In roughly three weeks, WWE’s biggest show of the year, perhaps its biggest ever, will be live over two nights in Philadelphia. Even with two distinct cards, some superstars could miss WrestleMania 40. Only some people can make it onto the grandest stage of them all. Even the most ardent fans know their favorite might not get their WrestleMania moment.
However, some shockingly popular acts are in danger of missing out. A few still have an outside chance, but several seemingly don’t.
John Cena
At first glance, John Cena’s being one of the wrestlers who could miss WrestleMania 40 isn’t a huge deal. He is not a full-time talent, and they have a big name returning for the show already in The Rock.
However, his comments during an interview with Jimmy Fallon have sparked rumors and speculation that he will be at WrestleMania 40. Nobody has even teased a feud with Cena, and the most likely opponents from his last few runs are busy.
Will @JohnCena & @TheRock be facing off in @WrestleMania 40?! #FallonTonight #WrestleMania pic.twitter.com/Cqd1SiwyrU
— The Tonight Show (@FallonTonight) March 7, 2024
That poses a unique problem for WWE. Any time they give to John Cena is time that somebody else isn’t getting. A match with Cena could elevate a new star, but only if given time.
Likewise, Cena works best when he can verbally spar with younger talent, especially as we have seen his in-ring work get more limited over time. Hinting at an unlikely return is odd and will only make his missing the show feel like a mark against the weekend.
Bianca Belair
Bianca Belair made a lot of noise about finding her way to WrestleMania 40. Currently on a winning streak at WWE’s biggest event, she probably wouldn’t be someone who could miss WrestleMania 40.
With the debut of Jade Cargill at Royal Rumble, fans online felt they had defined her destiny. A tag team or singles match with Cargill would give Jade a massive win to launch her WWE career. Three weeks out, and Jade has disappeared from WWE programming. She was last seen on TV debating which brand she would sign with, a segment in which Bianca was also featured.
Just throwing that match together at the last minute would be a mistake. Jade can debut the Raw after WrestleMania to a similar pop and start a feud with Rhea Ripley on night one. Bianca, though, only has one shot to lose her streak. It is only a few matches long, so it needs to be sold as a legitimate accomplishment as The Undertaker’s did once upon a time.
What makes it all harder for Bianca is that taking a year off at this point would also diminish the streak. Missing a WrestleMania is bad; losing with no build at WrestleMania is even worse. Bianca Belair needs to win a match at WrestleMania 40, and nothing indicates she is going to. Of the two, she should sit this show out.
Rey Mysterio
Rey Mysterio returned on SmackDown with a few weeks until WrestleMania. He also has a feud with Santos Escobar that is already boiling. Another legend who could miss WrestleMania 40, Rey was a fixture on WWE until he was out with an injury. His match with Dominik Mysterio last year did wonders for both men and was regarded highly by fans.
His absence this year would come down to the lousy timing of being injured when the bulk of the card was chosen. It also has to do with how cold the story is.
Despite having plenty of time on Smackdown, Carlito and Rey’s Latino World Order couldn’t keep the heat on their feud with the new Legado Del Fantasma. There are a ton of stars who are significantly more popular than Santos and the rest of LWO and Legado.
That is why they have been short-changed on many premium live events. This dynamic will change now that Mysterio is back, but will they have enough time to add a match to the WrestleMania card? That remains to be seen.
The New Day
Despite being one of the most popular and decorated teams in WWE and professional wrestling history, WWE can’t get The New Day right during WrestleMania season. The duo is facing off with Alpha Academy on Raw for a shot at the titles at WrestleMania. The Alpha’s are coming off a groundswell of support for their leader, Chad Gable, after his unsuccessful bid for another match with Gunther.
Getting Gable into the tag title match is a no-brainer. Although Sami Zayn deserves his moment as much as Chad, many fans wanted to see him get a big win in Philadelphia. That momentum could get the legendary New Day booted from another mania card.
New Day has “hosted,” essentially missing, a ton of WrestleMania’s over the years. One more thing is not going to make a difference. Their inclusion as an act that could miss WrestleMania 40 is unsurprising this year. Instead, it is a much more significant problem that the promotion needs to rectify.
Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston are two of the best performers on the roster, not just from a particular perspective or in a certain way either. No matter what they have to do, they are usually two of the best at doing it. That sort of talent and perpetual fan support deserves more respect than it has been getting on the road to WrestleMania.
Liv Morgan
Fans’ enthusiasm for Liv Morgan to compete against Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania faded almost immediately. The way her star fell is probably justification for WWE sticking with Becky Lynch.
However, she has to be among the most prominent names who could miss WrestleMania 40 without a match with Ripley. Unlike a lot of talent, though, Liv doesn’t have much of a shot at becoming a late addition.
Liv Morgan’s Revenge Tour is over when she says it's over! #WWERaw pic.twitter.com/LfQga7E6bI
— USA Network (@USANetwork) March 16, 2024
Liv Morgan and Nia Jax have been Becky Lynch’s chief rivals as she prepares to face off with Rhea for the title. Morgan is part of Becky’s road to WrestleMania, which means she has no one to jump to on April 6th.
After recently returning to WWE from a long hiatus, it is unfortunate that WWE didn’t have anything for Liv. She still has a ton of fan support that would have been great to include for the crowd in Philadelphia.
Bobby Lashley
Bobby Lashley is no stranger to his current predicament. Last year, Lashley got a WrestleMania moment on the SmackDown before the show. He won WrestleMania’s Battle Royal to very little fanfare.
That Bobby was a world champion and main event act just a few short years ago makes his current situation even more unfortunate. As one of WWE’s biggest stars, they should have a spot for Lashley at WrestleMania.
He may accompany The Street Profits into a tag team title match, getting him physically onto the show. Even if The Profits walk away with tag team gold, it will still be a significant waste of Lashley.
His current rivalry with Karrion Kross is so cold right now that it seems unlikely they get a match on that show. While SmackDown may be at peak performance thanks to The Rock’s return run, it has yet to translate down to the rest of the card. Bobby can still be a World Champion, but his trajectory to WrestleMania doesn’t show it.
Possible Plans for Stars Who Could Miss WrestleMania 40
There is a good chance that WWE will try for two showcase matches to include the talents who could miss WrestleMania 40 without one. They may run a free men’s and women’s Battle Royal for viewers to kick off the preshow.
That move would get more people involved, which would be great. It would be a partial substitute for nearly half of the names above who might miss WrestleMania this year. Disappointment with this reality won’t fade, but WWE can use it.
WrestleMania serves as the season finale for a perpetual circus of superstar wrestling. With the new season starting the next night on Raw, the people who don’t get a WrestleMania moment can get a shot at those who did. It will create fresh matchups that give fans and performers hope that missing WrestleMania is a temporary issue, not a nosedive down the company ladder.
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