This article is about the 2026 WrestleMania in Las Vegas. For the 2025 WrestleMania in Las Vegas and also promoted as "WrestleMania Vegas", see WrestleMania 41. For the 1993 WrestleMania in Las Vegas, see WrestleMania IX.

WrestleMania 42
Promotional poster featuring CM Punk and Roman Reigns
Promotion WWE
Brand(s) Raw
SmackDown
Date April 18–19, 2026
City Paradise, Nevada
Venue Allegiant Stadium
Attendance
  • Night 1: 50,816
  • Night 2: 55,256
  • Combined: 106,072
WWE event chronology
← Previous
NXT Stand & Deliver		 Next →
Backlash
WrestleMania chronology
← Previous
41		 Next →
43

WrestleMania 42, also promoted as WrestleMania Vegas, was a 2026 professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was the 42nd annual WrestleMania and took place as a two-night event on Saturday, April 18 and Sunday, April 19, 2026, at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada, held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. Retired WWE wrestler and brand ambassador John Cena was the host for the event.

WrestleMania 42 was originally scheduled for April 11 and 12 at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, but was moved to the Las Vegas Valley and delayed by a week due to the financial success of 2025's WrestleMania 41, with Las Vegas paying a higher fee to host the event again; Vegas also used the event as an incentive to boost tourism following a downward trend in 2025. It was the third WrestleMania in the Las Vegas area, including WrestleMania IX in 1993, and the second consecutive at the same venue, marking the second time WrestleMania was held at the same venue in consecutive years. In the United States, the event was the first WrestleMania to stream on the ESPN app as well as the first to air live on ESPN's linear channels, as the first hour of each night were simulcast on ESPN2 and ESPN, respectively.

The card comprised a total of 13 matches, with seven on Night 1 and six on Night 2. In the main event of Night 1, Cody Rhodes defeated Randy Orton to retain SmackDown's Undisputed WWE Championship. In other matches, Liv Morgan defeated Stephanie Vaquer to win Raw's Women's World Championship, Gunther defeated Seth Rollins, and in the opening bout, LA Knight and The Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso) defeated IShowSpeed and The Vision (Logan Paul and Austin Theory) in a six-man tag team match. The first night saw the returns of Paige, who hadn't wrestled for WWE since 2022, and Bron Breakker, who had been out with an injury since February. Bianca Belair, who has been out for nearly a year due to an injury, also made an appearance and announced her pregnancy.

In the main event of Night 2, Roman Reigns defeated CM Punk to win Raw's World Heavyweight Championship. In other matches, Rhea Ripley defeated Jade Cargill to win SmackDown's WWE Women's Championship, Penta successfully defended Raw's WWE Intercontinental Championship in a six-man ladder match, and in the opening bout, Oba Femi defeated Brock Lesnar.

The event received highly polarizing reviews from critics and fans alike. Night 1 was subjected to widely negative reception due to the short length of many matches (particularly the women’s matches), overabundance of advertisements, heavy celebrity involvement, and a poorly received, anticlimactic main event match between Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton. Night 2 saw much more positive reception, with high praise given to the Femi–Lesnar bout and the Intercontinental Championship ladder match, while the main event match between Roman Reigns and CM Punk garnered widespread acclaim.

Production

WrestleMania 42 was originally set to be held at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana (top); however, the event was moved to Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada (bottom) for a second consecutive year.

Background

WrestleMania is WWE's flagship professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, having first been held in 1985. It was the company's first PPV produced and was also WWE's first major event available via livestreaming when the company launched its former standalone service, the WWE Network, in February 2014. It is the longest-running event in WWE history and is held annually between mid-March to mid-April, featuring wrestlers from the Raw and SmackDown brands.[1] Along with Royal Rumble, SummerSlam, Survivor Series, and Money in the Bank, it is one of the company's five biggest annual events, referred to as the "Big Five".[2][3][4] WrestleMania was ranked the sixth-most valuable sports brand in the world by Forbes in 2019,[5] and has been described as the Super Bowl of sports entertainment.[6]

In February 2025, reports emerged that WrestleMania 42 would take place at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, the same venue that hosted WrestleMania XXX in 2014 and WrestleMania 34 in 2018.[7] On the February 21 episode of Friday Night SmackDown, TKO board of directors member and part-time WWE wrestler Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson announced WrestleMania 42 would emanate from the Caesars Superdome on April 11 and 12, 2026.[8] However, on May 22, 2025, WrestleMania 42 was confirmed to no longer take place in New Orleans. While the specifics of the change were not revealed at the time, this came as part of a larger agreement, with New Orleans instead hosting a future WrestleMania, as well as the 2026 Money in the Bank.[9] Reports also emerged alleging that, with the financial success of WrestleMania 41 being held in Las Vegas, WrestleMania 42 may return to the area, while other reports suggested a possible international location.[10][11]

During the 2025 Money in the Bank event on June 7, WWE confirmed WrestleMania 42 would be held at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada on April 18 and 19, 2026, marking the third WrestleMania in the Las Vegas area, including WrestleMania IX in 1993, and the third WWE event held at Allegiant Stadium, including the 2021 SummerSlam.[12] Allegiant Stadium also became the first venue since the Atlantic City Convention Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey,[a] to host consecutive WrestleManias, having hosted WrestleMania IV in 1988 and WrestleMania V in 1989.[13][14] Las Vegas paid US$6 million to host the event again, a $1 million increase over WrestleMania 41,[15] with the city hoping it would boost tourism after a downward trend in 2025.[16] Two-day combo tickets went on sale on September 24, 2025,[17] with single day tickets on sale from November 28, 2025.[18] The official theme songs for the event were the 2025 remix of "Back in the Saddle" by Aerosmith and Yungblud,[19] and "Bones for the Crows" by Nickelback.[20] On March 30, John Cena, who had retired from professional wrestling in December 2025, announced that he would host WrestleMania 42.[21]

Broadcast outlets

In addition to airing on traditional pay-per-view worldwide,[failed verification] WrestleMania 42 was available to livestream on the ESPN streaming service in the United States, Netflix in most international markets, SuperSport in Sub-Saharan Africa, and Abema in Japan.[22]

This marked the first WrestleMania to livestream on the ESPN streaming service, as ESPN acquired the streaming rights to WWE's main roster events in the United States beginning with Wrestlepalooza in September 2025, following the expiration of WWE's contract with Peacock. ESPN had originally been slated to begin broadcasting main roster PPV and livestreaming events in the United States with WrestleMania 42;[23] however, as Peacock's agreement with WWE referred to the airing of a specified number of events, rather than on a fixed end date, the expansion of WWE's calendar—including all WrestleManias on Peacock being two nights since 2021 and the 2025 SummerSlam expanding to two nights, as well as the all-women's event Evolution in 2025—caused Peacock to reach the number of WWE events allotted in their agreement ahead of schedule.[24][25] This was also notably the first WrestleMania to not air on the WWE Network since it launched in 2014 as the service permanently shut down on April 1 in the last four remaining countries that were still on the platform.[26]

During the February 27, 2026, episode of Friday Night SmackDown, WWE announced that in the United States, the first hour of each night would be simulcast on ESPN2 and ESPN, respectively, marking the first WWE PPV and livestreaming event to air live on ESPN's linear channels.[27]

Other WrestleMania weekend events

As part of the WrestleMania festivities, WWE held a number of events throughout the weekend. On April 17, WWE kicked off WrestleMania Weekend with a special "WrestleMania Edition" of Friday Night SmackDown, which hosted the annual André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, won by Royce Keys.[28] Subsequently following SmackDown's broadcast, the 2026 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony commenced. After WrestleMania Saturday's conclusion, there was a comedy event, Kill Tony: WrestleMania, hosted by Tony Hinchcliffe. WrestleMania Weekend concluded with the Monday Night Raw after WrestleMania on April 20. SmackDown and Raw were held live at the nearby T-Mobile Arena, while the Hall of Fame induction ceremony was held at Dolby Live at Park MGM.[29][30][31] Also as part of WrestleMania 42 week, WWE partnered with independent wrestling promotion Future Stars of Wrestling (FSW) to co-promote a WWE ID Showcase event at the HyperX Arena on the Las Vegas Strip.[32]

In partnership with Fanatics Events, WWE also hosted the third annual WWE World at WrestleMania, a five-day fan convention held at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The event began on Thursday, April 16 and ran through Monday, April 20. It included interview panel sessions with WWE wrestlers, live podcast recordings, meet-and-greets with wrestlers, a large merchandise store with various memorabilia honoring WrestleMania's 42-year history, and live matches, with some of the matches broadcast on YouTube.[33]

Celebrity involvement

See also: List of celebrities involved with WrestleMania

As is tradition at WrestleMania, various celebrities from outside of wrestling participated in various capacities. The Las Vegas Mass Choir performed "God Bless America" to kick off Night 1, while singer-songwriter and Jonas Brothers co-lead singer Joe Jonas, accompanied by Jack Lawless and JinJoo Lee from Jonas' band DNCE, sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" to kick off Night 2.[34] Rapper Lil Yachty was in the corner of his friend Trick Williams for his match at the event.[35] Social media influencer and online streamer IShowSpeed wrestled in a six-man tag team match on Night 1, teaming with The Vision (Logan Paul and Austin Theory).[36] Songwriter and actor Lin-Manuel Miranda narrated the cold open for both nights. The Wonder Years performed Becky Lynch's theme song for her entrance.[37][38]

Storylines

The event included 13 matches that resulted from scripted storylines, with seven on Night 1 and six on Night 2. Results were predetermined by WWE writers on the Raw and SmackDown brands,[39][40] while storylines were produced on WWE's weekly television shows, Monday Night Raw and Friday Night SmackDown.[41]

Main event matches

CM Punk was defeated and handed Raw's World Heavyweight Championship to 2026 men's Royal Rumble winner Roman Reigns in the main event of Night 2.

At the Royal Rumble on January 31, SmackDown's Roman Reigns won the men's Royal Rumble match, earning a world championship match of his choice at WrestleMania 42.[42] Reigns appeared on the following episode of Raw where he was interrupted by Raw's World Heavyweight Champion, CM Punk, who claimed that Reigns could choose the easy path and face SmackDown's world champion or choose the hard path and face him. Punk reminded Reigns that he was ultimately responsible for Reigns's overall success in WWE as he was the one who brought him onto the main roster as part of The Shield in 2012. Punk also outlined how he was a fighting champion, in comparison to Reigns, who barely showed up to defend his title during his previous title reign. Reigns recounted his dislike of Punk, stemming from comments that Punk had made about Reigns on a podcast after Punk left WWE in early 2014, which caused fans to turn on him and made his job harder. He also brought up that Punk caused Paul Heyman to turn on him at WrestleMania 41 and informed Punk that he was ultimately the one responsible for Punk's return to WWE at the 2023 Survivor Series: WarGames, as management consulted his approval. Although Reigns had showed respect to Punk after they teamed up in the WarGames match at the 2025 Survivor Series: WarGames on November 29, Reigns decided that out of his overall hatred for Punk, he would challenge him at WrestleMania 42 for the World Heavyweight Championship.[43] With Punk retaining the title at Elimination Chamber on February 28, this confirmed his status as defending champion at the Grandest Stage of Them All.[44] The match was later confirmed to main event Night 2.[45] Two days before his match, Reigns stated that if he lost, he would leave WWE.[46]

SmackDown's Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes defended the title against 2026 men's Elimination Chamber winner Randy Orton in the main event of Night 1. Pat McAfee was in Orton's corner and claimed he would leave the professional wrestling industry if he lost.

At Elimination Chamber, SmackDown's Randy Orton won the men's Elimination Chamber match to earn a title match for his own brand's Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania 42.[44] On that week's SmackDown, Cody Rhodes won the championship, confirming his status as the defending champion at the Showcase of the Immortals.[47] Over the prior few months, a match between the two had been teased, especially with their history together as former members of The Legacy, and their relationship as mentor and mentee. The two had been good friends since Rhodes returned to WWE in 2022. However, during the contract signing on the March 13 episode of SmackDown, a conflicted Orton viciously attacked Rhodes, turning heel for the first time since 2021, with Orton determined to win his 15th world championship.[48] In the weeks following Orton's betrayal, he was constantly on the phone receiving advice from a mysterious person, who was revealed to be Pat McAfee on the April 3 episode. McAfee then stated that he believed that WWE was going in a direction that nobody liked, and that Orton would save the business.[49] Later, McAfee stated that if Orton lost, he would leave the professional wrestling industry forever.[50] The match was later confirmed to be the main event of Night 1.[45]

Undercard matches

2026 women's Royal Rumble winner Liv Morgan challenged Stephanie Vaquer for Raw's Women's World Championship on Night 1.

Also at the Royal Rumble, Raw's Liv Morgan won the women's Royal Rumble match, earning a world championship match of her choice at WrestleMania 42.[42] Over the next few weeks, she appeared on Raw and SmackDown to confront the champions of each brand, leading to numerous altercations. On Raw on February 16, Raw's Women's World Champion, Stephanie Vaquer, interrupted Morgan's interview and chastised her, claiming that Morgan had been handed everything throughout her career and that if she chose her, Morgan would not win, which left Morgan in tears.[51] The following week, Morgan, along with both champions, appeared where Morgan attacked Vaquer and posed with the title, officially declaring that she would challenge Vaquer for the Women's World Championship at WrestleMania 42.[52] The match was later scheduled for Night 1.[45]

2026 women's Elimination Chamber winner Rhea Ripley challenged SmackDown's WWE Women's Champion Jade Cargill on Night 2.

At Elimination Chamber, Raw's Rhea Ripley won the namesake match, earning a title match against Jade Cargill for SmackDown's WWE Women's Championship at WrestleMania 42.[44] The match was later scheduled for Night 2.[45]

On the February 23 episode of Raw, Brock Lesnar made his first appearance since the Royal Rumble. He was accompanied by Paul Heyman, who questioned who should face Lesnar at WrestleMania. Heyman claimed that no one had the courage to do so, and after revealing Lesnar's upcoming appearances, Heyman stated that anyone who wanted to face Lesnar in an open challenge at the event would just need to appear.[52] On the March 16 episode, Oba Femi, who faced off with and was eliminated by Lesnar during the Royal Rumble match, confronted Lesnar and delivered the "Fall From Grace" powerbomb to him before accepting Lesnar's open challenge.[53] The match was later scheduled to open Night 2.[45]

On the September 5, 2025, episode of SmackDown, AJ Lee returned to WWE for the first time since 2015, aiding her husband CM Punk against Becky Lynch and her husband Seth Rollins.[54] Lee and Punk subsequently defeated Lynch and Rollins in a mixed tag team match at Wrestlepalooza, where Lee forced Lynch to submit.[55] Following a brief hiatus, Lee returned on the November 17 episode of Raw, distracting Lynch to cost her the WWE Women's Intercontinental Championship.[56] At Survivor Series: WarGames, both women were part of opposite teams in the Women's WarGames match, where Lee's team won after she forced Lynch to submit once again.[57] Lynch subsequently regained the title on the Raw on Netflix Anniversary Show,[58] however, Lynch lost the title to Lee at Elimination Chamber when Lee submitted Lynch for a third time.[44] On the March 16 episode of Raw after Lee successfully defended the title, Lynch returned and attacked Lee.[53] The following week, Lynch stated that she wanted the title back, with Lee subsequently appearing and stating that she would give Lynch a rematch for the title at WrestleMania, which Lynch agreed.[59] The match was later scheduled for Night 1.[45]

On the January 2 episode of SmackDown, Trick Williams made his main roster debut and confronted Sami Zayn. Williams taunted Zayn about his failed opportunities and failure to win a world title and Zayn responded that he would teach Williams about becoming humble.[60] Both Williams and Zayn then qualified for a fatal four-way match at Saturday Night's Main Event XLIII to determine who would challenge for the Undisputed WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble, however, Williams attacked Zayn after his qualifying match.[61] Although Zayn subsequently won the fatal four-way, he failed to win the title at the Royal Rumble, after which, Williams would continue to taunt Zayn about his loss.[62][42] After Williams failed to win the Elimination Chamber match at the eponymous event for an Undisputed WWE Championship match at WrestleMania, Zayn also taunted him for his failure.[44][63] On the March 20 episode, Williams was ringside during Zayn's match, and after a confrontation, Zayn attacked Williams. This distraction ended up costing Zayn the match.[64] The following week, SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis announced that Williams would compete at WrestleMania 42. Zayn also approached Aldis about a match at the event, however, Aldis revealed that there was not a spot for him at WrestleMania. Following Williams taunting Zayn further, Zayn attacked Williams and claimed that he would indeed compete at WrestleMania. Later that night, Zayn won the WWE United States Championship after Williams interfered. Aldis subsequently announced that Zayn would defend the title against Williams at WrestleMania.[65] The following week, Williams friend and rapper Lil Yachty appeared on SmackDown after Williams's invitation. There, Williams also invited Yachty to be in his corner at WrestleMania, which Yachty accepted. Later that night, Zayn retained the title, reassuring his status as the defending champion.[66] The match was later scheduled for Night 2.[45] However, after being attacked by Zayn on the April 10 episode, Williams stated the following week on the special edition of WrestleMania SmackDown that he did not know if Yachty would still appear at WrestleMania.[67]

Since September 2025, Drew McIntyre had been feuding with Jacob Fatu, who was annoyed by McIntyre always blaming others for his failures, especially after McIntyre lost an Undisputed WWE Championship match at Wrestlepalooza.[55][68] Fatu also announced his intentions to challenge for the title, and a match between McIntyre and Fatu was scheduled on the October 17 episode of SmackDown to determine the #1 contender for the title. The match never happened as Fatu was found incapacitated backstage, with McIntyre stating he did not attack him.[69] Fatu would take a hiatus, while McIntyre continued after the title. On the January 9, 2026, episode, McIntyre won the title after Fatu returned and interfered in the match.[70] The rivalry between McIntyre and Fatu intensified as Fatu believed that McIntyre was the one who attacked him backstage, and on the February 13 episode, McIntyre interfered in Fatu's Elimination Chamber qualifying match, costing him the match.[71] Fatu competed in another qualifying match for the Elimination Chamber match on the February 27 episode, however, McIntyre once again interfered, costing him the match.[72] On the following week's episode, Fatu interfered in McIntyre's title defense, costing McIntyre the title.[47] The following week, McIntyre demanded a rematch, however, he was interrupted by Fatu, who took the blame for costing McIntyre the title and asked what McIntyre would do about it. McIntyre in turn stated that he would "quit" SmackDown, leaving the ring, however, he returned later that night and once again interfered and cost Fatu his match.[63] A match between both men was scheduled for the following week, however, the match never happened as both men brawled during the entire episode.[64] On the March 27 episode, after another confrontation between McIntyre and Fatu, SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis scheduled a match between both men at WrestleMania, however, Aldis stated that WWE would not be responsible for anything that would happen between the two, and it would be an unsanctioned match.[65] The match was later scheduled for Night 1.[45]

Since late 2024, dissension had been brewing between Judgment Day members Dominik Mysterio and Finn Bálor, including at WrestleMania 41, where both competed in a fatal four-way match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship with Mysterio pinning Bálor to capture the title.[73] Despite the dissension, they continued to coalesce, however, tensions intensified on the March 2, 2026, episode of Raw. Bálor wanted Mysterio to defend the title that night without any help, which Mysterio agreed. During the title match, Mysterio asked both Bálor and JD McDonagh, who were at ringside, to interfere. As McDonagh was about to hand the ring bell hammer to Mysterio, Bálor stopped him. This distraction led to Mysterio losing the title.[74] The following week, Mysterio confronted Bálor, who stated that he only wanted Mysterio to fight his own battles, but he realized that Mysterio was just a "spoiled little prick". Mysterio then shoved Bálor, who attacked him in response, however, he was outnumbered by The Judgment Day (Mysterio, McDonagh, Liv Morgan, and Raquel Rodriguez), kicking him out of the group in the process.[75] Two weeks later, Bálor attacked McDonagh during Mysterio's title rematch, with the distraction costing Mysterio the match.[59] The following week, Bálor announced that he would face Mysterio at WrestleMania 42.[76] On the April 6 episode of Raw, Bálor was scheduled to face McDonagh, however, he was attacked by Mysterio and McDonagh before the match started. Bálor subsequently announced that he would wrestle under his "Demon" persona, which would be the first time since WrestleMania 39.[36] The match was later scheduled for Night 2.[45] During the Countdown to WrestleMania 42 Sunday pre-show, Raw General Manager Adam Pearce announced that the match would be a Street Fight.[77]

On the March 16 episode of Raw, Je'Von Evans stated his intentions to challenge for the WWE Intercontinental Championship after champion Penta's defense against Dragon Lee. Penta retained the title, and after successfully defending the title once again two weeks later, Penta announced that after speaking with Raw General Manager Adam Pearce, he would defend the title in a multi-man ladder match at WrestleMania 42. Later that night, Lee, JD McDonagh, Evans, and Rusev were announced as the competitors of the match after qualifying during Main Event tapings after defeating Grayson Waller, Akira Tozawa, Rayo Americano, and Otis, respectively.[76][78] On the April 6 episode of Raw, after Penta, Lee, and Evans won a six-man tag team match, Rey Mysterio made a surprise return and announced that he would also compete in the ladder match after speaking with Pearce.[36] The match was later scheduled for Night 2.[45] On April 11 at one of WWE's sister promotion Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA)'s shows, Penta successfully defended the title, reassuring his status as the defending champion.[79]

In November 2025, then-WWE Women's Tag Team Champions Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair began a rivalry with Nia Jax. Shortly after, Lash Legend aligned herself with Jax, and they cost Bliss and Flair the title.[80] At Survivor Series: WarGames, Bliss and Flair's team defeated Jax and Legend's team in the Women's WarGames match. After that, Bliss and Flair vowed to regain the title.[57] At the Royal Rumble during the eponymous match, Nikki Bella returned after a month hiatus, while her twin sister Brie Bella also returned to WWE for the first time since 2022, subsequently reuniting with Nikki, reforming The Bella Twins, and both stated their intentions of winning the title.[42][43] On the February 27, 2026, episode of SmackDown, however, Jax and Legend, now known as The Irresistible Forces, won the title.[72] Bliss and Flair won a number one contender match and they faced The Irresistible Forces on the March 13 episode of SmackDown, but after an altercation between Jax and The Bella Twins, who were watching the match at ringside, Brie attacked Jax, causing a disqualification win for The Irresistible Forces.[63] The Bella Twins also faced The Irresistible Forces in a title match the following week, which ended in a no contest after Flair interfered when Jax attempted to strike Brie with the title belt, and a brawl ensued between the three teams.[64] On the March 27 episode, The Bella Twins defeated Bliss and Flair after Legend punched Bliss; during this match, Nikki suffered an ankle injury. Following the match, The Irresistible Forces attacked both teams, however, they were saved by Raw's Bayley and Lyra Valkyria, who were scheduled for a title match three days later on Raw.[65] During the title match, Flair, Bliss, and The Bella Twins appeared at ringside, and Jax shoved Valkyria onto Flair and Bliss. This prompted Flair and Bliss to interfere and attack Jax, causing a disqualification win for The Irresistible Forces. Following that, all teams fended off The Irresistible Forces. Later that night, it was announced that The Irresistible Forces would defend the title against The Bella Twins, Bliss and Flair, and Bayley and Valkyria in a fatal four-way tag team match at WrestleMania 42.[76] The match was later scheduled for Night 1.[45]

On the March 30 episode of Raw, Gunther delivered an unexplained attack to Seth Rollins, also saving Paul Heyman from an assault by Rollins; Heyman is part of The Vision stable, which Rollins was the leader of, but was betrayed and expelled from the stable back in October 2025. After that, Gunther pointed at the WrestleMania sign and later that night, Raw General Manager Adam Pearce announced that Rollins and Gunther would wrestle each other at WrestleMania 42.[76] The following week, Rollins alleged that Gunther had made a deal with Heyman, which Heyman denied. Gunther subsequently revealed to Heyman that he attacked Rollins for a personal reason, but that Heyman also owed him a favor for saving him.[36] The match was later scheduled for Night 1.[45] On the final episode before WrestleMania, Gunther revealed that the reason he attacked Rollins was simply because he wanted to prove that he is a better wrestler than him at WrestleMania 42.[81]

American social media influencer IShowSpeed competed in a six-man tag team match, teaming with The Vision (Logan Paul and Austin Theory) against LA Knight and The Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso).

For most of 2025, LA Knight and Jey Uso were involved in a rivalry against The Vision (Seth Rollins, Bron Breakker, Bronson Reed, and manager Paul Heyman). The rivalry intensified through the year, with Jey's twin brother Jimmy Uso joining him, reuniting The Usos. At Wrestlepalooza, Breakker and Reed defeated The Usos with Knight serving as the special guest referee.[55] In October 2025, Rollins was excommunicated out of the group, and The Vision and Logan Paul's team subsequently defeated The Usos's team in a WarGames match at Survivor Series: WarGames when an unknown assailant interfered on behalf of The Vision.[57] Paul subsequently entered The Vision and joined Reed in viciously attacking Knight on the December 8 episode of Raw, taking him out of action.[82] During Knight's absence, the unknown assailant was revealed as Austin Theory, who joined The Vision, while The Usos won the World Tag Team Championship. During the Royal Rumble match at the eponymous event, Knight returned and eliminated Reed and Theory. Afterwards, Breakker and Reed both suffered legitimate injuries, taking them out indefinitely.[42] Heyman stated that both Paul and Theory should focus on winning the World Tag Team Championship, and on the March 23 episode, Paul and Theory defeated The Usos by disqualification in a non-title match after Jey struck Theory with brass knuckles.[59] On the following week's episode, a Street Fight for the title took place, where Paul attempted to use the brass knuckles, however, he was stopped by Knight, who was a guest commentator for the match. Influencer and online streamer IShowSpeed, who was watching the match ringside, picked up the brass knuckles and accidentally struck Knight. Speed left the brass knuckles in the ring, which allowed Paul to strike Jimmy with it to win the title.[76] Three days later, Knight appeared during Speed's livestream and attacked him.[83] The following week on Raw, Knight faced Theory. During the match, Paul shoved Speed into Knight. As Speed was trying to leave, The Usos appeared and prevented him from doing so. Theory subsequently won the match, and after that, The Usos and Knight attempted to attack Speed, who was saved by Paul. After that, Knight called out Raw General Manager Adam Pearce and then challenged Theory, Paul, and Speed to face him and The Usos in a six-man tag team match at WrestleMania 42, which Pearce sanctioned.[36] The match was later scheduled to be the opening bout of Night 1.[45]

Planned matches

On the October 13, 2025, episode of Raw, Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed attacked Seth Rollins, expelling him from The Vision stable.[84] At the Royal Rumble, Breakker entered the Men's Royal Rumble match at No. 2; however, he was attacked by a masked man before entering the ring (allowing Oba Femi to eliminate him),[42] who at Elimination Chamber revealed himself to be Rollins.[44] In February 2026, Breakker was temporarily removed from television programming due to requiring surgery for a hernia.[85] It was later reported that prior to Breakker's injury, a match against Rollins was considered for WrestleMania, but due to the injury, was ultimately not scheduled for the event.[86]

Event

Night 1

Other on-screen personnel – Saturday
Role: Name:
Host John Cena
English commentators Michael Cole
Wade Barrett
Spanish commentators Marcelo Rodríguez
Jerry Soto
Ring announcer Alicia Taylor
Referees Jessika Carr
Dan Engler
Daphanie LaShaunn
Eddie Orengo
Chad Patton
Charles Robinson
Ryan Tran
Interviewers Cathy Kelley
Byron Saxton
Jackie Redmond
Peter Rosenberg
Pre-show panel Joe Tessitore
Big E
Corey Graves
Wade Barrett

Preliminary matches

WrestleMania Saturday began with the event's host John Cena hyping up the crowd.[37]

In the first match, LA Knight and The Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso) faced off against IShowSpeed and The Vision (Logan Paul and Austin Theory). The Vision isolated Jimmy, allowing Speed to attempt a suplex, which Jimmy successfully reversed. Paul knocked Knight and Jey off the apron to prevent a tag, but Jimmy eventually retaliated with a Whisper in the Wind and superkicks to both Paul and Theory. As Knight tagged into the match, Theory held Knight in place for a strike from Speed. However, Knight countered, causing Theory to collide with Speed. Knight then executed the BFT on Theory for the pinfall victory. Following the match, Paul attacked Speed, blaming him for the loss. He positioned Speed on the broadcast table, intending to dive from the top rope. Knight and The Usos subsequently neutralized Paul with a 1D and then encouraged Speed to retaliate. Speed executed a frog splash from the ring post, sending Paul through the announce table.[37]

The next match saw Jacob Fatu fight Drew McIntyre in an unsanctioned match. Fatu hit a suicide dive before McIntyre could enter the ring. Fatu punished McIntyre while introducing tables, chairs, and a toolbox into the ring. McIntyre catapulted Fatu into the ring frame and hit Fatu with his phone while recording the encounter and posting it on X.[87][88] Both men utilized the referee's belt and a wrench as weapons. McIntyre hit Fatu with a toolbox and a Claymore Kick however Fatu kicked out. McIntyre attempted to put Fatu through a table, but Fatu countered with multiple superkicks. After striking McIntyre with the toolbox, Fatu positioned him on a table and executed a double-jump moonsault through the table to beat McIntyre.[37]

Paige made her return to WWE, teaming with Brie Bella to capture the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship in her first match in the promotion since December 2017.

Next, The Irresistible Forces (Nia Jax and Lash Legend) were scheduled to defend the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship in a fatal four-way tag team match against Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss, Bayley and Lyra Valkyria, and The Bella Twins (Nikki Bella and Brie Bella). When The Bella Twins came out, however, Nikki was in crutches due to her fractured, tore, and sprained ankle[89] and announced the returning Paige as her replacement. Legend powerbombed both Bliss and Valkyria while they attempted a double superplex on Brie. Paige tagged in, delivering knee strikes to Legend and countering Valkyria's Night Wing with a Paige Turner. Flair hit the Natural Selection on Paige before Bliss tagged in to attempt the Twisted Bliss. As Bliss attempted the move, Nikki hit Flair with her crutch, and Paige countered the maneuver to hit the RamPaige and become the new champions.[37]

Next, AJ Lee defended the WWE Women's Intercontinental Championship against Becky Lynch with Jessika Carr as the referee, who had ongoing tension with Lynch. Lynch dominated early, but her focus repeatedly shifted towards Carr, particularly after she thwarted Lynch's attempt to remove a turnbuckle pad. Lynch argued with Carr and shoved her, who responded by shoving Lynch back. Lee capitalized on the distraction, hitting Lynch's Manhandle Slam and later trapping Lynch in the Black Widow. Lynch managed to reach the ropes, narrowly avoiding a submission loss. After successfully removing a turnbuckle pad, Lynch pulled Carr into the path of a charging Lee. With the official incapacitated, Lynch drove Lee into the exposed turnbuckle and then executed the Manhandle Slam to become a three-time WWE Women's Intercontinental Champion.[37]

The match between Gunther and Seth Rollins followed. Before the opening bell rang, Gunther blindsided Rollins with a powerbomb, prompting Rollins to retaliate with an eye gouge at ringside. Once the match officially started, Gunther landed a second powerbomb, but Rollins rallied, executing a Pedigree and a Curb Stomp for a near-fall. Rollins performed a superplex and Falcon Arrow combination, followed immediately by a sleeper hold that Gunther narrowly escaped by reaching the bottom rope. Rollins delivered two consecutive suicide dives, with the third attempt being intercepted by Gunther, leading to Gunther powerbombing Rollins onto the ring apron and the Spanish broadcast table. Rollins countered a subsequent maneuver on the table with a Pedigree, and followed it up with a Curb Stomp on Gunther on the English broadcast table. Bron Breakker proceeded to make his return to spear Rollins, after which Breakker threw Rollins back into the ring and Gunther applied a sleeper hold. With Rollins passed out, the referee called for the bell, awarding the victory to Gunther. Post-match Breakker came running back to deliver a second spear to Rollins, and made his way up the ramp with his manager Paul Heyman.[37]

In the penultimate match, Stephanie Vaquer defended the Women's World Championship against Liv Morgan. Morgan landed a powerbomb, but Vaquer quickly retaliated with the Devil’s Kiss for a near-fall. Vaquer hit Morgan's Oblivion for a two-count. Morgan's Judgment Day stablemates Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez arrived as Perez distracted the official and then Rodriguez struck Vaquer, allowing Morgan to connect with the Oblivion, though Vaquer managed to kick out. Vaquer fended off Rodriguez and Perez with a springboard dive. However, Morgan drove Vaquer into the steel steps. Morgan executed a Jersey Codebreaker from the middle rope and followed up with another Oblivion to become a three-time Women's World Champion.[37]

Following the announcement of the night's attendance of 50,816 by John Cena, Bianca Belair appeared to announce that she and her husband, Montez Ford, were expecting their first child together.[37]

Main event

The main event was reigning champion Cody Rhodes against Randy Orton (accompanied by Pat McAfee) for the Undisputed WWE Championship. Before the match could start, McAfee struck Rhodes with a microphone. Rhodes retaliated by executing a Cross Rhodes to McAfee on a broadcast table. Jelly Roll appeared to perform an elbow drop on McAfee through the broadcast table, leading to McAfee being removed on a stretcher. Once the match officially commenced, Rhodes targeted Orton's historically injured back. Orton executed his signature draping DDT and powerslam, but he sustained a head wound after being sent into the ring post. Rhodes performed a draping DDT of his own. Then, Orton executed Rhodes' Cross Rhodes, with Rhodes responding with Orton's RKO. Orton inadvertently struck the referee with an RKO while blinded by an eye rake. Amidst the officiating void, Rhodes low blowed Orton before Orton connected with a mid-air RKO as Rhodes attempted a Cody Cutter. McAfee returned to the ring in a referee's shirt to count a near-fall for Orton, but Orton ultimately turned on McAfee, delivering an RKO to him. Capitalizing on the distraction, Rhodes executed a final Cross Rhodes to retain his title. Following the match, Orton struck Rhodes with the championship belt and hit him with the punt kick, standing tall over the champion as the night concluded.[37]

Night 2

Other on-screen personnel – Sunday
Role: Name:
Host John Cena
English commentators[b] Michael Cole
Wade Barrett
Spanish commentators Marcelo Rodríguez
Jerry Soto
Ring announcer Alicia Taylor
Referees Danilo Anfibio
Jason Ayers
Shawn Bennett
Adrian Butler
Jessika Carr
Chip Danning
Eddie Orengo
Chad Patton
Rod Zapata
Interviewers Cathy Kelley
Byron Saxton
Jackie Redmond
Peter Rosenberg
Pre-show panel Joe Tessitore
Big E
Corey Graves
Wade Barrett

Preliminary matches

WrestleMania Sunday began with the event's host John Cena hyping up the crowd.[38]

Oba Femi (pictured), who vanquished Brock Lesnar in the opener.

The Night 2 opener was Oba Femi versus Brock Lesnar. Femi was unaffected by Lesnar's offense, forcing a frustrated Lesnar to regroup at ringside. After using the ring steps to gain a brief advantage, Lesnar returned Femi to the ring and executed multiple German suplexes. Femi countered another suplex attempt and cornered Lesnar with strikes. Although Lesnar managed to connect with an F-5, Femi recovered quickly, responding with a chokeslam. Femi then executed the Fall From Grace to emphatically defeat Lesnar. After Femi exited, an emotional Lesnar remained in the ring. He removed his gloves and boots and left them in the center of the ring, teasing retirement. Lesnar shared an embrace with Paul Heyman before waving to the crowd.[38]

Next, Penta put the Intercontinental Championship on the line in a ladder match against Rey Mysterio, Dragon Lee, Je'Von Evans, Rusev, and JD McDonagh. Rusev used a ladder to intercept a double suicide dive from Penta and Lee. Rusev slammed Evans onto a wedged ladder. Penta launched Mysterio into a West Coast Pop on Rusev, crashing through a ladder bridge. McDonagh executed a Spanish Fly on Lee off a ladder, while Penta performed a Mexican Destroyer on McDonagh onto a ladder bridge. Je'Von Evans attempted to claim the title while hanging from the hook after Rusev pushed his ladder away; Evans eventually recovered to hit Rusev with an OG Cutter. Penta neutralized Evans with a second Mexican Destroyer, and ascended the ladder to retrieve the title.[38]

Sami Zayn's United States Championship defense against Trick Williams (accompanied by Lil Yachty) followed. Williams paid tribute to Booker T with a Bookend for an early near-fall. Zayn countered a Trick Shot with a Blue Thunder Bomb. Zayn drove Yachty into the barricade before delivering a brainbuster to Williams on the ring apron followed by a Helluva Kick. Yachty clotheslined Zayn over the top rope while the referee was distracted. Williams capitalized with a spin kick for a close two-count. After dodging a Helluva Kick, Williams connected with the Trick Shot to capture the United States Championship for the first time.[38]

Next, Dominik Mysterio fought "The Demon" Finn Bálor in a Street Fight. Mysterio initiated an attack with a suicide dive and a kendo stick. Bálor reversed a suplex attempt to drop Mysterio onto a pair of chairs. Mysterio later executed a 619 and a frog splash, but Bálor kicked out of the pinfall attempt at a one-count. Mysterio drove Bálor through a table with a superkick. He put a steel chair in front of Balor's face while he was leaning against the ropes and then hit him with a 619. Bálor retaliated with a Sling Blade and a series of shotgun dropkicks, one of which was delivered while Mysterio’s neck was in a chair. Bálor executed the Coup de Grâce, driving Mysterio through a table to secure the three-count.[38]

The penultimate match was Jade Cargill versus Rhea Ripley for the WWE Women's Championship. Cargill dominated early with a crossface submission and a spinebuster. Ripley thwarted a Jaded attempt. Cargill successfully blocked a Riptide. Michin and B-Fab arrived to interfere on Cargill's behalf. When Ripley knocked B-Fab off the apron, the distraction allowed Cargill to nearly secure a pinfall. Iyo Sky appeared, executing an Asai moonsault onto both Michin and B-Fab on the floor. After fending off Cargill, Ripley successfully executed the Riptide to win the WWE Women's Championship.[38]

After the night's attendance of 55,256 was announced, John Cena thanked the crowd as he concluded his duties as host. The Miz and Kit Wilson interrupted as Miz demanded a WrestleMania moment. Danhausen appeared, accompanied by little people dressed like him. After Wilson called one of the little people "toxic", Danhausen ordered another little person to hit Wilson with a low blow and then all of them attacked him. Then, Danhausen performed an eye poke variant of Cena's Five Knuckle Shuffle on Miz.[38]

Main event

The Night 2 main event was CM Punk versus Roman Reigns for the World Heavyweight Championship. Punk came to the ring to "Miseria Cantare" by AFI, his former Ring of Honor theme, as his entrance.[91] The bout began with a brawl at ringside, where Punk leaped off the barricade onto Reigns. Reigns placed Punk upside down in the tree of woe and delivered three consecutive Superman Punches. Reigns used the steel steps to strike Punk, causing the champion's forehead to bleed, before executing a powerbomb through the English broadcast table. Punk connected with a GTS, which Reigns survived. Punk kicked out of a subsequent spear. Punk donned Reigns' Ula Fala and attempted a spear, which Reigns countered into a guillotine choke before Punk countered it with a roll-up for a two-count. The two engaged in a rapid sequence of submission counters before leveling one another with simultaneous clotheslines. Punk threw his wrist tape at Reigns to distract the referee so he could deliver a low blow, following up with a second GTS for a near-fall. Punk followed this with a diving elbow drop, sending Reigns through a second broadcast table. Despite hitting a third GTS, Punk was too exhausted to immediately capitalize. Reigns managed to deliver two consecutive spears to best Punk and become the new World Heavyweight Champion.[38]

Reception

The event received a highly polarized reception between the two nights.

Night 1 received largely negative reviews, with commentators citing the short match times (particularly for women's matches), heavy prevalence of ads, celebrity involvement, and lack of grandeur. Kevin Berge of Bleacher Report gave Night 1 a grade of D+[92] Although he praised the unsanctioned match between Jacob Fatu and Drew McIntyre and the match between Seth Rollins and Gunther, Robert Jackman of Yahoo Sports called Night 1 "miserable" and "uninspired," opining that it had fallen short even of the low bar set by the widely-panned main event of WrestleMania 41 Night 2.[93] The inclusion of McAfee and Roll in the main events was heavly critiziced before the event. There were reports that, despite WWE planning to use Aleister Black in the storyline, they were overruled by TKO and its CEO Ari Emanuel, and instead mandated to use McAfee instead.[94]

The main event match between Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton for the Undisputed WWE Championship was universally panned. Wade Keller of Pro Wrestling Torch considered the match as taking "forever to get out of first gear", but when it did, the match "was dramatic, but hardly athletic". However, "the McAfee situation just muddied the story of the match" while stating that "it's hard to separate fan fatigue with Cody from just the effects of years of lousy, uneven booking of him".[95] Shakiel Mahjouri of CBS Sports gave it a grade of C+, stated that WWE "washed their hands of the celebrity nonsense, leaned into speculation about Orton's health and built towards an electrifying finish", but after McAfee showed up, "everything imploded". McAfee counting the pinfall and Orton turning on him "made no sense and completely took attention away from what was shaping up to be a great match".[96] Jordan Mendoza of USA Today called it a "frustrating and confusing" main event and a "really odd end to night 1."[97]

In contrast, Night 2 received a highly positive fan and critical reception, with the main event match between Reigns and Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship receiving widespread critical acclaim. Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter said on his podcast that it was "one of the best matches in Wrestlemania history."[98] Scott Carlson of WhatCulture called the main event an "incredible" match with "great action and brilliant pacing," ending "a really good, solid show".[99] Contrasting his negative Night 1 review, Kevin Berge gave the event an A- grade, with particular praise given to the main event and the Oba Femi vs Brock Lesnar match.[100]

Meltzer, rating the Night 1 matches on a scale of five stars, rated the opening six-man tag team match 2.5 stars, the Unsanctioned match 4.25 stars, the Women's Tag Team Championship match 2.75 stars, the Women's Intercontinental Championship match 2.75 stars, the Rollins–Gunther bout 4.5 stars, the Women's World Championship match two stars, and the Undisputed WWE Championship main event between Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton 3.5 stars. For Night 2, he scored Femi vs. Lesnar four stars, the Intercontinental Championship Ladder match 4.75 stars, the United States Championship match three stars, the Bálor–Mysterio Street Fight 3.5 stars, the WWE Women's Championship match 3.25 stars, and the World Heavyweight Championship main event between CM Punk and Roman Reigns five stars (the highest rating of the weekend, only the second WrestleMania main event to be accredited five stars by Meltzer, and Reigns’ first match to be given this rating).[101]

Aftermath

Raw

The Raw after WrestleMania opened with Oba Femi, who entered to a massive ovation. In the ring, he simply stated the words "the ruler has arrived", before posing for the crowd and exiting. New WWE Women's Champion Rhea Ripley teamed with her partner Iyo Sky to defeat long-standing foes The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka and Kairi Sane).[102]

CM Punk talked about the loss of his world championship, in addition to the loss of several loved ones of his, before being met by longtime friend Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. At the end of the segment, Punk teased challenging for the Undisputed title, and Rhodes told Punk he had a title shot waiting for him whenever he wanted it.[102]

Liv Morgan celebrated her Women's World Championship victory with the rest of The Judgment Day, before being interrupted by Sol Ruca. The following non-title match between the two ended with a victory for Morgan after Ruca suffered a run-in by her rival Zaria. After the match, Morgan was confronted by Stephanie Vaquer. Finn Bálor faced and defeated The Judgment Day's JD McDonagh, before being blindsided by Dominik Mysterio.[102]

The Vision (Bron Breakker, Logan Paul, Austin Theory, and Paul Heyman) ruminated on WrestleMania before being attacked by Seth Rollins, armed with a steel chair. The stable eventually got the better of Rollins, before the Street Profits (Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins) emerged to even the playing field. At the back of the segment, Breakker would hit Rollins with another spear.[102]

At the end of the episode, new World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns was flanked with his cousins The Usos, who had reunited The Bloodline stable celebrating Reigns' victory. They were confronted by another one of their cousins, Jacob Fatu, who had been transferred to Raw, challenging him to a title match at Backlash. Reigns stated that he would announce his decision regarding the challenge on the following week's episode.[102] There, the match was eventually made official.

SmackDown

As a result of her WWE Women's Championship win, Rhea Ripley was transferred to the SmackDown brand.[102] There she was confronted by Fatal Influence (Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid) who took out both reigning WWE Women's Tag Team Champions Paige and Brie Bella who competed against Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss for the title, while later that night, Ripley faced Jayne in a non-title match which ended in a no-contest after Fatal Influence interfered.[103]

On that same episode, Jacob Fatu explained why he wants to challenge Reigns for the championship at Backlash and The Usos had warned him before they were confronted by his former stablemates, the MFT (Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa and JC Mateo, but Talla Tonga was absent) where Sikoa was jealous of Fatu who was the one that defeated him twice at both Night of Champions and SummerSlam and Tama Tonga felt no remorse on him only to be taken out by Fatu who then clashed with Sikoa later that night. However, the MFTs failed to regain the WWE Tag Team Championship from Damian Priest and R-Truth, while Fatu defeated Sikoa in the main event and the MFT subsequently beat him down though he dispatched Mateo, Loa and Tonga with a steel chair much to the chagrin of The Usos who observed Fatu throughout the matchup.[103]

Post-WrestleMania roster changes

As part of an annual roster shakeup, on April 24, WWE signed former New Japan Pro-Wrestling wrestler Evil.[104] In addition, Joe Hendry, Sol Ruca, and Ethan Page were called up to the Raw brand, while Ricky Saints and Blake Monroe were also called up to the SmackDown brand.[103][102] WWE also announced a number of wrestlers being released from their contracts just hours before the April 24 episode of SmackDown was about to go on the air; the full list includes Kairi Sane, The Wyatt Sicks (Bo Dallas, Erick Rowan, Nikki Cross, Dexter Lumis and Joe Gacy), Andre Chase, Tyra Mae Steele, Zoey Stark, Aleister Black, Zelina Vega, Alba Fyre, Apollo Crews, and Santos Escobar.[105]

Results

Night 1 (April 18)
No. Results Stipulations Times[37][107]
1 The Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso) and LA Knight defeated The Vision (Logan Paul and Austin Theory) and IShowSpeed by pinfall Six-man tag team match[106] 7:08
2 Jacob Fatu defeated Drew McIntyre by pinfall Unsanctioned match[106] 14:09
3 Brie Bella and Paige (with Nikki Bella)[c] defeated The Irresistible Forces (Nia Jax and Lash Legend) (c), Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss, and Bayley and Lyra Valkyria by pinfall Fatal four-way tag team match for the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship[106] 8:33
4 Becky Lynch defeated AJ Lee (c) by pinfall Singles match for the WWE Women's Intercontinental Championship[106] 8:15
5 Gunther defeated Seth Rollins by technical submission Singles match[106] 17:52
6 Liv Morgan defeated Stephanie Vaquer (c) by pinfall Singles match for the Women's World Championship[106] 6:51
7 Cody Rhodes (c) defeated Randy Orton by pinfall Singles match for the Undisputed WWE Championship[106] 22:44
(c)  – the champion(s) heading into the match
Night 2 (April 19)
No. Results Stipulations Times[38][108]
1 Oba Femi defeated Brock Lesnar (with Paul Heyman) by pinfall Singles match[106] 4:46
2 Penta (c) defeated Je'Von Evans, Dragon Lee, JD McDonagh, Rusev, and Rey Mysterio by retrieving the championship Six-pack ladder match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship[106] 15:08
3 Trick Williams (with Lil Yachty) defeated Sami Zayn (c) by pinfall Singles match for the WWE United States Championship[106] 7:07
4 "The Demon" Finn Bálor defeated Dominik Mysterio by pinfall Street Fight[106] 10:27
5 Rhea Ripley defeated Jade Cargill (c) by pinfall Singles match for the WWE Women's Championship[106] 10:08
6 Roman Reigns defeated CM Punk (c) by pinfall Singles match for the World Heavyweight Championship[106] 33:56
(c)  – the champion(s) heading into the match

Notes

  1. ^ Due to sponsorship reasons, The Atlantic City Convention Hall was referred to as the Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino during the broadcasts for WrestleMania IV and WrestleMania V.[13]
  2. ^ Entrepreneur Adam Weitsman was introduced as a "guest commentator" for the WWE Women's Championship match, but did not have a microphone and provided no commentary.[90]
  3. ^ The match was originally scheduled to feature The Bella Twins (Nikki and Brie) challenging for the championship, however, Nikki was injured and replaced by Paige.

References

  1. ^ Benigno, Anthony; Clapp, John (April 3, 2013). "WrestleMania 29 press conference brings WWE to Radio City Music Hall". WWE. Archived from the original on April 7, 2013. Retrieved March 31, 2014. ... WWE's flagship event lights up MetLife Stadium ... WrestleMania
  2. ^ Hamilton, Ian (2006). Wrestling's Sinking Ship: What Happens to an Industry Without Competition. Lulu.com. p. 160. ISBN 978-1-4116-1210-5.
  3. ^ "Las Vegas to host WWE's Money in the Bank in 2022". KSNV. August 22, 2021. Archived from the original on August 23, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
  4. ^ Lambert, Jeremy (July 27, 2022). "WWE Announces Dates And Location For WrestleMania 40". Fightful. Archived from the original on July 27, 2022. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
  5. ^ Ozanian, Mike (October 16, 2019). "The Forbes Fab 40: Puma Debuts On 2019 List Of The World's Most Valuable Sports Brands". Forbes. Archived from the original on January 27, 2022. Retrieved October 16, 2019.
  6. ^ Gelston, Dan (April 4, 2013). "WrestleMania is Super Bowl of sports entertainment". Associated Press. Archived from the original on March 31, 2014. Retrieved March 31, 2014.
  7. ^ Alba, Jon (February 13, 2025). "WWE WrestleMania 42 Reportedly Heading To Caesars Superdome In New Orleans". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  8. ^ Renner, Ethan (February 21, 2025). "The Rock reveals WWE WrestleMania 42 dates and location". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  9. ^ Lambert, Jeremy (May 22, 2025). "WWE WrestleMania 42 No Longer Taking Place In New Orleans". Fightful. Retrieved May 22, 2025.
  10. ^ Lambert, Jeremy (May 22, 2025). "Report: WrestleMania 42 To Be Held In Las Vegas". Fightful. Retrieved May 22, 2025.
  11. ^ Ucchino, Rick (May 23, 2025). "New Orleans No Longer Hosting WWE WrestleMania 42 According To Joint Statement". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved May 31, 2025.
  12. ^ Konuwa, Alfred (June 7, 2025). "WWE Announces WrestleMania 42 For Las Vegas At WWE Money In The Bank". Forbes. Retrieved June 7, 2025.
  13. ^ a b "WrestleMania IV". WWE. March 29, 1987. Archived from the original on March 17, 2018. Retrieved March 17, 2019.
  14. ^ "WrestleMania V Facts/Stats". WWE. Archived from the original on March 31, 2008. Retrieved June 18, 2008.
  15. ^ POST Wrestling Staff (April 22, 2026). "WWE received a $6 million site fee for WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas, bringing total incentives to around $10 million". POST Wrestling. Retrieved April 23, 2026.
  16. ^ Chapman, Michelle (April 15, 2026). "WrestleMania is back in Las Vegas after a big showing last year". AP News. Retrieved April 23, 2026.
  17. ^ WWE.com staff (August 14, 2025). "Two-day combo tickets for WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium on sale Wednesday, Sept. 24". WWE.com. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
  18. ^ WWE.com staff (November 17, 2025). "Individual event tickets for WrestleMania 42 at Las Vegas' Allegiant Stadium on sale now". WWE.com. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
  19. ^ Regis, Ralph (October 29, 2025). "Aerosmith's 'Back In The Saddle' Is The First Official Theme Song For WWE 'WrestleMania 42'". Billboard Philippines. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
  20. ^ Lambert, Jeremy (March 20, 2026). "Nickelback Song Named Official Theme For WrestleMania 42". Fightful. Retrieved March 20, 2026.
  21. ^ John Cena [@JohnCena] (March 30, 2026). "Since retirement, my "road" has looked a little different… but now I can officially say I'm headed to WrestleMania!!!! See you in Las Vegas!" (Tweet). Retrieved April 20, 2026 – via X (formerly Twitter).
  22. ^ "Where to Watch WWE Premium Live Events, Raw, SmackDown, NXT and more". WWE. Retrieved January 1, 2026.
  23. ^ Sherman, Alex (August 6, 2025). "ESPN inks five-year deal for WWE's live premium events including WrestleMania, Royal Rumble". CNBC. Retrieved August 6, 2025.
  24. ^ Lambert, Jeremy (August 20, 2025). "WWE Wrestlepalooza Announced For September 20, Will Air On ESPN As WWE-ESPN Partnership Begins". Fightful. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
  25. ^ Rumsey, Connel (August 20, 2025). "WWE Clash In Paris To Be Final PLE Airing On Peacock". WrestleTalk. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
  26. ^ Reichlin, Mike (March 4, 2026). "WWE Network Closing Permanently on April 1". SE Scoops. Retrieved March 5, 2026.
  27. ^ Lambert, Jeremy (February 27, 2026). "First Hour Of Both Nights Of WrestleMania 42 To Air On ESPN Networks". Fightful. Retrieved February 27, 2026.
  28. ^ Sharma, Ishaan (April 17, 2026). "Royce Keys Wins Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal On 4/17 WWE SmackDown". Fightful. Retrieved April 18, 2026.
  29. ^ T-Mobile Arena (February 2, 2026). "WrestleMania Weekend = COMPLETE 💪 WWE Friday Night SmackDown & Monday Night RAW live at T-Mobile Arena April 17 & 20! 🎟️ Combo tickets on sale Feb 13 at 10AM PST". Facebook. Retrieved February 28, 2026.
  30. ^ "2026 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony takes center stage at Dolby Live at Park MGM in Las Vegas on Friday, April 17". WWE. March 2, 2026. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
  31. ^ "Kill Tony: WrestleMania coming to Las Vegas Saturday, April 18, at Dolby Live at Park MGM". WWE. March 23, 2026. Retrieved March 23, 2026.
  32. ^ Johnson, Mike (March 10, 2026). "WWE ID CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH ANNOUNCED FOR WRESTLEMANIA WEEK". Pro Wrestling Insider. Retrieved March 16, 2026.
  33. ^ "WWE® & Fanatics Announce Return of WWE World at WrestleMania® 42 in Las Vegas". Fanatics (Press release). January 8, 2026. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
  34. ^ Lambert, Jeremy (April 15, 2026). "Joe Jonas To Perform National Anthem At WrestleMania 42 Sunday". Fightful. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  35. ^ Lambert, Jeremy (April 16, 2026). "Lil Yachty And Trick Williams Release 'Gingerbread Man' Diss Track". Fightful. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  36. ^ a b c d e Powell, Jason (April 6, 2026). "WWE Raw results (4/6): Powell's live review of Brock Lesnar and Oba Femi, Seth Rollins' first comments after being attacked by Gunther, Finn Balor vs. JD McDonagh, LA Knight vs. Austin Theory". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
  37. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Powell, Jason (April 18, 2026). "WrestleMania 42 results: Powell's live review of night one with Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton for the WWE Championship, Stephanie Vaquer vs. Liv Morgan for the Women's World Championship". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved April 18, 2026.
  38. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Powell, Jason (April 19, 2026). "WrestleMania 42 results: Powell's live review of night two with CM Punk vs. Roman Reigns for the World Heavyweight Championship, Oba Femi vs. Brock Lesnar". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved April 19, 2026.
  39. ^ Grabianowski, Ed (January 13, 2006). "How Pro Wrestling Works". HowStuffWorks. Discovery Communications. Archived from the original on November 29, 2013. Retrieved March 5, 2012.
  40. ^ "Live & Televised Entertainment". WWE. Archived from the original on February 18, 2009. Retrieved March 21, 2012.
  41. ^ Steinberg, Brian (May 25, 2016). "WWE's 'Smackdown' Will Move To Live Broadcast On USA (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on May 26, 2016. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
  42. ^ a b c d e f Powell, Jason (January 31, 2026). "WWE Royal Rumble results: Powell's live review of the Royal Rumble matches, Drew McIntyre vs. Sami Zayn for the WWE Championship, AJ Styles putting his career on the line against Gunther". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved January 31, 2026.
  43. ^ a b Powell, Jason (February 2, 2026). "WWE Raw results (2/2): Powell's live review of Royal Rumble winners Roman Reigns and Liv Morgan, Stephanie Vaquer vs. Raquel Rodriguez in a Philadelphia Street Fight for the Women's World Championship". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved February 2, 2026.
  44. ^ a b c d e f Powell, Jason (February 28, 2026). "WWE Elimination Chamber results: Powell's live review of CM Punk vs. Finn Balor for the World Hvt. Championship, Elimination Chamber matches, Becky Lynch vs. AJ Lee for the Women's IC Title". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved February 28, 2026.
  45. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Currier, Joseph (April 7, 2026). "WWE reveals WrestleMania 42 cards for both nights". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved April 7, 2026.
  46. ^ Lambert, Jeremy (April 17, 2026). "Roman Reigns: If I Lose To CM Punk At WrestleMania, I Don't Belong In WWE. My Work Is Done". Fightful. Retrieved April 18, 2026.
  47. ^ a b Keller, Wade (March 6, 2026). "WWE SmackDown results (3/6): Keller's report on Drew vs. Cody for the WWE Title, Carmelo Hayes Open Challenge, Ripley-Cargill face-to-face, Jax and Lash celebrate". PWTorch. Retrieved March 6, 2026.
  48. ^ Sharma, Ishaan (March 13, 2026). "Randy Orton Turns On Cody Rhodes On 3/13 WWE SmackDown". Fightful. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
  49. ^ Powell, Jason (April 7, 2026). "WWE Smackdown results (4/3): Powell's live review of Randy Orton's homecoming, Rhea Ripley vs. Michin, Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss vs. Bayley and Lyra Valkyria". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved April 7, 2026.
  50. ^ Lambert, Jeremy (April 3, 2026). "Pat McAfee: If Randy Orton Doesn't Win At WrestleMania, I Will NEVER Be Seen OR HEARD On Wrestling Television AGAIN". Fightful. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
  51. ^ Powell, Jason (February 16, 2026). "WWE Raw results (2/16): Powell's live review of Gunther vs. Je'Von Evans vs. Dominik Mysterio, and Asuka vs. Bayley vs. Nattie in Elimination Chamber qualifiers". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
  52. ^ a b Powell, Jason (February 23, 2026). "WWE Raw results (2/23): Powell's live review of the tribute to AJ Styles, Brock Lesnar's return, the final Elimination Chamber qualifiers". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
  53. ^ a b Powell, Jason (March 16, 2026). "WWE Raw results (3/16): Powell's live review of Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar appearances, AJ Lee vs. Bayley for the Women's Intercontinental Title". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved March 16, 2026.
  54. ^ Barnett, Jake (September 5, 2025). "WWE Smackdown results (9/5): Barnett's live review of John Cena's final WWE appearance in Chicago, CM Punk's appearance, Giulia vs. Michin for the Women's U.S. Title, Aleister Black vs. Damian Priest". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on September 6, 2025. Retrieved September 6, 2025.
  55. ^ a b c Barnett, Jake (September 20, 2025). "WWE Wrestlepalooza results: Barnett's review of AJ Lee and CM Punk vs. Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins, John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar, Iyo Sky vs. Stephanie Vaquer for the Women's World Championship". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved September 20, 2025.
  56. ^ Powell, Jason (November 17, 2025). "WWE Raw results (11/17): Powell's live review of John Cena's final Raw as a wrestler, Gunther vs. Je'Von Evans, and Solo Sikoa vs. a mystery wrestler in The Last Time Is Now tournament matches". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved November 17, 2025.
  57. ^ a b c Powell, Jason (November 29, 2025). "WWE Survivor Series WarGames results: Powell's review of two WarGames matches, John Cena vs. Dominik Mysterio for the Intercontinental Title". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
  58. ^ Powell, Jason (January 5, 2026). "WWE Raw results (1/5): Powell's live review of CM Punk vs. Bron Breakker for the World Heavyweight Championship, The Kabuki Warriors vs. Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky for the WWE Women's Tag Titles". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Archived from the original on January 6, 2026. Retrieved January 6, 2026.
  59. ^ a b c Powell, Jason (March 23, 2026). "WWE Raw results (3/23): Powell's live review of CM Punk, Roman Reigns, and Brock Lesnar appearances, The Usos vs. Logan Paul and Austin Theory for the World Tag Team Titles". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved March 23, 2026.
  60. ^ Powell, Jason (January 2, 2026). "WWE Smackdown results (1/2): Powell's live review of Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre setting the Three Stages of Hell stipulations, Damian Priest vs. Aleister Black in an Ambulance match". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved March 28, 2026.
  61. ^ Powell, Jason (January 16, 2026). "WWE Smackdown results (1/16): Powell's live review of new WWE Champion Drew McIntyre's appearance, qualifiers for the four-way for a title shot, Carmelo Hayes's U.S. Title open challenge". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved March 28, 2026.
  62. ^ Powell, Jason (January 24, 2026). "WWE Saturday Night's Main Event results (1/24): Powell's live review of Randy Orton vs. Trick Williams vs. Damian Priest vs. Sami Zayn for a shot at the WWE Championship, Cody Rhodes vs. Jacob Fatu". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved January 24, 2026.
  63. ^ a b c Powell, Jason (March 13, 2026). "WWE Smackdown results (3/13): Powell's live review of the Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton contract signing, Irresistible Forces vs. Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss for the WWE Women's Tag Titles, Jelly Roll on Miz TV". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved March 28, 2026.
  64. ^ a b c Powell, Jason (March 20, 2026). "WWE Smackdown results (3/20): Powell's live review of Drew McIntyre vs. Jacob Fatu, Irresistible Forces vs. The Bellas for the WWE Women's Tag Titles, MFTs vs. Damian Priest and R-Truth for the WWE Tag Titles". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved March 28, 2026.
  65. ^ a b c Powell, Jason (March 27, 2026). "WWE Smackdown results (3/27): Powell's live review of Randy Orton's appearance, Jelly Roll vs. Kit Wilson, Carmelo Hayes's U.S. Title open challenge". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved March 28, 2026.
  66. ^ Powell, Jason (April 3, 2026). "WWE Smackdown results (4/3): Powell's live review of Randy Orton's homecoming, Rhea Ripley vs. Michin, Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss vs. Bayley and Lyra Valkyria". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved April 4, 2026.
  67. ^ Powell, Jason (April 17, 2026). "WWE Smackdown results (4/17): Powell's live review of the WM42 go-home show with Cody Rhodes, the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, Tiffany Stratton vs. Jordynne Grace for a shot at the Women's U.S. Title". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved April 18, 2026.
  68. ^ Mueller, Chris (September 26, 2025). "WWE SmackDown Results, Winners, Live Grades Highlights After Wrestlepalooza 2025". Bleacher Report. Retrieved September 27, 2025.
  69. ^ Beaston, Erik (October 17, 2025). "WWE SmackDown Results, Winners, Live Grades Highlights After Crown Jewel 2025". Bleacher Report. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
  70. ^ Powell, Jason (January 9, 2026). "WWE Smackdown results (1/9): Powell's live review of Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre in a Three Stages of Hell match for the WWE Championship, Trick Williams vs. Rey Fenix". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved March 28, 2026.
  71. ^ Powell, Jason (February 13, 2026). "WWE Smackdown results (2/13): Powell's live review of Cody Rhodes vs. Jacob Fatu vs. Sami Zayn, and Alexa Bliss vs. Giulia vs. Zelina in Elimination Chamber qualifiers, two title matches". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
  72. ^ a b Powell, Jason (February 27, 2026). "WWE Smackdown results (2/27): Powell's live review of a meeting with the men's Elimination Chamber entrants, Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky vs. Nia Jax and Lash Legend for the WWE Women's Tag Titles". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved February 27, 2026.
  73. ^ Powell, Jason (April 20, 2025). "WrestleMania 41 results: Powell's live review of night two with Cody Rhodes vs. John Cena for the WWE Championship, Iyo Sky vs. Bianca Belair vs. Rhea Ripley for the Women's World Championship". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved April 20, 2025.
  74. ^ Brookhouse, Brent (March 2, 2026). "WWE Raw results, review, grades: Roman Reigns, CM Punk exchange barbs; Seth Rollins attacks Paul Heyman". CBSSports. Archived from the original on March 3, 2026. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
  75. ^ Powell, Jason (March 9, 2026). "WWE Raw results (3/9): Powell's live review of Penta vs. Original El Grande Americano for the Intercontinental Title, Oba Femi vs. Rusev, gauntlet for a shot at the Women's Intercontinental Title". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved March 30, 2026.
  76. ^ a b c d e Powell, Jason (March 30, 2026). "WWE Raw results (3/30): Powell's live review of Roman Reigns, CM Punk, Brock Lesnar, and Oba Femi, The Usos vs. Logan Paul and Austin Theory for the World Tag Titles, Penta's open challenge for the IC Title". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved March 30, 2026.
  77. ^ Thompson, Andrew (April 19, 2026). "Street Fight Stipulation Added To 'The Demon' Finn Bálor vs. Dominik Mysterio At WWE WrestleMania 42". Fightful. Retrieved April 19, 2026.
  78. ^ "Intercontinental Champion Penta vs. Je'Von Evans vs. Dragon Lee vs. JD McDonagh vs. vs. Rusev vs. Rey Mysterio | Ladder Match". WWE. Retrieved March 31, 2026.
  79. ^ Thompson, Andrew (April 11, 2026). "Penta Successfully Defends WWE Intercontinental Title Against El Hijo del Vikingo On 4/11 AAA On FOX". Fightful. Retrieved April 12, 2026.
  80. ^ Powell, Jason (November 10, 2025). "WWE Raw results (11/10): Powell's live review of John Cena's final homecoming, Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss vs. The Kabuki Warriors for the WWE Women's Tag Team Titles". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved November 11, 2025.
  81. ^ Powell, Jason (April 13, 2026). "WWE Raw results (4/13): Powell's live review of the brand's WM42 go-home show with CM Punk and Roman Reigns, Oba Femi and Brock Lesnar, and Seth Rollins and Gunther". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved April 16, 2026.
  82. ^ Powell, Jason (December 8, 2025). "WWE Raw results (12/8): Powell's live review of AJ Styles and Dragon Lee vs. The War Raiders for the World Tag Team Titles, Gunther's appearance, Rey Mysterio vs. Finn Balor". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
  83. ^ Lambert, Jeremy (April 2, 2026). "IShowSpeed Gets Fooled By Danhausen, Beat Up By LA Knight". Fightful. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
  84. ^ Powell, Jason (October 13, 2025). "WWE Raw results (10/13): Powell's live review of Dominik Mysterio vs. Penta for the Intercontinental Title, Bayley and Lyra Valkyria vs. Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved April 21, 2026.
  85. ^ Chacon, Aidan (February 24, 2026). "Paul Heyman Discusses Bron Breakker's Latest Injury and Puts It Into Perspective". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved April 21, 2026.
  86. ^ Chiari, Mike (February 20, 2026). "WWE Rumors on Bron Breakker's Injury Timeline, Dom Mysterio's Return and WrestleMania 42 Match Card". Bleacher Report. Retrieved April 21, 2026.
  87. ^ Drew [@DMcIntyreWWE] (April 18, 2026). "I love this game" (Tweet). Retrieved April 19, 2026 – via X (formerly Twitter).
  88. ^ Drew [@DMcIntyreWWE] (April 22, 2026). "The Directors Cut: WrestleMania" (Tweet). Retrieved April 28, 2026 – via X (formerly Twitter).
  89. ^ Lambert, Jeremy (April 18, 2026). "Nikki Bella Reveals She Fractured, Tore, And Sprained Her Ankle". Fightful. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  90. ^ Lerner, Drew (April 19, 2026). "WWE bizarrely seats crypto billionaire next to Michael Cole, Wade Barrett at WrestleMania". Awful Announcing. Retrieved April 21, 2026.
  91. ^ Cruz, Jonty (April 20, 2026). "CM Punk Brought Back AFI's 'Miseria Cantare' at Wrestlemania". rollingstonephilippines.com. Rolling Stone Philippines. Retrieved April 20, 2026.
  92. ^ Berge, Kevin. "WWE WrestleMania 42 Night 1 Results, Winners, Live Grades, Reaction and Highlights". Bleacher Report. Retrieved April 20, 2026.
  93. ^ read, Robert JackmanContributing writer·5 min (April 20, 2026). "WrestleMania 42: How commercials, ads and excess took over WWE's biggest weekend". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved April 20, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  94. ^ https://wrestlingnews.co/wwe-news/report-pat-mcafee-opted-out-post-wrestlemania-plans/
  95. ^ Keller, Wade (April 18, 2026). "WWE WrestleMania 42 Saturday – Night 1 results (4/18): Keller's report on Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton, Seth Rollins vs. Gunther, Vaquer vs. Liv Morgan, Fatu vs. Drew". PW Torch. Retrieved April 20, 2026.
  96. ^ Mahjouri, Shakiel (April 18, 2026). "WWE WrestleMania 42 results, Night 1 winners, grades: Cody Rhodes retains against Randy Orton; Paige returns". CBS Sports. Retrieved April 20, 2026.
  97. ^ Mendoza, Jordan. "WWE WrestleMania 42 results: Night 1 winners, highlights led by Cody Rhodes". USA TODAY. Retrieved April 20, 2026.
  98. ^ Alvarez, Bryan (April 20, 2026). "WOR: WrestleMania night 2, Lesnar, Punk vs. Reigns, Van Hammer, Cluster, more!". F4W/WON. Retrieved April 20, 2026.
  99. ^ Carlson, Scott (April 20, 2026). "6 Ups & 3 Downs From WWE WrestleMania 42 - Sunday (Results & Review)". WhatCulture.com. Retrieved April 20, 2026.
  100. ^ Berge, Kevin (April 20, 2026). "WWE WrestleMania 42 Night 2 Results, Winners, Live Grades, Reaction and Highlights". Bleacher Report. Retrieved April 20, 2026.
  101. ^ "Dave Meltzer Match Ratings April 16th - April 22nd 2026". WrestlePurists. April 24, 2026. Retrieved April 24, 2026.
  102. ^ a b c d e f g Keller, Wade (April 20, 2026). "WWE Raw results (4/20): Keller's report on the Raw After Mania episode including Finn Balor vs. McDonagh, plus Oba Femi, Roman Reigns, Liv Morgan". PWTorch. Retrieved April 21, 2026.
  103. ^ a b c Keller, Wade (April 24, 2026). "WWE SmackDown results (4/24): Keller's report on WrestleMania fallout with Jacob Fatu, Paige & Brie Bella, Trick Wiliams, Ripley, more". PWTorch. Retrieved April 26, 2026.
  104. ^ Johnson, Mike (April 24, 2026). "Exclusive: WWE Signs Former IWGP Heavyweight Champion". PWInsider. Retrieved April 24, 2026.
  105. ^ Mendoza, Jordan (April 24, 2026). "WWE releases begin, notable names in post‑WrestleMania shake‑up". USA Today.
  106. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Roman Reigns triumphs over CM Punk to win the World Heavyweight Title at WrestleMania 42". WWE. April 19, 2026. Retrieved April 19, 2026.
  107. ^ "WWE WrestleMania 42 - Saturday « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net. Retrieved April 20, 2026.
  108. ^ "WWE WrestleMania 42 - Sunday". Cagematch. Retrieved April 19, 2026.