Tag: wrestlemania 42

Jim Ross comments on potential Steve Austin WWE WrestleMania 42 appearance

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Jim Ross doubts that his friend “Stone Cold” Steve Austin will make a return to the ring at WWE WrestleMania 42.

Speaking on his Grilling JR Podcast, the AEW commentator was asked about Austin potentially appearing at Mania. Ross believes Austin’s presence would help elevate the show, but he doesn’t see Austin getting too physically involved.

“To wrestle? No. To make an appearance or to shoot an angle or something along those lines, I could see that potentially happening,” Ross said. “But as far as Steve having another match, I don’t see it. I’m not being pessimistic or a negative Nelly or a negative Nelson, whatever.”

Austin’s in-ring career took a toll on him physically, particularly affecting his back and knees. And from what Ross knows, Austin is focused on trying to take care of his health right now.

“That’s not where his head is and he’s trying to take care of himself health-wise. You know, we just forget these guys are not Iron Man. When they’re hurt, they’re hurt. And Austin’s got that bad neck. He’s having bad knees. I don’t think it’s worth the risk, quite frankly,” Ross said. “I think that’s how Steve would look at it and I know him pretty well, but I don’t think there’s any chance. There’s a chance obviously that he could do something, but do I think he’ll wrestle? No way in hell.”

Austin will be appearing at the WWE World convention surrounding WrestleMania 42. He’s not fully closed the door on ever having another match, but Austin doubts that it will ever happen. The last time Austin wrestled was when he came out of retirement to face Kevin Owens at WrestleMania 38. He did make a very brief appearance at WrestleMania 41 last year, announcing the night two attendance.

This week, rumors surfaced regarding a potential Austin appearance on Raw next Monday given that the date coincides with his 3:16 gimmick. As of now, WWE has not announced Austin for the show.

Report: WWE department frustrated over WrestleMania promotional changes

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

The changing plans for WrestleMania 42 have reportedly led to frustration within one WWE department.

According to WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select, promotional materials for this year’s event have undergone several graphic revisions. One source said the direction for the event has ‘never been clear’ and that WWE has continued to change its graphic requests along the way.

The report noted that the original plan was to promote WrestleMania around a “high-end, classy vibe,” similar to the tone of the early teasers released, but the direction has since shifted multiple times.

As preparations intensify for the company’s biggest annual spectacle the glimmer of varied disputes and disagreements on crucial aspects are bound to happen to fine-tune the final presentation. 

WrestleMania 42 is barely a month away on April 18 and 19 at the Allegiant Stadium. The match card is intensified with CM Punk and Roman Reigns colliding for the World Heavyweight Championship. Meanwhile, Royal Rumble winner Liv Morgan aims to win the Women’s World Title from Stephanie Vaquer. Many more high-stakes feuds are building up to the momentum of the grand event. 

WWE Hall of Famer voices support for Drew McIntyre after title loss

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

WWE Hall of Famer Booker T has offered some words of encouragement for Drew McIntyre after his recent title loss.

Speaking on his Hall of Fame Podcast, Booker T sympathized with McIntyre after suddenly dropping the WWE Championship to Cody Rhodes on the road to WrestleMania. Booker T said McIntyre has always been one of his favorites — and he believes McIntyre was a hell of a champion for WWE.

“Drew McIntyre was always in my fav five. Always. I think he had a residency in my fav five. I definitely feel for him right now,” Booker T said. “Just because I feel like no matter what role you give Drew McIntyre, he’s gonna take it and he’s gonna knock it out of the park, and I thought he was a hell of a champion.

“It’s gotta be tough. I wouldn’t wanna be in that position. No one does. But that’s the business, that’s just part of the business. Play the cards that you’re dealt.”

Booker T is also of the belief that the situation will improve for McIntyre despite the unfortunate timing of the incident.

“I’m sure the time is gonna come back around for Drew McIntyre. If not, I’m not gonna worry about Drew McIntyre or anything like that, because he can do whatever he wants in this business,” Booker T said.

“I’m sure it’s disappointing to him to have to drop that strap so close to WrestleMania, because that’s every wrestler’s ultimate dream, I would imagine – walking out (at) WrestleMania as champion, or walking into WrestleMania the challenger, and you win the championship. I’m sure he’s feeling it.”

Rhodes dethroned McIntyre on the March 6 episode of SmackDown, immediately altering the landscape for WrestleMania 42. Rhodes will now defend the WWE Championship against a longtime ally, Randy Orton, who is looking to win his 15th World title.

As for McIntyre, his WrestleMania plans have yet to be announced, though a match against Jacob Fatu would make sense given their ongoing feud.

WWE’s WrestleMania 42 plans for IYO Sky could involve another Raw star

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

WWE’s WrestleMania 42 plans for IYO Sky could also involve another star from Raw.

According to Bodyslam+, there have been internal discussions within WWE about Sky facing Asuka at WrestleMania 42. The report also notes there has been some support for potentially adding Kairi Sane to the match, making it a triple threat.

The growing friction between the two did not evolve overnight. It stemmed from the time they betrayed IYO Sky who was also a former member of Damage CTRL. The Kabuki Warrior’s relationship has been strained with Asuka’s continued taunts and insults. In most scenarios, Sane has showcased empathy for whoever gets the unfortunate hate from Asuka. 

Meanwhile, Rhea Ripley’s Elimination Chamber win forced a change in the creative direction for the duo. As The Eradicator heads off to SmackDown to compete against Jade Cargill for the WWE Women’s Title at WrestleMania 42, it seems Sky will also have her time in the spotlight at The Grandest Stage of Them All.  

Cody Rhodes feels WWE WrestleMania 42 could be best ‘bell-to-bell’ ever in show history

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

With still several weeks left for WWE WrestleMania 42, Cody Rhodes has opened up and hyped the upcoming PLE.

Recently speaking on Complex Graps The Podcast, Rhodes addressed the upcoming WrestleMania 42 match card. With several high-profile matches announced for the show, Rhodes called it out as a possible best ‘bell-to-bell’ wrestling event in the show’s history.

“I said something that I don’t love how it came out, I said, ‘we’re sitting on a Sleeper Mania.’ What I meant was because a ten-year Mania, like [WrestleMania] 40, you feel this sense of destiny. There is something about that ten-year moment. This year, the matches, we have our main event with CM Punk and Roman Reigns. We just got to myself versus Randy Orton as the other main event,” Rhodes said.

“The matches that are coming together, Stephanie [Vaquer] and Liv [Morgan], what clearly looks like what Jacob (Fatu) might be doing. You talked about, Sami [Zayn]. I think you’re looking at a bell-to-bell Mania that is the best it’s been. A Bell-to-bell wrestling,” he continued.

“Good, the type of stuff I grew up on, wrestling, bell-to-bell. For people who come for all the other grandeur and the spectacle that is WrestleMania, that’s all there, too. I feel like I saw some names on a sheet of some potential guests that is really exciting for a WrestleMania, for me, particularly. But yeah, Bell-to-bell, I think they’re going to get one of the better Manias, if not the best Mania of all-time.

Rhodes also shared his thoughts on WWE’s community during WrestleMania and how much he wants the fans to enjoy their time there, especially the first-timers.

“In addition to that, the community of, and not to sound sappy, the community that is WWE, I always ask people at the end, ‘Is this your first show?’  You know, and so many people raise their hands, or young kids, the community that is WWE is growing up together. It’s spread over two nights, so you’re not sitting there for seven hours. God bless. I’ve been on those shows. You try your best, but every single fan should have something that they enjoy about WWE when they leave Vegas,” Rhodes further added. “And that’s for those fans who have never been before. And I bet you in your fold, you’ve got people who are coming who have never been before. The thing they might like is something that you least expect. But that’s the beauty of what we do.”

Rhodes, 40, now a veteran of the sport, expressed his desire to see and experience the potential of WWE’s young roster, especially some of the most popular names such as Oba Femi, Je’Von Evans, and more.

“And and not to put another exclamation point on this point, but I’d watch this Wrestlemania for the potentials of Je’Von [Evans[, for the potentials of Oba [Femi], for the potentials of Kit Wilson, for the potentials of guys who hopefully and girls are sitting here in this chair between you two guys 10 years from now talking about main eventing at WrestleMania.”

Rhodes is now scheduled to defend his Undisputed WWE Championship against Randy Orton at WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Latest report on Tiffany Stratton’s WWE WrestleMania 42 plans

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Tiffany Stratton is going to WrestleMania 42, according to latest reports.

Stratton came up short in both the Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber matches, where the winners earn guaranteed WrestleMania title opportunities. However, a report from Bodyslam+ indicates she is currently planned to face Giulia for the Women’s United States Championship at the event.

According to Ibou of the Self Made Sessions Podcast, the match was originally planned as a triple threat involving Giulia, Stratton, and Jordynne Grace. However, Grace suffered an ankle injury last week.

The SmackDown star built a rapport with the WWE fanbase during her three year NXT run in 2021. Tiffany Stratton further solidified her reputation in her feud with Becky Lynch in 2023 for the NXT Women’s Championship. She was officially moved to the main roster in 2024 and a year later won the WWE Women’s Title. 

In October last year, Stratton suffered a knee injury that sidelined her for a couple of months. She made her return to the Royal Rumble and was one of the finalists before being eliminated by Liv Morgan. 

Report: Hell in a Cell match originally pitched for WWE WrestleMania 42

Posted on by Joseph Currier

A Hell in a Cell match could have taken place at WWE WrestleMania 42 if original plans came to fruition.

PWInsider reports that A Hell in a Cell match between Drew McIntyre and Cody Rhodes for the WWE Championship was the pitch making the rounds for WrestleMania before WWE opted to go in a different direction. Rhodes vs. Randy Orton (not in Hell in a Cell) is now the planned WrestleMania title match, with McIntyre looking likely to face Jacob Fatu.

This would have been the fifth-ever Hell in a Cell match at WrestleMania, following Undertaker vs. Big Boss Man, Undertaker vs. Triple H, Undertaker vs. Shane McMahon, and Edge vs. Finn Balor.

Both Rhodes and McIntyre have Hell in a Cell experience, including respective matches against Seth Rollins and CM Punk.

McIntyre had won the WWE Championship from Rhodes this January in a Three Stages of Hell match that culminated inside of a steel cage. But Rhodes then won the title back on SmackDown last Friday, setting the stage for Rhodes vs. Orton to happen at Mania.

Dave Meltzer reports that, as of now, WWE is planning for Rhodes vs. Orton to remain a singles match. Orton earned the title shot through his recent Elimination Chamber victory.

WOR: Paramount & AEW, WWE WrestleMania 42, David Sahadi interview

Posted on by Garrett Gonzales

Dave Meltzer and I are back on Wrestling Observer Radio discussing the major stories from today’s issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

Producer, director, and writer David Sahadi joined the show to discuss his brand new book, Backstage Pass: Tales from Beyond the Squared Circle, which comes out next week.

Dave and I also talked about:

  • WWE WrestleMania 42 and the lack of long term storytelling
  • Paramount and AEW
  • WWE creative shakeup
  • Eddie Hearn vs. Dana White

Click here to listen (subscription required) or watch on YouTube

Report: WWE WrestleMania 42 could include record number of women’s matches

Posted on by Joseph Currier

The WrestleMania 42 card could include more women’s division matches than any other WrestleMania in history.

WrestleVotes reports that an idea within WWE creative has at least six women’s matches taking place across the two nights of WrestleMania. Of those, five are described as pretty firmly planned. The previous record for most women’s bouts on a single WrestleMania is the COVID-era WrestleMania 36 in 2020.

Stephanie Vaquer vs. Liv Morgan for the Women’s World Championship and Jade Cargill vs. Rhea Ripley for the WWE Women’s Championship are already officially announced for Mania. A Women’s Intercontinental title rematch between AJ Lee and Becky Lynch is also expected. Potential Women’s United State Championship and Women’s Tag Team title defenses could help WWE get closer to that number of six matches.

Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas is hosting WrestleMania 42 on Saturday, April 18 and Sunday, April 19. It’s expected that each night will have a start time of 6 p.m. Eastern.

Here is every match that’s been officially announced so far:

WWE WrestleMania 42 —

  • World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk defends against Roman Reigns
  • Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer defends against Liv Morgan
  • WWE Women’s Champion Jade Cargill defends against Rhea Ripley
  • WWE Champion Drew McIntyre defends against Randy Orton (note: McIntyre has a title defense against Cody Rhodes on SmackDown this Friday)
  • Brock Lesnar open challenge (opponent to be announced)

WWE WrestleMania 42 start time change

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

WWE WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas, Nevada, will now have a brand new start time.

With still a couple of months left for WrestleMania 42, WWE has informed ticket holders that the show will now start at 2:30 p.m. Pacific time. The change has also been made on WWE’s website. The previously listed start time was 4 p.m. Pacific.

WrestleMania 42 is scheduled to take place on Saturday, April 18, and Sunday, April 19, 2026, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. While the new time shows 2:30 PM Pacific Time slot, it is currently unknown if it represents the start of the main card, the beginning of the Kickoff show, or whether this is just WWE allowing fans to enter the show earlier now that NXT Stand & Deliver has been moved away from WrestleMania weekend.

Since turning into a two-night event, WrestleMania has consistently featured seven matches on each of its cards. An early start time could potentially mean featuring more matches, whether on the main card or pre-show.

As of now, Roman Reigns vs. CM Punk and Liv Morgan vs. Stephanie Vaquer are the only two confirmed matches for WrestleMania 42.

WOR: 2025 WON Awards, Brody King, AEW Grand Slam Australia preview

Posted on by Garrett Gonzales

Dave Meltzer and I are back with the Friday edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, talking about the big news from today’s issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

We dove into part one of our look at the 2025 WON Awards in addition to hitting on some other topics including:

  • Brody King
  • AEW Grand Slam Australia
  • Ratings
  • Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania
  • WrestleMania tickets

Click here to listen (sub needed) or watch on YouTube

Update on Brock Lesnar’s WWE WrestleMania 42 plans

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Brock Lesnar’s WrestleMania 42 plans are still unconfirmed, but a surprising name was at least in the running at one point recently.

In the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reports that the WrestleMania card is in flux with only CM Punk vs. Roman Reigns officially locked in. As of late January, Lesnar vs. LA Knight was among the matches listed for the show. It would be a first-time-ever match between Lesnar and Knight if it were to come to fruition.

Oba Femi could be another option for Lesnar, with those two having had a faceoff in the Royal Rumble. That interaction was a “teaser” with WWE gauging how fans would react.

“The Brock Lesnar direction for Raw is likely to be teased at the 2/23 Raw in Atlanta when he returns. There was a tease at the Royal Rumble of Oba Femi and after the Rumble we were only told that it was not a sure thing yet,” Meltzer wrote. “We do know that in the lineup in late January for the show, that Lesnar was listed as facing LA Knight. But in the Rumble, nothing memorable was done in that direction while the Lesnar-Femi face-off was set up to get a big reaction and actually got the biggest reaction of the show except for Brie Bella.”

Knight — who has been feuding with Paul Heyman’s faction The Vision — did help Cody Rhodes eliminate Lesnar from the Royal Rumble.

Later this month, Knight is set to participate in the men’s Elimination Chamber match to decide Drew McIntyre’s WWE Championship challenger for WrestleMania.

Ticket sales being lower than last year is believed to be the main reason the WrestleMania card is not locked in yet. Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas hosted WrestleMania 41 and will now host WrestleMania 42 on Saturday, April 18 and Sunday, April 19.

WWE reportedly discussing how to boost WrestleMania 42 ticket sales

Posted on by Josh Nason

A new report out Thursday has WWE looking for new strategies and ideas on how to sell more tickets for April’s two-night WWE WrestleMania 42.

WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select noted Thursday that the company held a multi-department meeting Wednesday as sales for their biggest shows of the year are in the 36,000 distributed range per night which is roughly 10,000 tickets per night behind the pace they were at this time last year.

While there is still two months to go, last year’s event ended up between 56,000-60,000 distributed per night (announced as 124,693 combined), contributing to a record financial weekend for WWE.

The outlet also noted, however, that “WWE plans to keep ticket pricing as is for the time being.”

One major similarity from year to year is that both WrestleMania 41 and 42 are being held at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. One talking point about why ticket sales may be slower is due to concerns from those traveling internationally to the U.S. due to the current political climate.

A report about one strategy also came from Fightful earlier this week with WWE prohibiting any WrestleMania 42 watch parties at establishments within 50 miles of the stadium.

Becky Lynch vs. AJ Lee feud still planned for WWE WrestleMania

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Becky Lynch vs. AJ Lee is now official for Elimination Chamber, but it doesn’t sound like there’s been any change in their WrestleMania plans.

It was announced on Raw last night that Lynch vs. Lee for the Women’s Intercontinental Championship will take place at WWE’s upcoming Elimination Chamber PLE in Chicago. The announcement was surprising given that WrestleMania 42 was the expected destination for that match. However, Dave Meltzer noted on Wrestling Observer Radio that he’s been told Lynch and Lee’s story is still set to continue through Mania.

“I was expecting this match at Mania,” Meltzer said. “But I was told, you know, there’s a reason it’s here and the story goes until Mania. I was just basically told, I go like, ‘I thought this was going to be at Mania?’ I was told, ‘Don’t worry, it all plays out to get there.'”

The United Center is hosting the Elimination Chamber PLE on February 28, and the show will be a homecoming for both Lee and her husband CM Punk. A World Heavyweight Championship match between Punk and Finn Balor is also confirmed for the card.

In September of last year, Lee returned to WWE after having been retired for a decade. She’s been feuding with Lynch since then — and the two are now set for their first-ever singles meeting at Elimination Chamber. Lee will appear on Raw in Memphis, Tennessee next week as the build to the PLE continues.

Lee has taken a “trepidatious” approach to her wrestling schedule since returning, only working two matches so far. She and Punk teamed up to defeat Lynch & Rollins in a mixed tag match at Wrestlepalooza, then Lee’s team was victorious over Lynch’s in WarGames at Survivor Series 2025.

‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin to appear at WWE World

Posted on by Joseph Currier

One of WWE’s greatest-ever legends is set to appear for the company during WrestleMania 42 weekend.

During Raw last night, it was announced that “Stone Cold” Steve Austin will be among the guests appearing at the WWE World 2026 convention in Las Vegas. Austin will be at the convention meeting fans on Saturday, April 18 and Sunday, April 19. Tickets for autographs/photos with Austin are set to go on sale soon.

Austin also was a guest at WWE World in 2025. WrestleMania is back in Las Vegas this year, which makes it easier for Austin to appear given that he lives in the state of Nevada. Whether he’ll have an on-screen role at WrestleMania 42 remains to be seen. He showed up at WrestleMania 41 night two last year and announced the attendance for the show.

WWE World has become an annual event since replacing WrestleMania Axxess in 2024. The convention, which is a collaboration between WWE and Fanatics, features exclusive merchandise, meet-and-greets with WWE stars and legends, and live roundtable discussions and podcast recordings.

The Las Vegas Convention Center, South Hall is hosting this year’s edition from Thursday, April 16 through Monday, April 20. WrestleMania itself is happening on April 18-19, which are the two days Austin is at the convention.

Austin has not wrestled since he returned to the ring to face Kevin Owens at WrestleMania 38. Now 61 years old, Austin feels like he would still be physically capable of having another match, though he doubts he ever will.