Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Filthy Tom Lawlor is back with tons to talk about including the latest on Konnan and Jordynne Grace, NXT PLE and Smackdown recaps, including a new WWE Champion, why WrestleMania is so weird and unfocused this year, tons of news and more! A fun show as always so check it out~!
Tag: wwe wrestlemania
Report: Hell in a Cell match originally pitched for WWE WrestleMania 42
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.
Report: WWE WrestleMania 42 could include record number of women’s matches
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)
Tom Brady & WWE reportedly have discussed WrestleMania appearance, merchandise
The recent conflict between Tom Brady, Logan Paul and other WWE wrestlers may be part of something bigger between WWE and the greatest football player of all time.
On Thursday’s WrestleVotes Radio, the outlet reported that “logos, speciality merchandise and branding” using the terms “T-Bone” and “The Untouchable Tom Brady” have been worked on within some WWE departments.
They also reported that as recently as last year, there were conversations between WWE and Brady’s people about him appearing at WrestleMania as it returns to Las Vegas for a second straight year. Brady is a minority owner in the Las Vegas Raiders who play at Allegiant Stadium which will host WrestleMania. He also has a merchandising deal with Fanatics who are also partners with WWE.
WrestleVotes noted that any WrestleMania appearance doesn’t appear to be in-ring related, but just of the personal appearance variety.
Brady appeared on Paul’s podcast to hype up a new Saudi Arabian-backed flag football league they are both involved in. During his appearance, he said he loved WWE and that it was “cute” which got CM Punk, Paul Heyman and others like Liv Morgan to respond on social media to defend WWE.
WWE moves NXT Stand & Deliver away from WrestleMania weekend
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.
Stand & Deliver stands on its own this year… and I couldn’t wait to tell you myself.
— Shawn Michaels (@ShawnMichaels) February 25, 2026
Our biggest night of the year. Saturday, April 4. Live from @thefactory_stl in St. Louis.
Presale begins March 3
Tickets on sale March 4#WWENXT pic.twitter.com/Nr6HMDmfZK
“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’
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.”
Update on Brock Lesnar’s WWE WrestleMania 42 plans
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.
Becky Lynch vs. AJ Lee feud still planned for WWE WrestleMania
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.
Liv Morgan on why she forgot to point at WWE WrestleMania sign
Liv Morgan is trying to be more present and savor her WWE accomplishments. However, that mindset shift had an unintended consequence at the Royal Rumble.
On TMZ’s Inside the Ring podcast, Morgan explained that, after her women’s Rumble victory last weekend, she forgot to follow tradition and point at the WrestleMania sign because she was trying to appreciate the moment. A referee who could be seen on camera had to instruct Morgan to point at the sign so WWE could get that visual.
liv morgan pointing at the mania sign, she really did it pic.twitter.com/85bjHbghlZ
— melissa (fan account) (@LIV4MEL) January 31, 2026
“I think overall I’m just trying to be more present and more grounded. I feel like in this business it’s always about, ‘What’s next? What’s next? What’s next?’ And I feel a lot of moments, maybe I don’t get to appreciate enough or they kind of pass me by,” Morgan said. “Because I also am focused on, ‘What’s next? What’s next?’ I always want to outdo myself or be ahead of the curve and be prepared. But I’ve really tried to just settle, which is why I forgot to point at the WrestleMania sign [laughs]. I’m really trying to just, like, settle in the moment and be grounded and be grateful and acknowledge that these opportunities that I get to have are amazing. And, like, allowing myself to feel that in the moment.”
Morgan, who was sidelined for months last year due to shoulder surgery, is now set for a big 2026 with her earning a title shot at WrestleMania 42. WWE has not yet announced which champion she will be challenging. Morgan is set to appear on SmackDown this Friday as she debates whether to challenge for the Women’s World Championship (currently held by Stephanie Vaquer) or WWE Women’s Championship (Jade Cargill).
On Inside the Ring, the 31-year-old Morgan said she hasn’t given any thought to how much longer she wants to wrestle. WWE has always been part of her life and she considers it home. Morgan hopes that there will always be a place for her in the company.
CM Punk doesn’t ‘really differentiate’ between WWE WrestleMania nights
To CM Punk, there is no real difference between nights one and two of WWE WrestleMania.
Punk headlined WrestleMania 41 night one in 2025 when he faced off against Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins in a triple threat match. This year, Punk vs. Reigns for the World Heavyweight Championship will take up one of the main event spots. But it doesn’t sound like Punk cares very much whether that match happens on night one or two. He appeared on Up & Adams at Super Bowl Radio Row today and was asked what the difference between the two nights is.
“This is often debated. I think WrestleMania is so big, and I think our roster is so deep, it’s hard to spotlight all the talented people who deserve those spots. To me, two nights, it’s better than one. I don’t really differentiate between night one and night two,” Punk responded.
“I look at it like a Lollapalooza or what’s another huge [music] festival? They’re multiple nights, you’ve got a headliner every single night, you know what I mean? Lucky for us, you get to wake up again and do it the next day. Last year, night one afforded me the ability to be completely stress free night two and I got to be a fan and I got to sit and watch the show, so I loved that. I absolutely loved it.”
Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas hosted WrestleMania last year and will be the venue again for WrestleMania 42. The show is taking place on Saturday, April 18 and Sunday, April 19.
WWE confirms location for WrestleMania week SmackDown, Raw episodes
WWE is continuing to roll out its plans for WrestleMania 42 week in Las Vegas.
WrestleMania is now just over two months away, and WWE confirmed today that T-Mobile Arena in Vegas will be hosting SmackDown and Raw episodes surrounding the event. The Friday, April 17 episode of SmackDown and Monday, April 20 episode of Raw will each emanate from the venue, serving as the last stop before Mania and the first show coming out of the event.
Special combo tickets for the two episodes are going on sale to the general public at 1 p.m. Eastern time on Friday, February 13. Prior to that, a pre-sale will begin on Wednesday, February 11.
This is the second straight year that Las Vegas has hosted WrestleMania, and T-Mobile Arena was also the venue for these WrestleMania week editions of SmackDown and Raw in 2025.
WrestleMania 42 takes place at Allegiant Stadium on Saturday, April 18 and Sunday, April 19. WWE has partnered with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority for WrestleMania and its surrounding events, which also includes the WWE World convention returning from April 16-20.
The road to WrestleMania officially began this past weekend with Roman Reigns and Liv Morgan winning their respective Royal Rumble matches. WWE has not yet revealed which champions they’ll be challenging at WrestleMania.
AJ Lee match reportedly in the works for WWE WrestleMania 42
The feud between AJ Lee and Becky Lynch will reportedly continue just in time for this year’s WWE WrestleMania 42.
On Thursday’s WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select, it was stated a singles match between them is considered one of the more “locked in” bouts for the weekend and has been for some time.
Lee has been a thorn in Lynch’s side since returning last fall, making her in-ring return at the first-ever WWE WrestlePalooza in September. She and husband CM Punk defeated Lynch and husband Seth Rollins in a featured match.
The two squared off as part of the women’s WarGames match at November’s Survivor Series where Lee tapped out Lynch to end the match. Lee also cost Lynch the Women’s Intercontinental title at that month’s Raw from Madison Square Garden.
Lee, who is on a part-time deal, hasn’t appeared since November with the two aforementioned matches as her only competition to date — her first matches in a decade. Lynch regained the Intercontinental title in January.
The two night event takes place on Saturday, April 18 and Sunday, April 19 from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.
WWE makes significant change to WrestleMania 42 plans
WWE looks to have made a significant change to the planned card for WrestleMania 42.
On Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer reports that WWE decided to shift its WrestleMania plans last week. The new plans are not fully known yet, but Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns is now looking unlikely for the PLE. One possibility is that Drew McIntyre, Rhodes, and Jacob Fatu will face off in a triple threat match for the WWE Championship, though that match could potentially happen somewhere other than WrestleMania.
“WrestleMania changed on Wednesday of last week, which was when they made the decision to go with the McIntyre title win,” Meltzer said. “So that wasn’t decided until Wednesday. I don’t know what the new matches are, although they may be doing a three-way with McIntyre, Jacob Fatu, and Cody Rhodes. That may not necessarily be at Mania, but that’s kind of — that’s not even 100 percent, but I was told that that’s kind of like, it’s a possibility. The Cody Rhodes/Roman Reigns thing is probably not happening. But whatever it is, the Mania plans were changed on Wednesday when they made the decision to change the championship.”
Meltzer noted that it’s not known why WWE made the decision to shift the Mania plans. He speculated that they wanted to shake things up and make it less predictable, along with wanting to put the WWE Championship on McIntyre.
McIntyre defeated Rhodes in a Three Stages of Hell match on January 9 to become the new WWE Champion. The title switch happened in Germany on WWE’s ongoing European tour. One week after his victory, McIntyre is scheduled to make an appearance on SmackDown this Friday in London.
We’ll get some clarity on the WrestleMania plans when Royal Rumble 2026 takes place in Saudi Arabia at the end of this month. WrestleMania 42 is being held in Las Vegas on Saturday, April 18 and Sunday, April 19.
Subscribers can listen to the full Wrestling Observer Radio episode here.
WWE World convention returning for WrestleMania 42
The WWE World convention is officially returning for WrestleMania 42.
WWE, Fanatics, and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority are partnering together for the convention, which will take place over five days from Thursday, April 16 through Monday, April 20. Tickets are going on sale next week, with WrestleMania 42 ticket holders and previous WWE World attendees getting pre-sale access. The general public on-sale will then begin on Friday, January 16.
Since 2024, WWE World has been part of the company’s WrestleMania week festivities. It replaced the WrestleMania Axxess event that had previously been held alongside WrestleMania. Exclusive merchandise, meet-and-greets with WWE stars and legends, and live roundtable discussions and podcast recordings are part of the convention.
Among the new WWE World additions for 2026 is a “Hulkamania Forever” showcase honoring the late Hulk Hogan:
WWE World at WrestleMania 42 will feature a variety of immersive experiences for fans, including a central main stage that will host roundtable discussions with top WWE Superstars, live podcast recordings, memorabilia honoring WrestleMania’s 42-year history, photo and autograph opportunities with WWE Superstars and Legends, and the largest WWE Superstore in WrestleMania history featuring exclusive merchandise. New for 2026, fans can experience Hulkamania Forever, step into photo-ready WWE Superstar walkthroughs, go behind the curtain at Gorilla Position and more.
Allegiant Stadium is hosting WrestleMania 42 on Saturday, April 18 and Sunday, April 19. It’s the second straight year Mania has been held in Vegas, with the financial success of 2025’s event contributing to WWE’s decision to return.
Celebs star in new WWE WrestleMania 42 promo video
WWE has released a new celebrity-laden video promoting WrestleMania 42.
With the calendar flipping over to 2026, WrestleMania is now just over three months away. The promotional push to the event has already included advertisements highlighting the WWE men’s division and women’s division — and the company uploaded a new video today with Paul “Triple H” Levesque and a litany of celebrities.
In the comedic video, the celebs contact Levesque all trying to get roles on WrestleMania. Peyton Manning, Jon Bernthal, Pete Davidson, Cooper DeJean, Eric Andre, IShowSpeed, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Lil Yachty, Jalen Brunson, Tyrese Haliburton, Tony Hinchcliffe, Cam Skattebo, and Travis Barker are all featured.
Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas is hosting WrestleMania 42 on Saturday, April 18 and Sunday, April 19. This is Vegas’ second straight year hosting Mania, with WrestleMania 41 also having been held at Allegiant Stadium in 2025.
“WrestleMania Vegas. Everybody wants in,” the promo video says. “Also, please stop emailing Paul. And texting him.”
The WrestleMania card has yet to come into focus, but we’ll start to get a clearer picture with the Royal Rumble taking place in Saudi Arabia at the end of this month. Riyadh is hosting that PLE on Saturday, January 31.