Reviews

TJR: WWE WrestleMania 42 – Saturday & Sunday Full Review

By John Canton • Published Apr 20, 2026 09:19 EDT
WWE WrestleMania 42 Review TJRWrestling 2026
WWE WrestleMania 42 Review - Images via WWE.com

This is a review of both nights of WWE WrestleMania 42, with the Cody Rhodes-Randy Orton match headlining Saturday and Roman Reigns-CM Punk main eventing Sunday.

WWE WrestleMania 42 took place on April 18 & 19th at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. WWE announced over 100,000 people were in attendance for the two nights of shows, so while it may not have been as big as some past WrestleManias in terms of the crowd, the cost of tickets was higher than ever, so the total gate was likely massive.

I covered both nights of WrestleMania live. Now it’s time to combine those two reviews. What you’ll get below are over 14,000 words covering WrestleMania 42 in detail. Enjoy.

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WWE WrestleMania 42 (Saturday)
From Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada
Saturday, April 18, 2026

There was a video package narrated by actor Lin-Manuel Miranda talking about how there’s no bigger stage than WrestleMania. It’s an excellent video that showed WrestleMania history along with clips of the current stars. I liked the line: “It happens once, and it’s forever.” Well said. Anyway, it did an excellent job of setting the stage for WrestleMania.

John Cena Welcomes Us To WrestleMania

The host of WrestleMania, John Cena, made his entrance as the host of WrestleMania and he was wearing a suit. Cena did a walk down the ramp while the fans cheered him. Cena ended up jogging the last half of the ramp, probably because if he walked, it would take a long time. The fans popped big time for Cena as usual.

John Cena thanked the fans for the love. Cena said he’s a long-time fan and long-time performer, but first-time host, so how is he doing so far? The fans cheered. Cena said that the road to WrestleMania has been unpredictable. Cena said it has been very, very vocal. Cena remarked to Michael Cole that it’s very polarizing. Cena said that this is the moment he loves the most on the road to WrestleMania. Cena said that the time to talk is up and the time to deliver is now. Cena said we are here to see who will step up and deliver. Cena said it’s such a great honor…Welcome to WrestleMania! The pyro went off in the stadium, and I really like the set.

Analysis: A fine speech from John Cena to welcome us to the show. Perhaps he’ll be part of some skits later, but for now, this was just a simple speech to welcome the fans to the show. Simple enough.

The Usos made their entrance from the crowd and the fans were going crazy for them with some Yeeting as usual. They are 9-time WWE Tag Team Champions, and the fans loved them as usual. LA Knight was up next and he arrived in a truck that said LA Knight on it.

It was Michael Cole and Wade Barrett on commentary at ringside. Barrett praised Cole for calling WrestleMania for the 25th time. Alicia Taylor was the ring announcer.

Logan Paul’s music hit as The Vision logo appeared with the World Tag Team Champions Logan Paul and Austin Theory. They were joined by IShowSpeed, who is a popular streamer, and he’s in great shape. It is Paul’s 5th WrestleMania match, so the dude is a veteran now.

LA Knight and The Usos – Jimmy & Jey Uso vs. The Vision – Logan Paul, Austin Theory & IShowSpeed

The Usos hit superkicks on Paul and Knight to knock them out of the ring. Knight showed off his power by lifting Speed during a headlock attempt and Knight hit a clothesline on Speed. After Knight knocked Paul off the apron, Speed hit a body slam on Knight. Speed celebrated that, and then he tagged in Paul. Knight slammed Paul into the turnbuckle and stomped on Paul repeatedly. Jey worked over Paul with punches. Jimmy tagged in for a double team elbow drop. Theory made a tag and flipped into the ring, leading to a dropkick on Jimmy. Theory and Paul hit a double suplex on Jimmy. Speed tagged in, so Jimmy hit him with a suplex. Paul was back in with a forearm on Jimmy. After Jimmy hit an uppercut, Jimmy jumped off the top with a corkscrew body attack to knock Paul down. Jey got the tag against Theory with punches, and Jey ran the ropes, leading to a Spear for two because Paul made the save. Paul hit a gutwrench Powerbomb on Jey and Jimmy superkicked Paul. Theory punched Jimmy. Theory sent Jey into the ring post. Jimmy superkicked Theory to knock him down. Speed got in there with a headscissors on Jimmy. Knight went for BFT, but Speed shoved Knight into the ropes and Paul got knocked off the apron to the floor. Theory yelled at Speed about that. Speed charged, so Knight shoved Theory into Speed and knocked Speed down. Knight hit a BFT on Theory for the pinfall win. It went 7:10.

Winners by pinfall: LA Knight and The Usos – Jimmy & Jey Uso

Analysis: **3/4 It was a decent match that was fine for the time given, but certainly not a memorable match or anything like that. I thought it made sense for Knight and The Usos to get the win here, so I got that prediction right. The story became about Paul and Theory not being happy with Speed for his actions in the match, while Speed acted like he didn’t do anything. The post match angle is why the match wasn’t longer because it took a few minutes.

After the match, Logan Paul went into the ring and yelled at Speed for losing. Paul punched Speed to knock him down. Paul said that Speed ruined it. Paul sent Speed out of the ring. Paul set up Speed on the commentary table. Paul went up top, but The Usos stopped him, and The Usos hit 1D on Paul. Knight saved Speed and put him in the ring. Knight put Paul on the commentary table and punched him a few times. Speed went up top. Speed went on top of the ring post, and they went to a Drone camera as Speed jumped off the top with an I Show Splash, as Cole called it. It was impressive Frog Splash by Speed that put Paul through the table. The Usos and Knight celebrated with Speed.

Analysis: It was a fun post match angle as IShowSpeed showed off his athleticism with that impressive splash through the table. Good job by him.

The Usos were featured in a Snickers commercial.

A video aired about Hulk Hogan’s Netflix documentary covering WrestleMania 3 with Andre the Giant. I think this was during commercials for some fans because there was a clock on screen counting down from about four minutes.

Jacob Fatu made his entrance for the Unsanctioned Match, which has no rules, and nobody will be held liable for what happens. The 4-time WWE World Heavyweight Champion Drew McIntyre made his entrance with a sword in his hand as he slowly made his way down to the ring for this fight.

Unsanctioned Match: Jacob Fatu vs. Drew McIntyre

The referee was wearing gloves to make it look different from a regular match. Fatu attacked Drew on the floor before Drew could get his jacket off. Fatu sent Drew into the ring apron and the ring post. Fatu sent Drew over the barricade at ringside. Fatu pulled two tables out from ringside and tossed six chairs into the ring. Fatu kicked Drew to keep him down. Fatu dumped a toolbox into the ring. Drew avoided the toolbox attack because he was busted open big time against CM Punk in Hell in a Cell because of a toolbox attack. Drew tripped up Fatu and then sent Fatu into the side of the ring apron. Drew did a catapult to send Fatu into the steel bars under the ring. Fatu tackled Drew into the ring post. Fatu charged at Drew, who hit a lariat, and Fatu flipped. Drew got his phone from his brother and did his “Bored At Work” tweet that he’s done at WrestleMania for the last few years. Back in the ring, Fatu hit two clotheslines and a running senton. Fatu hit a clothesline against the turnbuckle, followed by headbutts. Fatu hit a running hip attack against the turnbuckle. Fatu hit a popup Samoan Drop for a two count. Drew got back up with a headbutt to stop Fatu from doing a chair shot. Fatu charged, Drew avoided it and Fatu hit the ring post on a splash attempt. Drew hit a German Suplex and Fatu did a moonsault bump, leading to a roll out of the ring. Drew ran the ropes and hit a somersault dive over the top onto Fatu on the floor. Impressive move by a 270-pound man! Drew sent Fatu back into the ring for a Claymore Kick, but Fatu moved. Fatu sent Drew into a chair that was against the turnbuckle. Fatu jumped off the top with the Mighty Moonsault and it only got a two count. The announcers weren’t sure if anybody had ever kicked out of that.

Drew got a hold of the wrench and hit Fatu in the left knee with it. Drew put the wrench against Fatu’s head and then Drew laughed about it. Drew picked up Fatu and gave him a suplex into a slam through two steel chairs for a two count. Fatu’s back only hit one of the chairs. Drew made referee Dan Engler give Drew his belt, so Drew took the leather belt and Fatu was back up with a superkick. Fatu hit Drew in the back with a chair two times in a row. Fatu smacked Drew in the back with the leather belt about five times in a row. Engler put his belt back on. Fatu got the toolbox, turned around and Drew was back up with a Claymore Kick for a two count. Fatu barely kicked out by getting his right shoulder up at two. Drew and Fatu exchanged strikes as the fans reacted to each shot. Fatu headbutted Drew repeatedly to knock Drew down to the mat. Fatu set up Drew on the Slim Jim table in the middle of the ring. Fatu hit Drew in the ribs/elbow while Drew was on a table. Fatu went up top, so Drew tossed a chair at Fatu’s head. Drew hit Fatu in the back with a chair shot. Drew shoved Fatu off the top and Fatu did a somersault dive off the top and through the table that was set up on the floor. Drew put Fatu into the ring. Fatu came back with two superkicks to knock Drew down. Fatu hit Drew with the toolbox and it looked like Fatu protected him well with that. Fatu went up top and hit a Mighty Moonsault to put Drew through the table in the ring. Fatu covered for the pinfall win. It went 14:05.

Winner by pinfall: Jacob Fatu

Analysis: ***3/4 I thought it was a great match that was full of creative spots and plenty of weapons used throughout the match. I’m not surprised that it ended with a table bump since weapons were a big part of the match. Fatu nailed that Mighty Moonsault perfectly for the win. I thought McIntrye was excellent in the match as usual, while Fatu put on an impressive performance as well. I picked McIntyre to win the match, but I certainly don’t mind a babyface win for Fatu to end the rivalry, at least for now.

That was the end of the ESPN2 free broadcast. Five matches to go and fans in the US had to watch it on ESPN Unlimited. It doesn’t affect me in Canada since I’m watching on Netflix.

There was another 4-minute video showing clips of the Hulk Hogan documentary on Netflix. I know that means ads on the US broadcast.

They showed the Spanish commentary team at ringside. Cole and Barrett went over the remaining five matches. The Women’s Tag Team Title Match was up next.

Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair were up first as former Women’s Tag Team Champions. They wore unique outfits for their entrances. Lyra Valkyria and Bayley were up next. They have never been Women’s Tag Team Champions together, but they have been with other partners. They made their entrance to Lyra’s theme song. The Irresistible Forces team of Nia Jax and Lash Legend wore some Demolition-style gear, but it was all white. Looks good. Demolition’s Ax & Smash were at ringside.

The Bella Twins made their entrance, and Nikki had her left foot in a boot. Nikki said she wasn’t cleared to return from the injury, but she called an old friend to take her place in the match. It’s Paige! The fans gave Paige a huge ovation, and she looked ready to go. Paige’s classic WWE theme song played while the fans were going wild for her.

Analysis: I’m so happy to see Paige back in a WWE ring officially. She has been through a lot in her career, including a serious neck injury, and I’m so glad she’s been able to make the WWE comeback she has wanted for a long time. This was reported on Friday, and now it’s happening.

WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships: Irresistible Forces – Nia Jax & Lash Legend vs. Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss vs. Bayley & Lyra Valkyria vs. Paige & Brie Bella (w/Nikki Bella)

One member from each team will be legal at all times. The first fall wins. I think if it were an Elimination Match, it would be better, but it’s first fall wins.

Flair hit an impressive cross body block on Jax early on. Lyra hit a spin kick on Flair. Brie worked over Flair and Lyra with the Yes Kicks. Brie hit an enziguri kick on Lyra. Jax pulled Brie out of the ring and sent Brie into the barricade. Lash gave Brie a Chokeslam onto the ring apron. Flair kicked Jax off the apron. Lash hit a pump kick to knock Flair down. Flair hit a boot on Lash and Bliss tagged in with a DDT off the turnbuckle. Bayley tagged in with an elbow smash, Lyra tagged in with a clothesline and Bayley jumped off the middle turnbuckle with an elbow drop for two because Lash broke up the pin. Lash stopped Brie from tagging out. Lash hit a double Powerbomb on Bliss and Lyra off the turnbuckle. Brie hit a missile dropkick on Lash. The fans were getting into it. Flair, Bayley and Jax tagged in as Flair hit a boot on Bayley. Paige got the tag against Jax. Page worked over Jax with kicks and clotheslines on the others. Paige hit a Fisherman’s Suplex on Bayley. Paige worked over Lash with knees. A camera dude fell down at ringside. Paige jumped off the top with a cross body block, but Lyra caught her. Paige hit her Paige Turner neckbreaker on Lyra for two because Bayley made the save. Jax hit a Samoan Drop on Bayley. Lyra flipped Nia and Brie out of the ring. Lash hit a Lash Extension on Lyra, but the pin was broken up. Paige and Flair superkicked Lash and clotheslined Lash out of the ring. Flair and Paige faced off as the fans erupted. Flair and Paige exchanged forearms as the fans reacted to each shot. Flair chopped Paige and Paige countered Flair into a cradle for two. Flair hit a Natural Selection on Paige. Bliss got the tag, Nikki pulled Flair out of the ring, and Nikki hit Flair with the crutch two times. Bliss jumped off the top with Twisted Bliss, Paige got the knees up and Paige hit Rampaige DDT for the pinfall win at 8:37.

Winners by pinfall AND NEW WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions: Paige & Brie Bella

Analysis: *** A solid match that was full of action and a happy ending as Paige and Brie Bella became the new Women’s Tag Team Champions, thanks to Nikki beating up Charlotte Flair with the crutch on the floor. It’s one of those things where if you bring in a substitute in a match like this, then you often see that person win a title in a match like this. I thought if Nikki Bella was healthy, then The Bella Twins were going to win, but with Nikki out, I thought maybe WWE would delay that title change because it’s not The Bella Twins winning together. However, it still works fine with Brie and Paige. I don’t mind it at all. I would have liked to see the match get more time to tell more of a story, but they did do a nice job of building to Paige’s hot tag.

Paige and The Bella Twins celebrated as the Women’s Tag Team Champions. Paige was very emotional with good reason and the fans loved it.

Analysis: I’m genuinely happy for Paige. It’s been a long journey for her in wrestling and to get back to WWE like this and win a title in her first match back is pretty cool.

A sneak peek was shown of the new Mandalorian and Grogu movie on May 22nd.

There was another Hulk Hogan video shown from his Netflix documentary to fill four minutes. This time, they showed the NWO heel turn from 1996. Good stuff.

They showed comedians Tony Hinchcliffe and Jeffrey Ross at ringside. There were also fans wearing Drumstick ice cream merchandise.

Becky Lynch made her entrance as The Wonder Years were on the stage to sing her theme song. I am getting used to the song, and they did a nice job with the performance.

AJ Lee made her entrance as the Women’s Intercontinental Champion. There were about 20 or so little girls dressed like AJ Lee, and they did the Lee skip down to the ring while also holding replica Intercontinental Titles. That was a cool entrance.

WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship: AJ Lee vs. Becky Lynch

The action spilled to the floor quickly and Lynch hit a fallaway slam into the barricade. Back in the ring, Lynch jumped off the top with a leg drop on Lee for a two count. Lynch hit a Bexploder for a two count. Lynch took the top turnbuckle pad off, so referee Jessika Carr stopped it and put the pad back on. Carr called Lynch absolutely insane. Lee got an inside cradle on Lynch for two. Lee got a knee up to hit Lynch in the face, and Lee hit a clothesline. Lynch came back with a forearm to the jaw. Lee tripped up Lynch by the ropes. Lee hit a missile dropkick for a two count. Lee hit a neckbreaker and when Lee charged, Lynch caught her with a Powerbomb for a two count. Lee hit an arm drag, along with a kick to the back of the neck. Lynch avoided the submission and swung Lee into the turnbuckle. Lynch hit a Manhandle Slam on Lee for a two count. Lynch stomped on Lee repeatedly and Lynch got in Carr’s face. Carr fired back to tell Lynch to get out of her face. Lynch shoved Carr, so Carr shoved Lynch back. Lynch charged at Carr, who avoided it and Lee got a hold of Lynch with a Manhandle Slam for a two count. Good nearfall there. Lynch and Lee exchanged forearms. Lee jumped on Lynch’s back for the Black Widow submission, and Lynch was able to get to the ropes. Lynch punched Lee to break free. Lynch exposed the turnbuckle. When Lee charged, Lynch pulled Carr in front and Lee hit Carr by accident. Lynch sent Lee into the exposed steel that was exposed. Lynch hit a Manhandle Slam on Lee for the pinfall win to win the Women’s IC Title at 8:20.

Winner by pinfall AND NEW Women’s Intercontinental Champion: Becky Lynch

Analysis: ***1/4 A cheap win by Lynch to win back the Women’s IC Title. I’m not sure what kind of contract Lee has and how many matches she’s going to wrestle, so maybe it’s just a case of Lee taking a break after this and WWE wanting to get the title on Lynch again. It was a crafty heel finish that certainly could lead to complaints since Lynch pulled the referee in front of her and still got the win right after it. I don’t mind Lynch as champion because Lynch is incredible, but it’s been done for a third time now. I thought their match at Elimination Chamber was better, and it got more time, so that helped that match too.

Becky Lynch celebrated with the Women’s Intercontinental Champion. She’s a 3-time Women’s IC Champion now.

Analysis: Just a general thought on the show so far. I’m surprised that 3 of the first 4 matches have been under 10 minutes. I didn’t expect that.

We got the “We’ll Be Right Back” video on Netflix with a clock running over 3 minutes.

They showed actor and boxer Chuck Zito at ringside. George Kittle drank another beer at ringside! Boxer Terence Crawford was at ringside too. Comedian Funny Marco and boxer Conor Benn were also at ringside.

Gunther was up next with three matches left to go on WrestleMania Saturday. Cole mentioned Gunther lost the last two years against Jey Uso and Sami Zayn, and both of those matches were title matches. Cole also mentioned Gunther ended the careers of Goldberg, John Cena, and AJ Styles in the last year as well.

Seth “Freakin” Rollins made his entrance for his first televised match since last October at Crown Jewel. The fans were singing along with his song as usual. Cole mentioned it was Seth’s 15th WrestleMania. Rollins had a jacket on and smoke coming out of the jacket on his way to the ring, so Cole said it was like a Phoenix rising from the ashes. Good description.

Seth Rollins vs. Gunther

Gunther hit a running dropkick, a German Suplex and a Powerbomb, so Rollins rolled out of the ring. When Gunther left the ring, Rollins gouged the eyes and sent Gunther against the barricade. Rollins tossed Gunther over the commentary table. Rollins threw a chair at Gunther’s back. They got into the ring as the bell rang to start the match.

Rollins worked over Gunther with some kicks, but Gunther was back up with a lariat to knock Rollins down. Gunther worked over Rollins with kicks to the back. Gunther elbowed Rollins in the head. Gunther and Rollins exchanged palm strikes. Gunther put his boot on Seth’s throat to continue the attack. Gunther sent Rollins face first into the top turnbuckle. Gunther went for a superplex, but Rollins slipped out of that and Rollins hit a Buckle Bomb into the turnbuckle. Gunther avoided a Stomp and hit a German Suplex. Rollins hit a German Suplex of his own, but Gunther was back up with a clothesline. Rollins was back up with a clothesline. Gunther and Rollins exchanged strikes as they fought back up to their feet. Gunther chopped Rollins into the turnbuckle. Rollins fought back with his own chops. The referee made Rollins back off, so Gunther hit a Powerbomb into a stacked pin for a two count. Gunther nailed Rollins with a clothesline. Gunther bounced off the ropes and hit another clothesline. Rollins tried to counter Gunther into a move, but Gunther hit a back body drop. Rollins with a kick and a knee smash. Rollins wanted a Pedigree, Gunther got out of that and Rollins was holding onto it and Rollins hit a Pedigree. Rollins hit The Stomp for the one…two…no! Gunther got his shoulder up for a two count.

Rollins went up top, jumped off, Gunther moved and Rollins landed on his feet. Rollins went for a rollup for two, but Gunther countered it into a Sleeper and the fans reacted to that as a big move. Rollins was back up to his feet with a discus forearm. Rollins hit another discus forearm. Gunther came back with a clothesline. Gunther wanted to go up top, but Rollins jumped up there and Rollins hit a superplex, followed by a Falcon Arrow for a two count. That’s a classic Rollins sequence. Rollins applied a Sleeper on Gunther and the fans were going crazy, but Gunther got his foot on the bottom rope. Rollis ran the ropes and hit a suicide dive on Gunther. Rollins hit a second suicide dive. Rollins went for a third suicide dive, but Gunther got him. Gunther gave Rollins a Powerbomb on the apron. Gunther gave Rollins a Powerbomb on the commentary table. Rollins countered Gunther and hit a Pedigree on the commentary table. They were on the floor for a long time. Rollins jumped off one commentary table and hit Gunther with a Stomp on the commentary table. Bron Breakker ran down to ringside and hit a Spear on Rollins on the floor. The referee never saw it, apparently, because he was checking on Gunther on the floor. Gunther was back in the ring, Rollins was selling the Spear and Gunther applied the Sleeper hold. Rollins passed out in the hold, so Gunther got the win. It went 15:48.

Winner by submission: Gunther

Analysis: ****1/4 Awesome match. It got to that four-star level in my opinion. They are two of the best in-ring performers who wrestled a fast-paced match early on, then it slowed down, and they hit big moves. Those crowd reactions to the Sleeper show that the move that Gunther has won some big matches has a lot of credibility with the fans. As for the Bron Breakker appearance costing Seth Rollins, if you read my preview, then you know I called it. Just saying. Anyway, I hope we get a Gunther-Rollins rematch again soon. I’m glad that they got nearly 20 minutes because this match needed that. It was even longer with the action before the bell rang.

After the match, Rollins was out on the floor selling the attack as he looked at Breakker at the top of the ramp. Breakker ran down the ramp at a very fast speed, as usual for him, and hit a Spear on Rollins at ringside. I guess Seth could have tried to move, but he didn’t and he took the Spear. Breakker was greeted by his manager, Paul Heyman, at the top of the ramp.

Analysis: That was cool. I look forward to the Bron Breakker-Seth Rollins rivalry in the months ahead. Working with Rollins will help Breakker grow into a main eventer.

There was a Highlight of the Night video showing Paige’s WWE return.

The WWE Hall of Fame inductees were on the stage: The families of Hulk Hogan & Andre The Giant accepting the Immortal Moment, the family of Bad News Brown, Celebrity Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman, Ax & Smash of Demolition, Legacy Hall of Fame inductee Sid Vicious was represented by his family and AJ Styles. Stephanie McMahon also walked out onto the stage to greet the fans. Stephanie showed off her hug WWE Hall of Fame ring.

Analysis: I only watched the Stephanie McMahon and AJ Styles induction speeches on Saturday morning. The show started so late last night. Stephanie and AJ did a great job. I’ll watch the Demolition part tomorrow, most likely.

There was another Hulk Hogan documentary clip that ran for about four minutes.

A graphic was shown of the six matches taking place on WrestleMania Sunday.

Liv Morgan made her entrance to her new theme song called “Trouble.” Live did a dance routine with some dancers on the stage. Liv was wearing a suit style outfit, so the girls pulled her outfit off and she had her wrestling gear on. Cool entrance. Liv also had a visible scar on her forehead from the rough bump she took backstage a few weeks ago.

Stephanie Vaquer made her entrance as the Women’s World Champion with some headgear and she looked confident as usual. Vaquer has been the champion since September as she faces Morgan for the first time. Morgan earned this shot by winning the Women’s Royal Rumble in January.

WWEWomen’s World Championship: Stephanie Vaquer vs. Liv Morgan

Vaquer was aggressive early on as they left the ring and Vaquer sent Liv into the barricade. Back in the ring, Vaquer hit a double knee attack on Liv against the turnbuckle. Liv came back with a Powerbomb out of the corner. Liv hit the Three Amigos vertical suplex as the fans booed her for doing that. Liv hit a running kick to the head. Liv went up top and jumped off with a splash, but Vaquer got her knees up. Vaquer hit a belly-to-back suplex. Vaquer hit the Devil’s Kiss knee smash as Liv did a good job of smacking the mat to make some noise while the fans cheered for it. Vaquer hit a double underhook lift, leading to Vaquer’s knees hitting Liv in the jaw. Liv hit a backstabber knee attack to the back. Vaquer countered a move with a rollup for two. Vaquer hit a double underhook backbreaker for a two count. Liv hit a Codebreaker double knee attack, Vaquer bounced back and hit an Oblivion on Liv for a two count. That is Liv’s finisher and it only got a two count for Vaquer. Vaquer went up top as the referee noticed Roxanne Perez on the apron. Raquel Rodriguez arrived on the other side and knocked Vaquer off the top rope. Liv hit Oblivion on Vaquer for just a two count. Liv was shocked that it was only a two count. Vaquer kicked Liv in the chest. Vaquer kicked Perez and Raquel off the apron. Liv ran at Vaquer, who ducked and Liv dove onto Raquel at ringside. Vaquer hit a cross body block off the top on Raquel and Perez at ringside. Liv sent Vaquer into the steel steps. Back in the ring, Liv jumped off the top with a Codebreaker knee attack on Vaquer. After Vaquer went up against the ropes, Liv hit Oblivion for the second time for the pinfall win at 8:55.

Winner by pinfall AND NEW Women’s World Champion: Liv Morgan

Analysis: ***1/4 Good match and a title change that I expected, but I was hoping they would get 15+ minutes for a match like this. Instead, it felt like it was cut short, and I’m not sure why it was as short as it was. I still enjoyed the action. Vaquer was on fire throughout the match, while Morgan benefited from her friends. A cheap win for Morgan, but also fitting for a heel like her.

Liv Morgan celebrated with the Women’s World Title and she was joined by “boyfriend” Dominik Mysterio in the ring. Liv Morgan celebrated with The Judgment Day in the ring and declared she’s the greatest Women’s World Champion of all time.

Let’s Hear from John Cena

John Cena was in the ring, saying it’s been amazing so far. Cena announced tonight’s attendance. Cena said there’s been a lot of speculation about what it might be. Cena claimed there were people everywhere. Cena announced tonight’s official attendance: 50,816 people. Cena thanked the fans as pyro went off.

Analysis: That attendance is definitely lower than in past years, but the gate is going to be massive due to how expensive the tickets are.

Welcome Back Bianca Belair

Bianca Belair made her entrance. It has been a full year since we have seen her since she was injured with a broken finger at WrestleMania 41 last year. The fans gave Belair a huge ovation.

Belair said that you can’t spell WrestleMania without EST. Belair said it’s been a long time since she’s been out here with us. Belair thanked everybody for the love and support. Belair said she missed the fans. Belair said you can’t have WrestleMania without a few surprises. Belair opened up her outfit to reveal she’s pregnant! Yeah! Congrats to Bianca and her husband Montez Ford. Cena hugged her. Belair: “Because the EST is having a baby!” Cena said thank you for allowing our WWE family to share this moment with yours. Cena said we need to include the youngest WWE superstar in history (the baby) for being in attendance tonight. Cena hyped up the crowd, saying the main event is up next.

Analysis: I’m very happy for Bianca Belair and Montez Ford. They are an awesome couple, and that’s going to be a very athletic kid! I wish her the best with the pregnancy. Of course, I miss watching Belair in a WWE ring, but obviously, it’s a good reason to miss some time, in addition to the finger injury she had over the last year. Congrats again to Bianca and Montez.

A clip aired from the Hulk Hogan documentary aired for us on Netflix again. I keep getting tweets from people complaining about ads on this show, which I assume ESPN viewers are getting. It sucks, but they paid a lot of money to show this, so they need to try to make money. That’s the world we live in.

There was a lengthy video package for the Cody Rhodes-Randy Orton main event. They were the best of friends, but Orton turned heel about a month ago because Orton heard the voices in his head and he wants the WWE Title for a 15th time. Orton is also listening to Pat McAfee, who is hated by the fans. I thought the video package was excellent.

Randy Orton made his entrance as the fans sang along with his legendary “Voices” song. Orton did a very slow walk down the long ramp because he’s the kind of guy who isn’t in a big rush. The fans sang along with “Voices” nearly the whole way. The announcers went silent for most of Orton’s entrance. Orton did his classic pose on the turnbuckle and Cole complained about McAfee doing the pose as well. Cole: “Look at this jock rider.” That made me laugh. That Orton entrance took almost as long as some of the matches on this show, just saying. I do like the theme song at least.

The Cody Rhodes introduction was shown with images of his past in WWE, from his days as a rookie to “Dashing” Cody and even a Stardust outfit. They showed his belt history and the outfit he wore for his WWE return four years ago. Cody rose from under the stage with the Undisputed WWE Championship around his waist. That led right into “Kingdom” playing in the stadium. A lot of fans were singing his song. Cody greeted his family at ringside, including wife Brandi and a big hug for daughter Liberty. Cody continued his posing. Ring announcer Alicia Taylor did the championship introductions.

The ring announcer, Alicia Taylor, did the championship introductions. Before she could introduce Randy Orton, Pat McAfee took the microphone from her and he introduced Orton instead. Pat called the fans “fatass bums” as he said Orton will become a 15-time World Champion and he will save the business. Taylor did the introduction of Rhodes as usual. It sounded like some boos for the babyface WWE Champion, but a lot of cheers too.

As referee Charles Robinson held up the WWE Title, McAfee attacked Cody with a microphone. Orton attacked Cody with stomps. Cody got back up, kicked McAfee and sent Orton into the ring post. Cody hit a Cross Rhodes on McAfee and the fans cheered for that. Cody kicked Pat out of the ring. Cody cleared off the commentary table and put Pat on it. Jelly Roll was at ringside and he jumped off the Spanish commentary table and put Pat through the commentary table. Jelly Roll told Cody to give them the one-on-one fight that they came to see. Cody was smiling. The EMTs went out to ringside with a stretcher and McAfee was put on the stretcher. The bell hadn’t rung yet, so this was all before the match. As Pat went up the ramp on the stretcher, he did a thumbs up salute and a middle finger salute to the crowd.

Analysis: There’s a way to take Pat McAfee out of the match by having Cody Rhodes hit Cross Rhodes and Jelly Roll hit the elbow drop through the table. That’s a way to make the fans happy.

Undisputed WWE Championship: Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton

The bell rang to start the match at 9:29 p.m. ET, and as I mentioned, the great Charles Robinson was the referee for this match.

They did some basic holds early on. Cody hit a powerslam. Cody went for a Cody Cutter off the ropes, but Orton caught him and Orton hit a backbreaker. Orton was selling a back injury, which the announcers were talking about before the match. Orton grabbed a headlock, Cody countered it with a belly-to-back suplex and Orton left the ring to sell the back injury. Orton kicked Cody and sent Cody into the ring. Cody tackled Orton back-first into the turnbuckle and Cody applied a half crab submission. Cody hit a double axehandle to the lower back. Cody hit a forearm to the back and a knee to the back. Cody sent Orton hard into the turnbuckle and Orton bailed to the floor again. Cody put Orton into the ring and grabbed a waist lock to keep working on the back. Cody got a rollup for two and Cody hit a forearm to the back. Cody hit a suplex for two. Cody went up top, he took way too long and Orton tripped up Cody on the turnbuckle. Orton met Cody up to, and Orton hit a superplex off the top, which Orton has been doing for decades, as his father did. Orton was selling the back injury again. Orton hit two clotheslines, along with a powerslam. Orton hit the draping DDT off the ropes. Cody sent Orton out of the ring and tried a dive, but Orton punched Cody to stop that. Orton gave Cody a belly-to-back suplex on the Spanish commentary table. When Cody got back up, Orton grabbed him by the shoulder and Cody shoved Orton into the ring post. Orton was bleeding from the forehead, so here’s a rare WWE match with a blade job. Cody worked over Orton with punches and kicks.

Cody was getting booed as he stomped on Orton’s body on the mat, just like Orton has done many times. Cody hit a Disaster Kick for a two count. Cody touched some of Orton’s blood and put it on Cody’s chest. Cody hit his own version of a draping DDT off the ropes and there were boos for him. Cody teased setting up for an RKO (a CKO?) and Cody charged, but Orton avoided it. Orton sent Cody into the turnbuckle and Orton hit Cross Rhodes for a two count. The fans thought that was it. Orton went for an RKO, Cody avoided it and hit a backslide pin for two. Cody was back up and hit an RKO (CKO?) for a two count. That was a great nearfall. The fans were getting into the match more now after a slow start to the match. Orton left the ring again, so Cody went after him. Cody sent Orton into the Spanish commentary table. Cody gave Orton a belly-to-back suplex on the Spanish table that wasn’t enough to break the table. Cody was fired up in the ring and the fans booed. Cody tried a move, but Orton was able to turn around and hit an RKO for the 1…2…no! Cody got his left shoulder up.

It turned into a slugfest as they exchanged punches. Cody poked Orton in the eye, so Orton was blinded, and Orton hit an RKO on referee Charles Robinson. Cody looked at the referee face first on the mat. Orton was going to go for a low blow kick, but Cody stopped it, and Cody hit a low blow kick on Orton. The fans booed that. Cody went to the ropes and Cody jumped off the top with a Cody Cutter, but Orton caught Cody with an RKO. Pat McAfee ran out to the ringside with a referee shirt and a neck brace on. Orton covered Cody for the 1…2…no because Cody got his right shoulder up. It almost looked like Pat stopped his count and was waiting for Cody to kick up. Orton hit an RKO on McAfee. Cody was back up and hit Cross Rhodes on Orton for the pinfall win at 22:55. Cole said that the student beat the teacher and praised Cody for having the killer instinct.

Winner by pinfall: Cody Rhodes

Analysis: ***3/4 I’d call it a very good match in the second half, but the first half was perhaps a bit too slow. I think it’s fair to say Cody was heelish through a lot of this match, but his actions could also be defended by saying he was just being smart by working over Orton’s back injury throughout the match. The ending with the eye poke, Orton’s RKO on Robinson, the return of McAfee as a referee for some reason, and then Orton dropped McAfee for an RKO, which ended up costing Orton the match because Cody hit Cross Rhodes to win. I thought it was going to be Cody hitting his finish on McAfee and Orton capitalizing with an RKO to win, but nope. They went another direction. Kudos to WWE for the creativity for that.

Cody Rhodes celebrated with the WWE Title above his head. Orton grabbed the title and hit Cody in the head with it. Cody was on his knees, so Orton backed into the corner and Orton hit the running Punt to Cody’s head. The fans reacted to that in a big way. Cody’s blonde hair was full of blood. Orton stood over Cody with the WWE Title in his hands while the fans were booing. That’s the end of WrestleMania Saturday.

Analysis: It’s obvious this rivalry will continue based on the post match attack by Randy Orton. We haven’t seen a Punt like that in several years. I picked Orton to win the WWE Title at WrestleMania, and it didn’t happen, but I think he’ll get precious #15 in the coming months. Cody sold it really well.

WWE WrestleMania 42 Saturday had a runtime of 3 hours, and 55 minutes.

===

Five Stars of the Show

1. Gunther/Seth Rollins

2. Cody Rhodes/Randy Orton

3. Jacob Fatu/Drew McIntyre

4. Liv Morgan and Becky Lynch

5. (tie) Paige & Brie Bella – Welcome back, Paige!

5. (tie) Bianca Belair – Congrats on the pregnancy!

===

Final Thoughts on WWE WrestleMania 42 Saturday

I’m going 7 out of 10 for this show.

I thought it was a mixed bag of a show on WrestleMania Saturday. Calling it solid feels fair, but I also know some fans hated it more than me. I tend to think I am more rational than most. It didn’t blow me away, or anything like that, but three matches stood out and those three delivered. The other four matches were kept under 10 minutes, and I don’t really agree with that. I feel bad for the talent whose matches were cut short.

I think the show format hurts it overall because of so many breaks between matches, and matches aren’t as long as they should be. With this lineup, there should have been more outstanding matches, but it wasn’t at that level. The 7 matches lasted a total of 1 hour, 25 minutes, and when you realize they had four hours to fill, that just isn’t enough, in my opinion. It leads fans to hate WWE for cutting matches short and running four minutes of ads because ESPN wants to make some money off the huge investment they made. On Netflix, we got clips of Hulk Hogan’s documentary during those ad breaks. It’s business, and ads are part of the world we live in, but wrestling fans were used to watching PLEs/PPVs for decades without ads, and now they seem too ad-heavy.

The three standout matches were Gunther-Seth Rollins, Jacob Fatu-Drew McIntyre, and the main event with Cody Rhodes retaining the WWE Title against Randy Orton. Two of those matches had interference, so they weren’t clean endings. I thought another two or three matches could be great (especially Morgan-Vaquer), but they just weren’t given a chance because the matches were kept under 10 minutes.

On a positive note, it’s good to see Paige back and already holding gold in WWE, while Bianca Belair’s pregnancy announcement was great too. I’m happy for her and husband Montez Ford. Nice job by them. Bring on night two.

==============

WWE WrestleMania 42 (Sunday)
From Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada
Sunday, April 19, 2026

There were superstar entrances by Trick Williams with Lil Yachty, Rhea Ripley, Jade Cargill (more like footage from her interview), and CM Punk.

A video package aired with highlights from WrestleMania Saturday, followed by clips of the people involved in tonight’s matches.

John Cena Welcomes Us To WrestleMania

The WrestleMania 42 host, John Cena, made his entrance wearing a suit again. Cena did a quick stroll down the ramp on his way to the ring. The first hour of WrestleMania was on ESPN in the US.

Cena said we kicked off WrestleMania with an incredible night one and the stage is set for a historic night two. Cena said that for the first time in history, WrestleMania is live on ESPN. There were some boos for that. Cena said we have to start with something big, and Cena said: “Welcome to WrestleMania!” There was some pyro after that.

Analysis: Thanks, John Cena. I’m surprised they didn’t do any skits with him to open the show on either night. Cena has been a very generic host, but there’s time for more later. ESPN getting booed made me laugh.

It’s Michael Cole and Wade Barrett on commentary again. Alicia Taylor was the ring announcer.

Oba Femi made his entrance to a huge ovation and a lot of “Oba” chants. Oba did his strut down the long ramp and the fans love this guy, as they should. Even if some of the chanting and “Hoo” sounds could be manufactured, it’s still a cool entrance.

Brock Lesnar was up next for what could be his final WrestleMania, although we don’t know that for sure. There’s speculation that it could be his last. Lesnar’s advocate, Paul Heyman, was with him.

They showed the Tale of the Tape, and both guys are similar physically, while Lesnar is nearly 20 years older. Paul Heyman did the special introduction of Brock Lesnar, like he has done many times in the past. Alicia Taylor did the introduction of Oba Femi. The fans love Oba. Good choice for an opener.

Brock Lesnar (w/Paul Heyman) vs. Oba Femi

Lesnar and Femi locked up with a tie up. Lesnar pushed Femi to the turnbuckle and hit some shoulder tackles, but Femi shoved Lesnar back. The fans erupted for something simple like that. Lesnar went for some clotheslines, Femi blocked them and Femi nailed a clothesline, so Lesnar took a break on the floor. Femi reached for Lesnar on the floor, so Lesnar tripped him up and Lesnar tackled Femi into the ring post. Lesnar sent Femi into the ring post and into the steel steps. Lesnar took Femi to Suplex City with a German Suplex across the ring. Lesnar hit another German Suplex, followed by a third release German Suplex by Lesnar. Femi sent Lesnar into the turnbuckle and Femi hit two running uppercuts. Lesnar caught Femi and put him on his shoulders, leading to an F5, but Femi was on his knees. Femi got back to his feet and hit a Chokeslam. The fans were going crazy! The fans were standing. Femi picked Lesnar up and hit the Fall From Grace sitout Powerbomb on Lesnar for the one…two…and three! It went 4:46.

Winner by pinfall: Oba Femi

Analysis: *** I loved that! This is one of those matches where the star rating doesn’t matter that much. It’s about the story and the story was that Femi dominated Lesnar enough to win the match in a decisive way. It’s exactly what it should have been, with Femi dominating Lesnar in a passing of the torch moment, with Femi taking over for Lesnar as the next powerhouse that WWE can build around for decades to come. I’m glad Femi won in the manner that he won because it was impressive and Lesnar sold so well for him. The fans were standing on their feet for this whole thing, so it showed how much they wanted to see it.

Oba Femi celebrated the win with the fans cheering loudly for him in the ring. Femi looked as if he was shocked that he did what he did. Femi celebrated on the ramp while Lesnar was down in the ring. The announcers put over Femi for dominating Lesnar like that. Cole called Femi the “Next Big Thing,” which was Lesnar’s nickname in his rookie year. Femi went up the ramp, celebrating.

Analysis: The fans love Oba Femi already, and they should. The guy was so much fun for me to cover in NXT, and he’s thriving on the main roster too.

Brock Lesnar was seated in the ring and Femi’s music stopped. Brock Lesnar took off his MMA gloves and was taking off his shoes. Lesnar was nearly in tears while the fans shouted “No” at him because the fans know it means that Lesnar may be retiring. Lesnar left his boots and gloves in the ring. Lesnar saluted the crowd. Heyman gave Lesnar a huge hug in the ring. Lesnar saluted the crowd again while the fans chanted, “Thank You, Brock.” As Brock went up the ramp, the fans chanted: “Thank You Lesnar.” Lesnar walked to the back with Heyman as they showed his boots in the ring again. That was it.

Analysis: There’s the Brock Lesnar retirement. It wasn’t known beforehand, but Lesnar himself said he was only back in WWE for a short while, so I’m not that surprised by it. We thought that maybe it would extend to SummerSlam since it’s in Minnesota, but if he wants to call it a career now, then that’s fine too. Brock Lesnar is 49 this year and is actually born in the same year as John Cena and AJ Styles (1977), so he’s retiring at a similar age to them. You can’t do it forever. I’m a Lesnar fan and have been since day one when he debuted in March 2002, but obviously, there’s been controversy with him in recent years, too. Anyway, he did the right thing on the way out, and that’s good to see. Thanks, Brock.

A video aired showing Hulk Hogan’s documentary on Netflix. That led to 4 minutes of footage, which means they are showing commercials on ESPN for fans in the US.

The Intercontinental Title Ladder Match was next. They showed the introductions for Rey Mysterio, Je’Von Evans, and the champion Penta, while the other guys were already at ringside to start the match. Penta was wearing a Shao Kahn-inspired mask from Mortal Kombat. Cool look.

Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Championship: Penta vs. Rey Mysterio vs. Rusev vs. JD McDonagh vs. Dragon Lee vs. Je’Von Evans

There were ladders all around the ring, and the IC Title was hanging above the ring. The first guy to put a ladder under the title and bring it down is the Intercontinental Champion.

The trio of Rey, Penta, and Lee cleared the ring. Rusev pulled Rey out of the ring. Rusev hit Penta and Lee with a ladder. Penta clotheslined Rusev on the floor. JD hit Penta with a ladder. Evans jumped over the top with a dive onto JD on the floor. That was crazy. Lee gave Evans a hurricanrana off the apron onto Evans onto JD on the floor. Great spot. Rey faced off with Lee even though they are buddies. Rey sent Lee into the ropes and went for a 619, but Lee avoided it and hit a superkick. Rusev went into the ring and hit three guys with ladders to knock them down. JD charged at Rusev, who hit a back body drop onto a ladder. Ouch. Penta gave Rusev a bulldog off a ladder. Penta kicked Evans into the turnbuckle. JD shoved Penta over the top to the floor. JD grabbed the title and Evans punched him to stop that. Rusev shoved the ladder over to knock Evans over the top onto somebody on the floor. Evans hit a springboard clothesline on JD while JD was on the ladder. The fans loved that and I did too. Rey dropkicked Lee into a ladder and Rey hit a 619 kick into the ladder. Evans jumped over Rey on the ladder and Penta used Evans as a weapon to trip up Rey on the apron. Penta suplexed Evans into a ladder. Lee hit a missile dropkick off the top onto Rey while Rey was upside down on a ladder. Lee climbed a ladder quickly, but Rusev stopped that and hit a uranage on Lee. Rusev set up a ladder bridge to the turnbuckle and Rusev slammed Evans with a uranage onto a ladder. Penta and Rey hit strikes on Rusev to send him to the apron. Penta launched Rey over the top, and Rey hit a senton splash onto Rusev, who went crashing through a ladder on the floor! Ouch! That was brutal. Rough landing for Rey and especially Rusev on that one.

Rey connected with a 619 and went for a ladder climb, but Lee stopped that. Rey rammed Lee’s left arm into the ladder. Rey knocked Lee down, but Lee was able to hold on to get back up. Rey jumped off the ladder and Lee caught Rey, which led to Lee hitting a Styles Clash on Rey. JD went up the ladder with Lee and hit a Spanish Fly on Lee into the ring. That was outstanding. Penta and JD were fighting on top of the ladder. JD tried for a suplex, but Penta fought out of that. Penta hit a Mexican Destroyer off the ladder onto a ladder bridge! Cole: “McDonagh’s dead!” That’s a crazy spot to do, but it looked about as safe as it could be. Evans climbed up the ladder, he was holding onto the apparatus holding the belt and Rusev got a hold of him and pulled Evans down. That was close for Evans. Rusev looked like he was favoring a left foot injury, so he was slowly climbing up. Evans jumped off the top and hit an OG Cutter off Rusev off the ladder. Evans got back up, but Penta jumped off a ladder and hit a Mexican Destroyer on Evans in the ring. Penta slowly climbed the ladder, sat on top, and pulled it down to win. It went 15:10.

Winner: Penta

Analysis: ****1/2 That was an outstanding ladder match. I think it was one of the best WWE matches of the year so far. I know going in there was not much of a story for this match, but I think it’s a case of WWE knowing that they didn’t have to build much of a story and just let these guys have the time to have a great match. That’s what they did. I thought all six guys really got a chance to shine, with Je’Von Evans standing out the most, and Penta was right there with him with those Mexican Destroyers that he did. I loved the spot with Rey and Rusev through the table. Kudos to Rusev getting back from that to take the OG Cutter from Evans. Dragon Lee and JD McDonagh had plenty of awesome moments, too. I figured Penta would win because it’s still early in his title reign, and I certainly don’t mind seeing him with the title for the future.

They showed highlights of the amazing spots in the Ladder Match. Penta celebrated with his Intercontinental Title.

There was a replay of Brock Lesnar retiring after losing to Oba Femi earlier in the night. Cole admitted he had no idea, and they didn’t know how to react to it. Cole said he was there in the beginning, he was there for his championships, and he thanked Brock Lesnar for being one of the most spectacular superstars in WWE history. Wade said he’ll wait for an official word from Lesnar about it.

It’s another Hulk Hogan documentary clip. The same one about the Hogan/Andre match at WrestleMania 3 that was shown multiple times last night too. It’s an ad break. I don’t mind the breaks as much as some people do because they give me a chance to edit the review I’m doing live.

Highlights from WrestleMania Saturday were shown, with Randy Orton attacking Cody Rhodes after Cody retained the WWE Title.

They showed celebrities at ringside, including singer JOP, music producer Rick Rubin, Jahmyr Gibbs of the NFL’s Detroit Lions, UFC legend Daniel Cormier, and singer Joe Jonas.

Sami Zayn made his entrance as the United States Champion and there were boos as soon as his music hit. The fans were singing Zayn’s song on the way to the ring, but there were definitely boos for him, even though Zayn has been a face for a few years. To this crowd, Zayn is a heel.

Lil Yachty introduced his buddy, “Mr. Lemon Pepper Stepper” Trick Williams, which led to Trick Williams making his entrance wearing his white fur coat jacket. The stadium was chanting “Whoop That Trick” for Williams in his WrestleMania debut. As Trick made his entrance, we realized that there was a long train connected to it.

United States Championship: Sami Zayn vs. Trick Williams (w/Lil Yachty)

Zayn jumped over Trick and hit a clothesline that knocked Trick out of the ring. Trick got back in the ring quickly with two clotheslines and a leg lariat. Trick hit a backhand to the face and a neckbreaker. Trick hit a Book End for a two count. Zayn hit a boot to the face and a Blue Thunder Bomb for a two count. Zayn was aggressive while Trick was against the ropes, so the fans booed that. Yachty checked on Trick, so Zayn hit Yachty with a forearm to the head to knock Yachty down. Zayn sent Yachty into the barricade at ringside. Zayn sent Trick into the ring post and then a brainbuster on the apron. Zayn is really aggressive here, which has led to boos from the fans. Zayn hit a Helluva Kick on Trick on the floor. Zayn went back into the ring as the referee counted Trick out, but Trick got back in before the ten count. Zayn stomped on Trick while the referee checked on Trick. Zayn set up in the corner, Yachty pulled on Zayn’s neck across the top rope while the referee was looking at Trick. That led to Trick hitting a spinning kick for two. Zayn avoided a Trick Shot and got a rollup for two. Zayn hit an Exploder into the turnbuckle and the fans booed again. Zayn charged, but Trick hit the Trick Shot knee for the pinfall win at 7:10.

Winner by pinfall AND NEW United States Champion: Trick Williams

Analysis: *** I liked the match, but I was also hoping they would get 12-15 minutes at least. When Zayn hit that Blue Thunder Bomb early in the match, I figured they would have a shorter match, and that’s what happened. Zayn was working as the heel here with his actions, while Trick was against the ropes, and Zayn was attacking Yachty as well. I liked the spot with Yachty doing a necksnap leading to Trick getting a nearfall after a kick. Trick finishing it right after was good to see. I just think it would have been a better match if Zayn was on offense for a few minutes before Trick came back to win. I picked Trick to win, so I like that result.

Trick Williams celebrated with the US Title. Trick hugged his mom and dad at ringside. Cool moment for the family. Trick continued to celebrate with the US Title while Zayn was sad on the floor.

Analysis: A year ago, Trick was in the NXT Stand & Deliver main event with Oba Femi and Je’Von Evans. On this WrestleMania Sunday, all three guys had incredible showings at WrestleMania. Making NXT proud. Good job by all of them. I’m excited about all of their futures in WWE.

There were a few commercials and then more of the Hulk Hogan Netflix documentary for those of us on Netflix. That meant more ads for fans in the US on ESPN. It took another 4 minutes.

Dominik Mysterio made his entrance as the AAA Mega Champion, joined by about a dozen wrestlers wearing luchador masks, since Dom likes to call himself the King of the Luchadores. They had Dominik on a throne at the start of the entrance. This match was announced as a Street Fight by Raw GM Adam Pearce earlier on Sunday. Dom’s luchador buddies went to ringside and then they left. Dom threw a mask at Michael Cole, so Cole called him a jackass.

Finn Balor made his entrance as “Demon” Finn Balor with the cool entrance and the paint all over his body, along with the colorful headgear. The fans loved it as Balor took his time getting into the ring and was blowing smoke on his way to the ring. Cole: “Dominik Mysterio, welcome to hell.” Cole noted it was the first time in three years that the Demon had arrived.

Street Fight: “Demon” Finn Balor vs. Dominik Mysterio

A Street Fight means anything goes and the pinfall or submission has to be in the ring. Balor tripped up Dom, followed by chops. Dom tried a kick, Balor blocked it and Balor stomped on Dom. Balor clotheslined Dom from the apron to the floor. Balor grabbed a kendo stick and hit Dom in the ribs with it. Balor hit Dom in the back with the kendo stick. Balor pulled a table out from under the ring and Dom hit a suicide dive to knock Balor down. Dom worked over Balor with multiple kendo stick shots to the body. Dom brought some chairs into the ring and hit Balor a few times in the ribs. Dom jumped over the top with a senton splash. Dom tried a suplex on chairs, but Balor countered with a suplex onto the chairs. Balor hit a Slingblade. Dom came back with a superkick and dropkick into the ropes. Dom hit the 619 kick and a Frog Splash off the top for just a one count. The one count kickout drew a big pop. Balor countered a chair attack with a reverse DDT. Balor hit a running dropkick into the turnbuckle. Balor hit another running dropkick into the turnbuckle. Balor went up top and went for the double foot stomp, but Dom moved. Dom attacked with a steel chair, and Balor got his hands up to take the chair shot. Dom got a two count.

Dom brought the Slim Jim table into the ring and put it against the turnbuckle. Balor got back into it with punches, along with a Slingblade neckbreaker. Balor fired up the crowd, but Dom stopped that with a superkick. Dominik sent Balor crashing through the table against the turnbuckle. Dom hit Balor in the back with a chair shot. Dom put a chair on Balor’s head and hit a 619 kick into the chair on Balor’s head. Dominik went up top and hit a Frog Splash for a two count this time. Dominik attacked Balor with repeated chair shots to Balor’s back. Dom brought another table into the ring. Dom set up a table in the ring, although it was a bit of a struggle. Balor popped right up and hit a clothesline. Balor worked over Dom with chair shots to the back. Balor put a chair around Dom’s neck and Balor hit a dropkick into the turnbuckle. Balor put Dom on the table in the ring, Balor went up top and hit a Coup de Grace double foot stomp through the table. Balor covered Dominik for the pinfall win at 10:33.

Winner by pinfall: “Demon” Finn Balor

Analysis: ***1/2 A clean and decisive win for the Demon as you would expect in his first match as the Demon in over three years. Dom had no chance here, although Dom got more offense than I thought he would get. This is a match that I thought might get under 10 minutes, but they got more than that and that was cool to see. The weapon usage was fine. They didn’t go crazy with weapons other than the basic stuff we always see, like kendo sticks, chairs, and tables. Balor beating Dominik was probably the easiest match to pick on the entire WrestleMania card.

A commercial aired for SummerSlam in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on August 1st and August 2nd. The Jade Cargill-Rhea Ripley match was next.

The “We’ll Be Right Back” video was shown of WWE superstars for us on Netflix for some ads for over three minutes.

A Priority Pass VIP Guest, Adam Weitsman, was sitting at ringside with Cole and Barrett for the next matchup. I wonder how much that cost. I’m not sure if Adam will say much.

The WWE Women’s Champion Jade Cargill made her entrance in a gold outfit. She had on this elaborate jacket and took it off on her way to the ring. I thought she’d get a more elaborate entrance, but as a heel, maybe the call was made to keep her entrance simpler.

Rhea Ripley had a cool look as usual, and the fans popped big for her. There was some pyro for her as well. Ripley’s jacket said “Inmate” on it, so Cole said Ripley’s outfit represented that it felt like she had been in an insane asylum dealing with Cargill. Ring announcer Alicia Taylor did the championship introductions.

WWE Women’s Championship: Jade Cargill vs. Rhea Ripley

Jade used her power to hit a shoulder tackle and a body slam. Ripley came back with a face first slam of her own, along with a dropkick. Jade sent Ripley into the ropes and connected with a powerslam. Jade sent Ripley out of the ring and Jade jumped on Ripley’s back. Jade sent Ripley into the barricade. The fans booed as Jade posed. Back in the ring, Jade hit a Blue Thunder Bomb for a two count. Ripley told Jade to bring it, so Jade took Ripley down with a Crossface submission. Ripley tried to power up Jade, but Jade elbowed Ripley to break free. Ripley hit a rising kick to stun Jade. Ripley and Jade took turns punching eachother. Jade kicked Ripley into the ropes and Ripley hit a jumping kick. Ripley put Jade on her shoulders and Ripley slammed Jade face first into the mat for two. Ripley went for Riptide, but Jade countered it with a hiptoss. Jade hit a superkick and an impressive Spinebuster for a two count. Wade praised Jade for doing a great job in the match. Jade went for Jaded, but Ripley countered it into a pin attempt for two. Ripley fought out of a Jade move with a hurricanrana. Ripley hit a running kick to the chest. Michin arrived on the apron as Jade’s ally and B-Fab showed up as well to save Jade. Ripley punched B-Fab off the apron. Ripley went after Michin, who went to the floor. Jade avoided a move and Ripley hit the ring post with her shoulder. Michin kicked Ripley for a two count. Jade hit a move off the shoulders called the Sandstorm for a two count. That is like Kenny Omega’s One Winged Angel.

Jade tossed Ripley out of the ring. Jade distracted the referee, but the referee saw B-Fab and Michin about to interfere again. Iyo Sky’s music hit and she ran down to the ring to help Ripley. Sky punched B-Fab and hit an uppercut on Michin. Sky hit a springboard moonsault onto B-Fab and Michin on the floor. Ripley with a headbutt. Ripley went for a Riptide, Jade got out of it and Jade hit a pump kick. Jade went for Jaded, Ripley countered it and Ripley hit Riptide for the pinfall win! New WWE Women’s Champion! It went about 10 minutes. Cole called Ripley “Miss WrestleMania” as she won her 4th Women’s Championship.

Winner by pinfall AND NEW WWE Women’s Champion: Rhea Ripley

Analysis: ***1/2 A competitive match with good action throughout. It was probably one of Jade’s best matches, and she didn’t look out of place at any point. Barrett was right to praise her. Ripley is so great in matches like this, and I think Ripley’s presence helped Jade a lot, but it’s certainly not a carry job. It was an entertaining match. It was a title change that I expected, and I’m glad it happened. With that said, I’m also proud of Jade for working hard and improving since she joined WWE. Hard work pays off, and Jade should be proud of this performance.

Rhea Ripley celebrated as the new WWE Women’s Champion. As Cole said, Ripley is now a 4-time WWE Women’s Champion and she has had a lot of success at WrestleMania in her career.

The next WWE PLE is Backlash on Saturday, May 9th.

There was a replay of Oba Femi beating Brock Lesnar in the opening match. After the match, Lesnar shocked the world by retiring in the ring after the match. Cole said nobody knew this was going to happen. They showed Paul Heyman in tears with Lesnar and they left together.

John Cena Announces WrestleMania Attendance

The WrestleMania host, John Cena, was in the ring. Tonight, Cena read from a card, saying that the attendance was 55,255 people. Cena said that two night attendance was 106,072 people. Cena said that it concluded his duties as the host. There was an interruption.

The Miz and Kit Wilson interrupted. The Miz complained about how he didn’t have a WrestleMania moment last year and he wants a WrestleMania moment right now. Cena acted like he didn’t know who Kit Wilson, so Cena asked his name and they shook hands.

Danhausen Arrives At WrestleManiahausen

Danhausen made his entrance, joined by little people dressed like Danhausen. Cole claimed that they wanted to be called midgets. Danhausen arrived in a unique car while the little guys went down to the ring with Danhausen. Danhausen went into the ring with the little people. Wade: “How old are they?” Cole: “55.” Nice.

Danhausen was in the ring with the little guys, Miz, Wilson and Cena. The fans popped as Danhausen said greetings to the humans. Danhausen said he’s finally made it to WrestleManiahausen. Danhausen had something to say to Cena. Danhausen said he was a huge fanhausen of Cena and Cena was ecstatic. The Miz complained about Danhausen turning WrestleMania 42 into a circus. Miz said if he wanted to see the Wizard of Oz, he would have gone down the street. Kit said that the little people are toxic, and Kit knocked a guy down. A little person punched Kit in the groin. The little people attacked Wilson. Danhausen punched Miz in the gut or maybe the groin. Danhausen did Cena’s “You Can’t See Me” and the Five Knuckle Shufflehausen fist drop on The Miz. The little people carried Miz out of the ring. Danhausen celebrated with Cena. Danhausen had a small explosion and the lights didn’t go out, but Danhausen went under the ring. Cena said that retired life is awesome. Cena said that the grandest stage of them all. Cena said that next up is your main event.

Analysis: I laughed. Danhausen’s stuff is ridiculous, and I totally get it if some people hate it, but I certainly don’t mind it. We need some laughter on these kinds of shows, and I don’t mind it when Danhausen is involved. You could tell Cena was genuinely laughing about it and enjoying his part in it. Nice job by Miz and Kit Wilson in their roles.

The CM Punk-Roman Reigns main event is up next. They showed a video package including Roman Reigns winning the Royal Rumble and telling CM Punk he’ll challenge him for the World Heavyweight Title. It led to a lot of insults and some brawling between them. They are both babyfaces, but they are also two guys who hate eachother. I have enjoyed the build for this one.

A video aired about the Street Fighter movie that comes out in October. Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes are in it.

We got another Hulk Hogan Netflix documentary video, which meant more commercials. I need a bathroom break, so it’s okay.

Roman Reigns had an elaborate entrance with a vocalist singing his song, a piano player and a drummer. They showed images of Roman Reigns’ family on the screens to show his family legacy, which is cool to see. That led into Roman’s music playing as the Tribal Chief made his entrance, looking like he’s in the best shape of his life. It was a long walk to the ring for the OTC, Reigns, as the stadium put their 1’s up in the air. It took a while for Reigns to get to the ring as usual. He’s not a man who rushes his entrance and that’s okay for WrestleMania.

They showed CM Punk on top of Allegiant Stadium (at least in theory) and then they showed images of his wrestling journey pre-WWE and in WWE. Punk was shown walking backstage with the World Heavyweight Title around his waist. They played the AFI song “Miseria Cantare – The Beginning” as Punk walked onto the stage. That is the song Punk used in Ring of Honor, so that was a nice touch. When Punk got to the stage, Punk shouted, “It’s Clobberin’ Time,” and Cult of Personality hit in the stadium. There were four names on CM Punk’s jacket. Cole mentioned they are people who have passed away, including three former WWE employees. That’s nice of Punk paying tribute to them. The back of Punk’s jacket pays respect to Harley Race. Punk also had an image of his dog Larry, who passed away recently as well. Good job by Punk. Alicia Taylor did the championship introductions and did a nice job as usual.

Analysis: I thought both entrances were great. It certainly has a big fight feel of a WrestleMania main event match, and having those kinds of entrances helps a lot.

World Heavyweight Championship: CM Punk vs. Roman Reigns

It is Punk’s second WrestleMania main event and Reigns’ 11th WrestleMania main event. The referee was Rod Zapata. The bell rang at 8:54 p.m. ET to start the match.

There was a long staredown by Punk and Reigns to start the match. Punk hit a shoulder tackle. Punk sent Reigns into the ropes and Reigns hit an elbow smash. Reigns hit an impressive leapfrog, followed by a Samoan Drop. Reigns smashed Punk with a punch to knock him down. The fans were singing “Roman, Roman Reigns” as Reigns sent Punk into the turnbuckles. Reigns clotheslined Punk over the top to the floor. Reigns left the ring and Punk sent Reigns into the commentary table. Reigns sent Punk into the barricade. Reigns broke the referee’s count and back out to punch Punk. Reigns sent Punk over the barricade and back into the ring to break the count. Reigns went at Punk at ringside, but Punk fought back. Punk hit a clothesline from the barricade onto Reigns at ringside. The referee was out on the floor with them, so there was no count at this point. Punk was celebrating on the commentary table mocking Reigns’ salute and Reigns slammed Punk on the floor. They went back into the ring, so Reigns trash talked Punk for mocking him. Reigns and Punk exchanged strikes, leading to Reigns hitting a boot to the face. Reigns worked over Punk wit the ten clotheslines against the turnbuckle and Reigns hit a leaping clothesline for two. Reigns set up for a Superman Punch, Punk avoided it and Punk hit a clothesline. Punk went up top and hit a cross body block. Punk worked over Reigns with punches. Punk hit a jumping heel kick to knock Reigns down. Punk hit the running knee against the turnbuckle and the bulldog that Punk loves to do. Reigns elbowed Punk to counter a GTS move and Reigns sent Punk into the ring post. Reigns hit a Superman Punch for a two count as usual for that move.

Reigns set up by the turnbuckle, but Punk came back with a running knee. Punk hit another knee smash and two short arm clotheslines in a row. Punk hit a neckbreaker. Punk clotheslined Reigns out of the ring to the floor. Punk hit a suicide dive on Reigns on the floor. Punk sent Reigns into the commentary table and the steel steps. The referee was out on the floor with them, so there was no count again. Punk went up top while Reigns was on the commentary table. Punk was about to jump, but Reigns was back up to stop that. They exchanged elbows on the apron. Punk kicked Reigns and Reigns kicked Punk in the head. Reigns put Punk on the top turnbuckle. Reigns set up Punk upside down by the turnbuckle, so Reigns worked over Punk with punches while Punk can’t defend himself. Reigns hit a Superman Punch while Punk was upside down. Reigns hit two more Superman Punches while Punk was upside down against the turnbuckle. Reigns picked up the steel steps and hit Reigns in the head. Punk was bleeding from the forehead. It looked like Punk was putting the blade back into his boot or under the ring. Reigns cleared off the Spanish commentary table. Reigns picked up Punk and gave him a Powerbomb through the Spanish commentary table, and the table broke. That was a big bump. The referee was checking on Punk while Reigns posed. Reigns: “I ain’t done with you yet, Phil.” Reigns put Punk into the ring. Reigns ran the ropes, Punk caught him and Punk hit a Go To Sleep (GTS) knee to the face for a two count. Great nearfall there! It was about 20 minutes into the match.

Punk went for a lift, Reigns got out of it and Reigns ran the ropes leading to Spear for the one…two…and no! Punk kicked out. That means each man has kicked out of a finishing move. Reigns was stunned that Punk kicked out. Reigns slammed Punk’s head into the mat a few times. Reigns told Punk it was time to go to sleep. Reigns put Punk on his shoulders, Reigns went for a GTS and Punk blocked it. Punk hit a roundhouse kick to the head for a two count. Punk signaled Reigns’ hand gesture for a Superman Punch and Punk hit his own Superman Punch for a two count. Punk grabbed a red Ula Fala necklace that a fan was wearing at ringside and Punk put it on. Punk went for a Spear, but Reigns caught him in a Guillotine submission. Punk rolled up Reigns for a two count and Reigns barely kicked out of that. Punk applied the Anaconda Vice submission, but Reigns was able to punch his way out of it. Reigns applied a Guillotine Choke again and Punk was able to get out of it. Reigns punched and kicked Punk to get out of a Sharpshooter attempt. Reigns applied a Guillotine headlock again and Punk countered it into a pin attempt. Reigns and Punk hit a double clothesline to knock eachother down. Punk and Reigns were on their knees exchanging strikes. They kept on throwing punches. Punk hit a knee and Reigns hit a knee. Punk headbutted Reigns, which is never wise to do against a Samoan. They were both on their knees and Punk threw his tape at Reigns. The referee threw the tape out of the ring and Punk hit a low blow uppercut! Punk hit a GTS for the 1…2…no! Reigns got his shoulder up at the last moment. The fans thought that was it. Punk hit elbow drops and Reigns went out of the ring. Punk put Reigns on the commentary table again. Punk slowly went up top and Punk took a long time thinking about it. Punk was on the top rope and jumped off the top with an elbow drop that put Reigns through the table. The match was over 30 minutes at this point. Reigns was down selling and even said “F**k” which got muted on the broadcast. It was over 30 minutes at this point.

Punk was in the middle of the ring with Reigns, and Punk hit Reigns with the GTS. Reigns fell right back onto Punk’s shoulders, which is a spot I’ve seen Punk do many times over. As Punk tried lifting Reigns again, Punk collapsed and Reigns was able to roll away across the ring. Punk staggered back up by the ropes, so Reigns was back up with a Spear. Punk tried to throw a punch, but he was exhausted and he missed. Reigns ran the ropes and hit another Spear. Reigns covered Punk for the 1…2…3. Roman Reigns is the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion! The match went 34 minutes.

Winner by pinfall AND NEW WWE World Heavyweight Champion: Roman Reigns

Analysis: ***** It’s a 5-star match to me, and that’s as high as the scale goes for me. It’s an outstanding match that was worthy of being the main event of WrestleMania. They absolutely delivered a legendary match. Going 30+ minutes isn’t easy, but they had a hell of a match with fighting on the floor, each guy hitting moves that the other guy does, and they sold everything so well. There were some nearfalls that were damn close that the crowd absolutely bought into some of those nearfalls. I liked the finish a lot, with Punk hitting the GTS, and then it looked like he was about to hit another one, but Punk collapsed and wasn’t able to hit it. The idea was that Punk was absolutely exhausted, and he wasn’t able to lift Reigns for a second GTS, so Reigns was able to finish off Punk after that. The way they threw in the submission moves also added to the drama because it looked like Punk may pass out or Reigns may tap out. They really planned this match out well and delivered performances that they can both be proud of. I don’t think one guy stood out more than the other. I think Reigns and Punk were both outstanding and should be proud of having one of the best matches of their careers.

Roman Reigns celebrated with the World Heavyweight Championship. Reigns is now a 7-time World Champion in WWE. They showed replays of the key spots in the match.

As Roman Reigns celebrated with the World Heavyweight Title, he posed on the turnbuckle, and the pyro went off in the stadium. Reigns was wearing his red Ula Fala and tossed the other Ula Fala to the guy at ringside. Reigns continued to celebrate as Cole said that Reigns was back at the Head of the Table. Cole said Reigns was built for WrestleMania. Reigns left the ring and greeted his family at ringside, including his four sons (two sets of twin boys), daughter, and his wife. Reigns went back into the ring to celebrate. The show ended there.

Analysis: I’m happy for Roman Reigns being a WWE World Champion again. I hope it means he’ll wrestle a more regular schedule moving forward, but more than likely, he’ll be off some PLEs moving forward. I think Reigns is such a great pro wrestler, and he makes others better, so the more he is around, the better it is.

WWE WrestleMania 42 Sunday had a runtime of 3 hours, and 33 minutes. WrestleMania Saturday was 3:55.

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Five Stars of the Show

  1. Roman Reigns
  2. CM Punk
  3. Oba Femi
  4. Penta
  5. Rhea Ripley, “Demon” Finn Balor, Je’Von Evans and more.

And a shoutout to Brock Lesnar for what appears to be his last match.

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Final Thoughts on WWE WrestleMania 42 Sunday

I’m going 8.75 out of 10 for this show. I went 7 out of 10 for WrestleMania Saturday, so average it out, and it’s a 7.88/10 for all of WrestleMania 42.

I loved WrestleMania 42 Sunday. It was definitely better than WrestleMania Saturday, and I had a blast watching it. The main event was a 5-star match between Roman Reigns and CM Punk that absolutely was worthy of a main event at WrestleMania. It’s going to be remembered as a legendary match. I’m so happy for Reigns and Punk delivering such an epic match. I loved the IC Title Ladder Match as well, with Penta, Je’Von Evans, and Rusev all standing out in that match, along with the other good performances.

They started things off right with Oba Femi winning big over Brock Lesnar, who retired after his loss. That was a huge moment. Femi came off as a massive star. It wasn’t long, but it was exactly what it needed to be, and it’s about the moment for Femi. Lesnar saying goodbye after that match is likely his choice. Respect to him for leaving when he wanted to and how he wanted to do it.

I’m happy for Trick Williams winning the US Title from Sami Zayn and Rhea Ripley winning the Women’s Title from Jade Cargill. That was probably Jade’s best singles match in WWE, a credit to her improvement and to how good Ripley is. I would have liked to see more time for the Williams/Zayn match, but at least it was the right result.

WrestleMania Saturday disappointed many fans, and the commercials drew widespread complaints. There were still commercials on WrestleMania Sunday, but the action was way better, so the commercial whiners probably could tolerate them more on this show.

To sum it up, WrestleMania Sunday absolutely outclassed WrestleMania Saturday. I had fun tonight. Thanks for reading!

My WWE PLE Rankings for 2026 so far:

WrestleMania 42 – 7.88 (April 18 & 19)

Royal Rumble – 7.75 (January 31)

Elimination Chamber – 7.5 (February 28)

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As a reminder, I have a listing of every WWE PPV that I reviewed in order by year. Thank you for supporting us at TJRWrestling. We appreciate you.

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