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WrestleMania is the premier yearly event of WWE. While SummerSlam, Survivor Series and Royal Rumble are also considered to be part of the Big Four, WrestleMania tops them all.
The event, named by Howard Finkel, was first hosted in 1985 and has since been held every year. During the latter part of 2010s, WWE was often criticized for the unbearably long runtime of the show, a crisis they have deciphered by halving the matches of the event into two separate nights.
WrestleMania is often seen as the pinnacle of pro-wrestling pay-per-views and to main event WrestleMania is the supreme ambition of numerous wrestlers. However, WWE has only hosted 37 such events, meaning only an exclusive number of top-tier superstars have managed to uncover the opportunity.
Here is a star-studded list of five superstars who never main evented WrestleMania despite their potential and stature.
#5 Former WWE Champion CM Punk
CM Punk is presently showing off his skills on AEW. Punk left WWE in a particularly unfavorable split, and one of the reasons was the company's steady disapproval to put him in the main event of WrestleMania.
Punk had all the capabilities to main event the grandest show of the year. He was the first indie wrestler to find a footing in WWE, paving the way for future main eventers such as Daniel Bryan and AJ styles.
Punk seems quite happy sharing the ring with the likes of Darby Allin and Team Taz, and will probably headline some of AEW's biggest events in the future. WrestleMania, however, may very well be an uncaptured goal for the self-proclaimed Best in the World.
#4 WWE Hall of Famer Lita
Throughout her career in WWE, Lita broke stereotypes. She debuted as a valet for forgotten late '90s performer Essa Rios, but herself soon was a major attraction. Lita was well-known as a punk girl who accomplished phenomenal feats in WWE. Her glorious entrance music, coupled with a fiery titantron, added to her allure.
Lita was invariably one of the best in-ring performers in WWE. While Lita, Trish Stratus and Molly Holly performed with excellence, they never got the opportunity to headline WrestleMania. Back then, women headlining pay-per-views was seen as a distant dream. It was much later that the generalization was smashed by current female performers.
#3 Former WWE Champion Rey Mysterio
Not unlike previous entries in the list, Rey Mysterio's ascension from a prominent WCW mid-carder to one of the most marketable talents in WWE challenged odds and shattered generalities. The Luminary Luchador was billed at 5'6" and, in reality, was smaller and hardly a lead in the sights of Vince McMahon.
Fuelled by an emotional downpour caused due to the premature demise of Eddie Guerrero, Mysterio realized the unthinkable by gaining the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania. However, the match didn't end the show, and The Ultimate Underdog would never get a chance to headline 'Mania again.
#2 WWE Hall of Famer Eddie Guerrero
During his WWE career, Eddie Guerrero was a complete pro-wrestler. He could grapple and engage in a bout of technical wrestling as easily as he could thrill the audience with his remarkable high-flying skills. His magnetism was undeniable. He would be cheered as a loved face, and his creative villainous procedures would make the spectators applaud further.
Guerrero never managed to main-event WrestleMania, although he was treated as a fairly big deal by WWE. If not for his premature death, his fans could very well have seen him headlining WrestleMania, but fate provided the fans with a mere moment: emotional at the time and exceedingly haunting today.
#1 Former WWE Champion Kane
His dreaded wicked dentist days aside, Kane has unfailingly found success in WWE, and has always been positioned as part of the most memorable feuds. However, he has strangely never been a WrestleMania headliner.
His kayfabe brother, The Undertaker, managed to collect a couple of main events, but Kane's numerous contests on the grandest stage have never touched the top.
The man behind the character is currently the mayor of Knox Country, Tennessee, and it's highly improbable that The Devil's Favorite Demon will return for a full-time run again. Even if he returns, he won't get the opening to headline WrestleMania at the age of 54.
