Wrestlemania 42 continued on Sunday, April 19, but this time, the crowd was hyped to be there. Fans left Allegiant Stadium the previous night pissed off with what they saw. Matches were too short, the builds were non-existent, and the whole vibe was simply forgettable. However, night two was leaps and bounds better than night one. People called night one the Smackdown before Wrestlemania and it was evident with what was displayed. If you have a good match, you get good grades.
1. Brock Lesnar vs. Oba Femi — A-
It was supposed to be short, and, boy, was it great to watch. Two gladiators clashed for only five minutes, but all they showcased was pure power. Lesnar hit multiple German suplexes and one of his F-5 finishers, but Oba Femi was a warrior and countered everything. Femi chokeslammed Lesnar and followed that with a sit-out powerbomb to claim the victory.
No one can get mad at how quick this was, because this was simply a passing-of-the-torch moment. After the match, Lesnar untied his boots, signifying the end of his legendary career. Lesnar retiring after the match with Oba Femi, who just retired The Beast, was the perfect sendoff. Oba Femi is the new monstrous face of WWE; he has everything it takes to be one. Is it time for him to go after the gold? Overall, the match was a great opening to the show.
2. Penta vs. Je’Von Evans vs. Rusev vs. JD McDonagh vs. Dragon Lee vs Rey Mysterio - Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Championship — A+
A ladder match can easily strengthen a card, and this was one of the best ladder matches of all time. All six men had a chance to shine and take some insane bumps. Someone either flew off a ladder or went through one every few minutes, and it was perfect. What an absolute banger this Intercontinental ladder match was.
I want to emphasize Rey Mysterio’s level at 50 years old and, after an injury, being simply superb. Je’Von Evans was superb, with his OG Cutter spot on Rusev off a ladder being one of the craziest spots in recent memory. Between this match and the opening contest with Lesnar and Femi, the crowd had been hooked since the start. Everyone was phenomenal, and I’m thrilled for Penta’s reign to keep going.
3. Sami Zayn vs. Trick Williams for the United States Championship — C+
I’m not going to say anything was wrong with the result. Trick Williams was without a doubt the right choice to win. However, the match could have been longer. Especially when you look back at the previous night, where every match was short, Sami and Trick could have added a couple more spots to make it a great match rather than a good one.
The future is very bright. Oba Femi beating Brock Lesnar, Je’Von Evans flying high and Trick Williams winning his first main roster championship show just how much potential this roster has. Overall, this was a good match, with a good dynamic flip between Zayn and Williams, but trying to tell a story like this in a seven-minute match is extremely difficult.
4. The Demon King Finn Balor vs. Dominik Mysterio Street Fight — B+
In a last-minute change, this match was changed to a street fight, and thank goodness it was. This was far and away better than the mediocre street fight from night one, as it had all the makings of a good physical match. The Demon persona returned and put on a show. Bálor hitting Mysterio with a Coup de Grâce through a table was a great spot.
This needs to be the Bálor persona we see every week. The Prince persona is OK, but the Demon is polarizing and can contend for titles. Oh, and his entrance alone was cooler than anything from night one’s disappointing card. Overall, it was a smooth match with good pacing. It does, unfortunately, suffer from Dominik’s typical botches, but the ideas survive very well.
5. Rhea Ripley vs. Jade Cargill for the WWE Women’s Championship — C
This was a much better women’s title bout than what we got on night one. It was expected that Jade’s team of B-Fab and Michin would interfere, but their antics were halted by Iyo Sky’s rescue. Sky was one of many superstars left off the showcase of the immortals. In hindsight, she should have had a match on night one because there was clearly more than enough time for one.
Nonetheless, Rhea capitalized and captured her third women’s world championship. The only reason the grade is lower is because the build to this match was nonexistent. Had there been any lead up to a match with two of the strongest female superstars in WWE, we would’ve had a great match not just a good one.
6. Night Two Main Event — CM Punk vs Roman Reigns for the World Championship — A
For the fourth time, Roman Reigns closed out Wrestlemania by hoisting a world title. This match was great. No outside interference, just good wrestling. From tables breaking to late kickouts from finishers, this match had it all. Punk gave it his all, but he seemed to be no match for the only Tribal Chief, Roman Reigns.
What was the real eyebrow-raiser was when Roman whacked Punk with steel steps in front of the referee. This was not an unsanctioned match, meaning all weapon use should have resulted in a disqualification. But hey, this is Wrestlemania, so I guess it is okay. These two delivered an epic main event. It was a raw, violent match where CM Punk was relentless and attacked to the very end, but Reigns knew this was his opportunity to be on top once again.
However, this raises questions. Reigns has been known not to make weekly appearances on Raw or SmackDown. Clearly, he will kick off Monday’s episode of Raw, but who will challenge him? One name comes to mind: the career killer, Gunther. Gunther defeated Seth Rollins on night one, but fans believe Brock Lesnar is not really done just yet, and Gunther will retire him in Minneapolis at SummerSlam. Gunther can attack Paul Heyman, and Lesnar will be inclined to fight. However, if what we saw last night was true, Gunther needs to go for Roman’s title. The career killer vs. the OTC will be one of the feuds of the year if done right. For CM Punk, time seems to be winding down. Without a title now, it will be interesting to see what is next for the Best in the World.
Overall, Wrestlemania 42 will be remembered as a tale of two events. Night one was a complete abomination, while night two had smooth, physical matches. From the rise of Oba Femi to high-flyers soaring off ladders to the return of a Roman title reign, it will be very interesting to see how the next few months pan out. You can catch the aftermath of Wrestlemania 42 tonight at 8 p.m. Eastern on Netflix.
