5 rumored WrestleMania matches that may not happen
The Road to WrestleMania is well underway, with WWE Royal Rumble 2023 in the history books. The Elimination Chamber Premium Live Event is the only significant roadblock on the arduous journey to The Show of Shows.
With nearly two months left until Mania, many plans can and have changed. We have a clear idea of the event's biggest match-ups too. Cody Rhodes will look to dethrone Roman Reigns in the main event of The Grandest Stage of Them All. Rhea Ripley will also battle Charlotte Flair with the SmackDown Women's Championship on the line.
Considering that it is the greatest live event in sports-entertainment history, the card for Mania is decided months in advance and is almost always subject to change. As such, the rumor mill is continually running hot, but not all of the rumored matches actually materialize at The Show of Shows.
On that note, let's look at 5 rumored WrestleMania matches that may not happen.
#5 Gunther vs. Brock Lesnar may have been called off for WrestleMania Goes Hollywood
GUNTHER AND BROCK AHHHHHHHH https://t.co/rzOGNhSaXW
In the 2023 Men's Royal Rumble match, Gunther and Brock Lesnar had an intense stare-down. It sent the fans and the Alamodome and commentary booth rocking with anticipation and excitement. Despite the buzz it generated, and previous rumors indicating that it was a possibility, The Beast vs. The Ring General isn't planned for WrestleMania 39.
As Dave Meltzer noted, the tease was to set up a future one-on-one showdown that will most definitely not occur at Mania. Instead, Brock Lesnar's third match with Bobby Lashley will take place at The Show of Shows, where the two titans will settle their score.
The reigning Intercontinental Champion is now rumored to defend his coveted championship in a massive Triple Threat match featuring Drew McIntyre and Sheamus.
#4 Any match involving Stone Cold Steve Austin
Considering WrestleMania is returning to Hollywood, WWE was looking to pull out all the stops by bringing back some of its greatest creations. As such, Stone Cold Steve Austin, who came out of retirement in Texas last year to shut down Kevin Owens, was rumored to be returning for another match.
Furthermore, Austin was in incredible physical shape and conditioning. Hence, he was virtually locked in for The Showcase of Immortals this year. However, The Texas Rattlesnake will reportedly not compete on the show despite being offered two massive dream matches that would have sold out any stadium in record time.
According to Dave Meltzer, the Hall of Famer was offered two lucrative offers to face Brock Lesnar or Roman Reigns at The Grandest Stage of Them All, but he turned them both down. With all the options exhausted and an unwilling Rattlesnake, it looks like Austin will not be wrestling at WrestleMania this year.
#3 Ronda Rousey vs. Rhea Ripley
Back when Ronda Rousey was SmackDown Women's Champion, there was widespread speculation that Rhea Ripley, as opposed to Becky Lynch, was being considered as The Rowdy One's opponent for The Grandest Stage of Them All. The reasoning was clear: The Eradicator was dominating the women's division, so it made sense for her to take the torch from Rousey.
However, somewhere along the way, those plans fell apart. Rousey abruptly lost the SmackDown Women's Championship to a returning Charlotte Flair. Ripley outlasted 29 other women to book a date with Flair at Mania. The stage seems set for The Eradicator vs. The Queen II at The Show of Shows.
As for The Baddest Woman on The Planet, she is expected to team up with Shayna Baszler to battle Dakota Kai and IYO SKY for the Women's Tag Team Championships at the show.
#2 Logan Paul vs. John Cena at The Show of Shows
Logan Paul wants John Cena at Wrestlemania 👀 https://t.co/djB8zKMnvd
Soon after Logan Paul suffered an injury during a widely-praised championship showdown against Roman Reigns, he began clamoring for a massive dream match with John Cena. The Maverick had reached out to Hunter to book this fantasy encounter, and it was supposedly locked in for Mania.
However, new information came to light that Cena will not have enough time to practice with a relatively inexperienced part-timer to put on a decent match at The Show of Shows. Instead, The Champ's opponent could be a full-time talent like Austin Theory, who wrestles regularly and doesn't need as much practice as Paul does.
As for The Maverick, he seems to be on a collision course with Seth "Freakin" Rollins at WrestleMania in what is likely to be a show-stealer. The seeds were sown in the Men's Rumble when Paul tossed Rollins over the top rope.
#1 The Rock vs. Roman Reigns was the originally planned WrestleMania main event
For years, WWE fans have been clamoring for The Rock to come home for one final match against Roman Reigns. The speculation grew wild heading into WrestleMania 39 as the event was returning to Hollywood, which many consider to be The Great One's second home.
However, a few weeks before the Rumble, Dave Meltzer informed that Rocky has indicated to the powers-that-be that he won't have enough time to get in ring shape for a blockbuster dream match against The Tribal Chief. The more ambitious fans speculated that this was a trick and that The Great One was returning at number 30 in the Rumble, but that didn't happen.
Instead, Reigns is now set to face 2023 Royal Rumble winner Cody Rhodes in the main event of WrestleMania Goes Hollywood. The Rock is unlikely to get involved in this match. Hence, the dream encounter is off the table.