WrestleMania Main Event Winners

Since its debut in 1985, WrestleMania has crowned 41 championship winners across its iconic main events. 

This comprehensive guide covers every main event winner, attendance records, and the wrestlers who defined WWE’s flagship event.

Key Statistics on WrestleMania Main Events

WrestleMania holds the record as professional wrestling’s most valuable sports brand, estimated at $200 million by Forbes in 2017. Since shifting to two-night formats in 2020, WrestleMania generates record-breaking viewership and attendance figures annually.

Attendance & Revenue Records:

Record Category Event Attendance/Metric Date
Highest Single-Night WrestleMania 32 101,763 fans April 3, 2016
Highest Two-Night Combined WrestleMania 41 124,693 fans April 19-20, 2025
Most Revenue Generated WrestleMania 41 Record-breaking revenue April 19-20, 2025
Merchandise Record WrestleMania 39 20% above prior record April 1-2, 2023
Social Viewership WrestleMania 41 1.1 billion social views April 19-20, 2025

WrestleMania 41 shattered previous records with the highest attendance in WWE history. 

The event generated record revenue across ticket sales, merchandise, hospitality packages, and digital engagement, cementing WrestleMania’s status as WWE’s flagship draw.

WrestleMania Main Event Winners (1985–2025)

1980s WrestleMania Main Event Winners

Event Year Main Event Match Winner Venue Attendance
WrestleMania I 1985 Hulk Hogan & Mr. T vs. Roddy Piper & Paul Orndorff Hogan & Mr. T Madison Square Garden, NYC 20,000
WrestleMania II 1986 Hulk Hogan vs. King Kong Bundy (Steel Cage) Hulk Hogan Multi-venue 20,000
WrestleMania III 1987 Hulk Hogan vs. André the Giant Hulk Hogan Pontiac Silverdome, MI ~93,173
WrestleMania IV 1988 Randy Savage vs. Ted DiBiase (Tournament Final) Randy Savage Atlantic City Convention Center, NJ 19,121
WrestleMania V 1989 Hulk Hogan vs. Randy Savage Hulk Hogan Meadowlands Arena, NJ 20,000

The first WrestleMania main event winners established wrestling’s biggest tradition. Hulk Hogan appeared in 6 WrestleMania main events and won the majority, becoming the face that launched the modern era.

1990s WrestleMania Main Event Winners

Event Year Main Event Match Winner Venue Highlights
WrestleMania VI 1990 Ultimate Warrior vs. Hulk Hogan Ultimate Warrior SkyDome, Toronto Title vs. Title match
WrestleMania VII 1991 Sgt. Slaughter vs. Hulk Hogan Hulk Hogan LA Memorial Coliseum, CA Gulf War storyline
WrestleMania VIII 1992 Hulk Hogan vs. Sid Justice Hulk Hogan Hoosier Dome, Indianapolis Andre interference
WrestleMania IX 1993 Yokozuna vs. Bret Hart Yokozuna Caesars Palace, Las Vegas Hart title change
WrestleMania X 1994 Yokozuna vs. Bret Hart Bret Hart Madison Square Garden, NYC Hart reclaims title
WrestleMania XI 1995 Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Lawrence Taylor Lawrence Taylor Earthdome, Hartford, CT Celebrity main event
WrestleMania XII 1996 Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels Shawn Michaels Arrowhead Pond, Anaheim, CA 60-min Iron Man
WrestleMania XIII 1997 The Undertaker vs. Sycho Sid The Undertaker Chicago Rosemont Horizon, IL Undertaker dominance
WrestleMania XIV 1998 Stone Cold vs. Shawn Michaels Stone Cold Steve Austin FleetCenter, Boston, MA Mike Tyson enforcer
WrestleMania XV 1999 The Rock vs. Stone Cold The Rock Fleet Center, Boston, MA Mankind special referee

The 1990s transitioned wrestling from Hogan era to the Attitude Era. Bret Hart won multiple main events, while Undertaker and Stone Cold emerged as dominant forces, establishing wrestling’s new generation of champions.

2000s WrestleMania Main Event Winners

Event Year Main Event Match Winner Venue Significance
WrestleMania 2000 2000 Triple H vs. The Rock vs. Big Show vs. Foley Triple H SkyDome, Toronto Multi-man match
WrestleMania X-Seven 2001 The Rock vs. Stone Cold Stone Cold Steve Austin Reliant Astrodome, Houston Historic main event
WrestleMania X8 2002 Chris Jericho vs. Triple H Chris Jericho Skydome, Toronto Undisputed title
WrestleMania XIX 2003 Kurt Angle vs. Brock Lesnar Brock Lesnar Safeco Field, Seattle, WA Angle’s last title loss
WrestleMania XX 2004 Eddie Guerrero vs. Kurt Angle Eddie Guerrero Madison Square Garden, NYC Guerrero championship
WrestleMania 21 2005 John Cena vs. JBL John Cena Westchester County Center, NY Cena’s first title
WrestleMania 22 2006 John Cena vs. Edge vs. Triple H John Cena Allstate Arena, Chicago, IL Triple threat title
WrestleMania 23 2007 Edge vs. The Undertaker The Undertaker Citrus Bowl, Orlando, FL Streak momentum
WrestleMania 24 2008 Floyd Mayweather vs. Big Show Floyd Mayweather Orlandodome, FL Celebrity draw
WrestleMania 25 2009 Edge vs. Big Show vs. The Undertaker Edge Citius Dome, Houston, TX Undertaker 17-0

The 2000s featured several dominant champions including Triple H, The Rock, Stone Cold, and John Cena’s rise. The Undertaker’s WrestleMania Streak grew to legendary status, becoming wrestling’s most protected winning streak.

2010s WrestleMania Main Event Winners

Event Year Main Event Match Winner Venue Key Moment
WrestleMania 26 2010 Bret Hart vs. Vince McMahon Bret Hart University of Phoenix Stadium, AZ Hart’s return
WrestleMania 27 2011 The Miz vs. John Cena The Miz Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA Miz upset victory
WrestleMania 28 2012 The Rock vs. John Cena The Rock Metrodome, Miami, FL “Once In A Lifetime”
WrestleMania 29 2013 The Rock vs. John Cena John Cena Metlife Stadium, NJ Cena revenge win
WrestleMania 30 2014 Daniel Bryan vs. Batista vs. Randy Orton Daniel Bryan Bourbon Street, New Orleans, LA Bryan’s climax moment
WrestleMania 31 2015 Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins Roman Reigns Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, CA Reigns title win
WrestleMania 32 2016 Roman Reigns vs. Triple H Roman Reigns AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX Record 101,763 attendance
WrestleMania 33 2017 The Miz vs. Maryse vs. John Cena John Cena Citrus Bowl, Orlando, FL Cena multi-title
WrestleMania 34 2018 Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns Brock Lesnar Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, LA Lesnar dominance
WrestleMania 35 2019 Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Ronda Rousey Becky Lynch MetLife Stadium, NJ First women’s main event

The 2010s introduced modern stars including Roman Reigns, Daniel Bryan, and the historic first women’s main event in WrestleMania 35. WrestleMania 32 set the single-night attendance record with 101,763 fans.

2020s WrestleMania Main Event Winners

Event Year Main Event Match Winner Venue Historic Significance
WrestleMania 36 (Night 2) 2020 Drew McIntyre vs. Brock Lesnar Drew McIntyre Performance Center, Orlando, FL McIntyre first Scottish champion
WrestleMania 37 (Night 2) 2021 Roman Reigns vs. Edge vs. Daniel Bryan Roman Reigns Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL Reigns tribal chief reign
WrestleMania 38 (Night 2) 2022 Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar Roman Reigns AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX Undisputed title unification
WrestleMania 39 (Night 2) 2023 Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes Roman Reigns SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA Record viewership event
WrestleMania 40 (Night 2) 2024 Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns Cody Rhodes Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA Rhodes finishes story
WrestleMania 41 (Night 2) 2025 John Cena vs. Cody Rhodes John Cena Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV Cena’s 17th world title

Recent WrestleMania main event winners include Roman Reigns’ record-breaking title run and Cody Rhodes’ championship victory in 2024. John Cena’s 2025 victory at WrestleMania 41 tied his record with Ric Flair at 16 world championship reigns before surpassing it with his 17th title.

Most WrestleMania Main Event Victories (All-Time)

Wrestler Main Event Wins Years Active Notable Victories
Hulk Hogan 6 1985–1992 I, II, III, V, VII, VIII
John Cena 5 2005–2025 21, 25, 28, 33, 41
The Undertaker 4 1990–2023 VI, VII, XIII, XXIII, XXVII
The Rock 4 1999–2012 XV, X-Seven, XXVIII (2x)
Roman Reigns 5 2015–2024 XXXI, XXXII, XXXVII, XXXVIII, XXXIX, XL
Bret Hart 3 1993–2004 IX, X, XX
Randy Savage 2 1988–1989 IV, V
Stone Cold Steve Austin 3 1998–2022 XIV, X-Seven, Rumble 2022

WrestleMania Main Event Records & Milestones

Record Wrestler/Event Achievement Year
Longest Undefeated Streak The Undertaker 21 consecutive WrestleMania wins (WM 7-27) 1991–2015
Most Title Reigns at WrestleMania John Cena 17 world championship victories 2025
Youngest Main Event Winner Sycho Sid (WM 13) Age 26 1997
Oldest Main Event Champion Stone Cold Steve Austin (Royal Rumble 2022) Age 57 2022
Most Consecutive Main Events Roman Reigns 5 consecutive (XXXVII–XLI) 2021–2025
Only Multi-Discipline Champion Karch Kiraly Gold medals in indoor & beach volleyball (different sport)
Only Retiring At WrestleMania John Cena (announced retirement) Set to retire end of 2025 2025

WrestleMania Attendance by Decade

Decade Average Attendance Peak Event Peak Attendance
1980s ~20,000 WrestleMania III 93,173
1990s ~15,000–20,000 WrestleMania X 20,000
2000s ~40,000–70,000 WrestleMania 24 80,000+
2010s ~70,000–100,000 WrestleMania 32 101,763
2020s ~70,000–124,000 WrestleMania 41 124,693

The evolution of WrestleMania attendance reflects wrestling’s growth. Early events drew 20,000 fans, while modern WrestleManias consistently exceed 70,000 attendees across two-night formats.

FAQs

Who won the first WrestleMania main event?

Hulk Hogan and Mr. T defeated Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff on March 31, 1985, at Madison Square Garden with Muhammad Ali and Pat Patterson as special guest referees. This tag team match launched wrestling’s biggest tradition.

What WrestleMania main event had the highest attendance?

WrestleMania 32 set the all-time single-night record with 101,763 fans at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on April 3, 2016. WrestleMania 41 in 2025 became the highest two-night combined attendance at 124,693 fans.

How many times has Roman Reigns main evented WrestleMania?

Roman Reigns has main evented 6 WrestleManias (XXXI, XXXII, XXXVII, XXXVIII, XXXIX, XL) between 2015 and 2024, making him the most frequent WrestleMania main event competitor in recent history.

Who is the only wrestler to main event WrestleMania three consecutive years?

Roman Reigns main evented WrestleManias XXXVII, XXXVIII, and XXXIX from 2021–2023, establishing him as the dominant WrestleMania main event force during his historic 1,316-day WWE Universal Championship reign.

Did The Undertaker main event the most WrestleManias?

The Undertaker appeared in 27 WrestleMania matches (most of any wrestler) but didn’t main event the most. Hulk Hogan, Roman Reigns, and John Cena each have more WrestleMania main event appearances despite Undertaker’s greater total WrestleMania participation.

What was Cody Rhodes’ first WrestleMania main event?

Cody Rhodes’ first WrestleMania main event was WrestleMania 38 (2022) when he challenged Roman Reigns, beginning his three-year quest to “finish the story” by winning the WWE Championship that his father Dusty Rhodes never held.

Sohanur Rahman
Sohanur Rahman is a wrestling content writer at Surprise Sports specializing in WWE coverage, wrestler biographies, combat sports rankings, and athlete net worth research. He creates engaging, research-driven content covering wrestling history, championship records, fighter careers, major events, and trending stories from the world of professional wrestling and combat sports.