One year earlier, John Cena defeated JBL to win the first WWE title of his career in this continuation of WrestleMania’s main event from WrestleMania 22-42. 11 days later, Cena introduced his customized Spinner belt to the WWE universe.
WrestleMania’s Main Event
The Champ is Here! WM 22-23
Who was going to be his first ‘Mania opponent at the top of the hill? The Game, Triple H. They both had promos leading up to the match, with HHH selling the audience on his confidence and dominance.
Meanwhile, John Cena showcased his work ethic, character, and background. It truly was a test for the rising star and a battle between the King of Kings and the Dr of Thuganomics.
Triple H entered the ramp by sitting on a throne, and then walked down wearing a crown on his head. Before John Cena arrived, a car came down, and a group of mobsters with firearms surrounded the ring.
Then, Cena showed up and fired off his own firearm while dressed up as a mob boss. The two hit their trademark moves, with HHH delivering a spinebuster and Cena’s five moves of doom.
There was a ref bump that allowed the Game to hit a low blow on his opponent, before he introduced a sledgehammer and connected with the champ’s head. They both left everything in the ring, but after 22 minutes, Cena tapped out Triple H with the STFU.
The night after WrestleMania, fans booed John Cena. Paul confronted Cena the night after Mania, demanding his title back.
Edge wanted a title shot, and the three fought at Backlash, where Cena retained. WWE planned for a rematch between John Cena and Triple H for next year.
However, plans changed when Triple H tore his quad on an episode of Monday Night Raw. WWE pivoted and had a triple threat between Randy Orton, Edge, and Shawn Michaels to determine the number 1 contender.
Michaels won the match, and heading into WrestleMania, the two were tag team champions. That was all out the window once the bell rang.
Both HBK and John Cena bled during the match, with HBK colliding head-first into a ring post and Cena getting hit with a piledriver onto the stairs.
The match featured a couple of ref bumps and an FU and Sweet Chin Music. For the second straight year at ‘Mania, Cena won by submitting his opponent to the STFU to retain the title.
These two men would headline their own main events for years to come, but the next three years were all about the Undertaker’s streak.
The Streak is Over? WM 24-26
Six years before the streak ended, it was in jeopardy. Vince strongly pushed for Edge to beat the Undertaker’s streak at WM, but the Rated R Superstar refused.
He was livid and thought battling the Undertaker in the main event for the title was an honor instead of breaking it. An interesting tidbit is that both superstars entered this rivalry being undefeated at ‘Mania.
‘Taker had won the Rumble at the #30 slot, and Edge was going to be his opponent. The two clashed for the World Heavyweight Championship.
During the match, there were two refs involved and a run-in by Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder. Edge and ‘Taker put on a clinic, and Edge would submit to Hell’s Gate.
The main event for the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania was Triple H vs Randy Orton for the WWE Championship. In 2009, Orton became a dastardly villain and targeted HHH’s family.
He punted Vince in the head and kissed Stephanie right in front of Triple H, who was handcuffed. As the leader of Legacy, Orton showed he could survive without Triple H and Evolution.
The Game broke into the Vipers’ house, and the two brawled before Triple H threw Orton out the window. Things got very personal.
What WWE was not expecting was another match to steal the show at WrestleMania. Shawn Michaels faced the Undertaker earlier on in the show in what some argue is the greatest WWE match of all-time.
Randy Orton explained the challenge of following this match:
“It was hard as hell to follow Taker Shawn at WrestleMania 25. I remember being in the locker room with Triple H, and they had a little monitor back then, and we’re watching it,” then Triple H said, ‘Well, we’re going to have to follow that kid.’
The stipulation for their match was that Triple H would lose his title if he lost by DQ or count-out. By the time the main event happened, the crowd was not too invested.
Orton and Hunter beat the hell out of each other. Towards the end, the ref got taken out, and the Game punted Orton before hitting him with a sledgehammer. He then hit the Pedigree for the win, and to avenge his family for the Viper’s actions.
For the next year, Michael Hayes pitched to Shawn a match with the Undertaker where he put his career on the line.
Their classic at ‘Mania 25 won the Slammy award for match of the year, and when HBK accepted it, he challenged the Deadman to another match.
Mark was sitting at home watching Raw when he texted Hayes and Vince asking for confirmation that their match was happening.
The Phenom at first did not accept the offer, and HBK spiraled out of control. He did not win the Rumble and instead interfered in ‘Taker’s match at the Elimination Chamber, costing him the title.
Finally, the Phenom agreed to fight Shawn with the stipulation being “Streak vs Career”. HBK responded by saying,
“If I can’t beat you at WrestleMania, I have no career. You’re on.”
Their video package with “Running Up That Hill” is definitely one of the best. For over 30 minutes, these two icons battled in a No DQ match.
Michaels kicked out of the Tombstone, and ‘Taker told him to “Stay Down”. HBK slapped him in the face, and the defiance signaled the end of his career after another Tombstone.
Once in a Lifetime becomes Twice in a Lifetime WM 27-29
The Miz had won the MITB the previous year and cashed in on Randy Orton to win his first WWE Championship. Fans were not happy, and the “Angry Miz Girl” was born.
Heading into WM 27, WWE announced there would be a host for the event. They teased who it could be throughout the show, and when “If Ya Smell” hit the speakers, fans lost their minds.
The Rock returned to WWE for the first time since leaving for Hollywood. He would get involved in a rivalry between Cena and the Miz, as all three traded barbs at one another.
One iconic moment leading up to WM was when The Miz cosplayed as the Rock. The fans did not figure it out until he got to the ring, and Miz revealed the Brahma Bull loved the segment. The Rock called John Cena a “big fat bowl of Fruity Pebbles,” and it was time for the match to begin.
What fans might not know is that the Miz suffered a concussion. He does not remember everything, but he got to the finish and retained his title.
The night after WM 27, Cena and Rock were in the ring and agreed to a match at WM 28. The two teamed against the “Awesome Truth” at Survivor Series and were victorious.
After the match, the Rock hit Cena with a Rock Bottom to close out the show. Throughout their build, these two made among the most personal main events up to that date.
They genuinely disliked each other, and Cena called out the Rock for having his promo written on his forearm in an unscripted moment.
Not to mention Cena brought back the “Dr of Thuganomics” gimmick for a week to rap about his opponent. To add more intrigue, John Cena told Chris Van Vliet he was very close to turning heel at this time.
“I got word they were going to do it. I went out and recorded a new song. Got all new gear…
I heard rumblings of ‘we’re going to do it,’ and in 48 hours, I had a new track, a new studio mix theme song, Final Mix. I was ready to go.”
However, he opted not to because of how seismic the change would have been for his character and merchandise sales.
It was one of the most unpredictable builds yet, and the match delivered. Cena and The Rock put it all on the line, but Cena’s hubris cost him. He lined up for the People’s Elbow, but was met with a Rock Bottom and lost.
In the journey to his next ‘Mania, Cena got squashed by Brock Lesnar, cashed in on, and things were not looking up. He would win the Royal Rumble, and the Rock would end CM Punk’s 434-day reign.
We were off to the races in a rematch now billed “Twice in A Lifetime.” 15 minutes into the match, The Rock suffered an abdominal tear and hurt his quads.
The show must go on, and the two traded finishing moves until Cena got the three counts with an Attitude Adjustment.
These two men showed respect after the match and saluted each other at the top of the ramp. There is footage of them hugging backstage, and Cena telling Rock that everything he said was meant to promote their story.
A Miracle on Bourbon Street WM 30
Michael Cole shouted this after Daniel Bryan won both titles at WM 30. It was a story-book ending that was never supposed to happen.
At SummerSlam, Daniel Bryan beat John Cena to become WWE Champion. Triple H was the special guest referee, and then suddenly Orton came out with his MITB briefcase.
The Game hit Bryan with a pedigree, and Orton cashed in to become the WWE Champion. This was the beginning of the Authority.
For the next few months, they did everything in their power to prevent Bryan from reclaiming the title. From getting superkicked by guest referee Shawn in the HIAC match, to stripping the title after a fast count. WWE didn’t want him anywhere near the belt. At the Royal Rumble, Bryan was never a part of it.
Instead, Batista, who returned to WWE, won the Royal Rumble. The night after CM Punk walked out and left. The original plan was for Punk to beat Triple H at WM, and Daniel Bryan was supposed to face Sheamus in a rematch of WM 28.
Batista and Randy Orton would fight for the top title. That didn’t happen, but WWE still didn’t want Bryan to be the champ.
At the Elimination Chamber, Corporate Kane yanked the ref out of the ring to prevent Bryan from winning the match. Stephanie McMahon called him a “B+ player”.
That is when Occupy Raw happened, and Bryan goaded Triple H into facing him at WM with the winner going to the main event.
Their match opened the show, and HHH lost, meaning Bryan was headed for the main event. During their match, the Authority got involved, but he fought back. He tapped out Batista to become the champion. In his eyes, though, he knew it was not going to last forever.
“When I won the World Heavyweight Champion at WM 30, I wasn’t their guy.”
He revealed that Vince’s game plan was for Bryan to have a few title defenses before losing to Brock at SummerSlam.
“In his mind, I wasn’t the guy. I was just the guy they needed at that particular point because the fans wouldn’t want it any other way.”
The champ had to vacate his belt less than two months later, and that opened the window for two hounds to get their spotlight at WrestleMania.
The Big Dog Arrives, but not before the Heist of the Century WM 31-34
The SHIELD was one of the most dominant factions in WWE history. They had taken down Evolution at Payback after ‘Mania.
The day after, WWE informed the SHIELD that they were breaking up that night, and Rollins betrayed his stablemates before joining the Authority.
He won the MITB briefcase and was destined for greater things. When Roman Reigns won the Royal Rumble, the Philly faithful were booing him out of the building.
Even The Rock could not turn the crowd’s attitude around, and Rollins caught note of it. With Roman Reigns challenging WWE Champion Brock Lesnar in the main event, Rollins pitched to cash in the briefcase as another route.
After his match with Randy Orton at WM, the Architect found out he was going to be involved in the championship match. With Lesnar and Reigns down, Rollins darted to the ring, stomped Reigns, and walked out as the new WWE Champion.
Seth Rollins was the champion walking out of WrestleMania 31, but Roman Reigns was ready to grab the brass ring. Rollins got injured, and Reigns won the vacated WWE title against Dean Ambrose at Survivor Series.
When the Rumble arrived, there was a stipulation. Reigns had to defend the title and enter at #1. When it looked like he was a lock to win, Triple H came out at #30.
HHH eliminated him and Ambrose to get the title. Triple H and Roman Reign’s match dragged on, but saw Stephanie get speared and put through a table.
Reigns won, and the company did its best to cement Reigns as their face. They decided to get bold for next year’s WM. The Big Dog eliminated the Undertaker at the Royal Rumble, signaling these two were on a collision course.
Leading up to their match, they talked about whose yard it was and put a No Holds Barred Stipulation on it. The Phenom admitted their match did not quite live up to expectations, but what happened next, very few could’ve predicted.
He laid his gear in the ring and walked off into the sunset. The next night on Raw, Reigns opened the show, and the fans spoke their minds for about seven minutes. Then, he said, “This is my yard now”, and dropped the mic. Undertaker told Chris Van Vliet why he put Roman over.
“It was the right thing to do. He was coming up. He was gonna be the face of the company.”
With Reigns now taking down Triple H and the Undertaker, it was time to face the Beast. Brock beat Goldberg for the Universal belt at WM 33, and Roman won the Elimination Chamber.
The build was about a full-timer confronting a part-time champion, and it was time to get the title back where it belongs. As their match progressed, fans began to boo as Brock Lesnar hit six F5’s to Roman Reigns.
One of them was on the announce table, and Reigns wore a crimson mask soon after. Lesnar pinned his opponent clean, and there is footage of Lesnar walking into Gorilla Position after the match, tossing the title at Vince McMahon with frustration.
Well-renowned wrestling critic Dave Meltzer stated that “I think this is Vince’s way of making it look like, ‘I’m not shoving him – He’s earning it.” This was not the last time we would see these two men in the main event, but before that, history was about to be made.
Becky Two Belts WM 35
This one had plenty of hype going into it. Ronda Rousey made her debut after the Royal Rumble match and confronted Asuka, Bliss, and Flair.
None of them knew Rousey was going to appear. Fast-forward to Evolution, the first-ever exclusive women’s event, which debuted on October 28th, 2018.
Becky Lynch retained her title in the first-ever Last Women Standing match against Charlotte Flair. Ronda Rousey retained against Nikki Bella. A few weeks later on Raw, Lynch got punched in the face by Nia Jax and created “The Man” persona.
Lynch lost her title match to Asuka at the Royal Rumble. She took Lana’s spot in the Rumble and won by eliminating Flair.
WWE fans booed Rousey, causing the company to turn her heel and set up a triple threat for a “Winner Take All” match at WM. On their Road to WM, all three were handcuffed and caused mayhem backstage.
Becky Lynch revealed the original finish for WM 35 in her book, “The Man”. She said Ronda was going to almost tap out, but Rousey said her mom would not approve, and it wasn’t realistic since she is never tapped out in the Octagon.
Rather than tapping out, she made headlines for all the wrong reasons in a controversial finish. She sat down with Chris Van Vliet to go over what happened at the end of that match.
“I didn’t think my shoulders were flat enough on the ground, so I was trying to scoot to get my [them] flat because it’s so loud I can’t hear anything,“
Rousey said.
She also said the three women were going over the match the night before, unlike her debut at WM 34, which was prepared for months before the big show.
Both Lynch and Rousey expressed their desire for a rematch, but that never happened. Instead, the ref was let go by the company. Either way, it was a monumental moment for women’s professional wrestling in WWE.
A Two-Night Extravagana WM 36
WWE planned to have Tampa host their next ‘Mania. With COVID now a threat across the globe, Vince moved it to the Performance Center. This was the beginning of the two-night WrestleMania, and it started with a bang.
A dream match took place on Night 1 of WM. It all started when the Undertaker hinted on the “Broken Skull Sessions” with Stone Cold that he wanted to go out on his own terms.
AJ Styles called him up and asked for a match at ‘Mania. After the Undertaker interfered in AJ’s matches at Super Showdown and Elimination Chamber, Styles called out the Phenom for a showdown at WM.
The Good Brothers (Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson) joined forces with Styles as heels and took the brunt of damage from the Phenom.
‘Taker declared he would debut the Holy Trinity: the Phenom, American Badass, and Mark Calaway himself. The two fought in a Boneyard Match, and minutes into it, Taker got cut after busting a car window.
He needed stitches after that. The Good Brothers got involved, and both Styles and the Deadman put on a cinematic masterpiece.
It took 8 hours to film the whole ordeal, and ‘Taker rode off into the sunset on his motorcycle after burning The Phenomenal One. Mark Calaway is the only WWE superstar to have main-evented in four different decades.
WWE preserved Night 2’s main event for Drew McIntyre’s crowning moment. He had won the Royal Rumble, and the iron was striking hot.
Brock Lesnar was the champion at the time and put over the Scottish Warrior. The Beast Incarnate even told McIntyre to grab the belt on an edition of Monday Night Raw to make him look strong.
It was a hard-hitting affair that included four claymores, German suplexes, and three F ‘5’s. What fans might not remember is that McIntyre’s first title defense was immediately after the match.
The Big Show demanded a fight and gave him a run for his money. McIntyre hit his opponent with a Claymore for the win.
Shattering the Glass Ceiling and Three Men’s Journey to Redemption
WrestleMania 37 marked the first time two black superstars were headlining. Belair won the Royal Rumble that year and picked Sasha Banks to be her opponent. The two found out this news the day before they clashed.
Bianca Belair revealed in an interview with ‘No-Contest Wrestling’ that “We found out the night before, along with everyone else that we were main eventing WrestleMania.
We both broke down, “Belair said, “I was excited, but there was this huge weight on my shoulders because it could’ve been anyone else in this position.”
This was their first match together, and before it even started, the magnitude hit them. They appeared emotional and delivered a classic that involved a hair whip heard from miles away. Belair walked out as the champion, but they were both stars that night.
In the second main event, WWE Champion Roman Reigns faced Edge and Daniel Bryan. Edge won the Royal Rumble after a seven-month absence, dealing with a torn tricep injury, and he chose Reigns.
At Fast Lane, Reigns tapped out to Bryan, but the ref was down, and Edge cost him the match. A triple threat was announced, and all three of these performers were on a redemption tour.
Edge and Daniel Bryan retired from WWE due to neck and head injuries. Reigns took a leave of absence and missed WM 36 due to the chance of being immunocompromised.
Upon his return aligned himself with Paul Heyman and became the Tribal Chief. The match was mayhem, with the Bloodline getting involved, chairs and stairs everywhere, and an announce table collapsed.
Roman Reigns hit Edge with a con-chair-to and stacked his opponents up for the win. It was the fourth time in modern-day WWE history that such a pin occurred.
After this match, Reigns continued to solidify his spot in the main event, while Adam Copeland and Bryan Danielson would sign with AEW.
A Return of a Lifetime and the Biggest WM Match of All-Time
These two main events were unlike any other. WM 38 was in Dallas, and WWE wanted to get Austin involved. Vince flew to Austin, pitching him an appearance, and initially, the Rattlesnake declined.
He then said yes after discovering Owens would be his opponent. These two have a history that dates to 2005, and since then have become great friends, Austin granted Owens permission to use the Stunner.
On-screen, Owens did not have a match and called Austin out. In the weeks to follow, KO mocked Steve Austin’s entrance, and Austin responded by stating he was ready to raise some hell.
In the last segment of WM, Stone Cold drove down the ramp in an ATV and confronted Owens. The two fought in a No Holds Barred match after the “KO Show” segment.
Austin delivered a suplex onto the floor and hit Owens with some stiff punches. How did the Texas native feel about his return? He told Stephanie McMahon he was nervous, but relieved once the match got started.
“When that glass breaks, and you’re wondering… they’ve always been there for me, but it’s been a while,”
Austin said,
“When you really have that resounding support it’s like ‘Oh, we got this.’
Night 2 was billed as the “Biggest WrestleMania Match of All-Time”. Roman Reigns faced Brock Lesnar in a unification of the titles. The Tribal Chief and the Beast Incarnate.
The two played into their history as a Paul Heyman guy, and the Bloodline was featured. Their match included several Superman punches, an F-5, and five spears.
Lesnar got a Kimura Lock in, but Reigns reached the ropes. With a last spear, The Tribal Chief stood tall to close out WM 38. Little did he, and everyone else, know that his next opponent was going to be a Nightmare.
The American Nightmare Eventually Becomes a Dream
For the next two years, WWE revolved around the Bloodline. A master craft of storytelling that took center stage at WM 39. Zayn had a falling out with the Bloodline, while Owens was having his own issues.
After weeks of persuasion, the two reunited on SmackDown to a huge pop from the fans. At Night 1, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn defeated the Usos to become the WWE Tag Team Champions.
Cody Rhodes returned at WM 38 with his mission to finish his story and become the WWE Universal Champion. The title that his father, Dusty Rhodes, never won.
He won the Royal Rumble, coming out at #27 and targeting Reigns. While many fans were expecting The American Nightmare to win, they were not prepared for the finish.
The American Nightmare hit his opponent with two Cross Rhodes, but was taken out by Solo Sikoa with a Samoan Spike. Reigns capitalized and hit a spear to retain the title. Why did Roman win?
Well, according to Dave Meltzer, it was the Tribal Chief’s call.
“It was Roman Reigns’ call… I think Heyman with Roman did that. I think they were very persuasive.
The argument is very strong with the benefit of hindsight that they were right because the second year was much bigger than the first year.
But Vince made the call, and Levesque was on board with the call, but Vince was the one who made the call.”
The story wasn’t finished, and it needed to be completed.
Rhodes entered the Royal Rumble at #15 to win the event in back-to-back years and set his sights on Roman Reigns. However, one man almost threw a wrench in everything.
The day of the Royal Rumble, Rhodes found out that WWE was going with Roman Reigns vs The Rock at WM 40. Fast forward to an episode of SmackDown, where the Rock took Rhodes’ place in the main event of WM. Fans responded with “#WeWantCody” tweets, and the WWE had to pivot.
During the WM 40 press conference, it was meant to promote Roman Reigns and The Rock. Rhodes interrupted, saying,
“Roman, you’re out here calling the shots, dictating WM 40, and as the Tribal Chief… It’s not your right, it is not your distinction to determine the main event. It is mine. I won the Royal Rumble. At WrestleMania 40, in the main event, I choose you, Roman Reigns.”
With the main event now set, there was one twist left. The Rock brought back his old theme song and became “The Final Boss.” At Night 1, it would be Roman and the Rock vs Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins.
The stipulation was that if the Tribal Chief wins, Night 2 would be a “Bloodline Rules” match, and if Rhodes won, no one is allowed at ringside.
Rhodes and Rollins lost Night 1, and that meant the next night was full of surprises. First Solo Sikoa appeared to give Rhodes a Somaon Spike.
Then, John Cena rushed to the ring to give Reigns an AA and another one to Sikoa through the announce table. Next up, the Rock walked down the ring and said, “The Rock makes the f***** call.”
He gave Cena a Rock Bottom, and then the SHIELD music hit. Roman Reigns took out Seth with a Superman Punch, leaving the Rock as the only one standing in the ring.
Fans were expecting the glass to shatter, but they got the gong instead. ‘Taker gave the Rock a chokeslam before vanishing into the darkness.
When the lights came on, Reigns hit Rollins with a chair in a callback to the SHIELD betrayal. However, Rhodes hit him with his finisher three times to become the WWE Champion. The Usos also made an appearance as well in the match.
I’m a Paul Heyman Guy
WM 41’s main events were about two people. Paul Heyman and John Cena. Seth Rollins and CM Punk competed in a Steel Cage match on Raw, and that’s when Roman Reigns returned.
A triple threat was announced, with Heyman at the forefront. CM Punk was promised his first main event and had one favor: To be accompanied to the ring by Paul Heyman.
When the match happened, the WWE Universe didn’t anticipate what would happen next. Heyman threw a steel chair between Punk and Reigns, but then betrayed both of them, siding with Seth Rollins.
The Visionary would then take the steel chair and hit Reigns with it, ala his betrayal of the SHIELD more than a decade ago.
This was the beginning of the Vision as Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker joined forces with Rollins and Heyman in the months to follow.
Never Seen Seventeen
Last but not least, WrestleMania 41 focused on one man’s pursuit to become the greatest of all time. John Cena won the Elimination Chamber and turned heel in what was one of the most shocking moments in pro wrestling history.
He beat the tar out of WWE Champion Cody Rhodes with the help of The Rock and Travis Scott. He proclaimed he would ruin wrestling and win his 17th title at WrestleMania.
When WM arrived in Las Vegas, fans wondered why the Rock never appeared despite his involvement with Cena. A few days after WM, the Rock was on the “Pat McAfee Show” to explain his absence.
“We can insert the Final Boss in the end of this finish, but then where do we go? There’s other commitments that I have and I also want to be careful that we’re not overstepping,”
The Rock said,
“I can get involved in this finish, but why get involved in that finish when the spotlight should just be on, in my opinion, John 17 heel champion. What does 2025 look like if this man is going to ruin professional wrestling?”
Instead of The Rock, it was rapper Travis Scott who showed up in the main event. He took his sweet time to the ring and yanked the referee to prevent Cody from winning. Rhodes hit him with a Cross Rhodes, but Cena hit his opponent with the belt en route to winning the title.
The two would have a rematch at SummerSlam, where Cena turned face two days before the show. They had one of the best matches of John Cena’s retirement tour.
WWE has been delivering for its audience for over four decades. Big matches, fierce rivalries, and twists along the way.
At WrestleMania 42, Randy Orton will be looking for his 15th title against Cody Rhodes, and CM Punk will be defending his belt against Roman Reigns.
