Tag: wrestlemania 42

Austin Theory explains reason for 2025 WWE absence 

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

In July 2025, Austin Theory was abruptly sidelined due to an injury, the nature of which was undisclosed.  

Speaking on the The Mark Hoke Show Pro Wrestling Radio / Podcast, Theory revealed that he was dealing with a hernia that had worsened over time. Despite the condition, he continued to compete regularly leading to an incident of being rushed to the Emergency Room before a Main Event match. 

“Everything happens for a reason. But, I was actually wrestling with a hernia for a very long time, and as gross as it is, I was having to pop it back in after certain matches and yeah, just stuff people don’t know about. They don’t know when somebody goes to the ring what the damage is but, I was in a good spot, and even when it was hitting a low for me, I was doing everything that I could to just stay and keep the wheels turning on the car, and it reached a point, I had a match on Main Event, and it would not go back in. So that night, I went to the emergency room, and it blew my mind because I was like, ‘wow, I just had my gear on, and I went out there and I wrestled and now I’m in the E.R.’, and now it’s like, well, ‘where does this go from now?’ Because now I’m out of the picture.” 

He elaborated that his WWE contract was nearing expiration at the time which became an additional cause of worry. 

“My contract was actually coming up so, a lot of things were hitting me personally and that’s kind of one of those things, that’s a low point in your life where you get really rocked, and to me, those points are where you really,  you either stay down or you pick yourself up and you become a version of yourself that’s always been in you but it takes you to that next level, and it helped me reframe my mindset and everything and coming back, I just knew, this is my value and this is what I need to be doing. So, and as you see, it’s clear vision now.”

In December 2025, Theory returned to WWE and revealed his identity as the masked man who targeted Seth Rollins at Survivor Series:WarGames. This forged his union with The Vision.  

Last month, he and Logan Paul defeated The Usos to win the World Tag Team Championship. At WrestleMania 42, the champions will team up with IShowSpeed against The Usos and LA Knight. This escalated after IShowSpeed cost The Usos their tag team titles on the March 30 edition of Raw leaving them furious. 

AJ Lee ‘unhealthily invested’ in WWE women’s division feud

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

AJ Lee has her sights set on multiple talents from the women’s division who have cemented their spot during her time away. The latest rivalry that has caught her attention is between The Kabuki Warriors and IYO SKY. 

Lee took to social media that she had been fangirling over their feud for months. 

“been fangirling for @WWEAsuka @KAIRI_official @Iyo_SkyWWE for months and I am unhealthily invested in this now,” posted Lee. 

The rift between The Kabuki Warriors and IYO SKY grew wider in the second half of 2025. Asuka snapped on a September edition of Raw when Sky assisted Rhea Ripley, who was her original target. Asuka and Kairi Sane attacked Sky too. In the months that followed, the two tag teams clashed repeatedly in the ring. Asuka frequently reminded SKY of her sacrifices and efforts in their friendship. 

With their rivalry brewing for a long while now and WrestleMania 42 around the corner, their match has reached a conundrum. Earlier this week we reported the reason for the delay in WWE announcing Asuka vs. SKY for the Premium Live Event. It is directly linked to the Women’s Tag Team Championship match. 

Nia Jax & Lash Legend are set to defend the titles against Alexa Bliss & Charlotte Flair, Bayley & Lyra Valkyria, and The Bella Twins. However, Nikki Bella suffered a foot injury on SmackDown last month. If she is not cleared to compete at WrestleMania 42, WWE intends to add The Kabuki Warriors as replacement. 

Meanwhile, Lee will compete in her first WrestleMania match in a decade as she defends the Intercontinental Title in a rematch against Becky Lynch. 

Say his name at WWE WrestleMania 42? How Joe Hendry could be included next weekend | Column

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Joe Hendry had everyone singing his entrance song before he even stepped foot in WWE. 

After two months, he lost the NXT Championship at Stand & Deliver on April 12 in a fatal four-way match to Tony D’Angelo. If history is any indication, a popular talent losing a title so close to a PLE suggests a main roster move. But in Hendry’s case, it could set the stage for another WrestleMania moment.

Last year, Hendry was Randy Orton’s mystery opponent at WrestleMania 41 after Kevin Owens announced he needed to undergo a neck surgery in April 2025, pulling him from the match.

Here’s a few ways Joe Hendry could make his presence felt at WrestleMania 42: 

A last minute addition to the Intercontinental title match

On the March 30 edition of Raw, Penta announced a ladder match at WrestleMania 42 for his Intercontinental Championship. Shortly after, WWE confirmed Je’Von Evans, Rusev and JD McDonagh as challengers. This week, Rey Mysterio returned and confirmed his participation in the bout. 

Given Hendry’s popularity among the fanbase, he could easily be announced as a surprise addition. Even without a win, Hendry’s participation would be sufficient enough to re-introduce himself with the main roster audience on WWE’s biggest stage. 

A surprise opponent for The Miz

At Saturday Night’s Main Event last December, R-Truth confronted The Miz and blamed him for stealing another wrestler’s spot in The Last Time Is Now tournament. He handed Miz a piece of paper with the correct participant’s name on it — Hendry, who appeared as soon as his name was said aloud. 

A frustrated Miz lashed out at Hendry who dodged his strike. He teamed up with R-Truth for a comedic tribute to John Cena, using his signature “You can’t see me” taunt followed by a Standing Ovation by Hendry. It was not an official match, but Hendry pinned The Miz as Truth counted the fall. 

In line with their brief encounter, WWE could promote The Miz for a match at WrestleMania 42. Whether pre-planned on SmackDown in a comedic altercation or directly at the PLE, a rematch of sorts between the two could lead to a showdown.

Involvement in the Sami Zayn vs. Trick Williams United States title match

Zayn captured the United States Championship from Carmelo Hayes last month and is now set to defend against Trick Williams at WrestleMania. Hendry and Williams have history from NXT, most particularly associated with their TNA crossover feuds. At NXT Battleground in 2025, Williams defeated Hendry for the TNA World Championship. 

Hendry’s interference in his first-ever WrestleMania match, potentially costing him the win, would immediately set up his first major SmackDown feud. 

John Cena gives him a passing-of-the-torch moment

Cena is scheduled to host WrestleMania 42 and has consistently shown appreciation for emerging talent in WWE. 

Hendry once revealed he bumped into Cena backstage soon after he won the undisputed WWE Title at WrestleMania 41. Cena praised Hendry’s performances at the Royal Rumble and last year’s Mania match against Randy Orton, later labeling Hendry as a “brilliant talent who is going to be a major player” during a Pat McAfee Show appearance.

WrestleMania 41 could provide the perfect stage for an interaction between the two, either backstage or in the ring, with Cena officially giving Hendry his stamp of approval and possibly welcoming him to the main roster. 

Final thoughts

Joe Hendry has proven his ability to captivate audiences with his charisma, music and in-ring presence. With all eyes on WrestleMania 42 and his previous track record at the PLE, it would be a great spot for his official main roster transition. Even if it’s not an immediate shift, his presence alone would make for another memorable WrestleMania moment. 

WrestleMania 42 themed car set for NASCAR race this weekend

Posted on by Josh Nason

The presence of WWE WrestleMania 42 will be seen on the track at this weekend’s NASCAR event.

Revealed by the 23XI Racing team on Thursday, Bubba Wallace will drive the themed car at Sunday’s Food City 500 in Bristol, Tennessee. The team is co-owned by retired NBA megastar Michael Jordan.

WWE has had a history with NASCAR with Daytona 500 winner Tyler Reddick, also a 23XI Racing team member, appearing at a February Raw. Kevin Owens made a fill-in appearance for Rey Mysterio last year at an event and before that, WWE sponsored a SummerSlam-themed car in 2022.

In early-March, NASCAR and WWE offered a joint ticket package for both WrestleMania 42 and the Pennzoil 400 from the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

WWE WrestleMania 42 night one lineup | Next Saturday

  • Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes defends against Randy Orton (w/ Pat McAfee)
  • Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer defends against Liv Morgan
  • Seth Rollins vs. Gunther
  • Women’s Intercontinental Champion AJ Lee defends against Becky Lynch
  • Women’s Tag Team Champions Nia Jax & Lash Legend defend against Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss, The Bella Twins, and Bayley & Lyra Valkyria
  • Unsanctioned match: Drew McIntyre vs. Jacob Fatu (ESPN2)
  • Logan Paul, Austin Theory & IShowSpeed vs. The Usos & LA Knight (ESPN2)

WWE WrestleMania 42 night two lineup | Next Sunday

  • World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk defends against Roman Reigns
  • WWE Women’s Champion Jade Cargill defends against Rhea Ripley
  • Finn Balor vs. Dominik Mysterio
  • United States Champion Sami Zayn defends against Trick Williams
  • Brock Lesnar vs. Oba Femi (ESPN)
  • Ladder match: Intercontinental Champion Penta defends against Je’Von Evans, Dragon Lee, Rusev, JD McDonagh, and Rey Mysterio (ESPN)

Seth Rollins says first match back at WrestleMania 42 is ‘nerve-wracking’ 

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Getting cleared in time for WrestleMania 42 was a concern for Seth Rollins after getting injured in October 2025. Despite which he is ready to face Gunther at the Premium Live Event keeping note of their career parallels. 

Speaking with ESPN, Rollins talked about his history with Gunther who he’s known since their first in-ring encounter at Westside Xtreme Wrestling (wXw) in 2019.

“He’s the real deal, that guy there’s no joke there. He’s legitimate. I mean you watch his body of work and I’ve been, this is a guy that I’ve known since he was Walter back in his wXw days in Germany. I crossed paths with him and he’s one of those guys that we have something very similar in that we came from kind of nowhere. No one really thought that we were going to be huge, major stars in the industry when we were young cats. And now we’re at a point where ‘here we are at Wrestlemania’, the Grandest Stage, two of the most renowned in-ring performers, the last two decades.”

“And this will be our first real go at it. We’ve had one in-ring encounter which was like seven years ago and this will be this will be an interesting test and especially for my first match back”

Talking about his mindset heading into WrestleMania 42, considering it’s his first match back in six months, he stated fans can expect the best version of him. 

“As far as outcome is concerned, what I will predict is that I will put on a show because it’s Wrestlemania and that’s what I do. And so, if anybody out there is wondering what version of Seth Rollins we’re going to get, I promise you right now, I will look you dead in the eye. You are going to get the very best version. You are going to get the Wrestlemania version of Seth Rollins that you know and are accustomed to.”

He added that while it’s exciting, having a WrestleMania match as his first bout back post-injury is nerve-wracking especially without trial runs to ease into it. 

“I’ve been jonesing for it. Yeah, it’s exciting. I mean, it’s nerve-wracking anytime you come back and your first match is at WrestleMania. You don’t even get a couple of trial runs or anything like that. You’re just into the fire.”

Rollins vs. Gunther is slated for Night One of WrestleMania 42 on April 18. Last month, he attacked Paul Heyman on Raw, and was arrested. On the March 30 edition of the show, Gunther ambushed Rollins further escalating their rivalry for the Premium Live Event.  

How WrestleMania 42 Ticket Prices compare to shows past adjusted for inflation | Column

Posted on by Jake Skudder

WrestleMania 42 ticket prices have been a massive talking point over the past few weeks. It’s even been shoehorned into the top two storylines heading into the show, with Pat McAfee aligning with Randy Orton and bemoaning tickets selling slowly and CM Punk asking Ari Emanuel to lower the ticket prices on RAW.

But just how much more are the tickets for ‘Mania in Las Vegas compared to years prior? As you’ll see from the data below (credit to Brandon Thurston from Wrestlenomics for the pricing from 2008 to 2025) the jump in price rose in a big way from 2024 to 2025:

WMYearVenueNominal Avg~2026 $
I1985MSG, New York$15~$43
242008Orlando, FL$89~$131
252009Houston, TX$124~$184
262010Phoenix, AZ$86~$125
272011Atlanta, GA$100~$141
282012Miami, FL$133~$183
292013E. Rutherford, NJ$164~$223
302014New Orleans, LA$165~$219
352019E. Rutherford, NJ$268~$319
362020Tampa, FL—No fans (COVID)
372021Tampa, FL$170~$194
382022Arlington, TX$136~$147
392023Inglewood, CA$171~$178
402024Philadelphia, PA$341~$348
412025Las Vegas, NV$635$635

WWE WrestleMania 42 Ticket Prices today

Using the reported two-day price points of $854.15, $1,174.80, $1,174.80, $1,174.80, $1,303.54, $1,495.00, $2,200.75, $3,868.00, and $8,998.00 from our official report back in September, the simple arithmetic mean is about $2,472, but that is heavily distorted by the tiny number of ultra-premium floor seats.

WrestleMania 42’s current two-day ticket average appears to be roughly $1,500 to $1,700 before fees based on reported on-sale pricing, far above WrestleMania 41’s verified $635 average. Compare that to 2024 when the average was around $348 and you see the extent of the problem.

Why are WrestleMania 42 tickets so expensive?

TKO owns both WWE and UFC, and tickets for major Ultimate Fighting Championship events have been far more expensive than WWE historically. The people behind TKO knew that they could charge a premium for people to come out to watch the biggest MMA promotion in the world, because the evidence is there to suggest it. They’ve then tried this for WWE and it looks like they have finally hit the wall in terms of what pro wrestling fans are willing to shell out for.

For reference, U.S. general inflation from 2024 to 2026 is roughly 5 to 6% over that same two-year span, so WrestleMania ticket prices are running at roughly 55 to 60 times the rate of annual inflation.
The WM41 to WM42 jump is the bigger of the two years, which is notable because WM41 in Las Vegas was already considered record-breaking at $635.

It’s worth noting that the WM42 figure is an estimate from listed on-sale price bands, not a verified/realized average, so the true percentage will only be confirmed once post-event sales data is published.

Based on current numbers though…from 2024 to 2026, the percentage jump is currently around +~339.9% over just two years.

What should WrestleMania tickets cost?

If TKO wanted to follow inflation and still try to give fans a “fair” level of cost for a stadium event, about $400 average before fees feels like the fairest estimate, with perhaps $300 to $500 as a realistic fair band depending on seat mix.

Our own Bryan Alvarez already reported that TKO are looking to lower some prices over the Summer and that they have reduced some tickets for ‘Mania, but this feels like a short term PR win rather than a genuine look at how fans are being priced out of the buildings.

The Miz to host first-ever ‘WWEddings’ during WrestleMania week

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

The Miz will be expanding duties as a WWE star during WrestleMania 42 week as he is set to officiate five weddings. 

ESPN issued a press release announcing that Miz will solemnize five weddings on April 16. The ceremonies are a part of their one-of-a-kind WWE themed wedding experience to celebrate WrestleMania’s debut on the ESPN App. The WWE superfans who will tie the knot will get access to photoshoots featuring championship belts, stars cutouts and WWE merch in addition to a ‘WWEdding’ certificate. 

Jo Fox, Senior Vice President of Marketing at ESPN commented: 

“At ESPN, we believe sports fandom is forever. For our first WrestleMania on the ESPN App, we wanted to give couples bound by their shared love of WWE and ready to say ‘I do’ a way to begin their next forever chapter by fully embracing everything they love together.”

The Miz added that since WrestleMania is synonymous with creating lifelong moments and experiences, this opportunity adds another layer to the spectacle for the fans.

“WrestleMania is known for delivering moments that last a lifetime, and for the first time ever, fans can make their love story part of the spectacle as we celebrate the first-ever WrestleMania as part of the ESPN family,” said WWE Superstar The Miz.

For couples who wish to participate, they will have to pre-register at tagteamforlife.com individually and obtain a marriage license from the State of Nevada. The ceremonies will take place on a first-come, first-served basis. 

The Miz is known for his flair and charisma when it comes to hosting events in and out of WWE. He will now play a special role in helping fans create a long-lasting, memorable wedding experience. 

That’s not all for The Miz, as the reboot for American Gladiators is set to premiere on April 17 and April 24, with him serving as the host. 

WWE star says Randy Orton is looking forward to his eventual heel turn

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Randy Orton is eager for another WWE star’s potential heel turn in the future. 

Speaking on the No Contest Wrestling Podcast, Je’Von Evans discussed the topic of turning heel. He said that fans perceive him as a babyface making it difficult for them to accept him as a heel. He recalled a conversation with Randy Orton who expressed interest in what Evans would be like as a heel and the fans’ reactions. 

“There’s actually a lot of people that don’t really see a heel Je’Von. Before Randy started going crazy, I was talking to him about it and he was like, ‘Yeah, bro, you’re just such a good babyface. I’m kind of excited to see what happens when you’re a heel.’”

He also reflected on his pre-WWE persona, Jay Malachi in Deadlock Pro-Wrestling (DPW) where he made his debut as a heel. 

“The crowd, as of right now, they like me a lot. But, people, if you do your research, sometimes Je’Von’s twin brother named Jay Malachi, he can tweet. Sometimes he just be doing too much and he gets too aggressive, and gets too mad. I’ve talked to him about it and he’s taking a break from wrestling right now.”

During the interview, Evans admitted to occasionally overshooting in the WWE ring to add a sense of realism to wrestling. 

“Sometimes, honestly, my mindset – maybe this sounds crazy and maybe I’m just saying this because I’m young right now – but sometimes I try to overshoot. Only because from a fan perspective, if I hit something 100% clean, now it looks like we’re dancing. I don’t want wrestling to look like that. I want true emotion. So it’s kinda like, if you get me mad, or I’m too excited and I jump in the air sometimes if I’m in a real fight and I’m feeling myself too much, I’m swinging something crazy, I’m not gonna hit that right hand every time.”

“So sometimes when I do a dive, if I’m too serious, I’m too locked in, I overshoot but I still get them and I almost hurt myself – at the end of the day I know I’m gonna be okay. I’m gonna be sore but I know I’m gonna be okay. I’ve wrestled for eight years, I know how to land. I’m okay.”

Evans faced Orton on the October 8, 2024 edition of NXT in St. Louis Missouri. He officially moved to Raw in January this year. Evans will make his WrestleMania debut this year participating in the ladder match for the Intercontinental Title. 

Meanwhile, Orton looks to capture his 15th WWE World Championship reign at the Premium Live Event. He will main event Night One of WrestleMania 42 against Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship.

How Randy Orton vs Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 42 has been built for 18 years but somehow still feels rushed | Column

Posted on by Jake Skudder

Randy Orton vs Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 42 should’ve been the easiest match to build to on the entire card. Rhodes joined the Legacy faction in December 2008 and he has at least in part been linked with the 14-time World Champion kind of ever since. It’s student has become the master level stuff, but somehow WWE (and TKO) have managed to make this natural slow build turn into a convoluted mess just weeks before ‘Mania takes place in Las Vegas. How, HOW do you manage that? It’s almost impressive levels of neglect when it comes to creative.

Rhodes vs Orton – Legacy vs Legacy

We all know the story of why Cody decided to leave WWE in 2016 during his run as Stardust. Rhodes managed to build himself outside of the company on the indies, New Japan, ROH and of course, All Elite Wrestling. Orton however was a made man in the company from the early to mid-2000s and he has stuck around since.

It’s two completely different trajectories from a second and third-wave generation of performers that are now meeting for the biggest prize in the game at the biggest event of the year. The story writes itself, yet WWE creative has insisted on trying to rewrite that story with twists and turns they did. not. need.

Cody Rhodes wins the WWE Championship

One of the big issues with this build towards Cody vs Randy is how much it has affected another star on SmackDown, namely Drew McIntyre. The Scottish former WWE Champion has never really had the full backing from the back office; he’s used as a guy that faces “the guy” (see CM Punk, Roman Reigns et al) or as a placeholder until something better comes along.

Orton vs Rhodes appeared to be that “something better” in the company’s eyes, but Rhodes winning the WWE Championship and bringing that into this feud just felt extremely forced and (pardon the pun) outta nowhere. American Nightmare vs The Viper did not need the WWE Championship, except the poor ticket sales for WrestleMania 42 thus far prompted the company to hit the panic button and put both Cody and Roman Reigns back in the main event in some fashion across Night 1 and Night 2.

WWE or TKO isn’t seeing the problem

WrestleMania isn’t selling out tickets because they cost too much. Yes you can look at the card and say it’s not exactly stacked, but ‘Mania shows have often sold a decent amount of allocation before even the Rumble has taken place and we know the main feuds heading into the grandaddy of them all. Hell, I bought WrestleMania 29 tickets in November the year prior (what an excellent life decision that was) and watched in genuine pain as I realised we were getting Twice in a Lifetime.

I paid $150 dollars for that ticket, which wasn’t exactly close to the ring but it was close enough that I could see what was actually going on. That price now will either get you full on nosebleeds or a half decent seat at the Hall of Fame. Oh, and that’s just for one night, you’ll be paying double that if you want to see everything that weekend.

Last Minute “Saves” don’t work here

TKO (meaning UFC), has been a business that can “save” a PPV event in the dying embers by adding a fight that fans genuinely want to see. Although a natural storyline can massively add to the allure of a fight card (think McGregor vs Khabib or Jones vs Cormier), if you can add a big name at the last second then sometimes it can feel like it has saved the entire night. Pro Wrestling, however, is not the same as combat sports, because as fans we treat the build to an event as part of the enjoyment of the match that is then presented to us.

Shoehorning Pat McAfee will not sell more tickets to the show, at least not in a big or meaningful way. There was a natural story to tell here, and instead of just letting it happen, TKO decided that they needed to throw everything at the wall because it worked for Nate Diaz vs. Conor McGregor or Anderson Silva vs. Daniel Cormier. Forget saying this isn’t ballet (which is a dumb phrase btw)…this isn’t MMA.

So what has happened here is WWE dropping years and years of natural build because they wanted to try and sell far-too-expensive tickets. They could get away with it last year when it was billed as John Cena’s last ever WrestleMania match, but there’s nothing on that level to get away with exceedingly expensive tickets in 2026. Making the focal point of a Cody vs Randy an NFL kicker turned commentator turned part-time wrestler won’t fix anything.

Adding “and this and this and this” to a natural storyline has made it rushed over the past few weeks:

  • Cody beats Drew for the title after Randy wins at Elimination Chamber
  • Randy turns Heel
  • Randy reveals he was on the phone with Pat McAfee this whole time
  • Cody compares the reveal that same night to Disco Inferno being the nWo third man.

That’s all since March 6th. That’s 4 major twists in a storyline in a month and we’ve still got a week or two left. Didn’t need it. Didn’t want it. Who is this even for?

IYO SKY calls out Asuka for WWE WrestleMania 42

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

IYO SKY has had enough of Asuka and is ready to take action. 

Following Raw, SKY took to X calling out Asuka for her mistreatment towards Kairi Sane and labeling it to be out of love. SKY issued a challenge to settle their feud once and for all at WrestleMania 42. 

“Asuka….The achievements you’ve made in WWE have been truly brilliant. Kairi and I have always looked up to you. But the way you’re treating Kairi right now is changing all of that!! If dragging Kairi around and using her as a shield is your idea of “LOVE,” then my “LOVE” is to go anywhere and everywhere to be Rhea’s shield. I’m DEFINITELY NOT afraid to face You, my senior whom I once LOVED so dearly. Let’s settle this once and for all: which of our “LOVES” deserves to have it all. Hope to see you in Vegas.” posted SKY. 

SKY’s post is a response to Asuka’s message on Raw. She blamed SKY’s selfishness for the disrupted relationship with The Kabuki Warriors. Asuka instigated that once SKY broke away from them, she was trying to influence Sane’s decision to leave too, and vowed SKY would not take advantage of her kindness.

SKY has repeatedly shown support to Sane in the aftermath of Asuka’s actions. 

Last month, there were reports of a possible triple threat match among them for WrestleMania 42.  

Bishop Dyer: Pat McAfee should not be part of WrestleMania main event

Posted on by Vincent Verhei

Bishop Dyer has worked with Pat McAfee in both pro football and pro wrestling. But even though they’re good friends, Dyer is not a fan of McAfee’s involvement in the main event of WrestleMania.

Dyer spoke about McAfee’s involvement with Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes in an interview with Denise Salcedo.

“Pat’s a weird anomaly because he’s not a celebrity to the full extent, he’s not a wrestler, he’s kind of just that guy that is in between and has his finger in everything whether it be comedy, entertainment, sports, wrestling, all that,” Dyer said. “It’s not like Travis Scott all over again that ruined the main event.”

Still, Dyer would prefer the Mania build had remained focused on the two men in the match.

“I’m bummed out a little bit with the story that is being told between Cody and Randy because I think with the history that they have and Randy being the mentor and Randy having him throw Cody out and throwing his brother out of the Royal Rumble, that’s the story we need to be telling,” he said. “Why do we have this anonymous phone call and it turns out to be McAfee?”

“To me, the purest form of wrestling should be the main event of WrestleMania, that should be a one-on-one competition down the line except for a heel trying to take some shortcuts or whatever,” Dyer added. “That’s the thing to me that shouldn’t be touched.”

Dyer closed with a clear statement: “If you’re going to get Pat involved, get him involved in something else, you know? Not the main event of WrestleMania.”

Dyer was McAfee’s roommate when the two were playing for the Indianapolis Colts in the NFL. McAfee also defeated Dyer (then known as Happy Corbin) at WWE’s SummerSlam in 2022.

Corbin also had matches against both Orton and Rhodes in WWE.

Rusev addresses upcoming WWE WrestleMania 42 ladder match

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Rusev is aware of the concerns surrounding his lack of experience with ladder matches and cautioned his WrestleMania 42 opponents. 

Rusev took to Instagram with a message for his opponents in the high-stakes match. He acknowledged reservations about his participation in the stipulation match and is determined to prove everyone wrong. 

“Ladder match at WrestleMania. All week I keep hearing how “This is not Rusev’s type of match”. How my power fears their speed. I’m not afraid of my opponents, I’m afraid for my opponents.”

“It’s kinda hard to climb anything with a broken back, so I will handle the ground warfare and I will catch them from the sky one by one. I may not fly like those guys, but I’ve been climbing ladders my entire life. When I left my home country Bulgaria, when I slept in my car, when I broke my neck, or when I rode a freakin’ tank into WrestleMania.”

“So this is kind of a poetic moment, ladder match, WrestleMania. This lone soldier (statue) behind me reminds me of me. Just sitting on top of the world looking down on everybody else. And you know when it’s your time.”

“This is my time. This is my match. And at this WrestleMania, Rusev will have his day, and become the new WWE Intercontinental Champion.”

On the March 30 edition of Raw, Penta announced the ladder match for his Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 42. The bout will feature Je’Von Evans, JD McDonagh, Rusev and Penta. The last time a ladder match for the Intercontinental Title took place at WrestleMania was in 2016.

Rusev has a brief history competing in the stipulated match when he was a participant in the 2018 Money in the Bank signature bout.

The Pat McAfee heel turn wanted to be Attitude Era WWE, but it was WCW 2000 | Column

Posted on by Jake Skudder

Pat McAfee was revealed as the mystery caller on the line with Randy Orton on this week’s SmackDown. McAfee, the former NFL punter turned media personality who built genuine (some) goodwill during his run as a WWE commentator, has been inserted into the Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton main event picture for WrestleMania 42. While the reveal tried to bring some mainstream buzz to Night One’s main event, it just ended up feeling like the dying embers of WCW in the year 2000.

People overuse the phrase “WCW 2000” as a derogatory term, but I LITERALLY mean it here. Confusing heel turns out of nowhere, breaking kayfabe, talking about terrible TV ratings…it was seriously just missing a “that wasn’t in the script!” line. I felt like I was launched back a quarter-century to when WCW Nitro was desperately trying to be cutting-edge and fourth-wall-breaking. It didn’t work then, and it certainly doesn’t work now.

Steve Austin flipping off his boss in the Attitude Era worked because the story underneath it was (pretty much) airtight. The chaos felt real because the structure holding it together was invisible. When it worked, the outrageousness meant something. WWF in the late 90s was the product of slow build, earned heat and a crowd that had been taken on a journey. That’s the version of this that the McAfee moment wanted to be. Instead, it’s the other version…so all the noise and none of the architecture heat.

WCW 2000 angle on WWE SmackDown

I am by no means saying that WWE is going to die out like the ill-fated World Championship Wrestling, but WCW’s death spiral was a masterclass in what happens when you confuse chaos with creativity. Vince Russo was booking swerves upon swerves until the swerve was the product. WCW in 2000 was a company so consumed with being edgy and unpredictable that it forgot to be good, and isn’t that exactly what’s happening right now? Adding a former NFL punter to a Cody Rhodes vs Randy Orton story nearly 20 years in the making? That feud has history, texture, and genuine emotional weight. McAfee’s involvement doesn’t add anything to that story.

Why the Pat McAfee heel turn?

So why is McAfee here at all? The answer is straightforward. Randy Orton was getting cheered by fans after his heel turn on Cody Rhodes. There’s no other reason to put McAfee in there. WWE is desperately trying to get the live audience to boo Orton and cheer Rhodes ahead of another big WrestleMania match for the American Nightmare.

But as we saw during John Cena’s final run, where no crowd in the world was going to jeer one of the greatest careers in WWE history on its way out the door, people are simply not willing to boo Randy Orton in 2026. Bringing back the 2009 Viper version of him was never going to fix that. If anything, it made everything worse because fans want to see that side of him again. It’s pure nostalgia, and no one wants to boo good nostalgia. The fact that WWE pulled the trigger on the heel turn without accounting for that is genuinely baffling.

I’ll leave you with this, and tell me if you notice anything familiar. WCW 2000 wasn’t failing because people weren’t swinging for the fences or trying to outdo the competition. They were swinging constantly. The problem was that every swing was completely disconnected from the last one. There was no through-line, no earned heat, no real stakes. The “shocking” moments felt shocking only in the sense that you couldn’t believe anyone had actually signed off on them. Not in a fun way, but in a who-thought-this-was-a-good-idea way.

Cody Rhodes compares Pat McAfee to Disco Inferno on WWE SmackDown

Posted on by Vincent Verhei

Cody Rhodes has vowed revenge on Pat McAfee, who suddenly has become the focus of a WrestleMania main event.

McAfee had opened SmackDown by returning to WWE and giving Rhodes a low blow, revealing himself as the mystery man who had been on the phone with Randy Orton in recent weeks.

Rhodes returned to the ring shortly before the main event, laying out Kit Wilson with a crossroads and cutting a fiery promo.

“We got all dressed up in St. Louis tonight to find out who Randy Orton was talking to on the phone,” Rhodes said. “And color me surprised, it was Pat McAfee. That’s like if Scott Hall and Kevin Nash talked about the third man in the NWO, and instead of Hulk Hogan, it was Disco Inferno.”

This week marks the eight-year anniversary of Rhodes’ burial of Inferno on social media. “Stop,” he wrote to Inferno in 2018. “You know nothing. You have drawn 0 dollars. No fan has ever left a show thinking about you. You were lucky to be a juiced up double-lifer ‘over with the boys’ type in an era where you hid in plain sight coasting on others’ success. Couldn’t hang then, can’t get booked now.”

Rhodes continued to insult McAfee as Orton’s hometown crowd booed him. “Pat, you stoner, grifter, Logan Paul without muscles, human hat rack, fly by night, you’re gonna get your receipt,” he said. “And boy I felt it. And I should have, you’re a former NFL punter. But Pat, you and everyone who represents you, and I know who I’m talking to, can kiss my ass.”

Rhodes then referred to his six-year absence from WWE. “Oh no, is that too far?” he asked. “What are you going to do, fire me? It sure worked out for you the last time.”

Rhodes closed his promo by addressing Orton—who, in case you had forgotten, will be his opponent at WrestleMania. “It’s as simple as this,” he said. “It’s a wrestling match with 20 years of history, with the two very best wrestlers to do it. And I am hearing it, I am. I am hearing those voices inside my head, finally. But you don’t want to here what they have to say.”

Rhodes was largely booed by the crowd in Orton’s home town of St. Louis.

Jade Cargill says Rhea Ripley was not her first choice for WWE WrestleMania 42

Posted on by Vincent Verhei

Barely four years after her first pro wrestling match, Jade Cargill is set to face Rhea Ripley in one of the premiere matches at WrestleMania 42. But Ripley was not her first choice for a Mania opponent, and she claims that Ripley had more help getting to this point than she did.

Cargill shared her thoughts in an an appearance on the Joe Budden Podcast. First, she was asked if she would rather be facing Charlotte Flair instead of Ripley.

“It was just, we’ve always teased Charlotte Flair since day one,” she said. “And every time I had a face-to-face with this girl, we got a huge reaction. I’ve had maybe two face-offs with Rhea. The reaction, it was a total difference in reaction here. I would think that we’ll build more to Rhea because we don’t have history. Not saying Charlotte and I have history, but there’s been more of a reaction with Charlotte and I having attitude and yelling at each other than that.”

Cargill conceded that she does understand why Ripley is getting the match now: “I believe the reason why we went this route is because it’s more money that’s going to be made going against Rhea.”

Cargill followed by claiming Ripley was ‘built by WWE.’

“I want to say this. I want to say this,” Cargill said. “Yeah, she’s great. She’s great. But, however, she also is backed and always has been built by WWE. She came from the indies. Yes, she went to NXT. Her character has developed along the way. If you see how she looked when she first got into wrestling to now, it’s a huge transformation.

“But also the machine does that for you, she continued. “It pushes you. It helps you try different things, you know, and she goes out there and she delivers every single time. So, you’re going to do nothing but invest more and more and more.”

In Cargill’s eyes, she didn’t get the same kind of help. “I’m raw,” she said. “My first match ever was on TV. Like I just said, I didn’t go through the indies. I didn’t go through all the training. I didn’t do all that. My NXT was AEW.”

Cargill’s first ever pro wrestling match was a mixed tag on AEW Dynamite in March of 2021, teaming with NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal (in his second match ever) against the team of Cody Rhodes and Red Velvet.