WrestleMania 18 \u00a0Main Event: Triple H v Chris Jericho (WWE Championship Match) <\/strong><\/h2>\nMuch can be said about the build towards WrestleMania 18\u2019s main event. Reigning champion Chris Jericho was shunted to the side in favor of the McMahon drama that consumed the match. This deflated any momentum they had, and nothing improved when these two made it into the ring.<\/p>\n
The match was boring, containing no drama or exciting moments. Triple H\u2019s eventual triumph was met with a whimper rather than the expected pop WWE would have desired. It also didn\u2019t help that the crowd was already exhausted from another match that should have closed the evening.<\/p>\n
Should Have Main Evented: The Rock v Hulk Hogan <\/strong><\/h2>\nThe Icon v Icon match was the biggest selling point for WrestleMania 18. This was the big money program that the world wanted to see, and the match didn\u2019t disappoint. It was a great reminder of what two great storytellers can do, and how a crowd can take a great match and turn it epic.<\/p>\n
The audience was on fire throughout the match, and the switch in characters mid-match was spot on. Seeing Hulkamania run wild once again was worth the price of admission. The visual of Hogan\u2019s signature pose should have been the closing moment of the night.<\/p>\n
WrestleMania \u00a025 Main Event: Triple H v Randy Orton (WWE Championship Match)<\/strong><\/h2>\nWorking towards the WrestleMania 25 main event, Triple H and Randy Orton did a superb job of making the world care about their match. There was such a personal nature to the build, and the hatred was dripping from every promo and segment the two were involved in, which is why it was such a disappointment when the match fell flat.<\/p>\n
Every bit of animosity flew out the window, and the match did not give us the WrestleMania feel. It didn\u2019t help that the stipulation that Triple H could lose the title by count out or DQ was made. It prevented Orton and HHH from taking the match to a place that would have set it apart from other matches on the card.<\/p>\n
Should Have Main Evented: Shawn Michaels v The Undertaker <\/strong><\/h2>\nHBK and The Undertaker’s instant classic should have ended WrestleMania 25. Anytime they squared off, we were given gold, but this match took everything up to 11. This match was 30 minutes of the two best wrestlers in the world creating and perfecting their craft.<\/p>\n
Even the botch of Undertaker missing his outside dive worked so well in the narrative. He and HBK had the crowd in the palm of their hand from start to finish, and had us all believing that the Streak was about to end. From a Tombstone false finish to the skin the cat reversal, this match had everything, except final billing on the card.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
WrestleMania 9 Main Event: Yokozuna v Hulk Hogan (WWE Championship Match)<\/strong><\/h2>\nThe creative control that Hulk Hogan used to insert himself into WrestleMania 9\u2019s final sequence was downright criminal. He had already competed on the card and had no business being at ringside for the true main event. It was unnecessary to have him come out, and the world groaned when Yoko offered to put his newly won championship on the line. We knew what was coming and had no interest in seeing Hulk Hogan win his fifth WWE Championship.<\/p>\n
The 22 seconds that followed did nothing to boost the aura of either Hulk Hogan or Yokozuna. WWE\u2019s Sumo Champion looked weak, and Hulk Hogan looked like a man struggling to hold onto his spot.<\/p>\n
Should Have Main Evented: Bret Hart v Yokozuna (WWE Championship Match)<\/strong><\/h2>\nWWE should have stuck with its advertised main event. Bret Hart and Yokozuna had a well-worked match between WWE\u2019s greatest technician and insurmountable odds. Bret Hart’s wrestling knowledge was on full display as he used all his repertoire to topple the much larger champion. We also saw the amazing agility of Yokozuna in this match, surprising many with its quick pace.<\/p>\n
This was a great example of how WWE had cultivated its new stars. Letting Hulk Hogan steal their thunder was a disservice to an already fantastic main event.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
WrestleMania 11 Main Event: Bam Bam Bigelow v Lawrence Taylor <\/strong><\/h2>\nWrestleMania is the time of year to see celebrities involved in the program. It\u2019s a great way to boost buy rates and bring a more mainstream audience into the fold. However, using a celebrity as the main draw in a match didn\u2019t work out too well for WrestleMania 11. Lawrence Taylor was a phenomenal athlete, but a great wrestler he was not.<\/p>\n
Bam Bam Bigelow was responsible for carrying the match, but he could only do so much to elevate the former New York Giant. This was an attraction match that would have served \u2018Mania better if it had been placed in the middle of the card.<\/p>\n
Should Have Main Evented: Diesel v Shawn Michaels (WWE Championship Match) <\/strong><\/h2>\nIf one is looking for a match on WrestleMania 11 to main event, then look no further than what was the best match of the night. HBK and Diesel were the culmination of a year-long program of mistrust. What started as a tight friendship devolved into a program built on jealousy.<\/p>\n
It was the perfect way to lead us to WrestleMania 11, where they stole the show with a great reversal of the David and Goliath story. With the effort put into this match and the lead-up to it, HBK and Diesel deserved to main event WrestleMania 11.<\/p>\n
WrestleMania 23 Main Event: John Cena v Shawn Michaels (WWE Championship Match)<\/strong><\/h2>\nTriple H going down with an injury forced WWE to pivot to his D-Generation X running mate, getting the call for WrestleMania 23\u2019s main event. It was a respectable build with the babyfaces running the old rivals’ being partners program. It was an easy story for both men to tell, and it did lead to a fantastic match to close out WrestleMania 23. The biggest issue, though, was that no one expected HBK to walk out of Detroit with the WWE Championship.<\/p>\n
It was very clear that Cena\u2019s reign was going to continue past WrestleMania, and we were deprived of a crowning moment to end the evening. A hard sell when a match earlier on in the card contained everything that would have made a WrestleMania main event epic.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/03\/22.webp\")
Photo Credit: WWE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nShould Have Main Evented: Batista v The Undertaker (World Heavyweight Championship Match)<\/strong><\/h2>\n
The Icon v Icon match was the biggest selling point for WrestleMania 18. This was the big money program that the world wanted to see, and the match didn\u2019t disappoint. It was a great reminder of what two great storytellers can do, and how a crowd can take a great match and turn it epic.<\/p>\n
The audience was on fire throughout the match, and the switch in characters mid-match was spot on. Seeing Hulkamania run wild once again was worth the price of admission. The visual of Hogan\u2019s signature pose should have been the closing moment of the night.<\/p>\n
WrestleMania \u00a025 Main Event: Triple H v Randy Orton (WWE Championship Match)<\/strong><\/h2>\nWorking towards the WrestleMania 25 main event, Triple H and Randy Orton did a superb job of making the world care about their match. There was such a personal nature to the build, and the hatred was dripping from every promo and segment the two were involved in, which is why it was such a disappointment when the match fell flat.<\/p>\n
Every bit of animosity flew out the window, and the match did not give us the WrestleMania feel. It didn\u2019t help that the stipulation that Triple H could lose the title by count out or DQ was made. It prevented Orton and HHH from taking the match to a place that would have set it apart from other matches on the card.<\/p>\n
Should Have Main Evented: Shawn Michaels v The Undertaker <\/strong><\/h2>\nHBK and The Undertaker’s instant classic should have ended WrestleMania 25. Anytime they squared off, we were given gold, but this match took everything up to 11. This match was 30 minutes of the two best wrestlers in the world creating and perfecting their craft.<\/p>\n
Even the botch of Undertaker missing his outside dive worked so well in the narrative. He and HBK had the crowd in the palm of their hand from start to finish, and had us all believing that the Streak was about to end. From a Tombstone false finish to the skin the cat reversal, this match had everything, except final billing on the card.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
WrestleMania 9 Main Event: Yokozuna v Hulk Hogan (WWE Championship Match)<\/strong><\/h2>\nThe creative control that Hulk Hogan used to insert himself into WrestleMania 9\u2019s final sequence was downright criminal. He had already competed on the card and had no business being at ringside for the true main event. It was unnecessary to have him come out, and the world groaned when Yoko offered to put his newly won championship on the line. We knew what was coming and had no interest in seeing Hulk Hogan win his fifth WWE Championship.<\/p>\n
The 22 seconds that followed did nothing to boost the aura of either Hulk Hogan or Yokozuna. WWE\u2019s Sumo Champion looked weak, and Hulk Hogan looked like a man struggling to hold onto his spot.<\/p>\n
Should Have Main Evented: Bret Hart v Yokozuna (WWE Championship Match)<\/strong><\/h2>\nWWE should have stuck with its advertised main event. Bret Hart and Yokozuna had a well-worked match between WWE\u2019s greatest technician and insurmountable odds. Bret Hart’s wrestling knowledge was on full display as he used all his repertoire to topple the much larger champion. We also saw the amazing agility of Yokozuna in this match, surprising many with its quick pace.<\/p>\n
This was a great example of how WWE had cultivated its new stars. Letting Hulk Hogan steal their thunder was a disservice to an already fantastic main event.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
WrestleMania 11 Main Event: Bam Bam Bigelow v Lawrence Taylor <\/strong><\/h2>\nWrestleMania is the time of year to see celebrities involved in the program. It\u2019s a great way to boost buy rates and bring a more mainstream audience into the fold. However, using a celebrity as the main draw in a match didn\u2019t work out too well for WrestleMania 11. Lawrence Taylor was a phenomenal athlete, but a great wrestler he was not.<\/p>\n
Bam Bam Bigelow was responsible for carrying the match, but he could only do so much to elevate the former New York Giant. This was an attraction match that would have served \u2018Mania better if it had been placed in the middle of the card.<\/p>\n
Should Have Main Evented: Diesel v Shawn Michaels (WWE Championship Match) <\/strong><\/h2>\nIf one is looking for a match on WrestleMania 11 to main event, then look no further than what was the best match of the night. HBK and Diesel were the culmination of a year-long program of mistrust. What started as a tight friendship devolved into a program built on jealousy.<\/p>\n
It was the perfect way to lead us to WrestleMania 11, where they stole the show with a great reversal of the David and Goliath story. With the effort put into this match and the lead-up to it, HBK and Diesel deserved to main event WrestleMania 11.<\/p>\n
WrestleMania 23 Main Event: John Cena v Shawn Michaels (WWE Championship Match)<\/strong><\/h2>\nTriple H going down with an injury forced WWE to pivot to his D-Generation X running mate, getting the call for WrestleMania 23\u2019s main event. It was a respectable build with the babyfaces running the old rivals’ being partners program. It was an easy story for both men to tell, and it did lead to a fantastic match to close out WrestleMania 23. The biggest issue, though, was that no one expected HBK to walk out of Detroit with the WWE Championship.<\/p>\n
It was very clear that Cena\u2019s reign was going to continue past WrestleMania, and we were deprived of a crowning moment to end the evening. A hard sell when a match earlier on in the card contained everything that would have made a WrestleMania main event epic.<\/p>\nPhoto Credit: WWE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nShould Have Main Evented: Batista v The Undertaker (World Heavyweight Championship Match)<\/strong><\/h2>\n
HBK and The Undertaker’s instant classic should have ended WrestleMania 25. Anytime they squared off, we were given gold, but this match took everything up to 11. This match was 30 minutes of the two best wrestlers in the world creating and perfecting their craft.<\/p>\n
Even the botch of Undertaker missing his outside dive worked so well in the narrative. He and HBK had the crowd in the palm of their hand from start to finish, and had us all believing that the Streak was about to end. From a Tombstone false finish to the skin the cat reversal, this match had everything, except final billing on the card.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
WrestleMania 9 Main Event: Yokozuna v Hulk Hogan (WWE Championship Match)<\/strong><\/h2>\nThe creative control that Hulk Hogan used to insert himself into WrestleMania 9\u2019s final sequence was downright criminal. He had already competed on the card and had no business being at ringside for the true main event. It was unnecessary to have him come out, and the world groaned when Yoko offered to put his newly won championship on the line. We knew what was coming and had no interest in seeing Hulk Hogan win his fifth WWE Championship.<\/p>\n
The 22 seconds that followed did nothing to boost the aura of either Hulk Hogan or Yokozuna. WWE\u2019s Sumo Champion looked weak, and Hulk Hogan looked like a man struggling to hold onto his spot.<\/p>\n
Should Have Main Evented: Bret Hart v Yokozuna (WWE Championship Match)<\/strong><\/h2>\nWWE should have stuck with its advertised main event. Bret Hart and Yokozuna had a well-worked match between WWE\u2019s greatest technician and insurmountable odds. Bret Hart’s wrestling knowledge was on full display as he used all his repertoire to topple the much larger champion. We also saw the amazing agility of Yokozuna in this match, surprising many with its quick pace.<\/p>\n
This was a great example of how WWE had cultivated its new stars. Letting Hulk Hogan steal their thunder was a disservice to an already fantastic main event.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
WrestleMania 11 Main Event: Bam Bam Bigelow v Lawrence Taylor <\/strong><\/h2>\nWrestleMania is the time of year to see celebrities involved in the program. It\u2019s a great way to boost buy rates and bring a more mainstream audience into the fold. However, using a celebrity as the main draw in a match didn\u2019t work out too well for WrestleMania 11. Lawrence Taylor was a phenomenal athlete, but a great wrestler he was not.<\/p>\n
Bam Bam Bigelow was responsible for carrying the match, but he could only do so much to elevate the former New York Giant. This was an attraction match that would have served \u2018Mania better if it had been placed in the middle of the card.<\/p>\n
Should Have Main Evented: Diesel v Shawn Michaels (WWE Championship Match) <\/strong><\/h2>\nIf one is looking for a match on WrestleMania 11 to main event, then look no further than what was the best match of the night. HBK and Diesel were the culmination of a year-long program of mistrust. What started as a tight friendship devolved into a program built on jealousy.<\/p>\n
It was the perfect way to lead us to WrestleMania 11, where they stole the show with a great reversal of the David and Goliath story. With the effort put into this match and the lead-up to it, HBK and Diesel deserved to main event WrestleMania 11.<\/p>\n
WrestleMania 23 Main Event: John Cena v Shawn Michaels (WWE Championship Match)<\/strong><\/h2>\nTriple H going down with an injury forced WWE to pivot to his D-Generation X running mate, getting the call for WrestleMania 23\u2019s main event. It was a respectable build with the babyfaces running the old rivals’ being partners program. It was an easy story for both men to tell, and it did lead to a fantastic match to close out WrestleMania 23. The biggest issue, though, was that no one expected HBK to walk out of Detroit with the WWE Championship.<\/p>\n
It was very clear that Cena\u2019s reign was going to continue past WrestleMania, and we were deprived of a crowning moment to end the evening. A hard sell when a match earlier on in the card contained everything that would have made a WrestleMania main event epic.<\/p>\nPhoto Credit: WWE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nShould Have Main Evented: Batista v The Undertaker (World Heavyweight Championship Match)<\/strong><\/h2>\n
WWE should have stuck with its advertised main event. Bret Hart and Yokozuna had a well-worked match between WWE\u2019s greatest technician and insurmountable odds. Bret Hart’s wrestling knowledge was on full display as he used all his repertoire to topple the much larger champion. We also saw the amazing agility of Yokozuna in this match, surprising many with its quick pace.<\/p>\n
This was a great example of how WWE had cultivated its new stars. Letting Hulk Hogan steal their thunder was a disservice to an already fantastic main event.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
WrestleMania 11 Main Event: Bam Bam Bigelow v Lawrence Taylor <\/strong><\/h2>\nWrestleMania is the time of year to see celebrities involved in the program. It\u2019s a great way to boost buy rates and bring a more mainstream audience into the fold. However, using a celebrity as the main draw in a match didn\u2019t work out too well for WrestleMania 11. Lawrence Taylor was a phenomenal athlete, but a great wrestler he was not.<\/p>\n
Bam Bam Bigelow was responsible for carrying the match, but he could only do so much to elevate the former New York Giant. This was an attraction match that would have served \u2018Mania better if it had been placed in the middle of the card.<\/p>\n
Should Have Main Evented: Diesel v Shawn Michaels (WWE Championship Match) <\/strong><\/h2>\nIf one is looking for a match on WrestleMania 11 to main event, then look no further than what was the best match of the night. HBK and Diesel were the culmination of a year-long program of mistrust. What started as a tight friendship devolved into a program built on jealousy.<\/p>\n
It was the perfect way to lead us to WrestleMania 11, where they stole the show with a great reversal of the David and Goliath story. With the effort put into this match and the lead-up to it, HBK and Diesel deserved to main event WrestleMania 11.<\/p>\n
WrestleMania 23 Main Event: John Cena v Shawn Michaels (WWE Championship Match)<\/strong><\/h2>\nTriple H going down with an injury forced WWE to pivot to his D-Generation X running mate, getting the call for WrestleMania 23\u2019s main event. It was a respectable build with the babyfaces running the old rivals’ being partners program. It was an easy story for both men to tell, and it did lead to a fantastic match to close out WrestleMania 23. The biggest issue, though, was that no one expected HBK to walk out of Detroit with the WWE Championship.<\/p>\n
It was very clear that Cena\u2019s reign was going to continue past WrestleMania, and we were deprived of a crowning moment to end the evening. A hard sell when a match earlier on in the card contained everything that would have made a WrestleMania main event epic.<\/p>\nPhoto Credit: WWE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nShould Have Main Evented: Batista v The Undertaker (World Heavyweight Championship Match)<\/strong><\/h2>\n
If one is looking for a match on WrestleMania 11 to main event, then look no further than what was the best match of the night. HBK and Diesel were the culmination of a year-long program of mistrust. What started as a tight friendship devolved into a program built on jealousy.<\/p>\n
It was the perfect way to lead us to WrestleMania 11, where they stole the show with a great reversal of the David and Goliath story. With the effort put into this match and the lead-up to it, HBK and Diesel deserved to main event WrestleMania 11.<\/p>\n
WrestleMania 23 Main Event: John Cena v Shawn Michaels (WWE Championship Match)<\/strong><\/h2>\nTriple H going down with an injury forced WWE to pivot to his D-Generation X running mate, getting the call for WrestleMania 23\u2019s main event. It was a respectable build with the babyfaces running the old rivals’ being partners program. It was an easy story for both men to tell, and it did lead to a fantastic match to close out WrestleMania 23. The biggest issue, though, was that no one expected HBK to walk out of Detroit with the WWE Championship.<\/p>\n
It was very clear that Cena\u2019s reign was going to continue past WrestleMania, and we were deprived of a crowning moment to end the evening. A hard sell when a match earlier on in the card contained everything that would have made a WrestleMania main event epic.<\/p>\nPhoto Credit: WWE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nShould Have Main Evented: Batista v The Undertaker (World Heavyweight Championship Match)<\/strong><\/h2>\n