5 WrestleManias with the most matches
With WrestleMania 35 just 24 hours away, one question is on every fan's mind: Just how will WWE fit 16 matches into a 7-hour show? On paper, 7 hours seem to be more than enough for 16 matches, but the 2-hour pre-show will host just 3 matches while the main card will have more segments other than the matches.
In addition to the 13 matches on the card, an Elias performance, radio host Yolanda Adam's rendition of "America the Beautiful" and the Hall of Fame Showcase will also be part of the show. Considering there will be more backstage segments, guest appearances, and a possible impromptu Alexa Bliss segment, it will be very difficult to fit 13 whole matches into the card.
With that in mind, let's take a look at the 5 longest cards in WrestleMania's 35-year history and find out how WWE handled those situations. Also, WrestleMania 2 has been excluded from this list as the event was basically 3 different shows in 3 locations advertised as one. I haven't placed WrestleMania 35 on the list as well because the card is always subject to change.
#5 WrestleMania V
WrestleMania V was a one match show. But that didn't stop WWE from cramming 14 matches on the card. This was also before the days of "Pre-Shows" or "Dark Matches", so all 14 matches took place on the main card live on PPV. As one might expect, it was a huge clustered mess.
The show had 9 singles matches: Haku vs Hercules, Brutus the Barber Beefcake vs Ted DiBiase, Mr Perfect vs Owen Hart (then in his Blue Blazer persona), Dino Bravo vs Ronnie Garvin, Jake Roberts vs Andre The Giant, Rick Rude vs The Ultimate Warrior for the Intercontinental Title, Bad News Brown vs Jim Duggan, The Red Rooster vs Bobby Heenan, and Hulk Hogan vs Macho Man Randy Savage for the WWE Title.
In addition to these 9 matches, Demolition defeated the Powers of Pain and Mr. Fuji in a handicap tag team match for the Tag Team Titles, The Hart Foundation faced Greg Valentine and The Honky Tonk Man, The Brain Busters faced Strike Force, The Bushwackers faced the Fabulous Rougeaus and The Twin Towers faced The Rockers, all in regular tag team matches.
Only two matches on the card crossed the 10-minute mark, with Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage's classic going 17 minutes 54 seconds and Brutus Beefcake and Ted DiBiase's match going 10 minutes and 1 second. The Red Rooster vs Bobby Heenan match was an impromptu match which lasted for just 31 seconds. Most of the matches were short and forced into the card except for the main event, which was given it's time to shine.