WrestleMania 40 - live: Updates and results as The Rock, John Cena and Undertaker star on night two
The Rock, John Cena, The Undertaker and many more starred at the biggest WWE show of the year
The biggest wrestling show of the year has come and gone: WWE’s two-night extravaganza, WrestleMania.
WrestleMania 40 played out at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday and Sunday, and the card was stacked.
The main event of night one saw Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson competing fully in WWE for the first time in 11 years, as he teamed with his ‘cousin’ Roman Reigns to beat Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins. Due to The Rock and Reigns’s victory, the latter’s Universal Championship defence against Rhodes – the main event of night two – was ‘anything goes’, meaning plenty of interferences.
And the most notable interferences came from WWE legends John Cena and The Undertaker, who thwarted The Rock and enabled Rhodes to beat Reigns – marking the end a four-year title reign.
Re-live updates and results from both nights of WrestleMania 40:
WrestleMania 40 LIVE – Night One: The Rock and Roman Reigns vs Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins
Reigns has Rhodes in a guillotine choke, dragging the “American Nightmare” to the mat, but Rollins saves Rhodes!
Rock throws Rollins out of the ring. He turns his attention to Rhodes’s mother in the front row, taunting her.
Rock grabs Rhodes’s belt and tries to whip him, but Rhodes fights back... until...
Rock hits a spinebuster then lines up the People’s Elbow, one of his signature moves! But Rhodes counters with another springing attack off the ropes!
Rhodes goes for his finisher, but Reigns enters the ring and saves Rock! It feels like the end of this match is approaching...
They’ve been going for 40 minutes!
WrestleMania 40 LIVE – Night One: The Rock and Roman Reigns vs Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins
Reigns counters Rhodes’s finishing move with a Superman Punch, but Rhodes kicks out at 2! Somewhere in that last exchange, Reigns’s nose got busted up...
He goes for a spear, but Rhodes flips over him and tries a pinfall – just a 2! Rollins tags in and hits a splash off the top rope, but again Reigns kicks out!
Rhodes tags in. Rollins with a stomp to Reigns, Rhodes with a “Cross Rhodes”, but Rock pulls the referee out of the ring as he’s counting the pinfall...
Reigns with a low blow on Rhodes, then a spear. Rock throws the ref back in the ring. 1, 2, NO! Rhodes kicks out. The crowd chants “Cody”.
WrestleMania 40 LIVE – Night One: The Rock and Roman Reigns vs Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins
Rock winds up up his signature punch, but Rollins beats him to the... well, punch, with a kick...?
Rollins tries to tag in Rhodes, but Reigns pulls Rhodes off the ring apron at the last second. In the middle of the ring, Rock puts Rollins in a Sharpshooter leg lock...
Rhodes slides into the ring and slaps Rock, though, breaking up the hold! Rollins stomps Rock’s face into the mat, and he finally manages to tag in Rhodes! And Rock tags in Reigns!
Rhodes springs off the ropes and kicks Reigns in the face. Now he springs off the ropes with a Stunner! He goes for the pin, but Reigns kicks out at 2!
WrestleMania 40 LIVE – Night One: The Rock and Roman Reigns vs Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins
Rock distracts the referee, allowing Reigns to knock Rollins off the ring apron. Rollins is clutching his knee, punching the mat in pain.
Back in the ring, Rock attacks Rollins’s knee, wrapping it around the ring post. He tags in Reigns, who targets Rollins’s knee with a leg lock.
Rollins kicks his away out of the hold, but Rock gets him with a cheap shot. He drives Rollins into the ring steps repeatedly.
Rhodes wants in, but Reigns is keeping Rollins away from his partner. Rock then tags in.
WrestleMania 40 LIVE – Night One: The Rock and Roman Reigns vs Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins
Reigns tries to save Rock, but he’s taken down by Rollins. All four men then brawl in the middle of the ring.
They hit the outside, where Rhodes and Reigns fight up the ramp. Elsewhere, Rollins spits Prime in Rock’s face.
The Rock, who is on the board of the WWE’s parent company, warns the referee that he’ll fire him if he counts any wrestler out.
Rollins and Rock fight into the crowd, where Rock throws a bin at the “Architect”, before spitting water in his face! At the top of the ramp, Rhodes suplexes Reigns!
WrestleMania 40 LIVE – Night One: The Rock and Roman Reigns vs Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins
The Rock vs Rollins for now, then. They lock up, and Rock shoves Rollins to the mat. Rock paces around the ring, waiting for Rollins to get back up.
Rollins does, and he out-grapples Rock before taunting the legend. A segment of the crowd sings Rollins’s theme song, before they’re drowned out by “Rocky” chants.
Rock beats up Rollins in the corner then threatens the referee – which gets a laugh out of the crowd. Rock then mocks Rhodes with a signature taunt.
Rollins tags in Rhodes... There’s a long face-off between Rhodes and Rock, as the crowd soaks up the moment. Rhodes then gets to work in the corner, punching and kicking Rock.
Rhodes tags in Rollins, and the pair double-team Rock.
WrestleMania 40 LIVE – Night One: The Rock and Roman Reigns vs Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins
The wrestlers’ introductions are under way... and there’s the first bell!!!
All four men face off in the middle of the ring for a long time, until The Rock and Rhodes step aside, leaving Rollins and former teammate Reigns to kick things off.
It’s the Universal Champion vs the World Heavyweight Champion for the time being. They lock up in the middle of the ring, where Reigns overpowers the smaller man. They lock up again, but this time Rollins outmanoeuvres Reigns.
He then tags in Rhodes, who eats a headbutt from Reigns in the corner. Rhodes responds with a knee to the body. Rollins tags himself in, and Reigns finally tags in The Rock – to a huge reaction.
WrestleMania 40 LIVE – Night One: The Rock and Roman Reigns vs Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins
Here we go... Cody Rhodes’s music hits first, to a great ovation. He embraces his mother in the front row, and he’s soon joined in the ring by rival-turned-ally Seth Rollins – who is sporting a very garish, black and gold gown.
Now, The Rock. You can sense the anticipation as the lights go out ahead of his entrance... And his music hits! What a moment. He stands inside the outline of a bull’s head – which is flaming, by the way – before walking to the ring.
Finally, Roman Reigns makes his entrance, accompanied by manager Paul Heyman. Fewer thrills for Reigns than The Rock... until the “Tribal Chief” hoists his Universal Title above his head, and fireworks go off behind him!
WrestleMania 40 LIVE – Night One: The Rock and Roman Reigns vs Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins
Next up, the main event...
The Rock’s first full match in 11 years, as he teams with his ‘cousin’ Roman Reigns to face Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins.
If The Rock and Reigns win, the latter’s Universal Championship defence against Rhodes – the main event of night two – will be ‘anything goes’, meaning plenty of weapons and interferences.
(Rollins is also competing on night two, by the way, defending the World Heavyweight Title against Drew McIntyre).
WrestleMania 40 LIVE – Night One: Gunther vs Sami Zayn
Gunther runs at Zayn in the corner, landing a big boot! But Zayn returns the favour, before getting a close pinfall attempt!
Both men pop back up, and Gunther hits two powerbombs in a row, but Zayn kicks out again! Gunther taunts Zayn’s wife in the front row. “It’s over for you,” she fires back. In the ring, Gunther continues to bully Zayn.
Another powerbomb by Gunther, who grins at Zayn’s wife. Gunther climbs the ring post and splashes onto Zayn. And again.
Gunther climbs the ring post one more time, but Zayn rises to his feet and kicks the Austrian in the corner. Now a suplex variation from the top rope on Gunther!
Gunther stumbles to the far corner, and Zayn runs at him, kicking the champion square in the face! Zayn pumps up the crowd and goes for one more kick!
It connects, and there’s the pinfall! Zayn wins! The new Intercontinental Champion...
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