Results
- Oba Femi def. Brock Lesnar (4:44) (Recommended)
- Penta def. Rey Mysterio, Dragon Lee, Je’Von Evans, Rusev & JD McDonagh (WWE Intercontinental Championship) (Ladder Match) (15:09) (Recommended)
- Trick Williams def. Sami Zayn (WWE United States Championship) (7:07)
- Finn Balor def. Dominik Mysterio (Street Fight) (10:26)
- Rhea Ripley def. Jade Cargill (WWE Women’s Championship) (10:08)
- Roman Reigns def. CM Punk (WWE World Heavyweight Champion) (33:58) (Recommended)
Roman Reigns is back on top of the WWE.
Reigns captured the WWE World Heavyweight Championship on Sunday night, defeating CM Punk in the main event of WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Reigns outlasted Punk in a 33-minute epic, putting a WWE title around his waist for the first time in over two years.
The lengthy battle, longer than any other match on both nights of Wrestlemania, saw Reigns win as the fight became too much for Punk.
It seemed as though Punk was closing in on a win late, getting Reigns back into the ring after putting him through a commentary desk with a top-rope elbow drop. Punk connected with his GTS finisher, then got Reigns on top of his shoulders for a second go at the move.
But Punk crumbled under the weight of the “OTC” when he tried for the move once again, falling to the canvas before he could even begin the finisher’s motion. The damage from more than half an hour of fighting had taken its toll and forced Punk to give up control of the battle.
A defeated Punk was then put away by a pair of Spears from Reigns, who won with a pinfall.
Earlier highlights in the match included Punk getting a near fall after stealing Reigns’ Superman Punch move, Punk getting powerbombed through the Spanish Announce Desk and having the steel steps rammed into his head at ringside, and Reigns failing to end the match earlier after connecting with a Spear.
Reigns earned an opportunity at Punk by winning this year’s men’s Royal Rumble match, a victory which allowed him the privilege of selecting his opponent for Wrestlemania. The high-stakes title bout became a heated feud over the past few months, as the two stars traded vicious words during numerous encounters on Monday Night Raw. The feud transformed from a high-stakes prizefight into an ugly, personal feud.
Reigns hadn’t touched a WWE title since his record-breaking reign as Undisputed WWE Champion came to an end at Wrestlemania 41 against Cody Rhodes.
Punk captured the WWE World Heavyweight Championship back in November on a Saturday Night’s Main Event card, taking down Jey Uso to win the vacant belt. His run with the belt saw him turn back Bron Breakker, Finn Balor, and AJ Styles over the past few months.
Earlier in the night: Rhea Ripley regains champ status, Brock Lesnar signals retirement following loss
Rhea Ripley started her second reign as WWE Women’s Champion in the co-main event, dethroning Jade Cargill in a 10-minute contest. While Cargill allies B-Fab and Michin interfered early and threatened to give the champ an unfair advantage, they were eventually wiped out by IYO SKY, who came down to the ring and delivered a springboard moonsault. Ripley countered a Jaded into a Riptide to secure the pinfall win.
The opening match of the night was one of the biggest bouts of the weekend, as recent main roster call-up Oba Femi crushed fellow big man Brock Lesnar in a little under five minutes. The win, a star-making performance for Femi, was quickly overshadowed by the fact that Lesnar took off his boots and gloves in the ring to signal a potential retirement from wrestling.
Finn Balor’s “Demon” persona returned on Sunday and helped him take down Dominik Mysterio in a 10-minute street fight bout. The match was revenge for Balor, who was ousted from the Judgment Day faction by Mysterio just earlier this year. Their match wasn’t initially expected to be under street fight rules, but was upgraded to the stipulation on Sunday afternoon.
The first title change of the night emerged when Trick Williams took down Sami Zayn in a WWE United States Championship match. After some help from recording artist Lil Yachty, Williams was able to win in his Wrestlemania debut by scoring the TrickShot.
Penta retained the WWE Intercontinental Championship in a hectic six-way ladder match as part of the opening hour broadcast on ESPN TV, ending a 15-minute battle full of breath-taking, high-flying moments. With four men wiped out at ringside, Penta dropped fast-rising Monday Night Raw star Je’Von Evans with a Mexican Destroyer, giving him the room to climb the ladder and retrieve the belt.
Wrestlemania host John Cena announced that the attendance for Sunday night was 55,255, bringing the show’s overall attendance across two nights to 106,072. His announcement was interrupted by The Miz and Kit Wilson, who had a skit with Danhausen.
