As the road to WrestleMania winds down, WWE made the unusual decision to run over its own product to drum up interest in its biggest event of the year.
On SmackDown
, Pat McAfee made a surprise return and attacked Cody Rhodes. He aligned with Randy Orton and called the product “absolute shit.” He questioned why WrestleMania tickets were still available and slammed Rhodes as a hated “puppet champion.”The segment was just one of several questionable storylines and booking decisions ahead of this year’s
Mania in Las Vegas.
On Monday’s Raw, WWE announced the competitors for an Intercontinental Championship ladder-match, claiming they had won qualifiers on Main Event. However, the matches hadn’t aired, and WWE effectively spoiled its own programming.
Meanwhile, the feud between Roman Reigns and World Champion CM Punk, which got off to a hot start after Reigns won the Royal Rumble, drew criticism when Reigns called Punk old.
The jab seemed to be a psychological tactic by Reigns, which Punk ultimately dismissed. Still, the scene called to mind an anecdote shared by Chris Jericho in his 2007 autobiography, A Lion’s Tale: Around the World in Spandex.
Jericho recalled early in his career cutting a promo on his opponent, Bob Brown, calling him old. Brown explained that by doing so, Jericho would either look weak losing to an old man or unimpressive beating one. The same could hold true for Reigns, regardless of the outcome at Mania.
The decision to make its stars and product look flawed comes amid public criticism from its performers. Reigns, Tiffany Stratton, and LA Knight have all voiced frustration with WWE’s creative direction.
AJ Styles, shortly after retiring, took a shot at WWE on its own podcast, saying WrestleMania “used to be the most prestigious PLE or pay-per-view… but to me, it’s kind of lost its luster a little bit.”
Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes, who may have a personal issue with WWE’s parent company, TKO, criticized the decision to cut back on house shows.
“It’s hard to think you work somewhere if you’re only there a couple days a week,” Rhodes said on his podcast in February. He suggested adding at least one monthly live event loop to build camaraderie, while providing extra ring time to keep the wrestlers sharp.
Despite all this, WWE is still expecting a big crowd in Vegas for a show that has also come under fire for its exorbitant ticket prices.
The Card
So far, 12 matches make up this year’s two-night show, but WWE has yet to release the cards for Night One and Night Two.
On The Nikki & Brie Show, Nikki Bella criticized that decision, explaining how it’s unfair to keep performers in the dark about which night they’ll compete, as well as to fans who can afford only one night and want to choose the show that appeals the most to them.
With two episodes each of Raw and SmackDown remaining, more stars and matches could be added to the lineup, which currently features:
- World Heavyweight Championship: CM Punk (c) vs. Roman Reigns
- Undisputed WWE Championship: Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Randy Orton
- Women’s World Championship: Stephanie Vaquer (c) vs. Liv Morgan
- WWE Women’s Championship: Jade Cargill (c) vs. Rhea Ripley
- Open Challenge: Brock Lesnar vs. Oba Femi
- Women’s Intercontinental Championship: AJ Lee (c) vs. Becky Lynch
- United States Championship: Sami Zayn (c) vs. Trick Williams
- Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match: Penta (c) vs. Je’Von Evans vs. Dragon Lee vs. JD McDonagh vs. Rusev
- Women’s Tag Team Championship Fatal 4-Way: The Irresistible Forces (c) vs. Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss vs. Bayley & Lyra Valkyria vs. The Bella Twins
- Unsanctioned Match: Jacob Fatu vs. Drew McIntyre
- Gunther vs. Seth Rollins
- Finn Bálor vs. Dominik Mysterio
Former WWE Champion and recent retiree John Cena will also be at WrestleMania, serving as the event’s host.
When and How to Watch
Allegiant Stadium, home of the Las Vegas Raiders, hosts WrestleMania on April 18–19. The first hour of Saturday’s show airs on ESPN2 and Sunday’s on ESPN, with full streaming on ESPN Unlimited. Select movie theaters will host live screenings of the two-night event, with tickets available on Fandango. Internationally, WrestleMania streams on Netflix.
