Every WWE Wrestlemania Main Event: Looking Back At 40 Years Of Wrestling History
GameSpot may receive revenue from affiliate and advertising partnerships for sharing this content and from purchases through links.
WWE's Wrestlemania is the biggest event for the wrestling/sports entertainment company of the year. It's a time where storylines come to a close--unless they carryover to Backlash--and major championships are on the line. In fact, Wrestlemania has become such a large spectacle that it takes place over the course of two nights, which began in 2020.
Wrestlemania XL was a tremendous two-night event that featured over a dozen matches that left fans on the edge of their seats. We saw the return of The Rock, the Uso brothers battling each other, Becky Lynch facing Rhea Ripley in an exciting match, and Cody Rhodes attempting to finish his story. There were handfuls of memorable moments. As we think about Mania 40, all the great moments, and how the 2025 event could be booked, let's take a look at the past PLEs and each Wrestlemania main event.
For more on Wrestlemania, check out every inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame and the results for Wrestlemania XL Night One and Night Two.
1. Wrestlemania I
Date: March 31, 1985
Venue: Madison Square Garden (New York City, NY)
Main Event: Hulk Hogan & Mr. T vs. Roddy Piper & Paul Orndorff
Stipulation: Muhammad Ali & Pat Patteron as special guest referees
Winner: Hulk Hogan & Mr. T
2. Wrestlemania II
Date: April 7, 1986
Venue: Rosemont Horizon (Rosemont, IL), Nassau Coliseum (Uniondale, NY), and Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena (Los Angeles, CA)
Main Event: Hulk Hogan vs. King Kong Bundy
Stipulation: Steel Cage for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship
Winner: Hulk Hogan
3. Wrestlemania III
Date: March 29, 1987
Venue: Pontiac Silverdome (Pontiac, MI)
Main Event: Hulk Hogan vs. Andre The Giant
Stipulation: For the WWF World Heavyweight Championship
Winner: Hulk Hogan
4. Wrestlemania IV
Date: March 27, 1988
Venue: Historic Atlantic City Convention Hall (Atlantic City, NJ)
Main Event: Randy Savage (with Miss Elizabeth) vs. Ted DiBiase (with André the Giant)
Stipulation: Tournament final for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship
Winner: Randy Savage
5. Wrestlemania V
Date: April 2, 1989
Venue: Historic Atlantic City Convention Hall (Atlantic City, NJ)
Main Event: Randy Savage vs. Hulk Hogan
Stipulation: For the WWF Championship
Winner: Hulk Hogan
6. Wrestlemania VI
Date: April 1, 1990
Venue: SkyDome (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
Main Event: Ultimate Warrior vs. Hulk Hogan
Stipulation: For the Intercontinental and WWF Championships
Winner: Ultimate Warrior
7. Wrestlemania VII
Date: March 24, 1991
Venue: Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena (Los Angeles, CA)
Main Event: Hulk Hogan vs. Sgt. Slaughter
Stipulation: For the WWF Championship
Winner: Hulk Hogan
8. Wrestlemania VIII
Date: April 5, 1992
Venue: Hoosier Dome (Indianapolis, IN)
Main Event: Hulk Hogan vs. Sid Justice
Stipulation: None
Winner: Hulk Hogan (By DQ)
9. Wrestlemania IX
Date: April 4, 1993
Venue: Caesars Palace (Paradise, NV)
Main Event: Yokozuna vs. Bret Hart/Hulk Hogan vs. Yokozuna
Stipulation: For the WWF Championship
Winner: Yokozuna/Hulk Hogan
10. Wrestlemania X
Date: March 20, 1994
Venue: Madison Square Garden (New York City, NY)
Main Event: Bret Hart vs. Yokozuna
Stipulation: For the WWF Championship with Roddy Piper as special guest referee
Winner: Bret Hart
11. Wrestlemania XI
Date: April 2, 1995
Venue: Hartford Civic Center (Hartford, CT)
Main Event: Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Lawrence Taylor
Stipulation: None
Winner: Lawrence Taylor
12. Wrestlemania XII
Date: March 31, 1996
Venue: Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim (Anaheim, CA)
Main Event: Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart
Stipulation: 60-minute Iron Man Match for the WWF Championship
Winner: Shawn Michaels
13. Wrestlemania 13
Date: March 23, 1997
Venue: Rosemont Horizon (Rosemont, IL)
Main Event: The Undertaker vs. Sycho Sid
Stipulation: No DQ match for the WWF Championship
Winner: The Undertaker
14. Wrestlemania XIV
Date: March 29, 1998
Venue: FleetCenter (Boston, MA)
Main Event: Shawn Michaels vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin
Stipulation: For the WWF Championship with Mike Tyson as "special enforcer"
Winner: Steve Austin
15. Wrestlemania XV
Date: March 28, 1999
Venue: First Union Center (Philadelphia, PA)
Main Event: Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. The Rock
Stipulation: No DQ match for the WWF Championship with Mankind as special guest referee
Winner: Steve Austin
16. Wrestlemania 2000
Date: April 2, 2000
Venue: Arrowhead Pond (Anaheim, CA)
Main Event: Triple H vs. The Rock vs. The Big Show vs. Mick Foley
Stipulation: Four-way elimination match for the WWF Championship
Winner: Triple H
17. Wrestlemania X-Seven
Date: April 1, 2001
Venue: Reliant Astrodome (Houston, TX)
Main Event: Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. The Rock
Stipulation: No DQ match for the WWF Championship
Winner: Steve Austin
18. Wrestlemania X8
Date: March 17, 2002
Venue: Skydome (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
Main Event: Chris Jericho vs. Triple H
Stipulation: For the Undisputed WWF Championship
Winner: Triple H
19. Wrestlemania XIX
Date: March 30, 2003
Venue: Safeco Field (Seattle, WA)
Main Event: Kurt Angle vs. Brock Lesnar
Stipulation: For the WWE Championship, and Kurt would have lost the title if he had anyone interfere on his behalf, was counted out, or DQ'd
Winner: Brock Lesnar
20. Wrestlemania XX
Date: March 14, 2004
Venue: Madison Square Garden (New York City, NY)
Main Event: Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Benoit
Stipulation: For the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
Winner: Chris Benoit
21. Wrestlemania 21
Date: April 3, 2005
Venue: Staples Center (Los Angeles)
Main Event: Triple H vs. Batista
Stipulation: For the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
Winner: Batista
22. Wrestlemania 22
Date: April 2, 2006
Venue: Allstate Arena (Rosemont, IL)
Main Event: John Cena vs. Triple H
Stipulation: For the WWE Championship
Winner: John Cena
23. Wrestlemania 23
Date: April 1, 2007
Venue: Ford Field (Detroit, MI)
Main Event: John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels
Stipulation: For the WWE Championship
Winner: John Cena
24. Wrestlemania XXIV
Date: March 30, 2008
Venue: Florida Citrus Bowl (Orlando, FL)
Main Event: The Undertaker vs. Edge
Stipulation: For the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
Winner: The Undertaker
25. Wrestlemania 25
Date: April 5, 2009
Venue: Reliant Stadium (Houston, TX)
Main Event: Randy Orton vs. Triple H
Stipulation: For the WWE Championship, and if Triple H was counted out or DQ'd, he'd lose the title
Winner: Triple H
26. Wrestlemania XXVI
Date: March 28, 2010
Venue: University of Phoenix Stadium (Glendale, AZ)
Main Event: The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels
Stipulation: NO DQ match and if Shawn Michaels loses, he retires*
Winner: The Undertaker
*Michaels had one more match at Crown Jewel in 2018
27. Wrestlemania XXVII
Date: April 3, 2011
Venue: Georgia Dome (Atlanta, GA)
Main Event: John Cena vs. The Miz
Stipulation: For the WWE Championship
Winner: The Miz
28. Wrestlemania XXVIII
Date: April 1, 2012
Venue: Sun Life Stadium (Miami Gardens, FL)
Main Event: John Cena vs. The Rock
Stipulation: None
Winner: The Rock
29. Wrestlemania 29
Date: April 7, 2013
Venue: MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ)
Main Event: The Rock vs. John Cena
Stipulation: For the WWE Championship
Winner: John Cena
30. Wrestlemania XXX
Date: April 6, 2014
Venue: Mercedes-Benz Superdome (New Orleans, LA)
Main Event: Daniel Bryan vs. Batista vs. Randy Orton
Stipulation: For the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
Winner: Daniel Bryan
31. Wrestlemania 31
Date: March 29, 2015
Venue: Levi's Stadium (Santa Claira, CA)
Main Event: Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins (Money in the Bank Cash-in by Rollins)
Stipulation: For the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
Winner: Seth Rollins
32. Wrestlemania 32
Date: April 3, 2016
Venue: AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX)
Main Event: Triple H vs. Roman Reigns
Stipulation: For the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
Winner: Roman Reigns
33. Wrestlemania 33
Date: April 2, 2017
Venue: Camping World Stadium (Orlando, FL)
Main Event: The Undertaker vs. Roman Reigns
Stipulation: No Holds Barred match
Winner:Roman Reigns
34. Wrestlemania 34
Date: April 8, 2018
Venue: Mercedes-Benz Superdome (New Oleans, LA)
Main Event: Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar
Stipulation: For the WWE Universal Championship
Winner: Brock Lesnar
35. Wrestlemania 35
Date: April 7, 2019
Venue: MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ)
Main Event: Charlotte Flair vs. Ronda Rousey vs. Becky Lynch
Stipulation: For the Raw Women's Championship and the Smackdown Women's Championship
Winner: Becky Lynch
36. Wrestlemania 36
Dates: April 4 and 5, 2020
Venue: WWE Performance Center (Orlando, FL)
Night 1
Main Event: AJ Styles vs. The Undertaker
Stipulation: Boneyard Match
Winner: The Undertaker
Night 2
Main Event: Drew McIntyre vs. Brock Lesnar
Stipulation: For the WWE Championship
Winner: Drew McIntyre
37. Wrestlemania 37
Dates: April 10 and 11, 2021
Venue: Raymond James Stadium
Night 1
Main Event: Bianca Belair vs. Sasha Banks
Stipulation: For the WWE Smackdown Women's Championship
Winner: Bianca Belair
Night 2
Main Event: Roman Reigns vs. Edge vs. Daniel Bryan
Stipulation: For the WWE Universal Championship
Winner: Roman Reigns
38. Wrestlemania 38
Dates: April 2 and 3, 2022
Venue: AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX)
Night 1
Main Event: Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Kevin Owens
Stipulation: No Holds Barred
Winner: Steve Austin
Night 2
Main Event: Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar
Stipulation: For the WWE Championship and the WWE Universal Championship
Winner: Roman Reigns
39. Wrestlemania 39
Dates: April 1 and 2, 2023
Venue: SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, CA)
Night 1
Main Event: The Usos vs. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
Stipulation: For the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship
Winner: Kevin Owens and Zami Zayn
Night 2
Main Event: Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes
Stipulation: For the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship
Winner: Roman Reigns
40. Wrestle Mania XL
Dates: April 6 and 7, 2024
Venue: Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia, PA)
Night 1
Main Event: Seth Rollins and Cody Rhodes vs. The Rock and Roman Reigns
Stipulation: If Rock and Reigns wins, Rhodes' match against Reigns on Night Two would be "Bloodline Rules."
Winner: The Rock and Roman Reigns
Night 2
Main Event: Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes
Stipulation: For the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship with Bloodline Rules
Winner: Cody Rhodes