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Welcome to the WrestleMania stock report, our yearly series where we look back at all the players from last year’s WrestleMania card and see how they fared over the year. You can take a look at where people were at this time last year in last year’s final report here.
WrestleMania is the perfect time to see how the stock of a wrestler has moved over 365 days. It serves as a “season finale” to the year of WWE. This is where they pay off their big storylines and where they want to showcase their best. Where someone lands on the WrestleMania card says a lot about what their stock is currently. Given there are so many people vying for spots on the biggest show of the year, it’s a good look at how WWE views certain talent.
Let’s finish this up, shall we? Onto the main events!
John Cena & Nikki Bella def. Miz and Maryse
John Cena
Cena took some time off until the summer to return to do what he does best: Defeat Rusev.
After winning a big time flag match against the Bulgarian, he went on to defeat Baron Corbin rather handily at SummerSlam.
Soon Cena shifted to Raw to what was likely his biggest feud of the year - a torch passing feud with Roman Reigns. It was super-meta. Like over the top so. Cena succumbed to the Big Dog.
Cena took a little time off before returning to “help” the SmackDown team at Survivor Series. (He didn’t help much.)
John Cena started to focus on earning a top WrestleMania match. First, he failed to win the Royal Rumble. Then he failed to win the Elimination Chamber match to face Lesnar. Then he failed to defeat AJ Styles to win the WWE title in a Six Pack Challenge at Fastlane. And now he’s doing all he can to get Undertaker out of retirement.
He’s doing something with the Undertaker at WrestleMania. We all assume a match but it’s not technically announced.
Best Moment: A pretty easy win over Corbin at SummerSlam
Worst Moment: His pathetic attempt to get himself a marquee match at WrestleMania
Stock: Mild increase - Only because a match with the Undertaker is a bigger deal and it’s a feud they focused on more this year.
Nikki Bella
Nikki took time off after this match and only came back for a spot in the Women’s Royal Rumble.
Stock: Semi-retired
Miz
The most Must-See WWE Superstar moved to Raw this year and started feuding with Dean Ambrose, who also moved to Raw, for the Intercontinental title. The Miz reclaimed his gold, continuing to rise up on the charts of total days holding the title.
He enlisted his co-stars from the Marine 5, Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel, to act as his entourage (known as the Miztourage), and they helped him hold a tight grip onto that title for the better part of the year. They helped him fend off the likes of Ambrose, Jeff Hardy, and Jason Jordan.
The Miz picked a fight with the Shield for some reason, being the catalyst for their reunion. So thanks, Miz. He teamed up with Cesaro, Sheamus, Kane, and Braun Strowman to try to defeat a bootleg Shield of Ambrose, Seth Rollins, and Kurt Angle. They were not successful.
Because Miz and crew tried to murder Braun Strowman during that match, and because Braun can’t be killed, he returned to stalk all of those who tried to end his life. Miz paid the price like the rest of them.
Miz lost his IC title to Roman Reigns before taking time off to film another Marine movie, and likely to look for more Miztourage members. He won the belt back when he returned.
The A-Lister has to defend the title against Finn Bálor and Seth Rollins at WrestleMania. If he wins, he should be able to set the record for total days holding the prestigious title.
Best Moment: Closing in on the record of total days holding the IC title.
Worst Moment: When Braun made him pay his debts.
Stock: Very slight decrease - Miz had a great year. But he went from working Cena to a triple threat IC title match. Given his opponents, this is no throwaway match, but it’s not the status of a Cena match.
Maryse
This was Maryse’s only match. She still acted as Miz’s valet until she took time off when she became pregnant. She and Miz just recently welcomed Monroe Sky Mizanin into the world.
Best Moment: Delivering the most must-see baby of all time
Worst Moment: That rocky patch she and the Miz had on TV
Stock: Maternity Leave
Seth Rollins def. Triple H
Seth Rollins
The Kingslayer is always active in WWE.
After WrestleMania, he got his revenge on Samoa Joe for injuring him.
The next major plot for him was reuniting with Dean Ambrose to take on the Bar. It was slow goings, as any reconciliation should be, but it ended with them finally getting on the same page and winning the tag titles.
After a couple months, they lost those titles back to the Bar. After Dean Ambrose was injured, Rollins reluctantly teamed with Jason Jordan and was able to win the tag titles again. However, getting on the same page with Jordan never quite happened and they eventually lost them due to Jordan being Jordan.
The architect will by vying for the Intercontinental championship against Finn Bálor and Champion the Miz tomorrow.
Best Moment: Reuniting with Dean Ambrose
Worst Moment: Having to tolerate Jason Jordan
Stock: Subtle drop - Rollins is to the point he’s a major player. But a Triple H match is a more featured match than a triple threat midcard title match.
Triple H
Trips was kept off TV for a while until Survivor Series, where he put himself on the Raw Survivor Series team. There he screwed Kurt Angle, who was his own team member, before taking the win himself.
His partner, Braun Strowman, was not pleased and beat the hell out of him.
His current story is how the signing of Ronda Rousey went astray and now he finds himself teaming up with his wife Stephanie against the man he screwed at Survivor Series and Ronda Rousey.
Best Moment: Winning Survivor Series
Worst Moment: The price he immediately paid afterwards
Stock: No change - It’s Triple H. He’s his own thing.
Randy Orton def. Bray Wyatt to win the WWE championship
Randy Orton
Orton won the title here at WrestleMania. He never officially defended it again Wyatt. They had their House of Horrors match, but that was non-title and Bray won.
He lost the title in an upset to Jinder Mahal and failed to recapture it twice. The second time was a Punjabi Prison match. Orton loved it.
The Viper had himself a little feud against Rusev but the latter portion of his year was rather low key. He recently defeated Bobby Roode to win the United States championship, the one title he hasn’t held. Now he has to defend it against Glorious Bobby Roode, Jinder Mahal, and Rusev.
Wait, did Orton only feud with three dudes this year?
Best Moment: Completing the grand slam by winning the US title
Worst Moment: Having to compete in a House of Horrors match and Punjabi Prison match in the same year
Stock: Decreased - He went from a championship match to a secondary title match. But it’s still Orton and to some degree, the man helps make the title.
Bray Wyatt
Last year, Bray Wyatt was WWE Champion. This year he’s not on the card. Let’s follow his trajectory.
He defeated Randy Orton in the House of Horrors match, though it was non-title. His winning ways actually continued with a couple wins over Seth Rollins.
It was downhill from there.
He had a feud with Finn Bálor which got increasingly ridiculous. Bray won the first match and the poured some pig blood on Finn. This led to a match against the Demon Finn which Bray lost. Then they had the creatively named “Man vs. Man” match, which Bray lost. It looked like they were setting up a bit where Bray would introduce Sister Abigail. It was looking more and more like it was going to be Bray Wyatt in drag but alas, it never happened. He contracted a viral illness that caused him to miss that show.
I’m always going to wonder what they had planned there.
Then he started his feud with Woken Matt Hardy. It culminated in the Ultimate Deletion match, where he was tossed into the Lake of Reincarnation and hasn’t been seen since.
Bray Wyatt is not booked for WrestleMania, making that the case two out of the last three years. If the pattern holds, maybe he’ll be champion again next year.
Best Moment: Starting his Raw run off hot with wins over Orton and Rollins
Worst Moment: The momentum-killing Balor feud
Stock: Yeah, that’s a plummet
Brock Lesnar def. Goldberg
Brock Lesnar
Brock won the Universal title from Goldberg in this match (which was a good one) and held it all year.
He’s fended off Samoa Joe, Braun Strowman, Roman Reigns (as part of a fatal 4-way match), and Kane (as part of a Triple Threat match). He also had a victory in a non-title bout against AJ Styles at Survivor Series.
This year, he will be defending the title he won last year. His opponent is Roman Reigns.
The build to this match started with a focus on the idea that Brock is a part timer who doesn’t care about this business. It has progressed to Brock destroying Reigns a couple weeks in a row.
It is well known that Brock’s contract is up after this match and he may be leaving after it.
Best Moment: Winning the Universal title at WrestleMania
Worst Moment: Getting crushed by a scaffolding thanks to a grappling hook wielding Braun Strowman. Seriously.
Stock: Unchanged - It’s tough to have any major movement holding a title for an entire year.
Goldberg
This was Goldberg’s final match in the WWE.
He returned the next night to say goodbye. And he’ll be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame this year.
Stock: Retired
Roman Reigns def. the Undertaker
Roman Reigns
After defeating the Undertaker at WrestleMania, becoming only the second man to do so, the next night he delivered the promo of his life. “This is my yard now.” Man, I was there for that one and it was something.
He transitioned into a feud with Strowman where he took some major beatings (such as being strapped to a gurney and then run off a stage and then having the ambulance he was in flipped over) and gave some (like when he backed an ambulance Strowman was in into a wall). These guys didn’t hold back.
Roman competed for the Universal title in a fatal 4-way at SummerSlam, but lost, getting pinned by Lesnar in the end.
He had what would could be considered a “torch passing feud” with John Cena that talked a bit too much about drawing and merch sales. The Big Dog was victorious.
Then Roman reunited with the Shield, though missed their first match due to a viral infection. They finally competed together and won against the New Day at Survivor Series.
Reigns won the Intercontinental title against the Miz, completing a Grand Slam. He eventually lost it back to him.
And finally he won the Elimination Chamber for the right to face Brock Lesnar as a rematch of WrestleMania 31.
Best Moment: Winning the IC belt, completing the Grand Slam
Worst Moment: The major beatings taken from Strowman and Lesnar
Stock: Unchanged - Honestly, he’s going from main event to probable main event and a match against Undertaker is pretty on par with the top title match.
The Undertaker
This was it. This was the Undertaker’s retirement match. It wasn’t a great match as he didn’t look like he had it like he used to. After the match he took off his jacket, hat, and gloves and left them in the ring as the crowd chanted “Thank you, Taker!”
So this was his retirement, right?
Nope!
He’s back this year to fight a desperate John Cena!
Maybe. I don’t know. Maybe he is retired. It’s so weird.
Best Moment: His nice retirement
Worst Moment: It not meaning anything... unless it does?
Stock: It’s the Undertaker. It doesn’t change.
Alright, let’s bring this thing home, shall we?
- We looked at a total of 74 superstars this year. (This is not including the two NXT talents that worked the Andre battle royal.)
- 29/74 (39%) had an increase of stock.
- Of those increased, Jinder Mahal had one of the greatest leaps, as did Sami Zayn. The Usos did well for themselves finally making their way onto the main card of WrestleMania.
- 16/74 (21%) had decreased stocks.
- Bray Wyatt clearly had the deepest fall, going from holding the WWE title to not even on the card. Neville, who is sitting home, had a deep drop too given he’s still technically with the company.
- 13/74 (18%) had no change at all. Many of those came from the Andre Battle Royal and the Women’s division. Also part timers like Triple H and Shane McMahon usually don’t really move.
- Only four people were released that were on this card (Austin Aries, James Ellsworth, Enzo Amore, & Simon Gotch). Ellsworth and Aries are doing rather well for themselves away from the WWE. (I’m still hoping they bring back James to be Braun’s tag partner.)
- Seven men on this card are out injured. Samoa Joe and Big Show will hopefully be back soon. Jason Jordan’s injury was unfortunate or he would have had one of the sharpest stock jumps.
- There were eight out injured this time last year from the card prior so that stayed pretty consistent.
- Then there are five retired/not with the company for various reasons. Mark Henry’s possible retirement. Goldberg’s definitely retirement. Maryse’s maternity leave. Nikki Bella’s part time status. And Jericho being Jericho.
It’s good to see that there’s more increase than decrease. I think that is due to WWE giving lower card wrestlers more stories. Even something as simple as Hawkins losing all the time is better than him not having anything at all. You think Braun would have put him through a wall if he had a win here and there?
There weren’t a ton of releases from this card. Though this doesn’t include WWE releasing Emma, Darren Young, and Summer Rae, all who were not on the card.
Well, there you have it, folks. All of the participants of last year’s WrestleMania card. Who do you think fared the best? The worst? Let us know below.
Catch up with the prior installments below: