{"id":237463,"date":"2026-04-08T16:28:48","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T16:28:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/08\/5-wwe-superstars-who-refused-to-win-at-wrestlemania\/"},"modified":"2026-04-08T16:28:48","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T16:28:48","slug":"5-wwe-superstars-who-refused-to-win-at-wrestlemania","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/08\/5-wwe-superstars-who-refused-to-win-at-wrestlemania\/","title":{"rendered":"5 WWE Superstars who refused to win at WrestleMania"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"article-content\" data-postid=\"5150877\" data-slug-id=\"2764381\">\n<div class=\"vidazoo-player-container\">\n<span class=\"vidazoo-close-btn  hidden \"><br \/>\n<img data-lazy=\"\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/cmc-predictor\/v2\/cross-icon.png?w=40\" width=\"20\" height=\"20\" alt=\"close\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Performing at WrestleMania is a top bucket-list item for many WWE Superstars. It&#8217;s the ultimate sign that someone has &#8220;made it.&#8221; 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.<\/p>\n<p>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&#8217;t everything, but they do matter, regardless of what some might say.<\/p>\n<p><template id=\"template__newsletter-inline-banner-form-combo-widget\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"wrapper\">\n<p><img id=\"subscribe-img\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\nThanks for the submission!\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/template><\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p><template id=\"also-read-articles-template\"><\/p>\n<p><\/template><\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h2>#5. AJ Styles<\/h2>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>The following night on RAW, Styles faced <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/player\/chris-jericho\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">Chris Jericho<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n<p>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&#8217;t last long, as the Canadian star turned on The Phenomenal One.<\/p>\n<p>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 &#8216;Mania.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h2>#4. Daniel Bryan<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/player\/daniel-bryan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">Daniel Bryan<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n<p>The KofiMania movement was born as fans rallied behind the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/team\/new-day\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">New Day<\/a> member to become WWE Champion. However, standing in his way was the reigning champion, Daniel Bryan, who was all too familiar with miracles.<\/p>\n<p>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&#8217;s side on television, he showed immense support to Kingston backstage.<\/p>\n<p>In an interview on <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=nr1Ikx_v-J8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">In The Kliq<\/a><\/em>, Kofi Kingston revealed that Daniel Bryan went to bat for him to be the world champion. <\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u201cOn top of that, too, he\u2019s [Bryan] somebody who doesn\u2019t really seek any credit, you know what I\u2019m 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\u2019s what the people wanted. So I know he was a very big advocate of that, and he\u2019ll never tell you that, he\u2019ll never brag about that, because that\u2019s not what his like purpose in doing that was. It was just about doing the right thing, and I\u2019m always grateful for that.\u201d [H\/T: <\/em><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fightful.com\/wrestling\/kofi-kingston-bryan-danielson-will-never-brag-about-it-he-went-bat-me-be-wwe-champion\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">Fightful<\/a><\/em><em>]<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>While his run as world champion ended in an anticlimactic manner at the hands of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/player\/brock-lesnar\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">Brock Lesnar<\/a>, watching Kofi lift the title at WrestleMania 35 will be a moment that will always be cherished by fans.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h2>#3. Randy Orton<\/h2>\n<p>Randy Orton entered into a heated rivalry with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/player\/the-undertaker\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">The Undertaker<\/a> in 2005 and vowed to end the legend&#8217;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.<\/p>\n<p>There were discussions regarding The Viper ending Taker&#8217;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.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h2>#2. Edge<\/h2>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>After a back-and-forth match, The Deadman picked up the win after making <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/player\/edge\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">Edge<\/a> submit. According to The Undertaker&#8217;s wife, Michelle McCool, the company was considering the Canadian star to end The WWE Hall of Famer&#8217;s undefeated streak. However, The Rated R Superstar believed it didn&#8217;t make sense for him to win, refusing the idea.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sportskeeda-embed\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/wwe\/embed\">\n<div class=\"yt-wrapper\">                    <noscript><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FULL MATCH - Edge vs. The Undertaker \u2013 World Heavyweight Championship Match: WrestleMania XXIV\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/drtLBtiD8IE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/noscript>                    <\/p>\n<div class=\"youtube\" data-embed=\"drtLBtiD8IE\">\n<div class=\"play-button\"><img height=\"370\" width=\"660\" data-img=\"https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/drtLBtiD8IE\/sddefault.jpg\" data-img-low=\"https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/drtLBtiD8IE\/sddefault.jpg\" class=\"lazy-img\" alt=\"youtube-cover\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The iconic streak ultimately ended at WrestleMania 30 at the hands of Brock Lesnar.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<h2>#1. WWE Hall of Famer The Undertaker<\/h2>\n<p>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. <\/p>\n<p>Taker entered into a rivalry with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/player\/roman-reigns\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">Roman Reigns<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n<h2\/>\n<div class=\"article-post-rating-widget\">\n<p><template id=\"post-rating-feedback-modal-template\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"post-rating-feedback-feedback-box\">\n<div class=\"post-rating-feedback-content\">\n<div class=\"post-rating-feedback-data\">\n<p>Why did you not like this content?<\/p>\n<p><textarea id=\"dislike-feedback-text\" rows=\"4\" placeholder=\"Please type your feedback...\"\/>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n<button class=\"close\">Cancel<\/button><br \/>\n<button class=\"submit\">Submit<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/template><\/p>\n<div class=\"post-rating-widget-parent hidden\">\n<div class=\"rating-parent-container\">\n<div class=\"rating-content-holder\">\n<p>Was this article helpful?<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-rating-action-container\">\n<div class=\"like-container\">\n<button class=\"post-rating-like-button post-rating-button\" data-action=\"like\" title=\"like article\"><br \/>\n<img class=\"post-like-image post-rating-image\" data-lazy=\"\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/like-articles\/upvote-icon-grey.svg\" height=\"20\" width=\"20\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"like selected\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dislike-container\">\n<button class=\"post-rating-dislike-button post-rating-button\" data-action=\"dislike\" title=\"dislike article\"><br \/>\n<img class=\"post-dis-like-image post-rating-image\" data-lazy=\"\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/like-articles\/upvote-icon-grey.svg\" height=\"20\" width=\"20\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"avatar selected\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\nThank You for feedback\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"bottom-tagline bottom\" data-tab=\"bottom\">\n<p>Read all the hottest WWE news from Sportskeeda by choosing us as your preferred source. Click <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=sportskeeda.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\" class=\"bottom_tagline_link\" data-tab=\"bottom\">HERE.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tag-cloud\">\n<div class=\"tags-text\">\n<div class=\"scrollable-content-holder  article-padding\">\n<p class=\"article-p  \">Quick Links<\/p>\n<p><button id=\"pnAdvancerLeft\" class=\"pn-Advancer pn-Advancer_Left \" type=\"button\"><br \/>\n<img style=\"background: none;\" data-lazy=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/skm\/assets\/article\/article-scroll-left.svg\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button><\/p>\n<nav id=\"pnProductNav\" class=\"pn-ProductNav\">\n<\/nav>\n<p><button id=\"pnAdvancerRight\" class=\"pn-Advancer pn-Advancer_Right \" type=\"button\"><br \/>\n<img style=\"background: none;\" data-lazy=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/skm\/assets\/article\/article-scroll-right.svg\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<p>More from Sportskeeda<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n<span class=\"publisher-name\">Edited by Parth Pujara<\/span>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/wwe\/5-wwe-superstars-refused-win-wrestlemania\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Performing at WrestleMania is a top bucket-list item for many WWE Superstars. It&#8217;s the ultimate sign that someone has &#8220;made it.&#8221; 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 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":237465,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6806],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-237463","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-gossip"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/237463","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=237463"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/237463\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/237465"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=237463"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=237463"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=237463"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}