Have you been watching the latest smash on Netflix? It’s quite the spectacle. There’s pageantry, elaborate costuming, heroes and villains battling through tests of strength and unbelievable acrobatic artistry—kinda reminds us of the Cirque du Soleil shows that have played out on the Las Vegas Strip for decades.
And there’s a whole lot of drama. One of the show’s main storylines centers on two weary warriors with a long, complicated history. One is a true rebel, a champion who won’t be compromised, a fighter whose words are at least as lethal as his fists. The other is descendant of a legendary lineage, a dominating and charismatic figure worshiped by his followers.
They’ve been sparring verbally and physically on the show every week, exchanging their most powerful blows, building up to the ultimate battle—but it won’t be a season finale. It will happen live in Las Vegas.
CM Punk
The show is WWE Raw, the professional wrestling television flagship broadcast every week on cable for more than 30 years before moving to Netflix in January 2025. And the ultimate battle between CM Punk and Roman Reigns is one of the main events of WrestleMania 42, held for the second straight year at Allegiant Stadium April 18-19.
“I like a little Shakespeare, good versus evil. But what we’re doing is something with a lot more gray area. It’s way more nuanced,” Punk tells the Weekly of his feud with Reigns. “Roman has his fans and he is who he is, and I have my fans and I am who I am. The best way to describe it is, we’re two a**holes and people just like watching us be a**holes to each other.
“We’re trying to ride that wave and let the chips fall where they may. Boo me, cheer me, the plan in Vegas is to make them ride that rollercoaster and be real loud when they’re doing it.”
That audience response is what pro wrestling is and has always been about, and it’s never been more loud. Every Monday night episode of WWE Raw—and every Friday night episode of the company’s other weekly show, Smackdown on the USA network—is also a live event taking place in an arena across the country or around the world, packed with thousands of fans. That gives the TV broadcasts the energy of a highly-charged sporting event, but one with considerably more theatricality.
In its first year on Netflix, Raw placed on the platform’s Global Top 10 English TV chart 47 of 52 weeks, averaging over three million viewers each week. On cable, the show averaged around 1.6 million weekly viewers.
WWE’s live events broke arena gate records three times in 2025, first at the Netflix debut in January at the Intuit Dome in LA, second at the same venue in June for the Money In The Bank premium live event (PLE, the term used now for pay-per-view events), and finally at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. in December during the retirement match of John Cena, one of wrestling’s all-time most popular performers. And WrestleMania 41 in April 2025 was hailed as the biggest event in WWE history, drawing 124,693 fans over two nights at Allegiant, with viewership up 114% from the previous year.
It’s clear that pro wrestling—and specifically its leading company, WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment)—has never been more popular than it is today. But how did it expand from that initial mainstream cultural breakthrough in the 1980s and intense cable TV competition in the 1990s into today’s landscape of massive corporate partnerships, global streaming and live events worthy of Las Vegas’ biggest and best venues?
“Ask me that 10 times and you’ll get 10 different answers,” says Punk, a 47-year-old veteran who began his career as a teenager on the independent circuit (real name: Phil Brooks). “I fancy myself a bit of a historian and I know the roots of wrestling, and when color TV got introduced in the ’50s, one of the first programs as a whole was pro wrestling. It’s always been this bedrock of American subculture.
Pénta
“It’s ebbed and flowed and I think people disrespect it, look down on it as a form of entertainment, say it’s fake and other stuff. I’ve been doing it so long, this stuff doesn’t offend me anymore. I liken it to religion: any explanation I give you will not suffice, but if you get it, you don’t need to defend it or try to make an explanation to anyone else.”
Always a powerful cultural influence, nostalgia has played a significant role in the current popularity surge of pro wrestling.
Canadian-born entertainment reporter Chris Van Vliet, who started posting videos of his interviews with celebrities and wrestling stars on YouTube leading to the creation of his Insight podcast, believes the pandemic-era shift in entertainment was a factor as well.
“People were searching for a live experience, being part of something with other people after they weren’t able to do it. Some of the biggest moments of the last 10 years in wrestling were coming right out of the pandemic,” he says. “WWE had some really strong storylines led by the Bloodline and Roman Reigns, which injected something new.
“I also think we’re at this interesting crossroads right now where there are iconic characters people grew up with—John Cena, Randy Orton, AJ Styles—and then a new era of young superstars who are just coming up, an interesting intersection of young and old generations.”
A lifelong fan, Van Vliet approaches his in-depth interviews on Insight with a passion for pro wrestling and an appreciation for the little details that go into this unique form of entertainment; that’s why his wrestling podcast is likely the most successful one out there. Just like he did last year, he’s bringing a live show to Las Vegas during WrestleMania week, April 16 at Circa.
“This is my 14th WrestleMania and I’ve gone to all kinds of different cities for it, but Las Vegas is the perfect place to host,” Van Vliet says. “There’s so much going on that in some cities, it’s so spread out, you can almost forget this massive event is happening. When it was in New York, there were all these events in Brooklyn and the convention in Manhattan, but WrestleMania itself was in New Jersey.
“I love that in Vegas, from the convention to the appearances to the Hall of Fame to Smackdown to Raw to WrestleMania itself, it’s all right there on the Strip. It’s a beautiful thing that just doesn’t exist elsewhere.”
The Miz, a consistent presence in WWE for 25 years and multiple-time champion, carries an extra appreciation for WrestleMania’s return to Las Vegas, because he moved here about a year ago.
“I was expecting to be on the Strip a lot, but I barely go. The parks are unbelievable, the best I’ve seen. The hiking trails, the amount of stuff to do here for how small it is, it’s insane. I don’t think there’s any other place like this,” he says. “No city can handle WrestleMania better in my opinion, or a Super Bowl, or soon, the World Series or the NBA. It’s got everything.”
The Miz (real name: Michael Mizanin) is a veteran TV personality in addition to his wrestling life; he first appeared on MTV’s The Real World and Road Rules reality shows, and eventually starred in his own reality series with his wife. WrestleMania Vegas week also brings the premiere of his new gig, hosting the reboot of American Gladiators debuting on Amazon Prime Video on April 17.
WWE chief content officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque at WrestleMania 41 at Allegiant Stadium in 2025.
“WWE shows have always been exciting and loud, but it’s more popular now than it’s ever been since we started with Netflix, as well as USA and the ESPN app for [pay-per-view] events, and that benefits the live audience because it brings a bigger audience to us,” Miz says. “When I started, it wasn’t always sold-out arenas. Now there are so many elite superstars, Cody Rhodes and CM Punk and Roman Reigns and Drew McIntyre—and myself, of course—all these big names we put on the marquee.”
There are more superstars and more ways to watch them battle it out these days, but as Van Vliet explains, wrestling is not just in arenas and on TV anymore.
“One of the biggest differences now is everything counts. In the past, storylines began when the episode started and ended when the show ended, then it picks up the following week,” he says. “In this era, you have social media, where someone puts something out on Instagram or X that stirs the pot a bit, and that can be worked into the story. Someone says something during a podcast or TV appearance, and that’s a part of this. It all plays into how these storylines have been able to grow and develop.”
If you were a fan as a kid and returned to pro wrestling now as a grownup, you’d notice that not only are the matches better and the stories more enthralling, they’re also more diverse. In-ring performers from all over the world are featured regularly, and there’s been an influx of Mexican wrestlers since WWE acquired leading lucha libre promotion AAA last year—notably including the mysteriously masked Pénta, who will defend the Intercontinental Championship against five opponents during night two of WrestleMania.
But the biggest difference from decades past has to be the women. Early pay-per-view events would typically feature only one women’s match, and when the female roster expanded, the characters and storylines were overwhelmingly sexualized and objectified. That changed gradually, but today, the women are some of WWE’s biggest stars, their matches are often the highlight of any TV episode or live event, and their storylines are at least as compelling as those of their male counterparts.
“Women’s wrestling can always improve but it’s at the top of its game right now,” says Lo, a Vegas native, UNLV graduate and the founder of Wrestling Winedown, a podcast and female-centric merch store. “In WWE, Rhea Ripley is a household name. You have superstars like Jade Cargill, Charlotte Flair—Ric Flair’s daughter— and all different women from all different walks of life who are so talented. They’re also able to do media events, be in movies, and just show how they can be a Jane-of-all-trades inside and outside the ring.”
Lo is one of those fans who caught the bug in her youth and came back to it as an adult, and then she launched Wrestling Winedown (wrestlingwinedownlv.com) in 2019, likely one of the pioneering female-focused content creators in the genre. She’ll be slinging her unique apparel at WrestleCon at Horseshoe Las Vegas during the weekend.
Liv Morgan
“As a woman who likes pro wrestling, it’s always a defense type of thing. Male fans think that women don’t know as much, they’re not as in tune. But I’ve been around so many different women and they know everything about wrestling,” Lo says. “They just have this enthusiasm and hunger, they go to shows and understand it fully just like any sport. And WWE has said that 40 to 50% of the fanbase is women. They are here and passionate about it.”
One of Lo’s most anticipated WrestleMania bouts this year is the Women’s World Championship match between upstart champ Stephanie Vaquer and troublemaking mainstay Liv Morgan. But since she’s a big part of the villainous group known as the Judgement Day, don’t be surprised to also see Morgan spring into action when her boyfriend Dirty Dominik Mysterio battles former group member Finn Bálor.
“If you’re talking about Judgement Day, you can expect the unexpected, and expect things to get a bit messy,” Morgan tells the Weekly.
The 31-year-old from New Jersey (real name: Gionna Daddio) has been performing in WWE for more than a decade and is a prime example of the evolution of women’s wrestling—given a bigger spotlight and juicier role, she’s shined as a captivating performer. In 2024, Morgan anchored a main storyline that saw her take out her chief rival (Ripley), steal Ripley’s boyfriend (Mysterio) and title in one night, and essentially take over the Judgement Day. After an injury kept her out of action for portions of 2025, Morgan returned to win the Royal Rumble in January and earn her shot at Vaquer’s title.
“My whole career has always been really focused on the wrestling aspect, and the one thing I was missing was a solidified character and story to sink my teeth into,” she says. “It’s hard to have that character if you’re not in the storylines. I got injured before my revenge tour, and it gave me time to sit with myself for the first time as an adult woman who started in this business when she was 20 years old, and it gave me the perspective I didn’t know I was looking for. It also allowed me to prepare what I wanted my comeback to look like.”
After all that growth and development, she’s back for another big battle in Las Vegas. “It’s chaotic,” Morgan says of visiting this city. “Last year we had a record-setting WrestleMania and we’re set on outdoing ourselves.”
Wrestling Rundown
Like Electric Daisy Carnival or National Finals Rodeo, WrestleMania has a way of taking over the city. But WWE events are far from the only offering—there are comedy shows, karaoke, parties, conventions and other ring action that should not be missed, such as the first standalone event ever held outside of Mexico in the 92-year history of Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre. Here’s a schedule:
Thursday, April 16
WWE World at Las Vegas Convention Center, thru 4/20, wweworld.com.
Slam Fest with Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre, Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling and more at Palms, thru 4/18, palms.com.
WrestleCon Las Vegas at Horseshoe, thru 4/19, wrestlecon.com.
WrestleLit Vegas Kickoff Party at Substance, substancelv.com.
West Coast vs. The World at Bizarre Bar, eventbrite.com.
Future Stars of Wrestling at HyperX Arena, thru 4/18, fswvegas.com.
Insight podcast with Chris Van Vliet at Circa, cvvtix.com.
First Crush by Trish Stratus at Flanker Kitchen + Sports Bar, thru 4/19,flankerlv.com.
WrestleVault Weekend at CardVault by Tom Brady at Mandalay Bay, thru 4/19, cardvaultbytombrady.com.
Mic Drop Mayhem at the Wall at Area15, area15.com.
Friday, April 17
WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony at Dolby Live, ticketmaster.com.
WWE Friday Night Smackdown at T-Mobile Arena, axs.com.
PrideStyle: Out of This World at Bizarre Bar, pridestylepro.com.
Wrestlemania 42 Vegas Kickoff Party at Area15, area15.com.
The World’s Strongest DJ and Grip Strength Competition with Mark Henry at New York-New York’s Brooklyn Bridge, newyorknewyork.com.
Divas and Drag Wrestling at the Portal at Area15, area15.com.
Saturday, April 18
Kill Tony: WrestleMania at Dolby Live, ticketmaster.com.
PrideStyle: Sobre La Luna at Fergusons Downtown, pridestylepro.com.
Hardcore Karaoke with Mick Foley at Ellis Island Casino, ellisislandcasino.com.
WhatCulture Wrestling podcast at Public House Luxor, thru 4/19, whatculture.com.
GCW presents Effy’s Big Gay Brunch at Horseshoe, eventbrite.com.
Country Mania at Jason Aldean’s Kitchen & Bar, jasonaldeansbarlv.com.
Sunday, April 19
Gronk Beach at Night at Marquee Dayclub, taogroup.com.
Monday, April 20
WWE Monday Night Raw at T-Mobile Arena, axs.com.
WRESTLEMANIA 42 April 18-19, 2:30 p.m., $164+. Allegiant Stadium, ticketmaster.com.
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