Tag: John Cena

John Cena announcing his retirement from the WWE in 2025 left fans absolutely stunned

You won’t be seeing John Cena in the WWE much longer.

After more than two decades, the man you can’t see is officially leaving the ring where you first saw him.

John Cena, the longtime wrestler-turned-actor, shared at Saturday’s WWE Money in the Bank that he will be retiring from in-ring competition in 2025.

After making his unofficial WWE debut in 2000, Cena won a record 16 world champions and forged a legacy as one of the most beloved wrestlers within the WWE landscape.

While he’s primarily worked as an actor over the last decade in projects like The Suicide Squad, Bumblebee and the last two Fast and the Furious films, Cena’s career as a wrestler has garnered him one of the most passionate fanbases in all of professional sports.

News of his retirement is seismic for the WWE community, and you can bet that fans had some incredibly emotional responses for The Prototype exiting the professional wrestling world.

While it’s always possible Cena could make surprise WWE appearances in the future, fans grappled with the reality that one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time was prepared to ride off into the sunset.

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Every No. 1 WWE Draft pick through the years

Who deserved to go No. 1? Who was a surprise when they were picked? We go back through the entire history of WWE Draft top picks.

Is it an honor to get drafted, whether it’s in traditional sports or WWE? Sure. But there’s something to be said for being the No. 1 pick.

The WWE Draft is, of course, not the same thing as a pro sports draft, in the sense that it’s done all for entertainment value. It’s not GMs or authority figures sitting around and selecting the best available wrestler, as much fun as that would be.

Still, most years the WWE Draft has been around, the No. 1 overall pick has been a big name, someone you would actually build a wrestling brand around. And even the years when it wasn’t, it’s fun to look back and say, “Wow, really?”

So let’s do that now. Scroll down for a look at every WWE Draft No. 1 pick in history, from the initial WWF draft lottery in 2002 up through the most recent edition.

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.

John Cena: I’m hoping to come back to ‘my family’ for one last WWE run

One final WWE stint for John Cena sounds like a real possibility for 2025.

John Cena got to play his part in the very popular Night 2 main event Sunday at WrestleMania 40, even if it was just a cameo. It’s fair for fans to wonder if they’ll ever see him in a similar match in a starring role again, but Cena may have seen the success The Rock had this year and thought, “I’d like some of that for myself.”

At the very least, the idea of one last legitimate WWE run before he calls it a career is something Cena is entertaining. The only problem” His busy Hollywood schedule. Cena isn’t on The Rock’s level yet as an actor and movie star, but he’s been taking on an increasing number of roles and broadening his range.

Still, he’s hopeful he can reconcile the worlds of entertainment and pro wrestling in a way that allows him to give WWE a proper farewell, as he explained as a guest on “The Pat McAfee Show” Monday in Philadelphia.

“I’m crossing my fingers and toes and my heart that maybe, maybe just maybe, I can tell the Hollywood world to pump the brakes for a while and come back to my family for one last run,” Cena told a delighted McAfee.

Cena later doubled down on that sentiment on social media, vowing to “do my best and walk the talk” to make it happen.

McAfee and the fans present at WWE World also suggested that Cena could go for another world title, to which he responded that “those shots gotta be earned” and made a self-deprecating crack about his win-loss record over the past three years.

Cena said his filming schedule is full “through just about Christmas,” which would mean the earliest his “one last run” could occur would be the very end of 2024 into the start of 2025. The upside is that using The Rock’s involvement this year as a blueprint, that could position him very nicely for a program that would lead to something big at WrestleMania 41.

It’s a bit too early to get excited about that, but Cena chooses his words carefully and wouldn’t likely put this idea out there if he didn’t intend to see it through. That makes it feel it’s a question of when and not if WWE fans will see him back in the ring as a leading man instead of a supporting player.

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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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The Undertaker, John Cena create wonderful chaos in WrestleMania 40 main event

Cody Rhodes had the help of The Undertaker and John Cena in the raucous main event of WrestleMania 40.

Philadelphia, Pa. — When The Rock teased surprises for the main event of WrestleMania Night 2 at the Night 1 press conference, it caused a bit of a stir. A chaotic, overbooked match between Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes had been expected, but to outward hint at that happening … well, it raised an eyebrow.

Yet sure enough, bout 20 minutes in, the match began to break down. Jimmy Uso interfered first, which brought Jey Uso to the entrance ramp to spear his brother off the stage. Solo Sikoa followed soon after to aid Reigns, and then the match erupted.

John Cena‘s music blared throughout Lincoln Financial Field as he ran to the aid of Rhodes. Given his storyline issues with The Bloodline, most recently Sikoa, it seemed logical.

Once Cena knocked out the Enforcer, The Rock became the main event’s next entrant. He stared the 16-time world champion down in the middle of the ring, bringing the crowd to its feet to witness two icons go face to face. It ended quickly, however, as the Brahma Bull planted him with a Rock Bottom.

That brought a Shield version of Seth Rollins out next, but his attempt to help ended quickly.

If you’re a fan of plot twists, the next and final person to enter the fray fit the bill spectacularly. A familiar, ominous gong played, the lights went out, and in the middle of the ring, The Undertaker popped up and chokeslammed The Rock. And just as quickly as The Dead Man arrived, he left, taking The People’s Champ with him. Rhodes pinned Reigns with multiple Cross Rhodes moments later to win the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.

While not the “Stone Cold” Steve Austin appearance fans speculated about, The Undertaker and The Rock still have a history dating back 20-plus years. It still pitted old foes — two legends — in the ring to create a moment that captivated the venue.

Cena and The Undertaker added to a special night for Rhodes and an overall grand weekend for WWE. They helped put over the magnitude of the main event, creating moments to remember.

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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)

WWE Money in the Bank winners — Every briefcase winner and how they fared when cashing in

Check out the complete history of WWE Money in the Bank winners, including every briefcase winner and how they fared when cashing in.

Originally the brainchild of Chris Jericho, the Money in the Bank Ladder Match has gone from being an entertaining gimmick match to one of the most anticipated subplots of any WWE calendar year. It’s changed and expanded to multiple brands and the women’s division, and become the focus of its own event, joining the likes of WrestleMania, Royal Rumble and SummerSlam as one of the most important that WWE puts on.

At its core, however, is a simple and compelling idea: Whoever outfights and outwits a group of hungry competitors and grabs the namesake briefcase has a guaranteed title shot they can use any time, any place, for one year. It’s the WWE’s equivalent of a golden ticket, and the anticipation for when a briefcase might get cashed in has become drama in its own right.

As Money in the Bank has risen in prominence, its history has grown as well. Let’s take a look at a complete history of WWE Money in the Bank winners, including how the winners fared when they eventually cashed in their contracts.

Last updated on April 7, 2024.

WrestleMania 40 Night 2 preview: Why Cody fans are taking solace in ‘Avengers’ movies

Cody’s Avengers, assemble? Here’s why some WWE fans believe that’s what awaits on Night 2 of WrestleMania 40.

Right before Night 1 of WrestleMania 40 went off the air, there were some great shots of Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins sitting and mulling over their loss in the main event. Both men wore looks of dejection, as Rhodes now has to head into his rematch with Roman Reigns knowing it will be fought under Bloodline Rules.

That means anything goes, and with The Bloodline, that means the numbers game. The Rock has already promised he’d interfere liberally if given the chance. One can only assume Solo Sikoa is licking at the chops to help his Tribal Chief, and Jimmy Uso will be looking to rebound after losing his Saturday match.

Rollins likely won’t be able to help Rhodes since he has a very difficult title defense against Drew McIntyre. As is often the case with top babyfaces, Cody just doesn’t have enough friends. All is lost.

Or maybe not.

Rhodes fans have been putting faith in a theory that centers upon one of Marvel’s most popular franchises, one that they think will play out on Night 2 when Cody is facing his darkest hour.

What is the Avengers theory?

Put simply, the Avengers theory is the idea that a group of extraordinary individuals will come together to do what others can’t. OK, so that specific language is borrowed from Nick Fury, but the idea is the same: a team will assemble to help Rhodes battle The Bloodline on Sunday night.

The theory has been floating around for months, but it’s taken on new life ever since Rhodes needing help under Bloodline Rules became a possibility. It’s perfectly fine since Bloodline Rules work both ways. Any number of people could come to Cody’s aid, and it wouldn’t affect his ability to win the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship from Reigns.

Who might be in Cody’s Avengers?

There are actually two lines of thought here. The more fun one is that WWE legends will come to the rescue. There’s even been some suggestions that the clues were there for the whole world to see during The Rock’s infamous rain-soaked beating of Rhodes on the March 25 episode of Raw.

Specifically, a WWE production truck could be seen in the background, with the faces of two specific legends on it, both of whom have been active at WrestleMania within the past two years.

Yep, that’s John Cena and Stone Cold Steve Austin. WWE hasn’t advertised or confirmed that either man will be present in Philadelphia for Night 2, but there have been teases and rumors floating around for some time. Cena even posted something on Instagram that directly implied Austin would pull up for WrestleMania.

Cena has a history with Reigns so his motivation wouldn’t even need explanation. And Austin, despite his penchant for giving both good guys and bad guys a Stone Cold Stunner on occasion, has been a friend and admirer of Rhodes for some time.

Failing that, there are plenty of others who have a score to settle with The Bloodline already on the roster. Jey Uso is an obvious candidate since his ties to the group run deep. Sami Zayn is another, and would be free since he wrestled Saturday (unlike Kevin Owens, who will vie for the United States Championship on Sunday).

Or it could be a mix of people past and present. The point is that on a day unlike any other, Rhodes wouldn’t have trouble rallying people to his cause.

Could this actually happen? The parallels between the downbeat ending of “Avengers: Infinity War” — where the evil Thanos has achieved an unthinkably total victory — and Night 1’s main event have been pointed out by many fans.

If the Avengers theory is correct, Sunday night could be reminiscent of “Endgame,” where a host of heroes unites to join in one triumphant final battle. That could lead to the most spectacular feel-good ending in the 40-year history of WrestleMania, one that will surely help fans disappointed at the end of Night 1 bounce back quickly.

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WrestleMania 40 guide for lapsed fans: Get up to speed quickly for WrestleMania

Hello there. If you’re reading this article, it’s probably because you know WrestleMania 40 is this weekend and WWE is hot again right now. There are all kinds of people who have watched in the past who are wandering back into pro wrestling in …

Hello there. If you’re reading this article, it’s probably because you know WrestleMania 40 is this weekend and WWE is hot again right now. There are all kinds of people who have watched in the past who are wandering back into pro wrestling in general, but there’s no question that this weekend’s event in Philadelphia is the biggest draw.

Maybe it’s caught your eye because The Rock is back. Maybe you just have friends excited about this year’s show and decided you should dive back in too and see what all the fuss is about.

But now you have a dilemma: You haven’t watched WWE in quite some time, and while some of the faces are familiar, you have no idea what’s going on outside the broadest of strokes. You can’t go to a friend’s house and watch WrestleMania and not know what you’re talking about, right?

We agree that’s less than ideal, but no worries. We’re glad you’re here and very excited you’ve chosen this point in time to reacquaint yourself with WWE. And we’re going to help you with this WrestleMania 40 guide for lapsed fans. It’s a primer that you can read and feel good about knowing the most important storylines and subplots going into this weekend’s Showcase of Immortals, presented in the time-honored FAQ style.

Let’s jump in!

It’s true. Cody Rhodes did his best to topple Roman Reigns last year in Los Angeles, riding a wave of fan support based on his compelling personal narrative: He wants to win the world championship his late, great father Dusty Rhodes never could. It was a surprise when he left WrestleMania 39 without the title, and lots of people wondered where he’d go from there.

What’s happened since then could fill an entire 1000-word article, but we’ll do the TL;DR version. Rhodes won the Royal Rumble in January, putting him in position to challenge Reigns again. Then The Rock became available, allowing WWE to do the Rock vs. Reigns match it reportedly wanted to do each of the last two years. But fans revolted and WWE was listening — something much more possible with Triple H now in charge of the company’s creative direction instead of the deposed Vince McMahon.

So The Rock turned heel and aligned himself with Reigns. That ended up giving WWE two huge matches for this weekend, as Rhodes and Seth Rollins will take on The Rock and Reigns on Saturday. If the good guys win, Reigns’ group, The Bloodline, won’t be able to interfere in the Sunday night match (as they did last year). If Rock and Reigns win Saturday, it’s Bloodline Rules on Sunday, meaning anything goes. The Rock has already promised to interfere liberally if that’s the case.

Call it the ultimate case of pivoting on the fly and landing somewhere better. The end result is a rematch from last year, yes, but with a lot more going on.

You’re really going to doubt The Rock? Actually, that’s a valid question, because it’s been 11 years since he last had a full WWE match (against John Cena at WrestleMania 29), and he suffered multiple injuries in that one. He was 40 then and is nearing 52 now.

Fortunately, both he and WWE know this, so they’ve taken some pretty impressive measures to get him ready. Also, he’ll be in a tag team match, which can be carefully plotted to avoid him having to go for like, 10 minutes straight. He’s also one of the best to ever do this. He’ll probably be fine.

Plenty. In fact, one of the reasons WWE has been firing on all cylinders again is due to the fact that it’s really been nailing the storytelling up and down the roster. The women’s championship matches for WrestleMania 40 both fall in that category.

The match that’s expected to kick off the show on Saturday features Rhea Ripley, the Australian Women’s World Champion who has become arguably the most popular woman in the company over the past year, against Becky Lynch. What’s fun about their dynamic is that Lynch has accomplished almost everything worth doing in the industry, but she still feels like an underdog because of Ripley’s incredible power and presence. They should get things off to a great start.

Some of the same undertones are in play during the Sunday title bout, where IYO SKY will defend her WWE Women’s Championship against Bayley. In this case it’s more pupil vs. teacher, as Bayley included IYO in her Damage CTRL group and helped her on her way to become champion. Alas, once IYO’s friends Asuka and Kairi Sane joined the team, they effectively started a coup and gave poor Bayley the boot — while turning her face in the process. A Bayley victory would cap this long-running tale and be very popular.

There are several, but two stand out for different reasons. Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso, the brothers who just happen to be one of the greatest tag teams of all time, have been important parts of the sags involving Reigns and The Bloodline over the past two years. They went their separate ways since last year’s WrestleMania, with Jey heading to Raw and pursuing a singles career while Jimmy stayed loyal to Roman and remained with The Bloodline on SmackDown.

Now they will face off this Saturday in a rare WrestleMania bout between brothers (it’s happened only twice before). Along with his surging popularity in his own right, Jey is tapping into some real Star Wars vibes here, even recording a “there’s still good in Jim” video this week. Except for the main events, this figures to be the most emotional match during the whole weekend.

Then for pure spectacle, there’s a six-team Ladder match for the men’s tag team titles that figures to be chaotic and wonderful. There’s also a chance that the two tag team championships, which have been unified for a while and we won’t get into here, could be split back up again in the process.

There’s certainly a chance for any or all of them to make an appearance, though nothing that’s been confirmed at the moment. John Cena has made multiple teases about doing something, then he posted something on Instagram Friday that made it seem like he was suggesting Stone Cold Steve Austin would show up. It wouldn’t be surprising if they appeared in some capacity, as it’s hard to bill something as the biggest WrestleMania of all time (though WWE tends to do that every year) and not have some of its top legends involved.

The most popular fan theory is that Rhodes and Rollins will lose their tag team match Saturday, meaning the very real threat of The Bloodline simply overrunning Cody on Sunday will loom over his match. When that happens, however, Cena, Austin and maybe The Undertaker will come to even the odds, kind of like all the heroes popping out of the portals in the climax of “Avengers: Endgame.”

Could that happen? Sure, and it would send the fans at the Linc into pandemonium if it does. For now, it’s just a theory.

It would hardly be a WrestleMania without stars from adjacent areas of sports and pop culture, right? Philadelphia rapper Meek Mill will be on hand, and will likely perform a song at some point. Lil Wayne is also going to be in Philly and has suggested he will debut a new track at WrestleMania. R&B star Coco Jones has been announced as the national anthem singer on Saturday night as well.

There have also been reports that Jason Kelce, the popular and recently retired All-Pro Philadelphia Eagles center, has been approached to appear. He likes wrestling and has the oversized personality for it, plus he’d get a crazy reaction from the fans in Philly, so it makes perfect sense.

We’ve already discussed The Rock, and we’d be worried indeed if you didn’t know him.

As for other performers you should recognize even after an extended absence, let’s do it this way …

If you’ve been away from WWE for five years …

There has been some turnover since WrestleMania 35, to be sure, but still plenty of talent will be in Philly who were also at the Meadowlands in 2019. Among them are The Miz, who will be in the six-team ladder match Saturday, and AJ Styles, who is set for a grudge match against LA Knight.

Drew McIntyre challenged Reigns five years ago but will hope for a better outcome when he tries to win the World Heavyweight Championship this year from Rollins on Sunday night.

If you’ve been away from WWE for 10 years …

We talked about Rollins, who was still part of The Shield alongside Reigns back at WrestleMania XXX. There’s also Naomi, taking part in a six-person tag match this year on a team with Bianca Belair and much-hyped newcomer (to WWE, anyway) Jade Cargill.

If you’ve been away from WWE for 20 years …

Believe it or not, there are several other wrestlers on the card other than The Rock who competed at WrestleMania XX in 2004. Randy Orton will be part of a three-way match for the United States Championship, while Rey Mysterio will team with Dragon Lee to take on his son, Dominik, and Santos Escobar.