We are just a few editions of RAW and SmackDown away from WrestleMania 37, and with the card starting to take shape we can begin to look forward to what will surely be a show-stopping edition of the greatest PPV on earth.
Edge will finally get his chance to headline Mania – fully deserved given what he's overcome just to lace up his boots again, while Roman Reigns will continue his ascent as a main event star for the ages.
#WrestleMania = BACK IN BUSINESS.
— WWE WrestleMania (@WrestleMania) March 22, 2021
☠️ #WWEChampion @fightbobby vs. @DMcIntyreWWE
☠️ #SmackDown #WomensChampion @SashaBanksWWE vs. @BiancaBelairWWE
☠️ #WWERaw #TagTeamChampions #TheNewDay vs. @AJStylesOrg & @TheGiantOmos
☠️ Hosted by @HulkHogan & @TitusONeilWWE pic.twitter.com/HIbNoMQoQL
There will be jaw-dropping in-ring action, some enjoyable behind-the-scenes skits and mawkish product placement – all Mania trademarks, so let's get the juices flowing by looking at some of the key stats from the Showcase of the Immortals in years gone by.
Roman to Reign?
Nobody has ever matched Hulk Hogan's feat of headlining WrestleMania on eight occasions, and it looks like it will take a while for anyone to even get close – that is, unless Triple H, on seven main event appearances, decides to write his way into a leveller.
Of the current roster, Roman Reigns is on four main event gigs and will surely rack up a fifth in April when he locks horns with Edge and possibly Daniel Bryan for the gold, and you suspect in time that he will eventually reach Hogan's eight.
Daniel Bryan on Roman Reigns: "When I came back from retirement, I thought the biggest one, the top one on my list was Roman Reigns.
— Alex McCarthy (@AlexM_talkSPORT) March 19, 2021
"The Roman Reigns that we have now is absolutely incredible.
"I think he's the best performer in the ThunderDome era."https://t.co/qR3FVFRYHV
That said, it would 'only' take three more headline showings from The Rock or John Cena to tie the Hulkster. Stranger things have happened.
Could Edge Have the, Erm, Edge?
Statistically, it's been better to be challenging for a world title at WrestleMania than defending one. Of the 48 title matches that have taken place at the April showpiece, a new champion has been crowned on 33 occasions – a healthy 60%. That bodes very nicely for Edge (and possibly Bryan) at Mania XXXVII.
Cena has been the most prolific of those, striking gold on four occasions in title bouts, which keeps the Hollywood ace ahead of Hogan and Stone Cold Steve Austin on three apiece.
Taker'ing out the Trash
Of course, nobody will ever match The Undertaker's win/loss record at Mania. In 27 appearances, he won 25 of his matches – a win ratio of a handsome 93%.
Of those who have appeared in at least ten WrestleMania matches, nobody else really gets close. Hogan won eight of eleven (73%) with a double disqualification draw also on his resumé, while Cena's 67% is the next best of the modern era.
Edge could improve on his own 67% win/loss record at Mania 37, while Reigns – having only made seven appearances thus far – boasts an impressive 71% success rate.
But spare a thought for poor Shawn Michaels. The Heartbreak Kid won just 35% of his WrestleMania appearances, meaning he lost out eleven of seventeen attempts. And his old DX chum Triple H boasts the worst loss record in Mania history with 13 defeats.
But top of the plops is Goldust. The artist formerly known as Dustin Rhodes lost all ten of his WrestleMania appearances. Vince McMahon and the WWE writers really didn't like him, did he?
What About Kane's Mania Streak?
When we think about WrestleMania streaks we always remember (fondly, mostly) the Undertaker's extraordinary 21-win run at the Showcase of the Immortals. But it's actually his Brothers of Destruction brethren Kane who holds an equally impressive streak, having appeared in 18 consecutive editions of ‘Mania from XIV to XXXII.
Now that Glen Jacobs has all but retired from in-ring action, the baton will now pass to Randy Orton who, assuming he participates at WrestleMania 37 – and a continuation of his feud with The Fiend seems inevitable – will have appeared at 17 consecutive editions of the event. Kane will, however, be inducted into this year's Hall of Fame class of 2021, so an appearance of some kind at WrestleMania should be expected.
Florida Bound
Now that it's been confirmed that the Raymond James Stadium will host WrestleMania 37, that secures Florida's status as the east coast state that has hosted the most editions of the event. It will be the fifth time that the Showcase of the Immortals has headed to the Sunshine State, beating out the four times that New York has welcomed Mania to its various arenas.
Texas has hosted on three occasions, while it's something of a surprise that Las Vegas – not shy of the razzmatazz you'd expect from WrestleMania – has only taken on host duties once back in 1993 when Yokozuna and Hogan locked horns in an infamous main event.
A Sin City event would have given audience members - and some of the wrestlers no doubt - a chance to unwind in some of the most revered casinos in the world, turning a trip to WrestleMania into a chance for a vacation. These days, however, with online casinos like Fruit Kings readily available, wrestling fans can enjoy a few slot games or hands of blackjack during the ad breaks from the comfort of their own home, with mobile casino apps easy to access in states where they have been legalized. That way, you can save your holiday money and enjoy Mania from the sofa instead, particularly if a trip to Arlington in 2022 doesn't appeal when the PPV heads to the AT&T Stadium.
Man on the Mic
WrestleMania 37 will be the 18th consecutive year in which Michael Cole has featured on commentary. Assuming he goes on to commentate on XXXVIII as well, he will jointly hold Jerry ‘The King' Lawler's record of 19 stints in the booth – presuming The King doesn't feature this April, that is.
If you think that's impressive, what about the unbroken 27 years that Spanish play-by-play commentator Carlos Cabrera has served?
Few sporting events boast the grandeur and the scale of WrestleMania, and it remains the pinnacle of wrestling – never to be bettered, you suspect.
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