If Cody Rhodes is going to "finish the story" at Night 2 of WrestleMania 40, he's going to have to do it with the deck stacked against him. Rhodes and tag partner Seth Rollins came up on the losing side of the Night 1 main event when Roman Reigns and The Rock abused the rules to pull off the win.
The Rock made it clear early in the match that he would use his power as a member of the TKO board of directors to fire the referee should he choose to enforce the rules. This allowed Reigns and Rock to take several shortcuts, finally putting away Rhodes to score the win.
Because of the result, when Rhodes challenges Reigns for the undisputed WWE universal championship in the main event of Night 2, the match will be contested under "Bloodline Rules." That means anything goes, including an expected plethora of run-ins from Reigns' family, The Bloodline.
Elsewhere on the card, Rhea Ripley retained her women's world championship in a back-and-forth affair with Becky Lynch. With the win, Ripley surpassed a year as the reigning champion. Plus, Sami Zayn became the man to dethrone GUNTHER by scoring the pinfall to claim the intercontinental title, ending a 666-day reign of the now former champion. That and a whole lot more to get into below.
CBS Sports was with you the whole way through the event with live updates and highlights as the action went down.
WWE WrestleMania 40 card, Night 1 matches, results
Women's World Championship: Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Becky Lynch: The commentators revealed pre-match that Lynch is dealing with strep throat and a fever. Ripley's power advantage was evident early. The champion hoisted up her challenger with an impressive deadlift suplex, plus a trio of powerbombs. Lynch found moments of success but barely slowed the sinister, almost unstoppable champion. Lynch spiked Ripley with a tornado DDT and tossed her overhead into a barricade with the Becksploder. It barely slowed the champ. A Riptide attempt countered into a Manhandle Slam was Lynch's first near fall. A wonderful series of chain wrestling ended with Ripley hitting a Riptide that failed to put the challenger away. A visually stunning spot saw Ripley lift Lynch onto her shoulders for the electric chair. Both women went over the top ropes but Ripley landed on her feet and completed the move on the floor. A follow-up frog splash -- a nod to her storyline boyfriend Dominik Mysterio -- scored her another near fall.
The champ grew increasingly frustrated by Lynch's stubbornness but kept her composure in key moments. The veteran Lynch did her best work when leaning on her experience. "The Man" targeted Ripley's compromised left arm early and often. Each time it brought her closer to locking in her signature Disarm-Her move, but the champ had it well scouted. A brutal ending saw Ripley land two consecutive Riptides, the first into the corner buckle, to put down Lynch for good. Ripley and Lynch produced a solid opening match, made more impressive by Lynch's compromised health. It won't live up to Charlotte Flair vs. Ripley from last year but it was a spirited contest that struck a balance between Ripley's dominance and Lynch's fire. Ripley def. Lynch to retain the women's world title. Grade: B+
Undisputed Tag Team Championship: Judgment Day (c) vs. #DIY vs. The New Day vs. Awesome Truth vs. A-Town Down Under vs. New Catch Republic (Six-Pack Ladder Match): This was an expectedly chaotic match heavy on spots and light on storytelling. The first major spot was an impressive feat of strength. Tyler Bate sandwiched Balor between his shoulders and a ladder, spinning in circles and taking out Kofi Kingston with the human-metal sandwich. New Catch Republic subsequently climbed a ladder outside, launching synchronized moonsaults that took out their 10 opponents.
R-Truth's comedy spot had him mistaking the match for a traditional tag match. He got the hot tag from The Miz, took out Finn Balor with John Cena's move set and tried to pin his opponent. #DIY – who made their entrance themed as D-Generation X – took out the champs with Sweet Chin Music and an upgraded Pedigree. #DIY and Awesome Truth agreed to go for separate tag titles, incorporating the stipulation that each set of titles had to be retrieved separately. A-Town Down Under spoiled their plans before capturing the SmackDown tag team titles to become new champions. Their celebration was short-lived as New Catch Republic powerbombed Waller from the ring through a ladder laid out ringside.
The most visually stunning spot was Kofi Kingston's thrilling trust fall off the ladder, leaping backwards from the ring onto his opponents' ringside. Gargano put Pete Dunne through a table with a tornado DDT from the apron onto the floor. Tommaso Ciampa brutalized Bate with an Air Raid Crash off the ladder. JD McDonagh interfered in the match to try and assist his Judgement Day teammates in retrieving one set of their titles but paid the price. New Day tipped McDonagh off the ladder as he flung forward through two tables positioned ringside.
Things were trending in an exciting direction but it was completely derailed by issues late. Priest and The Miz blundered a climatic spot atop the ladder, possibly due to damaged equipment. Priest had to retrieve a new ladder leading to the finish. R-Truth got some long overdue revenge on Priest but took way too long milking the finish. It killed any tension left in the finale. Truth winning his first WrestleMania match elated fans and the superstars deserve a standing ovation for putting their bodies on the line in creative ways. It's too bad the finish fell apart and A-Town Down Under was an unpopular choice to win the SmackDown titles. A-Town Down Under won the SmackDown tag team titles. Awesome Truth wins the Raw tag team titles. Grade: B
Rey Mysterio & Andrade vs. Santos Escobar & Dominik Mysterio: WrestleMania 40 hosted a celebration of modern lucha libre. Rey's high-flying, Andrade's dynamic strikes, Escobar's power grappling and Dominik's scheming were each on display. The four superstars of Mexican descent collided with several storylines connecting them. There was the ugly father-son rivalry between Rey and Dominik, and the mentor vs. pupil angle between Rey and Escobar. There is also an interesting wrinkle between Andrade and Escobar with the latter spiritually filling Andrade's role when he left WWE in 2021.
A unique attack early saw Rey sit on Andrade's shoulders before the pair launched onto their opponent's ringside with a stacked double crossbody. Dominik and Escobar isolated the smallest man for much of the match until Andrade stormed the field. Rey hit a 619 while Escobar flattened Dominik with a moonsault to the floor. The bout deteriorated into madness as LWO and Legado Del Fantasma got involved. Joaquin Wilde notably hit his now trademark slingshot splash from the apron to the entranceway.
"Get the chair! Bash his brains out! I don't care!" Escobar commanded Dominik late in the match.
Dominik was intercepted by two enormous masked men -- later revealed to be Philadelphia Eagles players Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson. Mysterio hit a double-619 followed by a top rope splash on Escobar for the win. There wasn't much juice on this match leading in and it served as a nice cool down spot. The Kelce-Johnson cameo was bound to happen and this was the most inoffensive match to do it. It's nice to see Andrade and Escobar on the card but it feels like they had so much more to give. Rey Mysterio and Andrade def. Escobar and Dominik Mysterio via pinfall. Grade: C+
Jey Uso vs. Jimmy Uso: The brother vs. brother rivalry was a deliberate but tepid affair. Eight months of twin brother tension got off on the right note as Jey barreled into Jimmy with a suicide dive before the match even started. That pace was quickly replaced by a methodical one. Bitter older brother Jimmy hit Jey with a volley of super kicks and plenty of taunting in between. The twins exchanged stiff punches as the crowd alternated between chants of "Yeet!" and "No Yeet!"
Jey got a measure of revenge as the match progressed, punishing big bro with several superkicks. The most emphatic was a running, jumping kick that caught Jimmy square on the jaw.
A torn expression washed over Jey as he battled between hesitation and a desire for revenge. Jey launched for a finishing blow but stopped as Jimmy covered up. Jimmy apologized and begged his brother for forgiveness. The match came to a screeching halt as Jey processed the situation. Jey helped Jimmy to his feet but it was a ruse. Jimmy cracked Jey with a super kick and an Uso splash but only managed a two-count. An enraged Jey tore through Jimmy with a spear and sealed the deal with an Uso splash.
I can't quite put my finger on it but the match felt flat. For a match structured on emotion, it was shockingly devoid of it. It might have been the tepid build towards the match. Maybe it was Jey's recent stagnation or Jimmy never really finding his stride after the brothers split. The pace was very slow considering how short the match was. They might have benefited from an even, fast-paced match with a truncated slow-burn ending. After all, these brothers know each other inside and out. Unfortunately, the match was structured as a super kick fest with lots of yelling. Jey Uso def. Jimmy Uso via pinfall. Grade: C
Bianca Belair, Naomi & Jade Cargill vs. Damage CTRL (Asuka, Kairi Sane and Dakota Kai): Damage CTRL was a well-oiled unit but even they couldn't endure the oncoming storm. Sane took to the sky early in the match, laying out Naomi with an Insane Elbow. The trio kept Naomi at bay with their synchronized offense. Belair eventually made the hot tag but it was only a minor inconvenience to the women's tag team champs and Kai. Momentum only changed when Cargill stepped into the ring. The powerhouse took out each of her three opponents with ease. Damage CTRL completely fell apart from there. Asuka accidentally spat poison mist in Sane's face, Belair whipped Asuka with a gunshot-like pony tail and Cargill put Kai away with her Jaded finishing move.
It was a short, simple and effective match highlighting Cargill's strengths while hiding her inexperience. The only gripe is how weak Belair and Naomi were made to look to make Cargill look like a superstar. It won't be a Match of the Night contender but that was never the point. It accomplished what it set out to do efficiently and for that, it gets a solid grade. Cargill, Belair and Naomi def. Damage CTRL via pinfall. Grade: B-
Intercontinental Championship: GUNTHER (c) vs. Sami Zayn: Even great generals make strategic errors. Gunther set the standard as the longest-reigning intercontinental champion but his pride was his downfall at WrestleMania. WWE did a masterful job of making Zayn feel like a bigger and more believable underdog than ever. WWE shot a live, behind-the-scenes segment that beautifully leaned into the match's Rocky motifs. Zayn was greeted by his wife and son backstage. His coach Chad Gable shared words of encouragement before reminding Zayn that he was owed a favor, teasing a potential title match between the two. The camera followed Zayn from behind as he walked towards the gorilla position. Waiting for him was his dear friend Kevin Owens, with whom he won the tag team titles in the main event of WrestleMania Night 1 last year. They hugged before Zayn hit the entranceway to a chorus of fans singing his theme song.
Zayn's fire burned bright at the start of the match. He ducked and dodged Gunther's offense, keeping the champion on the back foot. Everything was going to plan before Gunther snatched Zayn mid-air and planted him with a German suplex. "The Ring General" started his slow dissection of the challenger as the crowd broke into dueling chants for the superstars. Gunther turned Zayn's chest red with cracking chops. The commentators theorized that speed and endurance would be Zayn's keys to winning, but Zayn surprised everyone with his fire. The plucky underdog threw volleys of strikes at the champion. The salvos stunned the champ, but Gunther would take a mile each time Zayn won an inch. Clubbing clotheslines and suffocating submission holds wilted the challenger.
Zayn kicked out of a huge running kick and stacked powerbomb that irritated the champion. Gunther toyed with Zayn, cracking him with Zayn's finishing move the Helluva Kick. Zayn intercepted Gunther with an even better Helluva Kick that nearly won him the title. Gunther punished Zayn with more powerbombs than I could count. A pair of powerbombs wasn't enough to seal the win for Gunther but it succeeded in breaking the champion's concentration. Gunther exhibited a heightened viciousness, punishing Zayn with more powerbombs and top rope splashes than I could count. Instead of going for the win, however, Gunther repeatedly taunted Zayn's wife ringside. Gunther's hubris doomed him. Zayn clocked Gunther with a Helluva Kick to the top rope, a spiked brainbuster into the buckle and two more Helluva Kicks to end Gunther's 666-day reign as intercontinental champion.
This was a masterclass from the lead-up to the finish. WWE took a storyline that fans overlooked at a glance and turned it into a beautiful ode to Rocky. No one thought Zayn would win when the match was first announced but he was a live dog by showtime. Their in-ring pedigree lived up to expectations. A fantastic build, a fantastic match and a fantastic finish deserve a fantastic grade. Zayn def. Gunther to win the intercontinental title. Grade: A+
Cody Rhodes & Seth Rollins vs. The Rock & Roman Reigns: After lengthy entrances and introductions, the four men stared each other down in the center of the ring before Rollins and Reigns were the two to start the match in the ring. Rollins tagged Rhodes in after a short opening segment with Reigns. Rhodes and Reigns tested each other out a bit until a blind tag by Rollins led Reigns to tag The Rock in for the first time in the match. Rock tossed Rollins but Rollins came back by quickly stringing together some chain wrestling before shoving Rock in the back. Rock removed any worry about holds by taking it to Rollins with punches before turning toward Rhodes and asking him to tag in, which Rhodes obliged.
Rhodes took the fight to Rock before tagging Rollins back in with the pair double-teaming Rock and then taking out Reigns after Reigns tried to rush the ring for the save. Things then broke down into a brawl between all four men, with Reigns and Rhodes battling up the entranceway and Rock and Rollins battling outside the ring. The Rock then told the referee if he performed any sort of count-out, he would be fired, allowing him to take the fight with Rollins out into the crowd.
After the action eventually made its way back to the ring, Reigns blindsided Rollins, hitting him in the knee. Rock and Reigns then methodically worked over Rollins' knee. Rollins was further isolated after Rhodes was knocked from the apron and Rock and Reigns were able to continue illegally double-team because Rock had already threatened the referee. The Rock also delivered a blatant low blow to Rollins, forcing the referee to apologize to Rhodes in the corner for his inability to do anything. After Rollins hit a desperate enzuigiri, Reigns knocked Rhodes off the apron to prevent the tag. Rollins again had to fight through a bad situation before hitting a stomp on The Rock before finally tagging Rhodes back in. Rhodes hit a Cody Cutter on Reigns for a near fall and then tried for Cross Rhodes but Reigns counter and hit a Superman punch for a two count.
Rhodes and Rollins hit a quick series of big moves, culminating in a Rollins splash to again nearly score the win. Rhodes and Rollins hit a series of superkicks on Reigns, followed by a Rollins stomp and Cross Rhodes from Rhodes, but The Rock dragged the referee from the ring before he could complete the three-count. Reigns hit a distracted Rhodes with a low blow and a spear but again Rhodes kicked out. Reigns locked in a guillotine choke and Rock held Rhodes' legs down from outside the ring to prevent a break only for Rollins to stomp on Reigns' face. The Rock nearly hit Rhodes with a People's Elbow, but Rhodes countered with a Cody Cutter and nearly Cross Rhodes only to get hit with a Superman punch from Reigns. Rollins then pulled Rhodes out of the way, leading Reigns to spear The Rock. Rhodes and Rollins hit stereo Pedigrees but both Rock and Reigns kicked out. Rhodes put Rock through an announce table with a Rock Bottom and Reigns drove Rollins through the ringside barricade with a spear, leaving all four men down.
Rollins hit Cross Rhodes on Reigns twice but as he went for a third, Rock whipped him from behind with a weight belt. Reigns then tagged The Rock in, Rock hit a Rock Bottom and People's Elbow for the three count to end the match. The match went nearly 50 minutes and at times felt every minute that long. Toward the end, things finally got clicking and it led to a solid finish. The Rock & Roman Reigns def. Cody Rhodes & Seth Rollins -- Grade: B
