SEScoops

Tag: WWE WrestleMania

  • Ireland’s WWE WrestleMania Bid Faces Financial and Logistical Hurdles

    Ireland’s WWE WrestleMania Bid Faces Financial and Logistical Hurdles

    The push to bring WrestleMania to Ireland is being described as a serious, long-term project, but those close to the initiative are under no illusions about the obstacles that must be cleared before a credible bid can be submitted, according to Fightful Select’s Corey Brennan.

    Sources close to the effort say the concept is achievable if the Irish government views the country as a global sporting hub and backs the bid accordingly. Organizers are pointing to the NFL’s successful games at Croke Park and the upcoming Manchester United and Leeds match in August as evidence that the 82,000-capacity Dublin stadium can host international events, dismissing the concerns raised by local residents near the venue.

    Two challenges have been identified. The first is financial. Ireland would need to at least match the six-million-dollar bid Las Vegas submitted to secure WrestleMania, a figure that sources within the Irish wrestling community described as a roadblock. The second is practical. Croke Park has no roof, making unpredictable Irish weather a genuine logistical concern for an event of WrestleMania’s scale and production demands.

    The economic case provides the strongest argument in the bid’s favor. Fightful was told the event could inject close to 300 million euros into the Irish economy, a figure that could carry weight when the formal pitch is made to government officials.

    Kilkenny Councilor Maurice Shortall previously told the Irish Mirror that Ireland is well placed to make a competitive bid and has indicated plans to formally present the proposal to the Irish government. WrestleMania 43 is currently planned for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with Nashville also in discussions for a future year.

  • WWE WrestleMania Nashville Negotiations Gather Steam

    WWE WrestleMania Nashville Negotiations Gather Steam

    WWE WrestleMania could return to Nashville, Tennessee.

    Reports have emerged that WWE is in active negotiations with Nashville, Tennessee, to host a future WrestleMania at the city’s new Nissan Stadium, according to reports from Bryan Alvarez of F4WOnline and WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select.

    The development marks a renewed push by the city to land wrestling’s biggest annual event.

    The new Nissan Stadium is scheduled to open in 2027, will serve as the future home of the NFL’s Tennessee Titans. The 70,000-capacity venue would provide WWE with a state-of-the-art facility for the Premium Live Event.

    Timeline and Competition

    City officials hope an announcement regarding the event could be made soon, Fightful reported on Thursday. However, if finalized, the Nashville WrestleMania likely won’t take place for several years.

    WrestleMania 43 is scheduled for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 2027. WWE is also expected to return to New Orleans, Louisiana, for a future WrestleMania, though no timeline has been specified. New Orleans was originally slated to host the 2026 event before WWE changed plans and booked a return to Las Vegas instead.

    Previous Negotiations

    This isn’t the first time Nashville has pursued WrestleMania. Earlier this month, tourism groups told Fox 17 they were hoping to host the event in 2027, but the “date didn’t work out” for WrestleMania 43 at Nissan Stadium.

    WWE President Nick Khan also recently hyped the company’s 2028 WrestleMania destination to employees at a staff town hall.

  • WrestleMania 42 Night 2 Results: Reigns Wins Title, Lesnar Retires, Ripley Dethrones Cargill

    WrestleMania 42 Night 2 Results: Reigns Wins Title, Lesnar Retires, Ripley Dethrones Cargill

    WrestleMania 42 is in the books. Roman Reigns won the World Heavyweight Championship from CM Punk in a 33:57 main event, capping a Night 2 that also saw Brock Lesnar retire, Rhea Ripley dethrone Jade Cargill, “The Demon” Finn Balor get payback on Dominik Mysterio, Trick Williams take the US Title from Sami Zayn, and Penta retain the Intercontinental Championship in an instant-classic ladder match.

    Full Results

    • Oba Femi def. Brock Lesnar (Lesnar retires after the match)
    • Penta (c) def. Je’Von Evans, Rusev, Rey Mysterio, Dragon Lee, and JD McDonagh to retain the Intercontinental Championship (Ladder Match)
    • Trick Williams def. Sami Zayn (c) to win the United States Championship
    • “The Demon” Finn Balor def. Dominik Mysterio (Street Fight)
    • Rhea Ripley def. Jade Cargill (c) to win the WWE Women’s Championship
    • Roman Reigns def. CM Punk (c) to win the World Heavyweight Championship

    John Cena Opens Night 2

    Host John Cena returned in a suit to open Night 2, calling Night 1 “incredible” and noting the historic significance: this is the first WrestleMania ever to air on ESPN. Joe Jonas performed the national anthem.

    Oba Femi def. Brock Lesnar — Lesnar Retires After the Match

    A passing of the torch, then a goodbye. Oba Femi made his WrestleMania debut by pinning Brock Lesnar in 4:45, and Lesnar followed it with the most meaningful moment of his WWE career’s second act: leaving his gloves and boots in the ring to signal retirement.

    Alicia Taylor’s ring introductions were interrupted by Paul Heyman, who took over to do the honors for Lesnar. Lesnar got a massive pop from the Allegiant Stadium crowd. Femi got one just as loud, with “Oba! Oba!” chants filling the arena before the bell.

    The two locked up in a collar-and-elbow that turned into a stalemate before Lesnar shoved Femi off. They repeated the exchange, and Lesnar eventually carried Femi to the corner. Femi answered with running uppercuts, went back for a third, and Lesnar caught him with an F5. As Lesnar rose to celebrate, Femi got to his feet first, hit a massive chokeslam, and followed with the Fall From Grace for the pin.

    Lesnar stayed in the ring after the bell as “Thank you Brock” chants rolled through Allegiant Stadium. He took off his gloves, took off his boots, placed them in the center of the ring, shared an emotional hug with Heyman, and walked up the ramp stopping to shake hands with fans. This was Lesnar’s first televised WrestleMania since 2023 and his 13th overall. He finishes 6-7 at The Showcase of the Immortals. Full breakdown in our Brock Lesnar retirement report.

    Penta Retains Intercontinental Championship in Six-Man Ladder Match

    An instant classic. Penta became just the second Superstar in WrestleMania history to retain the Intercontinental Championship in a ladder match — joining Razor Ramon at WrestleMania X — outlasting Je’Von Evans, Rey Mysterio, Rusev, JD McDonagh, and Dragon Lee in 15:10.

    The match opened with Penta diving onto Rusev before the luchador trio (Penta, Dragon Lee, Rey Mysterio) took over on McDonagh. Rusev bridged a ladder from the apron to the announce table early. Dragon Lee hit a suicide tijeras over the ropes onto Evans. Mysterio countered Lee’s Styles Clash into a Frankensteiner. Rey later dropkicked Lee into a ladder and hit the 619, got hung in the rungs himself, and took a Lee dropkick. Penta launched Rey over his head to drive Rusev through a propped ladder on the floor.

    Inside, McDonagh hit a Spanish Fly off the ladder on Dragon Lee. Je’Von Evans answered with an OG Cutter off the top to pull Rusev off a ladder. Rey, hung in a Tree of Woe on a ladder, took a Dragon Lee springboard double stomp. Rusev hit a uranage on Evans from a bridged ladder to steel. The closing stretch saw Penta hit McDonagh with a Mexican Destroyer on top of a ladder, then catch Evans with the same move to clear the way. Penta climbed and retrieved his title to retain.

    Trick Williams def. Sami Zayn to Win the United States Championship

    Trick Williams won his first main-roster championship in his WrestleMania debut, dethroning Sami Zayn in about six minutes to become the new United States Champion. Lil Yachty accompanied Williams to the ring; Zayn walked out to the usual Vegas mix of boos and his own sung theme.

    Zayn sent Williams to the floor and teased a suicide dive early. Williams recovered and hit a Book End for the first near-fall. Zayn answered with a Blue Thunder Bomb. Zayn leaned heel hard, having to be restrained by the referee multiple times, and when Lil Yachty checked on Trick, Zayn cracked him from behind and drove Williams into the barricade. Zayn rammed Williams’ head into the ring post and dropped him on the apron with a brainbuster. Trick fought back and pulled it out. The double-turn finally landed on the biggest stage — Zayn full heel, Trick full babyface — and Williams leaves Allegiant Stadium a WrestleMania debutant and a champion.

    “The Demon” Finn Balor def. Dominik Mysterio (Street Fight)

    The Demon got his win back. Finn Balor beat Dominik Mysterio in 10:25, ending a two-match losing streak for the Demon persona (Roman Reigns in 2021, Edge at WrestleMania 39) that had threatened to retire the alter ego for good.

    Dominik walked out first carried on a throne by masked luchadors. Balor crawled to an illuminated heart on the stage sporting a spiked mohawk helmet over his traditional Demon paint, picked up a spiked skull staff, and walked through a curtain of red and black streamers.

    Once the bell rang, Balor pounced. He grabbed a kendo stick to hit Mysterio twice and dragged a table from under the ring. Mysterio cut him off and took over with the kendo stick, introduced three chairs, and beat down Balor. The two traded signature moves. Mysterio hit a frog splash for a near-fall, avoided a Coup de Grace attempt, and used a chair to set up a close two count.

    Dominik unloaded with a steel chair and went outside for a second table. As he set it up, Balor rose and turned the tables with a chair of his own. Balor put Mysterio’s head against a chair in the corner and drove him into the turnbuckle with a missile dropkick. He laid Dominik on the table, climbed up, and drilled the Coup de Grace through the table for the pin. The Judgment Day chapter closes with Balor getting his measure of revenge on the protege who got him kicked out of the faction.

    Rhea Ripley def. Jade Cargill to Win the WWE Women’s Championship

    Seven straight WrestleManias in a title match, and Rhea Ripley is champion again. The Eradicator ended Jade Cargill’s reign as WWE Women’s Champion, cutting short a title run that began when Cargill took the belt from Tiffany Stratton at Saturday Night’s Main Event last November.

    Cargill came out first in an elaborate robe, ditching it at the ring to taunt the crowd. Ripley followed to the second-biggest pop of the night behind Oba Femi, walking out in insane-asylum-inspired ring gear reading “Inmate: R. Ripley” with a pyro package behind her.

    They locked up slow and stared down before the action picked up. Cargill overpowered Ripley into the ropes, hit a shoulder tackle and a body slam. Ripley answered with a slam of her own and a basement dropkick that sent Cargill outside. Cargill turned it back around with a powerslam near-fall and worked Ripley over in the corner before dumping her to the floor. The Baddies (Michin and B-Fab) were at ringside for Cargill, with Iyo Sky in Ripley’s corner to neutralize the numbers game. Ripley leaves Las Vegas with her seventh women’s world title overall. Cargill’s reign ends at roughly 170 days.

    Main Event: Roman Reigns def. CM Punk to Win the World Heavyweight Championship

    Roman Reigns is a seven-time world champion. In his record 11th WrestleMania main event, Reigns ended CM Punk’s second World Heavyweight Championship reign at 169 days, pinning Punk clean in 33:57 with a running Spear to close WrestleMania 42.

    The entrances told the story before the bell. Reigns came out to a live stage setup — a woman sang while a man played piano and another played drums, as photos of the Anoa’i family’s Samoan dynasty (Peter Maivia, Afa, Sika, Yokozuna) flashed on the big screen. Punk followed with a video package set to AFI’s “Miseria Cantare: The Beginning,” his old ROH and AEW theme. He walked out in a white jacket paying tribute to Harley Race, his late dog Larry, and WWE staff who have passed, knelt on the stage and yelled “It’s clobberin’ time” before his Cult of Personality hit.

    They let the moment breathe. Both men stood in their corners for several seconds before slowly walking to the middle for a staredown. Punk mocked Reigns for using baby oil when he couldn’t get a grip. Reigns answered with a shoulder tackle and got in his face. Punk took over until Reigns hit a Samoan drop and slammed Punk’s head into the ring post. Punk returned the favor on the announce table. Reigns launched Punk into the crowd, Punk came back off the barricade with a diving takedown. Reigns missed a Superman Punch, and Punk hit a top-rope crossbody, signaled GTS.

    Reigns escaped the first GTS attempt with elbows, sent Punk into the ring post, and landed a Superman Punch for a near-fall. They traded submissions — Reigns countered a Spear attempt with a guillotine choke, Punk escaped and locked in the Anaconda Vice, Reigns reversed it back into a guillotine. They wiped each other out with tandem clotheslines as the crowd applauded.

    The finish turned when Punk leaned heel. He unwrapped his hand and threw the wrist tape at the referee to distract him, hit a low blow, and drilled Reigns with a GTS. Reigns kicked out. Punk followed with multiple elbow drops, shoved Reigns to the floor, climbed to the top and hit a big elbow through the announce table. Reigns answered with a powerbomb through the Spanish announce table.

    Back in the ring, Reigns won a back-and-forth sequence, got a near-fall, and trapped Punk in the corner with heavy clotheslines as the crowd counted along. Punk managed one last flurry — another GTS on Reigns — but when he hoisted Reigns up for a second GTS, he collapsed under the weight. Reigns recovered enough to hit a Spear but couldn’t make the cover. Both men stared each other down one more time. Reigns lined up, took a running start, and drove through Punk with a second Spear for the clean pin.

    Two days before the match, Reigns had said he’d leave WWE if he lost. Instead, he leaves WrestleMania 42 with his seventh world title and the world title picture flipped on its head.

    What’s Next

    WrestleMania 42 fallout kicks off on Raw Monday night. Roman Reigns, CM Punk, Oba Femi, Brock Lesnar, Rhea Ripley, Penta, Logan Paul, and Stephanie Vaquer are all advertised. SmackDown follows Friday. Stay tuned to SEScoops for full post-show coverage.

    How to Watch the Replay

    • United States: ESPN on-demand
    • International: Netflix
    • Venue: Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas
  • WrestleMania 42 Night 1 Results: Cody Rhodes Retains, Orton RKOs McAfee, Paige & Breakker Return

    WrestleMania 42 Night 1 Results: Cody Rhodes Retains, Orton RKOs McAfee, Paige & Breakker Return

    WrestleMania 42 Night 1 is in the books from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, and Randy Orton stood tall holding Cody Rhodes’ Undisputed WWE Championship over his head — the belt he couldn’t win, but the message he wanted to send. Cody retained. Pat McAfee ate an RKO from his own guy and is gone from the wrestling business per the stipulation. Three women’s titles changed hands. Paige returned after more than eight years away. Bron Breakker reemerged from his hernia-surgery layoff to spear Seth Rollins in half. And Bianca Belair announced a pregnancy.

    Quick Results

    • LA Knight & The Usos def. The Vision (Logan Paul, Austin Theory & IShowSpeed)
    • Jacob Fatu def. Drew McIntyre (Unsanctioned Match)
    • Paige & Brie Bella def. Nia Jax & Lash Legend (c), Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss, and Bayley & Lyra Valkyria to win the Women’s Tag Team Championship
    • Becky Lynch def. AJ Lee (c) to win the Women’s Intercontinental Championship
    • GUNTHER def. Seth Rollins (Bron Breakker returns)
    • Liv Morgan def. Stephanie Vaquer (c) to win the Women’s World Championship
    • Cody Rhodes (c) def. Randy Orton to retain the Undisputed WWE Championship

    John Cena Opens WrestleMania 42

    Host John Cena kicked off the show in a suit, delivering the opening address to the Allegiant Stadium crowd. Cena acknowledged that the road to WrestleMania 42 has been “chaotic, unpredictable, vocal and polarizing,” with fans, talent, and people behind the scenes all weighing in on the journey to Las Vegas. He welcomed everyone to WrestleMania, and pyro fired to officially launch Night 1.

    It was Cena’s first televised WWE appearance since retiring from in-ring competition in December 2025.

    Cena later returned to announce the Night 1 attendance at 50,816. That number bumped up to 50,817 when Bianca Belair made a surprise appearance in a robe of sparkly blue roses, told Cena she had one more to add to the count, and opened her robe to reveal a baby bump. Belair has been out of action since last year’s WrestleMania three-way with Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky.

    LA Knight & The Usos def. The Vision (Logan Paul, Austin Theory & IShowSpeed)

    LA Knight, Jey Uso, and Jimmy Uso opened WrestleMania 42 with a win over The Vision’s Logan Paul, Austin Theory, and IShowSpeed, but the real story came after the bell.

    Logan Paul turned on IShowSpeed the moment the match ended, screaming that Speed had one job and ruined WrestleMania for him and Austin Theory. Paul threw Speed out of the ring, cleared off the announce table, and laid Speed’s lifeless body across it while calling him a moron.

    Paul climbed to the top rope and lined up a dive through the table, but The Usos and LA Knight stormed back out to stop him and laid Paul out with a beatdown of their own.

    Knight and The Usos hoisted Paul onto the announce table and waved Speed to the top rope. Speed climbed up, measured his shot, and came off with a picture-perfect frog splash that destroyed the table and Paul in the process. LA Knight and The Usos congratulated Speed, walked him back into the ring, and the four celebrated together with a group Yeet as the Allegiant Stadium crowd erupted.

    Jacob Fatu def. Drew McIntyre (Unsanctioned Match)

    An absolute war. Jacob Fatu made his entrance flanked by fire dancers, while Drew McIntyre brought back his signature sword for the walk to the ring. Fatu didn’t wait — he hit McIntyre with a suicide dive before the bell rang to set the tone for a fight that had no rules and no one with authority to stop it.

    What followed was a showcase of two hard-hitting brawlers trading shots through multiple table spots and an assortment of weapons, including a toolbox that came into play as the violence escalated. McIntyre also found time for his signature WrestleMania spot, firing off a tweet in the middle of the match.

    Fatu landed consecutive superkicks and a Mighty Moonsault to put McIntyre away at 14:09, sending Allegiant Stadium home from the opening hour with a statement victory over a multi-time world champion.

    Paige Returns, Wins Women’s Tag Team Championship With Brie Bella

    Nia Jax and Lash Legend entered first in gear paying tribute to Demolition’s Ax and Smash, who were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame the night before and seated at ringside. Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss and Bayley & Lyra Valkyria followed, and then Nikki Bella came out on crutches alongside Brie. Nikki told the crowd she wasn’t medically cleared, so she’d called in a favor from an old friend.

    Paige was back. Making her first WWE appearance in-ring since the December 2017 neck injury that was believed to be career-ending, the former Divas Champion walked to the WrestleMania ring to a massive reaction from Allegiant Stadium.

    The match worked under a fatal four-way tag structure, with only designated competitors legal and tags required to rotate partners in. Brie connected with her signature Yes Kicks on Flair early, and the bout built toward Alexa Bliss lining up a Twisted Bliss for what looked like the winning pin.

    That’s when Nikki got involved. Still on crutches, she yanked Flair out of the ring and went to work on her, giving Paige just enough time to raise her knees and catch Bliss on the way down. Paige followed with the Rampage on Bliss for the three count, claiming the Women’s Tag Team Championship in her first WWE match in more than eight years and her first singles or tag championship win since the AEW Women’s Championship in 2023.

    Paige and Brie Bella are your new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions.

    Becky Lynch def. AJ Lee to Win the Women’s Intercontinental Championship

    This was the entrance show. Becky Lynch had The Wonder Years perform her entrance live. AJ Lee walked out flanked by roughly a dozen young fans all wearing matching gear and carrying replica title belts — her first WrestleMania appearance in eleven years, her last being WrestleMania 31 in a tag match alongside Paige, of all people, against the Bella Twins.

    Lynch came in with a lot to avenge. She tapped to the Black Widow at WrestlePalooza, at Survivor Series WarGames, and at Elimination Chamber, where she lost the Women’s Intercontinental title to AJ for the first time. Three prior Lee wins. WrestleMania was Becky’s chance to flip the ledger, and she took it.

    Becky Lynch is a three-time Women’s Intercontinental Champion. The head-to-head singles record between the two is now 1-1 on titles, with AJ still leading the overall head-to-head 3-1 when tag and multi-woman matches are factored in.

    GUNTHER def. Seth Rollins (Bron Breakker Returns)

    Rollins walked to the ring wearing black contacts that turned his eyes fully dark — equal parts creepy and cool, and a callback to the headspace he’s been in heading into this match. GUNTHER wasted no time and jumped him before the bell, turning what fans expected to be a technical wrestling match into a ringside brawl from the opening seconds.

    Once the pace settled, the Ring General took over with trademark chops, slowing Rollins down in the center of the ring. A Buckle Bomb and clothesline from Rollins reset things at the five-minute mark, and the two started trading chops and strikes. GUNTHER answered with a powerbomb and a close near-fall to shift momentum back his way.

    The match hit its highest gear with both men on the top rope. Rollins countered a superplex attempt and drilled GUNTHER with his signature superplex/Falcon Arrow combination, then locked in his own sleeper. GUNTHER reached the ropes to break it, rolled outside, and Rollins followed with three suicide dives. GUNTHER caught him with two powerbombs onto the apron and announce table. When the Ring General went for a third, Rollins countered into a Pedigree and a Curb Stomp through the announce table.

    That’s when WrestleMania flipped. As Rollins celebrated, Bron Breakker’s music hit, the lights exploded, and the man supposedly out of action with a hernia injury charged the ring and speared Rollins in half. GUNTHER rolled back in, locked in the sleeper on the dazed Visionary, and Rollins passed out cold. GUNTHER takes WrestleMania at 15:48.

    Breakker wasn’t done. After the match, he ran the length of the ramp and speared Rollins again, then told him he should have finished him off when he had the chance. Paul Heyman walked out to the top of the ramp and hugged Breakker — making official what the spear already signaled. Breakker is aligned with Heyman and The Vision, and Rollins paid the price.

    The WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2026 was then shown on stage, including Demolition, Dennis Rodman, and family members representing Bad News Brown, Hulk Hogan (joined by longtime friend Jimmy Hart), Andre the Giant, and Sid Vicious. AJ Styles and Stephanie McMahon came out to their own music to round out the segment.

    Liv Morgan def. Stephanie Vaquer to Win the Women’s World Championship

    Liv Morgan made her entrance with a full stage performance of her new single “Trouble,” lip-synced with backup dancers before heading to the ring still sporting the bruises from her recent collision with Roxanne Perez. Stephanie Vaquer followed with rose petals raining down as she hit the ramp. It was Vaquer’s first WrestleMania match.

    Vaquer took the early lead with a double-leg takedown into a striking exchange, sending Morgan into the barricade before hitting a running double knee strike in the corner. Morgan fired back by countering Vaquer on the turnbuckle with a springboard sunset flip powerbomb for a near-fall, then ran through the Three Amigas in tribute to Eddie Guerrero.

    Vaquer connected with a backbreaker and, in the night’s biggest spot, hit Morgan with Morgan’s own ObLIVion. Morgan kicked out. The Judgment Day numbers game went to work from there: Roxanne Perez distracted the referee while Raquel Rodriguez draped Vaquer across the ropes, letting Morgan connect with an ObLIVion. Vaquer kicked out again, took Perez and Rodriguez out on the floor with a springboard crossbody, and looked primed to retain.

    Morgan caught her on the way back in with the steel steps, then connected with a Codebreaker followed by ObLIVion for the pin at 6:50. “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio ran down with the championship and hoisted Morgan up as Perez and Rodriguez joined them in the ring to celebrate.

    Morgan is now a three-time Women’s World Champion, completing the Rumble-to-Mania run she mapped out when she returned at Survivor Series last November. Vaquer’s reign ended at 211 days.

    Main Event: Cody Rhodes def. Randy Orton to Retain the Undisputed WWE Championship

    Pat McAfee walked out first, flipping off the crowd and cursing at fans on his way down. Orton followed to the usual “Voices” singalong from an Allegiant Stadium crowd that hasn’t fully turned on him. Rhodes’ entrance rolled a montage of every gimmick he’s worn in WWE, including Dashing Cody Rhodes and Stardust, before the American Nightmare rose from under the ramp decked out in all gold and an American Nightmare mask.

    The match couldn’t start clean. As Alicia Taylor handled introductions, McAfee grabbed the mic to introduce Orton himself, then he and Orton jumped Rhodes before the bell. Cody fought both men off, and as McAfee scrambled, Jelly Roll appeared at ringside and drove McAfee through the announce table with an elbow drop. A stretcher wheeled McAfee away from ringside, removing Orton’s corner guy before the bell even rang — or so it seemed.

    Once the bell rang, Orton and Rhodes locked up in a classic collar-and-elbow. Orton won the opening exchange with shoulder tackles to establish his power advantage. Rhodes answered with speed and counters, capping the flurry with a scoop powerslam. He picked Orton’s back apart with a sidewalk slam and a Disaster Kick, and at one point wiped Orton’s blood across his own chest — a glimpse of a darker Cody than the American Nightmare fans are used to. Throughout the match, Rhodes leaned on underhanded tactics that felt new for WWE’s top babyface: an eye poke, a low blow, a willingness to target Orton’s open wound with punches and kicks after Orton was busted open on the ring post.

    Orton hung in and answered with vintage offense: a superplex, clotheslines, a scoop powerslam, and his own draping DDT. Every RKO tease got countered. Rhodes hit a backslide, then shocked Orton by hitting him with his own RKO. Orton kicked out at two. Cody mocked the RKO setup; Orton caught him with a CrossRhodes for a near-fall. Rhodes lined up the triple CrossRhodes, and Orton snapped back into an RKO out of nowhere — another close two. Orton even hit referee Charles Robinson with an RKO at one point during the scramble.

    And then McAfee was back. After being stretchered out, he returned as a replacement referee with the match continuing to spiral. That set up the finish everyone will be talking about for weeks. After a Rhodes kickout, McAfee ordered Orton to finish Cody off. Orton stood up, turned, stalked McAfee instead, and hit the mystery-caller with an RKO. With Orton distracted and McAfee down, Rhodes hit CrossRhodes for the pin at 22:40. Cody Rhodes retained the Undisputed WWE Championship. Per the match stipulation, Pat McAfee is now banned from the wrestling business forever.

    But this wasn’t a celebration. As the bell rang, Orton got back to his feet, stole the title belt from Rhodes, and cracked Cody in the skull with it. He followed up with the Punt Kick to put Cody down for real and held the Undisputed WWE Championship over his head as the show went off the air. Orton didn’t win the title. He used his own RKO to clear out the version of himself that was embarrassing him, and then sent a message to Cody about what’s next.

    Cody walks out of Night 1 still Undisputed Champion. Orton walks out still chasing his 15th world title, fully turned, and fully alone. This rivalry isn’t over.

    What’s Next

    WrestleMania 42 Night 2 streams live Sunday, April 19 at 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT from Allegiant Stadium, headlined by CM Punk defending the World Heavyweight Championship against Roman Reigns. Also on the card: Brock Lesnar vs. Oba Femi, Jade Cargill defending the WWE Women’s Championship against Rhea Ripley, Sami Zayn defending the United States Championship, and a six-way Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match. Stay tuned to SEScoops for Night 1 fallout and Night 2 live coverage.

    How to Watch

    • Date/Time: Saturday, April 18, 2026, 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT
    • Venue: Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas (attendance: 50,816)
    • United States: ESPN (first hour also on ESPN2)
    • International: Netflix
  • WWE WrestleMania 42 – Night 1 Betting Odds

    WWE WrestleMania 42 – Night 1 Betting Odds

    MyBookie has released full betting odds for WrestleMania 42, including match odds and an extensive list of prop bets ahead of the two-night event at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. The full odds are as follows:

    Match Odds

    • Undisputed WWE Championship: Randy Orton -400 (favorite) vs. Cody Rhodes (c) +250
    • WWE Women’s World Championship: Liv Morgan -450 (favorite) vs. Stephanie Vaquer (c) +275
    • Women’s Intercontinental Championship: Becky Lynch -550 (favorite) vs. AJ Lee (c) +275
    • Unsanctioned Match: Jacob Fatu -650 (heavy favorite) vs. Drew McIntyre +375
    • Gunther -600 (heavy favorite) vs. Seth Rollins +350
    • The Usos and LA Knight -175 (favorite) vs. The Vision and IShowSpeed +135
    • WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships: Odds pulled

    Rhodes vs. Orton Prop Bets

    • First Finishing Move Performed: RKO -140 / Cross Rhodes +100
    • First Signature Move Performed: Cody Cutter -125 / Elevated DDT Off the Ropes -115
    • Method of Victory: Pinfall -1000 / Any Other Method +550 / Submission +700
    • Total Cross Rhodes Performed: Under 4.5 -130 / Over 4.5 -110
    • Total RKOs Performed: Over 2.5 -140 / Under 2.5 +100

    WrestleMania 42 Special Props

    • Will The Rock appear at WrestleMania 42: No -1000 / Yes +500
    • Will Jake Paul appear at WrestleMania 42: No -300 / Yes +200
    • Will IShowSpeed take the pin in the tag team match: No -140 / Yes +100
    • Total title changes: Over 4.5 -200 / Under 4.5 +150
    • Total referees hit accidentally: Over 2.5 -120 / Under 2.5 -120
    • Does Paul Heyman walk out with Gunther: No -300 / Yes +200

    WrestleMania 42 takes place Saturday, April 18 and Sunday, April 19 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, streaming live on the ESPN app in the United States and on Netflix internationally.

  • First Look: WrestleMania 42 Stage Construction

    First Look: WrestleMania 42 Stage Construction

    The WrestleMania 42 stage is taking shape at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, and early looks at the construction have given fans their first glimpse of what awaits when the Show of Shows kicks off this Saturday.

    WWE’s production crew began work on the WrestleMania 42 setup at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday evening, six days before Night One of the event.

    The official stage reveal is expected to drop on WWE’s social media channels before Night One kicks off on April 18. WrestleMania 42 takes place April 18-19 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, streaming live on the ESPN app in the United States and on Netflix internationally. 

    Night One on Saturday, April 18 features Logan Paul, Austin Theory, and IShowSpeed vs. LA Knight and The Usos, Jacob Fatu vs. Drew McIntyre in an Unsanctioned Match, Stephanie Vaquer defending the Women’s World Championship against Liv Morgan, AJ Lee defending the Women’s Intercontinental Championship against Becky Lynch, the Women’s Tag Team Championship Fatal Four-Way between champions Nia Jax and Lash Legend, Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss, Bayley and Lyra Valkyria, and the Bella Twins, Seth Rollins vs. GUNTHER, and Cody Rhodes defending the Undisputed WWE Championship against Randy Orton in the main event.

    Night Two on Sunday, April 19 features Oba Femi vs. Brock Lesnar, the Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match with Penta defending against Je’Von Evans, Dragon Lee, JD McDonagh, Rusev, and Rey Mysterio, Jade Cargill defending the WWE Women’s Championship against Rhea Ripley, Sami Zayn defending the United States Championship against Trick Williams, Finn Balor vs. Dominik Mysterio, and CM Punk defending the World Heavyweight Championship against Roman Reigns in the main event.

    John Cena serves as host for both nights.

  • Major Spoiler On Return Of WWE Star At WrestleMania

    Major Spoiler On Return Of WWE Star At WrestleMania

    Paige is returning to WWE, and she is doing it at WrestleMania 42.

    PWInsider reports that Saraya Jade-Bevis, known to WWE fans as Paige, has signed with WWE and is expected to compete this Saturday as part of the Women’s Tag Team Championship Fatal Four-Way. She is believed to be substituting for Nikki Bella, who has not been cleared to return from the ankle injury she suffered on SmackDown several weeks ago.

    According to the report, WWE brought Paige into Las Vegas discreetly and she has been kept out of public view, though she was seen participating in a run-through for the match earlier this week. WWE did not return a request for comment at the time of publishing.

    Paige was medically disqualified from competing by WWE in January 2018 following a serious neck injury sustained during a tag team match at the Nassau Coliseum in December 2017. In that match, a kick from Sasha Banks connected with her back and Paige collapsed, briefly losing feeling in her extremities before walking out under her own power. Given her previous neck surgery, WWE pulled her from the ring and subsequent testing led to the decision to remove her from in-ring competition entirely. She was 25 years old at the time.

    In the years that followed, Paige transitioned into the role of SmackDown General Manager, was the subject of the Dwayne Johnson-produced film Fighting with My Family starring Florence Pugh, and eventually departed WWE when her contract expired in June 2022. She signed with AEW that September, making a surprise debut and winning the AEW Women’s Championship from Hikaru Shida. She competed for the promotion through March 2025.

    AJ Lee, who Paige defeated on her debut, is competing on Night One of WrestleMania 42, defending the Women’s Intercontinental Championship against Becky Lynch.

    WrestleMania 42 takes place April 18-19 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

  • WWE WrestleMania 42 Betting Odds: Rhea Ripley, Liv Morgan, and Jacob Fatu Heavy Favorites

    WWE WrestleMania 42 Betting Odds: Rhea Ripley, Liv Morgan, and Jacob Fatu Heavy Favorites

    Betting odds for WWE WrestleMania 42 have been released by BetOnline.ag ahead of the two-night event at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on April 18 and 19.

    Several matches stand out from an odds perspective. Liv Morgan is the heaviest favorite on the card at -450 to win the Women’s World Championship from Stephanie Vaquer, suggesting oddsmakers are confident she will capture the title. Rhea Ripley is also a strong -350 favorite to dethrone Jade Cargill for the WWE Women’s Championship, making night one’s women’s title matches both expected to see championship changes.

    On the men’s side, Randy Orton is favored at -275 to defeat Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship in the night one main event, while Roman Reigns comes in at -250 to defeat CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship in the night two main event.

    The Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match is the most evenly contested bout on the card, with Je’Von Evans listed as a razor-thin favorite at +100, just ahead of champion Penta at +105.  Jacob Fatu is the single heaviest favorite on the entire card at -650 against Drew McIntyre, while Trick Williams comes in at -475 to defeat Sami Zayn for the United States Championship. 

    The six-man tag team matches pitting The Vision and IShowSpeed against The Usos, and LA Knight has the second-largest gap on the card, with The Usos and Knight listed at -900. The full odds are as follows:

    WWE Women’s Championship

    • Rhea Ripley: -350 (favorite)
    • Jade Cargill (c): +225

    WWE Women’s World Championship

    • Liv Morgan: -450 (favorite)
    • Stephanie Vaquer (c): +275

    World Heavyweight Championship

    • Roman Reigns: -250 (favorite)
    • CM Punk (c): +170

    Undisputed WWE Championship

    • Randy Orton: -275 (favorite)
    • Cody Rhodes (c): +185

    Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match

    • Je’Von Evans: +100 (slight favorite)
    • Penta (c): +105
    • Rey Mysterio: +300
    • Dragon Lee: +2000
    • JD McDonagh: +2200
    • Rusev: +3300

    Women’s Tag Team Championship

    • Bayley and Lyra Valkyria: -200 (favorite)
    • The Bella Twins: +150
    • The Irresistible Forces (c): +350
    • Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair: +800

    Women’s Intercontinental Championship

    • Becky Lynch: -450 (favorite)
    • AJ Lee (c): +275

    Oba Femi vs. Brock Lesnar

    • Oba Femi: -300 (favorite)
    • Brock Lesnar: +200

    Jacob Fatu vs. Drew McIntyre

    • Jacob Fatu: -650 (heavy favorite)
    • Drew McIntyre: +375

    NXT Championship

    • Trick Williams: -475 (favorite)
    • Sami Zayn (c): +300

    Seth Rollins vs. Gunther

    • Gunther: -550 (favorite)
    • Seth Rollins: +325

    Finn Balor vs. Dominik Mysterio

    • Finn Balor: -550 (favorite)
    • Dominik Mysterio: +325

    Six-Man Tag Team Match

    • The Usos and LA Knight: -900 (heavy favorite)
    • The Vision and IShowSpeed: +500