WWE Wrestlemania 40 Review - A New Era Begins

History made at WRESTLEMANIA 40! New champions, shocking moments, and DUDE WIPES!
00:00 Intro
02:08 Women's World Championship: Rhea Ripley vs. Becky Lynch
07:27 Six Pack Ladder Match for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship
11:09 Rey Mysterio & Andrade vs. Dominik Mysterio & Santos Escobar
13:41 Jimmy Uso vs. Jey Uso
15:28 Jade Cargill, Bianca Belair & Naomi vs. Damage CTRL
17:24 Intercontinental Championship: Gunther vs. Sami Zayn
20:41 The Rock & Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes & Seth Rollins
28:12 Night Two Begins
29:40 World Heavyweight Championship: Seth Rollins vs. Drew McIntyre
34:13 Philadelphia Street Fight: Bobby Lashley & The Street Profits vs. The Final Testament
37:33 LA Knight vs. AJ Styles
40:18 United States Championship: Logan Paul vs. Kevin Owens vs. Randy Orton
43:32 Women's Championship: Iyo Sky vs. Bayley
45:21 Undisputed WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes
53:45 Final Thoughts
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[@05weasel]

In my head cannon, Taker was dressed like that because he was sitting at home watching and just couldn’t take it anymore. Teleported in, delivered the choke slam, teleported back to the couch to finish watching with Michelle.

[@borntosyn498]

Taker pulled a Goku from the Bojack Movie - teleporting from the afterlife to save Cody

[@MarriedGaming2011]

This is officially how I see it now 😂😂😂

[@Silent-qs6sb]

Taker was actually at the stadium watching the show with Michelle, so this is technically right.

[@05weasel]

@@Silent-qs6sb nice

[@Thechezbailey]

Wrestler botches a move slightly. Phillly crowd: "YOU F*CKED UP!" Kross makes Dudley mad in kayfabe. Philly crowd: "YOU F*CKED UP" Table breaks by accident. Philly crowd: "Fair play to you, that was unfortunate luck. Looks like you'll need to replace it. There's a good lad."

[@aburrki6732]

they were just happy they got another table

[@dylanogg347]

I wanted the crowd to boo that table.

[@kimbob5]

Undertaker has literally been a thorn in The Bloodlines side since the nineties if you count Yokozuna.

[@anthonybeyond]

Good one! :)

[@treyhelms1917]

Good catch

[@stephen9302]

Nice. Never thought about that

[@OikPoinFive]

Hulk hogan beat yoko at wm 9. Wrestled rock at wm 18

[@KingKhanate1997]

And just like with DX, they were never quite able to fully bring down Undertaker. I’d argue Shawn Michaels and Hunter got pretty close, Roman definitely got the closest but even then Taker was still (in kayfabe) able to rise back up. When he finally did go, it was in victory and on his own terms.

[@mmrion0]

The Rock coming out with his own fake championship belt is such a classic heel move. It worked for Ted DiBiase in the 90s and it works perfectly well now in 2024

[@TheBtstephens]

He looked so petty and insecure, and I loved every second of it!

[@glennwelsh9784]

It's also a fantastic looking belt, like a cross between the unused Brahma Bull belt and the Hogan '86 belt.

[@OikPoinFive]

@TheBtstephenieMcMahons

[@TheBtstephens]

@@OikPoinFive 🤫🤫

[@lexflippinluthor6603]

It was actually gifted to him by Muhammad Ali's widow, at the Hall of Fame ceremony.

[@LordMrDrake]

Fun fact … the mask that Damian Priest wore is called a Vejigante, is based on folkloric character in Puerto Rican festival celebrations.

[@lewsmith9708]

And here I was thinking it was Spikor from _Masters of the Universe._

[@EwanCumia]

Now those of us unfamiliar with the character will have to look it up. I look forward to learning about this character.

[@TitaniaBird]

When he said he carried the culture with him when he went out there to claim the championship, he sure wasn't kidding.

[@broodbynature]

Thanks for adding this. My wife is Puerto Rican and has made Vejigante masks in the past. She immediately got the reference and started crying when she saw Priest making his entrance. It was really moving.

[@tthomaselli2]

LordMrDrake- One of my department supervisors who's a big pro wrestling fan pointed that out to me, yesterday. He's Puerto Rican & when I asked him "What was up with the mask that Damian Preist was wearing?...", recently, he told me that same thing that you pointed out. I literally learned something new from him, yesterday.

[@Mmgeneral]

Roman Reigns definitively proved that the heeliest thing a person can do is put away a table in Philly

[@briantonkin7737]

I'm actually surprised this wasn't the cue for Bubba to come back out

[@PascimanArc23]

I absolutely loved that! This will always bring heat, I wonder why heels didn't do it sooner

[@Imps603]

Or be Roman Reigns in 2015 and win the Royal Rumble

[@briantonkin7737]

@@Imps603 nothing wrong with him winning the rumble, only how Vince parlays it

[@USCTrojan12]

Those Philly lads seemed to really enjoy their home furniture.

[@ObscuraDeCapra]

"Dammit, I love PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING." - Michael Cole: Professional Vince Exorcist

[@Dr_V_von_Doom]

I loved that not so subtle dig. Happy for Cole to have that jagoff removed from his back.

[@HarbingerOfBattle]

Best call Cole has ever made.

[@VeraxMusic]

I don't know why Vince was so against that term.

[@HarbingerOfBattle]

@@VeraxMusic Probably because of the scandals that have surrounded other sports when they came under scrutiny for shady dealing. (Gambling in the days of early baseball comes to mind.) Also the steroid scandal really put him in hot water with the threat of the government possibly coming in and regulating everything which might lead to a wrestler’s union. So he pitches WWF (and possibly the rest of the industry at large) as sports entertainment “with a heavy emphasis on the word entertainment.” as he said. It’s a classic business trick to get you out of trouble. Some people call it one thing, you call it something else and sell it as such. EA did that in the English government hearings over their loot boxes by selling them as “surprise mechanics”. By distancing the business from legitimate sports, I’m guessing Vince was able to dodge any potential threat of being prosecuted for whatever might have been leveled against him. At least, that’s my guess.

[@mhug86]

The hype package and Jey spearing Jimmy off the ramp Sunday night was better than their whole match from Saturday!

[@jasonbailey7328]

Yesss that match was the worst one on the entire card

[@delgande]

I got hyped and little teary eyed when Jey's music hit

[@mezykin]

that was a wild spot haha

[@wstine79]

To think in 2018, Brian Zane was interviewing a future WWE Champion about his independent wrestling journey and Legend of Zelda. Time flies fast.

[@patrickracer43]

The Undisputed Universal Champion is in the Herb Abrams UWF video

[@BigNut762]

BZ is the true godfather of wrestling. He taps out the future stars of the business. I think Triple H should thank him at the next press conference.

[@robertaustin6302]

Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

[@briantonkin7737]

@@BigNut762 please don't, H will think that's a reason to win the belt again

[@robertocioffi2523]

And things can change fast

[@venomousnate7263]

Man what an absolute amazing Wrestlemania. Michael Cole says it best, “Damn it, I love professional wrestling.”

[@zlinedavid]

That made it, right there. That was a sign that it really was a new era. When Michael Cole (Vince’s mouthpiece for so long) actually uses the term “professional wrestling”, the page has officially turned.

[@KiddsWorldEntertainment]

Cole has been phenomenal since Vince left, it’s like night and day compared to 08-2019

[@averagejackmedia609]

It's been a long time, but I'm excited about wrestling again.

[@KiddsWorldEntertainment]

@@SmegulonPrime Honestly Idk, I stopped watching back in 2017, but I typically hear the worst things possible about that year

[@KiddsWorldEntertainment]

@@SmegulonPrime Yeah Joe was in WWE for a good lil while

[@LPGD1994]

Seth Rollins sacrificed his whole Wrestlemania and the World title just to be Cody’s shield and for him to win the WWE Championship. He in the real hero. He was the catalyst in the very beginning when he broke up the shield. Man what a story line.

[@jessekurtti37]

You already know that he’s coming back from the hiatus as a heel, looking for the Codester.

[@Bananahammock681]

It make sense, he created the monster, he had to fall to stop it. Now he can move on, guilt free unless Roman decides to kill babies to get at Seth.

[@cookiestar3069]

Love this interpretation.

[@thebiggestticket1878]

Interesting perspective. I cannot disagree

[@OikPoinFive]

Seth now 7-6 @ wm

[@Yellow0430]

One thing I loved about this mania is that it had a subtle theme. Obsession. Cody’s obsession with the title almost costed him everything(since it brought Rock into the story). Seth obsession with redemption with what he did 10 years ago made him lose the title. Drew’s obsession with punk lost him the title. Roman/Bloodline’s obsession with keeping him champ made all the ghosts of their past show one once more. And last, Roman’s obsession with Seth cost him everything. Very neat storytelling

[@evacody1249]

And it all goes back to Seth breaking up the Shield. That moment The Rock was chock slammed the lights go off. They come back on who is left Cody, Roman and Seth. Roman could have just went after Cody. But seeing Seth in Shield gear. Remembering what he did. Then being the only person in his reign he did not pin. There is a reason they gave this to not just Cody but to Seth. It was not just Roman but Seth that held thing together. Heel of face Seth is that guy you just have to tune in to watch.

[@Yellow0430]

@@evacody1249 yeah, exactly. Seth is definitely the unsung hero of this mania. Many people were asking why is he involved in the tag match. I think we saw why. He had to defeat the monster he created, but not for himself, but for somedody else, thus redeeming himself. Really really cool storytelling by wwe

[@Slosh1383]

Seth’s redemption and Roman not getting over the past, and tying in that Roman did not pin Seth in any of the encounters during his epic reign. And we still are building to the inevitable Roman/Seth match, to say nothing of Cody/Roman rematch, Cody/Seth, Cody/Rock, or Rock/Roman. So many big money main events they can still build towards in the future.

[@TheArronJB]

@@Slosh1383I can’t remember the exact quote but Seth once said when it matters reigns can never get it done against him

[@CollegeBallYouknow]

Obsession also bleeds in a meta way. Vince was obsessed with keeping his company forever but all it led to was his downfall. This Mania, both intentionally and by pure coincidence, is a great bookend to the past several decades going all the way back to the 80’s. What an amazing story.

[@Anynom]

I figured Austin just turned down offers for main event. Yet in an odd way, it works. Rock has been bragging about being "the final boss" so why not face the guy who was the "Boss" of Mania with the Streak?

[@kylefields3951]

EXACTLY! Not only that, but Austin has never been involved with Roman Reigns, whereas Taker's 2nd loss at WrestleMania was to Roman. Taker has beef with Rock's claim to be the Final Boss, and wants to foil Roman's plans after being beat by him at Mania previously. It works perfect

[@ziahamm1603]

Very much Taker reminding him 'you may be the Final Boss, but this is and will forever be my yard'.

[@djgaben6187]

If I remember seeing a report, Austin's wife was I'll and he didn't wanna travel while taking care of her.

[@phillipbailey2525]

As much as I wanted Austin to appear, I think in hindsight he and the rock could have overshadowed Cody potentially. Having the undertaker was a total surprise and we got to see one of the all time legends take out the Rock. Plus we got our stone cold moment a few years ago when he took on KO!

[@sonofbelz]

@@kylefields3951 I'm sure Roman saying "this is my yard now" never sat right with him

[@sharkworm2015]

Michael Cole barely able to do commentary at the end and shouting "dammit I love professional wrestling" This is the kind of stuff that makes me glad I stick with it. The emotional payoff at the end makes the wait all the more worth it. We all get tired of wrestling haters pointing out at it and going "don't you know its fake" and at least for me I feel like i have to defend it or justify myself liking it. But the emotions are real. The pure joy from everyone when Cody won is not something you can fake. Those are not actor's tears. And dammit I love it!

[@TGPDrunknHick]

remind them that movies are fake as well. it's a soap opera. don't know why people don't seem to get that.

[@PierzStyx]

Wrestlers themselves occupy this liminal space where they know it is all staged, but everything they obtain in terms of championships and accolades are real. It is why they care so much and why we can suspend disbelief so well.

[@judeelaman1902]

I get so fed up with MMA goons especially about stuff like that.

[@jongon0848]

This Wrestlemania felt like the Season Finale of WWE. This was the most cathartic Wrestlemania main event since Wrestlemania 20 in my opinion.

[@StevelyBruckShut]

That ramp must've been steep. Cena and Priest looked like they were 1 misstep from being the new Titus

[@NabeelFarooqui]

Cena was running so awkwardly it was hard to watch

[@reidye]

As a casual fan. That main event totally reminded me why I care at all about this stuff. Beautiful storytelling and artistry on display. Congrats Cody! I’m sure Dusty is beyond proud.

[@FnRenner]

A casual fan isn't watching wrestling and seeing "art" lol

[@reidye]

@@FnRenner then I guess I’m a bit more than casual?

[@hellion7514]

@@reidyeIf you’re watching WWW, yeah, you’re probably more than casual!

[@reidye]

@@hellion7514 idk about that considering I watch mania and that’s about it

[@Michael-cz6ob]

Artistry? They literally kicked out of 10 finishers each like it was nothing. Just silly video game stuff really. Also 8 run ins with music playing right on queue.. you think that's enough sillyness?

[@giarichards8379]

They wrapped up stories of the Attitude Era with Rock + Undertaker, Ruthless Aggression with Cena, PG Era with Reigns + Rollins, and heralded in the new era with Rhodes. Truly unbelievable.

[@elchomper.1063]

What was the story with Rock and taker again? They didn't wrap up shit take hunter's dick out your mouth

[@glennwelsh9784]

It did feel like a low-key 40th anniversary celebration featuring today's stars (Cody, Roman, Seth) and the legends of the past (Rock, Cena, Taker) all coming together to deliver an emotional Avengers: Endgame-level conclusion to years of storytelling.

[@chriswarfield7520]

Hahaha "nobody makes me bleed my own blood" great reference

[@Alehud42]

The bagpipers played Piper's theme because it was a direct callback to the bagpipers doing the same at Mania 1.

[@jeremyburnet4855]

I thought they were playing Scotland The Brave?

[@brandonh9557]

​@@jeremyburnet4855They were. I just left that comment myself.

[@SakAttack87]

Bret/Benoit/Bryan/Cody Love the parallels between all four getting their moment after years of being more of a supporting player. I will always be partial to the New Generation and Attitude Era stuff since that is what I grew up with, but I still think WM 40 was a terrific show.

[@TheSmokePope]

Benoit doesnt belong with those other guys. And I say that without the killings.

[@SakAttack87]

@@TheSmokePope What's your reasoning?

[@TheSmokePope]

@@SakAttack87 I'm not saying he wasn't a good worker or whatever. Just that he's not on the level of any of those other guys. When Benoit won everyone knew it was just a "hey buddy it's your turn" thing and that it wasn't going to last. Hell, WWE didn't even have faith in him to have a good match with HHH so they shoehorned Shawn in. There were no Chris Benoit fans. Not really. All of those other guys are actual Draws and people who could hold a title and tell a story. Benoits whole unhinged gimmick doesn't hold water for a champion.

[@lomejook]

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, all of them were betrayed somehow...

[@arnoldvelasquez6473]

Honestly in hindsight Wrestlemania XX was Eddie's moment more than it was Benoit's

[@sebastianbruckwilder5720]

Since the match was „Endgame“ anyway….Kayfabewise I love the Idea of The Undertaker being the „soul“ of the WWE. The bloodline just fucked around so long and so bad, that they like awoke this mythical thing that doesn’t even have personal attachment to the actual things happening. He‘s just there to balance things out and make it afloat even like it should be

[@caydilemma3309]

Taker is the great equalizer

[@djgaben6187]

Taker couldn't handle anymore of this tom foolery and hooliganism

[@reddragon0624]

It was like the ghost of the Attitude Era dragging The Rock back to the past so the stars of today can have their time to shine

[@robbie_azure]

A Spirit of Vengeance

[@comradecrimsonsmaidenporiu8766]

I've lived in kayfabe so long I can swallow this scenario pretty easily lmao

[@williamkirschenman]

Samantha Irving was definitely the MVP of Mania weekend. WWE hasnt har a "voice" since Liliana Garcia and I think its safe to say they finally have one again.

[@gtg305h]

MVP of the weekend? I know you're trying to be woke or a super simp, but that's a stretch

[@mezykin]

@@gtg305h MVP is a stretch, i get that but nah man he ain't trying to simp or be woke there

[@pifrom510]

The Final Fantasy VII victory fanfare that plays during the shot of Rock’s improved sharpshooter was a nice touch.

[@rhedosaurus2251]

The Rock: The final boss has arrived at Wrestlemania! 'Gets chokeslammed by Undertaker' Undertaker: Thanks for the intro, Rock.

[@kyleolson8977]

Secret Boss Unlocked.

[@AccursedHawk]

Undertaker is the Secret final boss

[@sneekysneeks]

The optional boss thats harder than the final boss in a game.

[@NYGiantsfan1029]

I’m going to make a ff 7 reference. If the rock was sephiroth taker is either ruby or emerald weapon lol

[@michaelkennedy8303]

I didn't see Wrestlemaina

[@shawnmichaels568]

Night 1 was great but night 2 was the game changer.

[@Videogamelover58]

Agreed

[@nitrofredy]

Night one was predictable night 2 was the same. Nothing changed besides Cody winning. The reach is way too hard

[@ramonmaldonado3713]

​@@nitrofredySometimes predictable is good, there's nothing wrong with it. 🤭

[@Joe90h]

@@nitrofredy Predictability does not make a show worse. Not every wrestling show needs to be a fever dream thought up by Russo and M Night Shyamalan. Honestly, if you feel you know exactly where the story is going, that's just a sign of a well told story.

[@gmorgcyborg]

​@nitrofredy only thing I would say I didn't see was gunther winning and thought the jay match underwhelming.. this show was good but I do believe people over hyping

[@markabraham2367]

No joke about Samantha. True MVP. You can feel her emotion. She was absolutely gobsmacked when Priest cashed in. And Cody.... that announcement. So good

[@gtg305h]

Meh

[@larrymitchell1914]

The shaking in her voice, whether it was planned or in the spot, helped tie it all together. Everybody, even those who acknowledge the Tribal Chief, was caught up in the moment

[@_Amit_Sunil]

1:29 Ahh MetLife Stadium exodus. I'm grateful because I got to interact with you briefly Brian - I'd travelled all the way from India for what's likely my bucket-list Mania since I had a friend who lived in NJ. While getting drenched sucked, it was a bonus to say hi to one of my favorite wrestling creators

[@RealAlphaDrum]

Let's put the Rock in perspective. The Rock is 51, 52 next month. At Mania 13 when Rock's dad showed up, Rocky Johnson was 53. The Rock is older, but the dude delivered.

[@Batmanpooped]

Along those lines, I looked it up and The Rock is a couple years older now than Hogan was for their match up at Mania 18. He looked great.

[@RealAlphaDrum]

@@Batmanpooped that as well, yep

[@adamCarter20]

Crazy, our childhood hero wrestlers get closer to checking out 😢

[@Neithan02]

How long did his father spend bumping?

[@RealAlphaDrum]

@@Neithan02 he did a drop kick.

[@redbigun]

This really felt like a final chapter. The Wrestlemania 30 comparisons aside, this was an excellent improvement on last year. And it proves once again that predictable isn't always a bad thing.

[@jamessendy8131]

Exactly the complaints that it was predictable are annoying because if the story is right who cares if you have worked out the outcome...and honestly who here was still 100% certain Cody was winning. my kids were screaming at him not to go for the 3rd CrossRhodes as they assumed someone would still attack him lol

[@marcohavokkhaos]

Mania 10, 20, 30 & 40 are all similar and awesome shows

[@PlusUltraAdrian]

People tend to forget that it's about the journey to get to the result. Not the result itself. There's nothing wrong with predictability, as long as the story being told is good.

[@mitchellima7548]

@@PlusUltraAdrianyeah exactly. Being unpredictable for the sake of it is inherently bad story telling. It feels like some fans (small in number and religated to online it seems)treat wrestling as if it isn’t just a super unique and fun avenue to tell stories.

[@KiddsWorldEntertainment]

Those people want that Vince Russo type booking

[@Venemofthe888]

Jimmy and Jey's spot in the main event was better than their whole match

[@PlusUltraAdrian]

You speak the truth.

[@mirandariggs7945]

Samantha announcing Cody's win while in tears was everything.

[@DasNordlicht91]

It just added so much to the moment. Iconic stuff.

[@buhbuhjaychampagne1706]

And to think Brian Hebner doesn’t like her announcing style. Tweeted about it and all. He’s just mad he didn’t get to “screw” a wrestler like his dear ol’ dad!!!!

[@TommysHouseOfMunch]

She ruined it she's pure garbage you don't see Bruce Buffer breaking down

[@ojsimpson.]

Night Two was a generational show

[@F.r.e.a.k.e.n.s.t.e.i.n]

first wrestle mania that felt important in a while to me personally, I stopped watching around 2010 tbh lol

[@eclecticandroidspictures5932]

Why do you think that? I would like to know.

[@ojsimpson.]

@@eclecticandroidspictures5932 I think each match was either good to great with Cody vs Roman being one of the most epic matches I’ve ever seen. I think Priest cashing in set the night off great following what I thought was a pretty good match between Drew and Seth, even though I thought they went overboard on their finishers, but overall I thought it was a great way to start night two. I thought the Philly street fight was a decent match. I enjoyed Snoop on commentary and bubba being a special guest ref in Philly was sweet. Knight vs Styles was solid, and Knight was pulling out some cool moves that he hadn’t before. Bayley vs Iyo was an incredible match with the correct ending. The triple threat was entertaining with good action. The speed and randy Orton interaction was weird, but funny. Then the main event really had that big fight feel. The match before the shenanigans was pretty good. I thought the overbooking madness helped here and made it great. Also the story beat of Roman being unable to forget what Rollins did to him, and that leading to reigns’ downfall was incredible.

[@eclecticandroidspictures5932]

@@ojsimpson. Mm, I hear ya. Good shit

[@marcohavokkhaos]

​@@F.r.e.a.k.e.n.s.t.e.i.nMania 30 was much more important

[@DLRX]

The ending of Night 2 is why I still LOVE professional wrestling. "When wrestling gets it right, it gets it SO right." -V1, OSW Review.

[@suplexthetrain]

*something incredibly racist* -V1, OSW Review

[@snoop_tig3r]

I guess you can say Jey and Jimmy weren't very "Ucey" in their match

[@jesterr7133]

Bull Nakano looked great. She looked like she could still go. I hadn't seen her in years. I was so scared of her as a kid.

[@64manxman]

Yeah she aged amazingly

[@mezykin]

i can see how much Bull influences Asuka

[@InsomniacRocker]

R Truth and Miz are f'n gold man... Miz is the perfect straight man for R Truth's wild goofiness. Also props to all of the Judgement day for really working well with Truth's stuff. They have all just done great work together for a while now.

[@petertauscher316]

I also love how sometimes he's just "fuck it" and joins in with the shenanigans

[@TheKeelhaulingCommittee]

Samantha Irving breaking down into tears during the announcement was my absolute favorite part 😢

[@Reject101Personal]

Oh shit... So Roman went home with Brandi on Sunday. Damn!

[@MetalJT24]

"Bondage Undertaker" - Drew McIntyre

[@I_Am_The_Social_Reject]

Not everyone can be some version of Taker chill

[@Umega101]

Just to be clear... R Truth doing Cena's move-set is to elevate Cena. Truth is that nice of a guy

[@typeoddnamehere2362]

Doing a favour for his childhood hero.

[@marcohavokkhaos]

Truth does it better. It just doesn't make sense, cuz Truth and lil Jimmy hated Cena

[@eddiecampbell9663]

​@@marcohavokkhaosI remember they came a long way from 2011 awesome truth had a rivalry with cena cm punk and even the rock.....can't forget the miz and r truth vs cena and the rock at survivor series 2011

[@mewgiah8057]

I haven’t watched wrestling in over 15 years. However, HHH has done such a great job with the company that even an old fan like myself got interested again. As someone who was lucky enough to grow up in the Attitude era I absolutely loved Wrestlemania 40. The storytelling and characters feel so epic now. I was completely invested in the Cody storyline and loved how it came full circle with Roman getting revenge on Seth.

[@dvon1097]

I've been a lifelong fan and this was the first mania I was able to attend. What a special show, great weekend and I got to meet Rhea Ripley again!

[@SakAttack87]

I agree the only real dud was the Usos. The storyline was so awesome and had a lot of hype going into the show, but they just did not mesh. Bret vs Owen it was not.

[@MR.__G]

It was my 1st time ever seeing them wrestler. They don’t even look like wrestlers. They look like barbers or club promoters. I don’t even know how they got a mania match 😅😅

[@exilhamburger4802]

In a way Bret vs Owen set an incredible high standard for sibling matches. Jimmy and Jey work in the ring is too similar for a great match, as far as I see it! Bret and Owen had a clear style difference in their WWE runs!

[@redred222]

the fact that everyone that helped cody, or was in the ring with him had beef with either roman or the rock or both was good story telling

[@ImpendingDisaster26]

The story telling of Roman picking revenge on Seth over beating Cody is top tier, after so many trash WM under Vince, this was refreshing

[@Gavin48]

The last three WM's have been great and they were under Vince. Let's not act like Triple H is God. Night 1 was Meh. Night 2 was brilliant

[@Rocketboy1313]

I think 10, 20, 30, and 40 all have solid endings that elevate them considerably, but 40 has nothing that was below expectations (for me) and frequently exceeded expectations.

[@agwtaw2]

Usos I expected better

[@Aragorn7884]

Brian is right about the advertising 😬🤑

[@bigdaddykush1830]

I don't have a problem with it. It's very much a " learn to love it" kinda deal. It's not going away for sure.

[@jesterr7133]

I think Priest cooled off after he won MITB, and Seth and Roman were so hot that it wasn't logical for him to challenge either of them, so they had to come up with a creative way to do it without burying Priest. They found a way to give him the title and help him without hurting Drew, and they also managed to advance Drew's feud with Punk. If they play their cards right (they will), they can insert Priest into the Drew/Punk feud and use it to elevate Priest.

[@pdawg193]

I wouldn't be surprised if we get Drew vs Punk vs Priest at SummerSlam, if not at Clash at the Castle.

[@judeelaman1902]

I don't see Priest holding it very long or as a top guy. As much as he's done right, Trips wasn't willing to push Knight until he realized he was making money, so I think Priest winning MITB was a stubborn booking decision from Hunter.

[@TSKyanite]

I think the main intro with Jey and Jimmy is that the best matches have wrestlers with differing style. Owen and Bret had a slightly different style, Jeff and Matt had different styles at that point in their careers, but Jey and Jimmy are Twins who for most of their careers were kinda interchangable with literally the same style

[@joejay4646]

That about sums it up. Perfectly said.

[@jesspayant1667]

I didn't know Mickey Mouse said "Welcome to WrestleMania!"

[@p.d.l7023]

That was not Mickey Mouse...it was Jimmy Hart. 😅

[@Godwilla39]

I wish people would stop viewing it as night 1 vs night 2 and instead as a cohesive show that built beautifully. Night 1 did a ton to make night 2 what it was.

[@supergirlvideoclips894]

You are being too hard Brian. Night 1 main event tag team match was epic!! It was really entertaining especially on re-watch.

[@agwtaw2]

Yeah I didn't get that take at all

[@Aztyph]

@@agwtaw2 Same… but hey, differing opinions. I personally wasn't expecting for them to go hard *because* three of the four had to put on matches for Night Two, but they did some great set up. Also, The Rock's heeling was next level. "You know I don't fuck around! You count, you're fired!" and the blatant low blow had me rolling. I will agree with him that Sami vs. GUNTHER and Bayley vs. Iyo were some of the strongest matches on the card. The whole time (especially with the latter), I was saying, "This is what Jey vs. Jimmy *_should_* have been."

[@war2theren227]

Night one main event sucked man. it was predictable who was gonna win and the match just dragged on. Drew vs Seth should've main evented night 1 and we couldve ended on a cash in.

[@jonbridge1285]

I'm so happy that you acknowledged the "Good" sharpshooter! I remember watching it live and thinking "Brian Zane will like that sharpshooter...".

[@brianboese9884]

I don't think it's recency bias. It's the best Wrestlemania of all time. It gave me WrestleMania 3 vibes the way everyone was emotional and knew this was the company reaching new heights and entering a new era. Quality wise, it was all killer and no filler. And man, the production!! Top notch! From the way they shot Sami Zayn entering the match against Gunther, to the amazing looking 8k drone cameras they used during the entrances. Amazing show!

[@user-xb4tw6lk8p]

It is recency bias, but in a good way. If now everybody is calling it the greatest Wrestlemania of all time, imagine 5-10 years later it being called the greatest event/2-night event in ALL of wrestling history regardless of company or era.

[@andreantunes8615]

Ditto. It's ultimately up to personal preference, but it's certainly the best Wrestlemania since I've been a fan (close to 20 years now), and that main event might have surpassed the Taker/HHH "End of an Era" Hell in a Cell as my favorite match of all time. What a damn near perfect show.

[@delgande]

Uso vs Uso was filler

[@wstine79]

R-Truth getting his Wrestlemania moment, Bayley overcoming Iyo Sky, Sami Zayn's victory, the splitting of the Tag Team belts, and the Infinity War/ Endgame style of the WWE CHAMPIONSHIP saga were awesome.

[@marcohavokkhaos]

Still never seen those boring Avenger movies lol

[@judeelaman1902]

​@@marcohavokkhaosif you ever decide to check out the marvel movies, stop after endgame. They fell off hard.

[@FantomGoat]

I love the way Rollins was selling the knee in the Title match. He never put his full weight on his plant leg (edit: specifically when stomping).

[@glennwelsh9784]

Hearing the glass break and seeing Rock comically oversell a Stunner one last time would've been the perfect topper, but hearing the gong and having the lights go out still delivered the nostalgia goosebumps. That could be Taker's new thing - haunting Wrestlemania like a ghost and suddenly materializing to right the wrongs with a chokeslam.

[@larrymitchell1914]

I would have loved to have seen Stone Cold and Rock one more time; but after paying Li’l Wayne and Snoop Dogg, they had to go with a company guy

[@MrFallingcats]

Hi Zane just a wee correction. The bagpipers played Scotland the Brave, the national anthem of Scotland. Not The Green Hills. Roddy has come out to both songs but I'd say it's fair to say he can't have dibs on our National Anthem, especially considering he's not actually Scottish. Still, loving the content!

[@ryancraig110]

Actually I am pretty sure the national anthem is flower of Scotland, Scotland the brave is kind of like waltz sing Matilda in that regard

[@MrFallingcats]

@@ryancraig110 So we actually don't have an "official" national anthem (it's a long long story). This is partly because we're technically not a full country as part of the UK so our official national anthem is actually God Save the King but we don't really want that. So we have 3 unofficial Anthems, being Scotland the Brave (which is what pipe bands normally play), Flower of Scotland (which is played at sporting events because none of us know the lyrics to Scotland the Brave) and Scots Wha Hae (because we love Burns). So yeah it's a bit confusing but me personally I think we should just make the national anthem I'm Gonna Be by The Proclaimers.

[@KadeemG61]

The Renaissance Era begins.

[@Hyde_Hill]

Yup better name.

[@jimbalcombe4038]

Propaganda era😂😂😂

[@RandemNJ]

The Netflix era

[@chuckles507]

The HHH Era

[@NoneofYabiz-rx3zi]

The crybaby era

[@howamidriving27]

Just wanted to drop by and say that today was a really rough day and living back through this with you was a lot of fun. Appreciate you and all you do brother.

[@lordofinnistrad8757]

Gunther made a IC title reign out of making people look good in defeat. Fitting that he goes out in the same way. Can’t wait to see him in the main event scene from here

[@Hains22]

Roman’s title reign should go down as the best in the modern era. He accomplished so much while battling Lukemia.

[@MykaTheDevil]

Most definitely. We’re all excited and so happy for Cody, but we will NEVER forget Roman’s Reign. There will literally never be another Roman. Absolutely legendary.

[@criminalmindsgirl2936]

He got where he is due to who he's related to

[@adamcarr8120]

Someone's gotta hit a finisher on and pin that damn Leukemia already

[@MykaTheDevil]

@@criminalmindsgirl2936 So? Curtis Axel is related to Mr. Perfect and did t get anywhere. Natalya is part of the Hart family, where’s her historic title reign? Cody is the son of one of the greatest and he finally got his moment. Being related to a legend means nothing if you suck.

[@gtg305h]

​@@criminalmindsgirl2936hater, what's written is written, crybaby

[@ITalk69]

Was waiting for this review!

[@themfdoomguy]

Didn't expect you to be here

[@Tuesday301]

This and Cornette

[@stoneman623]

You weren’t alone when the shield music hit. Me and the guy next me started scream holy sh*t mox?

[@evdomos]

666 was the perfect number to always be at the top of the records for Gunther. This all happened right before my birthday, it was an excellent gift.

[@Kake42096]

R Truth Killed it for me ngl, everything he did was gold, god bless his soul what a gem

[@BroncoKnight34]

After the night 2 main event, I haven’t felt that much emotion for wrestling in 10-15 years. It’s just so awesome to see the ship finally sailing straight with Captain Triple H at the helm!

[@tom-]

i liked how Punk sold the injury to Pat McAfee during Seth's entrance "I'm injured Pat" before ripping off the cast and attacking Drew after he won the title

[@ronburgundyspetfish9039]

3:49 “ COVID taught us nothing “ You just catching on Brian …..? lol

[@540jade]

14:09 that was indeed not meek mill 😂

[@WrestlingWithWregret]

my bad

[@boneless_shrimp]

I was wondering if anyone else caught that 😂😂

[@ComicSams48]

Thought I was having crazy memory problems 😅 in Brian's defense, Meek Mill did have an appearance night 2 didn't he?

[@childishgambino855]

damn meek mill looks exactly like lil wayne

[@540jade]

@@WrestlingWithWregret ay you’re good still the best wrestling KZbinr out here keep up the good work it’s lil Wayne by the way

[@Carvania]

I'm 38 and have been watching wrestling since the 80s and I have sadly never seen wrestling live in person yet.😢 with a walmart salary probably never will lol. It's hard to do stuff in Southern oregon everything is a trip . Sooo, watching this stuff is the closest thing I will get. Glad it was good.

[@B.-T.]

Hopefully some day you can at least attend a local indie show. I'm 39 and never been to a WWE show but I used to attend indie shows in my early adulthood.

[@TheBlackScatPack]

I really hope you can get to experience wrestling live. It’s the ultimate experience for a fan.

[@davidhunter1555]

Be on the lookout for the new house show tours WWE is doing. I went to one in suburban Minnesota with tix as low as $25 in December (same age as you and it was my first wrestling show). While I was there I got to take a picture with Cody and he signed an 8x10 for an old lady I work with, it's a hell of a time. Also, just a total aside, but I work for Target and we have a free college education employee benefit through Guild, and I'm pretty sure Walmart has the same thing, lots of people in my classes are Walmart team members. Dream big, get money mofo!

[@peterhenn4344]

Check out your local indie scene, if there is one. Its the lifeblood of pro wrestling and you could find yourself a new favourite wrestler who most people haven't heard of (thus making yourself feel superior).

[@Carvania]

4 hours away in Portland, mabey Eugene still hours away. Medford grants pass is a wrestling deadzone. Plus with family it's at least 3 tickets then rent a car or drive and put miles on mine. then gas. Then hotel/motel again for 3 people. Ads up quick. I'll just watch TV a live vicariously through the internet. Being poor sucks the real American nightmare is wasting 15 years working retail.

[@hitmangfx7162]

What impressed me the most about the Night 2 main event was that it WAS overbooked...and they pulled it off brilliantly. The right man won, Seth vs Roman can go on for years to come and the Rock is a fantastic villain/authority figure. This is the first Wrestlemania in almost a decade I want to rewatch a few times. ESPECIALLY Night 2. Solid "A" in my books.

[@mezykin]

bro i keep going back to the moment Roman hits Seth with the chair, that was such a perfect callback

[@mariannalovegood2418]

Undertaker, who debuted against Dusty Rhodes in 1990 at Survivor Series, paying it back by helping Cody, is some great, great shit. Even better is Roman. Cause he is still there. He's still there with Dean, getting betrayed by Seth. He's been the god king on mount Olympus, but he cannot enjoy it. Pat McAffee had a great call. "Roman lives in a penthouse, but sleeps like he's still on a twinsized mattress." And because he is still there. Still in 2014, he loses everything. He finally got to do what Seth did to him, and the cost of revenge was everything he built in the decade between. Fucking beautiful.

[@sonofbelz]

The Uso match was disappointing but I don't think it could've been any better than it was, it really exposed them in that they really don't know how to do a traditional singles match and spent way too long as a tag team, it also exposed how extremely limited both of their move sets are and the fact that they are literally the same. Sure they have had successful singles matches before individually but they were always carried by their opponent or by booking shenanigans.

[@SylverstoneKhandr]

Yeah, it kinda showed that together as a tag team, they have a pretty solid moveset but split them into singles competitors and they're basically Ryu and Ken.

[@jessekurtti37]

What it showed is, a former all time great tag team, in their first ever singles match against each other exposed them having an almost identical move set. Against other opponents, it isn’t so glaring, but I doubt anyone notices at all. You can’t possibly believe Jey has no singles credentials? Dude has been putting on excellent performances since moving to Raw, and has proven singles pedigree. He’ll hold a singles title (mid card of world title) some point down the line.

[@sonofbelz]

@@jessekurtti37 I guess you just stopped reading half way through my comment.

[@Mavvvzz]

I watched 17 live, this show was on par. Absolutely amazing time to be a fan.

[@josephD32]

"Wrestlers are going to get sponsors... " LA Knight, Slim Jim.

[@StarksTheKing]

Dude, I couldn't wait for your review. This was the most fun I've had watching a mania in a very long time. Thank you to all the talent who put on an epic show this weekend!

[@patmjr22]

I love Brian referred to Carlito or Andrade turning on Rey as the “Darkest Timeline” didn’t know he was a community fan

[@timothylewis2527]

THIS IS THE ONE I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR! And I gotta wait a little longer. Darn work schedule... Can't wait to watch it, though.

[@CallMeCrazyCallMePoor]

I'm grateful that Sami vs Gunther and Bayley vs Iyo didn't have a lot of bells and whistles. You could tell in their interviews that they both thought the heel was so good, the crowd would flip on them, but those matches had the people in the palm of their hands. That parallel between Bret shaking hands with Luger and Vince and Cody shaking hands with Seth and getting endorsed by Hunter had to be intentional.

[@Bella_Malk]

I figured Austin just turned down offers for main event. Yet in an odd way, it works. Rock has been bragging about being \

[@ledgardoA7X]

Fun fact: Damian mask was a version of a “Vejigante mask”. It’s part of celebrations and festivals here in Puerto Rico 🇵🇷

[@joebradford7308]

Let's hear it for DUDE WIPES! 😂

[@I_Am_The_Social_Reject]

I can wipe my own ass Sonny

[@mikejackson1003]

Love your comments on Snoops commentary! It really was amazing, I was grinning all the way through, great stuff 😊

[@stephensandridge3784]

The bagpipes playing Piper's theme preceding McIntyre, with Punk on commentary: "Blasphemy". Loved it.

[@wwesvk9958]

DM HUNK SCREWED DM HUNK!🤣🤣🤣

[@Aztyph]

No joke, he *really* did. If he didn't stop to talk shit to Punk, he'd still have the belt… but his obsession is so great that he's too blind to see it. It's a fucking fantastic character moment.

[@pepethunder]

Damien Priests mask is a Vejigante from Puerto Rico. Basically a type of mask used in the carnaval “fiestas de la calle San Sebastian”. It does however seem to have used a Kane mask as its base.

[@JeremyForTheWin]

It was made by the studio that did all the Bray stuff, so probably from scratch

[@Aztyph]

Samantha Ivrin did a fantastic job at WrestleMania, hot damn. There was a tweet where she got glowing praise from *Michael Buffer,* and I say that it was well-earned. That final delivery where she announced that Cody won the belt gives me chills of how good it is.

[@jaypeepsall]

Snoop saying “that won’t put away Bobby he has a lot of muscles I’m sure he has a muscle for that” made my whole night

[@jamesblake44]

I've waited for this! Work can't end soon enough today! ❤

[@timthegem]

Spoiler Alert: There were a couple of title changes.

[@InsomniacRocker]

25:15 HAHA I thought the same exact thing when the Rock finally slapped on a good looking sharp shooter after all these years...

[@nodestar6245]

Regarding the weather, it didn't rain, but it was deceptively cold. Consistent 50s, but lots of wind to make it a traumatizing experience on night 1. Was actually the biggest heel of night 1. The biggest heel of night 2 were the lights with a lot of "fuck the lights chants"

[@heyyou9693]

Night 2 was excellent. I'll say this, not sure if anyone really noticed, but they seemed on commentary to say the names of the referees more than they have in recent memory. Gotta love a time where referees play a role in storylines. It's been a while. Great review Brian. By the way, Seth was a trooper all weekend. I read, I will not take credit, but when he jumped in with SHIELD garb on and was wrecked right away, someone said he had 1% health left. The main event did seem like a video game.

[@michaelkenny1858]

AdvertMania! Knowing UFC and their NASCAR-like Octagon you can expect to see a lot more of this in WWE moving forward.

[@Macho_Fantastico]

Fantastic show on both days. I loved the main event tag match for the storytelling alone, it was captivating. The day 2 main event was just crazy and a great ending. Only real negative was the Uso vs Uso match which just didn't work.

[@miamimagicians]

AMAZING SHOW! Wasn’t expecting sooooo much!

[@Wwefan33]

Being here live was surreal! I took my son and sister to their 2nd mania and it didn’t disappoint! Wwe is red hot right now

[@Allen-ng4rn]

I know my boy Brian didn’t just call Lil Wayne Meek Mill…. LMFAO

[@WrestlingWithWregret]

my bad

[@Allen-ng4rn]

@WrestlingWithWregret all Good homie! Just would’ve been remised if I hadn’t mentioned it

[@brandonbeimert8404]

The Sunday main event was very close to perfection. I loved all of the special appearances without feeling overbooked just felt like it was right for the moment. I hope this new era allows the new talent to develop themselves the way attitude era characters did, we don't need endless chair shots to the head but allowing for more dangerous spots and adult themes makes me excited for the future of where we are heading in the WWE.