WrestleMania 42 Fallout: WWE Shakeups, Releases, and What’s Next

WrestleMania 42 is in the rearview mirror and will go down as one of the most polarizing of its kind. Ads were galore, the ESPN app kept crashing, and the longest match across the board was 33 minutes long. On the bright side, almost everyone’s favorite won last weekend. Randy Orton was originally supposed to win his 15th title, but Triple H decided to keep his rivalry going with Cody Rhodes. Long story short, WWE wanted to hit the reset button and rid the filth of TKO’s meddling with the insertion of Pat McAfee.

The Ruler Has Arrived

Oba! Oba! Oba! Oba!

Oba Femi beat Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania in the opener, and WWE made the right decision. Rumor has it that Brock Lesnar picked Oba Femi to be his WrestleMania opponent and put him over. The Nigerian Giant opened Monday Night Raw, the crowd strutted along to his entrance and serenaded him. Femi said, “The Ruler Has Arrived,” and the mic dropped. Short, sweet, and to the point. Where he goes from here is anybody’s guess but expect a clash with Roman Reigns for the World Heavyweight title at SummerSlam or before the year is out.

The ‘Mania Match that Should’ve Happened

It’s a shame Iyo Sky vs Asuka (even adding Kaire Sane) didn’t happen at WrestleMania. Instead, Sky made an appearance in Rhea’s title match and celebrated Ripley’s victory. According to reports, the creative team didn’t want to rush this match and instead gave it time to develop. That same team put Gunther and Seth Rollins together in less than three weeks. On Raw, Sky and Ripley took down Asuka and Sane in the first match of the show. Hopefully, we will get Iyo Sky and Asuka at Backlash. It’s ridiculous that one of the greatest female wrestlers on the planet couldn’t get on the WM card.

The N(E)XT Generation is Here

Every year after WrestleMania, WWE calls up the best and brightest stars from NXT. Ethan Page and Sol Ruca made their debuts on Raw, while Fatal Influence was involved in two segments on SmackDown. Page looks to have found his place in the IC title picture, while Ruca stood toe-to-toe with WWE Raw Women’s Champion Liv Morgan. Meanwhile, Fatal Influence got involved in the tag team title bout before Jacy Jayne hit Rhea Ripley with her best shot. Joe Hendry is scheduled to have a concert on Raw, while Blake Monroe and Ricky Saints will be making their debuts soon.

All Gas No Breaks

When Roman Reigns won their first World Heavyweight Championship, fans wondered what was next for the Tribal Chief. Would it be Rock, Bron Breakker, or Oba Femi? None of the above. In the last segment of Raw, Jacob Fatu interrupted Reigns and the Usos looking for a title opportunity. It looks like WWE fans are going to see Roman Reigns vs Jacob Fatu at Backlash in Tampa. Fatu will likely lose to Reigns, but if they add a stipulation that he must join the Bloodline as a result. Things could get interesting. It’s great to see the Samoan Werewolf get his flower and confront the Tribal Chief. Let’s hope there are bigger things for him on the horizon.

Spring Cleaning

There’s no easy way to put it. Days after WWE/TKO announced WrestleMania 42 was the highest-grossing event in company history, over 20 superstars were released. Most notable were Santos Escobar, Apollo Crews, Kaire Sane, Aleister Black, along with his wife, Zelina Vega, and the Wyatt Sicks. The strange part of all of this is WWE aired a vignette for the Wyatt Sicks during a SmackDown commercial break despite them being released. Something must have gotten lost in translation along the way. Fans might be under the impression that TKO is responsible for this happening, but that lies with Triple H. Hoping all the talent find another home sooner than later.

Returns and Departures

We got Paige, Bron Breakker, and Street Profits back in the last week. Paige is a Women’s Tag Team champion, while Breakker is targeting Seth Rollins. The Street Profits mysteriously disappeared from WWE television but returned to take out the Vision. Here’s to hoping they take the tag titles off the Vision immediately.

On the flip side, a match planned for Backlash has been cancelled. Pat McAfee and Jelly Roll have departed from WWE on their own accord. After harsh backlash (pun fully intended), the two went to their social media platforms and announced their departure from the company. Cody Rhodes on SmackDown said, “To those outside forces that kept interceding and interjecting into my WrestleMania plans… You guys are 0-3. Send your best or count your money and mind your damn business.” He refers to WM 40, where Rock almost took his spot, WM 41 with Travis Scott, and finally Pat McAfee at WM 42. Expect a rematch between Orton and Rhodes for the belt without any shenanigans, and for Orton to win his 15th title. The American Nightmare isn’t medically cleared, so fans will have to wait and see when these two will clash.

One last thing before I forget, Tiffany Stratton is the new Women’s US champion after beating Guilia. Don’t worry if you forgot about this title; so, did Triple H and the rest of the creative team. They seem to only care about it when the belt is on Chelsea Green, who is nursing a broken foot and will be out for several months.

With new talent in the spotlight, WWE may have found its formula for success. Unfortunately, dozens have lost their jobs in the past few days. Let’s see what Triple H and co. have in store for this next chapter.