'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
WrestleMania 37 is just days away. The event will be WWE's first with fans since early 2020, and the first pay-per-view with a crowd since Elimination Chamber 2020. Like WrestleMania 36, this year's event will be a two-night affair, with Night One taking place on April 10th, and Night Two on April 11th.
There are set to be multiple championships on the line at WrestleMania 37 this weekend. This includes the WWE Universal Championship and the SmackDown Women's Championship. Both holders of these titles have been challenged by this year's Royal Rumble winners, Bianca Belair and Edge.
Fans of WWE have been excited to see how the title matches will go for the title challengers. Royal Rumble winners mostly do well and triumph over the champions at WrestleMania.
However, some do not fare as well as expected. Here are five Royal Rumble winners who lost their WrestleMania title shot.
#5 Batista, WrestleMania XXX
Batista made a big return to WWE in 2014 and won the 2014 Royal Rumble by eliminating Roman Reigns. The Animal went on to choose Randy Orton as his opponent for WrestleMania XXX, with the WWE World Heavyweight Championship on the line.
However, fans were not happy about the win and made their feelings known as they booed Batista at the Royal Rumble. Fans were eager for Daniel Bryan to win, and the star wasn't even involved in the 30-man match, leaving many disappointed.
Bryan was then given the chance to earn a place in the WWE World Heavyweight Championship match by facing Triple H in the opening match of WrestleMania XXX. Bryan pinned The Game to secure victory.
The main event match was then turned into a Triple Threat between Orton, Batista, and Bryan. In the end, it was Bryan who took home the gold in one of the most feel-good WrestleMania main events in recent years.
#4 Shinsuke Nakamura, WrestleMania 34
Shinsuke Nakamura was one of the biggest stars in WWE heading into WrestleMania 34. Looking at where he is now, it's strange to look back on how much his position in the company has altered. After a great run in NXT, Nakamura moved to WWE's main roster and quickly won the 2018 Royal Rumble by last eliminating Roman Reigns.
Almost immediately, Shinsuke Nakamura chose to face WWE Champion AJ Styles. The pair had pre-WWE history as Nakamura had previously defeated Styles in New Japan Pro Wrestling two years prior. This was brought up during their rivalry.
On the road to WrestleMania 34, AJ Styles retained the WWE Championship at Fastlane against Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Dolph Ziggler, John Cena, and Baron Corbin in a six-pack challenge.
At WrestleMania 34, the duo finally went head-to-head in WWE. Shinsuke Nakamura had one of the most memorable WrestleMania entrances in recent history, with guitarist Nita Strauss playing him to the ring.
The match featured a series of near-falls between the two, but ultimately it was AJ Styles who took home the victory. Nakamura turned heel following this and attacked Styles with a low blow. The rivalry continued for several weeks after WrestleMania 34, before Nakamura moved on to begin a feud with Jeff Hardy.
#3 Asuka, WrestleMania 34
On the road to WrestleMania back in 2018, Asuka made history by winning the first-ever Women's Royal Rumble match. In the match, she last eliminated Nikki Bella to win a shot at a title of her choosing. She decided to challenge Charlotte Flair for the SmackDown Women's Championship.
At the time, Asuka was one of the most dominant women in WWE. She was in the midst of a winning streak, which by the time WrestleMania 34 rolled around, stood at an impressive 914 days.
Charlotte Flair defeated Ruby Riott at Fastlane in order to retain the SmackDown Women's Championship, and get the title feud between herself and Asuka well underway. When Asuka chose to face Flair, her reasoning was that she wanted to face the best women's champion in WWE at the time.
At WrestleMania 34, the two women had a great match which ended with Charlotte Flair applying the Figure-Eight Leglock to Asuka, causing the challenger to tap out. This loss also meant Asuka's undefeated streak finally ended.
Shortly after this, Carmella won the SmackDown Women's Championship, and Asuka began a feud with her. Later that year, The Empress of Tomorrow finally won the title in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match against Flair and Becky Lynch.
#2 Edge, WrestleMania XXVI
History has repeated itself recently. In 2010, Edge returned and won the Royal Rumble after a six-month break, and went on to WrestleMania. Eleven years later - to the day- Edge won the Royal Rumble on his return following an injury and is headed to the main event of WrestleMania 37.
In 2010, Edge won the Royal Rumble after he last eliminated John Cena to win. After Chris Jericho won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at Elimination Chamber three weeks later, Edge chose to challenge him at WrestleMania XXVI.
Before Edge suffered a torn achilles tendon in 2009 and was forced to vacate, the pair had been WWE Tag Team Champions. Edge had been attempting to distance himself from Jericho up until his injury. The choice that Edge made reignited their storyline from the previous year.
At WrestleMania XXVI, Chris Jericho defeated Edge after he hit his rival with the championship belt and followed it up with a Codebreaker. After the loss, Edge speared Jericho through the barricade.
Their feud ended a month later when Edge defeated Jericho in a steel cage match at Extreme Rules.
#1 Roman Reigns, WrestleMania 31
Roman Reigns won a title shot at WrestleMania by last eliminating Rusev to win the 2015 Royal Rumble. The win was controversial, with many fans not on board with the push the star was receiving in WWE at the time.
Reigns faced Brock Lesnar for the WWE World Heavyweight title at WrestleMania 31. On the way to the event, a match between Reigns and fan-favorite Daniel Bryan was set at Fastlane to determine who would go on to main event WrestleMania 31. Reigns won, and the main event was set - leaving fans disappointed.
At WrestleMania 31, fans were treated to what is now known as the heist of the century when Seth Rollins cashed in his Money in the Bank contract during the main event. Rollins' cash-in has gone down as one of the best cash-ins ever, and made the main event even more memorable. Rollins managed to win and become the new champion.
Roman Reigns is set to defend the WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania 37 against Edge and Daniel Bryan. In contrast to 2015, Reigns' heel turn has cemented him as one of the most popular stars in WWE this year.
