10 Incredible Records & Firsts WWE Set At WrestleMania 40
The Showcase of the Immortals breaks new ground in several fun, interesting and wild ways.
WrestleMania 40 (or XL) is in the books, and depending on your view, it was either the greatest night in all of sports entertainment, a huge spectacle masquerading as professional wrestling, or somewhere in-between.
Regardless, WWE put on a hell of a show that swept up the ~70,000 fans in attendance this past weekend. They finished numerous wrestlers’ stories, not just the main one involving Cody Rhodes. They charted new paths for several stars, crowned new champions, and utilized some of the company’s biggest legends as supporting characters rather than centerpieces.
With 40 editions now completed, there is plenty of history to be celebrated and made at the same time, not just for WWE, but for individual superstars. WrestleMania 40 was no different, with several records and individual firsts being logged throughout the weekend. Some of these have been broadcasted across WWE’s social channels, while others are a bit more obscure.
But in the immediate aftermath of the industry leader’s biggest show of the year, it’s worth taking stock and laying out the new records, the historic firsts, and the notable takeaways from this year’s WrestleMania.
Let’s get to it…
10. A New Era
A recurring theme throughout the entire weekend, WWE made no
secret of the fact that they consider WrestleMania 40 the beginning of a new era
for the company founded by the toxic and troubled Vince McMahon.
Without mentioning Vince’s name once during the show he created, WWE repeatedly told the public that this was the first Mania of “the Paul Levesque Era,” sending no less that Vince’s daughter Stephanie McMahon out Sunday night to proclaim it.
Indeed, this was the first WrestleMania since Triple H took the reins in mid-2022 where he was in charge for the entire year prior, giving him a full 12 months to build the stories and book a Mania to his liking. One doesn’t need to dance around and say things like, “Triple H’s fingerprints were all over this show.” WWE quite literally told you in no uncertain terms that this was his Mania from start to finish during media appearances throughout the week and weekend.
WWE is wise to forcefully turn the page from Vince, especially
after Stephanie’s embarrassing and inexcusable leading of a “Thank you Vince”
chant when he resigned in disgrace in 2022, only for the old man to force his
way back into power just six months later.