3 crushing WrestleMania losses that killed WWE Superstars' momentum
Competing at WrestleMania is every WWE Superstar's dream. The iconic event is arguably the biggest stage anyone in the industry can aspire to perform at. A well-executed WrestleMania moment can launch a career into the stratosphere, virtually stamping an indelible mark of superstardom on a Superstar's forehead.
However, a poorly executed 'Mania moment can derail a performer's career, sometimes so badly that they never recover! A poorly-received match, an untimely injury, or a devastating loss at a key career moment could turn this grandest of dreams into a never-ending nightmare.
Certain competitors have had the misfortune of suffering a damaging defeat at The Grandest Stage of Them All. This derailed their momentum so much that they never came back from it.
Here are three WWE Superstars who never recovered from a crushing WrestleMania loss:
#3: Rusev's WrestleMania 31 loss to John Cena stopped him from becoming WWE's next main event monster heel
Rusev burst onto the WWE main roster scene in 2014 as a dominant monster heel. The Bulgarian Brute ran through the roster, overcoming everyone from Zack Ryder to Mark Henry, Big Show, and Sheamus until he ran into John Cena. The then-United States champion defeated The Franchise Player at Fastlane 2015 in controversial fashion, which meant a WrestleMania 31 rematch was in order.
At The Show Of Shows, many felt the young dominant heel was one win over the face of the company away from breaking into the main event scene. They would never find out if they were right, as Cena handed him his first pinfall loss in the promotion. The Champ would go on to have an acclaimed reign marked by his Open Challenge series of matches, but Rusev would never be the same again.
The Bulgarian Brute would bounce back and forth within the mid-card before eventually being released. Rusev currently plies his trade in AEW, where he has also not realized his main event potential, almost a decade after that crushing defeat.
#2: Shinsuke Nakamura's WrestleMania 34 loss is sadly the high point of his WWE career thus far
Shinsuke Nakamura arrived on the WWE main roster in 2017 with great promise after setting NXT alight for more than a year. The King Of Strong Style established himself as a potential top star within months, most notably defeating John Cena cleanly in an incredible match. He then won the 2018 Royal Rumble to much fanfare, earning a WrestleMania 34 shot at WWE Champion AJ Styles.
The duo were expected to replicate their highly-acclaimed NJPW WrestleKingdom 10 clash, with Nakamura winning the world title to announce himself as the company's newest main event star. The match, while good, did not meet those lofty expectations, with The Phenomenal One retaining and his opponent turning heel post-match with a low blow.
Nakamura returned to the mid-card soon afterward and has never regained the momentum with which he arrived at WrestleMania 34. Nonetheless, he is a two-time United States and Intercontinental champion, having also won the SmackDown tag team title with Cesaro. To this day, though, fans still wonder how many world titles he would have won if WrestleMania 34 had gone his way.
#1: Shayna Baszler's unstoppable momentum came to a screeching halt at WWE WrestleMania 36
When Shayna Baszler stormed onto the WWE main roster by attacking RAW Women's Champion Becky Lynch, she was arguably the most fearsome woman in the business. Not only did the two-time NXT women's champion have a real MMA background, but she had also set a record of eight eliminations in the 2020 Royal Rumble.
Dethroning the most popular babyface in the company at WrestleMania 36 would potentially have made her the division's top heel in an instant, but alas, it was not to be. The Man prevailed with a roll-up after a hard-fought match, keeping the title until she relinquished it to Asuka due to pregnancy. Baszler drifted into the tag team division, where she has since become a three-time champion.
There have been multiple attempts to re-establish her as a fearsome monster heel, but she has been unable to escape a stop-start booking. One can only wonder what her resume would look like if Vince McMahon hadn't allegedly scrapped her push due to reservations over her MMA-influenced in-ring style. Now that she's in the hands of the man who booked her excellently in NXT, maybe we will find out!