WrestleMania 42: Can NXT's class of 2026 save the show this year in Las Vegas?

Bright spots aren't exactly a dime a dozen at this year's WrestleMania 42. Whether it's low ticket sales, half-baked feuds, or spoiled surprises (e.g. "The Demon" Finn Balor being pre-announced in a random social media post for one), it's hard to shake the conclusion that this year's pro-wrestling Super Bowl has gotten off to a shaky start.

Thankfully, there is at least one aspect of this year's show where things don't look so bad, and that's the booking of some of the up-and-coming names on the WWE roster — and none more so than Oba Femi. The former NXT top dog has received the mother of all pushes since his main roster promotion in January, culminating in a legacy-making match against Brock Lesnar this Sunday.

For what it's worth, I'll take this chance to hold my hands up on this one, having predicted only last month that WWE wouldn't pull the trigger on Lesnar vs. Femi. After all, if Triple H wasn't willing to have Lesnar lose to John Cena during the latter's retirement tour, would he seriously countenance "The Beast Incarnate" going against an NXT call-up?

In retrospect, there were enough clues that WWE was serious as hell about Oba Femi. The fact that his debut was preceded by movie-style teaser clips, for example, or that his first appearance on the main roster was an exhibition bout against WWE's Undisputed champion Cody Rhodes. Or the way Femi dominated the start of this year's Royal Rumble, racking up eliminations in the same way that Brock Lesnar did in 2020.

Even by the standards of recent NXT call-ups like Gunther and Bron Breakker, that felt like a massive deal. And even then, it paled in comparison to what came just a few weeks afterward — the sight of Oba Femi strutting toward the ring on "Raw" to deliver a fully-extended powerbomb to a stunned Brock Lesnar, leaving Michael Cole flapping and gasping like a kid on Christmas morning.

Given the shaky build-ups to other ‘Mania matches, this one has to stand out as an absolute masterstroke.

Realistically, there are so many ways WWE can send the message that a new call-up is a seriously big deal. And putting someone straight into a WrestleMania match with one of the most dominant performers in pro-wrestling history certainly achieves that goal.

But Femi isn't the only recent NXT call-up who is getting a push this weekend. We also have Trick Williams looking to take the U.S. title from Sami Zayn on Sunday, and then "Raw’s" Je'Von Evans looking to make a splash in the Intercontinental Title ladder match.

As with Femi, you have to credit Williams for how he has capitalized on the momentum of the fans in order to get booked for ‘Mania. We all know that WWE places a lot of emphasis on the reaction of live audiences, so the fact that crowds have been happily singing along to the former NXT champion's entrance music hasn’t gone unnoticed backstage.

Trick Williams (right) and Oba Femi have been rare bright spots in this year's road to WrestleMania.

(WWE via Getty Images)

Williams' promos have gotten a good reaction too, to the extent that we've heard rumors that WWE is considering having Williams drop his cocksure newcomer gimmick and instead go full speed ahead with the babyface stuff. So far they've held back on executing that particular change, but it's a solid indication of how much potential they see in Williams for the future.

Then there's the youngest of the trio, Evans. Unlike Femi and Williams, the 21-year-old may not have won the main title during his run on NXT, but he did get the huge prize of being picked as one of the handful of NXT stars who appeared at John Cena's retirement show. After that massive vote of confidence, a ‘Mania match was probably more likely than not.

We shouldn't skip the obvious point here: Appearing in a WrestleMania at 21 years old is a seriously impressive achievement. It will also put Evans in a pretty elite club — only René Duprée and Essa Rios (then Águila) have beaten that record. And neither of them entered in such a strong position as Evans, who feels like the smart pick to leave Vegas with the Intercontinental Title.

Combine that with the other recent NXT graduates who are also on the ‘Mania card — Stephanie Vaquer, Lash Legend, Lyra Valkyria — and it makes for a strong hand for WWE's developmental brand. It might be the 40-somethings who are main-eventing this year's show, but it could be the 2026 class of NXT who end up saving the weekend — particularly if Femi vs. Lesnar can live up to expectations.