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Drew McIntyre Looking Forward to”Easiest Payday Of My Life” Against Seth Rollins At WWE WrestleMania 40

Thomas Lowson
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It’ll be an easy night at the office for Drew McIntyre when he faces Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 40: Sunday, especially considering the events of the Saturday show. 

At WWE WrestleMania 40: Saturday, Rollins teamed with Cody Rhodes in a losing effort to The Rock & Roman Reigns. This match means that the upcoming Undisputed WWE Universal Championship match between Rhodes and Reigns will be under ‘Bloodline Rules,’ meaning that anything goes. 

One person who was watching the main event closely was Drew McIntyre who on Twitter boasted that the match went exactly as he predicted. McIntyre, wearing a CM Punk hoodie, said that Rollins is walking into an “execution” and said that he’s ready to take the World Heavyweight Championship from the attention “junkie.” McIntyre was similarly confident in the tweet for his video, declaring that the upcoming title match would be the “easiest payday” of his career. 

A Wounded Champion

McIntyre can hardly be blamed for feeling confident heading into WrestleMania 40: Sunday. During the tag-team main event, Rollins was seen favoring his knee which seems to have been injured during the match. Rollins’ back was also a target during the match with The Rock locking in the Sharpshooter on the World Heavyweight Champion. 

Rollins’ work as a fighting champion has resulted in the Architect piling up injuries that could prove to be the difference maker at WWE WrestleMania 40: Sunday. Rollins injured back was a pivotal part of his 2023 feud with Shinsuke Nakamura but Rollins retained against his fellow former NXT Champion. 

Triple H: ‘Brock Lesnar Is Not Gone From WWE, He’s Just At Home’

Thomas Lowson
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Brock Lesnar may not have competed at WWE WrestleMania 40: Saturday, but that doesn’t mean his days with the promotion are a thing of the past. 

Despite being one of WWE’s top Superstars, Lesnar did not appear at the Saturday event and is not expected in any capacity at the upcoming WrestleMania 40: Sunday show either. Speaking at the post-WrestleMania 40: Saturday press conference, Triple H was asked about Lesnar’s current WWE status. 

“At one point, there was a conversation with Brock about Royal Rumble, quite a long time ago. Right now, Brock is at home being Brock. We’ll see where that leads to from here. His status is the same as it has been before. Brock is not gone from WWE. He’s just home being Brock.”

Brock Lesnar’s WWE Hiatus

Lesnar has been implicated, but not named in Janel Grant’s damning lawsuit against WWE and Vince McMahon. In the suit, Grant alleges that she was trafficked to a former UFC Heavyweight Champion, believed to be Lesnar. The former WWE Universal Champion has not publicly commented on the matter. 

The controversy surrounding Lesnar led to WWE nixing all plans for the Beast, who was supposed to be a part of the 2024 Men’s Royal Rumble match. He was replaced in the bout by Bron Breakker. Lesnar was set to face ‘Dirty’ Dominik Mysterio at WWE Elimination Chamber 2024 but that match was also nixed. It’s believed that WWE intended for Lesnar to face GUNTHER at WrestleMania 40. The Austrian instead lost the Intercontinental Championship to Sami Zayn at WWE WrestleMania 40: Saturday. 

H/T – Fightful

Roman Reigns Confirms His Leukemia Is Still In Remission

Anutosh Bajpai
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Roman Reigns has revealed that he is still taking oral chemotherapy for leukemia and it’s a battle that he is going to have to continue fighting for the rest of his life.

The Tribal Chief teamed up with his cousin The Rock in the main event of WrestleMania Saturday to take on Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins. During the bout, Pat McAfee on the commentary noted that Roman Reigns is still battling leukemia.

This revelation concerned people due to Reigns’ history with the disease and he was asked about it during the post-show media scrum. The Undisputed Champion confirmed that he is still in remission. Though he also revealed that the oral chemotherapy is likely to continue for the rest of his life:

“Well, I’m still on oral chemotherapy. It’s a medication that I’m going to have to remain on my entire life most likely. So yeah, that’s just a part of my personal battle. It doesn’t affect…thank God, I’m still able to perform. I think anybody in my position would say, health is wealth. And as long as I can continue to perform, then you already know that that’s at bay, so we’re good. We’re still in remission. But it is something that is still a part of my life.”

Roman Reigns originally intended to make a career in Football and his promising early performance led to his signing with Minnesota Vikings in 2007. However, he was released by the team only a month later when he was diagnosed with leukemia during the team physical. He went into remission about two years after the initial diagnosis.

After retiring from Professional football in 2008, Reigns began his journey to the top of the professional wrestling world when he signed a development contract with WWE in 2010.

In October 2018 he revealed that the leukemia that had been in remission all these years had returned and he would have to step away from WWE programming for an indefinite amount of time. Reigns returned to TV in February 2019, revealing that his leukemia was once again in remission.

You can check out the WrestleMania 40 Night One media scrum below:

If you use any quotes from the article please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

Roman Reigns Is Already Thinking About Main-Eventing WWE WrestleMania 41 in 2025

Thomas Lowson
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Roman Reigns will break the record for the most WrestleMania main events at WWE WrestleMania 40: Sunday, but the Tribal Chief is already thinking about what’s next. 

At WWE WrestleMania 40: Saturday, Reigns teamed with The Rock to defeat Seth Rollins & Cody Rhodes in the evening’s main event match. This was Reigns’ ninth time headlining a WrestleMania and during the post-show press conference, Reigns was asked about being a staple of the WrestleMania main event scene. 

“I’m already thinking about 10. I’m thinking about the next one. I’m going to smash tomorrow night and then we’re going to move on. That’s how it is. That’s what greatness is. You know what I’m saying? We’re worried about the next goal.”

Roman Reigns in the Main Event

Reigns made his WrestleMania main event debut in 2015 at WrestleMania 31 where he would lose in his WWE Championship match with Brock Lesnar, albeit thanks to Seth Rollins cashing in Money in the Bank. Reigns currently boasts a 6-2 win/loss record in the main event of WrestleMania spot.

WrestleMania 41

Reigns intends on headlining WrestleMania 41 but little has been confirmed about the upcoming event. Breaking from tradition, WWE has yet to publicly confirm the date or location of the event, though it is expected to be hosted in Minneapolis, Minnesota. If so, the show will almost certainly take place at the U.S. Bank Stadium. Local legislators recently teased a huge event coming to the city in 2025 that will provide an economic impact second only to the Super Bowl. 

For the use of quotes, please give an H/T to SE Scoops. 

The Rock Hints At WWE Involvement Beyond WrestleMania 40: We’re Building For The Future

Anutosh Bajpai
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The Rock has hinted that WrestleMania 40 may not be his last program with WWE.

Ever since the Great One joined the TKO board of directors, there have been speculations that we will be seeing him on WWE programming more regularly.

After an amazing performance in the main event of WrestleMania Saturday, The People’s Champion took part in the post-show media scrum. He was asked if we can expect more big matches from him, to which The Rock said that he can’t elaborate on it at the moment:

“There might be. Can’t elaborate that much on that but there might be. I love what I do and I love our business. I was born into our business as you guys know so we’ll see.”

The Rock was later asked what inspired his comeback to the WWE ring after more than a decade. The Hollywood star mentioned how talks of a match between him and Roman Reigns have been going on since before WrestleMania 39. 

Speaking about finally pulling the plug on it, he said that the Endeavor sale was a catalyst for it. The Great One mentioned how he has known both Ari Emanuel and Nick Khan for a long time, and once again talked about building things beyond WrestleMania 40:

“My number one priority was ‘Can I come back and add real value this time around’ and not you know, coming back for hot shots one at a time maybe, making appearance one night. That’s fun. That’s fun for the fans, but I wanted something a little bit more, a lot more substantial. Not only a lot more substantial, but something that we can really build upon.

And so these past two, three months, I think we’ve been laying groundwork nicely, and not only building for WrestleMania this weekend, but also I think beyond that and building for the future and what that could look like.”

A win for The Rock and Roman Reigns tonight means the match between Cody Rhodes and The Tribal Chief tomorrow will be contested under Bloodline rules.

We know that the Hollywood star will have to step away from WWE programming for the time being after this PLE due to his movie commitments. 

The intrigue for a Rock vs Roman Reigns match, however, is still there. After the latest comments from the former champion, it won’t be a surprise if we see the current story extending beyond this year’s edition of The Show of Shows.

You can watch the media scrum below:

If you use the quotes from the article please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

How Did Jason Kelce’s WWE WrestleMania 40 Appearance Come About?

Thomas Lowson
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Jason Kelce’s surprise appearance at WWE WrestleMania 40: Saturday had been in the works for some time, it has been reported. 

During the tag-team match pitting Rey Mysterio & Andrade against Santos Escobar & Dominik Mysterio, two masked men helped prevent a steel chair assault on the WWE Hall of Famer. The two men were revealed post-match to be Kelce and Lane Johnson of the Philadelphia Eagles. 

Kelce and members of his team reached out to Danny Cage and The Monster Factor for training and to document his journey to WrestleMania 40, Fightful Select reports. Kelce and Lane did not take their role at the show lightly as they trained for hours both in and out of the ring. 

The two men were said to be very respectful to everyone they met and the wrestling industry in general. Both also showed interest in returning for further training down the line. WWE and the Philadelphia Eagles posted footage of Lane working out with Seth Rollins during the week. It had also been reported that WWE had reached out to Kelce in the days leading up to WrestleMania. 

Football and WrestleMania

Kelce and Lane aren’t the only names from the NFL to make an impression at WWE’s biggest event of the year. At last year’s event, Pat McAfee, a former punter, won his impromptu match with The Miz thanks to interference from George Kittle. The San Francisco 49er was also in attendance at WWE WrestleMania 40: Saturday. 

The biggest NFL involvement at WrestleMania came in 1995. At WrestleMania 11, Lawrence ‘LT’ Taylor defeated Bam Bam Bigelow in the show’s main event. The match had been set up in January of that year with an altercation between Taylor and Bigelow at the Royal Rumble. 

Watch: What Happened With Cody Rhodes After WrestleMania Saturday (4/3) Went Off Air

Anutosh Bajpai
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It appears Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins are still partners despite their disheartening loss at the hands of Roman Reigns and The Rock at WrestleMania: Saturday.

The WrestleMania main event was everything fans expected and more. The match which went over 40 minutes was one of the longest bouts in the history of the Show of Shows.

From the start, The Final Boss used every tactic he could to control the bout. This included threatening the referee in order to stop the tag team rules from being enforced.

Both Cody and Seth showed incredible courage despite the overwhelming odds and managed to get the upper hand a few times, only to be taken out again however.

It looked like Cody might actually win the match for his team when he went for a third back-to-back Cross-Rhodes on Reigns but The Rock introduced the weight belt at the last second and turned the match into their favor.

What Happened After WrestleMania Saturday

Seth Rollins had already been taken out by a spear through the barricades. So after the belt spot, Roman hit the spear. It allowed The Rock to hit Rock Bottom and finally The People’s Elbow for the win.

Both the cousins had an extended celebration after the match while Cody remained in the ring realizing the effect this loss would have on his match with Roman Reigns tomorrow.

Though it appears that the bond between Rhodes and Rollins remains the same despite the change. As seen in the post-show footage below, Cody helped a beat up Seth to the back after the show went off air:

The WrestleMania Sunday main event between Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns will now be contested under Bloodline rules. This means we can expect to see more of all four of these contestants tomorrow night.

As evident from the results of tonight’s show, The American Nightmare will have to do something unprecedented if he has to finish the story tomorrow night and a planned mystery spot may turn out to be the catalyst of it all.

Rhea Ripley: Becky Lynch Is One of the Best, It’s Bloody Fantastic That I Beat Her

Thomas Lowson
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Rhea Ripley feels “bloody fantastic” to have beaten Becky Lynch at WWE WrestleMania 40: Saturday and retain the WWE Women’s World Championship. 

Ripley retained the gold against The Man in the opening match of the evening. The event marked one year on from when Ripley won the title, known as the SmackDown Women’s Championship at the time, from Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 39. 

Speaking at the post-WrestleMania 40: Saturday press conference, Ripley reflected on her victory over one of the most decorated women in WWE history. 

“It feels bloody fantastic to say the least. Look, I went out there with one of the best in this federation, Becky Lynch. And to be able to step toe-to-toe with her and bring the fight to her, it meant the absolute world to me. And to be able to have it at the grandest stage of them all, WrestleMania XL, the largest WrestleMania there is, it’s very, very special. And not only that, but to have Motionless in White be there too, everything sort of came together for Mami and I proved once again that Mami is always on top.” 

The Judgment Day’s Mixed Night

While Ripley emerged triumphant against Becky Lynch, the other Judgment Day members did not fare so well. In the six-pack tag-team ladder match, Finn Balor and Damian Priest lost both the Raw and SmackDown Tag Team Championships to the Awesome Truth and A-Town Down Under respectively. This was despite JD McDonagh trying to aid his allies. Later in the show, Dominik Mysterio teamed with Santos Escobar in a losing effort to Rey Mysterio & Andrade. 

For the use of quotes, please give an H/T to SE Scoops. 

The Rock & Roman Reigns Defeat Cody Rhodes & Seth Rollins At WrestleMania 40

Aaron Varble
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WrestleMania 40 promoted the main event of night one as the biggest tag team match of all time. It certainly delivered on every level.

Cody Rhodes is set to battle Roman Reigns during night two of WrestleMania 40 for the Undisputed Universal Heavyweight Title. Seth Rollins will defend his WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Drew McIntyre tomorrow night as well.

The main event of WrestleMania’s first night included a very special stipulation. If the Bloodline won the match, then it would be Bloodline Rules for Cody Rhodes’ match against Roman Reigns during the second night. If the babyfaces won, then the Bloodline would be banned.

In the end, The Rock pinned Cody Rhodes’ shoulders to the mat at WrestleMania 40 Saturday. This means it will be Bloodline Rules for the title match at the end of WrestleMania Sunday.

The Match Finish

This match got going slowly as fans took in the scene in front of them. The Rock tagged in eventually, where he squared off against Seth Rollins first. It didn’t take much time for Cody to take the tag, where he put some boots to The Great One for making him bleed.

The referee started counting to 10 as they brawled on the outside of the ring. Then The Rock threatened to fire referee Chad Patton if he ended the match via countout. “I don’t f*ck around,” he said. This allowed everyone in the match to brawl throughout the stadium for a while.

They returned to the ring eventually, where Reigns and Rollins battled it out. Roman was able to tag The Rock, but they didn’t let Cody tag in. The beatdown on Rollins continued after that.

Finally, The Rock latched on a sharpshooter, and Cody ran in the ring to slap him in the face. Seth finally landed a Stomp on Rock, but he didn’t pin him. He did finally make it to Cody Rhodes for the tag as Roman tagged in to give a teaser for the WrestleMania Sunday main event.

Roman Reigns’ nose was busted open during the brawl, and Cody avoided a spear. Then Roman kicked out after a splash when Rhodes tagged in Rollins. As they kept going, it all climaxed in Cody Rhodes putting The Rock through the announce table with a Rock Bottom as Roman speared Seth Rollins through the barricade.

Roman and Cody ended up in the ring, where they traded shots. Then, Cody nailed two Crossroads, and as he was going for a third, The Rock nailed him with his weight belt. Then Roman Reigns nailed a spear before tagging in The Rock.

The Rock nailed a Rock Bottom on Cody Rhodes before hitting a People’s Elbow for the clean win.

Special Entrances

Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins received their standard entrances for this match. If they get a special presentation, it will likely be for their title matches tomorrow night. That being said, the “WOAH” during Cody’s entrance was incredible.

The Rock’s entrance included an epic light show with his Final Boss theme. He also came out in the middle of a flaming Brahma Bull logo with the People’s Championship over his shoulder.

WWE WrestleMania 40: Saturday Attendance Revealed, Nick Aldis & Adam Pearce Appear

Thomas Lowson
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Over 70,000 fans filled Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field for WrestleMania 40: Saturday, it was confirmed during the broadcast. 

Before the main event tag-team match between The Bloodline against Cody Rhodes & Seth Rollins, WWE had a huge segment with Adam Pearce & Nick Aldis. The Raw and SmackDown General Managers thanked the fans for bringing the fire all night long and revealed that 72,543 had filled the stadium for WWE WrestleMania 40: Saturday. 

WrestleMania 40’s Attendance

This 72,543 attendance number is a huge win for WWE. This number is the highest attendance for a WrestleMania: Saturday event since the concept was introduced in 2020. This is the highest attendance of any WrestleMania event since WrestleMania 34 in 2018 which saw 78,133 fill the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in New Orleans. 

It’s worth mentioning that these numbers haven’t always been entirely honest in the past. WWE, among other promotions, have often inflated their figures. For example WWE WrestleMania 3, which for decades has been claimed brought in 93,173 fans, is believed to have actually had 78,000 fans inside the Pontiac Silverdome. 

WWE has in the past stated that the attendance figures given during broadcasts are “for entertainment purposes” and may not entirely reflect the actual number. The most recent ticket number shared by WrestleTix before WrestleMania 40: Saturday stated that 68,412 tickets had been distributed for Night One of this year’s two-night mega-show. 

Sami Zayn Defeats GUNTHER For Intercontinental Title At WWE WrestleMania 40

Aaron Varble
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0

WWE uses WrestleMania’s stage to tell the best stories they can every year. WrestleMania 40’s IC Title match was certainly worthy of the historic event.

Sami Zayn defeated GUNTHER at WrestleMania 40 to end his historic reign as Intercontinental Champion.

GUNTHER walked into WrestleMania 40 with 666 days as Intercontinental Champion and counting. He battled Sami Zayn, who was entering as the underdog, but that was nothing different for Zayn.

The Match Finish

No matter what GUNTHER threw at Sami Zayn, he kept kicking out. When Zayn landed a Helluva Kick, GUNTHER kicked out in return.

Sami Zayn’s wife sat at ringside for the match, cheering her husband on the whole time, especially after he kicked out following two powerbombs from GUNTHER. The Ring General continued to assault Zayn, and then he taunted his wife before laying down another powerbomb.

Finally, GUNTHER scaled the top rope, where he hit a big splash, but he didn’t even attempt a cover before he went back to the top rope to hit a second splash. He didn’t even try to pin him the second time.

Zayn started to stir, and he nailed GUNTHER with a Helluva Kick as he climbed to the top rope again. Then Zayn nailed an avalanche brainbuster before hitting another two Helluva Kicks and getting the clean pin to win the title.

Special Entrance

Before the match, they showed Sami Zayn backstage with his wife and son. He asked her to keep his son backstage, so he didn’t see what happened in the ring. Then Chad Gable told him that he’s going out there by himself.

As the camera followed Sami Zayn to the ring, Kevin Owens met him in the gorilla position. Owens slapped Zayn to hype him up before he made his way to the ring.

Jade Cargill, Naomi & Bianca Belair Triumph Over Damage CTRL at WWE WrestleMania 40

Thomas Lowson
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0

The trio of Jade Cargill, Naomi, and Bianca Belair proved to be a force to be reckoned with by emerging victorious at WWE WrestleMania 40.

In the fifth match of WWE WrestleMania 40: Saturday, the trio dispatched of Damage CTRL (Dakota Kai & WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Asuka & Kairi Sane.) The finish of the match saw Asuka accidentally mist Kairi Sane before the Empress of Tomorrow was dispatched of by Bianca Belair. Cargill would then level Dakota Kai to get the win for her team. 

You can check out some highlights from the match below.

The Storm is Here

Going into this six-woman tag-team match, there was a lot of interest in how Jade Cargill would fare at her first WrestleMania. It wasn’t long into the match that “We Want Jade” chants rumbled throughout the massive crowd inside Lincoln Financial Field. Cargill certainly looked like she belonged in the ring at WrestleMania 40 and fans can expect the Storm to be at many WrestleManias and other Premium Live Events to come. 

Cargill signed with WWE in September 2023 and was immediately treated as a massive high-profile acquisition for the company. Before arriving in WWE, Cargill made her name in All Elite Wrestling, where she was the first AEW TBS Champion. Her 508-day reign with the gold remains the longest title reign of any champion in AEW history.

Jey Uso Wins ‘Uso Civil War’ Over Jimmy Uso At WWE WrestleMania 40

Aaron Varble
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0

WrestleMania usually features high-profile stories, as they reach a climax at the show of shows. This year saw two twin brothers face off in a dream match for a lot of fans.

Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso battled at WrestleMania 40. In the end, Main Event Jey Uso was able to topple his twin brother Jimmy and win at Lincoln Financial Field.

The Match Finish

Near the end of the match, Jimmy Uso got on his knees and begged for forgiveness, and Jey accepted it, only to eat a superkick from Jimmy. This resulted in a near fall, as they also teased an Usos reunion in the process.

Jey nailed a spear after that and climbed up top to nail a splash for the win. This was a clean win, where Michael Cole proclaimed that “Jey Uso wins the Uso Cival War!”

WWE Hall of Famer Rikishi was mentioned several times throughout this match for a reason. He is the father of Jimmy and Jey Uso, along with Solo Sikoa as well.

Jimmy and Jey Uso entered WWE together, and they were inseparable for the longest time. Then, a knee injury in 2020 caused Jimmy to miss a lot of action, but Jey continued as part of Roman Reigns’ Bloodline story. By the time Jimmy returned, fans knew that the twins were destined to throw down. That went down at WrestleMania 40.

Special Entrance

Lil Wayne was a part of Jey Uso’s entrance, but he didn’t do much. He did not debut any new song, and only did around four bars of A Milli before Jey came out. It was still fun to see Weezy on the grandest stage of them all.

Weezy is in the middle of a world tour right now, with a few more dates scheduled out until June. You may find more information about Lil Wayne’s tour schedule here.

Jason Kelce & Lane Johnson Assist Rey Mysterio & Andrade In Getting The Win At WrestleMania 40

Aaron Varble
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0

WWE usually brings massive names in for WrestleMania events. This tradition was no different for the 40th anniversary of the showcase of the immortals. 

Rey Mysterio and Andrade teamed up at WrestleMania 40 to take on Santos Escobar and Dominik Mysterio. In the end, two unexpected WrestleMania guests got involved. 

During the tag team match, two massive luchadors showed up at ringside. They helped Mr. 6-1-9 and Andrade win the match. Then the two masked men revealed themselves to be Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson.

WrestleMania 40’s Importance For Jason Kelce

This was a big surprise for the Lincoln Financial Field crowd, as the pro football players celebrated with Rey Mysterio and Andrade. In the end, both Kelce and Johnson also tore off their shirts in the midst of the excitement. 

Jason Kelce played 13 seasons in the NFL, and in every one of them, he was the starting center for the Eagles. At 36 years old, he is now retired and he had a great time at Mania.

It was previously reported that WWE had reached out to Jason Kelce about making an appearance at WrestleMania 40. Travis Kelce apparently couldn’t make it, but they were able to land the former Eagles center for the show of shows.

SEScoops will have continued coverage of WWE WrestleMania 40. Keep checking back throughout the show, and afterward for more headlines!

A-Town Down Under Win SmackDown Tag Titles At WrestleMania 40, Awesome Truth Win Raw Tag Gold

Thomas Lowson
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0

The Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships are no longer thanks to the six-pack tag-team ladder match at WWE WrestleMania 40: Saturday. 

The match was the second of the night at WWE WrestleMania 40: Saturday and was presented by Wheatley American Vodka. The match began with both the Raw and SmackDown Tag Team Championships being hoisted separately, leaving fans speculating that the titles would be split up. 

This theory was all but confirmed when R-Truth suggested that he and The Miz go for the SmackDown Tag Titles and leave DIY to go for the Raw Tag Tea, Championships. Neither team would be able to grab the gold though. Instead, it was Grayson Waller who captured the SmackDown Tag Team Championships, and Samantha Irvin confirmed that A-Town Down Under officially were the champs of the blue brand. 

This win marks the first Tag Title Championships for A-Town Down Under. It also marks Waller’s first championship victory in WWE and Theory’s first taste of gold since holding the WWE United States Championship in 2022. 

New Raw Tag Team Champions

With the SmackDown Tag Team Titles captured, all attention turned towards the Raw Tag Team Championships. In the end, Awesome Truth captured the gold, ending the reign of the Judgment Day. This win marked the first tag title win for Awesome Truth as a team, though both men have held tag gold with other partners in the past. This was also Truth’s first win at a WrestleMania. 

WrestleMania 40: Rhea Ripley Retains Women’s World Title After Grueling Battle Against Becky Lynch

Aaron Varble
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0

WWE sold out the Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia for WrestleMania 40. This was an epic show, and they kicked things off with a Women’s World Title match.

Rhea Ripley and Becky Lynch opened up WrestleMania 40 with their Women’s World Title match. The crowd was hot and ready to go, and they got an impressive opening match in the process.

After a grueling contest, Rhea Ripley defeated Becky Lynch to retain the WWE Women’s World Title at WrestleMania 40. This will continue her reign as she carries on with over a year as champion.

The Match Finish

At one point, mid-way through the match, Lynch nailed the Man-Handle Slam, but Ripley kicked out at two. Then, Rhea Ripley nailed a Riptide, but Becky Lynch kicked out in return. After they kicked out of each other’s finishers, things picked up even more.

Ripley was eventually caught in the Dis-Arm-Her, but she lifted Lynch up, and they went tumbling over the top rope to the outside with an electric chair drop. Becky kicked out after a massive frog splash from Ripley when they returned to the ring, and the two continued until she nailed Lynch with a Riptide onto the turnbuckle, followed by a second in the middle of the ring for the win.

Becky Lynch won the 2024 Women’s Elimination Chamber match in Perth to get this title shot. Rhea Ripley’s championship reign was at 371 days as she walked into the showcase of the immortals.

Special WrestleMania 40 Entrances

Both Ripley and Lynch received special entrances. The Man’s entrance was themed around her book, “Becky Lynch: The Man: Not Your Average Average Girl.”

The Nightmare received a musical entrance as Motionless In White rocked out before the champion made her way out.

SEScoops will have continued coverage of the WrestleMania 40 event. Keep checking back for more headlines throughout the show, and after.

Trick Williams Defeats Carmelo Hayes In Historic NXT Stand & Deliver Main Event

Aaron Varble
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0

WWE brought an action-packed show for NXT Stand & Deliver. The main event match certainly brought it on every level, as Trick Williams sought vengeance on Carmelo Hayes.

Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams battled in the main event of NXT Stand & Deliver. They made history in the process as the first-ever all black main event for an NXT premium live event. In the end, Trick Williams defeated Carmelo Hayes in the middle of the ring.

The crowd was on fire for this match, which included a few notable close call two-counts. Trick Williams and Melo avoided each other’s finishers, but then Melo nailed his Nothing But Net diving ax-kick for a two-count.

Ava told the referee to give the two stars leeway in this match, because she wanted to see a definite winner.

They kept going, and Melo started to use a chair, until Trick Williams landed his trick shot knee to Melo’s face, and he got the clean pinfall after that.

The Wells Fargo Arena crowd chanted “Whoop that trick” loudly as he celebrated during the closing moments of the premium live event. This was a historic win for Williams, as it elevated him in a huge fashion.

Trick Williams & Carmelo Hayes’ History

After the two were a duo for the longest time, Trick started teasing the idea that he wanted to break off on his own while still remaining friends, which he eventually did. Hayes didn’t take the split too well.

Hayes shocked everyone by admitting he was the one who had attacked Williams back in October 2023. The two were enemies from that point on, and things escalated in a hurry.

At NXT: Roadblock on March 5, Tony D’Angelo used Williams’ entrance music to distract Hayes during their match. Tony D won that match to become #1 contender, and then Trick attacked Melo for real after the match.

The conflict between Hayes and Williams intensified the next week on NXT when Williams challenged Hayes to a match at NXT Stand & Deliver. 

Roxanne Perez Defeats Lyra Valkyria For NXT Women’s Title At Stand & Deliver

Aaron Varble
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0

WWE has focused on this weekend for months now, and we are finally here. Roxanne Perez knew that she had to giver her all to walk out of Philly as champion, and she did just that.

Roxanne Perez battled Lyra Valkyria for the NXT Women’s Title at NXT Stand & Deliver. In the end, Perez won the title in front of a packed Wells Fargo Center crowd.

Roxanne Perez eventually latched on her crossface submission, and Lyra had no choice but to tap out after trying to get out multiple times.

Perez’s Road Back to the NXT Title

This marks Perez’s second reign as NXT Women’s Champion. She will start this reign as the company prepares to debut a new NXT Women’s North American Title as well. It will be interesting to see who steps up to face her next, and who vies for the new title.

Perez’s journey had its highs and lows. She entered her first Royal Rumble match on January 28, 2023 as NXT Women’s Champion. Then, at Vengeance Day, Perez successfully defended her title in a triple threat match against Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne. She then beat Meiko Satomura at Roadblock, but collapsed after the match. She required medical attention and was written off television after that.

Perez declared her intent to defend her title at Stand & Deliver, however, she lost the title to Indi Hartwell in a ladder match at the event.

Following unsuccessful attempts to reclaim the title, including a triple threat match at Spring Breakin’, Perez entered the NXT Women’s Championship Tournament at Battleground. Despite defeating Jacy Jayne in the first round, she was defeated by Stratton in the semifinals.

The 22-year-old Prodigy was distracted from the title chase after that for a while, but she eventually turned back around to focus her eyes on gold once again.

Roxanne Perez’s road back to the NXT Women’s Title took over a year. Since her heel turn, she has showed a brand-new side for her character. Her heel promos have focused on how WWE paid more attention to Becky Lynch as champion instead of her.

Giulia Debuts at NXT Stand & Deliver 2024

Aaron Varble
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WWE has brought in some of the best talent from all over the world, and now we have confirmed that Giulia is one of them.

Giulia was spotted in the audience just before the NXT Women’s Title match featuring Lyra Valkyria and Roxanne Perez. This was the first time she has been seen on screen in NXT.

WWE has historically debuted new Superstars in the crowd during premium live events. They could change Giulia’s name at this point, but they did refer to her as her previous pro wrestling moniker in the nameplate as she stood up to take in the Wells Fargo Center crowd.

Giulia’s STARDOM Exit

Rossy Ogawa was ousted from STARDOM, and Kairi Sane saw the writing on the walls, so she got out early. Rossy’s release was the final nail for some talent in the company to leave. Giulia was one of those stars.

In early February, news surfaced that Giulia opted to postpone her WWE debut in order to honor her commitment to aid STARDOM founder Rossy with his latest venture. Prior to this, Giulia had expressed her intention to address outstanding matters in Japan before transitioning to WWE.

Since arriving in America, she has received props for her attempts to learn English. She will start on NXT, where she will likely be a prominent face for the brand.

With NXT introducing a new Women’s North American Championship soon, Giulia’s arrival might be right in time to get into that mix. 

Bray Wyatt Statues Revealed At WWE World, Uncle Howdy’s Return Teased at Panel

Thomas Lowson
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Two new statues of the late Bray Wyatt have been unveiled at the WWE World convention taking place in Philadelphia, PA ahead of WWE WrestleMania 40. 

Bray Wyatt tragically passed away in August of 2023 after being pulled from programming earlier that year. The three-time WWE World Champion was 36 years old and tributes have poured in for Wyatt ever since. 

At WWE World, WWE unveiled two statues of the late wrestler. One depicts Wyatt from his 2022 return to WWE, holding a lantern and a mask. The second depicts Wyatt during his time as ‘The Fiend’ which was a hit with audiences from 2019 until his WWE release in 2021. It also features a Fiend-inspired lantern. 

The Return of Uncle Howdy

At WWE World, a panel was hosted highlighting the life and career of Wyatt. The panel included some of the people who knew Bray best, including Big E, Natalya, Seth Rollins, Charlotte Flair, The Undertaker, his widow JoJo Offerman, and Wyatt’s brother Bo Dallas, among others. 

The panel proved to be an emotional event for the guests and the fans and there was a tease at the very end of the festivities. On a screen, a video was shown, teasing the return of Uncle Howdy. 

Dallas played Uncle Howdy on WWE TV shortly after Wyatt’s return to the promotion in 2022. It’s unclear when or how WWE will reintroduce the Howdy character to TV. During the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony, Bo and his sister Mika paid tribute to Wyatt during their induction speech for the US Express. 

WWE NXT Women’s North American Title Unveiled During Stand & Deliver

Aaron Varble
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WWE is adding another title to the mix for NXT, and this is a long-awaited addition to the women’s division.

During NXT Stand & Deliver, Ava appeared for a huge announcement after the six-women tag team match. The Rock’s daughter lauded the women’s division before revealing that they will be crowning a new women’s champion soon.

Ava announced they will be crowning a new NXT Women’s North American Title. This announcement was very well-received by the Wells Fargo Center crowd.

They followed this announcement up with Lyra Valkyria’s NXT Women’s Title defense against Roxanne Perez.

Fans have wanted another women’s title in NXT for a long time. Now, they are finally getting their wish. The NXT North American Title has already developed a reputation of producing great matches and elevating its champions. Now, the women’s roster will get a shot.

It was not announced when this new title will be crowned, or how they will determine the first champion. SEScoops will have more updates as they are made available. 

Becky Lynch Fighting A Cold Heading into WrestleMania 40, Special Entrance Planned

Thomas Lowson
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Becky Lynch hopes to stand tall at WWE WrestleMania 40 but The Man is walking into the upcoming two-night mega show a tad under the weather. 

At WWE WrestleMania 40: Sunday, Lynch will challenge WWE Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley. Lynch earned this title shot by winning the Women’s Elimination Chamber match in Perth, Australia last February. 

Unfortunately for Lynch, she won’t be feeling her best when she performs inside Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field. During a Q&A session with the media, Lynch shared that she is under the weather and will be battling a cold when she steps in the ring with the ‘Mami’ of the Judgment Day. 

Lynch isn’t the only WWE Superstar who isn’t facing the best of luck going into WrestleMania 40. The tour bus of Cody Rhodes recently caught fire but everyone involved is thankfully safe and okay. Rhodes will compete on both nights of WWE WrestleMania 40. 

A Special WrestleMania Entrance

During the Q&A, Lynch also disclosed some information about her entrance for WrestleMania 40. The Man said that her new book ‘The Man: Not Your Average, Average Girl‘ will be factored into her entrance somehow. This will be a huge marketing opportunity for Lynch. 

While Lynch will have a special entrance at WrestleMania, the same can’t be said for Bayley. The Role Model had hoped that Paramore would perform as part of her entrance at WrestleMania which lead-singer Hayley Williams was also on-board with. On Twitter, Bayley explained why this wouldn’t be happening and shared a highlight video featuring the band’s hit ‘Simmer.’

The Rock As ‘The Final Boss’ Has Electrifed WrestleMania 40 To The Next Level

Dominic DeAngelo
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It feels like many moons ago when The Rock showed up on RAW in San Diego to hinder Jinder, doesn’t it?

WWE and pro wrestling is far from the pop culture heights that the genre reached in the late 1990s, but The Rock is certainly elevating the modern WWE into its own animal. His reinvention into “The Final Boss” just raised the difficulty level from “medium” to “hard” in the “No Mercy N64” of pro wrestling. If the talent is good enough to answer the call, it should cause everybody in pro wrestling to up their game.

Either way, the fans have greatly benefited from The Rock being back in the fashion that he is. It’s something that shouldn’t be taken for granted. Ironically enough ,thats in credit to the “Cody Crybabies” who lamented for ‘The American Nightmare.’

‘The American Nightmare’ Perpetuated ‘The Final Boss’

Rhodes has revived the long-forgotten role of the “ultimate babyface” where he’s the all-American John Wayne type character that his daddy adored. The fans can easily live vicariously through Cody Rhodes because of his willingness to connect with fans in a matter that hasn’t ever been done before on this type of major platform. Hulk Hogan never was the best man at a fan’s wedding nor did Hulkamania run wild at some random five-year old’s birthday party. Cody is putting those “prayers and vitamins” where his mouth is and he’s created a unique connection to people in a time where people are always connected.

As much as The Rock can cultivate an air of unattainability due to the Hollywood heights he’s reached, Cody can sit down with the father of three living paycheck to paycheck. It creates two ultimate adversaries, both with legacies in the industry and a genuine love for the one true sport.

And that “unattainability” that The Rock has harnessed is what makes this ‘Final Boss’ persona all the more engaging. We thought Dwayne was past the point of consistently showing up on WWE television, yet here he is – furthering a storyline that has him in a heel role where he’s calling fans inbreds and mocking Cody’s dog. ‘The Final Boss’ was nothing anyone expected, yet something the industry benefits from. WrestleMania 40 could have absolutely rolled right along with Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes, but The Rock going ‘Super Shredder’ on his 1998 identity feels every bit of Thanos ready to snap his fingers. That was all the more telling with that entrance Rocky made on Monday before bloodying up Dusty’s youngest boy.

The big complaint of Rock’s involvement is that it hurts Roman, but “The Tribal Chief” is just one manipulative monologue away from turning the table he claims to sit at the head of. Reigns, if he loses, will only be elevated by an extended exit. The same goes for his older cousin, whose involvement had made us all take the scenic route on the road to WrestleMania.

Hope you enjoyed the ride.

Follow Dominic DeAngelo on X @DominicDeAngelo.

Tiffany Stratton Wants Main Event of WWE WrestleMania 41 In Home State Of Minnesota (Exclusive)

Aaron Varble
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WWE has a lot of plans in the pipeline, but they have not revealed where WrestleMania 41 will be yet. Although it’s rumored to take place in Minneapolis, that hasn’t been confirmed by WWE. Tiffany Stratton certainly heard those rumors, and she wants in.

Tiffany Stratton has attracted a massive amount of attention since debuting on the WWE main roster. She had a standout performance at the Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber, but she is somehow absent from the WrestleMania 40 card. She wants to change that next year.

While speaking to SEScoops‘ Muscle Man Malcolm, Tiffany Stratton stated that she wants to main event WrestleMania 41 in Minnesota. She even called her shot, as the girl from Prior Lake, Minnesota wants Charlotte Flair as her opponent.

“So actually I heard that WrestleMania 41 is going to be in Minnesota, or like it’s rumored to be in Minnesota, and I’m from Minnesota. So, I think night one main event, me against Charlotte Flair.”

Latest on WrestleMania 41 Location

WWE has not yet officially announced the location for their biggest event of 2025, which is a departure from their usual practice.

Recent reports indicate that Minneapolis is the leading candidate to host WrestleMania 41 in 2025. Public statements from city officials strongly suggest this, and an official announcement is anticipated within the next week or two, in line with the customary timeline for this year’s WrestleMania. Minneapolis also reportedly put in a bid to host WrestleMania 41 as well.

Should Minneapolis be selected as the host city, U.S. Bank Stadium would likely serve as the venue for WrestleMania 41. The stadium, which opened in 2016 and is home to the Minnesota Vikings, boasts a maximum capacity of 73,000 attendees.

Triple H: Wrestlers Succeeding Elsewhere Doesn’t Mean They’re Right For WWE

Ella Jay
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As WWE’s Chief Content Officer, Paul “Triple H” Levesque is tasked with completing an abundance of responsibilities. Given this increased workload, though, Levesque has admittedly taken a bit of a backseat in WWE’s recruiting department. often leaning on others, such as William Regal, to primarily scout potential future WWE Superstars. Nevertheless, Levesque asserts that he is still keeping tabs on a number of prospective talents. 

WWE Recruiting

During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Levesque addressed the process of recruiting potential WWE stars. While he may listen to the recommendations and feedback of the company’s scouts, Levesque prefers to formulate his opinion by seeing a talent’s work with his own eyes. Levesque also pointed out that a talent succeeding in one promotion doesn’t necessarily guarantee that they will flourish in WWE.

“I get reports on everybody,” Levesque said. “I know who is out there, I know how good they are, I know what their potential is. I see what’s out there. I don’t subscribe to the ‘Oh, this guy says they are good, that guy says they are good.’ I have to see it and feel it. It’s just keeping track of who is out there, how good they are, and what you think they can do.”

Success In WWE Is Not Guaranteed

Levesque also pointed out that a talent succeeding in one promotion doesn’t necessarily guarantee that they will flourish in WWE.

“Because they succeed someplace else, doesn’t mean they’ll succeed at the big time. How many players go from college football at a high level and fail in the NFL? It’s massive. It’s a different game, it’s a different world. If they are not here to be all in on this — like when I see people coming out of trying to make it, and then they pick a job where they go, ‘Well.’ They work less, the schedule is lighter. Alright, then I’m glad I didn’t get you. If you’re not in it for the grind, at that point early in your career, you have no business being here.” 

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