6 Match Star Ratings From WWE WrestleMania 40 Night 2
3. Logan Paul Vs. Randy Orton Vs. Kevin Owens - United States Championship
The main event was an unforgettable spectacle for what it was, and everybody in the stadium took leave of their senses entirely, but - subjectively - the Triple Threat United States title match was the most impressive thing on the card.
In a superb entrance, Kevin Owens entered the ring on an ATV and then backed up the ring to pick up Randy Orton on their journey to kick Logan Paul's ass together. They did precisely that for several minutes before Orton sneakily attempted an RKO. Everything about this was fantastic: Orton's sheepish expression, Kevin's look of "What gives?", the mutual decision to say "Screw it" and have a hockey fight, the hockey fight dynamic. When Paul took them out with a double Buckshot lariat, his smug grin was radioactive. He'd just taken out two major stars at once, and he let the crowd know it. They let him have it and how with a booming chorus of jeers in return. It was fantastic.
WWE technically broke the "rules" by stacking the odds against the heel early, but did so in a way that was consistent with the characters. Orton and Owens have that devil in them. This really was utterly perfect storytelling given who precisely was involved. The match evolved into something constantly exciting, a swarm of activity, with various RKO teases, reversals and several lively sequences in which each wrestler could never quite hit or score the pin from their attempts to take both opponents out with consecutive big moves. 'Speed', a streamer (?), revealed himself as the Prime mascot and for those too old to know who he is, it didn't matter.
It was easy to infer that he is intensely annoying and he did a cracking job of communicating that and bumping for an RKO on a table. Paul retained by splashing Owens after Orton, who he'd thrown out, did the hard work.
This match was class: a perfect delivery of a fun but equally tricky dynamic.
Star Rating: ★★★★½