The 2026 NBA playoffs continued Sunday with four more Game 1s in the first round. The Celtics and Thunder — the last two NBA champs — opened things up with blowout wins over the 76ers and Suns, respectively. The third game of the day brought the biggest upset of the playoffs so far: the eighth-seeded Magic took Game 1 from the top-seeded Pistons in Detroit. The Spurs closed out the slate by pulling away from the Trail Blazers for a 13-point victory, and Victor Wembanyama had a memorable playoff debut.

Let’s start with Wemby as we break down the winners and losers of Sunday’s playoff action.

Winner: Victor Wembanyama’s playoff debut

In his first career playoff game, Wembanyama was magical. He went for 35 points (a Spurs record in a playoff debut, passing Tim Duncan’s 32 in 1998) on 13-of-21 shooting. He blocked a couple shots, and as always changed or deterred a bunch of others. 

Here he puts up a road block on Toumani Camara while hardly having to move, then spikes Jerami Grant’s shot without jumping. 

The dude looks like he’s playing with kids. Honest to god, making plays like this at 7-foot-4 is the peak of basketball evolution. I don’t know how it can ever get any crazier than this. 

Wemby also made five of his six 3-pointers. That is the second-most 3s made in a playoff debut in league history (trailing, as you probably could’ve guessed, the great Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Voshon Lenard, each of whom cashed six triples in their playoff opener). Wembanyama hit a bunch of impressive 3s, but flow dribbling into a fading corner job is sick.

He also finished three alley-oop dunks, highlighting the outrageous gravity of his rim rolls. It’s the reason the Spurs led the league in corner 3-point attempts, because wing defenders are forced to sink down off of their shooters to at least marginally disrupt things like this. 

It’s a total pick-you-poison situation. Even when multiple defenders collapse into the paint, all you have to do is toss the ball to the moon, and he’s the only one who can reach it. 

Indeed, Wembanyama was the best player on the floor in San Antonio’s 111-98 Game 1 win. But it wasn’t the only playoff debut that went well for the Spurs, as second-year wing Stephon Castle finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Castle didn’t shoot it so efficiently, but he was everywhere in this game. The future is now for this Spurs team, and it is impossibly bright. 

Loser: Detroit’s key role players

Cade Cunningham scored 39 points despite playing in just his fourth game since suffering a collapsed lung. He held up his end of the bargain for the Pistons. How’d everyone else do?

• Jalen Duren had eight points on four shots. He’s about to make an All-NBA team. He has to force his way into the offense more.
• Ausar Thompson played nine minutes and 33 seconds in the second half. His playing time was a point of concern in last year’s playoffs too. The Pistons don’t seem to believe they can score enough to keep him on the floor at a typical starter’s workload, and when he was playing in the first half, JB Bickerstaff didn’t trust him to guard Paolo Banchero. He’s going to be a First-Team All-Defense pick. Whether or not he gets that matchup more as the series progresses remains to be seen, but if he can’t stay on the floor, there’s nothing he can do to impact the game anyway.
• Daniss Jenkins filled in for Cunningham admirably while he was out with the collapsed lung. He shot 1-of-7 from the field in Game 1 and the Pistons lost his minutes by 11 points. If he can’t be Detroit’s secondary creator, their offense is in real trouble.

Cunningham can’t win this series singlehandedly, and even if he could, a far more difficult Cavaliers team is waiting in the next round. This was not the well-rounded group we watched all season. The Pistons need more out of the supporting cast in Game 2.

Winner: Orlando’s defense

The Magic made their all-In push for Desmond Bane on the logic that their back-to-back top-five defenses were championship ready, but their offense needed a boost. Well, one of the (many) reasons this regular season didn’t go as planned was defensive decline. A lot of that was due to injuries. Jonathan Isaac isn’t the low-minutes game-breaker he’s been the past two years, Jalen Suggs missed a lot of time early in the season, and Franz Wagner missed most of the middle of the year. 

Isaac hasn’t played since March, but Wagner returned to the lineup on April 1. Not coincidentally, since he had a team-low 100.3 defensive rating thereafter, the Magic had the NBA’s top-ranked defense in April. They have since played three postseason games. In their first play-in game against Philadelphia, they allowed 96.6 points per 100 plays in the half-court, right around the top 10 in the regular season. And then they posted their fourth-best figure of the entire season (73.3) against the Hornets on Friday and their seventh-best figure of the season (81.2) on Sunday against the Pistons.

Orlando’s offense was atrocious against Philadelphia, bad against Charlotte and decent against Detroit. But the whole theory of this team was that “decent” could be good enough if the defense played this well. The Magic are peaking at the perfect time, and they’re the rare team that can actually match Detroit’s physicality. Without that advantage, the Magic have a chance to make this a pretty competitive series.

Winner: Jayson Tatum

Sunday’s Game 1 against the Sixers was the first time Jayson Tatum suited up for a playoff game since Game 4 of the second round against the New York Knicks last May, when he had to be carried off the floor after rupturing his Achilles tendon. He needed no time to reacclimate to the higher-intensity action. By the end of the first quarter, he had 10 points, seven rebounds and four assists, and had scored or assisted on more points (19) than the Sixers had as a team (18).

“Not too long ago, I wasn’t even sure if I was gonna be able to play this season, let alone get an opportunity to play in the playoffs,” Tatum said during his postgame interview on the ESPN broadcast. “Today was probably the most excited and relaxed and grateful I’ve been in my nine years of being in the playoffs. I’m just super happy to be able to be out here and play.”

Tatum finished with 25 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists and two steals on 9 of 17 shooting. Sure, it was only the first round and the Sixers were overmatched, but Tatum’s performance was a great sign for both him and the Celtics. On a personal level, it’s incredible for him to hit these heights in the playoffs less than a year after a devastating injury. And for the Celtics, his showing will give them real confidence that they can make a deep playoff run in what was supposed to be a gap year. — Jack Maloney

Loser: Sixers fans

Nothing has really gone right for the 76ers over the last decade — no other team would lose their star player to an emergency appendectomy just before the playoffs — and Sunday’s 32-point loss was just the latest bit of misery. This was the fifth time that the Sixers have lost to the Celtics by 30-plus points in the playoffs — the most such defeats by any team against a single opponent.

Yes, this was only Game 1, but it sure seems as though the Celtics are going to eliminate the Sixers from the playoffs for the fourth time in the last nine seasons. If the Sixers do end up bowing out in Round 1, that will be three seasons without a playoff series victory and their Eastern Conference finals drought will extend to 25 seasons.

The Sixers have great fans who deserve better.  — Jack Maloney

Winner: Jalen Williams

If there was a question about the Thunder leading into the postseason, it was what version of Jalen Williams they were getting. Their second All-Star from a season ago played just 33 uneven games during the regular season, and Oklahoma City seemingly treated him extremely cautiously over the 82-game grind to ensure he’d be fresh and healthy in the playoffs.

Well, that effort seems to have paid off. Williams looked like his old self in a standout all-around performance (22 points on 9-of-15 shooting, seven rebounds and six assists). He was a defensive menace, creating several turnovers and then turning them into buckets in transition, where he is at his most lethal. He made multiple 3s in a game for just the sixth time this season. He even did a bit of secondary creation during Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s bench minutes, the part of his game that might be the most vital for Oklahoma City when the later rounds arrive. The Thunder haven’t been at full strength all season, but with this version of Williams, they’ll be extraordinarily hard to beat. — Sam Quinn

Loser: Phoenix’s supporting cast

Devin Booker gave the Suns 23 reasonably efficient points, considering the circumstances. Jalen Green, through athleticism and tough shotmaking, managed to at least put 17 hard-fought points on the board. The rest of Phoenix’s roster scored 44 points on 15-of-50 (30%) shooting. Yikes.

Suns skepticism this season was centered largely on playoff upside. They remade their roster in the offseason on grit and hustle, and that won them a lot of regular-season games. But nobody else on this roster has any sort of star-level upside, and most are being asked to do too much to expect the Suns to win in the playoffs. Even Booker and Green combined for just three assists because Oklahoma City’s defense is so stout that they couldn’t create advantages for their weaker teammates off of their own scoring.

There just isn’t enough shot-creation here for the role players to get much of anything going against a defense as good as the Thunder’s. Booker and Green can still get their own points, and I suppose Dillon Brooks can too if he’s going to take 22 shots, but in an 84-point team performance, the Suns had no way to actually stress Oklahoma City enough to make life easier for everyone else. — Sam Quinn

Well, some folks won’t be pleased by this one even if it’s just some meaningless coach talk.

An odd Vikings update emerged when skipper Kevin O’Connell did an interview with Mike Florio and Chris Simms of Pro Football Talk a few weeks ago. The conversation covered a variety of topics, but the detour into a revelatory strategy adjustment may have caused listeners to perk up. Per O’Connell, the Vikings rediscovered how important it is to rally around a strong run game and dominant defense, an approach that fuelled the five-game winning streak to end the 2025 season.

A Vikings Update Some May Not Love

For good reason, the conversation around the Minnesota Vikings rests on the 2026 NFL Draft.

Minnesota sits atop nine draft picks and roughly thirty open roster spots. Adding a pile of young talent is needed to reinforce a top-heavy roster that’s getting older. Most think that a young defender is going to arrive at No. 18, but not everyone agrees. Few, if any, expect a trade up, but moving down has its merit for a team that’s aiming for quiet competence rather than flashy, high-upside risk.

Part of the reason why things feel so tense right now is because of the draft whiffs in recent years. Goodness, the main reason why Rob Brzezinski is the fill-in GM is since the former GM, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, got canned for bungling the quarterback plan.

J.J. McCarthy was chosen at No. 10 in the 2024 NFL Draft. He did so after proving to be a very good college quarterback even as many insisted he got boosted by operating from within a loaded Michigan program. After all, Jim Harbaugh’s team had a fantastic ground game and defense, meaning McCarthy didn’t need to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Kevin O’Connell may have missed the memo. Or, at least, he didn’t fully give credence to the approach until late in the season.

Check out what he had to say about that late-season winning streak and the strategic tweak that fuelled the victories. “We were able to apply some things to our overall toolbox of how we’re going to win games,” O’Connell said to Mike Florio and Chris Simms in late March. He goes on: “Maybe I don’t get invited to the smart guy table by playing a certain kind of style where we ran the football, we were not going to turn it over, and we’re going to play great defense. And we won five games in a row.”

“So what I told our team at the end of the year is,” O’Connell further explained, “let’s not forget the fact that we just learned maybe some new ways to win.” Speaking prophetically, O’Connell then said that “maybe we’ll need to really call upon that […] late in December in a bad weather game” before saying that “those types of games still win.”

Folks, that’s a less-than-perfect answer.

In fairness, Kevin O’Connell is probably just doing Kevin O’Connell things: saying a ton of words within his relentlessly positive outlook. Still, though, that’s not a great response. Just tally up some of the hurdles that J.J. McCarthy was trying to clear last season:

• He was 22
• He was coming off a missed rookie season, robbing him of reps
• He battled early injury as a sophomore, too
• He was adjusting his mechanics during the season
• He was playing behind an injured o-line

Given all of these factors, shouldn’t the Vikings have been looking to play small ball all along? Why drop to 4-8 before arriving at the humbling truth that grinding out wins via the running game and defense is what this team needed?

Also befuddling is that the Vikings have publicly discussed the issue in the past. A much loved tradition in the Twin Cities is to arrive at the offseason, jump into press conferences, and then detail how more balance and physicality is upcoming. The team has even put its money where its mouth is, signing blocking/ground game specialists such as TE Josh Oliver, RG Will Fries, WR Trent Sherfield, and RB Jordan Mason.

Far too often, Kevin O’Connell’s old habit of passing close to 60% of the time comes roaring back.

The Vikings need to crush the event that’s going to take place this week. From Thursday, April 23rd until Saturday, April 25th, the NFL will work through its annual draft. Every team needs to do well, but Minnesota is feeling a particular urgency given the lacklustre efforts of recent years. Yet another disappointing season could result in Kevin O’Connell looking for work.

Somehow building out a roster that encourages a healthy balance between the run and the pass, the offense and the defense would go a long way in restoring the Minnesota Vikings.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.

Godswill Akpabio United FC secured a hardfought 4-3 victory over Palm Syrup FC to book a place in the final of the Akwa Ibom State FA Cup.

The semi-final clash, played at the Uyo Township Stadium on Sunday, lived up to expectations as both sides delivered an exciting and high-scoring contest.

Palm Syrup FC made a flying start, taking the lead inside the first minute through Nkebeteno Udosen. They doubled their advantage in the 16th minute when Jeremiah Akpan finished well to put his side firmly in control.

Godswill Akpabio United FC responded quickly. Emmanuel Joseph pulled one back in the 19th minute with a fine left-footed strike. However, Palm Syrup held on to their 2-1 lead going into the break.

After the restart, Godswill Akpabio United showed great determination and experience to turn the game around. Utipime Sunday levelled the score in the 52nd minute after racing through to beat the goalkeeper.

The comeback continued as former Palm Syrup player Solomon Akpan put Godswill Akpabio United ahead for the first time in the match. His goal sparked a response from Palm Syrup, who won a penalty in the 73rd minute. Nsisong Ekpo calmly converted to make it 3-3.

With the game heading towards a tense finish, Solomon Akpan struck again in the 80th minute. His looping effort beat the onrushing goalkeeper to seal a dramatic 4-3 win for Godswill Akpabio United FC.

The victory sends Godswill Akpabio United FC into the final of the competition for the first time in their history. They have also secured one of the two tickets to represent Akwa Ibom State at the national finals.

Godswill Akpabio United FC will now face the winner of the second semi-final between Akwa United FC and Heaven’s Race Academy.

The final of the 2026 Akwa Ibom State FA Cup is scheduled to take place on April 25, 2026.

Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez suffered the third defeat of his career in 2025 – his first at super-middleweight – when Terence Crawford outpointed him over twelve rounds.

Despite his pound-for-pound credentials, many in the sport felt the move up in weight would be a step too far for Crawford, who had just one fight at 154lbs before signing to face Canelo at 168lbs.

On fight night, he did everything right and earned the nod on all three judges’ cards, with scores of 116-112, 115-113, and 115-113. Crawford became the undisputed super-middleweight world champion and cemented his legacy. He would retire just a couple of months later.

Though Alvarez will fight on and has his ring return booked for September this year, his comments on the defeat point to a fighter who, at 35 years old and with 532 rounds under his belt, is now feeling the effects of a long career.

Speaking on the Mr Versace podcast, the Mexican icon praised Crawford but said that his body was not responding in the way he wanted.

“A lot of things [went wrong]. My body [didn’t] respond the way I really wanted, because I wanted to be faster, and this and that, and then I didn’t recuperate my weight like I needed to. My legs felt a little bit tired, too. But he deserved all the credit. He made a better strategy than me, but I think I did well … It is what it is, you need to take the losses and learn from that and keep going.

“[Trainer Eddy Reynoso] told me everything, and I tried, but my body didn’t respond. I had cramps in my legs. It didn’t respond the way I really wanted. We learn from that and we move forward. I know what mistakes I made in the fight and in the camp too. That’s what boxing is about. A winner doesn’t mean you win every time. You need to learn from everything.”

Canelo is set to go straight back into championship contention this year, with a return confirmed at 168lbs and billed as a world title fight. Though the plans are still being finalised, Christian Mbilli, who now holds the WBC belt, is the frontrunner.

Whether or not camp goes better this time remains to be seen, though Canelo should at least be refreshed in one department, having undergone successful elbow surgery on a long-standing injury.

Strikers are a streaky bunch. When they’re scoring regularly, swelling with confidence and demanding the ball, it does not seem to matter who is marking them or whether they’ve been invisible most of the match. A goal surely is coming.

Less than two months before the World Cup, Folarin Balogun is feeling it.

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The U.S.’ undeniable No. 1 striker failed to score in the run of play Sunday but converted the tying penalty kick early in the second half of Monaco’s 2-2 draw with Auxerre.

The scoring haul is staggering: Eight consecutive Ligue 1 matches and 10 goals in the past 10 Monaco games across all competitions.

His Ligue 1 streak is tied for the second longest this century, trailing only Sonny Anderson’s 11 for Lyon in 2001. His 12 goals are tied for fourth on the league scoring chart.

The 24-year-old also scored five times in the Champions League and once in the Coupe de France for 18 overall — his most productive campaign since posting 22 for Reims in 2022-23.

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As every striker knows, though, form can be fleeting. Before beginning his scoring tear, Balogun went eight matches across all competitions without a goal.

U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino is counting on Balogun remaining hot though the end of Monaco’s season and hitting the ground running when World Cup training camp opens May 27 in the Atlanta area.

It’s a far cry from the 2022 tournament in Qatar, where an unsettled situation led to Gregg Berhalter starting Josh Sargent twice and Haji Wright and Jesus Ferreira once apiece.

Balogun did not score for the U.S last month as a starter against Belgium and a sub against Portugal. He did strike in each of his three starts in the fall (vs. Japan, Ecuador and Paraguay), and he has eight international goals in 25 appearances since committing to the U.S. three years ago. (He previously played for the English under-21s.)

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Balogun’s surge comes as Wright has gone without a goal in five straight for Coventry City after scoring six in his previous five matches. (He still leads the club with 17 overall.) Derby County’s Patrick Agyemang (10 goals) is sidelined after rupturing an Achilles tendon on April 6, while PSV Eindhoven’s Ricardo Pepi (14) was off this weekend.

France

Defensive midfielder Tanner Tessmann came on in the 79th minute, helping Lyon secure a 2-1 upset at first-place Paris Saint-Germain and move into a tie with Lille for Ligue 1’s third and final automatic Champions League slot.

Right wing Tim Weah entered at the start of the second half for Olympique Marseille, which dropped a 2-0 decision at Lorient for its third loss in four matches. The club is two points out of the Champions League berth with four games left.

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Ahead of Tuesday’s rematch in the Coupe de France semifinal, center back Mark McKenzie served a red-card suspension during Toulouse’s 3-2 loss at second-place Lens.

Although Christian Pulisic is not a pure striker — he’s best as a secondary forward or wing — his scoring drought is concerning. After an unremarkable performance in AC Milan’s 1-0 win at Hellas Verona, the U.S. star has now gone 17 games without a goal for club and country in 2026.

In 2022, Pulisic was scoreless in 22-of-23 matches leading to the World Cup and didn’t hit the mark in the first two group matches before pocketing the winner against Iran.

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Returning from a yellow-card suspension, the multidimensional Weston McKennie started in central midfield and offered a wonderful assist early in the second half as Juventus defeated Bologna, 2-0. He has five goals and five assists in Serie A and four goals and one assist in the Champions League.

LAS VEGAS – CM Punk and Roman Reigns met at WrestleMania 42 in a clash between two titans of the pro wrestling industry who helped shaped WWE over the last 15 years.

Punk entered as the world heavyweight champion, while Reigns was the challenger. Reigns earned the shot at Punk’s title after winning the Royal Rumble in January.

The two went back-and-forth for weeks trading barbs. Punk vowing to “bury” Reigns next to his father, while the “OTC” telling Punk he’s too old. Each competitor put each other through the “Monday Night Raw” announce table on various episodes. Reigns then vowed he would walk out of WWE if he lost to Punk.

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CM Punk faces off against Roman Reigns before the World Heavyweight Championship match during WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on April 19, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

It all led to the raucous brawl that occurred in Las Vegas at Allegiant Stadium to end the weekend.

Reigns’ entrance music shook the stadium as he walked purposely down the ramp – for the second straight year with no “Wiseman” to back him up or guide him through what vowed to be an incredible match.

Punk came out to the top of the stage and looked over the crowd. He touched the ground, and yelled with the crowd, “It’s clobbering time.” The crowd sang “Cult of Personality” as it blared through the stadium.

The match brought an electricity in the air that was missing from Night 1. It had a big fight feel and both Punk and Reigns brought it.

CM Punk fights Roman Reigns during the World Heavyweight Championship match at WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on April 19, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

CODY RHODES RETAINS UNDISPUTED WWE CHAMPIONSHIP AT WRESTLEMANIA 42, BUT RANDY ORTON GETS LAST LICKS

The two started grappling for control after meeting face-to-face in the middle of the ring for one final round of trash talking. They traded knockdowns and slapped each other around as Reigns gained the advantage to start the match.

A Samoan drop set the stage for Reigns to go on the offensive first. The crowd acknowledged their “Tribal Chief” as he clotheslined Punk outside of the ring.

Punk reversed Reigns’ attempt to bash him into the announce table. But Reigns whipped Punk into the barricade and continued his assault in the crowd. Punk sat on a chair and waited for Reigns to get him. Punk jumped on the barricade and hit a flying clothesline.

CM Punk reacts to Roman Reigns before the World Heavyweight Championship match during WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on April 19, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Punk’s taunts didn’t last long. Reigns tossed Punk from the announce table onto the ground as the referee begged for both competitors to get back into the ring. Reigns obliged as that was the only way he was going to win the match.

OBA FEMI CONQUERS ‘THE BEAST INCARNATE,’ BROCK LESNAR SIGNALS WWE RETIREMENT AT WRESTLEMANIA 42

The match wore on as they traded punches and kicks and pin attempts.

Reigns was the first to attempt his finisher. He tried for a Superman punch but Punk countered. Punk went to the top rope and hit a crossbody and assaulted Reigns with a flurry of punches.

Punk seemingly had the advantage. He hit Reigns with a running knee and a bulldog. He called for the GTS as Reigns laid face down on the mat. Punk went for it, but Reigns battled out of it.

Once again, the match moved to the outside. Punk hit a suicide dive that pushed Reigns onto the announce table. He used it to his advantage.

Then, Punk got a little dangerous. Reigns was laid out on the announce table. He went to the top rope but Reigns quickly got up and avoided the move.

PENTA HANGS ON TO INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP IN EXHILARATING LADDER MATCH AT WRESTLEMANIA 42

Reigns mocked Punk as he hung upside down on the turnbuckle. Reigns hit Punk with a Superman punch. Reigns then nailed Punk with the stairs and continued to talk trash to the camera.

Roman Reigns shoves CM Punk into the ropes during the World Heavyweight Championship match at WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on April 19, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Punk appeared helpless as Reigns picked him up. He set up Punk for a powerbomb and blasted him through the announce table. Punk was cut open and Reigns basked in the fans’ applause. He threw Punk into the ring and set him up for a spear.

However, Punk countered and picked him up over his shoulders. Punk hit the GTS and nearly pinned Reigns right there. Punk tried for another GTS, but Reigns nailed him with a spear. Again, for only a two count.

Reigns, frustrated, signaled he was going to steal Punk’s finisher. Punk tried to battle back but Reigns was adamant. He put Punk on his shoulders but Punk countered. Punk kicked Reigns, knocking him down but couldn’t get the three count.

Punk then resorted to mocking Reigns. He took the Ula Fala from a fan and tried to hit a spear. Reigns countered with a guillotine only for Punk to kick out of it and put Reigns into a chokehold. Reigns punched his way out of the submission hold and put Punk back in the guillotine.

As the two broke out of their respective submission holds, they got back up and hit each other with a double clothesline. The fans were ecstatic, yelling “this is awesome,” as the match winded down. The crowd was split in who they were rooting for. Chants for both men rang out throughout the stadium as they traded punches.

RHEA RIPLEY CAPTURES WWE WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP AT WRESTLEMANIA 42

Punk was taking off the tape from his hands and threw it onto the ring, distracting the referee enough to hit Reigns with a low blow. Punk tried to pin Reigns, but Reigns kicked out again.

What was it going to take to put either wrestler down?

Roman Reigns is introduced before the World Heavyweight Championship match against CM Punk during WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on April 19, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Punk got Reigns outside of the ring and back onto the announce table. He wanted one final blow. He stepped up to the top rope and nailed Reigns with a flying elbow drop.

The crowd waited with bated breath for the two to get back in the ring. Punk lifted Reigns on his shoulders and hit the GTS. Reigns then fell back onto his shoulders, but Punk couldn’t muster the strength to get off one more move.

Reigns got up and hit Punk with a spear. Punk looked at Reigns and crawled back to him. Reigns hit Punk with one more spear.

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He pinned Punk and won the World Heavyweight Championship.

Reigns becomes a seven-time champion and the first time he’s held the title since he lost to Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 40.

WWE WrestleMania 42 Night 1 was a divisive night of action with mixed reviews. Did the Show of Shows recover on Night 2? Let’s find out.

We saw Trick Williams (With Lil’ Yachty), Rhea Ripley, Jade Cargill, and CM Punk preparing for the show. John Cena was out to kick things off, and he was surprised they didn’t fire him after last night? You were fine, big guy!!

Here are the full results for Night 2 of WWE WrestleMania 42:

• Oba Femi defeated Brock Lesnar via pinfall.
• Penta defeated Dragon Lee, JD McDonagh, Je’Von Evans, Rey Mysterio, and Rusev to retain the Intercontinental Championship.
• Trick Williams defeated Sami Zayn to win the United States Championship.
• “The Demon” Finn Balor defeated “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio via pinfall.
• Rhea Ripley defeated Jade Cargill via pinfall to win the WWE Women’s Championship.
• Roman Reigns defeated CM Punk via pinfall to win the WWE Men’s World Heavyweight Championship.

Cena said it’s a historic night, because this was the first time WWE WrestleMania aired live from ESPN (the channel, specifically, for those confused), so we gotta start with something big! Well, big was an understatement!! Because a battle of the titans started things off!!!

Oba Femi got a MASSIVE pop from the crowd! We see various celebrities, including San Francisco 49ers’ TE George Kittle, doing the Oba strut.

WWE WrestleMania opener: Oba Femi vs Brock Lesnar

After a stalemate, Brock takes Oba to the corner for the shoulder thrusts. Oba Femi shrugs them off!! The Ruler lays out Brock with a huge clothesline!! I don’t think I’ve seen Paul Heyman’s eyes get that wide since The Invasion!

Brock goes to the floor, catching Oba in between the ropes. The two-time NXT Champion is bounced around the posts and steps. Suplex City time!

1, 2, 3 German suplexes. Oba stops the 4th and flattens Lesnar in the corner with some running uppercuts. Another hits an–BROCK CATCHES HIM!!! F-5!!

Oba stood up from the F-5 like it was nothing! Chokeslam! Fall From Grace!!! OBA FEMI CRUSHED BROCK LESNAR!!!

Oba Femi defeated Brock Lesnar via pinfall.

Grade: C+ It was a shocking moment, but it was under five minutes. So, as a match, not much to sink your teeth into. But Oba’s win was so triumphant that it still served as a great opener.

After the match, Brock took his boots and gloves off and began to weep… The Beast Incarnate retired?? Lesnar gets a huge “Thank You, Brock” chant as he hugged his Advocate and best friend.

Six-Pack Ladder Match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship: Dragon Lee vs JD McDonagh vs Je’Von Evans vs Rey Mysterio vs Rusev vs Penta

Rusev, JD McDonagh, and Dragon Lee didn’t get entrances, so their odds were slim. Penta is last and comes out with a Shao Kahn helmet (Mortal Kombat 2 is out next month, don’t ya know).

Dragon Lee sent Je’Von to the floor with a leaping hurricanrana, where the Young OG crashed into JD! Back inside, Rey avoided a Styles Clash from Lee, but a superkick sends the Lucha Legend to the floor. Rusev rocks Lee with a ladder, and this match is living up to the car crash description in a good way.

NASTY moment for JD as he is launched high by Rusev onto a prone ladder. Je’Von fell from the top of the ladder to the floor, landing on the floor! He rushed back inside, hitting a springboard clothesline to JD off the ladder! Rey rocked Dragon Lee with a 619 in a ladder! No friends when gold is on the line.

Action slowed down when Rusev took over, setting up a few ladders. Je’Von is uranaged onto an elevated ladder. Penta and Rey worked together, with Penta launching Rey overhead for a seated senton to a waiting Rusev, driving both through the ladder.

Lee caught Rey with the Styles Clash, but JD blocked his ascent to the Intercontinental Title. Spanish Fly off the near top!! McDonagh and Penta met at the top, where Penta drove JD into the other ladder with the Destroyer!! “McDonagh’s dead,” exclaimed Cole!

Je’Von made it to the title, but Rusev took out the ladder. The Young OG got yanked down and launched to the floor with a ROUGH landing. But Je’Von got back to the ropes before Rusev could make it to the top. OG CUTTER!!

Penta played spoiler ultimately, using a ladder to leap off for another Mexican Destroyer to Je’Von. Penta survived!

Penta defeated Dragon Lee, JD McDonagh, Je’Von Evans, Rey Mysterio, and Rusev to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship.

Grade: B. Lotta great stuff here. Je’Von, Dragon Lee, and JD McDonagh all had their moments. Penta got a big reaction.

Before the next match, we were told by Wade Barrett and Michael Cole that Brock Lesnar did, in fact, retire tonight.

WWE United States Championship: Trick Williams w/Lil’ Yachty vs Sami Zayn (c)

Sami Zayn got an initial pop, but then the crowd nearly booed him out of the building. Trick Williams? Huge pop, huge reaction, GIANT train on his coat that nearly took up the entire ramp.

Sami’s aggression pretty much confirmed what I knew, what we all knew. This was gonna be a double turn. Steve Austin/Bret Hart. Zayn got pulled off Trick repeatedly, then took out Yachty with another Helluva Kick. A brainbuster dropped Trick on the apron. This crowd HATED Sami Zayn. Trick barely beat the 10-count.

While the ref checked on Trick, Yachty hung Sami up on the rope. Discus boot by Trick! Sami kicked out. Trick Shot missed, and Sami launched his challenger into the corner with the exploder! Hellu–TRICK SHOT!!! 1-2-3!!

Trick Williams defeated Sami Zayn via pinfall to win the WWE United States Championship.

Grade: C. Great moment for Trick. Sami fed into the boos. But this didn’t really get going at all. Trick more or less got beaten up for 7 minutes just to hit the Trick Shot.

Time for the celebrity shots. George Kittle chugged another beer. Somehow, Rob Gronkowski was more relaxed and subdued. Oh, never mind, they had a chugging contest. Tony Hinchcliffe was also there.

Street Fight: “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio vs “The Demon” Finn Balor

“You’re a jack*ss!!” Michael Cole shouted at Dominik Mysterio, who threw his sweaty mask at the veteran play-by-play man. Well, I say sweat. They called it “juice,” which…is so much worse. The Demon returned tonight, covered in paint and flowing wraps, plus a mohawk made of spikes!

From the start, Dirty Dom got mauled. Whether Dominik was scared of the Demon or just unprepared for Finn, he took a beating for five minutes, including some thwacks from a kendo stick. Dom finally got some offense in, catching Balor looking for a table with a dive.

The AAA Mega Champ littered the ring with chairs, going for a suplex. Balor blocked, hitting a gourdbuster through the steel instead, and dropping him with the Slingblade! But a superkick and a 619 brought Dom back into it. Frog Splash!

Balor kicked out at one! John Woo Dropkick! Dom avoided the Coup de Grace, bouncing a chair off of Balor’s dome as he got to his feet. Dom set up a table and actually sent Balor through it! With a chair around the Demon’s neck, the 619 connected again. Frog Splash #2

Balor AGAIN kicked out! The Greatest Mysterio (I said it) grabbed another table, but Balor grabbed a chair and beat the Tom and Nick out of Dom! Chair wrapped around his head, Dom was launched into the corner with another John Woo dropkick! Coup de Grace through the table!

“The Demon” Finn Balor defeated “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio via pinfall.

Grade: C+. This was more about the entrance and the Demon’s return, which was cool. But the match? It was fine. But I wanted more than “fine” from the return of Finn Balor’s ace up his sleeve.

WWE Women’s Championship: Rhea Ripley vs Jade Cargill (c)

WWE Women’s Champion Jade Cargill entered first, which didn’t bode well for her. She was gilded, wrapped in a strange gold robe that almost engulfed her. Rhea Ripley came out simple, but with some great white on black gear and bright red lipstick and makeup around the eyes.

It was a powerhouse affair, as expected. Two of the most dominant women in WWE, if not all pro-wrestling, for the Women’s WWE Title. And Jade Cargill won the strength advantage early on, bouncing Ripley around ringside with ease. Back in the ring, Rhea went for a wild swing, and Jade caught it, catching her with a crossface!

We got the yay-boo punching trade, with the crowd FIRMLY behind Mami! A leaping dropkick rocked Cargill, who was driven hard to the mat with an electric chair facebuster. The WWE Champion caught the challenger with a spinebuster, but Rhea escaped a Jaded with a roll-up.

As Rhea went for the Razor’s Edge, Michin’s new baddies interfered, allowing Jade to escape and Michin & B-Fab to batter Rhea in the corner. ONE WINGED ANGEL!! Oh…uhhh…SANDSTORM!!! But it wasn’t enough!!

IYO SKY rushed the ring, taking care of B-Fab and Michin and distracting Jade! Headbutt to Cargill! Jade avoided the Riptide and hoofed Ripley, but Ripley slipped through her feet! RIPTIDE!!! Rhea won the WWE Title!!

Rhea Ripley defeated Jade Cargill via pinfall to win the WWE Women’s Championship.

Grade: B+. Jade and Rhea felt like a real clash of the titans in the best way. A little awkward here and there, but swinging for the fences at all times. This was great.

We got a recap of the entire night, but not before a large bottle of juice was seen partying with families in the crowd. John Cena returned to give us our attendance total. Tonight’s added up to 55,255 in-house. With the 50,817, that gave WWE a total of 106,072 for the weekend!

Cena was ready to wrap up his duties right then and there. But The Miz and Kit Wilson appeared, demanding their WWE WrestleMania moment. Cena let Miz go, but the A-Lister was interrupted by Danhausen.

Well, first a group of Danhausen midgets (Michael Cole stated that the group DEMANDED to be called that, saving both him and me some face), followed by Danhausen on a…jeep?

Danhausen was happy to meet Cena, and vice versa. Wilson shoved one of the Minihausens down, and another punched Wilson right in his Toxicity (testicles). Miz got a low blow as well, and Danhausen followed up with a Five-Knuckle Shuffle.

With that, Cena kicked off the main event for WWE WrestleMania Night 2: CM Punk vs Roman Reigns for the WWE Men’s World Title.

WWE Men’s World Heavyweight Championship: Roman Reigns vs CM Punk

WWE’s OTC came out with an incredible entrance, as always. A concert pianist, a classical singer, and a dude on two giant drums played out the multi-time WWE Champion, as images of the Anoa’i’s bloodline appeared on the WrestleMania set.

Punk’s entrance? The WWE World Heavyweight Champion emerged to “Miseria Cantare” by AFI before switching to “Cult of Personality”. His jacket was covered in the names of late musicians, WWE producers, and more, with the large crown on the back for the late great Harley Race.

Punk one-upped Roman early, taking him down, then throwing up Roman’s “one.” Roman shoved him off, and Punk slapped the taste out of his mouth. A Samoan Drop planted Punk, letting the Voice of the Voiceless know where things stood.

The two quickly made their way to the floor, where Punk got the better of the Tribal Chief with a clothesline off the barricade. The WWE World Champ hit Roman’s pose again, to an equally split reaction from the crowd. Roman punished him for his arrogance, a big slam off the table and onto the floor. “Mock me again, b*tch!! Mock me again!”

Roman avoided the GTS and rocked Punk with the Superman Punch! 1-2- Oh, you know nobody gets pinned by that. Roman’s spear taunt cost him, as Punk rocked him with the running knee in the corner mid-yell. A second knee. Two short-armed clotheslines and a swinging neckbreaker. The challenger was stunned!!

Punk wanted the Macho Elbow through the announcer’s desk, but Roman recovered while the champ soaked in the crowd. Roman trapped Punk in the tree of woe, leaving him hanging on the apron. Three Superman Punches to a vulnerable CM Punk!

Reigns hammers Punk with the steps and, for some reason, is not disqualified. Cole and Wade mentioned that, since it’s the main event of WrestleMania, they wouldn’t want to end the WWE World Title match like that. Strange rule.

A powerbomb through the table left the champion in bad shape. “That’s how Niner Gang does it, b*tch!” Back in the ring, Punk, somehow, countered a spear and hit a GTS out of nowhere!!

1-2-noooo!! Reigns kicked out!! The second GTS fails, and Roman responds with the spear!! Punk kicked out!! Unlike Roman, Punk continued to eat heavy shots. Big rights from the big challenger, as Roman told Punk it was time to Go…To…Sleep.

Punk blocked and rocked the challenger with a big roundhouse. Roman kicked out, but the momentum swung. Punk hit Roman with the Superman Punch, then grabbed an Ula Fala from a fan to set up the spear. Roman blocked it, going for the guillotine! Punk countered with a pin, then transitioned to the Anaconda Vice!

Sharpshooter attempt is stopped as Roman rocked the WWE World Heavyweight Champion with a boot to the jaw. Guillotine again, and Punk turns it into a jackknife pinfall. Back on their feet, two big clotheslines, and everyone is down!

Punk threw some of his wrist wrap at Roman, and when the ref tossed it away, Punk went low! GTS!! Roman kicked out!!

Punk finally hit the elbow drop through the announcer’s desk, and Roman screamed out in pain. Punk got to his feet, giving a fan at ringside a free video of the Best in the World, while Roman couldn’t even get up on his own.

Another GTS? No, Punk collapsed before he could finish Reigns. Spear, but Reigns can’t cover. They slowly get to their feet, and the super spear!! 1-2-3!!

Roman Reigns defeats CM Punk via pinfall to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

Grade: A+. Weird “no DQ” logic aside, that was an awesome main event. CM Punk finally got what he wanted, and Roman ended up back on top. An A+ performance for a C average weekend.

Overall Grade for WrestleMania 42 Night 2: B-