Ranking Every WrestleMania 2-Night Main Event
WrestleMania Season is upon us. With only a few weeks to go before Cena goes for #17, here are the last 10 main events ranked:
10. McInytre vs Lesnar (XXXVI)
Starting off the list is a match that would’ve likely been great in front of a live audience. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, we got a finisher fest between two behemoths. While explosive, it was way too fast and unoriginal even for Lesnar-type matches. The silver lining here is that Drew finally got his moment, albeit in front of an empty crowd.
9. Lesnar vs Reigns (XXXVIII)
Billed as the greatest WrestleMania match of all-time, Reigns and Lesnar had a tough task ahead of them for a duo that had already gone to war twice on the big stage. The roles were reversed for this one at least, giving us a fresh matchup on paper. However, we have seen this match so many times and this one probably their third best? Combining the titles also made no sense in hindsight besides making Roman look unstoppable. A fine match but nothing special.
8. Stone Cold vs Kevin Owens (XXXVIII)
Now we are almost getting into special territory. An impromptu main event with Austin coming out of retirement didn't seem plausible at the time. Once that bell rang though, fans were in for a treat. Austin went at it with Kevin Owens for a good 15 minutes, even taking a concrete suplex bump as well. This was not a technical masterpiece by any means but it sent the fans home happy.
7. Rock and Roman vs Rollins and Cody (XL)
Before Roman and Cody pulled double duty, they went to battle with their tag partner in a 40 minute scrap that gave us plenty of great moments from the Rock. Rollins, possibly the MVP of WrestleMania 40 continued to shine with only one knee and was not one to be outdone by the heavy presence in the ring. It definitely went a little long but it was still a great time that made you wonder if Cody would get screwed again the next day.
6. Roman vs Daniel Bryan vs Edge (XXXVII)
We’re officially into greatness now. It hurts to put this match so low here but we have been spoiled lately with our main events folks. A triple threat with a mediocre build wasn't too much to get excited for, luckily Daniel Bryan gave the whole feud a jumpstart thanks to his fan connection. These three killed it and gave us one of the coolest shots/finishes in recent memory with Roman pinning them both at the same time.
5. Bianca Belair vs Sasha Banks (XXXVII)
The night before, tow black women man vented the show for the first time. Their emotion was evident, but that didn't stop them from a surpringly physical affair. I mean, those shots to Sasha’s gut from Bianca’s braid were just deafening. In the end, Bianca got her winning moment which really created a new star in the women’s division. Hats off to the both of them.
4. AJ Styles vs Undertaker (XXXVI)
The boneyard cinematic match when announced was just ridiculous. Fans were worried about something pretaped and outlandish as this concept was. Leave it to two legends to put together a show-stealing time tiptoeing the line of classic and ridiculous. A truly one of a kind match that we might never see the likes of again.
3. Cody vs Roman I (XXXIV)
Roman and Cody’s first matchup was one of the most shocked I’ve been in my time as a WWE fan over the last decade. I truly was speechless when Cody was pinned for first time. I was accustomed to Roman winning in these main events, but this felt like a lock for Cody to finally finish the story. From a technical standpoint, these two are pros and didn’t miss a single spot. On the other hand, this was not as iconic as the sequel would be.
2. Usos vs Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens (XXXIV)
The Bloodline Saga dominated television for years to the point where people thought they might never lose. That’s part of what made this match so electric. Fans were so eager to see them fall and that they did in a barnburner of a tag team matchup. Emotion was running high and the frenzy of spots that these four ran through only elevated it. Despite a high dose of superkicks, it was an amazing way to close the show and spotlight four of the best workers in the industry.
Cody vs Roman II (XL)
I don’t think I could find a way to put this any lower than #1. The final 10 minutes alone would warrant this spot. Sometimes, run-in after run-in can get old or feel inorganic, but here it actually made sense. Everyone has who expressed issues with the Bloodline and their prolonged time at the top showed up to help Cody end the era-defining reign of Roman’s. The celebration afterwards was the cherry on top for someone living his father’s dream on the biggest stage of them all. Cinema.
