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When people talk about WrestleMania, it would seem to be the place where dreams can come true. For WWE Superstars, the goal is simple -be in the main event of WrestleMania, for only then will they be immortalized in the years to come.
It is something that some WWE Superstars never achieved. For instance, one of the greatest stars of the last decade, CM Punk, never realized that dream. Though there is always a chance it could happen in this decade, assuming all the stars align for it to happen. But it does shine a light on what most WWE wrestlers have on their mind once they get to the company.
But others have had the pleasure of being in the main event of The Showcase of the Immortals and did so only once. Here are 15 WWE Superstars who main-evented WrestleMania only once.
#15 The Million Dollar Man Ted Dibiase - WrestleMania 4
This was perhaps the first time that an entire tournament would take place at WrestleMania. The title was vacated after Andre the Giant sold the WWE title to Ted Dibiase. This laid the foundation for the Pay Per View, where a 14-man tournament would take place. Eventually, the main event would be Macho Man Randy Savage vs. The Million Dollar Man.
The match was a good one, considering that Savage had wrestled several times on the same night. While the match had its share of horseplay outside the ring, the moment is still fondly remembered for all the right reasons. This would also mark the first time that Randy Savage would become WWE Champion. It was a reign that lasted well into WrestleMania 5, where he would lose the title to Hulk Hogan.
#14 The Ultimate Warrior - WrestleMania 6
When the Ultimate Warrior went to WrestleMania 6 to face Hulk Hogan for the WWE Championship, it was meant to be the end of Hulkamania and the rise of the Warrior Nation. While the match itself was applauded and looked upon as a classic, the aftermath told a different story.
In front of the more than 67,000 fans, Warrior captured the WWE Championship in a Champion vs. Champion match that was one for the ages. Warrior, who was also the Intercontinental Champion at the time, probably had the best match of his career and pinned Hogan with his finisher.
The Warrior would eventually lose the title to Sgt. Slaughter. Still, his journey towards attaining the title was intriguing back in the day, and it was something that captured the hearts and minds of the WWE Universe.
#13 Sgt. Slaughter - WrestleMania 7
From a storytelling point of view, Sgt. Slaughter was the perfect heel at the time. He had turned on America, became a heel, and now was an Iraqi supporter. He even went as far as desecrating the American flag. This set the stage for "The Real American" Hulk Hogan to fight for truth, justice and 'the American way.'
The WWE Championship was put on the line, as was America's reputation. The story was simple but reasonably well told, with both men going back and forth in a match that was typical of Hulk Hogan at the time. Hogan even opened up during the match as blood poured all over him. Hogan prevailed at the end of the day and waved the American flag high over his head with the WWE Title strapped around his waist.
#12 Bam Bam Bigelow - WrestleMania 11
The man who was The Beast from the East happened to main-event WrestleMania that year. But interestingly, it was against a Pro Football Player, NFL linebacker Lawrence Taylor. The match was carried by Bigelow himself to make up for the lack of experience that Taylor brought into the match.
Bigelow took the bumps and sold Taylor's offense. For a match that much wasn't expected of at the time, it turned out to be a good match with Taylor winning with a forearm. Bigelow deserves the credit for it turning out well. From a story perspective, Bigelow was in The Million Dollar Corporation and was yelled at by Ted Dibiase for losing. Bigelow would turn face and partner with Diesel (Kevin Nash).
#11 and #10 Mick Foley and Big Show - WrestleMania 2000
Sometimes, things don't go according to plan. What should be a classic one-on-one match between Triple H and The Rock turned into a four-way family squabble with each member of the McMahon family backing a different wrestler in the match.
As most in the WWE Universe would know by now, The Rock won the 2000 Royal Rumble match, but both Big Show and The Rock went over at the same time. In what was possibly a botch at the time, The Rock's feet hit the floor first before Big Show's did.
Eventually, this led to a feud between Big Show and The Great One, which blended into the main event at WrestleMania 2000. With Shane McMahon backing Big Show, Vince McMahon backed The Rock, and Linda McMahon put Mick Foley into the match as well.
The match didn't necessarily live up to the expectations with the pair having a proper one-on-one contest at Backlash 2000. If anything, this was a missed opportunity for WWE.
#9 Chris Jericho - WrestleMania 18
This was the same year as The Rock vs. Hollywood Hulk Hogan. The match itself was the wrong choice to serve as the main event. Triple H was returning from injury and as a babyface. Chris Jericho was the first-ever Undisputed WWE World Champion. The stage was set for the two to clash at WrestleMania 18.
Chris Jericho has said in interviews that he didn't want the match to go on last while Triple H thought the opposite. Jericho knew that Rock vs. Hogan was a once-in-a-lifetime event (at the time), and the energy got sucked out once Jericho and Triple H came on.
The other problem was that the build for this match was wrong. What should have been Jericho vs. Triple H ended up being Stephanie McMahon vs. Triple H. Jericho wanted to do a storyline where Jericho was having 'an affair' with Stephanie. Triple H said no, and Stephenie and Jericho were booked as 'business associates' with Stephanie being the focal point.
In Jericho's opinion, the match wasn't great, to begin with. Perhaps, things would have been different had Jericho gotten his way.
#8 Kurt Angle - WrestleMania 19
WrestleMania 19 had everything. Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels, Vince McMahon vs. Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. The Rock and, of course, Brock Lesnar vs. Kurt Angle. The pairing between the two men made perfect sense. Both men came from an amateur background. Brock was a two-time NCAA All-American while Kurt Angle was an Olympic gold medalist.
Lesnar and Angle were able to put on a bell-to-bell match that was intriguing. They mixed in technical styles; submission holds and high-octane power moves. It would be fair to argue that Lesnar was made in this match.
The infamous shooting star press attempted by Brock was astonishing. While the move was botched and he missed his target, that was one of many WrestleMania moments to come for The Beast Incarnate. Considering that Brock concussed himself, he still managed to finish the match. That earned him more respect and accolades and added to his growing persona as a great professional wrestler.
Angle was no different, and though he never featured in the main event again, he still goes down as one of the best of all time.
#7 Chris Benoit - WrestleMania 20
While WWE may have 'deleted' Chris Benoit from their archives, he was in the main event for WrestleMania 20. Having won Royal Rumble 2004, Benoit was quickly the underdog in the match that also had Shawn Michaels and Triple H. If anything, the journey towards that main event was well-earned.
Chris Benoit was the definition of what a professional wrestler was. It's the only thing that he loved and his journey as an in-ring technician to a main-eventer was a Cinderella story in its own right. Benoit was the star in the match as he took the hardest bumps. The match ended well with Triple H tapping clean to the Crossface. The dream was complete.
He was joined by Eddie Guerrero at the end as both men closed WrestleMania that year in a poignant moment that has now turned into a tragic memory. While Benoit's last moments on this earth tarnished his whole career, WrestleMania 20 will continue to serve as a culmination of a career that was all about the school of hard knocks.
#6 Edge - WrestleMania 24
It's hard to believe that the Rated R Superstar main-evented WrestleMania only once in his career. Considering that The Undertaker's streak had become a known fact at this point, the World Heavyweight Championship was on the line.
The match itself was reasonably good with Edge being able to counteract his every move with intelligent defense while also mixing it up with The Deadman. This was probably Undertaker at his best as he and Edge were able to tell a compelling story in the middle of the squared circle.
The match was full of twists and turns with near falls and perhaps the most stunning finish to the match, with The Undertaker winning the match via his submission maneuver, Hell's Gate. The streak was 16-0 at this point. The match was made exceptional due to the skill of both men.
#5 The Miz - WrestleMania 27
The match just didn't feel right from the beginning. The Miz was WWE Champion and was defending the title against a resurgent John Cena. Cena was booed as he entered the arena and the match got underway. There were two things that went against this match from the beginning.
The match had to follow Undertaker vs. Triple H and then John Morrison, Snooki & Trish Stratus vs. Dolph Ziggler, Michelle McCool & Layla. It's fair to say that Undertaker and HHH stole the show that night, and everything after that was going to be a disappointment. The other elephant in the room was The Rock.
He was hosting the show that year, and of course, the match served as a set-up for the eventual The Rock vs. John Cena face-off the following year. At this point, The Miz was the top heel in the company, though CM Punk would probably disagree with that. Perhaps, history was just against The Miz as the match just felt flat.
The Rock cost John Cena the match, and The Miz covered for the win. The Rock ended up giving a Rock Bottom and a People's Elbow to The Miz for good measure and ended the show. Hindsight is 20/20, as this match could have been a lot better.
#4 Daniel Bryan - WrestleMania 30
In terms of the main event, this was an absolute treat to watch. It was the year of Daniel Bryan, and his storyline with The Authority was one of the greatest builds to a Pay Per View in years. Obstacle after obstacle, The B+ Player had to overcome everything Triple H threw at him.
Reflecting on the past, Daniel Bryan was part Stone Cold Steve Austin and Bret Hart. He was the babyface going up against the evil corporation, and like Bret Hart, he was small in stature but had fantastic in-ring ability. Like The Hitman, he had to wrestle twice at WrestleMania to win the title.
It's interesting that none of this was meant to happen as the original main event would have been Batista vs. Randy Orton. The sheer force of the WWE Universe made the change that was organic in its execution and just felt that the fans were more invested in the product then they had been in years.
The American Dragon will forever go down in WWE History as one of the better main events at The Showcase of The Immortals.
#3, #2 and # 1 Ronda Rousey, Charlotte Flair, and Becky Lynch - WrestleMania 35
WrestleMania 35 made history last year. It saw the retirement of two former World Champions in Batista and Kurt Angle. It was the first time in years that The Undertaker was not involved at The Grandest Stage of Them All. More importantly, it marked the first time that women featured in the main event of a WrestleMania.
Considering that such an idea would have been unthinkable a few years earlier, it was a glass ceiling that was finally broken. The build to the match was on the back of Becky Lynch, who came across as the female version of Stone Cold Steve Austin as she was set to face the Baddest Women on the Planet, Ronda Rousey.
Charlotte Flair was added to the match, and both the WWE RAW and SmackDown Women's titles were on the line in a winner-takes-all match. The ladies put on an excellent display of athleticism, bell-to-bell action, submission, and action-packed entertainment.
Becky Lynch finished on top as the night was one to remember. It's also possible that Lynch could headline one of the two nights of WrestleMania 36, but as of right now, she still stands as one of three women to main-event WrestleMania.
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