Cody Rhodes is the WWE Champion again — and this time, the WrestleMania 42 card is locking into place because of it. On a SmackDown that had serious problems from start to finish, the main event delivered everything it needed to deliver. Cody pinned Drew McIntyre with the Crossroads, Charles Robinson counted three, and just like that, the biggest one-on-one match available to WWE for WrestleMania is officially on the table: Cody Rhodes versus Randy Orton for the WWE Championship. Dave Simon and pro wrestler Genesis Johnny North watched it happen live on Wrestling Uncensored on March 6th — and their reaction was immediate. This is the right call. This is the match. Now WWE just has to not screw it up.
The road to this moment had its share of detours. Drew McIntyre escaped an Elimination Chamber earlier this year, won the title inside a steel cage, had his European parade with the belt, and now hands it back at the exact moment the calendar demands it. That’s the booking. It works. But surrounding the main event, this edition of SmackDown revealed some genuine problems with the WrestleMania 42 card build — a flat Jade Cargill and Rhea Ripley face-off that wasted real momentum, a CM Punk promo that Roman Reigns absolutely won, and a tag team turmoil match that ate sixty minutes of television for no discernible reason.
Table of Contents
🎯 Key Takeaways
- Cody Rhodes wins the WWE Championship on SmackDown: The Crossroads finishes Drew McIntyre, the title changes hands live, and the WrestleMania 42 card now has its anchor match — Cody vs Randy Orton.
- Roman Reigns won that promo: The Punk-Roman segment produced some good television, but Roman was the better man this week. Punk’s “bury you next to your father” line was cheap heat that missed the mark badly.
- Jade and Rhea were better on Twitter: The face-to-face promo on SmackDown was flat. They played it too safe, shook hands twice, and compared physiques when the real beef between them was appointment television.
- Dan Hausen’s Raw redemption is real: After a polarizing debut, Hausen bounced back with a hilarious list of demands on Raw — and when he “cursed” Dominic Mysterio, Penta took the Intercontinental Title to make it stick.
- AEW Revolution is loaded: MJF vs Hangman Adam Page in a Last Chance Texas Death Match headlines a Revolution card that also features FTR vs Young Bucks, Moxley vs Konosuke Takeshita, and Thekla vs Kris Statlander in a two-out-of-three falls match.
Cody Rhodes Wins the WWE Championship — And This Is the WrestleMania 42 Card We Needed
The match itself was exactly what a live championship match on SmackDown should be. Drew McIntyre and Cody Rhodes have wrestled enough times now that there’s a comfort and a shorthand between them — they know how to build a match, how to pace it, and when to deliver the moments that make the live crowd react. The table spot mid-match was unplanned chaos that Cody handled perfectly. The announced table collapsed under them both; nothing went through it, and Cody immediately fetched a replacement, set it up, and took a powerbomb through it with the kind of professionalism that only a guy who genuinely loves his job delivers. He didn’t sell it much. He was back in the ring almost immediately. The crowd didn’t care. Neither did Dave Simon.
Jacob Fatu was at ringside and kept Drew from using a chair. The ref bump came — Charles Robinson, the greatest bumper in the business, rolled entirely out of the ring, and Dave called it in real time. A second referee came in. Drew hit a Future Shock DDT for two. He set up for the Claymore, missed it, and Cody hit the Cody Cutter. The Crossroads followed. One, two, three. New champion. Dave’s reaction was immediate and genuine: “Cody is back on top. He did it again.”
“Cody Rhodes is the best top guy that WWE has had since Stone Cold Steve Austin. And I’m going to keep saying that because it’s the truth. We are lucky right now to be living in the Cody Rhodes era.”— Dave Simon, Wrestling Uncensored, March 6, 2026
That’s not hyperbole from Dave — it’s a considered position he has held for a while and will defend against any counterargument. Cody is better in the ring than Cena. Better than Roman. Better than Batista, Triple H, and Randy Orton in terms of what he brings to the table as a complete performer. He delivers in the ring. He delivers on the microphone. The promos can get theatrical — Johnny North pointed that out, called them “wordy” and “stagey” at times — and Dave didn’t entirely disagree. But the total package is undeniable, and the WWE made a legitimately smart decision by putting him on top of their company.
The contract signing between Cody and Randy Orton is already scheduled for next week, confirming what everyone suspected the moment Randy cost Cody at the Elimination Chamber. The WrestleMania 42 card is getting its main event. These two fought in Saudi Arabia — Randy hesitated, Cody took advantage, and that’s why Randy repaid it at the Chamber. Now they settle it at WrestleMania. That’s the story. That’s a clean booking.
As for the rest of the SmackDown fallout, Drew now appears headed toward a match with Jacob Fatu at WrestleMania — Dave’s read is that Drew will need to put Fatu over, and that’s the right call. Fatu has been lurking around this championship picture long enough that he needs a signature win, and Drew losing clean to Cody gives him the credibility to be the man who delivers it.
The CM Punk vs Roman Reigns Promo — Roman Won and It Wasn’t Close
The Punk-Roman face-off this week was not at the level of their first interaction. Roman was good — genuinely good in stretches, with material that felt personal and specific rather than scripted. Punk, for the first time in this feud, felt like the lesser man on the microphone.
Roman’s best material was the “you were never supposed to be here” angle — the idea that Punk was brought back for nostalgia, to fill a house show in Chicago, to give the loser fans someone to root for. He was the backup because someone got hurt. This was never supposed to be Punk’s moment, and Roman is going to fix that mistake at WrestleMania. That’s a compelling argument delivered with genuine conviction, and the crowd responded. Roman also landed the Shield callback — pointing out that Punk originally wanted Seth Rollins and Kassius Ohno in the Shield, and that the WWE gave him Roman instead. Punk acting like he built the group when he never actually wanted Roman is the kind of specific historical revisionism that makes wrestling arguments feel real.
Punk’s low point was a line that should never have made it to air: “I’m going to bury you right next to your father.” Roman’s father, Sika, passed away. Using that as a promo line is the kind of cheap heat that doesn’t land because it doesn’t actually connect to any wrestling narrative — it’s just gross. Dave’s read was immediate and unfiltered: “I didn’t like it at all. I thought it was low.” The Samoan family reacted on social media. WWE talent reacted. The line got people talking, but not in the way that builds a match. Real heat and bad heat are two different things, and Punk crossed the line into the wrong kind.
🤔 Did You Know?
CM Punk originally proposed the Shield stable with Seth Rollins and Kassius Ohno — not Roman Reigns. WWE management inserted Roman into the group, a fact Roman used against Punk directly in their WrestleMania 42 promo face-off on Raw.
The other Punk line that fell flat was his claim that he doesn’t hold grudges and doesn’t get mad about what people say about him on podcasts. Johnny North’s response said everything: “Of course, he knows what he said.” Dave agreed. Punk saying he doesn’t hold grudges while actively calling out Roman Reigns for slights that go back a decade is the kind of contradiction that undermines his entire argument. Roman won that exchange. Next week — and at WrestleMania — the standard needs to be higher from both men.
Jade Cargill vs Rhea Ripley: The Twitter Beef Was the Better Promo
This one stings because the build to Jade versus Rhea on social media was electric. Real shots, real perceived slights, Piper Niven jumping in — it felt like two people who genuinely had a problem with each other and were letting it breathe in public. The SmackDown promo wiped all of that out in about three minutes.
What we got instead was a physique comparison delivered in a corporate tone. Jade told Rhea she had big arms, but her arms were bigger. Rhea told Jade she was built for show, not fighting, and that she’d win at WrestleMania. They shook hands. Twice. Dave’s verdict was blunt: “Your physique is good, but mine is better. Mine is more functional than yours. It’s like, okay.”
The more interesting analysis Dave offered was about why the promo was structured the way it was. His read: this was a protective booking for Rhea Ripley on the microphone. Jade Cargill is a significantly stronger promo than Rhea — if you let Jade go and really speak her mind, Rhea is going to have a hard time keeping up. Keeping it controlled, keeping it even, making sure nobody “won” the promo exchange was a deliberate decision. That’s not creative timidity — it’s smart resource management. But it left the arena flat when it could have been the second-best segment of the night.
The match itself has legitimate main event potential. On paper, Jade vs Rhea might be just as big as Cody vs Randy. Dave floated the idea that if it were a four-way with Jacob Fatu and Drew McIntyre in the WWE title picture, Jade vs. Rhea should probably main-event over it. With Cody and Randy one-on-one, that’s tougher to argue — but the match deserves more than it’s currently getting from a storytelling standpoint. There are three weeks until WrestleMania to fix that.
Reality Check: SmackDown Gave Up an Hour to a Match Nobody Wanted
The Reality: SmackDown killed its entire nine o’clock hour with a tag team turmoil gauntlet match that accomplished nothing. Fraxatime beat the Motor City Machine Guns, who then beat Los Garza’s, who then beat The Wyatts — and then Damian Priest and R-Truth came in as the final team, did almost no work, beat Los Garza’s, and earned a tag title shot. The Motor City Machine Guns deserved better. Los Garza’s, who actually did most of the heavy lifting in the match, got nothing. And the audience got sixty minutes of a show that had no reason to exist at three weeks out from WrestleMania. If they’re not going to try, don’t expect the audience to try either.
Women’s Tag Title Picture: Kiana James Is the One to Watch
Nia Jax and her tag partner celebrated their women’s tag title victory on SmackDown, and it immediately turned into a traffic jam of challengers. Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss came out wanting a title shot. Kiana James and Julia Hart followed — but Kiana James walked in with receipts: she beat Charlotte and Nia Jax in a triple threat. She eliminated Alexa Bliss in the Elimination Chamber. She has a legitimate argument for why she’s next in line, and she made it clearly.
The match that followed — Charlotte and Alexa versus Kiana and Julia — ended abruptly. Alexa knocked out Kiana, Charlotte hit Natural Selection on Julia, and it was over before it felt like it started. Dave and Johnny both noted that it felt cut short, as if they ran out of time and went straight to the finish. For a division that’s been building some genuine momentum, that’s a disappointing way to present it. The focus in the aftermath seems to be on Kiana James as the one WWE is slowly pushing — she cuts the promos, she took no fall here, and her logic in the opening confrontation was airtight. Julia is a solid partner for her, but Kiana is clearly the principal.
Danhausen’s Raw Redemption — And Penta Wins the Intercontinental Title
After a debut at Chicago’s Raw that divided the internet — comparisons to the Gobbledy Gooker and the Shockmaster were circulating — Danhausen came back on Raw with something that actually worked. He cut a promo about his debut, acknowledged the crowd’s reaction with a straight face, and then produced a list of demands. He wants a blimp. He wants to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame immediately. He wants one of those photos with Triple H pointing at him. The list was genuinely funny, and the crowd went with it.
Then he cursed Dominic Mysterio. And Penta, in what Dave described as the Danhausen curse, working exactly as intended, defeated Dominic Mysterio to win the Intercontinental Championship. Dave’s take is that Penta has worked hard for a long time and this is a deserved moment — and that Dominic losing the title was inevitable as soon as Dan Hausen put the hex on him.
Nick Aldis pairing Danhausen with the Miz on SmackDown is an interesting creative direction. The Miz as a mentor figure trying to teach the ropes to an eccentric outsider has comedic potential, and Dave acknowledged as much while also pointing out that Hausen’s ceiling in WWE probably isn’t the world title. But if Dominic Mysterio could hold the Intercontinental Championship, the door is open for all kinds of things. The bigger question is whether WWE uses him in the ring at all or keeps him as a backstage promo act indefinitely. Dave’s instinct: they’ll have to put him in matches eventually, and that’s when the real test begins.
Gunther, Oba Femi, Brock Lesnar — The WrestleMania 42 Card’s Unresolved Pieces
Gunther beat Dragon Lee on Raw and removed his mask. Dave’s read is that this is setting up a WrestleMania program with Rey Mysterio — disrespecting the lucha tradition, taking a young luchador’s mask, and waiting for the legend to answer. It fits. It makes sense. What Dave is less convinced about is the alternative booking being discussed: Gunther versus Oba Femi.
Johnny North likes the idea of Gunther vs Oba Femi at WrestleMania and would give the win to Oba, arguing it would be a massive elevation for a rising star. Dave’s counter was direct and well-reasoned: Gunther has enormous momentum right now and is tailor-made to eventually lose a major program to Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns, or CM Punk. One loss to Oba Femi at this stage doesn’t end his career — but it interrupts a trajectory that’s building toward something bigger. If Gunther loses, it should be to one of the top babyface champions, not in a mid-card WrestleMania program.
Dave’s preferred scenario for Oba Femi at WrestleMania is a match against Brock Lesnar, who has an open challenge currently being ignored. Oba answering that challenge would be a generational collision. Brock, Dave argued, would actually be the perfect opponent for Oba to make his WrestleMania name against — a bigger, more established target than Gunther, whose loss to a rising star reads as elevation rather than damage. The dirt sheets have Brock versus LA Knight as the rumored direction, which Dave doesn’t fully buy based on what he’s seen on television, noting there’s almost no actual foreshadowing of that match on screen beyond the fact that both men were in the Royal Rumble together.
| Match | Status | Dave’s Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Cody Rhodes vs Randy Orton — WWE Championship | Contract signing next week | Right call. Cleanest path. |
| Drew McIntyre vs Jacob Fatu | Developing | Drew needs to put Fatu over. |
| Jade Cargill vs Rhea Ripley | Set — needs better build | Match is big. Storytelling has flatlined. |
| Gunther vs Rey Mysterio | Dave’s prediction | Makes sense. Protect Gunther’s momentum. |
| Brock Lesnar vs Oba Femi | Dave’s preference | Bigger than LA Knight. More meaningful win. |
| CM Punk vs Roman Reigns — World Heavyweight Championship | Confirmed | Night two main event. Not close. |
AEW Revolution Preview: MJF vs Hangman One Last Time
While WWE was building its WrestleMania 42 card in real time, AEW had a significant week of its own. On Dynamite, MJF defeated Kevin Knight in what Johnny North called the best match of the night before the Don Callis Family challenged the Trios Champions and took the gold. Okada, Kyle Fletcher, and Mark Davis defeated Hangman Adam Page, Speedball Mike Bailey, and Kevin Knight — who wrestled the match with taped ribs after going twenty minutes with MJF earlier in the evening — to win the AEW Trios Championships.
The big story, though, is AEW Revolution next week. MJF defends the AEW World Championship against Hangman Adam Page in a Last Chance Texas Death Match — with the stipulation that if Hangman loses, he can never challenge for the AEW World Championship again. That’s a genuinely high-stakes match with a stipulation that actually means something. Full Revolution card as announced:
| Match | Title/Stipulation |
|---|---|
| MJF vs Hangman Adam Page | AEW World Championship — Last Chance Texas Death Match |
| FTR vs The Young Bucks | AEW Tag Team Championships |
| Jon Moxley vs Konosuke Takeshita | AEW Continental Championship — No Time Limit |
| Thekla vs Kris Statlander | AEW Women’s World Championship — Two Out of Three Falls |
| Swerve Strickland vs Brody King | Singles match |
| Andrade El Idolo vs Bandido | Singles match |
| Okada, Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis vs Speedball Mike Bailey, Kevin Knight & Mistiko | AEW Trios Championships |
| Big Boom AJ vs Unknown Opponent | Possibly Chris Jericho? |
Dave’s take on the Andrade El Idolo versus Bandido match is worth noting — he questioned why that match is on pay-per-view at all when it could easily happen on Dynamite, and made the broader point that AEW tends to over-stuff their pay-per-view cards with matches that haven’t been built for that stage. The Swerve versus Brody King match, he understood — Swerve is a former world champion and one of the biggest stars in the company, and Brody King is being elevated. That belongs on pay-per-view. Andrade and Bandido haven’t had that build.
The wildcard is Chris Jericho, who has been MIA on AEW television despite his contract being extended following an injury. His status is genuinely unknown. Dave’s speculation — shared by many in the fan base — is that Jericho eventually ends up in WWE after WrestleMania season. Whether Big Boom AJ’s mystery opponent is Jericho or someone else entirely, Revolution has enough legitimate main card matches to be worth the buy on its own merits.
What It All Means: The WrestleMania 42 Card Is Taking Shape
The WrestleMania 42 card now has its load-bearing wall in place. Cody Rhodes versus Randy Orton for the WWE Championship is the SmackDown main event of the year, and everything that preceded and followed their contract signing next week is in service of making that match feel as big as it deserves to feel. The story is clean. The history is there — Saudi Arabia, the Elimination Chamber, the rivalry that’s been building in the background of the Roman Reigns era, while both men orbited the main event. WrestleMania is the right place to finish it.
Around it, there are genuine concerns. The Punk-Roman program needs a better promo week — Roman set the standard, and Punk needs to match it. Jade and Rhea need the leash taken off so that the match can breathe. The SmackDown undercard needs to stop filling time with gauntlet matches and start building moments. Three weeks is still enough time to fix most of this. But WWE shouldn’t rely on the main event to carry everything.
AEW Revolution is next week and genuinely looks like a compelling card. Wrestling Uncensored will be breaking it down in full on the next episode. Stay tuned to Ringside Report Network for full coverage.
WrestleMania 42 Card — Frequently Asked Questions
What is the current WrestleMania 42 card?
As of March 6, 2026, the confirmed and developing WrestleMania 42 matches include: Cody Rhodes vs Randy Orton for the WWE Championship (contract signing announced for next week), CM Punk vs Roman Reigns for the World Heavyweight Championship, Jade Cargill vs Rhea Ripley, and a developing program between Drew McIntyre and Jacob Fatu. Several other matches are rumored but not yet confirmed.
Why did Cody Rhodes win the WWE Championship on SmackDown?
Cody Rhodes winning the title on SmackDown sets up a one-on-one WrestleMania 42 match with Randy Orton, who cost Cody at the Elimination Chamber. The storyline traces back to their Saudi Arabia match and sets up a clean, personal grudge match for WrestleMania rather than a multi-man scenario.
Who did Penta defeat to win the Intercontinental Championship?
Penta defeated Dominic Mysterio on Raw to win the WWE Intercontinental Championship. The title change followed Danhausen’s much-discussed promo in which he ‘cursed’ Dominic Mysterio — a storyline that Dave Simon noted worked perfectly as comedy booking.
What is the AEW Revolution main event?
AEW Revolution features MJF defending the AEW World Championship against Hangman Adam Page in a Last Chance Texas Death Match. If Hangman loses, he can never challenge for the AEW World Championship again. The show also features FTR vs Young Bucks for the tag titles and Jon Moxley vs Konosuke Takeshita in a no-time-limit match.
Is Chris Jericho returning to AEW or going to WWE?
Chris Jericho’s status is currently unknown. He received a contract extension from AEW due to injury, but has not appeared on television. Speculation from Wrestling Uncensored is that Jericho may eventually end up in WWE after WrestleMania season, though nothing has been confirmed by either side.
What is Wrestling Uncensored, and when does it air?
Wrestling Uncensored is the pro wrestling analysis show on the Ringside Report Network, hosted by Dave Simon and pro wrestler Genesis Johnny North. The show airs live every Friday at 10 PM ET on YouTube, Rumble, Twitch, DLive, and Kick. It covers WWE, AEW, and all major pro wrestling news without a corporate filter.
