5 Matches That Didn't Deserve To Main Event WrestleMania (& 5 That Were More Deserving)

The main event of any card is given to two wrestlers that the company thinks they can build an entire show around. There was a time that WrestleMania main events had the entire show built around the big main event - The Mega Powers Explode, for example. While the cards are no longer quite contingent on what the main event is, fans still want to see two competitors whom are worthy of being THE MAIN EVENT.

Over the years, it doesn’t always seem that way. While some of these main events were fine for what they were, they also happened to be the main event solely because the WWE title was on the line. There was and still is a prevailing thought that the title should be the centerpiece. However, some of these matches could have easily been the concluding chapter of the WrestleMania they were a part of.

10 Didn’t Deserve - Sycho Sid Vs. The Undertaker (WrestleMania 13)

Heading into WrestleMania 13, depending on whose shoot Interview you’re listening to, the main event was going to be the big rematch from WrestleMania 12. However, a lost smile heaved the entire show into disarray. It also helped to pave the way for new stars to be made or top guys to ascend to get back to the top of the card.

For the second time in his WWE career, Sid accidentally found himself back in the WrestleMania main event, this time defending the WWE title against The Undertaker. He would wind up being the only person to ever face both Hogan and The Undertaker in the main event.

9 More Deserving - Bret The Hitman Hart Vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin (WrestleMania 13)

While Bret Hart lost out on once again main eventing against Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 13, he was given the opportunity to completely steal the show against Stone Cold. The bitter rivals pulled off what many fans consider one of the greatest WrestleMania matches of all time and certainly the best double turn ever.

Over the past two decades or so, the image of Austin’s face pouring blood as he tries to get out of The Sharpshooter is one of the most iconic in wrestling.

8 Didn’t Deserve - Hulk Hogan Vs. Sgt. Slaughter (WrestleMania 7)

Sgt Slaughter Vs Hulk Hogan WrestleMania 7

By 1991, not only was Hulkamania seemingly on its way down, but Sgt. Slaughter was an evil Iraqi sympathizer heel inciting all sorts of violent heat all over the country. But the overtones of their match at WrestleMania 7 shouldn’t have been involved in a wrestling match.

Wrestling is supposed to be the ultimate escapism - not a reminder of the threats of the real world.

7 More Deserving - The Macho Man Randy Savage Vs. The Ultimate Warrior (WrestleMania 7)

Randy Savage Vs Ultimate Warrior WrestleMania 7

Yes, more often than the not, the World Title should take center stage and headline the main event of any show, much less a WrestleMania. But when two of your biggest stars are involved in a blood feud and willing to put their careers on the line? That is far more important than the world title (which is exactly what Warrior had airbrushed on his tights).

Randy Savage was able to wring a good match out of one of the more notoriously difficult wrestlers to work with, and for that reason alone should have gotten the main event spot.

6 Didn’t Deserve - Bam Bam Bigelow Vs. Lawrence Taylor (WrestleMania 11)

So many times throughout this list and of course throughout WWE history, fans have been conditioned to know that the world title closes the show. That’s it. Period. End of story. Of course, the company was also run at the whims and pleasure of one man for over forty years and if he wanted something else to main event the show, then something else was going to main event the show.

In 1995, The Chairman decided that he wanted New York sports hero Lawrence Taylor to main event his wrestling show against one of the best big men of all time - Bam Bam Bigelow.

5 More Deserving - Shawn Michaels Vs. Diesel (WrestleMania 11)

While a football player and a guy WWE only pushed at the midcard were main eventing the biggest show of the year, Big Daddy Cool was defending the WWE title against his former friend Shawn Michaels.

As with nearly every time Mr. WrestleMania was kept out of the main event, he did everything in his power to show Vince that he was wrong. WrestleMania 11 was the first example, as this is when McMahon realized he had a huge babyface star on his hands.

4 Didn’t Deserve - Triple H Vs. Randy Orton (WrestleMania 25)

After years of being under Triple H’s thumb and shadow, Randy Orton enacted a plan to usurp The Game and destroy him, his family, and take the WWE title from him. The match at WrestleMania 25 should have been a bloodbath and could have been worthy of being the main event, but the combatants became hamstrung by the stipulation Triple H could lose the title on a DQ.

It’s not that they couldn’t work around the stipulation, it’s just that it if someone took out your wife, father-in-law, and brother-in-law, you’re probably not going to be able to hold yourself back from destroying him.

3 More Deserving - Shawn Michaels Vs. The Undertaker (WrestleMania 25)

WrestleMania 25 Undertaker Vs Shawn Michaels

It also didn’t help Triple H and Randy Orton that they were on the same card as The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels. The moment the match between Mr. WrestleMania and The Streak was booked, fans didn’t just think, the knew it was going to be an instant classic and expected it to be.

During this era, if there were any two talents that could live up to that kind of hype, it was The Heartbreak Kid and The Deadman.

2 Didn’t Deserve - Chris Jericho Vs. Triple H (WrestleMania 18)

More so than anyone one this list - the two guys main eventing WrestleMania 18 were also the two guys advocating to NOT main event WrestleMania 18. Chris Jericho might have been the first ever Undisputed Heavyweight Champion and Triple H was white-hot returning from his quad injury.

But neither man could hold a candle to what the Toronto Skydome chapter of the WWE Universe were truly amped up for and the epic clash that Y2J and The Game had to follow.

1 More Deserving - The Rock Vs. Hulk Hogan (WrestleMania 18)

What the Toronto fans were hyped up for at WrestleMania 18 was something they hadn’t seen in 12 years since WrestleMania was last held at Skydome. Something that WWE fans in general hadn’t seen since 1993, and that was Hulk Hogan in a WWE ring.

By the time Hogan's nWo theme beamed out into the arena, it might as well had been Real American. Their hero had returned and no matter how popular The Rock was, he didn’t stand a chance.