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WrestleMania 42: 10 names that will be missed at WWE's biggest show of the year
With more than three dozen WWE superstars taking part in WrestleMania 42, the two-night card has no shortage of newcomers, rapidly rising stars and future Hall of Famers. From Je’Von Evans to Roman Reigns and Stephanie Vaquer to Charlotte Flair, there is an abundance of star power walking into Allegiant Stadium this weekend.
Yet as stacked as the card is on paper, there are several glaring absences that add a layer of “what if” to this year’s “Showcase of the Immortals.” Whether due to injury or simply not having room on the card, here are 10 names (or factions) whose absence will be felt in Las Vegas.
1. Bianca Belair
If Belair was healthy, she would almost certainly be on the card and likely competing for one of WWE’s top women’s championships. She’s easily the best current female talent when it comes to performing at WrestleMania, and is in the discussion to be named the “Mrs. WrestleMania” to Shawn Michaels’ “Mr. WrestleMania.
Unfortunately for Belair, she suffered a hand injury in her WrestleMania match last year against Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky. Belair was able to finish the match — which captured Uncrowned’s Match of the Year honors — after getting hurt on an awkward landing during a Tower of Doom sequence, but we haven’t seen her wrestle a match in the year since. There’s no blame to be placed here, but it’s reality that WrestleMania will be spelled without the EST this year.
2. Iyo Sky
Sky has a legitimate claim to being the best female wrestler in the world right now — we named her 2025’s Female Wrestler of the Year here at Uncrowned — and she has a story brewing with Asuka and Kairi Sane that is begging to have a spot on the WrestleMania card.
Only it doesn’t.
This is somewhat baffling, considering the talent level of the names involved. Instead, Sky has been relegated to being a narrative device in the WWE Women’s Championship feud between Jade Cargill and Rhea Ripley.
3. Asuka
I touched on this above, but Asuka should be wrestling Sky in Las Vegas this weekend. Asuka’s the total package and has a presentation that doesn’t just scream WrestleMania, it demands it. There’s a compelling argument to be made that of any other fantasy-booked match for WrestleMania 42, Asuka and Sky deserve a spot the most.
4. Bron Breakker
In many ways, it seemed like WrestleMania 42 was going to be a coronation of sorts for Breakker, who has had “main event” metaphorically tattooed on his forehead ever since he broke into the business.
But due to some unfortunate injury luck — Breakker had hernia surgery earlier this year — the former Intercontinental Champion’s ascent is on a brief hold. And with the pivoted direction The Vision has gone in with him on the shelf, even a surprise run-in doesn’t feel likely this weekend.
5. Carmelo Hayes
The United States Championship has been one of the bright spots on “SmackDown” for the better part of the last year, and a lot of that is due to Hayes’ run as champion for the past few months. Hayes dropped that championship to Sami Zayn less than a month before WrestleMania and will now watch as Zayn and Trick Williams go one-on-one in Las Vegas. Hayes will eventually get his WrestleMania moment — and he may still be added to this match — but it’s hard to see the downside in making this contest a triple-threat.
6. Tiffany Stratton
A year ago Stratton was defending the WWE Women’s Championship against Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 41.
This year, despite having a Women’s United States Championship program with Giulia (another notable absence), there won’t be any time for Tiffy at Allegiant Stadium.
7. Chelsea Green
A popular comedic heel, Green likely would have factored into a Women’s United States Championship match with Giulia and perhaps the aforementioned Stratton, but she suffered a broken ankle earlier this year.
There was a chance she could have been back for WrestleMania, but this one feels more like an injury issue than anything else, especially considering how over Green has managed to become.
8. The Wyatt Sicks
The supernaturally inspired faction is not for everyone, but there are plenty of fans who love the group and the legacy of the late Bray Wyatt that it keeps alive. Their absence partially feels like an indictment of the state of WWE’s tag-team division.
9. Damian Priest
Speaking of WWE’s tag-team division, Priest and his champion partner R-Truth won’t be wrestling on the card — though you can bank on Truth making his presence felt elsewhere, most likely. After cashing in Money in the Bank at WrestleMania for the second time ever two years ago, Priest has fallen completely off the card.
10. Anyone from NXT
With Stand and Deliver being moved away from WrestleMania weekend — absolutely the right move to give the NXT brand its own spotlight — it would’ve been nice to see some of the up-and-coming NXT roster advertised for WrestleMania. Joe Hendry was a huge surprise last year, but now seems destined for a post-Mania call-up, so WWE may be holding that one back. The same can be said about Jacy Jayne and potentially Sol Ruca.
It’s hard to take a spot from someone else already on the main roster, but inserting talent into the Women’s Tag Team Championship match or having the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal would have at least been two ways to get a spotlight on the next generation.
