Cody Rhodes finished his story Sunday night at WrestleMania 40, answering the biggest question entering the two-night event.

The American Nightmare's defining moment was far from the only takeaway from a blockbuster show that also included the latest defense from United States champion Logan Paul, Bayley's epic night and one of the greatest Money in the Bank cash-ins of all time.

Relive Night 2 with these takeaways, compiled by B/R's Erik Beaston (@ErikBeaston) and Graham Matthews (@WrestleRant).

Damian Priest Salvages Money in the Bank with Best Cash-In in Years

Damian Priest's lengthy and near-record setting stint as Mr. Money in the Bank created doubt among fans that he'd ultimately trade in the guaranteed title shot for championship gold.

All signs seemed to point to him being the latest failure in a long line of underwhelming or flat-out abysmal cash-ins.

Despite that, his World Heavyweight Championship victory to open WrestleMania 40 couldn't have been booked better and was easily among the best cash-ins in the last decade.

An argument can be made that Baron Corbin, Braun Strowman, Austin Theory and others having flat MITB runs nearly killed the concept and that retiring it for a few years wouldn't have been unreasonable.

Priest's extended stay in the tag team division indicated he wasn't factored into any immediate main event plans, but coming out of WrestleMania 40, he has a ready-made rivalry with now-former champ Drew McIntyre as well as a potential split from The Judgment Day on the horizon.

There's plenty of work that still needs to be done in regards to establishing him as a certified main event player, but the fashion in which he captured the title simultaneously provided him with a much-needed momentum boost and got his reign off to the strongest start possible. — GM

CM Punk's Value Extends Beyond The Ring

Sunday was not the first time CM Punk was minding his own business when he was antagonized by a well-known professional wrestler expecting him to do nothing about it, only to catch a beatdown.

However, it was the first time it cost the wrestler a world championship.

Moments after Drew McIntyre defeated Seth Rollins to win the World Heavyweight Championship, he could not help but head to the commentary table. He taunted The Straight Edge Superstar, only to catch an unexpected assault at the hands of Punk.

Cue Damian Priest and the greatest Money in the Bank cash-in this side of Rollins and Edge.

Punk proved that his value extends beyond the role of in-ring competitor and into that as a catalyst of stories and angles that can enhance characters around him.

His role in establishing McIntyre as an arch-troll entering WrestleMania was undeniable. From the injury at the Royal Rumble and the weeks of back-and-forth on social media that followed, he was the foundation of The Scottish Warrior's character.

This was all done without ever stepping foot inside the squared circle.

As Punk continues his recovery from injury, he will be an integral part of WWE TV, further fueling the Scot's vendetta against him. He can also factor into Priest's championship run, telling him he is responsible for The Archer of Infamy's success.

Then there is Rollins, whose dislike for Punk is well-documented.

The storyline directions are plentiful and meaningful, making Punk one of the most valuable assets to WWE creatively, even if he is months away from lacing up a pair of boots. —EB

LA Knight Remains Main Event-Bound

The raucous reactions from the crowd for LA Knight from the better part of the past eight months have been undeniable, even when his booking hasn't always reflected it.

WWE's decision to hot-shot him to SmackDown's main event scene in the final few months left him with nowhere to go but down, as there was never a chance he was winning world title gold from Roman Reigns at that stage.

Although his recent rivalry with AJ Styles has cooled him off considerably, his standing with the fans has never wavered. He had a near-capacity Lincoln Financial Field heavily behind him at WrestleMania, treating him like a main event-caliber competitor.

Unless the upcoming WWE draft shakes up the SmackDown and Raw rosters significantly, winning a world title is most likely not in The Megastar's immediate future. However, capturing his first singles title in either the Intercontinental Championship or the United States Championship soon is very much a possibility.

Knight being as over as he is can't go unnoticed by WWE brass for much longer. A WrestleMania win over Styles is an encouraging sign of where he's headed next, but keeping him hot at an elite level should be a top priority for the company going forward. — GM

Logan Paul Wins Fans Over in 'Awesome' Title Defense

Logan Paul may be an insufferable heel with a penchant for hyping Prime and inviting his friends to take big bumps on the WrestleMania stage, but he also consistently proves himself to be a talented in-ring performer, as evidenced in his latest victory Sunday night.

The social media star defeated Kevin Owens and Randy Orton in a Triple Threat match to successfully defend the United States Championship.

Along the way, he turned the venom of the WWE Universe, complete with irreverent chants of "Gatorade" and "We want water," into a declaration of "This is awesome."

Paul has managed to mesh his obnoxious on-screen personality with undeniable athleticism to create a character that is easy to hate but also impossible to deny from an in-ring perspective. He always shows out and has fans chanting appreciation of his matches as they did Sunday.

The Maverick will not win any popularity contests, but he has earned the respect of even his harshest critics, setting him up for success unforeseen when he first set foot inside the squared circle on the grandest stage two years ago. —EB

Bayley Shines as Singles Star Again

Bayley has spent so much time on the back-burner of the WWE women's division that the tremendous amount of talent and contributions she's made for women's wrestling have been slept on by fans and officials alike.

Her return to singles stardom was always inevitable, and having it come in the form of an overdue WrestleMania win against longtime protégé Iyo Sky was beautifully fitting.

The organic groundswell of support for The Role Model has been building for months and it was imperative that it be paid off in her title match with Sky.

Bayley's last dominant run in singles competition came back in 2020 during WWE's infamous pandemic era, when she held the SmackDown Women's Championship for over a year and carried the division on her back alongside Sasha Banks.

With Jade Cargill bursting onto the scene, Naomi returning, Tiffany Stratton getting called up, Bianca Belair waiting in the wings and Sky possibly pursuing a rematch, there is no shortage of challengers for her in the months ahead.

As a babyface for the first time in five years, Bayley is back on top and where she belongs. —GM

Cody Rhodes' Win Is Perfect Final Act of Epic Story

One year after a conclusion that left fans infuriated, WWE stuck the landing Sunday night in Philadelphia as Cody Rhodes finished his story, defeating Roman Reigns to win the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship in the main event of WrestleMania 40.

It was the culmination of professional wrestling excellence that saw greats of today and legends of yesteryear step up and counter the interference of The Bloodline, including cameos from John Cena and The Undertaker, leading to The American Nightmare delivering three Cross Rhodes to end The Tribal Chief's historic reign.

Rhodes' Avengers righted the injustices of the last four years. They made the change they wanted to see and ended the oppressive rule of Reigns and his family.

On a weekend when much was made of a "new era" in WWE, there was great urgency to pay off the year-long journey back to the grandest stage.

In a company that was previously guilty of overthinking things or getting too cute for its own good, everyone involved executed their roles perfectly to ensure this particular story got the ending it needed and deserved.

The result is a fresh start under Triple H, who has a long-term approach to storytelling and an ability to keep multiple names hot at the same time, and a champion who has had a vision for where the industry is going since he and his friends formed All Elite Wrestling five years ago. —EB