Storybook ending for Cody Rhodes as he becomes WWE champion

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Call it a storybook ending.

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And call it one of the greatest WrestleManias of all time.

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On Sunday night, in front of 72,755 screaming Philadelphia fans at Lincoln Financial Field, Cody Rhodes wrapped a more than two-year storyline and lifelong journey by winning the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship in one of the most memorable matches in wrestling history.

Rhodes, who returned to WWE in 2022 in pursuit of “finishing the story,” and capturing the WWE title, a championship his legendary father The American Dream Dusty Rhodes held and helped make famous, completed an emotional, incredible, at times unbelievable comeback story for the ages.

On Sunday on Night 2 of WrestleMania 40, the only thing that stood between Rhodes and completing that journey was Roman Reigns, a man who’d held that championship for 1,316 days, restoring the title to glory that it hadn’t possessed in decades, if ever.

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After a roughly 30-minute physical and emotional match, wrestled under Bloodline Rules, which meant none, the crowd witnessed a Hollywood ending-type finish. Rhodes, seemingly on the cusp of greatness, was first attacked by Bloodline members Jimmy Uso, who emerged from the crowd, then Solo Sikoa, before The Final Boss, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, got involved. As each member of the Bloodline attacked, Rhodes too received help.

First, John Cena returned, rescuing Rhodes. Then, Seth Rollins, dressed in his previous ring attire when he was a member of The Shield with Roman Reigns, and finally, The Undertaker, all appeared and helped keep the Bloodline from overtaking Rhodes.

In the end, Rhodes recovered and delivered not one, not two, but three Crossroads finishers on Reigns for the win, leaving an exasperated and exhilarating Philadelphia crowd exploding with happiness.

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“If I’m being honest, I think I would want to say to him, ‘I hope I lived up to your name. Thank you for that name,’” an emotional Rhodes said following his victory, when asked what he’d say to his late father if given the chance. Then I would say, ‘Sorry about the tattoo,’” he quipped, referring to his neck tattoo.

Rhodes talked about the doubt that he battled in his bid to become the WWE champion, a journey that also saw him tear his pectoral muscle and miss time, a journey that saw the Bloodline storyline take on a life of its own and become one of the greatest of all time, a journey that saw WWE merge with TKO Holdings and a journey that saw The Rock, one of the greatest of all time, return.

When asked what made audiences become so invested in seeing Rhodes “finish the story,” the 38-year-old said it was simple: “Because it was real.”

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A two-night combined audience of 145,298 attended the 40th WrestleMania, breaking several attendance and revenue records, chief brand officer Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque told media following the event. Final numbers, he said, will be released after the weekend concludes, following Monday Night Raw.

Sunday’s semi-main event featured longtime WWE star Bayley challenging her former friend and Damage CTRL member Iyo Sky for the WWE Women’s Championship.

Incredibly, the match marked Bayley’s first singles WrestleMania match in her 12-year WWE career.

Bayley and Sky, who has held the women’s title since last summer and is one of a number of talented Japanese wrestlers in WWE, had a strong match despite being in a tough slot ahead of the evening’s main event and following a strong match involving Logan Paul.

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Ultimately, Bayley earned her WrestleMania moment as she vanquished her friend-turned-foe, adding to her legacy as one of the greatest women’s wrestlers of all time.

“I didn’t know what the crowd was going to be like,” she said following her win, explaining that after years of being a heel, she wasn’t sure how she’d be accepted as the babyface against her talented opponent. “I truly think that my journey through the WWE, we have cemented such a connection, me and the fans, that coming out I felt like I think I did my job the last few years to show how much I care about this and how much I care that you guys care. I’m very grateful.”

The evening’s fourth match featured Prime energy drink co-founder Logan Paul, the current WWE United States champion, taking on Quebec native Kevin Owens and WWE legend Randy Orton in a triple threat match for the title.

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Paul, who entered the ring atop a giant Prime energy bottle affixed to a truck, made a grand entrance. His company’s logo was prominently displayed in the centre of the ring canvas, a first in WWE history, and will be going forward at select premium events.

The match opened with Owens and Orton working in unison with attack after attack on Paul, until finally turning their attention to one another. What unfolded was an excellent match with momentum shifts, close calls, near falls and one heck of a finish as Paul retained his U.S. title.

The WWE Hall of Fame class of 2024 was honoured between the third and fourth matches, with this year’s inductees Thunderbolt Patterson, the U.S. Express (Barry Windham and Mike Rotunda), Lia Maivia, Muhammad Ali, Bull Nakano and Paul Heyman brought to the stage and celebrated once more for their accomplishments.

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The third match of the show was set up as a slobberknocker between rising superstar LA Knight and veteran AJ Styles, who returned recently from an injury that saw him out of action for months.

The physical match showcased the talents of both men, with Styles reminding the crowd why he’s been one of the most gifted performers of this generation, and Knight, who won the match, establishing himself as a major player in the making. Call the result a passing of the torch.

WWE Hall of Famer and Extreme Championship Wrestling icon Bubba Ray Dudley was announced as the special guest ring announcer for the second match of the night, the Philadelphia Street Fight between The Final Testament and The Street Profits and Bobby Lashley. Rap god Snoop Dogg was ringside as a special guest commentator.

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As advertised, it was a violent encounter that saw tables and chairs and kendo sticks used as weapons and culminated with The Street Profits and Lashley scoring the victory in an homage to the Dudley Boys, with Montez Ford coming off the top ropes and splashing Karrion Kross through a table, scoring the pinfall win.

The evening opened in a huge, and later surprising, way.

A full pipe band opened the night by playing Drew McIntyre, the Scottish-born challenger for the WWE World Heavyweight Heavyweight Championship held by Seth Rollins going into the match, to the ring.

Rollins’ entrance was equally impressive, a full-on Mummers Parade, a Philadelphia New Year’s tradition since 1901, as dozens of spectacularly clad Mummers escorted Rollins to the ring. The champion was also clad in the traditional Mummers garb. Visibly, it was one of the most compelling entrances in WWE history.

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CM Punk was the special guest commentator for the opening match. Before being injured at the Royal Rumble in January, Punk was on a collision course to face either Rollins or McIntyre, but the storyline continued through his injury.

The match itself started furiously, with McIntyre hitting Rollins with one of his finishers, the Claymore Kick, right as the bell rang, which nearly ended the match as it began. The action continued, inside and outside the ring. The appreciative crowd oohed and awed as the pair exchanged finishers in a physical yet fast opener that set the pace for what was to come.

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It took five Claymore Kicks, and one Future Shock finisher for McIntyre to defeat Rollins, giving him his first WWE World Heavyweight championship. The two shared a brief moment of respect, before McIntyre turned his attention to Punk ringside.

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The two exchanged words, with McIntyre egging Punk into attacking him. As the melee unfolded, Money in the Bank contract holder Damien Priest capitalized on the situation, attacking a prone McIntyre and cashing in his contract, pinning the new champ and capturing his first title, much to the delight of the capacity crowd.

Priest talked about his journey afterward, one that he said saw him nearly quit the wrestling business many times.

“Nobody thought that I would be on this page,” he said afterward. “I even doubted myself. Then I just decided one day, ‘What am I doing with my life?’ If this is my dream, you should be the hardest worker for your own dream because it’s yours, nobody else’s.

“I’m the example for people who don’t know or they’re not sure if they can achieve something. If I did it, literally anybody could. I had no business being here, but if you bust your ass and you do everything in a positive way, I truly, truly believe that there’s nothing that you can’t achieve. For anybody out there who isn’t sure of something, look what I just did. At WrestleMania.”

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One of the night’s other surprises came at the beginning, when longtime WWE executive Stephanie McMahon made a surprise appearance to open the show, telling the crowd she has been a part of every WrestleMania, but called WrestleMania 40 the first of the Paul Levesque era, expressing her pride in her husband.

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WrestleMania 40 Night 2 results

• World Heavyweight Championship match: Drew McIntyre def. Seth Rollins to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Damien Priest then cashes in his Money in the Bank contract to def. McIntyre to become the World Heavyweight champion.

• Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits def. The Final Testament in a Philadelphia Street Fight, with special guest referee Bubba Ray Dudley.

• LA Knight def. AJ Styles.

• Logan Paul def. Kevin Owens and Randy Orton to retain his United States Championship.

• Bayley def. Iyo Sky to become the WWE Women’s champion.

• Cody Rhodes def. Roman Reigns to win the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.

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