What's new, worshippers of worked wristlocks?!
Similar to last year, I decided on this post before I even started writing this week. I knew I wanted to do something big for WrestleMania season, but I wasn't too sure what, at the very start. A bit of thinking and talking thinks over with my lovely wife, and I came to a conclusion.
Last year, I reviewed Mania 41 top to bottom, eventually going scorched earth in my review of the company as a whole. Since then, I've left WWE in the dust and have not looked back. Now, just over a year later, I look back at the year that was as well as both WrestleMania 42 main event matches as to compare and look at where the company is a year on from when I left it behind.
So, much like last year, warm up those dice, get those bank cards warm and your slots arm limbered up, because we're going back to Vegas, baybee.
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| WWE |
Weekly Roundup
Here's what I watched for the week;
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| By my math, that's 159 matches |
Life Without WWE - The Year That Was
I'll be honest with you guys, I wasn't really sure how I'd feel last year, giving up WWE cold turkey. I mean, I was already fairly checked out and fed up by the time 'Mania rolled around last year, so it wasn't overly difficult, but the idea of being checked out for all the online discourse and potentially fantastic matches? I won't lie, that nagged the back of my head a bit at the start. But, as time went on, it got easier. Much easier, I mean, easy to the point of not even worrying about what they were up to. Now, did I listen to The Lapsed Fan's Patreon calls of the shows on my morning walks? Yup! But that was honestly as close as I got to being "tapped in" to what was happening with the current product. I didn't even check CAGEMATCH, my BlueSky was curated to not show me any WWE content, I unfollowed most everyone WWE associated on Insta and I went on a blocking spree on Facebook. Safe to say, I was checked out and quite happy about it.
I kept up with AEW week to week, not missing an episode of Dynamite of Collision since April of last year, and spread my wings to explore other promotions. CMLL, NJPW, TJPW, a whole slew of promotions I never would have watched months ago now showed up on my radar regularly and were a part of my week to week watching habits. Slowly but surely, I was growing out of being a WWE fan and being more comfortable with being an overall wrestling fan. I mean, I already was to begin with, but I started to show it more often with my viewing habits.
So, in all honesty, it was an easy year. I happily abandoned the biggest cat in town and became comfortable with everything else. And yes, before you get on my ass for still watching WWF/E matches after Mania 41, I never said I wouldn't watch it if it showed up for Roulette Week or was a pick during my Wrestling Night's. In fact, I made a considerable effort during those nights to not pick WWF/E matches when it was my turn to pick. It's hard when your one friend only watches WWE and has seen a literal handfull of NJPW and TNA matches. I'm doing the best I can, folks.
And, because I'm such a numbers guy, let me run some quick numbers by you.
Percentage of WWF/E matches watched in 2025: 6.53%
Percentage of WWF/E matches watched in 2026 (as of 04/23/26): 2.8%
So, before you come at me for "still being a fed drone," that could not be further from the truth. In the last 16 months, a mere 4.9% of everything I've watched has been WWF/E matches. 87 matches out of 1752. Sure, should that number really be zero? Yeah, it should, but it's like trying to avoid talking about the weather or politics during Christmas dinner. Eventually, someone is gonna bring him up and you all either need to change the subject fast or ride it out until it moves onto something else. My Roulette and Wrestling nights make it difficult for me to avoid the biggest show around, but I figure as long as I make the active choice to avoid it week-to-week, I'm doing the right thing.
WWE is No Longer a Wrestling Show
In all honesty, I don't know how this is a difficult point to argue. I don't watch WWE anymore and I know it no longer caters to wrestling fans. Their shows contain such a small amount of wrestling and a large amount of promo's, advertising, and fluff, its completely laughable.
You guys want me to crunch some numbers? Sit tight, cause that's exactly what I'm gonna do!
So, let's use March 2026 as an example. Let's count only RAW and SmackDown for this example. There are 9 shows, totalling roughly 24.5 hours of television. Obviously, the shows are never hard and fast 2.5 and 3 hours, respectively, but for the sake of arguments, I don't care about a show running 3 minutes one way or another.
My math tells me that, across 9 shows, there was a grand total of 7 hours, 19 minutes, and 27 seconds of wrestling. Leaving a grand total percentage of 29.895% of RAW and SmackDown being allocated to wrestling. So how, exactly, can these shows be considered wrestling shows? We should start calling them promo shows, or advertising programs at this point.
I think we can lay a lot, if not all, of the blame at the feet of TKO and their decision to try and squeeze as much money out of the consumer as possible. I mean, look at WWE prior to TKO being formed. No sponsors on the ring, we had what, one sponsor for a show? And it was usually Snickers or whatever hot new video game was coming out? But now, every match has a sponsor, we have 10 sponsors inside the ring, the barricade has a sponsor, sometimes we get sponsored entrances, we get constant ad breaks during a premium live event, like what is going on? Genuinely, who does this appeal to? I'm actually curious, because I can't see wrestling fans from 10 years ago time travelling to this show and thinking "yup! I like how this looks!" It's bonkers.
The Shoddy Wrestlemania 42 Build
Now, I'll get more into this point as I start to breakdown the Cody/Orton match, but from everything I've observed and read about as an admitted outsider, this year's 'Mania has had a remarkably "meh" build.
I mean, let's run down the card quick. Tell me what matches here jump off the page to you. I mean, really jump off the page.
LA Knight & The Usos vs. IShowSpeed & The Vision
Could have just been The Usos and The Vision but had to find a spot for Speed and having LA Knight invade his Twitch Stream made the most sense to build up this match. Cool, I suppose.
Drew McIntyre vs. Jacob Fatu - Unsanctioned Match
Arguably a fun sounding match, but how did Drew go from being the champ a few months ago to feuding with Fatu over... "taking everything from me?" Feels like McIntyre should have had some involvement with the main event but I guess now. I know very little about this match.
The Irresistible Forces vs. Brie Bella & Paige vs. Bayley & Lyra Valkyria vs. Alexa Bliss & Charlotte Flair
I fear this is a case of "get as many teams on the card as possible," because I find it hard to believe they can tell a cohesive story between 4 teams during the current WWE climate.
AJ Lee vs. Becky Lynch
Haven't these two been feuding and fighting for months already? I felt this was all but resolved, right? The feud that never ends?
Seth Rollins vs. Gunther
This was 100% a case of "Breakker isn't healthy enough to have him work a 'Mania match so let's slot Rollins in with GUNTHER instead." No build aside from two guys just wanting to fight each other.
Stephanie Vaquer vs. Liv Morgan
A far more qualified writer gave this match a proper breakdown, illustrating how your second most important match, arguably, on Night 1 of 'Mania only got 30 minutes given to it, when the final bell sounded. Disgusting, honestly. This should have been so much bigger and better, but it wasn't. No excuses.
Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton
Oh, I'll get you you soon, you sweet little peach.
Brock Lesnar vs. Oba Femi
Arguably the most anticipated match of the entire weekend, this was given legitimate build and had a lot of actual excitement around it. I won't rag on this one, this one seemed to be done properly. Kudos where deserved. Despite Lesnar being involved in the Janel Grant suit, of course. We can't overlook that.
Penta vs. Rey Mysterio vs. JD McDonagh vs. Rusev vs. Dragon Lee vs. Je'Von Evans - Ladder Match
Yet another case of "get a bunch of guys on the card." These are almost always a WrestleMania staple but at least give us a reason to care about these other guys. I can't help but feel these are the "well, they aren't doing anything else and would be fun in a ladder match" guys. I mean, Rusev? JD? C'mon.
Sami Zayn vs. Trick Williams
Delusional Sami thinking the fans love him as he tries to defend his title against someone the fans legitimately love. From what I've heard and read, this seemed to be a pretty well hyped match. I can't help but feel we could have had some other guys involved here, maybe a 4 way with Dragunov and Hayes, but what do I know.
Finn Balor vs. Dominik Mysterio - Street Fight
Adding the Demon persona to this helped to elevate a match that would have been fun regardless and has been months in the works, the final OG pieces of the Judgment Day falling apart. I'm not sure how necessary the Demon persona was here, because it's not like Finn needed to bring out the heavy artillery to beat Dom, who could lose a million times and never lose an ounce of credibility, but I guess it made for a cool moment.
Jade Cargill vs. Rhea Ripley
Admittedly, I know very little about this build, which isn't a good sign. A match between two of your biggest stars should have a pretty easy to understand and remember story, but I've heard next to nothing about the build for this one. It sounds fun on paper, I suppose, but that only gets you so far.
CM Punk vs. Roman Reigns
In due time, my dear. In due time.
So, how may of those 13 matches jumped off the page to you? 2? 3? Should be a lot closer to 10, to me, but what do I know. I think that says more than I could ever articulate in a fancy argument about how poor this year's 'Mania was leading up to the show. The show itself wasn't a lot better, with Saturday bombing and Sunday being received better, but still, having over half of your card bomb is not a good sign.
A WWE Fan's Perspective
While I may be almost totally removed from the WWE goings on from a weekly television perspective, that doesn't mean I've completely isolated myself and refused to associate with WWE fans. In fact, I know only a few people who are still WWE fans! I decided that, on the Saturday of WrestleMania, before any of the pyro could shoot off and any bells could toll, I'd poll them on a few questions about the current WWE product going into 'Mania this year. Here are my findings.
For the sake of anonymity, they'll be referred to as acronyms. One will be AH, another JA, the other will be SM, and their spouse will be DD. I, of course, will be CM (not that one).
CM: Just to set the table, how long have you watched and been a fan of WWE? How “tapped in” are you to the current shows?
AH: I have been a fan of WWE probably since I was 10. I do keep up with RAW and SmackDown but I don't watch every show. Twitter keeps me updated lol. But I try and watch PLE's but the last one I watched full was Crown Jewel last year
SM: Been actively watching for probably 4 years. Fallen off the wagon completely of late.
DD: Been watching WCW from 1997 to 2002. Didn’t watch in ‘02, then jumped in to WWE in 2003. Not terribly tapped in to the current shows.
JA: In reality, since I was about 5 or 6 when I was used to watch WWF with my father, holding and chewing on my Hulk Hogan and Macho Man Randy Savage dolls. As for the current WWE, I'd say I watch the full shows when my job allows but otherwise I'm on my socials keeping up.
CM: What’s your general feelings going into WrestleMania this year?
AH: My feeling about WrestleMania this year I would say is kinda meh. I think the mid card matches are kinda week and I don't like the additions of Pat McAfee and Jelly Roll. They definitely panicked on putting some of these matches together. Especially Rhea Ripley and Jade Cargill. They are desperately trying to make that work
SM: I won’t be watching but look forward to hearing the high & lowlights from husband hahah.
DD: It’s kind of the shits. They need to stop having peoples’ moms book wrestling shows.
JA: I feel like while there might be good or great matches, it doesn't have the same fire behind it that it has in years before which sucks because Wrestlemania is the event of the year
CM: How do you feel about the Saturday Main Event match of Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton for the Undisputed WWE Title?
AH: Not really into it. I don't think they needed to bring Jelly Roll and McAfee in. I think the story alone sold it. But I get they wanted a heel vs baby face match up. I do think Randy is going over but I think the match live will be good. I do think WrestleMania ticket slumps did take account for why they brought those two in.
SM: I just hope they both have fun. Honestly, I hope Cody wins but I’m a huge mark.
DD: It had a 20 year build that doesn’t require Jelly Roll or Pat McAfee, but as long as they stay out of it I’m hopeful it will be a good match.
JA: It was bound to come about, the 2 "main" wrestling family dynasties. Even at his age, Randy is still a strong athlete and performer. Cody can hold his own but I want him to feed less into his gimmicks. It should be interesting to see how it plays out.
CM: How do you feel about the Sunday Main Event match of CM Punk vs. Roman Reigns for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship?
AH: I think it's going to be a great match. Lots of animosity between the two. I like the build. I do want Punk to go over. It makes the most sense in my opinion. Going to be a hard hitting match
SM: I couldn’t be more exhausted of Roman Reigns, & I hope CM Punk doesn’t hurt himself.
DD: You got two professional wrestlers who are going to use the ring without doing a bunch of front flips. It’s going to be great.
JA: I think Punk thinks he has painted himself as the new people's champion with his interesting promos, trying to make Roman look like a stooge. I think Punk needs to bring his A game and honestly want to see Roman put him in his place.
CM: How do you feel about the celebrity involvement in the show? IShowSpeed, Pat McAfee, Jelly Roll and others?
AH: Too much. Personally keep it to 1 or 2 celebrities
SM: I think it detracts from the show. I think it’s a grasp for relatability / relevance that wouldn’t need to be there if the modern product was anything near how it was in its heyday.
DD: The IShowSpeed kid looks like he could be pretty athletic, his facials are surprisingly good — could be good if they take care of him in a well choreographed spot. Jelly Roll & Pat McAfee don’t need to be around that. It’s like if Guns N Roses came back & had a bunch of accordions on stage.
JA: WWE and WWF have always had some sort of celebrity involvement. Now whether is a help or hinder, depends on who you are talking to. I have seen a lot of things mocking Pat as of late, Jelly Roll isn't worth all the spotlight he's getting.
CM: Will you continue to watch WWE at the level you have been after WrestleMania this year? More? Less?
AH: I will keep it the same.
SM: They’d have to really do some work to gain my attention back, but I’m open to it if they pull some sort of Hail Mary.
DD: I really haven’t been watching it. If it’s good I’ll get back on it.
JA: The landscape of the WWE is always changing, for better and for worse the same. Will I ever truly stop watching? Doubtful. But my watchtime will depend on how things play out and if it makes sense. If its ridiculous bs, I'll probably take a break for a while.
Now, I will admit, the sample size I pulled from is small, I didn't go to my local college or send out flyers or anything, but
Here’s what we’re reviewing for the Watchlist;
• • • • •
Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton - McAfee Mania is Running Wild!
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Basic Complicated Breakdown
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| Your WrestleMania build in one picture. WWE |
If you were to tell me a year ago that we'd be getting a vicious, heel Orton vs the valiant champion Rhodes in the 'Mania main event, I'd be hyped! Legacy members implode! 12 years on from when they first teamed up, they main event the biggest show of the year! Wow! That's amazing! Like, legitimately amazing! How far Rhodes has come and how consistent Orton has stayed after so many years is nothing to be scoffed at! Surely, this main event will deliver, right?! ...right?
Well, what if I told you that match was happening, but now we have... Pat McAfee and Jelly Roll involved. Oh. Why?
Well, dear reader, let me tell you... I have no fucking idea why.
For whatever reason, 2 years on from McAfee nearly crying with joy at the commentary desk after Rhodes "finished the story" against Roman, he's come back to wrestling and decided that Rhodes is "killing wrestling." But! Let's not forget! Orton was seen on the phone one week discussing with someone how there certainly is more than one royal family in wrestling, to borrow a phrase from Rhodes' entrance tune. Who could this be on the other end? His dad, Cowboy Bob Orton? McMah- no, God please no. I mean! The possibilities were... limited, but there were options! Only for it to be revealed to be Pat McAfee of all people.
So now, we have a nasty heel Orton, who the fans insist on cheering, by the way, with "I don't know what go away heat is" McAfee in his corner, trying to rip the Undisputed WWE Championship from Cody Rhodes, whom the fans have been slowly turning on as well, hoping that he'd turn heel sooner than later. But who could forget! Cody's one and only friend in the business, apparently, mister Jelly Roll! Yes, folks, that famous musician Jelly Roll has been hanging around backstage and has decided to hitch his wagon to the Rhodes train, helping him whenever he needs it. Nobody else in the WWE feels like helping out the champ, of course, only this outsider can be bothered to back up your biggest player. Makes sense to me.
So, the table is set, the pieces are all in place, it's game time.
Cody Rhodes, probably with some help from jelly Roll, maybe, defends the biggest prize in the sport against the vicious viper Randy Orton, with Pat McAfee insisting that Orton is the only thing that can save wrestling from the blight, the scourge, the sickness that is Rhodes. Because, y'know, Rhodes is the reason ticket prices are through the roof, ratings are in the toilet, and fan apathy could not be higher. It's all his fault, surely.
Does this sound like an exciting main event to you?! ... what do you mean no?! What's the matter with you! Do you just hate good storytelling or something?!
đź”” Bell to Bell đź””
With 52 minutes left in the show and a near 23 minute match set to take place, I strap in for WWE's brand of main event level storytelling. The promo package starts with 52 minutes left in the show, mind you, so that's the point where I'm doing my math from. We spend 26 minutes waiting for the match bell to ring, which includes, the promo package, Orton's 5 minute entrance, Rhodes' 7 minute Iron Man inspired entrance, and 7 minutes outside the ring before the action gets under way. Maybe I'll give you a quick rundown of that happens there before we get to the actual match. But I just want to say this, could we not have shaved a few minutes off this match and maybe, now I may be crazy for suggesting this, give it to the Women? No? That's what I thought, sorry for even asking.
McAfee and Orton jump the champ in the ring and beat him down, with Rhodes able to fight out and plant Pat with a Cross Rhodes nice and early to take him out. Kicking him to the floor, he dismantles the announce desk and drapes Pat across it, seemingly ready to deliver something huge, when suddenly, Jelly Roll is at ringside? Mr. Roll gestures to say "I'll handle this" as he climbs to the Spanish announce desk and... good lord, drops an elbow on McAfee.From there, he shouts to Rhodes "go give them the one-on-one match they came to see!" you're right, Mr Roll! We did come to see a one-on-one match with nay interference or fluff on the perimeter, so why were you and Pat involved in this?!
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| Jelly flies! WWE |
Honestly, with over a decade of television to pull from to tell this story, whose decision (I know it came from TKO, I'm being facetious) weas it to shoehorn McAfee and Jelly Roll into this storyline? Furthermore, why were they included and then completely removed from the equation within the first few minutes? They meant nothing to this match! They were (nearly) non factors in this entire ordeal! So why include them at all! All they did was kill whatever amount of fan enjoyment was left in this storyline and take time away from Rhodes and Orton in favour of giving them TV time. We could have had more of Orton and Rhodes digging into each other, but no, instead we get a basically shoot promo from Rhodes that is centred around McAfee! They wheel McAfee out of the arena, only for him to give a thumbs up-turned middle finger up the ramp, because we need to make sure Pat looks strong on his way out of the match. This is actively bad.
Well, the bell has rang now, so I guess it's time to talk about the match. Oh boy.
This match is pretty rough, honestly, and I'm really not sure why. I mean, I watched it, but I just don't know why this didn't click. The crowd isn't really interested in anything going on in this match, and they don't do an awful lot to pull them in or get them interested. They make a big deal out of Orton having a messed up back leading into this one, which apparently isn't just kayfabe, so Cody does his best to wear out toe back of the Viper from the moment he gets a chance to work him over.
The earliest, and most notable moment, is when Rhodes is able to score a back suplex on Orton, hearkening back to when Mr. Kennedy (Kennedy) dropped Orton with a back suplex that was legitimately botched and hurt him, resulting in Kennedy (Kennedy) getting fired. A curious moment to call back to, if you ask me, as it only tangentially involved Rhodes and Orton, but it's something I suppose. That "long term storytelling" those WWE fans get all hot and bothered about.
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| Now THIS is a career killer. WWE |
It was around this point in the match where I really started to notice just how dead the crowd is for this match. Like, you could have told me half these people had narcolepsy and I'd believe you. There's little more than a respectful murmur across this whole match. Moves get a faint "ooh" here and there, but that's it. Which surprises me, because you'd think that these two ring generals would have a pretty good sense for how to get a crowd behind them. I mean, they didn't really do a lot to pull the people in at any point, so I'm not sure what the deal here is.
Do I believe this match could have been heavily scripted and is partly to blame for why it suffered? There's a good chance. I can't say say with absolute certainty one way or another, but I could be convinced that an adherence to a scripted format is the reason they couldn't get the crowd behind them. I mean, think about it, you hear stories all the time of guys from years gone by of guys knowing how to control the crowd and get them to respond how they want. I can't find the clip right now, so forgive me, but I recently saw JBL talking about how when he worked with Eddie Guerrero, JBL got him in a headlock on the canvas and held him there, talking to Eddie the whole time. Apparently, whatever match prior to this really stole the show, and they knew theyd need to do a lot of work to get the crowd with them, so Eddie told JBL to sit on him in that headlock a long time, and wait. JBL gets impatient and insists he needs to get Eddie up, but Eddie is listening, feeling the pulse of the crowd. Soon, Eddie tells JBL to let him up and they go into the rest of their match, right on the threshold of when the crowd was about to lose interest. Apparently, they managed to get the crowd back up again for their match and had a fantastic night, which is indicative of how good guys like that are at listening and working with a crowd. The fans aren't the enemy, more often than not, they are your partner in this dance too, and should be worked with just as much as you work with your opponent. Orton and Rhodes either choosing to ignore the crowd or being told to "stick to the script" worked against them tonight, as this whole match was a snoozefest.
I mean, even Orton's biggest and best moves, the superplex and draping DDT, don't get the people back, which should be a sign of how they feel. At one point, Orton does run the razor after getting sent into the corner post, showing he knows how to draw tickets and bleed for the industry that feeds his family, with Rhodes trying to keep him down and out. Rhodes' Disaster Kick was one of the biggest "highspots" of the match, which should tell you everything you need to know about how sluggish and pathetic this whole match is. There's flashes of melodrama in the match too, with Rhodes getting in the face of someone he once loved and respected, but it doesn't do anything to salvage this match.
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| If a kick summarized an entire match. WWE |
It also doesn't help that WWE crowds, especially during 'Mania, have been conditioned that big, main event matches can't end until someone kicks out of at least one finisher, so they sit on their hands until those near falls and only then will they actually get interested. In this case, Orton lands a Cross Rhodes and Cody lands a RKO, stealing each others biggest moves, which is the only point where the crowd is actually invested, which is pretty grim if you ask me. He does get out of a proper RKO, only to be totally held down for another pin, which Charles Robinson just doesn't count (because it's not part of the script, brother).
As we near the finish, things start to get a bit wonky, if you ask me. At some point, a wild punch from Orton busts the orbital bone of Cody and gives him some legit colour and a shiner that had yet to show itself. Then, Cody pokes the eyes of Orton and "blinds" him, with Orton staggering back after the poke. "Lashing out" when Robinson checks on him, the ref eats an RKO and is out cold. Commentary tries to put it over as "he had no idea it was the referee!" but you could clearly see Robinson talking to Orton, and there was almost no way for Cody to get to that spot in the amount of time Orton was selling for. But I digress.
Orton tries to kick the Rhodes family jewels, but Cody blocks and Rhodes lands a dick kick of his own! a Cody Cutter turns into an RKO out of nowhere, and suddenly, McAfee is sprinting down the ramp with a neckbrace and a referee shirt on! Which, I can't help but feel is not advised if you are wearing a neck brace, but again, I digress. He slides in and counts the pin, but Cody survives! With Pat's encouragement, Orton lines up Cody, and hits McAfee with an RKO! This distraction allows Cody to pull Orton in for the Cross Rhodes, with Robinson coming back to life to count the final pin. Rhodes retains his title.
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| Nice try, Pat! WWE |
Once again, I ask, what was the point of Pat? He served almost no point in the finish of this match, aside from a stupid distraction to Orton, so I guess he mattered, but this wasn't necessary! The match would have been a lot better (don't quote me on that) if Pat had zero involvement in this match! He served no purpose aside from muddying waters that were totally fine without him!
After the match, Cody celebrates with his gold, only for Orton to steal it and attack Cody with it! Giving himself a moment to listen to the voices in his head, Orton decided to embrace the darkness even deeper, crushing the head of Cody with a punt kick out of the corner, a move we haven't see in well over 10 years. The vicious viper seems to be back.
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| Shades of the great Pat McAfee. Legendary punter. WWE |
I can't help but feel like this just set up Backlash of a SNME down the road, which is a pretty flat way to end your show, but what do I know. I don't watch the product.
Match Time: 22:44
Overview & Final Rating
đź”´ - A complete bore.
Well, this was certainly a match that happened, wasn't it? A nothing burger of a match that was brought down from being fairly mid to begin with by the unnecessary and nonsensical involvement of Pat McAfee and Jelly Rolly. How you can screw up a ready made 12 year build this easily is honestly incredible. Like, insanely stupid that this turned into what it did. I can't honestly believe it. I had no expectations going into this match and they were somehow not met, and also well beyond what this match ended up being. Mind boggling. Cody at least managed to have a better main event than he did last year, which isn't hard considering how abhorrent that Cena match was, but for nearly putting this hyper caffeinated, ADHD brained reviewer to sleep, this match will be remembered as a very forgettable main event.
• • • • •
CM Punk vs. Roman Reigns - "I Hate You!" "No! I Hate You!"
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| The calm before the storm. WWE |
Basic Breakdown
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| A verbal assault before the physical. WWE |
"I hate you."
After winning the '26 Rumble, Reigns picked World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk as his 'Mania challenge, simply stating "I picked you because I hate you." There's actually a pretty good deal of history between these two, when you really break it down. WWE historians will know that Punk was the one who pitched the idea of The Shield, or at least a group like The Shield, wanting Rollins, Ambrose, and... Chris Hero?! I mean, he and Punk have history, so it's not completely insane, but having him as the third man in The Shield is some insane alternate history to think about. Regardless, the group would be there to protect then champion Punk and back him up, acting as his first line of defence. The idea would be partially scrapped, with The Shield still debuting and with Reigns replacing Hero, only they acted as a rogue group of mercenaries, tearing the WWE apart piece by piece, week after week. It's arguably one of the best factions the company has ever created, with all three men going on to achieve levels of success that nobody could have predicted when they first showed up at Survivor Series 2012.
But now, things are different. Punk took 10 years away from WWE, with Roman leading the charge in his absence, more or less. When he eventually returned, Roman is quick to point out that "you screw me! You take my Wiseman, and you almost brainwash me," with Survivor Series '25 being one of the main factors leading to Roman's complete and utter hatred for Roman. They mock each other for weeks, pointing out age, part-time schedules, biting at each other with comments of "young boy" and "who's the real Tribal Chief." It gets pretty heated as the weeks go on, with Punk even going so far as to say that he's going to bury Roman "next to your father." Yikes.
So, the table is set, each man vying for the head position. Punk, the champion, and Roman, for the first time since 2018, finds himself challenging for the gold. Who will come out on top in the main event of the biggest show of the year?
đź”” Bell to Bell đź””
Before the match begins, Michael Cole is quick to declare this as "what has been called one of the greatest main events in WrestleMania history." They really, really can't get out of their own way, can they? They insist upon themselves at every possible opportunity. It's maddening. We do get some nice entrances, with Roman getting a "live" entrance, although I refuse to believe anything about this entrance was actually live. Punk gets a really grand entrance, with WWE opening their wallets to get AFI's "Miseria Cantare" for a special cinematic entrance for the champion, calling back to his days in Ring of Honor (and AEW!). Hell, they even have Punk on the fuckin' roof of Allegiant Stadium for the entrance video! It's nuts! Loved the production for this.
Something I'd like to point out during Punk's entrance was his pristine white jacket, adorned with 4 names, 2 flags, and 2 images that mean something to the champ. Let me give you a quick rundown here.
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On the front of the jacket, we have;
• Bo Lueders - Guitarist of Chicago based hardcore punk band "Harm's Way" who passed on April 2nd of 2026. Many wrestlers (including Brody King) were close with Bo and paid tribute to him in various ways.
• Larry - CM Punk's dog that passed in late 2025.
On the right sleeve, we have;
• The Chicago Flag - CM Punk's home city.
• Kerwin Silfies - Director of many of WWE's biggest productions since the 1980's, including WrestleMania III, Saturday Night's Main Event, and WrestleMania VI, who passed on February 17 2026.
• Jim Shank - A Technical Operations Manager who joined the WWE in 1999, who passed after losing a battle to colon cancer on February 6 2026.
• Davey Coates - WWE's International Touring Manager for over 20 years. I'm unable to find when exactly he passed, but every tribute I've seen has been posted during the middle of March, 2026.
On the left sleeve, we have;
• The Puerto Rican Flag - AJ Lee, Punk's wife, is Puerto Rican.
And finally, on the back, we have;
• A King's crown - in reference to "The King" Harley Race, one of Punk's mentors and idols in wrestling, who passed in 2019.
With both men in the ring and just over 39 minutes left in the show as the match bell rings, with almost 34 of those minutes taken up by the match itself, I find this amount of video a lot easier to stomach than I did for 'Mania Saturday. Punk and Reigns are both in pretty good moods going into this match, and it's obvious from every bit of their body language. Reigns makes a gun with his hand and targets Punk's title during his entrance, with Punk making the "so-so" hand gesture when Alicia Taylor announces his weight. When they square up in the middle, both men are talking, a conversation only expert lip readers and they know about. You can make out only about 2 words, or at least only I could. Reigns seems to ask Punk something, which, an already smug Punk chuckles in response to, saying "probably not" back. I love little moments like these, they make matches a bit more fun and special, and I liked seeing Punk and Reigns at ease in this match. No butterflies, no nerves, just two pro's about to tear into one another.
 |
| Like a baseball bat to the chest. WWE |
This match was pretty fun, in even further contrast from Saturday's main event. Both men clearly had their working boots on here and were set to have the best match possible. Reigns' confidence is oozing from every pore, and Punk is coming across like a million bucks too, shocked when bits of his offence don't register like he'd hoped, and cocky when he's able to get something that wears down the OTC. They spend some time on the floor early in this match, with Punk even getting sent into the front row, but they brawl back inside the ring with Reigns making the first pin attempt of the match.
Something I forgot to point out earlier, but I'll say now while these two are getting the opening of the match sorted, is this match is brought to you by Riyadh Season! Yes, folks, that's right! Our good friends in Saudi Arabia bring you this main event! Let's also not forget that 'Mania 43 will take place in Saudi Arabia next year! Oh goodie! I can't wait to take the wife with me! ... what do you mean that's not allowed.
Anyways! Back to the match at hand! Punk and Reigns do an excellent job of keeping the crowd with them the entire time, mocking each other's signature gestures and moves and making it seem like they're having the easiest time at the office during the match. Sure, they're beating lumps out of each other, but they've gotta act like this guy is total chump meat! It's refreshing to watch a match like this after the stinker from Saturday, where it feels like these guys are actually measuring the energy of the crowd and are working accordingly. I really, really feel like Orton/Rhodes was heavily scripted, and this match was almost totally free form.
 |
| Gotcha! WWE |
We're out on the floor again, with Reigns on the table and Punk ascending to the top rope for a dive, but Reigns cuts him off and hangs him upside down in the corner, his torso on the outside of the ring. Reigns tee's off on Punk's noggin with shot after shot, eventually, leading to Reigns clobbering Punk with the ring steps. Punk does both a subtle and not-so-subtle blade job back-to-back here, which, as we all know, Punk has a very particular way in which he likes to get colour. He's hung upside down and is bleeding from the Reigns punches at one point, though I'm not sure where he ran the razor while draped like that. It's not until Reigns crushes him with the steps and Punk falls to the floor that the camera catches Punk full on jabbing himself with the blade. He's partially hidden by the steps, but eagle eyed viewers will see what he's up to.
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| What'cha doin down there, Pepsi Phil? WWE |
It's usually by this point in a Punk match where the remarkably nonathletic champ starts to lumber about the ring. You guys know what I mean, he kinda looks stagger-stepped or like he's walking in mud. Maybe he's just an exceptional seller, I dunno, but I can't help but feel like there are actual moments where his lungs get heavy and he starts to struggle out there, but he's doing well in this match and doesn't look to be a step or three behind. A table powerbomb may have been enough, but Punk is able to land a GTS in the ring to counter a spear. Things are starting to pick up now!
You really can tell these two are having a whole load of fun in this match, honestly. They work well with one another and don't look like they're struggling to keep the intensity high. You could be convinced that Roman hates Punk, and Punk hates Roman. They don't skip a chance to mock the other guy, with Reigns even trying to steal the GTS to try and pour salt into Punk's open wound. Giving it right back to Roman, a Superman punch nearly puts him down, but the OTC holds on. Hell! Punk even yoinks an Ula Fala necklace from someone in the front row behind the commentary desk to even further mock Reigns, but that almost costs him the match, with Reigns catching the spear attempt with a guillotine choke.
With Punk seemingly ready to really throw down, he rips off some of his wrist tape and tosses it at Reigns, with the ref distracted long enough to pick up the trash to allow for Punk to land a low blow on Reigns. I'm not entirely certain why our valiant hero would stoop so low as to need to do that, or why they felt it was necessary to do that in both 'Mania main event matches, but what do I know, I don't watch the product.
⚡Move of the Match⚡
On the floor now, Reigns is draped across the announcers desk, with Punk ascending to the top rope once again. This time, however, he soars, crushing Reigns and blowing the table to smithereens beneath him.
 |
| Call it a stage dive! WWE |
Back in the ring, one GTS nearly leads to another, but Punk's body fails him. He's unable to make the cover, and Reigns seizes, landing a spear, but Punk fights on his knees, defiant to his dying breath. Rebounding off the ropes twice, Reigns builds momentum and cleaves Punk in half with a spear. Pinning, Reigns keeps the champion down for 3. We have a new World Heavyweight Champion.
 |
| Two halves of a former champion. WWE |
Match Time: 33:56
Overview & Final Rating
🟢 - A remarkable main event!
This match was a lot of fun! A very well paced WWE style main event match that ticked all the boxed you'd hope for and expect, as a WWE fan, of course. I've seen a lot of people call this one of the greatest 'Mania matches of all time, saying it was better than both Shawn Michaels and Undertaker matches, which I think is an insanely bold claim to make. It was good! Don't get me wrong! But that good? C'mon, let's be realistic here. Few matches will top those. I mean, was it better than Hart and Austin and 'Mania 13? Huh? Really? I don't think so. I enjoyed this a lot, but I think it just stands out as being highly memorable and exciting when you compare it to everything else the WWE has been putting out. Not just on the 'Mania 42 card, but as a whole. But what do I know, I don't watch the product.
• • • • •
Weekly Roundup - The Wraparound
WWE WrestleMania 42 - By The Numbers
Folks, it's even worse than I feared.
I've run the numbers, had some run for me by outside sources, and the results are in. It's bad.
Last year, I did a percentage breakdown of how much wrestling there was on the show vs. how long the actual show ran for and the numbers were staggeringly bad. Like, even I was shocked at how bad they were, and I watched last year's 'Mania live.
Let me give you guys a quick refresh on last year's numbers.
Alright, now let's do the real math.
Wrestlemania 41 total match time: 3:13:38
Wrestlemania 41 total non-match time: 4:43:19
Wrestlemania 41 Saturday & Sunday combined run times: 7:56:57
Now, a little fuzzy math brings me to this horrific number.
40.6% of Wrestlemania 41 contained actual wrestling. Would have been nice if we got an extra .4% on there but you and I both know that would have been too much to ask for.
-via Weekly Watchlist 045 - April 20 2025 - WWE & Wrestlemania 41
And now, here's this year's numbers, starting with Saturday.
Total runtime: 3:55:46
Combined match length: 1:25:32
Time spent between matches: 2:30:14
Now, my quick math tell me...
36.28% of WrestleMania Saturday contained actual wrestling. Christ sakes.
And now, for Sunday
Total runtime: 3:38:27
Combined match length: 1:21:31
Time spent between matches: 2:16:55
With my quick finger math telling me...
37.32% of WrestleMania Sunday contained actual wrestling. Wow.
And now, for the numbers you've all been waiting for...
WrestleMania 42 combined run times: 7:34:13
WrestleMania 42 total match time: 2:47:03
WrestleMania 42 total non-match time: 4:47:09
Bringing me to the grand total of...
36.78% of WrestleMania 42, Saturday and Sunday, contained actual wrestling.
Folks, what the fuck are we doing?
I mean, if that isn't enough to drive you away, then I've lost all hope for you. Maybe the sex trafficking lawsuit couldn't push you away, maybe their connections to the current political regime didn't bother you enough, maybe their Saudi affiliation never got under your skin, and maybe their complete lack of respect for you, the paying customer, never once made you squirm in your chair. I suppose I can accept that (spoilers, I'm lying, I can't accept that), but maybe, just maybe, the fact that they are giving you a show that is no longer a wrestling show, despite being called WrestleMania, is the final straw for you.
I mean, what if the SuperBowl had only 37% of its play time be actual football? The world series was over 60% ads and non-baseball fluff? Or the Soccer World Cup had less actual game play than ever before? And don't give me the "but Morgan! Wrestling is all about the entrances too! Don't forget about those! Look, if I wanted to watch a beauty pageant, I'd watch Ru Paul, if I wanted to watch a blatantly lip sync'd concert, I'd watch one on YouTube, and if I wanted to watch a bunch of ads.... well, I'd also watch YouTube. My point is simple, honestly, WWE is not a wrestling show. If you like their brand of "entertainment," then by all means, keep watching, but if you consider yourself a fan of wrestling in any really meaningful way, cut the cord. Do it and never look back.
The Grass is, in Fact, Greener
Something I already knew, but this year away made oh so apparent for me, was just how green the grass can be when you decide to venture into other pastures outside of the WWE field. I've spread my wings this year and watched so much more wrestling than I ever would have if I stuck to WWE and their brand of entertainment, and I can't tell you how much fun I've had. Let me give you a quick rundown of some things I learned in my year.
• I love CMLL and lucha libre!
• Joshi and Women's wrestling is better and stronger than ever!
• Despite losing some of its heaviest hitters, (DPW & Prestige) the American indies are stronger than ever!
• AEW is the best American wrestling company going. Period.
Not only that, but 'Mania season is one of the healthiest, richest seasons for wrestling! Despite WWE's best attempts to try and make it seem like they are the only show in town, Las Vegas is a pretty happening place for wrestling this week! But it's not just Vegas! A lot of companies, some based overseas, are still running big shows to capitalize on people's thirst for wrestling this week.
With that in mind, I went ahead and made a list of just about every notable wrestling show going on in the days leading up to WrestleMania and during 'Mania as well. These are all cards that I think you should look into and investigate if they sound interesting to you and seek out to view if they really catch your interest! A lot of these are smaller indies that need all the help they can get, so spare them a couple bucks for the show or whatever subscription service they may happen to be on.
So if you're one of those people that says "but there's nothing else good on during WrestleMania!" or "I don't know what else to watch!" all I'm hearing now is, "I don't want to watch anything else! I'm too lazy!" No excuses. If you want to watch something else this year, there ya go. Go hog wild.
Now, admittedly, were all of these shows great? No! A few were pretty dreadful! But that's half the fun, spreading your wings and leaping from the nest doesn't mean you'll be guaranteed to soar, you may fall for a bit, maybe catch a solid breeze, your wings may falter for a moment, but if you work hard, you'll fly! It takes time! These shows were good to great across the board and everyone's mileage and enjoyment will vary, so experiment! Maybe you'll find one wrestler you really resonate with! A company that jumps out to you! Give yourself a chance to explore and see what you can find. I found a few names and companies here I'll be doing my best to keep my eyes on in the future.
Defending a Company That Does Not Care About You
I see this far too often online, in comment sections and posts people share from diehard WWE fan accounts that will grab at any sliver they possibly can to defend their company. But, here's the thing, they don't care about you. Ask yourself this, if WWE cared, I mean really cared about you, the viewer, would they;
• Charge premium prices while delivering inconsistent to poor quality shows• Prioritize "moments" and marketing opportunities over coherent, long-term storytelling
• Ignore loud fan reactions when they don’t fit the intended narrative
• Repeatedly push unpopular talent while forgetting those fans organically support
• Drop or rewrite storylines with no payoff or explanation at the drop of a hat
• Treat major championships and important, memorable moments as disposable props
• Rely more on nostalgia and part-time stars instead of building the future
• Fill weekly and premium shows with recaps, ads, and filler instead of meaningful content
• Condition fans to wait for things to “eventually get good,” when it never does
• Dismiss or overlook consistent viewer criticism and feedback, further digging in your heels when you should be relenting and accepting criticism for what it is.
I mean it, truly ask yourself these questions. Hell, if these things happened to you at your job, if your boss continually overlooked you and your work and went with someone who is close to retirement over and over again, would you be happy with your job? Would you think that was fair? If your favourite restaurant suddenly tripled its prices, would you continue to eat there? Or would you make a stink with the manager and refuse to return until things returned to a reasonable rate? If your favourite TV show had episodes end with cliffhangers that went nowhere week after week, would you tune in for the next season or write it off as "this show has lost its direction and I can't watch it anymore because it doesn't make sense."
I think I speak for most people here when I say no, you wouldn't. Any reasonable person would make a stink with their boss, never eat at that place again, and ignore said show until it either improved or find something better to watch. Trust me when I say this, the grass is greener. Be bold, be brave, break away from the comfort and find something else, if you truly care about this great sport. But if all you care about are those big shiny letters of WWE, then I can't help you. I don't know what to say. At some point, it stops being about loyalty and starts being about standards. If you wouldn’t accept this anywhere else in your life, why accept it with your wrestling?
Where Do We Go From Here?
Well, I can tell you where I'm going from here, I'm staying the course. I'm not changing gears, shifting in place, or having second thoughts. I was a bit worried, honestly, that watching WrestleMania would make me miss the grandeur and presentation of a WWE show, but I really don't. Like, really don't. I enjoy my AEW pageantry without it being too over the top, I like the simplicity of CMLL, the hard hitting nature of NJPW and the biuts of comedy that TJPW, Stardom, and other promotions offer. I get just about everything I could possibly need from the rest of the world of wrestling without ever wanting to go back to WWE. I'm more than content, and I really hope that you will be brave enough to join me on the other side of the fence. Even for a month, try it for the summer! Give up SummerSlam for lent! Make a bold move! I'm certain you'll survive it for a few days. I know I did, and so can you.
Will I write another scathing review next year? I'm not really sure, honestly. I can't help but feel like writing two similar reviews like this year after year is enough. My math more than speaks for itself and I feel like there are more fans feeling this way than ever before. Unless things change drastically one way or another in the year, I don't feel like this kind of review will be necessary next year, but I suppose it's a bit early to be making these bold claims.
• • • • •
Well, there we have it, friends! What seems to be my yearly tradition of giving the WWE a heavy dose of criticism. I certainly hope this isn't a tradition, because this is a lot of exhausting work and I try to give them as little attention as possible, but it was certainly fun to do the past 2 years.
As always, if you have any opinions or feedback about this review and the thing's I've said, drop me a line! My email isn't hard to find.
Until next week. Be well, stay safe, and love one another.
cliffmorganwstl@gmail.com
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