Tag: wrestlemania

WOL: National Lampoon’s Road to WrestleMania 42

Posted on by Jim Valley

It’s Saturday and time for Wrestling Observer Live.

This Road to WrestleMania 42 thus far has been like riding with The Griswolds in the family truckster: lots of bumps, starts, stops, U-turns and detours rather than a cohesive story to follow. This can’t be by design, can it?

Now, it looks like new WWE undisputed Champion Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton will face off in the second Mania main event. They are mainstream names, but what can WWE do in the next few weeks to heat it up?

Plus, live reaction from SmackDown last night, where are the Mercedes Mone critics now, Danhausen, Jade Cargill, and more.

Check it out.

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WOL: WWE creative changes, Mania sales stalled, Dynamite

Posted on by Bryan Alvarez

Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez is back with tons to talk about as news breaks throughout the show. We have the latest on Road Dogg being axed from WWE, a RAW creative promotion, WrestleMania selling not tickets and why WWE’s response is misguided, RUSH returns from injury and what he did for his knee, the Dynamite report and more! A fun show as always so check it out~!

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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 moves NXT Stand & Deliver away from WrestleMania weekend

Posted on by Joseph Currier

WWE is making a big change for NXT Stand & Deliver 2026.

Stand & Deliver has traditionally taken place during WrestleMania weekend, but that will not be the case this year. The PLE will instead be held in the St. Louis area on Saturday, April 4, which is two weeks before Las Vegas hosts WrestleMania.

The Factory in Chesterfield, Missouri will be the venue for Stand & Deliver 2026. A ticket pre-sale begins on March 3 prior to tickets going on sale to the general public on March 4.

“I want to break some big news,” NXT boss Shawn Michaels said. “On Saturday, April 4, NXT will be bringing one of its biggest PLEs to one of the greatest wrestling cities in all the world. Stand & Deliver, Saturday, April 4, will take place at The Factory in St. Louis, Missouri. Tickets will go on sale March 4, with a pre-sale on March 3. And trust me, this is a PLE you won’t want to miss.”

The Enterprise Center in St. Louis is hosting SmackDown the night before this NXT PLE takes place.

NXT is coming off a big episode last night that featured three title changes. Myles Borne became the new men’s North American Champion, Vanity Project won the NXT Tag Team titles, and Elio LeFleur won WWE Speed gold.

The build to Stand & Deliver should pick up after Vengeance Day 2026 takes place on March 7. On the road to Stand & Deliver, NXT has stops in Houston in March 17 and New York City on March 31 for television episodes.

AJ Styles feels WWE WrestleMania has ‘lost its luster a little bit’

Posted on by Joseph Currier

AJ Styles feels WWE WrestleMania has lost some of its prestige over the years.

In a Q&A on WWE’s Raw Recap podcast, Styles was asked why he chose to retire at the Royal Rumble instead of holding out a few months to end his career at WrestleMania. Going out at the Rumble was “poetic” to Styles given that it’s the same pay-per-view where he made his WWE debut in 2016. Plus, Styles feels that WrestleMania isn’t quite what it used to be.

“WrestleMania, listen, I’m sorry to say, used to be the most prestigious PLE or pay-per-view, whatever you want to call it. But to me, it’s kind of lost its luster a little bit,” Styles said. “But as far as the Royal Rumble, well that’s special to me. Because that’s where I made my debut. So to be able to end where I started, that’s poetic.”

A special tribute to Styles took place on Raw last night. The show was held in his hometown of Atlanta and included appearances by some names from Styles’ past, including Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows, Frankie Kazarian, and Abyss. It concluded with the announcement that Styles will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame this April.

In the Raw Recap Q&A, Styles named Penta and Chad Gable as opponents he would have liked to face if he extended his career longer. But Styles chose to retire now before he reached a point where he was embarrassing himself in the ring. When asked if he has any final words for the audience, Styles delivered the following message:

“I’ve said this for two decades and I mean it: AJ Styles would have been nothing without the fans.”

Bad Bunny, WWE in discussions for tag team match involving Logan Paul

Posted on by Josh Nason

Image: WWE

Bad Bunny has been the talk of the entertainment and pop culture world for various reasons stemming from his Super Bowl halftime show performance and the politically charged discussion around it.

There is also discussion in the wrestling world as to whether the popular entertainer will return to WWE and if so, when.

Our Bryan Alvarez is reporting that the feeling is WWE is indeed discussing a match with Bad Bunny which would likely be of the tag team variety and involving Logan Paul “but probably not a singles match and probably not at WrestleMania.”

After a U.S. Senator called for Bad Bunny to go to AEW following an anti-ICE chant breaking out before an MJF vs. Brody King match, Alvarez said to expect the performer to be back in WWE “sooner than later”.

On Wednesday, Paul said the idea of he and Bunny having a match “has been floated around” with him saying a week prior he thinks it would be the “biggest” of all time.

Earlier on Thursday’s Wrestlevotes Radio on Fightful Select, it was said WWE had been in contact with the star’s reps well in advance of the Super Bowl to gauge his interest in either wrestling or appearing at their biggest shows of the year, taking place in April from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

The star has wrestled three times, debuting at WrestleMania 37 in a tag match alongside Damian Priest, then returning at the men’s 2022 Royal Rumble match and finally against Priest in a street fight at 2023’s Backlash, held in his home country of Puerto Rico.

Wrestling Weekly: WrestleMania ticket woes, AEW’s big weekend down under

Posted on by Victor Sosa

TKO is apparently concerned about ticket sales for WrestleMania 42 and on the new Wrestling Weekly, Les Thatcher and Vic Sosa talk about what should be the real concern which is more than just ticket prices.

We’ll also look at this past week’s AEW Dynamite and look ahead to what should be a tremendous Grand Slam Australia show.

Thanks for listening and have a great weekend~!

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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.

WOL: Brody King whereabouts, WWE looking at all the wrong reasons Mania sales are slow

Posted on by Bryan Alvarez

Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez is back with tons to talk about including an update on why Brody King wasn’t at Dynamite last night, tons of thoughts on AEW at the moment, the full Dynamite report, WWE concerned about WrestleMania ticket sales and looking at ALL THE WRONG ISSUES, and tons more! A fun show as always so check it out~!

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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.

WOL: Bron Breakker, Yasuda, RAW report, AJ vs. Becky

Posted on by Bryan Alvarez

Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Lance Storm is back with tons to talk about including the death of Tadao Yasuda, RAW last night, Bron Breakker update, the AJ Lee vs. Becky Lynch segment, WrestleMania news and notes, line-ups for the next several shows, and tons more! A fun show as always so check it out~!

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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.

WOL: WWE ticket prices, WrestleMania sales, Vegas, more!

Posted on by Bryan Alvarez

Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Filthy Tom Lawlor is back with tons to talk about including WrestleMania ticket prices, WWE pricing in general, how both nights of WrestleMania are doing so far and how many tickets Punk vs. Roman being announced sold, Smackdown, Collision notes, news and more! A fun show as always so check it out~!

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WOR: WrestleMania concerns and changes, weekend TV and news!

Posted on by Bryan Alvarez

Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer is back with tons to talk about including a bunch of injury updates, why WWE is concerned about WrestleMania and what changes they’re making, ratings notes on Dynamite, legal updates on Gail Kim and Janel Grant, Arena Mexico, Collision and Smackdown reviews and tons more! A fun show as always so check it out~!

Timestamps:
Start: Injury updates on Bron Breakker, Chelsea Green, Typhoon
2:07: WrestleMania plans are still up in the air, WWE unhappy with advance
9:18: TNA/Gail Kim, Janel Grant lawsuit updates
13:27: Ratings
19:06: Arena Mexico notes
29:23: WWE SmackDown recap
45:03: AEW Collision recap

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