After a rumbustuous rollercoaster of a weekend, WrestleMania 40 leaves the City of Philadelphia with a euphoric wave of emotions. A star-studded main event on Sunday night helped deliver one of the best feel-good moments of the decade, capping a spectacle like very few events can ever match.
A total of 145,498 fans filled Lincoln Financial Field across both nights, showing just how popular Wrestling is today. 72,755 fans on night two helped create one of the most rampant atmospheres in recent memory for a Main Event that didn’t disappoint.
Cody Rhodes finishes his story at WrestleMania 40
Cody Rhodes was crowned Undisputed WWE Universal Champion after beating Roman Reigns in a ‘Bloodline Rules’ match that stacked the odds against him. This was a story two years in the making following Cody’s heartbreaking WrestleMania 39 defeat, and one where the conclusion was absolutely perfect.
What fans didn’t expect was an all-star cast to come to the aid of the American Nightmare. John Cena and Seth Rollins both played vital roles in stopping the Bloodline, but a surprise appearance from The Undertaker cemented a truly legendary match as he confronted The Rock.
Even the way the match ended was special. Roman Reigns still had a shot to win the match, but a former tag-team partner and best friend in Seth Rollins lay across the ring after trying to sabotage his night. Rollins once betrayed Roman with a chair shot heard around the World, bringing the era of ‘The Shield’ to an end. Seth used the theme and the gear from that time period to get in the head of Reigns, and it worked. The Head of the Table opted to use a steel chair on Rollins instead of his opponent, Cody Rhodes, buying The American Nightmare just enough time to find his feet and snatch a remarkable victory.
WrestleMania 40 provides fans with a weekend to remember
Other highlights included a barn-burner of a match between Sami Zayn and Gunther on night one that saw Zayn crowned the new Intercontinental Champion. A true David and Goliath bout saw Zayn absorb all of Gunthers punishment before digging deep into his bag of tricks to hit a brainbuster on the turnbuckle, sparking his run to victory in momentous fashion.
Bayley was another Champion crowned at WrestleMania 40 (WWE Women’s Championship). Her match with Iyo Sky might well have been one of the best of the entire weekend, with the two women going back-and-forth in a thrilling encounter that ended in Bayley beating someone who she has a storied history with thanks to their success in the Damage CTRL faction.
Logan Paul shined bright once again in his retaining of the United States Championship over Kevin Owens and Randy Orton (with the help from a surprise friend in popular streamer IShowSpeed), and Drew McIntyre’s match with Seth Rollins was brilliant before a chaotic ending resulted in a Money in the Bank cash-in from Damien Priest. This opportuntiy came from Drew’s gloating to CM Punk, that enraged the Second City Saint enough to take the fight into his own hands. Priest saw a wounded McIntyre and sprinted to the ring to secure the World Heavyweight Championship, furthering the feud between Punk and McIntyre.
Go Birds!
Every fan likely went home with a huge smile on their face and if they didn’t, there were plenty of other reasons to smile.
Philadelphia references were littered throughout the weekend. Seth Rollins had an Entrance that included Mummers from the Philadelphia String Band Association, numerous wrestlers donned Eagles-themed gear, and there was even a surprise appearance from Lane Johnson & Jason Kelce on night one.
On a weekend where new stars were made, rivalries were formed, and stories were ended, the City of Brotherly Love embraced everything the WWE had to offer. It was simply a must-watch event from start to finish and contained more thrills and spills than an entire NFL season. There was something for everyone at WrestleMania 40, and its legendary status will be spoken about for years to come.
Whether you were a long-time fan going to your first WrestleMania, or a younger fan just discovering the glorious world of Pro Wrestling for the first time, the City of Philadelphia all shared in a truly special weekend of sports entertainment, and that’s something we can all hold close to our Hearts for the rest of our lives.
AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File
