WrestleMania 42 is right around the corner, and I’ve got thoughts. WWE’s biggest professional wrestling event is returning to Las Vegas for two nights — on Saturday and Sunday — and you can stream all the action on ESPN Unlimited. That is, if you feel like it.
I guess I feel like it. But that drive to watch is mostly inspired by one recently cobbled-together match: Brock Lesnar versus Oba Femi. I know I am not alone in this opinion; I’ll get into my reasoning in a second.
The Road to WrestleMania is the most important time for WWE, and it’s over these few months that the strongest storylines are put together with the goal of creating huge moments in the ring in the big event.
WWE needs stronger stories
And hey, some storylines have come together nicely during this time — Stephanie Vaquer vs. Liv Morgan is one example I can think of. Another would be Finn Bálor’s babyface turn against Dominic Mysterio, in which he’ll be resurrecting his “Demon” persona after three-years.
But aside from all this, as a whole, WrestleMania doesn’t feel super exciting this year. Since John Cena turned heel at 2025’s Elimination Chamber and then clunkily followed through on that character pivot until the story fizzled out, it has felt as if cracks in the creative foundation of the biggest company in sports entertainment have begun to show.
I understand that, in the end, this is live theater, and unexpected wrenches can be tossed into the mix to change planned storylines. That said, the addition of YouTube streamer iShowSpeed to this year’s event feels like a ploy to tap into his followers and nothing more. The match between Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton could deliver, but the beats of that story are basically a retread of Cody’s drama with Cena last year.
And don’t get me started about Pat McAfee’s return to WWE. McAfee left his role as ringside commentator last year due to burnout, which is understandable given his busy schedule. His return, though, as Orton’s in-ring hype man, is so out of character for the popular ESPN host and former NFL player that his involvement with Orton’s heel turn makes it all feel like one big joke.
It wasn’t that long ago that he was standing on the table, yeeting along to Jey Uso’s theme music, challenging Gunther to a match to defend the honor of his co-host and friend, Michael Cole. With his silly heel turn, it feels like all that goodwill has been tossed out the window.
There is one thing, though, that has kept him relevant to the WrestleMania story: his recent promos on low ticket sales. Both Rhodes and CM Punk addressed this in separate promos of their own, calling out TKO on the high cost of entry for WWE shows — and that includes WrestleMania.
A quick stroll through the internet turned up all sorts of commentary from fans about this issue, including the aforementioned ticket prices. Along with conflicts concocted out of thin air — I’m looking at you, Seth Rollins and Gunther — make it clear that rumors of creative differences behind the scenes may actually ring true.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention WWE’s move to put all PLEs on streaming. The luster of watching pay-per-view events like the Royal Rumble and Summer Slam has faded. The playing field has been leveled, and now you can dig into WrestleMania the same way you watch RAW or Saturday Night’s Main Event — as long as you have the necessary subscription.
This brings me back to the Lesnar/Femi match.
WWE’s deal with ESPN has sparked new energy and interest in WWE programming. More eyes are on the product given ESPN’s reach. The two companies know this, and for the first time ever, WrestleMania will air live on cable television for the first hour on each day, hitting ESPN2 on Saturday and on ESPN on Sunday.
Take a wild guess which match has been tapped to kick off night two.
The Ruler faces The Beast
A few days ago, I was listening to an episode of The Smartless podcast where, out of nowhere, the guest, Stephen Colbert, started talking about Brock Lesnar. This reminded me of the WWE superstar’s notoriety and fame outside of the squared circle. None of the people talking were wrestling fans, per se, but you could hear the energy when they spoke of him — and that’s exactly what Triple H and the rest of the team are likely hoping will carry over here.
Toward the beginning of the Road to WrestleMania, Paul Heyman and Lesnar made an open challenge on multiple episodes of RAW to any opponent brave enough to step up and battle the man known simply as The Beast.
At the inception of the Ruthless Aggression era, Kurt Angle posed a similar challenge, and a then-unknown wrestler named John Cena took him to task, thus kicking off his legendary career.
Now it’s Oba Femi’s turn.
I first got a glimpse of Femi’s talent during Cena’s final show at Saturday Night’s Main Event. He more than stood his own with Cody Rhodes, who he tossed across the ring like a rag doll. Months later, he was a formidable opponent at the Royal Rumble, lasting over 39 minutes and eliminating five wrestlers before Lesnar, of all people, tossed him over the top rope.
You could see the writing on the wall with Lesnar’s challenge. When Femi answered the call, he instilled fear into The Beast and showed everyone why he was called The Ruler. He proceeded to pummel the man — something no one ever thought possible. Since then, the promising newcomer has blossomed into WWE’s next dominant superstar. I’ve even found myself humming his entrance music while trying to do his signature strut.
More Oba Femi energy, please
The chemistry between the two is undeniable. You can see that in their few face-offs in the ring, including the brawl that found them tossing office furniture at each other. Separately, they signed the contract to make this battle official.
After Femi finished his signing, he faced off with Heyman and delivered a sturdy enough promo to knock the wiseman off his game. Triple H patted him on the shoulder, and you could see from his body language that there’s a lot riding on this match-up, which Heyman has been correctly calling the real main event of WrestleMania.
This is exciting, sure. But when you look at the talent loading WrestleMania’s roster, it’s clear that there’s a sizable gap between the tried-and-true performers who may be close to retirement and promising newbies tasked with carrying the company into the next era.
It’s not just about talent, though. I can watch CM Punk and Roman Reigns trade barbs till the cows come home — and they, along with so many on the roster, deliver the goods day in and day out.
At the end of the day, we need solid storylines that pay off. These big emotional moments are what WrestleMania was built on. The spectacle will definitely be there when the show kicks off this weekend. But pyrotechnics, celebrity cameos and surprise story twists can only carry things so far. Without exciting new faces, infectious energy and authentic narratives, it just feels like a formulaic retread.
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