Snoop Dogg Gets In The Rings, And 19 More Moments That Defined WWE WrestleMania Goes Hollywood

Fans won't soon forget these astounding WrestleMania moments.

Last weekend, the wrestling business hosted its biggest weekend of the year with WrestleMania, two nights of pure spectacle in which the WWE resolves some of its most engaging storylines while setting the stage for the stories to come.

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With WrestleMania 39 hosted at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, WWE leaned heavily into the "WrestleMania Goes Hollywood" theme, putting on sensational matches and inviting some huge names from throughout the entertainment industry to be involved in the show.

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With this in mind, I've assembled some of the most memorable, unexpected, and simply amazing moments from WrestleMania 39 that stood out among the rest over the weekend.

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1. John Cena Loses in his First Live WrestleMania Match since 2018

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Just by looking at John Cena's IMDb page, you know that the wrestler-turned-actor has a pretty full dance card, with Fast 9, the next Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, the sequel to Vacation Friends, and the second season of Peacemaker all on the way, to name only a few. As such, the legendary performer went almost all of 2022 without a match, squeezing out a tag team effort the day before New Year's Eve to keep his part-time wrestling streak going. Yet fans didn't have to wait much longer for Cena's next match, as he sadly lost in the opening bout of WrestleMania 39 in an underwhelming effort to take the US championship from rising superstar, Austin Theory.

2. Chaos Takes Flight in The Men's Tag Team Showcase

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So what do you do when you're booked on a throwaway four-way tag team match on the WrestleMania card? Try to steal the show, of course! That's just what happened at WrestleMania 39, as the Men's Tag Team Showcase blew the roof off of SoFi Stadium with some jaw-dropping moments, from Chad Gable suplexing the gigantic Braun Strowman, Ivar landing a beautifully executed moonsault, a massive "Tower of Doom" spot and Ricochet's springboard shooting star press that took this writer's breath away.

3. Seth Rollins and Logan Paul Arrive in Style

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In one of the more headline-grabbing matches of WrestleMania weekend, Seth Rollins and Logan Paul knew they wanted to give the audience something to talk about. They certainly succeeded, as Logan Paul ziplined to the entrance ramp with a Prime Energy Drink Mascot (later revealed to be Paul's business partner and friend KSI) while Seth Rollins was welcomed by a composer leading the audience and a giant red outfit that redefined the term "extra."

4. Seth Rollins and Logan Paul's Explosive WrestleMania Collision

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When the bell rang, Seth Rollins and Logan Paul both went above and beyond to put on an undeniable showstopper, with the latter proving once again that he can hang with the best wrestlers in the business. From Paul hitting a leaping moonsault to Rollins landing a trio of suicide dives, the match's biggest moment came when Rollins pulls KSI onto the Spanish commentary table to intercept a frog splash from Paul, who crashes through the table to an outstanding reception.

5. Lita Returns to a WrestleMania Ring for the First Time in 20 Years

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The months-long feud between WWE megastar Becky Lynch and the three-woman power trip Damage CTRL came to an end at WrestleMania 39, with Lynch recruiting women's wrestling legends Lita and Trish Stratus to even the odds on the Grandest Stage of All. As expected, every one of the women involved showed up and put on a solid match, which is particularly notable as Lita had last competed in a WrestleMania bout more than 20 years ago in 2002.

6. Dominik Mysterio Enters in Chains while Rey Mysterio Rides with "The Doggfather"

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Playing on his gimmick exaggerating an overnight prison stay, Dominik Mysterio made his entrance at WrestleMania 39 in a police custody van flanked by “cops” (comprised of indie wrestlers in disguise such as Frontman Jah-C and Dan Barry, who release him from handcuffs and send him toward his highly-anticipated match. Meanwhile, his father and opponent, Rey Mysterio Jr., literally hitched a ride toward the ring in a low-rider alongside “The Doggfather of WrestleMania” Snoop Dogg in a bombastic tribute to the late, great Eddie Guerrero.

7. Dominik Mysterio Gets (Literally) Spanked By His Dad

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Fans had been clamoring for the father-son battle between Dominik and Rey Mysterio for weeks, as Dominik’s petulant and abusive behavior toward his father went unanswered until his father finally fought back soon before WWE’s biggest annual show. Their match was as fantastic as advertised, but SoFi Stadium went absolutely bananas for the show’s signature spot, as a prone Dominik was literally spanked by his father in front of 80,000-plus cheering fans.

8. Bad Bunny Helps Rey Mysterio Score A Crucial Victory at WrestleMania 39

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Bad Bunny saves Rey Mysterio and helps him defeat his son Dominik #Wrestlemania

02:23 AM - 02 Apr 2023

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WWE fans know that international hip hop star Bad Bunny is a die-hard wrestling fanatic, having performed as a musical artist at the 2021 Royal Rumble, wrestled at both WrestleMania 37 and the 20022 Royal Rumble, and was announced as the host of Backlash 2023 in Puerto Rico in the days prior to WrestleMania 39. So it was no surprise that the recording artist found himself as a special guest commentator during the Rey and Dominik Mysterio scuffle, though fans were surprised when Bad Bunny interjected himself into the match, preventing Dominik from using a foreign object and effectively costing him the win against his father.

9. Rhea Ripley Evens The Score With Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 39

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Prior to the COVID-19 lockdown, Charlotte Flair vs. then-NXT Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley was one of the most anticipated bouts on the card, with the latter’s penchant for spectacular in-ring matches blending with the unbridled potential of Ripley’s dominant NXT run perfectly. However, WrestleMania 36 was what it was, and while the pair put on a great match, the lack of crowd really hampered what could have been. So it’s no surprise that Flair and Ripley’s rematch at WrestleMania 39 lived up to those previous expectations and much more, with the hard-hitting match featuring some really genuinely thrilling moments that were eventually punctuated by Rhea Ripley’s mind-blowing top rope “Riptide” to seal the deal and cement Ripley as the future of WWE’s women’s division.

10. The Miz Gets a Double Dose of Pain from Pat McAfee and George Kittle

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In his first of two surprise WrestleMania matches, The Miz laid out a WrestleMania “open challenge” that resulted in the surprise in-ring return of former WWE Smackdown announcer Pat McAfee. While McAfee’s appearance and performance went over like gangbusters with the WrestleMania audience, the crowd got even louder when San Francisco 49er George Kittle emerged from the front row and hit The Miz with an Earth-quaking shoulder tackle.

11. Lil Uzi Vert Turns Heads at SoFi Stadium

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Before the main event of WrestleMania's first night, the WWE Universe was surprised by a previously unannounced Lil Uzi Vert, who performed "Just Wanna Rock" on the massive WrestleMania entrance stage. Lil Uzi Vert concluded his performance right as the then-WWE Undisputed Tag Team Champions, The Usos, made their arrival, with the three striking a pose before the biggest match of the night.

12. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn Take Down The Bloodline

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In one of the most emotional moments of WrestleMania weekend, the long-running storyline between The Bloodline, Sami Zayn, and Kevin Owens culminated in a brilliantly-told main event filled with shocking near-falls, trash talk, and a combustible crowd rooting for the underdog challengers. As such, the foundation of SoFi Stadium shook as the audience exploded when Zayn and Owens defeated The Usos, with Zayn getting retribution, Owens getting revenge, and the pair (who are IRL besties) held back tears as they earned their first-ever tag team championship together in WWE.

13. "The Beast Incarnate" Slays "The Nigerian Giant" at WrestleMania

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WWE fans were naturally skeptical that they would be getting a five-star classic from the collision between "The Beast Incarnate" Brock Lesnar and the 7'3 "Nigerian Giant" Omos. Nevertheless, the match delivered in all of its "sports entertainment" charm, from Omos tossing around the former UFC champion like a child to Brock taking Omos to "Suplex City" before rocking the ring with a devastating F-5 to pick up the win.

14. Ronda Rousey Trolls the WWE Universe in the Women's Tag Team Showcase

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Much like WrestleMania's Men's Tag Team Showcase, the 4-Team Women's Showcase on WrestleMania's second night was filled with breathtaking spots and eye-opening moments that shined a light on every single participant. However, it was Ronda Rousey who got the last laugh, as the reportedly injured performer avoided almost all physical interactions and stole a victory in a capital-T Trolljob just to add another WrestleMania victory to Rousey's resume.

15. Gunther, Sheamus, and Drew McIntyre Make Your Chest Ache

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In the viral words of former WWE Champion Big E, the Intercontinental Championship triple threat match between Gunther, Sheamus and Drew McIntyre gave the audience what they were asking for: big meaty men slappin' meat. A match that became a brutal fight leaving welts, scars, and rendered flesh throughout each men's respective neck, chest, and back, this match garnered gasps, cheers, and a standing ovation when all was said and done, as WWE fans both in attendance and at-home agreed that they witnessed an all-time great match thanks to three extraordinarily giving performers.

16. Asuka Takes Bianca Belair To Her Limit

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Bianca Belair has had an unbelievable streak of outstanding matches at WrestleMania, much akin to Asuka's endlessly impressive NXT Takeover matches as the unbeatable champion a few years back. Both competitors brought their A-game to their clash at WrestleMania 39, taking each other to the limit in a match that kept the fans at SoFi Stadium on the edge of their seats until Belair pulled off a legitimately astounding deadlift K.O.D. to seal the deal.

17. Hello (and Goodbye) Shane McMahon

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Shane McMahon was last seen by the WWE in January 2022, after a reportedly tumultuous Royal Rumble appearance was met with expulsion from the company. Yet his appearance to challenge The Miz was a pleasant surprise to the WWE Universe...until an unexpected injury turned his return to the cringiest moment of the night, with the confused crew unsure how to sell such a blunder.

18. Snoop Dogg Drops The People's Elbow

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Immediately after the Shane McMahon injury, there was chaos surrounding the moment, with dead air and discomfort filling the stadium with each passing second. Luckily, the ever-charismatic Snoop Dogg came to the rescue, taking less-than-subtle instructions to K.O. The Miz and hit the most over-the-top People's Elbow ever to score an impromptu victory.

19. Finn Balor and Edge Raise Hell (in a Cell)

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Another particularly high-profile match last Sunday saw WWE legend Edge (in his alleged final WrestleMania performance) take on "The Demon" Finn Balor in a Hell in a Cell match. Known as one of the most brutal and taxing matches in the business, the match lived up to its reputation, even if the bout became somewhat complicated after a ladder toss gone wrong caused a massive gash in Balor's scalp (and the squeamish should avoid Balor's social media for a bit if they want to avoid that injury in stark daylight).

20. Cody Rhodes Fails to Finish His Story at WrestleMania 39

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The world was ready for Cody Rhodes to "finish the story" at Wrestlemania 39, with the performer's astounding return to WWE after having been a founding pillar of WWE's rival company, All Elite Wrestling, paving the road to Rhodes challenging for the Undisputed Universal WWE Championship. Yet the muted response to the final call, in which Reigns pulled out a win after interference from Solo Sikoa, proved that the "Tribal Chief" pinning yet another babyface challenger at the height of their popularity may be questionable in its status as "best for business," especially after such a barnburner of a match between the two superstars.

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