Tonight they gave us something that Vince McMahon, with all his vision and with all he accomplished, could never pull off. Something real. #WrestleMania
— Brian R. Solomon (@BrianRSolomon) April 8, 2024
WrestleMania Sunday! After a questionable first night of matches, WWE rolls on with Wrestlemania XL Night 2.
The opening bout, as expected, is the World Heavyweight Championship match with Seth Rollins defending against Drew McIntyre. A banged up Rollins, which the announce team, including CM Punk attributes to last night’s main event, tries valiantly to ward off the stronger and overpowering McIntyre. After what seemed like nearly a dozen Claymore kicks, Drew McIntyre successfully wins a World Championship. It felt a bit like a Brock/Roman or a Brock/Goldberg where finishers took the place of regular moves. Drew did beat up Rollins all over the ringside area, and more than one occasion taunted CM Punk.
It was pretty clear Drew would win, but it’s what happened next which blew my mind. Drew opted to taunt Punk with his newly won Heavyweight Championship, until Punk had enough and beat up McIntyre. Just then, Damien Priest rushed the ring, cashing in his money in the bank, pinning him for the championship.
So now, two Heavyweight Championships are in the Judgment Day stable, leaving Drew and Punk to feud without the constraints of a championship being on the line. I would have thought they’d give Drew a little bit more time as champion but this was more of a shocking outcome.
The Pride (Bobby Lashley & Street Profits) defeated Final Testament(Karrion Kross & Authors of Pain) in a Philadelphia Street Fight with Snoop Dogg as guest Timekeeper and Bubba Ray Dudley as guest referee
This was alright for what it was. Lots of brawling, and Bubba puts on the glasses, lots of table spots, including one for B-Fab and Scarlett. Most of the cool spots were from Montez Ford. Fun little match, but ultimately all six guys are going to be in mid-card limbo for a long time.
LA Knight defeated AJ Styles
Out of all the matches, this felt like the biggest grudge match with two guys ready to tear each other apart. In case anyone forgot, they turned AJ Styles heel specifically for this feud, and this feud has been fantastic. They had a great match with Knight winning as the right call. Styles doesn’t need a win, he’s already cemented as one of the greatest ever. This keeps Knight fresh for whatever is up next for him.
Logan Paul retains the United States Championship again Kevin Owens and Randy Orton
Before Owens makes his way out, he is greeted by newly minted Intercontinental Champion, Sami Zayn, telling Owens it is his turn for gold.
Great match. Really great. Both entertaining in wrestling and comedy. The opening where Owens and Orton rode a golf cart to the ring, and Orton panicking as Owens was driving too fast. Owens and Orton spent the beginning pummeling Paul over and over, despite the champion trying to get his challengers to fight each other. Paul gets planted into the commentary table over and over by both.
As Owens and Orton finally get Paul down, they both go for the pin, and that’s when things pick up. Owens and Orton have a friendly discussion about what to do next.
Owens: “I guess we’re gonna do this now.” Orton and Owens beat each other silly and have some fun exchanges. The final moments see some strange interference from some YouTube streamer in a Prime mascot costume, and eats it thanks to Orton. Back in the ring, Owens scores a Pop-up powerbomb on Logan, but then eats an RKO. Paul somehow gets back into it, and ejects Orton from the ring, then scores with a huge frog splash on Owens to retain.
Despite Zayn’s earlier cheerleading, the best friends do not share in second-tier championships.
Great match.
Probably the best one of the night.
Bayley defeated Iyo Sky to win the WWE Women’s Championship
Another great match tonight. Sky had plenty of moments to make anyone question a prediction in favor of Bayley. Very fast paced and intense match. Iyo Sky is so good, and even the commentary team pointed out her reign as champion was very much underestimated. A ton of counter-and-reversal filled exchanges.
This should have been given way more attention since it was Bayley who did win the Women’s Royal Rumble. They put on a phenomenal match which could have easily main evented Night One of Mania.
Wrestlemania XL Night 2 Main Event: “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes defeated Roman Reigns to win the WWE Undisputed World Championship and Finally Finishes the Story
Despite some criticism I detail later on, I want one thing to be perfectly clear. Cody’s win tonight was something special. It felt real. In past years, the Mania main event was negligible and often dismissed because there was nothing to invest in.
Tonight, the wrestling world was invested. Invested in Cody, and invested in how he would finally win the one championship denied to his father, the late-great Dusty Rhodes.
The early parts of the match simply has Reigns overpowering and no-selling most of Cody’s arsenal. A few moments where Cody gains the advantage but doesn’t stick for long. After a fight around the arena comes back into the ring, it begins to sway in favor of the American Nightmare!
Cody hits two Cross-Rhodes and then Jimmy Uso blindsides Cody with a superkick, but then music hits for Jey Uso!? Wait, why doesn’t he just come out from the crowd? Why have his music hit?! The Usos fight off the stage and crash through tables! They hit each other with their own finishers, and then once again Cody hits two more Cross-Rhodes, but then Solo Sikoa hits Cody with the Samoan Spike!
So each time Cody hits two in a row, someone interferes. We get it. Solo and Roman try dual finishers but fail! Cody continues to kick out until…
But wait… A WILD JOHN CENA APPEARS. He takes out Solo, planting him through a table, but then AN ANGRY ROCK APPEARS!!
Cena and Rock have another staredown! Shades of both WrestleMania 28 and 29 (Remember the whole “Once in a Lifetime” thing?)
Rock delivers a Rock Bottom to Cena! But wait… The Shield theme hits! Seth Rollins sneaks in the ring but is immediately punched out by Reigns. Reigns grabs the chair, and years of revenge come barelling back. He turns and cracks Rollins with the chair, after years ago when Rollins struck Reigns turning on The Shield and aligning with Triple H and the Authority. Roman chose to exact long-overdue retribution instead of going after his opponent. But Reigns is still groggy, and this leaves Rock standing alone in the center of the ring…
When a GONG HITS! LIGHTS GO OUT! BACK ON TO REVEAL THE UNDERTAKER! ARE YOU KIDDING ME! He chokeslams The Rock! What in the blue hell is going on here?!
Cody hits one Cross-Rhodes.
Two Cross-Rhodes.
THREE CROSS-RHODES!
Pinfall, one… two… three!
THE STORY IS FINISHED! CODY FINISHES HIS STORY!!!
Seriously though. If for some dumb reason he didn’t win I don’t know what on Earth they would have been thinking.
Samantha Irvine is crying while making the announcement. There’s something special about it.
Wow. Roman Reigns’ days as WWE Undisputed Champion have ended.
Cody cries and is joined by his wife Brandi, his mother, father-in-law, John Cena, Sami Zayn, Randy Orton, Kevin Owens, LA Knight, and a limping Seth Rollins. CM Punk eventually makes it into the ring as well. Cody gets a microphone and calls Bruce Pritchard and Triple H to the ring.
This was a WrestleMania main event as a WrestleMania main events goes with shades of an Attitude-era WrestleMania finish. You have a crapton of interference, and then somehow dig up THE UNDERTAKER out of all people?
Cody proclaimed this is the start of a new era for WWE, and highlights Triple H for being the man guiding the ship. There will be a lot to unpack in the next few weeks on both Raw and SmackDown! We have new champions. Two come at the expense of long reigns coming to an end in both Roman and Gunther.
WrestleMania XL Night 2 felt a bit rushed but perhaps had a bit more juice than Saturday. Rollins/McIntyre/Priest was decent, despite signatures being the majority of the offensive. McIntrye honestly carried it and made it interesting. The Paul/Owens/Orton match was highly entertaining, and the Women’s WWE Championship was also solid. The main event seemed to follow suit of the past number of WrestleMania main events. Big moves, big teases, and a whole lot of talking to the cameras.
All eyes will be on WWE to see where exactly they go from here.
