Ranking the Last 10 WWE WrestleMania Main Events

WrestleMania has forever been WWE’s premier pay-per-view, and as such, most installments are best remembered for their main events.

Many monumental contests have closed out The Show of Shows since its inception in 1985. Some are highly regarded for their historical significance with Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant being a prime example, while others such as Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker have stood the test of time as instant classics.

The last decade’s worth of WrestleMania events have been no exception.

Expanding to two nights in 2020 has been a game-changer for the April extravaganza. Thanks to shorter runtimes, the main events haven’t suffered from audience fatigue and the Superstars involved are afforded the opportunity to be immortalized.

Over WrestleMania 40 weekend, Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns will pull double duty by first colliding in a star-studded tag team match on Night 1 before facing off for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship on Night 2.

In the process, The Tribal Chief will officially surpass Hogan as having headlined more ‘Manias than anyone else in history.

Where will both bouts rank among every WrestleMania main event from the past 10 years?

14. The Undertaker vs. Roman Reigns (WrestleMania 33)

The sole reason why Roman Reigns and The Undertaker went on last at WrestleMania in 2017 was because it was supposed to serve as The Phenom’s swan song, as was made clear by his post-match theatrics. But the match failed to live up to the hype, and worse yet, ‘Taker returned to the ring the following year.

13. Triple H vs. Roman Reigns (WrestleMania 32)

The feud between these two had been built up for many months, and yet their ‘Mania match hardly felt like an epic conclusion to the story. It played out predictably with Reigns winning in anticlimactic fashion. The crowd was apathetic toward both the bout and the outcome, to say the least.

12. Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns (WrestleMania 34)

Brock Lesnar and Reigns ripped it up in a WrestleMania 31 main event that far exceeded expectations, but this rematch wasn’t remotely as exhilarating. It was slow and plodding, and the crowd didn’t really rally behind either behemoth. The Beast Incarnate winning clean was a pleasant surprise, but all it did was delay the inevitable.

11. Brock Lesnar vs. Drew McIntyre (WrestleMania 36: Night 1)

It’s difficult to rank this WrestleMania main event with the rest due to the pandemic resulting in it having to emanate from an empty Performance Center, but unlike the aforementioned matchups, there wasn’t anything technically wrong with it. Lesnar and Drew McIntyre made the most of the situation by putting together a nice, four-minute sprint that ended with The Scottish Warrior winning his first WWE Championship.

Much had changed with Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns between their last WrestleMania match in 2018 and their Winner Takes All encounter at WrestleMania 38 four years later.

Reigns finally flipped the switch and turned heel during Lesnar’s absence from WWE, while The Beast underwent a complete character transformation of his own and evolved into the company’s most dangerous cowboy.

The different dynamic made for a much more compelling storyline heading into the event, specifically with Paul Heyman having to choose between his two most prolific clients. Both the WWE and Universal Championship being up for grabs made for a high-stakes situation, yet the match still managed to underdeliver.

In front of over 65,000 fans at A&T Stadium, the longtime rivals produced a solid-but-unspectacular contest that largely consisted of signature moves ahead of a flat finish that saw The Tribal Chief hit Lesnar with a low blow to become a double champion.

Reigns avenging his previous ‘Mania shortcomings against The Beast was crucial, but the bout itself left a lot to be desired. Their Last Man Standing war months later at SummerSlam was what this should have been.

WWE unnecessarily made a highly anticipated, blockbuster bout between Ronda Rousey and Becky Lynch at WrestleMania 35 far more complicated than it needed to be.

It started out as the perfect storm with Rousey walking in as the undefeated, unstoppable Raw women’s champion and Lynch winning the women’s Royal Rumble to become No. 1 contender.

Their early promo battles were must-see television and put them in a position where they couldn’t be denied the main event, the first of its kind for female wrestlers on The Grandest Stage of Them All.

Charlotte Flair was then added to the equation for reasons that remain unclear to this day.

The Queen had unresolved issues with both women, but Rousey vs. Lynch sold itself. Although there was a belief among some fans that her inclusion could improve the in-ring quality of the contest, it merely muddied the waters in the end.

Their Triple Threat had its fair share of memorable moments and was well-wrestled on the whole. The show’s lengthy runtime combined with the match’s abrupt ending—Lynch pinned Rousey out of nowhere when her shoulders clearly weren’t touching the mat—put a damper on what should have been an exciting culmination to the evening, but it was historic nonetheless.

Coming off the catastrophe that was The Undertaker vs. Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 33, no one could have envisioned The Deadman headlining another installment of The Show of Shows.

Even his outing against AJ Styles at WrestleMania 36 wouldn’t have been worthy of the main event spot had it remained a standard singles match, but the coronavirus pandemic forced WWE to get creative, and this bout was arguably the biggest beneficiary.

It was decided that they would do battle in a Boneyard match, and what exactly the stipulation entailed was unknown until it aired. WWE took the cinematic approach and it was the smartest thing it could have done.

The return of “American Badass” Undertaker was a thrill, Styles shined as the sleazeball heel, and the way the entire thing was filmed masterfully hid all of The Phenom’s weaknesses.

The audience was unaware at the time that this would be the soon-to-be Hall of Famer’s swan song, and at that stage of his iconic career, he couldn’t have gone out any better, especially with his hand held high as he rode off into the night on his motorcycle.

This is widely considered by fans to be the best match of WWE’s pandemic era and rightfully so.

As will be discussed later on in this list, Daniel Bryan is no stranger to Triple Threat matches at WrestleMania, but the circumstances surrounding this one were much different than they were seven years prior.

WrestleMania 37 was early on in Reigns’ run as The Tribal Chief, and yet his Universal Championship reign felt in jeopardy even then. He had two credible challengers in Bryan and Edge, who had won his second men’s Royal Rumble match in January to earn this chance.

Bryan again found himself in the beloved babyface role, Edge was something of a tweener at the time, and the ruthless Reigns was the perfect foil for them both.

With the odds stacked against him, The Tribal Chief resorted to every underhanded tactic in his arsenal to ensure victory, including interference from Jey Uso. Ultimately, he retained his title in decisive fashion by pinning Bryan and Edge simultaneously—a stunning visual that will not be forgotten soon.

It was evident coming out of this event that The Bloodline’s hostile takeover of WWE had only just begun.

Even with rumors running rampant in the weeks preceding WrestleMania 38 that “Stone Cold” Steve Austin was in talks with WWE about a potential return to the ring, nothing was set in stone until the bell rang.

Kevin Owens spent weeks calling out Austin on Raw and urging him to show up at ‘Mania. There was no indication the match would actually happen, though.

It could have easily been business as usual with The Texas Rattlesnake hitting Owens with a Stunner on The KO Show to end the night on a high note, but he was committed to giving everyone in attendance an experience of a lifetime and he did just that.

Their talk-show segment seemingly segued into an impromptu match, and while they didn’t put on a wrestling clinic by any means, they did more than enough to keep the crowd engaged and on its feet from start to finish.

They brawled all around the arena and took full advantage of the No Holds Barred stipulation. The multi-time WWE world champion turned back the hands of time, looked like the Austin of old and reigned supreme in his home state of Texas with a beer bath to celebrate.

The definition of a ‘Mania moment.

WWE nailed everything about the build for Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 39.

Reigns had just surpassed the two-and-a-half year mark as undisputed WWE universal champion and The Bloodline was peaking at just the right time. Rhodes was fresh off his return from injury and a men’s Rumble win that took him to the ‘Mania main event.

There was an electricity in the air before the bell rang that is almost impossible to put into words. Everyone was aware that what they were seeing was special. It was lightning in a bottle.

Reigns’ matches are often criticized for following a certain formula, but this one was anything but boring. Rhodes hung with him throughout and had an answer to everything he was dishing out.

Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens, who had just unseated The Usos as tag team champs the night prior, counteracting the interference from The Bloodline and leveling Reigns was a magical moment.

This near-masterpiece of a match was marred by Solo Sikoa resurfacing on the ring apron and attacking Rhodes to cost him the title. Regardless of what happens at WrestleMania 40, The American Nightmare losing last year was the wrong call.

The finish and its mediocre execution hold this one back from being positioned higher on our list.

In record time, Bianca Belair ascended the ranks within the WWE women’s division and won the women’s Rumble match to seal her spot in the WrestleMania 37 main event.

A one-on-one match with Sasha Banks for the first time with the SmackDown Women’s Championship at stake made the most sense, and the bout was booked.

Amazingly, there was nothing special about the buildup whatsoever, and WWE dropped the ball in that respect. But that hardly mattered once it was showtime, as the crowd in Tampa, Florida gave them a standing ovation.

This marked the first WWE PPV main event in over a year to have fans in attendance due to the pandemic, but the fact that this was the first WrestleMania main event to feature two Black women was at the heart of the emotional start.

The Legit Boss and The EST of WWE had exceptional chemistry as expected, and never once did they feel out of place going on last.

Belair’s emphatic victory not only earned her the gold but also proved she was indeed The EST of WWE. A new star was born that night, and she has gone on to achieve to major success in the three years since.

Likewise, as a trailblazer for women’s wrestling in WWE, Banks becoming a WrestleMania headliner was a long-overdue and deserved honor.

If WWE had its way, the WrestleMania 30 main event would have wound up a lot lower on this list. However, overwhelming fan support for a certain internet darling caused plans to change drastically, turning the once-doomed championship clash into a modern-day classic.

Randy Orton vs. Batista had no business headlining a WWE PPV in 2014, much less the biggest show all year. It wasn’t what fans wanted to see.

Daniel Bryan had gotten over with the audience in spite of abysmal booking, and it was only academic for him to be involved in the title picture after being undermined by The Authority on countless occasions.

The bearded wonder first had to earn entry into the matchup by beating Triple H at the start of the show in what was an equally excellent outing. He, Orton and Batista then had the tall task of reviving the crowd after Brock Lesnar snapped The Undertaker’s undefeated streak earlier to put them in an extended lull.

Bryan reigning supreme in true underdog fashion remains one of the most cherished moments in ‘Mania history. He was already a made-man prior to that point, but this triumph cemented him as one of the all-time greats.

For the second straight year, the WWE Universe wanted Daniel Bryan in the WrestleMania main event, but this time, the company wasn’t willing to relent.

It instead stuck with its original plan of Roman Reigns challenging Brock Lesnar for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

Going into the event, there didn’t appear to be any desirable outcome. A vast majority of the audience didn’t perceive The Big Dog as being ready for such a spot, and Lesnar was likely on his way out amid rumors of a UFC return.

That changed once The Beast put pen to paper with WWE days prior to the PPV, making the finish a little less predictable. Thus, Lesnar walked in the clear fan favorite and the atmosphere for the match alone made it a can’t-miss spectacle.

Reigns persevered through the punishment and attempted to battle back only to be repeatedly flattened by Lesnar. Before a decisive winner could be determined, Seth Rollins shockingly cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase mid-match—becoming the first person to do so—and clinched the title before fans could process what had happened.

Reigns gained a ton of credibility in defeat, the unbeatable Beast wasn’t technically beaten, and Rollins pulled off the heist of the century. It worked on all levels.

The inaugural installment of WrestleMania was headlined by a tag team match, but it never appeared as if history would repeat itself, especially considering the dire state WWE’s tag titles had been in for so long.

With the way the story for The Usos vs. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn had been crafted, there could be no question that it was the Night 1 main event, though.

The Usos had ruled the tag team scene for nearly two years and broke every record possible as champions. Owens and Zayn, on the other hand, hadn’t been a cohesive unit since 2019 due to Zayn’s previous association with The Bloodline.

Once they put their differences aside, they were the biggest threat to The Usos’ tag titles and vowed to stop at nothing until The Bloodline was vanquished.

The in-ring action was excellent, the story was spectacular, and the payoff was perfection. The lifelong friends pulled off the incredible feat, and the crowd reacted accordingly.

There’s nothing to nitpick about this gem of a main event. It checks off every box imaginable and will be tough to top in the years to come.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham “GSM” Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.