The Ultimate Road to WrestleMania 43: Fantasy Booking WWE, NXT, and AAA

Welcome back to the blog, wrestling fans!

As of August 12, 2026, professional wrestling is in the middle of one of the most unpredictable, exciting periods in history. With WWE’s full acquisition and integration of Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide, global net streaming deals, and NXT pumping out main-event caliber stars, the landscape after SummerSlam 2026 in Minneapolis is absolute fire.

We’ve got returning legends, volatile world title scenes, cross-border lucha libre rivalries, and major character shifts on the horizon. Today, we’re laying out the ultimate master plan: a detailed, cohesive fantasy booking roadmap leading all the way to WrestleMania 43 in the spring of 2027!

Grab your coffee and let's dive into the current champions and the full story arcs!

Current Champions Baseline (As of August 12, 2026)

Before we start booking the future, here is where all the major hardware sits following the fallout of SummerSlam 2026:

Brand	Championship Title	Current Champion(s)	Date Won / Location	Previous Champion / Event
SmackDown	Undisputed WWE Championship	CM Punk	July 6, 2026 (Raw, Rosemont, IL)	Sami Zayn
Raw	World Heavyweight Championship	Roman Reigns	April 19, 2026 (WrestleMania 42, Las Vegas)	CM Punk
Raw	Women's World Championship	Liv Morgan	April 18, 2026 (WrestleMania 42, Las Vegas)	Stephanie Vaquer
SmackDown	WWE Women's Championship	Chelsea Green	August 2, 2026 (SummerSlam, Minneapolis)	Vacated / Jade Cargill
Raw	WWE Intercontinental Championship	Chad Gable	August 2, 2026 (SummerSlam, Minneapolis)	Penta
SmackDown	WWE United States Championship	Baron Corbin	August 2, 2026 (SummerSlam, Minneapolis)	Trick Williams
Raw	Women's Intercontinental Title	Raquel Rodriguez	July 27, 2026 (Raw, Inglewood, CA)	Sol Ruca
SmackDown	Women's United States Title	Jacy Jayne	August 14, 2026 (SmackDown, Boston, MA)	Tiffany Stratton
Raw	World Tag Team Championship	The Vision (Bron Breakker & Austin Theory)	July 6, 2026 (Raw, Rosemont, IL)	The Street Profits
SmackDown	WWE Tag Team Championship	The MFTs (Tama Tonga & Talla Tonga)	August 14, 2026 (SmackDown, Boston, MA)	Priest & R-Truth / War Raiders
Cross-Brand	WWE Women's Tag Team Title	Fatal Influence (Fallon Henley & Lainey Reid)	July 18, 2026 (SNME XLV)	Brie Bella & Paige
NXT	NXT Championship	Tony D'Angelo	April 4, 2026 (Stand & Deliver, Chesterfield)	Joe Hendry / Ethan Page
NXT	NXT Women's Championship	Kendal Grey	June 28, 2026 (Great American Bash)	Lola Vice
AAA	AAA Mega Championship	Dominik Mysterio	September 12, 2025 (Worlds Collide, Las Vegas)	El Hijo del Vikingo
AAA	AAA World Cruiserweight Title	Rey Fenix	May 30, 2026 (Noche de Los Grandes)	Laredo Kid

Arc 1: Cody's Dark Anti-Hero Turn & The Rise of Jacob Fatu

CM Punk is sitting high on SmackDown as the Undisputed WWE Champion after stealing a win against Cody Rhodes at SummerSlam. But let’s be real—Punk only survived because a returning Randy Orton popped up from nowhere and dropped Cody with a ruthless RKO!

The Pitch:

• Cody Snaps: Losing back-to-back world title matches breaks Cody emotionally. He ditching the "American Nightmare" suits, stops smiling, and goes full dark anti-hero. At Bad Blood in October, Cody destroys Randy Orton in an Unsanctioned Match before going on a short hiatus to fully reset his mindset.

• The Bloodline Civil War Meets Punk: Punk thinks he's home free, but Jacob Fatu— fresh off giving Drew McIntyre the rub at WrestleMania 42 and dominating SummerSlam—demands a shot at Punk.

• Royal Rumble 2027 Swerve: At Royal Rumble, Jacob Fatu battles CM Punk. Roman Reigns comes out, but hesitates to help Fatu, afraid Fatu is getting bigger than the Tribal Chief! Fatu overcomes the distraction, flattens Punk with a moonsault, and wins the Undisputed WWE Championship!

• The Rumble Winner: Later that night, Cody Rhodes makes a surprise return at #30! Dressed in sleek black gear, an unforgiving Cody slaughters the competition to win the 2027 Royal Rumble.

WrestleMania 43 Main Event (Night 2): Undisputed WWE Champion Jacob Fatu vs. Dark Anti-Hero Cody Rhodes. Cody completes his transformation by out-slogging the Samoan Werewolf in a brutal, physical masterpiece to regain the crown!

Arc 2: The World Heavyweight Championship & The Rule of Oba Femi

Over on Monday Night Raw, Roman Reigns is the World Heavyweight Champion, but the baddest man on the roster is undeniably Oba Femi. Femi smashed Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 42 and then retired "The Beast" inside Hell in a Cell at SummerSlam.

The Pitch:

• Passing the Torch: Oba Femi immediately targets Roman Reigns, declaring that the "Island of Relevancy" is sinking under the power of The Ruler.

• Survivor Series Destruction: At Survivor Series 2026, Oba Femi faces Roman Reigns. In a shocking display of power, Femi absorbs Roman's Spear, hits a Fall From Grace through the table, and pins Roman clean to win the World Heavyweight Title!

• Drew McIntyre's Vengeance: Drew McIntyre returns from filming the Highlander reboot as a solitary sword-wielding warrior. He runs the gauntlet and wins the 2027 Elimination Chamber match to challenge Femi.

WrestleMania 43 Main Event (Night 1): World Heavyweight Champion Oba Femi vs. Drew McIntyre. Two absolute behemoths clashing in a meat-fest. Oba Femi catches Drew mid-Claymore and hits a Fall From Grace to retain and cement his era!

Arc 3: SmackDown's Women’s Division War & The Return of Rhea Ripley

At SummerSlam, Chelsea Green won a chaotic 5-way ladder match to officially become the accepted, undisputed WWE Women's Champion!

The Pitch:

• Tiffany Stratton's Heel Turn: Tiffany Stratton is furious that Chelsea stole her spotlight. In early autumn on SmackDown, Tiffy turns full heel, savagely attacking Chelsea with a steel chair and proclaiming that SmackDown is "Tiffy Time" and Chelsea is just a fluke!

• The Autumn Feud: Chelsea Green, playing an incredibly entertaining underdog champion, battles Tiffany Stratton in a series of heated matches through October and November. Chelsea barely escapes with her title using clever tactics, driving Tiffy wild.

• Rhea Ripley Returns! In late December 2026 / early January 2027 (roughly 4–5 months after her injury), "Mami" Rhea Ripley makes her massive, explosive return! Rhea cleans house on SmackDown, declaring that neither Chelsea nor Tiffany ever truly dethroned her.

• The WrestleMania Setup: This leads to a fiery Triple Threat match at WrestleMania 43 for the WWE Women's Championship, while Iyo Sky wins a contender's gauntlet to challenge for the title on Night 2!

WrestleMania 43 Match: WWE Women's Champion Rhea Ripley vs. Iyo Sky. In a pure work-rate classic, Iyo Sky hits the Over the Moonsault to capture the championship!

Raw Women's Division Bonus Storylines:

• The Judgment Day Coup: Roxanne Perez turns on Liv Morgan, taking over The Judgment Day alongside Women's IC Champion Raquel Rodriguez. Perez wins the Women's World Title from Morgan at the Royal Rumble. At WrestleMania 43, Stephanie Vaquer defeats Roxanne Perez to win back her world title!

• Bitter Enemies: Heel Bianca Belair (who turned on Jade after returning) defeats Jade Cargill in a intense personal grudge match.

Arc 4: AAA Cross-Border Warfare & Lucha Libre Integration

With WWE owning AAA, lucha libre is bigger than ever! Dominik Mysterio has held the AAA Mega Championship for nearly a year and a half after taking it from El Hijo del Vikingo.

The Pitch:

• Vikingo’s Return: El Hijo del Vikingo recovers from his ACL tear early. To bypass Dirty Dom’s ban on Vikingo challenging for the Mega Title, SmackDown GM Nick Aldis creates an international battle royal. Vikingo wins it to set up the ultimate high-stakes match at Mania!

• Gable’s Lucha Obsession: Intercontinental Champion Chad Gable (unmasked as El Grande Americano) defends his title in weekly Lucha Rules matches.

WrestleMania 43 Matches:

1. AAA Mega Championship Hair vs. Title Match: Dominik Mysterio (c) vs. El Hijo del Vikingo. Vikingo risks his hair! Vikingo hits the 630 Senton to pin Dom, end his 18-month reign, and keep his hair!

2. WWE Intercontinental Championship 6-Man Lucha Rules Ladder Match: Chad Gable (c) vs. Dragon Lee vs. Rey Fenix vs. Laredo Kid vs. Komander vs. Angel Garza. Dragon Lee climbs high to win his first IC Title!

Arc 5: The NXT Invasion & Main Roster Calling

NXT is stacked right now, and two massive call-ups shake up the main roster build to WrestleMania 43:

• The Family Goes Main Roster: Tony D’Angelo loses the NXT Championship to Je'Von Evans in late 2026. Tony D, Channing "Stacks" Lorenzo, and Luca Crusifino get drafted to SmackDown and immediately target the WWE Tag Team Champions, The MFTs (Tama Tonga & Talla Tonga).

• Kendal Grey & Ivy Nile: Kendal Grey drops the NXT Women's Title to Zaria and joins Raw, aligning with Ivy Nile and The Creed Brothers.

Complete WrestleMania 43 Match Card & Booking Blueprint

Here is how the entire two-night extravaganza in April 2027 breaks down!

Night 1 Match Card

Match Order	Match Type	Participants	Storyline / Stipulation	Projected Winner
Opening	WWE Intercontinental Title	Chad Gable (c) vs. Dragon Lee vs. Rey Fenix vs. Laredo Kid vs. Komander vs. Angel Garza	6-Man Lucha Rules Ladder Match	Dragon Lee (New Champion)
Match 2	Singles Match	CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins	Personal feud after both lost world title pictures	Seth Rollins [cite: 18]
Match 3	WWE Women's Tag Titles	Fatal Influence (c) vs. The Bella Twins & Paige	Grudge match following SummerSlam betrayal	Fatal Influence (Retains)
Match 4	Grudge Match	Roman Reigns vs. Solo Sikoa	Battle for Bloodline legacy	Roman Reigns [cite: 3]
Match 5	AAA Mega Championship	Dominik Mysterio (c) vs. El Hijo del Vikingo	Hair vs. Championship Match	El Hijo del Vikingo (New Champion)
Co-Main	Women's World Title	Roxanne Perez (c) vs. Stephanie Vaquer	Vaquer's redemption arc against Judgment Day	Stephanie Vaquer (New Champion)
Main Event	World Heavyweight Title	Oba Femi (c) vs. Drew McIntyre	Powerhouse collision	Oba Femi (Retains)

Night 2 Match Card

Match Order	Match Type	Participants	Storyline / Stipulation	Projected Winner
Opening	WWE Tag Team Title	The MFTs (c) vs. The Family (Tony D'Angelo & Stacks)	Chicago Street Fight	The Family (New Champions)
Match 2	WWE United States Title	Baron Corbin (c) vs. Trick Williams vs. Carmelo Hayes	Triple Threat midcard showdown	Carmelo Hayes (New Champion)
Match 3	Grudge Match	Jade Cargill vs. Bianca Belair	Former tag team partners explode in personal feud	Bianca Belair [cite: 17]
Match 4	World Tag Team Title	The Vision (Breakker & Theory) (c) vs. Street Profits	Raw Tag Division Showcase	The Vision (Retains)
Match 5	Unsanctioned Match	Randy Orton vs. Kevin Owens	Veteran brawl following Orton's return chaos	Randy Orton [cite: 11, 12]
Co-Main	WWE Women's Title	Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Iyo Sky	Pure wrestling work-rate spectacle	Iyo Sky (New Champion)
Main Event	Undisputed WWE Title	Jacob Fatu (c) vs. Cody Rhodes	Dark Anti-Hero Cody slays the Samoan Werewolf	Cody Rhodes (New Champion)

What do you think of this WrestleMania 43 roadmap? Who do you think should main event? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!