{"id":176409,"date":"2024-04-06T18:26:59","date_gmt":"2024-04-06T23:26:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/?p=176409"},"modified":"2024-04-06T18:26:59","modified_gmt":"2024-04-06T23:26:59","slug":"wwe-wrestlemania-xl-kickoff-show-report-4-6-cm-punk-wade-barrett-pat-mcafee-jackie-redmond-michael-cole-preview-event-outside-stadium","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2024\/04\/06\/wwe-wrestlemania-xl-kickoff-show-report-4-6-cm-punk-wade-barrett-pat-mcafee-jackie-redmond-michael-cole-preview-event-outside-stadium\/","title":{"rendered":"WWE WRESTLEMANIA XL KICKOFF SHOW REPORT (4\/6): CM Punk, Wade Barrett, Pat McAfee, Jackie Redmond, Michael Cole preview event outside stadium"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pwtor-2479543891\" class=\"pwtor-before-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><hr \/><b>SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... <\/b>\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/widget.spreaker.com\/player?show_id=3076978&theme=light&playlist=false&playlist-continuous=false&autoplay=false&live-autoplay=false&chapters-image=true&episode_image_position=right&hide-logo=false&hide-likes=false&hide-comments=false&hide-sharing=false&hide-download=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"140px\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\r\n<hr \/><\/div><div dir=\"ltr\">\n<h3>WRESTLEMANIA 40 NIGHT ONE KICKOFF SHOW REPORT<br \/>\nAPRIL 6, 2024<br \/>\nPHILADELPHIA, PA. AT LINCOLN FINANCIAL FIELD<br \/>\nPEACOCK STREAMING SERVICE<br \/>\nREPORT BY MIKE F. MEYERS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR<\/h3>\n<p><em>Kickoff Panel:\u00a0 Pat McAfee, Big E, C.M. Punk, Michael Cole, Wade Barrett, Jackie Redmond<\/em><\/p>\n<p>An expansive crowd was shown outside the main entrance of Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Pre-recorded clips were shown of the Rock, Seth Rollins, Rhea Ripley, and Becky Lynch arriving at the stadium.<\/p>\n<p>Panel: Pat referred to being in \u201cChilly Philly,\u201d and said nothing is cooler than Michael Cole in transition sunglasses. CM Punk flubbed his first line, saying \u201cYou can&#8217;t have Philadelpha in Philly&#8230;\u201d Michael doubled over laughing, and Punk put his arm around Michael and said, \u201cI started drinking.\u201d Punk shared in the laugh and recovered easily. When Pat told the crowd that the Rock is their final boss, a \u201cRocky sucks!\u201d chant broke out.<\/p>\n<p>Video package:\u00a0 \u00a0The Bloodline vs. Cody Rhodes &amp; Seth Rollins<\/p>\n<p>Jackie Redmond was shown outside the Bloodline locker room. She said the Bloodline is riding high after Paul Heyman&#8217;s Hall of Fame induction last night. She threw to Byron Saxton outside of Cody Rhodes&#8217;s tour bus. He said he spoke with Cody earlier, and he said tonight was the most important match of his career. Byron threw to Kayla Braxton, who was outside of Seth Rollins&#8217;s locker room. She spoke of Seth&#8217;s dual matches on both nights of WrestleMania.<\/p>\n<p>Video package:\u00a0 \u00a0Rhea Ripley vs. Becky Lynch<\/p>\n<p>Panel:\u00a0 Punk said that Lynch isn&#8217;t washed, but we haven&#8217;t seen anyone like Ripley in a long time. Big E said this match would be about physicality, and cited her victory at the Mae Young Classic. The crowd started a \u201cMami\u201d chant.<\/p>\n<p>Video replay:\u00a0 Paul Levesque sit-down interview from WWE&#8217;s global headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-2859482059\" class=\"pwtor-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>Panel:\u00a0 Cole asked Punk about this being the \u201cTriple H Era.\u201d Punk said that everything is \u201cshockingly different\u201d from his last run in WWE. He said he asked himself if he wasted time, if he should&#8217;ve come back sooner, but that Big E told him that it was good and that Punk needed to get away. Pat said the only thing that hasn&#8217;t changed was the passion of wrestling fans.<\/p>\n<p>Video package: Jey Uso vs. Jimmy Uso<\/p>\n<p>Panel:\u00a0 Pat used a selfie stick to capture the crowd doing the \u201cYeet!\u201d salute. Big E said he&#8217;s known Jey for most of his career, and he said he&#8217;s truly proud of Jey for emerging from the tag scene to a main event status. Punk recalled Owen vs. Bret at WrestleMania Ten.<\/p>\n<p>Peter Rosenberg was shown at a local bar with Braun Strowman. He said he&#8217;d be nervous if he were Cody Rhodes, but he needs to finish his story. Strowman said American Mules were on him, and he began pouring drinks with a sponsoring vodka.<\/p>\n<p>Jackie was backstage with Sami Zayn. Zayn said it&#8217;s been a crazy day, and that reality is setting in for what&#8217;s about to go down tonight. Zayn was very deliberate here. He said he&#8217;s really nervous before a big fight, but he said this was not self-doubt \u2013 it&#8217;s the type of nerves you feel when you&#8217;re about to go to war. He said he&#8217;s going to ride these nerves into war.<\/p>\n<p>Panel:\u00a0 The panel made references to Rocky IV, comparing the 1985 blockbuster to Gunther vs. Zayn. Big E wondered how much tread is left on Zayn&#8217;s tires, and said he&#8217;s \u201cgoing to get his ass beat, over and over\u201d tonight. Pat said Gunther is going to slap the soul out of Zayn.<\/p>\n<p>Panel:\u00a0 Punk asked if everyone in tonight&#8217;s main event has their own bus, then referenced Lex Luger&#8217;s \u201cLex Express\u201d as another example of how much things have changed.<\/p>\n<p>Video package:\u00a0 WrestleMania history from Pat McAfee&#8217;s show<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-4156244564\" class=\"pwtor-content-1 pwtor-entity-placement\"><!-- Tag ID: pwtorchcom_test_300x600 -->\r\n<div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __300x600\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>Cathy Kelley was backstage with Trish Stratus. Stratus said that Lynch was the best she&#8217;s ever been in the ring with. She admitted to not having wrestled Ripley, so she doesn&#8217;t know if \u201cThe Man\u201d can overcome Ripley. Cathy asked if we could expect to see Stratus back in WWE anytime soon. Stratus simply said, \u201cYou just never know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Panel:\u00a0 Cole asked how difficult it is to hold a title for a year, as Ripley has. Punk said that holding a title that long makes everyone around you want to take you down a peg. Big E aid that Ripley has \u201chit her final form.\u201d Michael pitched to Kayle Braxton who was backstage with JBL. He said that he and his college buddies pooled their money to watch Hogan slam Andre at WrestleMania 3. When asked what match he was looking forward to, he cited Rey Mysterio &amp; Andrade vs. Escobar &amp; Dominik Mysterio. He called Rey a deadbeat dad, and was like Darth Vader: A horrible person who wears a mask. He compared Dominik to Ghandi and Nelson Mandela, enduring prison and becoming a role model. Regarding the main event, he said he never thought he&#8217;d see someone as dominant as Bruno Sammartino, but that Roman Reigns is that man.<\/p>\n<p>Video package:\u00a0 Kansas City Chiefs, Trey Smith, and young Joey<\/p>\n<p>Panel:\u00a0 \u00a0Yet another \u201cCM Punk\u201d chant broke out behind the panel. Jackie introduced Wade Barrett. He touted NXT&#8217;s \u201cStand and Deliver,\u201d which happened earlier in the day. Jackie asked about the repurcussions of Rhodes and Rollins losing tonight. Punk said tonight is about home field advantage for Sunday&#8217;s main event.<\/p>\n<p>Cathy Kelley was backstage with Finn Balor and Damien Priest. Priest said they are pissed off at the odds being stacked against them (the defending tag champs) in tonight&#8217;s six-pack tag team ladder match.<\/p>\n<p>Panel:\u00a0 Big E said, his New Day love aside, that he&#8217;s excited for R-Truth, and called him \u201cthe ageless wonder.\u201d He said he&#8217;s never had a WrestleMania moment, and at 52 years old, it&#8217;s his time. Jackie asked about the cold temperatures in a ladder match. Punk said there&#8217;s a \u201cshrinkage factor,\u201d and let that hang before saying, in a ladder match, \u201cyour will to compete shrinks.\u201d He urged Jackie to get her head out of the gutter. Jackie shrugged this off and threw to a video package.<\/p>\n<p>Video package:\u00a0 Philadelphia charitable organizations<\/p>\n<p>Panel:\u00a0 \u00a0Jackie asked about the debut of Jade Cargill. Punk said, \u201cHer name is Jade, she&#8217;s cut like a diamond.\u201d Punk and Big E acknowledged the significance of strong Black women being featured on this stage. Barrett said that Belair, Cargill, and Naomi are \u201chastily thrown together,\u201d and as such, they will struggle against Damage CTRL. Nick Aldis, SmackDown general manager, joined the panel. He said they are building a dynasty, and that he needs to look to the future. He said at the top of his list was Jade Cargill.<\/p>\n<p>Video package:\u00a0 \u201cWrestlemania 1,\u201d written and narrated by Michael Cole<\/p>\n<p>Cathy Kelley was backstage with Natalya. Natalya said she was most excited for \u201cYeet vs. No Yeet,\u201d Jey Uso vs. Jimmy Uso. She said she loves stories of sibling rivalry, and that we were due for another brother vs. Brother match.<\/p>\n<p>Kayla Braxton was backstage with Santos Escobar and Dominik Mysterio. Dominik said it doesn&#8217;t matter that Andrade is now Rey&#8217;s partner: The strategy is the same to destroy Rey Mysterio. Escobar said that Andrade is going to find out what happens when you turn your back on Escobar.<\/p>\n<p>Panel:\u00a0 \u00a0Punk said that Escobar and Punk need to go after whoever cut their hair, and suggested they start wearing masks. Big E said, \u201cImagine hating your dad so much that you team up with a group of strangers just to beat your dad&#8217;s ass again.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Video package:\u00a0 The Bloodline<\/p>\n<p>Video replay:\u00a0 \u00a0Lonnie Ali &amp; The Rock from last night&#8217;s Hall of Fame ceremony<\/p>\n<p>Video replay:\u00a0 Jackie Redmond interview with Rollins &amp; Rhodes<\/p>\n<p>Panel:\u00a0 Punk cited the emotional week Reigns has already had, what with inducting Paul Heyman into the Hall of Fame. He said the tag match is high-stakes for everybody. Big E says he loves a spectacle. He commandeered Pat&#8217;s selfie stick to show the dwindling fans behind the panel who had not yet taken their seats. Punk said that he can&#8217;t trust Seth Rollins because of the way he dresses. Barrett said that Rollins has made a big miscalculation, what with his match tomorrow against Drew McIntyre. He said it&#8217;s a mistake for Rollins to take part in tonight&#8217;s tag match. Barrett said Rhodes and Rollins will need luck on their side to overcome the Bloodline, and if the Bloodline wins tonight, it&#8217;s a \u201cguaranteed loss\u201d for Rhodes tomorrow against Reigns. Regarding Rollins vs. McIntyre, Punk said, \u201cIf anybody can do it&#8230; Well, it would&#8217;ve been me, but I got injured.\u201d Punk said he couldn&#8217;t focus because of the freezing cold, and tipped his hat to the fans in attendance. He urged the fans and panel alike to soak in this moment. Jackie said The Rock is \u201cthe people&#8217;s champ,\u201d but it sounds like \u201cthe people\u201d want Cody Rhodes as their champ.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"pwtor-end-article-groups pwtor-entity-placement\" id=\"pwtor-3776067850\"><div id=\"pwtor-2590012877\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\nTHANK YOU FOR VISITING<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>WRESTLEMANIA 40 NIGHT ONE KICKOFF SHOW REPORT APRIL 6, 2024 PHILADELPHIA, PA. AT LINCOLN FINANCIAL FIELD PEACOCK STREAMING SERVICE REPORT BY MIKE F. MEYERS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR Kickoff Panel:\u00a0 Pat McAfee, Big E, C.M. Punk, Michael <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2024\/04\/06\/wwe-wrestlemania-xl-kickoff-show-report-4-6-cm-punk-wade-barrett-pat-mcafee-jackie-redmond-michael-cole-preview-event-outside-stadium\/\" title=\"WWE WRESTLEMANIA XL KICKOFF SHOW REPORT (4\/6): CM Punk, Wade Barrett, Pat McAfee, Jackie Redmond, Michael Cole preview event outside stadium\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":164286,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18,4349,20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-176409","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tvshowsandevents","category-wwe-ppv-kickoff-show","category-tv_wwetvreports"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2023\/08\/Screenshot-2023-08-21-at-1.21.11-PM.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/176409","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=176409"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/176409\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":176410,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/176409\/revisions\/176410"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/164286"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=176409"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=176409"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=176409"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}