WrestleMania 40 culminated in one of the most anticipated matches in WWE history, as Cody Rhodes looked to finally finish his story and defeat Roman Reigns to become a WWE Champion. After the loss during Night 1, it was Bloodline Rules, and that means anything went. Reigns played to that strength, and when things seemed dim, he brought in Jimmy Uso, Solo Sikoa, and The Rock. Rhodes had allies too though, and Jey Uso, John Cena, The Undertaker, and Seth Rollins would all fight by his side to even the odds, leading to the moment when Rhodes finally defeated Reigns and became Undisputed WWE Universal Champion.
Videos by ComicBook.com
After some back and forth between Rhodes and Reigns, Rhodes grabbed a table from underneath the ring. Reigns cut him off and put it back under the ring, and then Rhodes threw Reigns into the steel steps. Rhodes tried to get Reigns in the ring but got hit with a kendo stick instead, and Reigns continued to lay in with more hits. The fight made its way out into the crowd, and Reigns stayed aggressive on Rhodes.
Reigns tried to suplex Rhodes but Rhodes reversed it and hit a suplex of his own onto the table. Rhodes threw Reigns over the barricade and got Reigns back in the ring. Rhodes went for the Disaster Kick but Reigns caught him and slammed him down. Reigns hit another suplex and went for a cover, but Rhodes kicked out before the count of 1.
Reigns went for another pin but only got a 2 count. Reigns reversed a move from Rhodes and slammed him down into a cover attempt, but Rhodes kicked out quickly. Reigns stayed on Rhodes but Rhodes came back with a pair of big kicks to the face before they both hit clotheslines and fell to the mat. Rhodes got to his feet and hit a power slam and then connected with the disaster kick into a pin, but Reigns kicked out.
Reigns then tried to win the match with Rhodes’ own move the Cross Rhodes, but Rhodes kicked out. Reigns talked smack for a bit, telling Heyman he loves kicking Rhodes’ a**, and then set up for a Superman Punch. He missed and Rhodes hit the Dusty strikes and the Bionic Elbow.
Rhodes then cleared off the announce table and went to get Reigns, but Reigns hit a low blow that stopped Cody in his tracks. Reigns then slammed Rhodes through a table and rolled him into the ring to hit a Superman Punch, which he did, but Rhodes kicked out of the pin attempt. Reigns went for a spear but Rhodes stopped him with a kick and then followed it with a Cody Cutter into a pin, but that wasn’t enough to keep Reigns down. Reigns fought out of a Cross Rhodes attempt but Rhodes then reversed a move and hit a spear into a pin, though Reigns kicked out.
Jimmy Uso then came out and super-kicked Rhodes, but Jey Uso came out to attack his brother, spearing him off the ramp and through a table on the ground. Back in the ring, Reigns hit a spear on Rhodes and went for the pin, but Rhodes kicked out. Reigns then got speared through the barricade, and Rhodes hit 2 Cross Rhodes in the ring, but Solo Sikoa came in and samoan spiked Cody. Sikoa dragged Reigns over Rhodes to cover him, but Rhodes got his shoulder up. Sikoa hit Rhodes with big strikes to the head and then yelled at Reigns to get going and finish the story. Reigns went for a spear and hit the spear spike, but Rhodes still kicked out of the pin attempt.
John Cena then came in and knocked Sikoa out of the ring. Then Cena hit the Attitude Adjustment on Sikoa, shattering a table. That’s when Rock’s music hit, and he came down and faced off with Cena. Rock gave a Rock Bottom to Cena, but then The Shield music hit and Rollins was in his shield gear. Reigns caught him before he could hit, but then Undertaker appeared and choke-slammed Rock. Then Reigns slammed Rolins with a chair and Rhodes hit a Cross Rhodes on Reigns. Then Rhodes hit a second one, followed by a third. Rhodes got the pin and the win, finally finishing the story and becoming WWE Champion.
