WrestleMania XL was a two-day spectacle like we’ve never seen before. Both nights featured incredible matches and unforgettable moments. The Rock made his presence felt, and Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes produced an instant classic on Night 2. Here, we will review every match and big moment from WrestleMania XL.
Rey Mysterio & Andrade defeated Santos Escobar & Dominik Mysterio
This match was put together late in the build for WrestleMania XL and it ended up being a good time. Following an attack on Dragon Lee, Andrade volunteered to partner with Rey Mysterio to take on Santos Escobar and Dominik Mysterio. Andrade was impressive in the match and continues to look like a star since returning to the company. The end of the match featured Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson — stars with the Philadelphia Eagles — interfering to help Mysterio/Andrade win. The match wasn’t spectacular, but it had a handful of fun spots and resulted in a good pop from the crowd.
Bobby Lashley & The Street Profits defeated Final Testament
A late addition to the card saw Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits take on The Final Testament in a Philadelphia Street Fight. This match was exactly what one would expect to see — a lot of kendo stick shots, chair shots, and broken tables. One surprise was seeing Bubba Ray Dudley involved as the special guest referee. The closing sequence saw Karrion Kross shove Bubba Ray, with Bubba subsequently guiding Lashley and the Profits to ‘Get the tables!’ — channeling The Dudley Boyz greatest hits. The match was fast-paced and did its job, but it was always going to be tough to follow the opener between Drew McIntyre and Seth Rollins.
Naomi, Bianca Belair, & Jade Cargill defeated Damage CTRL
Let’s talk about a powerhouse group. Bianca Belair, one of the most gifted performers in the world, teamed up with two of WWE’s biggest acquisitions of the past year — Naomi and Jade Cargill. Cargill is certainly on her way to becoming one of the faces of WWE and she looked great in her WrestleMania debut. Damage CTRL arguably deserved better after the work they put in this year, but they were never going to beat this trio. Belair and Naomi had their moments, but this match was always about making Cargill look like a superstar — mission accomplished.
LA Knight defeated AJ Styles
YEAH! This battle saw one of the greatest wrestlers of all-time, AJ Styles, take on a fan-favorite in LA Knight. The two men did a good job building the feud over the past few weeks. It felt personal and both seemed to harbor genuine anger heading into Mania. As for the match itself, Styles didn’t get in as much offense as we would have imagined heading into the battle. However, the right man won in the end. Styles has said he is approaching the end of his career while Knight is still climbing the mountain in hopes of reaching the main event. Knight’s victory should give him some nice momentum coming out of Mania.
Women’s Championship: Bayley defeated Iyo Sky
The culmination of one of WWE’s best stories of the past year was the co-main event of Night 2. Bayley, the winner of the Royal Rumble, challenged Iyo Sky for the Women’s Championship. The build to this match was very strong. Bayley was blindsided by Iyo and the rest of Damage CTRL — the group that Bayley once led — and was on the wrong side of multiple beatdowns leading up to Mania. Both women performed at a high level in this match and showcased why they are amongst the elite wrestlers in the world. In the end, Bayley hit the Rose Plant to put Sky away for good. A great match ended with a huge — and deserved — moment for Bayley.
6-Pack Ladder Match: The Awesome Truth Win RAW Titles & A-Town Down Under Win SmackDown Titles
With 12 men competing in this match, it was always going to be a bit clunky. The WWE made a good call by separating the Tag Team Titles — allowing two teams to have an opportunity to win instead of maintaining an undisputed set of champs. The match featured some wild bumps and did well to build the drama. Grayson Waller and Austin Theory were the first team to secure titles high above the ring — as Waller scaled the ladder to claim the Smackdown Tag Team Titles for team A-Town Down Under. To end the match, R-Truth went the distance and snagged the Raw Tag Team Titles for himself and The Miz.
Jey Uso defeated Jimmy Uso
Unfortunately, this brother vs. brother showdown was a bit of a letdown. Last year, Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso entered WrestleMania as the Undisputed Tag Team Champions. The twins lost the belts on Night 1 of the event and eventually went their separate ways. The storytelling during this match was sound, but the action was lacking. There were too many superkicks and Jey’s victory was never in doubt.
The Rock & Roman Reigns defeated Cody Rhodes & Seth Rollins
The Rock and Roman Reigns have it. From their entrances to their appearance to their performance in the ring, the cousins are clearly at the top of the industry. In the Night 1 main event, the pair took on Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins. Following a slow start to the match, the final 15-20 minutes were electric. The Rock put together his best showing in more than a decade and held his own against three of the best wrestlers in the world. A handful of nearfalls and plenty of shenanigans — The Rock used his power to control the ref throughout the match — culminated with the Bloodline standing tall. A spear from Reigns to Rhodes led to the Final Boss delivering a Rock Bottom and People’s Elbow to Cody. 1-2-3 in the middle of the ring to set up Bloodline Rules for Night 2’s main event.
United States Championship: Logan Paul defeated Kevin Owens & Randy Orton
Logan Paul may not be liked by many people, but he certainly is a star in the ring. Paul entered this Triple Threat match as the United States Champion and he was always likely to retain. Randy Orton and Kevin Owens don’t need a mid-card belt around their waist to succeed, and Paul is a good choice to continue to showcase the title. The match didn’t contain as many big spots as some of Paul’s previous matches but it did contain familiar hits — the use of brass knuckles and the Prime bottle becoming a factor. Internet star IShowSpeed was revealed to be the man behind the Prime mask and he quickly drew the ire of Orton. Orton delivered a stiff kick to Speed’s stomach, barked in his face and RKO’d him onto the announce table. Paul walked out as champ a few minutes later and is likely in line to be in a prominent spot at SummerSlam.
Intercontinental Championship: Sami Zayn defeated Gunther
Wow. What. A. Match. After 667 days, Gunther’s reign as Intercontinental Champion came to an end on Night 1. The champion beat the hell out of Sami Zayn throughout the match and the result never appeared to be in doubt. However, Zayn channeled his inner Rocky (and Hulk Hogan) in the closing moments and mounted a remarkable comeback. A Helluva Kick was followed by a devastating brainbuster and two more Helluva kicks — resulting in Zayn pulling off the biggest upset of the weekend. Gunther is certainly headed for the main event picture and Zayn now has an opportunity to continue to elevate the Intercontinental Championship.
Women’s World Championship: Rhea Ripley defeated Becky Lynch
In a showdown between arguably the greatest female wrestler of all-time (Becky Lynch) and the biggest female star in the industry today (Rhea Ripley), Ripley retained the Women’s World Championship in a stellar match. Ripley’s victory felt like a true passing of the torch moment. After winning the championship at WrestleMania 39, Ripley carried the belt throughout the year and became one of the WWE’s biggest stars. Lynch put up a good fight in this one, but Ripley retained her title following back-to-back Riptides. Further elevating this match, it was revealed after the event that Lynch was battling an illness and Ripley suffered a panic attack before the match.
World Heavyweight Championship: Drew McIntyre defeated Seth Rollins
Building on the momentum of Night 1’s main event, Drew McIntyre and Seth Rollins put together a great match to open Night 2. McIntyre drilled the champ with a Claymore as soon as the match began and set the tone immediately. Rollins had a few close calls, but McIntyre ultimately won the World Heavyweight Championship with two more Claymores 15 minutes into the match. Instead of enjoying his big moment, McIntyre turned his attention to CM Punk. At ringside to commentate the match, Punk removed his arm brace (triceps surgery) and smacked McIntyre. Following a beatdown, Damian Priest sprinted to the ring and cashed in his Money in the Bank contract. One massive South Of Heaven later and Priest was the new Heavyweight champ. A very good match was made even better by Priest’s surprising cash-in.
Undisputed WWE Universal Championship: Cody Rhodes defeated Roman Reigns
Two years’ worth of anticipation and storytelling culminated in the Night 2 main event. Following Roman Reigns and The Rock’s victory in the Night 1 main event, the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship showdown between Reigns and Cody Rhodes would be under Bloodline Rules. The greatest champion of all-time and Rhodes had a phenomenal back-and-forth to start the match. Eventually, fans in the stadium and around the world were witnesses to one of the greatest sequences in wrestling history. Jimmy Uso interfered and super-kicked Rhodes. Jey Uso appeared next and speared Jimmy off the ramp through a pair of tables. Solo Sikoa was the next Bloodline member to arrive and a pair of Samoan Spikes to Cody’s throat put the challenger at risk.
Then, John Cena raced to Cody’s rescue and dismantled both Reigns and Solo…only for The Rock to come down to the ring for another massive moment with Cena. Cena’s feeble attempt to hit the Final Boss ended with a thunderous Rock Bottom. Suddenly, The Shield’s music hit and out came Seth Rollins clad in his old Shield gear. A Superman punch from Roman knocked Rollins out, but then the arena went dark and Undertaker’s gong filled the air. The Deadman appeared in the middle of the ring and chokeslammed the Final Boss. Reigns entered the ring and opted to smash Rollins with a chair instead of targeting Cody — allowing Rhodes to gain the upper hand. Three Cross Rhodes later Cody finally ended Reigns’ reign. 1,316 days as champ for the Tribal Chief. Now, it’s Rhodes’ time to lead the company.