10 Things Nobody Has Told You About WWE WrestleMania

4. CM Punk Doesn't Regret Not Headlining It (And He's Not Alone)

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CM Punk was adamant, per the Best In The World three-disc DVD set, that he should have headlined WrestleMania XXVII.

To him, WrestleMania's top attraction is a simple process: it should be the best good guy going against the best bad guy. John Cena was always the top babyface draw, and in 2010, ahead of 'Mania XXVII, Punk's exceptional work in the Straight Edge Society cast him as the premier heel in the promotion.

Vince McMahon disagreed.

Punk lobbied to get eliminated in a pitched Triple Threat match with the Rock and John Cena at WrestleMania 29. He sensed it was dry as a rematch (it was) and believed he was good enough to warrant the 'Mania main event (he was).

Vince McMahon disagreed.

Vince McMahon tried to tell him that, as his consolation match with the Undertaker was by some distance the best and hottest thing on the show, Punk was in the main event.

CM Punk disagreed.

The WrestleMania main event, the last match, was Punk's validation that he was perceived as a top star internally. This gnawed at him, and if it wasn't the sole reason why he walked, it was a not inconsiderable factor. He realised years later that going on last was something he no longer wished to get hung up on. And he isn't the only one.

Jon Moxley would rather blade and tell his own stories than have a writer plot his course to the 'Mania main event. Kenny Omega's bargaining power was such, in 2018, that he could have demanded the WrestleMania main event in the contract WWE was desperate for him to sign. He didn't. Eddie Kingston doesn't want to work for WWE. Bryan Danielson headlined the show in 2021 and felt nothing.

WrestleMania is massive - but it isn't the be all and end all it was 10 years ago.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!