‘WWE WrestleMania 42: Night Two’ PLE Review
Welcome to this review of night two of WWE’s Wrestlemania 42 pay-per-view, which was broadcast live from Las Vegas, Nevada. Let’s see what went down on Sunday’s show…
Match #1: Oba Femi def. Brock Lesnar
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
The Beast overpowered Femi early by sending him into the corner, but Femi struck first by pushing Lesnar off his feet and forcing him to retreat to the outside. Lesnar, however, dismantled Femi outside the ring by throwing him into the barricade and ring post. Back in the ring, Lesnar landed the F-5, but Femi quickly recovered, got back to his feet and hit a devastating Chokeslam on Lesnar. Femi then executed a ring-shaking Fall From Grace to get the massive victory.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #2: Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match – Penta def. Je’Von Evans, Dragon Lee, Rey Mysterio, Rusev and JD McDonagh
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Intercontinental Champion Penta, Rey Mysterio, Dragon Lee, Je’Von Evans, Rusev and JD McDonagh clashed in a chaotic Ladder Match for the title. Rusev pushed over a ladder as McDonagh and Evans were fighting on it, but McDonagh landed on his feet as Evans landed on the outside. McDonagh climbed back up the ladder, only for Evans to leap onto the ladder and hit a gnarly clothesline on McDonagh. Penta threw Mysterio over the top rope, and Mysterio landed on Rusev and simultaneously drove The Bulgarian Brute through a ladder with a West Coast Pop. McDonagh wowed with a stunning Spanish fly onto Lee while they were still on the ladder. Penta took McDonagh out of the equation by spiking him with a Mexican Destroyer right on top of a ladder. This left Evans to reach the gold, but Rusev took the ladder away to leave Evans dangling high above the ring before Rusev shook him off forcefully. Evans answered by leaping from the top turnbuckles and landing an incredible OG Cutter on Rusev, who was on a ladder. After all the chaos, Penta scaled the ladder and retrieved his title to leave Las Vegas still the Intercontinental Champion.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #3: United States Championship – Trick Williams def. Sami Zayn
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Trick Williams brought pizzazz to WrestleMania as he entered wearing a coat that was as long as the ramp and flanked by music sensation Lil Yachty for his title match against United States Champion Sami Zayn. Zayn went for the Blue Thunder Bomb early, but Trick countered before hitting a superb kip-up. Trick then nailed the Book End and soon attempted the Trick Shot, but the champion countered into a Blue Thunder Bomb for a two-count. On the outside, Yachty gave words of encouragement to Williams before Zayn attacked Williams’ friend and sent him into the barricade. Zayn hit a huge brainbuster on top of the apron, leaving Trick discombobulated and barely able to beat the 10-count and make it back into the ring. Zayn went for a Helluva Kick, but Yachty prevented Zayn from attempting it before Trick nailed the Trick Shot for a long two-count. After an Exploder Suplex into the turnbuckle, Zayn readied for another Helluva Kick. Out of nowhere, however, Williams landed the Trick Shot and pinned Zayn to become the new United States Champion.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #4: Street Fight – “The Demon” Finn Bálor def. Dominik Mysterio
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
It didn’t take long for both competitors to brandish weapons as Bálor whacked Mysterio with a Kendo stick, though Mysterio answered by leveling Bálor with multiple wild Kendo stick strikes. Mysterio connected with the 619 and the splash, but The Demon kicked out at one to leave Mysterio stunned. Mysterio shoved Bálor through a table before hitting the 619 with the assist of a steel chair and another frog splash, but Bálor kicked out, much to the shock of Mysterio. As Mysterio was setting up the table, The Demon popped up to stun Mysterio before savagely beating Dirty Dom with a steel chair. Bálor then hit a dropkick, and the steel chair dangled around the neck of Dirty Dom. The Demon then nailed a Coup de Grace to drive his former ally through the table and win the match.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #5: WWE Women’s Championship – Rhea Ripley def. Jade Cargill
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Ripley connected with a superb kick before hitting an electric chair facebuster, but Cargill answered by countering Ripley’s Riptide attempt with a hip toss before leveling her with a spinebuster. Ripley tried to put away Cargill, but B-Fab and Michin came down to distract The Eradicator. Cargill landed the Sandstorm, but Ripley somehow kicked out. Before Michin and B-Fab could do more damage to Ripley, IYO SKY came down and wrecked Cargill’s allies. Back in the ring, Ripley landed a headbutt but could not connect with a Riptide. Ripley then evaded a Jaded attempt before nailing the Riptide to win the WWE Women’s Title.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #6: WWE World Heavyweight Championship – Roman Reigns def. CM Punk
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
The match was tense to start as Punk slapped Reigns. Punk looked to hit a huge elbow drop onto Reigns through the announce table, but Reigns sprang up to prevent Punk from attempting the move before tying him in the top rope and dismantling the vulnerable champion with a Superman Punch. Reigns chucked the ring steps right into the face of Punk to leave him with a battle scar. Reigns then threw Punk right through the announce table with a powerbomb, splintering the table into multiple pieces. The OTC dragged Punk back into the ring, but Punk shocked the world as he nailed the GTS out of nowhere for a two-count. The Second City Saint went for another GTS, but Reigns countered with a Spear. Punk mocked Reigns by hitting the Superman Punch and continued the disrespect by taking an ula fala from the crowd and adorning it before doing Reigns’ tribal chant. The Tribal Chief, however, countered Punk’s Spear with a Guillotine. Punk countered the submission move into a pinfall before latching on the Anaconda Vise, but Reigns reversed into the Guillotine. Their energies depleted, Reigns and Punk continued to talk trash to each other as they connected with menacing strikes. Punk distracted the official by throwing his wraps at Reigns before hitting an uppercut below the belt and following up with a GTS. Punk muscled Reigns onto the announce table before hitting a devastating elbow drop from the top turnbuckle through the announce table. Punk hit another GTS in the ring but collapsed to the canvas when he attempted a second. Reigns unloaded with a Spear before hitting another Spear to conquer Punk and become the new World Heavyweight Champion.
My Score: 4 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3.5/5
Night two of WrestleMania 42 felt far more like the show you expect from WWE’s biggest weekend of the year. It wasn’t perfect – there were still the odd stumbles – but the overall consistency and energy were a noticeable step up from night one. The opener did its job without ever really catching fire, though THAT ending, post-match, really left everyone stunned. Things quickly picked up with the Intercontinental Championship ladder match, which delivered exactly the kind of chaotic, high-risk spectacle you want on a stage like this. Trick Williams’ title win kept that momentum going, blending star power with a genuine breakout moment, while the Street Fight between Finn Bálor and Dominik Mysterio leaned fully into its brutality in all the right ways. Rhea Ripley vs. Jade Cargill felt big, even if the interference slightly muddied the waters, but it was the main event where night two truly shone. Roman Reigns vs. CM Punk was every bit the war it needed to be – dramatic, physical, and packed with narrative weight – closing the show on a genuine high. This was a much stronger, more complete WrestleMania offering. Not flawless, but far closer to what fans hoped for when the lights were brightest.
