Wrestlemania was not, in fact, the first ever sports entertainment pay per view. It was preceded by the Wrestling Challenge, a tournament style format which was won by Junk Yard Dog, and Starrcade, NWA's glorious supercard with names like Ric Flair and Harley Race attached.
Yet, Wrestlemania is where every pro wrestler wants to be at some point in their careers. It is the grandest stage of them all, the most prestigious arena possible for pro wrestlers to display their finely honed craft to a worldwide audience.
Over the years, WWE has put up some fantastic main events that have echoed throughout history. One such example is the titanic clash between Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant at Wrestlemania III. Another might be the iron man match which featured Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels wrestling each other for a solid sixty minutes without a decisive winner, before HBK finally got the victory in sudden death overtime.
With Wrestlemania 35 set to take place early next year, the time is ripe to discuss who will be making it to the biggest show of the year, and where they might be on the card.
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Here are ten wrestlers worthy of being in the Wrestlemania 35 main event.
#1 Dean Ambrose
The Lunatic Fringe missed a great deal of time after a bicep tear but has looked impressive ever since his recent return.
Ambrose turned heel and attacked his former Shield mate, Seth Rollins, at a psychologically devastating time for fans and Rollins himself, as Roman Reigns had just announced his leave of absence to battle leukemia for a second time.
While Ambrose seems to have done well with his heel turn, he works better as an antihero babyface in the mold of Stone Cold Steve Austin.
Why he deserves to be in the Wrestlemania 35 main event: Dean is a hard worker, a skilled veteran of the ring who can wrestle or brawl with equal aplomb. WWE has already acknowledged that a mid-card Dean sells just as many tickets as a main event Roman Reigns, and he has the chutzpah to create a great deal of buzz for Wrestlemania.
#2 Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar has been criticized by WWE fans, critics, and even other talents such as Roman Reigns, for being a part-time wrestler. In fact, Lesnar's matches for the entirety of 2018 only barely measure in the double digits.
So, you may ask, why does he deserve to main event Wrestlemania 35? Simple; Brock Lesnar is still far more well known than even the next most popular member of the WWE main roster. Due to his reign as UFC Heavyweight champion, Lesnar has the ability to generate interest outside of pro wrestling fandom, which is crucial to both growing the wrestling business and getting PPV buyrates.
Why he deserves to main event Wrestlemania 35: Besides his aforementioned name recognition on a worldwide scale, Lesnar also has a legit tough guy reputation that lends an air of mystique to his wrestling character.
#3 Becky Lynch
The term 'people's champion' gets bandied about a great deal in pro wrestling. the idea behind the concept is simple; Even if they are not the official champion, their popularity with the crowd still makes them the star of the show.
With all due respect to Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Becky Lynch is the true people's champion of WWE. They appreciate her grit and sass as much as her tremendous wrestling ability.
Why she deserves to main event Wrestlemania 35: Becky Lynch's popularity has soared to dizzying heights, and WWE made the good decision to capitalize on her groundswell of support with a title run and prominent role on Smackdown Live. The Lasskicker has proven she can put 'asses in seats,' to quote Eric Bischoff. Add in the fact that she's one of the most technically sound and tough athletes in the game and you have a slam dunk.
#4 Drew McIntyre
Drew McIntyre had the most auspicious debut possible for a WWE superstar; he stood in the ring with WWE CEO Vince McMahon, who went on to proudly proclaim that Drew would one day be WWE world champion.
So far, that premonition has not come to pass, but it's looking more and more likely with each passing day. Despite being released from the company once for a less than stellar run, his return has been greeted with positive reactions from fans and critics alike. Drew upped his game on every level possible, and has been rewarded with a more prominent role on Raw.
Why he deserves to main event Wrestlemania 35: Drew bring a variety of qualifications to the table, such as size, power, and a great look. He's above average on the microphone, and improving steadily, and has great poise. His technical wrestling isn't world class, but he's definitely above average in that regard.
#5 The Miz
Mike Mizanin, better known to the wrestling world as The Miz, is one of the most unlikely candidates for a Wrestlemania main event to come down the pike, but he deserves it none the less.
Miz had his start as a reality TV star and managed to garner a WWE contract out of his stardom. At first, the fans were rather unimpressed by him, as well as his fellow WWE superstars. He was even kicked out of the WWE locker room once for being disrespectful.
However, he persevered, and gradually worked his way into the grudging respect of his peers, and the fans as well. Miz has proven he can work all aspects of Sports Entertainment, and his in-ring work is at least on par with his contemporaries.
Why he deserves to main event Wrestlemania 35: The Miz has what it takes to sell a big match, as his gift for gab is one of the best in the business. He also has the ability to deliver high-quality matches against the right opponent, as we saw with his IC title match against Seth Rollins.
#6 Asuka
What a way to end the year for Asuka! She went from being almost an afterthought following her loss to Charlotte at Wrestlemania 34 to winning the Smackdown title in a triple threat TLC match.
While her career hit some lows this year, it also hit some highs. Asuka will be looking to avenge her Wrestlemania loss and work her way back to being the human smashing machine she was in NXT.
Why she deserves to main event Wrestlemania 35: Asuka has changed the perception of what it means to be a woman wrestler in the WWE. Her stiff striking, technical wrestling, and submissions ability all combine to make her nearly the perfect wrestler. Asuka came to WWE because she wanted to be seen as a wrestler first rather than a pin-up model, and she has succeeded. She would make a fine choice for the WM 35 main event.
#7 Seth Rollins
Seth Rollins is a ten year veteran of ring wars, with a fantastic pedigree you'd want for a Wrestlemania main eventer.
He began his career as Tyler Black, and won his first world championship less than a year into his career. Channeling the NWO, he used to spray paint his belts solid black to signify the 'era of Black' had begun.
Rollins made it to the Ring of Honor promotion early in his career, feuding with such luminaries as the Briscoes before moving into the singles ranks. He wound up winning the Ring of Honor World Heavyweight Championship, a prestigious accomplishment.
Why he deserves to main event Wrestlemania 35: Seth Rollins has already proven he can be a main event draw for the biggest show of the year. With big WM wins over such names as Triple H, Seth Rollins might be one of the more obvious choices for this year's main event.
#8 Daniel Bryan
Daniel Bryan is the exact opposite of what you'd expect from a wrestler. He's not huge, or prone to apoplectic fits, or possessed of outlandish ring garb.
What Daniel Bryan does do is wrestle very, very well. And as his recent heel turn has proven, he can also work a crowd with the best of them. Daniel Bryan's heel turn was his own idea, because he thought the 'yes' chants were slowing down.
His heel turn has been so successful that he has the rare creative control to book himself; So far, Bryan has been using his stroke to help elevate younger talent like Mustafa Ali, and is willing to make himself look villainous if it helps another man's career.
Why he deserves to be in the Wrestlemania main event: Daniel Bryan, despite numerous injuries and over a decade of brutal bumps, is still one of the best in-ring performers in the game. He can have a great match with anyone, of any size and skill level, which is just what you want from your main event talent.
#9 Charlotte Flair
With all due respect to the legendary, iconic Nature Boy Ric Flair, his daughter is a better wrestler than he ever was.
It's true, and we're willing to bet Flair would agree! Not only is Charlotte a better athlete than her father, capable of all the high-risk top rope moves he never could quite pull off without being thrown to the mat by his opponent, but she talks the talk as well.
Charlotte can be credited with helping to move women's wrestling beyond the 'bra and panties' match stage into a legit performance that compels viewers to tune in around the world.
Why she deserves to main event Wrestlemania 35: Charlotte is a great technical wrestler, a great high flyer, and even a great striker. Plus, she's a great talker. She has all the tools to get fans emotionally invested in her matches and deserves the main event at Wrestlemania.
#10 AJ Styles
Go ahead, make fun of his 'soccer mom' hairstyle, or his massive AJ tattoo, but AJ Styles has already accomplished more in his wrestling career than most ever will...and he's not finished yet!
AJ Styles is a rare talent who has worked for WCW, TNA/Impact, ROH, NJPW, and the WWE. He has been wrestling on television for over 20 years, and putting on five-star performances almost every night. And all of this success despite being 'too small' for the main event picture.
Why he deserves to main event Wrestlemania 35: AJ Styles might be the best in-ring performer in WWE today. His combination of technical wrestling, high flying, and take no prisoners brawling have made him both a household name and one of the most consistently good wrestlers on the planet.
There you have it; Ten wrestlers who deserve to main event Wrestlemania 35. Did your favorite make the list? Please be sure to comment below, and thanks for reading!