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With WrestleMania 37 in just a couple of days, anticipation is through the roof. It will be the first WWE show to feature a live crowd since last March.
Roman Reigns will headline the weekend as he defends his Universal Championship against Edge and Daniel Bryan. This main event was impossible just five years ago. Edge had other projects going on, while Bryan had just retired from the ring.
The last five years have seen a major transition of talent into the main event scene. Lesser part-timers are headlining now, with a more diverse crop of stars in the mix. The change from 2021 to 2026 likely won't be as drastic, but who knows?
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Nobody in early 2016 would have believed that AJ Styles, Drew McIntyre or the women's division would main event WrestleMania. But they all did. Will the next five years surprise us in the same way? Who will join Reigns and McIntyre as WWE's biggest stars? There are so many questions.
Here are some potential answers. Let's speculate on the next five years of WrestleMania main events. This will cover next year's edition, all the way to 'Mania 42 in 2026. How likely do you think these potential matches are?
#5 WWE WrestleMania 38 - Becky Lynch vs. Ronda Rousey and/or Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre
The best-case scenario for WrestleMania 38 would see WWE filling 100,000 seats at AT&T Stadium, possibly for two straight nights if this year's format is a rousing success. If all other factors are permitted, the company would need two massive matches it could build WrestleMania 38 around for that to happen.
First, Becky Lynch vs. Ronda Rousey. The match that somehow got away.
They headlined WrestleMania 35 alongside Charlotte Flair, but the finish left a lot to be desired. The two may be close to returning to WWE soon as well. The Man could upstage Rousey's big return, or vice-versa, planting the seeds for an eventual clash at next year's WrestleMania.
Meanwhile, Roman Reigns will likely be in the mix for a headlining spot at 'Mania 38 too. He is too big a star to ignore.
Whether he wins at WrestleMania 37 or not, Reigns will likely enter next year's Show of Shows with the belt. The obvious main event match for him will likely be pushed back a year, so what is the next best thing for The Tribal Chief at WrestleMania 38? A match against WWE's biggest full-time babyface star - Drew McIntyre.
The two have faced off multiple times, with their latest match coming at Survivor Series. It was excellent and provided the perfect base for a bigger story. McIntyre could move to SmackDown and finally topple Reigns on the Grandest Stage of Them All.
This feels like a modern-day version of Rock vs. Austin.
#4 WWE WrestleMania 39 - Roman Reigns vs. The Rock
This is the WrestleMania main event that will be pushed back a year, purely because of the location. Roman Reigns isn't going anywhere, and will likely remain the top dog in WWE in two years. The Show of Shows will take place in Hollywood in 2023, which instantly awakens talk of The Rock making his return.
It very well might happen, with the stars aligning to perfection. As long as Reigns retains his Head of the Table persona, a fantastic story can be told between him and his distant cousin. The current Universal Champion wouldn't even need the belt heading into a match of this magnitude.
WrestleMania 39 will mark ten years since The Rock's last in-ring outing for WWE when he faced John Cena. However, he will definitely put on a spectacle at WrestleMania 39. The People's Champion will not want to disappoint in what will likely be his final match.
WWE cannot book a bigger match than Roman Reigns vs. The Rock any time soon. The company should do everything in its power to secure the Hollywood icon for a 'Mania match. The potential upside is enormous, from a creative and business sense. It is the perfect storm.
#3 WWE WrestleMania 40 - Roman Reigns vs. Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn
This idea may seem absurd as a potential WrestleMania main event, but stick with us. There is a method to this madness. Based on historical trends, WrestleMania 40 will end with a beloved underdog babyface overcoming the odds following a multi-person story arc on the show.
Bret Hart won the WWE Title at WrestleMania 10 despite losing the opener to Owen Hart. Ten years later, Chris Benoit defeated Triple H and Shawn Michaels to become World Heavyweight Champion. Up next was Daniel Bryan, who stood tall at WrestleMania 30 after defeating three-fourths of Evolution over two matches.
Sami Zayn's current character seems way off from the above names, but his trajectory isn't much different. One must remember that Bryan lost the world title in 18 seconds just two years before he conquered the world at WrestleMania 30. WWE's resident conspiracy theorist has three years to redeem himself.
His entertainment value as a heel will has done him a world of good, but Zayn is an amazing babyface. He has a lovable charm, much like Daniel Bryan. His NXT Title triumph in 2014 is a prime example of his brilliance. Zayn's story was perfectly told and filled with emotion. He could replicate it on a larger scale ten years later.
Roman Reigns will be in the WrestleMania 40 main event as the big bad heel, while Kevin Owens is there to keep up with the multi-man trend and play on his history with Sami Zayn. It would make this hypothetical victory even sweeter.
#2 WWE WrestleMania 41 - Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks vs. Bayley vs. Charlotte Flair
Following Sami Zayn's incredible ascent at WrestleMania 40, it is time for more feel-good moments. Roman Reigns takes a break from headlining the Show of Shows, with the honor going to the Four Horsewomen.
Besides Becky Lynch vs. Ronda Rousey and Sasha Banks vs. Bianca Belair this year, it is the only women's main event WWE could book at WrestleMania. It absolutely must happen as well. Banks, Lynch, Bayley, and Charlotte have not had a fatal-4-way since 2015, ten years before this proposed main event.
The past year has seen a shift in WWE's women's division, following The Man's pregnancy. Charlotte also disappeared for the second half of 2020, while Banks and Bayley dominated RAW and SmackDown. In fact, The Legit Boss is the only WWE horsewoman who is scheduled to compete at WrestleMania 37.
One or two of the group might be on their way out of WWE in the next five years, owing to other responsibilities and opportunities. So a show-closing spot at WrestleMania 41 could be the perfect swansong for them as full-time wrestlers, if not more.
Sasha Banks, Charlotte Flair, Bayley and Becky Lynch deserve to share the WrestleMania stage together. For all the history they share, along with their star power and in-ring talent, the Four Horsewomen have to main event the Show of Shows together.
Having it exactly a decade after their main roster ascent makes it even more special. Whether it is for the RAW or SmackDown Women's Championship, WWE has a huge storytelling opportunity with Sasha Banks, Bayley, Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 41.
#1 WWE WrestleMania 42 - Drew McIntyre vs. Roman Reigns
Here we are, back to the status quo for WrestleMania. But it isn't a bad thing when Drew McIntyre and Roman Reigns are on top. As mentioned earlier, the two of them could be the modern-day version of The Rock vs. Stone Cold.
That means McIntyre and Reigns will face each other in big matches every few years. They collided at WrestleMania 35 and Stomping Grounds 2019, before having a Champion vs. Champion match at Survivor Series 2020. Based on this list, The Scottish Terminator takes on The Tribal Chief at WrestleMania 38 as well.
They could meet again in the main event of 'Mania four years later. At 40-years-old in 2026, Roman Reigns and Drew McIntyre will likely be at the very top of their respective games in WWE.
The current Universal Champion may even be a part-timer at this point, considering his excellent expressions and character work. Reigns could do great in Hollywood.
The final installment of their WrestleMania trilogy would be a typically great contest. They may be in their current roles, but the roles may be switched. Five years on, Roman Reigns could be a returning babyface who takes on Drew McIntyre to try and end his tyrannical WWE Championship reign.
So many different directions are possible, making an exercise like this almost impossible to get right.
How many of these predictions will be correct? We will slowly find out after every WrestleMania in the next five years. Probably none, but it is always fun to speculate and look ahead.
