WWE is reportedly beginning to establish its creative direction for WrestleMania 43, with Roman Reigns vs. Oba Femi still being discussed as a potential main event. However, another heavily rumored matchup involving Cody Rhodes and CM Punk is reportedly not part of the company’s current plans.
According to Dave Meltzer in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter at F4WOnline.com, Reigns vs. Femi remains the planned direction for one of WrestleMania 43’s two main events in April 2027.
Recent speculation suggested that WWE was considering Rhodes vs. Punk for the first night of WrestleMania, followed by Reigns vs. Femi on the second night.
However, Meltzer reported that only one of those rumored matches currently aligns with WWE’s creative plans.
“There has been a lot of talk this week that the two main events for WrestleMania in 2027 would be Rhodes vs. Punk on night one and Reigns vs. Femi on night two,” Meltzer wrote. “From what we were told, the latter is accurate but the former is not the current plan.”
Although Rhodes vs. Punk is not currently planned, Meltzer acknowledged that the matchup would make sense given their positions as two of SmackDown’s biggest stars.
The two have largely been kept apart since their championship encounter at SummerSlam on August 1, potentially leaving the door open for another major showdown in the future.
“Rhodes vs. Punk would make sense and I could see the argument for it as they are the two top stars on the Smackdown brand and have been kept apart aside from their 8/1 SummerSlam title match,” Meltzer continued.
“But right now that is not the plan. We’re only in October and historically these plans will change multiple times anyway, whether due to injuries or other situations.”
The report did not reveal which match WWE currently has in mind for the other WrestleMania 43 main event.
As things stand, Reigns holds the World Heavyweight Championship on Raw, while Sami Zayn is the Undisputed WWE Champion on SmackDown.
Liv Morgan and Chelsea Green currently hold the respective women’s championships, with Green serving as interim champion during Rhea Ripley’s absence.
WWE’s WrestleMania plans have undergone significant changes in the past, including earlier this year when injuries reportedly forced several creative adjustments ahead of WrestleMania 42.
That event ultimately featured Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton and CM Punk vs. Roman Reigns as its two main events.
WrestleMania 43 is scheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with April 10 and 11, 2027, listed as the expected dates.
Meanwhile, WWE is preparing to return to Riyadh for Crown Jewel on November 7. Although ongoing regional security concerns have raised questions about the event, no official scheduling or location changes have been announced.
With WrestleMania 43 still several months away, the reported plans remain subject to change. For now, Reigns vs. Femi appears to be the clearest indication of WWE’s current main event direction, while the identity of the other headlining match remains unknown.
