Nick Khan not worried about criticism of WWE WrestleMania 42 build
Nick Khan isn’t worried about the criticism WWE’s build to WrestleMania 42 has faced.
Ahead of Allegiant Stadium hosting WrestleMania 42 this weekend, the Las Vegas Review-Journal published a feature story on Khan, a Vegas native who now serves as WWE’s president. He was asked to address fan complaints about the build to WrestleMania.
“Let’s see the reaction [when] the show is done,” Khan said. “I think a lot of times with WWE storylines, they take a moment to develop. We have the good fortune when we’re on the inside of knowing where we’re going. If you look at the two main events, there is real heat there and when the storylines are blurred between reality and pre-determined outcomes in WWE, we think that always delivers. And with the (Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton) especially with the addition of Pat McAfee, we think both will overdeliver.”
“Let’s see.”
McAfee’s insertion into the Rhodes vs. Orton storyline has been one of the main criticisms of the WrestleMania build, with fans feeling like it was not necessary given the 20-year history Rhodes and Orton have together. McAfee will be in Orton’s corner when Orton challenges Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship this Saturday.
Sunday’s main event will then see CM Punk defend his World Heavyweight Championship against Roman Reigns.
This is the second straight year WrestleMania has been held at Allegiant Stadium. Given that and high ticket prices for the event, attendance won’t be at the same level as it was in 2025, though WWE says it will still be among the biggest gates in company history.
Khan told the Review-Journal that the economic health of Las Vegas is important to WWE and its parent company TKO, especially with the city being UFC’s home.
“There’s no city that can handle big events greater than Las Vegas can,” Khan said. “It was a no-brainer to come back again. It motivated us further when we read that Vegas was in a bit of an economic downturn because we think big events like this can help stimulate an economy and that local economy matters to me and it matters to our business at TKO, especially with UFC headquartered in Las Vegas as well as Zuffa Boxing. We’re excited to have the event and fingers crossed on people leaving the event happy. We believe that will be the case.”
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.