WWE WrestleMania 42 predictions, expert picks: Night 1 card, 2026 matches, start time, date, location

WWE enters WrestleMania 42 with more pressure to deliver than any show in a long time after completely muddying up yet another build to its main event with Cody Rhodes.Wrestling fans are perplexed and annoyed by Pat McAfee being revealed as Randy Orton’s mystery caller and cutting promos that were at times illogical while trying to help boost the lackluster ticket sales after WWE chose to bring WrestleMania back to Allegiant Stadium for the second straight year. WWE had a mentor-student layup with decades of history between members of two of wrestling’s iconic families and chose a worse route.Now they have to validate why.With plenty at stake and plenty of titles on the line, The Post’s Joseph Staszewski does his best to predict how it will all go down in Las Vegas on Saturday night, April 18, for the WrestleMania Night 1 card (6 p.m., ESPN Unlimited.

First hour also airs on ESPN2.)This feels like it has to be Fatu’s time, as McIntyre is coming off a short-lived run as WWE champion.The two have beaten each other up all around the arenas in the weeks and months leading up to this match, and now they can do whatever they want to each other to get us a winner, with the match unsanctioned.

It feels like a perfect match to put on the first hour, which will air on ESPN2.Fatu, the babyface here, has a story to immediately lean into with tensions between him and Solo Sikoa growing with Toma Tonga’s loyalties hanging in the balance.He can do so with the momentum of beating McIntyre after they both pull out all the stops.

Maybe Tonga gives him a slight assist.Pick: Jacob FatuThe Usos need to get a little bit of payback for Paul and Theory beating them for the World Tag Team championships at Madison Square Garden in late March.Danhausen’s curse is still on iShowspeed, so that should play a role here to get the budding Very Nice, Very Evil star on the show on ESPN and make for some great social content for WWE in a match clearly booked for casual fans.

Speed’...