WWE WrestleMania XL Sunday – Night Two: Match Ranking w/ Star Rating

The Final Testament vs. The Pride (2.75/5)

This was the “fun” match of the evening. Bubba Ray Dudley being announced as the special ref got a great pop from the crowd and added some fun moments to the match.

There wasn’t much in the way of great spots, but the match was serviceable. The old-school Dudley Boy spots were fun and provided some nostalgia for the crowd. Outside of that, there wasn’t much memorable from the contest.

Damian Priest vs. Drew McIntyre (3/5)

This was one of the better cash-ins in recent memory. Many were wondering how Damian Priest was going to pick his spot and there wasn’t one better than this.

After getting too cocky Drew McIntyre got attacked by CM Punk, prompting a Priest cash-in. It was a great way to move the belt to Priest while setting up a future feud between Punk and McIntyre.

AJ Styles vs. LA Knight (3.25/5)

 The blood feud between Knight and Styles came to a head at WrestleMania XL. It was a great wrestling match that showed how talented either man was. It was a nice break from the overbooked matches on the rest of the card.

Knight needed the win here more than Styles. It appears as if Styles might be winding down so putting Knight over gives him momentum going forward.

Logan Paul vs. Randy Orton vs. Kevin Owens (3.5/5)

Now this is how you book a triple threat. Paul was the clear villain in this match and watching Owens and Orton work together for the first half was perfect. It was even better when it devolved between the two men. The acting was perfect as one would expect.

This was one of the better triple threats in recent memory. There wasn’t much of a lull in the action and there was chaos throughout. With SummerSlam taking place in Cleveland it makes sense for Paul to retain. Have something to head into the Biggest Part of the Summer with.

Seth Rollins vs. Drew McIntyre (3.5/5)

What a great way to start the night. It was a short match but one that crammed in as much action as possible in 10 minutes. Drew started with a Claymore and the heavy hitting only got deeper after that.

This was a war of attrition in which both men hit high-impact move after high-impact move, with both kicking out of everything. They did a great job of convincing us all that either man could be walking away the victor.

Drew winning got a great reaction from the crowd, and they were behind him for most of the match. His hubris got the best of him afterward but doesn’t take away from his victory.

IYO SKY vs Bayley (4/5)

Cody wasn’t the only one to finish his story on Sunday. Bayley finished a years-long story when she went over IYO SKY to win the Women’s World Championship. The former Damage CTRL member worked beautifully as the underdog. SKY spent most of the match working over Bayley’s knee and the former Hugger sold it expertly.

This match is a great example of how storytelling can add so much to a contest.

The match was also one of the best wrestling matches on either night. There were no botches and the action was crisp. The crowd was into it and there was a huge uproar when Bayley got the three count. This was the best women’s match of WrestleMania XL.

Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes (4.5/5)

After Night One many were wondering how the main event would pan out. The answer? It was an overbooked mess that was one of the better WrestleMania main events of the past decade. The Bloodline Rules stipulation didn’t come into play much but when it did it was entertaining.

Before the match devolved into chaos it was a tight wrestling match. Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes have worked with each other so much that the chemistry was evident. They put a creative match together that pulled from others they had engaged in before.

Of course, the finish of the match was great. The surprise appearances of John Cena and The Undertaker were a great addition and ones that not many could have predicted. It aided in Rhodes finishing his story and ushering in a new era at WrestleMania XL.