10 Times WWE Got The WrestleMania Main Event Wrong

8. WrestleMania 13: Sycho Sid Vs. The Undertaker

Undertaker, Sid, WrestleMania 13
WWE.com

What The Main Event Should Have Been: Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels

This is a difficult one. The main event of WrestleMania 13 was changed from the original plan of a Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels rematch due to Michaels losing his smile and bailing on the show so that he didn't have to do a job for his perennial rival Hart. At one stage the match was very much on the table, then Vince got cold feet and decided to go a different direction, claiming a rematch from the previous year’s WrestleMania was too predictable. The real reason was Shawn’s refusal to comply with the booking, and when he handed in the WWF Championship and walked away, the WWF had no choice but to change things around.

Why Sycho Sid and The Undertaker were chosen to headline was anyone’s guess, but it likely comes down to what it always comes down to: Vince McMahon is enamoured by giants. The pair didn't have a strong program going into the show, or indeed any real issue at all, and fan interest in the match was simply not there. That much was evident when studying the buyrate for the show, which was one of the worst in WrestleMania history. It didn't help, either, that the contest was an utter chore, with the two lumbering giants unable to piece together a match worthy of Raw, never mind the main event of the biggest card of the year. A Hart-Michaels match would definitely have been preferable, even if it would have ultimately cost us the classic Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin submission match that many consider to be one of the finest WrestleMania matches of all time. Either that or Bret and Austin should have just headlined themselves.

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The author of the highly acclaimed 'Titan' book series, James Dixon has been involved in the wrestling business for 25 years as a fan, wrestler, promoter, agent, and writer. James spent several years wrestling on the British independent circuit, but now prefers to write about the bumps and bruises rather than take any of them. His past in-ring experience does however give a uniquely more "insider" perspective on things, though he readily admits to still being a "mark" at heart. James is the Chief Editor and writer at historyofwrestling.co.uk and is responsible for the best-selling titles Titan Sinking, Titan Shattered, and Titan Screwed, as well as the Complete WWF Video Guide series, and the Raw Files series.