WrestleMania 40 Night 2 was a whirlwind of emotions. The final show of the two-night sporting extravaganza featured some excellent matches from top to bottom. More than 69,000 people flooded Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field this past Sunday.
WrestleMania Sunday continued the action and drama set in motion by the chaotic events of night one. We saw Stephanie McMahon’s return, some shocking title changes, a couple of celebrity invasions, and the epic ending to arguably the greatest title run of the modern era.
Sit back and relax as we take a look at what went down at WrestleMania 40 Night 2.
Seth Rollins (c) vs. Drew McIntyre
I couldn’t be happier for Drew McIntyre. He carried WWE during the pandemic era despite not winning the world title in front of a live crowd. McIntyre took the brunt of The Bloodline’s attack head on. He and Sheamus had a five-star classic against Gunther at WrestleMania 39.
And at WrestleMania 40 Night 2, he finally defeated Seth Rollins to become the new World Heavyweight Champion. This was a solid match with some surprising false finishes and near falls. The claymore immediately after the opening bell popped a huge reaction from the crowd.
McIntyre even tweeted in the middle of the match to show he very much deserved his Slammy. He ended Rollins’ lengthy run and immediately went after CM Punk, who was on commentary. This, however, proved to be his undoing as Punk attacked him. Damian Priest arrived to cash in his Money in the Bank contract.
A South of Heaven later, we heard Samantha Irvin call Priest the new World Heavyweight Champion. The cash-in was really unexpected. I can’t wait for the RAW after WrestleMania to find out where this story goes next.
A familiar face returned during WrestleMania 40 Night 2
The Pride (Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits) with B-Fab took on The Final Testament (Karrion Kross and Authors of Pain) with Scarlett in a Philadelphia Street Fight this past Sunday. Bubba Ray Dudley showed up as the special guest referee.
This match served as a transition to the LA Knight versus AJ Styles match, so to speak. B-Fab got her hands on Scarlett. Ford delivered a picture-perfect splash on Kross through a table. Bobby Lashley secured the pin to pick up the win for his team.
LA Knight vs. AJ Styles
AJ Styles debuted his new theme song at WrestleMania 40 Night 2. The Phenomenal One immediately came to blows with the Megastar. Both men had some good chemistry. Styles showcased his aerial style to counter Knight’s more grounded approach.
The crowd reaction helped the match as well. Knight countered Styles’ springboard 450 by raising his knees in the nick of time. Here’s hoping Knight finally walks the path to claim his first singles on the main roster now that he’s done with Styles.
United States Championship Triple Threat Match
I feel this match was a lot better than Logan Paul versus Kevin Owens from Royal Rumble 2024. All three men worked their butts off to deliver a masterpiece. The alliance between Orton and Owens fizzled out because every man was for himself.
Orton might be getting better with each because this was arguably his best performance since Survivor Series: WarGames 2023. The Viper pulled some amazing moves and looked like he perfectly fit in with his opponents.
Also, the pop-up-powerbomb reversal into RKO was truly meant for WrestleMania. Speed popped up to save Logan from a punt kick. The viral streamer tried to get in Orton’s face, only for the Viper to drop him with an RKO on the announce table.
Logan used the distraction to knock out Orton. He hit a toe-touch frog splash on Owens to retain his United States Championship – just as I had predicted.
WWE Women’s Championship Match
The first half of the match had some errors. Both competitors botched several times. It seems IYO was struggling to adjust to the atmosphere in the early goings of the match. Once she adjusted, we got the Genius of her Sky in her element.
The champion targeted the challenger’s knee to gain the edge. There were some good spots that involved a mix of technical wrestling and high-flying. Bayley defeated her former team member with an elbow drop and Rose Plant finisher combo.
Cody Rhodes finished his story at WrestleMania 40 Night 1
I remember being in shock when Roman Reigns retained against Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 39. I guess it was all worth it when the American Nightmare dethroned the Tribal Chief in the main event of WrestleMania 40 Night 2.
We really witnessed one of the most memorable conclusions to a WrestleMania event last night. This match was overbooked to the max, but it really served its purpose of entertaining the crowd while keeping them glued to the action.
The match went over 30 minutes. The Bloodline Rules meant outside interferences were inevitable. Jey arrived to take out Jimmy. John Cena showed up to destroy Solo Sikoa. We got an epic staring contest between Cena and The Rock before the Final Boss took out his arch-rival with a thunderous Rock Bottom.
The biggest surprise of the night, however, came when The Undertaker showed up to disorient Rock. I was expecting Steve Austin given his illustrious history with The Rock and the tease WWE gave us on RAW several weeks ago. Also, the chokeslam to The Rock reminds me of the horrible chokeslam to Hogan from Judgment Day 2002.
In the end, Roman Reigns chose to hit Seth Rollins in the back with a steel chair just like Rollins did all those years ago. The Tribal Chief led his anger got the better of him and allowed Cody Rhodes to pick up the win following a third Cross Rhodes.
Even Samantha Irvin’s voice broke as she announced American Nightmare as the new Undisputed WWE Universal Champion. Cody gave the belt to Mama Rhodes, and the crowd popped big time. The champion was then lifted on the shoulders by the babyfaces in what was a major nod to Bret Hart’s win at WrestleMania X.
Did you enjoy WrestleMania 40 Night 2? Let us know in the comments section below!
Also read: Cody Rhodes: The Story Is Real, I’m Very Proud Of What It’s Become
