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The Rock Announces On WWE Smackdown That WrestleMania 42 Will Be Held in New Orleans

The 'Showcase of the Immortals' is once again heading to the Big Easy. The Rock officially announces New Orleans as the host city for WrestleMania 42.
Rick Ucchino|
New Orleans last hosted WrestleMania 34
New Orleans last hosted WrestleMania 34 | WWE.com

Hope wrestling fans are ready for a party along Bourbon Street, because WrestleMania 42 is heading to New Orleans on April 11 and 12, 2026.

As heavily speculated during the run up to the show, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson made the official announcement Friday night during his appearance on SmackDown. Once again, the Caesars Superdome will play host to the two night extravaganza.

The first time that the Big Easy hosted 'The Showcase of the Immortals' was back in 2014.

WrestleMania XXX was the culmination of the 'Yes Movement' as Bryan Danielson (aka Daniel Bryan) captured the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in the main event against Randy Orton and Batista.

Four years later WWE would return to New Orleans for WrestleMania 34. It was another special night for the American Dragon as he would team with Shane McMahon to take on Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. It was Bryan's first match back after having to retire in 2016 due to head and neck injuries.

The main event of WrestleMania 34 saw Brock Lesnar defeat Roman Reigns with the WWE Universal Championship on the line. It was the fourth consecutive year that OTC competed in the main event of WrestleMania. He's since added five more to his record setting total, with a chance for his 10th this year in Las Vegas.

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Rick Ucchino
RICK UCCHINO

Rick Ucchino is the Assistant Editor & Content Coordinator for The Takedown on SI. He also works full-time for 700WLW Radio in Cincinnati, Ohio as a local news and sports anchor, in addition to his time covering the Cincinnati Bengals for Sirius XM. Rick has been on the professional wrestling beat since 2019, having provided coverage for a number of outlets, including Fightful, SB Nation’s Cageside Seats and the Bleav Podcast Network. With an educational background in theater, creative writing and journalism, Rick focuses primarily on the storytelling aspect of pro wrestling, but he’s no stranger to the squared circle himself. He had the privilege of training with former WWE & WCW cruiserweight Jimmy Wang Yang for nearly two years and retired early due to back issues with a perfect 1-0 record in singles competition. Rick is a married father of two incredibly adorable children, who are budding pro wrestling fans themselves. Much to the chagrin of their mother. You can reach Rick at rwucchino@gmail.com

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