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The first half of WrestleMania 40 was an interesting affair. While Night One of last year's WrestleMania was not a slam dunk, The Show of Shows had a lot to offer this year. After all, The Rock made his in-ring return. But how did The Final Boss do? Was it the best match of the night?
We have some answers below. Let's look at all seven matches on Night One of WrestleMania 40 and rate them out of five. The show featured the tag team main event match, another few in-ring classics, and one unfortunate flop.
#1. Rhea Ripley vs. Becky Lynch - WWE Women's World Championship
WrestleMania 40 kicked off with a fantastic match between Becky Lynch and Rhea Ripley, both of whom got special entrances. From the action, you would not know that the challenger was wrestling after having a 102-degree fever. The Man put in the performance of a lifetime as she put over Mami in spectacular fashion.
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The two women went back and forth throughout the match, which kept on getting better as it progressed. Ripley and Lynch kicked off Night One of WrestleMania 40 at an intense pace, with some big moves including a Northern Lights Suplex from the current Women's World Champion and multiple Leg Drops from her opponent.
We got multiple convincing nearfalls, including from a Riptide and a Manhandle Slam, before Rhea Ripley hit a picture-perfect Frog Splash. That was not enough, though, as Mami had to hit two other Riptides to put Becky Lynch away. This was a great way to start the two-night event, giving Ripley's match against Charlotte Flair last year a run for its money.
Rating: ****1/2
#2. WWE Tag Team Championship Six-Pack Ladder Match
The Judgment Day put their gold on the line against five other teams in this chaotic contest, as everybody here got some shine. DIY got to cosplay as D-Generation X, while the New Catch Republic hit stereo Moonsaults off the same ladder. R-Truth thought this was a standard tag team match, as he tried to hot tag The Miz and pin Finn Balor.
A-Town Down Under clinched the SmackDown Tag Team Titles, before Grayson Waller got powerbombed through a bridged ladder outside the ring. The New Day had a typically great outing and nearly won, even sending JD McDonagh crashing through two tables after he had interfered. Everyone took bumps worthy of WrestleMania 40.
The end saw Truth hit Damian Priest with an Attitude Adjustment before retrieving the RAW Tag Team Titles for The Miz and himself. An awesome end to the most insane of ladder matches. The 12-man cast could have been too much, but it worked out quite well at WrestleMania 40. The spots were incredible and the Tag Team Titles got split effectively.
Rating: ****
#3. Rey Mysterio & Andrade vs. Dominik Mysterio & Santos Escobar
Rey Mysterio showcased his greatness at WrestleMania 40, as he took on his two biggest enemies in a tag team setting. The early highlight saw the babyfaces hitting a Double Crossbody to the outside, with the WWE Hall of Famer on Andrade's shoulders.
The action remained interesting, especially thanks to the ringside players getting involved. All members of Legado Del Fantasma and the Latino World Order got their moments, as Joaquin Wilde soared through the sky. The finish came after two large masked figures, revealed to be NFL veterans Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson, stopped Dominik Mysterio from using a chair.
It was academic from there, as Rey Mysterio pinned Santos Escobar for the win. This was a fun match, albeit with a random run-in at the end. The action was good enough to make it a successful outing for all four men at WrestleMania 40. Oh, and Rey is 2-0 against Dirty Dom at WrestleMania!
Rating: ***1/2
#4. Jimmy Uso vs. Jey Uso - WrestleMania 40
The action between the twin brothers at WrestleMania 40 started before the bell, as Jey Uso dove into Jimmy Uso as he was still making his entrance. However, things would not get much better. We got the expected Superkick Party before things slowed down midway, as big brother got the advantage and took his time with his offense.
WWE fans chanted "Yeet" and "No Yeet" as The Usos continued to lay multiple superkicks on each other. Main Event Jey Uso won that battle, as he kicked Jimmy over and over until the latter begged for forgiveness. It proved to be a ruse, leading to a near fall for The Bloodline member. Jey Uso responded with a Spear and a Uso Splash for the win.
While it was a good moment for the twins to finally have their dream match at The Grandest Stage of Them All, this was not very good. Be it the mid-March reluctance or The Usos' offense being way too similar, the match fell short of expectations. This was the biggest disappointment at WrestleMania 40 so far.
Rating: **1/2
#5. Naomi, Bianca Belair & Jade Cargill vs. Damage CTRL
The entrances before this six-woman tag team match were great, while the action just about managed to keep up. Most of it was a showcase for the three babyfaces, particularly Jade Cargill. She was put over as a strong performer at WrestleMania 40, while Bianca Belair and Naomi did get their moments too.
The finish came when Asuka accidentally spat mist in Kairi Sane's face before Belair whipped The Empress of Tomorrow with her hair. She followed it up with the K.O.D. Cargill pinned Dakota Kai after eight minutes.
Despite its short length, the match was concise and quick, with a lot packed into it. Bigger things are surely on the horizon for Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill following WrestleMania 40. The EST of WWE is now 4-0 at The Show of Shows.
Rating: ***1/2
#6. Gunther vs. Sami Zayn - WWE Intercontinental Championship
Sami Zayn's pre-match walk from the backstage area set the tone for an epic Intercontinental Championship match against Gunther. He was greeted by his wife and son, before having touching moments with Chad Gable and Kevin Owens. It only got better after the bell rang, giving WrestleMania 40 Night One another in-ring classic.
The match started with Zayn trying to beat The Ring General at his own game by delivering a set of chops. However, the champion quickly began asserting his dominance. Despite being hit with a barrage of German Suplexes, Clotheslines, and Powerbombs, Sami kicked out of everything. Gunther seemingly had the match won following a couple of top rope splashes, but the challenger started to hulk up.
One buckle Brainbuster and three Helluva Kicks later, the dragon had been slayed. Sami Zayn is the new Intercontinental Champion, earning another WrestleMania moment after last year. A shocking outcome, but the best kind. The in-ring work matched the moment that followed, which is always positive. This has been the best match of WrestleMania 40 so far.
Rating: ****1/2
#7. Cody Rhodes & Seth Rollins vs. The Rock & Roman Reigns - Main Event of WrestleMania 40 Night One
Night One of WrestleMania 40 was headlined by the biggest tag team match in the event's history. That's exactly what this main event felt like. From the overly long entrances to the dramatic twists, The Rock's in-ring return truly felt epic.
The drama picked up over time, following ringside brawls, extended heat segments, and some referee abuse from The Final Boss. He bent the rules to stack the deck against Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins, who fought valiantly against The Bloodline. There were so many memorable moments involving all four men.
Among them was Roman Reigns accidentally hitting The Rock with a Spear. Rhodes and Rollins then hit both of them with simultaneous Pedigrees for a nearfall. The American Nightmare hit a Rock Bottom on The Great One through the announce table, before The Tribal Chief speared The Visionary through the barricade seconds later.
Just when it looked like Cody Rhodes would win, a belt whip from The Rock led to a Spear from Roman Reigns. The Final Boss finished the job with a Rock Bottom and The People's Elbow, putting the challenger at a massive disadvantage tomorrow night. The final match of Night Two of WrestleMania 40 will be contested under "Bloodline Rules."
Despite the match's massive length, this was WWE at its finest. However, for all the great spots and high drama, the biggest thing this tag team match achieved was making Cody Rhodes an even bigger underdog. The American Nightmare better have a plan for tomorrow night. WrestleMania 40 needs to end with him on top.
Rating: ****1/2
