After the bar was set very high last year in Hollywood, WrestleMania 40 was the perfect end of an era, and start of a new one in WWE. The return of Roman Reigns in 2020 started something special in the WWE, and tonight the ultimate climax of it all came about. There were moments that will never be forgotten in the history of wrestling, and this Mania served as a great celebration for one of the best modern day rivalry's in WWE as well as a reunion of some old, and current legends.
WrestleMania Saturday
Women's World Championship Match (C) Rhea Ripley vs Becky Lynch - (4/5)
6 Pack Tag Title Ladder Match - (4.25/5)
Rey Mysterio & Andrade vs Dominik Mysterio & Santos Escobar - (3/5)
Jimmy Uso vs Jey Uso - (2.25/5)
6 Woman Tag Match - (3/5)
Intercontinental Championship Match (C) Gunther vs Sami Zayn - (4.75/5)
Main Event Roman Reigns & The Rock vs Cody Rhodes & Seth Rollins - (4.25/5)
WrestleMania XL Night 1 Overall Score: 4.25/5
WrestleMania Sunday
(C) Seth Rollins vs Drew McIntyre w/ Damian Priest Cash In - (4/5)
6 Man Philly Street Fight Bobby Lashley & The Street Profits vs The Final Testament - (3/5)
LA Knight vs AJ Styles - (3.75/5)
United States Championship Match (C) Logan Paul vs Kevin Owens vs Randy Orton - (3.75/5)
WWE Women's Championship Match (C) Iyo Sky vs Bayley - (4.75/5)
Main Event for Undisputed WWE Universal Championship (C) Roman Reigns vs Cody Rhodes - (5/5)
In 2014, Seth was the cause of The Shield's end, by betraying Roman. In 2022, he re-opened this wound for Roman by entering their match with The Shield theme and gear and playing the mind games at the Royal Rumble. In 2023, Sami Zayn brought back that nightmare by betraying Roman, and permanently cracking his Bloodline at the Royal Rumble.
And finally in 2024, it all culminated into Roman choosing to not hit Cody, but instead take revenge on Rollins with the chair. And that moment caused the end of Roman's empire. Perfect ending to what I'd call the greatest reign of all time.
WrestleMania XL Night 2 Overall Score: (5/5)
Overall, phenomenal WrestleMania. Was every match perfect? Absolutely not. But most of them either served their purpose, exceeded expectations, or in many instances stole the show entirely. I don't like throwing out 5 star ratings often, but in a couple months / years I will likely look back on some of these matches I rated 4.75 and give them 5's because they were truly more than just instant classics. For WrestleMania's 40th anniversary, many iconic moments were created that will never be forgotten, and I'm glad to say I got to witness one of the greatest WrestleMania's of all time. Props to Roman for carrying the Era from the pandemic to now, and ultimately handing off, no, tossing UP the torch to Cody Rhodes. And kudos to Cody for being a phenomenal protagonist in this story, and here's to Cody leading this new era and the next generation.
WrestleMania Saturday
Women's World Championship Match (C) Rhea Ripley vs Becky Lynch - (4/5)
- Rhea and Becky put on a show and further solidified Rhea's dominance as champion, while continued Becky's solid run with her great performance.
6 Pack Tag Title Ladder Match - (4.25/5)
- For any fans of wrestling old or new, this was a fun match that served as a great way for everyone to showcase their talent, while also putting over two teams that deserved to shine.
Rey Mysterio & Andrade vs Dominik Mysterio & Santos Escobar - (3/5)
- While this match had a random ending with the Jason Kelce & Lane Johnson interference, this was still a fun match that let Andrade and Escobar get a nice WM moment, and further extend Rey and Dominik's great feud.
Jimmy Uso vs Jey Uso - (2.25/5)
- This match was the the only WM40 disappointment for me, as I expected a much better buildup then a simple YEET and NO YEET competition. And in the ring it was about the same. A City of Brotherly Love Street Fight stipulation I think would've done wonders for this match, and I'm not sure why that wasn't the move. While I liked the Jimmy surrendering spot, it could've had greater potential if this was fleshed out more considering the power and depth this brotherly rivalry had.
6 Woman Tag Match - (3/5)
- This match served as a great way for both teams to showcase their talents and give Jade a great WrestleMania debut. Here's to hoping Asuka's losing streak ends next year though lol
Intercontinental Championship Match (C) Gunther vs Sami Zayn - (4.75/5)
- This was the match of the night, and arguably the best match of WM40. Gunther dominating Zayn for the majority of the match showed that Sami didn't stand a chance, but Gunther's cockiness came at the cost of his reign. He underestimated Gable and got counted out. He underestimated The Miz and nearly lost. But with all of the background and buildup from Sami Zayn, there was no escape for Gunther. The brain buster spot was EXCELLENT, and the helluva kicks were the cherry on top. Well deserved moment for Sami Zayn, and I can't wait for Gable to get his moment to shine.
Main Event Roman Reigns & The Rock vs Cody Rhodes & Seth Rollins - (4.25/5)
- This match completely exceeded my expectations. While this match wasn't a great pure wrestling spectacle, it didn't need to be. The slow build, the spots, and the chaos were all this match needed to shine. With the bending of the rules and the many false finishes, this match served up to its AMAZING buildup. If you told me this would go down as the 2nd longest main event in WM history I would've told you that you were crazy. But wow they pulled it off.
WrestleMania XL Night 1 Overall Score: 4.25/5
WrestleMania Sunday
(C) Seth Rollins vs Drew McIntyre w/ Damian Priest Cash In - (4/5)
- Sundays opening match wasted little to no time and served as the great payoff to Seth's reign as champion, validating the WHC and giving Drew the first of his earned moments in front of a crowd (assuming another will come soon at CATC) but then we get a great plot twist. Drew goes at Punk, Punk retaliates, and Damian finally cashes in. For the 2nd time in WWE history, a cash in at WrestleMania occurred, and it was amazing. Even if it's not a long reign, props to Damian. Well deserved.
6 Man Philly Street Fight Bobby Lashley & The Street Profits vs The Final Testament - (3/5)
- This Match was a fun roller coaster with some great spots from Angelo & Montez, and had a great surprise with Bubba Ray as the referee. Not much to say about this one, but it served its purpose.
LA Knight vs AJ Styles - (3.75/5)
- This was a fun physical match between these two after a fantastic buildup, and while I wasn't looking forward to it after Elimination Chamber, the buildup was excellent and the match delivered. I wouldn't mind if this feud carried on until Backlash.
United States Championship Match (C) Logan Paul vs Kevin Owens vs Randy Orton - (3.75/5)
- While I wish KO went over, I understand the decision made with this match. Not my favorite of the night, but was still a solid showcase from everyone.
WWE Women's Championship Match (C) Iyo Sky vs Bayley - (4.75/5)
- In the WELL deserved co main event, Iyo and Bayley SHOWED OUT. This match was an amazing masterclass with many great false finishes, counters, and intense moments. After a great buildup and a fantastically executed match, Bayley got her deserving moment at Mania. Props to Iyo for her great reign, and here's to hoping she gets to shine again in the future.
Main Event for Undisputed WWE Universal Championship (C) Roman Reigns vs Cody Rhodes - (5/5)
- When you look at memorable and fantastic WrestleMania main events, this is an instant classic that will go down as one of the greatest of all time. Wrestling ain't all about pure in ring ability, but Roman and Cody did a fantastic job of setting the stage for the first 20 or so minutes, then letting the chaos ensue. The returns of John Cena and The Undertaker were poetic. While Stone Cold would've been a fun return for The Rock's sake, this was Roman's match. And who were 2 of Roman's rivals? The man he beat at WrestleMania 33, and the man who verbally killed the big dog, and Solo Sikoa. The returns were perfect, and the final sequence with Seth Rollins and the chair was CINEMA.
In 2014, Seth was the cause of The Shield's end, by betraying Roman. In 2022, he re-opened this wound for Roman by entering their match with The Shield theme and gear and playing the mind games at the Royal Rumble. In 2023, Sami Zayn brought back that nightmare by betraying Roman, and permanently cracking his Bloodline at the Royal Rumble.
And finally in 2024, it all culminated into Roman choosing to not hit Cody, but instead take revenge on Rollins with the chair. And that moment caused the end of Roman's empire. Perfect ending to what I'd call the greatest reign of all time.
WrestleMania XL Night 2 Overall Score: (5/5)
Overall, phenomenal WrestleMania. Was every match perfect? Absolutely not. But most of them either served their purpose, exceeded expectations, or in many instances stole the show entirely. I don't like throwing out 5 star ratings often, but in a couple months / years I will likely look back on some of these matches I rated 4.75 and give them 5's because they were truly more than just instant classics. For WrestleMania's 40th anniversary, many iconic moments were created that will never be forgotten, and I'm glad to say I got to witness one of the greatest WrestleMania's of all time. Props to Roman for carrying the Era from the pandemic to now, and ultimately handing off, no, tossing UP the torch to Cody Rhodes. And kudos to Cody for being a phenomenal protagonist in this story, and here's to Cody leading this new era and the next generation.