Advocating WrestleMania's Main Event

   What makes a WrestleMania main event?  Is it a Championship Match?  Is it a match between two iconic figures?  Is it a potential retirement of a performer?  Is the main event the last match on the card?  I suppose the whole thing is subjective when you think about it.  However, I'm here to tell you my opinion of which match should close the show and/or main event this year's WrestleMania.  

   To me, the main event and the last match on the card should be one in the same.  Isn't that the idea of the main event?  It's the most important thing, what people paid to see, and it should go on last.  In the history of WrestleMania, many matches were considered the main events.  Another thing I should point out is this notion of multiple main events on the same card.  That makes no sense at all and the word "main" negates the whole thing.  How can there be more than one "main" event?  Several WrestleManias had double or multiple main events, or at least were presented as such.

   I'm going to run down past WrestleMania matches quickly.  The first seven WrestleMania events had the last match considered as the main event, with all but one being for the WWE Championship.  The first WrestleMania was a test drive to see if such an event could work, with a tag team match featuring a celebrity.  The next six main events were for the WWE Championship, were considered the most important, and went on last.  Hulk Hogan was featured in several; WrestleMania 2 against King Kong Bundy, WrestleMania III against Andre the Giant, WrestleMania V against "Macho Man" Randy Savage, WrestleMania VI against the Ultimate Warrior, and WrestleMania VII against Sgt. Slaughter.  WrestleMania IV was the finals of a tournament for the Title, with Randy Savage defeating the Million Dollar Man. 

   Here's where it gets tricky!  WrestleMania VIII was the first to feature a double main event.  Due to WWE deciding not to do the long awaited Hulk Hogan/Ric Flair Title match main event, we ended up with Flair/Savage for the Title and Hulk Hogan vs. Sid Justice.  The title match was in the middle of the card and Hogan/Sid closed the show. Even if it was Hulk Hogan, I still think the Title match should have closed the show, especially considering the Title match was a classic, was likely to be the better match, and would result in more people leaving happy.  A botched run-in caused a disqualification finish and the only thing that saved that match was the return of the Ultimate Warrior after it was over.  

   WrestleMania IX was the first time that the main event would be determined by the winner of the Royal Rumble facing the Champion.  In that case, Yokozuna defeated Bret Hart for the WWF Championship.  At WrestleMania X, Hart defeated Yokozuna for the Title, and though Yokozuna had defended the Title against Lex Lugar earlier in the night, his match with Hart at the end was considered the main event.  WrestleMania X featured its main event as Bam Bam Bigelow against NFL star Lawrence Taylor.  Despite how much profit that brought in, if this was considered more important than the WWF Championship, I think the priorities are screwed up.  

   We were back to the norm with the next several WrestleManias.  WrestleMania XII was Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels, WrestleMania XIII was Sid vs. Undertaker, WrestleMania XIV was Shawn Michaels vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin, and WrestleMania XV was The Rock vs. Steve Austin.  WrestleMania XVI was the first time the WWF Championship main event had multiple competitors, with Triple H retaining over The Rock, Mick Foley, and the Big Show.  WrestleMania XVII was a Rock/Austin rematch.

 WrestleMania XVIII is the first time where the main event placement can be debated.  The Championship match between Chris Jericho and Triple H went last, though it was hard to follow a classic like Hulk Hogan vs. The Rock.  I support WWE's decision to stay with tradition, despite how good or popular the other match was. However, the Title match might have done better and held up better had the storyline not completely killed Jericho's credibility.  Not only that, if the WWF thought for even one second that the Hogan/Rock match would be looked at as more important, it might have been wise to get the belt off Jericho beforehand and change the winner of the Royal Rumble from Triple H to The Rock. This WrestleMania was quite the anomaly!

   WrestleMania XIX was also interesting, as there were now two World Titles in the company.  This WrestleMania featured Triple H vs. Booker T for the World Heavyweight Title (big gold belt) and Kurt Angle vs. Brock Lesnar for the WWE Title.  The latter got the last slot and main event, carrying on the Royal Rumble tradition with the winner Lesnar challenging the Champion Angle.  While the Rumble tradition continued for WrestleMania XX, the main event this time was for the World Heavyweight Title with a match consisting of Triple H, Chris Benoit, and Shawn Michaels.  WrestleMania XXI would also feature the same, as World Heavyweight Champion Triple H defended against Batista.

 WrestleMania XXII is fairly subjective due to the circumstances.  Rey Misterio won the Royal Rumble and challenged World Heavyweight Champion Kurt Angle and Randy Orton in a Triple Threat Match.  However, the main event went to John Cena's WWE Title defense against Triple H.  Though it was still a Title match, and one featuring what I consider the "real" World Title, tradition lost out.  At WrestleMania XXIII, we ran into the same conundrum.  World Heavyweight Champion Batista defended against Royal Rumble winner the Undertaker.  However, the main event slot went to the WWE Title match between John Cena and Shawn Michaels. WrestleMania XXIV was another example of this.  The WWE Championship match was a Triple Threat between Randy Orton, Royal Rumble winner John Cena, and Triple H.  However, the main event was Edge vs. the Undertaker for the World Heavyweight Title.

   WrestleMania XXV, idiotically referred to as the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania, went back to tradition, as Triple H defended the WWE Title against Royal Rumble winner Randy Orton.  WrestleMania XXVI was the first time since the Bam Bam/LT match that a Title match was not the main event.  This year, the Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels was the main event.  The reasoning for this is that it was the Undertaker's streak vs. Michaels' career, with the result of Michaels losing.  However, I still feel the main event should have been the Title match between the Champion and the Royal Rumble winner that year, which was Chris Jericho vs. Edge for the World Heavyweight Title.

   WrestleMania XXVII was very interesting.  It was similar to other WrestleManias because the main event was the WWE Title match between The Miz and John Cena.  However, the interesting part is not just that Edge defended the World Heavyweight Title against Alberto Del Rio, it was the fact that this match opened the show.  Even though the curtain jerker is an important match for any card's tone, there is no way a Championship match should be the opener.

   WrestleMania XXVIII's main event was the long awaited match between John Cena and The Rock.  Due to its historical significance, it was treated as more important than the WWE Title match between CM Punk and Chris Jericho.  Not only was it insulting to have a non-Title match take precedence over the Title match, throughout most of CM Punk's 434 day reign as WWE Champion, he was rarely in the main event during PPV's.  Also, the same thing happened this year as the previous.  World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan took on Royal Rumble winner Sheamus in the opening contest, and it was an 18-second match to boot.  Even if Jericho had won the Rumble, the main event still went to Cena/Rock.  My guess is, they didn't want what happened with Rock/Hogan to happen here as well.

   Though it was a rematch of a match with the catchphrase "once in a lifetime," tradition came back as The Rock defended the WWE Title against Royal Rumble winner John Cena. WrestleMania XXX's main event was a Triple Threat match for the WWE Title featuring Randy Orton, Royal Rumble winner Batista, and Daniel Bryan. Tradition remained at WrestleMania XXXI when WWE Champion Brock Lesnar defended against Royal Rumble winner Roman Reigns.  However, the interesting part was when Seth Rollins decided to cash in his "Money In the Bank" contract to make it a Triple Threat match, completing two firsts concerning "Money In the Bank."  Not only was it the first time it was cashed in at a WrestleMania, it was also the first time it was cashed in during a match already in progress.

   As many recall, the 1992 Royal Rumble match was for the vacant WWF Title and it was won by Ric Flair.  In 2016, the WWE Title was also on the line, only this time it was being defended. WWE Champion Roman Reigns was forced to put his Title on the line in the Rumble.  In the end, Triple H won the Rumble and the Championship.  Reigns was able to get his rematch for the Championship at WrestleMania XXXII against Triple H.  The tradition was a little backwards but it was still the rightful main event.  

   WrestleMania XXXIII's main event also featured a match that was not for a Title.  WWE Champion Bray Wyatt defended against Royal Rumble winner Randy Orton while Goldberg defended the Universal Title against Brock Lesnar.  However, the nod for main event went to the Undertaker vs. Roman Reigns.  Not only did the Undertaker lose his second WrestleMania match, the event ended with the Undertaker leaving his gear in the ring, signifying that was possibly his last match. However, all signs lead to Undertaker vs. John Cena this year, thus making last year's final moment look stupid.  

   That brings us to this year's WrestleMania!  In my opinion, the last match on the card is considered the main event, should be for a World Title, and needs to feature the winner of the Royal Rumble.  Rumors have been swirling about this year's main event/last match.  I've heard this honor may go to the Cena/Taker match or the mixed tag team match featuring Triple H & Stephanie McMahon vs. Kurt Angle and Ronda Rousey.  However, most people assume the main event will be the Brock Lesnar/Roman Reigns Universal Title match.

   This year, Shinsuke Nakamura won the Royal Rumble and he will be challenging for the WWE Title against AJ Styles.  In my opinion, Styles/Nakamura needs to have the honors of the main event. We've already had enough times where a non-Title match was considered more important as the main event than a Championship match, especially one featuring the traditional Royal Rumble winner. Due to the Undertaker closing last year's show, I doubt he gets the honor again.  As important and main stream of a signing it was for WWE to get their hands on Ronda Rousey, it would be wrong to have her part of the main event in her very first WWE match.  The money is on Lesnar/Reigns to close the show.  Despite not caring much for this match, and despite it being more mainstream then the other Champioship match, I sincerely think it should not close the show.

   AJ/Shinsuke is a match many fans have been clamoring for ever since they both arrived from New Japan in 2016.  In fact, it is a rematch of their infamous match in New Japan at WrestleKingdom. There's a few reasons I feel this should close the show.  For instance, since it's likely John Cena will defeat the Undertaker and Roman Reigns will likely win his match, those two are outcomes a good deal of the crowd will not like.  Secondly, AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura, if given enough time, will be the better received match, both from a technical standpoint and one that fans will be happy with either outcome.  Most importantly, it continues the tradition of the Royal Rumble winner facing the Champion in the main event of WrestleMania.  If WWE wants the crowd to truly go home happy, these reasons are why this match should close the show.  Though this is just one person's opinion, I truly plead with WWE to make sure this match closes the show.

If you have any further thoughts on this topic, let me know in comments.  Heck, let us all know on The WAR Report podcast, every Tuesday at 7PM EST on YouTube, brought to you by tagmeadate.com, the first and only dating site for wrestling fans.  Go to askthewarreport@gmail.com or #askthewarreport.  For TagMeADate members, our Android and Apple apps are vastly approaching so stay tuned!
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