WrestleMania 40 RESULTS: Cody Rhodes BEATS Roman Reigns to end three-and-a-half year title reign with help from WWE legends… and that was just one of FOUR new world champions on night two
Roman Reigns’ championship run of 1,316 days finally came to an end thanks to Cody Rhodes, who in turn finally concluded his story.
There were three other newly crowned world champions that night, including two in the first two matches.
We were also treated to a slew of legendary returns in the main event that helped create the greatest babyface crowning moments in WWE history.
Logan Paul also showed up the night he battled two future Hall of Famers and snuck in some genius marketing for PRIME.
So let’s get to the results:
WWE Word Heavyweight Title: Drew McIntyre final. Seth Rollins (c)
With the pace these two started it was clear we were going to have a world class sprint and they didn’t disappoint.
Both men unloaded their arsenal, which started with a Claymore in the opening seconds of the fight.
It would take four Claymores for McInyre to get the job done, but in the end he was able to win the title in front of the fans.
WWE Word Heavyweight Title: Damien Priest final. Drew McIntyre (c)
Remember when we said McIntyre won the title in front of fans? A few minutes later he found out what it’s like to lose it before their eyes too.
The Scot was gloating a little too much when CM Punk, who was on commentary, finally snapped. He attacked McIntyre with the brace he had on his arm and then Damien Priest’s music hit.
The man on Judgment Day sprinted to the ring, cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase, landed a chokeslam and secured his first-ever world title reign.
Philadelphia Street Fight: The Pride def. The Last Testament
This was an entertaining event from start to finish. Bubba Ray Dudley was announced as the surprise special guest referee and rap legend Snoop Dogg appeared as a special guest commentator.
Kendo sticks and tables dominated the action. After a difficult start, The Pride – Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits – gained the upper hand and isolated Karrion Kross.
The first table they put Kross on broke before Montez Ford could climb the top rope. But on the second call, Ford landed the Frog Splash, securing the victory for his team.
L.A. Knight def. AJ Styles
Aside from a period of control in the middle of the fight, AJ Styles submitted LA Knight in this first-ever WrestleMania match and he did very well.
The crowd was excited for Knight and Styles, a man who continues to talk about retirement, using his legacy to deliver a major blow to one of the WWE’s most popular stars.
It was another decent sprint of a race. Knight won with Blunt Force Trauma, but Styles tried to give the fans some of his biggest hits, including a 450 splash.
SmackDown Women’s Championship: Bayley def. IYO HEAVEN (c)
Bayley finally got the WrestleMania moment she deserved when she dethroned her conniving best friend, IYO SKY.
After a few years of losing on the showpiece and a year of simply being the host, Bayley got the long story treatment with Damage CTRL and completely took over that story.
The match itself was better than the build given to it. Bayley had to battle through an injured knee to defeat SKY, one of the most underrated champions on the roster. SKY mounted an impressive counter-move against the Rose Plant before that move proved to be her downfall.
Undisputed Universal Heavyweight Championship: Cody Rhodes defeated. Roman government (c)
There are two huge milestones coming out of this great main event. First off, Cody Rhodes has finally finished his story and in many ways just started a new one. Secondly, Roman Reigns and his epic 1,316 day title reign has finally come to an end and in time it will be celebrated for how truly amazing it was.
The action started slowly, as you’d expect, before Reigns took control of the vast majority. The two men traded finishers and kicked out several times at the last second before the shenanigans really got going.
Jimmy Uso intervened. Jey Uso came out to deal with him. Solo Sikoa intervened. John Cena came out to deal with him. The Rock intervened. Seth Rollins tried to meddle with his old Shield gear. The Undertaker came out to deal with him. And yes, it was just as great as it sounds with those names involved.
After all the chaos, Cody managed to land three consecutive Cross Rhodes to close the book on Roman’s reign and finally finish his story.