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WrestleMania 40 Card Is Taking Shape–And It Looks Spectacular

Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, Bayley, Rhea Ripley, Gunther, and The Rock will make WrestleMania 40 unforgettable.

Justin Barrasso

WrestleMania 40 Card Is Taking Shape–And It Looks Spectacular
WrestleMania 40 Card Is Taking Shape–And It Looks Spectacular /

SI.com’s Week in Wrestling is published every week and provides beneath the surface coverage of the business of pro wrestling.

WrestleMania 40 card taking shape

The Rock is headed back to WrestleMania.

Bayley is about to get her moment.

And Gunther will soon be a made man.

Oh, and one more detail: Roman Reigns is going to keep his seat at the head of the table.

WrestleMania 40 is shaping up to be an extraordinary event. All signs point to the two-night affair being headlined by Roman Reigns against The Rock.

The latest news that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has joined the Board of Directors for TKO–WWE’s parent company–has opened a new window for him to return to the ring at WrestleMania.

Dwayne Johnson Joins TKO Board, Gains Control of ‘The Rock’ Trademark

There was already a possibility that it would occur–Rock wasn’t ad-libbing on the New Year’s Day edition of Raw when he delivered the line about being the true head of the table–but his addition to the board provides even more incentive for this to occur.

Courtesy WWE
Courtesy WWE

A victory against The Rock would be incredibly significant for Reigns, especially as the company presents him as the greatest champion in WWE history.

After a month of speculation that CM Punk would challenge world heavyweight champion Seth Rollins at WrestleMania, a new plan is in place. Gunther is the favorite to win the Royal Rumble and then dethrone Rollins on the first night of WrestleMania.

Rollins revealed on Raw that he has a grade 2 MCL tear and torn meniscus. That would set up the potential for Gunther to squash an injured Rollins at WrestleMania, extending his dominant Intercontinental title run into the world title scene. Plus, that would allow Gunther to headline the Bash in Berlin premium live event in Germany this August as world champion.

Courtesy WWE
Courtesy WWE

Where does this leave Cody Rhodes? Multiple sources close to WWE Head of Creative Paul “Triple H” Levesque have indicated that Rhodes will not headline this year’s event, nor will he “finish his story” at WrestleMania. But there is still a new chapter to write with a marquee matchup to be had… against CM Punk.

Rhodes and Punk laid the groundwork for their feud this past Monday on Raw. It was the most gripping, intense segment on Raw in nearly a decade. Punk was at his absolute best on the microphone, and Rhodes–who started slowly but built momentum–showed range on the mic that he has never before displayed. While this is not the main event against Reigns, it is a program that should keep Rhodes red-hot. The possibility exists that this match could be even more compelling than the main event, and defeating Punk would be a massive victory for Rhodes.

Courtesy WWE
Courtesy WWE

This leaves Money in the Bank contract holder Damian Priest in a difficult spot. If Rollins is defending the belt at WrestleMania, when is Priest supposed to cash in? But other high-profile opponents still exist, particularly Randy Orton, AJ Styles, LA Knight, and even Finn Balor depending on the direction Judgment Day takes in the coming weeks.

Rhea Ripley against Becky Lynch is another outstanding match for WrestleMania 40. Bayley is the most deserving star on that roster for a Royal Rumble win/prime WrestleMania spot, and her time is coming.

A major card is necessary for an event like WrestleMania 40. Rock-Roman will garner the headlines, especially from mainstream networks, but there is also an exceptional set of matches that will ensure this is one of the most memorable WrestleManias of all-time.

Steve Austin on His Legacy: ‘Being Unafraid To Push The Envelope and Go Out On A Limb’

The (Online) Week in Wrestling

  • In a groundbreaking move, WWE is taking Raw to Netflix. 
  • The Roman Reigns-Randy Orton segment from the closing moments of SmackDown this past Friday was excellent. After Reigns gave a Superman punch to Orton, he signed the contract for their four-way title match this Saturday at the Royal Rumble that also includes LA Knight and AJ Styles–but still suffered the indignity of an RKO right before the show went off the air.
  • Adam Copeland’s “Cope Open” holds endless potential. The next opponent in this open challenge is Minoru Suzuki, a match I thought we would never see, later tonight on Dynamite.
  • Hulk Hogan, who hinted at an appearance this Saturday at the Royal Rumble, is celebrating 40 years of Hulkamania.
  • This Saturday’s Collision, which runs opposite the Rumble, features a cage match pitting FTR and Daniel Garcia against the House of Black.
  • Mark Briscoe gave a very powerful tribute to his late brother Jay last week on Dynamite.

Royal Rumble pools add excitement to the best event of the year

The most exciting event in pro wrestling, at least for me, is the Royal Rumble.

Money in the Bank is full of excitement and has its own charm, but the Rumble has history and built-in, almost immediate stakes with the title shot at WrestleMania. And as we learned at WrestleMania XI (not WWE’s finest hour, but that’s a discussion for another day), not every Rumble winner is destined to take the title at WrestleMania.

The Rumble is also perfect for some side bets. I’ve been in one Rumble pool for the past seven years, and it adds even more excitement to the night. For a $20 buy-in, everyone gets a number, and there is a chance to win in a variety of ways. The prizes are first place for either of the Rumbles, second, third, and fourth, as well as for the Ironman/Ironwoman, most eliminations, and fastest eliminated.

If you have a Rumble pool you want to share, post the details and tag @SI_Wrestling on Twitter.

Tweet of the Week

It’s turned out well for Nick Khan.

Published
Justin Barrasso
JUSTIN BARRASSO

Justin Barrasso has been writing for Sports Illustrated since 2014. While his primary focus is pro wrestling and MMA, he has also covered MLB, NBA, and the NFL. He can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com and followed on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.

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