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WrestleMania is considered to be WWE's biggest event, and making an appearance at the pay-per-view is a dream for all superstars. Getting a win at the show is an added bonus as their names are etched in the company's history.
However, not all superstars took the chance of a win and rejected the idea put on the table. While some believed the victory would not be a good direction for their storyline, others did it out of respect for their opponent.
Here are a few Superstars who rejected the chance to win a match at WrestleMania:
#5 Edge at WWE WrestleMania XXIV
Edge was at the peak of his powers in 2008 when he was defending the WWE Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 24. The Rated-R Superstar was up against The Undertaker and was penciled in to win the match.
However, a victory for Edge would have ended The Undertaker's streak at WrestleMania. That was not something the WWE Heavyweight Champion wanted, and he rejected the chance to win the match.
Former WWE Superstar and The Undertaker's wife, Michelle McCool, confirmed the rumor while talking to New York Post. She said:
"Actually I remember at WrestleMania [24] versus Edge they talked about Edge breaking the streak. It was Edge that was actually like, 'That makes zero sense. I don't want to do that. Why would I do that? The fans already love him. What's it gonna do for Edge?'"
"It was Edge that went to bat for the streak. I know they had talked about it prior to the match with Brock, but you know it happened. It's fine, it's not like it's an end-all, be-all for Mark by any stretch of the imagination," said McCool.
The WWE management were reportedly keen on ending the streak at New Orleans. It is a good thing Edge refused to win as it would have seen The Phenom end the streak at 15 – 7 years before it was actually broken.
Edge broke his silence on WWE wanting him to end the streak in 2008 and revealed his reasoning on the Busted Open podcast last year. The Rated R Superstar said:
"I think once I said no, well, they're not gonna do it. My reasoning was I felt while looking at WrestleMania, the card, we need The Streak. You have all the title matches. You have Money in the Bank. I'm looking at the strength of the card. If I end The Streak, well next year, we don't have The Streak as one of the calling cards of WrestleMania, and to me, it became more important than the title matches almost. To me, it shouldn't have ended until his final match."
The 11-time World Champion was clearly not happy with Brock Lesnar ending the streak, and just like The Undertaker, he too wanted Roman Reigns to be the chosen one.
#4 - AJ Styles at WrestleMania 32
WrestleMania 32 will forever be remembered for Shane McMahon vs The Undertaker, Zack Ryder winning the Intercontinental Championship, and maybe even because The Rock created history by beating Erick Rowan in six seconds.
The card was so packed that AJ Styles vs Chris Jericho is all but forgotten. It was The Phenomenal One's debut at the Grandest Stage of Them All, and he decided not to take the win.
Rumors suggest Chris Jericho was ready to talk to the WWE Management and change the result of the match. However, AJ Styles refused to get the storyline changed and was happy to lose on his WrestleMania debut.
The WWE Universe was clearly not happy with the result as many expected Chris Jericho to put over the newcomer.. The Creative team did not think so, and they went ahead with the veteran coming out victorious at WrestleMania.
The loss did not cause any issues in AJ Styles' WWE career, and he has gone on to hold gold multiple times in the company.
#3 Kane at WWE WrestleMania XX
The Brothers of Destructions had an amazing match at WrestleMania XX, and rumors suggest it was the year the streak was bound to end. The Undertaker reportedly wanted Kane to beat him at the Grandest Stage of Them All and offered the match to The Big Red Machine.
However, Kane refused to win the match and wanted the streak to continue at WrestleMania.
The current Mayor of Knox County, Tennessee, did not want anyone established to create history and was unhappy when Brock Lesnar ended the streak. He said:
"My reaction, when I was watching, I thought the finish got messed up. I was like, 'they're going to restart the match or something because something got screwed up.' They didn't. I walked out of the room. I was literally so mad about it. I know that the streak wasn't something that anybody had ever planned and it was just something that had kind of organically evolved, but it had become a part of WrestleMania lore at that point." [H/T Fightful]
Like Edge, Kane felt it should have been Roman Reigns who eventually ended the streak.
#2 Randy Orton at WWE WrestleMania 21
WrestleMania 21 is the first time ever WWE went ahead with a storyline based on The Undertaker's unbeaten streak. Randy Orton, the Legend Killer, was the chosen opponent, and The Phenom was open to losing to the 'kid,' who was touted as the future of the company.
Randy Orton, however, had other plans and refused to pick up the win at WrestleMania. The Viper is a big fan of the streak and did not want it to end. In an interview with Yahoo Sports, the Legend Killer revealed he hated the idea of breaking the streak.
"I think 'Taker and 'Mania go hand in hand. It's unfortunate that he picked up a loss a few years back, I think that was wrong and I think everyone would agree with me for the most part with the exception of maybe Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar. I don't believe that that loss tarnished his career, I just hate that his streak was tarnished," said Randy Orton.
Orton is the third WWE Superstart on the list who refused to break The Undertaker's WrestleMania streak.
#1 Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania XXX
Brock Lesnar was the one who finally managed to end The Undertaker's unbeaten streak at WrestleMania. However, the Beast Incarnate did not want to break the streak, and it was the sole decision of Vince McMahon that made things happen.
JR and Shawn Michaels confirmed the rumor later on, while Paul Heyman also hinted at it when asked a little later. The Undertaker was supposed to win at WrestleMania 30, but Vince McMahon changed the decision late in the day.
Talking about the change in the result of the match, The Undertaker said:
"I got to the arena that day and I was going over. I mean, we had gone back and forth and when I showed up, I was going over. Through the course of the day, Vince would come to me and say that he's changed his mind. man, I was like, 'Okay, I don't think Brock needs it, but at the end of the day, it's your show, it's your call. If you're sure about it, then that's what we'll do." [H/T Fightful]
The Undertaker, unfortunately, does not remember the match at all, as he was concussed and had to be rushed to the hospital.
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