- Roman Reigns’ world title reign ended at 1,316 days as third-longest ever
- With a Money in the Bank cash-in, there was four world champions tonight
- Triple H came out to raise Cody Rhodes hand at the end of the broadcast
Roman Reigns’ championship reign of 1,316 days finally came to an end thanks to Cody Rhodes who in turn, finally finished his story.
There were three other newly crowned world champions on the 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 on the greatest babyface crowning moments in WWE history.
Logan Paul also showed out on the night where he fought with 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 def. Seth Rollins (c)
With the tempo these two started at, it was obvious we were getting a world-class sprint and they did not disappoint.
Both men unloaded their arsenal which started with a Claymore in the opening seconds of the bout.
It would take four Claymores for McInyre to get the job done, but he finally got to win the title in front of fans.
WWE Word Heavyweight Title: Damien Priest def. Drew McIntyre (c)
Remember we said about McIntyre winning the title in front of fans? Well, minutes later, he found out what it’s like to lose it in front of them 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 Judgement Day man sprinted to the ring, cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase, landed a chokeslam and secured his very first world title reign.
Philadelphia Street Fight: The Pride def. The Final Testament
This was an entertaining affair 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 rocky start, The Pride – Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits – got the upper hand and isolated Karrion Kross.
The first table they set Kross up on broke before Montez Ford could scale the top rope. But at the second time of asking, Ford landed the Frog Splash and secured the victory for his team.
LA Knight def. AJ Styles
Save for a period of control in the middle of the bout, AJ Styles showcased LA Knight in this first-ever WrestleMania contest and he did a very good job of it.
The crowd was hot for Knight and Styles, a man who keeps mentioning retirement, used his legacy to give a big rub to one of the WWE’s most popular stars.
It was another decent sprint of a match. Knight won with Blunt Force Trauma, but Styles did try and give the fans some of his greatest hits, including a 450 splash.
United States Championship: Logan Paul (c) def. Randy Orton and Kevin Owens
This was a triple-threat that had plenty of classic themes mixed in with the freshness of Logan Paul that made for a good recipe on the night.
Paul made his entrance on a huge PRIME truck and came with a mascot to the ring, the question was, who was in the suit? That turned out to be IShowSpeed, and he ate a RKO on the announce table for his troubles.
Down the home stretch, Orton and Owens kicked out of the RKO and Stunner before Orton turned a pop-up powerbomb into a RKO! Paul capitalised on this to chuck Orton out of the ring, nail a frog splash and secure the win.
SmackDown Women’s Championship: Bayley def. IYO SKY (c)
Bayley finally got the WrestleMania moment she deserved when she dethroned her backstabbing best friend, IYO SKY.
After a few years of either losing at the showpiece and another where she was simply the host, Bayley got the long story treatment with Damage CTRL and took that story all the way.
The match itself was better than the build it was given. Bayley had to battle through an injured knee to overcome SKY, one of the most underrated champions on the roster. SKY pulled off an impressive flipping counter to the Rose Plant before that very move proved to be her demise.
Undisputed Universal Heavyweight World Championship: Cody Rhodes def. Roman Reigns (c)
Two enormous milestones come out of this stellar main event. One, Cody Rhodes has finally finished his story and, in many ways, has just started a new one. Two, 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 great it was.
The action started off slow as one would expect before Reigns assumed control for the vast majority. The two men traded finishers and kicked out at the last second on several occasions before the shenanigans really kicked into gear.
Jimmy Uso interferred. Jey Uso came out to deal with him. Solo Sikoa interfered. John Cena came out to deal with him. The Rock interfered. Seth Rollins tried to interfere in his old Shield gear. The Undertaker came out to deal with him. And yes, it was every bit as awesome as it sounds like 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.
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
