Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer is back with tons to talk about including a full recap of the RAW after WrestleMania, the very odd story of Brock Lesnar’s retirement, Cody Rhodes’ eye socket, new debuts on RAW, plus all the New Japan and ratings news and such. A fun show as always so check it out~!
Tag: wrestlemania
Bianca Belair reflects on WWE WrestleMania pregnancy announcement
After a tough year, Bianca Belair is excited about what’s to come.
Belair made a surprise appearance at WWE WrestleMania 42 night one and revealed that she and husband Montez Ford are expecting their first child together. In an Instagram post today, Belair reflected on making the announcement in the same venue where she injured her hand at WrestleMania 41 last year. She’ll be back in WWE eventually but is looking forward to the road ahead as she embarks on this new journey.
“Same venue. Different result. This year. I win. @montezfordwwe,” Belair wrote.
“I was so nervous to pop my little private bubble and share this moment but I’m so overwhelmed and truly overjoyed with the outpouring love and support. I was literally shaking and crying backstage before I came out. This year has been so hard in ways you guys just REALLY don’t even know but everything TRULY happens for a reason. There has been so many twists and turns but ending here has made it all worth it. I’ll be back! But until then enjoy this ride with me!”
Belair has not wrestled since she helped steal the show with IYO SKY and Rhea Ripley in a triple threat match at WrestleMania 41. The injury she suffered proved to be significantly more complicated than originally expected, with Belair undergoing surgery this February in hopes of finally fixing the issue.
A multi-time Women’s Champion, Belair is a stepmother to Ford’s two children from a previous relationship. The WWE couple has been married since 2018.
Pat McAfee: WWE ‘doesn’t need to be saved after all’
Pat McAfee is claiming to be done with pro wrestling after WWE WrestleMania 42.
Going into Mania, McAfee said he would leave the wrestling business forever if Randy Orton did not win the Undisputed WWE Championship. With Cody Rhodes retaining, McAfee claimed on his ESPN show today that he is sticking to that stipulation. McAfee gave Rhodes his props and said Rhodes proved that WWE does not need to be saved after all.
“The good news is, the business doesn’t need to be saved after all. And good for them. And for me, I finished my story,” McAfee said. “I came up in the indies, IWA East Coast. I went through development, NXT. I was a wrestler, trained by Rip Rogers, the same guy that trained everybody that’s retiring kind of currently, out of OVW…
“Get to WWE, commentated, lucky to do that. Did pre-shows, lucky to do that. Wrestled, lucky to do that. Reffed, lucky to do that. Managed, lucky to do that. It’s been a hell of a run. Thank you, wrestling. It was an honor to be over there.”
McAfee has kept kayfabe by wearing a neck brace since being put through a table by Jelly Roll during the Rhodes vs. Orton WrestleMania match. There was also a spot where Orton turned against McAfee and gave him an RKO.
“Maybe he didn’t know it was me,” McAfee said about the RKO. “[But] it felt like he knew.”
Whether McAfee is actually done with WWE for any considerable amount of time remains to be seen. The Rhodes vs. Orton feud was kept alive coming out of WrestleMania (once Rhodes is over his eye injury), but McAfee’s involvement in the angle looks to have ended.
“The wrestling business just kind of — rearview mirror,” McAfee said. “And to the wrestling business, I’d like to say: thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you.”
What's done is done..
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 20, 2026
Thank you to the wrestling business #PMSLive https://t.co/rYyaIV73mA pic.twitter.com/LcSJjQh5j6
TMZ publishes video of CM Punk fan incident after WWE WrestleMania 42
An altercation between CM Punk and a fan took place in Las Vegas overnight after WWE WrestleMania 42.
TMZ Sports has published video of Punk smacking a fan’s phone away in an incident that took place in a hotel lobby in Vegas. It appears that Punk got upset over the fan filming his wife AJ Lee and fellow WWE star Bayley as they were hugging and saying goodbye to each other after Mania. In the video, security can be seen stepping in to stop the altercation from escalating any further. Punk’s mentor Ace Steel is also there and helps to diffuse the situation.
The fan can be heard apologizing to Punk, who is still visibly angry and replies, “No, you’re not.” The video then ends with Punk and Lee leaving together.
“Punk was captured on video just after midnight Monday, getting into it with the fan, who was filming Punk’s WWE friend, Bayley, as she was hugging someone in the lobby of the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino on the Vegas Strip,” TMZ wrote.
“Punk steps right up into the face of the fan before slapping down his phone. Security promptly jumps in between Punk and the other dude to prevent things from really going awry. Punk then coldly stares at the man, who is so terrified that he runs off while apologizing profusely.”
Speaking out against fans who show up at airports and hotels is something that Punk has done repeatedly. As recently as October 2025, he posted a message telling fans to respect wrestlers’ boundaries.
The main event of WrestleMania 42 night two on Sunday saw Punk drop the World Heavyweight Championship to Roman Reigns. Appearing on ESPN SportsCenter after the event, Paul “Triple H” Levesque praised both Punk and Reigns and called it one of the greatest matches he’s ever seen.
CM Punk smacks away fan's phone after WrestleMania loss to Roman Reigns. 😬 https://t.co/4XueMMpb6u pic.twitter.com/UwKU3Ut1EH
— TMZ (@TMZ) April 20, 2026
Triple H comments on Brock Lesnar WWE retirement tease
Paul “Triple H” Levesque didn’t offer much clarity while addressing Brock Lesnar’s apparent retirement at WWE WrestleMania 42.
After losing to Oba Femi on Sunday night, Lesnar left his boots and gloves in the ring before becoming visibly emotional as he seemed to bid farewell to the crowd. There has been no official confirmation of a retirement yet — and Levesque claimed during an appearance on ESPN’s SportsCenter that he did not have a conversation with Lesnar backstage after the match.
“Well, it certainly seemed that way,” Levesque responded when asked if this was the end for Lesnar. “Brock is not a walk back through the curtain and have a long conversation guy. Brock is a walk back through the curtain very angry and go to his bus and that is the end of it. So there was not a discussion had after. I will say this — [Lesnar is] probably the most famous combat sport athlete of our generation. One of a kind, nobody like Brock Lesnar.”
It was expected that Lesnar would be retiring soon, with him admitting recently that he was only back in WWE for a short time. Most rumors suggested that Lesnar would retire at SummerSlam this August given that the PLE is being held in his former home state of Minnesota.
Levesque, keeping kayfabe, suggested to SportsCenter that the retirement decision was one Lesnar made in the moment after losing to Femi. Praising Femi, Levesque called this result a changing of the guard.
“The one thing that nobody gives him credit for is the intelligence of a fighter. They see Brock as this hulking brute. ‘The Beast,’ right? They see him as all that,” Levesque said. “There comes a point in time when somebody comes along that’s bigger and badder and just pushes you to a place that you can’t come back from. The smart ones know when that happens, and they call it a day.
“I don’t think that was a planned thing. I think Brock went to the ring, he walked into a wall called Oba Femi. Brock walked up to the next big thing and ran into a brick wall. And the intelligence in him said, ‘Maybe I should call it a day.’ And he took his boots off and he put his gloves down and he walked away. That is not a statement of Brock being afraid of it. That is an intelligent man meeting something that cannot be stopped. It is as much of a statement of Oba Femi as it is Brock Lesnar. You witnessed a changing of the guard at the apex of our business.”
Femi vs. Lesnar aired on the ESPN TV simulcast portion of the WrestleMania night two broadcast, with WWE clearly pushing Femi as one of the company’s biggest stars for both the present and future. It was Femi’s first-ever WrestleMania match after being called up from NXT at the start of 2026.
John Cena ‘truly enjoyed’ WWE WrestleMania 42 from different perspective
John Cena returned to host WWE WrestleMania 42 after retiring from in-ring competition in December 2025.
On Night Two of the PLE, Cena had a segment with The Miz, Kit Wilson and Danhausen. The Miz interrupted him addressing fans expressing gratitude for their support. Danhausen showed up with a group of little people dressed exactly like him. Following WrestleMania, Cena tweeted that he enjoyed the experience from a host’s perspective and gave Danhausen a special shoutout.
“An incredible weekend! Truly enjoyed WM thru a different perspective. What a turnout of 106,072! To ALL those who saw it live …. Thank you for the Hausen”
Danhausen made his WWE debut at Elimination Chamber and continued his comedic tactics by cursing whoever opposed him.
WrestleMania 42 culminated with five new champions emerging. Paige returned on Night One to replace Nikki Bella in the Women’s Tag Team Title match given her foot injury. Paige and Brie Bella ended up winning the titles.
Later in the night, Liv Morgan defeated Stephanie Vaquer to become a 3-time Women’s World Champion. Trick Williams’ WrestleMania debut was eventful as he won his first singles WWE title – the United States Championship. Rhea Ripley ended Jade Cargill’s reign as WWE Women’s Champion.
WrestleMania Sunday’s main event saw Randy Orton unable to capture his 15th World Championship win. However, post match he attacked Cody Rhodes and left him with an orbital injury, forcing him out of in-ring action in the near future.
On Night Two, Roman Reigns was triumphant over CM Punk to become the new World Heavyweight Champion.
Trick Williams addresses whether he’ll continue WWE US title open challenges
Weekly open challenges have been a staple of the United States Championship, but it doesn’t sound like Trick Williams plans on continuing the tradition.
The United States title changed hands at WrestleMania 42 with Williams defeating Sami Zayn. Appearing on SportsCenter after his victory, Williams said he doesn’t know about defending the belt every single week. He wants it to be a big deal whenever he puts the championship up for grabs.
“That’s why Trick Williams, you know, I’m a superstar and I wear that very seriously,” he said. “So I don’t know about these free matches every single Friday night. When the people see Trick Williams, he’s going to be in the main event. It’s going to be a show when I defend this title.”
Zayn instituted weekly open challenges after winning the United States Championship in August 2025. Ilja Dragunov and Carmelo Hayes then picked up the mantle during their reigns before Zayn dethroned Hayes leading into WrestleMania.
In the SportsCenter interview, Williams said he’s on cloud nine after his first main roster title win. He’s grateful for how the fans have responded to him and thanks God every day for the position he’s in.
Williams, when asked about a potential title match against Hayes, did tell SportsCenter that he’s open to defending against all comers.
“Man, whoever wants some of Trick Williams, you better strap your boots on tight because you’re going to get the best version of Trick Williams,” he said. “It doesn’t matter who signs up.”
Triple H praises WWE WrestleMania 42 main event: ‘One of the greatest matches I’ve ever seen’
Appearing on ESPN after the conclusion of WrestleMania 42, Paul “Triple H” Levesque had very high praise for the show’s main event.
Night two of Mania concluded with Roman Reigns defeating CM Punk to become the new World Heavyweight Champion. Levesque told SportsCenter that it was among the greatest wrestling matches he’s ever seen.
“Just epic,” WWE’s Chief Content Officer said. “You can see the passion and the pride of two guys that absolutely to the very core of their soul believe that they are the best in the world. And they’re out there to prove it to each other, they’re out there to prove it to the 55,000+ fans that were here tonight. Everything about them screamed, ‘I have to show I am the best.’
“And you see it all the way down to the end. Knock-down, drag-out fight that just someone won’t give. And you finally get to the end of it, no one really loses. But Roman Reigns comes out the winner. Roman Reigns is the new World Heavyweight Champion. To me, one of the greatest matches I’ve ever seen, doesn’t get bigger.”
The match went nearly 34 minutes before Reigns got the win, beginning his first title reign since dropping the WWE Championship to Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 40. Reigns said after the show that he will not be a part-time champion and plans to be around all summer.
WOR: WrestleMania night 2, Lesnar, Punk vs. Reigns, Van Hammer, Cluster, more!
Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer is back with tons to talk about including a full recap of WrestleMania night 2, a show a million times better than night 1, Brock’s apparent retirement, Oba Femi, Punk vs. Reigns and more! Plus, more on Van Hammer, Saudi Arabia, the Clusterfuck, ratings and more. Thank you all for an incredible weekend, I appreciate you all!
Rhea Ripley wins WWE Women’s title at WrestleMania 42
With IYO SKY helping to even the odds, Rhea Ripley ascended back to the top of the women’s division at WWE WrestleMania 42.
Night two of the event saw Ripley defeat Jade Cargill to become the new WWE Women’s Champion. The match contained interference with Michin and B-Fab — who formed a new faction with Cargill on the road to WrestleMania — trying to help Cargill retain. But Ripley got help from her tag team partner SKY, who took out Michin and B-Fab with a moonsault leading into the finish.
Ripley hit a headbutt and went for Riptide after SKY neutralized the heel interference. Cargill was able to slip out, hit a kick, and go for Jaded — but Ripley escaped and then delivered Riptide for the win. After the match, Ripley and SKY celebrated together with Ripley thanking SKY for having her back.
The result means Ripley, who had been on Raw, is now officially moving over to SmackDown as she becomes the brand’s champion.
At 29 years old, Ripley has now already competed at seven WrestleManias, owning victories over the likes of Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Asuka, and Cargill. WWE President Nick Khan had high praise for Ripley ahead of WrestleMania, saying she’ll be one of the faces of the company for years to come.
MAMI IS THE NEW WWE WOMEN'S CHAMPION!!! 🏆
— WWE (@WWE) April 20, 2026
A fourth World Title for @RheaRipley_WWE!
Stream #WrestleMania LIVE RIGHT NOW on the @espn app!
➡️ https://t.co/jKAIj8nxxt pic.twitter.com/Ows7A0WKQT
Oba Femi defeats Brock Lesnar in WWE WrestleMania debut
The opening match of WWE WrestleMania 42 night two was a showcase for Oba Femi.
Further establishing him as one of WWE’s top stars for both the present and future, Femi made his WrestleMania debut on Sunday night by defeating Brock Lesnar. It was a passing-of-the-torch moment with Lesnar leaving his gloves and boots in the ring after the match, all but announcing his retirement.
The commentary teamed hyped up Femi vs. Lesnar as being one of the most anticipated matches in WrestleMania history. When he took Lesnar off his feet near the start, Femi received a big pop from the crowd. Lesnar then mostly had the advantage until Femi was able to pop up after an F5. Femi followed with a chokeslam and Fall From Grace on Lesnar for the win.
Femi vs. Lesnar aired during the ESPN TV simulcast portion of tonight’s broadcast, with WWE positioning this as a star-making night for Femi. He’s built significant momentum with the audience since being called up from NXT at the start of 2026 and received praise from the likes of Roman Reigns and Paul “Triple H” Levesque during WrestleMania week.
After joining WWE as part of the company’s NIL program for college athletes, Femi was a two-time NXT Champion. He made his official main roster debut in the Royal Rumble this year, where he and Lesnar had their first confrontation.
It was expected that Lesnar would be retiring from WWE soon, though most rumors had him continuing until SummerSlam 2026. He left his gear in the ring after losing to Femi, embraced Paul Heyman, and was visibly emotional as he took in cheers from the fans after what looks to have been his final match.
OBA FEMI JUST BEAT BROCK LESNAR!!!! WOW!!
— WWE (@WWE) April 19, 2026
The FIRST HOUR of #WrestleMania is LIVE RIGHT NOW on ESPN! pic.twitter.com/5tqbLIULet
Brock Lesnar leaves his gear in the ring. What's next for The Beast?
— WWE (@WWE) April 19, 2026
The FIRST HOUR of #WrestleMania is LIVE RIGHT NOW on ESPN! pic.twitter.com/CkS4hoG231
WOL: WWE WrestleMania 42 night one thoughts & night two preview
On this episode of Wrestling Observer Live. Andrew Zarian breaks down night one of WWE WrestleMania 42 which was largely underwhelming, to say the least.
He talks about some of the highlights of the show including the return of Paige, IShowSpeed’s big splash, and more.
Also, he discusses the main event between Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton, what went wrong, and why it felt so flat.
Then, it is on to WWE WrestleMania night two and what surprises we might see, including a Danhausen segment and more. How will the main event end and can it help save any disappointments from night one?
Plus, WrestleMania match times compared to last year, Bryan Alvarez vs. Sean Ross Sapp, and more!
Click here to listen (sub needed) or watch on YouTube
WOR: Dave & Bryan recap WWE WrestleMania night one, Van Hammer’s passing & news
Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer is back live from Las Vegas with tons to talk about including the highs and mostly lows of night one of WWE WrestleMania 42, where things are going with the top match finishes, what was changed, and more.
Then, the guys talk the night two lineup, WWE not credentialing reporters like Andreas Hale, the death of Van Hammer, Brodie Lee Jr.’s debut, and tons more.
Click here to listen (sub needed)
Tony Khan, Ric Flair share thoughts after WWE WrestleMania 42 main event
Many in the pro wrestling world were talking about WWE WrestleMania 42’s first night on social media Saturday including Ric Flair and AEW head Tony Khan, the latter of which indirectly, anyway.
Shortly after Cody Rhodes defeated Randy Orton in the main event of the night, Khan posted that “AEW is where the best wrestle!” followed by a promo for this Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite.
Flair also had thoughts about the main event, writing that the Orton vs. Rhodes match was “One Of The Greatest Matches I’ve Seen In The Last Few Years. Congrats To Cody Rhodes, But There Is No Winner Or Loser! Randy Orton, You Were Spectacular! You Both Represent So Well At The Highest Level. I Have So Much Respect For You Both! #wrestlemania“
Flair was in Las Vegas for several appearances throughout the weekend including a Saturday party with musician Diplo. He is currently under AEW contract although he is not used on TV. He is a former WWE stablemate with Orton in Evolution and obviously has an extensive history with the Rhodes family.
Cody Rhodes retains WWE title at WrestleMania 42 in bloody match
Cody Rhodes remained undisputed WWE Champion after night one of WWE WrestleMania 42, defeating Randy Orton in a bloody match that also featured the end of Orton’s tenure with Pat McAfee.
The ending sequence saw Orton accidentally take out referee Charles Robinson with an RKO followed by an attempted low blow on Rhodes. Rhodes then hit his own low blow, but Orton countered a Cody Cutter with an RKO.
McAfee, Orton’s mystery man revealed on the phone several weeks ago, ran out with a referee shirt and a neck brace, but Rhodes still kicked out. It was intimated McAfee was friendly with TKO and perhaps authorized to make the count, but that was never followed up on.
Orton then hit McAfee with an RKO followed by Rhodes hitting Orton with a Cross Rhodes for pin and win. Orton hit him with the title belt afterward and hit his old school punt, standing over him with the title belt to end the show.
By his own words, this means McAfee will no longer appear on WWE TV.
The reason McAfee was in an neck brace was that he attacked Rhodes before the bell with a microphone. However, Rhodes rallied, took out Orton, and then took out McAfee with a Cross Rhodes. He put McAfee on the Spanish announce table when Jelly Roll appeared. The musician got up on the other announce table, flipped McAfee off, and hit him with an elbow drop through the table. McAfee was then stretchered out with Jelly Roll never to be seen again.
Both Orton and Rhodes were bloodied up at different points in the match. An Orton back injury was played up on commentary during the match and after the show, which played into the match at several points.
The match was just under 23 minutes and was the first defense in Rhodes’ second run with the title he regained last month. Orton remains without a World title run for nearly six years.