WWE WrestleMania XL Retro Review: Every Match Rated and Revisited

WrestleMania XL took place over two nights, April 6 and 7, 2024, at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. It was the 40th WrestleMania, the city's second after WrestleMania XV in 1999, and the first one held under TKO Group Holdings rather than a McMahon-controlled WWE. Reported attendance was 60,036 on Night 1 and 60,203 on Night 2, while WWE announced 72,543 and 72,755. The event later became the most-streamed entertainment event in Peacock's history, with 1.3 billion minutes watched across the weekend.

Looking back, this weekend stood at a real crossroads in WWE history. It was less about pure modern workrate and far more about payoffs: long-term storytelling, years of build around one family and one championship, and the first WrestleMania of the Paul "Triple H" Levesque era in full force. Fourteen matches, seven a night, all from Raw and SmackDown. Here is how every one of them looks today.

The build

• Cody Rhodes and the story he wanted to finish: Rhodes lost to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39, then won the 2024 Royal Rumble. He first said he would not challenge Reigns, The Rock stepped into the picture, and a strong fan reaction pushed the story back to Rhodes vs. Reigns, confirmed on February 9.
• The Rock's heel turn: The Rock slapped Rhodes at the February 8 Kickoff press event, his first heel turn since 2003, and then joined The Bloodline.
• Night 1 decides Night 2: The Rock and Reigns would face Rhodes and Seth Rollins on Night 1. If Rhodes and Rollins won, The Bloodline would be banned from ringside on Night 2. If The Rock and Reigns won, the Night 2 title match would be under "Bloodline Rules".
• World Heavyweight Championship: Drew McIntyre won the Elimination Chamber to earn a shot at Rollins. CM Punk, whose planned WrestleMania match with Rollins was lost to a torn triceps at the Royal Rumble, was added as guest commentator. Damian Priest still held the Money in the Bank briefcase.
• The women's titles: Becky Lynch won the Elimination Chamber to face Rhea Ripley. Bayley won the Royal Rumble and chose Iyo Sky after her Damage CTRL stablemates turned on her. Jade Cargill, newly on SmackDown, sided with Bianca Belair and Naomi against Damage CTRL.
• The rest of the card: Sami Zayn won a gauntlet match for a shot at Gunther's 666-day Intercontinental Championship reign. Jimmy Uso kept costing Jey Uso matches until Jey challenged him. Logan Paul, Randy Orton and Kevin Owens were set for a three-way over the United States Championship. AJ Styles had cost LA Knight at Elimination Chamber. Santos Escobar had turned on the LWO, and Andrade replaced Dragon Lee, who was taken out in a backstage attack. The Pride and The Final Testament had feuded since January, and six teams qualified for a ladder match over the unified tag titles.

Night 1: match by match

Rhea Ripley vs. Becky Lynch (Women's World Championship)

Night 1 opened with a title match, and the entrances alone told you how big WWE thought it was. Motionless In White, a band from nearby Scranton, played Rhea Ripley to the ring live, with singer Chris Cerulli introducing her from the stage. Becky Lynch came out past a giant CGI version of her new book. Michael Cole told viewers Lynch was dealing with strep throat.

The story centred on veteran ring craft against physical dominance. Lynch focused heavily on Ripley's left arm early, with a double-knee strike and an armbar, trying to take away the champion's power and set up the Dis-arm-her. Ripley answered with suplexes, a frog splash and powerbombs to escape the hold. Lynch came very close with the Manhandle Slam, and the closing stretch was a run of counters around the superplex and the Dis-arm-her before Ripley finally landed the Riptide that ended it.

For us, Ripley's selling was top-tier here. She never lost her edge as the dominant champion while still looking like someone being pushed to her limit, and the arm work gave the match a thread you could follow from start to finish. The finish was brutal and decisive. It protected Lynch's grit while making Ripley look like an anchor for the women's division, which is exactly what the champion needed going into the biggest show of the year.

At 17:05 it never felt padded, and opening a stadium show with a women's title match that delivers is not something to take for granted. If there is a small complaint, it is that a few transitions felt slightly rushed, but this was a strong, confident opener and set the standard for the weekend. Our rating: ★★★★

Six-Pack Tag Team Ladder Match (Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship)

The Judgment Day (Finn Bálor and Damian Priest) defended against #DIY, The New Day, The Awesome Truth, A-Town Down Under and New Catch Republic. The rule was simple: both the Raw and SmackDown title belts had to be pulled down to end the match. Priest came out carrying his Money in the Bank briefcase, a small detail that mattered a lot by Sunday. According to the broadcast story, R-Truth had first believed this was a regular tag match.

Multi-team ladder matches that unify or split titles often turn into spot-fest chaos with zero structure. This one had plenty of chaos: a brawl to start, ladders everywhere, stereo moonsaults from New Catch Republic, and JD McDonagh crashing through tables. But WWE used the format to fix a long-standing booking headache by uncoupling the Raw and SmackDown Tag Team Titles. Austin Theory and Grayson Waller took out DIY and The Awesome Truth and grabbed the SmackDown titles at about the seven-and-a-half minute mark, a clever heel surprise. The match then carried on for the Raw belts.

The emotional centrepiece belonged to R-Truth and The Miz. Truth even hit Bálor with an Attitude Adjustment, and he and Miz double-teamed Priest. In the end Truth climbed alone and unhooked the Raw titles. It was his first win at a WrestleMania and made him the oldest Raw Tag Team Champion ever. His comedy timing balanced the heavy bumps from DIY and New Catch Republic, and the payoff was one of the most heartwarming moments of the weekend.

We think this is one of the better modern multi-team ladder matches, mostly because it had a clear purpose. The second half, with only one set of belts left, was a little messier than the first, but the finish landed perfectly with the crowd. The total time was 17:25. Our rating: ★★★¾

Rey Mysterio & Andrade vs. Santos Escobar & Dominik Mysterio

Both teams came out with full entourages. Rey Mysterio, in what Cole noted was his 12th WrestleMania, entered with Andrade, Carlito, Cruz Del Toro, Joaquin Wilde and Zelina Vega. Santos Escobar and "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio had Angel, Berto and Elektra Lopez with them. Andrade was in this spot only because Dragon Lee, the planned partner, had been taken out in a backstage attack.

This match served as an ideal palate-cleanser between high-intensity title bouts. Andrade slotted in well and looked sharper than he had in years. Rey and Andrade used a seated senton, 619s and dives, while Escobar and Dominik worked over Rey with dropkicks and a swanton to build the heat. The structure was classic lucha pacing, and the crowd stayed engaged through the slick counter-wrestling.

Late on, two masked luchadores appeared at ringside and took down Dominik. Rey hit a 619 on both opponents, Andrade dropped Dominik with The Message, and Rey pinned Escobar with a diving splash. After the match the masked men were revealed as Philadelphia Eagles offensive linemen Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson, who celebrated with the LWO.

For us, the Kelce and Johnson reveal was a fun local cameo that did not take anything away from the ring action. In Philadelphia, two Eagles in luchador masks is about as good a crowd pop as a midcard tag match can get. It did its job: it moved the LWO story along without overstaying its welcome at 11:05. It was not a match anyone will rewatch for the wrestling alone, but as a breather on a big card it worked. Our rating: ★★★

Jey Uso vs. Jimmy Uso

Jey Uso's entrance was one of the bigger production moments of the night. Lil Wayne was introduced and performed on the stage, the song blending into Jey's music, and he walked to ringside with Jey, both wearing "Yeet" shades. Wikipedia notes he used the moment to debut a new single. This was only the third real-life brother match in WrestleMania history and the first between twins.

The brothers brawled at ringside before the bell. Jey hit topes and a diving crossbody early, Jimmy answered with a pop-up TKO, hip attacks and an Uso splash, and from there the match became a long exchange of kicks and superkicks. The one real story beat came late: Jimmy pleaded for forgiveness, hugged his brother, then hit a surprise superkick and a splash for a near-fall. Jey kicked out and won with a Spear and a splash in 11:05.

Looking back, this was easily the most disappointing match of the whole weekend. The brother-versus-brother dynamic had almost a year of personal anger behind it, yet the match felt strangely flat and hollow from the opening bell. Instead of an intense, fast brawl born out of family betrayal, the layout became a parade of superkicks and dramatic yelling. The crowd was ready to explode for "Main Event" Jey, but the sluggish pacing killed the stadium's heat long before the finish.

We do not think the fake apology spot was a bad idea. It was the most Jimmy Uso thing he could do. The problem is that it came after the match had already lost the crowd. It was panned at the time by critics and fans alike, and nothing about it has aged better. Our rating: ★★

Bianca Belair, Jade Cargill & Naomi vs. Damage CTRL

Damage CTRL (Dakota Kai, Asuka and Kairi Sane) entered first. Bianca Belair, Jade Cargill and Naomi each had their own music, then were lowered to the stage together on an elevated platform and walked to the ring as one unit. It was Cargill's first WrestleMania, and the presentation made clear WWE saw her as a big signing.

The match was built with one goal: establish Jade Cargill as a major force on the main roster. Naomi opened with double dropkicks and a double stunner, and Belair hit a cartwheel moonsault on all three opponents for a near-fall. Damage CTRL then cut the ring in half and kept Belair from tagging Cargill, working quick tags to make the eventual hot tag land.

When it came, Cargill hit a Michinoku Driver on Kai. Asuka accidentally sprayed her mist into Sane's face, Belair whipped Asuka with her ponytail and hit the KOD, and Cargill pinned Kai with the Jaded at 8:05.

Damage CTRL deserve credit for bumping hard and working the tags properly, and Belair and Naomi carried the middle so Cargill could come in late, clean house and show star power. Fast, protective and effective booking. But that is also the limit of it. At eight minutes, with Cargill used so carefully, it felt more like a showcase than a match, and for us it was the least memorable thing on the night. Our rating: ★★½

Gunther vs. Sami Zayn (WWE Intercontinental Championship)

This was a lesson in classic underdog storytelling. Gunther's 666-day reign had made the Intercontinental Championship feel like a world-class title again, and Sami Zayn was positioned as the last desperate challenger. Gunther came out with Ludwig Kaiser, with Giovanni Vinci staying in the back, and his entrance was understated, as his always are.

Zayn's walk to the ring was the best piece of production on Night 1. Backstage, his wife and young son gave him encouragement, Chad Gable told him he could do it on his own, and then Kevin Owens met him in the hallway for a dose of pure tough love: a hug and a slap to get his head straight before he ran through the tunnel. The stakes were set before the bell even rang.

Inside the ring, Gunther took Zayn apart with heavy chops, sleeper holds, German suplexes and powerbombs. Zayn had his moments, including half-and-half suplexes and a rope-walk tornado DDT, but the champion kept cutting him off. Then Gunther made his mistake. He taunted Zayn's wife, who was sitting in the front row, and demanded she throw in the towel. That was his psychological undoing. Fuelled by the crowd, Zayn fought back, hit a Helluva Kick, a Brainbustaaah off the top turnbuckle, and two more Helluva Kicks to end the reign at 15:30. It was his fourth Intercontinental title win. Cole's call, "The 666-day reign is over!", fit the moment.

We think this is the best pure wrestling match of Night 1. Gunther was the perfect wall, Zayn was the perfect person to climb it, and the wife spot gave the comeback a reason beyond simple survival. A great title change that the stadium had fully bought into. Our rating: ★★★★½

The Rock & Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes & Seth Rollins

The entrances matched the stakes. Cody Rhodes stopped to kiss his mother at ringside and handed his weight belt to his father-in-law. Seth Rollins wore a robe with a train about 12 feet long. The Rock walked out under a flaming Brahma Bull logo with a People's Champion belt over his shoulder, and Roman Reigns came out with Paul Heyman. Cole called it the biggest tag match in WrestleMania history.

At 44:35, the Night 1 main event was heavy-budget cinematic wrestling, and the second-longest match in WrestleMania history. The Rock wrestled in his "Final Boss" heel persona: low-blowing Rollins, putting on a Sharpshooter until Rhodes broke it up with a slap, threatening referee Chad Patton with firing over a count-out, and later pulling a referee out of the ring to stop a pin after a Cross Rhodes and Curb Stomp combination. Rollins played the sacrificial warrior, with The Rock working over his knee to lay the groundwork for Sunday.

The middle section dragged as they brawled up the ramp and around the Prime hydration station, with a trash can and plenty of time spent outside the ring. But the final ten minutes delivered real drama. Reigns accidentally speared The Rock. Rhodes and Rollins hit simultaneous Pedigrees for a near-fall. The Rock and Rhodes traded Rock Bottoms through announce desks. In the end The Rock taunted Rhodes' mother, hit him with his own blood-stained weight belt, Reigns speared him again, and The Rock pinned him with the Rock Bottom and People's Elbow.

That result meant Night 2's title match would be under Bloodline Rules, and Reigns and The Rock ended the night holding their belts aloft. For us, it was a strong if overlong main event: the story was clear, The Rock was a natural villain, and the result made Sunday feel even more uncertain. Trim ten minutes from the middle and it would rate higher. Our rating: ★★★★

Night 2: match by match

Seth Rollins vs. Drew McIntyre (World Heavyweight Championship), then Damian Priest's cash-in

Night 2 opened with CM Punk at the commentary desk, and that changed how every minute of this match played. That presence hung over the whole match.

McIntyre struck immediately with a Claymore in the opening seconds, setting the tempo for a move-for-move sprint. He then went after the legs of a Rollins who was still battered from the night before. Rollins answered with a Curb Stomp and a Pedigree, and both men kicked out of several big moves, including a Future Shock DDT and Claymores. McIntyre pulled apart the broadcast table while staring at Punk, Rollins Curb Stomped him through it, and McIntyre still came back with a third Claymore to win the title at 10:30.

McIntyre finally won a WWE world title in front of a live crowd. Then he threw it away. He went straight to the commentary desk to gloat at Punk and promise to end his career. Punk pulled off his arm brace and attacked him with it. Damian Priest ran down with the Money in the Bank briefcase, cashed in, and won the title with South of Heaven in nine seconds. McIntyre's reign lasted 5 minutes and 46 seconds. Priest became only the second WWE world champion of Puerto Rican descent, after Pedro Morales, and only the second person to cash in at WrestleMania, after Rollins at WrestleMania 31.

This was incredible, multi-layered long-term booking. Rollins lost without being pinned in a way that made him look weak, McIntyre got his moment and paid for his arrogance, and Priest's briefcase story paid off in the biggest possible place. The match itself was a hard, fast sprint, and the cash-in turned it into one of the best segments of the weekend. Our rating: ★★★★¼ (the nine-second cash-in is not rated separately)

The Pride vs. The Final Testament (Philadelphia Street Fight)

Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford), with B-Fab, faced Karrion Kross, Akam and Rezar, with Scarlett and Paul Ellering. Snoop Dogg sponsored the match and joined commentary, arriving with a replica gold title belt, and Hall of Famer Bubba Ray Dudley was the special guest referee. In Philadelphia, that is a very deliberate piece of ECW nostalgia.

Positioned as a wild brawl to keep the energy up after an emotional opener, it delivered what it promised. All six men fought at once, the Profits pulled a table from under the ring, and The Final Testament brought kendo sticks and a chair. Kross hit Lashley with a neckbreaker onto a chair, but Dawkins broke the pin. Lashley came back with a flatliner and an overhead suplex, and the Profits hit their double-team moves.

The managers got involved too. Scarlett went after B-Fab with a trash can, and B-Fab answered with a Russian leg sweep that put Scarlett through a table. Dudley called for tables, Lashley speared Kross, and Ford flew with a high frog splash through a table onto Kross to finish it at 8:35. Snoop Dogg joined The Pride and Dudley in the ring to celebrate.

Karrion Kross and Bobby Lashley anchored the physical exchanges, but Ford stole the show with that frog splash. We think this was harmless fun that gave the Philadelphia fans a nostalgia fix and nothing more. The feud never felt important, Akam and Rezar did little that stood out, and the match was over before it built real momentum. Fine as a palate-cleanser, forgettable as a WrestleMania match. Our rating: ★★½

LA Knight vs. AJ Styles

This was LA Knight's WrestleMania debut, against a man who had cost him at Elimination Chamber with a chair shot. A tight, hard-hitting grudge match born out of personal animosity, and one of the more straightforward matches of the weekend.

They traded strikes early, and Knight dropkicked Styles through the ropes and slammed his head onto the broadcast table. AJ Styles then wrestled with an aggressive edge, going after Knight's left knee with a chop block, a knee drop and a kneebreaker. Knight came back with lariats, a springboard tornado DDT and an avalanche German suplex. Styles locked in the Calf Crusher, but Knight reached the ropes. Styles then rammed the injured leg into the ring post and hit a running dropkick to the knee.

The outside floor became the danger zone. Knight stripped away the ringside padding, and Styles tried to powerbomb him onto the exposed concrete. Styles also blocked a springboard move with his knees and hit a Pele Kick. Late on, Styles went up for an attack from the ropes, Knight made him lose his balance on the top, and Knight hit Blunt Force Trauma for the clean win at 12:25.

LA Knight showed great babyface resilience, matching Styles' precision with raw power and striking, and the leg work gave the match a clear story. We would have liked one or two more big near-falls before the finish, but a clean win over AJ Styles on his first WrestleMania was the right result and made Knight look like a real singles threat. Our rating: ★★★½

Logan Paul vs. Randy Orton vs. Kevin Owens (WWE United States Championship)

The entrances got the comedy going early. Kevin Owens drove a golf cart to the ring with Randy Orton riding on the back. Logan Paul came out with someone in a costume shaped like his Prime drink bottle, a nod to his sponsor becoming a WWE partner during the build.

This triple threat was built on strong character dynamics. Orton and Owens teamed up early to beat up Paul, even putting him through the broadcast table with stereo Singh Bombs, before inevitably turning on each other. That partnership gave the match both comedy and physical ring work. Logan Paul once again showed real athletic instincts, with double buckshot lariats and swanton bombs, and Orton hit an RKO on Owens for a near-fall.

The big moment came when the Prime mascot pulled Paul out of the ring to save him and was revealed as streamer IShowSpeed. Orton booted him and gave him an RKO through the announce table, a brutal bump for a non-wrestler. Paul then threw Orton into the ring post and pinned Owens with a frog splash to retain at 17:40.

For us this is one of the most rewatchable matches of the weekend. It knew exactly what it was: a fun, busy three-way with a celebrity spot that actually paid off. The one complaint is the finish. A champion who escapes by throwing someone into the post and stealing a pin on another is fine for a heel, but the match was so good that a bigger closing sequence would have helped. Our rating: ★★★¾

Iyo Sky vs. Bayley (WWE Women's Championship)

Bayley's entrance was one of the most elaborate of the weekend. Four masked men in Egyptian costume carried her to the stage, and she took off a set of decorative wings before walking to the ring. The culmination of Damage CTRL's betrayal felt like the most emotional match of the night after the main event.

Iyo Sky gave an excellent performance. She slammed Bayley's head into the apron early and then went to the leg with a heel hook, a hanging dragon screw and a Cazadora into a double stomp, mixed with her high-flying attacks: a springboard dropkick, an Asai moonsault and a springboard shotgun dropkick. Bayley answered with a stunner through the ropes, a tope suicida, a spinebuster and a sunset bomb into the turnbuckle for a near-fall.

The closing stretch was strong. Sky reversed an elbow drop into a crossface, then switched to an STF. Bayley escaped and hit a Bayley-to-Belly, but Sky kicked out. They traded stiff slaps, and Sky hit a Liger backbreaker and her top-rope moonsault. Bayley survived, hit a lariat and a Saito suplex, then a flying elbow drop and the Rose Plant to win the title at 14:20.

Bayley played the fighting babyface very well, selling the leg damage while digging into her veteran arsenal, and the crowd rallied heavily behind her. For us this is one of the most underrated matches of WrestleMania XL: it had the story, the work and the right result, completing a long-overdue babyface arc. Our rating: ★★★★¼

Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes (Undisputed WWE Universal Championship, Bloodline Rules)

Cody Rhodes arrived on the Codyvator in a white American Nightmare mask, which his wife Brandi helped him remove. Roman Reigns came out with Paul Heyman to an orchestral version of his theme. Under Bloodline Rules, explained earlier by Heyman, there were no disqualifications and no count-outs. Reigns' Universal title reign stood at 1,316 days.

The early wrestling was tense and physical. They fought outside, Reigns used a kendo stick, he hit Rhodes with a giant Prime bottle, and Rhodes suplexed him through a platform in the crowd. Reigns answered with a powerbomb through an announce table and a low blow. Then the run-ins began, and the match became a spectacle. Jimmy Uso attacked Rhodes, only for Jey Uso to stop him and spear him off the stage through a table. Rhodes speared Reigns through the barricade, and Solo Sikoa hit Rhodes with a Samoan Spike just as he went for a third Cross Rhodes.

John Cena then made a surprise return, giving Attitude Adjustments to Sikoa and Reigns. The Rock appeared, had a stare-down with Cena and dropped him with a Rock Bottom. The Shield's music hit, and Seth Rollins came out in his old Shield gear with a chair, only for Reigns to knock him down with a Superman Punch. As The Rock was about to hit Rhodes with the weight belt, the lights went out, and The Undertaker chokeslammed The Rock before disappearing.

The match came down to a strong character decision. Reigns had a chair in hand, but his old grudge over Rollins' 2014 Shield betrayal made him hit Rollins with it instead of Rhodes. That moment allowed Rhodes to recover, counter a Spear, hit three Cross Rhodes and finally "finish the story" at 33:25. The reign was over, and Rhodes celebrated with his family, friends from the locker room and Brodie Lee Jr.

For us it is a main event that will stand for decades. It was overbooked, but every single run-in served the story and paid off a relationship that had been built for years. Very few matches deliver the ending fans have waited for this long and still surprise them on the way. Our rating: ★★★★★

Beyond the matches

• Openings: On Night 1, Triple H walked out to Motörhead's "The Game" and addressed the crowd, and Coco Jones sang the national anthem. On Night 2, Stephanie McMahon opened the show by calling it the start of the Paul Levesque era, and The War and Treaty sang "God Bless America". Meek Mill narrated the cold open video on both nights, and The Weeknd's "Gasoline" was the event's theme.
• Commentary: Michael Cole, Pat McAfee and Corey Graves called both nights, with CM Punk joining for the World Heavyweight Championship match and Snoop Dogg for the Street Fight.
• Music on the show: Motionless In White played Rhea Ripley's entrance live, and Lil Wayne performed on stage as part of Jey Uso's entrance.
• Attendance announcements: Adam Pearce and Nick Aldis announced the Night 1 crowd as 72,543. On Night 2, Snoop Dogg and the Philadelphia Eagles cheerleaders announced 72,755, and 145,298 for both nights. Wikipedia lists the reported figures as 60,036 and 60,203.
• Hall of Fame: Night 2 included a recap of the 2024 Hall of Fame class: Paul Heyman, Bull Nakano, Thunderbolt Patterson, Lia Maivia, Muhammad Ali and The U.S. Express (Barry Windham and Mike Rotunda).
• Bloodline Rules: Before the main event, Paul Heyman sat down with Kayla Braxton to explain the Bloodline Rules stipulation.
• The finale: After the Night 2 main event, Rhodes was joined in the ring by Randy Orton, Jey Uso, Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, LA Knight, CM Punk, John Cena, Seth Rollins, Brandi Rhodes and his family, and he thanked Triple H and Bruce Prichard.

For us, the production was the best WWE had put on in years, and the presentation made the stadium feel full of life on both nights. The celebrity cameos mostly worked because they were tied to Philadelphia or to the match itself, rather than just shown in the crowd.

The verdict: does it hold up today?

Looking back, WrestleMania XL stands as one of the most important events in wrestling history. It proved WWE could pay off a multi-year story without frustrating its audience. It made Cody Rhodes the clear face of the company while letting Roman Reigns leave his dominant reign with maximum dignity. Seth Rollins was the MVP of the weekend: two main-event level matches, huge bumps, a knee he sold all weekend, and the glue that tied the Rhodes and Reigns saga together. The Priest cash-in was the best booking decision of the weekend, and Jimmy vs. Jey as a slow brawl was the worst. Not every match was great, but the big ones all delivered, and the show still rewatches very well.

• Best match: Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes (Night 2)
• Worst match: Jey Uso vs. Jimmy Uso (Night 1)
• Overall: 4.5 out of 5

Full results and our ratings

What happened next

• Cody Rhodes held the Undisputed WWE Championship for 378 days. The Rock interrupted him on the Raw after WrestleMania to tease a future match, and the story came back in 2025, when John Cena turned heel at Elimination Chamber and beat Rhodes for the title at WrestleMania 41.
• Damian Priest kept the World Heavyweight Championship at Money in the Bank 2024 and lost it to Gunther at SummerSlam 2024 after Finn Bálor's interference, which led to Priest's exit from The Judgment Day.
• Roman Reigns took time off while Solo Sikoa led a new Bloodline. He returned in August 2024, reunited with Jimmy, Jey and Sami Zayn as "The Original Bloodline", won at Survivor Series: WarGames 2024 and beat Sikoa in Tribal Combat on the first Raw on Netflix in January 2025.
• Sami Zayn held the Intercontinental Championship until SummerSlam 2024, when he lost it to Bron Breakker. The Awesome Truth's Raw tag titles were renamed the World Tag Team Championship a week after WrestleMania, and they lost them to Finn Bálor and JD McDonagh on June 24, 2024, after 79 days.
• Rhea Ripley was attacked backstage by Liv Morgan soon after WrestleMania and had to give up the Women's World Championship. She won it back on the first Raw on Netflix on January 6, 2025.

More retro reviews

Our Crown Jewel series, rated out of 5:

• Crown Jewel 2025: ★★★★ (4 out of 5), the first Crown Jewel outside Saudi Arabia
• Crown Jewel 2024: ★★½ (2.5 out of 5), the first Crown Jewel Championships
• Crown Jewel 2023: ★★½ (2.5 out of 5), Rollins vs. McIntyre and Reigns vs. LA Knight
• Crown Jewel 2022: ★★★½ (3.5 out of 5), Reigns vs. Logan Paul and a Last Woman Standing match
• Crown Jewel 2021: ★★★★ (4 out of 5), Hell in a Cell and a loaded card
• Crown Jewel 2019: ★★ (2 out of 5), celebrities and the first women's match in Saudi Arabia
• Crown Jewel 2018: ★½ (1.5 out of 5), the first one, and the World Cup

Other classic shows we have revisited:

• WrestleMania 39: ★★★★½ (4.5 out of 5), two nights in Hollywood and Reigns vs. Rhodes, part one
• SummerSlam 2025: ★★★★ (4 out of 5), the first two-night SummerSlam and John Cena's last one
• Money in the Bank 2016: ★★★★ (4 out of 5), Cena vs. AJ, a great ladder match and Reigns vs. Rollins
• WrestleMania 41: ★★★½ (3.5 out of 5), Cena's farewell year and a Heyman story in Las Vegas
• WrestlePalooza 2025: ★★★½ (3.5 out of 5), the first WWE show on ESPN, with Lesnar vs. Cena

See them all on our Retro Reviews page, and read our Crown Jewel 2026 preview.