Ariel Helwani: The Greatest Finish To A WrestleMania Ever | The MMA Hour

Ariel Helwani wraps up his busy weekend with Paul Heyman’s Hall of Fame induction and WrestleMania 40. He talks about the memorable main event finish and how the AEW was partially responsible.
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[@Ohsooowavy]

“We” decided to head out early to beat the rush. We all know dam well that was Ariels idea. 20 years from now when they are talking about this, his kids are going to say dad remember you made us leave wrestlemania early in the middle of the main event.

[@temperedglass1130]

Madeup story by a handicap.

[@ajay1888]

That's the craziest and dumbest ish I've heard lmao why would you leave knowing something big bout to happen

[@JohnLopez-gt6og]

This happens at every show, the moment the 3 count hits in the last match you see people heading out, it's ridiculous, like I've already been there over 4 hours, say it takes you 45 minutes to get out,cl, so freaking what😂, I don't leave until everyone is gone from the stage and the lights go on..

[@alexbelotti1603]

Brother he’s crazy but I guess he’s programmed to keep doing weird things and being different in the wrong way 😂😂😂

[@presidentc4]

​@@JohnLopez-gt6ogAt Survivor Series, as soon as Punk showed his face I dashed out of the arena cuz screw that dude lol Every other show, including Mania I stay for a while after the show

[@DreamTeamWrestling]

who goes all the way to mania and leaves halfway through the main event wtf

[@rccomics]

I had to rewind it to make sure I heard that correctly.

[@DynastyIcon]

you know he's gonna whine about y'all calling him out for leaving early 😂

[@JDRusse11]

Same guy who thinks UFC Weigh-ins are better than the actual Fights 😂

[@matttibos2562]

Wait WHAT

[@greensmoke420s]

You never want your kids memory's to be I missed the awesome finish to WrestleMania so my dad could beat traffic lol

[@emiliomarbanjr]

Lmao

[@ajay1888]

That's tragic. Lol

[@DonnyANDCheeks]

Leaving early on the most anticipated wrestlemania main event of the decade is craaaazy 😂

[@cameronharrington6813]

RIGHT? Like if that was me, I would have told my kids "Nah no school tomorrow, you good" and we would have ducked all the consequences easily.

[@MikeySkywalker]

@@cameronharrington6813just demonstrates the privilege.

[@spruceleaf9447]

ariel doesnt run his household. cant even see a movie

[@Jordomac]

I'd skip wrestlemania for my kids' soccer game too

[@MikeySkywalker]

@@Jordomac good for you. And we have every right to not care at all what you think about it, because of that.

[@drbray]

Aeril " Id do anything for Paul Heyman " Looks like sitting through a main event doesnt count as anything 😂😂😂

[@Jordomac]

Family takes priority every time.

[@drbray]

@@Jordomac family does, beating traffic not so much.

[@Jordomac]

@drbray well he's explained why he felt the need to beat traffic. I'm sure Paul Heyman will forgive him.

[@drbray]

@@Jordomac what's the reason? I know he had to get out off hall of fame to see his daughters soccer game. Whats the reason to beat traffic?

[@Jordomac]

@drbray it was late, the kids were fading, its a 2 hour drive on a low traffic day, they saw all of night one, all the kids have school the next day, he hosts the show the next day....etc.

[@delandisterry]

You left EARLY to beat Traffic? When you were sitting in the FIFTH ROW? That literally fits the Ariel Helwani profile… and he said it so casually, amazing!

[@drbray]

Nah that was after hall of fame,he just left to beat traffic. Disrespect at its finest

[@emiliomarbanjr]

​Fighter51328 yeah man. These marks

[@drbray]

@Fighter51328 the things people do. Like wasting a free ticket leaving early.

[@kevindimauro3937]

He doesn’t actually like pro wrestling, he’s just covering it because no one else is, so he gets views. Any hardcore MMA fan will not be stimulated by fake WWE

[@presidentc4]

​@@kevindimauro3937plenty of alternatives to Ariel, he's definitely not the only one

[@VIVsVeiws]

As a die hard fan it is hard to understand that Ariel just needs to stop by to be seen but leaves for the main event and a seat with a fantastic view was empty. As someone who attacks the Apex so hard leaving a stadium to beat traffic is hypocritical in a way.

[@drbray]

Pretty mind blowing

[@greensmoke420s]

Bailed during the main event? I thought you were a fan? You can't do a segment on the best finish to a WrestleMania when u left during it and missed it just to beat traffic. Lol.

[@matthewalkman386]

People have jobs man. Can watch it on peacock app live

[@HkFinn83]

Good job creating great memories for your kids of that time dad hit all those green lights

[@nologic29]

Left early halfway through the biggest main event in ages. Okay you're done reporting on wrestling pal. That's enough.

[@FingrBlastr69]

Yup. I appreciate what he brings to wrestling, but that blows away any credibility he has in the wrestling world.

[@emiliomarbanjr]

Nah ​@@FingrBlastr69

[@CA_I]

His credibility as a wrestling reporter has long since gone, he is an extension of WWE.

[@mudkipfan2420]

His reports are never good anyways

[@J_Gar]

Bret Hart: Comes from wrestling family Father highly respected WM 9 losses to a Samoan Wrestles twice at WM 10 WM 10 beats same Samoan Leader of New Generation All superstars and Vince come out to congratulate him. Cody: Comes from wrestling family Father highly respected WM 39 loses to a Samoan Wrestles twice at WM 40 WM 40 beats same Samoan Leader of New Era All superstars and Paul/HHH come out to congratulate him. 😳🤯

[@Beat_daK0tonai_oi]

I mean yeah old school wrestling fans can see that this was the same as Wrestlemania X. They Just hyped this up better. Good ending still

[@cipherpac]

The implications that the bloodline is so great that it played the same role in the legacy of two of the other greatest families in pro wreatling is so cool. The long term story telling in this main event was glorious. The shield betrayal and revenge sublot itself was pure cinema.

[@Spiritualthanos87]

Both had wrestling brothers

[@jaymann5180]

Both also lost their first match on that Wrestlemania (Bret to Owen/Cody to Rock).

[@j.s3591]

The only thing Ariel's kids are gonna remember from the this WRESTLEMANIA is we miss the GREATEST Main event because dad had to leave early to beat traffic! 😅😂

[@jmacyourlife]

Leaves half way through the Mania event and proceeds to talk well over a hour about it on a MMA Show

[@TP_Gillz]

I would never forgive my father if he made us leave early from that massive of an event... What an old man move lol.

[@pabloeskybruh9624]

Robbing your kids of a major childhood memory over an hour and a half drive is wild 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@dingodongo2489]

You robbed your kids of that moment 💀💀💀💀

[@Bumblebeetunes]

you left early??? wow, says it all.

[@DynastyIcon]

it's no point of going to WrestleMania if you're going to leave early.. its a waste of time, just watch from home

[@uzi978]

I totally agree about watching with your kids... my son is 12, has been a fan for the past 5 years or so, and it's just fun watching the shows together, especially as he gets older. I think he keeps me interested because it's something we can enjoy together. We both popped huge for Cody winning, it was a really cool moment that I don't think anyone will forget.

[@cipherpac]

Seth staying in character and continuing to sell during the post-match celebration was awesome. A true pro.

[@hermandhillon6518]

I'm sorry Ariel I love you and I love the show brother But hearing that you left before the main event to beat the traffic has to be the dumbest s*** I've ever heard in my life LOL

[@duck8997]

It’s a fake scripted show he can see the result on his way back. Not everyone in the world were clueless as to what was going to happen, the story writers knew the pro wrestlers knew, the management at wwe knew the result. Relax soy boy

[@26416kwegman]

You left early?? Wtf!

[@dingodongo2489]

The way he talks so fast when it comes to the story of leaving early because of traffic lmao. You can see he is embarassed.

[@presidentc4]

He didn't have to tell us that

[@TheKennyboy92]

Surely being there for the end is more important than "beating the traffic"? No?

[@johnnymatteis3452]

His points on Cody Rhodes leaving WWE and how he came back was great.

[@camcassy]

18:15 VIP tickets but still left before the main event? I think you might've regretted that one. From five rows to the front, to watching Cody finish the story, while sitting in traffic??

[@Lamb2Lionz]

The stars aligned for this one incredible moment, Cody rhodes life long dream and promise to his late father to win the title he never won defeating roman reigns who's held the world title for three years in one of the most cinema story in history with the bloodline, coming together for the main event at wrestlemania, the match & ending was incredible, what a time to be alive, brought me to tears, a great time to be a pro wrestling fan

[@jasonuk8333]

Could hardly believe what I was hearing. Imagine all of the wrestling fans that would have given anything to be sat in that position in the fifth row for one of the greatest Wrestlemania moments of all time, but never had a chance, and this guy leaves early to beat the traffic. The most amazing this is that he would actually voluntarily tell everyone he did this as if it wasn't a breathtakingly ridiculous thing to do. If you can't be bothered to stay to the end, do the decent thing and don't deny a real fan, that will stay to the end, the opportunity to have that seat instead of you.

[@IamBrixTM]

Yours kids got a villain origin story for your leaving early 😂😂😂

[@TheNYJets15]

Amazing…AMAZING weekend!! Sorry I was sitting in your seat at smackdown lol It was awesome meeting you and I want you to know I meant exactly what I said…you are so good for the wrestling industry! Keep doing your thing sir!! Thank you!!

[@Dsanchez1991]

Amen brother. Well said. As a father. I’m so happy my son is turned into a fan. Brings joy to my heart and soul

[@MrFahmid108]

I’m so relieved I got to Experience WMXL live. I anticipated this for years man. This was my first WrestleMania live and I couldn’t be happier with the ending. I was on level 121 which was a great view. Then someone gave me their floor ticket which I was grateful for.

[@MrDjillest303]

I just wanna say this is an amazing show. Ariel, you made some amazing points. Thank you guys for your entertainment

[@JamieB237]

Wrestlemania 17 was pretty spectacular

[@redcomet0079]

It’s the best one ever

[@hectorlagos8937]

THANK YOU ROMAN!

[@JPS47]

Ariel literally became his parents by leaving mid main event to beat traffic.

[@reeseatkinson5796]

Sundays main event conclusion was the most heart filling moment I’ve experienced in pro wrestling. I’ve been a fan since 1998

[@tuffneggah]

hope ariel asks rock someday why fighters dont get money from the shoe deals. seeing as he likes to shoot from the hip

[@loopvil369]

Boom

[@calvinmiguel4405]

They don’t want money, they get free Rock shoes!

[@JigglinJedi]

Love the wrestling stuff. Especially now that it’s good. It’d be harder to talk about if wrestling was still boring but they got me back after several years. 🤷‍♂️ Feels different.

[@shoulderlabrum520]

WM 10 with Bret being lifted up by the WWF stars

[@HavokStrifeX]

Man, last time I got a cheesesteak in Philly, I was with some friends seeing a show at the Electric Factory/Franklin, we picked the place because of a painting they had reminded us of an album cover. So good. Don't remember the name of the place, just how good it was. Moral: Go to a place you never heard of. The more run down the better haha

[@MrFahmid108]

The timing was just perfect. WM needed to happen in Philadelphia this year for it to be the success it was. Also if it happened anywhere else I couldn’t have afforded to go so for selfish reasons it needed to happen here.

[@BADDIEBLONDES]

enjoyed this

[@kevns2148]

Why am i not surprised ariel left wrestlemania night 2 to beat the traffic.. an even as he calls it the greatest finish in wm history, stands by that decision?!..

[@roachasaurus2020]

Cody would have still done this without AEW. He was crushing in the indies and put together All In without Tony Khan's money. If it wasn't Tony Khan, someone else would have funded their vision. Cody is a superstar and the road was always going to lead to this WrestleMania, with or without AEW

[@VaidPlayz_2024]

My kids went insane when John and undertaker showed up , one of the best finishes to a main event ever

[@gamecock4u03]

The guy hating on everyone congratulating Cody after his win is a bum! He's the good guy that beat the bad guy, and he's the new face of the company. Of course everyone will be there for him.

[@uzi978]

The Main Event is definitely up there for greatest ever... just wonderful storytelling from beginning to end, the perfect amount of outside and surprise involvement, and the finish that was built to for years. Can't wait to see where they go next, I have faith in the HHH Era.

[@fhg1066]

Of course he left early Joker

[@emiliomarbanjr]

Joker lmao

[@rudebwoytroy]

Rogers center was the sky dome, the air canada center turned into scotiabank arena

[@rainman42]

Night 2....great start, and the best ending ive ever seen.....night 1 wasnt bad, but it wasnt night 2...even the crowd was hotter night 2....

[@oscarhernandez-wi5fn]

Thank you Tony Kahn. Cody is home.

[@DynastyIcon]

Cody chose to leave, Tony Khan didn't fire him or release him.. Tony had zero to do with Cody going back to WWE 😂

[@soya7955]

Leaving halfway through the main event lmao

[@shaftpunk84]

They did Seth dirty all weekend, but he earned some time off. Looked like he banged up his knee and eye pretty good.

[@dgjwngwergwr8782]

Yeah he was only put in the main event of night 1, didn’t take the pin, and was pinned night 2 after 20 claymores. Such a shame

[@TriforceElder08]

Bro why is this comment salty? No saltiness was required lol​@@dgjwngwergwr8782

[@aaronneville1164]

And Triple H will reward Seth by having him be the guy that ends Cody's 1st title reign. Mark my words.

[@shaftpunk84]

@@dgjwngwergwr8782 haha, yeah when you put it that way….

[@emiliomarbanjr]

HHH loves Seth way too much. Hella overbooked.

[@jadmantoura4483]

WrestleMania Night 2 this year was a reminder of why we love wrestling. It was also a reminder that when it's done right, predictable isn't always bad But what we are all taking from this is that Ariel values wrestling over education ;)

[@boreduser12]

This story never happens if it wasn't for Vince AEW Rock Every great hero becomes legend because of a great villain. And boy did the villains deliver.

[@bird2684]

I think what make Paul Heyman the goat is that he’s such a great heel that he make the fans cheering for Jim Cornette even Bobby Heenan was like how is it possible.

[@kalos9155]

When Eddie Guerrero won the WWE championship some wrestler's including Chris Benoit came out to celebrate with him. so yeah, this has happened before

[@joeknapp9162]

So was Ariel in the front row watching “The greatest end to a Wrestlemania ever” or was he listening to it on the radio while trying to beat the traffic?

[@BeTheBallDanny]

Pro Wrestling is Back 4 the Masses!!!

[@STKPYL]

One of the best endings to any WM, is sadly WMXX. Benoit and Eddie standing in the ring both as champions for each brand. Fans at home and in the arena knew exactly why that moment was so special for those guys. It’s just sad that with everything Benoit did, it can’t be celebrated.

[@berserkergames113]

"breaking of kayfabe" i took it as a cast of a soap opera taking a bow after an entire year of work, i dont expect that to happen going forward but something about this weekend felt different, im 37 was a fan during the federation, attitude, ruthless era and then fell off a bit, would only watch from the rumble to mania and fall off after, LA Knight , Dominik, Cody brought me back 2 years ago when cody came back. It felt as silly as it sounds that WE all were part of Wrestlemania 40, you had to be there when people that you wouldn't think watch wrestling all of a sudden were tweeting #wewantcody , i dont think we will ever see something like that again, the vince chains are 100% gone and us as fans can finally see and feel it, its weird i cant explain it but i watched night 1 with my girlfriend at disneyland thats how much i wanted to watch this live, she was cool with it and we both saw it, night 2 my sister who semi knows the guys from the attitude era all of a sudden cared about cody vs roman, her husband watched, we made it a mini get together for night 2, it was awesome

[@dcbadcba1234]

27:41 I bet Ariel had a smile on his face when he saw that moment , like almost all the fans in the stadium . If that's not contagious or appreciate that wrestling mixes reality with fiction ; this type of entertainment it's not for you.

[@MrFahmid108]

Undertaker chokeslamming The Rock was more poetic and fit the story over Austin showing up and stunning the Rock. It just made more sense. Every single Superstar that came out to help Cody finish the story during the match all has history with Roman.

[@PrimetimeSports20]

MMA GURU 10-8

[@maad2]

Thank you Roman and Seth.

[@hrishikeshricky3130]

Why don’t they have the timings for this so annoying and long

[@cyrilfoday]

Hearing Ariel talk about Wrestlemania like this is such a joy to listen to.

[@19spikerman]

What about the part where he left halfway through the main event?

[@cyrilfoday]

@@19spikerman Couldn’t care less about that. Wasn’t like he left half way through the show

[@greglewia6160]

I've loved wrestling for 30 years. I will say I might enjoy it better on TV. Front Row is the only seat I loved. I was 3 rows back, and didn't like it better than TV.

[@dblocknyc]

We had announcer desk breaks in nearly every match. Close count after close count. As Corny would say, typical cheap booking. High spot, close count, high spot and another close count and repeat. Some matches we're entertaining and yes im judging as an old school WWF fan who rarely watches anymore

[@lethalphenomenon6061]

Everyone hates on Ariel and his worm-like ways... But I don't mind him covering some wrestling. Wrestling isn't as in the forefront as MMA is in my mind, but I watched WrestleMania last night and it was a great show. Call it nostalgia (because it is) but it was also an awesome event.

[@jjcutts1]

Nah love the guy

[@lethalphenomenon6061]

@@jjcutts1 that's good.

[@stsmondal1126]

​@@jjcutts1Good for you. But nobody cares

[@b2therad1212]

The bell has TSA style security and slows everything down

[@MrFahmid108]

Night 1 and 2 were great

[@al5306]

The idea that not liking AEW means you don't like pro wrestling is manipulation. It's okay not to like things.

[@uzi978]

The celebration at the end with Bruce and Hunter, Nick Khan, that didn't break kayfabe nearly as much as the commercials for the documentary about how they pivoted from Rock/Roman to Cody/Roman. Now THAT was a bit much, especially while the show is still going on.

[@Alok23kumar]

Thank you my Tribal chief ☝️

[@JonathanHassingerChannel]

Dellasandro’s best cheesteaks in Philly last 40 yrs.

[@aaronneville1164]

WRESTLEMANIA 3. Hulk Hogan does the unthinkable ..... he slams and pins ANDRE THE GIANT 1,2,3!

[@TheGreatestBabyFace]

I wish you were in the ring when it all happened.

[@MrFahmid108]

Man the traffic wasn’t even that bad bro considering the fact 75k+ people in attendance. I made it out fashionably decent timing

[@lulu-hm2xp]

How many times have you robbed your kids of a great moment to beat traffic 😂

[@cav21king]

Great point about AEW

[@ryanbigmack9432]

People have come out and hoisted up the champ several times: The Mankind win is the first one that comes to mind.

[@stevenlatour1342]

I’m not an Ariel Stan but he is the original MMA media personality - I think his response was honest

[@yournobody6487]

That guy at the end told on himself being a casual "thats never happened before" yes yes the hell it has XD in literally wwe nxt hell even wcw has done spots like that.

[@marlonnicholson8410]

I really think WWE should consider holding Wrestlemania in late April or early May. It's not like the NBA push to the playoffs is like it was in the 90s. Nobody is watching the NBA like they were in 90s heck the NHL isn't even a factor since they've made themselves a hostage to cable television like the NBA has for the last 20 plus years.

[@Bluehally27]

Ariel your a goat but you left early to “beat the traffic” and missed the best moment of mania history? WTF

[@samuelfox9532]

Ariel, that's a crazy decision 😂

[@rollandcurtis874]

THE STORY IS FINALLY FINISHED! Will Cody Rhodes resurrect one of the older world championship belts? 🤷‍♂️ The Longest WWE World Championship Reigns: 1) Bruno Sammartino, 2) Bob Backlund, 3) Hulk Hogan, 4) ROMAN REIGNS, and 5) Pedro Morales. Congrats. Well-deserved. Roman Reigns’ entrance at WrestleMania 40- Night 2 was a great idea, but I would have executed it differently….using a CHOIR (similar to Bobby Roodes’ glorious entrance) with choir members lining both sides of the walkway all the way to the ring (similar to The Undertaker’s druids entrance), and have every CHOIR MEMBER hold up “the Ones” in the air to acknowledge him as he walked down to the ring plus the orchestra, but the orchestra alone was cool. We got the idea. 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥

[@monkeyboy5595]

Agree with New York Rick

[@maad2]

We get our cheesesteaks from the corner store. Or a bad pizza place.

[@Professor_Genki7]

The amount of MMA marks disliking this video lmao

[@jeffritten5990]

You leaving early and not caring is wild. You have lost your edge, pal.

[@mmadmbjm]

Cm Punk can have the same kind of moment Cody had next year at WrestleMania 41.

[@Billy-bc8pk]

lol no... he will be injured by this time next year.

[@MuMasoo]

@@Billy-bc8pk Lame cringe overused joke.

[@anthonyanderson9303]

@@MuMasoo It's not even a joke tho, it's just a fact.

[@MrObake21]

Love the Taker Part but Man.. U have Rock & Cena & If Stone Cold Comes Down & Face The Rock with one more Stunner That place the World would go Fn NUTz!!!!!!!

[@smcdonald1677]

Ricky, the baby faces heading to the ring after a big heel faction is defeated is 1000% Kayfab Brother -- Ariel do better

[@AoDxxVideo]

Awesome they are discussing it like his kids at the end 😂 wrestling does this

[@muccmaster]

Leaving a sporting event early that's already a blowout is fine, but leaving WrestleMania in one of the biggest matches of all time just so you can beat traffic is beyond stupid. Being there to hear the pop when everyone came out to help Cody and the final pin are memories that would have lasted the rest of your life.

[@spruceleaf9447]

luv the comments. he doesnt care about mma or wwe. we are real fans and would never. keep reporting on the weather and stop acting you care

[@IamBrixTM]

Sheesh. Why do you feel that way? What he do? You don’t get access to all these talented pro wrestlers if you don’t respect/care about the business

[@ckkoh1912]

Thank You Tony Khan for turning the story into reality

[@marvinesquibel2625]

“It does not happen without AEW and Tony khan” yeah alright 😂💀