Does it even matter who main-events WrestleMania?

| March 19, 2019

Right now there are three matches that could easily top the card at WrestleMania 35 Planet of the Apes Ending Shot! The Universal Title match features Brock Lesnar defending against Seth Rollins. The WWE Title match features Daniel Bryan defending against (we assume) Kofi Kingston. Kevin Owens may or may not be added into that match. The Raw Women’s Title match features Ronda Rousey defending against Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch.

As of a month ago, the odds-on favorite to close the show was the women’s match. It had multiple factors working in its favor: For one, Becky Lynch was the hottest thing going. For another, Ronda Rousey was the still-new UFC superstar champion who was adjusting at a steady pace to the WWE environment. Likewise, the prospects of a women’s match main-eventing the biggest show of the year would bring mainstream buzz that the company is always craving.

Since then, the women’s match has become an overbooked mess of a feud, with Charlotte offering nothing of substance, Ronda had a complete character meltdown (to the point of having to turn heel just to have some semblance of a character), and Becky being saddled with a literal crutch, taking away a lot of her “tough girl” persona.

There’s still a lot of buzz with the match, but it’s undeniable that’s it’s cooled off a bit.

Meanwhile, the WWE Title match has skyrocketed in terms of buzz. Kofi Kingston replaced Mustafa Ali in the Elimination Chamber match, lasted until the end, and won the hearts of the WWE Universe. That’s maybe unfair; Kofi has had the fanbase’s hearts for years. He’s been one of the most consistently-liked characters on the roster for a decade.

Throughout his career, Kofi has never really had a shot at the big one. His run with New Day made him one of the best segments of the show, any show, every week. Finally, he seems to have grabbed the brass ring and not looked back. As a result, we are this close from crowing the company’s first black WWE Champion, a feat that’s been so long in the making it’s probably too embarrassing for them to make mention of. Fans would be ecstatic to see Daniel Bryan (in the midst of a career renaissance as a heel champ) take on Kofi in the main-event.

And then there’s the Universal Title match. Anytime Brock is on the card, he’s going to command a spotlight. The company isn’t paying him his weight in gold just to curtain-jerk. There are factors working against his match main-eventing this time, namely the fact that Roman Reigns has returned. A month ago Seth Rollins was the heir apparent to the “Babyface Top Guy on Raw” mantle. With Roman back, it’s very easy to imagine Seth being slid down a peg to make room for the previous “Top Dog” to reclaim his spot. Lesnar retaining to set up Roman reclaiming the title would be the last thing people would want to see close the show.

With that said, let’s set the Universal Title aside and consider the other two matches. One of two finishes are likely going to close WrestleMania this year: Either Becky Lynch is going to win the title after the first women’s main-event in the history of the show, or Kofi Kingston is going to break the last major racial barrier in pro wrestling. Someone’s going to the top of the mountain and someone else…isn’t.

Does it matter?

Let’s consider the issue from two perspectives: On the one hand, WrestleMania’s main-event is the ultimate “feather in your cap” moment for a superstar. On the other hand, WrestleMania’s biggest matches all end up running together after enough time has passed.

For example, when you think of WrestleMania VIII, what do you think of? I think of two matches, both of which were billed as “the main-event:” Ric Flair vs Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan vs Sid Justice, with Ultimate Warrior making a botched return. Hogan’s match closed the show, but a quarter-century later, both matches are seen as the matches of the show.

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