Were These Wrestlers Ever The Main Event At WrestleMania?
- by Lucas Wesley
- – on
- in Sports
On March 31, 1985, Vince McMahon cemented his place one top of the sports entertainment industry by producing the first WrestleMania. Called the Grandest Stage of Them All, the Showcase of Immortals, or Greatest Spectacle in Sports Entertainment, WrestleMania has lived up to all these titles and more over it’s 33 year history, always presenting the biggest (if not necessarily best) McMahon’s WWE Universe has to offer. While the whole show is usually a gigantic and bombastic affair in all the ways pro wrestling is supposed to be, the highlight is usually the main event, which in theory should be the most highly anticipated match of the year.
Since the first WrestleMania, 34 different pro wrestlers have been lucky enough to take part in the flagship program’s headlining bout. Looking at the numbers, it should be obvious a few of these athletes managed to achieve the peak of their industry more than once, with the record currently a tie between two grapplers holding seven appearances at the top each. We’d give you their names already, but that would take all the fun out of testing your own knowledge on the subject. Instead, why don’t you think about the answer while taking our quiz on whether or not these wrestlers were ever in the main event at WrestleMania.
Has John Cena ever headlined WrestleMania?
Considering his status as the Face of WWE for the past decade plus, basic thuganomics should dictate John Cena has wrestled in the last match on more Pay-Per-Views than anyone has time to name. Cena’s record 16 runs with the WWE Championship also paint a picture of a man always on top of the card, yet this also means he lost the gold 16 times, and has spent plenty of time climbing up and down the roster in the interim. Some of Cena’s Mania opponents include Triple H, Shawn Michaels, The Rock, and Randy Orton; were any of them main event worthy?
Did The Rock ever top the Showcase of Immortals?
Prior to becoming the highest paid actor in Hollywood, The Rock was the most electrifying man in sports entertainment, a status he earned by winning over millions…and millions of fans. Rock proved his mastery in the ring with several WWE Championships on top of all that fan adoration, making him a regular face at the Grandest Stage of Them All. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Hulk Hogan, and John Cena are just some of the names to have gone one on one with the Great One at the big one—were any the main event?
Has Dean Ambrose ever closed out the Showcase of Immortals?
Crazy isn’t always a bad thing, and the “Lunatic Fringe” Dean Ambrose has used his off-kilter instincts to become one of the most popular stars in WWE today. The first Shield member to win a solo title, Ambrose has remained a standout in the group since their breakup as the one who actually receives the loudest cheers. This popularity earned Ambrose one run as WWE Champion, plus WrestleMania matches against opponents like Brock Lesnar, Randy Orton, and Baron Corbin. Did any of these bouts headline the show?
Was Bray Wyatt ever in the main event at the Grandest Stage of Them All?
It takes a great deal of charisma to lead a cult, even one as backwards and simplistic as Bray Wyatt’s Family. The many fireflies throughout the WWE Universe are far wiser than any of Wyatt’s followers in the ring, as well, showing it’s hardly a matter of subservient personalities that makes men so willing to follow the Eater of Worlds. Of course, others see Wyatt brainwash the fans and challenge him for it, like John Cena, Randy Orton, and The Undertaker, all at WrestleMania. Were any of them headlining contests?
Has WrestleMania’s main event ever featured Roman Reigns?
Were it up to most fans of the WWE Universe, Roman Reigns would be nowhere near the position he holds in the company today. Unfortunately, Vince McMahon feels the exact opposite, and is doing whatever it takes to make Reigns a star by hook or by crook. This has included four runs with the WWE Championship thus far, plus countless high profile matches with bona fide wrestling legends. A number of these contests have even happened at WrestleMania, including bouts against Brock Lesnar, Triple H, and The Undertaker. But, McMahon wouldn’t give the fans something they so obviously didn’t want to see at WrestleMania…would he?
Is Sheamus a former WrestleMania headliner?
Appearing out of nowhere and becoming a WWE Champion less than six months after his debut, Sheamus is one of the fastest rising pro wrestlers of the past decade. Cynics say this is related to a friendship with Triple H, yet the Celtic Warrior more than proves himself each time he steps into the ring and dominates his opponents with a knockout Brogue Kick. That’s how Sheamus beat Daniel Bryan in 18 seconds at one WrestleMania, and he tried similar tactics against Triple H, The Shield, and New Days. Did the strategy ever bring Sheamus to the main event?
Did Triple H ever wrestle the last match at the Grandest Stage of Them All?
If pro wrestling really is a “game” like Triple H always claims, then the main event of WrestleMania would be the final boss. There’s no denying Triple H is one of the best players this game has ever seen, but that doesn’t necessarily mean his father-in-law was willing to base the biggest show in the year around him. Granted, Triple H has indeed appeared at the Showcase of Immortals a near record number of times, and with legendary opponents like The Ultimate Warrior, Sting, The Undertaker, and Kane, but were any of these the main event?
Has The Undertaker ever wrestled in the main event of WrestleMania?
Whether or not The Undertaker ever appeared in the main event of WrestleMania, he was already bound to be the greatest performer in the history of the event by his fourth or fifth appearance. Challenging future Hall of Famers like Jimmy Snuka, Jake Roberts, Diesel, and The Big Bossman, Undertaker never lost at the Showcase of Immortals, and his reputation only grew from the time his Streak hit the double digits. Other victims on the trail included Triple H, Edge, and Shawn Michaels, and surely at least one of these legendary encounters was a main event…right?
Did Jeff Hardy ever compete in the final match at WrestleMania?
Possessing enigmatic charisma and a daredevil’s attitude, Jeff Hardy was at one point the most popular superstar in the WWE Universe. Constantly putting his body at risk made Hardy a multiple time WWE Champion, although it also eventually lead to his downfall outside of the ring when wrestling wasn’t dangerous enough for him. It’s surprising that was the case, as Hardy competed in some crazy matches like the TLC and Money in the Bank classics he was involved with at WrestleMania. He’s also competed against big names like Sheamus, The New Day, and his brother Matt—were any of these main events?
Is Dolph Ziggler a former Showcase of Immortals headliner?
A natural showoff from his days as a cheerleader, Dolph Ziggler has seemingly always had more potential than WWE is willing to let him exhibit. This hasn’t stopped him from trying his best, however, putting on matches so great the audience has no choice but to support him loudly enough that Vince McMahon and company will get the message and give Ziggler the opponents he deserved. At WrestleMania, this has meant battles with Booker T, The Great Khali, Kane, and Daniel Bryan, but has the company ever trusted Mr. Ziggles with the main event?
Did Kane ever top the Greatest Spectacle in Sports Entertainment?
Hailing from hell fire and brimstone, it’s no surprise that “The Big Red Machine” Kane was able to inspire fear in the hearts of his fellow WWE superstars immediately upon arrival. That he was allegedly The Undertaker’s brother only made Kane more terrifying, with his rivals knowing anyone related to the dark side possesses some serious power. Said rivals include The Undertaker himself, Triple H, Kurt Angle, and The Big Show, all of whom challenged Kane at WrestleMania. Were any main event worthy encounters?
Has Brock Lesnar headlined WrestleMania?
Not only because he looks like ripping off his sword tattoo and stabbing someone with it is totally possible, Brock Lesnar is one of the most terrifying beasts in WWE today. In addition to an almost two year reign as UFC Champion that proved his fighting skills weren’t just for show, Lesnar has been WWE Champion four times and Universal Champion once, and some of these titles were earned at WrestleMania. With legendary opponents like Kurt Angle, Triple H, The Undertaker, and Goldberg, was Lesnar ever a WrestleMania headliner?
Is The Miz a former Showcase of Immortals headliner?
Anyone who likes professional wrestling would agree the best WrestleMania’s were awesome, and any use of that word in sports entertainment will inevitably linked with The Miz. This is for better or worse, of course, as far fewer people are shouting Miz’s greatness from the rooftops than Mania in general, though the man himself does enough of it for all the rest of us. Miz had had some pretty solid WrestleMania encounters regardless of audience disapproval, including names like John Cena, Bad News Barrett, and R-Truth. Did any of these opponents bring Miz to the top of the show?
Has Daniel Bryan ever closed out WWE’s flagship event?
Leading the Yes Movement has made Daniel Bryan arguably the most popular star in the current WWE Universe. Unfortunately, a big part of that movement was related to WWE refusing to push Bryan in the way he deserved, causing the fans to band together like never before in support of making Daniel the headliner he deserved to be. WWE ultimately listened enough that Bryan wrestled against names like Sheamus, Triple H, Randy Orton, and Batista at the Showcase of Immortals, but did they go so far as to make any of these matches the main event?
Did Randy Orton ever headline the Grandest Stage of Them All?
Destined for greatness from birth, at least in his mind, Randy Orton used his family lineage to instantly becoming a star upon entering the WWE Universe. That said, Randy has managed to achieve far more than his father or grandfather ever imagined during their time in the ring, with more than a dozen runs as WWE Champion to his name thus far. Randy has also had WrestleMania encounters against huge opponents including Triple H, Bray Wyatt, John Cena, and The Undertaker, but were any of these matches big enough to headline the show?
Has Kevin Owens ever been in the main event of WrestleMania?
They don’t call Kevin Owens the Prizefighter for his winning personality, as a friendly demeanor is probably the one quality WWE’s meanest bully seems to lack as a performer. When it comes to his work in the ring, Owens is second to none, a quality that fast made him NXT Champion, then WWE Universal Champion, amidst other minor titles on the way. Owens has also had the time for WrestleMania matches against men like Chris Jericho, Sami Zayn, Zack Ryder, and The Miz—were any of them worthy of the main event?
Did Goldberg ever top the Showcase of Immortals?
For 173 consecutive matches, no wrestler in WCW stood a chance against Da Man, the company’s greatest creation, Bill Goldberg. While this status lead to Goldberg headlining multiple Starrcades, his tenure in WWE notoriously didn’t go so hot the first time around, and the second was of the blink and you’ll miss it variety. Even so, Goldberg did find the time for two WrestleMania matches against an equally gigantic opponent named Brock Lesnar. Either one could have been the main event in the given years they took place, but were they?
Has Rusev ever closed out WrestleMania?
Crushing competition wherever he goes, Rusev has wasted no time in becoming one of the most dominant forces in WWE today. Of course, with his ravishing bride Lana almost always at his side, the Bulgarian Brute has boundless inspiration to climb the ladder of success, doing whatever it takes to keep her happy. Thus far, that joy has been achieved with a number of United States Championship runs, plus WrestleMania encounters against big stars like John Cena and The New Day. Is Lana also proud of one of these matches being the main event?
Has WrestleMania’s main event ever featured Kurt Angle?
Oh it’s true, it’s damn true: Kurt Angle is one of the best in-ring performers WWE or any sports entertainment company has ever seen. This should be no surprise, considering Angle entered the business with an Olympic freakin’ Medal, taking home the gold in freestyle wrestling at the 1996 summer games. Angle has also earned plenty of gold in WWE and fought major opponents at the Grandest Stage of Them All, including wrestlers like Kane, Brock Lesnar, Shawn Michaels, and Chris Jericho. Did any of these men bring Angle to the main event?
Is Shawn Michaels a former Showcase of Immortals headliner?
Earning a reputation as “Mr. WrestleMania,” Shawn Michaels might look like a pretty easy question for this late in the quiz. However, it’s worth pointing out that honorific title came because Michaels always wrestled the best match on the card, not necessarily one that finished off the show. That said, plenty of Michaels greatest encounters were over the WWE Championship, and that would definitely make a match worthy of headlining. So would Hall of Famer opponents like Tito Santana, Diesel, The Undertaker, and Bret Hart. Did any of them bring HBK to the spotlight?
Was Kofi Kingston ever in the main event at the Grandest Stage of Them All?
At this point in his career, Kofi Kingston seems happily stuck in the tag team division for life, but there are two reasons this hardly precludes him from competing in a WrestleMania main event. For one, Kingston found plenty of success as a solo star before hooking up with Xavier Woods and Big E in The New Day, and more than that, their union has made the most popular and mainstream tag team WWE has had in decades, so if any group headlined the Showcase of Immortals, it would be them. With opponents like The League of Nations and The Usos, have they?
Did Batista ever wrestle in the last match at the Grandest Stage of Them All?
Able to elicit the roar of a crowd through a mere thumbs down, Batista held a certain monstrous charisma that matched with his equally animalistic tendencies in the ring made him WWE Champion multiple times. Batista’s rise began when Triple H spotted his talents and allowed him to join Evolution, reaching unbridled heights when he turned on The Game, setting the stage for one of his biggest WrestleMania matches. Other top level opponents have included The Undertaker, Daniel Bryan, and The Rock ‘n’ Sock Connection—were any the main event?
Has Ric Flair ever wrestled in the main event of WrestleMania?
Tied with only John Cena at sixteen times holding a recognized wrestling World Championship, twice over WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair is easily one of the greatest legends the sport has ever seen. That said, much of this legacy was built outside of the WWE Universe, and so WrestleMania wasn’t always on Flair’s radar. Of course, he did start making appearances at the Grandest Stage of Them All as his career continued, and against major stars like Randy Savage, The Undertaker, and Shawn Michaels at that. Did Flair’s Mania encounters ever headline, or was it too late for him to do so?
Did Chris Jericho ever compete in the final match at the Showcase of Immortals?
Sneering down at stupid idiots everywhere, Chris Jericho is one of the cockiest and most conceited personalities the WWE Universe has ever seen. At the same time, however, he’s also one of the funniest and most energetic, qualities that occasionally supersede his vanity so powerfully Y2J is also a deeply beloved future Hall of Famer. In addition to his peak as the first ever Undisputed WWE Champion, Jericho has wrestled great matches throughout his career, including WrestleMania classics against Triple H, Kurt Angle, Shawn Michaels, and Edge. Were any of these iconic bouts the main event?
Is “Stone Cold” Steve Austin a former WrestleMania headliner?
Oh, hell yeah, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin has had his share of time basking in the spotlight at the Grandest Stage of Them All. The most popular superstar during WWE’s highest rated era, the Texas Rattlesnake was always willing to open up a can of whoop ass on any other wrestler who stood in his way, friend or foe. At WrestleMania, this meant matches against Savio Vega, Shawn Michaels, and a trifecta of contests against his greatest rival, The Rock. Did any of these marquee matches close out the show?
Did Booker T ever top the Grandest Stage of Them All?
After reigning as WCW Champion five times, five times, five times, five times, that’s five times, Booker T entered the WWE Universe as one of the hottest prospects of the Invasion. Unfortunately, the angle was so badly botched his past accolades didn’t mean much in the long run. On the plus side, Booker was still extremely talented in the ring, and built himself back up to World Championship status in no time. Booker also earned WrestleMania matches against Edge, Triple H, and The Boogeyman. The question is, could Vince McMahon dig any of this in the main event…sucka?!
Has John Bradshaw Layfield ever been in the main event of WWE’s flagship event?
Being known world over as a bully in and out of the ring hasn’t done much to affect JBL’s role in the WWE Universe, and what it means to “be a star” notwithstanding, is this really that much of a surprise? Arrogant jerks make up a good half of the wrestling world anywhere one looks, and JBL’s real life experience has made him a master at the role. Opponents like John Cena, Rey Mysterio, and Fit Finlay have all experienced JBL’s mean streak at WrestleMania, but did any of them do so in the main event?
Is Edge a former Showcase of Immortals headliner?
An athlete calling himself the Rated R Superstar would never fly in the PG era WWE is in the middle of today, but just a few years ago, Edge fit in perfectly with the other scoundrels populating the company. Not that he was always a bad guy, as Edge was equally adept at winning over the fans with his passionate speeches and mastery of humor. Granted, no one was laughing during WrestleMania encounters against Booker T, The Undertaker, Mick Foley, or Chris Jericho. Was the seriousness ever because they were the main event?
Did AJ Styles ever main event WrestleMania?
The shortest tenured WWE superstar to appear on this quiz, it could be argued “The Phenomenal” AJ Styles simply hasn’t had the time to main event in WrestleMania yet. On the other hand, he’s already won the WWE Championship, and he also had a quickie run with the United States Champion to go with it. As for the Showcase of Immortals, Styles has by this time also challenged Chris Jericho and Shane McMahon to matches at the WWE flagship program. Some fans would say Styles gave the best performance of the night both times, but were either the main event?
Has The Big Show topped the Grandest Stage of Them All?
Were brute strength and sheer size alone the only qualities that mattered in pro wrestling, The Big Show would have been WWE Champion for two decades now. Considering he won the WCW Championship in his very first match, it almost looked like Show might go down that path, though he quickly lost that Big Gold Belt and has struggled throughout the card since then. Show does get near the top quite often, however, and WrestleMania encounters against Edge, John Cena, The Rock, and Triple H all could have brought him there. Did any of them?
Has the main event of WrestleMania ever featured Mick Foley?
Always wishing fans “have a nice day” naturally made Mick Foley a huge hit amongst the WWE Universe, and that was whether he called himself Mankind, Dude Love, or Cactus Jack when he said it. Of course, jolting through three different personalities left Mick a little unhinged at times, making it hard for him to stay on top of the company for long at any given time. Foley did manage to wrestle in Mania bouts against men like Triple H, The Big Show, and Edge, though, in what easily could have been main events—were they?
Did Hulk Hogan ever compete in the final match at WrestleMania?
Roughly the same time Vince McMahon was formulating the idea for WrestleMania, his top star Hulk Hogan was making opponents cower in fear over the question: whatcha gonna do, brother, when Hulkamania runs wild on you? Naturally, these two concepts had a confluence with one another that made both even bigger phenomenons, as WrestleMania would have been pointless without the biggest icon in wrestling at the time. Hogan’s matches at the Grandest Stage of Them All were against names like Roddy Piper, Sid Vicious, and The Rock, Sgt. Slaughter—were any the main event?
Has William Regal ever topped the Greatest Spectacle in Sports Entertainment?
Were the WWE Universe a more dignified institution, men like William Regal wouldn’t be such rare figures. Polite, coiffed, and civilized to a fault, Regal was also viciously competitive inside the ring, a history that makes him perfect in his role as the NXT General Manager today. When he was still an active wrestler, Regal was featured in WrestleMania bouts only a handful of times, yet always against an equally respected opponent like Chris Jericho or Rob Van Dam. Did either one meet Regal in the main event?
Is André The Giant a former Showcase of Immortals headliner?
A talent so rare he was billed as the Eighth Wonder of the World, there will never be another pro wrestler like André The Giant. His enormous size merely one of André’s legendary qualities, the man was also able to win the roar of the crowd with a mere smile as he tore through weak and unfortunate opponents. Of course, that all changed when André turned his back on the audience and teamed with Bobby Heenan, though doing so rose his star power to even greater heights. Was a WrestleMania main event one of them?
Did Vince McMahon ever book himself in WrestleMania’s main event?
There’s no chance in hell Vince McMahon is enough of an egomaniac to have booked himself in the main event of WrestleMania…is there? Well, let’s think about it. McMahon has made every effort to ensure he and his family are the biggest and most important stars in WWE for the past several decades, and it’s not like the guy never stepped into the ring before. At the Grandest Stage of Them All, McMahon did war with his son Shane, Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart, and a certain budding politician in a Battle of the Billionaires…were any of them the headliner?