WrestleMania 42 Night 1 Review: Expectation vs. Reality
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WrestleMania 42 Night 1 is in the books, and the biggest issue wasn’t just the show itself. It was everything leading up to it.
The build to this year’s Showcase of the Immortals felt rushed. Storylines came together quickly, lacked depth, and never fully had the time to breathe. It felt more like a sprint than a marathon, something that rarely works for a show of this magnitude.
But even then, theres usually a safety net.
WrestleMania has a long history of overcoming underwhelming builds with strong in-ring performances and moments that generate buzz. That didn’t happen here.
Instead, WrestleMania 42 Night 1 delivered a show that felt just as flat as the build that preceded it.
A Build That Never Delivered
Coming into the weekend, concerns about the WrestleMania Night 1 build were already front and center.
For much of the card, storylines lacked depth. Feuds came together quickly and never had the time to develop truly meaningful stakes. The result was a show that felt rushed before it even began.
Night 1 didn’t change that perception. If anything, it reinforced it.
Match quality hovered around average. Nothing was outright bad, but very little felt truly special. For WrestleMania, that’s a problem.
The Matches: Solid, But Not Special
There were results that made sense.
Jacob Fatu defeated Drew McIntyre, continuing his rise as expected. The outcome was correct, but the match itself didn’t elevate the moment the way it needed to.
That became a recurring theme throughout the night.
The there was Seth Rollins vs. Gunther, the clear standout. The two delivered the best match of the night, bringing intensity, physicality, and stakes that felt worthy of WrestleMania. Gunther walked away with the win after interference from Bron Breakker who returned from injury to cost Rollins the match and immediately establish their heated singles feud.
It worked. It made sense. And it gave the show a much-needed high point. But one good match isn’t enough to carry and entire WrestleMania night.
Gunther’s Win Means Something Bigger
Gunther has already build a resume that puts him in rare company. He’s retired Goldberg, John Cena and AJ Styles, names that have defined eras.
Now he’s adding something else to it. By stepping in as a mercenary for hire and taking out Seth Rollins, Gunther didn’t just win a match, he did Paul Heyman a favor. And in this business, favors don’t come free.
That opens the door for something much bigger.
Heyman now owes Gunther. And that favor should lead to Brock Lesnar. A showdown at SummerSlam in Minneapolis feels like the perfect stage. If WWE fully commits, that match should come with real stakes.
Brock Lesnar’s career on the line.
That is how you elevate Gunther from dominant force to generational force. That’s the kind of direction the rest of the card was missing.
Moments Matter & WWE Left One on the Table
If there was one moment that truly broke through on Night 1, it was Bianca Belair.
Her surprise return to announce her pregnancy was genuine, emotional, and completely unexpected. It was the kind of real-life moment that transcends the show and instantly creates a connection with the audience. For a brief moment, it made WrestleMania feel as big as it’s supposed to.
That’s what WrestleMania is built on. Which is why the handling of Paige’s return feels like such a missed opportunity.
Paige, returning to WWE after nearly 5 years away, is a genuinely significant moment. She’s a former multi-time champion, the inaugural NXT Women’s Champion, and someone whose career has been defined by both massive highs and career-altering adversity.
That kind of return should feel massive. Instead, it felt expected.
Reports circulating in the 24 hours leading up to the show all but confirmed her appearance. For a company that prides itself on creating viral moments, this was one they essentially gave away before it could happen.
And that matters. WWE understands how to create shareable, headline-grabbing moments.
IShowSpeed’s involvement with Logan Paul wasn’t the surprise, his presence in the opening match was already established. The surprise came when he turned on Paul and drove him through the announce table with a frog splash. That’s the kind of moment designed to travel beyond the wrestling bubble.
Bianca Belair’s return worked the same way.
There was no warning. No leak. Just a genuine, emotional shock when she appeared and announced her pregnancy. For a brief moment, everything stopped, and that’s what WrestleMania is supposed to do.
Paige’s return should have landed in that same space. Instead without the element of surprise, a moment that should have stunned the audience came and went like any other segment.
A Perplexing Main Event
If WrestleMania 42 Night 1 showed us anything, it’s that the main event left more questions than answers. Perplexing might be the only way to describe it.
On paper, the elements were all there. The story had been build for weeks. And yet, when it all came together, the execution never quite matched the moment.
The match itself was layered with interference and shifting dynamics.
Jelly Roll took out Pat McAfee earlier, seemingly to even the playing field. Later, with referee Charles Robinson knocked out, McAfee made his return – this time inserting himself into the match as a substitute referee.
That alone should have heightened the drama. Instead, it added to the confusion.
Where The Story Fell Apart
Cody Rhodes, positioned as the babyface champion, leaned heavily into heel tactics throughout the match. At one point, he busted Randy open, creating an unexpected shift in crowd sympathy. Orton began to feel like the one fighting from underneath.
That feels like a dangerous dynamic in a WrestleMania main event.
Then came the turning point. After Rhodes kicked out of a near fall, Orton, out of nowhere, delivered an RKO to McAfee. This was the same McAfee that was the voice in Orton’s ear for weeks, determined to restore the glory of professional wrestling.
This was a sudden shift that didn’t connect. That distraction gave Cody the opening he needed. One Cross Rhodes later, and the match was over. Rhodes retained, but the story didn’t end there.
After the bell, Orton snapped. He attacked Cody, struck him with the WWE Championship, and delivered a punt kick to the head, leaving the champion laid out.
The final image of the night was Randy Orton standing tall, holding a title he didn’t win. And that’s where the confusion lingers.
If Cody is the champion, why does the closing moment belong to Randy? If Randy is meant to be the heel, why did large portions of the match build sympathy for him?
And if this was meant to elevate the rivalry, why does the finish feel more disjointed than definitive?
WrestleMania main events are supposed to provide clarity. This one left questions.
Final Thoughts
WrestleMania isn’t judged the same way as any other show. It’s not enough to be good. It has to feel special. WrestleMania 42 Night 1 had the pieces, but the execution never matched the moment.
A rushed build led to a show that felt just as rushed. Matches lacked time to breathe. Moments that should have landed bigger were either telegraphed or overshadowed. And a main event that should have provided clarity instead created confusion.
That’s the disconnect.
Expectation vs. reality.
There’s still time to change the narrative though. Night 2 has the opportunity to deliver what Night 1 couldn’t. Create moments, elevate stars, and remind everyone why WrestleMania is supposed to feel different.
Because if it doesn’t this wont just be remembered as a bad WrestleMania. It’ll be remembered as a missed opportunity.
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