History of WrestleMania in Timeline

WrestleMania is WWE's flagship annual professional wrestling event, held between mid-March and mid-April since 1985. Conceptualized by Vince McMahon and named by Howard Finkel, it was WWE's first pay-per-view event and has become the most successful annual wrestling event globally. WrestleMania XXX in 2014 marked WWE's entry into livestreaming for major events. Along with Royal Rumble, SummerSlam, Survivor Series, and Money in the Bank, it is considered one of WWE's "Big Five" annual events. The 41st edition is scheduled for April 19 and 20, 2025, at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada.

1984: WrestleMania Name Origin

In 1984, Howard Finkel is credited with creating the name "WrestleMania".

March 31, 1985: First WrestleMania

On March 31, 1985, the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) held the first WrestleMania at Madison Square Garden in New York City, solidifying its status as a leading wrestling promotion.

1985: WrestleMania Premieres

In 1985, WWE's WrestleMania premiered as the company's first pay-per-view event.

1988: WrestleMania IV Festival

In 1988, in association with The Trump Organization, WWF prepared a small festival to celebrate WrestleMania IV, which included autograph signings, a brunch, and a 5K run.

1989: WrestleMania V Festival

In 1989, a small festival to celebrate WrestleMania V included autograph signings, a brunch, and a 5K run.

1992: WrestleMania VIII Festival

In 1992, a festival was held the day of WrestleMania VIII which included a WWF superstar look-alike contest and a tournament for the WWF WrestleFest arcade game.

1993: WrestleMania Brunch

In 1993, the WWF held a "WrestleMania Brunch" the day of WrestleMania IX at Caesars Palace, during the course of which Lex Luger attacked Bret Hart.

1993: Royal Rumble Winner Guaranteed WrestleMania Match

Since 1993, the winner of the Royal Rumble receives a guaranteed world championship match at WrestleMania.

1994: WrestleMania X Fan Fest

In 1994, WWF offered "Fan Fest" for the weekend of WrestleMania X, which allowed fans to step inside a WWF ring, participate in games, meet superstars, and purchase merchandise.

1995: WrestleMania XI Fan Fest

In 1995, WWF followed up the previous year's event with another "Fan Fest" for WrestleMania XI.

1997: First WrestleMania match since 1997 to earn a five stars rating

In 2023, the WrestleMania match between Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn earned a five-star rating from sports journalist Dave Meltzer, the first WrestleMania match to achieve this since 1997.

2000: Pete Rose Feud with Kane

At WrestleMania 2000, Pete Rose continued his short feud with Kane. This became a running gag with each appearance ending with Rose receiving a Tombstone piledriver or chokeslam from Kane.

2000: WrestleMania 2000

In 2000, WrestleMania 2000 featured the first-ever Triangle Ladder match for the WWF Tag Team Championship and a fatal four-way main event.

2001: WrestleMania Axxess at Reliant Hall

In 2001, WrestleMania Axxess was held at the Reliant Hall which expanded upon the event by adding numerous activities including areas where attendees could buy special merchandise, see a production truck and check out special WWE vehicles.

2002: Three-Day WrestleMania Axxess Event

In 2002, WrestleMania Axxess was extended to a three-day event (March 14–16) and was held at the Canadian National Exhibition.

2002: World Heavyweight Championship Option

In 2002, the Royal Rumble winner gained the option to choose between the WWE Championship or the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania.

2002: Brand Separation Commentary Teams

Since the brand separation in 2002, different commentator teams were assigned to Raw and SmackDown matches.

2003: Final Axxess Event at Convention Center

2003 marked the final WrestleMania Axxess at a convention center for 6 years.

2003: World Heavyweight Championship

From 2003, WrestleMania featured matches for the World Heavyweight Championship.

2004: Touring WrestleMania Axxess

From 2004 to 2008, WrestleMania Axxess visited cities around the United States and Canada with a smaller touring version of what was previously presented at regular Axxess events.

2005: Introduction of Money in the Bank Ladder Match

In 2005, at WrestleMania 21, the Money in the Bank ladder match was introduced.

June 2006: ECW Championship Option Added

In June 2006, with the creation of the ECW brand, the Royal Rumble winner had a third option: the ECW Championship.

2006: ECW Commentary Team

From 2006, matches from the ECW brand were called by Joey Styles and Tazz.

2007: ECW Championship Option Available

From 2007, the ECW Championship was an option for the Royal Rumble winner.

2008: Touring WrestleMania Axxess

From 2004 to 2008, WrestleMania Axxess visited cities around the United States and Canada with a smaller touring version of what was previously presented at regular Axxess events.

2008: WrestleMania XXIV Matches

In 2008, at WrestleMania XXIV, Shawn Michaels defeated Ric Flair in a retirement match, and CM Punk won the Money in the Bank ladder match. Kane won the ECW Championship in a record 8 seconds. Randy Orton retained the WWE Championship, and The Undertaker won the World Heavyweight Championship. Floyd Mayweather Jr. defeated Big Show.

2009: Return of WrestleMania Axxess

In 2009 WrestleMania Axxess returned, and had continued every year until 2020. It was held as a four-day event at convention centers and arenas in the host city of that year's WrestleMania.

2009: WrestleMania 25 Matches

In 2009, at WrestleMania 25, Chris Jericho defeated WWE Hall of Famers, Shawn Michaels attempted to end The Undertaker's undefeated streak, Rey Mysterio defeated John "Bradshaw" Layfield for the WWE Intercontinental Championship, John Cena defeated Edge for the World Heavyweight Championship, and Triple H retained the WWE Championship against Randy Orton.

February 14, 2010: NBA All-Star Game Breaks Attendance Record

On February 14, 2010, the 2010 NBA All-Star Game broke the indoor sporting event record with an attendance of 108,713 at Cowboys Stadium.

2010: ECW Brand Retired

In 2010, the ECW brand was retired, removing the ECW Championship as an option.

2010: Money in the Bank becomes a pay-per-view

Until 2010, Money in the Bank ladder match took place at WrestleManias, before becoming the headline match of its own pay-per-view event.

2010: End of ECW Commentary

Until 2010, matches from the ECW brand were called by Joey Styles and Tazz.

2011: Edge's Singles Match at WrestleMania

In 2011, at WrestleMania 36, Edge had his first singles match against Randy Orton in a Last Man Standing match after being away since 2011.

2011: End of Brand Split

In 2011, the brand split ended, leading to the WWE and World Heavyweight Championships being unified.

2013: WrestleMania X-Seven Ranked #1

In 2013, WWE released a list of their "15 best pay-per-views ever", with WrestleMania X-Seven ranked at number one.

2013: WrestleMania 29 Matches and Attendance

In 2013, WrestleMania 29 had 80,676 fans in attendance. The Undertaker defeated CM Punk, Triple H defeated Brock Lesnar, John Cena defeated The Rock for the WWE Championship, Alberto Del Rio defended the World Heavyweight Championship against Jack Swagger, and Fandango defeated Chris Jericho. The Shield defeated Big Show, Sheamus, and Randy Orton.

2013: WWE and World Heavyweight Championships Unified

In 2013, the WWE and World Heavyweight Championships were unified, leaving only one title to challenge for.

2013: End of World Heavyweight Championship

Until 2013, WrestleMania featured matches for the World Heavyweight Championship.

April 6, 2014: WrestleMania XXX Results

On April 6, 2014, at WrestleMania XXX, Daniel Bryan defeated Triple H and won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. The Undertaker's undefeated streak ended with a loss to Brock Lesnar. Bray Wyatt lost to John Cena, The Shield defeated Kane and The New Age Outlaws, and Cesaro won the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.

2014: The Undertaker's WrestleMania Streak Ends

At WrestleMania XXX in 2014, Brock Lesnar defeated The Undertaker, ending his undefeated streak at WrestleMania.

2014: Forbes Names WrestleMania

From 2014, Forbes named WrestleMania one of the world's most valuable sports event brands.

2014: WrestleMania XXX Livestreaming

In 2014, WrestleMania XXX was WWE's first major event available via livestreaming.

March 29, 2015: WrestleMania 31 Results

On March 29, 2015, WrestleMania 31 saw Seth Rollins win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship by cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase during the match between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns. The Undertaker defeated Bray Wyatt, Randy Orton defeated Seth Rollins, John Cena defeated Rusev for the United States Championship, Daniel Bryan won the Intercontinental Championship, and Big Show won the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.

April 3, 2016: WrestleMania 32 Results

On April 3, 2016, at WrestleMania 32, Roman Reigns defeated Triple H to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. The Undertaker defeated Shane McMahon, Brock Lesnar defeated Dean Ambrose, Charlotte defeated Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks for the WWE Women's Championship, Zack Ryder won the Intercontinental Championship, and Baron Corbin won the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. The Rock also defeated Erick Rowan in 6 seconds.

2016: WrestleMania 32 Sets Attendance Record

In 2016, WrestleMania 32 surpassed WrestleMania III as the highest-attended professional wrestling event ever held in America, with 101,763 fans in attendance at AT&T Stadium.

2016: Reintroduction of Brand Split

In 2016, the reintroduction of the brand split added the WWE Universal Championship as a choice for the Royal Rumble winner.

April 2, 2017: WrestleMania 33 Results

On April 2, 2017, at WrestleMania 33, Roman Reigns defeated The Undertaker, Brock Lesnar defeated Goldberg for the Universal Championship, Randy Orton defeated Bray Wyatt for the WWE Championship, and Mojo Rawley won the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. The Hardy Boyz returned and won the Raw Tag Team Championship.

2017: Introduction of WWE Universal Championship

Since 2017, WrestleMania has included matches for the WWE Universal Championship.

2017: Separate Money in the Bank ladder matches for men and women introduced

Since 2017, the Money in the Bank pay-per-view has been held with one match each for the men and women, with participants divided between the brands.

April 8, 2018: WrestleMania 34 Results

On April 8, 2018, at WrestleMania 34, Brock Lesnar retained the Universal Championship against Roman Reigns, and AJ Styles retained the WWE Championship against Shinsuke Nakamura. Kurt Angle and Ronda Rousey defeated Triple H and Stephanie McMahon, Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon defeated Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, The Undertaker defeated John Cena, and Charlotte Flair ended Asuka's undefeated streak. Nicholas and Braun Strowman won the Raw Tag Team Championship, and Naomi won the WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal. Matt Hardy won the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.

2018: Ronda Rousey Joins WWE

In 2018, Ronda Rousey became a wrestler for WWE.

2018: WrestleMania 34 in New Orleans

In 2018, WrestleMania 34 was held at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.

2018: Partnership with Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

In 2018, a 10-year partnership began with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in support of Saudi Vision 2030, leading to WrestleMania 43 being held in Riyadh.

2018: Introduction of Women's Royal Rumble

In 2018, a women's Royal Rumble match was introduced, offering the winner a championship match at WrestleMania.

April 7, 2019: WrestleMania 35 Results

On April 7, 2019, at WrestleMania 35, Kofi Kingston defeated Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship, and Seth Rollins defeated Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship. Kurt Angle and Batista retired. Becky Lynch won both the Raw and SmackDown Women's Championships in a triple threat match with Ronda Rousey and Charlotte Flair.

2019: WrestleMania's Brand Value

In 2019, WrestleMania's brand value was estimated at US$245 million by Forbes.

2019: First Women's WrestleMania Main Event

In 2019, at WrestleMania 35, the first women's WrestleMania main event match occurred.

2020: WrestleMania Axxess Cancelled

In 2020 the WrestleMania Axxess event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2020: NXT Championships Added as Options

In 2020, NXT's championships became additional choices for the Royal Rumble winner.

2020: WrestleMania 36 Results

In 2020, WrestleMania 36 was held across two nights due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Undertaker defeated AJ Styles in a Boneyard match, Braun Strowman defeated Goldberg to win the Universal Championship, Becky Lynch retained the Raw Women's Championship, Drew McIntyre defeated Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship, "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt defeated John Cena in a Firefly Fun House match, Charlotte Flair defeated Rhea Ripley for the NXT Women's Championship, and Edge defeated Randy Orton in a Last Man Standing match.

2020: WrestleMania 36 held without live audience

In 2020, WrestleMania 36 was held without fans due to the COVID-19 pandemic, marking the first major professional wrestling event affected and the first held across two nights.

September 2021: NXT Reverts to Developmental Brand

In September 2021, NXT reverted to its original status as WWE's developmental brand.

2021: WWE Returns to Live Crowds

In 2021, WrestleMania 37 marked WWE's return to live events with a reduced capacity crowd.

2022: NXT Championships Removed as Options

In 2022, NXT's championships were dropped as choices for the Royal Rumble winner.

2022: WrestleMania 38 Results

In 2022, WrestleMania 38 saw Cody Rhodes return to defeat Seth Rollins. Steve Austin came out of retirement to defeat Kevin Owens. Roman Reigns defeated Brock Lesnar to become the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion.

June 2023: WWE Women's Championship Renamed

In June 2023, the WWE Raw Women's Championship and WWE SmackDown Women's Championship were renamed as the WWE Women's Championship and Women's World Championship.

2023: Ronda Rousey's WWE Departure

In 2023, Ronda Rousey's tenure as a WWE wrestler concluded.

2023: WrestleMania 39

In 2023, WrestleMania 39 took place at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. WrestleMania Weekend included WrestleMania SmackDown, the WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony, and NXT Stand & Deliver. The main event of Night 1 saw Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn defeat The Usos for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship. On Night 2, Roman Reigns retained the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship against Cody Rhodes.

April 2024: WWE World at WrestleMania Relaunch

Beginning with WrestleMania XL in April 2024, WWE relaunched the WrestleMania Axxess event under a new name of WWE World at WrestleMania as part of a partnership with Fanatics Events.

2024: WrestleMania XL

In 2024, WrestleMania XL took place at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. The WrestleMania Weekend festivities included WrestleMania SmackDown and the WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony. NXT held their Stand & Deliver event. The main event of Night 1 saw The Bloodline (The Rock and Roman Reigns) defeat Cody Rhodes and Seth "Freakin" Rollins. On Night 2, Cody Rhodes defeated Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.

2024: Introduction of current World Heavyweight Championship

Since 2024, WrestleMania has included matches for the current World Heavyweight Championship.

May 22, 2025: New Orleans no longer hosting WrestleMania 42

On May 22, 2025, it was announced that New Orleans would no longer host WrestleMania 42, but is earmarked for a future WrestleMania.

June 7, 2025: WrestleMania 42 returns to Allegiant Stadium

On June 7, 2025, it was confirmed that WrestleMania 42 would return to the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas for a second consecutive year, scheduled for April 18 and 19, 2026.

2025: Indianapolis to host a future WrestleMania

In 2025, Indianapolis, Indiana will host Royal Rumble, as well as a future SummerSlam and a future WrestleMania at the Lucas Oil Stadium, as part of a partnership with the Indiana Sports Corp.

2025: WrestleMania 41

In 2025, WrestleMania 41 will take place at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada. WrestleMania Weekend festivities include WrestleMania SmackDown, the WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony, and NXT's Stand & Deliver event. The main event of Night 1 saw Seth Rollins defeat Roman Reigns and CM Punk in a triple threat match. Night 2 saw John Cena defeat Cody Rhodes to win the Undisputed WWE Championship.