Recommendation of: WWE WrestleMania XL/40/2024: Night 1 by AverageMansReviews - Spoiler Alarm!

Recommendation of: WWE WrestleMania XL/40/2024: Night 1 by AverageMansReviews - Spoiler Alarm!

Related content: Recommendation of: NXT Stand & Deliver 2024 - Spoiler Alarm! Link https://averagemansreviews2017.blogspot.com/2024/04/recommendation-of-nxt-stand-deliver.html

Warning/Speculation/Disclaimer:  there is flashing effects/colourful effects/blood/adult language/reference to Moscow advertising vodka/medical/blood and speculation will be used at one point or another. Full disclosure of course I know the results, but as you can clearly see I still watched this event and there is a reference to cancer at some point in this content and consequently I will give you a heads up now I will be using a softer adult language references, but you will still understand what I mean.

Becky Lynch vs. Champ The Judgement Day's. Champ Rhea Ripley; for the WWE World Women's Championship: now way before this match slot, I found it interesting that Michael Cole had these chosen words to say and yes I don't care if they are coming from him or he is being told to say them; buckle up it is time for the greatest show in all of entertainment, this is WrestleMania. Now on to this match slot, I am not trying to be a penis here and there illness or/injury are genuine, but however these two competitors may have an illness or an injury of some description, but this would be the third time this weekend, this kind of injury in kayfabe or not, this is why I had put in the related content, because this is where I am referencing, I should just point out this is just a observation perspective and nothing more [Additional information: unfortunately Lynch has taken a hiatus and Ripley is out as of Monday 15/04/2024 I have dictated it this way so it still doesn't give you the result and it is sadly true, but at least they as you will see/read they went out on top, I am not trying to take away from this serious situation, I am just being slightly at best positive, now back to our regular scheduled programming] The wrestling in the whole was excellent, but there was this riptide onto the turnbuckle [the far right one] that if another wrestler connected to another wrestling promotion [cough, cough AEW] everyone would be criticising it yes I am looking at you Al Snow [I am aware that the WWE shots on the turnbuckle are slightly better protected, but my point still stands nonetheless] and no this won't be the last time I make reference to this either, but everything surrounding this match slot is a banging way to begin this night. This match/match slot: 10/10.

New Catch Republic: Pete Dunne & Tyler Bate vs. #DIY: Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa vs. The Awesome Truth: The Miz & R-Truth vs. The New Day: Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods vs. A-Town Down Under: Austin Theory & Grayson Waller vs. Champs The Judgement Day's: Finn Bálor & Damian Priest; Six-Pack Tag Team Ladder Match for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship [The match will end after both titles under the Undisputed Championship banner the Raw and SmackDown tag titles] have been retrieved, making it possible for the titles to split between two teams: Cory Graves makes reference to the fact that Johnny Gargano has come out like Shawn Michaels as this team has clearly come out inspired by Degeneration-X including the on-screen graphics. Now as Michael Cole makes reference to this, I should correct him when he says Woods is wearing his Apollo Creed gear, now yes this is true, but also very wrong as long-term wrestling fans would know he had time in TNA as Austin Creed [2007-2010] where he used this boxing gimmick, but may be the WWE didn't have permission to make that connection or just couldn't be bothered to ask and here is me thinking the WWE wanted to make business associates [yes I am being sarcastic] and as Cole it is a reference to the Rocky/Creed franchise as we are in Philadelphia, on close inspection Woods's wrestling gear is not exactly the same, back in the day I am sure he wore shorts, here he is wearing full leg length. Pat McAfee gets confused between New Catch Republic: Pete Dunne & Tyler Bate and Moustache Mountain which Cole picks up on this. Cole brings up talking about renaissances within the WWE and for some strange reason Graves pipes in and says I don't think I have ever talked about renaissances within the WWE [it just made Cole like and sound a bit stupid as if the rug was being pulled from underneath his feet,] but Cole quickly came back with well I have. I will warn you right now, I will take a mark off for the next thing I am about to bring up; because it is so stupid it is not funny as R-Truth from the tag team of The Awesome Truth stands on the apron looking for a tag from a member of The Judgement Day, this kind of stupid comedy really does rub me up the wrong way it just isn't funny there is no need for tagging or Truth is on a different team, including a pin fall [I have just noticed, if you look in the background you will see a referee gave a similar reaction to this turn of events as I have,] including McAfee verbally putting this over on commentary, then The Miz pointing out the obvious flaw, I don't know if they have make this crystal clear yet, but this shtick isn't funny. Cole saying pedigree, when yes it was a version of a pedigree [a sit down pedigree.] McAfee makes reference to there being a lot of ECW chants last night at the Hall of Fame and Cole quickly makes reference to Paul Heyman and we even get some ECW chants here. In a nutshell Michael Cole reminds McAfee about the stipulations of this match and now I have a question why is one of the referees Jessika Carr clearly trying to communicate and reach for Priest. If you didn't know I have hearing like a bat so after hearing it twice I can tell you what she was saying Priest get rid of their ladder to your left. Okay now I get it, she was trying to tell him that the ladder was not suitable to use [as it gets referenced on commentary that the ladder is pretty much not safe, priest goes for south of heaven which doesn't exactly go the way it should, but considering the ladder I will let that slide] as Truth purposely yet in kayfabe accidentally sends in a ladder and this does get referenced on commentary by Graves and the commentary team cover-up for Truth saying basically you could be having a flashback to being in Judgement Day. If there wasn't this comedy garbage and McAfee not knowing the stipulations of this match slot, in this match, this match slot would be getting given a higher mark and I hope that everyone that took part in this match slot are relatively okay as they took some heavy bumps. This match/match slot receives: 6/10.

LWO's: Rey Mysterio & Andrade [with LWO's: Carlito, Cruz Del Toro, Joaquin Wilde & Zelina Vega] vs. Legado Del Fantasma's: Santos Escobar & The Judgement Day's: Dominik Mysterio [with Legado Del Fantasma's; Los Lotharios: Angel & Berto & Elektra Lopez;] Tag Team Match: obviously the first thing I am going to point out is; in a sarcastic tone I am not too sure if there is enough characters in this match slot. Then Dominik has to call over to the referee to make sure he sees a legal tag, with the referee Rod Zapata saying what I am right here; this was comical, when you have a heel trying to do something right by following the rules and the commentary team talking about this as well. But then again Zapata did pick up on a pin not being executed properly as in both shoulders on the mat, so as long as he gets the basics right everything is good. I hope Vega is okay she performs a moonsalt to the outside nearest the entrance, she doesn't get it all, basically she gets it with her legs leaving her stomach exposed to take a dump, she does carry on, don't the landing didn't look too pleasant to take. Now at the beginning of this match section they briefly honoured Bray Wyatt so of course I am going to give an extra mark. This match/match slot receives: 8/10.

Jey Uso vs. The Bloodline's Jimmy Uso; Singles Match: like I said some time ago here; Little to No Interest in seeing this at potentially WWE WrestleMania 40/2024? Link https://averagemansreviews2017.blogspot.com/2023/09/little-to-no-interest-in-seeing-this-at.html and man this match was so much worse than what I was expecting, it should be pointed out that this is a turn of phrase I never go in expecting anything, but I just had no interest in seeing it and wow this match slot just showed that these two brothers were basically one trick ponies, that is not the case and just saying if you had never seen these two wrestle before you would think they only know one move and to be fair the only reason that this match doesn't get a worse mark was because of a crowd being lively and for some strange reason we had commentary making silly mistakes like Cole saying there is a minute between these two brothers [Twins] but McAfee correcting him by saying 9 minutes and then later on Cole saying a neck breaker and then Graves correcting him by saying Samoan drop, it was just a little bit weird. This match/match slot receives: 2/10.

Bianca Belair, Jade Cargill & Naomi vs. Damage CTRL: Dakota Kai, the WWE Women's Tag Team Champions The Kabuki Warriors: Asuka & Kairi Sane; Six-Woman Tag Team Match: on first impressions the crowd couldn't care less about this match slot on one hand they could be using his time to go and let's just say freshen up and get supplies, whilst on the other hand why should they care about this match slot; it has been given the approach of in a nutshell and let's be honest the equivalent of very last minute booking. We have some basically Jade chants and it gets referenced on commentary. Cargill can't even execute a back body drop properly as Kai takes a bump landing on her hip [yes full disclosure from our perspective we can see it fully, but when you have Graves pointing it out on commentary; you know something isn't going according to plan.] On closer inspection Cargill couldn't be bothered to lift Kai up to get a moment of airspace to go on her back. The crowd did warm up a bit for this match slot towards the end, but without giving too much away it is a very formulaic match slot, but what do you expect with very little build up, but at least they got some more names on the card and the crowd got the opportunity to go and refresh themselves in one way or another so I would consider this to be job done. This match/match slot receives: 3/10.

Sami Zayn vs. the WWE Intercontinental Champion Imperium's Walter [with Ludwig Kaiser & Giovanni Vinci;] Singles Match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship: well this match well really did takes shine off Walter, what with him being complacent want with talking to jawing with Zayn's wife, basically acting anything but the ring general that he has been built up to be and then Zayn powering up like a DragonBall-Z character after taking quite a few powerbombs and big splashes from the top turnbuckle [bottom right] and then perform a brain buster on to the top turnbuckle, the one I have just mentioned, so it undermines this power move as well and finally at some point we have Cole using an adult word on commentary. This match/match slot receives: 3/10.

The WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins & Cody Rhodes vs. The Bloodline's: the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship Roman Reigns & The Rock [with Paul Heyman;] Tag Team Match; If Rhodes and Rollins win, all members of The Bloodline will be barred from ringside during the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship match on Night 2. If Rock and Reigns win, the championship match on Night 2 will be held under Bloodline Rules: Seth Rollins & Cody Rhodes: well the first negative is this match not including entrances goes on for 45 minutes, my second negative in this is a massive one, I don't care who said it, it could be someone backstage in McAfee's headset or McAfee himself I just don't give two rabbit dumplings, but when McAfee comes out with Roman Reigns is battling leukaemia as we speak, I mean let's be honest I wasn't really interested in this match to begin with, but after that it nosedived. Let me give you my background before getting heavily criticised anyone that has had a family member or anyone other have cancer of any degree you don't know until you have been there that it isn't just the person that has cancer goes through it; it is the surrounding people that also go for it and I happened to be one of those people [since 2021]so if you are being immature by thinking I was just gaslighted or triggered then you have no idea what cancer can do to your life regardless of having it or having to deal with it, day after day and can I just point out that these words were also in very poor choice. Meaning they wouldn't clear Reigns to wrestle if he wasn't fit to do so, now once again before I dictated this I am smart enough to do some research and I know Reigns as come out and said he is still in remission. For a minute I will talk about the positives Cole puts over our ring announcer Samantha Irvin coming Rollins and Paul Heyman have this tiny back and forth where Heyman indicates how much he doesn't like Rollins entrance music this is highly comical and for the match itself it was solidly good. But now the thing is this would be the second time that the WWE have used Reigns' health concerns/condition on-screen and quite frankly I didn't like it when they built it around Ambrose vs. Rollins in 2019 and if you have been following me long enough I have also stated in one way or another this was my breaking point for wrestling and like it or not, actually I don't care I was almost out of the door until a little company came along by the name of AEW and I am still here watching wrestling, but regardless 2019 or/and 2024 having the WWE in kayfabe or not use cancer as a character development is exploitative, now if they had said after this line don't forget if you are given an option to have annual tests for such and such, then I would have gone okay and back down, so I am still trying to be professional here, with taking everything into consideration. This match/match slot receives: 5/10.

The average mark of this pay-per-view is: 5/10, it starts off generally speaking very positive and then just collapses into a pile of manure, I should remind people that this as of when this was first dictated this is the only event right now that has the chance to improve its average rating based on it has a second night.