Penta walked into WrestleMania Night 2 in Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas as the Intercontinental Champion, and walked out able to say "And still". As expected, the match delivered a variety of wild, chaotic moments that few can replicate under the classic stipulation.
The match got started before the champion, Penta, even entered the ring. Rusev started attacking everyone, and Penta immediately climbed an outside ladder, jumping off it and onto the ropes for a Cross-Body onto the Bulgarian. With only two heels in the match, it quickly dissolved into good vs. bad, with Penta and Dragon Lee going after a ladder-wielding Rusev on the outside. McDonagh also received his licks prior to that.
There was a pace increase when Evans appeared out of nowhere for a big diving splash over the ropes onto McDonagh outside. Lee followed it with a big springboard Hurricanrana that sent Evans into Penta. Rusev became the first to really use a ladder as a weapon rather than for its typical elevation purposes. Evans took a shot to the arm, and McDonagh took the first back body drop, crashing into the steel.
He is #WrestleMania BOUNCY!! 🆙The FIRST HOUR of #WrestleMania is LIVE RIGHT NOW on ESPN! pic.twitter.com/KtfSWs8d0P
Rusev found his fingertips in contact with the title atop the ladder. Penta had other thoughts, following him up for a big Bulldog. By that point, everyone started making their attempts to climb, with McDonagh and Evans fighting it out before the ladder was knocked over. Evans went out of the ring, while McDonagh stayed in to re-climb — only for Evans to quickly return with a wild springboard Clothesline that knocked him from the ladder.
This Ladder Match is complete CHAOS!! 😳#WrestleMania pic.twitter.com/3arMu0opmB
Mysterio found his moment by trapping Lee in a ladder for a unique 619 spot. That prompted an Evans return, with the pair climbing over each other until Penta halted his challengers. A dangling Mysterio took a missile drop kick on the ladder in the interim. The match had fully reached the car-crash-like expectations it had.
OH MY GOD!!!#WrestleMania pic.twitter.com/mhhuwed0YV
One of the match's massive spots came when Penta launched Mysterio over the ropes onto Rusev, who crashed through a ladder. Mysterio's height made him feel weightless, before he 619'd Penta to battle atop the steel against Lee. The former world champion cost himself a potential win when he jumped onto Lee, resulting in a Styles Clash from Lee. He followed it with a Spanish Fly off the ladder to McDonagh. Everyone was down.
The madness didn't end there. Penta did classic Penta things and nearly murdered McDonagh with a Mexican Destroyer off a ladder onto the ladder bridge. Right after, Evans dangled from the title until Rusev pulled him off for a tumble. Evans worked his way back in the ring from the corner to land a wild OG Cutter to Rusev, who remained on the ladder. Out of nowhere, Penta landed a Mexican Destroyer to Evans for good measure, climbing to free his title and keep it in his possession. Until this point, it was the best match of the WrestleMania 42 weekend.
MEXICAN DESTROYER on the LADDER!!! 😱#WrestleMania pic.twitter.com/ekiJBRmTql
OG CUTTER!!! @WWEJeVonEvansThe FIRST HOUR of #WrestleMania is LIVE RIGHT NOW on ESPN! pic.twitter.com/Nxz08RGSu8
PENTA RETAINS THE IC TITLE!!! 🏆 @PENTAELZEROMThe FIRST HOUR of #WrestleMania is LIVE RIGHT NOW on ESPN! pic.twitter.com/ts4c6nPGOB
Check out full WrestleMania 42 Night 2 results, highlights and match-by-match updates here. If you missed anything from WrestleMania 42 Night 1, catch up here.