The main event for night 1 of WrestleMania 39 has not been officially announced yet by WWE. However, based on current storylines and programs, there are a few likely possibilities for who could headline the first night of WrestleMania this year.
What are the top matches rumored for night 1?
While nothing is confirmed, these are some of the top matches rumored for night 1 of WrestleMania 39:
- Roman Reigns vs Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship
- Ronda Rousey vs Charlotte Flair for the SmackDown Women’s Championship
- Bianca Belair vs Rhea Ripley for the Raw Women’s Championship
- Seth Rollins vs Cody Rhodes
- Sami Zayn vs Kevin Owens
Who is likely to main event night 1?
Roman Reigns vs Cody Rhodes
As of now, the match with the highest chance of closing out night 1 seems to be Roman Reigns vs Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.
Cody Rhodes won the 2023 Royal Rumble match, earning himself a title shot at WrestleMania. He then made it clear that his intention is to challenge Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. This would be a massive main event match with a lot of build and backstory behind it.
Roman Reigns has held the Universal Championship for over 2 years and the WWE Championship for over 1 year. Taking the titles off him at WrestleMania would be a huge moment. WWE may decide this monumental title change is worthy of headlining the first night of WrestleMania 39.
Ronda Rousey vs Charlotte Flair
Another top candidate for the night 1 main event is Ronda Rousey vs Charlotte Flair for the SmackDown Women’s Championship.
This would be a high profile rematch from WrestleMania 35. Rousey and Flair are two of WWE’s biggest mainstream stars. Their feud has been building since Rousey returned at the Royal Rumble to win the women’s Rumble match.
WWE has shown they view women’s matches as worthy of main eventing major shows. Rousey vs Flair could become one of the biggest women’s WrestleMania main events ever if it closes out night 1.
Bianca Belair vs Rhea Ripley
Bianca Belair defending the Raw Women’s Championship against Rhea Ripley is another possibility for the night 1 headliner.
This has the potential to be an incredible match between two of the top women on the roster. Their feud has gotten very personal, with Ripley even cutting some of Belair’s hair. This adds a lot of heat and compelling storytelling for their title match.
Putting this match on last would continue WWE’s positive trend of women main eventing major pay-per-views in recent years.
How have recent WrestleManias structured the main events?
Let’s take a look at how the last 5 two-night WrestleManias have structured their main events:
WrestleMania | Night 1 Main Event | Night 2 Main Event |
---|---|---|
WrestleMania 36 | Kevin Owens vs Seth Rollins | Drew McIntyre vs Brock Lesnar |
WrestleMania 37 | Bianca Belair vs Sasha Banks | Roman Reigns vs Edge vs Daniel Bryan |
WrestleMania 38 | Charlotte Flair vs Ronda Rousey | Roman Reigns vs Brock Lesnar |
WrestleMania 35 | Seth Rollins vs Brock Lesnar | Kofi Kingston vs Daniel Bryan |
WrestleMania 34 | Ronda Rousey & Kurt Angle vs Triple H & Stephanie McMahon | AJ Styles vs Shinsuke Nakamura |
As you can see, WWE has chosen a variety of matches to main event night 1 of recent WrestleManias. Major title matches, grudge matches, and even one tag team match have closed the show. It’s likely night 1 of WrestleMania 39 will also have a huge marquee match in the main event spot.
How has WWE set up the night 1 main event in recent years?
WWE usually structures the WrestleMania card based on long term storytelling and feud builds. The night 1 main event is often the culmination of one of the biggest and longest running feuds headed into WrestleMania. Some examples:
- Ronda Rousey vs Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 38 culminated their feud that dated back to 2019.
- Bianca Belair vs Sasha Banks at WrestleMania 37 ended their feud over the SmackDown Women’s title that started in late 2020.
- Seth Rollins vs Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 35 was the climax of Rollins’ journey to slay the Beast and take the Universal title.
Based on this history, the current feud that seems most likely to headline WrestleMania 39 night 1 is Roman Reigns vs Cody Rhodes over the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.
Why is Reigns vs Rhodes a strong choice for night 1 main event?
There are a few key reasons why Reigns vs Rhodes makes sense as the WrestleMania 39 night 1 main event:
- Rhodes’ 2-year journey back after leaving WWE in 2022 to return and win the Royal Rumble match in 2023 is an epic story.
- Rhodes has consistently said his goal is to defeat Reigns and win back the WWE title his father Dusty held.
- Rhodes vs Reigns has been teased since the Royal Rumble, giving it a long build.
- Taking the titles off Reigns would be one of the biggest moments in recent WWE history.
WWE often reserves these types of huge moments for WrestleMania. After over 2 years as Universal Champion and 1 year as WWE Champion, it seems very likely WWE will take the belts off Reigns and give them to Rhodes in the WrestleMania 39 night 1 main event.
Conclusion
While WWE has yet to announce their WrestleMania 39 night 1 main event, current storyline directions point towards Roman Reigns vs Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship as the most probable match. Their feud has had a long build dating back to January’s Royal Rumble match won by Rhodes.
Other possible candidates for the WrestleMania Sunday night 1 headliner include Ronda Rousey vs Charlotte Flair and Bianca Belair vs Rhea Ripley. But Rhodes challenging Reigns’ 2+ year long Championship reign makes for an epic culmination of their storyline.
WWE has a history of reserving huge title changes and feud blow-offs for WrestleMania main events. All signs indicate Reigns vs Rhodes will take the night 1 top spot at WrestleMania 39 this year.