What To Expect from WWE WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas
WWE rolls into Las Vegas and Allegiant Stadium for its annual two-night, pro wrestling extravaganza, WrestleMania, on Saturday and Sunday, April 18 and 19.
It is the second, consecutive year the event will take place in Sin City and as such, the company has sculpted a jam-packed card, with plenty yet to be revealed. From championship bouts to titanic clashes, the show already has something for most to invest themselves in and be excited for.
Based on those matches already announced, and the pomp and circumstance that is the biggest show on the pro wrestling calendar, what should be expected from this year's Showcase of the Immortals?
Find out in this preview.
Match Card
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Announced for the annual extravaganza are:
A Legacy Tarnished
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Reigning undisputed WWE champion Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton have been linked, quite literally, since the former made his television debut back in 2007. First as The Viper's opponent, then as his protege in the trio known as Legacy, Rhodes rose to prominence under the third-generation star.
History tells us Rhodes left WWE in 2016, revolutionized the industry as one of the founders of All Elite Wrestling in 2019, and returned to the company in 2022 as an undeniable main event attraction.
While he did so with Orton's respect and admiration, he now finds himself on a collision course with a desperate, determined, and dangerous No. 1 contender who shockingly left him beaten, battered, and bloodied on the March 13 episode of SmackDown.
The sudden intensification of the program should result in one of the most heated match-ups on the entire WrestleMania card, between a protege once lucky enough to carry a former world champion's bags, and the mentor who taught him almost everything he knows.
A vengeful Rhodes, more aggressive and ruthless than ever before as he combats the man vile and venomous Legend Killer, should be expected and may very well lead to the better and more unpredictable of the two championship main events on tap for this year's spectacular.
Bloodline Reigns Again?
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CM Punk will defend the World Heavyweight Championship against 2026 Royal Rumble winner, Roman Reigns, in the Raw brand's contribution to the WrestleMania main event. It is less about the personal vendetta between The Best in the World and the Tribal Chief, though, and more about the sudden re-emergence of the Bloodline Saga on WWE TV.
What started as Reigns' pure hatred for Punk as the catalyst for the match-up has evolved into family drama, with the former's cousins, The Usos, introduced to the fray after the champion mentioned his challengers' late father, Wild Samoan Sika.
Since then, Jey Uso has been unhinged, demanding an apology for the sake of the family and even physically assaulting Punk. On the March 23 episode of Raw, he and his brother Jimmy were the catalysts for Reigns' Superman Punch, spear, and table powerbomb that left Punk lying.
The family drama surrounding the match has introduced a new layer to the proceedings and emphasized Punk's claims that Reigns cannot do anything without his family at this point in his career and that the surest path to the world title is with the help of his cousins.
He was even caught laughing, even while his body with wracked with pain, and was overheard stating, "I'm not the one who needs help."
Will The Usos assist Reigns on regaining the world title and reassuring his spot at the head of the table, igniting another historic run for The Tribal Chief or will a potential struggle for power between the Roman and Jey be the Bloodline's downfall come WrestleMania 42?
Only time will tell but for now, it is clear that the greatest soap opera in WWE history will factor heavily in its most prominent match-up of 2026.
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A Historic Weekend for Women's Wrestling
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One would be hard-pressed to argue that the women's division has not been the single best element of WWE television for the last year. The competitors on that roster have shown up, showed out, and repeatedly saved television and premium live events from mediocrity, typically with some of the best, most dramatic, athletic, and high-quality match-ups on any given broadcast.
Their reward may very well be a historic number of matches on a single WrestleMania card.
Already announced are two marquee championship bouts in which Stephanie Vaquer defends the Women's World Championship against 2026 Women's Royal Rumble winner Liv Morgan, while Elimination Chamber winner Rhea Ripley challenges the WWE women's champion, Jade Cargill.
AJ Lee defends her Women's Intercontinental Championship against Becky Lynch in a match six months in the making and officially announced on the May 23 episode of WWE Raw.
Based on recent creative choices, it looks like Nia Jax and Lash Legend will defend the Women's Tag Team Championship in a multi-team match-up, likely involving at least Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss, as well as The Bella Twins, while Iyo Sky squares off with Asuka in a battle of former Damage CTRL teammates.
That would give the broadcast five matches. With stars such as Tiffany Stratton, Chelsea Green, and United States champion Giulia not yet announced for a match, there may be six women's matches between two nights of WrestleMania action, a new record and an achievement well earned and deserved by the most consistently excellent roster in the company.
The Coronation of a Ruler
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Oba Femi stunned the wrestling world on the March 16 episode of Raw when he interrupted Brock Lesnar's tense staredown with Seth Rollins, strutted to the ring, then proceeded to flatten The Beast with a devastating pop-up powerbomb.
It was an emphatic answer to Lesnar's open challenge for a match at WrestleMania and the former NXT champion doubled down the following week, clotheslining his newfound rival over the top rope to further establish dominance.
Lesnar is a staple of WrestleMania broadcasts and one of the biggest stars in the industry. Femi is a young, physically dominant star fresh out of NXT and ready to establish his legacy in the biggest match of his career.
Win, lose or draw, The Beast has the opportunity to make a star out of The Ruler and cement Femi's status as one of the cornerstones of WWE's future when the two square off on the grand stage.
Regardless of whether Femi wins or loses, Lesnar has already exhibited a willingness to put his opponent over in a way that legitimizes him in the eyes of an audience who may not yet be sold on the NXT export.
Expect a bigger coronation of Femi, and seal of approval from Lesnar, in Sin City.
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