It seems like it was only yesterday that WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns defeated Cody Rhodes in the main event of WrestleMania 39, but now that’s nothing but a memory in our rear-view mirror as we prepare for the next “Granddaddy of Them All” in April. In a little more than a month, tens of thousands of die-hard wrestling fans will once again convene for the “Showcase of the Immortals,” while millions more watch from home.
Now that we’re on the “Road to WrestleMania” with our sights set on what could be the biggest, baddest, and most extravagant two-night wrestling event of all time, it’s the perfect time to break down everything we know about the highly-anticipated event. With the return of The Rock, a massive rematch where the American Nightmare will hopefully finish his story, and so much more, there’s a lot to look forward to at WrestleMania 40 (or XL if you’re a big fan of Roman numeral naming conventions). That being said, let’s get ready for WrestleMania!
When Does WrestleMania 40 Take Place?
WrestleMania 40 will take place on Saturday, April 6 and Sunday, April 7, 2024, according to the event's page on WWE.com. This means WWE’s trend of having its biggest show being a two-night affair will continue for at least another year. Prior to WrestleMania 36, which was held over the course of two nights behind closed doors at the WWE Performance Center in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020, all previous WrestleManias consisted of one night of wrestling.
The change has been a successful venture for the company, especially for those who don’t have the stamina to sit through the nearly eight-hour event that was WrestleMania 35 in April 2019, the final event to have the original one-night setup.
Where Is WrestleMania 40 Being Held?
WWE has also announced that WrestleMania 40 will be held at Lincoln Financial Field, the longtime home of the Philadelphia Eagles. This will be the second “Showcase of the Immortals” held in the “City of Brotherly Love,” which hosted WrestleMania 15, which was held 25 years ago and featured The Rock in a major capacity when he defended his WWF Championship against “Stone Cold” Steve Austin in the first of three matches between the “Brahma Bull” and the “Texas Rattlesnake.”.
How Can You Watch WrestleMania 40 Live?
Just like every other major WWE premium live event (PLE), WrestleMania 40 will be broadcast live on Peacock, but only for those in the United States, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. And while there are still some pain points with WWE Network on Peacock that haven’t been fully addressed since its launch in early 2021, it’s still the best way to watch live WWE events.
You can also purchase WrestleMania 40 tickets from Ticketmaster.com if you want to experience the show in person.
What Does The WrestleMania 40 Card Look Like?
Though the entire WrestleMania 40 card has not yet been decided, WWE has announced several of the more high-profile matches heading into the two-night wrestling extravaganza.
- Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes
- WWE Women’s Champion Iyo Sky vs. Bayley
- Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley vs. Winner of the Women’s Elimination Chamber match (Becky Lynch, Bianca Belair, Liv Morgan, Tiffany Stratton, Naomi, or Raquel Rodriguez)
- World Heavyweight Champion Seth “Freakin” Rollins vs. Winner of the Men’s Elimination Chamber Match (Drew McIntyre, Randy Orton, Bobby Lashley, LA Knight, Kevin Owens, or Logan Paul)
There are still a lot of matches that haven’t yet been announced, but we’ll surely see Intercontinental Champion Gunther defend his title, Logan Paul put his United States Championship on the line, and potentially both Men’s and Women’s Tag Team titles will be part of the two-night event.
There’s also potential for some kind of tag match between The Bloodline (The Rock and Roman Reigns) and Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins after the WrestleMania kick-off press event in February 2024 got heated and resulted in the “Great One” slapping the “American Nightmare” in front of the world.
The WrestleMania 40 Trailer Teases An In-Ring Return For The Rock
In a deviation from the norm, WWE released a short hype video for the upcoming WrestleMania 40 with an electric Super Bowl commercial that not only teased the in-ring return of The Rock but also that potentially massive tag team bout between the Bloodline and the team of Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins. Though not a lot of details were revealed in the trailer, it seemed to heavily imply that we’re going to see some kind of showdown between these superstars beyond the Undisputed WWE Universal match between Roman Reigns and Rhodes.
This match, like the event itself, has the potential to be one of the biggest things to happen to wrestling in years. Ironically, the teaser came out 25 years after the famous 1999 WWF Super Bowl commercial that featured stars like “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, The Undertaker, and The Rock.
When Does The 2024 WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony Take Place?
Though we don’t yet know who will follow the 2023 WWE Hall of Fame inductees and be enshrined in wrestling history in April, we do know when the ceremony will take place. As has been the case for the past few years, the 2024 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony will be held immediately following the conclusion of SmackDown on Friday, April 5 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, the company announced. Expect to hear more about the individual inductees as we get closer to the event itself.
When Does NXT Stand & Deliver Take Place?
The NXT Premium Live Event, Stand & Deliver has become a staple of WrestleMania weekend the past few years (it replaced the customary TakeOver event held the day before or the day of the big show). WWE has announced that this year’s event will take place at 11:30 a.m. (ET) on Saturday, April 6, again at the Wells Fargo Center. No matches have been announced at this time.
Other Events Being Held During WrestleMania Weekend
In addition to the two-night WrestleMania, WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony, and NXT Stand & Deliver, there are all kinds of events set to take place over the weekend. The festivities will kick off with a final “go-home” episode of SmackDown that will serve as the final time fans get to see their favorite wrestlers in action before the big show. The weekend will also close out with the post-Mania episode of Monday Night Raw, which is traditionally the craziest and loudest night of the year.
WWE has not yet finalized plans for other events throughout the weekend, but expect that to change in the coming weeks.
If you’re trying to get caught up before WrestleMania 40 kicks off in April, you can watch hours of wrestling shows and specials with a Peacock subscription, which also gives you access to all of the upcoming WWE events throughout the rest of the year.
