10 Wrestlers Who Didn't Peak In The WrestleMania Main Event
The Grandest Stage?
WrestleMania is sold as the ultimate dream for any professional wrestler. The only dream, for those dedicated enough.
Its mythology is vast and incredible. The first WrestleMania event defined the ethos of the company so profoundly that, in the years since, papered civic centres and all, Vince clung onto its perception as the glamourised, biggest version of pro wrestling. The work of his independent contractors built its legacy: Hulk Hogan became an IRL superhero by virtue of slamming André The Giant; Macho Man Randy Savage distilled the idealised vision of sports entertainment with his classic matches, wonderfully operatic long-term story arc, and its deliriously happy ending; Steve Austin became the Man between 1997 and 1998; John Cena and Batista ascended to the realm of megastars on the ambitious, forward-thinking platform that was WrestleMania 21...
The hope, ahead of WrestleMania 36, is that Drew McIntyre creates his own WrestleMania Moment, which then informs his subsequent career as a made Superstar, and even the face of the company. He is a good candidate: he's telegenic, shredded, convincing, funny, and on the evidence of his Indie reinvention and fire TakeOver: WarGames I match with Andrade, can pull off the banger coveted by modern fans.
But, as with so much else in WWE, sometimes, it's pure marketing.
10. The Big Show
WrestleMania main event:
"If the main event of WrestleMania is gonna be Triple H Vs. The Big Show, then WrestleMania is going to absolutely suck!"
One of the more cutting and reassuring lines in the Rock's repertoire, regrettably, he was only half-right. The Fatal 4-Way at 'Mania 2000 did incorporate the Big Show, by that point ruined as a headliner. He was a slow, plodding plot hole. He was too big to not be a main event-level threat, but nowhere near at the level required to be one. And sure as sh*t, his contribution was completely forgettable and pointless pretext to the big money match: The Rock Vs. Triple H. The McMahon-in-every-corner deal was a rare Chris Kreski misfire. It is a major revision to put over the WWF in 2000 as wholly brilliant, brilliant as it was. The family were basically four Baron Corbins.
REALLY peaked as a performer at:
WrestleMania XXIV, in the second-best celebrity match ever. Show was at his best here; he knew how to work a compelling story-driven match, could be ar*sed to work a compelling story-driven match, and never looked more terrifying nor big-time. Floyd Mayweather was exceptional value too, selling very enthusiastically for Show, at his most furious and menacing, in a fun-as-hell match loaded with peak road agent panache.