Rivalries, revenge and championships — there’s a lot to talk about after night one of WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Saturday. For some, like Becky Lynch and AJ Lee, this was the end of the rivalry. There is still more to come for others like Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton.
After a bumpy road to WrestleMania, Rhodes and Orton finally faced off for the Undisputed WWE Championship. Rhodes tapped into Orton’s playbook to retain his championship, but he didn’t have the last laugh.
There were surprise returns, including Paige, who returned to a WWE ring for the first time in over eight years, and Braun Breaker, who made an appearance by spearing Seth Rollins at full speed after running down the ramp.
Celebrity appearances in the ring from streamer IShowSpeed, ESPN personality Pat McAfee and country music artist Jelly Roll also produced key moments. Here are the biggest takeaways from WrestleMania and what could happen next.
0:40
Pat McAfee left on a stretcher after being hit by a jelly roll
Pat McAfee has been eliminated from WrestleMania 42 after retaliating against Cody Rhodes and Jelly Roll.
Randy Orton – and Pat McAfee – did not take the WWE Championship loss to Cody Rhodes well
Rhodes and Orton know each other well, maybe too well. They are familiar with each other’s moves, tactics and game plans, and this played out in the Night One main event. After Rhodes quickly dealt with McAfee with the help of his friend Jelly Roll, Rhodes and Orton turned their attention to each other. They both used moves on each other, Rhodes hit Orton with a draping DDT, and Orton hit the Cross Rhodes. As Orton’s post-match attack on Rhodes shows, there is more to the former teammates turned enemies. Rhodes won the match, but what you might not know is that the final shot ended with Orton standing over Rhodes holding the belt.
Although Orton is walking out of Allegiant Stadium with a championship belt that isn’t actually his, perhaps Rhodes’ progress during the match is a roadmap of what to expect next. Rhodes began wrestling in his usual style, but as the match progressed, he resorted to more violent tactics to brutalize his former mentor, including striking Orton with a bloody forehead. Rhodes responded to Orton’s low blow with a successful strike, which drew a boo from the crowd.
Orton utilized his more violent former self while bringing back the dangerous punt kick, and Rhodes will need to reach a darker version of himself to compete with “The Viper” moving forward. Both men would leave Las Vegas with scars from the match, as Rhodes was seen covering his swollen left eye in the postshow.
McAfee re-emerged in referee attire to count the pin for Orton before Rhodes kicked out. To make matters worse, Orton immediately attacked McAfee with a surprise RKO. Before the match, McAfee promised that if Orton did not defeat Rhodes, WWE fans would never hear from him again. Will he keep his word?
0:43
Liv Morgan becomes the new women’s world champion
Liv Morgan defeated Stephanie Walker to become the new holder of the Women’s World Championship.
The Morgan vs. Wacker rivalry is just getting started
There were months of ups and downs between Liv Morgan and Stephanie Wacker leading up to the Women’s World Championship match. After a close match, Morgan won, but it seemed like this could be the first chapter of a much longer rivalry. The interference from Judgment Day’s Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez was decisive for Morgan, and Wacker will likely have to deal with them before her next challenge.
Meanwhile, Morgan is riding high. He is the only champion in the revamped Judgment Day. And he has a new song – “Trouble” – which he performed live as his entrance at WrestleMania. She’s clearly the top woman on “Raw,” but no peace should be expected with an angry Wacker, who is definitely looking for revenge.
Morgan and Wacker have incendiary chemistry, and there’s a lot left on the table. I’m hoping – or hoping – for longer matches between them over the summer, and maybe at SummerSlam in August.
Gunther made Seth Rollins tap@Gunther_AUT | #wrestlemania pic.twitter.com/oorFxORpvo
– WWE (@WWE) 19 April 2026
Does Gunther have another wrestling legend in his sights?
Gunther finished the job for manager Paul Heyman by defeating former Vision leader Seth Rollins in a tough physical match. Gunther gets help – unknowingly – from the returning Braun Brecker, but we’ll get to that later. Perhaps more importantly, what would Gunther want from Heymann in return? Depending on how the Brock Lesnar vs. Oba Femi match goes, Lesnar could be a target for “The Ring General”, who has been retiring legends like Goldberg, John Cena and AJ Styles over the past year. There will be no bigger challenge for Gunther than Lesnar.
The future appears to be very clear and painful for Rollins. Breaker’s surprise comeback cost Rollins the match, as Rollins defeated Gunther with a Pedigree and stomped on the announcers’ table. Breaker forcefully removed Rollins from The Vision – a group started by Rollins – in October, and Rollins has been out for revenge ever since, including harassing Breaker and Heyman on “Raw” by wearing a black mask. With Breaker returning from injury, the highly anticipated bout is in the near future. Expect fireworks between the two on Monday’s “Raw” as well as Backlash in May.
0:39
Becky Lynch becomes the new Intercontinental Champion
Becky Lynch defeated AJ Lee to become a three-time Women’s Intercontinental Champion.
Becky Lynch’s mission accomplished
AJ Lee’s entrance as she walked down the ramp with a group of kids wearing a pink shirt and denim shorts must have felt like a poignant moment for Lee’s fans, who saw her first stint in WWE come to an abrupt end a decade ago. But when the match started it became clear that this was Becky Lynch’s night. Black Widow, after tracking Lynch for months At the end Won over Lee to claim the Women’s Intercontinental Championship. Perhaps now “The Man” can move on to his next fight.
More nights a takeaway
0:41
iShowSpeed presents epic frog splash on Logan Paul
IShowSpeed breaks the announcer’s table and does a memorable frog splash on Logan Paul.
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The Usos and LA Knight vs. The Vision and iShowspeed: Streamer IShowSpeed put in an impressive performance in the first match of the night. He could be the babyface counterpart to Logan Paul, especially given the athletic play of both in this match. However, LA Night stood out. He had a fun conversation with Speed, picked up the pin and now Speed is coming to WrestleMania. It will be interesting to see him included in the championship picture between now and SummerSlam.
0:33
Jacob Fatu wins over Drew McIntyre
Jacob Fatu finished his match with Drew McIntyre with a spectacular moonsault and celebrated the victory.
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Drew McIntyre vs. Jacob Fatu: fatu Needed The win came after McIntyre harassed him on “SmackDown” for months. Fatu has been a standout part of Friday’s show and should move up to the main event after this. But that may not be the end with McIntyre, who doesn’t hold a grudge. Where do you go after a rejected match? Maybe a street fight, maybe a cage… or a rooftop one?
0:49
Paige made a surprise return to WWE
Paige returned to WWE to wrestle in a Fatal 4-Way Tag Team match, replacing Nikki Bella.
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Women’s Tag Team Championship: Paige won the championship in her first WWE match in nearly nine years. She replaced the injured Nikki Bella and won the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship with Brie Bella. Regardless of how long he held the title, it was an emotional moment for the returning champion.
