Backstage Note on WWE’s Plans for WrestleMania 42 Night One & Night Two Main Events

WrestleMania 42 is just over two months away, and only one match has thus far been confirmed for The Show of Shows. CM Punk will defend his World Heavyweight Title against the 2026 Men’s Royal Rumble winner, Roman Reigns, in Las Vegas this April.

There have been reports of WWE changing its plans for ‘Mania in the wake of disappointing ticket sales. In the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer claimed that the full WrestleMania card, except Punk vs. Roman, which had been laid out internally ahead of the Royal Rumble, is up for a change.

Meltzer added that, as of today, CM Punk vs. Roman Reigns is expected to headline WrestleMania 42 Night Two, while Drew McIntyre vs. Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship seems to be the plan for Night One’s main event.

The American Nightmare is set to battle Jacob Fatu and Sami Zayn in a Triple Threat match on tonight’s SmackDown for a spot in the Men’s Elimination Chamber bout on February 28. While Cody winning the qualifier seems to be the most predictable outcome, Meltzer noted that his Road to WrestleMania may not be straightforward, as WWE is keeping “Zayn’s story of never beating McIntyre alive” while also keeping Fatu in the mix. He added that while a Triple Threat match at ‘Mania cannot be ruled out, the idea seems to be that two of the three contenders would be eliminated from the contention tonight.

Meltzer added that the creative team is trying to avoid being predictable in the build to the WWE Championship match, considering that Cody and McIntyre have already battled in one-on-one contests at Wrestlepalooza and Saturday Night’s Main Event, besides having a brutal Three Stages of Hell Match on SmackDown last month.