5 of the Most Predictable Yet Satisfying WrestleMania Main Events in History – We are now approaching three years since Paul Levesque took over creative control of WWE. The so-called Triple H era has broadly been seen as a net positive, yet there are certainly some fans who believe The Game’s decision-making has not been good for the promotion. Indeed, one of the most common themes of criticism has been the predictability of PLEs/PPVs. It’s been an interesting stick (or sledgehammer) to beat Triple with, not least because you can argue that WWE has always been predictable – in every era.
The point as such is that predictability is part and parcel of pro wrestling. Making WWE predictions before a PPV is not like making UFC picks before a big fight night – it’s scripted, and fans will usually have a fair idea of how the majority of matches on a card will pan out. That isn’t necessarily a negative, either. Pro wrestling is about character arcs and storytelling. The key is getting fans to buy into those factors, creating a sense of satisfaction even when fans know what is going to happen.
To highlight what we mean, let’s look at some WrestleMania main event results that were predictable yet sent the fans home happy.
Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant: WrestleMania III
The key wrestling bout of the Golden Era, there was little doubt that Hogan would go over. Yes, the then WWF did a good job of portraying it as a David vs. Goliath encounter, but there was no way that Vince McMahon was going to let one of the most pivotal PPVs in wrestling history, certainly from a mainstream viewer perspective, end with a heel standing tall. It would be another several years before McMahon was ready to end the Showcase of the Immortals with a clean heel victory (WrestleMania 2000 & Triple H; we are discounting Yokozuna at WrestleMania IX due to Hogan’s intervention). The fans in the 1980s were conditioned for babyface victories, eventually.
Brett Hart vs Yokozuna: WrestleMania X
After the backlash to WrestleMania IX, where Hogan won the WWF title in an impromptu match with Yokozuna (who had beaten Hart), there was little doubt that Hart would end the night as champion. To be fair, WWF Creative did a good job of sewing some doubt, having Hart lose to his brother Owen in the opening match. Fans know what happened next: the ushering in of the new Face of the New Generation. The formula of a defeated wrestler coming back to WrestleMania to “finish the story” a year later has been repeated time and time again, not least with Cody Rhodes.
Steve Austin vs. Shawn Michaels: WrestleMania XIV
Stone Cold Steve Austin’s momentum going into WrestleMania XIV really highlights what we mean about character arcs and storytelling trumping predictability. He was red-hot coming out of the Royal Rumble. His star was on the rise, and Michaels, well, he was ravaged with injuries and a sense of disillusionment. Sometimes, wrestling is simply about fans wanting to see the passing of the torch from one performer to another. This match, which is much revered but not the best technically, was very much an example of that.
John Cena vs. JBL: WrestleMania 21
Absolute textbook passing of the torch moment here, and an outcome so predictable that it was just a question of how Cena would win. It’s interesting to consider how fans viewed JBL’s run as champion. He was clearly a “transition” champion, yet he held onto the belt for ten months, cheating his way to keep hold of the title. Fans were ready for the red-hot Cena to take the reins. We must remember that the backlash to Cena as the anointed one and face of the company came after WrestleMania 21. The build to Mania 21 and the long months that preceded it saw Cena built as a workhorse, at times an underdog, who deserved his flowers.
Daniel Bryan vs. Batista vs. Randy Orton: WrestleMania XXX
Arguably, there was no greater example of fans clamoring to drive a storyline than Daniel Bryan’s journey to become WWE Champion. Triple H has maintained that the attempts to keep Bryan out of the WrestleMania XXX main event and everything else that derailed the Yes! Movement in the months that preceded the event was part of the plan. Others contend that WWE was forced into a pivot to crown Daniel. What we do know is that everyone was sure Bryan would go over by the time the show came around. Did anyone think he would lose to Triple H in the opener? Did anyone doubt that Bryan wasn’t going to hop off that stretcher and come back to win? It didn’t matter. We got what we wanted.
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5 of the Most Predictable Yet Satisfying WrestleMania Main Events in History
