WrestleMania 41 is finally here, with Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas sure to be buzzing throughout the weekend.
Kicking things off Saturday is a stacked card, headlined by a star-studded triple threat match between CM Punk, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns. Two major championship matches are also taking place, as 2025 Royal Rumble winners Jey Uso and Charlotte Flair take on World Heavyweight Champion Gunther and WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton, respectively. These three matches are the highlights of what is sure to be an excellent Night One of WrestleMania.
Here is what you need to know coming in to the event, as well as who could come out victorious:
CM Punk vs Seth Rollins vs Roman Reigns
While three juggernauts in the world of sports entertainment (or professional wrestling, depending on who you ask) squaring off is more than enough reason to get excited about this match, the storyline has Paul Heyman smack dab in the center of everything.
Heyman has had a hand in the careers of all three participants, and was even manager to both Punk and Reigns at various points. Now, however, the Wiseman finds himself trapped between a rock and a hard place, with Punk calling in a favor that has Heyman in his corner for this match. That certainly will not sit right with Reigns, who Heyman has been closely aligned with since the Tribal Chief debuted his new persona in 2020.
Expect that decision to play a major role in this match, with both Punk and Reigns seeking Heyman’s aid throughout. However, what if he decides on neither?
Rollins has come across as the forgotten man in this storyline, but he’s had his fair share of WrestleMania moments before. Imagine the shock in Allegiant Stadium if Night One of WrestleMania ends with Heyman raising Rollins’s hand in victory over the two men who thought he had their backs. It sets the stage for a nice heel run for Rollins, giving WWE fans a proper feud with Punk and possibly some closure against Reigns.
Call it convoluted, but that’s sometimes what makes WWE fun.
Prediction: Seth Rollins wins
Gunther (c) vs Jey Uso (World Heavyweight Championship)
Since his shocking Royal Rumble win in February, Uso is finally beginning to live up to the “Main Event” character.
It took some time for his storyline with Gunther to get going, but the addition of Jey’s twin brother Jimmy set the tone. Ever since Gunther brutalized Jimmy right in front of him, Jey has looked and sounded like a man on a mission. This is going to be a hard-hitting battle, with superkicks and chops galore.
While Uso winning the title is not as much of a guarantee as initially expected, it still feels like the likeliest outcome. Gunther’s championship run has not been bad, but it has run its course and the Ring General is in need of a reset. Not to mention, Uso’s victory could carry serious implications on Night Two, but there is no fun in spoiling the surprise.
With this match expected to start the show, both competitors are ready to put on a show.
Prediction: Jey Uso is the new World Heavyweight Champion
Tiffany Stratton (c) vs Charlotte Flair (WWE Women’s Championship)
This match has a chance to go off the rails at a moment’s notice.
The storyline sounded simple enough: the young champion going against a legendary competitor in her biggest match yet. Then the ad-libbed promos proceeded to happen, with both competitors taking digs into the other’s personal lives. Nothing against blurring the lines between television and reality, but it is fair to wonder if cooler heads will prevail or the match veers into ‘shoot fight’ territory.
Stratton has felt like the easy choice to win for a while, and the reported backstage heat on Flair for the feud turning out this way only adds to that belief. Besides, Flair is bulletproof at this point of her career, so there is very little for her to gain by winning this match. Stratton’s first championship run has not exactly been memorable, but beating Flair could give it the credibility to get fans interested again.
Tiffy Time is not quite over yet.
Prediction: Stratton retains the WWE Women’s Championship
LA Knight (c) vs Jacob Fatu (United States Championship)
If you have yet to watch a Jacob Fatu match, prepare to be amazed.
Ever since debuting in June, Fatu has upped his game to new heights. Already sporting an imposing look, Fatu combines that with insane athleticism and convincing personality. He is the total package, and it is unsurprising to see that WWE has already earmarked him as a future world champion and WrestleMania main-eventer.
While Knight is a popular act in his own right, the Megastar finds himself directly in the path of a buzzsaw. It should not be a total squash match, but it is hard to envision a scenario where the Samoan Werewolf does not pick up his first singles championship. Recent tension with Solo Sikoa could play a factor, but it feels too soon to start that story for the time being.
Give Fatu his first WrestleMania victory, and see where he goes from there. Simple and clean.
Prediction: Fatu is the new United States Champion
Naomi vs Jade Cargill
For the first non-title women’s match at WrestleMania since 2006, WWE has treated this like one of the most important matches of the night.
Since Cargill was attacked in November, WWE did well to create a fun ‘whodunnit?’ mystery. The answer was found in March, when Cargill returned at Elimination Chamber and attacked Naomi immediately before the titular match began, to the horror of tag team partner Bianca Belair. With Cargill continuing to look like a star in the making and Naomi debuting an increasingly more unhinged heel persona, this ended up being one of the best builds of any match this weekend.
There are two schools of thought to how this match ends up playing out: Cargill either gets her revenge and wins clean, or the plot thickens with Naomi winning via dusty finish. With Belair’s own match not taking place until the second night, perhaps she shows up in a last-ditch effort to salvage her friendships with both women. It feels like a perfect ploy for Belair to attack Cargill, help Naomi pick up the win and finally play up to the surprising negative reception to her as of late.
This feud deserves to continue, and sign this writer up immediately for it if Belair vs Cargill is on the menu for SummerSlam.
Prediction: Naomi wins
Rey Mysterio(?) vs El Grande Americano
Whereas most of the matches this weekend are at least semi-serious, this wholeheartedly embraces the more ‘hokey’ side of WWE.
Between being billed from ‘the Gulf of America’ and the seemingly AI-generated images leading up to his debut, El Grande Americano (who is definitely not Chad Gable, stop asking questions) has made the lives of WWE’s fellow luchadores a living hell. Of course, leave it to the greatest luchador in WWE history to put a stop to the problem. However, Mysterio looks to have suffered an injury on Friday Night SmackDown, putting the match in a state of flux.
Fortunately, WWE appears to have a ready-made replacement in the recently-signed Rey Fenix in place. EGA crashed the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royale on Friday to eliminate Fenix, so a measure of revenge is a perfect way to plug him into that match. It is unfortunate that Mysterio might miss one of his final WrestleManias, but the chance for Fenix to showcase his own immense high-flying ability is going to be a sight to behold.
The odds of EGA being unmasked might have taken a hit, but some comeuppance is still in order.
Prediction: Mysterio replaced by Rey Fenix, Fenix wins
The War Raiders (c) vs The New Day (World Tag Team Championships)
Ever since kicking Big E out of the New Day faction in December, Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston have fully embraced the dark side.
It feels weird, however, that this is the first major storyline they have truly been able to sink their teeth into since then. The War Raiders of Erik and Ivar won the World Tag Team Championships over The Judgment Day’s Finn Balor and JD McDonagh in the same month, and they have not been featured regularly, either. Both teams are talented enough to make the match worth a watch, but the lack of any true build-up has fans curious.
Since 2022, Big E has been out of action with a neck injury and, while doctors have advised him before to medically retire, there have been instances where the likes of Daniel Bryan and Edge have managed to come back from career-ending injuries. He does not have to get in the ring, but teasing it and distracting his ex-stablemates is a surefire way to get fans excited about a possible return. Needless to say, Woods and Kingston would lose in that instance, keeping them open for a potential match if and when Big E gets cleared.
This has to lead somewhere…right?
Prediction: The War Raiders retain the World Tag Team Championships
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