Why WrestleMania 40 was one of the best WWE PLEs ever?

Find out why WrestleMania 40 etched its place among the greatest PLEs of all time.

Why WrestleMania 40 was one of the best WWE PLEs ever?

WrestleMania 40 (via WWE)

In the buildup to the show, WWE hyped WrestleMania 40 as the “Biggest WrestleMania of all time.” And it not only delivered, but one might argue that it exceeded fan expectations. From start to finish, fan investment grew as each match and moment passed by. But is it one of the greatest events in history that WWE has put forward?

On Night 1, Triple H kicked off proceedings and welcomed the crowd to not only WrestleMania but to a “new” era in WWE. Well, it started in grand fashion with Rhea Ripley and Becky Lynch tearing the house down. Another notable bout saw Sami Zayn channel his inner Rocky in Philadelphia and dethrone Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship. As a matter of fact, this wasn’t even close to what lied ahead for the fans.

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Representation of the current WWE stars

Previously, WWE would show a strong reliance on bringing back part-timers for the grand spectacle. While this year’s WrestleMania did have a Final Boss involved, the other programs suggested that the promotion moved on from the scrutinized booking. Over the past year or so, the rise of stars such as LA Knight and Jey Uso has been a sight to behold. Therefore, to see WWE trust them and reward both with singles matches meant a lot to fans.

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LA Knight and Jey Uso at WrestleMania
LA Knight and Jey Uso at WrestleMania (via WWE)

The Megastar made his WrestleMania debut on Night 2. Knight saw off his former TNA compatriot, AJ Styles, in a fun battle. Meanwhile, the former Bloodline member fought in perhaps the weakest bout on the card, against his twin brother, Jimmy Uso. Despite the criticism, the WWE Universe was elated that the YEET master got his ‘WrestleMania moment’.

Many fresh faces as champions

A recurring theme of the Triple H regime has been champions going on to have lengthy title reigns. Going into this weekend’s extravaganza, seven champions had reigns that lasted over 100 days, with three of them surpassing the 365-day mark. However, only two of those champions walked out with their titles on their shoulders. Aside from Logan Paul and Rhea Ripley, new champions were crowned throughout the show.

Sami Zayn and Bayley
Sami Zayn and Bayley at WrestleMania (via WWE)

Sami Zayn ended Gunther’s remarkable 666-day reign as Intercontinental Champion. Further, The Awesome Truth and A-Town Down Under successfully split the tag titles and ended The Judgment Day’s reign. Before getting humiliated by Damian Priest, Drew McIntyre dominated Seth Rollins to claim the World Heavyweight Championship. Needless to say, it was refreshing for fans to see new champions at the start of this “new” era.

The Cody Rhodes storyline

It finally happened: Cody Rhodes is the WWE Champion, and more importantly, he has finished the story. The whole build-up to the moment throughout the weekend was perfect. On Night 1, Rhodes sat in the ring, precisely, in the same spot he was after losing last year, as Roman Reigns and The Rock stood tall. The odds were stacked against him, and it looked like it was all over for The American Nightmare. 

Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania
Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania (via WWE)

In the final bout of the weekend, Rhodes entered a Bloodline Rules match against The Tribal Chief. After a compelling first half of in-ring action, the second half took a complete turn. An Attitude Era-inspired mayhem and chaotic sequence of events ended up taking place. Jimmy Uso’s attempts to help were thwarted by Jey Uso. Moments later, Solo Sikoa was met by a familiar face in John Cena, who delivered an AA through the table.

The Final Boss arrived, and the stadium came unglued as The Rock and Cena came face-to-face in the ring. Despite that, Rocky easily neutralized the threat of The Franchise Player. Instead, it was a combination of Seth Rollins and The Undertaker that removed him from the equation. An amazing callback to The Shield betrayal led to Reigns losing his focus and Cody Rhodes capitalizing to end his historic 1316-day reign. All in all, a memorable end to an enthralling weekend.

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