Chairshot Top 5: WWE WrestleMania Disappointments

Sometimes WWE gets us really excited about a WrestleMania match. And sometimes…that match disappoints. Here are our Top 5 such disappointments…

WrestleMania is built on expectation. And that’s the whole point. The biggest stage, the biggest stars, the biggest matches—everything is designed to make you believe you’re about to see something special. And most of the time, WWE delivers.

But when it doesn’t, it really doesn’t.

A WrestleMania disappointment isn’t just a bad match…it’s a match that should have been something more. It’s the gap between what we were promised and what we actually got. Sometimes it’s timing, sometimes it’s booking, sometimes it’s just two people who, for whatever reason, don’t deliver on that night.

These are five of the biggest misses in WrestleMania history.

5. Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Ronda Rousey (WrestleMania 35)

This had everything you’d want in a WrestleMania main event. Becky Lynch was the hottest act in the company, Ronda Rousey brought legitimate crossover appeal, and Charlotte Flair added the credibility of a proven big-match performer. It was the first women’s WrestleMania main event, a moment that felt earned and overdue, with real stakes attached as both championships were on the line.

And yet, it never quite came together the way it should have. The build had momentum, but the match itself felt uneven, never fully capturing the energy that got it there. The finish, in particular, left more questions than satisfaction, taking away from what should have been a definitive closing moment. It still mattered, and it still made history—but for a match with that level of importance, it should have delivered more.

4. Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan (WrestleMania 28)

Sometimes a match doesn’t fail because of what happens. Instead, it fails because of what doesn’t happen. Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus had everything it needed to be a strong WrestleMania opener: a hot crowd, a popular champion, and a story that could have delivered a real moment.

Instead, it lasted 18 seconds.

The decision created a reaction, and in some ways that reaction helped Bryan in the long run. But in the moment, it was a letdown. WrestleMania isn’t the place to skip the match entirely, and that’s exactly what this felt like.

3. Bret Hart vs. Yokozuna (WrestleMania 9)

This one isn’t just a disappointing match…it’s a disappointing decision. Bret Hart vs. Yokozuna should have been a defining WrestleMania main event, with the WWF Championship at stake and a clear opportunity to elevate both competitors.

Instead, it became something else entirely. The finish, followed immediately by Hulk Hogan stepping in and taking the title, undercut everything the match was supposed to accomplish. What should have been a moment for Bret Hart turned into a detour, and it left the entire main event feeling hollow.

2. AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (WrestleMania 34)

This is the kind of disappointment that stings the most, because it wasn’t about lack of talent. AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura had already proven what they could do together. The expectation wasn’t just a great match—it was a classic.

Instead, it felt like a match that never quite got out of second gear. The pacing was off, the chemistry didn’t click the way it had before, and the finish—while setting up a heel turn—left the moment feeling incomplete. It wasn’t bad. That’s what makes it worse. It just wasn’t what it should have been.

1. Brock Lesnar vs. Goldberg — WrestleMania 20

On paper, this should have been massive. Brock Lesnar vs. Goldberg felt like a clash of unstoppable forces, the kind of match WrestleMania is built around. Instead, it turned into one of the most uncomfortable main events the company has ever produced.

The crowd knew both men were leaving, and they reacted accordingly. What should have been intense felt lifeless, and what should have been explosive dragged. By the time it ended, the story wasn’t the match—it was how badly it missed. When the most memorable part of a WrestleMania match is the audience turning on it, something went wrong.

Now, not every WrestleMania match is going to deliver. That’s part of the deal when expectations are this high. But the ones that stand out as disappointments aren’t just bad—they’re the ones that had everything in place and still missed. The talent was there. The stage was there. The moment was there. And for one reason or another, it just didn’t come together. That’s what makes them memorable. Not for what they were—but for what they should have been.

What match do you think will fit this category at WrestleMania 42?