WrestleMania 40 will go down as one of the most memorable, eventful and (in my opinion) best WrestleManias of modern times. It was the culmination of many storylines, the ending of one particular story, and the beginning of many others. Coming up to a year on, I think it’s time to look back and see if the show (BOTH nights by the way) was quite what I remembered. The difference right now for me being that I am A. Stone Cold Steve SOBER (and have been since the summer), B. no longer as mentally ill as I was at the time, and C. I am able to do so from the comfort of my own home, with hindsight and time on my side to properly analyze everything I witness.
Night 1
Women’s World title: Rhea Ripley (C) vs Becky Lynch
Raw & SD tags ladder match: Balor & Priest (C) vs Truth & Miz vs DIY vs New Day vs Dunne & Bate vs Waller & Theory
Rey Mysterio & Andrade (NOT Dragon Lee) vs Santos Escobar & Dominik Mysterio
Jey Uso vs Jimmy Uso
Damage CTRL vs Bianca Belair & Jade Cargill & Naomi
IC Title: Gunther (C) vs Sami Zayn
Rock & Roman vs Cody & Seth – Cody & Seth win: Bloodline banned from Night 2 main, Rock & Roman win: Night 2 main is ‘Bloodline Rules’
Night 2
World heavyweight title: Seth (C) vs Drew
The Pride vs Final Testament – street fight
LA Knight vs AJ Styles
US title: Logan (C) vs KO vs Orton
WWE Women’s title: Bayley vs Iyo Sky (C)
Undisputed WWE title: Roman (C) vs Cody
So… lets get into it shall we?! And… WELCOME TO WRESTLEMANIAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WRESTLEMANIA 40 – NIGHT 1
After a great intro video, and Triple H giving a rousing speech to the live crowd, we kicked things off with a couple of MEGAstars with entrances that showed as such…
Becky Lynch had an inspirational entrance, largely inspired by her book (which I now have and look forward to eventually reading). Rhea had Motionless in White play her out, as they really doubled down on just how big a deal this match was.
Rhea Ripley (C) defeated Becky Lynch to retain the Women’s World Championship
Given she got injured not long after this show, I’m so so pleased that Rhea got her WrestleMania moment. Yes she got one the year prior to kickstart her reign, but she deserved this one here to solidify her at the top women’s division after a heck of a year long title run. Samantha Irvin, my GOAT. I’m sure I’ll talk more about her as the show goes on, she was her usually excellent self over Mania 40 weekend. Beat me in the crying battle though 2-1 … anyway, Becky has been sick all week commentary explain, which makes the fact I’m about to see her open WrestleMania with a great match even more an amazing feat by an amazing woman and professional wrestler. Rhea battling through a wrist injury too.. sadly things get worse after Mania but… crowd red hot for this match. Lots of great nearfalls and close submissions from both women. Great match, massive pop for Rhea winning. And as Michael Cole said “tonight at WrestleMania, Mami rules The Man”
****1/2
There was a pretty funny video that had Pretty Deadly, in their own unique way, introduce the teams that were in the next match. Be nice if they were able to get an actual match at a Mania, but I digress…
This was an unconventional, but I guess a creative way to split the tag titles once again, so I’m OK with it. DIY are great, Balor and Priest are great, new Day are great, Dunne and Bate have a shite tag team name here, but they’re great wrestlers. Truth is an incredible comedy genius performer, and Miz plays the straight man very well. Theory and Waller are great heels, so all this adds up to what should be a heck of a ladder match.
DIY doing the DX cosplay was hilarious. Amazing also that they have finally made it to WrestleMania. Truth and Miz (mainly Truth) seemed to have the crowd going for them. Woods wearing the Creed gear was also a real nice touch.
‘A-Town Down Under’ (Austin Theory & Grayson Waller) won the SmackDown Tag Team Championship and ‘Awesome Truth’ (The Miz & R-Truth) won the Raw Tag Team Championship in a Ladder match featuring Judgment Day (Finn Balor & Damian Priest) (C), New Day (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods) and DIY (Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa)
Naturally given the elements involved, this match was BRUTAL! Tyler Bate getting to be a BIG STRONG BOY at WrestleMania made me most happy (him spinning Finn Balor (and a ladder) then launching him like it was NOTHING was wild). And the double moonsault from him and Dunne on the outside off a ladder was perfection. Two of the best in-ring grapplers that my country has ever produced! I liked the moment Priest tried to get both belts (even if both could be won separately, cause of course the champs would). Truth hyping the crowd wanting a tag from the judgment day, and then Miz giving him one, was superb. As was the hot tag that followed with Truth doing the moves of… his childhood hero John Cena… The AA to Balor onto a ladder was not so much of a joke, Truth being Truth after was a lot of fun, as was Ciampa and Gargano doing DX’s moves. Also fun was DIY and Awesome Truth seeming to agree to get a set of tag belts each, but it didn’t end well… as Waller and Theory knocked them down and eventually A Town Down Under grabbed the SmackDown tag titles to claim those as their own.
A combo of Dunne and Bate then ensured that Grayson Waller wasn’t gonna get another tag title for his team, as they powerbombed the cocky Aussie through a ladder on the outside. Kofi did a trust fall into everyone, Theory stopped Woods, and then goes for the raw belts himself, But Dunne and Bate sent him down with a burning hammer. Gargano hit a DDT off the apron to through a table to Dunne on the outside, Ciampa launched with Bate off a ladder with an air raid crash. Truth got up to his feet to a HUGE ovation, sets up a ladder, climbs… but JD stopped him to huge boos… JD then shouts Finn and tries to help him climb up to retain at least one set of their belts… Woods stops Balor, Kofi stops JD and smashes Balor. New Day then tip the ladder with JD on it… and he falls through a table on the outside!!! Kofi climbs, But Priest takes down Woods and Kofi. Priest climbs and takes his time, as the boos rain down until Miz climbs up… he delays him enough but eventually Priest knocks both men off. Priest gets a new ladder (one that isn’t about to fall down) … given to him by Truth (?), Priest then sets it up, but R-Truth knocks it down, AA to priest to outside the ring, Truth sets up the ladder, climbs and gets the titles to a HUGE HUGE pop!!! What a fun fun match, with a lovely ending. Crowd loved it. And so did I!
****
So the next match was ORIGINALLY planned to be Rey and DRAGON LEE vs Santos and Dominik. But Dragon Lee is taken out shortly before WrestleMania… which plays into the eventual heel turn of Carlito… So Andrade has a WrestleMania match just a couple months or so after his big return to WWE.
Rey Mysterio & Andrade defeated Santos Escobar & Dominik Mysterio
I don’t have a tonne to add about this one. That’s not to say it was close to bad or anything, but it very much felt like filler. I will never though forget the INSANE dive from Joaquin Wilde! The ending had two former NFL stars (that are likely huge deals to people who know them) come out in Lucha masks and stop Dom using a steel chair, and thus leading to the babyface team winning. This was a good match, but of course it was given who was in it! And the good guys won, which is always nice.
***3/4
Jey Uso defeated Jimmy Uso
I know a LOT has been said about this match. Many panned it, I saw some pretty scathing reviews and most saying it brought down a very good show. So now I’ve watched it back, here’s what I think…
This was not an all-time terrible match that some people made it out to be. Was it a classic? No, but that is not to say it was terrible. I would definitely say that Jimmy and Jey have better chemistry as a team rather than as opponents. But then I would say, how many times have they EVER had an official match AGAINST one another? I am not sure if it has ever happened, certainly not a memorable one if that. I would say that the match was a little slow paced, but I think they were trying to go for some of that Bloodline drama. That sort of drama is fine, if you are in a main event match, where people are heavily invested in the story and the outcome. Whilst I think that people were interested in seeing this match, you only have to look at the spot on the card that it was in. The middle. That’s not a bad spot, but I don’t think it is the spot for a slow paced match as this one was. Jey’s Spear on Jimmy towards the end, that was definitely a little clunky looking, kind of summed up the match itself. It had all the right beats but not quite quite at the correct rhythm. The crowd were definitely invested in the match, but I don’t think any of them will go home speaking about how good a match Jimmy vs Jey Uso was. I know both of them have spoken out since about the match and their disappointments, but I would like to think given everything that led to that point, and thus everything that has happened since then, that disappointment has somewhat subsided by now. Given what has happened since with Jey Uso, this was definitely the correct result. I have zero doubt that his match at this year’s Mania will be infinitely better than this one was.
**1/2
Jade Cargill & Bianca Belair & Naomi defeated Damage CTRL (Dakota Kai & Asuka & Kairi Sane)
The babyfaces looked like absolute superheroes during their intros. And Damage CTRL… cool as heck (Dakota Kai… IF I SPEAK…).
Felt like a showcase for the babyfaces, which is fine cause they’re all awesome, but as a big fan of all 3 members of Damage CTRL here, I was a little sad. Asuka going 0-6 at Mania is such a crime.
Given what has recently occurred in current day WWE, it’s incredible to see the trio of Jade, Naomi and Bianca team up on the grandest stage, before we likely go full circle at Mania 41. And I hope that we see the two absent members of Damage CTRL in this match return to our screens very soon.
***
Now then… if you’re reading this blog and thinking of going back to watch the show, absolutely go out of your way. In fact… RIGHT NOW STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND WATCH THIS NEXT MATCH!
Sami Zayn defeated Gunther (C) to win the Intercontinental Championship
Annoyingly it’s not shown on the full match YouTube video, but KO speaking with Sami and hyping him up before he came out for the match, was so so wonderful, as was the bits with his family and with Chad Gable too.
I don’t have much to say about this one, just watch and enjoy.
An exceptionally good profressional wrestling match. And when you add in the storyline elements, the hero overcoming the villain, and the emotional rollercoaster the match took us on, I can’t see how it could’ve possibly been any better than it was. Bravo to two of the best, this was an all-time classic.
And also, Michael Cole calling that “BRAINBUSTAAAA!” is one of my all-time fave commentary calls. Beautiful.
*****
As Michael calls it next up is the biggest tag team match in the history of WrestleMania.
I’m intrigued to watch this one back. As I explained to a friend of mine, I don’t recall a lot of the specifics in the match… aside from it being LONG and that I was locked the fuck IN! Me as a Cody fan getting agitated by the Rock-Roman worshipping fans that were watching the show at the same place I was. And me getting more and more annoyed having to admit to myself how fucking cool The Final Boss looked.
Naturally excellent video package charting the rollercoaster build up to this Mania main event. And the element of Seth being Cody’s SHIELD was just beautiful storytelling. I wish more would’ve been done with it in the aftermath, but I guess that’s what my Universe Mode in 2K25 is for…
Rock’s beat down of Cody in the rain, I forgot how exceptional that was. It was a tricky balancing act with The Final Boss and The Tribal Chief, but I felt they did a decent enough job of not making it all about Rock.
Anyway, Cody naturally got a superstar babyface reaction for his entrance. As did Seth in his absurd outfit that had him looking like a… well he looked wild I’ll say that… Rock’s entrance was … wow… you can tell this dude knows Hollywood and making things as big as possible. This was a true STAR entrance. And man you wanna talk about Aura… the heel Roman Reigns Tribal Chief champion entrance, unmatched. Samantha Irvin (my FUCKING GOAT) with the intros to this match made it feel like such an insanely big deal, and this match really is!
The Rock & Roman Reigns defeated Cody Rhodes & Seth Rollins
Nobody touched for a good few minutes after the match bell rung… enormous reaction in the match when The Rock tagged in. Very possible he was the most popular man in this match to the crowd, even more so than Cody… maybe…
The next part of the match featured a number of different exchanges, that went a little something like this:
Roman – Rollins (even?) , then Rollins – Rock (Rock), then Cody – Rock (Cody firing up on rock, Seth cheering him on). Rollins in and Cody and Rollins team up on Rock (crowd seem a little unsure how to react, they like The Rock but also like the “good guys”)…
There was a moment where everyone was brawling on the outside, and The Rock told the referee “if you count you’re fired”, which popped me huge. Then with 36 minutes still remaining of the show, it appeared that Seth had hurt his knee, which I don’t know how much of that was kayfabed but it is definitely a factor going forward, and definitely proves to be an issue 24 hours later. Every word Cody said about Rollins being the MVP of WrestleMania 40 was spot on. With Rollins hurt, Cody was isolated on the outside, with Roman in the ring and Rock on the apron essentially 2on1 against the World Heavyweight Champion. This was not a good moment if you’re a Rollins/Cody fan …
Rock and Roman took their time with Rollins here. The same sort of pace we saw with Jimmy vs Jey, but this match being what it is (more importantly WHO is in it) it somehow comes off much more appropriate, the drama of the story being told and knowing full well that the longer it goes on, the worse the situation is for our heroes only adds to it. Even the most harden of Cody fans (that’s me) was worried about the night after at this point… SOMEHOW Seth went for the hot tag to Cody, but Rock tagged in first and dragged Seth all the way back to the other corner. He also hit a very blatant low blow to Seth, to which the ref… did nothing of course, outside of apologising to Cody for ‘not being able to do anything’, such is the power The Final Boss has. Rollins bravely tries to fight back, and he goes for the tag to Cody, only for Roman to yank him down off the apron… Rock then goes for the Sharpshooter (not ideal for a man with an injured knee like Seth to have to take)… but Cody grows some balls and just slaps Rock in the face! He then fires up asking Seth for a tag, and distracts Rock enough for Rollins to hit a super kick, and then a CURB STOMP… but the hurt knee means he can’t capitalise. Roman and Cody both want back in to the match, and thus get tags and here we go again! Cody seems to get the better of things, as he truly starts to believe. He gets the Disaster kick, then the Cody Cutter for a close nearfall. He goes for the Cross Rhodes but Roman counters, and eventually hits a Superman Punch for a nearfall of his own. We’re starting to get the nearfalls now, the pace has definitely quickened. Reigns’ nose appears to be bleeding, which infuriates The Tribal Chief as he goes for a Spear not long after only for Cody to roll through with a nearfall. Rollins then gets a tag as Cody hits a springboard crossbody of sorts to Roman, and then Seth hits a frog splash… only for Roman to kick out at 2! Rollins has words with a helpless and fearful Heyman on the outside, and a vengeful Rollins looks for the Curb Stomp… but Roman picks him up and hits a powerbomb, he tries a Spear again but Rollins kicks him and Cody tags in. Rollins and Cody hit super kicks to Roman, Seth hits a Stomp, Cody hits the Cross Rhodes, I remember thinking this could be it… but alas, The Rock pulls the ref from counting the 3 (you couldn’t see Rock in shot so it came across really well). Cody was fairly hacked off, as Rollins tries to take on The Rock, only for Rock to send him into the barricade. Reigns hit Cody with a low blow, and then a Spear… Rock throws the ref back into the ring… BUT CODY KICKS OUT! The Final Boss is furious, Roman is in shock… the crowd chant for Cody, as an irate Reigns beats down Cody. The guillotine from Roman to Rhodes is eventually aided by The Rock pulling Cody’s feet down so that there’s even more pull on Cody… the ref appears close to calling it… until Rollins hits a Curb Stomp to Roman… but at what cost? Rollins knee appears even worse now, as The Rock launches Rollins out the ring. Rock then gets the tag, and he looks to the crowd and gazes over at Cody’s Mum and Father in-law in the front row. Rock gets the ‘Mama Rhodes’ weight belt and tells her “this is your son’s blood on this belt, your tears next”… Rock goes in the ring … but CODY gets the belt, until Rock punches him… Cody fires up with punches and the classic Bionic Elbow… he runs at The Rock, but gets sent down with a spine buster… and he milks it for all he can as the crowd goes APE SHIT (for the HEEL by the way)… anyway, People’s Elbow looks to be next, but CODY HITS A CODY CUTTER!!! He then goes for Cross Rhodes, but Roman runs in with a Superman Punch. Roman goes to spear Cody… BUT ROLLINS SHOVES CODY OUT THE WAY AND INSTEAD HE SPEARS THE ROCK!!! Everyone goes wild for this, Heyman is in disbelief as Rollins and Cody hit duel PEDIGREES… BUT ONLY GET A TWO COUNT!!! Cody and Rollins regroup, Rollins dives on Roman from the top to the outside. Just as Rock starts getting the better of Cody, both announce tables get cleared, and eventually CODY HITS A ROCK BOTTOM TO THE ROCK THROUGH THE ANNOUNCE TABLE, JUST AS ROMAN SPEARS SETH THROUGH THE BARRICADE!!! Cody gets Rock back into the ring, but not not before an exhausted Roman hits the Drive-by, Reigns tags in and soon lays it in on Cody, but Cody doesn’t back down and gets a few of his own in, before hitting Cross Rhodes, and again, but as he goes for a third he gets hit by the weight belt from The Rock! Reigns gets up and hits the Spear, before Rock extends the hand, and Roman gives him the tag. Rock soaks in every moment and hits a BIG Rock Bottom, then the People’s Elbow follows (but before hitting it he did the two fingered throat slit gesture we have recently seen, and held the one up for The Bloodline) and that’s your lot. Rock and Roman win, and as Michael Cole says on commentary, Cody is screwed. Rock and Roman triumphantly pose, as Cody looks on absolutely crushed. Rollins in the corner too, looks totally lost. Bloodline Rules in the main event of night 2.
This was a very long match, but it was absolutely excellent.
****3/4
Night 1 was a hit! An all timer classic match, and a show book ended by a great opener and equally great (if not a tad better) main event. Sure there was a middle card that wasn’t quite as top notch, but nothing on the show was close to bad (even Jimmy vs Jey was… fine…). On to Night 2 we now go!!!
WRESTLEMANIA 40 – NIGHT 2
Stephanie McMahon did the rousing speech to kick off the show, which was delightful to see.
We kicked off the action with one of the beaten main eventers from Night 1… What more did he have left? We soon found out…
Drew McIntyre defeated Seth Rollins (C) to win the World Heavyweight Championship… and then… something else happened…
****1/2
The Pride defeated The Final Testament
***
LA Knight defeated AJ Styles
***3/4
Logan Paul (C) defeated Kevin Owens & Randy Orton in a triple threat match to retain the United States Championship
****
Before the next match, whilst she didn’t get her Paramore entrance, she did get a cool as fuck video package with a Hayley Williams track…
Bayley defeated Iyo Sky (C) to win the WWE Women’s Championship
An excellent match which I feel like will be forgotten, given what match was to follow it. Iyo may well be the best female wrestler on the planet, and Bayley is an obvious a WWE Hall of Famer for the future as you can get. Yet amazingly, with a stellar career already behind her, this was her first big singles win at a WrestleMania. And given the story of her own group turning on her, it was the only outcome that really made sense. A wonderful match with a wonderful outcome, and given my mind was elsewhere during watching it live, I can confirm that having watched it back with a much clearer head, it was a very, very good match.
****1/4
I don’t know if my words will be able to do what is next justice, but I will try.
Cody Rhodes defeated Roman Reigns (C) to win the Undisputed WWE Championship
Story, FINISHED!
*****
I loved this show. Both nights had all-timer Mania moments. The first of the ‘Triple H era’ was undoubtedly a success. Let us hope the follow up this year is just as good, if not even greater!
Josh.