WWE WrestleMania XL PLE Results: 4-7-24 (Night #2)
(7) ROMAN REIGNS (c, w/ Paul Heyman) vs. CODY RHODES – WWE Undisputed Universal Championship, Bloodline Rules match
A huge wave of emotion rang out from the crowd when the bell rang. The camera pulled back wide to show the lower bowl moving about as the first “Cody” chant took hold. Roman Reigns took the match’s first steps forward. He got within a foot of Cody Rhodes’ face and talked some trash. Cody was having none of it. He circled the champion and motioned to the crowd. They sprang to life on command. Cody and Roman locked up, but Reigns quickly broke the hold. He turned to Paul Heyman briefly, nodded in affirmation, then went in for another lock up. Rhodes grabbed a waist-lock. Roman turned it over. He shot Cody off the ropes and dropped him with a shoulder.
Cody popped to his feet and shook out his shoulder. Roman gave him an apathetic point. He smirked at the crowd as they cheered his opponent. Rhodes grabbed a side headlock. Roman shoved him off the ropes. Cody slid under his legs and caught him with the uppercut. Reigns tried to shrug it off. He ran at Cody, who side-stepped him. Reigns went crashing into the southwest ring post and crashed to the floor. Rhodes slid out the opposite side. He pulled a table from underneath the ring. Cole called it smart. “Rock and Roman did it last night, Roman did it last year. It’s Bloodline rules, anything goes!”
Just as Cody stood the table up, Reigns dropped him with drive-by. He grabbed the table and slid it back under the ring, much to the crowd’s chagrin. Cody recovered and tossed Reigns into the steel steps as the match crossed 4:00. Rhodes stopped to look at the Universal title. Cole told him to focus. Cody tossed the champion back in the ring, but before he could catch him, Reigns rolled back to the outside. Cody went to retrieve him. Roman had a Kendo stick in hand. He cracked Cody in the forehead. Roman returned to the ring and beat Cody with the stick repeatedly. “Shut your mouths!’ he told the crowd as they booed.
Kendo stick in hand, Reigns sized up his challenger. He swung and missed wildly. Cody picked up the stick. Roman begged off. Rhodes charged and caught him with it, then gave him a bulldog out of the corner. Cody immediately applied the Figure Four. Reigns writhed. Cole noted that no break will occur if Reigns reaches the ropes, under Bloodline Rules. Reigns used the stipulation to his immediate advantage, poking Cody in the eye to break the hold relatively quickly. “Cody’s going to have to keep chipping away, “Graves surmised, “you’re never going to get sustained offense against the Tribal Chief, few ever have.”
The Tribal Chief walked his foe from corner to corner, bouncing him off the turnbuckles. He tossed him to the outside, talking trash. “I’m gonna miss whoppin’ your ass!” he told Cody. He tossed Cody into the hydration table, knocking it over. Cody stumbled over the barricade and into the crowd. Roman followed. They traded punches near the scaffolding rig. Both men climbed atop a string of covered crates. Reigns told people to move out of the way, as he planned to Suplex his opponent into the crowd. Cody blocked it and delivered one of his own onto the hard surface they stood atop. Rhodes worked Reigns back to ringside.
9:00 in, Cody tossed Roman in the ring and went for an early Disaster Kick. Reigns picked him out of the air and gave him a Powerbomb. Both men were laid out. Roman used the ropes to help himself stand. Cole mentioned that they’re not even 24 hours removed from the grueling tag team match. Reigns gave Cody a quick snap Suplex and covered him for only a one count. “That was all psychological,” Cole said. Reigns got in Cody’s face. He told him he was going to “send him to Hollywood with the rest of them.” He said it’s his company. Reigns delivered a back Suplex in the center and covered him with a forearm for a weak two count. Paul Heyman shouted instructions. “A 3 count means a $3 million bonus,” Roman smiled. He grabbed a cravat hold on Rhodes. Cody worked himself to a knee, then to his feet. He broke the hold and kicked Reigns in the gut. Roman shrugged it off and delivered a bridged Fisherman Suplex for a two count.
With the pace slowed dramatically, the champion settled in. He worked Rhodes into the southeast corner and gave him slow, plodding right hands. The fans tried to rally, booing Reigns and showing him middle fingers. Roman delivered ten short-arm clotheslines in the corner. He wound up for an eleventh, but Cody exploded out of the corner with a kick. He hit another one. Roman hit one of his own. Rhodes shrugged it off and dropped Reigns with one more.
Both men were down in the center. Cole said it’s the conclusion of the most intense rivalry of the past year. Champion and challenger reached their feet, trading punches. “A true heavyweight battle,” Cole said. They turned to gut punches, then back to rights. Cody dropped the champion with a body tackle. He followed up with a snap Powerslam. Cody flexed, bringing the crowd to life. He hit the ropes, connecting with a Disaster Kick for a cover and two count at 15:45.
Cody dragged Roman to his feet. He hit the ropes again, looking for the cutter this time. Reigns caught him in a waist-lock and pulled him into a Cross Rhodes. He hooked the leg, but Cody kicked out at two. “That move sucks,” Roman said. “That move ain’t beating nobody. This is fun. I just like shoving it in his face,” he said to Heyman. Paul laughed. Reigns stood, cockily. He sauntered to the corner and cocked his fist. Reigns charged, but Cody ducked. He gave Reigns a number of quick jukes, capped off with the bionic elbow. Reigns rolled to reprieve on the outside. Cody followed. He stood over the toppled champion, contemplating. Rhodes turned to the announcers desk and cleared it off. “Bloodline rules also applies to what Cody is allowed to do,” Graves explained. Rhodes tried to retrieve the Tribal Chief, but Reigns caught him with a low blow.
Roman Reigns gave Cody a Powerbomb through the announcers desk. He wasted no time, quickly tossing him back in the ring and delivering a quick Superman Punch for a cover and near fall just after 19:00. Both men writhed on the mat as the camera pulled back to a wide shot of the stadium. “Cody!” the crowd pleaded. Reigns motioned for them to quiet down. He motioned for the Spear. Rhodes blocked it with a kick to the face. He hit the ropes and hit the Cody Cutter for a cover and near fall. Graves pleaded with Cody to keep his foot on the gas pedal. “I’m not sure anyone can pin Roman Reigns,” McAfee concluded.
Rhodes set up for Cross Rhodes. Reigns blocked it with lifting knees to the face. He hooked Cody in for a Uranagi, but Cody blocked it, hit the ropes and drove Reigns through the mat with a Spear. Cody hooked the leg for a very close near fall. Heyman looked on, shocked. Cody dragged Roman to his feet and delivered the first Cross Rhodes. He held on, setting up for another. Before he could execute, Jimmy Uso leapt in the ring and gave Cody a Superkick. He held Cody in place for Roman to deliver a Superman Punch.
“It’s just me, uce!” rang out. Jey Uso bounced onto the stage. Jimmy left the ring and ran up the ramp to meet him. The two traded punches atop the stage. Jey speared Jimmy off the stage, through a pair of tables waiting below. In the ring, Cody rolled Reigns up for a near fall. Roman bounced up, hit the ropes, and delivered a Spear for a last moment kick out. Roman began threatening referee Charles Robinson. The Head of the Table was incensed. He lifted Cody and applied the Guillotine. Cody flailed desperately. He ran Roman’s body against multiple turnbuckles, then straight through the ropes and out the ring, breaking the hold.
Reigns was hunched by the timekeeper’s area. Cody got a running start and speared him right through the barricade as the match approached 25:00. Rhodes walked the champion back into the ring. He pounded the mat, stalking his prey. Graves wondered when was the last time anything like this happened. Cody hit a first Cross Rhodes, then a second, then primed him for a third. Solo Sikoa entered the ring and gave Rhodes the spike. He dragged Reigns’ lifeless body over Cody’s chest, then turned his back, knowing the result. But Cody kicked out. Solo turned back and wiped his face. He mounted Rhodes and punched him repeatedly. He hollered at his cousin, “get up! Finish him!” he ordered. “I know!” Reigns barked back. Solo told Roman to “finish the story.”
Solo Sikoa held onto Cody. He delivered the spike in tandem with another spear from Roman Reigns. Roman hooked the leg, but Cody kicked again. Sikoa was enraged. He stomped around the ring. Suddenly, John Cena’s music rang out. He bolted to the ring, and tossed Solo Sikoa out of the ring. He grabbed Roman and delivered an Attitude Adjustment. Cena wasn’t done. He retrieved Sikoa on the outside and gave him an Attitude Adjustment through the Spanish announce desk.
Cena removed his hat and slicked back his hair, satisfied with his work. Then The Rock’s music hit. The Final Boss marched to the ring, talking trash. Cena returned to the ring. McAfee said The Rock is furious with John Cena for sticking his nose in the Bloodline’s business. Rock and Cena stood opposite one another. Cena removed his shirt and tossed it in the crowd. Both he and Rock paused to look around at the crowd. Cena taunted him and took a swing. Rock caught him and delivered a Rock Bottom. “Get the f— out of The Rock’s ring!”
Suddenly, The Shield’s music hit. Rock looked around as crowd looked around frantically. Roman Reigns caught something out of the corner of his eye. He charged and caught an approaching Seth Rollins, decked in Shield gear, with a Superman Punch. Rock laughed. The gong sounded and the lights went out. When they returned, The Undertaker was standing in the ring. He gave The Rock a chokeslam. The lights went out again, then Taker was gone.
The Undisputed Universal Champion was left alone in the ring with a steel chair. He cracked Seth Rollins in the back with it, in homage to the Shield’s destruction. Roman called for another Spear. He charged, but Cody blocked it. He pulled Reigns in and hit one Cross Rhodes. Then another Cross Rhodes. Then a third Cross Rhodes. He hooked the leg for a resounding three count and absolutely thunderous pop.
WINNER: Cody Rhodes in 33:24 to win the WWE Undisputed Universal Championship
Samantha Irvin choked her way through the announcement, overcome with emotion. Brandi Rhodes entered the ring, embracing her husband. The crowd continued to cheer, singing Cody’s theme. Cody retrieved the Championship, climbing the turnbuckles and hoisting it above his head for the first time. “And now the celebration begins,” Cole said over a number of highlights. Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Randy Orton, and LA Knight rand down to the ring. John Cena and Jey Uso returned. Sami and Jey hoisted Cody onto their shoulders. Cole said he’s known Cody since he was a boy, and he knew he’d be a star. He talked about Cody leaving the company disgruntled and heartbroken, only to come back as a Superstar.
CM Punk joined Cody in the ring, giving him a big hug. Cody’s mom entered the ring, embracing her son. “Dammit, I love professional wrestling,” Michael said. Cody gave the title to his mother, having her pose with it in front of the camera. More family and friends joined the celebration.Even Brodie Lee’s son. Seth Rollins re-emerged. Cody grabbed a microphone. He asked for Bruce Prichard and Triple H to come to the ring. They did, and celebrated with the others.
Cody left the ring momentarily to shake Michael Cole’s hand and give him a big hug. He shook hands with Graves and McAfee, then returned to the ring. Everyone cleared the way. KO helped Seth out of the ring. Cody and Seth shared a moment between the ropes, shaking hands. Rhodes left the ring, hugging some fans at ringside and a couple of cameramen, too. He celebrated on the ramp as the broadcast faded to the recap video package.
