We all have dream matches that we wish we could have seen at a WrestleMania.  Sometimes those matches actually happen.  We actually got to see matches like Hogan vs Andre, Rock vs Austin, and Brock vs Angle, etc.  But most of the time, WWE doesn’t pull the trigger and give us not just the WrestleMania Main Event we want, but the one we deserve as well.  These are the Top 10 Main Event Matches That Should Have Happened at WrestleMania.

10. John Cena vs Randy Orton for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania XXIV

• What We Got Instead: The main event this night saw The Undertaker beat Edge for the World Heavyweight Championship. While Orton and Cena were joined by Triple H in a Triple Threat Match on the RAW side, which saw Orton retain.
• Why This Would Have Been Better: I remember the night Cena came back from injury at Royal Rumble 2008 like it was just yesterday. The shock, followed by anger because I immediately knew that he was winning the match still comes out when I re-watch it to this day.  Building on the history that Cena and Orton had prior to this match (they wrestled for the belt a few times in Sep-Oct 2008, before Cena was injured, title vacated, and Orton claiming the top spot) would have not only been entertaining, it would have been easier for both the WWE to pull off and for the fans to comprehend.  Adding Triple H just clustered everything up and added another dimension that felt unneeded.
• How It Could Have Played Out: Easy booking here. Cena won the Rumble, Orton was the WWE Champion, and the two already had unfinished business. Instead of Cena jumping the gun and challenging Orton at No Way Out, we could have had Orton defend the title in the Elimination Chamber instead, last eliminating Triple H to go on to defend his title at WrestleMania.

9. Hulk Hogan vs Ted DiBiase for the vacant WWF Championship at WrestleMania IV

• What We Got Instead: The main event this night saw DiBiase take on Randy Savage in a losing effort in the finals of a show long tournament to claim the vacant WWF Championship.
• Why This Would Have Been Better: Have you seen WrestleMania IV??? It’s one of the worst “show of shows” that the WWE has ever presented. By the time the tournament was completed, people were so tired and bored that it almost felt they didn’t care who won the thing.  Add to that, during the match the only thing the fans were really wanting was for Hogan to come out and help Savage (which, of course, DID happen).
• How It Could Have Played Out: Once again, this should have been an easy booking decision. Andre crookedly beat Hogan for the WWF Championship in February, then “surrendered” the title to DiBiase. The title was taken and immediately declared vacant, with the aforementioned tournament to name the new champ. Instead of doing all this, We could have had DiBiase challenge Andre right then and there for the title, and the whole world would have watched Andre lay down for DiBiase.  Now, I know that the WWE’s plan at the time was get to Andre vs Hogan III at WrestleMania, which they did in the quarterfinals of the tournament.  But they could have done this third match at Saturday Night’s Main Event with the stipulation being if Hogan won, he got DiBiase at WrestleMania.  Of course, Hogan gets the win and goes on to face DiBiase for the title. 

8. Daniel Bryan vs Brock Lesnar for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 31

• What We Got Instead: The main event this night saw Seth Rollins cash in his Money in the Bank contract, injecting himself into the title match between Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar, pinning Reigns, and becoming the WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
• Why This Would Have Been Better: Don’t get me wrong, I LOVED that moment. Watching from home, I was groaning every time Roman would get in some good offense on Brock. I marked out just like everyone else when I heard Seth’s music and saw him running down that ramp, briefcase in hand.  But this is more for the build-up to the match than anything else.  And on the plus side, we could have seen Rollins cash it in a few months after Mania, starting a feud with Daniel Bryan that you know would have been amazing to see.
• How It Could Have Played Out: Now just hear me out on this one, just imagine that Daniel Bryan doesn’t win the title at WrestleMania XXX. Instead he beats Triple H in one on one action, then goes the entire next year trying to get past the Authority and to the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.  After Batista wins the title from Orton in the main event of WM30, Brock ends up with the belt at that year’s SummerSlam (which happened anyway.)  Now, Daniel Bryan not only has to defy the Authority, but he has to get through the Beast as well.  After watching Daniel Bryan go through everything HHH and Steph can throw at him for a year, we see him win the Rumble (from the number one spot of course, as stipulated by HHH) and go on to challenge Brock.  If you thought the pop for the former “Dragon” at WM30 was loud after he won it all, could you imagine the sight of all those people in San Francisco celebrating Daniel Bryan overcoming over a year of fighting the power and becoming the WWE World Heavyweight Champion?  It would have been better than Rudy!    

7. The Rock vs Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XIX

• What We Got Instead: The main event this night saw Brock Lesnar defeat Kurt Angle to win his 2^nd WWE Championship. On the RAW side, we got The Rock finally beating Stone Cold Steve Austin in their third match at a WrestleMania.
• Why This Could Have Been Better: I’ve got this vision in my head of Rock and Shawn doing a double clothesline to each other 20 minutes into their match. They both stay down for an eight count, then BOOM: double kip-ups. I don’t even care who goes over, just imagine the electricity these two could have had not just in the match, but also in the buildup.
• How It Could Have Played Out: Remember when The Rock would do his “Rock Concerts” and proclaim that he had done everything there was to do in the WWE? Remember when Austin showed up to dispute that? What if it had been HBK instead? The Rock could say things like “No one has ever been able to make a comeback with the electricity and furiousness like The Rock” and “Shawn Michaels better be glad that he got hurt when he did, because The Rock was on his way up the ladder and would’ve been laying the smackdown…”, while Shawn could’ve been saying stuff like “If it wasn’t for me bringing the attitude, there would have been no eyebrow” and “This is the guy who replaced me? He can’t even lace up my boots.” The promos would have been epic, and the match would have been even better.

6. John Cena vs The Rock vs CM Punk for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 29

• What We Got Instead: The main event this night? It was Twice in a Lifetime, as Cena beat The Rock to win the WWE Championship.
• Why This Could Have Been Better: What we got was a very predictable and boring build-up and match. We all could have felt that Punk’s record-breaking title reign was for a reason, that reason being the reign leading into a main event WrestleMania match with two of the biggest names in the history of the company. Instead, we all felt that Punk was just a yearlong transitional champion because all along they wanted it to be Rock vs Cena take 2.
• How It Could Have Played Out: Instead of Vince coming out and re-starting the match at the Royal Rumble, let’s just let that ending happen. CM Punk is still the champion and as punishment for The Shield coming out and helping Punk retain, he now has to defend his title in the Elimination Chamber.  Punk, of course retains, pinning Randy Orton to secure his spot in the WM main event.  Rock, not wanting just let everything go, challenges Cena for his spot in the match, which Cena earned by winning the Royal Rumble Match.  This match goes to a draw as Punk and The Shield hit the ring to attack both Cena and The Rock.  Now Vince comes out, and announces that because Punk interfered, he now has to defend his title in a Triple Threat Match at WrestleMania 29.  Just think of how this could have worked out great for everyone.  Punk gets his Mania main event, Rock and Cena are still in the main event, fans are MUCH more into the story and the match, and Vince still makes a TON of money

5. The Rock vs Triple H for the WWF Championship at WrestleMania 2000

• What We Got Instead: The main event this night DID see Triple H retain over The Rock, along with Mick Foley and Big Show in a Four Way Elimination Match. Oh yeah, and there was a McMahon in every corner. Vince with The Rock, Shane with Big Show, Linda with Mick Foley, and, of course, Stephanie with Triple H.
• Why This Could Have Been Better: With Stone Cold Steve Austin out with injury, The Rock was hands down the biggest babyface in the company. On the other side of that coin, nobody got even close to Triple H when it comes to being the best heel.  These two had amazing chemistry as well as a history that would have made this one of the most anticipated main events in WM history.
• How It Could Have Played Out: At the Royal Rumble, Triple H beat Cactus Jack in a Streetfight to retain the title and The Rock won the Royal Rumble Match (controversially). At No Way Out, Triple H beat Cactus Jack again to retain, this time in a Hell in a Cell Match.  Instead of having Big Show beat The Rock to steal his title shot, have The Rock win clean to put all the Rumble controversy to bed.  Just imagine the promo package before the match showing how they wrestled against each other as Rocky Maivia and Hunter Hearst Helmsley, straight through both their history in the Nation vs DX years, as well as their time in the Corporation.  Both of these guys rose to the top of the company and at this time, it should have been a no-brainer to have them headline the biggest show of the year.

4. Bret Hart vs Hulk Hogan for the WWF Championship at WrestleMania IX

• What We Got Instead: In the most confusing WrestleMania ending of all time, Yokozuna beat Bret to win the WWF Championship and then Hogan came out and beat Yokozuna to win the title right after.
• Why This Could Have Been Better: What would have made Bret Hart untouchable in the 90s era WWF? How about if he would have pinned the face of the company to win the WWF Championship right before said face left to go to the competition?  It would have been the passing of the torch moment that Bret deserved and Hogan should have allowed.
• How It Could Have Played Out: Remember when Flair won the title in the best Royal Rumble of all-time and dropped it to Randy Savage at WrestleMania? (More on this later) Savage dropped it back to Flair in September, but I would have had that title change a little earlier at SummerSlam. Then, Flair could drop it back to Hogan at the Royal Rumble 1993 on his way out and back to WCW.  Instead of Yokozuna winning the Royal Rumble Match, Bret Hart wins and goes on the beat Hulk Hogan CLEAN to win his 1^st WWF Championship in the main event of WrestleMania IX.  This could be the greatest torch-passing moment that never happened.

3. Stone Cold Steve Austin vs Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania XIX

• What We Got Instead: The main event this night saw Brock Lesnar defeat Kurt Angle to win his 2^nd WWE Championship. On the RAW side, we got The Rock finally beating Stone Cold Steve Austin in their third match at a WrestleMania.
• Why This Could Have Been Better: Dream match? Check. Battle of the generations? Check.  Epic promos leading into the match? Check.  Two huge egos who probably never could get along and not put a match together, much less a finish? Sadly, check.
• How It Could Have Played Out: They could have built this match up to be the battle of the two biggest superstars in company history. At the time, Hogan was involved in a hot angle with Vince McMahon.  Instead of Vince making a match between the two, can you imagine Vince’s promo when he says he’s going to kill two birds with one stone and put the only guy in the world that could compete with Hogan’s rebellion: Stone Cold Steve Austin.  Vince could even slightly side with Austin leading up to the match, until Austin gets tired of Vince injecting himself into the match and gives him a stunner.  The match itself may not have been the most technically mastered match, but seeing these two in the same ring with multiple generations of fans behind them cheering their lungs out, could have been one of the greatest visions in professional wrestling history.

2. Sting vs The Undertaker at WrestleMania 31

• What We Got Instead: The main event this night saw Seth Rollins cash in his Money in the Bank contract, injecting himself into the title match between Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar, pinning Reigns, and becoming the WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
• Why This Could Have Been Better: HOW DID THIS MATCH NOT HAPPEN? For years, fans had been begging for this match, but Sting always turned down offers from the WWE.  This match would have been the epitome of “dream match” and the build-up as well as the sight of these two eyeing each other in the ring pre-match would have been enough to give even the smartest of Marks goose bumps.  I’ll never quite understand why, instead of going with this match which is what everyone wanted, they fed Sting to HHH and put Taker in an almost meaningless feud with Bray Wyatt.
• How It Could Have Played Out: At Fastlane, Triple H had invited Sting to the show which ended with Sting getting the upper hand and locking in the Scorpion Death Lock on Trips. Later on that night, it was announced that the two would have a match at WM31 and that was the match we got.  Imagine this: instead of Triple H and Sting coming to blows, Triple H runs Sting down In a promo for everything he did from WCW and the Monday night wars to the most recent Survivor Series where Sting had caused Triple H’s team to lose to John Cena’s team.  Sting finally gets tired of hearing it and pushes HHH into the corner with his baseball bat.  Triple H says as COO he has too much on his plate and with WrestleMania coming up, he doesn’t have the time to take care of this situation himself.  But there is one guy Triple H knows can take care of the problem.  The only one he trusts to be able to put Sting down just like he helped put WCW down 14 years ago.  Just then, the lights go off and the fans hear the gong.  The lights come back on and Sting is still in the corner pointing his bat where Triple H was before the darkness.  Now, he’s nowhere to be found.  Instead, Sting turns around and The Undertaker is there pointing at the WM sign.  Sting smiles, does his scream gimmick, points at the sign and the match is made official.  Sting charges Taker with bat in hand, but the lights go off again.  When they come back on its just Sting, alone in the ring.  He looks back at the WM sign, smiles, looks into the camera, and says “The only way to beat a Phenom, is to use an Icon!”  Take my money.

1. Hulk Hogan vs Ric Flair for the WWF Championship at WrestleMania VIII

• What We Got Instead: The main event this night saw Hulk Hogan beat Sid Justice by DQ (No, he didn’t use scissors.) The event also saw Ric Flair drop the WWF Championship to Randy Savage in a really good match.
• Why This Could Have Been Better: At this time, these were the two biggest names, not just in the company, but in the industry. Ric Flair was the face of the NWA/WCW.  Hulk Hogan was the face of the WWF.  Every fan in the world wanted this match, and we all figured we would have got it in 1992.  We didn’t.  While the match itself probably wouldn’t have been as good as Flair/Savage was, there’s no way this wouldn’t have been the biggest match of all time.
• How It Could Have Played Out: The frustrating thing about this one is the company had all the pieces in the right place for this match to happen. Flair cost Hogan the WWF Championship to The Undertaker at Survivor Series.  Hogan won it back through controversial means in early December.  Because of this, the title is declared vacant.  Ric Flair wins the greatest Royal Rumble of all time to win the vacant WWF Championship.  This match was already built, all they had to do was pull the trigger.  They didn’t, and a few years later both Hogan and Flair were out of their prime, and out of the company.  I really believe if this match happens, the iconic image we always see on WWE TV today isn’t Hogan vs Andre at III, it’s Hogan vs Flair at VIII.

What do you guys think? Would you have liked to see these matches instead of what we got?  Leave a comment below and let me know.  Also, if you think of another match that should have headlined a Mania that didn’t, let me know and maybe that match will make it on a future list.