Led By Roman Reigns vs. CM Punk Banger, WWE WrestleMania 42 Night 2 Silences the Haters

There was no fully redeeming WrestleMania 42 after a woeful Night 1 that ranks among the worst showings in the esteemed event's history. 

But like CM Punk's losing effort in the main event against Roman Reigns, Night 2 put up one hell of a fight anyway. 

Moving forward, if WWE is more like Night 2 than Night 1, order might just be restored. Fittingly, it felt like the company actually had creative control of Night 2, whereas Night 1 was TKO's attempt at thinking it knows how to run a wrestling show. 

It should go without saying, but that Reigns-Punk main event was by far the best match of either night. A proper build, story and history, the two put on an as-expected classic in the ring. No interference or messy finishes, either…just traditional-feeling pro wrestling. 

Exiting the Night 1 gaffe, it was easy to see a reality where WWE shoved interference, Pat McAfee or otherwise, into the mix. But consider it expectations subverted, an ode to hardcore wrestling and those fans with a long lens who understand that Punk and Reigns both really won with this one. 

There were other exclamation marks for Night 2. Oba Femi squashed Brock Lesnar, who apparently retired after the fact (we'll see). Trick Williams got an early rocket strapped to his back with the U.S. title win over Sami Zayn. Finn Bálor's "The Demon" returned and Rhea Ripley's title win over Jade Cargill nearly stole the show outright. 

For those wondering, six of eight titles at stake changed hands over two nights, which is fun.

Night 2 felt like it was about foundational building blocks, too. Femi got the Lesnar rub and might just go on his own early 2000s-Lesnar run. Williams beating Zayn and getting his first main roster title is no small feat. A 21-year-old Je'Von Evans with next big thing potential was quietly tucked into a multi-man match. Dominik Mysterio took the loss to The Demon, but remains a pillar.

So, too, does Ripley. It's easy to forget, despite all she's accomplished, that she's only 29 years old. When talking about future faces of the company, she's still in the conversation. Heck, Cargill's best WWE match to date might be a sign of things to come, too.

Sure, if we zoom out a bit, there were still problems on Night 2. The short match runtimes that plagued Night 1 were still rampant. Williams-Zayn didn't even go 10 minutes. Ripley-Cargill just squeaked past that mark. Advertisements were all over the place. Could WWE not do one night at this pace if they removed the ads? Might be a great four-hour show, no?

There's something to be said for WWE not exhausting fans over two nights with ridiculous runtimes as it has in the past. But this felt like an overcorrection. There's no reason, for example, why Liv Morgan and Stephanie Vaquer can't get more than six minutes for a championship match. 

And if we're talking about good match hit rate over the two nights, we're probably looking at what, four out of 13? Maybe a little hyperbolic, but Gunther-Seth Rollins is probably the only thing fans will look back on with major appreciation years from now from Night 1 for a variety of reasons. 

It's hard to say where WWE goes from here, truthfully. Will there be lessons learned and applied after obvious outside meddling due to poor ticket sales and whatever else? 

Or will WWE revert back to a lesser product somewhere in the middle, heading for Backlash with Jelly Roll and McAfee involved in a confusing main event scene around the double-turning multiple times in one match, Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton? 

Will Reigns' title scene be a part-time ordeal that sketches out a long-term plan that culminates in The Rock returning for the 'Mania in Saudi Arabia one year from now? Or will he be getting in the mix with the likes of Gunther and Femi and other fast-risers?

WWE sure seemed to be hinting at this through Femi after 'Mania, at least:

Uh, yes, please? Now? Monday after 'Mania, even?

One thing's for sure: Punk and Reigns fittingly headlined a night that was far more traditional pro wrestling. That matters. It didn't have the ick of corporate greed hanging over it. Didn't have the sloppy storytelling with outsiders, clearly aimed at drawing eyeballs from those who aren't even fans. No reason to gatekeep pro wrestling fandom, but we could go on for 6,000 words about why the McAfee situation was the worst kind of meddling that ruined the product. 

We'll see about the lessons learned and applied. Or not. But WWE's ability to pull off a stunning rebound like Night 2 is encouraging. The future is bright in terms of roster talent, and Sunday was proof of concept of what really works. 

What really works in pro wrestling shouldn't have needed to be emphasized, but leave it to Punk and Reigns to put their stamp on it anyway. It's not so much a new era. More like a reminder. And it will only grow more appreciated in hindsight if this is the beginning of a back-to-basics movement for the sport at the top of the mountain.