The Kickoff Show opened with a shot of the stadium, which is starting to fill up with a good number of fans. Hopefully this means there are not long delays like last year. The panel of Renee Young, Booker T, Shawn Michaels, and Jerry Lawler checked in…
Backstage in the social media lounge, Charly Caruso and Maria Menounos checked in. Paul Heyman will join them later in the show…Sam Roberts checked in from the floor of Camping World Stadium, which they continue to cal the Citrus Bowl…
The panel pimped the network and set up a video package on Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton. Michaels and Booker picked Orton to win, Lawler picked Wyatt…
The next discussion was about Shane McMahon vs. AJ Styles. Lawler played up the angle that the latest long layoff from wrestling might be too much for Shane. Booker praised Styles and said he has proven himself in WWE. Michaels said Shane will do everything under the sun, but it won’t be enough. Lawler said Styles better not underestimate Shane. All three panelists picked Styles…
A Triple H vs. Seth Rollins video package aired. HBK said Rollins would forever doubt himself if he loses. “If Seth Rollins loses, he’s done,” Michaels said. All three panelists predicted a Triple H win…
Peter Rosenberg checked in from the WrestleMania stage. He said the ramp is 80 yards long. Unlike the broadcast team of Kevin Kelly and Steve Corino at at New Japan’s Wrestle Kingdom, Rosenberg was actually allowed to walk on the WrestleMania ramp… The panel discussed the Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho match.
Lita replaced Lawler on the panel. She spoke about there being two titles on the line for the women at WrestleMania. Renee spoke about most the women starting their WWE careers right up the road at the WWE Performance Center. Booker and HBK predicted Alexa Bliss to retain, Lita went with Naomi winning in her hometown.
The panel discussed John Cena and Nikki Bella vs. The Miz and Maryse. Guest ring announcer Al Roker was featured in the graphic…
Ring entrances for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship took place. Austin Aries was the first man to make his entrance at WrestleMania 33 and it’s his first WrestleMania… There’s a great tunnel with a video wall behind where the wrestlers first enter. The broadcast team of Tom Phillips and Corey Graves checked in. Neville made his entrance for his first WrestleMania match…
WWE Cruiserweight Championship Match
Neville (c) vs. Austin Aries
Phillips noted that Neville hasn’t lost a singles match since October. The ring was made up in typical cruiserweight style. Aries sent Neville to ringside. Aries charged for a move, but Neville caught him with a kick that drew gasps from the crowd. Neville followed up with a missile dropkick for a two count before they went to a commercial.
Neville was still in control coming out of the break. Aries came back and performed his spinning elbow drop. A short time later, Aries performed a suicide dive. He threw Neville back inside the ring and covered him for a two count. Aries performed a missile dropkick off the top rope and got another two count.
Neville came back with a wicked German suplex that dropped Aries right on his head. It looked even uglier on the replay. Aries recovered. Neville went for another German, but Aries flipped over and went for a discus five-arm, but Neville kicked him and performed a German suplex into a bridge for a two count.
Aries connected with the discus five-arm that knocked Neville to ringside. Graves said he didn’t know if it was awareness or luck that saved Neville. Aries went to ringside and rolled Neville back onto the apron. Neville caught Aries with a kick. Neville went up top. Aries cut him off and performed a huracanrana off the top rope. Aries hit a running forearm in the corner and followed up with a 450 splash for a great near fall. Aries applied the Last Chancery. Neville gouged the bad eye of Aries. Neville went up top and hit the Red Arrow for the win…
Neville defeated Austin Aries in 15:40 to retain the WWE Cruiserweight Champion.
