3 Better WrestleMania 42 main events than Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton

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The Scottish Warrior would be cheered by fans despite being a heel and had helped SmackDown feel like a better show. However, he will no longer walk into WrestleMania as the world champion, and it seems like he has been done dirty considering the situation.

Although Rhodes vs. Orton is a huge match, worthy of main-eventing WWE’s biggest show of the year, several others could have main-evented Night One, considering the overall landscape of the storylines. On that note, here are three better main events for WrestleMania 42 than Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton.

3. Rhea Ripley vs. Jade Cargill

Rhea Ripley won the 2026 Women’s Elimination Chamber Match to earn a shot at the WWE Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 42. The two powerhouses have already started building to their match, and it feels personal despite the apparent show of respect between them on SmackDown.

With WrestleMania expanding to two nights, at least one of them should be main-evented by a women’s division match. However, it will not happen this year. Ripley vs. Cargill could have been built up into an incredibly heated match, and it would have been a worthy main event bout as well.

2. Cody Rhodes vs. Jacob Fatu

While there is a lot of history between Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton, the feud between them should have started much earlier. Orton has been teasing a match with Rhodes ever since WrestleMania 40.

And while it is a dream match, it seems like the momentum has disappeared for the bout over the past two years. Instead, WWE could have booked Jacob Fatu to win the Elimination Chamber and have him face Rhodes, or even Drew McIntyre if he had retained the title.

Revealing McIntyre or Rhodes as Fatu’s mystery attacker would have added an even more interesting angle to the match, helping raise the stakes.

1. WWE Championship Fatal Four-Way

Fans mostly agree that Drew McIntyre should have walked into WrestleMania 42 as the Undisputed WWE Champion. However, with several people in the running for a shot at the title, WWE could have simply made it a Fatal Four-Way with Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, and Jacob Fatu involved.

Sami Zayn could have proved to be the difference maker in the end, turning on Cody Rhodes and finally snapping in the process. This could have led to Randy Orton winning the title, while also setting up Zayn vs. Rhodes for the summer. Instead, it seems like McIntyre is going to be essentially relegated to a throwaway singles match with Jacob Fatu in Las Vegas.