All articles tagged with #wrestlemania
Cody Rhodes will open the May 1 episode of SmackDown, addressing the fallout from WrestleMania and Randy Orton’s punt attack while signaling the show's tone for the night; the card also features Ricky Saints’ in-ring debut and a Charlotte Flair vs. Jacy Jayne match, as the championship picture remains in flux.
WWE has begun a post-WrestleMania talent purge, releasing multiple stars on April 24, including Bo Dallas (Uncle Howdy), Nikki Cross, Kairi Sane, Aleister Black, Zelina Vega, Santos Escobar, Zoey Stark, Alba Fyre, Apollo Crews, and others. Notably, the Wyatt Sicks (Bo Dallas, Nikki Cross, Joe Gacy, Dexter Lumis, Erick Rowan) were released as a group honoring Bray Wyatt. Several releases were confirmed by the wrestlers themselves, and development talent was also cut; the article notes this is an ongoing roster reshuffle with updates to come.
WWE announced a new round of talent cuts after WrestleMania 42, including members of the Wyatt Sicks (Joe Gacy, Nikki Cross, and Bo Dallas) with the status of Lumis and Erick Rowan unclear; Alba Fyre and Zoey Stark were reportedly released as well. On the NXT side, Andre Chase indicated he’s done with WWE, while Duke Hudson had already been released last year. WWE says more updates will follow as additional names are confirmed.
Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter breaks down WrestleMania 42 with ratings, reviews, and behind‑the‑scenes news from WWE and Las Vegas indies, plus coverage of Van Hammer’s passing and the latest developments around TKO; full analysis is available to subscribers.
WrestleMania 42 drew an average of 1.72 million viewers across ESPN and ESPN2's Saturday and Sunday simulcasts, not including ESPN Unlimited where the full show streamed. ESPN2’s opening-hour Saturday drew 1.62 million, while Sunday’s first hour on ESPN attracted 1.82 million, with pre-shows of about 0.676–0.750 million. While the linear numbers exceed a typical SmackDown, the true impact hinges on ESPN Unlimited subscriptions driven by WrestleMania, under ESPN’s $325 million-per-year deal for Premium Live Events and the streaming service’s goal of attracting non-pay-TV viewers.
ESPN’s WrestleMania 42 simulcast drew solid numbers: 1.62 million viewers on ESPN2 for Saturday’s hour (Drew McIntyre vs. Jacob Fatu and a Lucha-style trio bout) and 1.82 million on ESPN on Sunday (Brock Lesnar vs. Oba Femi and the men’s Intercontinental ladder match), with countdowns pulling 676k on ESPN2 and 750k on ESPN. WWE billed WrestleMania Saturday as the most‑viewed telecast of the year on ESPN2 and Sunday as the weekend’s top telecast on ESPN; full ESPN Unlimited streaming numbers weren’t disclosed. This marks WrestleMania’s first event under WWE/ESPN’s five‑year exclusive domestic deal.
WWE insiders remain uncertain about Brock Lesnar’s retirement. On Wrestling Observer Radio, Meltzer said some WWE people believe he hasn’t retired yet, though it could happen later this year and might be kept quiet. The plan reportedly favored a continued feud with Oba Femi rather than a one-off WrestleMania loss, with talk of a possible SummerSlam bout in Minnesota against Gunther, though Gunther didn’t comment. Lesnar’s post-match X gesture and Heyman’s emotional Raw promo, plus a rushed tribute video, fueled speculation, but no definitive retirement decision has been made.
A Raw video package and Paul Heyman’s praise suggest Brock Lesnar is retiring from WWE, after he left his gloves and boots in the ring at WrestleMania; while Heyman hinted a possible future return if he owes Gunther a favor, current signs point to goodbye.
CM Punk allegedly slapped a fan’s phone out of the fan’s hand in the MGM Grand lobby in Las Vegas after WrestleMania 42, when the man continued filming Punk’s wife, AJ Lee; security intervened as Punk and Lee left the scene.
CM Punk reportedly confronted a fan at the WWE hotel after WrestleMania, slapping the fan’s phone away as security intervened. PWInsider notes the hotel scene was part of a weekend where talent faced multiple fan-encounter issues amid minimal on-site security, with Damian Priest helping a female talent and several stars being mobbed by fans; WWE has not issued a comment on the incident.
A video from WrestleMania weekend in Las Vegas shows CM Punk slapping a fan’s phone in a hotel lobby after greeting Bayley and AJ Lee, with trainer Ace Steel and security intervening. The clip has ignited discussion about the boundaries of filming public moments, wrestler privacy, and safety, reflecting broader issues of fan intrusion and harassment in pro wrestling and the ongoing need for better protections and security measures.
Raw after WrestleMania delivers a volley of fallout segments: IYO Sky & Rhea Ripley defeated the Kabuki Warriors to win the Women's Championship; Liv Morgan retained against Sol Ruca with post‑match interruptions from Zaria and Stephanie Vaquer; All Ego Ethan Page defeated Je’Von Evans, followed by post‑match chaos with Penta and Rusev; Finn Balor defeated JD McDonagh as tensions with Judgment Day intensify; Bron Breakker attacked Seth Rollins, reigniting their feud; Roman Reigns addressed the crowd, Jacob Fatu issued a bold challenge, and a tense Cody Rhodes–CM Punk exchange closed the show, signaling more drama on the road to Backlash.
After Brock Lesnar’s shock loss to Oba Femi at WrestleMania, he left his gear in the ring, fueling retirement speculation; Triple H said there hadn’t been any post-match retirement talk and framed the moment as a strategic exit by a fighter, not a formal farewell, with Heyman arguing for more years and Fightful noting retirement timing remained unclear.
WWE appears to be setting up a Cody Rhodes vs. CM Punk feud following WrestleMania, with Punk signaling willingness to chase another title and Rhodes hinting at a future bout, while Rhodes’s in-ring status remains unclear due to injuries.
Insiders say ESPN's aggressive ad breaks during WrestleMania Night One reduced in-ring time and drew internal concern about the show’s quality, set against a sponsorship-heavy push under TKO leadership.