WWE WrestleMania 41: Where Do We Go From Here?

WrestleMania week in Las Vegas has formally come to an end, and theres a lot to assess after the much-heralded "Raw after 'Mania" closed with the apparent formation of a new major power in wrestling. Additionally, we have a new WWE Champion, World Heavyweight Champion, men's Intercontinental Champion, and men's United States Champion — though there wasn't nearly as much shake-up in the women's division. IYO SKY and Tiffany Stratton both retained their own world titles against three of the division's top stars, and even the women's tag titles slingshotted back to Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez on "Raw" after losing them to Lyra Valkyria and a returning Becky Lynch at WrestleMania. In fact, Lynch and Valkyria now have perhaps the clearest direction of anyone in the company after the former turned on the latter on "Raw."

With just about everything else, however, there's still some clarity needed. Are feuds like Jade Cargill vs. Naomi and Drew McIntyre vs. Damian Priest really over? Who will be the next to challenge the new titleholders, as well as the ones who managed to retain? And with the last splinter of the original Bloodline finally snapped, how powerful could Paul Heyman's new faction grow to fill the void? "The Showcase of the Immortals is over" — where do we go from here?

"The Samoan Werewolf" finally has his first singles championship in WWE and from what we've seen from Jacob Fatu so far, he's ready to absolutely run through the men's mid-card division, more so than he already has, on "WWE SmackDown." In what's likely to be a common theme throughout this article, Fatu could easily face Knight once again at WWE Backlash next month. That's all due to Knight's character and his cockiness, however, because technically, the rematch clause within WWE doesn't exist unless it's convenient for the booking, so he can easily fight for one on Friday. Fatu has no reason to give Knight a rematch, however, as he pinned "The Megastar" clean as a whistle in the middle of the ring after a pair of moonsaults, no interference or distraction from Solo Sikoa or the rest of the Bloodline needed.

WWE didn't paint themselves into a corner with Fatu and the Bloodline due to that fact. Sikoa came out with Fatu, which made perfect sense, but didn't go down to the ring with him. Fatu won the United States Championship all on his own. Sikoa didn't interfere, so there's no real reason, as of right now, for Sikoa and Fatu to get into a feud. There's tension between the two backstage, but not enough that WWE has to choose to act on it immediately. Sikoa can stand by while Fatu runs through everyone else who challenges him. WWE saw that the Sikoa experiment, for lack of a better term, didn't exactly take off, so just leaving it and letting Fatu do his own thing is probably best for what the fans want to see.

Fatu should have a lengthy run with the US title and defeat guys like Andrade and the Miz before having meatier feuds (pun intended) with Braun Strowman, again, and even possibly Drew McIntyre or Damian Priest somewhere down the line. If WWE wants the mid-card belt to seem more prestigious, putting Fatu in a major feud after a few solid, dominant defenses can absolutely do that.

Written by Daisy Ruth

After months of underhanded assaults, personal attacks, and right hands, Naomi and Jade Cargill finally squared off in singles action during Night 1 of WrestleMania 41. After trading blows in an intense brawl, Cargill left Vegas with what she wanted: a victory over her treacherous, former best friend, and a chance to move on with a clean slate. Or, did she?

Cargill took to the WrestleMania post-show conference to tease fans with a potential continuation of her and Naomi's feud post-Mania. There is reason to believe that the feud will be revisited, in some aspect, on "WWE SmackDown's" upcoming episodes leading up to WrestleMania Backlash, which is just three weeks away, but Cargill has been relatively tight-lipped about what an extended feud between her and Naomi may exactly look like. Naomi has also maintained her silence regarding her loss and further programs with Cargill, but the general consensus here is that Naomi and Cargill aren't done in their saga just yet.

So, where do we go from here?

No matter what Naomi and Cargill put on, it will have to be leaps and bounds more intense than their build-up to Mania, and that is a high bar to clear. With a clean loss on her record, Naomi cannot afford to let her foot off the gas when it comes to exacting punishment towards Cargill, lest she lose her credibility as a heel: an identity she has worked so hard to establish as a legitimate threat. Cargill cannot afford to get complacent, lest the feud fall flat and stale prematurely. They may have had their WrestleMania moment, but I would argue that their performance in Vegas was nothing more than an out-lap. They were testing the waters then. Now, it's time for them to put things to high-gear for a flying lap towards Backlash. They need to really push into every corner — every nuance, every depth of their character — in order to make this feud worth watching. If the two do it right and full-send things post-Mania, their inevitable match at Backlash will become even more of a must-watch contest, especially on a card that is typically disregarded because of its relative non-impact on the greater WWE roster.

There is also the Bianca Belair question. I will touch on her overall impact on the division when I provide my thoughts about the fallout of Night 2's Triple Threat for the WWE Women's World Championship, but putting it simply: there is no way Belair doesn't get involved in this feud moving forward. If her aggressiveness during the Triple Threat is anything to go by, we are due for a more intense, tweener version of "The -EST" (if not a full heel turn). There is no telling whose side she will continue to take following Naomi and Cargill's match — if she takes a side at all. Could we be heading into a Triple Threat between the WrestleMania 40 trio at Backlash?

Anything can happen in wrestling. That phrase has never rang more true.

Written by Angeline Phu

It's been a weird few months for Drew McIntyre. The former WWE Champion returned his focus to Roman Reigns and The Bloodline following his feud with CM Punk, teasing angles with both Reigns and (then) Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes, but nothing ever came of them, and the "Bloodline Hunter" character seemed to sputter to a halt following singles losses to both Jimmy and Jey Uso. After backstage controversy sprung up around his elimination from the 2025 men's Royal Rumble match, there was reporting that McIntyre was set to win the Elimination Chamber, but he instead ended up in a WrestleMania feud with Damian Priest, the man who cashed in Money in the Bank on McIntyre a year earlier. It even looked for a moment like that match was in question when McIntyre got glass in his eye after Priest slammed him on a car windshield, but he ended up being able compete and got the win, avenging his 'Mania 40 loss and ending this roller coaster of a run with, at the very least, his arm raised.

Despite his victory, the path forward for "The Scottish Psychopath" remains unclear. With the World Heavyweight Championship (theoretically) on "Raw" and the WWE title in the hands of a heel John Cena — who is already feuding with Randy Orton and, as he reminded us on "Raw," only has limited dates for the remainder of the year — chasing a world title seems unlikely, and McIntyre is too big a star to be sending against the likes of Jacob Fatu just yet. In terms of "SmackDown" hierarchy, the only natural option for McIntyre's next opponent is Rhodes; that storyline would be likely feature both strong wrestling and strong promos, and McIntyre would be a good nemesis to build Cody back up to Cena's level. However, we have yet to see how Rhodes will respond to his WrestleMania loss to Cena — we don't even know if he'll be on "SmackDown," let alone show up ready to start a new feud.

Priest's immediate future is even more difficult to determine, because there aren't many heels on "SmackDown" at his specific level, beyond McIntyre. He seems too highly-positioned to be fed to the likes of Fatu, but not high enough to be considered an imminent challenger for Cena. He could work with a younger heel like Solo Sikoa or Carmelo Hayes, or even an anti-hero like LA Knight, but any combination of those names results in matches where both participants need to win. To be honest, the best thing for Priest — and maybe for McIntyre too, if Rhodes isn't available — is to continue feuding with McIntyre, maybe getting his win back at some point. Speaking personally, I enjoyed their WrestleMania match enough that I wouldn't mind seeing them go at it again.

Written by Miles Schneiderman

Tiffany Stratton and Charlotte Flair went to war over the WWE Women's Championship on night one of WrestleMania and it was Stratton to leave Las Vegas with her gold still in tow. If there's any match that could be run again on Backlash next month, however, it's this one, with Flair's character, despite Stratton beating her clean on "The Grandest Stage of Them All." After all these two women have been through, especially with the personal attacks during the now infamous "SmackDown" promo segment, Flair isn't likely to take this loss well. It's also not unlike WWE to take this feel-good moment of Stratton defeating her dream opponent during her WrestleMania debut and turn it on its head just a month later and put the championship on Flair.

On the other hand, it can certainly be argued that Stratton and Flair won't face each other again. While WWE hasn't alluded to a post-Mania draft, Flair could very well head over to "WWE Raw" and try her luck facing Women's World Champion IYO SKY and getting in the mix with Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripely, as well. At risk of getting into personal territory, Flair now has reason to move brands and no fan would really think twice about it. 

Stratton was excited for the possibility of new feuds at the post-show press conference on Saturday and rattled off a few names. She mentioned both Belair and Ripley, as well as Jade Cargill. Naomi would also be an excellent feud for Stratton, despite her loss to Cargill on night one, as her new heel character quickly gained steam with fans and many wanted to see her get the win over Cargill.

There's also always Nia Jax waiting in the wings to try and take the championship off Stratton once again. The "SmackDown" women's roster is varied, but there aren't many heels working on the blue brand right now outside of Jax and Naomi. Stratton is one champion who could benefit from a post-WrestleMania roster shakeup, that is, if she and Flair are kept apart from one another and Flair doesn't take the title at Backlash.

Written by Daisy Ruth

So despite Cody Rhodes' insistence in the weeks leading up to WrestleMania 41, world title number 17 did in fact happen for John Cena in Sunday's main event. In a match and result that divided opinion, Cena took the WWE Championship with a low blow and a belt shot after help from, not The Rock as the story had led some to expect, but Travis Scott. It was a bitter end for Rhodes' title reign, one year on from dethroning Roman Reigns to end his own historic run, and leaves questions over when and where he will re-emerge and apply himself. He denied to comment on the loss on the WrestleMania post-show and wasn't seen on Monday's "WWE Raw," so it is very possible he will be taking some time to re-evaluate after doing everything the right way and it still not being enough. However, he is being advertised for this week's "SmackDown." 

Cena was on "Raw" to flaunt his record-breaking WWE Championship, pointing out that he only had 27 dates – stressing that is appearances, not matches – until he finishes his career in the ring; should no one dethrone him, that would also accomplish his goal of being the last lineal Undisputed WWE Champion. But he was met with someone he and Rhodes know very well in Randy Orton, catching the "Greatest of All Time" with an RKO out of nowhere before lifting the title to make his intent clear. Orton and Cena are storied rivals but this will be a flip in their usual dynamic, with Cena the heel and Orton the face this time around, and comes as Orton himself looks to add to his 14 world titles. There is also the question of how Rhodes will react as his friend pursues his title. 

For months Orton spent defending Rhodes and his title reign against insurmountable odds with The Bloodline and Kevin Owens, and it makes sense that he would want the same in return should Rhodes get involved in this feud. That dynamic alone adds the potential for a triple threat and/or a divide between the babyfaces as they go against Cena, with this title feud perhaps serving as the catalyst for either of them to turn.

Written by Max Everett

While IYO SKY walked into WrestleMania as WWE Women's World Champion, nobody expected her to walk out with the gold still in hand, despite her undefeated streak in Triple Threat championship matches. SKY was both the third wheel in her own title feud building up to WrestleMania and the perceived underdog, especially up against Ripley's general booking and Belair's undefeated WrestleMania streak. So, when SKY pinned Belair to secure the victory, break Belair's WrestleMania undefeated streak, and continue her reign in Vegas, her upset victory absolutely changed the game — it broke the firmament on which WWE's women's division stands on. Now, with all precedent and all expectations out of the window, where do we go from here? Where do SKY, Belair, and Ripley go from here?

Belair, first off, needs some time away from the title scene — not because she's exhausted her contention chances, but because there are more pressing issues in her life than another chance at gold. Her two former friends (because I don't see Belair being friendly with either of them), Naomi and Jade Cargill, are tearing each other apart over on "WWE SmackDown," and there 's just no way that Belair doesn't tie up her loose ends with both of them. There's enough in their three-way feud to carry them to Backlash, and perhaps to SummerSlam, if they pace things correctly. Either way, Belair's focus needs to be on Naomi and Cargill.

I know Ripley appeared on the "WWE Raw" after WrestleMania to save SKY from a post-match beatdown, and I know she and SKY had a moment with the title, but come on. There is no way Ripley's getting her hands on that title any time soon. As of WrestleMania 41, Ripley has failed to defeat SKY for the title three times: twice on "Raw," and once on "The Grandest Stage of them All." I can't imagine she'd be successful in reclaiming the title after three failed attempts. There is no way that this program goes on for longer than Backlash, if it doesn't end on one of the three episodes of "Raw" before it. As for what Ripley does after losing to SKY...that's anyone's guess. Maybe some time off or a move to "SmackDown" can give "Mami" a much-needed refresh.

Now, for SKY. After Ripley, SKY has the opportunity to take on some very new opponents. There are so many women who are capable of contending for SKY's title on the red brand, and so many "NXT" women that can be called up, as NXT Women's Champion Stephanie Vaquer was on "WWE Raw." The sky is the limit (pun intended) for the new WWE Women's World Champion. Where does SKY go from here? Same place she's always been: at the top.

Written by Angeline Phu

Dominik Mysterio is now Intercontinental Champion after rising to the opportunity with a frog splash to lay waste to fellow Judgment Day member Finn Balor and capture the gold. Somehow, through some way, over recent weeks, Mysterio has been slowly emerging as a babyface. His evolution into a good guy was seemingly complete thanks to the Las Vegas crowd on Sunday after he won the title and ran back to the ring to celebrate a second time, as well as with the fans who were watching the post-show behind the panel outside of the arena. Fans were even singing for "Dirty Dom," who said he was planning to celebrate his victory with some chicken nuggets and a burger.

But, where does he go from here? This one appears to be easy, with the end of the Judgment Day hopefully near. That has to be the reason why Mysterio got the pin on Balor, to solidify their split for good over the coming weeks, likely with a one-on-one match at Backlash. Mysterio and Balor are likely to face off in St. Louis and hopefully Mysterio retains the championship, because Balor doesn't need it at this stage of his career. Then, Balor and JD McDonagh, now that McDonagh returned on the "Raw" after 'Mania, can easily slide right into the tag team picture once again.

On "Raw" on Monday, Mysterio had his first successful defense over Penta and Balor was ringside. However, as the end of the Judgment Day looms, Balor didn't look too happy to be pulled into a group hug to celebrate with the rest of the faction. It was McDonagh to help Mysterio to victory, surprisingly, but he could be easily swayed to side with Balor if the split moves forward.

Mysterio, Liv Morgan, and Raquel Rodriguez can go off as their own trio, possibly taking Carlito with them. Morgan and Mysterio are still a cute act together, and they've been doing a ton of media appearance alongside each other, including a major appearance on First We Feast's "Hot Ones Versus." Keeping them together is still a good idea since there's no real reason to break them up and they haven't been interacting in anything of real substance on WWE programming at the moment, anyway. At this point, Mysterio seemingly doesn't need an entire stable behind him, especially a heel faction, and he can stand on his own with the championship for quite awhile now that fans are getting more and more behind him.

Written by Daisy Ruth

We got a look at what was to come after WrestleMania 41 for the participants of Saturday's main event on Monday's "WWE Raw," and it added another yet another name to the mix after Paul Heyman and Seth Rollins' shocking alignment over the weekend. 

With Heyman turning on both CM Punk and Roman Reigns to hand the victory to Rollins, it was clear going into Monday that the "Visionary" was the latest "Paul Heyman Guy" as they would address the matter to close "Raw." It didn't take too long for Punk to take the bait, coming down to the ring with blind rage only to be stopped by Rollins; Reigns then came down to the ring to do what Punk couldn't, delivering a spear to Rollins and a Superman Punch to Heyman before setting up a spear on his former "Wise Man." However, as he ran for the move he was torn out of the air by the spear of Bron Breakker, marking his first action since losing the Intercontinental title over the weekend and cementing an alliance with Heyman and Rollins.

It appeared as though Rollins and Breakker had written Punk and Reigns off for differing spells, with Breakker spearing Reigns through the barricade and dragging him back into the ring. Rollins then made Reigns watch as he stomped Punk's head in, before following up with a stomp to the "Tribal Chief" to finish things off. Things are clearly far from over between Reigns, Punk, Rollins, Breakker, and Heyman, so it's just a question of when each of Reigns and Punk return to pick things up. But with Rollins' win, in his words, making him the undisputed top guy in WWE, there is also a chance that he targets gold – especially with Reigns' cousin Jey Uso the WWE World Heavyweight Champion, celebrating with his brother Jimmy and Sami Zayn during Monday's show.

Rollins claimed that the future now runs through him, and that would imply it's not just his old skeletons he's looking to bury. Breakker is clearly here to help him do that — and he might not be the only one. It seems extremely likely that the new faction forming around Heyman is only going to grow ... but how big, and with whom? There are any number of candidates — Rusev just came back, Jeff Cobb is supposedly entering the fold, the likes of Ilja Dragunov and Bronson Reed will hopefully be ready to return soon, and there's any number of "WWE NXT" talent ripe for a call-up, most notably former NXT Tag Team Champions Fraxiom. Whoever the specific names end up being, it feels extraordinarily likely that Heyman and Rollins are building a new Dangerous Alliance, and that's bad news for everyone else on "Raw."

Written by Max Everett