Early Predictions for Roman Reigns, CM Punk and WWE WrestleMania 43 Match Card

CM Punk and Roman Reigns headlined WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas, delivering not only one of the best matches of 2026 but one of the greatest main events in the long and illustrious history of the Showcase of the Immortals.

While they are unlikely to run it back again in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 2027, they will still be prominently featured on the lineup, likely in marquee roles.

What awaits those two and what are other matches fans might expect from the next edition of the Granddaddy of Them All?

World Heavyweight Championship Match: Oba Femi vs. Roman Reigns (c)

Undisputed WWE Championship Match: CM Punk vs. Cody Rhodes

Women's World Championship Match: Stephanie Vaquer vs. Becky Lynch

WWE Women's Championship Match: Rhea Ripley vs. Charlotte Flair

Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match: Je'Von Evans vs. Chad Gable vs. Ethan Page vs. Dominik Mysterio vs. JD McDonagh vs. Big Cass

United States Championship Match: Trick Williams vs. Carmelo Hayes

Women's Tag Team Championship Match : Tatum Paxley and Alexa Bliss vs. The Bella Twins vs. Fatal Influence

Penta, Rey Fenix, and Seth Rollins vs. The Usos and Jacob Fatu

Bi-Annual "We Don't Know What Else to Do With Them So Here You Go Again" Match: Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn

As is typically the case, the undercard is a total crapshoot. While the main event scene has some nods to what fans can expect at the event, the undercard is unlikely to be even considered until much closer to the show than we currently are.

There will inevitably be a star or two left off the card entirely, while the lineup is good for at least one "throw as many guys as we can in one match so we can get everyone on the show" championship ladder match.

The most obvious clash is Reigns defending the World Heavyweight Championship against Femi while Punk vs. Rhodes in a rematch of their one-off SummerSlam match feels like the right direction for the loaded SmackDown main event scene.

Beyond those two matches, everything else is a total guesstimate at this point in time as WWE's creative team has probably not even begun to think about contests outside of the top of the card.

Regardless of whether one believes him to be the best wrestler in the world or not, Reigns is the measuring stick in WWE. He is the guy every prospective main event star must test themselves against if they want to even think about taking his spot.

After a monumental first year on the main roster in which he bested "The Beast" Brock Lesnar in two out of three battles, won the King of the Ring, and is the overwhelming favorite to win the Royal Rumble, Femi is the next guy to step up to The OTC and try him on the biggest stage in professional wrestling.

A marquee match-up between the hottest young star on the roster and the guy who holds the record for most WrestleMania main events ever, it is of WrestleMania-worthy magnitude and should be the coronation of the next star to carry the company for the next decade-plus.

This, however, would not be the time for WWE to get cute, overthink the outcome, or try to push the inevitable off for another year.

Unlike when Cody Rhodes had to wait an additional 365 days to really earn that Undisputed WWE Championship victory at WrestleMania 40, Femi must defeat Reigns and win the title in Riyadh, thus capitalizing on his immense popularity.

Anything else would be a monumental creative failure, especially after the lengths Lesnar went to establish Femi as the future of the industry.

At SummerSlam, CM Punk and Cody Rhodes squared off in a battle of babyfaces that split the crowd in Minneapolis and ultimately was overshadowed by the return of Randy Orton late in the bout.

The screwy finish, which saw The Viper drop Rhodes with an RKO to set up Punk's successful retention, was fine and propelled one storyline forward, but it failed to answer whether The Best in the World or The American Nightmare was truly the better man.

Conveniently enough, Rhodes and Punk have been kept apart on TV ever since.

Even during his sit-down interview with Michael Cole on the September 18 episode of SmackDown, when naming the men who celebrated in the ring with him after his greatest victory at WrestleMania 40, Rhodes failed to name Punk.

Perhaps it is because the former WWE champion never officially turned on him or did anything truly awful to QB1. Or, perhaps, it was cleverly designed so as not to spoil a second showdown between the two in Riyadh.

Whatever the case, a WrestleMania-sized match-up between the two biggest stars on Friday nights feels like the appropriate direction, if for no other reason than the fact that it is still a relatively fresh match-up with unsettled issues at the forefront.

WWE Rumors on Kevin Owens-Sami Zayn Botch and Dragon Lee's Contract, Cardona's New Injury Timeline