Being able to say that you've main evented WrestleMania is one of the highest possible honours for a professional wrestler. Not only does it validate years of hard work, but it also proves that you're one of the best that the industry has to offer. Well, that's usually the case, but sometimes there's an odd selection that creates a bit of controversy among fans.
Whether it's because they weren't ready for the spot or members of the WWE Universe just never thought they'd get there, these guys surprised a lot of people when they had their WrestleMania moment.
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Many of them have had phenomenal careers that included blockbuster matches, but on that one night, in particular, many people were left saying to themselves, "him? really?"
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Which isn't necessarily an insult. The divide on this list is extremely noticeable and you'll find that the reasons behind their inclusion differ greatly from one another. With that being said, all of them do represent the level of uncertainty that is created in the build up to WrestleMania with Vince always looking to keep his loyal fan base on their toes.
So with that being said, let's take a closer look at the ten most shocking WrestleMania main eventers.
#10 Mr. T
Now look, we all know that Mr T was an integral part of making the first WrestleMania feel special. It was probably the biggest celebrity appearance in the history of the event, but that doesn't mean it's not a bit odd. After all, a non-wrestler getting a spot in the arguably the most important match of the year doesn't bode well for the other Superstars on the card.
Obviously, the event wasn't as big back in the mid-80s, but it's still a bit shocking looking back. The tag team bout was nothing to write home about but was entertaining enough to make things feel slightly more important. Oh, and twelve months later Mr T had another WrestleMania match against Roddy Piper. What is this unusual world we live in?
We fast forward a few decades now to WrestleMania 27.
#9 The Miz
It's hard not to feel for The Miz. The Awesome One rose up the ranks of the WWE in the space of just a few years, culminating with his WrestleMania 27 main event match against John Cena for the WWE Championship.
There was an interesting history between the two men which went back at least two years, however, the company decided not to focus on that aspect of the bout.
Instead, they made it all about The Rock and John Cena's impending rivalry. Miz was nothing more than an after thought and people legitimately forgot that he was a part of the match on several occasions. The match was nothing to shout about, Miz felt slightly in over his head and it's genuinely shocking to look back and realise this actually happened.
Back into the past we go for this next entry.
#8 Ted DiBiase
Ted DiBiase is perhaps the greatest Superstar to never win the WWE Championship. Well, officially that is. The Million Dollar Man is one of the most underrated talents in the history of the professional wrestling business, which makes the fact that he actually appeared in a WrestleMania main event all the more shocking.
Numerous fans and members of the WWE Universe tend to get upset when thinking about DiBiase's inability to win the title, but at WrestleMania 4 he made it all the way through to the finals of the Championship tournament. Sure he didn't win, but the fact that he made it so far is quite surprising when you consider how often fans go on about how he should've been utilised more.
We remain in the old school era for the next Superstar.
#7 Sgt. Slaughter
When you go from an American hero to an Iraqi sympathiser in a storyline, things can naturally start to get a little bit controversial. As WWE Champion, Sgt Slaughter's character received a great deal of criticism for the nature of the man he was portraying on screen.
It was actually quite shocking that Vince decided to go ahead and put him in the main event of WrestleMania.
Obviously, it would provide Hogan with a decent foe, but the stakes were incredibly high. It was taking heel heat to a whole new level and naturally so, given the nature of the story and how much was riding on a Hogan victory. It was successful in some ways, but in others, we were left scratching our heads as to why exactly something like this took place.
Speaking of who, let's talk a bit more about the creator of Hulkamania.
#6 Hulk Hogan
Now before people start throwing things at their laptops, allow us to explain. Hulk Hogan is obviously one of the biggest stars in the history of the business, but his entry onto this list comes because of one event in particular - WrestleMania 9. If you know what happened on that fateful night, then you'll start to understand a little bit more.
After Yokozuna defeated Bret Hart for the WWE Championship, Hulk Hogan came out and won the belt in an unscheduled match against the seemingly unstoppable monster. It was a truly bizarre move and felt like something that belonged on a house show as opposed to the biggest event of the year.
Alot of fans were outraged and rightly so - it was pretty ridiculous. From a bonafide wrestling star to a man who wasn't even a wrestler.
#5 Lawrence Taylor
If you didn't already know, Lawrence Taylor was a professional football player who spent 12 years in the NFL with the New York Giants. So naturally, Vince thought it'd be a good idea to put this guy in the main event of WrestleMania against Bam Bam Bigelow. If you're confused then don't worry, that's how pretty much everyone else felt when it happened.
There's nothing wrestling with celebrity involvement at a show like Mania, but the main event should more often than not be reserved for the WWE Championship. It needs to feel like a special bout between the biggest Superstars in the company, and this felt like a publicity stunt more than anything.
Taylor did well, but not well enough to warrant the position he was in. Onto a man who was part of one of the most unusual Manias of all time.
#4 King Kong Bundy
King Kong Bundy was always a great big man in WWE, and not enough people praise the guy for his work within the industry. His work both in and out of sports entertainment proves what an asset he is, and you know you've had a good career when a ‘Mania match against The Undertaker only ranks second in your list of WrestleMania accomplishments.
Bundy headlined WrestleMania 2 against Hulk Hogan, and looking back on his overall career it's quite surprising to consider that he was thrust into such a position. He isn't referenced as often when talking about the WWE's greatest big men, so the fact that he was featured alongside Hogan in the second incarnation of Vince McMahon's brainchild is fascinating.
From one big guy to one of the best in the business.
#3 Bam Bam Bigelow
For a man of his size, Bam Bam Bigelow could do some truly incredible things. His power, agility and athleticism defied all logic and draws comparisons to the great Big Van Vader. Nonetheless, he was never really treated like a main event star within the WWE - until he came up against a professional football player, that is.
Bam Bam was the man to face Lawrence Taylor back at WrestleMania 11, and given his stature within the company, it just feels like a really odd choice. There's no doubt that he was good enough to hold his own in the role, but a World Championship match would've been more suitable for a guy who gave everything he had to the world of sports entertainment.
Speaking of which, here's a man who actually did earn that recognition that he sought after for so long.
#2 Mick Foley
Mick Foley, Cactus Jack, Mankind, Dude Love - it doesn't matter what you want to call him. The bottom line is that Mick Foley was one of the most memorable figures in the history of professional wrestling back in the 90s, with his memorable personas leading him from obscurity all the way up into the main event picture.
However, it always seemed like he was never quite destined for the main event of WrestleMania.
That was, of course, until WrestleMania 2000 when Vince managed to get him out of retirement in order to make the main event a fatal-four-way elimination match. Foley's inclusion in the bout made sense from a storyline standpoint, but it still felt a little bit odd and slightly forced.
There's no doubt that he deserved it, but whether the circumstances were right is a different matter altogether. To conclude this list we discuss a man who few people in the WWE ever want to mention.
#1 Chris Benoit
Chris Benoit's rise to the top was certainly a slow burn, and it honestly seemed like he was ready for the main event as early as 2003. In WWE, however, these things take time and it took until WrestleMania 20 for Benoit to finally get his career defining moment by capturing the World Heavyweight Championship at Madison Square Garden.
The shocking thing about this is that nobody really knew if Benoit would finally get his moment, and when it happened on such a marquee pay-per-view it was certainly a big deal. Also, when people look back on Benoit's career after everything that's happened, it may surprise quite a few people that he was once considered the top guy in the company
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