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WrestleMania 40 Night 1 kicked off on a snail-paced note that seemed to lose fans' interest. Mid-show it picked up as the WWE Universe witnessed the crowning of a few new champions.
Jimmy Uso played mind games on his brother Jey Uso during their bout, which one could see from a mile away. To kick off the mega event, Rhea Ripley defended her Women's World Championship against Becky Lynch, who was suffering from a high fever and strep throat.
Let's take a look at a few of the best and worst events from the first night of The Showcase of The Immortals:
#3. Best: Two new sets of WWE Tag Teams crowned at WrestleMania 40
Damian Priest and Finn Balor defended their Undisputed WWE Tag Team titles in a Six-Pack Tag Team Ladder match at WrestleMania 40. However, that was not the only catch. Their RAW and SmackDown Tag Team titles were hung above the ring separately, and the rules entailed that whoever got to one set of titles was the winner for that respective brand.
The tag titles were unified in May 2022. Since then, there has been a surge in impressive tag teams on RAW and SmackDown. On the other hand, Judgment Day is on the verge of a breakup, given how all members seem to plot their feuds and revenge plans without keeping everyone in the loop.
Austin Theory and Grayson Waller won the SmackDown Tag Team titles while Awesome Truth grabbed the RAW Tag Team titles, making it R-Truth's first win at a WrestleMania. This distinction of brand-specific gold would also prevent stars from crossing over despite WWE's rule that prevents it.
#2. Worst: Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson's random interruption in the six-man tag team match
WrestleMania is home to many celebrities and well-renowned personalities dropping in for a rare appearance or involvement in matches.
Sometimes they are pre-planned and engaged in a heated rivalry, and on a few occasions, an impromptu confrontation leads to a fallout. At WrestleMania 40, Rey Mysterio teamed up with Dragon Lee against Santos Escobar and Dominik Mysterio.
Two men wearing Rey Mysterio masks made their way through the audience and attacked the Legado Del Fantasma's leader and The Judgment Day member enabling the LWO to get the win. They later unmasked themselves and it was revealed to be American footballers Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson, associated with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Their involvement in the WrestleMania 40 match had no prior history and was unrelated to either party of the feud. This garnered mixed reactions from the fans, who were left confused by the incident.
#2. Best: Jade Cargill, Bianca Belair and Naomi impressed the WWE Universe with their WrestleMania 40 win
Initially, the show seemed to lack the pace of matches with predictable moves and finishes. The thrill and rush surrounding WrestleMania 40 was amped up with the six-woman tag team match.
Jade Cargill competed in her second official WWE match and made her WrestleMania debut. Cargill teamed up with Bianca Belair and Naomi against Damage CTRL.
The trio's entrance seemed to have a commonality in its presentation. However, they put up quite a fight against Asuka, Kairi Sane, and Dakota Kai, and used a few of their tricks against them.
Before Jade Cargill was tagged into the match, the WWE Universe started chanting for her demonstrating their eagerness to see what she had to offer at WrestleMania 40.
#1. Worst: The Rock using his authoritative role in the WrestleMania 40 main event; Roman Reigns attacks him?
It was unprecedented that The Rock would assert all of his power to ensure the match was in his favour.
The Final Boss showed up with a vendetta to make an example out of Cody Rhodes in front of his mother seated ringside. The tag team match soon turned into a No DQ match, with The Bloodline members using all antics available to gain the advantage over their opponents.
The Great One prevented Rhodes and Rollins from making a tag on numerous occasions, using the weight belt against them again, and even went to the extent of threatening the referee during a ten count. His ring rust was evident, and the gradual pace of the match picked up over time during their WrestleMania 40 match.
One key highlight that could affect Roman Reigns' match tomorrow was when he accidentally speared The Rock. Reigns was preparing to spear Cody Rhodes, who was pushed out of the way by Seth Rollins. Thus, raising the anticipation of what fans could expect on Night 2.
#1. Best: Sami Zayn ends Gunther's 666-day reign as Intercontinental Champion
Sami Zayn proved his point and stunned fans when he pinned Gunther at WrestleMania 40. The Canadian star won the Gauntlet Match on RAW last month to earn a shot against The Ring General for the Intercontinental Championship.
During mid-2023, Zayn was focused on becoming a titleholder again and teased going after the World Heavyweight Championship. He became more serious in his persona and rubbed shoulders with Chad Gable who had a similar goal of dethroning Gunther.
At WrestleMania 40, Zayn brought back his former gimmick, El Generico's signature move to get an advantage over his opponent. This win gives him the platform to return to his significant stance as a competitor with a mission.
