Logan Paul is still riding a wave of momentum as WWE United States Champion. He has a match set for WrestleMania 40, but it may not be the circumstances that he prefers, because he’s in a triple threat situation.
The Maverick recently took a chance to break down his WrestleMania match during his Impaulsive podcast. He had a lot to say about Kevin Owens and Randy Orton, and he doesn’t seem too shaken up about the possibility of losing his belt.
The Match Set-Up
Last week on SmackDown, Randy Orton and Grayson Waller engaged in singles action. Logan Paul provided commentary, but the situation escalated after the match. Orton found himself outnumbered, seemingly becoming the prey rather than the predator.
However, Kevin Owens’ entrance music played, signaling his arrival. Sensing trouble, Logan Paul sought refuge as KO came to Orton’s aid. With the heels retreating, Nick Aldis made his presence felt, asserting his authority as GM. He arranged a WrestleMania triple threat match for the US Title, with Logan defending against Owens and Orton.
The Maverick Responds
Logan Paul fired back on this segment through his TikTok account. He called Kevin Owens a “human bowling ball” and also dragged Orton a bit by rubbing it in how he took him out of the Elimination Chamber match with some brass knuckles.
In the end, LP said that WWE booked two guys that he already ticked off to face him at WrestleMania. This might be a tough spot to be in, but he isn’t afraid of the situation. In the end, he said that he won’t get “gang banged” at WrestleMania.
Logan Paul brought a lot of eyes to WWE with his involvement with the company. Some would say that he was born to be a heel in WWE, and he is certainly making the most of every opportunity he is given.
Logan Paul’s Road as WWE US Champion
On October 14, 2023, following his victory over Dillon Danis in a boxing match at MF & DAZN: X Series 10 – The Prime Card, Paul publicly called out United States Champion Rey Mysterio. Then, on the October 20, 2023, episode of SmackDown, Mysterio agreed to Paul’s challenge for a title match at Crown Jewel. During the event on November 4, Paul claimed the United States Championship by employing brass knuckles against Mysterio, marking his inaugural WWE championship win.
Paul when went on to defend his title against Kevin Owens at the Royal Rumble event. During that match, Austin Theory and Grayson Waller provided Paul with brass knuckles to employ against Owens. In an interesting turn of events, Owens ended up using the knuckles on Paul instead. However, the referee detected Owens holding the knuckles, resulting in Paul retaining the title via disqualification.
SEScoops will have more on this story, and so much more in the pro wrestling world, as additional updates are made available. Keep checking back for more updates from the pro wrestling world and beyond.
AJ Styles jumped LA Knight at Elimination Chamber, and now the two will battle at WrestleMania 40. That being said, they might not get a lot of face time with each other prior to the showcase of the immortals.
Styles dropped a video message on social media where he proudly proclaimed that LA Knight won’t see him on SmackDown before they throw down in Philly.
The Match Setup
LA Knight was on hand this week to issue a challenge for WrestleMania. AJ Styles was there to accept that challenge, and he did so by pulling off another brutal sneak attack. Now, Knight has vowed to take Styles apart, but he will have to get his hands on him first.
AJ Styles was bold and happy to announce on Twitter/X that he will not be on SmackDown. He said that LA Knight will see him at WrestleMania 40 for their match. That being said, fans may not see much of Styles until then.
LA Knight was a fan favorite in the Elimination Chamber, but he didn’t win the match. AJ Styles jumped him and made it very difficult for him to win the match after assaulting him out of nowhere. This week on SmackDown, LA Knight finally had a chance to talk about it. This resulted in a WrestleMania 40 challenge.
Fans flocked around LA Knight over the last year, and his popularity has grown a ton since then. Now, we will have to see how he performs on the grandest stage of them all. Odds are, even if AJ Styles isn’t on SmackDown, LA Knight will keep their feud hot with his promo work.
SEScoops will have more on this story, and so many more, on the road to WrestleMania. You never know what can happen next, but we will be here with the headlines you need.
Jimmy Uso gave his brother Jey an answer for WrestleMania 40.
Uso was fired up backstage at Friday Night Smackdown that it startled forthcoming WWE Hall of Famer Paul Heyman. However, Jimmy made clear that Jey was the younger brother and always looked up to him. Just a year ago both were main-eventing WrestleMania 39 and now this year they’ll be facing one another. He accepts Jey’s challenge who laid it on the line against Jimmy on Monday’s Raw.
Considering that WrestleMania 40 is in Philadelphia, it’s ironic that Jimmy and Jey will be squaring off against one another in the “City Of Brotherly Love” as there hasn’t been any love-loss between the two twins.
Jimmy hasn’t cost Jey just one WWE title opportunity, but two. It was Jey Uso taking on Roman Reigns for the WWE Undisputed Universal Championship back at SummerSlam 2023 which is where Jimmy first backstabbed Jey. Then a few weeks back on WWE Raw Jey had his shot unseat the unprecedented GUNTHER for the Intercontinental Championship. Jey had GUNTHER down for the three count, but Jimmy rang the ring bell as a distraction.
The History Of “Brother vs. Brother” At WrestleMania 40
Once the fight does become official, Jimmy Uso vs. Jey Uso won’t be the first time brothers go against one another on the grandest stage of them all. 30 years ago, Bret Hart famously took on his younger brother Owen at WrestleMania 10 in Madison Square Garden. Owen Hart ended up getting the 1-2-3 for the surprise victory before Bret won the WWE Championship later in the evening against Yokozuna.
A more less-fondly remembered brother vs. brother bout was Matt Hardy vs. Jeff Hardy at WrestleMania 25, where a heel Matt Hardy got the pinfall victory in an Extreme Rules match.
Logan Paul is a fine WWE US Champion, and he’s a natural heel as well. He will defend his title at WrestleMania 40, but he’s not happy about the match.
During WWE SmackDown this week, LP had something to say to Nick Aldis. He dissed the SmackDown General Manager for not giving him a WrestleMania match. That changed this week as it was announced that Logan will defend his title against Kevin Owens and Randy Orton in a triple threat match.
WrestleMania 40 Set-Up
This week on SmackDown, Randy Orton and Grayson Waller threw down in singles action. Logan Paul was on commentary, and then things took a turn after the match.
Orton was getting ganged up on, and it looked like the Apex Predator was going to be the prey this week. Then Kevin Owens’ music hit.
Logan Paul knew he was in trouble, and KO helped RKO out. The heels fled, and then Nick Aldis showed up to flex his GM muscle a bit. He booked a Mania triple threat for the US Title where Logan will defend against both Owens and Orton.
Needless to say, Logan Paul wasn’t happy about this. We will have to see if he is able to carry that title out of Philly.
Night 1: The Bloodline (The Rock and Roman Reigns) vs. Cody Rhodes and Seth “Freakin” Rollins
Night 2: Seth “Freakin” Rollins (c) vs. Drew McIntyre for the World Heavyweight Championship
Night 2: Roman Reigns (c) vs. Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship
Logan Paul (c) vs. Kevin Owens vs. Randy Orton – Triple threat match for WWE United Stated Title
Iyo Sky (c) vs. Bayley for the WWE Women’s Championship
Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Becky Lynch for the Women’s World Championship
Gunther (c) vs. Sami Zayn for the WWE Intercontinental Championship
The Judgment Day (Finn Bálor and Damian Priest) (c) vs. Legado Del Fantasma (Angel and Berto) vs. Four teams TBD in a Six-Pack Ladder match for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship
We are 22 days away from WrestleMania 40, and things are coming together. Now, LA Knight has called his shot for the show of shows, and the challenge was accepted.
LA Knight was a fan favorite in the Elimination Chamber, but he didn’t win the match. AJ Styles jumped him and made it very difficult for him to win the match after assaulting him out of nowhere. This week on SmackDown, LA Knight finally had a chance to talk about it. This resulted in a WrestleMania 40 challenge.
LA Knight Calls His WrestleMania 40 Match
Kayla Braxton introduced LA Knight for an interview during SmackDown this week, and he had a lot to say. He was very over with the Memphis fans as everyone said his catchphrases with him.
Knight brought up how AJ Styles traveled all the way to Australia to screw him out of the Elimination Chamber match. This irritated Knight in a big way, and he carried on with his promo toward the Phenomenal One.
LA Knight said that AJ Styles made a comment about how he walks around like he owns the place. Knight made it clear that he may not do that, but he will own Styles’ ass at WrestleMania.
Suddenly, in the middle of Knight’s catchphrase, Styles attacked him with a steel chair. AJ Styles accepted his WrestleMania challenge after that.
We will have to see how WWE books the rest of WrestleMania 40. At this point, the show of shows if coming together. You can check out the updated card (so far) below.
WrestleMania 40 Card:
Night 1: The Bloodline (The Rock and Roman Reigns) vs. Cody Rhodes and Seth “Freakin” Rollins
Night 2: Seth “Freakin” Rollins (c) vs. Drew McIntyre for the World Heavyweight Championship
Night 2: Roman Reigns (c) vs. Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship
Logan Paul (c) vs. Kevin Owens vs. Randy Orton – Triple threat match for WWE United Stated Title
Iyo Sky (c) vs. Bayley for the WWE Women’s Championship
Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Becky Lynch for the Women’s World Championship
Gunther (c) vs. Sami Zayn for the WWE Intercontinental Championship
The Judgment Day (Finn Bálor and Damian Priest) (c) vs. Legado Del Fantasma (Angel and Berto) vs. Four teams TBD in a Six-Pack Ladder match for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship
WWE reportedly will not be the only promotion playing host to its roster WrestleMania 40 weekend in Philadelphia as Shayna Baszler breaks down a wall.
There’s big news on the forefront when it comes to the relationship of WWE and GCW. Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful is reporting that Josh Barnett’s ever-popular Bloodsport event that takes place every WrestleMania will indeed feature multiple talents from WWE.
One name who has been revealed to participating is Shayna Baszler as Josh Barnett made the announcement Friday afternoon.
“What does it mean when a Queen takes up the sword and marches to war? Blood. Victory. Glory. From battlefields all over the world – MMA & the UFC, WWE NXT, WWE, Stardom, and more – to now step into a ring she was made for from the beginning. The Warmaster’s disciple, “The Queen of Spades” Shayna Baszler, comes to Josh Barnett’s: Bloodsport X.”
What does it mean when a Queen takes up the sword and marches to war?
Blood. Victory. Glory.
From battlefields all over the world – MMA & the @ufc , @WWENXT , @WWE , @wwr_stardom , and more – to now step into a ring she was made for from the beginning.
The collaboration is significant, considering in the past WWE has been very protective of its territory surrounding WrestleMania and other tentpole PLE events.
A report and reveal like this further indicates WWE’s willingness to extend an olive branch out to other promotions not under their banner. Triple H and WWE did the same courtesy to TNA in January when they had TNA World Knockouts Champion, Jordynne Grace become a surprise entrant in the women’s Royal Rumble match.
Zelina Vega knows exactly how she’d book herself at WrestleMania 40 if given the opportunity.
Vega grew up playing WWE video games and would use the “create a wrestler” mode to construct a grappler bearing her likeness. Today, she’s a featured character in the latest installment of the company’s flagship video game franchise, WWE 2K24.
We recently spoke with the LWO member, who discussed what it’s like to be a trailblazer in WWE and seeing better representation on television and even in the game. She also revealed what she wants to do at WrestleMania.
Zelina Vega’s WrestleMania Dream Scenario
The specifics are not that important, as long as Zelina Vega gets to tag up with Rey Mysterio so they can take out some ‘goons’ together.
“I know what I would want for WrestleMania. In my head, and maybe clip this because I feel like if this ends up happening, I said it here first. I would love to have a match at WrestleMania with me and Rey [Mysterio] and Carlito and Joaquin [Wilde] and Cruz [del Toro] against Santos [Escobar], Elektra [Lopez] and whoever other goons he wants to add to the miss.
“That match would be incredible, even if it’s just me and Rey against goon #1 and goon #2. I think it’d be really cool to just be able to say ‘Man I was on WrestleMania with Rey Mysterio. That’s my hero, that’d be crazy.’ That’s what I would want.”
Zelina Vega At WrestleMania
Vega has competed twice at WrestleMania and is yet to pick up a win at WWE’s biggest annual event. On WrestleMania 35’s pre-show, she was one of the entrants in the Women’s Battle Royal that was won by Carmella.
Three years later, she would team with Carmella and make it to the main card. The pair would lose their WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships to Sasha Banks and Naomi in a fatal four-way Women’s tag-team match.
Women’s Matches at WrestleMania 40
Currently, two women’s matches have been confirmed for WrestleMania 40. WWE Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley will defend against Becky Lynch. on the SmackDown side of things, 2024 Women’s Royal Rumble winner Bayley will challenge former ally and WWE Women’s Champion IYO SKY.
The Rock returned to jump on the road to WrestleMania 40, but when will he be back. It appears that he is leaving irons in the fire, but his Hollywood career keeps going despite the fact that he has settled back into his old WWE persona.
It is not very likely that The Rock will be able to make a trip to Saudi Arabia for the WWE event in May. He is starting a new movie, and that schedule might make SummerSlam very difficult as well.
The Rock’s Move After WrestleMania 40
The Wrestling Observer Newsletter noted that The Rock’s next film, The Smashing Machine, will start filming on May 1st. That being said, he won’t be able to make WWE’s next Saudi Arabian event.
The report also noted that SummerSlam will be tough as well, especially depending on The Rock’s schedule. He is slated to perform at WrestleMania 40, but we may be looking at another situation where Dwayne Johnson has to wait until WrestleMania 41.
Johnson starts filming “The Smashing Machine on 5/1. This rules him out of the May Saudi Arabia show and makes SummerSlam tough depending on the schedule. It could mean the earliest he could do another match would be the second Saudi Arabia show. And I could see him waiting for WrestleMania
What’s Next for The Rock
The Rock is back for a WrestleMania match, but his career in Hollywood certainly needs attention as well. That being said, there isn’t a lot of time for The Rock to do both. So, he will likely head back to his Hollywood commitments as soon as his road to WrestleMania is over.
You never know if The Rock will take Cody Rhodes up on his offer for a one-on-one match. He also wants a battle with Roman Reigns in his future. Only time will tell what The Rock decides to do, but it appears that The Smashing Machine is going to get his full attention on May 1st.
The Rock will make his long-awaited return to the ring at WrestleMania 40 and will become the second member of a very exclusive club in the process.
At the upcoming two-night show, The Rock will team with Roman Reigns to face Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins. Should the Bloodline win, the following nights Undisputed WWE Universal Championship match will be under ‘Bloodline Rules.’ If Rhodes and Reigns are triumphant, then the title match will see no Bloodline involvement.
The Rock’s WrestleMania Accolade
With his match at WrestleMania, The Rock will become the second-ever Superstar to compete at four decades of WrestleMania. The Brahma Bull, as Rocky Maivia, made his Wrestler debut in 1997 and would compete at the event in 1998 and 1999.
The 2000s saw The Rock headline the Showcase of the Immortals twice, at ‘Mania 16 (2000) and X-Seven (2001.) The Great One also competed at WrestleMania 18 and 19 before closing out his run with a handicap loss at WrestleMania 20 in 2004.
The 2010s saw The Rock return to WrestleMania and the main event spot. The Brahma Bull headlined in 2012 with his ‘Once in a Lifetime’ match with John Cena and faced the 16-time World Champion once again the next year.
Joining the Club
The only Superstar to have competed at four decades of WrestleMania is The Undertaker. After making his debut against Jimmy ‘Superfly’ Snuka in 1991, the Phenom’s final match was at WrestleMania 36 in April 2020 in the cinematic Boneyard match.
WWE WrestleMania 40
This year’s WrestleMania will be the fifth annual two-night WrestleMania, a tradition that began with the Covid-19 pandemic. The show will also be the first WrestleMania following the launch of TKO Group Holdings last September. The card for the show so far is as follows:
Roman Reigns (c) vs. Cody Rhodes (Undisputed WWE Universal Championship)
IYO SKY (c) vs. Bayley (WWE Women’s Championship)
Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Becky Lynch (WWE Women’s World Championship)
Seth “Freakin” Rollins (c) vs. Drew McIntyre (WWE World Heavyweight Championship)
Seth “Freakin” Rollins & Cody Rhodes Vs. Roman Reigns & The Rock
GUNTHER (c) vs. Sami Zayn (WWE Intercontinental Championship)
The Judgment Day (c) vs. TBA vs. TBA vs. TBA vs. TBA vs.TBA (Six-Pack Ladder Match, Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships)
Cody Rhodes has advised fans to know their worth as he does, over a decade after being removed from WrestleMania 29 in 2013.
At WrestleMania 29, Rhodes and then-ally Damian Sandow were supposed to team with the Bella Twins to face Tons of Funk (Tensai and Brodus Clay) and the Funkadactyls (Naomi and Cameron.) The match was nixed due to other matches going long, namely CM Punk Vs. The Undertaker and Brock Lesnar Vs. Triple H. The decision to cut the match was covered during the first season of Total Divas on E!
Cody Rhodes Reflects
Rhodes has since come a long way and the 2023 & 2024 Men’s Royal Rumble winner sure doesn’t have to worry about being cut from Premium Live Events at the last minute. When a fan pointed out how much things have changed for Rhodes since WrestleMania 29, the American Nightmare used the opportunity to reflect and give some salient advice.
Know your value
But beyond that, dig in and do the work and don’t turn a blind eye to valid criticism
We play in a game where you should constantly improve and seek that final form https://t.co/Sl5S1oQkVr
Rhodes won’t just be competing at this year’s WrestleMania, but he’ll become one of the first man in history to headline back-to-back nights of the Showcase of the Immortals. At WrestleMania 40: Saturday, Rhodes will team with Seth Rollins to face Roman Reigns and The Rock. This match will have huge implications on the following night’s match.
At WrestleMania 40: Sunday, Rhodes will challenge Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. Regardless of the outcome of the previous night’s match, this will be Rhodes’ final opportunity to dethrone the Tribal Chief. This high-stakes stipulation was made by The Rock who has been flexing his muscles as a TKO board member.
John Cena has taken on some daring roles in Hollywood so far, stretching his comfort level to flex his acting muscles. The 96th annual Academy Awards certainly included a side of Cena that some fans never expected to see.
Cena did a streaking skit at the Oscar Awards this year alongside Jimmy Kimmel. Cena was the only nude one, and The Rock had a very good view of the whole spectacle. He also made it clear why he didn’t want to make Cena’s night any worse. The Rock is also loving his role as a heel on WWE television, and he couldn’t wait to open up about that, either.
The Rock Reacts to John Cena Stunt
The Rock crossed paths with his fellow WWE Superstar, John Cena, backstage at the 96th Oscars ceremony held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. However, Cena appeared in an unusual attire, donning a toga instead of his typical formal wear, which he changed into after his nude stunt.
Cena’s unique appearance garnered significant attention from fans, with his act receiving widespread applause. While reflecting on his interaction with Cena the day before, The Rock shared his perspective during an appearance on Monday night’s edition of Jimmy Kimmel Live.
During the interview, Kimmel humorously suggested that The Rock missed an opportunity to confront Cena, to which The Rock responded with laughter, implying that a half-naked Cena wasn’t a suitable target for him. When asked if he would consider confronting Cena if he were “fully naked,” The Rock humorously replied that he would need Cena to be completely unclothed before considering such an action, clarifying that it was a playful remark.
“Right, a half-naked John Cena isn’t the guy who I want to attack [laughs],” The Rock said.
When Kimmel asked him if he would attack Cena if he was “fully naked?” To this, The Rock replied, “I need him fully naked before I attack him. That was his joke, by the way.”
The Rock and John Cena shook hands backstage at the Oscars, but Kimmel still joked that he felt a WrestleMania moment coming on. No steel chairs were busted out in that meeting, but you never know what else The Rock is capable of during this heel run.
The Rock on his Heel Turn
The Rock also had a chance to speak about his heel role in the road to WrestleMania. Kimmel played a clip of Dwayne Johnson in Phoenix berating the “Crackhead Karens,” and that line received a great response from the crowd.
He also explained how great it is to come back and really cut loose during this run of his career.
It is the best to go back to WWE in this Rock 10.0 version, where I can become a heel and say the things that people wanna say.
Road to WrestleMania 40
The Rock is back in WWE on the road to WrestleMania 40. He will team up with Roman Reigns during the first night of WrestleMania to take on Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins.
SEScoops will have more on this story, and so much more in the pro wrestling world. So, keep checking back for more updates, because you never know what can happen on the road to WrestleMania.
‘Big’ Bronson Reed is ready to prove that his ‘meat’ can’t be beat with a unique match next month dedicated to the injured Big E.
Taking to Twitter, Reed spoke about this year’s WrestleMania 40 event that will take place from Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field on April 6-7. Reed addressed that his “BIG brothers” are missing from the WrestleMania card. Reed suggested a “MEATY INVITATIONAL” dedicated to Big E.
The former WWE NXT North American Champion also made sure to tag WWE to ensure that the company got the message.
Big E, a big man in his own right, has hardly been subtle with his support for the meatier wrestlers in WWE. During an infamous episode of the New Day’s ‘Feel the Power’ podcast, Big E named Goldberg as his dream opponent, declaring that the match would be “Big meaty men slapping meat!” When asked for three opponents for the New Day to face, Big E had an equally hilarious answer: three Goldbergs.
The Meat Men of WWE
Reed will need some participants in his Meaty Invitational if such a match is to happen. There’s no shortage of larger Superstars though, such as Ivar, who has been impressing in his singles run while Viking Raider ally Erik recovers from neck surgery. The missing-from-TV Odyssey Jones would also be right at home in such a meaty match.
WWE WrestleMania 40
This year’s WrestleMania will be the fifth annual two-night WrestleMania, a tradition that began with the Covid-19 pandemic. The show will also be the first WrestleMania following the launch of TKO Group Holdings last September. The card for the show so far is as follows:
Roman Reigns (c) vs. Cody Rhodes (Undisputed WWE Universal Championship)
Iyo Sky (c) vs. Bayley (WWE Women’s Championship)
Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Becky Lynch (WWE Women’s World Championship)
Seth “Freakin” Rollins (c) vs. Drew McIntyre (WWE World Heavyweight Championship)
Seth “Freakin” Rollins & Cody Rhodes Vs. Roman Reigns & The Rock
GUNTHER (c) vs. Sami Zayn (WWE Intercontinental Championship)
The Judgment Day (c) vs. TBA vs. TBA vs. TBA vs. TBA vs.TBA (Six-Pack Ladder Match, Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships)
We are less than a month away from WrestleMania 40 and this year’s edition of ‘The Show of Shows’ is bigger than ever. Will the fans witness John Cena at the show? Well, the 16-time World Champion is still waiting for the green signal.
This year’s edition of WrestleMania is set to be the fifth annual of the two-night extravaganza which started with the pandemic. It’s worth noting that the show will also be the first WrestleMania after the inception of TKO Group Holdings. The card is stacked with some huge matches and fans are speculating that ‘The Leader of Cenation’ will make his presence felt in Philly.
John Cena opens up on possible appearance at WrestleMania 40
Speaking on The Drew Barrymore Show, John Cena revealed that he is waiting for his invite as he hasn’t found a ‘golden ticket’ to the show. He said that he would try to be at the show. Cena said:
“I’m kind of waiting for my invite. Unfortunately, it’s not like a… I don’t have a prom date, so I have no one to go to prom with. I haven’t been asked to go yet. But that’s okay. That’s alright. I have not yet found a golden ticket in my chocolate bar, so I guess I gotta keep eating chocolate bars to find a golden ticket.
It’s the 40th installment of WrestleMania and that gives me a tremendous joy and happiness, because the event is bigger than it’s ever been. I believe you should leave a place better than when you found it, and I think I’ve done that. [It] brings my heart so much joy to see the event in the place that it is now.”
Though WWE never fails to pull some strings at the last minute and who knows, we might even end up witnessing John Cena at ‘The Grandest Stage of Them All.’
WrestleMania 40 takes place on April 6 & 7 at the iconic Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
WWE’s Premium Live Events could be in line for a massive change if the promotion goes ahead with an idea it has been weighing up.
The Sports Entertainment juggernaut is considering moving its monthly Premium Live Events to an earlier start time, PW Insider reports. This unclarified earlier start time would affect domestic events and would be the same time that WWE utilized “many years ago.” At this time, there’s not been a decision as to whether an earlier start time will become a permanent fixture.
WWE WrestleMania 40 will see a slightly earlier start time on both nights of its broadcast. Next month’s event will take place at 6:30 PM Eastern, instead of the usual start time of 8 PM Eastern. Doors will open at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, PA at 4:30 PM Eastern.
Changes to Premium Live Events
If WWE goes through with this idea, it’ll hardly be the first time that the company’s biggest events have undergone a dramatic change. It was only until a few years ago that WWE dubbed its events ‘pay-per-views.’ The name was changed to the currently-used ‘Premium Live Events’ given that said events are now almost exclusively streamed instead of the antiquated PPV method.
It was also within recent years that WWE moved its pay-per-view events from Sunday evenings to Saturday. Other days that have seen pay-per-views be hosted include Taboo Tuesday in 2004 and 2005, while the early Survivor Series events happened on Thanksgiving Thursday.
The Rock will return to the ring next month at WrestleMania 40, but fans may be waiting for some time for his next match after that.
On WrestleMania 40: Saturday, The Rock & Roman Reigns will face off against Cody Rhodes & Seth Rollins in what’ll presumably be the main event. Should The Bloodline win, then the Undisputed WWE Universal title match the next night will be under ‘Bloodline Rules.’ Should Rhodes and Rollins win, there’ll be no Bloodline involvement when Rhodes challenges Reigns on WrestleMania 40: Sunday.
What Comes Next?
While Rock and Reigns are currently allies, there is a belief that the two will face off one day in a match WWE initially intended to have at WrestleMania. It has been reported that WWE are hoping to get the Brahma Bull for the match at their next event in Saudi Arabia.
That may prove to be easier said than done thanks to The Rock’s Hollywood career. PW Insider reports that Johnson is poised to begin work on a new project after WrestleMania 40 titled The Smashing Machine. The report adds that casting is underway for a series of supporting characters and that filming is currently scheduled to last from May to August. This will keep Rock out of doing anything physical for WWE.
The Smashing Machine
The Smashing Machine will be produced by The Rock’s Seven Bucks Productions and will focus on the life of UFC fighter Mike Kerr. The film will follow Kerr’s struggle with addiction and fights both in and out of the Octagon. The Rock is set to play Kerr.
A win inside the Women’s Elimination Chamber solidified Becky Lynch as the challenger for Rhea Ripley’s Women’s World Championship at WrestleMania. Before she reaches WWE’s grandest stage, though, Becky Lynch has been met with a few challenges of her own — namely in the form of Nia Jax and Liv Morgan.
As Lynch met face-to-face with Rhea Ripley on the WWE Raw after Elimination Chamber, she was attacked at the hands of “The Irresistible Force” Nia Jax. In response, Lynch issued a counterassault during Jax’s recent match against Liv Morgan. When Jax and Lynch wrestled the following week, Morgan retaliated by attacking Jax with an elbow strike, causing the referee to hand Lynch a disqualification loss, much like they did to Morgan the week before.
While Lynch seems to have settled her issues with Morgan on tonight’s episode of WWE Raw, she is far from finished with Jax.
A Warning
During an interview with The Hall of Fame podcast, Nia Jax discussed her path toward WrestleMania 40 after suffering defeat to Rhea Ripley at the Elimination Chamber event.
Looking ahead, Jax acknowledged that Lynch rightfully earned her WrestleMania title match against Ripley. At the same time, though, Jax believes she deserves a rematch. And, as her past actions indicate, it seems that nothing, and no one, will prevent her from claiming it.
“I’m sick and tired — yes, I know Becky won the Elimination Chamber. I know she has earned her spot, but my story with Rhea Ripley isn’t done,” Jax said. “I’m still set for gold. I feel as though [on] this run, I have been on a clear path. It has been directly forward. It has been through all of the Raw women’s division, and I feel as though I deserve another shot at that title. I deserve it.”
“Rhea Ripley, she had my number that night [at Elimination Chamber]. Maybe because it was a little bit of the jet lag, I don’t know. Becky, she might think that she’s gonna go to WrestleMania easily, but I don’t think she’s gonna she’s gonna get there, you never know.”
WWE is celebrating four decades of WrestleMania with new limited-edition championships from four distinct eras of professional wrestling.
The new championships are $699.99 each on WWEShop.com and are being promoted with shipping within one business day. Each title features side plates bearing a 40 Years of WrestleMania insignia as well as a similar metal end plate.
The Golden Era
The four champions represent a different era in the promotion’s history. The Golden Era title celebrates WrestleManias 1 to 10 and features the Winged Eagle plates synonymous with Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Bret Hart, and others. The strap features the iconic WrestleMania logo.
The Attitude Era
The Attitude Era Championship features the plates of the ‘Big Eagle’ title held by ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, The Rock, Triple H, Mick Foley, and others. The strap features the logos for WrestleManias 11 to 20. Dubbing this the Attitude Era title may raise some eyebrows, given that the acclaimed period of wrestling history didn’t really come into effect until WrestleMania 14 and the consensus among many is that it ended after just three years.
The Ruthless Agression & PG Era
The Ruthless Agression & PG Era title is emblazoned with the logos of WrestleManias 21 to 30. The plates come from the ‘Spinner Belt’ introduced by John Cena in April 2005. This championship is the only one of the four that includes a nameplate, which includes the dates 2005-2014.
The Modern Era
The Modern Era championship features the plates seen on the current Undisputed WWE Universal Championship and WWE Women’s Championship. Like the other titles, it features the logos of WrestleManias 31 to 40.
A huge ladder tag-team ladder match has been confirmed for WrestleMania 40, one that will see the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships on the line.
During a segment on the March 11, 2024, episode, Raw General Manager Adam Pearce and SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis spoke about wanting to make this year’s WrestleMania the biggest ever. The pair announced that the Judgment Day will defend the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles at WrestleMania in a six-team ladder match.
Tag teams will have the opportunity on both Raw and SmackDown to earn a spot in the ladder match. The first qualifying match will take place on this Friday’s episode of WWE SmackDown.
Who Could Make the Cut?
There’s no shortage of tag teams in WWE who’d love a shot at the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships at WrestleMania. From Monday Night Raw, fans can watch the likes of the Creed Brothers and their allies in Alpha Academy. There’s also Awesome Truth, Imperium’s Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci, as well as DIY and the New Day.
SmackDown is hardly lacking in tag teams either. The blue brand is the home of The Final Testament, which includes the Authors of Pain. The Latino World Order could also qualify for the title match though we’re sure Legado Del Fantasma would love to stop that. The O.C., Pretty Deadly, The Pride and New Catch Republic can also be found on Friday Nights.
WWE WrestleMania 40
This year’s WrestleMania will be the fifth annual two-night WrestleMania, a tradition that began with the Covid-19 pandemic. The show will also be the first WrestleMania following the launch of TKO Group Holdings last September. The card for the show so far is as follows:
Roman Reigns (c) vs. Cody Rhodes (Undisputed WWE Universal Championship)
Iyo Sky (c) vs. Bayley (WWE Women’s Championship)
Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Becky Lynch (WWE Women’s World Championship)
Seth “Freakin” Rollins (c) vs. Drew McIntyre (WWE World Heavyweight Championship)
Seth “Freakin” Rollins & Cody Rhodes Vs. Roman Reigns & The Rock
GUNTHER (c) vs. Sami Zayn (WWE Intercontinental Championship)
The Judgment Day (c) vs. TBA vs. TBA vs. TBA vs. TBA vs.TBA (Six-Pack Ladder Match, Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships)
WrestleMania 40 is less than 30 days away, and this week’s episode of RAW saw a lot of momentum toward the show of shows. Jey Uso took the microphone, and he had a lot to say.
Jimmy Uso screwed his brother, Jey, out of an IC Title match a couple of weeks ago. Now, Jey wants to face his brother on the grandest stage of them all. He was on RAW this week, where he laid down that challenge.
Jey Uso’s WrestleMania Challenge
Main Event Jey Uso’s journey as a singles competitor on RAW saw him carve out his own path and establish his legacy apart from The Bloodline. That being said, his progress has often been impeded by interference from The Bloodline, particularly his estranged brother, Jimmy Uso. Frustrated over his brother’s interference and tired of missed opportunities, Jey Uso took matters into his own hands on the latest edition of RAW.
During the show, Jey Uso confronted the situation head-on and proposed a solution to resolve their ongoing conflicts. He issued a challenge to his older brother, Jimmy Uso, for a high-stakes ‘Brother vs Brother’ showdown at WrestleMania 40.
The crowd responded with enthusiastic YEET chants, indicating their excitement for the potential clash between the siblings on the grand stage of WrestleMania. It looks like we may get YeetMania this year.
This match holds significant value for WWE’s stories, and The Bloodline saga. After all, a brother vs brother match for the Usos has been on fans minds for a very long time. Given the history between the two brothers, particularly Jimmy’s betrayal of Jey at last year’s SummerSlam, things could get very interesting.
SEScoops will have more on this story as additional updates are made available. You never know what will break next, but we will be here with all the headlines you need.
Sami Zayn hopes to win his second championship in as many WrestleManias when he challenges Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER next month.
On Monday Night Raw, Zayn emerged as the victor of a Gauntlet Match to determine the Austrian’s next challenger. The match featured Zayn, Chad Gable, Shinsuke Nakamura, ‘Big’ Bronson Reed, Ricochet, and JD McDonagh of the Judgment Day.
The match started with Ricochet, the man GUNTHER dethroned in June 2022, taking on McDonagh. The One and Only pinned McDonagh before Bronson Reed eliminated Ricochet. Zayn would be the fourth entrant in the match and would eliminate Reed. He would then eliminate Nakamura and Chad Gable to get the win and the coveted title shot.
Sami Zayn as Intercontinental Champion
Zayn is a three-time Intercontinental Champion and won the title for the first time in March 2020. After opting to take a break from WWE programming due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Zayn would be stripped of the title but in storyline claimed to still be the champion when he returned to TV in August that same year.
At Clash of Champions in September 2020, Zayn was crowned the Undisputed Intercontinental Champion but lost the title to Big E in December. His third reign began in February 2022 but he would lose the gold to Ricochet mere weeks later.
WWE WrestleMania 40
This year’s WrestleMania will be the fifth annual two-night WrestleMania, a tradition that began with the Covid-19 pandemic. The show will also be the first WrestleMania following the launch of TKO Group Holdings last September. The card for the show so far is as follows:
Roman Reigns (c) vs. Cody Rhodes (Undisputed WWE Universal Championship)
Iyo Sky (c) vs. Bayley (WWE Women’s Championship)
Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Becky Lynch (WWE Women’s World Championship)
Seth “Freakin” Rollins (c) vs. Drew McIntyre (WWE World Heavyweight Championship)
GUNTHER (c) vs. Sami Zayn (WWE Intercontinental Championship)
John Cena could indeed be free for an appearance at WrestleMania 40, despite previous concerns that his filming schedule could prevent him being at the show.
Cena’s blossoming acting career keeps him very busy, which is why WrestleManias 37 and 38 came and went without an appearance. Now, the show’s own Jennifer Holland has given hope to fans wishing to see Cena at WrestleMania 40. Responding to a fan’s question about the show’s second season, Holland, who portrays Emilia Harcourt shared her excitement. She also noted that the plan is for Peacemaker season two to begin filming this Summer, long after WrestleMania.
“Yessss we start filming this summer! It’s gonna be so gooooood.”
John Cena at WrestleMania
Cena made his WrestleMania debut in 2003 during the pre-show, and would open the show by winning the U.S. Championship the following year. Cena has competed a total of 16 times at WrestleMania with eight of those matches being for a World Championship. He currently boasts a win/loss record of 10-6.
WWE is well on their road to WrestleMania 40, and it appears that a couple dream matches are possible. The Bloodline splintered, and Jey Uso is on RAW, but it appears that twin warfare is coming.
Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso are expected to collide at WrestleMania 40. When thinking about his potential Mania match, Jey is hyped for the promos that await fans.
YeetMania
Jey Uso discussed the possibility of facing his brother. After all, they are slated to face each other at WrestleMania 40. Uce is very excited about the possibilities, especially the build.
Following Jimmy Uso’s interference that led to Jey Uso losing the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship to Roman Reigns at WWE SummerSlam, it appears that the twin siblings are heading towards a showdown at WrestleMania 40.
In the buildup to their potential clash, tensions escalated on the February 19 episode of WWE Raw when Jimmy’s actions caused Jey’s defeat against GUNTHER in a match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship.
While addressing the situation on Battleground with Tim & Eli, Jey shared his thoughts on the prospect of facing Jimmy in the ring. He can’t wait for the promos.
“Personally, I’m a little kid all over again. Hopefully it’s me and Jimmy at WrestleMania. If it is, I’m a little kid. It’s going to be so easy. We’re just going to do what we do all the time. What I’m most excited about is the lead up, the promos. I love talking. I’m trying to talk. You thought you had emotion in the Bloodline storyline with me and Roman, and me and Sami, watch me and my twin go at it. Ya’ll are going to be like, ‘They are 100% real.’ That’s what is going to make it fire. It’s going to be real. I’m excited to pump that out to the fans and give them that. It’ll be different from every other angle.”
The Road to WrestleMania
The Bloodline Saga has lasted years at this point, and we all knew a Jimmy vs Jey match was coming. It seems that we are getting that match this year.
Roman Reigns and The Rock will also be busy at WrestleMania. They will face Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins during the first night of WrestleMania 40. Then Roman will defend the Undisputed Universal Title against Cody Rhodes on the next night.
The only Bloodline member left without a match is Solo Sikoa so far, as even Paul Heyman is accepting a WWE Hall of Fame induction. Odds are, Solo will find something to do so he can get a Mania paycheck.
SEScoops will have full coverage of the road to WrestleMania. Keep checking back for the updates and headlines you need!
Coming out of Elimination Chamber, most of the top title matches for WrestleMania 40 appear settled. Fans already knew Cody Rhodes would challenge Roman Reigns and learned Drew McIntyre would challenge Seth Rollins. Bayley vs. Iyo Sky has built nicely on SmackDown, while Becky Lynch made good on the teases that she’ll go after Rhea Ripley. Even the United States Championship picture appeared to crystallized when WWE set the wheels in motion for Logan Paul vs. Randy Orton during the men’s Elimination Chamber match.
Intercontinental Champion Gunther is all but assured to work a high-profile match at WrestleMania, if only for the combination of his talent and how well WWE has pushed him and this reign. Gunther surpassed The Honky Tonk Man for the longest single reign with the title months ago, and more recently this single reign has positioned him as the longest cumulative reigning IC champ ever.
The question remains whom Gunther will face at ‘Mania, particularly as a number of pundits have speculated the title might changes hands on this auspicious occasion.
Ahead of the Gauntlet Match on tonight’s WWE Raw to determine who will in fact battle Gunther at Wrestlemania, here are five Superstars we’d like to see in that spot:
Sami Zayn
Sami Zayn had a stare down with Gunther on Monday Night Raw and certainly is well-positioned as a prospective challenger for the Intercontinental Championship. Indeed, Zayn is on a very short list of men who don’t yet have a match for WrestleMania, is a credible threat to The Ring General, and is also a fresh opponent who hasn’t yet challenged for the belt during this reign. All that’s not to mention that Zayn vs. Gunther would all but guarantee a strong match.
There are those fans who are underwhelmed with this idea on the premise that they’re still holding out hope Zayn’s big push from 2023 could culminate in a world title reign. Besides that, he is already a four-time former Intercontinental Champion. Nonetheless, dethroning Gunther would, in and of itself be a major milestone that would have to be considered among Zayn’s biggest career accomplishments to date.
Damian Priest
The Raw after Elimination Chamber also saw WWE tease a confrontation between Damian Priest and Gunther as Judgment Day confronted the Intercontinental Champion. Explicit references to Senor Money in the Bank cashing in on Gunther arose, introducing possibilities for Priest challenging formally at WrestleMania or else stealing the title via cash-in after Gunther works someone else.
Priest vs. Gunther has potential has a clash between two big men who can go in the ring. Though some fans are lukewarm on Money in the Bank being used to challenge for secondary titles, Priest cashing in could also be seen as a way of elevating the Intercontinental Championship. That’s not to mention that if any secondary champion ever warranted a challenger taking advantage of a cash-in, it would have to be Gunther, and this would be a way to protect The Ring General while he transitions out of the IC title picture.
Andrade
Andrade has had one of the more confounding careers in American pro wrestling. He was a breakout star for CMLL, then had and up and down run in NXT before hitting his stride and arriving as NXT Champion. It looked like he’d be big deal when he moved up to the main roster, but he promptly found himself lost in the mid-card shuffle. Even more frustrating, Andrade’s run with AEW yielded similar results as he never quite seemed to find his spot. It’s telling that his most memorable accomplishment in his three years away from WWE may well have been teaming up with his father in law to headline the Ric Flair’s Last Match indie event.
If Andrade were to challenge Gunther, and especially if he were to take the Intercontinental Championship off him, it would be a nice testament that this WWE tenure really is going to be different for Andrade. His in-ring abilities are not in question. If WWE were to afford him this WrestleMania match, there’s every chance Andrade would make the most of the opportunity.
Ilja Dragunov
Gunther hasn’t suffered many losses under the WWE banner. Quite arguably the biggest loss of his WWE career to date came in developmental when Ilja Dragunov was the man to “pull the sword from the stone” and end Gunther’s 800+ day reign as NXT UK Champion.
There would be some poeticism to Dragunov—now the reigning NXT Champion—being the one to end Gunther’s next marathon title reign as well. No less important, Dragunov and Gunther have a proven track record as truly great opponents for one another. Dragunov making his main roster debut at WrestleMania in a show-stealing match in which he beats Gunther could do wonders for the Russian Superstar’s career.
John Cena
There’s no guarantee at all that John Cena will work WrestleMania 40. Indeed, between his busy acting schedule and not appearing on WWE television since his loss to Solo Sikoa at Crown Jewel this fall, it looks like the odds are Cena is sitting out ‘Mania this year. If he does appear, the smart money is on a surprise promo, altercation, or impromptu match more so than a full-fledged ‘Mania program and major bout.
Cena notoriously remains in great shape, though, and he’s the kind of legend who can readily be slotted into any title picture at the drop of a dime. Moreover, there is a ready made story to be told of Cena chasing the biggest title that’s eluded him throughout his WWE career, the Intercontinental Championship. Cena also marks an ideal opponent for Gunther. If Gunther were to lose, there’s little shame in him dropping a match to the guy WWE has pushed as “the greatest of all time.” Meanwhile, if Gunther were to win, this is one of the few one-on-one victories–shy of a world title win–that would undeniably elevate him at this point.
In the end, fans will probably find out the identity of Gunther’s WrestleMania challenger in the near future. The possibilities outlined here, not to mention the prospect of a Triple Threat or a multi-man ladder match offer all manner of interesting possibilities and every opportunity for Gunther to deliver another memorable performance on the Grandest Stage of Them All.
Chad Gable really wanted to show wrestling fans that his potential Intercontinental Championship opportunity does indeed mean more for him.
On WWE Raw, Gable will be one of the six participants competing in a gauntlet match to earn a shot at Gunther and his Intercontinental gold at WrestleMania 40. Gable had his first chance on a September 2023 episode of Raw, but came up short.
However, a fire was lit under him when Gunther made his daughter cry and ever since, Gable has been adamant at facing the unprecedented champion once again. That point was further hammered home on social media over the weekend as Gable posted a new vignette of himself expressing how important Monday’s match is to him.
“I’ve been running the gauntlet in my own head since that match with Gunther last September. Trust me, the only tears you wanna wipe off your child’s face are tears of joy, but if I want that chance, a new gauntlet stands in front of me. “
Gable says the match is full of “demons” of his past but that him going battling those is a chance at redemption for him.
“It’s a rare chance to rewrite history, we don’t get those every day so I intend to claim it and become a beacon of perseverance that my fans and my family can be proud of so I will endure, because for Chad Gable, this match just means more.”
Monday’s gauntlet match has implications larger than could possibly be put into words, but I created this piece to do my best to convey what this opportunity means to me above and beyond just Wrestlemania.
Coming from a storyline perspective, Gable and Sami Zayn are the two stars in the match who have made the greatest case to compete against Gunther at WrestleMania. The other participants in the fight are Ricochet, JD McDonagh, Bronson Reed and Shinsuke Nakamura.
WWE WrestleMania 40 could see music from rock sensations Paramore if the band’s lead singer Hayley Williams has her way.
WrestleMania 40 will take place in just four weeks time from the Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, PA. The show will be the fifth-annual WrestleMania to take place across two nights, a tradition that bean thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Paramore and WrestleMania?
Last month, A movement began on social media for Paramore to perform at WrestleMania 40. This caught the attention of Bayley, who expressed her support for the fan campaign.
Now, the 2024 Women’s Royal Rumble winner has once again taken to social media, this time with a message from the band itself. Bayley shared a video of Paramore lead singer Hayley Williams who made clear that she was aware of wrestling fans wanting Paramore at WrestleMania. Williams gave the Role Model permission to use the band’s hit ‘Simmer’ for her entrance next month.
”Bayley says ‘Dude, I wanna play Simmer for my entrance at WrestleMania.’ You have our permission, that’s sick, holy s***.”
The Role Model is a huge fan of Paramore and has made no secret of her devotion. In 2018, Bayley wore a Paramore-themed attire for WWE Evolution, the company’s first (and to date, only) event to feature an all-female card. Bayley teamed with Sasha Banks and Natalya to defeat the Riott Squad at the event.
Bayley at WrestleMania 40
Paramore or no Paramore, Bayley will compete for the WWE Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 40. The Role Model will challenge former Damage CTRL ally IYO SKY who has held the title since SummerSlam 2023. This will mark Bayley’s first singles match at the Show Of Shows.