Psyko’s WrestleMania 42 Saturday preview

WrestleMania is one week away, and while a lot of the focus has been on how the build was bad—which I don’t think it was—and on ticket sales not being as strong, I feel it wasn’t just ticket prices but also outside factors that hurt sales. Still, I wanted to do a preview column for the event because I’m actually excited about this year’s Mania. So over the weekend, I will do a preview column for each night, as I thought doing just one would be too long.

The way this will work is that I will recap some of the things I liked and didn’t like about the build-up, how I feel the matches will go, and my predictions for who will win.

So with that, here’s your preview of WrestleMania 42 Night One:

1. Drew McIntyre vs. Jacob Fatu – Unsanctioned Match

This was such a well-built feud, even though you didn’t always know what the endgame would be. It really started last summer when Jacob needed time off due to an injury and picked up again in January when he returned and cost Cody the WWE title. This is where things got a little muddy for me, as you didn’t know where the feud was going since Drew was targeting both Cody and Fatu. However, that got fixed when Fatu cost Drew the title, and since then, the build-up has been awesome—especially last night’s beatdown of Jacob.

Both guys have shown why they are top-tier talents, and I understand why this match is being used to attract newer fans to subscribe to the ESPN app.

As for the match itself, I feel this will be one of the most violent matches of the weekend, with both men beating the hell out of each other. This is Jacob’s big moment, and he needs this win more than Drew to establish himself as a main event-level talent. So I think Fatu is going to get the win.

2. The Usos & LA Knight vs. The Vision & IShowSpeed

The buildup itself is pretty standard, as Knight has been fighting with The Vision for months now, to the point where I’d like to see him move on already. The Usos were inserted into this after losing the tag titles, and IShowSpeed was added because they needed a celebrity. They used the whole “Speed being cursed by Danhausen” angle as an excuse to include him in the match.

In the end, this feels like a TV match that was added as a buffer between two bigger matches and as a way to bring in IShowSpeed’s audience to the ESPN app. That’s likely why it’s part of the ESPN2 lineup, but I would have preferred a tag title rematch instead.

As for the winners, I will go with The Usos and Knight, mostly so the babyfaces get some kind of revenge.

3. Women’s World Championship Match: Liv Morgan vs. Stephanie Vaquer (c)

First of all, I really hope this match actually happens at Mania because I’ve loved the build. The story of Liv never working the indies before getting signed by WWE versus Stephanie having to fight her way into the company has been well executed.

Then you have the promo battles between the two, and the fact that they let Stephanie speak in her native language made everything feel more real. You could really see how angry she was at Liv. The angle they did last Monday really worked for me—it felt like Stephanie finally got some revenge for all the beatdowns she’s taken over the past few weeks.

However, this match might be in jeopardy due to Liv suffering a concussion.

I really hope Liv is cleared by Saturday so this match can happen, as it could be one of the best matches of her career. If it does happen, I think we’ll see a new champion in Liv Morgan, possibly with interference from Roxanne and maybe even Raquel.

4. WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship: Becky Lynch vs. AJ Lee

This feud started back in September of last year when AJ made her return, and the story centers around Becky being unable to beat AJ.

This has once again shown why Becky is one of the best in the women’s division. Her heel work—while annoying at times—has been excellent, especially on promos. The way she has used social media to advance the story shows why she’s one of the greatest women’s wrestlers in WWE and how talent should be using those platforms.

The match itself should be great, as I haven’t seen a bad match between these two yet. I think it will top last month’s match, as AJ won’t have the same nerves she did returning to singles competition.

As for the winner, we’ll likely see a new Intercontinental Champion, as Becky Lynch finally gets her big win over AJ Lee. I could see this being AJ’s swan song, or at least the beginning of a long break.

5. Fatal 4-Way for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles: The Bellas vs. Alexa Bliss & Charlotte Flair vs. Lyra Valkyria & Bayley vs. Nia Jax & Lash Legend

This had a fairly basic buildup. Nia and Lash won the titles from Iyo and Rhea and began acting like bullies. From there, it followed the classic wrestling formula of multiple teams wanting the titles, costing each other opportunities, and brawling in tag and singles matches. In a way, that’s refreshing since we don’t see that style of build very often anymore.

However, this match might be changed before Mania due to Nikki’s ankle injury. The rumor is that if The Bellas can’t compete, Asuka and Kairi Sane will replace them. I’m not a fan of that idea, especially considering how Asuka has been built toward a different Mania match. I’d rather see another team get an opportunity or just turn it into a triple threat, but WWE seems set on keeping it a four-way.

If The Bellas are cleared, they’ll likely win the titles, as this feels designed to give them one last run before retirement. If not, I’d like to see Lyra and Bayley win, giving Bayley a fairytale ending to her redemption arc that began last year. Otherwise, I could see Nia and Lash retaining.

6. Seth Rollins vs. Gunther

The build has been rushed due to outside factors, including Seth only being cleared last Monday and this not being the original plan. That said, both men have shown why they are top stars by getting fans invested in just two weeks.

This has the potential to be match of the night, and I also think the feud will continue after Mania.

As for the result, I think Gunther’s WrestleMania losing streak will continue. While I’m picking Seth Rollins to win, I could also see Bron Breakker returning and attacking Seth after the match.

7. WWE Championship: Cody Rhodes (w/ Jelly Roll) vs. Randy Orton (w/ Pat McAfee)

This build has been a bit of a trainwreck, but honestly, I’ve been entertained by it. I didn’t initially understand why they turned Orton heel when a face vs. face match could have worked just fine.

That decision nearly backfired, as fans didn’t want to boo Orton. Then they called an audible by inserting Pat McAfee into the storyline. Like many fans, I wasn’t a fan at first, but I was willing to give it a chance—and they won me over with last night’s segment.

One positive from McAfee’s involvement is that it led to one of Cody’s most genuine promos. His promo last week felt heartfelt, almost like something Dusty Rhodes would have said, rather than the more scripted style we usually get.

The match itself should deliver as a Night One main event, though I expect interference from both Jelly Roll and McAfee, which could disrupt the flow a bit.

In the end, I think Orton captures his 15th world title, as I don’t see a scenario where he doesn’t steal the victory from Cody.

Overall, this is a strong card for Night One, and if everything delivers as expected, it should set the tone nicely for the rest of WrestleMania. Personally, I’m excited to see how it all plays out.