{"id":159887,"date":"2026-04-23T15:10:50","date_gmt":"2026-04-23T19:10:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=159887"},"modified":"2026-04-23T15:10:50","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T19:10:50","slug":"predicting-wrestlemania-43-night-two-main-event","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2026\/04\/23\/predicting-wrestlemania-43-night-two-main-event\/","title":{"rendered":"Predicting WrestleMania 43 Night Two Main Event"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>We&#8217;re just days removed from WrestleMania 42, and fans have already begun fantasy booking the card for next year&#8217;s Mania. This year, Roman Reigns and CM Punk wrote the most important chapter in their epic rivalry at Mania 42 Night Two. The Best in the World and the OTC headlined the show with a brilliant match.<\/p>\n<p>Triple H is a fan of teases and long-term storytelling. Hence, WWE has already dropped a few hints of what fans could expect at the Show of Shows next year. WrestleMania 43 will take place in Saudi Arabia, but the official dates are yet to be confirmed. As such, the company can be expected to dig deep to put together a star-studded card.<\/p>\n<p>With a little more than 11 months remaining till Mania 43, no one knows what to expect. However, with the amount of talent available and the depths of current storytelling, we have several candidates for the headline act of Mania 43 Night Two.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">BREAKING NEWS: <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TripleH?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@TripleH<\/a> and <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Turki_alalshikh?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@Turki_alalshikh<\/a> just announced that <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/WrestleMania?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#WrestleMania<\/a> 43 is heading to Saudi Arabia in 2027! <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/WrestleManiaRiyadh?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#WrestleManiaRiyadh<\/a> <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RiyadhSeason?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@RiyadhSeason<\/a> <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/HGEQU0LMR5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/HGEQU0LMR5<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; WWE (@WWE) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WWE\/status\/1966582775638585452?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">September 12, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h2><strong>#4. Cody Rhodes (c) vs. CM Punk for the WWE Championship<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>On the SmackDown before WrestleMania 42, Cody Rhodes and CM Punk had an emotional exchange of words, which ended with an embrace. After Punk lost the World Heavyweight Title to Roman Reigns, Rhodes <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2026\/04\/20\/cm-punk-says-no-vacation-promises-to-be-ready-for-opportunity-as-cody-rhodes-crashes-raw\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">offered<\/a> him a WWE Title opportunity on RAW after Mania. The American Nightmare has left the ball in Punk&#8217;s court.<\/p>\n<p>WWE has been teasing Rhodes vs. Punk for a while. It was first teased in the build-up to Royal Rumble 2024. The 2024 Men&#8217;s Rumble match ended with Rhodes eliminating Punk. Both men eventually found their way to World Titles and WrestleMania main events. However, we are yet to receive an extended program.<\/p>\n<p>The American Nightmare has unfinished business with Randy Orton. This is expected to be a long feud, and Rhodes could lose the title to Orton. Nonetheless, as with his feud with John Cena, QB1 will certainly have the final laugh and regain the belt.<\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, Punk will look to rebuild himself following his massive loss to Reigns. Royal Rumble 2027 could end with the Best in the World pointing at the WrestleMania 43 sign. He could choose Rhodes as his opponent, setting up a massive showdown worthy of headlining Night Two.<\/p>\n<p>Although they have different characters, their journeys have a few similarities. Notably, both men were top stars in AEW and earned their spot back in WWE. They didn&#8217;t necessarily leave on the best of terms, but their passion and talent brought them back to the world&#8217;s top promotion.<\/p>\n<p>There is enough history between Rhodes and Punk to create a compelling narrative. As has been the custom in recent years, WWE might throw in a heel turn. The Best in the World is likely to turn heel in this scenario. All in all, Punk vs. Rhodes has enormous storytelling potential and could prove a wonderful main event.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Cody Rhodes confronts CM Punk: Raw highlights, April 20, 2026\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/bSEjJNuF8x0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2>#3. Roman Reigns vs. Seth &#8220;Freakin&#8221; Rollins (c) for the World Heavyweight Championship<\/h2>\n<p>Few men have been as influential as Roman Reigns and Seth &#8220;Freakin&#8221; Rollins in the last 15 years. Their paths have been intricately intertwined throughout their careers. They started as brothers in the Shield. However, following Rollins&#8217; betrayal in June 2014, they have been fierce rivals, save for a couple of Shield reunions.<\/p>\n<p>Even when they walked separate paths, it always seemed as if they would run into each other yet again. In fact, initial plans for WrestleMania 42<a href=\"https:\/\/tjrwrestling.net\/news\/wwe-plans-roman-reigns-wrestlemania-42\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> pointed<\/a> to a World Heavyweight Title clash between Rollins and Reigns. However, the Visionary got injured at Crown Jewel 2025, and those plans were ultimately scrapped.<\/p>\n<p>Nonetheless, it isn&#8217;t too late as WWE could easily book the OTC vs. the Visionary in the main event of Mania 43: Night Two. Reigns created magic with Punk, a man whom he hated, at the Show of Shows. If there&#8217;s one man Reigns hates more than Punk, it&#8217;s probably Rollins, who has made a career out of betraying and tormenting the OTC.<\/p>\n<p>Ideally, Rollins should have the upper hand in the buildup and walk into Mania 43 as champion. This could happen in multiple ways.\u00a0 The Visionary winning Money in the Bank and cashing in on the current World Heavyweight Champion, Reigns, could be a riveting angle.<\/p>\n<p>As two stars who have defined an entire generation, Roman Reigns vs. Seth &#8220;Freakin&#8221; Rollins makes for a blockbuster match worthy of headlining the second night of Mania 43. Both men have tremendous chemistry and could easily wrestle one of the greatest main events of all time.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FULL MATCH: Roman Reigns vs. Seth &quot;Freakin&quot; Rollins | Universal Title Match: Royal Rumble 2022\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/9eCExd5GPjs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2><strong>#2. Gunther vs. CM Punk With Punk&#8217;s Career on the Line<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Much to Punk&#8217;s anger, Roman Reigns called CM Punk old during a promo on the Road to WrestleMania 43. At the Show of Shows, Punk&#8217;s body gave out towards the end of the match. The Best in the World couldn&#8217;t simply\u00a0keep up with the younger Reigns. In the end, the OTC landed one final Spear to win the World Heavyweight Championship.<\/p>\n<p>The finish to Punk vs. Reigns proved two things: the OTC can get the job done by itself, and Punk is definitely getting old. We are all well aware of Triple H&#8217;s love for long-term storytelling. Thus, Punk&#8217;s age could become a focal point again in the foreseeable future, especially if he stands across the Career Killer.<\/p>\n<p>In recent months, Gunther has made a career out of retiring legends and destroying legacies. He has already added Goldberg, John Cena, and AJ Styles to his list of victims. As WWE moves towards a fresh generation of talent, old timers are leaving the business. However, unlike many of his peers, Punk is still competing as a full-timer.<\/p>\n<p>The Chicago native is slowing down, and Father Time is slowly catching up to him. Therefore, fans shouldn&#8217;t be surprised if Gunther comes hunting for Punk sooner rather than later. Furthermore, Punk defeated the Ring General to win the World Title at SummerSlam, giving Gunther another reason to pursue the Second City Saint.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FULL MATCH: Gunther vs. CM Punk | World Heavyweight Title Match: SummerSlam 2025\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/UTZTC4KPTjg?start=760&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2><strong>#1. Roman Reigns (c) vs. Oba Femi for the World Heavyweight Championship<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>When Roman Reigns won the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 42, fans immediately began fantasy booking a <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2026\/04\/21\/mapping-out-roman-reigns-run-as-wwe-world-heavyweight-champion\/\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" target=\"_self\">list<\/a> <\/span>of dream matches. A colossal dream match with Oba Femi was a popular option, and this was teased during the post-show, too.<\/p>\n<p>Truth be told, the Ruler has the wrestling world in the palm of his hand. He could challenge for the World Title as soon as SummerSlam 2025. However, the safer route would see Femi spend more time in non-title feuds in the upper midcard.\u00a0 There are plenty of options for him, including big feuds with the likes of the Vision, Dominik Mysterio, Jacob Fatu, and Gunther.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Reigns could stretch his reign, defending the championship against the likes of Fatu, the Usos, and LA Knight. By January 2027, WWE could begin sowing the seeds for Roman Reigns vs. Oba Femi at WrestleMania 43. The Ruler could book a date with the OTC by winning the 2027 Men&#8217;s Royal Rumble match.<\/p>\n<p>Much like <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2026\/04\/19\/oba-femi-slays-the-beast-at-wrestlemania-42-brock-lesnar-seemingly-retires\/\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" target=\"_self\">Femi vs. Lesnar<\/a><\/span>, this feud doesn&#8217;t need to feel very personal or rely heavily on storytelling. It could be billed as a fight between the current standard-bearer and the future top dog. If booked properly, this could be the program that establishes Femi as the guy to beat in WWE.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Oba Femi: &quot;Your RULER has arrived&quot;: Raw highlights, April 20, 2026\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/mWr4QLVWIKw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We&#8217;re just days removed from WrestleMania 42, and fans have already begun fantasy booking the card for next year&#8217;s Mania. This year, Roman Reigns and CM Punk wrote the most important chapter in their epic rivalry at Mania 42 Night Two. The Best in the World and the OTC headlined the show with a brilliant [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5689,"featured_media":160041,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2,2192,4,3],"tags":[140,98,8238,8734,77,76,9726],"class_list":["post-159887","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-wrestling","category-wwe","category-wwe-universe","tag-cm-punk","tag-cody-rhodes","tag-gunther","tag-oba-femi","tag-roman-reigns","tag-seth-rollins","tag-wrestlemania-43"],"modified_by":"Steph Franchomme","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/159887","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5689"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=159887"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/159887\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":160047,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/159887\/revisions\/160047"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/160041"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=159887"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=159887"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=159887"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}