3 WWE stars who missed WrestleMania after getting suspended

WrestleMania is arguably the biggest professional wrestling event that WWE hosts each year. Every professional wrestler has a dream to watch themselves perform at the Grandest Stage of Them All.

This year will mark the 41st edition of Showcase of the Immortals, where Cody Rhodes will defend the Undisputed WWE Title against John Cena in the main event, Gunther will defend the World Heavyweight Championship against Jey Uso, and much more. The night would be career-altering for the superstars competing at the two-night spectacle.

Meanwhile, this article looks at three WWE superstars who missed their golden chance to compete at WrestleMania after getting suspended.

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#3. Titus O'Neil (2016)

Former WWE Tag Team Champion and presently the Global Ambassador of the company, Titus O'Neil is one of the most liked superstars within the promotion and among fans. However, in 2016, Titus pissed off Vince McMahon and got himself suspended for 60 days. It even forced him to miss WrestleMania 32.

On February 8, 2016, Daniel Bryan announced his retirement in an emotional segment. The entire roster, including Vince McMahon, came out to pay Bryan respect. While Mr. McMahon was heading back backstage, an odd incident happened where Titus grabbed Vince’s hand and jokingly said, “Ladies First,” indicating that Stephanie McMahon should lead the way.

Vince McMahon was visibly pissed as the Boss shoved Titus and left the ramp screaming and cursing. Later, it leaked that O’Neil was suspended for his "unprofessional conduct" for 60 days, costing him his Mania appearance as well.

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#2. Former WWE Champion Jeff Hardy (2008)

Jeff Hardy rode a massive wave of success in the early 2000s, and many felt that WWE saw massive superstar potential in Hardy. His popularity among kids in his prime era was at its peak.

Jeff Hardy was supposed to compete at WrestleMania 24, the fourth-annual Money in the Bank ladder match, which featured superstars like CM Punk, Chris Jericho, Mr. Kennedy, Shelton Benjamin, John Morrison, and MVP.

However, just days before The Showcase of the Immortals, Jeff Hardy was found guilty of failing the Wellness Policy and was suspended for 60 days. At that time, he was the IC Champion and had to drop his title to Jericho to complete his suspension. This even forced him to miss a monumental Mania in his prime.

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#1. Samoa Joe (2020)

Samoa Joe had an impressive stint during the pandemic era in WWE, and he was getting feuds against massive names. Joe was involved in a heated feud against Seth Rollins, AOP, and Buddy Murphy and was standing as Kevin Owens's ally heading into WrestleMania 36.

On February 24, 2020, Samoa Joe was effectively suspended for 30 days for violating the wellness policy for the first time. His suspension from the Stamford-based promotion even made him miss The Showcase of the Immortals that year.