WWE WrestleMania 41 Night 2: 5 Things That Must Happen On Sunday
John Cena will attempt to win his 17th world title at WrestleMania 41. (Credit: Andrew Timms/WWE via ... More Getty Images)
WWE kicked off WrestleMania 41 on Saturday in memorable fashion with a show book ended by Jey Uso's first world title win and Seth Rollins' improbable heel turn.
More than 61,000 fans packed Allegiant Stadium on Saturday to witness an up-and-down show, with some underwhelming performances sprinkled in among unforgettable moments like Paul Heyman's betrayal of both Roman Reigns and CM Punk. Tonight, however, WWE gets a chance at a re-do after a largely lackluster Saturday show.
WWE has a loaded card on paper once again, with the headlining attraction of John Cena challenging Cody Rhodes as he attempts to win a record-breaking 17th world championship. In addition, Iyo Sky will defend the Women's World Championship against both Rhea Ripley and Bianca Belair in the show-opener.
Check out the results and analysis of WrestleMania Saturday, and here is the full card for Night Two of WrestleMania 41:
After WWE crowned a few new champions, including Jacob Fatu, on Night One of WrestleMania 41, anticipation is high about whether Cena can dethrone Rhodes and which women's star will leave as the Women's World Champion. With the outcomes of tonight's event playing a huge role in the future direction of numerous top WWE stars, the creative team must effectively book the show on Sunday.
Here are five smart booking decisions WWE must make on Night Two of WrestleMania 41.
The beauty of a Fatal 4-Way match is that WWE can protect three stars and two of them in defeat.
The most likely, and best, option to take the pin at WrestleMania 41 is Finn Balor, whose main role these days is as a veteran who puts other stars over. Just as Balor is the ideal candidate to take the loss, current Intercontinental Champion Bron Breakker is another star who shouldn't leave Las Vegas with a win.
Why? Because it's time for Breakker, one of WWE's brightest rising stars, to drop Raw's midcard title and move on to bigger and better things. Breakker, planned to be a staple of Raw on Netflix, should drop the IC title, ideally to either Dominik Mysterio, who's yet to win a singles title, or Penta, who has taken WWE by storm since debuting just a few months ago.
Breakker continues to produce highlight after highlight in segments and matches but has largely shied away from top stars like Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes. That needs to change, and Breakker needs to drop the Intercontinental Championship to do it.
Drew McIntyre, arguably WWE's best all-around performer, has been dissatisfied with his WrestleMania 41 role and rightfully so.
Quite frankly, McIntyre vs. Damian Priest, a match that's already happened numerous times, doesn't feel fresh or exciting. That's especially true given reports that WWE had at one point planned a major feud between McIntyre and Cody Rhodes. That, of course, would be a much bigger deal and more fitting rivalry for McIntyre, who had WWE's best feud of 2024 with CM Punk.
Even though Priest is a former World Heavyweight Champion, he remains a notch below stars like McIntyre and Rhodes on WWE's pecking order. Given how critical McIntyre was to Raw's success in 2025 and how badly his presence is needed in SmackDown's main event scene, McIntyre defeating Priest at WrestleMania 41 should be a no-brainer.
With the Sin City Street Fight stipulation, McIntyre can do so cheaply in order to keep Priest strong while also building up some post-WrestleMania momentum.
Logan Paul, despite his incredible in-ring performances, has lost five of his last six matches, which is more than it sounds like given his limited schedule.
Yes, Paul is a cheap heel who uses underhanded tactics to win, but at some point, he will lose all of his appeal if he cannot pick up some credible wins. Given the current layout of WWE's midcard and main event scene, there is arguably no better person for Paul to face and beat right now than AJ Styles, a former two-time world champion and one of the greatest in-ring performers ever.
Given the uncertainty surrounding Styles' contract status and the fact that he's a lot closer to the end of his career than the beginning, he should be losing to younger rising stars. Paul isn't without his fair share of haters in the pro wrestling space, but he's undoubtedly one of WWE's best villains.
In order to maintain that status, however, Paul needs to pick up a few notable wins, starting with Styles.
For all the talk that Bianca Belair is 'over-pushed,' it's actually been nearly two years since she's held a singles title. But it's time for that to change.
Rhea Ripley recently lost the Women's World Championship to Iyo Sky, who is entering her second consecutive WrestleMania as world champion. In other words, of the three women in this match, Belair has actually been pushed far less than the other two as a singles star for roughly two years.
Belair, however, remains arguably the most popular star in WWE's women's division and enters WrestleMania in dire need of a marquee singles win. Ripley has dominated the women's title picture for the past couple of years, and after her upset loss to Sky last month, it would be a step backward to put the title back on her.
No, with Belair remaining one of WWE's most tried and true acts and taking a backseat over the past couple of years, the time is now to heat her back up with another world title victory.
John Cena's pursuit of his record-breaking 17th world title became infinitely more interesting when he turned heel in epic fashion at Elimination Chamber, but the follow-up has been wildly disappointing.
The question now is whether WWE will take it to the next level and have the newly dark Cena defeat Cody Rhodes in arguably the biggest WrestleMania main event ever. As Cena fully embraces the villainous role for the first time in two decades and Rhodes nears one year as WWE Champion, the stage is perfectly set for a Cena title win.
Rhodes already 'finished his story' when he beat Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40 and has had a strong run of more than 300 days as WWE Champion. The best way to maintain his momentum as a top babyface star is for him to lose his coveted WWE title and become the chaser once again.
After all, Rhodes remains as popular as ever while Cena is in the midst of his retirement tour. In other words, it's now or never for Cena. If he doesn't win the world title at WrestleMania 41, then when will he?
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
‘Deliciously at odds': Zachary Quinto on embodying the brilliant yet flawed Dr. Oliver Wolf in ‘Brilliant Minds'
Although there's no shortage of medical dramas on the air, Brilliant Minds sets itself apart by taking its inspiration from Oliver Sacks, the famed neurologist whose groundbreaking work was previously dramatized in the film Awakenings. Zachary Quinto jumped at the opportunity to play a version of Sacks, who is "an endlessly fascinating and influential presence in both the world of medicine and literature." That, combined with the creative team behind the show, created "an alchemy to the whole package that felt undeniable to me." Quinto plays Dr. Oliver Wolf, a socially awkward yet exceptional neurologist who utilizes unconventional techniques to treat his patients. Although Robin Williams got the opportunity to work closely with Sacks during the production of Awakenings, Quinto was unable to do the same, since Sacks died in 2015. Yet as Quinto tells Gold Derby, "there's a really unique aspect of this experience," which is that while this is inspired by a real person, "we're also creating a character who is fictional, and exists in a different time and in a different environment than the one in which the real life Oliver Sacks lived and worked. So it was kind of the best of both worlds for me as an actor, because I certainly was able to dive into copious amounts of his writing," as well as "endless interviews with him," while still making it his own. More from GoldDerby Ryan Gosling's 'Star Wars: Starfighter': Everything to know as Mia Goth takes on the Mikey Madison role Olivia Williams was more than happy to be 'the wise old bird' on the 'Dune: Prophecy' set 'Forever' star Lovie Simone on traveling back to a 'nostalgic' time for Netflix's teenage romance show Dr. Oliver Wolf is, as Quinto describes him, "an often misunderstood but incredibly well-meaning person. I don't think he always has the capacity to articulate or communicate as smoothly as maybe he would like to. There's something really special about embodying that. I really found that endearing and appealing about the character. At his core, he is an incredibly brilliant, dedicated, empathetic, and driven doctor, and his main thrust and motivation is really caring for his patients as fully and as generously as he can. There was something about the blending of those two qualities that was deliciously at odds. Those aren't two qualities that necessarily go hand-in-hand, and I love that about him. He's clumsy sometimes. He doesn't suffer fools. He's not interested in listening to differing perspectives. He believes what he believes," which is "every patient he treats deserves respect and dignity, and to be seen." Brendan Meadows/NBC Part of Quinto's job is making sense of the medical lingo his character rattles off as if it's second nature. Unlike other medical dramas, "You're not dramatizing gunshot wounds or heart attacks. It's all neurological cases, so it really is about delving into the mind." So, the question is, "How do I make this dialogue accessible and interesting, and humanize it and invite audiences into it?" It helps that the scripts by creator Michael Grassi and his team feature the input of on-staff medical consultants. "We all have to portray characters for whom this language is everyday jargon, and it's something that we have to be able to pass off as believable, even if the audience isn't meant to know exactly what it means because we're in the process of explaining it to them. We have to come from a place where the characters know exactly what these words mean, and that is always an interesting challenge, but it's a challenge that I really relish." Added into that are the various medical ailments that Dr. Wolf and his team of interns have to deal with week-to-week. "I can't tell you how many times I thought, 'Well, this can't be real,'" says Quinto of the scripts he received. "But then we get directed to the chapter of An Anthropologist on Mars or The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat," both books written by Sacks which served as inspiration for the series, "where he chronicled the real life parallel case." All of the cases and conditions dramatized in the show were taken from real life, some of which were treated by Dr. Sacks, and some of which "are adjacent to, or inspired by, those cases. I often felt really challenged in the many, many ways in which our brains and our minds can go astray, and the impacts of that which these patients experience." Among the most surprising patient arcs portrayed in the first season is that of a comatose John Doe who is given the ability to communicate thanks to a revolutionary brain computer. In the show's seventh episode, "The Man From Grozny," we learn that he came to American from Chechnya to flee oppression for being gay, and having told his story, he makes a surprising request for the remainder of his care. "To me, that storyline and the way that it resolved, which was not at all how I expected it to resolve when it was introduced to me as a multi-episode arc, was, I think, the most impactful personally for me," Quinto reveals, as well as "the most impactful in a lot of ways for the audience as the season unfolded." Quinto earned an Emmy nomination in 2013 for American Horror Story: Asylum, and since then has worked mostly in film and theater with occasional stints on television. As Brilliant Minds heads into its second season, he's found a renewed appreciation for "that kind of serialized storytelling that I've been away from for a long time, and I'm actually really grateful to be back to" for the first time since Heroes. "To now be involved in an ongoing series playing the same character who's going through a number of different circumstances and situations is something that I really welcome, and it's been really fulfilling for me creatively." SIGN UP for Gold Derby's free newsletter with latest predictions Best of GoldDerby 'Say Nothing' star Anthony Boyle on playing IRA activist Brendan Hughes: We 'get to the humanity as opposed to the mythology' The Making of 'The Eyes of the World: From D-Day to VE Day': PBS variety special 'comes from the heart' From 'Hot Rod' to 'Eastbound' to 'Gemstones,' Danny McBride breaks down his most righteous roles: 'It's been an absolute blast' Click here to read the full article.
Yahoo
41 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Brings A Minecraft World To Summer Game Fest
Summer Game Fest 2025 introduces a first look at Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, revealing new crossover characters and a new map. Summer Game Fest 2025 introduces a first look at Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, revealing new crossover characters and new map. The teaser shows off the classic Sonic characters in their classic racing vehicles. However, the big reveal is that Hatsune Miku, Ichiban Kasuga from Like a Dragon, and Joker from Persona 5 are joining the frey. Worlds collide from their respective games and worlds! Japanese video game director, producer, and designer, Takashi Iizuka, also revealed that Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds will launch with online crossplay, so friends can play together. Iizuka jabbed at Mario Kart World, not having this feature on the new Nintendo Switch 2. The biggest hype that it ends on is the new Minecraft collab map. It showed an Ender dragon flying through the racing map. For now, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds will be coming out on all platforms, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and PC, on September 25, 2025. With over 70 Gadgets to choose from, there are countless ways to customize your approach to each race. Whether it's boosting your speed or carrying more items, each combination of Gadgets allows for a different playstyle, so players can strategize how they want to beat the competition and be the first to cross the finish line! Plus, the fan-favorite Extreme Gear hoverboards from Sonic Riders are back and better than ever, amping up the high-speed fun and vehicle choices. Players can customize their rides inside and out by mixing and matching parts, powers, and abilities. This means players can create tailor-made rides. Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds not only transports players to tracks inspired by classic Sonic stages, but also introduces the all-new Travel Rings mechanic, whisking players away across land, sea, air, time, and even space mid-race! The twist is that whoever is in the lead gets to pick which world everyone gets transported to during the second lap, so no two races are ever quite the same. Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is racing onto consoles, releasing in both Standard and Digital Deluxe editions. Grab the Digital Deluxe edition to jump into the race three days early and expand your rosters with even more racers, including characters from the hit Netflix series Sonic Prime. Plus, the Digital Deluxe edition includes the Season Pass, which is packed with bonus characters, vehicles, and new tracks inspired by other worlds and franchises. More will be revealed in the near future. Pre-orders being today! Time to start those engines, and put the pedal to the metal.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Zelina Vega Debunks Rumor That She Has Heat With This AEW Star
Zelina Vega is clearing the air over the belief that she has heat with a top star in AEW. WWE Women's United States Champion Zelina Vega was a recent guest on Ring The Belle. When asked about the rumors that she has heat with TBS Champion Mercedes Moné, Vega said that the two never had any beef. Advertisement 'So when it comes to me and Mercedes, we never had any beef,' Zelina Vega said. 'That's what's so funny. Back in the day, I had done an interview, which I remember talking to Naomi about this a long, long time ago. I was like, it'd be really cool to get, cause I had known her prior for a while. 'So it was like, to get into, like, a thing with her. Like, hopefully we can get into something and WWE. Like, my brain was, I need to get to WWE any way possible. She's one of the top girls. I want to get in the ring with her she's dope, I want to do this. She was cool with it. People use that clip as, like, oh, my God, they've had beef for forever, blah, blah, blah, and I'm like, I love that I convinced you all of that. I love that for me. 'But no none of us have ever had any beef. It's so funny to me that I'm the common denominator between all of the beef, apparently. I'm just like, well. She trains with my cousin. Like, what? They're trying to find any little thing. Like, if I genuinely hated somebody, do you think I'd be cool with that?' [H/T: Fightful] READ MORE: Zelina Vega Reveals Who She'd Like To Defend Her Title Against At WWE SummerSlam Advertisement What do you make of Zelina Vega's overall comments? Did you ever believe that there was true heat between these two women? Let us know your overall thoughts by sounding off in the comments section below. The post Zelina Vega Debunks Rumor That She Has Heat With This AEW Star appeared first on Wrestlezone.
