Rhea Ripley vs. Jade Cargill and WWE WrestleMania 2026 Matches That'll Exceed Expectations

WWE WrestleMania is a show that has traditionally featured some of the best, most iconic match-ups in company history but is also the setting for some unexpectedly great contests that have come from out of nowhere to rank among the best hidden gems the annual Showcase of the Immortals has ever produced.

The 2026 extravaganza should be no different.

While CM Punk vs. Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton will likely be excellent main events, there are a few undercard bouts that may very well come from out of nowhere to steal the show and define the weekend.

Rhea Ripley challenging Jade Cargill for the WWE Women's Championship is one of them. What are the others? Find out in this preview of the Showcase of the Immortals.

Rhea Ripley vs. Jade Cargill

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Rhea Ripley has developed into the best big-match performer in WWE's women's division, with very good-to-great matches at each of the last three WrestleManias. Two of them (vs. Charlotte in 2023 and vs. Iyo Sky and Bianca Belair in 2025) even landed in the top three of B/R's list of the 25 best women's matches in WWE history countdown.

This year, though, she enters the biggest show of the year amid low expectations for her match with Jade Cargill, if only because the reigning WWE women's champion is somewhat of an unproven commodity on a stage of this enormity.

Cargill battled Naomi last year and appeared in a six-woman tag team match the year before, but has yet to have that truly great, breakthrough match in WWE that silences doubters and lets them know she can perform up to the moment.

With that major uncertainty surrounding the contest, there are plenty of fans and analysts questioning whether Ripley can have the banger match that fans have come to expect from her in big situations.

They should not be.

Ripley is a generational performer who has spent her career proving the doubters wrong. She has shown up, showed out, and developed the reputation she has because of her extraordinary performances when they count most. If anyone can adapt her style to work best with that of Cargill's, who is a power-based competitor at her best when she can wow the audience with her raw strength and athleticism, it is The Eradicator.

Expect a hard-hitting, physical war that leaves fans appreciating the challenger's greatness and acknowledging Cargill's ability to do more than just talk.

Sami Zayn vs. Trick Williams

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There is an understandable frustration among fans that Carmelo Hayes lost the United States Championship and appears poised to miss out on WrestleMania for the second, consecutive year.

Still, Sami Zayn defending the U.S. title against Trick Williams is a match that will be hotter and better than fans think.

Zayn is an all-timer when it comes to big-match performances. Look no further than what him and Kevin Owens accomplished against The Usos in the main event of WrestleMania Saturday in 2023. Relive what he did with Gunther the following year on a cold Saturday in Philadelphia the following year.

Williams, conversely, is one of the most popular and over Superstars on the roster right now. Fans are red-hot for the former NXT champion and clearly see in him the captivating charisma that they did in The Rock and Booker T 25 years ago. He may not be the most polished professional wrestler, but the audience cares about him and that will make up for plenty.

Add to that Zayn's recent flirtations with a heel turn and a story that does not feel anywhere near completed just because he won the title, and you have plenty of reason for fans to be invested in the contest.

That should help fuel match quality and result in one of the bigger surprises of the two-night extravaganza.

Jacob Fatu vs. Drew McIntyre

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No two Superstars were done dirtier than Jacob Fatu and Drew McIntyre by the way the booking of the Undisputed WWE Championship Match at WrestleMania played out.

At one point, it appeared as though both would be involved in a Triple Threat Match with Cody Rhodes over the top prize in the company. By the time The American Nightmare defeated The Scottish Warrior to regain the gold and set up a match with Randy Orton, it became abundantly clear that McIntyre and The Samoan Werewolf would be left on the outside looking in.

Despite the creative disappointment, they have recovered nicely, bringing a level of intensity to their own rivalry that resulted in the announcement of an Unsanctioned Match this past Friday on SmackDown.

That essentially opens the door for the competitors to deliver another level of brawl, one that may even see some blood spilled in Las Vegas as they look to settle their differences.

Two big, physical workers who can brawl and throw their massive frames around the ring with their superb athleticism, they will wow fans and deliver what may be a hidden gem on paper but will be a potential Match of the Year contender when it concludes.