The WWE WrestleMania ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship feels rushed, forced, and completely unearned. No buildup, no qualifiers on TV, and a lineup that makes zero sense. Penta deserved a real feud. Fans deserved a reason to care. Instead, we got filler.
The WWE WrestleMania ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship should feel like a big deal. Instead, it feels rushed, forced, and honestly… kind of insulting.
We’re weeks away from WrestleMania 42, and after watching Raw on March 30, I can’t shake the feeling that WWE just threw this match together at the last second and hoped nobody would question it.
Because once you actually look at what they’re doing here, it’s hard not to get annoyed.
The WWE WrestleMania Ladder Match Setup Makes No Sense
Let’s start with how this match even came together.
Penta beats Kofi Kingston clean on Raw to retain the Intercontinental Championship. Cool. That part worked.
Then suddenly… boom. Ladder match at WrestleMania. No buildup. No qualifiers on TV. No story.
Just vibes.
Later in the night, commentary casually tells us the participants are:
- Dragon Lee
- Je’Von Evans
- Rusev
- JD McDonagh
And apparently, these guys “qualified” on shows nobody watches or weren’t even advertised as qualifiers in the first place.
That’s not storytelling. That’s lazy.
Penta Deserves Better Than This
Penta has been one of the few bright spots lately.
He’s putting on bangers. He feels legit. He just beat Kofi Kingston in a solid title defense on Raw.
And THIS is what we do with him at WrestleMania?
A thrown-together ladder match with zero emotional investment?
This should be a defining moment for his title run. Instead, it feels like filler.
Let’s Be Honest About This WWE WrestleMania Ladder Match
I’m just going to say it.
This match sucks.
Not because ladder matches are bad. WrestleMania ladder matches are usually awesome.
But because the lineup makes no sense.
The Only Bright Spots
- Dragon Lee
- Je’Von Evans
Those two? Legit. Talented. Worth building around.
No argument there.
The Rest… What Are We Doing?
Rusev
People barely remember this guy exists right now. He hasn’t been relevant in this build, and somehow he’s just… in a WrestleMania match?
JD McDonagh
Hasn’t wrestled all year, hasn’t been built up, and now he’s suddenly competing for a title on the biggest show of the year.
Come on.
There’s no heat. No story. No reason to care.
WWE Is Forcing This Ladder Match (And It Shows)
This is the real problem.
Nothing about this feels earned.
No rivalries. No stakes. No progression.
Just: “Hey, here’s a ladder match. Enjoy.”
Even worse, WWE is trying to backfill logic by claiming these guys qualified on off-TV shows. That’s not clever. That’s covering your tracks after the fact.
Fans aren’t stupid.
Meanwhile, RAW Actually Had Bigger Stories
That’s what makes this even more frustrating.
The March 30 Raw had:
- CM Punk destroying Roman Reigns
- Gunther attacking Seth Rollins
- New tag champions crowned
- Major WrestleMania storylines progressing
Those feel important.
This ladder match? It feels like it was stapled onto the card five minutes before the show ended.
Final Thoughts: This WWE WrestleMania Ladder Match Is a Miss
The WWE WrestleMania ladder match should be something fans are hyped for.
Instead, it feels like:
- A rushed decision
- A random lineup
- A wasted opportunity
Penta deserved a real feud. Fans deserved a reason to care.
Instead, we got a match that feels like it exists just to fill space.
And yeah… I’m calling it now.
Unless something changes fast, this is going to be one of those WrestleMania matches people forget before the night is even over.
