Times Of India | 19 April 2026 at 05:54:49 IST
WrestleMania 42 opened with its first night in Las Vegas, packing a full card of seven matches and four championships on the line, with the show steadily progressing towards the main event between Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton.
The night began with a six-man tag match that set the tone early, with The Usos and L.A. Knight taking on Logan Paul, Austin Theory and IShowSpeed, a cross-heavy match mixing established WWE talent with outsiders.
Championship matches form the core of the card. Stephanie Fakir defends the Women’s World Championship against Liv Morgan, who earned her shot at the 2026 Royal Rumble, putting her directly into one of the biggest title matches of the weekend.
AJ Lee puts the Women’s Intercontinental Championship on the line against Becky Lynch, while the Women’s Tag Team Championship is contested in a Fatal Four-Way featuring defending champions Nia Jax and Lash Legend against the Bella Twins, Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss, and Bayley alongside Lyra Valkyria.
Outside of the main picture, Seth Rollins faces Gunther in a singles match set up by a personal rivalry, while Drew McIntyre meets Jacob Fatu in an unsanctioned match, adding a more physical edge to the card.
The focus remains on the main event, as Cody Rhodes defends the WWE Undisputed Championship against Randy Orton. Their feud escalated after Orton’s surprise attack after the contract signing, leaving Rhodes bloodied and turning the rivalry into something more personal.
Orton’s alliance with Pat McAfee also played a role in enhancing the preparations, as McAfee presented himself as a guiding presence for “The Viper” as he sought a 15th world title.
Night one sets the stage for the second half of WrestleMania 42, as CM Punk and Roman Reigns are set to headline Night Two for the World Heavyweight Championship.
WWE WrestleMania 42 live update: Gunter wins after Braun Breaker interferes, and a rear-naked choke finishes Rollins.
After the chaos outside, Braunbreaker suddenly appeared and beat down Seth Rollins before throwing him back into the ring. This left Rollins directly in front of Gunter, who immediately locked in a rear-naked choke.
Rollins tried to fight him off but he started to fade, and the referee intervened and called him out because he was about to faint. The bell rang, and Gunther got the win.
WWE WrestleMania 42 live update: Rollins takes the fight to the outside as he and Guenther brawl at the commentary table
Seth Rollins He dragged Gunther Outside the ring, the fight extended directly to the commentary area. They move away from the table, push equipment aside, and trade heavy shots as they try to set each other up for one of the knockouts out there.
WWE WrestleMania 42 live update: Rollins and Guenther go head-to-head
Seth Rollins and Guenther go straight at each other now. The intensity is real, and it doesn’t let up. Both have taken heavy damage, both look exhausted, and are quite even at this point with no obvious edge.
WWE WrestleMania 42 Live Update: Seth Rollins arrives as Gunter stands ready with all eyes on him
Seth Rollins He is now out and making his way to the ring, with Gunther Already inside, standing still and watching him closely. Focus is clear from both sides, and there are no distractions.
They don’t wait once Rollins enters. They both move towards each other immediately, and the referee is already intervening, trying to separate them before things get worse. You can see it’s building, and none of them are interested in holding back here.
WWE WrestleMania 42 live update: Gunther enters alone and sends a message before Seth Rollins arrives
Gunther He goes out into the arena and heads to the ring alone, taking his time as he immerses himself in the reaction. Seth Rollins He’s not out yet, so this moment is all Gunther sets the tone early on.
This goes back to his return on Raw, when he surprised Rollins and then made it clear that this wasn’t just another match for him. Gunter has been saying that Rollins is not on his level, calling himself a true “General Ring” and insisting that Rollins “can’t tie his own shoes.”
Right now, Gunther appears to be in complete control, waiting in the ring for Rollins to come in and strike back.
WrestleMania 42 live update: Becky Lynch defeats AJ Lee to win the Women’s Intercontinental Championship
The Women’s Intercontinental Championship match ended with… Becky Lynch defeat AJ Lee To win the title.
AJ started strong and dominated the early exchanges, and Becky looked a little flustered at first. That changed midway through the match when Lynch settled down and started pushing the pace, forcing AJ to retreat. She even got pinned early during that period, but AJ pulled out and stayed in the competition.
This was AJ Lee’s first WrestleMania appearance in 11 years, and there was palpable emotion during her entrance, although the match itself quickly devolved into a physical back-and-forth match.
Lynch continued the pressure late and closed out the match, ending the match with the deciding pin and emerging as the new Women’s Intercontinental Champion after a rivalry that had already heated up in the weeks leading up to WrestleMania.
WWE WrestleMania 42 live update: Becky Lynch survives referee clash
Midway through the match, Becky Lynch got into an argument with referee Jessica Carr, briefly taking her focus off the match. AJ Lee intervened immediately and used that moment to launch a quick attack.
Lynch still managed to kick out at two, and the match continued to move without slowing down, as they came right back at each other after that sequence.
WWE WrestleMania 42 LIVE Night 1 Updates: AJ Lee defends the Women’s Intercontinental Title against Becky Lynch
The Women’s Intercontinental Championship match between AJ Lee and Becky Lynch is underway, and the tension comes directly from how this rivalry has been building over the past few weeks. AJ returned at Elimination Chamber 2026 and captured the title by forcing Lynch to retire, which obviously did not go well.
Lynch’s response since then has been direct and physical, including a post-match ambush on the March 16 episode of Raw that pushed the issue beyond a standard title defense. This edge appears early here. Lynch isn’t letting up on this one, going after AJ with intent, while AJ tries to maintain control and slow the pace as much as she can. The game started out tight, but there’s already a feeling it could go downhill quickly.
WWE’s biggest show of the year takes place in Las Vegas, with opening night of WrestleMania 42 inside Allegiant Stadium, with seven matches topping off the first half of the two-day event. WrestleMania 42 kicks off with a card packed with four championship matches and a main event centered around the Undisputed WWE Championship.
The headline of the night will be Cody Rhodes defending his title against Randy Orton, in a rivalry that has turned personal after Orton’s recent attack and his alignment with Pat McAfee.
The show opened with a six-man tag team match featuring The Usos and LA Knight against Logan Paul, Austin Theory and IShowSpeed.
Title matches across the card include Stephanie Faker defending the Women’s World Championship against Royal Rumble winner Liv Morgan, AJ Lee facing Becky Lynch for the Women’s Intercontinental Championship, and a fatal 4-Way for the Women’s Tag Team Titles featuring Nia Jax, Lash Legend, the Bella Twins, Charlotte Flair, Alexa Bliss, Bayley and Lyra Valkyria.
