WrestleMania 31
As the Kickoff Show wraps up, we see ladders being set up in the ring and the WWE Intercontinental Championship being connected to the hook that will hang above the ring. The first ever WWE Intercontinental Champion, Pat Patterson, is introduced. The Kickoff Show wraps up with Michael Cole informing us that the I-C title ladder match will kick off this year’s WrestleMania. Here …we …go!
Before our first match begins, WrestleMania 31 opens up with Aloe Blacc singing “America the Beautiful.” We’re moments away from the action getting underway here at the 31st annual WrestleMania pay-per-view event, live from Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California! After the song, the elaborate video package, featuring LL Cool J and others, officially opens up the show.
WWE Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match
– Bad News Barrett (c) vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Dean Ambrose vs. R-Truth vs. Stardust vs. Luke Harper
After the video package, we head to the ring. Out first is Daniel Bryan, as the announcers point out the fact that this year’s WrestleMania is starting off the way last year’s ended, with the leader of the “Yes! Movement.” Bad News Barrett is out next. Dolph Ziggler after that. Stardust comes out. Next out is Luke Harper. R-Truth follows. Finally, Dean Ambrose comes out next to an insane pop from the fans inside Levi’s Stadium.
The bell rings and here we go with our first match of this year’s WrestleMania. Within seconds, we’ve got multiple dives out to the floor from R-Truth, Stardust, Dolph Ziggler and Harper.
The action continues outside the ring, where Ambrose climbs up to the top of a ladder on the floor and splashes onto everyone. Some ladders start filtering into the ring. The fans in Santa Clara and on fire, as expected.
Each guy takes turns trying to climb the ladder until finally everyone powders out of the ring and out to the floor, leaving only Stardust. Stardust goes under the ring and grabs a special ladder covered in, well, star-dust, or sparkles. Whatever.
Barrett beats down Stardust and everyone else in sight on the floor. In the ring, Harper and Ambrose battle back-and-forth for a bit until Harper drops him with a super kick. The action is too quick to keep up with, also as expected, with guys flying all over the place and non-stop high-spots taking place within each blink of an eye.
Harper cleans house by doing the helicopter spin with the ladder around his neck, until Truth finally manages to cut him off and dump him out to the floor. Stardust climbs up a big ladder on one side, Barrett climbs up the other side. Barrett hooks Stardust’s trunks and hits an amazing superplex off the ladder. The “holy sh*t” chants are right on cue. Harper powerbombs Ambrose out to the floor from inside the ring, through a bunch of ladders. The “holy sh*t” chant sequel soon follows.
Ziggler, alone in the ring, climbs the ladder right in the middle of the ring and nearly gets the title, but Barrett stops him, knocking him off the ladder with a big Bull Hammer Elbow. Barrett starts hitting the Bull Hammer Elbow on any-and-everyone in sight.
Bryan ends up on the ladder reaching for the title. Ziggler goes up to stop him. The two start trading heatbutts back-and-forth for what seems like forever. Finally, Bryan knocks Ziggler off the ladder and unhooks the I-C title. Daniel Bryan leads the fans in a giant “Yes!” chant from the top of the ladder as the brand new WWE Intercontinental Championship.
Winner and NEW WWE Intercontinental Champion: Daniel Bryan
Seth Rollins vs. Randy Orton
After a lengthy video package, Seth Rollins, accompanied by J&J Security and a shiney gold briefcase, makes his way to the ring. Out next is his opponent for tonight, “The Viper” Randy Orton. Our next match here at WrestleMania 31 is officially underway!
Orton has somewhat of a new look, wearing red tights and black elbow pads on both arms, with both of his wrists and fists taped up in black tape. The crowd seems to be behind Rollins in this one, as the bell sounds to make it official.
“The Viper” controls the action early on, including his draping-DDT, only this time he did it from the apron to the floor. It isn’t long, however, before Rollins takes over control of the offense back in the ring. Rollins is taunting Orton throughout his beatdown, yelling at him that it is “his time now.”
Orton takes over for a bit. As he goes to do the draping-DDT again, this time from the apron back into the ring, Rollins turns the tide by knocking Orton out to the floor. Orton does a big springboard moonsault from the middle rope out to the floor, crashing onto Orton. That was a beautiful moonsault, by the way, which looked awesome on the slow-motion replays.
“Mr. Money In The Bank” gets Rollins back in the ring. He goes to the top, however Orton crotches him and climbs up after him. Rollins goes for a flip-over-Orton power bomb off the top, but Orton turns it into a back-body drop from the top. Orton comes flying off the top with a cross body press, but Rollins rolls through for a pin attempt. Orton kicks out at two.
Orton hits the draping-DDT off the middle rope inside the ring. Orton taps into his “Viper” mode as the fans break out into an “RKO” chant. “The Viper” pounds the mat, waiting for Rollins to get up. He goes for the RKO, but Rollins reverses it with a pin attempt. Out of nowhere, Orton hits Rollins with an RKO and immediately covers him, however Rollins manages to kick out at two.
With Rollins laid out on the mat, Orton sets up for the punt kick. As he charges after Rollins, Noble and Mercury both hit the ring, and each get an RKO for their efforts. Rollins blasts Orton with a Curb Stomp out of nowhere. He immediately covers Orton, but this time “The Viper” manages to kick out at two.
Rollins goes for a big move off the top, but Orton avoids it. Orton goes for an RKO, but Rollins avoids it. Rollins goes for the Curb Stomp, but as he goes to do it, “out of nowhere,” Orton pops up and while Rollins is in mid-ar, Orton nails him with an RKO. 1-2-3. That was insane. “The Viper” picks up the “W.”
Winner: Randy Orton