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Rhea Ripley and Becky Lynch heated up a chilly Lincoln Financial Field Saturday night to start WrestleMania 40 with the women’s world championship on the line.
Ripley and Lynch put on a classic match for the Philadelphia fans. It started with Lynch narrating excerpts from her book, “The Man: Not Your Average Girl,” before she entered the ring.
Motionless in White, the band known for Ripley’s theme song, performed “Demon in Your Dreams” live.
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Wrestlemania XL at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia April 6, 2024. (Joe Camporeale/USA Today Sports)
Then, it was time to get to work.
Lynch worked on the tweaked wrist of Ripley, dragging her down by the arm as “The Eradicator” tried to inflict damage from the top rope. Lynch planted Ripley with a tornado DDT but only picked up a two-count.
Lynch had all the momentum. She hit a leg drop as Ripley was hanging over the middle rope. She then slammed Ripley into the barricade. Taking her back into the ring, Lynch hit a leg drop from the middle rope. But, again, only a two-count.
Ripley, wearing a “Mami” collar around her neck, then caught Lynch, who tried to continue her assault, and slammed her. Then, Ripley caught Lynch with a knee. But the pin didn’t go far enough.
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A women’s world championship match between Rhea Ripley (black attire) and Becky Lynch (red/white attire) during Wrestlemania XL at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia April 6, 2024. (Joe Camporeale/USA Today Sports)
Lynch avoided an early riptide attempt, and Lynch got Ripley into an armbar on the wrist. Ripley picked up Lynch and powerbombed her twice before delivering a sit-down powerbomb.
Ripley and Lynch both gave each other everything they had, including slaps, headbutts, armbars and finishing maneuvers. A missed leg drop nearly cost Lynch the match as Ripley applied the prison trap in the middle of the ring. Lynch, somehow, turned it into a pinning maneuver.
Lynch was maybe a half-second away from winning the championship from Ripley when she hit the man-handle slam, but Ripley escaped.
Ripley may have had the win if not for Lynch’s resilience. She hit another riptide late in the match, but Lynch kicked out of the pin.
Lynch superplexed Ripley and rolled the move into the disarmher. Ripley countered out it and hit an electric chair outside of the ring. Ripley got her back in the ring, and Ripley hit a frog splash from the top rope.
Rhea Ripley retained her women’s world championship title with a victory over Becky Lynch at Wrestlemania XL Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia April 6, 2024. (Joe Camporeale/USA Today Sports)
Ripley wasn’t done. After Lynch kicked out, the Irish star tried to take Ripley to the top rope. But a man-handle slam would be countered. Ripley hit two consecutive rip tides.
Ripley pinned Lynch to retain the title she initially won against Charlotte Flair at the last WrestleMania.
Is there anyone in the women’s division who can stop Ripley?
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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.
