List of WrestleMania 42 Superstar Feuds and Rivalries

CM Punk vs. Roman Reigns

Intensity Level: 10/10 — The Most Personal Feud in WWE

No rivalry heading into WrestleMania 42 carries more genuine real-world weight. Punk's March 2 promo invoking Reigns' late father crossed a line that elevates this beyond standard wrestling storytelling. Multiple sources have described at least some of the animosity between the two men as genuine, lending every segment and promo exchange an authenticity that money cannot buy.

Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton

Intensity Level: 9.5/10 — Betrayal by a Brother

The most emotionally devastating storyline of WrestleMania season. Orton's cold-blooded heel turn on one of his closest friends — leaving Rhodes bloodied at the contract signing — has generated the kind of genuine heat that modern WWE rarely achieves organically. The match is simultaneously a championship main event and the most personal rivalry either man has been involved in years.

Jade Cargill vs. Rhea Ripley

Intensity Level: 9/10 — Real-Life Tension Behind the Storyline

Reports of genuine behind-the-scenes friction between Cargill and Ripley have added a layer of authenticity to this rivalry that elevates it well above a standard title programme. Triple H's description of both women as 'dominant, destructive, disrespectful' encapsulates the energy of a match that feels less like a scripted sporting event and more like a legitimate collision between two supremely competitive athletes.

Brock Lesnar vs. Oba Femi

Intensity Level: 8/10 — Generational Power Collision

The appeal of this match is primal: two of the most physically dominant men in WWE history at completely different stages of their careers, with legitimate questions about who wins. Lesnar's reputation as the most destructive force in WWE history vs. Femi's potential as the next generational monster. Their brief Royal Rumble clash created instant demand for this encounter.

Drew McIntyre vs. Jacob Fatu

Intensity Level: 8/10 — Grudge Match with Double-Cross History

Fatu cost McIntyre the Undisputed WWE Championship by turning on him at the critical moment on the March 6 SmackDown. McIntyre's dramatic walkout and return to attack Fatu — staring directly at the WrestleMania sign — established this as a pure grudge match driven by betrayal and pride. Both men have the physical tools to deliver one of the event's most explosive pure contests.