9 Ups & 11 Downs For WWE In 2025
The Boom was off the Rhodes in 2025, but WWE's year wasn't entirely without merit
Comparing and contrasting the presentation of and sentiment towards the commercials for WrestleManias 41 and 42 is a good way to assess how things changed for the market leader in 2025.
When, in 2024, WWE dropped the ludicrously ostentatious WrestleMania 42 commercial, it was ripe for mockery but the gags were through gritted teeth. Triple H (it's always Triple H) proudly exclaiming that "in case you've been living under a rock, WWE is on fire right now!" was as cheesy as it sounds, but the clips of white hot Fed interspersed with the unmistakable pizazz of Las Vegas told the story better than his narration ever could, and proved he was telling the truth. It was the 'Show Of Shows', the pro wrestling destination and a party not to be missed.
In 2025, the company - having already airlifted the event from its planned New Orleans locale back to Vegas for the cold hard cash - rolled out the marketing for 2026's show with a closed club poker game featuring Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns, CM Punk and Brock Lesnar (!), policed by Triple H (it's always Triple H) and Paul Heyman. It couldn't have looked more like an exclusionary time, was roundly derided for how instantly out-of-step it felt, and left fans with nothing to focus on but the sky-high ticket prices and the fact that this will be the last North American WrestleMania until 2027, at least.
"It's still good, it's still good", but the times, they have changed. Never was this more apparent than when a former biggest star appeared to be burning out rather than fading away in his retirement year...