The first night of WWE WrestleMania 42 has come to a close, and like every installment, there were plenty of highs and lows on display. The main event saw the promotion attempt to have its cake and eat it too, as the show ended with Randy Orton standing tall over Cody Rhodes but without a title change. Before that, there were at least a couple of matches that could wind up appearing in some year-end lists, along with a heartwarming announcement from a wrestler that fans have been missing.All that and more will be covered here, but for a more detailed breakdown of WrestleMania 42's first night, take a look at our results page. From this point forward, we're in opinion territory, sharing our favorite and least favorite aspects of the first half of this year's WrestleMania. Be warned: there may be a controversial take or two waiting below.
I pretty much saw it coming with the way IShowSpeed was not having it in the lead-up to this match, but it seems like WWE is headed toward a Logan Paul vs. Speed match at WWE Backlash. I can't say I love the potential for a bout pitting a former YouTuber against a streamer, no matter how many subscriptions and how beloved Speed is or how athletically gifted and a natural Paul may be in the ring.It's kind of weird, because Speed was one of the first of Paul's posse to help him out when Paul first started in WWE. I think he was the PRIME bottle mascot at one point, if my memory serves me right. This isn't a knock on Speed, as the kid is certainly athletic, and we know he can bump from the spear he took from Bron Breakker back at the 2025 Royal Rumble, but this just doesn't need to take up space on a card.And maybe it won't. Maybe WWE will be fine with the TMZ headline it got out of Paul turning on Speed. But, knowing WWE, they're going to milk this for all it's worth. A Paul vs. Speed singles match would have been fine on a stage like WrestleMania, during the free hour on ESPN like the six-man tag was, but if it takes up a space on the Backlash card, it's going to be pretty annoying.It would have been fine if Speed was fully heel with The Vision, but WWE of course wanted to give him a huge babyface moment with The Usos and LA Knight after the match, as well as a huge spot which has likely already gone viral. I will say, Speed's splash to Paul from the top of the ring post down to the commentary desk was very impressive, and I hope WWE just leaves it at that. They have the headlines, they have the viral moment, now Speed can go back to streaming and doing his own thing until probably the 2027 Royal Rumble.Written by Daisy Ruth
No matter how you feel about Paige or her past, her return to WWE tonight after eight years away (and some time in AEW) sets up some interesting storylines for the women's division moving forward. And stories in the division outside of the main title pictures are always welcome.While I would have preferred the addition of IYO SKY and Asuka on the WrestleMania card, and there's not really a reason that's clear to me why it wasn't added since the Kabuki Warriors weren't in that match, a nice surprise at the event is always good and that Las Vegas crowd popped big time for Paige's return. I figured the Bella Twins were winning those WWE Women's Tag Team Championships no matter what, and when Paige's music hit, my prediction didn't change.Now that Paige and Brie Bella are tag champions, it sets up those future stories. Nikki Bella is going to turn on Paige once she's completely cleared. She mentioned on the post-show she just had ankle surgery two weeks ago, so that may take some time, certainly enough time for Paige to have a lengthy reign with the titles with Brie. Maybe Paige costs them the belts, and Nikki turns on her and beats her down. The Bellas are way better heels, anyway.Paige and AJ Lee also have history. Once Lee is finally wrapped up with her Becky Lynch storyline, as after tonight, I think that continues through Backlash, she could team with Paige to take on the Bellas, a la the Team Total Divas vs. Team Real Divas days. Then, Paige and Lee can feud, and you basically have a year's worth of stories, or at least through the rest of 2026, for her if you extend things out long enough.I think Paige can fit in the WWE women's division of today, but I'm not sure if she can hang in the top title picture anymore. Which is okay, WWE needs mid-card women, and Paige has name value. Her history with the Bellas, as well as Lee, makes for good stories, which we all know WWE is in desperate need of these days.Written by Daisy Ruth
Seth Rollins and GUNTHER clashed in singles action for the first time in seven years at WWE WrestleMania 42 Saturday, and while the story between the two men was thin, there was no way this match wasn't going to be good. Rollins and GUNTHER are two of the best technical wrestlers WWE has across both rosters right now, and both of them are hardened veterans who have proven time and time again that they can make in-ring magic with whatever little they're given. There was no way this match was going to be bad, and, for the most part, it wasn't. Rollins and GUNTHER were on their way to a Loved from this writer, but with just one inclusion, this match went from Match of the Night contender to the unfortunate subject of this opinion column. Bron Breakker soured this match's finish, with the speed of his famous Spear.Rollins and GUNTHER was reaching its climax. Both men have taken everything: Rollins had nearly choked GUNTHER out, GUNTHER had tried to put Rollins through a table, and Rollins seemed to be on the precipice of a well-deserved victory after putting GUNTHER's cranium into the unforgiving announce table with a stomp. However, before anyone could even utter a bark, Breakker returned and speared Rollins into the barricade. From there, GUNTHER only needed to cinch in the simplest of Sleeper Holds in order to steal the victory. The whole finish lasted about five minutes absolutely not more than ten. Again, this was after these two had waged utter war on each other, with moments that highlighted their resiliency. Rollins had fought out of a Sleeper Hold minutes prior. Why is that what puts him away? It was an anticlimactic, near-senseless finish for a match that, by all accounts, would have been the must-watch highlight of the night.That's even before you realize that Rollins and GUNTHER wasn't the original plan. Reportedly, Rollins' original WrestleMania 42 opponent was slated to be Breakker (if you can believe it), but their program was halted because of Breakker's major hernia injury. While I'm glad to see that Breakker is recovering well, it makes you wonder. If Breakker was cleared to give Rollins a nasty spear into the barricade, you'd imagine he's cleared to compete, right? If he's cleared to compete, why not just...run Rollins and Breakker? Yes, it's hard to make a WrestleMania build overnight...but they did with Rollins and GUNTHER, who have so little history. Rollins and Breakker was right there. Just run it.This was a good match that was ruined by the ending...and by Breakker's second spear, which barely grazed Rollins. Hopefully they can make up for this at Backlash.Written byAngeline Phu
I can appreciate the inspiration behind Becky Lynch's current gimmick. I can also appreciate how she pokes fun at a certain political figure with her nonsensical speech, erratic and irrational behavior, and her stubbornness, which is so incorrigible that it illustrates Albert Einstein's definition of insanity. However, when you are literally "The Man" Becky Lynch when you have made your career out of broken faces, sheer scrappiness, and an impressive win record complete with very few, if any, instances of cheating your character falters when you... don't do anything. When you combine her habitual complaining with her overall lack of motions, she becomes cartoonish. While yes, cheating is a heel's MO, it's disappointing to see Lynch be so dominant, so powerful, for so much of her career, just to be reduced to a cartoon.While I have my reservations about the result of Lynch's match against then-WWE Women's Intercontinental Champion AJ Lee on WWE WrestleMania 42 Saturday, I can say this: it make Lynch look a lot more active than she had been previously. Lynch actually did something! The bar is low, yes, but a Loved is a Loved.It definitely helps that this match, out of the two women's bouts, was the better one of the night. It also helps that Lee and Lynch are great story-based workers who know how to up the stakes heading into a match, and it also helps that Lee and Lynch are two very experienced workers who can hold their own in a ring. This Women's Intercontinental Championship defense was going to be good from the get-go. When Lynch started to get physical with the referee, however, my interest was piqued. When Lynch actually did something heel-worthy when she sent Lee face-first into the exposed metal turnbuckle I was listening. Lynch may have cheated, yes, but it felt more violent than in recent times. Lynch felt like she had more bite, more evil in her veins. That was an evil thing to do, a cruel way to win, and I rocked with it.I don't personally love how Lynch is a now a three-time Women's Intercontinental Champion, but that applies to anyone. To hold a title three times in such a short span, no matter who you are, is greedy. I don't personally love how short and uneventful Lee's reign was. When you have Lee on a reportedly full-time contract, I expect her to show up and successfully defend her title more than once. However, all things considered, this finish was not bad. Lynch got some much-needed motion, and Lee is basically untouchable, so she'll be fine with this loss. Put this in the upper half of Saturday's matches, and call it a night.Written by Angeline Phu
It's been a year since Bianca Belair competed in the ring, as she was injured during a three-way match against Rhea Ripley and IYO SKY at WWE WrestleMania 41. Ripley fell on Belair's hand and her left ring finger was broken at the joint. She tried rehabbing it and eventually had surgery in February. Although she began rehab the morning after surgery, there was no time table given for her return.Belair had a surprise return tonight. Following John Cena's announcement of Night One's attendance numbers, the wrestler's music hit and she walked to the ring to a huge pop. She told the crowd, "you can't spell WrestleMania without EST," and then had a Rihanna moment when she removed her oversized blue robe to reveal a sizeable baby bump. Cena hugged her and told her that they had to add one to the attendance number."The Road to WrestleMania" has been abysmal and this was a genuine feel good moment. Cena seemed genuinely surprised at her announcement. Belair is a beloved Superstar who has been sorely missed for the last year. She has been open about wanting to become a mother, so that made the news even sweeter. While the WWE Universe will be missing "The EST" for the foreseeable future, it's for the bEST reason. Following the announcement, Belair posted pregnancy photos from a photoshoot with husband, Montez Ford on Instagram.Congrats to Bianca and Montez!Written bySamantha Schipman
The main event of WrestleMania Saturday saw Randy Orton challenging Cody Rhodes for what would have been his 15th WWE World title, Orton flanked by Pat McAfee attempting to "save the business" and bring back the "Attitude Era" glory days with a... "Ruthless Agression" era break-out.McAfee dominated the opening portion of the main event after Orton let him get in on the pre-match beatdown, only to get dropped by Rhodes and sent through the announcer's desk by Rhodes' own Familiar: Jelly Roll. Then, it appeared he was gone like Keyser Soze, wheeled out on a gurney and giving the thumbs up to the crowd, getting booed because he is in fact terrible, and shifting that to a flipping of the bird. That was all she wrote... I had hoped.Orton and Rhodes finally wrestled what was actually a perfectly fine match, laden with finishers and finisher-sponging in return, and both men donning the crimson mask at some stage in the bout. Then because it is a main event in 2020s WWE, a referee bump occurred and there was no one to count when Rhodes had the match won.Have no fear, the WWE said, sending a referee down to the ring. Only the replacement referee was McAfee, who failed to count quick enough to hand Rhodes his loss, and somehow angered Orton to the point of dropping him with an RKO. Then Rhodes hit Orton with Cross Rhodes and got the winning pinfall, ensuring that the heel lost in a pretty unclean way in the main event of the "Show of Shows."Had Orton turned face in turning on McAfee, recognizing the errors of his ways a la John Cena last year? Nope. Orton just did it because, as he snatched the WWE title belt and clattered Rhodes with it. He finally hit the Punt after so long waiting for it to happen, and that was pretty cool so one cannot or rather will not complain about that. But WrestleMania Saturday closed with a shot reminiscent of a "WWE SmackDown" closer, Orton standing tall with a title that was not his which was kind of his own fault anyway after beating down the rightful champion.It didn't really feel business saving, it didn't really feel conducive to anything, aside from making Orton look like an A1 dumba** on the "Grandest Stage of Them All."Written byMax Everett
