One of the biggest events in Wrestling history was hosted by the city of brotherly love, full of Philly residents acting only Philadelphia could act. WrestleMania has grown from a one to a two-night event that occurred at Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday, April 6, and Sunday, April 7.
The second night was the night to have the best matches and it started with a surprise return from Stephanie McMahon and got the crowd hyped for the first WrestleMania under the control of Paul Levesque (aka Triple H) and also the first time under TKO corporation which merged WWE and UFC.
McMahon asked the crowd “Are you ready” leading into the title match where Drew McIntyre came out to take on Seth Rollins the World Heavyweight champion. The bell rang and McIntyre instantly drilled Rollins with his finisher. The Claymore one-two kick-out crowd was instantly loud.
Rollins rolled out took a Supplex and McIntyre grabbed his phone from his wife so he could go onto X to say “Bored at work. LOL!” a few more moves outside both head back into the ring where Rollins has control and hit a pedigree and a curb stomp for two.
Rollins was aggravated by the fact he kicked out heads for the top rope for an elevated curb stomp which missed McIntyre, tried Claymore missed, another curb stomp missed, then McIntyre caught him and gave him a future shock DDT two-count.
The match had a special commentator CM Punk who has a rivalry with both participants. Who was being taunted by McIntyre by using Punk’s taunt to get Rollins in the GTS (go to sleep) he rolled up McIntyre for a quick kick out hit the ropes and delivered another claymore for two.
McIntyre pissed off rolls out so he can try and put Rollins through the table, but Rollins reverses and curb-stomps McIntyre on the table he rolled McIntyre in, but McIntyre got up first and finds another claymore to plant on Rollins’s face for only two again. Rollins stared at McIntyre and watching back Rollins said “Kill me,” he gave him one more Claymore for the three count.
McIntyre is the New World Heavyweight champion and taunted CM Punk before going back but CM Punk waited for him to turn around so he could sweep the leg. McIntyre fell flat on his back on the commentary table. Punk is recovering from a torn triceps, and he took the brace off and hammered McIntyre with it.
Then out came the Money in the Bank contract holder which gives the winner the right to choose whatever championship to have a match with at any point. Damian Priest cashed in and hit him with the case rolled McIntyre in and hit him with a south-of-heaven chokeslam to become the new World Heavyweight Champion. People in the stands were laughing not because they made him champion but because McIntyre lost. “They did it so McIntyre can win again at Clash at the Castle,” some crowd-goers said.
The next match was just a fun match and had another special commentator Snoop Dogg and a special guest referee, a Philly wrestling legend Bubba Ray Dudley. It was between The Final Testament with leader Karion Kross, Akam(Sunny Dhinsa and Rezar(Gzim Selmani) versus the street profits Angelo Dawkins, Montez Ford and Bobby Lashley. Entering people said, “This is the piss break match right.”
However, this is where the fans started chanting “Turn the lights off” because one light was too bright shining and blocking some of the vision for fans. They obliged but another chant happened “one more light” because the main problem did not go away.
The next match was a grudge match between AJ Styles and LA Knight YEAH! The whole match everyone was chanting LA Knight his ability to engage the crowd is top-level skills. Still, the lights persisted when LA Knight was not in control fans wanted the lights off or LA Knight.
Styles towards the end tried to hit his finisher with a springboard 450 splash he missed, and they went blow for blow reversal after reversal. LA Knight hit his finisher and they turned the lights off fans went crazy 1 2 3 even louder but they set it up so the fans would go nuts for LA Knight and when it went to commercial, they turned the light back on instant boos.
The next match had so much talent with Randy Orton, Kevin Owens and Logan Paul. The match although was nothing crazy. Paul has shown that he wants to be seen as a wrestler, being a great heel.
Paul got pulled out by his friend IShowSpeed in a prime bottle which led to Speed getting hit with RKO by Orton. This helped Paul retain his United States Championship after Orton hit the RKO on Owens and Paul tossed Orton out of the ring and hit a frog splash for the win.
The next match was for the WWE women’s Championship defended by Iyo Ski who was looking to defeat former ally Bayley. The match was solid but was more about Bayley getting revenge.
Ski worked Bayley’s leg by constantly attacking after she started limping. The crowd chanted louder and louder “Hey Bayley uh ah will you be my girl” Ski reversed Bayley’s finisher with a flip-up of sorts she ran at Bayley’s shoulder tackle, back Supplex, top rope elbow drop and her finisher rose plant for the new Women’s Champion.
The final match of the night took place between Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns. People thought last year Rhodes would finish his story to beat Reigns after he took his talents away from the WWE, he created a rival company so he could show his talents he felt he was being held down by WWE so he had to go.
Rhodes won back-to-back royal rumbles which the rumble guarantees the winner of the main event against the main title holder and that is Reigns who holds the WWE Universal Champion. He has had that title for over a thousand days only three others in WWE Champions held the main championship longer: Hulk Hogan, Bruno Sammartino and Bob Backlund.
The previous night Rhodes and Rollins lost to The Rock and Reigns which gave the match tonight no rules just pin the opponent for the three-count inside the ring. Before entering the stadium, someone said, “Cody has to win and if he doesn’t then it becomes impossible for anyone to ever actually beat Roman.”
There were fans decked out in Rhodes’s whole attire but there were also so many Reigns fans putting their finger to the sky to acknowledge him. The crowd was even, Rhodes went for a table early but Reigns kicked him and put the table back under the ring angering the fans.
Reigns took the fight to the crowd, in control he tried to Supplex Rhodes into the crowd but Rhodes reversed into his Supplex onto a stage. They took it back to the ring where Rhodes went for a kick that turned into him getting a powerbomb where Reigns took control of the match.
Rhodes was getting beat in the corner, Reigns turned his back and Rhodes found a way to superkick Reigns big boot, Reigns super kick, Rhodes big boot, Reigns clothesline Cody and Reigns hit each other down. An exchange of fists leads to Rhodes’s comeback. Reigns stole Rhodes’s finisher Cross Rhodes for a two-count he said, “That move beats no one.”
Reigns tried to hit a Superman punch but Rhodes gained momentum and sent Reigns to the outside. His eyes saw a standing announce table and wanted to put Reigns through it, Reigns hit a low blow and turned the idea on him to send Rhodes through the table and hit a Superman punch in the ring for another near count.
Reigns went for his finisher but blocked Cody Cutter by Rhodes and stole Reign’s finisher the spear for another two. Rhodes hit the cross Rhodes but was interference by Jimmy Uso with a superkick.
Then out came Jey Uso to defend Rhodes from Jimmy Uso spearing him off the stage rolled up Reigns but was led to a Spear by Reigns only two again. They both fell to the outside where Rhodes speared Reigns through the barricade.
Rhodes brought Reigns to the ring hit two Cross Rhodes and intrusion by Solo Soka who hit him with his finisher called the spike and pulled Reigns on top for again two. Soka frustrated, hammered away but then the man who can’t be seen appeared.
John Cena beat up Soka threw him out of the ring and AA delivered to Reigns and went outside AA to Soka through the Spanish announce table. Then out came the Rock face to face Rock and Cena for a third time at WrestleMania.
The Rock hit Cena with a Rock Bottom. Then out came Rollins to an old song when he was partners with Reigns in his old gear Rollins turned his back on his group. Rollins was taken out by Reigns and Rock has a belt to whip Rhodes with. Fans were expecting the best wrestler in WWE history to come out Stone Cold Steve Austin. “That glass is going to break any second now.”
Then the ultimate ominous music in all of WWE hits the undertaker. The lights go out, fans are so shocked and happy lights come on Undertaker is behind the Rock and hits him with a chokeslam. The match is down to four people in the ring.
Those left in the ring, are Reigns, Rhodes and Rollins. Reigns is the first up he grabs a chair looks at both men but sees Rollins in his old gear and has the chance to get payback. Hitting Rollins in the back setting up in the corner to spear and continue his title reign. Rhodes sees it coming and gets him Cross Rhodes rolls through still has Reigns in position another cross Rhodes and still has him in position to go for the third and final cross Rhodes hits it. ONE! TWO! THREE! CODY RHODES FINISHED THE STORY!