10 Fascinating WWE Facts About WrestleMania 34

4. A First For A Former WWE Champion

WWE WrestleMania 34 Ronda Rousey Stephanie McMahon
WWE.com

Not the sort of trivia note that necessarily paints the picture of a well-oiled creative machine, this one tells a story of a different kind for the late Bray Wyatt.

Bray Wyatt was the first star to defend the World Championship at one WrestleMania and fail to be part of the main card despite still being cleared to wrestle and on the roster the following year. The phenomenon had occurred with the likes of Ric Flair, Sycho Sid, Shawn Michaels, Stone Cold Steve Austin and Kurt Angle all being absent 12 months after putting the gold on the line, but injuries or outright exits from the company were the reason for the absences.

The same couldn't be said for the 'Eater Of Worlds', who had lost the WWE Championship to Randy Orton at WrestleMania 33 and made do with a Kickoff Show cameo, aiding former rival Matt Hardy in the Andre The Giant Battle Royal. He missed WrestleMania 35 the following year too, but an overdue return to the 'Show Of Shows' in 2020 resulted in possibly the finest moment of his iconic career. WrestleMania 36's Firefly Funhouse match against John Cena was worth the wait.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back almost 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 60,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett