The road to WrestleMania 42 has descended into chaos, with a cascade of creative pivots, last-minute match changes, thematic confusion, and a devastating wave of injuries leaving the WWE’s flagship event in a state of unprecedented disarray. What was supposed to be the grand culmination of a year’s worth of storytelling has instead become a frantic scramble, with reports indicating that the company has abandoned its original plans for the top matches on the card and is now building the show on the fly. The sense of urgency and anticipation that typically defines the weeks leading up to the Showcase of the Immortals is conspicuously absent, replaced by a palpable sense of uncertainty and a growing belief that this year’s event is, as many insiders have begun to whisper, cursed.
The first major tremor was felt in the aftermath of Survivor Series, where the long-anticipated third chapter of the Roman Reigns versus Cody Rhodes saga was seemingly set in stone. The plan was clear: Reigns and Rhodes would main event Night Two of WrestleMania for the third consecutive year, a blockbuster rematch that had been the subject of intense speculation for months. However, just weeks after the angle was executed, reports emerged that the match had been scrapped entirely. Sources indicate that the two megastars could not be appeased from a creative standpoint, with the primary sticking point being the finish. In a scripted medium, this should not be an issue, but when dealing with the two biggest names in the company, egos and creative control become a volatile mix. Neither man, it is said, was willing to lose to the other, leading to a deadlock that forced WWE to abandon the entire program. The tension between Reigns and Rhodes is reportedly at a fever pitch, with Rhodes himself acknowledging the friction during their recent collaboration on the Street Fighter movie. This real-life animosity could have translated into an incredible, emotionally charged angle, but instead, it has resulted in the complete derailment of the most anticipated match on the card. The fallout is significant, with reports now suggesting that WWE may never deliver a third installment of their iconic rivalry, leaving fans to wonder what could have been.
The domino effect of this single pivot was immediate and devastating. With Reigns versus Rhodes off the table, WWE scrambled for a replacement. Drew McIntyre had won the WWE Championship in January, a pivot in itself, and the company locked in on a program between McIntyre and Rhodes. The logic was sound on paper, but the execution was a disaster. Fans showed zero interest in the feud, as their previous matches over the preceding six months had failed to deliver. Even the reported addition of a Hell in a Cell stipulation did little to generate excitement. The fan resentment was so loud and so clear that WWE was forced into yet another pivot. Rhodes would win the title back, and Randy Orton would turn heel, setting the stage for a Rhodes versus Orton main event. While pivots are a fact of life in professional wrestling, the frequency with which they are occurring in the Triple H era is alarming. It suggests a fundamental lack of direction, a creative team that cannot commit to a plan and is constantly reacting to internal and external pressures rather than driving the narrative forward.
The confusion extends far beyond the main event. Brock Lesnar, one of the biggest draws in the entire industry, was reportedly without a confirmed opponent just weeks before the show. It was only last week that a match between Lesnar and Oba Femi was made official, a pairing that feels more like a last-minute solution than a carefully crafted program. The fact that WWE was still working out who would face Lesnar at WrestleMania so close to the event is staggering. It suggests a level of disorganization that is almost incomprehensible for a company of this size and stature. The situation with Gunther is even more baffling. The man who just retired John Cena three months ago is now at serious risk of missing the show entirely. Gunther walked into last year’s WrestleMania as a world champion, but this year, he has been left without an opponent after Rey Mysterio’s medical status forced a change in plans. The problem is that WWE has written themselves into a corner. Gunther’s career killer gimmick, which has seen him retire Goldberg, John Cena, and AJ Styles, makes it nonsensical for him to wrestle at the biggest show of the year without incorporating it. The gimmick, while brilliant, has become a creative straitjacket. Fans have called for a match between Gunther and LA Knight, but the two have barely interacted on television, making it an obvious and unsatisfying pivot. Dropping the gimmick entirely would render the three retirement matches completely pointless. Something has gone seriously wrong when the man who retired one of the greatest of all time is being left off the WrestleMania card.
LA Knight, one of the most over acts in the entire company, is another top name without a clear direction. He has been stuck in the vision vortex for the better part of a year, and despite being incredibly popular with the fans, WWE simply cannot commit to booking him in a meaningful feud. He is currently in a storyline involving The Usos, but it appears he has no match set for WrestleMania. This is a damning indictment of WWE’s inability to use talent effectively. The list of names without a match is growing, and the scary thing is that reports indicate at least one of these top stars could miss the show entirely. The creative team is in a state of paralysis, unable to find a path forward for some of their most valuable assets.
The confusion is not limited to the match card. The theming for WrestleMania 42 has been a complete mess. Initial promos suggested a classy, high-roller casino theme, a smart contrast to last year’s approach. Then, the match graphics debuted with a futuristic aesthetic. Days later, a dystopian, Mad Max-style graphic format began appearing across WWE social media. Rumors swirled that WWE was planning to use different themes for each night, but they have switched this around multiple times over the past two weeks. Every week on Raw, a new match card graphic format debuts. It is either a deliberate attempt to generate buzz or, more likely, a sign that WWE has no idea what theme they want to go with. Reports indicate that the company was under pressure to lock in the graphics weeks ago, and since then, they have changed their style countless times. While this may seem like a minor issue, it is a clear symptom of a larger problem: a complete lack of cohesion and vision for the biggest show of the year.
The actual build to the show has been equally underwhelming. Both Raw and SmackDown feel like they are building to B-level pay-per-views, lacking the drive and intensity that WrestleMania season requires. The top match on Raw, CM Punk versus Roman Reigns, has been muddled by the reintroduction of The Usos to Reigns’ side. The feud, which started with strong promo work centered on Punk making a personal jab at Reigns’ late father, has become confusing. There is no clear heel, and fans are unsure who they are supposed to root for. The women’s feuds, such as Liv Morgan versus Stephanie Vaquer, have started strong but suffer from a lack of intense angles. The women are never given the same resources as their male colleagues, and they stand little chance of main eventing the show again if they are not given the tools to get their stories over. The one success story on Raw appears to be Oba Femi versus Brock Lesnar, with Lesnar going all out to make Femi look like a monster. Hopefully, this match delivers and WWE does not waste the opportunity to make Femi the next big thing.
On SmackDown, the top match is Cody Rhodes versus Randy Orton, a feud that is only two weeks old but is already delivering. However, there is concern that Orton will not be booed as a heel, which could complicate the dynamic. The other big match, Rhea Ripley versus Jade Cargill, started with a heated social media war but has not translated well to television. The two have been given very little to work with, and there is a defined lack of interest in their match, which is a huge shame given the potential.
The road to WrestleMania 42 has been further reshaped by a string of untimely injuries that have forced WWE to pivot creatively and adjust several marquee matches. Braun Breaker suffered a hernia at a time when he was being positioned for a major breakout moment against Seth Rollins. While there is optimism that Breaker could return in time, nothing is certain. If he is not cleared, Seth Rollins will have to be left off the card. Jordan Grace’s ankle injury disrupted plans for the women’s US title scene, with a planned triple threat match involving Julia, Grace, and Tiffany Stratton being scrapped. Bianca Belair’s broken finger caused a major shift in plans for the women’s championship, as she was initially slated to win the Royal Rumble and face Jade Cargill. When it became clear she could not return, WWE pivoted by putting Rhea Ripley back in the title scene. Bronson Reed’s plans were also shifted due to a distal bicep tear. These injuries have pushed WWE into reactive booking, reminiscent of the cursed WrestleMania 32, which was marred by a similar wave of injuries that caused numerous matches to be canceled.
Despite all of this, WWE Champion Cody Rhodes has stated that fans should expect a sleeper Mania this year. In essence, he is suggesting that the show may look meh on paper but will deliver in the final product. There is precedent for this. WrestleMania 31 had an abysmal build and ended up being one of the greatest pay-per-views of all time. WWE still has three weeks to turn things around, and hopefully, they can deliver the goods. But even if the show ultimately delivers from a quality perspective, history will not be kind to the road to the show. It has highlighted how much of a mess the WWE creative team is in and how WWE truly needs to get its act together. The question remains: is WrestleMania 42 cursed? The evidence is mounting, and the answer, for now, appears to be a resounding yes.