Drew McIntyre made history at WrestleMania 40 by defeating Seth Rollins to become the new WWE World Heavyweight champion. The two top stars opened the event in front of an electric crowd at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field. Following McIntyre’s emotional victory, Damian Priest successfully cashed in his Money in the Bank contract on McIntyre to become the new champion.
McIntyre’s win came less than 24 hours after a grueling main event against The Rock and Roman Reigns. Both McIntyre and Rollins showed emotion after the match, with Rollins congratulating McIntyre on his well-deserved victory. McIntyre then proceeded to taunt CM Punk, a bitter rival, by making gestures towards him on the announce table. This led to an unexpected attack by Punk on McIntyre before Damian Priest intervened with his cash-in.
The storyline between Rollins and McIntyre showcased WWE’s cinematic skills, with both wrestlers benefiting from good timing this WrestleMania season. McIntyre had previously reached the top of WWE in 2020 but without a live audience to witness it. Rollins, on the other hand, overcame a knee injury that initially put his WrestleMania status in doubt. The two stars capitalized on the opportunity presented by the storyline to deliver a memorable performance.
McIntyre’s path to the world title was initially disrupted when CM Punk returned at WWE Survivor Series. Speculation arose that McIntyre was upset about Punk’s return, feeling overshadowed in the WrestleMania season. However, Punk’s injury turned out to be McIntyre’s gain as he stepped into the role originally intended for Punk. McIntyre embraced his newfound opportunity by reinventing his character as a habitual line-stepper, taunting Punk through various means leading up to their match at WrestleMania 40.
The feud between McIntyre, Rollins, and Punk intensified as Punk returned to television and engaged in a wild promo segment with his rivals. The unscripted battle of words added a new layer of intensity to their storyline, with Punk referencing Vince McMahon and positioning himself as a special guest commentator for their world title match. In the end, McIntyre emerged victorious, finally getting his long-awaited moment as the WWE World Heavyweight champion.
Damian Priest also had his moment at WrestleMania when he cashed in his Money in the Bank contract on McIntyre after waiting just under 300 days. The timing of Priest’s cash-in added another twist to the event, highlighting the importance of timing in the world of professional wrestling. Overall, WrestleMania 40 delivered on its promise of high stakes, emotional moments, and unexpected twists, leaving fans excited for what the future holds in the world of WWE.
