestleMania and briefly hides behind McAfee. Cole says that McIntyre has obsessed over Priest taking away his moment. Is he ready to get retribution? McIntyre said that Priest took the cheap way out and then needed Judgment Day to succeed. Without Judgment Day, Priest became irrelevant, so he tried to become popular again by throwing McIntyre out of the Royal Rumble.
Priest rushes the stage and exchanges blows with McIntyre. Producers rush out and separate Priest and McIntyre.
Cole talks about some of the shows that fans can attend this weekend.
Cole and McAfee talk about tonight’s Hall of Fame and then introduce Bron Breakker to the stage. Cole mentions that Breakker will be making his WrestleMania debut this weekend. The fans chant “You deserve it!” Breakker says that this is a cool moment because of both his title defense and because his dad and uncle wrestled at WrestleMania IX in Las Vegas. Cole asks Breakker about his opponents at WrestleMania. Breakker says that Penta is incredible, but there is no amount of “no fear” that will save him from Breakker.
Breakker says that Finn Balor attacked him from behind last week on RAW because he’s a coward. He respects what Balor has done for the business and he knows that Balor has championship experience, but he’s going to give him a Super Spear in the center of the ring. Breakker says that Dominik Mysterio should think about just running away on Sunday.
McAfee talks about the odds of winning a Fatal Four-Way Match. The fans chant “Steiner Math!” Breakker recreates the Scott Steiner promo from TNA where he did his Steiner Math, much to the crowd’s delight. He nailed it!
Cole talks about WrestleMania After Dark.
The New Day comes out and Cole says they weren’t invited. Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston don’t care if they weren’t invited. They should have been the first people on the list for the Kickoff. The fans want Big E. Woods says that they should watch the pre-show.
Speaking of the Hall of Fame, the fans are looking at two future Hall of Famers. In fact, The New Day should be going in this year. How many title reigns did the Natural Disasters have? One. Ric Flair and John Cena each have sixteen championship reigns. Well, guess what…? The New Day aren’t chasing any numbers - they ARE the number at 12 title reigns. After they beat the War Raiders, they will be 13 time champions! When The New Day aren’t the champions, the titles aren’t interesting. So - when they win this weekend, the fans will have to… They kept cutting The New Day’s mics so that they didn’t get out “Thank god for The New Day!”
Cole talks about the WWE SuperStore.
A video package airs for the Triple Threat Match between Iyo Sky, Bianca Belair, and Rhea Ripley for the Women’s World Championship.
Cole introduces Rhea Ripley. Cole talks about how Ripley has been on every WrestleMania since 2020 and how important it is to kickoff Sunday with the first match of the night. Ripley says that it’s important because she has been through everything together with Bianca Belair and Iyo Sky. They are the new generation and they’ve worked hard. However, she thought it would always be Rhea Ripley vs. Bianca Belair. Adding Iyo Sky into the mix guarantees the match will be a banger. No matter what, though, Mami will be the new Women’s World Champion.
Cole asks if the Triple Threat stipulation makes things harder. Ripley says that it makes things unpredictable. She hasn’t beaten Iyo Sky, but she has pinned Belair. McAfee asks how it feels to be the hunter instead of the hunted when it comes to the title. Ripley brings up her match against Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 39. She’s going into this weekend’s match with a new mindset and is coming for blood.
Cole introduces Bianca Belair. Cole talks about Belair’s WrestleMania accolades, her athleticism, and her time as champion. She has never beaten Rhea Ripley and has a losing record against Iyo Sky. Therefore, many believe that Belair is the underdog this weekend. Belair respects Cole’s facts. She’s happy that this match is now a Triple Threat. Ripley has been using Belair as a scapegoat as to why Ripley can’t beat Iyo Sky. Belair will be walking out as the new champion.
Cole introduces Iyo Sky. Cole says that a lot of people are viewing Iyo Sky as an afterthought. What does she think about that? Sky says that Ripley has never beaten her and she will prove why she’s the champion.
Cole talks about how WrestleMania Saturday will set the tone for the weekend. McAfee calls wrestling the greatest sport in the world. There’s only one way to kick off tomorrow’s show…YEET! Well, there’s one person who might say, “No YEET!”
Cole introduces Gunther. Cole says that many people believe Gunther lost control on RAW. Gunther doesn’t understand what those people see. He sees nothing in Jey Uso’s eyes. Jey is full of crap. Cole and McAfee are just pundits who know nothing about the wrestling business. There’s nothing inside of Jey Uso. Cole and McAfee remind Gunther that they are both undefeated at WrestleMania. Guess who’s not undefeated…?
Gunther has heard enough. Gunther drowned Jimmy Uso in his own blood. That had an impact on Jey, not Gunther. McAfee checks to make sure that Gunther isn’t at least a little bit worried. Gunther asks if he looks scared. Before he can get an answer, Jey Uso’s music hits.
Jey Uso makes his way to the stage through the crowd. Jey Uso and Gunther come face-to-face. Jey has been waiting all week for tomorrow night, but they don’t have to wait. They can set it off right now. YEET!
Gunther takes off his jacket and walks off of the stage. Cole says that Jey is in Gunther’s head. Jey asks the crowd if they are ready for WrestleMania and a new champion. He tells everyone to have fun this weekend. YEET!
Everyone YEETs as Cole hypes Smackdown tonight, the Hall of Fame tonight, NXT tomorrow, and WrestleMania all weekend long! PWInsider.com will have live coverage of everything! See you during the shows!
If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here!
Bang On Casino
