Tag: Cody Rhodes

WWE Raw results 04/15/24: Rhea vacates, Sami retains, Gable snaps

Sami Zayn won in front of his hometown fans on WWE Raw in Montreal, but Chad Gable wasn’t willing to let his defeat go.

Nothing makes an otherwise ordinary start to a week in pro wrestling turn sober faster than unexpected injury news, and that unfortunately is the case for tonight’s episode of WWE Raw in Montreal.

Earlier today, a report from PWInsider emerged that Rhea Ripley had been injured during her backstage brawl segment with Liv Morgan last week. Other outlets like Fightful have since confirmed that Ripley is indeed injured, but what isn’t clear is whether she will have to vacate her Women’s World Championship.

If she does, that heavily suggests she’ll be out of action for an extended period of time. If not, she might be back sooner than feared. But either way, since Ripley was promoted to be on tonight’s show to address Morgan’s attack, the expectation is that Liv will be blamed (or credited, if you’re on her side) with putting Ripley on the shelf for storyline purposes.

It’s an unfortunate situation, to be sure, and yet it could work out for the best in the long run. Morgan seems like more of a badass for being able to step to Mami like that — while in real life, her heart surely goes out to Ripley given her own bad luck with injuries — and Rhea will be just as over when she returns.

The other big thing to watch tonight is the Intercontinental Championship match between new champ Sami Zayn and the man who trained him to help win it, Chad Gable. The thought is that Gable will play it straight and fall short tonight, leading to him snapping and turning heel for an extended program with Zayn that probably leads to a title rematch at Backlash.

Finding out is why we watch. We’ll be doing that, so follow along with us if you will.

WWE Raw results from Montreal:

(please scroll down for more details on any match or segment in bold)

  • Various stars are shown entering the arena, including Sami Zayn, Damian Priest, Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso
  • Rhea Ripley has her arm in a sling and gives the fans the news they’ve dreaded: She’ll have to say goodbye to her Women’s World Championship as she spends months recuperating from injury
  • Ripley gets a group hug from The Judgment Day and some words of encouragement from Damian Priest, then tells them to keep the group on top and look after Dominik Mysterio
  • Sheamus def. Ivar by pinfall
  • A lengthy hype video plays up Sami Zayn’s Intercontinental Championship victory at WrestleMania and his title defense tonight
  • Triple H is in the house to present Awesome Truth with their new World Tag Team Championship belts
  • #DIY def. The Creed Brothers and The New Day to become No. 1 contenders for the World Tag Team Championship
  • Jackie Redmond is surprised that Drew McIntyre is laughing after watching what CM Punk did to him last week, but that smile goes away fast and the Scottish Warrior takes his wrath out on a TV monitor
  • Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell def. Ivy Nile and Maxxine Dupri by pinfall, with Hartwell showing the first signs of following the rule-breaking path LeRae has been trying to get her to take
  • A lengthy hype video plays to promote Priest; afterward, he psyches up the team and trues to motivate both Dominik and Finn Balor, who is questioning his match with Jey Uso tonight but ends up smiling
  • Redmond talks to Chad Gable, who runs down his experience with hostile crowds and says he won’t be intimidated by Zayn’s hometown advantage tonight
  • Andrade def. Dominik Mysterio by pinfall; after the match. JD McDonagh helps Dom with a two-on-one beating until Ricochet comes to even the odds and chase off the heels
  • Cathy Kelley asks Jey Uso about Tama Tonga and his attack on Jimmy Uso, and he questions adding “members we don’t even know” while also saying he needs to concentrate on Balor tonight
  • Chelsea Green and Piper Niven def. Katana Chance and Kayden Carter by pinfall
  • Kelley speaks with Morgan, who says she’s confused that people are mad at her, as no one had that reaction to Ripley when she injured Liv’s shoulder: “This is karma at it’s very finest, so Rhea got exactly what she deserved”; this also isn’t the end of the Liv Morgan Revenge Tour as she still needs to become champion again
  • And now, a word from our champion, Cody Rhodes, who reflects on WrestleMania and offers to watch Jey Uso’s back, though Jey says he needs to do things himself tonight
  • Kelley talks to Nia Jax about the Rhea situation, and as you might expect, she’s not too sympathetic and says that the title is hers
  • Jey Uso def. Finn Balor by pinfall; after the bell, Uso is assaulted by The Judgment Day but manages to escape into the stands and up the stairs toward the concourse, where he high-fives a bunch of people (and shoves one aside) …
  • … then he runs into Sami Zayn on his way to the ring, encouraging him to get it tonight as he defends his title
  • While Gable is on his way out, Bronson Reed stops him and says no matter who wins, that person will have to answer to “Big” Bronson Reed
  • Sami Zayn def. Chad Gable by pinfall to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship
  • Zayn lays his title belt down in the middle of the ring and asks Gable to meet him there, then heads to the corner instead; Zayn offers a hand to lift Gable, who initially seems to accept the show of respect, but then waits until Zayn is in front of his wife to attack the champ, battering him around ringside and the apron and wrapping an ankle lock on Sami around the top turnbuckle as Raw goes off the air

Rhea Ripley does, indeed, have to vacate her title

Though she is greeted warmly by the fans in Montreal, Ripley looks unhappy and says everyone knows what’s going on right now, yeah? She says she’s been told she’s “stuck on the bench” for months, and that she must vacate the Women’s World Championship, which gets a “bulls–t” chant going.

Rhea says the title is what means the most to her, which makes this even more painful. Ripley also delivers a warning: When she comes back, she’s coming back for blood, and when she finds Liv Morgan, they’re going to have to lock her up in a Montreal jail.

She won’t have to wait long, as a cackling Morgan comes out and a swarm of security guards emerges at the direction of Adam Pearce to keep them separated. One security guard takes some of Mami’s wrath, but that’s that.

No longer Raw champions, Awesome Truth are now World Tag Team Champions

“You guys are on fire tonight, I gotta tell you that,” the WWE CCO says to the crowd in Montreal. He says it was only a few days ago we were in the midst of the biggest WrestleMania of all time, one that gave us two sets of tag team champions.

To that end, he and Adam Pearce summon the Awesome Truth. Triple H congratulates them R-Truth and The Miz for making history, then tells Truth it was awesome to see him have his WrestleMania moment.

But to represent this brand and a new era, they need to do it in a new way. They will now be known as the World Tag Team Champions and are shown their spiffy new title belts. R-Truth thinks Triple H is a magician and suggests Little Jimmy used to be visible until a magic accident.

Much confusion on Truth’s part follows, especially about who Triple H is, but the CCO finally hits his limit and hands Awesome Truth their new title belts. Pearce then reveals there’s going to be a Triple Threat match to find them No. 1 contenders.

Cody Rhodes reflects, offers to watch Jey Uso’s back

Rhodes kicks things off by thanking Adam Pearce for letting him hang around Raw when he’s technically a SmackDown superstar. He reminds us all that at Backlash, he’ll defend his title against either LA Knight or AJ Styles, but before that, he wants to reflect a little bit.

There’s one man in particular he wants to shout out, and it’s the man who said he would be Cody’s shield, Seth “Freakin'” Rollins. Rhodes also talks about The Rock and says it was news to him that he did a 12-week training camp, stating that the Final Boss has a lot more than one more match left in him. Cody adds that The Rock is probably right about making him bleed again, but no amount of training can stop the fact that if he bleeds, The Rock will bleed with him.

One thing he’s confused about is the introduction of Tama Tonga to The Bloodline with Roman Reigns nowhere to be found. His last bit of reflection is to bring someone out to the ring, Main Event Jey Uso.

Rhodes offers to have Jey’s back for his match with Finn Balor, knowing that The Judgment Day usually rolls as a group. Jey appreciates that but says he has to do it on his own.

Cody says he totally understands and wishes Jey good luck, “until we yeet again.” Cody’s words, not mine.

Sami Zayn digs down deep to defeat Chad Gable

Sami takes some time to drink in the reaction from his hometown fans once he gets his in-ring intro from Samantha Irvin. Michael Cole says there are “many ghosts in this building” for Zayn, the biggest of which was being defeated by Roman Reigns while competing for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.

The announcers discuss how Gable claims he knows all of Zayn’s weaknesses while he’s taking it to Sami on the outside. The champ’s rally includes a springboard moonsault to the floor, which gets the fans to reach another level as commercials arrive.

We return to see Zayn going for a ride courtesy of a Gable Olympic slam off the top rope, and Sami’s wife is shown with her hands over her mouth after that. Zayn takes two German suplexes before firing back with two of his own.

They trade one more German each before Zayn wins a battle of standing switches for one last suplex, this time with a release that sees Gable land a bit awkwardly on his neck.

Sami has just a tad of blood on his face as he hits an Exploder, but his Helluva Kick attempt is countered with an ankle lock. Gable tries to fly off the top but is caught and powerbombed by Zayn, who is thinking Sharpshooter but seeds his ankle give out.

Gable hits a release German suplex into the buckles, then wins a series of counters to drag Zayn back into the center of the ring for another ankle lock. Sami rolls through and nearly wins it.

Another Exploder sets up the Helluva Kick, and Zayn crawls over Gable to score the very popular pinfall.

What did The Rock give to Cody Rhodes on the Raw After WrestleMania?

Cody Rhodes looked shaken by whatever The Rock handed him on the Raw After WrestleMania.

The story that Cody Rhodes finished by defeating Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40 was one of perseverance, determination and heroism. The one he’s about to start just might be a mystery.

While addressing the crowd during a long but intriguing opening segment on the Raw After WrestleMania Monday night, Rhodes was interrupted by the arrival of The Rock. The Final Boss did some of his usual shtick, insulting the fans and riling up some mixed crowd reactions.

He also did some unusual things, like asking Rhodes if they could swap title belts (he had The People’s Championship gifted to him by the widow of Muhammad Ali), just to hold. The fans started a “this is awkward” chant in response.

Before he left, The Rock confirmed that he has to go away for a while, as it’s been widely reported he’s off to shoot “The Smashing Machine” about MMA legend Mark Kerr shortly. He also made it clear he’ll come back at some point to go after Rhodes, whether he’s still champion or not. But before he departed, he said he had something to give Cody.

The Rock handed something to Rhodes but told him he didn’t even need to open his hand to know what it was. Then he cryptically said “don’t ever break my heart again” before calmly leaving the ring.

It’s not like The Rock to speak in riddles, and whatever it was, it was small enough to fit in the palm of the hand. It also clearly unnerved Rhodes.

The comments section of WWE’s post on X is full of guesses, some serious and some not. Among the most interesting early theories:

  • It’s a lighter, playing off the real life news that Cody’s tour bus caught on fire during WrestleMania week
  • The Rock is giving back the Rolex Cody gifted to him, as well as Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins
  • It’s a ring of some sort, perhaps Dusty Rhodes’ Hall of Fame ring

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The bummer is that we might not learn more about The Rock’s mystery “gift” until whenever he returns to WWE, unless Rhodes decides to address it at some point. It sure has fans talking, though, and that was probably WWE’s goal in doing this in the first place.

Let the speculation continue.

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Raw After WrestleMania results 04/08/24: New era includes Rock mystery, Cena cameo, same CM Punk

The Raw After Mania didn’t disappoint, though Drew McIntyre might have his head explode thanks to CM Punk.

When WWE Raw rolls into the Wells Fargo Center tonight, it’s going to help turn the page from whatever we just came out of to what Cody Rhodes has dubbed the Renaissance Era. That’s a fine name for it since professional wrestling is back and sports entertainment seems to be fading away like a bad dream once you’ve been awake for 15 minutes.

Also, now that Rhodes is the new champion, he can call it any damn thing he wants.

Last year’s Raw After WrestleMania was famously a big letdown, feeling like any other Raw in mid-June rather than a show that would chart the course for exciting new things ahead. The blame was laid squarely at the feet of Vince McMahon, who apparently did the opposite of saying “perfect, no notes” and concocted a whole new show on the fly. And not a great one.

In contrast, even with Triple H already very much putting his stamp on WWE with WrestleMania 40, you can imagine he’ll want to keep the excitement going with a compelling show tonight in Philly. We already know the first hour is commercial-free, which WWE can no doubt afford to do after the massive WrestleMania gate and the extra sponsorships it showed off compared to years past.

There have been some more hints put out about surprises and such for tonight, but we can’t tell you what they are because Adam Pearce has us blocked on X. We’re not even sure what we did, but we’re all of a sudden big Nick Aldis fans now.

(Just kidding, Scrap Daddy, we still love you even if you don’t feel the same.)

In any case, we’re looking forward to this new era kicking off, so let’s do exactly that.

WWE Raw After Mania results from Philadelphia:

(please scroll down for more details on any match or segment in bold)

  • Triple H and Cody Rhodes kick off the new era, but The Rock says he’ll come for Cody eventually
  • Newly crowned champs Damian Priest and Sami Zayn are shown entering the arena
  • Ilja Dragunov def Shinsuke Nakamura by pinfall
  • A video package shows how Drew McIntyre won, then quickly lost the World Heavyweight Championship, and McIntyre is shown heading into the arena earlier today
  • The Judgment Day has more singles gold but no tag team titles … and still has an R-Truth problem
  • The Awesome Truth and John Cena def. The Judgment Day by pinfall
  • Bronson Reed cuts a promo before he’s part of a four-way No. 1 contenders match, and there’s an unusual test pattern in the background on a monitor …
  • Rhea Ripley tells Dominik Mysterio he needs to handle Andrade betraying him but gets attacked out of nowhere by Liv Morgan
  • Roxanne Perez def. Indi Hartwell by pinfall
  • Sami Zayn and Jey Uso still remember their special handshake, apparently
  • Natalya and Perez bump into each other backstage and say they’ll see each other on NXT
  • Sami Zayn is now a champion but Imperium isn’t quite done with him
  • A promo video airs for the impending return of Sheamus

  • Sami Zayn and Chad Gable def. Imperium as Gable pins Vinci
  • Jey Uso cuts his own promo before the main event
  • The three general managers discuss putting their differences aside for the sake of the product, but they get a visit from Chelsea Green, upset about being left out of WrestleMania; she’s happy when she learns she has a match, but the laughs by the GMs suggest she may not be thrilled about her opponent
  • Jade Cargill def. Chelsea Green by pinfall in a matter of seconds
  • Zayn finds Gable and says he knows what Chad wants as a favor: a shot at the Intercontinental Championship; next week in Montreal, it’s on, and Gable says he can’t wait
  • Drew McIntyre says “what happened last night was complete and utter BS,” noting his moment lasted only five minutes and 46 seconds; he thanks Seth Rollins but “that bondage Undertaker” screwed it all up and also says it’s on sight with CM Punk
  • Jey Uso wins a Fatal Four-Way No. 1 Contenders Match, earning a World Heavyweight Championship shot after CM Punk prevents McIntyre from winning

Cody Rhodes finished one story, but The Rock makes it clear another one is just starting

Both “Triple H” and “thank you Hunter” chants greet the CCO as he takes the ring. “Here’s the thing, I came out here to thank you,” he says, noting that by every metric it was the biggest WrestleMania ever.

He had the privilege of welcoming everyone to Mania and now has the privilege of welcoming everyone to Raw. It’s time to welcome the man who will lead us into a new era, which of course is Cody Rhodes. The new Undisputed WWE Champion shakes hands with Triple H before holding his title aloft to multiple sides of the ring.

A big “you deserve it” chant greets Rhodes, after which Triple H congratulates him while also giving Roman Reigns some props for his title reign.

The CCO mentions it’s a gate record for an arena show tonight, and he also shows off a video tribute to Cody set to “Rise Up” (albeit on smaller monitors since the large Tron isn’t in the Wells Fargo Center to squeeze more people in). It brings Rhodes to tears, and he hugs Triple H, who departs afterward.

Cody kneels down and kisses his title belt before getting to his “What do you want to talk about?” catchphrase. Rhodes turns to Samantha Irvin, asking her to announce him again as the new Undisputed WWE Champion, and she happily obliges.

He tells the fans that together, they are standing on top of the mountain, and he acknowledges the 1,316-day run for Reigns, wondering if he’s the most important superstar of our generation. The fans start a “thank you Roman” chant in response.

Rhodes discusses the “why” and shows a clip of his daughter imploring him to finish the story. He says he wants her to know that when he goes to work, he does so in the main event and as champion. Cody ponders the new experience of having the line be for him, but as he gets to the undisputed bit, he’s interrupted by The Rock.

There are some boos for the Final Boss but a “Rocky” chant as well. Ah, but then the trolling arrives in the form of an “Undertaker” chant, and it’s hard for The Rock to start talking as he gets booed when he tries.

The Rock finally says he came out to give flowers but also to insult Philadelphia for breaking the record for the largest gathering of trailer park trash. Both men then take turns holding up their titles for the crowd. Oh yeah, The Rock as The People’s Championship, remember?

Ignoring the fans, The Rock congratulates Rhodes for beating Reigns and says his mom and late dad were proud of him. He talks about the two belts and then asks if there’s any way The Rock can hold “that title.”

Rhodes says yes, if they can swap. Rock says it feels right and thanks Cody for allowing him to do it. The fans start a “this is awkward” chant while they hold each other’s championships.

The Rock confirms that “he has to go away for a little while now,” which he doesn’t want to do since he and Cody made it cool again. When he comes back, though, The Rock is coming for Rhodes whether he’s champion or not.

“I’m looking forward to it,” replies Cody. The Rock reminds Rhodes that while Cody beat Roman, but the previous night, Rock beat Cody. Rhodes’ story with Reigns might be over, but their story has just begun.

Rhodes says that while The Rock is the Final Boss, he’s the champion, the champion of the fans, and that means he’s The Rock’s champion. The Rock says he has something to give Cody before he rides off into the sunset, and he insists Rhodes doesn’t even have to open his hand to know what it is.

“Don’t you ever break my heart again,” The Rock says before departing. And Rhodes suddenly looks shook.

New gold in The Judgment Day hasn’t solved their R-Truth problem

Finn Balor taunts the doubters, and Rhea Ripley says they have some business to attend to. First, though, they bring out the new World Heavyweight Champion, Damian Priest.

The celebration doesn’t last long before it’s crashed by R-Truth, who says he’s brought the tag team titles back to The Judgment Day. It sounds like he’s about to advocate for The Miz joining, but The A-Lister instead joins them in the ring to try to explain to his partner that neither of them are in the group.

Balor is unamused, vowing that the Awesome Truth is going to have the shortest title reign ever. Finn challenges them to put the titles on the line right here, right now, but R-Truth says they can’t because there are only three of us.

He’s not talking about Little Jimmy, but rather “the guy you can’t see.” JD McDonagh happily accepts, then The Judgment Day starts beating Truth down before he can reveal their partner.

“The man you can’t see” helps Awesome Truth defeat The Judgment Day

Well this is a handicap match to start, but we’ll see if it stays that way. Does R-Truth have a real live person to partner with them? They might not need one the way they’re performing early on.

The momentum for the new Rag Tag Team Champions seems to be fading during a picture-in-picture segment, but reinforcements arrive in the form of John Cena. He quickly tags in and hits some offense, and all three men pull off the “15 Knuckle Shuffle” and simultaneous Attitude Adjustments to get the win.

Sami Zayn hasn’t quite freed himself from Imperium

Yet another new champ and another “you deserve it” chant. Zayn says he really wanted to do something historic this year at WrestleMania, and he did it by defeating the best Intercontinental Champion of all time.

With the fans singing again, Sami says they all helped him with their belief. Same with his wife and kid, and his friend Kevin Owens. One other person helped him too, but before he can get to that, he’s interrupted by Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci.

Kaiser says Gunther spent two years putting all his hard work into elevating the IC title, and it breaks his heart to see “somebody like you” holding that championship right now. Imperium heads toward the ring but thinks better of it when Chad Gable joins Sami in the ring.

CM Punk screws Drew McIntyre, Jey Uso wins a title shot

A strong case could be made for any of these four gentlemen, though you’d assume either Jey to keep the face-heel dynamic intact or Drew to seek revenge for the MITB cash-in.

Oh yeah, no DQs in a match like this, so sure, table in the corner, why not? It’s unfortunate for Jey as Reed powerslams him through it.

One thing the fans enjoy is Reed and McIntyre exchanging chops in the finest big meaty men tradition. Reed ends up eating a bunch of superkicks until he’s speared by Uso, and McIntyre hustles to break up the pin.

Reed recovers quickly and nearly pins Ricochet, then McIntyre prevents him from launching into a Tsunami. Reed clears off the Spanish announce table (even though they aren’t there), but he’s the one who ends up on it, and Ricochet hits him with a springboard 450 splash to put him through it.

With McIntyre looking for a win, he’s suddenly grabbed by CM Punk, and Uso takes advantage with a spear and an Uso Splash to win it.

The WrestleMania 40 main event delivered in every possible way

Pro wrestling at its finest in every aspect? We experienced it when Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns met at WrestleMania 40.

Professional wrestling is so many things. But at its core, it is beautiful.

Its beauty lies in its action, its drama, its emotions.

Professional wrestling’s beauty lies on the faces of thousands of fans cheering on their heroes and booing their villains.

And there was no better showcase for how beautiful wrestling can be than Sunday night at Lincoln Financial Field. That’s because more than 70,000 people gathered in South Philadelphia to see one thing: the climax of Cody Rhodes’ story.

But the beautiful thing about professional wrestling was that it wasn’t just about Rhodes’ story. There were others, and they all culminated in the most climactic main event in WrestleMania history.

WWE didn’t have to promote Sunday’s match as the “biggest in WrestleMania history” like Vince McMahon did two years ago. The fans’ desire to watch Rhodes defeat Roman Reigns was the only indication anyone needed.

Once the bell rang, WWE delivered.

The main event of WrestleMania 40 was everything it should have been and more. There were cameos from recurring characters throughout the story, call backs to key moments from the past, and there was even a surprise or two.

When Rhodes pinned Reigns to become the new Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, there was a release of emotions from everyone inside Lincoln Financial Field and from wrestling fans across the world. 

That is because on Sunday, April 7, 2024, everything the wrestling world had ever hoped for had been fulfilled. They had received or been a part of one of the most storybook endings in WrestleMania history. 

If it were an action movie from the 1980s, it may have ended with a freeze frame. While that may sound grossly cliche, it is the type of ending wrestling fans yearn for on an annual basis. They got their wish Sunday night.

The main event of WrestleMania 40 was professional wrestling executed at its highest level. It’s was what professional wrestling is all about.

What is professional wrestling about?

Professional wrestling is about the journey. It is about telling the story of two men who wrapped themselves in their respective family’s wrestling traditions, but for two very different reasons.

On one side was the prodigal son, who returned to the place where he had a prophecy to fulfill: win the title his father never could.

He came within seconds of accomplishing his goal last year, only to have it snatched away from him.

But like any hero, he dusted himself off and fought his way back.

He overcame obstacle after obstacle in order to find his way back to the same spot he was in one year ago: the main event of WrestleMania.

On the other side was the tyrannical villain, whose motives are rooted in providing for his family — or in this case, his tribe. For 1,316 days, he ruled WWE with an iron fist, running through anyone who threatened his position at the summit of the industry, including his own family if necessary.

However, he always made sure that the family had his back, including the ones with even more influence within the company than him.

It’s just that his villainous ways may have cost him in the end.

Professional wrestling is about setting that hero and that villain on a collision course that culminates at the biggest event of the year — twice. It is about living vicariously through all of the characters involved and hoping each of them receive what they have coming to them.

Professional wrestling at its best was on full display Sunday night.

Professional wrestling is beautiful.

Professional wrestling is back in WWE.

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WrestleMania 40 Night 2 reactions: Cody Rhodes finally finishes his story

Rob Wolkenbrod offers up his breakdown of Night 2 of WrestleMania 40 from Philadelphia.

Philadelphia, PA. — Night 2 was poised to be the climax of WrestleMania weekend for WWE, marking the culmination of numerous storylines. However, the focus leading into the weekend was squarely on one man, Cody Rhodes. The question loomed large: Would he finally achieve his long-awaited goal of finishing his story? As WrestleMania Sunday began, all eyes focused on Rhodes as he prepared to potentially etch his name in wrestling history.

With Bloodline Rules in play, along with Roman Reigns‘ dominance atop WWE for three years, it clouded whether WrestleMania 40 would culminate Rhodes’ journey to the top. But it happened anyway as the American Nightmare ended a modern-day record title run to begin his own, featuring surprise help from Seth Rollins, John Cena and The Undertaker to counter The Bloodline.

Night 2 featured surprises, once-in-a-lifetime moments, and some fun in-ring work, as analyzed by our own Rob Wolkenbrod in a special breakdown of WrestleMania 40’s second night.

Rollins and Drew McIntyre opened WrestleMania with eclectic entrances and a dramatic, hard-hitting match for the World Heavyweight Championship. While the Scottish Warrior seemingly secured his long-awaited WrestleMania moment in front of an audience, Damian Priest cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase to spoil the celebrations, courtesy of CM Punk laying the foundation for this moment to happen.

AJ Styles might have won the battle by flying around the world to cost him a World Heavyweight Championship match at WrestleMania, but LA Knight won the war on Sunday night. It opens an avenue for the Megastar to return to the cusp of the main event scene and potentially become a Money in the Bank favorite this summer.

Meanwhile, after years of waiting, Bayley finally had her WrestleMania moment by defeating IYO SKY in a fun back-and-forth match for the WWE Women’s Championship. Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair and Sasha Banks all received their spotlight once upon a time on the Grandest Stage of Them All, so it was only appropriate for Bayley to become immortalized as well.

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Watch: Samantha Irvin’s emotional call of Cody Rhodes’ WrestleMania win is everything

Irvin’s announcement of Cody Rhodes as the new champion to end WrestleMania 40 is the stuff goosebumps are made of.

It’s clear to anyone who watched Cody Rhodes culminate his journey (because we’re thinking he’s heard “finish his story” enough to last several lifetimes) in the main event of WrestleMania 40 Sunday that it was an emotional night for him. After defeating Roman Reigns, Rhodes got visibly choked up during the post-show press conference, and it’s not hard to understand why.

The wrestlers who spilled into the ring to celebrate with Rhodes after the final bell all appeared legitimately happy to see him with the world championship his famous father never quite obtained. And even other important WWE figures were on the ride with him.

Case in point: ring announcer Samantha Irvin. At the end of a long weekend for her — she announced every match over both nights in Philadelphia — Irvin’s voice was cracking with emotion when she announced Rhodes as the new Undisputed WWE Universal Champion.

Hearing is one thing, though, and seeing is another. Check out this ringside footage of Irvin making her call and tell us that it doesn’t tug at your heartstrings just a little.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C5fJqoeIxqO/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D

That’s as real as it gets, and a great summation of the way so many were feeling watching Rhodes accomplish his dream.

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Cody Rhodes def. Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40: Best photos

Check out these photos from Cody Rhodes’ WrestleMania 40 victory over Roman Reigns, which featured John Cena, The Rock, and more.

Check out these photos from [autotag]Cody Rhodes[/autotag]’ Universal Heavyweight Championship victory over [autotag]Roman Reigns[/autotag] at WrestleMania 40 Night 2, and saw interference from [autotag]John Cena[/autotag], [autotag]The Rock[/autotag], [autotag]The Undertaker[/autotag], [autotag]Seth Rollins[/autotag], [autotag]Jimmy Uso[/autotag], [autotag]Jey Uso[/autotag], and [autotag]Solo Sikoa[/autotag]. (Photos by Joe Camporeale/USA TODAY Sports, Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

WrestleMania 40 results: Story finished as Cody Rhodes topples Roman Reigns

In a match full of drama and guest stars, Cody Rhodes pinned Roman Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania 40.

What awaits us as Cody Rhodes attempts to finish his story again? A pretty theatric entrance for one, with Cody rising from the floor wearing a mask and wife Brandi briefly joining him. The fans are as enthusiastic as one would expect but there seems to be some nervous energy too. The announcers remind us he’s not 100% and he’s facing Bloodline Rules tonight.

A choir and orchestra are out on stage for Roman Reigns as he makes his walk. Only Paul Heyman is with him … for now. Pat McAfee is acknowledging Reigns at the announce table. Samantha Irvin does the in-ring intros and away we go.

Both men take some time to soak in the crowd reaction once the bell rings. They have a brief staredown and then are ready to get it on. Reigns scoffs at the first attempts to lock up, and he puts a finger in the air the first time he gets in any offense.

Cody hits his dropdown punch and sends Roman hard into the post for the first real damage of the match. Knowing he can use weapons too, Rhodes goes under the ring for a table; Reigns hits the Drive-By and puts the table back under the ring, much to the dismay of the fans.

Reigns is sent into the steel steps, but he pops back up with a kendo stick and immediately puts it to good use. Roman riles up the crowd, talking to them as Cody writhes on the mat. But his next swing is a big miss, and Rhodes pulls off a bulldog.

Cody locks on a Figure Four, but Reigns gouges his eyes to escape. Roman gets in a few shots before hurling the challenger back to the floor. A big Prime bottle is used as a weapon, and they head over the barricade into the crowd.

They end up on an elevated platform in the crowd, and while Reigns wants a suplex, Rhodes reverses it into a suplex of his own. Back in the ring, Rhodes tries for a Cody Cutter but is caught and planted with a Last Ride powerbomb.

“This is my company you little bitch,” Reigns yells as he continues to press his attack. He drags Rhodes to the mat with a neck hold, still talking trash. Reigns goes for and hits a Perfect Plex (yes, really) and gets a two count.

Backed into the corner, Reigns peppers Rhodes with short lariats. They trade kicks and end up going for simultaneous clotheslines. They rise together and trade more shots.

Cody gets the best of that exchange, continuing his flurry to a powerslam. He fires himself up and nails the Disaster Kick, good for a near fall.

Reigns pulls off Cody’s finisher, the Cross Rhodes, forcing Cody to kick out at two. Roman misses a Superman punch and eats a bunch of punches and a Bionic Elbow.

With Reigns rolling to the floor, Rhodes has a moment to think. He clears off the announce table, but Roman greets him with a low blow. A powerbomb sends Rhodes through the table, but Rhodes manages to kick out at two once he’s rolled back into the ring.

A Spear attempt is answered by a knee, then a Cody Cutter. Cody covers but only gets a two count. He looks for a Cross Rhodes, but ends up hitting a Spear for his own near fall.

Cody hits a Cross Rhodes, but his attempt at a second is spoiled by Jimmy Uso and a superkick. “Yeet” chants are ringing out, hoping for Jey Uso. Reigns hits a Superman punch but stops as Jey comes out. The Usos battle on the ramp until Jey tackles his twin and sends them flying off the ramp through tables on the floor.

Meanwhile back in the ring, Reigns hits a Spear and can’t believe when it’s only two. The two combatants are back on the floor, where Rhodes spears Reigns through the barricade. “A little of his own medicine,” yells Michael Cole.

“This is awesome” chants ring out as Rhodes pounds the mat like he’s calling for an RKO. It’s Cross Rhodes: once, twice but not three times because of Solo Sikoa. A Samoan Spike allows Solo to pull Roman over Cody for a pin, but Rhodes gets his shoulder up at two.

Sikoa is livid and pounds Rhodes with right hands. “Finish him!” he yells at his cousin. Reigns hits a huge Spear with a Samoan Spike, yet Rhodes kicks out again.

John Cena’s music hits and he sprints to the ring, sort of. He thrashes Sikoa and hits the AA on Reigns, then sends Sikoa through the Spanish announce table with another AA.

That in turn brings out The Rock. The Final Boss comes to the ring to confront Cena in a throwback to WrestleManias past. The crowd loves this showdown of middle aged stars, but The Rock strikes with a Rock Bottom while cursing liberally.

The Rock takes off his weight belt when The Shield music hits. Seth Rollins comes to the ring in his old gear, which the cameraman misses. Reigns sees him coming and smashes him with a Superman punch.

The lights go out, The Undertaker’s gong hits, and the Dead Man is in the ring behind The Rock. He delivers a chokeslam and the lights go out, and both Taker and The Rock are gone.

Everyone is gone now, except for Rollins. That’s bad news for Seth, who takes a chair shot from the Tribal Chief. That’s enough of a delay for Rhodes to recover, and he hits the three Cross Rhodes in a row.

Cody covers and he’s actually done it. Story finished.

[lawrence-related id=48075]

WrestleMania 40 Night 2 results: Cody Rhodes gets the help he needs to defeat Roman Reigns

See how WrestleMania 40 came to its conclusion with all the results from Night 2.

When last we saw Cody Rhodes, he was looking glum. And why not? He and Seth Rollins had just lost the most significant tag team match in WrestleMania history, one that made the likelihood of Rhodes never hearing the phrase “finish the story” again that much more unlikely.

But that was Saturday and this is Sunday, and there’s still hope that Rhodes can regain control of his narrative in the main event of WrestleMania Night 2 in Philadelphia. He’ll have to overcome Roman Reigns despite the match being contested under Bloodline Rules, which means The Rock, fresh off scoring the pinfall on Night 1, is virtually guaranteed to get involved.

Fighting back will probably mean getting some help, whether it’s from the likes of Jey Uso and Sami Zayn or WWE legends who have a bone to pick with Reigns and The Rock. There’s also a chance Reigns may have an ace up his sleeve, but however it plays out, it should be wild and entertaining.

It might not be as enjoyable for Rollins, seeing as he has to defend his World Heavyweight Championship against a very locked in Drew McIntyre. Will the Scottish Warrior win the title he craves and be able to let the world know his way was the right way?

Another emotional high point should be the WWE Women’s Championship match between IYO SKY and Bayley. While fans are heavily invested in Cody’s journey, they’ve become quite attached to Bayley’s narrative as well. It’s hard to not relate to people you thought you could trust stabbing you in the back, and while that’s standard pro wrestling fare at this point, it’s become especially poignant in the case of Damage CTRL.

We’re ready with people in the press box at the Linc, in the crowd and watching at home, so let’s do this.

WrestleMania 40 Night 2 results from Philadelphia:

(please tap or click on any match with a link for full details)

  • Damage CTRL and Bayley are shown entering the stadium earlier today
  • The War and Treaty sing “America the Beautiful” to kick things off
  • Stephanie McMahon is introduced, putting over the specialness of WrestleMania, touting the work of Triple H and generally getting the fans excited
  • Drew McIntyre def. Seth Rollins by pinfall to become the new World Heavyweight Champion, but …
  • … while McIntyre is mocking CM Punk on commentary, Punk removes his arm brace and smashes him with it; Damian Priest runs down, hits McIntyre with his briefcase and cashes in his MITB briefcase, then hits the South of Heaven and pins McIntyre to become the new World Heavyweight Champion
  • Bobby Lashley and the Street Profits def. The Final Testament by pinfall in a Six-Man Tag Team Philadelphia Street Fight, with Snoop Dogg on commentary and Bubba Ray Dudley as special guest referee
  • Logan Paul is shown doing push-ups in his locker room; we then see a highlight package of the Night 1 main event
  • Paul Heyman tells Kayla Braxton that Bloodline Rules means no DQ, no count-outs and there has to be a definitive finish, but also suggests it’s really whatever Roman Reigns, The Rock and Heyman decide they are
  • LA Knight is shown pulling up to the ring in the Slim Jim car; he then hands the keys to the car to the sweepstakes winner by ringside
  • LA Knight def. AJ Styles by pinfall
  • Logan Paul def. Kevin Owens and Randy Orton by pinning Orton to retain the WWE United States Championship
  • Bayley def. IYO SKY by pinfall to become the new WWE Women’s Champion
  • Snoop Dogg and the Philadelphia Eagles reveal the announced attendance: 72,755 for Night 2 and 145,298 total for the two nights
  • Cody Rhodes def. Roman Reigns by pinfall in a Bloodline Rules match to become the new Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, in a match that also involved both Usos, Solo Sikoa, John Cena, The Rock, “Shield era” Seth Rollins and The Undertaker
  • Rhodes celebrates in the ring after his victory with Brandi, his mom and many of the faces, including Cena, Zayn, Owens, Orton, Knight, Jey Uso and more …
  • … Cody gets on the mic and says he’s surrounded by greatness but wants to thank both Bruce Prichard and Triple H

WrestleMania 40: Biggest takeaways from Night 1

Look back at WrestleMania 40 Night 1 and ahead to what’s next for its winners and losers.

Since 1985, WrestleMania has been utilized as a way to showcase WWE and its biggest stars.

But as the 40th edition of the “Showcase of the Immortals” descended upon Philadelphia this week, it was clear that the event that was once a single day with a 1 p.m. start time has grown into a cultural happening for wrestling fans.

It’s a place where fans from opposite corners of the planet with nothing in common other than an undying love for professional wrestling can quickly bond and create lasting memories together.

Heck, you may even find Eagles and Cowboys fans putting away their differences for a week all in the name of pro wrestling.

There are wrestling shows, meet and greets, parties, and even a wrestling block party on South Street — and that was just Saturday.

But while all of those events are meaningful in their own right, the main course is still WrestleMania, which has also seen its share of growth over the years. WrestleMania XL on Saturday was simply the latest piece of evidence.

Here are my takeaways from a brutally cold night at Lincoln Financial Field:

Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes is shaping up to be a chaotic affair

It was an all-too-familiar scene for Cody Rhodes Saturday night as for the second year in a row, he was left sitting dejectedly in the ring while Roman Reigns — joined this time by The Rock — celebrated another victory over him.

Because of that result, Rhodes’ Undisputed Universal Championship match against Reigns will now take place under Bloodline Rules, which basically means there are no rules.

Within the story, it means Rhodes will be entering the match in a great deal of peril.

Rhodes and his partner Seth Rollins fell short against Reigns and The Rock Saturday and there was no interference. There was no sign of Solo Sikoa, and Jimmy Uso was still recovering from his defeat at the hands of his brother, Jey Uso, earlier in the night.

Sure, The Rock used his “Mama Rhodes” weight belt to help his team earn the win, but there isn’t a ton of wiggle room for Rhodes to dispute the outcome. Simply put, Rhodes and Rollins got beat. 

Now, Rhodes will have to try to do this all over again, except this time, The Bloodline can do whatever they want given that there are no rules.

However, the lack of rules also extends to Rhodes, who I expect will have a lot of backup during the title match. 

The result could be a chaotic, overbooked mess — and I would love every second of it.

The main event isn’t just the culmination of Rhodes’ story. It is the culmination of so many others as well. The Bloodline saga has incorporated so many characters since it began in 2020, it would only make sense for them to have a role in the climax of one of the best stories in wrestling history.

It’s a story that has drawn comparisons to the Avengers, which makes sense given WWE employs a former Marvel writer (Rob Fee).

While “Infinity War” ended on a bleak note, “Endgame” saw the heroes overcome Thanos and save the day. Will Rhodes enjoy a similar fate Sunday night?

Side note: The Rock’s entrance may have been the best in WrestleMania history.

Will we get Rhodes vs. Rock in the future?

One detail that some may have missed Saturday night was The Rock pinned Rhodes to win the match.

To me, that leaves the door open for a possible match between these two in the future. It doesn’t seem that far-fetched given all of the physicality between the two even before WrestleMania. 

But then during the post-show press conference Saturday, The Rock hinted that part of the reason why he returned to WWE (and joined TKO overall) was to build something not just for WrestleMania XL, but for the future as well.

Nothing is guaranteed, but I think it is something to keep an eye on moving forward.

Sami Zayn ends Gunther’s reign

The last two WrestleManias have been very kind to Sami Zayn.

Last year, he closed out Night 1 with an emotional victory for the tag team titles alongside his best friend, Kevin Owens.

This year, Owens was the last person to lend Zayn words of encouragement before he walked through the curtain to challenge the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion of all time, Gunther.

And once again, Zayn walked away with gold.

In what was in my opinion the best match of the evening, Zayn ended Gunther’s historic 666-day reign (was it a bad omen for Gunther?) with a pair of Helluva Kicks to become the new Intercontinental Champion. It is Zayn’s first singles championship since he held the same title back in 2022.

One aspect of the Bloodline story that I don’t think is talked about enough is how it has developed multiple people into major stars, and Zayn is a prime example. 

Zayn was an over enough heel that he was slotted into a match with “Jackass” star Johnny Knoxville at WrestleMania in 2022. But once that was over, he was kind of … just there

But then Zayn began his attempts to join the Bloodline. Fast forward to 2024 and Zayn enjoyed an emotional moment in the ring with his family in front of more than 70,000 people. 

What a time.

What’s next for Rhea Ripley?

Mami proved once again that she is still on top after she defeated Becky Lynch in the night’s opening match to retain her WWE Women’s World Championship.

The match itself was good, but it left me with one question: What’s next for Rhea Ripley?

The Raw women’s division doesn’t have a slew of credible challengers lined up for Ripley. Lynch was easily the most credible, but Ripley has already beaten her clean in the middle of the ring.

Based on the reaction Ripley received in Philadelphia (and everywhere else), she is one of WWE’s biggest stars at the moment. I’d imagine WWE will have something planned. However, that does not mean it will be anything of real consequence.

WWE makes the right decision to split the tag titles

Anyone that knows me and how I view professional wrestling knows that I am usually against having split championships.

The NFL doesn’t split up the Super Bowl title. It goes to one team and one team only. That’s what makes it special.

For me, the same applies to pro wrestling, as I am typically in favor of having one title per division. That means one world title, one set of tag team titles, etc.

However, I am not unreasonable. I understand that WWE has placed itself under the unique circumstances of having a massive roster of wrestlers that need their respective time to shine. Five hours of television (not counting NXT) is simply not enough to feature them all, which means they are divided up into their own brands, and those brands come with their own set of championships.

I understand that. I’m not usually in favor of it, but I understand. That is why I am on board with WWE deciding to split up the undisputed tag titles and go back to having Raw titles and Smackdown titles.

Entering WrestleMania 40, each brand already had its own set of championships. The only one that was undisputed were the tag team championships.

I guess you could make the case that Reigns is the top champion in WWE since he is the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion and since the universe is bigger than the world (looking at you, World Heavyweight Championship), you could make the case that those titles are not on equal footing.

But when it comes to WWE’s tag team division, there is no hierarchy. Both titles are very much on equal footing.

WWE’s tag team division is pretty stacked at the moment. There’s young talent on both shows that did not appear at WrestleMania. It only makes sense to give each show its own set of titles so that more teams can be featured at a given time.

Also, it probably cuts down on the wear and tear that comes with appearing on both shows on a regular basis.

I think Austin Theory and Grayson Waller walking away with the Smackdown titles was a smart decision by WWE. They’re young, they’re talented, and I believe they have a bright future ahead of them. However, they still need time to develop into the top singles stars I think they are capable of being. 

A good way to help them eventually get to that point is to develop together as tag team champions. It’s a method that has been proven to work with countless others in the past. Legends such as Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Randy Orton, Batista, just to name a few, all started as one half of a tag team or as a member of a larger group before spinning off to become bigger stars. 

Whether Waller and Theory will reach those same heights remain to be seen, but I do believe they are on the right track.

On the opposite end of the spectrum would be R-Truth and The Miz, collectively known as the Awesome Truth. Truth and Miz have decades of experience between them and have enjoyed a recent run of success, mainly due to the fans simply loving Truth and his shenanigans. 

It was great to see Truth have a WrestleMania moment after all of these years. He’s gone from K-Kwik to the first Black NWA World Heavyweight Champion, and on this one Saturday, he sat atop the ladder before 70,000-plus who were all thrilled to see him become a champion.

Bah gawd, that’s Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson’s music!

Wrestling fans from around the world may or may not have cared, but wrestling fans from Philadelphia most certainly cared that recently-retired center Jason Kelce and tackle Lane Johnson not only appeared at WrestleMania, but were also involved in a match.

In the latter stages of the tag team match that pitted Rey Mysterio and Andrade against Santos Escobar and Dominik Mysterio, two large men wearing luchador masks hopped over the guardrail and prevented Dirty Dom from bringing a steel chair into the ring.

One of the masked men then tossed Dom into the ring post before throwing him back into the ring so he could receive a call from the 619 area code to end the match.

The men then hopped into the ring to reveal themselves to be Kelce and Johnson.

For the uninitiated, Kelce is among the best centers of all time and delivered the best Super Parade speech ever. He also co-hosts the popular “New Heights” podcast alongside his brother, Travis Kelce. I think Travis dates Taylor Swift or something.

Johnson is arguably the best tackle in the NFL and is always willing to cut a Steve Austin-esque promo. 

He also recently worked out with Seth Rollins at the NovaCare Complex, the Eagles’ headquarters.

Maybe it wasn’t for everyone, but as a Philadelphian — and former Eagles employee — I was here for it.

Yes, the crowd was cold — literally

If you watched WrestleMania from the comfort of your own home, you were guaranteed to be warmer than the 72,543 fans in attendance at Lincoln Financial Field who had to endure a brutally cold night in Philadelphia.

Just a week or two ago, it was 70 degrees and sunny in Philly. On Saturday night, the temperate dipped into the 40s with some gusts of wind to boot. It felt more like an Eagles playoff game than WrestleMania.

While it didn’t sour my personal experience, I do understand why others weren’t as enthralled, which I’m sure contributed to the lack of noise you heard at times during the event.

Philadelphia fans have a reputation for being vocal, especially when it comes to wrestling. However, not all of the fans at Lincoln Financial Field were from the Philly area, and they probably didn’t dress warm enough to prepare for the bone-chilling temperatures.

I wore a jacket with a hoodie underneath and was still kind of cold. There were plenty of cool WrestleMania fits on display Saturday night, but not all of them were ready to endure a chilly night in Philadelphia.

If someone traveled to WrestleMania, they probably didn’t pack a winter coat, which is what would have been the appropriate attire for Saturday night.

The cold is the only explanation I have for why WWE had a few production hiccups during the show, which is not what you would expect from WWE in general, but especially so at WrestleMania.

I’ll be attending Sunday night’s show as well and will be sure to dress even warmer.