Drew McIntyre def. Seth "Freakin" Rollins to Win the World Heavyweight Championship; Damian Priest Cashed in His Money in the Bank Contract on McIntyre to Win the World Heavyweight ChampionshipPerfection! Everything about this was perfectly executed. McIntyre vs. Rollins wasn't the same caliber of match they had back at Crown Jewel or even on the Day 1 edition of Raw, but it was what it needed to be and certainly never boring for as long as it lasted. McIntyre beating a weakened Rollins made sense and I would have been satisfied with him winning a world title in front of fans for the first time, but CM Punk (who sat in on commentary) attacking McIntyre and Priest subsequently cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase was brilliant booking. I didn't know how they could pull all of that off and have it work as well as it did, but they managed to nail it. Priest failing his cash-in would have been a career killer for him, so I'm happy they did him justice. The Pride (Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits) def. The Final Testament (Karrion Kross and Authors of Pain) in a Philadelphia Street Fight (Bubba Ray Dudley Served as Special Guest Referee)Dudley returning as the special guest referee was a neat surprise given the ECW/Philadelphia connection. This was wisely positioned right after the opener and was all action. This feud has largely been cold since it started, but I'm glad these guys (and girls as B-Fab and Scarlett got involved, too) made the 'Mania card. It was a fun hardcore match with the babyfaces picking up the feel-good win to (hopefully) put the rivalry to rest. LA Knight def. AJ StylesI wasn't sure how well these two would gel and if there would be a styles clash (no pun intended) at all. They ended up exceeding my expectations and producing a very enjoyable outing with a consistent pace. The crowd was behind Knight throughout and popped big for his win. It was nice that he got his 'Mania moment after being left off last year's 'Mania. For the record, I'm not a fan of Styles' new entrance music. "Evil Ways" was right there! United States Champion Logan Paul def. Kevin Owens and Randy Orton in a Triple Threat MatchOwens and Orton didn't have an issue with each other coming into this contest (which was a refreshing change of pace compared to the typical Triple Threat build), but that didn't stop them from going after each other here. That made for a terrific Triple Threat with plenty of awesome spots. I'm actually relieved Paul retained the title because that means there's still a chance Knight can beat him for it (ideally on the sooner side). Bayley def. IYO SKY to Win the WWE Women's ChampionshipMan, these two really beat the hell out of each other. I should've expected nothing less considering how close they are. What an excellent match. I appreciated that there was no outside interference from the rest of Damage CTRL and that they were able to have the straightforward singles matchup they're capable of. Bayley capturing the championship and getting her long overdue 'Mania moment was well deserved, but take nothing away from SKY's performance. She killed it. Cody Rhodes def. Roman Reigns in a Bloodline Rules Match to Win the Undisputed WWE Universal ChampionshipThis was complete chaos as it should have been and I loved every second of it. They leaned into the Bloodline Rules stipulation by having a ton of shenanigans and all of it was amazing, but the match they were having prior to that point was wonderful as well. Jey Uso taking out Jimmy Uso and John Cena neutralizing Solo Sikoa were both logical, and the spot with Rollins running in with the Shield entrance/gear before Reigns hit him with the chair was a really cool callback to his betrayal of Reigns a decade ago. Of course, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin coming out to confront The Rock would have been unbelievable, but The Undertaker doing it instead still got an outstanding pop. The final stretch was spectacular and Rhodes finally winning delivered the way I always hoped it would. Having his family out there with him afterward to celebrate along with all of the other babyfaces who have been vanquished by The Bloodline over the years was a tremendous touch. Overall ShowI don't think there can be any doubt that Night 2 was superior to Night 1. The main event was obviously an instant classic (and arguably the greatest WrestleMania main event ever but it's too soon to say), but the rest of the card was equally entertaining and the three (four if you count McIntyre's win) title changes were newsworthy. On the whole, WWE hit a home run (dare I say a grand slam) with WrestleMania 40 and ushered in the latest "new era" exceptionally well.
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