Best and Worst Booking Decisions of WWE WrestleMania 42 Results
On the heels of a WrestleMania Night 1 that was polarizing to say the least, WWE returned to Allegiant Stadium on Sunday night with a tighter-booked show and more of the in-ring action fans demand from the biggest event of the year.
With WrestleMania 42 now complete, let's relive Sunday's show through Night 2's best and worst booking decisions, including the outcome of the main event between CM Punk and Roman Reigns.
WrestleMania Sunday Results
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Oba Femi defeated Brock Lesnar
Penta defeated Rey Mysterio, Je'Von Evans, Dragon Lee, JD McDonagh, and Rusev to retain the Intercontinental Championship
Trick Williams defeated Sami Zayn to win the United States Championship
"Demon" Finn Balor defeated Dominik Mysterio in a Street Fight
Rhea Ripley defeated Jade Cargill to win the WWE Women's Championship
Roman Reigns defeated CM Punk to win the World Heavyweight Championship
Best: Oba Femi Conquers The Conqueror
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Oba Femi paid off a massive push to WrestleMania 42 with a clean, decisive, no-nonsense victory over Brock Lesnar to kick off Sunday's show in what was the only acceptable finish to the battle of the behemoths.
Femi has been presented as the future of WWE since his arrival on the main roster. Snatching the crown from Lesnar, the single most dominant and unstoppable force in the company, on the grandest stage known to the industry, is the fastest and most effective way to do it.
From the moment he shrugged off Lesnar's early offense, to him bouncing back from an F-5 and delivering a chokeslam to set up his powerbomb finisher, it was apparent that it was Femi's WrestleMania moment and one that will catapult him to the top of the industry.
The Beast's apparent retirement immediately after the bout only adds to the mythos of Femi's meteoric rise.
One would be hard-pressed to find a better booking decision on either night of this year's show.
Best: The Intercontinental Title Ladder Match
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One night after a show in which wrestling was clearly not the priority, WWE delivered a high-energy, crowd-pleasing six-pack ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship.
Penta successfully defended his title against Rusev, Rey Mysterio, JD McDonagh, Dragon Lee, and Je'Von Evans, who had the most dynamic performance of the match.
Not only was the match a much-needed, high-quality bout to help wash away the taste of the decided lack of in-ring action, but it featured logical booking that was not overthought, nor overdone.
Penta entered the champion, beat all six opponents, and retained this title for another day.
For the second time in as many matches, the creative was exactly what it needed to be.
Best: WWE Capitalizes on Trick Williams' Popularity
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WWE could easily have overthought the United States Championship match, booking a sneaky Sami Zayn win to extend the rivalry and make the audience wait for Trick Williams' coronation.
Instead, the creative team made the right call, booking Williams to win the match and take the title, capitalizing on his popularity.
The former NXT champion has been one of the hottest acts in Las Vegas this WrestleMania weekend, as evidenced by the reaction fans gave him Friday on SmackDown.
Despite arriving on the main roster as a heel, Williams' charisma has captivated the audience and forced a babyface turn that culminated with Sunday's championship victory.
Considering Triple H and the creative team's preference for long-term storytelling, striking while the iron was hot and paying off the fans' investment in Williams was the right thing for the company and the wrestler.
Worst: A Needless, Uninspired Gimmick
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The grudge match between Finn Balor and Dominik Mysterio had the return of the former's Demon persona attached to it already, so imagine the surprise when it suddenly and inexplicably became a Street Fight.
The feud did not demand it, and the match did not need it. The result was a second, half-hearted hardcore match on this year's card.
The first came 24 hours earlier, when Jacob Fatu defeated Drew McIntyre in an Unsanctioned match. That contest demanded it, but its utilization was never particularly violent or chaotic.
The same can be said for the Balor-Mysterio bout, which not only didn't need the gimmick but also watered it down.
Yes, WrestleMania is the time for specialty matches, but simply assigning them to contests and not taking advantage of them does nobody any favors.
Best: Getting Iyo Sky on the Show
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One of the biggest gripes with the WrestleMania card was the absence of Iyo Sky, who has been, arguably, the best wrestler on the roster over the last year and whose connection with the audience is as strong as it has ever been.
That she has an ongoing rivalry with Asuka that felt like it was primed for the WrestleMania stage, only for it to be left off the card at the last minute, furthered the dissatisfaction.
While it was not an in-ring appearance, WWE rectified that problem Sunday as Sky played a pivotal role in Rhea Ripley defeating Jade Cargill to win the WWE Women's Championship.
The Genius of the Sky took Michin and B-Fab out of the equation and ensured they would not interfere any further in the match.
From there, Sky celebrated with Ripley, a nice moment for the Rhyo tag team that had been a staple of WWE programming for months.
The enormous pop for her arrival only enhanced the idea that Sky belonged on the card.
Best: Danhausen's WrestleMania Moment
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There has been no greater surprise in the weeks since his debut at Elimination Chamber than the immense popularity of Danhausen.
Sunday night, in the biggest spot of his young WWE run, he shone brightest while sharing the ring with former world champions John Cena and The Miz.
Danhausen stole the show with his comedic timing and a character that has captivated the audience. Over 55,000 fans greeted his arrival with an enormous pop, a sharp contrast from the not-so-warm welcome he received for his debut.
Amid all of the tension in and around the WWE Universe over this WrestleMania, he hit the ring in his version of a Munster Koach and entertained the fans in a segment that got universal praise and laughter.
On a weekend when his presence was everywhere, with fans in face paint and his merchandise all over Las Vegas, he seized the moment and delivered on the platform WWE gave him.
Worst: Roman Reigns Regains Gold
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The Tribal Chief is once again the Head of the Table.
Roman Reigns defeated CM Punk in the main event of Night 2, regaining championship gold for the first time since losing to Cody Rhodes in the marquee match of WrestleMania 40.
The victory came at the end of a classic match that saw Punk run out of energy and The OTC capitalize with a pair of Spears to take the World Heavyweight Championship.
While the match was outstanding, the booking decision creates a major issue at the top of Raw, with a part-time champion and no overarching Bloodline story to keep fans watching in his absence.
Perhaps WWE introduces a solution for that problem on Monday night, but Reigns will not be around every week and the title will not be, either.
Perhaps it forces the creative team's hand and freshens up the format, but there is no denying some shows dragged when there was no champion available to Raw or SmackDown during Reigns' previous three-year run.
How WWE addresses that will be of great interest.
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