5 Alternative roads to WrestleMania 

We are full bore on The Road to WrestleMania.

There is one well-worn path to the big event, and that is winning the Royal Rumble and challenging either Raw or Smackdown’s top champion – which is what Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch did. Rollins will challenge Brock Lesnar for his Universal Title. Lynch chose to face Ronda Rousey for her Raw Women’s Championship, but it seems ‘The Man’ will have to go the long way around to get her shot.

Another familiar route to ‘Mania is to challenge the Undertaker. The Streak may have been broken a few years ago, but that hasn’t stopped Bray Wyatt, John Cena and others to challenge Taker at ‘The Granddaddy of Them All’.

However, it’s looking increasingly likely that Undertaker will miss his first ‘Mania since WrestleMania 2000. The Deadman’s contract with WWE has expired, and he has started taking outside bookings.

While these paths are well known, here are five alternative roads to WrestleMania that superstars have used previously

#1 Feud with a McMahon

The good old days

A sure-fire way to get on the card at ‘Mania is to get into a dispute with a McMahon. Some of the most famous McMahon battles at WrestleMania include Shane’s European Title match against X-Pac at WM15 and Vince’s war against Hulk Hogan at WM19. We even had McMahon vs McMahon at WrestleMania 17 when Vince battled Shane.

Last year, two McMahons were on the WrestleMania card when both Shane and Stephanie McMahon wrestled in separate tag team matches.

Shane McMahon has been featured heavily at WrestleMania since he returned in 2016 and it looks like Shane O’Mac will be on his fourth-straight ‘Mania as he’s surely headed for a showdown against The Miz.

It’s highly unlikely that Stephanie will compete at WrestleMania 35, but she’ll certainly try to foil Becky Lynch in her pursuit for the Raw Women’s Championship.

While Vince has taken a backseat, you can be sure that Shane and Stephanie will be all-over WrestleMania for years to come.

#2 Put your hair on the line

Watch out Kim Jong-Un!

Back when Donald Trump was a personality from a TV show, Vince McMahon challenged the future President to a Hair vs Hair match at WrestleMania 23. McMahon’s representative Umaga clashed with Trump’s rep Bobby Lashley in the most high-profile bout on the show. It was McMahon of course, who ended up with a chrome dome in the end.

However, Vince McMahon was not the first person to get their head shaved at WrestleMania, that distinction goes to Molly Holly.

Back in the days when females on the WWE roster were consigned to 3-minute matches, Victoria and Molly were feuding for the Women’s Championship. Molly was so desperate to get on the card for the historic WrestleMania 20 that she came up with the idea of having her head shaved at the event.

We’ve seen plenty of men lose their hair in wrestling, but this was the first – and only time a woman has had her hair cut.

Ironically, as WWE is trying to ignore their past treatment of women performers, Molly’s gutsy act has largely been forgotten.

#3 Challenge a celebrity

Mr. T and Piper clashed at two WrestleManias

Celebrities vs wrestlers is an idea that stretches back to the first WrestleMania when Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff challenged Hulk Hogan and television star, Mr T.

Other famous instances of celebs getting in the ring include Laurence Taylor challenging Bam Bam Bigelow in the main event of WrestleMania 11 and Floyd Mayweather knocking out The Big Show at WM24.

The last time WWE tried to get a celebrity into the ring was when they attempted to arrange a Mickey Rourke vs Chris Jericho match at WrestleMania 25. Rourke was the star of The Wrestler, the best depiction of pro wrestling on the silver screen; the movie earned numerous accolades. Jericho was coming off the year of his career in 2008 after reinventing himself as a self-righteous heel.

Rourke challenged Jericho at a red-carpet event in January 2009. Shortly after, Rourke’s representatives stepped in and called the match off, possibly fearing that if Rourke competed at WrestleMania, it would hurt his chance at winning an Oscar.

The match was changed to a three-on-one handicap match with Jericho facing a legends team of Roddy Piper, Jimmy Snuka and a returning Ricky ‘The Dragon’ Steamboat.

Rourke did end up in the ring with Jericho after the match, KO-ing Y2J with a mean punch but an actual one-on-one bout between the two would’ve been the ‘WrestleMania Moment’ Jericho never got.

#4 Break up with your tag team partner

Owens breaking Jericho and our hearts

There’s never a good time to break up. Unless you’re in WWE, then you should do it in either February or March.

Chris Jericho and newcomer AJ Styles formed a tag team in 2016, solely to do a breakup storyline and match at WrestleMania that year. To convince the audience they were a legit team, they got a team name (Y2AJ), and shirts made. On an episode of Raw in March, the ruse was exposed when Jericho turned on Styles leading to a match between the two at WrestleMania 32.

Jericho was on the other foot the following year when his “best friend” Kevin Owens turned on him famously during the ill-fated Festival of Friendship.

Y2J was even betrayed at WrestleMania when Trish Stratus chose his former best friend Christian over him at WM20.

Perhaps Jericho’s time in AEW will be less drama filled.

#5 Enter one of the battle royals

It’s not the “Pre-Show” it’s the “Kickoff!”

…well it could be worse

You could be on 205 Live and not even be on the card.

The first year WWE introduced the Andre The Giant Battle Royal, they had good intentions, the match was filled with former world champions such as Sheamus and Alberto Del Rio. The match was won by Cesaro who was endorsed by Hulk Hogan after the win.

Cesaro was then paired with Paul Heyman. Unfortunately for ‘The Swiss Superman’, Heyman was too busy gloating about Lesnar ending The Undertaker’s streak to notice Cesaro.

The other battle royal winners post-match runs have also been disappointing.

Big Show only won at WM31 to be re-heated and fed to Roman Reigns at the next PPV.

Baron Corbin’s win at WM32 was a great way to introduce him to the main roster, but he then floundered in a feud with Dolph Ziggler.

Mojo Rawley was victorious at WM33 simply so WWE could have a moment with Rawley's famous friend, NFL player Rob Gronkowski. Ironically, the man who Rawley eliminated last, Jinder Mahal went on to win the WWE Championship a few weeks later while Rawley slipped out of view.

Last year there was a battle royal for the women along with the men. The women’s battle royal was first was named after the Fabulous Moolah, but after allegations re-emerged about Moolah, WWE changed the matches name to simply the WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal. Ironically, that was the same name as the women’s battle royal at WrestleMania 25 which was won by Santino Marella in drag.

The two winners of the over-top-rope match, Matt Hardy and Naomi, did approximately zilch after.