WWE has officially confirmed the opening matches for both nights of WrestleMania 42, with the announcements coming during the opening minutes of Monday Night Raw. The company revealed that the six-man tag team match pitting LA Knight and The Usos against The Vision and IShowSpeed will open Night One on April 18, while Brock Lesnar versus Oba Femi will open Night Two on April 19.
The placement of the six-man tag as Night One’s opener makes perfect sense from an energy standpoint. The match features one of the internet’s most recognizable personalities in IShowSpeed alongside Logan Paul and Austin Theory, with the celebrity involvement and natural charisma of all six performers making it an ideal choice to immediately energize the Allegiant Stadium crowd for what figures to be a long and loaded evening. IShowSpeed’s only previous in-ring experience was a brief Royal Rumble appearance where Bron Breakker eliminated him with a brutal spear, making his WrestleMania 42 appearance a significant step up in both stakes and exposure.
Lesnar vs. Femi Opening Night Two Gives the ESPN Broadcast Window a Massive Match to Lead With
The decision to open Night Two with Lesnar versus Femi is directly tied to WWE‘s ESPN broadcast partnership. As Bryan Alvarez previously reported, the match was specifically placed in this position to serve as the headline bout during the ESPN free window on Night Two — giving the broadcaster a genuinely massive match to lead with and maximizing exposure for what figures to be one of the most physically compelling bouts of the entire weekend.
The news was first reported by Fightful Select‘s WrestleVotes on Thursday, April 10, with WWE’s official confirmation coming during Monday’s Raw. WrestleMania 42 takes place April 18 and 19 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, airing live on ESPN Unlimited in the US and Netflix internationally.
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