WrestleMania 42: A tale of 2 shows.

Being a lifelong wrestling fan in the TKO era is genuinely uncomfortable. The money is there. The production is there. The talent is there. But the things that made me a fan in the first place are taking a back seat to corporate decisions that make the product feel cheap. Long-term storytelling, real babyfaces and heels, crords full of people who actually care. All of it has disappeared in the last 4-5 years.

WrestleMania 42 was a perfect case study in all of it. But is there hope? Maybe?

Before I get into the show, I have to say something about the crowd. The live crowd is as much a part of pro wrestling as the wrestlers themselves. Hogan turning heel and joining the NWO wasn’t just a moment. It was that thundering wall of boos and trash being thrown in the ring that made it feel like the world was ending. You don’t get that when the die-hards are priced out and the seats are full of people who aren’t sure what to cheer for. TKO charging $3k for nosebleeds isn’t just bad optics. It gutted the atmosphere. And it showed.

Night 1: Saturday

Night one, in a word, was stupid.

For the first time I can remember, WrestleMania had commercials. Not a few. 57 minutes of them in a 3 hour 55 minute show. Add 61 minutes of entrances and you’re left with 98 minutes of actual wrestling. If I’d paid $3k for a ticket, I’d have lost my mind.

There was good along with the bad. I’ve put my thoughts below.

Highs:

IShowSpeed was genuinely great. His babyface turn on Logan Paul was exactly how you use a celebrity at Mania. It made sense, the crowd bought it, and it didn’t step on anything.

Jacob Fatu going over Drew was the right call and should be a launchpad for him.

Paige coming back was a legitimate surprise moment for me.

And despite everything, at least seeing Pat McAfee getting taken out before the main event, then RKO’d when he tried to come back, was deeply satisfying.

Lows:

The commercials.

The short matches. Jacob vs. Drew had a lot more in it and they left it on the table to keep things ESPN-friendly.

Paige and Brie winning the tag titles makes no sense and probably won’t last long.

The random Randy Orton injury angle came out of nowhere and just drained the energy out of the match.

And Cody retaining… look, I’m ready for heel Cody and I think the fans are too. He was most interesting as the underdog chasing the title. Putting it on him and then continuing to force him on the audience isn’t doing anyone any favors.

The Pat McAfee stuff is its own thing. I watch his show. I like him as a football media personality. But inserting him into a WrestleMania main event situation at the last minute with no real payoff is the same energy as Travis Scott being dropped into last year’s main event. It’s a cheap pop for the casuals who tune in once a year, and the rest of us are left standing there going “what was the point of that.”

Night 2: Sunday

Night two felt like a completely different show from a completely different company. Except for the commercials. 🙄

It’s almost like Night 1 was intentionally bad to make Night 2 feel like a real Mania show. Commercials were still there. Some matches were still short. But this one had actual WrestleMania energy. Due mostly to the legendary main event.

The main event.

CM Punk vs. Roman Reigns was the biggest match I’ve watched in years. I genuinely didn’t know who I wanted to win, and I honestly can’t remember the last time I felt that way. No clear babyface, no clear heel. Two guys who both have legitimate points. Two GOATs who actually hate each other. The intros alone were worth it. Going back to Roman’s old theme was exactly right.

And then the match itself just delivered. Roman became one of the best in-ring storytellers in the history of the business during the Bloodline era. Punk has always been a master of controlling a match from bell to bell. There was no run-ins, no interference, no shenanigans. Roman winning clean felt like a prize fight ending. I got chills.

For everything that was wrong with this weekend, and with the past year of WWE overall, that match alone felt like a course correction. Maybe I’m being dramatic. But it felt like something that actually mattered.

Other highlights from Night 2:

Oba vs. Brock was legendary. If Brock really retired, that was a hell of a sendoff, and Oba should be main eventing next year.

Penta retaining in the ladder match was the right call.

Demon Finn Balor being back was something I’ve wanted to see for years.

Rhea as women’s champ feels earned after spending over a year in a tag team.

Jade looked better in that match than she ever has.

Trick as US champ is a great move.

And the Danhausen/Cena/Miz segment was a perfect palate cleanser before the heavy main event.

Looking Ahead

The RAW after Mania is usually when the reset button gets hit. New players, new feuds, elevated talent. A lot of the right pieces are in place coming out of WM42. Roman back as champ and claiming he’s going to be around. Oba Femi firmly established as a top guy. Babyface Finn Balor can do a lot for the midcard on RAW. Paige can be a real boost for the women’s division if they use her right and don’t just treat her as a nostalgia act. Punk taking some time off and returning at SummerSlam would be massive.

Cody is still the champ on SmackDown, which means they’re going to keep pushing him. I hope they cool it. They need to find someone else to carry that show.

We’ll see what tonight brings.