5 WWE Superstars who refused to win at WrestleMania

Performing at WrestleMania is a top bucket-list item for many WWE Superstars. It’s the ultimate sign that someone has “made it.” Being in an important program ahead of The Show of Shows and having a match there is a strong sign that the company has confidence in the superstar.

That said, while having a match on The Showcase of the Immortals is important, performing well is equally, if not more, crucial. Wins and losses aren’t everything, but they do matter, regardless of what some might say.

However, more than stats, the storyline matters, and sometimes, wrestlers refuse to win even if the creative team wants them to. In this listicle, we will look at five WWE Superstars who refused to win at WrestleMania.

#5. AJ Styles

AJ Styles made his WWE debut during the 2016 Royal Rumble Match, entering at number 3 to a loud reaction from fans. After honing his craft all over the world, The Phenomenal One was finally in the global sports entertainment juggernaut, and fans were excited to see how he fared.

The following night on RAW, Styles faced Chris Jericho in his debut match. After a back-and-forth encounter, The Phenomenal One defeated Y2J. They collided once again a few weeks later on SmackDown, where Jericho came out on top.

The rubber match took place at WWE Fastlane 2016, where Styles made Jericho submit with a calf crusher. They developed a mutual respect after a trilogy and formed a tag team named Y2AJ. However, it didn’t last long, as the Canadian star turned on The Phenomenal One.

At WrestleMania 32, AJ Styles and Chris Jericho went one-on-one. Fans expected The Phenomenal One to secure a win on his first appearance at The Show of Shows, but Jericho surprisingly defeated Styles. The decision seemed confusing, but according to reports, it was AJ Styles who wanted to lose to Y2J at ‘Mania.

#4. Daniel Bryan

Daniel Bryan seemingly played an integral role in how the KofiMania storyline played out. Ahead of WrestleMania 35, Kofi Kingston gained plenty of momentum and massive support from fans for his dedication and hard work in WWE for over a decade.

The KofiMania movement was born as fans rallied behind the New Day member to become WWE Champion. However, standing in his way was the reigning champion, Daniel Bryan, who was all too familiar with miracles.

In an emotional payoff to the story, Kingston defeated Bryan at WrestleMania 35 to win his first world title. While The American Dragon was a thorn in the New Day member’s side on television, he showed immense support to Kingston backstage.

In an interview on In The Kliq, Kofi Kingston revealed that Daniel Bryan went to bat for him to be the world champion.

“On top of that, too, he’s [Bryan] somebody who doesn’t really seek any credit, you know what I’m saying? He does a lot of things. He had a lot to do with why I was even in that position. I know he had gone to bat for me to be in that position, because that’s what the people wanted. So I know he was a very big advocate of that, and he’ll never tell you that, he’ll never brag about that, because that’s not what his like purpose in doing that was. It was just about doing the right thing, and I’m always grateful for that.” [H/T: Fightful]

While his run as world champion ended in an anticlimactic manner at the hands of Brock Lesnar, watching Kofi lift the title at WrestleMania 35 will be a moment that will always be cherished by fans.

#3. Randy Orton

Randy Orton entered into a heated rivalry with The Undertaker in 2005 and vowed to end the legend’s undefeated streak at WrestleMania 21. The Legend Ki**er was close to claiming another victim and handing The Phenom his first loss on The Grandest Stage of Them All, but the veteran ultimately won and extended his streak to 13-0.

There were discussions regarding The Viper ending Taker’s streak, but Orton reportedly turned it down out of respect. The feud between them continued after The Show of Shows and is still remembered as one of the most iconic rivalries.

#2. Edge

Edge was another superstar who was close to defeating The Undertaker at WrestleMania, but chose not to out of respect. The Rated R Superstar and The Phenom collided for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 24.

After a back-and-forth match, The Deadman picked up the win after making Edge submit. According to The Undertaker’s wife, Michelle McCool, the company was considering the Canadian star to end The WWE Hall of Famer’s undefeated streak. However, The Rated R Superstar believed it didn’t make sense for him to win, refusing the idea.

The iconic streak ultimately ended at WrestleMania 30 at the hands of Brock Lesnar.

#1. WWE Hall of Famer The Undertaker

After his streak ended at WrestleMania 30, The Undertaker continued to compete occasionally. The Phenom defeated Bray Wyatt and Shane McMahon at WrestleMania 31 and 32, respectively.

Taker entered into a rivalry with Roman Reigns, leading to a No Holds Barred Match at WrestleMania 33. The Big Dog became the second person in history to defeat The Deadman at The Show of Shows. The Phenom reportedly wanted to put Reigns over, contributing to his push as the face of WWE.