5 WWE Superstars who main evented WrestleMania in 3 or more decades - The Phenom, three-time Royal Rumble winner, and more
Every WWE Superstar dreams of being the headlining act at WrestleMania. Only a few all-time greats earned that privilege in three distinct decades.
While bookings can be questionable at times, WWE's roster has remained consistently stacked since the first WrestleMania. As a result, headlining The Show of Shows more than once is an opportunity only top-billed talent could seize.
Despite the rigid competition, there hasn't been any shortage of WWE Superstars who have gone on last at The Super Bowl of Sports Entertainment multiple times. But when it comes to closing the show in three (or more) different decades, that's a feat only a handful of household names have achieved.
Here are five WWE Superstars who have headlined WrestleMania in at least three decades:
#5. The Final Boss of WWE: The Rock (4)
The Brahma Bull is all set to headline Night One of WWE WrestleMania XL next week. He will be teaming up with Roman Reigns to take on the duo of Seth Rollins and Cody Rhodes.
The Great One is no stranger to being the headline act on The Grandest Stage of Them All. The Hollywood megastar has headlined at least one WrestleMania across four different decades.
His first 'Mania main event took place in 1999, where The People's Champ faced Stone Cold Steve Austin in the first part of their iconic WrestleMania trilogy. The Rock then went on to main-event the next two editions of The Show of Shows before shifting his focus towards Hollywood.
After committing to Hollywood full-time in the mid-2000s, The Fast & Furious star returned to WWE in 2011 and headlined two consecutive WrestleMania events in 2012 and 2013. Thus, next week's tag-team encounter with Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins will mark the fourth decade of The Final Boss being the main 'Mania attraction.
#4. The Undertaker (4)
Next weekend, The Rock will join The Undertaker as only the second wrestler to headline The Showcase of the Immortals in three or more decades.
The Phenom achieved the coveted feat four years ago. The former world champion triumphed over AJ Styles in his final wrestling match, which closed Night One of WrestleMania 36. While it was a cinematic match instead of a traditional one, it was a sanctioned encounter and affected both superstars' win-loss records.
In the 2010s, the Hall of Famer headlined WrestleMania twice, once against Shawn Michaels in 2010 and then against Roman Reigns seven years later.
Rewinding to the first decade of the 21st century, The Undertaker defeated Edge in the main event of WrestleMania 24 to become World Heavyweight Champion. That was the first time Taker headlined The Show of Shows since 1997 when he dethroned Sycho Sid.
#3. Shawn Michaels (3)
As previously mentioned, the first WrestleMania of the 2010s featured The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels battling in a classic Streak vs. Career match. The HeartBreak Kid (HBK) couldn't have wrapped up his in-ring career on a grander note.
To no one's surprise, HBK's last WrestleMania match wasn't his first time main-eventing The Grand Spectacle. That's a privilege he relished multiple times during his illustrious WWE career.
Between 2000 and 2009, the two-time Royal Rumble winner headlined WrestleMania twice. Both times, he was able to secure this coveted spot without winning that year's Rumble match.
But that wasn't the case in the 90s. The Showstopper had to outlast 29 other men in the 1996 Royal Rumble match to earn his first WrestleMania main event. As a result, he became a bonafide top superstar, allowing him to walk into WrestleMania XIV as the defending WWF Champion.
#2. Stone Cold Steve Austin (3)
The list of all-time greats in WWE history is incomplete without mentioning The Texas Rattlesnake. So, it's no surprise he has multiple WrestleMania main events on his resume.
Stone Cold Steve Austin first headlined The Show of Shows at WrestleMania XIV (1998). The Rattlesnake defeated Shawn Michaels to capture the WWF Championship. He then beat The Rock at WrestleMania XV in 1999 to reclaim the title, and he did it again two years later.
In 2003, he had to hang up his wrestling boots owing to his severe neck injury catching up to him. While Austin would keep appearing on WWE TV sporadically, he made it clear to fans that his wrestling days were long gone.
But ''Never Say Never'' isn't just a saying in WWE. In the final segment of WrestleMania 38 (2022) Night One, the three-time Royal Rumble came out of retirement to silence Kevin Owens. It was a moment 19 years in the making, and Austin gladly showed the fans that he hadn't lost a beat.
#1. Brock Lesnar (3)
Almost every professional wrestler has a nickname. However, only a few justify their moniker as incredibly as The ''Next Big Thing'' Brock Lesnar has.
Lesnar received a substantial push when he popped up on the main roster in 2002. Nearly a year later, he made his WrestleMania debut by wrestling Kurt Angle in the main event.
Fast forward to his second run in the Stamford-based promotion, The Beast Incarnate was the headline act at WrestleMania 31 and 34 (against Roman Reigns). In both instances, he was the defending World Champion.
He also walked into the 2020 edition of The Show of Shows as the reigning champion. That was the only time since 2012 that Lesnar closed a 'Mania by facing someone other than Roman Reigns. He dropped the title to Drew McIntyre.
Fast forward to 2022, Brock Lesnar again made it to WrestleMania as the WWE Champion. He put his title on the line in a 'Winner Takes All' match against the Universal Champion... *insert drum roll* Roman Reigns.