WWE 'WrestleMania 42' predictions: Who will win?

Orton, in the weeks leading up to WrestleMania 42, became a villain once again and continued to have mysterious phone conversations with an unknown person who was pushing him back towards the dark side. The reveal of McAfee as the mysterious caller broke the internet wrestling community in half and was seen as an example of everything currently wrong with WWE, including too much celebrity involvement and too many ads.

Liv Morgan will face Stephanie Vaquer for the Women’s World Championship at WWE "WrestleMania 42" on Saturday. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI

The reveal of McAfee was so controversial that Rhodes and others like CM Punk have attacked the move and in so many words placed the blame on higher-ups within the company who are desperate to sell more WrestleMania tickets, which have been sluggish.

So where does this leave us? This match is the most maligned WrestleMania main event in some time. Rhodes and Orton are seasoned pros at the top of their games but can they save this with a good match? McAfee has promised to leave WWE for good if Orton loses, making it somewhat obvious that The Viper will leave as champion. McAfee needs to stay around to team up with Orton against Rhodes and singer Jelly Roll, another bout WWE has been teasing, much to the dismay of fans.

Predicted winner: Randy Orton

Stephanie Vaquer (champion) vs. Liv Morgan for the Women's World Championship

Stephanie Vaquer brought some much-needed hype to this championship match when she attacked Liv Morgan backstage weeks ago. The attack, which involved pushing Morgan into her Judgement Day teammate Roxanne Perez, left a huge, red bump on Morgan's forehead that gained traction on social media.

Vaquer still feels new and fresh in WWE as she continues her first championship reign on Raw. Morgan, who has become a popular fixture at WWE, doesn't really need the title to stay relevant and can always be slotted into big matches due to her notoriety.

The bout should be used to further elevate Vaquer as champion while Morgan can use losing at WrestleMania to bring about some changes on Raw, such as finally dumping her boyfriend "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio and leaving The Judgment Day as she has outgrown them in popularity.

Expect a hard-hitting match with Morgan possibly wanting to injure Vaquer for the forehead bump.

Predicted winner: Stephanie Vaquer

Seth Rollins vs. Gunther

Gunther has been on an absolute rampage in WWE, first retiring John Cena in December and then AJ Styles in January. Rollins has had a weird year on Raw with injuries sidelining him at impromptu times, leaving him without Paul Heyman, who Gunther saved from Rollins.

Gunther's reasoning for wanting to face Rollins is messy. The guy who retired both Cena and Styles shouldn't have to be trying to gain favors from Heyman but nevertheless, the wrestlers involved give the bout a true WrestleMania feel.

Rollins is one of the best wrestlers on the planet and can have a great match with just about anyone, including towering foes like Gunther. But can Rollins do what Cena and Styles couldn't? Rollins winning would be a feel-good moment for fans but it would betray what Gunther was able to accomplish by retiring two of WWE's best.

Gunther should win here to continue his dominant streak as he marches towards a world championship once again.

Predicted winner: Gunther

AJ Lee (champion) vs. Becky Lynch for the Women's Intercontinental Championship

AJ Lee is finally competing at WrestleMania again following a long absence. Lee's last appearance at the Showcase of the Immortals was in 2015 for WrestleMania 31 where she teamed up with Paige to defeat Nikki and Brie Bella.

Now Lee is back and this time she's defending the Women's Intercontinental Championship against the person she originally defeated for it, Becky Lynch.

Lynch and Lee have history together and have been feuding since last year, giving this rivalry the history and weight that WrestleMania demands. Lynch and Lee are also Hall of Fame-bound veterans who are poised to put on a competitive and entertaining match for the fans.

Lee's run as Intercontinental Champion hasn't been too exciting with her infrequent appearances on Raw, but perhaps a big win at WrestleMania will finally get her title reign going. Lynch to her credit was a more entertaining Intercontinental Champion who made sure to prop up the title every chance she got in interviews and on red carpets. The Man has spent enough time helping along WWE's newest title however, and fans want to see more of Lee.

Predicted winner: AJ Lee

WrestleMania Sunday

CM Punk (champion) vs. Roman Reigns for the World Heavyweight Championship

On paper CM Punk vs. Roman Reigns is without question a WrestleMania-worthy match that should close out the entire event on Sunday. The only issue is how it has gotten overshadowed by Saturday's main event with Rhodes, Orton and McAfee.

Some of this is Punk's fault as he has called out McAfee's inclusion and has traded verbal barbs with the ESPN host who isn't afraid to fire back. One could be forgiven for thinking Punk is facing McAfee this weekend but alas, he is defending his World Heavyweight Championship against The Tribal Chief.

Punk and Reigns are no strangers to each other and this rivalry initially started out hot with Punk making reference to Reigns' deceased Hall of Fame father Sika of the Wild Samoans. Things have cooled off though due to Punk's issues with McAfee and with Punk apologizing in-ring about mentioning Sika, leading to a final match that feels like it is missing something.

Regardless of the messy storytelling, Punk vs. Reigns is a special-feeling match that feels poised for a big surprise or swerve to shock audiences. Reigns seems to be showing up less and less in WWE these days, making Punk seem like the more likely winner, but anything can happen in the last match of the event.

Predicted winner: CM Punk

Jade Cargill (champion) vs. Rhea Ripley for the WWE Women's Championship

Jade Cargill faces her toughest challenge yet in Rhea Ripley as two of WWE's most physically imposing women collide at the biggest show of the year.

Cargill has been dominant even before she won the title, having not lost a one-on-one match in over six months. Cargill usually defeats her opponents in mere minutes with her impressive strength, making Ripley the perfect opponent for her.

Ripley can match Cargill in size and strength leading up to what should be a hard-hitting affair that could conceivably end in the blink of an eye. Cargill's run as champion hasn't had much time to grow, but Ripley's popularity and how successful she's been at WrestleMania in the past gives her the edge.

Predicted winner: Rhea Ripley

Brock Lesnar (with Paul Heyman) vs. Oba Femi

Meat-slapping meat fans rejoice! Two giants go to war when Brock Lesnar battles Oba Femi, one of the most anticipated matches of WrestleMania 42.

Championships are not needed here as Lesnar and Femi fight to decide who is the most dominant wrestler in WWE. Fans worldwide have taken a huge liking to this match as two giants meet for the first time.

Lesnar has a history of devastating wins and this would be no different if The Beast conquered Femi. This time it feels different however. The live audience loves Femi with fans starting to mimic his now signature strut to the ring. Finally fans have a monster of their own to stand up to Lesnar.

WWE has had no issue before disappointing fans with a Lesnar win, but doing it again this time would be a step too far. Femi should beat Lesnar to help further establish him in his young and promising career.

Predicted winner: Oba Femi

WrestleMania 42 will also feature Nia Jax & Lash Legend defending their Women's Tag Team Championships against Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss, Bayley & Lyra Valkyria and The Bella Twins; along with Jacob Fatu vs. Drew McIntyre in an Unsanctioned match and Logan Paul, Austin Theory & IShowSpeed vs. The Usos & LA Knight on Saturday.

Sunday will also feature "The Demon" Finn Bálor vs. Dominik Mysterio, Sami Zayn vs. Trick Williams for the United States Championship, and Penta defending his Intercontinental Championship against Je'Von Evans, Dragon Lee, JD McDonagh, Rusev and Rey Mysterio.