10 WrestleMania Main Events The Royal Rumble Almost Promised Us
2. Shawn Michaels Vs. The Rock (WrestleMania XIV)
Like many entries on this list, there isn’t necessarily any evidence to suggest that this match was being touted for WrestleMania - but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a meeting we’d have loved to have seen either way.
Shawn Michaels vs. the Rock is an enduring example of the one that got away; a potential showdown between two bona fide legends, and one which regrettably eluded us all for a variety of reasons. But beyond the badly-timed injuries and the rumours of backstage animosity, there was a brief window in which the wheels could have been set in motion.
At the 1998 Royal Rumble, Michaels defeated Undertaker to retain his WWF Championship, while the Rock came within seconds of earning the right to challenge HBK for the strap at WrestleMania XIV.
After a valiant 51-minute showing, the Rock eventually came up short when Stone Cold Steve Austin hit him with the Stunner and dispatched him from the ring to earn himself a spot in the main event of WrestleMania.
Again, the timeline that actually transpired was by no means a disappointment - Austin faced Michaels with Mike Tyson brought in as the guest enforcer, once again thrusting pro wrestling into the mainstream - and you could also argue that the Rock wasn’t quite ready for this spot at the time.