The ladder of success is never crowded at the top. When it comes to ladder matches in professional wrestling, there are many contestants, but only one winner. When ladder matches like these happen at WrestleMania, the winner is not just commemorated in the history books but also recognized as one of the greatest to ever lace up a pair of wrestling boots. This year, at WrestleMania 42, that winner cannot have their hands in their pockets like Orange Cassidy; that winner must reach for the Intercontinental Title.
In WrestleMania history, there have been incredible Intercontinental Title Ladder Matches at both WrestleMania 31 and 32, in which Dean Ambrose and Kevin Owens walked into Mania as champions and lost their titles to Bryan Danielson and Matt Cardona respectively.
It can be difficult for champs to retain in matches like these, as there are always 6-8 hungry contestants vying for the title. This year, Penta is walking into Mania as champion and statistically has a 16.67% chance of retaining the title against five other contestants.
Those five other contestants are Je’Von Evans, Rey Mysterio, Dragon Lee, JD McDonagh, and Rusev. They are all workhorses who have been keeping the mid card hot on Raw lately. Some of them were booked with better momentum and credibility than others. However, they all persevered during Dirty Dom’s reign of terror, and they now want to capitalize on this opportunity now that the belt is no longer around his waist. Here is a ranking of everyone’s chances of winning the IC Title Ladder Match at WrestleMania 42.
Betting Favorite: Je’Von Evans
Je’Von Evans has a lot of similarities to Bryan Danielson, who won the Intercontinental Title in a Ladder Match at WrestleMania 31. He is a babyface underdog who fans resonate with and want to root for in all of his matches. Every time he is so close to winning the big one, the fans are on the edge of their seats. However, when he fails, their hearts drop in despair as their high spirits dwindle drastically. Evans has been involved in situations like what was just vividly described countless times during his time in NXT.
In the main event scene, mid card, and tag divisions, he had lost 10+ title shots. The most notable title shots he fumbled were against his arch nemesis, Oba Femi, for the NXT Title in the main event scene. In all of those performances, he delivered in the ring and told a compelling enough story on the microphone to make fans believe in his abilities. In most cases, the continuous losses and failed opportunities would begin to hurt one’s credibility, but Evans is still beloved by the fans because he is truly something special.
This spot fest at WrestleMania 42 is his environment. He is a high flyer who made his entire gimmick about being bouncy. He drops the jaws of pro wrestling fans with his high octane offense and daredevil aerial assaults.
A ladder match like this is the perfect place for Evans to win the first title in his entire career and symbolize a redemption arc for all his prior failed title opportunities in NXT. WWE has an opportunity to facilitate a grandiose moment for this young star, and all they have to do is let his work speak for itself.
