WrestleMania 42 results: Penta retains WWE Intercontinental Title in brutal, chaos-filled ladder match

TL;DR

Penta successfully retained his WWE Intercontinental Title at WrestleMania 42 in a chaotic ladder match. The match featured intense moments, starting with Rusev attacking before Penta even entered the ring.

Key points

Penta retains WWE Intercontinental Title at WrestleMania 42
Match featured chaotic moments and early attacks
Rusev attacked before Penta entered the ring
Event took place at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas
Match included high-flying maneuvers and ladder usage

Mentioned in this story

Allegiant Stadium

PentaRusevWrestleMania 42

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - MARCH 23: Penta enters the ring during Monday Night RAW at TD Garden on March 23, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Rich Freeda/WWE via Getty Images)

Penta is still your WWE Intercontinental Champion.

WWE via Getty Images

Penta walked into WrestleMania Night 2 in Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas as the Intercontinental Champion, and walked out able to say "And still". As expected, the match delivered a variety of wild, chaotic moments that few can replicate under the classic stipulation.

The match got started before the champion, Penta, even entered the ring. Rusev started attacking everyone, and Penta immediately climbed an outside ladder, jumping off it and onto the ropes for a Cross-Body onto the Bulgarian. With only two heels in the match, it quickly dissolved into good vs. bad, with Penta and Dragon Lee going after a ladder-wielding Rusev on the outside. McDonagh also received his licks prior to that.

There was a pace increase when Evans appeared out of nowhere for a big diving splash over the ropes onto McDonagh outside. Lee followed it with a big springboard Hurricanrana that sent Evans into Penta. Rusev became the first to really use a ladder as a weapon rather than for its typical elevation purposes. Evans took a shot to the arm, and McDonagh took the first back body drop, crashing into the steel.