WWE WrestleMania 42 Night One: The Hits & Misses
WWE WrestleMania 42 Night One: The Hits & Misses
The first night of WWE’s biggest show in Las Vegas has come and gone, leaving fans with a mix of genuine joy and head-scratching frustration. From a heartwarming pregnancy reveal to a main event that felt like a convoluted episode of SmackDown, here’s a breakdown of what worked and what definitely didn’t.
Three Things We LOVED
1. Bianca Belair’s Perfect “bEST” Announcement
After being sidelined for a full year due to a broken finger suffered at WrestleMania 41, Bianca Belair made her surprise return—but not for a match. Walking to the ring after John Cena’s attendance announcement, “The EST” removed her robe to reveal a baby bump, announcing she and husband Montez Ford are expecting. It was a genuinely sweet, unplanned-feeling moment (Cena looked legitimately shocked) that reminded everyone why Belair is so beloved. The WWE Universe will miss her in the ring, but this is the best possible reason for her absence.
2. Paige’s Return Opens a Treasure Trove of Storylines
After eight years away (including a stint in AEW), Paige returned and immediately became a WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion with Brie Bella. While the in-ring logic was fuzzy (why weren’t IYO SKY and Asuka on the card?), the long-term storytelling potential is enormous. Nikki Bella is still recovering from ankle surgery, setting up a likely heel turn on Paige down the road. Plus, Paige’s deep history with AJ Lee—dating back to the Total Divas vs. Real Divas era—could easily fuel a year’s worth of feuds. Paige may not be a top title contender anymore, but as a mid-card veteran with name value, she’s exactly what the division needs for compelling non-title drama.
3. Heel Becky Lynch Finally Does Something (Sorry, AJ Lee)
Becky Lynch’s cartoonish, politically-mimicking heel gimmick had been all talk and no action—until WrestleMania. In her match against AJ Lee for the Women’s Intercontinental Championship, Lynch finally committed a truly vicious act: she sent Lee face-first into an exposed metal turnbuckle to steal the win. It was cruel, it was violent, and it gave “The Man” the heel bite she’s been missing. While it’s frustrating that Lee’s full-time return resulted in such a short, one-defense reign, the match itself was the best of the two women’s bouts. Lynch got much-needed “motion,” and Lee is untouchable enough to absorb the loss.
Three Things We HATED
1. WWE is Barreling Toward YouTuber vs. Streamer (Logan Paul vs. IShowSpeed)
You could see it coming a mile away. After IShowSpeed took a massive, viral splash from the ring post onto Logan Paul at the announce desk, all signs point to a singles match between the former YouTuber (Paul) and the streamer (Speed) at WWE Backlash. Speed is athletic and took a great spear from Bron Breakker at the 2025 Rumble, but does this need to take up PLE card space? It would’ve been fine as a free ESPN pre-show spot at Mania, but as a premium event match? No thanks. WWE already has the TMZ headline and the viral spot. They should leave it at that and send Speed back to streaming until the 2027 Rumble.
2. Bron Breakker Spoils Seth Rollins vs. GUNTHER’s Party
What should have been a Match of the Night contender between two technical masters was ruined by a nonsensical, anticlimactic finish. Rollins and GUNTHER had waged war—stomps through tables, near-submissions, and pure resilience. But just as Rollins was about to win, a returning Bron Breakker (recovering from hernia surgery) delivered a weak, barely-grazing spear into the barricade. GUNTHER then won with the most basic sleeper hold, a move Rollins had already fought out of minutes prior. The finish was rushed, senseless, and insulting to the 20+ minutes of great wrestling that came before it. If Breakker is cleared to interfere, why not just run the original plan of Rollins vs. Breakker?
3. The Main Event Was Too Much (Way, Way Too Much)
The Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes main event was a victim of modern WWE overbooking. What started as a fine, bloody, finisher-heavy match devolved into chaos: Pat McAfee dominated early, got put through a table by Jelly Roll, then was wheeled out on a gurney (giving the bird to booing fans). Then came the mandatory referee bump. McAfee returned as the replacement ref, intentionally counted slow, ate an RKO, and allowed Rhodes to win unclean. The show ended with Orton snapping, clobbering Rhodes with the title belt, and finally hitting the Punt—standing tall with a belt that isn’t his. It wasn’t “saving the business” or bringing back the Attitude Era. It just made Orton look like a dumbass and closed the biggest show of the year like a random episode of SmackDown.