WWE WrestleMania XL PLE Results: 4-6-24 (Night #1)Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to LeClair's real-time results).1) RHEA RIPLEY (c) vs. BECKY LYNCH – Women’s World Championship matchMichael Cole noted that Becky Lynch had been suffering from strep throat all week. Corey Graves said she admitted to him that she had a fever for much of the last few days. Rhea Ripley shoved her challenger to the corner right out of the gate. Becky took it in stride, returning to her feet and stepping to the champion. The crowd broke into a quick “let’s go Mami” chant. Lynch managed to create some separation by attacking Ripley’s arm. McAfee mentioned that Rhea has been suffering from a wrist injury. Becky tossed Rhea to the outside, them leapt off the apron onto her. She quickly tossed the champion back in the ring.
Champion and challenger traded quick blows. Ripley gave Lynch a back slam, then a Suplex with a bridging cover for a two count. Ripley backed Lynch into the corner and drove her shoulder into the challenger’s ribs repeatedly. Becky collapsed to the mat. Rhea dragged her out of the corner by the hair. “You’re nothing!’ she told Lynch. Becky countered a Suplex attempt into a roll up, but Ripley broke out with ease. She hoisted Becky back into a Suplex and dropped her. Rhea gave Becky a couple of weak toe kicks to the back of the head. The two traded blows again. Ripley caught Becky with a dropkick off an Irish whip.
Ripley dragged Lynch around the ring. She slapped her chest and smiled at the crowd before ascending the southwest turnbuckle. She gave a signature Guerrero shake, but Becky ripped her down with an arm drag. Both women were down as the match approached 5:00. As the opponents rose, they began trading body blows. Rhea bounced Becky off her knee, then looked for another Suplex. Lynch turned it into a tornado DDT off the middle rope for a cover and two count. Becky willed the crowd to life, but they booed her. She leapt off the bottom rope and caught Rhea with a kick. Ripley was draped over the middle rope. Becky gave her a diving leg drop, flipping the champion to the floor. Lynch followed up with a Bex-ploder into the barrier at ringside. Lynch tossed Rhea back into the ring and gave her another leg drop, this time from the middle rope. She covered for another two count.
Lynch grabbed onto the injured wrist of Rhea and tried to apply the Dis-Arm-Her. Ripley shoved her away, into the turnbuckle. Lynch tried to use the momentum to leap onto the champin, but Rhea caught her and slammed her. Becky popped to her feet and ate a huge knee to the face from the champion for a two count at 7:45. Ripley set up her challenger for the Riptide, but Lynch floated over her back. She shoved her into the ropes and delivered a back cracker. Becky transitioned right into an arm bar. Ripley writhed on the mat, searching for leverage. She dead-lifted Becky into a trio of Powerbombs, sitting out on the last one for a near fall.
The camera pulled back as Cole reiterated the chilly temperature in the stadium. Back in the ring, Ripley dropped Lynch with another big boot and two count. Rhea began to show frustration. She peppered Becky with quick punches and slaps. Becky rose to her feet and returned several of her own. She side-stepped a charge, running Ripley right into the southeast ring post. Becky climbed the ropes and locked the Dis-Arm-Her against the top rope. Becky used the entirety of the referee’s count, finally letting go. Ripley shook out her arm, tripping Lynch up and quickly applying the Prison Trap. She dragged Lynch to the center of the ring. The crowd cheered for a tap. Becky reached valiantly for the ropes, but Rhea laid into it. Lynch turned her over multiple times, eventually catching the champion in a pin, necessitating a hold break.
Rhea went for Riptide again. Becky blocked it and turned it into the Man-Handle Slam for a cover and near fall at 12:20. Becky sat in the middle of the ring, gasping for breath. She tried again to work Ripley’s arm into position for the Dis-Arm-Her. Rhea blocked it. She managed to hoist Becky up and deliver Rip Tide for a stack cover and last moment kick out. The crowd popped big. Ripley was incensed, believing she scored a three. She climbed to the top turnbuckle. Becky sat her down by shaking the ropes. Lynch met Ripley atop the southeast buckle. The two traded punches. Lyunch managed to deliver a Superplex, then rolled into the Dis-Arm-Her. Ripley fought to her knees, trying to gain leverage. She hoisted Becky onto her shoulders. The two tumbled over the top rope, still in Electric Chair position. Ripley dropped her.
“That was a long way down!” McAfee exclaimed as Ripley tossed the challenger back in the ring. She climbed the ropes and delivered a frog splash for a cover and near fall at 15:45. Graves said you’re going to have to kill Becky Lynch before she gives up at WrestleMania. A small “this is awesome” chant broke out. Lynch rolled to the apron with Rhea in pursuit, taunting her. Ripley tried to dead lift Lynch back into the ring by the hair. Becky fought her off. She hooked the champion for a top rope Man-Handle Slam. Lynch dove, but Rhea blocked the move. She scooped Becky up and gave her a Riptide onto the turnbuckle. Becky bounced back into her arms and Ripley delivered the move again, stacking her for a cover and three count.
WINNER: Rhea Ripley in 17:09 to retain the Women’s World Championship
(Good opener in an advantageous position on the card. Becky and Rhea took advantage of being the first wrestlers out of the gate and came off like major stars. This started off a little bit slowly as the two felt each other out, but picked up as they crossed the 5:00 mark and settled in. Coming off the incredible match with Charlotte Flair last year, it felt like there were some lofty expectations for these two, and while I don’t think they quite reached those levels, I do think they did a good job of delivering a strong WrestleMania opener without taking too much of the energy out of the crowd for what it sure to be a long evening. They really played up Lynch’s sickness, which seems like it could’ve played a part in this never reaching a notable fourth gear. The crowd’s reactions were to be expected, with a heavy amount of respect built in for Lynch, but clear favoritism toward Ripley. There’s some interesting stories they can tell with Becky coming out of this loss, too.)
