Cody Rhodes secured the Undisputed WWE Championship from Drew McIntyre on the latest episode of Friday Night SmackDown, setting the stage for his title defense against Randy Orton at WrestleMania 42. Orton earned his spot by winning the 2026 men’s Elimination Chamber, establishing the main event of one of WWE’s biggest shows.
Following the title change, WWE Chief Content Officer Paul Levesque shared the official fight poster for Rhodes versus Orton on social media, confirming the matchup.
Friends. Rivals. The Main Event. Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton for the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania,
Levesque stated on X.
Overview of Key Championship Bouts
With Rhodes and Orton’s bout finalized, the other marquee match announced pits World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk against Roman Reigns, the 2026 Royal Rumble winner. This matchup promises to be a focal point of WrestleMania 42 alongside the Undisputed WWE Championship clash.
Beyond these, several other title matches are slated for the event:
- 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. To Be Determined
WWE has not revealed which matches will occur on each of the two nights yet, but those details are expected in the coming weeks as anticipation builds.
Emerging Rivalries Point to Additional Matches
Recent WWE programming has set up several potential WrestleMania encounters beyond the confirmed bouts. On Monday Night Raw, Seth Rollins attacked Paul Heyman, sending him to the hospital with a Curb Stomp. Meanwhile, World Tag Team Champions the Usos suspect that Logan Paul, part of The Vision, was behind an assault that led to Jey Uso’s removal from the Elimination Chamber match.
This storyline could lead to a tag title match between the Usos and the team of Logan Paul and Austin Theory in Las Vegas, or potentially build toward a one-on-one contest between Rollins and Paul. Rollins’ interference at Elimination Chamber affected Paul’s performance, potentially increasing tensions for WrestleMania.
Another rivalry developed between Oba Femi and Rusev, setting up a match on Raw. A victory for Femi could position him for a high-profile match against Brock Lesnar, who has an open challenge currently awaiting an opponent at WrestleMania.
Additionally, Jacob Fatu’s intervention during the Rhodes-McIntyre title fight—where he stopped McIntyre from using a chair—could fuel a showdown between Fatu, known as The Samoan Werewolf, and McIntyre on WWE’s grandest stage.
In the women’s division, Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair earned the No. 1 contender spot for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship by defeating Giulia and Kiana James, likely setting up a confrontation with the reigning champions, the Irresistible Forces, at WrestleMania.
Event Location, Dates, and Viewing Options
WrestleMania 42 will be held once again at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas over two nights, April 18 and 19. The opening hour of Saturday’s show will be broadcast on ESPN2, with Sunday’s opener on ESPN. The entire event will be available for streaming via the ESPN app, while select movie theaters will offer live screenings. International viewers can watch WrestleMania through Netflix streaming.
