WWE WrestleMania 39 Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights of Night 2 | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

The pomp, circumstance and raw emotion all led to the most anticipated WrestleMania main event in recent memory.

Cody Rhodes received a hero's entrance before greeting his family and giving the late Brodie Lee's son his weightlifting belt.

Roman Reigns entered with pianos and pyro leading him. The fans in SoFi Stadium were ready for The American Nightmare to end The Tribal Chief's reign of terror and bring about a new era in WWE.

All the pieces were there. The moment was right. The crowd was at a fever pitch.

And Reigns retained anyway.

A brilliant, red-hot main event that featured some of the most dramatic near-falls in 'Mania history concluded with a referee bump, interference from The Usos, and Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens making the save.

By the time Rhodes uncorked the Bionic Elbow, added his brother's drop-down uppercut and delivered consecutive Cross Rhodes to his opponent, it seemed clear he was going to take the title in a defining moment.

Then, Solo Sikoa, who had been dismissed earlier from the ringside for interference, returned and delivered a Samoan Spike. Reigns speared Rhodes, the referee counted to three, and 80,000 fans in SoFi Stadium sat in stunned silence.

Opportunities such as the one that presented itself Sunday night to create top-level talent and alter the course of wrestling history are fleeting. They do not come around often and must be seized when they do.

WWE whiffed Sunday. Hard.

Life was sucked out of the arena. The goodwill built via Night 1 was gone. The most prestigious night in wrestling was suddenly defined by anger and sadness, not at Reigns because he is a great heel, but because WWE managed to mess up the most obvious finish in recent memory.

There are only so many times one can turn over the fans before they stop coming back. WWE skirted dangerously close with the decision to end 'Mania with Reigns still world champion.

The grade may say "A+," but that is merely for the in-ring content, which was near-flawless, but everything else represents one of the biggest creative misfires in WWE history.

Reigns defeated Rhodes to retain

Top Moments

• Rhodes presented the late Brodie Lee's son, also Brodie, with his weightlifting belt at ringside before embracing his daughter, Liberty in an emotional moment before the match.
• "Who owns the Island of Relevancy? They pay for you!" Heyman told a visibly frustrated Reigns early on.
• Rhodes attempted the Disaster Kick, but Reigns caught him and powerbombed him for two.
• Sikoa jabbed Rhodes in the ribs with a steel chair, undetected by the official.
• Rhodes back body-dropped Reigns off the Spanish announce table and through the U.S. one, giving The American Nightmare a reprieve from the concentrated attack on his ribs.
• Sikoa then used the weightlifting belt given to Brodie to strike Rhodes. This time, referee Dan Englert ejected him from ringside.
• The Tribal Chief caught his challenger with a Spear on the rebound but could only keep him down for two.
• The Usos started to interfere in the match but were seen off by Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn.