Wrestle Mania 42 Night 1 quick results: Cody Rhodes retained the Undisputed WWE Championship over Randy Orton. Liv Morgan won the Women’s World title. Becky Lynch captured the Women’s Intercontinental Championship. Paige and Brie Bella won the Women’s Tag titles. Seth Rollins vs. Gunther stole the show. Night 2 is live tonight.
Wrestle Mania 42 is delivering on its billing. Night 1 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas drew a sold-out crowd of 50,816 and produced four title changes, a show-stealing non-title match, and a Bianca Belair moment that stopped the building cold. Night 2 live Sunday, April 19 features CM Punk defending the World Heavyweight Championship against Roman Reigns in one of the most layered main events in Wrestle Mania history.
Here is everything you need: full Night 1 results, match grades, the complete Night 2 card, and what to watch for before the main event.
How and where to watch Wrestle Mania 42
| Detail | |
| Location | Allegiant Stadium, Paradise, Nevada |
| Dates | April 18–19, 2026 |
| Start time | 6 p.m. ET (both nights) |
| US broadcast | ESPN / ESPN2 (first hour simulcast) |
| International | Netflix (most markets) |
| Also available | Pay-per-view worldwide |
WrestleMania 42 marks the first WWE pay-per-view to air on ESPN, and the first WrestleMania not on the WWE Network since 2014, following the platform’s permanent shutdown on April 1. Internationally, Netflix carries the live stream in most markets and if you are looking a source to watch live, click here and enjoy every moment of the match.
Wrestle Mania 42 Night 1 results and match grades
Night 1 produced seven matches across roughly four hours. The two standouts were both non-title bouts, a sign of how deep this roster runs.
Opening six-man tag: LA Knight and The Usos def. Logan Paul, Austin Theory and IShowSpeed
A crowd-pleasing opener that got Las Vegas invested immediately. The post-match moment IShowSpeed hitting a frog splash on Logan Paul through the commentary table after Paul attacked him for costing the match was a genuine viral highlight. Exactly what a Wrestle Mania opener should do.
Grade: B+
Jacob Fatu def. Drew McIntyre (unsanctioned match)
Placed in the first hour before the main ESPN broadcast, this was a violent, physical brawl that worked precisely because it had no pretense of being anything else. Fatu continues to look like a future main event player. One of the better unsanctioned matches WWE has produced in years and now Jacob Fatu Roman Reigns WWE Backlash 2026.
Grade: A−
Seth Rollins vs. Gunther
The match of the night and arguably one of the best Wrestle Mania matches in recent years. A 15-minute clinic that had legitimate “this is awesome” chants throughout, capped by the return of Bron Breakker. Neither man needed a title for this to feel important that is rare.
Grade: A
Women’s Tag Team Championship Fatal 4-Way: Paige and Brie Bella def. (opponents)
Paige and Brie Bella walked out as the new Women’s Tag Team Champions in a chaotic but entertaining Fatal 4-Way. Bella’s Wrestle Mania return gave this match an emotional anchor.
Grade: B
Women’s Intercontinental Championship: Becky Lynch def. AJ Lee
Lynch defeats Lee to capture the Women’s Intercontinental Championship. A well-worked match between two of the most credible in-ring performers in the division.
Grade: B+
Women’s World Championship: Liv Morgan def. Stephanie Vaquer
Morgan wins the Women’s World title from Vaquer in a match that told a clear story. Morgan’s character work continues to elevate everything she is in.
Grade: B+
Night 1 main event – Undisputed WWE Championship: Cody Rhodes (c) def. Randy Orton (22:40)
Rhodes retained in a 22-minute main event that drew “this is awesome” chants and showed a darker, more calculated side of the champion that analysts had been calling for. Orton’s back injury was woven into the pacing intelligently rather than used as a crutch. Rhodes leaning into a more complex character feels like the right evolution heading into the next phase of his reign. The match did not reinvent anything, but it delivered exactly what a Wrestle Mania main event needs to.
Grade: A−
The emotional peak of Night 1 came when Bianca Belair absent since suffering an injury at Wrestle Mania 41 appeared to announce her pregnancy to a standing ovation from the Las Vegas crowd. John Cena, serving as official host for the entire Wrestle Mania 42 weekend, was also present throughout the evening.
Wrestle Mania 42 Night 2 full card (Sunday, April 19)
Four championships are on the line across six matches, making Night 2 the most title-rich night of the weekend. The first two matches air on ESPN’s linear broadcast before the main stream takes over for the final four.
| Match | Title |
| Oba Femi vs. Brock Lesnar | — |
| Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match (Penta c.) | Intercontinental title |
| Sami Zayn (c) vs. Trick Williams | United States title |
| Jade Cargill (c) vs. Rhea Ripley | WWE Women’s Championship |
| [Additional match TBC] | — |
| CM Punk (c) vs. Roman Reigns | World Heavyweight Championship |
Night 2 opener: Oba Femi vs. Brock Lesnar
The most physically imposing match of the entire weekend. Femi, 27 years old and one of the most physically gifted athletes in WWE, has a genuine opportunity to establish himself as a top-tier main event talent by going toe-to-toe with one of the most accomplished performers in WWE history. Monster vs. monster matchups have produced some of the most memorable Wrestle Mania moments; this one has similar potential.
Prediction: Oba Femi wins; this is his coming-out moment
Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match: Penta (c) vs. four challengers
Ladder matches have historically been Wrestle Mania’s best-kept secret frequently the match of the night while the main event gets the headlines. With five legitimate contenders and Penta’s charisma as champion, this is the sleeper pick for the best match of Night 2.
Prediction: Penta retains, his reign is just getting started
United States Championship: Sami Zayn (c) vs. Trick Williams
Two of the most likable performers on the roster collide for the United States title. Zayn’s comedic timing and Williams’ magnetic energy make this a guaranteed crowd-pleaser regardless of the outcome.
Prediction: Trick Williams wins the title, the moment is right
WWE Women’s Championship: Jade Cargill (c) vs. Rhea Ripley
The most physically matched women’s match on the card. Ripley has the credibility and the crowd connection to take the title; Cargill has the size, athleticism and momentum to retain. Either outcome works narratively, which is a sign of good booking.
Prediction: Rhea Ripley wins the Women’s Championship
CM Punk vs. Roman Reigns: the Wrestle Mania 42 Night 2 main event explained
This match has been building, in one form or another, for over a decade.
Punk reminded Reigns publicly that he was responsible for bringing Reigns to the main roster as part of The Shield in 2012. Reigns countered that Punk’s public comments about him after leaving WWE in 2014 caused fans to turn on Reigns during one of the most difficult stretches of his career. Reigns also raised that Punk was responsible for Paul Heyman’s turn against him at Wrestle Mania 41 before deciding that, out of pure hatred, he would challenge Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship regardless.
Two days before the match, Reigns raised the stakes further by stating that if he loses, he will leave WWE.
Punk enters the Elimination Chamber on February 28. Reigns enters having won the 2026 Men’s Royal Rumble on January 31, last eliminating six other competitors to earn this title shot.
Why this match works: It is personal without being manufactured. Every beat of the build traces back to something that actually happened between these two men, inside and outside the ring, over more than ten years. That kind of foundation is rare in professional wrestling and it is exactly what a Wrestle Mania main event should be built on.
Prediction: CM Punk retains Reigns’ “I’ll leave” stipulation sets up a more interesting story with him gone than with him winning the title
Frequently asked questions
Where is Wrestle Mania 42 taking place?
Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada (Las Vegas), on April 18–19, 2026.
How can I watch Wrestle Mania 42?
In the US, it airs live on ESPN with the first hour also on ESPN2. Internationally, most markets can stream it on Netflix. Pay-per-view is also available worldwide.
Is Wrestle Mania 42 on Netflix outside the US?
Yes. Netflix is the international broadcast home for Wrestle Mania 42 in most markets outside the United States.
What happened in the Night 1 main event?
Cody Rhodes defeated Randy Orton in 22:40 to retain the Undisputed WWE Championship.
Who is CM Punk defending his title against at Wrestle Mania 42?
CM Punk defends the World Heavyweight Championship against Roman Reigns, who earned the match by winning the 2026 Royal Rumble.
Who is hosting Wrestle Mania 42?
John Cena is the official host for the entire Wrestle Mania 42 weekend.
Why was Wrestle Mania 42 moved from New Orleans?
It was originally scheduled for the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on April 11–12, but was relocated to Las Vegas and delayed one week after the city submitted a higher hosting bid following the financial success of Wrestle Mania 41.
How many matches are on the Wrestle Mania 42 card?
13 matches total, 7 on Night 1 and 6 on Night 2.