WrestleMania 42 Wasn’t Bad—But It Wasn’t Great Either

There was plenty of hype surrounding John Cena’s return as the host of WrestleMania. At a minimum, it was an opportunity for wrestling fans to see the legend himself one more time before he goes to the deep end of the Hollywood pool. Everyone knows he is retired, but the Cena everyone was there to see was the one in jorts, a hat, and a T-shirt. Not the one in an expensive suit, looking to get the crowd hyped in a way an executive of TKO would, someone who has never been in the business. Cena looked every bit like Rocky Balboa before the first Clubber Lang fight in the film Rocky III. It turned people off, and you could tell by the crowd’s reaction.

Night 1 Had Some Good Moments

Heading into Night 1, it was widely considered the weaker of the weekend’s two nights in terms of the match lineup, but there was still a certain level of expectation. Where WWE did well was the Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton match, as those two wrestlers delivered not only action but also psychology. The only issue, as with a few PLEs (Premium Live Events), was that the ending left fans confused, as it didn’t quite put the bow on things. Maybe WWE didn’t anticipate Rhodes getting his eye hammered and closed shut. Who knows, but it left a bad taste in fans’ mouths.

The two women’s title matches were fast and fell short of the great buildup they had. Paige’s return was a nice surprise, and so was seeing Bianca Belair; both are fan favorites. The unsanctioned match between Drew McIntyre and Jacob Fatu was okay, but it didn’t feel “unsanctioned.” The best part was the very real clip of Jacob Fatu in the back, getting emotional after his match, which resonated with fans, who know his real backstory and what it took to get to this point in his career. The Logan Paul and iShowSpeed tag match was okay, but nothing I would want to watch again.

All The Pressure Was on Night 2

With WrestleMania 42 Night 1 being unusually short and not getting a good reaction online, Night 2 had to deliver, especially when all of the company’s megastars were on it. Oba Femi vs. Brock Lesnar was exactly what was anticipated. Femi came out looking like a star as Brock put him over massively. The problem is that Brock “retired” after the match (whether he truly has or not is still being debated), which buried Femi’s huge victory.

As expected, the ladder match was the highlight of the weekend. What I took away is that Je’Von Evans is a future star who can already hang with the best at the age of 21. Trick Williams won the Intercontinental title, but the addition of Lil Uzi Vert felt forced and took away from what should have been a crowning moment for Trick Williams. Finn Balor vs. Dominik Mysterio didn’t have enough time to tell a story, and the same was true for Rhea Ripley vs. Jade Cargill. They were solid matches, but left more to be desired.

Roman Reigns and CM Punk were great together in the main event. The final pin fell a little flat, as the ending could have happened in better spots. Punk put his all into it and made sure that if he had one more big match in him without looking too much his age, it would be at WrestleMania. Reigns winning was the right move, but again, nothing happened afterward.

WrestleMania has always had moments, especially at the end, that either initiate or elevate a storyline. This past weekend, it felt like the season finale of a show, with the next season featuring a whole new story.

The WWE Can’t Drop The Ball on The RAW After WrestleMania

On one of the most important episodes of Monday Night RAW, the one following WrestleMania , the WWE cannot afford for this one to be anything short of spectacular. Who do you start the show with? Not Rhodes, who has a swollen eye. I guess it’s Roman Reigns, or is it Bron Breakker? If there is going to be a big surprise, Monday has to be the night it happens. There is real pressure heading into RAW, and although WWE and TKO execs may not be sweating it too much, if they don’t pay attention, they could start to lose a considerable amount of their fan base right under their noses. This is not the time to be arrogant. WWE needs to “read the room” and use the second half of the year to make up for the last 18 months.