40 Years Of Fascinating WWE WrestleMania Facts (Part 4)

5. WrestleMania 36 - A Chance To Finally Show Off, And Then...

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WWE.com

Dolph Ziggler's quest for a WrestleMania singles match went from being a career curio to a cruel joke at his expense as the years (and years, and years) passed, but the cruelest joke was yet to come for the 'Show Off' when he finally got that solo spotlight on the saddest 'Grandest Stage' in company history.

The global pandemic had taken terrifying hold of everybody and everything by April 2020, and the 'Show Of Shows' was no exception. A memorable WrestleMania for all the wrong reasons played host to many firsts, but a genuinely significant one wasn't one to celebrate - Dolph got his moment in an enjoyable story-heavy loss to Otis, but the only fan there to see it was rotating above the ring keeping the place cool.

He was back out of contention by the time audiences came back, and was released for good in 2023. 2024 will see him work multiple singles matches over the biggest weekend of the year, but they're on his terms rather WWE's. 

 
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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 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 over 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 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana 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