5 surprising WWE WrestleMania facts

WWE WrestleMania is the biggest event of the year for WWE. Sometimes referred to as "the showcase of the immortals," WrestleMania has evolved into an annual weekly festival, bringing together members of the WWE Universe from across the globe to celebrate all things WWE.

Performing at WrestleMania is often seen as the pinnacle for any WWE Superstar or any professional wrestler looking to make it into the world of sports entertainment.

This year WrestleMania 37 emanates from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The two-day event will also mark the first time that live fans have attended a WWE show in over 12 months.

There are many famous facts surrounding WrestleMania. The Undertaker's fabled WrestleMania undefeated streak, CM Punk's cameo at WrestleMania 22 and more. However, there are also some surprising facts that are less well known.

Let's take a closer look at 5 random WWE WrestleMania facts.

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#5 There has only been one Steel Cage match in WWE WrestleMania history

Hulk Hogan defended the WWE Championship against King Kong Bundy at WrestleMania 2

WWE looked to replicate the success of the first WrestleMania event from Madison Square Garden in 1985 by raising the stakes for WrestleMania 2 in 1986.

Unlike every other WrestleMania pay-per-view event, WrestleMania 2 took place on a Monday Night. The event was held in three separate venues in three separate cities on April 7, 1986. This resulted in WrestleMania 2 consisting of three separate cards, one for each respective venue.

The first venue was the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York which was main evented by Mr. T vs. "Rowdy" Roddy Piper in a boxing match. The second venue was the Rosemont Horizon in Chicago, Illinois which was main evented by a 20-man battle royal involving NFL players and WWE Superstars.

The third and final venue was the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena in Los Angeles, California. The final card, and WrestleMania 2 overall, was main evented by Hulk Hogan defending the WWE Championship against King Kong Bundy in a Steel Cage Match. With the support of Hulkamania on his side, Hulk Hogan was able to defeat King Kong Bundy and retain the WWE Championship.

However, in the 35 years since WrestleMania 2, there hasn't been another Steel Cage match in WrestleMania history (though there have been Hell In A Cell matches). But, that will all change at WrestleMania 37, as it has been announced that Shane McMahon will face off against Braun Strowman inside a steel cage during Night 2 of the showcase of the immortals.

This will mark the first Steel Cage Match at WrestleMania in 35 years and the second Steel Cage Match overall in WrestleMania history.

#4 There have only been two WWE WrestleMania events outside of the United States

Both WWE WrestleMania VI and WrestleMania X8 emanated from Canada

WWE WrestleMania has become a global phenomenon since the inaugural event at Madison Square Garden in 1985. The showcase of the immortals has developed into a week long festival in which members of the WWE Universe from around the globe come to partake in WrestleMania week festivities.

The global presence of WrestleMania is best represented by the crowd at the most recently attended WrestleMania. After the success of WrestleMania 35 in MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, WWE announced that a capacity crowd of 82,265 fans from all 50 U.S and 68 countries around the world had attended WrestleMania that year. This is a true indicator of the global reach that WrestleMania provides.

However, it's interesting to note that despite this global reach, WrestleMania has only taken place outside of the United States of America twice. Both WrestleMania VI and WrestleMania X8 emanated from the Skydome in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

WrestleMania VI took place on April 1, 1990 and was headlined by Hulk Hogan vs The Ultimate Warrior for both the WWE World Heavyweight and Intercontinental Championships.

WrestleMania X8 took place on March 17, 2002 and was main evented by Chris Jericho vs Triple H for the Undisputed WWE Championship. However, the event is perhaps best known for featuring Hulk Hogan vs The Rock in a WrestleMania classic.

#3 Sycho Sid has main evented both WWE WrestleMania events he has wrestled in

Sycho Sid competed in the main event of WWE WrestleMania VIII and WrestleMania 13

Former WWE Champion Sycho Sid certainly had a unique career with WWE. Sid debuted with WWE in 1991 billed as "Sid Justice." After being involved in several feuds with a variety of WWE Superstars, Sid transitioned into a feud with top babyface Hulk Hogan in early 1992. It kicked off when Sid eliminated Hogan from the 1992 Royal Rumble match.

This eventually set up a match between the two superstars in the main event of WrestleMania VIII. This not only marked Sid's WrestleMania debut, but also his first WrestleMania main event. At WrestleMania VIII, Sid Justice lost his match against Hulk Hogan after Papa Shango interfered on Sid's behalf, resulting in a disqualification.

This led to both Justice and Shango attacking Hogan until The Ultimate Warrior made his shocking return to WWE television after a lengthy absence, much to the delight of the WWE Universe.

Sid left the WWE later that year due to reported issues with WWE officials. However, Sid eventually returned to WWE in 1995 as Shawn Michaels' new bodyguard, now billed as "Sycho Sid."

Sid's second and final WrestleMania match would come two years later at WrestleMania 13 in 1997. Once again competing in the main event, Sycho Sid defended the WWE Championship against The Undertaker. After outside interference from Bret "Hitman" Hart, The Undertaker hit a Tombstone Pildriver on his opponent, allowing The Deadman to defeat Sid and capture the WWE Championship.

Once again, Sid departed WWE later that year. This means that Sycho Sid has competed in two WrestleMania matches, both of which have been the main event. However, he also lost both matches.

#2 Brock Lesnar vs. Kurt Angle was the first WWE WrestleMania main event to feature superstars using their real names

Brock Lesnar defeated Kurt Angle in the main event of WrestleMania XIX to win the WWE Championship

WWE WrestleMania XIX saw a tremendous main event for the WWE Championship. Brock Lesnar, in his WrestleMania debut match, defeated Kurt Angle to capture the WWE Championship.

However, an interesting fact about this match is that it was the first WrestleMania main event to feature two WWE Superstars using their real names.

Historically, performers in the world of professional wrestling do not use their real names for their in-ring personas. Character names, gimmicks, nicknames etc. are created to present a wrestler as larger than life, more entertaining to the audience and easier to market for merchandising opportunities.

However, professional wrestlers such as Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar were both well known before becoming WWE Superstars. Kurt Angle was a former Olympic Gold Medalist, winning gold at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. While Brock Lesnar was also well known for his extensive amateur wrestling success, becoming a 2-time NCAA Division I Heavyweight Wrestling champion.

Therefore, with superstars who have legitimate credible sporting backgrounds, it makes sense to capitalize on their initial fame and continue with their real name for their WWE on-screen persona.

#1 Ricky Steamboat had the longest amount of time between WWE WrestleMania matches

Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat teamed with Hall of Famers and competed against Chris Jericho at WWE WrestleMania 25

WWE Hall of Famer Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat is widely regarded as one of the best in-ring performers in the history of professional wrestling.

Ricky Steamboat has competed in some of the greatest wrestling matches of all time against the likes of Ric Flair in World Championship Wrestling and "Macho Man" Randy Savage at WrestleMania III.

However, Ricky Steamboat also holds a unique WrestleMania record. The Dragon holds the record for the longest amount of time between WWE WrestleMania matches.

Ricky Steamboat seemingly competed in his final WrestleMania match at WrestleMania IV in 1988 as part of the WWE Championship tournament. Steamboat was defeated by Greg "The Hammer" Valentine in the first round of the tournament.

After retiring from in-ring competition in 1994, many assumed that Ricky Steamboat would never have another WrestleMania match. However, that all changed when Steamboat came out of retirement to compete at WrestleMania XXV in 2009.

Ricky Steamboat teamed up with fellow WWE Hall of Famers "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka to take on Chris Jericho in a 3-on-1 handicap match. Despite the WWE Hall of Famers losing the match, Steamboat was widely praised for his incredible performance and memorable moments against Jericho.

By competing at WrestleMania XXV, Steamboat ended a 21 year gap between WrestleMania matches, a record that still stands to this day.