The Bella Twins vs. AJ Lee & Paige
After a performance by Kid Ink, who sings the WrestleMania theme song live, we head back to the ring for our next match. After the elaborate video package, it’s time for our Divas match of the evening.
Out comes The Bella Twins and AJ Lee and Paige, who are set to go toe-to-toe in Divas tag-team action. The bell sounds and here we go.
Throughout the match, no team clearly establishes control for any serious length of time. The action is back-and-forth throughout the entire contest, with the finish seeing AJ lock Bella in the Black Widow. Bella taps out. AJ Lee and Paige wins.
Winners: AJ Lee & Paige
WWE United States Championship
– Rusev (c) vs. John Cena
After this year’s WWE Hall Of Fame class is honored in front of 70,000+ rowdy fans in Santa Clara, we shoot to the Rusev vs. John Cena video package. Our WWE United States Championship contest is up next.
After the video package, we shoot back live inside the stadium. We see a bunch of Russian soldiers marching down the ramp holding the Russian flag, led by Lana, who is smiling ear-to-ear while holding the U.S. title. While all of this is going on, the Russian national anthem is playing. Think Ivan Drago and Rocky IV (which their entire gimmick is based off of, by the way). A giant tank with a Russian flag on it rolls out with Rusev standing on top of it. Colored smoke billows out of it as he waives the Russian flag and the boo’s echo throughout Levi’s Stadium. Very “grand” entrance for the Bulgarian Brute. The anthem dies out and Rusev’s regular theme hits as he makes his way to the ring.
An elaborate pro-America video package plays for a solid minute or two, with historical U.S.A. moments and then finally, we shoot back into the stadium where we hear John Cena’s theme song playing. The fans immediately start doing the “John Cena sucks!” singing chant as he makes his way out with a stone-look on his face.
Cena sprints to the ring and does his usual entrance stuff. Rusev holds up the U.S. title as he is introduced by Eden. Cena is introduced next and again the fans boo loudly. The bell sounds and here we go with our U.S. title match of the evening.
Early on, Cena dominates the action, however it doesn’t take much time for Rusev to take over control of the match. Rusev dominates on offense for quite a while, with the crowd staying hot throughout the match thus far.
John Cena starts making a comeback, but Rusev cuts him short with a big super kick to the face. The fans start ignoring the action in a sense, as they loudly chant “Let’s go Lana!” over and over again as Lana simply stands outside the ring watching the action like everyone else.
As Rusev continues to deliver punishment, Cena buys himself some time and heads up to the top rope. Cena comes flying off the top with a big leg drop to the back of Rusev’s neck. Both guys are downnow. Cena is first to his feet. Rusev is back up now too, and the two begin trading punches with the crowd boo’ing when Cena lands a shot at “Yay’ing” when Rusev lands one. These fans apparently hate Cena so much that they’re willing to ignore the anti-U.S. stuff from the pro-Russian “super-athlete.”
Out of nowhere, Cena manages to lock Rusev in the STF. Rusev struggles in the hold for a while. Out of nowhere, Lana, from the floor, throws one of her shoes in the ring. Finally, Rusev makes it to the ropes, forcing the referee to break the hold. The referee kicks Lana’s shoe out of the ring, so I’m not sure what the point of that was.
Rusev, for the first time ever according to the announcers, comes off the top rope with a big move on Cena. Rusev goes to lock Cena in The Accolade, but Cena avoids it. Cena runs and hits the middle rope and jumps off backwards, catching Rusev with somewhat of a backwards “Stone Cold Stunner.” That might be the most impressive thing Cena has ever physically done in the ring. That was awesome.
The action continues, however, as Rusev kicks out of the follow-up pin attempt. Rusev blasts Cena with a super kick and then finally manages to lock Cena in the Accolade. The announcers sell the fact that “Cena is fading,” however Cena powers up to his feet and runs into the turnbuckles in the corner backwards, knocking Rusev off of his back.
Now, Cena locks Rusev in his ground submission hold, the STF. Rusev struggles to crawl to the ropes to break the hold, but Cena voluntarily lets it go. Lana is on the apron. Cena is distracted by her. Rusev runs at Cena, but Cena moves and Rusev knocks Lana off the apron. Rusev turns around into an Attitude Adjustment from Cena. 1-2-3. Cena is the new WWE United States Champion and Rusev has lost his first match via pinfall.
Winner and NEW WWE United States Champion: John Cena
After The Match:
After the match, we see the trainers checking on Lana outside the ring. She’s either selling an injury, or has an ankle, foot or leg injury of some kind. Cena hugs Arnold Skaaland’s widow at ringside, as well as his own father. Meanwhile, Rusev scolds Lana, who is still on the ground being worked on by trainers, with what appears to be a smile on her face for no reason, but not in a way that she’s doing an evil smile, just a weird smile for no reason. Either way, Rusev storms off, leaving Lana by herself. The trainers help Lana to the back.