Ranking Every WWE WrestleMania 42 Match from Worst to Best on the Confirmed Card
The build for WrestleMania 42 has been far from WWE's greatest ever, yet the card it's compiled has the potential to be can't-miss.
The Road to WrestleMania has always been about its many twists and turns as well as the process of putting together the strongest lineup possible for the company's premier pay-per-view.
Several pivots have caused the card to change this year, but what fans have been left with is worth getting excited about on the whole.
WWE not resorting to its usual "less is more" approach and instead seemingly stacking both nights of The Show of Shows on April 18-19 with more matches than your average event has been a refreshing change of pace.
Now it's up to the powers that be to hold up their end creatively and ensure it exceeds expectations.
This is every match confirmed for WrestleMania 42 ranked from worst to best with build, excitement level and likelihood of delivering when the bell rings being included in the criteria.
Poorly Booked Bouts
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12. WWE Women's Tag Team Championship Fatal 4-Way
With how hot WWE's women's tag team division has been for the last several months, it made sense to include multiple tandems in the tag title match for 'Mania.
Unfortunately, the company took the laziest route possible in building up the bout by having every title defense from The Irresistible Forces end in a disqualification.
There is plenty of talent involved in the contest, but nothing about the buildup has screamed "special."
11. Intercontinental Championship Fatal 5-Way Ladder Match
The only thing lazier than the build for the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship Fatal 4-Way has been the questionable call to announce an Intercontinental Championship ladder match for WrestleMania out of nowhere without holding any of the qualifiers on television.
Instead, a quick graphic was shown on last week's Raw revealing IC champion Penta's challengers, and it's a rather random lineup.
The bright side is that the matchup is sure to be a spectacle and it's an acceptable use of Penta on The Grandest Stage of Them All.
10. Jade Cargill vs. Rhea Ripley
The WWE Women's Championship clash between Cargill and Ripley should feel significantly bigger than it does right now. Their promo battles have been basic at best, and they have yet to show any real chemistry together.
Cargill and Ripley are two massive stars for WWE and it will undoubtedly be a high-profile encounter, but their feud has left a lot to be desired so far.
Potential Sleepers
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9. Seth Rollins vs. Gunther
Purely from an in-ring standpoint, Rollins vs. Gunther could be one of the best bouts of the weekend. Their original opponents getting injured resulted in WWE putting the two of them together for what will be a fresh match.
Despite nothing being at stake and the story feeling forced, this match is an opportunity for them to steal the show and reclaim momentum coming out of WrestleMania.
8. AJ Lee vs. Becky Lynch
In theory, there may not be anything overly interesting about Lee and Lynch meeting yet again for the Intercontinental Championship considering they've been feuding on and off for over seven months, but this is a payoff worthy of the WrestleMania stage.
The only thing missing is some sort of a stipulation that would allow them to go all out and end their long-running rivalry on a high note.
7. Sami Zayn vs. Trick Williams
Williams hasn't been on the main roster for more than a few months and is already on the brink of breaking into the main event mix on SmackDown. He's organically gotten over with the WWE Universe, while Zayn has fallen deeper into obsession.
It's a compelling dynamic, and adding the United States Championship into the mix (albeit without Carmelo Hayes) makes their WrestleMania match even more meaningful.
6. Finn Balor vs. Dominik Mysterio
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Considering how long this match has been building for, Finn Balor vs. Dominik Mysterio was always going to be an anticipated outing at WrestleMania 42.
WWE did a solid job of elevating Balor back to main event status for the first few months of year, culminating in him realizing he can excel on his own without The Judgment Day.
The group's betrayal of Balor made for a strong segment on Raw last month and allowed the Irishman to return to his babyface roots.
Originally, all signs pointed to them meeting with the Intercontinental Championship on the line, but their four years spent as stablemates in The Judgment Day were enough to sell fans on their WrestleMania match.
The only question now will be whether Balor resurrects his Demon persona for 'Mania or if he waits to bring it back until later down the line once their rivalry escalates.
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5. Stephanie Vaquer vs. Liv Morgan
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Stephanie Vaquer has been the most dominant female force on Raw since arriving on the scene last summer. She quickly captured the Women's World Championship and has been at the helm of the division on Monday nights ever since.
At WrestleMania, she'll face her toughest test to date in Liv Morgan, a former women's world champ in her own right. Morgan winning the women's Royal Rumble was what earned her the opportunity to contend for the title at WrestleMania.
Although their rivalry started out slow, they've added more layers over the last month with Morgan making matters personal with Vaquer at every turn.
As one of WWE's most popular performers, Morgan has gotten La Primera more exposure on the show from week to week and has proved to be the perfect opponent for her.
It may not be WrestleMania main event material, but Vaquer and Morgan have both played their roles exceptionally well throughout their feud and the outcome of their match feels genuinely unpredictable.
4. Jacob Fatu vs. Drew McIntyre
5 of 8
The ongoing issues between Jacob Fatu and Drew McIntyre are fairly simple, and sometimes that makes for the best storylines in WWE.
In addition to Fatu blaming McIntyre for putting him on the shelf late last year, Fatu was responsible for McIntyre not only capturing the Undisputed WWE Championship but also losing it back to Cody Rhodes in March.
It became clear that they had to settle their score in some form or fashion at WrestleMania. An Unsanctioned stipulation was later added to the 'Mania match, allowing them to take their fight to great lengths and excel in the extreme environment.
McIntyre dropping the prestigious prize so close to the event obviously wasn't ideal, but they've made the most of the situation and are consistently a part of the best segments on SmackDown each week. Fatu going over in the end would only establish him as an even bigger threat at the top of the card.
3. Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton
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For years, fans anxiously awaited the day Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton finally kicked off their feud.
With history dating back nearly two decades and so much story to tell, it felt like the ultimate WrestleMania match for The American Nightmare, ideally with Orton in the heel role.
Fans got their wish when The Viper viciously attacked Rhodes soon after the Elimination Chamber event. The match sold itself, but it didn't take long for WWE to put its own unnecessary spin on it and water down the rivalry considerably.
Pat McAfee being revealed as Orton's mystery caller on Friday's SmackDown did nothing to benefit the build. If anything, it served as a distraction from what could have been a strong storyline otherwise.
It ranks high up on this year's WrestleMania matches because it's bound to be must-see despite the circumstances, but WWE must avoid continuing to make McAfee the focal point of the program and ruining yet another 'Mania main event involving Rhodes.
2. CM Punk vs. Roman Reigns
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The heavily touted World Heavyweight Championship clash between CM Punk and Roman Reigns was the first to be made official for WrestleMania 42 as early as the post-Royal Rumble Raw. Their explosive interaction created immediate online buzz.
Punk and The OTC having such polarizing personalities has made all of their faceoffs on Raw excellent television.
The Best in the World striking Reigns for calling him "old" was a tad deflating, but the rest of their promos have held the audience's attention and The Usos' involvement has also been well done.
Neither guy is guaranteed to walk out with the gold, but the drama surrounding the outcome will make every near-fall that much more suspenseful.
It's a marquee match that lacks new blood, but it's hard to argue with WWE's decision to put two heavy-hitters up against each other, especially when they have incredible chemistry as rivals.
1. Brock Lesnar vs. Oba Femi
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In a relatively short period of time, Oba Femi and Brock Lesnar have successfully managed to generate genuine hype for WrestleMania with their heated altercations on Raw.
Lesnar kicking off his Road to WrestleMania by lazily issuing an open challenge for the event wasn't the most encouraging indicator of what was to come, but Femi stepping up to The Beast Incarnate and subsequently leaving him laying was the best possible direction WWE could have gone in.
Every interaction they've had since then has been equally tense, and with Femi getting the better of Lesnar every time, fans are convinced The Beast will have his hand raised in victory when they wage war at WrestleMania.
Femi wouldn't be completely destroyed by one loss, not to mention the caliber of his opponent, but it would send the right message to have the newcomer from NXT go over in decisive fashion.
Seeing as how they're largely carrying the WrestleMania build, the next step is paying it off properly: with Femi conquering Lesnar when it matters most.
Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.
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