Brock Lesnar and the Biggest Winners and Losers from WWE WrestleMania 2026 Results
The annual Showcase of the Immortals is in the rear-view mirror, with several stars emerging from it as either winners or losers.
From former WWE champions to rising greats of the company's bright future, they are the Superstars who will define WrestleMania 42 for years to come.
Who are they and why do they fall where they do?
Find out now.
WrestleMania 42 Results
1 of 5
WrestleMania Saturday
WrestleMania Sunday
Loser: Cody Rhodes
2 of 5
To say that the WWE fans are burnt out on Cody Rhodes would be an understatement.
It is also something officials who are paying any semblance of attention to the product have known for months as the boos greeting him grow in every area in the world.
Saturday night, he dominated the action, upped the intensity, showed flashes of heeldom, and eventually pinned Randy Orton to resume his run as the undisputed WWE champion.
All while the boos grew louder and the creative team failed Rhodes, putting him in an unenviable position to be the most hated man in any stadium he competes in. The confusion surrounding the narrative, who is expected to do what, and the intent has made this a far messier puzzle than it needs to be, and not one that Rhodes was able to help clarify Saturday night.
Winner: Brock Lesnar
3 of 5
The Beast is not typically a wrestler not in the good graces of the WWE fans, with his repetitive booking, in-ring dominance, and lack of upward mobility for himself or his opponents being chief among the reasons.
Saturday, moments after Oba Femi exited Allegiant Stadium, Lesnar showed genuine emotion for the first time in his career, removing his gloves, then his shoes, and openly crying as he gave his final walk up the ramp, seemingly retiring.
In the moment, a Superstar who had long ago disconnected from the audience was embraced by them, celebrated even. "Thank you, Brock" chants rained down from the stands, and fans were left reminiscing on his best matches and moments, in a segment that did more to endear the 10-time world champion to the audience than nearly anything else could or would have.
It was his finest night in a long time, a banner moment for Lesnar, and one that opened up a spot for a new, younger, faster, dominant force of nature.
Loser: Gunther
4 of 5
To emerge from WrestleMania 42 with no clear direction or indicator of anything bigger is an indictment of WWE Creative in its usage of The Ring General.
Gunther was the world champion last summer. He retired John Cena and AJ Styles in succession and entered 2026 as hot as any Superstar on the roster, so the idea that he was nearly left off this year's card before being thrown together with Seth Rollins in a last-minute match-up seems far-fetched, but that is the exact scenario Gunther found himself in.
It worked out; he beat Rollins, but it is impossible not to become discouraged, especially considering how Gunther should be at the forefront of creative directions as one of the Raw brand's elite.
How a focal point became an afterthought amid Bron Breakker's return is a question that only WWE and its writing team can answer.
Winner: Oba Femi
5 of 5
The Ruler rolled into WrestleMania riding a wave of unprecedented momentum and trust in him by WWE officials, and he paid it off in spades.
Femi defeated Brock Lesnar Sunday night, absorbing everything The Beast had before shrugging it off and downing him with a powerbomb to win.
It was a career-defining match, a massive victory, and a moment that will help push him forward, toward the main event.
As physically impressive as possible, with a crowd solidly behind him, Femi is the future and someone poised to populate the top of the card, against the most prominent Superstars, for the foreseeable future.
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