Expectations were sky-high Sunday night when Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns took to the squared circle in the main event of WrestleMania 40.
Despite a universally panned outcome a year ago, that match was a legitimate Match of the Year candidate, which highlighted the chemistry between The American Nightmare and The Tribal Chief.
From the moment the combatants arrived in Lincoln Financial Field amid special entrances that matched the enormity of the contest, it was apparent that the WWE Universe was in for a treat.
A high drama epic that wowed fans with near-falls, story beats, callbacks to their previous encounter, and an abundance of interference that sometimes made sense and others, felt like a scene from Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame, it was pro wrestling at its finest.
Reigns was the virtuoso heel, taunting the crowd as he beat down their hero. Rhodes was the valiant babyface, fighting his way through every obstacle before finally capitalizing on The Tribal Chief’s one weakness: Seth Rollins.
The Visionary promised to be Rhodes’ “shield,” a reference to his former partnership with Reigns and Dean Ambrose earlier in his career, and did just that. He took a chair shot to the back from the champion, proving his effect on The Head of the Table.
The distraction cost Reigns and Rhodes finally executed three Cross Rhodes in succession en route to the win.
The pacing was great, the execution of the run-ins the grand finale a match of this magnitude deserved, and the happy ending was one the fans had earned through their commitment to Rhodes’ story and the entire Bloodline storyline.
A classic encounter that belongs in the conversation with the best main events in company history.
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