WrestleMania 42 took over Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on April 18 and 19, 2026, with John Cena serving as host across both nights. The two-night event drew 106,072 fans combined across the weekend (50,816 Saturday and 55,256 Sunday) and ranked among the highest-grossing events in WWE history despite attendance being slightly down from WrestleMania 41’s record-breaking 124,693.

The card delivered several genuine surprises including a championship change in the world title picture, Brock Lesnar’s apparent retirement, Bron Breakker’s return, and the elevation of multiple new stars to main event status. This guide covers everything that actually happened across both nights of WrestleMania 42 with verified results from the matches that defined the weekend.

WrestleMania 42 Saturday Night Results

Saturday night featured seven matches building to the Cody Rhodes versus Randy Orton main event.

Opening match: The Usos and LA Knight defeated The Vision (Logan Paul, Austin Theory, IShowSpeed). The crowd reacted enthusiastically to LA Knight throughout. IShowSpeed’s involvement showed the increasing crossover between traditional WWE talent and major social media figures.

Unsanctioned Match: Jacob Fatu defeated Drew McIntyre. The match lived up to its no-rules billing, featuring chairs, tables, and brutal striking exchanges. Fatu cemented his rise within WWE’s main event tier with this win.

Gunther defeated Seth Rollins. Match of the night for many viewers. The 15-minute classic featured the surprise return of Bron Breakker, attacking Rollins after the match in one of the night’s biggest moments. Gunther continues building his case as one of WWE’s top heels.

Women’s Tag Team Championship Fatal 4-Way: Brie Bella and Paige defeated the Irresistible Forces (Nia Jax and Lash Legend), Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss, and Bayley and Lyra Valkyria. Paige’s return to in-ring action in WWE after years away was one of the night’s emotional highlights, ending in a championship win.

Women’s Intercontinental Championship: Becky Lynch defeated AJ Lee. This match marked AJ Lee’s first singles match in WWE in over a decade. Becky Lynch captured the title in a hard-fought encounter that fans had been anticipating since the feud began in October 2025.

Women’s World Championship: Liv Morgan defeated Stephanie Vaquer. The 2026 Women’s Royal Rumble winner Morgan captured the championship from Vaquer, completing her journey from Rumble victory to title win at WrestleMania.

Bianca Belair pregnancy announcement: Before the main event, host John Cena announced attendance of 50,816, when Bianca Belair interrupted. Belair, absent from in-ring action since her WrestleMania 41 hand injury, revealed she is pregnant with her husband, fellow WWE star Montez Ford. The crowd reaction was substantial.

Main Event: Cody Rhodes defeated Randy Orton to retain the Undisputed WWE Championship. The match featured Pat McAfee’s involvement on Orton’s behalf, though the stipulation that McAfee would have to leave WWE forever if Orton lost ultimately came into play. Cody Rhodes retained in 22:40, continuing his championship reign while showing a darker character side fans hadn’t previously seen.

Official Source: For the full photo gallery and post-match interviews from Allegiant Stadium, visit the official WWE WrestleMania 42 Results Page or watch the highlights on Peacock/Netflix Sports.

WrestleMania 42 Sunday Night Results

Sunday night featured six matches with the CM Punk versus Roman Reigns world title main event closing the show.

Oba Femi defeated Brock Lesnar. In what became the most emotional moment of the weekend, Oba Femi pinned Lesnar in a clear “passing of the torch” finish. After the match, Lesnar removed his gloves and boots and was visibly emotional, suggesting his official retirement from in-ring competition at age 48. This followed the 2025-2026 retirements of John Cena and AJ Styles.

Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match: Penta defeated Je’Von Evans, Dragon Lee, JD McDonagh, Rusev, and Rey Mysterio. The six-pack ladder match featured several breathtaking spots and high-risk moments. Penta retained the Intercontinental Championship in chaotic fashion.

WWE Women’s Championship: Rhea Ripley defeated Jade Cargill. Ripley reclaimed the championship in a battle of two of WWE’s most physically imposing female competitors.

Finn Balor defeated Dominik Mysterio. The Demon variation of Balor handled the rebellious Dominik in a grudge match that capped their long-running feud.

United States Championship: Trick Williams defeated Sami Zayn. Trick Williams captured the United States Championship in what positioned him as one of WWE’s emerging top stars.

Main Event: Roman Reigns defeated CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship. The 2026 Men’s Royal Rumble winner Reigns challenged Punk and won the title in what many considered one of the greatest WrestleMania matches in recent memory. The intense back-and-forth featured a memorable spot where Reigns powerbombed Punk through the announce table. The match restored Reigns to championship status atop the WWE main event picture.

Quick Reference: Match Results Summary

Key Surprises and Moments

WrestleMania 42 delivered several surprises that will be discussed throughout the rest of 2026.

Paige’s WWE return: Paige (Saraya) made her in-ring return to WWE after years away, partnering with Brie Bella in the Fatal 4-Way and capturing the Women’s Tag Team Championship. This was a genuine emotional moment given her medical retirement years ago.

Brock Lesnar retirement: The visual of Lesnar removing his gloves and boots after losing to Oba Femi suggested his retirement from in-ring competition. At 48, Lesnar’s career arc appears to be reaching its conclusion. This followed John Cena’s recent retirement and AJ Styles’ announcement of stepping back from full-time competition.

Bron Breakker’s return: Breakker returned during the Gunther vs Rollins aftermath, attacking Rollins and setting up future storylines. This wasn’t unexpected internally but caught fans by surprise.

Bianca Belair’s pregnancy announcement: Personal moment from one of WWE’s top stars that drew significant audience response. Belair has been absent since her WrestleMania 41 injury.

Oba Femi’s elevation: The win over Lesnar establishes Femi as a legitimate main event star and likely future world champion candidate.

Trick Williams championship: Williams capturing the United States Championship reinforces his trajectory toward WWE’s top tier.

Venue and Production Details

WrestleMania 42 marked the first time a WWE premium live event was simulcast on ESPN’s linear channels during the first hour of each night, expanding mainstream sports media coverage of WWE significantly. The ESPN deal represents a major milestone in WWE’s broader media partnership strategy under the TKO Group ownership.

WWE confirmed WrestleMania 42 became one of the highest-grossing events in company history with record or near-record performances across gate, sponsorship, merchandise, WWE World fan experience, On Location VIP packages, and digital revenue.

The event featured a record 32 marketing partners including Snickers, 2K, Riyadh Season, Ram, DoorDash, Wingstop, Wheatley American Vodka, Minute Maid, The General Insurance, MUG Root Beer, and Chumba Casino. Tickets were purchased from all 50 states and over 69 countries.

What’s Next: Road to WrestleMania 43

WWE has announced WrestleMania 43 will take place in Saudi Arabia in 2027 as a two-night event. This continues WWE’s ongoing partnership with Saudi Arabia and represents the first WrestleMania held outside North America.

Immediate aftermath storylines from WrestleMania 42 set up multiple feuds:

Roman Reigns holds the World Heavyweight Championship with potential challenges from Jacob Fatu, who is positioning himself for a Reigns showdown given their family Bloodline connections.

Cody Rhodes retained his Undisputed Championship but enters a new chapter following his more aggressive WrestleMania performance against Orton. Pat McAfee’s contractual situation following the stipulation loss creates additional storyline opportunity.

Bron Breakker vs Seth Rollins appears positioned for a major feud potentially culminating at SummerSlam.

Oba Femi’s rise continues with potentially direct world championship pursuit following his WrestleMania star-making moment.

Trick Williams with the United States Championship and Penta holding the Intercontinental Championship continue their respective rises through WWE’s mid-card hierarchy.

Final Thoughts

WrestleMania 42 delivered both new champions and significant storyline moments while continuing WWE’s commercial growth under TKO Group ownership. The two-night format showed continued strength even with slightly reduced attendance compared to the record 2025 event.

For fans who missed the live broadcast, full replays of WrestleMania 42 are available on Peacock, Netflix, and the WWE Network depending on region. The post-WrestleMania episodes of Raw and SmackDown have continued developing the storylines launched across the weekend.

The combination of established champions retaining (Cody Rhodes, Penta), new champions being crowned (Trick Williams, Liv Morgan, Becky Lynch, Rhea Ripley, Roman Reigns), and major star moments (Oba Femi, Brock Lesnar retirement, Bron Breakker return, Paige comeback) produced a WrestleMania that balanced legacy and future direction effectively. The road to WrestleMania 43 in Saudi Arabia begins now.

Note: For fans who missed the live broadcast, full replays of WrestleMania 42 are available on the WWE Network and Peacock. Stay tuned for the “WrestleMania Fallout” episodes of Raw and SmackDown to see the consequences of these historic matches!

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