WrestleMania 40 – live: Updates, match card and results from night one as The Rock returns

Ripley with a splash from the top rope. 1, 2, no 3! Lynch kicks out…

The pair fight on, and Ripley uses the Riptide to smash Lynch into the corner! One more Riptide in the middle of the ring, and Ripley pins Lynch!

And still! Ripley retains her world title, as her reign passes the year mark!

Lynch with a leg drop from the top rope, but Ripley reverses with a leg lock! Lynch is able to roll up Ripley, and the referee counts… but the champion kicks out.

The pair stand, and Ripley tries her finisher – the Riptide – but Lynch reverses and slams the Aussie! 1… 2… NO! Another kickout by Ripley.

The pair keep battling, and Ripley manages to land the Riptide this time! Lynch crashes to the mat, but she’s able to kick out of the resulting pinfall – barely!

Ripley scales the ring post, but Lynch races after her. Suplex from the top rope by Lynch! She immediately follows up with an armbar, but Ripley stands and lifts the Irishwoman… The pair flip over the top rope, but Ripley is somehow still holding Lynch aloft!

She slams Lynch and then rolls her back into the ring…

Lynch with a tornado DDT, springing off the middle rope. She covers Ripley, who kicks out.

The women move to the outside, where Lynch suplexes Ripley into the barricade! She drags the Aussie back into the ring before jumping from the top rope with a leg drop! Ripley kicks out of another pin.

Another aerial move by Lynch, but Ripley shows off her strength to catch the challenger and slam her down! Then a huge boot to the face by Ripley, who covers Lynch – but the Irishwoman kicks out.

As the pair are lying on the mat, Lynch goes for an armbar, but Ripley is able to stand and slam Lynch again! She lifts the challenger again for another powerbomb, then one more! Lynch kicks out of the ensuing pinfall attempt.

Lynch stands and is hit with some headbutts and another boot by Ripley. Lynch with another kickout, and Ripley shouts in frustration. A slapping contest follows, before Ripley charges at Lynch but crashes into the ring post!

Lynch has reportedly been unwell this week, suffering from strep throat. She and Ripley circle each other then lock up. Ripley, the bigger athlete, shoves Lynch to the mat, but the Irishwoman stands and slaps the champion. Ripley responds in kind.

The pair fight by the ropes, before Lynch moves onto the apron and scales the corner. She leaps from the top rope with a dropkick! Ripley is soon back up, and the women trade strikes in the centre of the ring, before Ripley delivers a couple of impressive slams.

Ripley goes for a suplex, holding Lynch above her for some time, but the challenger reverses with a roll-up pin attempt! Ripley kicks out. In the ensuing striking exchange, Ripley lands a dropkick.

It’s Ripley’s turn to climb the corner and leap from the top rope, but Lynch reverses with an arm drag.

WrestleMania 40 begins with Rhea Ripley vs Becky Lynch!

Australian Ripley defends her world title against Lynch, a former world champion herself.

Ireland’s Lynch emerges first, after a recording plays of the superstar reading an excerpt from her autobiography (which was published a matter of days ago).

Now here comes Ripley, with a band – Motionless In White – playing her entrance music live!

Here we go, then… WrestleMania 40, night one, is under way!

The US national anthem is sung by Coco Jones to get things started. “U-S-A” chants follow in Philly…

And Triple H’s music hits! He makes his way to the ring and plays to the crowd.

“Man, I live for this,” he says. “Welcome to a new time, welcome to a new era, welcome to WrestleMania!”

A short and sweet intro from the former multi-time world champion, who is now WWE’s COO and head of creative.

The main card is 20 minutes away! Here’s one last rundown of tonight’s matches (working backwards from the main event):

The Bloodline (The Rock and Roman Reigns) vs Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins

Rhea Ripley (C) vs Becky Lynch – WWE Women’s World Championship

Gunther (C) vs Sami Zayn – WWE Intercontinental Championship

The Judgment Day (Finn Balor and Damian Priest) (C) vs #DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa) vs The Awesome Truth (The Miz and R-Truth) vs The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods) vs A-Town Down Under (Austin Theory and Grayson Waller) vs New Catch Republic (Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate) – Undisputed WWE Tag-Team Championship ladder match

Bianca Belair, Jade Cargill and Naomi vs Damage CTRL (Dakota Kai, Asuka, and Kairi Sane) – Six-woman tag-team match

Latino World Order (Rey Mysterio and Dragon Lee) vs Santos Escobar and “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio – Tag-team match

As well as covering the topics seen in the posts below, Ollie asked Gunther and Bayley to preview a number of the biggest matches at WrestleMania 40.

Read Ollie’s full preview of the event, featuring Gunther and Bayley’s thoughts, here:

Ollie also interviewed former Women’s Champion Bayley, who challenges Iyo Sky for the gold tomorrow night:

Ahead of WrestleMania 40, our own Ollie Browning interviewed Gunther – the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion of all time – who is preparing to defend his title against Sami Zayn this evening.

Here’s an excerpt from Ollie’s conversation with the Austrian: