#LAWTAKE - WWE WRESTLEMANIA XL (NIGHT ONE) 4/6/24
Peace to all! Right in time for WWE Raw, Chad Law of the RSC drops off his infamous Law Take right here on the RingsideClub.com.
Myself, Blame Boogie, and AO Baker were on deck in Philly this weekend for a slobberknocker of a time if I do say. What felt like a recurring dream from a scene right out of the FX TV show Atlanta, we went from functions such as Walemania, Heels Have Eyes, GCW events, Wrestlecon, Jobber Tears Podcast gatherings, Suplex Store block parties, Alchemist and Daringer pop-up shops, oh and the actual WrestleMania 40 event itself.
After sitting through more than 16 hours of actual wrestling between watching live and rewatching this PPV in its entirety, I now give you a full rundown of my anaylsis of this WrestleMania 40 showing.
Triple H welcomes us into Night One of “buy-one, get-one free extravaganza"" (wink and nod to those that know) WrestleMania and it feels fitting that he does this to continue erasing the VKM-era.
To quote AO Baker, Vince McMahon (era) is DEAD. Wanna know how we know this? We saw multi-figure salary ads being displayed across every bit of this program; Dude Wipes, Gin & Juice, American Home Shield, Slim Jim, Wheatley Vodka, OH AND PRIME! We truly are in a new era.
Overall, both nights felt the most “Sport Entertainment” geared than focusing on actual wrestling. Not to say there wasn’t quality wrestling, but this WrestleMania felt like a NFL showcase from the promo packages doing more of the talking than any real promos did. This felt like a big fight feel all night. Fitting, it is the pro-wrestling Super Bowl anyways.
So cold in Philly, the crowd visibly were not prepared and sometimes I wasn’t either. They should have had someone from ABC or Al Roker do the weather report every time they popped the "WEATHER IN PHILLY” graphic to the left of the screen for those viewers at home.
The first match of the night belongs to the Raw Women’s Championship, Young Mami Rhea Ripley defending her belt against the 2024 Royal Rumble winner Becky Lynch in really an expected good match. If not for Sami and GUNTHER, this might have been my MOTN.
Motionless White brought Rhea Ripley to the ring with a live rendition of her theme. Her favorite band, and PA’s own. Hideous band name but the song has grown on all of us for years now.
The outcome of this match was never in question once the final stretch to WrestleMania kicked in. Some thought this was Becky’s night to win and be back on top… but we’ve seen this dance already. This is like Charlotte Flair having a title match again, who is also probably sick she couldn’t make this years Mania due to injury.
Becky Lynch is the hottest she has ever been in the looks department. I say this repeatedly but motherhood has done her very well. She’s worked on her physique, you can tell. She doesn’t look like the flail French fry from the NXT/early-The Man days.
The Riptide is one of the most protected moves in all of Women’s wrestling and that’s hard to argue. A one and done move, except for the two and a half kick out by Becky tonight.
What’s next for either is anyone’s guess. A rematch out of good faith even though Becky lost fair and square? As I type this, I fully imagine Becky/Nia in their next gimmick match while Liv Morgan gets to be fodder to Rhea for the next PPV cycle or two.
This the most urban WrestleMania I’ve ever seen. Lil’ Baby, Lil’ Wayne, 2 Chainz, the entire Quality Control label. I thought we dead ass would have had Freeway performing #WhatWeDo at any point of this weekend.
The Tag Team Titles were both on the line for the following match & anybody Ciampa and Johnny Sameface winning the Tag Titles works just fine for me.
This match felt like a Cirque-Soleil when you see how many ladders and bodies were flying and lying around the ring ten minutes in.
I absolutely love WWE sneakily splitting the belts up via two teams grabbing both belts. Yes if Theory and Waller grabbed both sets of belts they’d be the Undisputed champions, but thank good they only got the Smackdown belts. They are already the most featured Tag Team on Smackdown so finally that brand has a heel tag team to go after.
The bumps and botches in this ladder match were as exciting as your usual WrestleMania/MITB Ladder Match expectations. I enjoyed this match, really.
JD McDonald’s took a NASTY fall off a ladder via the New Day that I thought almost took his head off when he landed so close to the edge of a table.
R-Truth, kicked out of Judgment Day & fully equipped with John Cena’s move set was able to capture his WrestleMania moment and deservedly so by becoming the Raw Tag Team Champion with the Miz.
In this same breath, TNA’s social media team already whipped up Truth’s best Tag Title victories. Love that company yo.
No more Judgment Day as Tag champions and rightfully, thankfully so. Back to normal, separate tag divison.
I hope Miz Truth don’t end up having the Zack Ryder post-Mania title defense.
It’s time for the Latin American Division! Andrade last minute replaces Dragon Lee because Dragon Lee is still in his jobber phase.
Andrade was bodying the C2 for a month you already know he’s primed and ready to compete tonight maximum capacity tonight.
This was a sleeper of a match for me. The Latin American Division doesn’t disappoint because they’re all so used to wrestling each other every single week.
No Carlito heel turn just yet, although I figured Andrade would do the turn himself. I just feel like everyone turns on Rey Mysterio and that’s wild because he’s the nicest man in and out of the ring at that height.
Carlito is so unenjoyable to watch wrestle he couldn’t even be Rey’s partner!
Lane Johnson and Jason Kelce out of nowhere in LUCHA masks cost Santos and Dom the match. Random as shit but this only means yet another round of matches with both these factions. Can we please get a Latin American title while we’re at it?
Announcing Weezy as the GOAT Rapper and then he follows it up with a lazy inaudible 8 bar performance of A Millie was outlandish. But the check cleared and that’s what matters most. Lil’ Wayne bringing someone to the ring at a WrestleMania was something we would have never seen during the height of Tha Carter 3.
The best part of Jey & Jimmy’s match was the video packages and the entrances. Like most predicted. I know I did. On this very site two weeks ago.
I was not looking forward to the 10 Superkick’s and Cross-Body splashes the Uso’s spent executing.
Easily one of the worst WrestleMania matches of the night, in a long while, and most definitely in the Brother Vs Brother at WrestleMania catalog (cc: Bret/Owen, Matt/Jeff Hardy, hell even Kane/Undertaker).
Dakota Kai look like she ready to film a fire BDSM video and I’m here for the fuckery.
Every group of black wrestling fans watching the Cocoa Butter Combat Club trio of Bianca/Naomi/Jade are turnt up watching them come to the ring together. Black Beauty!
The camera man is me hovering over Jade Cargill in the corner.
Jade is a star and I won’t be surprised if she makes a run at a major franchise movie before she even wins a WWE Title.
Bianca Belair truly is leaps and bounds more exciting than her peers when that bell rings. It’ll be tough to keep her away from the main Women’s Title picture these next few months.
This match served all of its purpose and actually was a favorite of mine from this Night One. The babyfaces all hit their finishers at the right times with Jade following it up with a pinfall after a Jaded on Dakota Kai. This was one of the more FUN six-woman tags I’ve seen across all companies in months
I need Bianca to stop feuding with Damage Control asap. If the Women’s Tag Titles are up for grabs next let Jade and Naomi go after them.
Speaking of, Naomi finally gets a W that matters since her return at the Royal Rumble. Already inserted back to a tag team but whatever, I’ll take it for now.
Keep it a buck A LOT of us didn’t want GUUUUNTAHHHHH to lose that IC Title.
666 days.. you had to know that was the end for GUNTHER’s reign. Divine timing. To be honest, it could have been anybody but Sami winning seeing as Sami has already been IC Champion numerous times. Mark of the Beast my pals.
Gable made sure to remind Sami he owes him big time and rightfully so. Gable/Owens is soon… perhaps on a main event of Raw in the next few weeks,
But, I feel Bronson Reed is next up as he is 2-0 against Sami while being left off a WrestleMania car two years and one Future Endeavor in a row.
Sami should be have an extensive reign as IC champion. Not the year long run, but long enough to keep the credible aura over the IC Title until the next deserving sapp picks up the win. Please no more title changes for the next few months.
The Rock’s entrance was sick. But it’s also WrestleMania and a WWE production so everyone’s entrance would be more memorable than most of the match.
This is the Roman Reigns tag match from Saudi Blood Money featuring Dwayne Johnson cosplaying as Solo Sikoa.
We went from Tag Titles main eventing Night One at WM39 to just a tag team match fighting over a match stipulation as the main event. I will give WWE that - a cliffhanger rarely happens for this company let alone during a WrestleMania main event.
The Rock carrying the People’s Championship presented by Muhammad Ali’s wife at the WWE HOF was a nice touch.
How has The Rock never had a physical People’s Championship already? Brilliant. No, I do not count the Bhrama Bull title.
Haven’t seen Rock carry a belt in a decade and this is a strong touch to remind you just how he looks with one.
Man I really thought Cody had handed his weight belt to Thunderbolt Patterson.
All the false finishes and overused finishers being kicked out of in this match I feel like I'm watching AEW.
There are only a handful of protected finishers in WWE at the moment and majority all of them were in this match.
I for sure thought we’d get a Jacob Fatu cameo here but alas we did not. He still has some time so hold your horses my pals.
Roman seeing his nose bleed turning him into an even angrier human being was enjoyable.
Roman spearing Rock and Rock selling it like he tore his muscles again will be a wonderful bookmark for down the line. In fact, Rock’s overselling is what I enjoyed the most about this match.,
Stereo Pedigrees from Cody and Seth couldn’t get the job done as the Battle Of Triple H’s Honor continued on.
I am thoroughly surprised to see The Rock take such a giant bump through the announce table. It’s like he doesn’t have a movie to film from May to August.
Cody and Seth winning this match was just not the move. Why would we want a clean, straight up wrestling match to send the fans home happy on Night Two? Hell nah! A weight belt whipping, a Spear, a Rock Bottom and a People’s Elbow later and Cody is left with the dumbfounded look ala the end to WrestleMania 39.
The Rock gets his first pinfall victory in a decade damn near. Thats what’s up. Do I want to see The Rock vs Cody Rhodes headline a PPV now? Nah The Rock knows his role - play the hits and sell and not think he can work a match like he’s in 1998.
Pottymouth Final Boss Rock is really a wave though. I know the older wrestlers are getting a major pop out of this.
Roman Reigns gets at least A W this weekend despite how Sunday turned out.
Cody gets A W this weekend despite he was the one to take a pin by The Rock right before his major World Title.
The Rock gets A W this weekend for not getting blown up 5 minutes and three moves into the match.
Seth Rollins collectively takes A L both nights as it turns out. His saving grace being Cody’s Shield - the protection, the the callback to the theme & the ring gear, the died hair. Where Seth goes next is anyone guess. A vacation maybe. I will say, he was the silent MVP of these two matches.
I still can’t unsee Cody vs Seth Part 4/5/6 at some point of 2024/25 as Seth enacts some level of revenge against Cody despite the aid.
7/10 overall for Night One on my end. Realistically, Night One’s do not usually go over better than Night Two. That’s a fendi fact. I didn’t go into Night One with high expectations but every match served its purpose and felt like they were able to be fleshed out because we weren’t on a time crunch or a commercial break marathon.
Thank you for reading along and if you are feeling this review, drop some comments in the notes below or hit me on Twitter via the Ringside Club page!