6 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE WrestleMania 40 - Night 1 (Results & Review)

3. Rhea’s Night Out

Choosing the right opening match for a major PLE is not as easy a task as some might think. One might assume that a hot entrance and a hot crowd will overcome any other potential deficiencies, but that’s not always the case. You need good action to hook a crowd, which in turn can elevate the match even further.

Becky Lynch versus Rhea Ripley was the perfect match to kick off Saturday’s WrestleMania 40 offering, with Lynch being the consummate ring general that she often is. The two weaved a brilliant match, with Becky targeting Rhea’s arm and softening it up while showing her resilience in overcoming the champion’s relentless offense.

Ripley became increasingly frustrated by the veteran kicking out or countering her, including three deadlift powerbombs that only earned a two-count and Riptide attempts that went awry. As one might expect, Rhea made a couple mistakes as a result, but not enough to cost her the title, as she put Becky away cleanly.

This was easily Ripley’s best title defense during the past year, a true scrapbook-worthy match that should be a career highlight for the Aussie.