WWE WrestleMania 42 Night Two: Hits & Misses – A Fresh Take

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Welcome to our newly imagined breakdown of WrestleMania 42’s closing night. While Roman Reigns vs. CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship delivered exactly as expected (a fantastic match with little controversy), the rest of the card was a rollercoaster of emotional retirements, shocking debuts, and a few head-scratching moments. Here’s what worked for us, and what absolutely didn’t.

LOVED: The Passing of the Torch to a New Monster

Against all expectations, WWE pulled the trigger. Oba Femi didn’t just beat Brock Lesnar; he ended him. Watching Lesnar visibly emotional, leaving his boots in the ring, felt like a genuine end of an era. Forget the backstage politics—in the ring, this was storytelling perfection.

Lesnar, for the first time in his career, wasn’t just surprised. He was afraid. From the build-up to the final F5 kick-out, “The Beast” was portrayed as a legend staring into the abyss. Femi kicked out, delivered a chokeslam, and hit the Fall From Grace for the clean pin. The visual of the entire stadium bouncing to Femi’s entrance music confirmed it: WWE has its next generational star. If this is truly Lesnar’s farewell, what a brutal, beautiful way to go out.

LOVED: Trick Williams’ Instant Classic in His Mania Debut

Some wrestlers rise to the occasion; Trick Williams stole the entire weekend. In his first WrestleMania match, he took the United States Championship off a vicious, heel-leaning Sami Zayn. The brainbuster on the apron was a “holy sh*t” moment, proving Trick has the grit to hang with veterans.

While the Lil Yachty cameo was a bit “MTV circa 2015,” the diss track added a fun layer of sports entertainment cheese. More importantly, Williams is over. The crowd wants to cheer him, and now with gold around his waist, “SmackDown” has a new workhorse. A rematch with a fully unhinged Zayn at Backlash feels inevitable, but for one night, Trick Williams proved he belongs in the main event picture.

HATED: The Demon & Dom – A Flatline Feud

How do you make “The Demon” Finn Balor vs. Dominik Mysterio in a Street Fight feel boring? WWE found a way. The issues started with Balor announcing his Demon persona’s return in a pre-recorded backstage video—a sin for such a legendary alter-ego. Then, they tacked on the “Street Fight” stipulation during the pre-show like an afterthought.

The in-ring work was fine, but the stakes were nonexistent. Mysterio’s best line (“I didn’t sign up to face the Demon”) was buried under poor pacing. Balor won, but so what? The Judgment Day feud feels resolved after one match, and the Demon—once a guaranteed spectacle—was reduced to a cheap ticket-selling gimmick. What a waste of face paint.

LOVED: Rhea Ripley Forges a Diamond from Jade Cargill

Let’s give credit where it’s due: Jade Cargill wrestled the match of her WWE career. Under the bright lights of Night 2, with all the pressure on her, she moved with purpose. No more stumbling. She hit the One-Winged Angel with the confidence of a veteran. Is she Shawn Michaels? No. But the growth was undeniable.

Of course, Rhea Ripley deserves half the trophy. Ripley’s reversal of Jaded into the Riptide for the win was a sequence of pure athletic art. Ripley continues to be the measuring stick for women’s wrestling—she made Cargill look like a million bucks while still winning clean. Their storyline was shaky, but the payoff was a Sunday night classic that silenced the critics.

HATED: Michael Cole’s Uncomfortable Vocabulary Lesson

During the forgettable John Cena/Miz/Danhausen segment, Michael Cole decided to go rogue. While introducing little people dressed as Danhausen, Cole gleefully announced he had a “hall pass” to bring back the word “midget.” Wade Barrett then piled on with “grubby little fingers” comments. Yikes.

In an era where wrestling tries to move forward, watching a revered commentator get giddy over reviving a term rooted in Victorian-era freak shows was deeply uncomfortable. It doesn’t matter if you have a “hall pass”—some doors are closed for a reason. Next time, just call them “Minihausens” and move on. Cole is better than this, and so is the broadcast.

HATED: The Babyface Bias (Let Heels Win Sometimes!)

This is a nitpick born of an otherwise great show, but: did every single babyface have to win? Reigns, Femi, Williams, Balor, Cargill… Night 2 was a clean sweep for the good guys.

Predictability is the enemy of suspense. Imagine the heat if Dominik Mysterio cheated to beat The Demon? Or if Sami Zayn went full villain to retain the US Title, setting up a double turn? Even Cargill beating Ripley would have been a shocking vote of confidence. Heels winning at Mania creates new stories. Balor winning felt like a period at the end of a sentence. A Dom win would have been a question mark leading to a new chapter. Villainy prevails on “Raw” sometimes—it should have gotten one night on the grand stage.