‘WWE WrestleMania 40 – Night Two’ PPV Review
Welcome to this review of night two of WWE’s Wrestlemania 40 pay-per-view which came live from Philadelphia. Let’s see what went down on Saturday’s show…
Match #1: World Heavyweight Title – Drew McIntyre def. Seth “Freakin” Rollins
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
The Scottish Warrior finally got to bask in the sun by winning a world title in front of the WWE Universe. With CM Punk providing guest commentary and Drew McIntyre and World Heavyweight Champion Seth “Freakin” Rollins receiving special entrances, the match had an air of excitement and tension unmatched. McIntyre almost stunned everyone into silence as he clattered The Visionary with a Claymore just seconds into the match, but Rollins kicked out. McIntyre taunted Punk outside the ring, readying to level Rollins with a Future Shock, but Rollins countered it into a Pedigree. Rollins then hit a Stomp, but his knee buckled on both occasions, and he was unable to put away McIntyre. With the announce table cleared, Rollins got onto the announce table and landed a monumental Stomp on McIntyre. After Rollins rolled McIntyre into the ring, however, The Scottish Warrior somehow recovered and hit two devastating Claymores for the three-count.
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #2: Money in the Bank Cash-In – Damian Priest def. Drew McIntyre
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Right after CM Punk leveled Drew McIntyre, Damian Priest dashed to the ring to cash in his Money in the Bank contract, drilling McIntyre with the briefcase at ringside before hitting South of Heaven in the ring to become the new World Heavyweight Champion and celebrating with his ecstatic Judgment Day family on top of the stage. In utter disbelief, a dejected McIntyre could only watch from the ring while Punk serenaded him with a sarcastic round of applause from ringside.
My Score: 0 out of 5
Match #3: Six-Man Tag Team Philadelphia Street Fight – The Pride def. The Final Testament
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg was on hand to provide guest commentary, and Bubba Ray Dudley was the Special Guest Referee for this incredible Six-Man Tag Team Philadelphia Street Fight. The Final Testament destroyed the Kendo sticks, wailing The Pride with repeated strikes. As The Final Testament were about to stack up The Street Profits to win the match, B-Fab clobbered AOP with a steel chair until Scarlett took her out with a trash can. It didn’t take long for Bubba to bring out the glasses after Kross got into the face of the WWE Hall of Famer. With Bubba directing traffic, Ford and Dawkins paid homage to The Dudley Boyz with a Wassssup headbutt. Bubba and The Pride then shouted to get the tables, and Ford hit a huge frog splash through the table to win the match.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #4: LA Knight def. AJ Styles
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
In a fast-paced melee between two Superstars who have developed a dangerous amount of animosity in a short time, LA Knight blitzed AJ Styles from the start until The Phenomenal One chop blocked him. Knight and Styles attempted to take each other out by using the top rope on multiple occasions, with Knight biting Styles in a gruesome act. Styles then went for an eye rake, but Knight responded with an avalanche German suplex from the top that left both men reeling. The Phenomenal One kept up the fight, however, taking out Knight’s knee by using the ring post. Knight rebounded by exposing the concrete floor, but it backfired on The Megastar, as Styles back body dropped him right onto the unforgiving floor. With the count reaching nine, Knight somehow got back into the ring just nanoseconds before the referee counted 10. As Styles went for the Phenomenal Forearm, Knight countered with a BFT attempt, but Styles countered with a rollup for a two-count. After Styles again tried for a Phenomenal Forearm, Knight caught his rival with a devastating BFT to win the match, YEAH!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #5: Triple Threat Match for United States Championship – Logan Paul def. Kevin Owens and Randy Orton
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Randy Orton and Kevin Owens zipped to the ring on a golfcart looking to tee off on United States Champion Logan Paul. KO landed the first big blow with a double cannonball on both of his opponents. Owens’ attempt at a Swanton backfired, however, with Paul lifting his knees. Paul then hit Owens with a Swanton of his own followed by a splash onto Orton, showcasing his athleticism. Paul once again used his brass knuckles, catching The Apex Predator square in the jaw, but The Viper kicked out. With the devastating weapon still wrapped around his fist, Paul hammered KO in the midsection and the face. Out of nowhere, Orton caught the U.S. Champion with an RKO but could not capitalize. Just as Orton was about to blast Paul with the punt, IShowSpeed, clad in the PRIME bottle outfit, saved Paul from disaster. Orton responded by obliterating IShowSpeed with an RKO onto the announce table. The Viper countered the Pop-up Powerbomb into a devastating RKO, but Paul was there to hurl Orton out of the ring. Paul then hit a stunning frog splash on Owens to retain the U.S. Title.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #6: WWE Women’s Championship – Bayley def. IYO SKY
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
In a highly personal affair, the founder of Damage CTRL took on her former friend and the Superstar that kicked her out of the group she created. Both Superstars took it to each other as Bayley countered SKY’s leap with a spinebuster onto the floor outside the ring. The Genius of the Sky lived up to her moniker, striking The Role Model with a huge moonsault from the top rope to the floor. Despite a bad knee, Bayley drove SKY into the turnbuckle with a sunset powerbomb. Serenaded by the WWE Universe, Bayley kept fighting, even after two debilitating German suplexes from the champion. SKY tried to hit the Over the Moonsault, but Bayley raised her knees, delivering a big blow to the titleholder but also bringing more damage to her own knee. After SKY locked in a crossface for a second time, Bayley had nowhere left to go before SKY locked in an STF. SKY finally hit the Over the Moonsault, but Bayley miraculously kicked out. SKY narrowly avoided a Rose Plant and seemed to be closing in on a win, but The Role Model landed a huge elbow drop. Bayley finally connected with the Rose Plant, becoming the new WWE Women’s Champion in a gutsy performance.
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #7: Bloodline Rules Match for Undisputed WWE Universal Title – Cody Rhodes def. Roman Reigns
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Battling Roman Reigns under Bloodline Rules, Cody Rhodes faced a mountain to finish his story and win the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. Rhodes and Roman Reigns took it to each other all over the Linc, fighting through the WWE Universe. The Tribal Chief tried to insult The American Nightmare by hitting Rhodes with the Cross Rhodes, but the 2023 and 2024 Royal Rumble Winner kicked out. Rhodes responded with a Bionic Elbow, looking up to the heavens in tribute to his father Dusty Rhodes. Rhodes turned it around on Reigns, hitting him with a Spear before connecting with the Cross Rhodes. Unfortunately for Rhodes, Jimmy Uso smacked him in the jaw with a superkick before he could hit the second Cross Rhodes. Jey emerged to attack his brother and took him out of the equation with a huge Spear off the stage and through a table. Now fighting Reigns one-on-one, The American Nightmare flew threw The Head of the Table, Spearing him through the barricade. In shades of last year, Solo Sikoa emerged to Spike Rhodes as The American Nightmare was about to hit his third straight Cross Rhodes. Unbelievably, Rhodes kicked out after Spike/Spear combo. John Cena then came to fend off Sikoa and hit Reigns with an Attitude Adjustment. The Final Boss arrived, however, sending the WWE Universe into a frenzy. Cena tried to take a swing, but The Rock leveled Cena with a Rock Bottom. Decked out in Shield gear and entering to the iconic music, Seth “Freakin” Rollins emerged but was stopped by Reigns. The stadium lights went out, and The Undertaker then arrived in the ring to Chokeslam The Rock into oblivion. With the match truly off the walls, Rhodes hit Reigns three successive Cross Rhodes to finally finish his story and become the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion.
My Score: 4.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 4.5/5
Just when you thought Night One of Wrestlemania 40 couldn’t be beaten, along comes Night Two… with surprises galore, including title changes you DIDN’T expect and a main event that will undoubtedly go down in wrestling history as one of Wrestlemania’s best – even the ridiculous over-booking couldn’t ruin the match. It will be interesting to see what happens next though, THAT will be the storyline to watch going forward in 2024! Speaking for storylines, that is one thing that the WWE and this Wrestlemania got right – with Bayley getting her comeuppance with Damage Ctrl, the rivalry between Rollins and McIntyre given extra depth by the interference of Punk and Priest; and the greatest story beat? Roman Reigns getting revenge on Seth Rollins for the chair shot that split The Sheild apart all those years ago… Which was, honestly, long-term storytelling at its very best. The fact that it had an impact on the main event AND the title was just the cherry on top!
