The start time for WrestleMania 42 has officially been moved up. As was first noted by Jacob Cohen on X (see below), the two-night event is now listed as starting at 2:30 PM local time in Las Vegas, Nevada.
WrestleMania 42 is scheduled to take place on Saturday, April 18, and Sunday, April 19, 2026, at Allegiant Stadium. While the 2:30 PM Pacific Time slot has been advertised, it remains unclear if this represents the start of the main pay-per-view card or the beginning of the Kickoff pre-show. More than likely, this early afternoon slot indicates the start of the Kickoff show. In recent years, WrestleMania pre-shows have been known to run for at least a couple of hours, featuring panel discussions, video packages, and occasionally preliminary matches.
However, the early start time could also indicate a shift in WWE’s booking strategy. Since transitioning WrestleMania to a two-night format in 2020, WWE has consistently booked an average of seven matches per night. Prior to the split, single-night WrestleMania cards were lengthy, often featuring up to 14 matches on the main card alone. The adjusted 2:30 PM start time in Las Vegas might mean that WWE is planning to feature more matches per night. We will see if the early start time means there is a change to the current seven-match-per-night format.
WrestleMania 42 marks the third time that the Las Vegas area has hosted the event. The city previously hosted WrestleMania IX in 1993 and WrestleMania 41 in 2025. Allegiant Stadium, the home of the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders, is hosting the event for the second consecutive year. WWE confirmed the location during the Money in the Bank event in June 2025, after initially planning to host the event at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The financial success of WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas prompted the change in location.
As the Road to WrestleMania continues, the match card for the Allegiant Stadium event is coming into focus. Following the 2026 Royal Rumble, several championship bouts have been finalized. Men’s Royal Rumble winner Roman Reigns has elected to challenge CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship. On the women’s side, Royal Rumble winner Liv Morgan has officially declared that she will challenge Stephanie Vaquer for the Women’s World Championship.
The Undisputed WWE Championship and the WWE Women’s Championship will also be defended at WrestleMania 42. Reigning Undisputed WWE Champion Drew McIntyre and WWE Women’s Champion Jade Cargill are currently awaiting their respective challengers. Their opponents will be determined at the upcoming Elimination Chamber PLE, which takes place on February 28 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. The Women’s Elimination Chamber match will feature Rhea Ripley, Tiffany Stratton, Alexa Bliss, Asuka, Raquel Rodriguez, and Kiana James, with the winner securing the right to challenge Cargill. In the Men’s Chamber match, Jey Uso secured the final spot following Bronson Reed suffering a legitimate injury that removed him from qualifying competition.
Additionally, Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman have issued an open challenge to the WWE locker room. Lesnar is officially advertised to compete in a singles match against a mystery opponent who answers the challenge. Outside of the officially announced card, the belief is that Seth Rollins is expected to return from shoulder surgery in time for WrestleMania. He is currently penciled in to face Bron Breakker. Breakker was attacked by a masked individual at the Royal Rumble, a role rumored to be filled by Rollins to enact revenge after Breakker kicked him out of The Vision faction last fall. Breakker is reportedly dealing with a hernia injury.
WrestleMania will air live on ESPN’s streaming service. For viewers in most international markets, WrestleMania 42 will be broadcast live on Netflix.
Current WrestleMania 42 Card:
- World Heavyweight Championship: CM Punk (c) vs. Roman Reigns
- Women’s World Championship: Stephanie Vaquer (c) vs. Liv Morgan
- Undisputed WWE Championship: Drew McIntyre (c) vs. Men’s Elimination Chamber Winner
- WWE Women’s Championship: Jade Cargill (c) vs. Women’s Elimination Chamber Winner
- Singles Match: Brock Lesnar vs. TBD (Open Challenge)
In other Wrestlemania Week news (just after I post my updated list, naturally)
Both nights of Wrestlemania have moved up their start time to 2:30 PM from 4 PM pic.twitter.com/IoEl6AjhGK
— Jacob Cohen (@MrJacobCohen) February 26, 2026
