The appeal of WrestleMania is to provide a special attraction with great matches and captivating stories. Most of the main event world title matches are meant to feel unique or new. WrestleMania 37 will feature the first-time matches of Edge vs. Roman Reigns and Sasha Banks vs. Bianca Belair to add to that appeal, but it isn’t always the case.
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WWE has gone with rematches on the big stage with bouts that were either recently booked or had been done many times in the past. The results were mixed, with fans still having interest in some while not caring for others. Find out which bouts didn’t add that special appeal, with the WrestleMania title matches that were rematches.
10 Randy Orton Vs. Bray Wyatt (WrestleMania 33)
WWE set up the story between Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton, many months before the WWE Championship was on the line at WrestleMania 33. Wyatt scored a win over Orton in the main event of No Mercy 2016, before the two eventually formed a team.
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Orton and Bray teamed up for months, with Randy becoming the latest member of the Wyatt Family and Luke Harper making them a trio. The 2017 Royal Rumble win for Orton landed him a title shot he chose to collect against Bray, revealing he was setting Wyatt up all along for the rematch months later.
9 John Cena Vs. Batista (WrestleMania XXVI)
WWE made John Cena and Batista the faces of the company at WrestleMania 21, when they took down JBL and Triple H respectively, to become the world champions. Cena and Batista had one major showdown at SummerSlam 2008, with Batista scoring the huge victory.
The big rematch with a stronger angle was saved for WrestleMania XXVI season. Batista received a title shot against a weakened Cena. WWE saved the huge rematch for WrestleMania XXVI, where Cena scored an impressive victory regaining his title.
8 Sheamus Vs. Daniel Bryan (WrestleMania XXVIII)
One of the most unusual instances of a title match being a rematch, featured Daniel Bryan and Sheamus facing off two years in a row at WrestleMania. The forgotten United States Championship title match at WrestleMania XXVII had been bumped to the pre-show.
WWE changed their roles the next time they met, with Bryan as the heel World Heavyweight Champion, and Sheamus winning the Royal Rumble match to challenge him at WrestleMania XXVIII.The match turned out to be a disaster, with Sheamus winning in 18 seconds and the fans reacting negatively.
7 Bret Hart Vs. Yokozuna (WrestleMania X)
An unlikely scenario of two wrestlers taking part in back-to-back WrestleMania main events saw Bret Hart and Yokozuna battling it out for the WWE Championship. Yokozuna defeated Hart for his first world title win at WrestleMania IX, before Hulk Hogan demanded an unplanned title shot, which he won, to end the show.
The following year saw co-winners of the Royal Rumble Lex Luger and Bret getting title shots. WrestleMania X was then main evented by Hart and Yokozuna, having their big rematch and Hart getting the win this time around.
6 Yokozuna Vs. Lex Luger (WrestleMania X)
The other WWE Championship match at WrestleMania X was also a rematch, with Yokozuna having to defend his gold against Lex Luger for the second time. WWE spent the second half of 1993 building up Luger as the next top star, with a new patriotic gimmick.
SummerSlam 1993 felt like the right time for Lex to win the gold, but the finish of a count out ended things without a title change. Yokozuna would have to defend against Luger in the big rematch at WrestleMania X in his first of two title matches. The disqualification ending resulted in another weak finish, making it a terrible rematch.
5 Brock Lesnar Vs. Roman Reigns (WrestleMania 34)
Vince McMahon had an idea in mind for Roman Reigns to dethrone Brock Lesnar and have a crowning moment at 'Mania. The first match came at WrestleMania 31, right when fans started to turn on Reigns in brutal fashion.
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Seth Rollins cashing in his Money in the Bank saved the day, giving fans a great moment. Unfortunately, the big rematch at WrestleMania 34 flopped with the same issue of fans just not wanting it. WWE went with Brock retaining in the lackluster match, and the feud featuring a few more rematches on other events.
4 Steve Austin Vs. The Rock (WrestleMania X-Seven)
WWE tried to be strategic with where they booked Steve Austin vs. The Rock following their 1999 feud. Austin beating Rock at WrestleMania XV and Backlash 1999 each provided strong performances, but they were kept apart afterwards due to both being faces after Rock’s turn.
WrestleMania X-Seven was their next major singles match, with the face vs. face dynamic adding to the overall appeal of the bout. The main event helped make WrestleMania X-Seven one the most beloved in WWE history. Austin’s turn also provided a shocking ending to an already legendary match.
3 Triple H Vs. Randy Orton (WrestleMania 25)
WWE went back to an old feud that never panned out, when they had Triple H and Randy Orton main event WrestleMania 25. The first program between the two saw Orton failing as a face, when Triple H kicked him out of Evolution during their 2003-2004 feud.
Orton became a top heel in late 2007 during a program with Triple H for the WWE Championship, with this feud being far better received. The idea for 2009 would see them having yet another match, but with Orton targeting members of the McMahon family to make it personal. Despite the storyline showing promise, Orton and Triple H had an all-time bad WrestleMania main event, proving fans didn’t want or need the rematch.
2 John Cena Vs. The Rock (WrestleMania 29)
The star power of The Rock made him a huge attraction when coming home to WWE for a rivalry with John Cena. WWE spent a full year building the dream match of Rock vs. Cena at WrestleMania XXVIII, in Rock’s hometown of Miami, Florida.
The box office success led to WWE deciding to book the rematch one year later at WrestleMania 29. Many fans were upset, since the prior match had been billed as “Once in a Lifetime.” Both men found considerably less success this time around even with Cena getting his win back. The bout itself was average at best.
1 Brock Lesnar Vs. Goldberg (WrestleMania 33)
WWE bringing back Goldberg in 2016 saw him facing Brock Lesnar for the first time since their horrible WrestleMania XX match. The Survivor Series 2016 main event would see Goldberg shocking the world, by squashing Lesnar in just 86 seconds in his first match back.
A story of Brock being unable to get the better of Goldberg became the central focus during WrestleMania 33 season. Goldberg won the Universal Championship in time for Lesnar to become the #1 contender. The two had a fun sprint of destruction at WrestleMania 33, with Brock winning the rematch.
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