Summary

Penta left WrestleMania 42 Sunday with the Intercontinental Championship still in his hands after surviving a six-man ladder match against Je'Von Evans, Dragon Lee, JD McDonagh, Rusev, and Rey Mysterio.

The match started before Penta could even settle into the ring, with the field brawling around ringside and ladders coming into play almost immediately. Penta and Dragon Lee briefly worked together early, Je'Von Evans threw himself into the action with a flying dive to the floor, and the pace only kept building from there.

Rey Mysterio drilled Dragon Lee with a 619 using a ladder and later sent Rusev through one on the outside with a West Coast Pop. Lee answered with a Styles Clash on Mysterio, while McDonagh cut off Lee's own climb attempt with a Spanish Fly.

The most violent moment came when Penta and McDonagh battled on a ladder before Penta drove him down with a Destroyer onto a ladder bridge below.

Winner

Penta won the match and retained the Intercontinental Championship after Je'Von Evans nearly pulled the title down, only for Rusev to yank the ladder away. Evans recovered long enough to bring Rusev down with a top-rope OG Cutter, but Penta cut him off with a Destroyer and climbed up to secure the belt.

What Penta's WrestleMania 42 win means for the Intercontinental title

Penta keeping the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 42 gives WWE a strong singles title result built around a chaotic showcase match, and it also preserves momentum he brought into the event as champion.

It also leaves several directions open coming out of the weekend. Je'Von Evans came close to winning in one of the biggest matches of his career, while Rey Mysterio, Dragon Lee, JD McDonagh, and Rusev all had key moments that could justify follow-up claims once WrestleMania fallout begins. That gives the title picture depth without changing the belt in the middle of the card.

A recent WrestleMania 42 ladder match preview built around Rey Mysterio's title hopes framed just how dangerous this setup was before the bell, and the finish paid off that risk.

Sources

As reported by NoDQ