WWE WrestleMania 42: Preview, match card, start time & where to watch
(Courtesy : WWE)
WWE’s biggest night of the year is almost here – WrestleMania 42 takes over Las Vegas!
WWE’s grandest annual spectacle is back and bigger than ever. WrestleMania 42 descends upon Las Vegas for a second consecutive year, taking over Allegiant Stadium on April 18 and 19, 2026.
Originally slated for the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, the event was relocated to Las Vegas following the financial success of WrestleMania 41, with Vegas submitting a higher bid to host the event again.
With 13 confirmed matches across two nights, including eight championship bouts, WrestleMania 42 promises to be an unforgettable weekend.
WrestleMania 42 is headlined on Night 1 by Cody Rhodes defending his Undisputed WWE Championship against Randy Orton, while Night 2 caps off with CM Punk putting the World Heavyweight Championship on the line against 2026 Royal Rumble winner Roman Reigns. Retired 17-time champion John Cena returns as the event’s official host, appearing at WWE for the first time since his retirement last December.
This is also a historic broadcast milestone: WrestleMania 42 marks the first WrestleMania to air live on ESPN’s linear channels, with the first hour of each night broadcasting on ESPN2 (Night 1) and ESPN (Night 2) before the full show streams on ESPN Unlimited in the US and Netflix internationally.
WrestleMania 42 Full Match Card
NIGHT 1 (SATURDAY) – APRIL 18, 2026
- Opener: Logan Paul, Austin Theory & IShowSpeed vs The Usos (Jey & Jimmy) & LA Knight
- Drew McIntyre vs Jacob Fatu – Unsanctioned match
- Stephanie Vaquer (c) vs Liv Morgan – Women’s World Championship
- AJ Lee (c) vs Becky Lynch – Women’s Intercontinental Championship
- Irresistible Forces (Nia Jax & Lash Legend) (c) vs Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss vs Bayley & Lyra Valkyria vs Nikki & Brie Bella – Women’s Tag Team Championship Fatal 4-Way Elimination Match
- Seth Rollins vs Gunther
- Main Event: Cody Rhodes (c) vs Randy Orton – Undisputed WWE Championship · Pat McAfee must leave WWE forever if Orton loses
NIGHT 2 (SUNDAY) – APRIL 19, 2026
- Opener: Oba Femi vs Brock Lesnar
- Penta (c) vs Je’Von Evans vs Dragon Lee vs JD McDonagh vs Rusev vs Rey Mysterio – Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match
- Sami Zayn (c) vs Trick Williams – United States Championship
- “Demon” Finn Bálor vs Dominik Mysterio
- Jade Cargill (c) vs Rhea Ripley – WWE Women’s Championship
- Main Event: CM Punk (c) vs Roman Reigns – World Heavyweight Championship
NIGHT 1 — SATURDAY – APRIL 18, 2026
Cody Rhodes (c) vs Randy Orton – Undisputed WWE Championship
The Night 1 main event features one of WWE’s most captivating ongoing storylines. Cody Rhodes, the man who “finished his story” by capturing the Undisputed WWE Championship, now faces a relentless Randy Orton with a controversial twist.
Pat McAfee was revealed as “the voice in Orton’s ear”, and a stipulation has been added that if Orton fails to win the title, McAfee must leave the wrestling business forever. The added stakes inject drama into what is already a blockbuster championship clash.
Rhodes has everything to prove in retaining the title he fought so hard to win, while Orton, guided by McAfee, approaches this match with calculated menace.
Seth Rollins vs Gunther
No title is on the line, but this match may well be the most anticipated pure wrestling contest of the entire weekend. Seth Rollins and Gunther are arguably two of the finest in-ring performers in WWE today, and their collision on the grandest stage promises to steal the show.
The history and animosity between these two make this a personal battle as much as a professional one. Fans can expect an absolute war between a pair of superstars at the very peak of their abilities at WrestleMania 42.
Stephanie Vaquer (c) vs Liv Morgan – Women’s World Championship
Stephanie Vaquer, the trailblazing Chilean champion, puts the Women’s World Championship on the line against Liv Morgan in what has been a deeply personal and hard-fought feud.
Vaquer has been one of the most talked-about signings in WWE in recent years, bringing an athletic and technically crisp style that has elevated the women’s division.
Morgan, the persistent challenger who never stops scheming, comes in as a dangerous rival. Expect Vaquer to showcase exactly why she is the standard-bearer of the women’s division.
Also Read: All superstars confirmed for WWE WrestleMania 42 ft. Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns, CM Punk & more
AJ Lee (c) vs Becky Lynch – Women’s Intercontinental Championship
Two of the most beloved women in WWE history step into the spotlight at WrestleMania 42. AJ Lee, the defending Women’s Intercontinental Champion, squares off against “The Man” Becky Lynch in a match that has been received with enormous enthusiasm by the WWE Universe.
This is a generational clash packed with star power, and with WrestleMania 42 as the stage, both women are guaranteed to deliver a memorable performance.
Irresistible Forces (Nia Jax & Lash Legend) (c) vs Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss vs Bayley & Lyra Valkyria vs Nikki & Brie Bella – Women’s Tag Team Championship Fatal 4-Way Elimination Match
The Women’s Tag Team Championships are on the line in a stacked Fatal 4-Way Elimination Match. Champions Nia Jax and Lash Legend (the Irresistible Forces) face a murderer’s row of challengers: the legendary Bella Twins making a nostalgia-fuelled return, a formidable pairing of Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss, and a fan-favourite combination of Bayley and Lyra Valkyria. With four teams in the ring and championships at stake, chaos is guaranteed at WrestleMania 42.
Drew McIntyre vs Jacob Fatu – Unsanctioned match
A vicious feud rooted in months of violent betrayal reaches its brutal apex in an Unsanctioned Match. Jacob Fatu, who has been a wrecking ball since his debut, and Drew McIntyre have been at each other’s throats since Fatu cost McIntyre a shot at the Undisputed WWE Championship.
With no rules and no referee discretion, this match will be raw, unfiltered aggression from bell to bell. Scheduled for the first hour, it is expected to set a ferocious tone for the entire WrestleMania 42 Night One.
Logan Paul, Austin Theory & IShowSpeed vs The Usos (Jey & Jimmy) & LA Knight
WrestleMania tradition meets crossover celebrity in this opening six-man tag team clash. Logan Paul teams with Austin Theory and internet megastar IShowSpeed, making his in-ring debut to take on the electrifying trio of Jimmy Uso, Jey Uso, and LA Knight.
With IShowSpeed’s star power bringing millions of eyes to WWE from outside the traditional fanbase, this is set to be a high-energy, crowd-pleasing opener that showcases WWE’s mainstream appeal.
NIGHT 2 — SUNDAY – APRIL 19, 2026
Main Event: CM Punk (c) vs Roman Reigns – World Heavyweight Championship
The Night 2 main event is as layered and complex as any match in recent WrestleMania history. CM Punk, the World Heavyweight Champion, faces Roman Reigns, the 2026 Royal Rumble winner who earned this very title shot.
When Reigns won the Rumble, he appeared on Raw to claim his shot, and it was Punk himself who challenged him to take the hard road and face the World Heavyweight Champion rather than the SmackDown title.
Punk reminded Reigns that he was responsible for bringing him to the main roster as part of The Shield back in 2012, adding a layer of mentorship and resentment to an already loaded rivalry. This is a dream match years in the making.
Jade Cargill (c) vs Rhea Ripley – WWE Women’s Championship
Quite possibly the most physically imposing match-up in women’s wrestling history. Jade Cargill, the dominant and undefeated-in-spirit WWE Women’s Champion, defends against Rhea Ripley, one of the most decorated and beloved superstars in WWE today.
Ripley main-evented WrestleMania 40 and has consistently been one of the most over performers in the company since her character reinvention. With both women boasting power, athleticism, and charisma in abundance, this has all the ingredients of a genuine WrestleMania classic.
Penta (c) vs Je’Von Evans vs Dragon Lee vs JD McDonagh vs Rusev vs Rey Mysterio – Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match
The six-man Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match is set to be a highlight of Night 2 and a potential show-stealer for the entire weekend. Champion Penta, the luchador sensation, must overcome five dangerous challengers.
Je’Von Evans and Dragon Lee bring youthful explosiveness; JD McDonagh brings calculated brutality; Rusev brings raw power, having recently destroyed all his opponents in a terrifying pre-match beatdown; and legendary Rey Mysterio, who added to the match after a surprise return on the April 6 Raw, adds a storybook element that the crowd will embrace. Ladder matches at WrestleMania are historically iconic, and this one has the talent to continue that tradition.
Sami Zayn (c) vs Trick Williams – United States Championship
Described by many previews as the potential “sleeper match of the entire weekend,” Sami Zayn’s United States Championship defence against Trick Williams could be the surprise performance that has everyone talking come Monday.
Zayn is one of the most beloved figures in WWE, a performer who consistently over-delivers on big stages. Williams, an NXT product with tremendous charisma and in-ring ability, is ready for his main roster WrestleMania moment. Do not sleep on this one.
“Demon” Finn Bálor vs Dominik Mysterio
Months of simmering tension within Judgment Day finally boils over at WrestleMania. Finn Bálor grew tired of Dominik Mysterio’s reliance on outside interference and constant need for others to fight his battles.
On the March 2 episode of Raw, Bálor’s refusal to help Mysterio during a title match cost Dom the championship and what followed was a confrontation where Bálor called Mysterio a “spoiled little prick.”
The faction’s implosion has been compelling television, and the personal animosity means this singles bout is expected to have real venom behind every move.
Also Read: Top six WWE Superstars with most WrestleMania matches
Oba Femi vs Brock Lesnar
An old-school hoss battle between a generational rising star and a legendary beast. After Oba Femi accepted Brock Lesnar’s open challenge on SmackDown and hit Lesnar with his devastating Fall From Grace pop-up powerbomb, the collision between new-school power and old-school legend was set.
This is essentially a passing-of-the-torch opportunity for Femi, a chance to prove at WrestleMania that he belongs in the conversation with the very biggest names in WWE history. Airing in the first hour on ESPN’s free broadcast, it is designed to make an immediate statement.
WWE WrestleMania 42 Start Time & Telecast Details
Night One (April 18)
| Country | Time | Telecast |
| United States, Alaska, Hawaii & Puerto Rico | 06:00 PM ET / 05:00 PM CT / 03:00 PM PT (Friday) | ESPN2 (First Hour), ESPN Unlimited |
| Canada | 06:00 PM ET (Friday) | Netflix |
| United Kingdom & Ireland | 11:00 PM BST (Friday) | Netflix |
| India | 03:30 AM IST (Saturday) | Netflix |
| Bangladesh | 04:00 AM BST (Saturday) | Netflix |
| Saudi Arabia | 01:00 AM AST (Saturday) | Netflix |
| Australia | 08:00 AM AEST / 09:00 AM AEDT (Saturday) | Netflix |
| France | 12:00 AM CET (Saturday) | Netflix |
| Brazil | 07:00 PM BRT (Friday) | Netflix |
| Mexico | 05:00 PM CST (Friday) | Netflix |
| Singapore | 06:00 AM SGT (Saturday) | Netflix |
| China | 06:00 AM CST (Saturday) | iQIYI |
| Nigeria | 11:00 PM WAT (Friday) | SuperSport & Showmax |
| South Africa | 12:00 AM SAST (Saturday) | SuperSport & Showmax |
| Germany | 12:00 AM CET (Saturday) | ProSieben Maxx |
Night Two (April 19)
| Country | Time | Telecast |
| United States, Alaska, Hawaii & Puerto Rico | 06:00 PM ET / 05:00 PM CT / 03:00 PM PT (Saturday) | ESPN (First Hour), ESPN Unlimited |
| Canada | 06:00 PM ET (Saturday) | Netflix |
| United Kingdom & Ireland | 11:00 PM BST (Saturday) | Netflix |
| India | 03:30 AM IST (Sunday) | Netflix |
| Bangladesh | 04:00 AM BST (Sunday) | Netflix |
| Saudi Arabia | 01:00 AM AST (Sunday) | Netflix |
| Australia | 08:00 AM AEST / 09:00 AM AEDT (Sunday) | Netflix |
| France | 12:00 AM CET (Sunday) | Netflix |
| Brazil | 07:00 PM BRT (Saturday) | Netflix |
| Mexico | 05:00 PM CST (Saturday) | Netflix |
| Singapore | 06:00 AM SGT (Sunday) | Netflix |
| China | 06:00 AM CST (Sunday) | iQIYI |
| Nigeria | 11:00 PM WAT (Saturday) | SuperSport & Showmax |
| South Africa | 12:00 AM SAST (Sunday) | SuperSport & Showmax |
| Germany | 12:00 AM CET (Sunday) | ProSieben Maxx |
How long is WrestleMania 42 each night?
Each night of WrestleMania 42 is expected to run for approximately 8.5 hours in total. This includes a 3-hour pre-show, a 4.5-hour main show, and a 1-hour post-show. Both Night 1 and Night 2 follow the same schedule at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
What is the total runtime of WrestleMania 42 across both nights?
The total combined runtime for WM 42 is approximately 17 hours across both nights. Night 1 runs on Saturday, April 18 and Night 2 runs on Sunday, April 19, 2026, with each night carrying the same 8.5-hour schedule.
What time does the WrestleMania 42 pre-show start?
The WM 42 pre-show starts at 12 PM PT / 3 PM ET on both Saturday and Sunday. The pre-show runs for 3 hours before the main card begins at 3 PM PT / 6 PM ET. You can watch it on ESPN2, WWE’s social media platforms, and ESPN Unlimited.
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