Early WrestleMania 43 card forecast: Roman Reigns and CM Punk in the spotlight

CM Punk and Roman Reigns headlined WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas in a clash many considered one of the best of 2026 and one of the strongest main events in the history of the show. Although a repeat of the same match looks unlikely for Riyadh, both are expected to play the leading roles in the next edition of the spectacle.

As Bleacher Report notes, expectations for WrestleMania 43 focus mainly on Reigns and Punk: Reigns could defend the World Heavyweight Championship against Oba Femi, while CM Punk is expected to face Cody Rhodes again in a rivalry for the Undisputed WWE Championship. The lower half of the card remains highly speculative, and most of the lineup appears set to take shape only closer to the event date.

The projected WrestleMania 43 card includes: Oba Femi vs. Roman Reigns (World Heavyweight Championship); CM Punk vs. Cody Rhodes (Undisputed WWE Championship); Stephanie Vaquer vs. Becky Lynch (Women’s World Championship); Rhea Ripley vs. Charlotte Flair (WWE Women’s Championship); an Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match featuring Je’Von Evans, Chad Gable, Ethan Page, Dominik Mysterio, JD McDonagh and Big Cass; Trick Williams vs. Carmelo Hayes (United States Championship); Tatum Paxley and Alexa Bliss vs. The Bella Twins vs. Fatal Influence (Women’s Tag Team Championship); Penta, Rey Fenix and Seth Rollins vs. The Usos and Jacob Fatu; Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn; LA Knight vs. Drew McIntyre; Bron Breakker vs. Bronson Reed; and Danhausen vs. Gunther.

Beyond the match list, Oba Femi is seen as having enjoyed a successful year on the main roster — with standout wins over Brock Lesnar and titles and momentum making him a natural candidate to face Reigns on such a stage. The piece argues that a Femi win over Reigns in Riyadh would quickly cement his position as the company’s future star, while any delay would be considered a risky creative route.

According to Bleacher Report, many elements of the card remain unclear and are being followed as early forecasts; as the event date approaches, the lineup is expected to change and some names to be left out of the card.