WrestleMania 42 Review: Six Hours of Ads Overshadow Wrestling Talent

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA — April 19, 2026: Roman Reigns celebrates after defeating CM Punk in the World Heavyweight Championship match at WrestleMania 42, Allegiant Stadium. (Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

WrestleMania’s Lost Magic

There was a time when WrestleMania felt special—magical even. It was the culmination of a year’s worth of drama, storytelling, and feuds distilled into a three-plus-hour spectacle of the greatest professional wrestling on the planet. My first live WrestleMania was WrestleMania XIII, defined not by the main event between The Undertaker and Sycho Sid, but by the undercard’s brutal match between Bret Hart and Stone Cold Steve Austin. That match left Austin bloodied and unconscious in the ring, now regarded as one of the greatest Mania matches ever.

Over the two-night course of WrestleMania 42, memories of legendary moments flickered through my mind—moments of both nostalgia and despair. A stark reminder of how far this once-great event has fallen. The “Showcase of the Immortals” and “Grandaddy of Them All” is barely on par with a low-tier event from two decades ago. Nothing lasts forever, and after WrestleMania 42, we’re on the verge of that Old Yeller moment where WrestleMania, at least the idealized version in our heads, needs to be put to rest.

Talent Shines, But the Show Doesn’t

Let’s be clear: this critique has nothing to do with the talent. Over two nights and six hours of “wrestling,” performers delivered their best in an impossible situation. Yet only two matches lasted longer than 20 minutes, while six of the 13 matches ended in under 10 minutes. That’s not enough time to tell a story in the ring. No performer can cap a year-long rivalry in seven minutes.

Instead, the event was dominated by advertising. If you love trailers and brand synergy, WWE delivered. From the Hulk Hogan documentary on Netflix to the Street Fighter movie, Mortal Kombat 2, and everything in between, this was the Super Bowl of brand alignment. Everything felt manufactured, with no veneer of realism—even down to the tables, which were sponsored by Slim Jim thanks to a TKO executive’s promise of X showings over the weekend.

Night One Review: USOs & LA Knight vs. The Vision & IShowSpeed

This match will only be remembered for one reason: IShowSpeed outperformed expectations in the ring. It’s not that he was great—just that he was better than he had any right to be.

Match Grade: C

• Why? A forgettable contest overshadowed by IShowSpeed’s surprising competence.
• Highlights: Minimal. The match lacked pacing and storytelling.
• Lowlights: Over-reliance on gimmicks at the expense of wrestling.