Jim Ross has come out in favor of returning WrestleMania to a one-night format, arguing that concentrating everything into a single spectacular evening is more effective than the two-night structure WWE has used since 2020. Speaking on his Grilling JR podcast, Ross made the case for quality over quantity.
“I think you load your wagon. One night, to me, works. But I’m not anti a two-night show — I get it. But I’m a bigger fan of loading the wagon and having one huge, magnificent night of sports entertainment and athleticism,” Ross said. He also suggested the second night of WrestleMania has struggled to generate the same cultural energy as the first. “It seems to me like the formula has changed. I don’t hear much about the second night of WrestleMania on social media and so forth. Time will tell, but I’m a lot more positive about a one-night WrestleMania than a two-night WrestleMania.”
Jim Ross Says the Charm of Pro Wrestling Is Its Surprises and One Big Night Delivers That Best
Ross framed his preference in terms of what makes professional wrestling compelling in the first place — unpredictability and destination. “I love destinations, especially when I don’t know what the destination is. That’s one of the charms of pro wrestling — surprises.” WrestleMania 42 takes place April 18 and 19 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, with Night One airing on ESPN Unlimited in the US and Night Two also featuring an ESPN broadcast window for select matches before moving to ESPN Unlimited and Netflix internationally.
