With GPS signaling our upcoming exit on the ‘Road to WrestleMania,’ the full match card is all but official. While there will likely be some additions to the card in the two weeks leading up to the 2-night affair, there are currently 12 matches booked. That number remains just shy of last year’s 14-match total, evenly distributed over both night one and two—same total for WM40 while WM39 and WM38 saw a total of 15 and 16 matches, respectively.
So, we could get at least two additional matches, though as many as four more, though most of the biggest stars and programs have been booked for ‘the show of shows.’ The night’s biggest programs will spotlight CM Punk‘s heavyweight title defense against 2026 Royal Rumble winner Roman Reigns, while Cody Rhodes’ world title tilt with Elimination Chamber winner Randy Orton headlines their very own night.
The card has steak, and the sizzle was recently added in the form of a John Cena hosting gig for WrestleMania, presumably both nights, just months after retiring. The 17-time champ will likely find himself in a comedy segment alongside iShow Speed, Dan Housen, or both.
As for the rest of the card, it is hard to argue that anything is really missing, considering there are 8 title matches consisting of singles, multi-man ladder, and tag team matches to go along with an ‘unsanctioned match’ guaranteed to satisfy the versatile appetites of today’s wrestling fan.
However, there is always room for more, especially in the face of monotony. The following is a list of match suggestions to round out the rest of the WrestleMania 42 card, live from Vegas on April 18 and 19.
El Grande Americano (Ludwig) vs. ‘OG’ Americano (Gable)—MASK VS MASK
When this gimmick was first launched last year, it worked as a measure of Chad Gable’s vast talent. Part of that successful launch was WWE’s low expectations for a character that would become massively over in two different wrestling promotions in two different languages. Those low expectations left the El Grande Americano mostly directionless outside the AAA work.
When Gable was injured, Ludwig Kaiser donned a mask, but the character never missed a beat, since this new incarnation of Grande Americano spoke grammatically sound Spanish. They added a couple of other repackaged superstars under masks to round out Americano’s faction.
The heat has spilled over into both territories, where in Mexico, Ludwig’s take on the character is received as the ‘good guy’ while the WWE TV audience offers Gable the face treatment stateside. This match would be perfect for Mania as an homage to the infamous ‘Doink V Doink’ moment at WrestleMania IX, coincidentally enough, the first Las Vegas Mania.
However, in this iteration, it would only make sense for both men to put their masks on the line, with the loser being stripped of his right to the character. The WWE Universe© is a massive entity, but it is not large enough to accommodate two superstars under the same mask.
Gimmick Battle Royal
The Andre the Giant Battle Royal never became a major fan attraction, and it only exists to book a bunch of superstars with no program ahead of Mania. The excitement of an over-the-top elimination match is typically dependent on the stakes for the winner. Since a giant trophy is your only reward for surviving last, the fan demand leaves it as a non-factor.
However, a ‘gimmick’ battle royal is always fun regardless of the stakes, and it is likely the only way Dan Housen sees the ring this year. WrestleMania has, in the past, used its bright lights to put over NXT stars, and this match would give AAA and the ‘black and gold’ brand a chance to be showcased.
Imagine the likes of Mr. Iguana, LA PARKA, Dan Housen, and other misfits all vying for a contract guaranteeing the winner an ‘alternative cover’ for WWE2K27 or something equally as fun. Who knows, maybe they can drag ‘The Boogieman’ from his gourmet worm dinner long enough to enjoy being cursed by Dan Housen.
TNA X-Division Showcase
The working relationship between WWE and TNA has not been an equal partnership, and it could be argued that TNA offers WWE more value than just a rival feeder system for NXT. During the ‘partnership,’ stars on the TNA roster became regular figures on NXT and even some WWE shows.
Leon Slater, the current X-division champion for TNA, was utilized on Triple A shows along with the main brands, partnering with Je’Von Evans on the Cena retirement edition of Saturday Night’s Main Event to challenge then tag champs AJ Styles and Dragon Lee.
So, to give TNA a boost while simultaneously familiarizing the WWE audience with Slater, a talent likely to find himself under WWE contract one day, and the X-Division’s unique cross ropes design, to reach the belt. The X Division offers an alternative to the traditional ladder match, and since there is already one on the card, it would add a unique but exciting new feature to the WrestleMania landscape.
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