The wrestling staff of Back Sports Page have carefully selected what they believe to be the top 41 matches in WrestleMania history. Presented in chronological order, this series will detail the backstory, match review, and aftermath of each match, along with how the outcomes shaped the careers of those involved.
Backstory:
The most unique WrestleMania was home to the event’s most unique match. WrestleMania 36 was originally scheduled in Tampa Bay, Florida, but was moved to the WWE Performance Center due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For the first, and hopefully only, time, WrestleMania took place without an audience in attendance. The unfortunate circumstances forced WWE to take chances with match structures they wouldn’t have thought about otherwise. WWE put on two cinematic matches at WrestleMania 36. One for each night, a first in the event’s history. The more impactful match was the Firefly Funhouse Match between “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt and John Cena.
Wyatt was coming into WrestleMania season without a match after losing the WWE Universal Championship to Goldberg at Super ShowDown 2020. His loss was just another booking misstep amid a run filled with them. Despite this, he was still one of the most popular members of the roster, and his unique character and presence meant he had to have a match at the biggest show of the year.
John Cena had taken time off from WWE since July 2019, but returned to SmackDown! after Super Showdown. Cena hinted at retirement and said that WrestleMania spots had to be earned. Wyatt confronted Cena after his promo, simply pointing to the WrestleMania sign. Cena nodded, accepting The Fiend’s challenge for a match.
Match Review:
The match begins with Cena welcoming us to WrestleMania, intercut with footage of past Manias. WWE and professional wrestling history are interwoven throughout the match. It’s less of a match and more of a cinematic examination of John Cena’s career and what it means to be the face of professional wrestling.
After Cena’s intro, Wyatt talks in the fun house. He speaks of a world beyond our comprehension. Wyatt tells Cena he’s going to face his most dangerous opponent yet, himself, before exiting the fun house. Cena arrives in the fun house, but quickly leaves to follow Wyatt and properly begin the spectacle.
Cena is met with the beginning of his career, unable to do anything but say “ruthless aggression” and swipe at the nearest object. On the verge of being fired and never fulfilling his potential, Cena is faced with a question: Is this really what he wants to do with his life? Cena chases Wyatt into the golden era of WWE, with both men adorned in 80s-inspired outfits. Wyatt proclaimed it the era of muscles over talent, saying “Johnny Largemeat” is the beefiest of them all. Like many stars of that era, Cena works himself to the point of ruin, leaving him unable to fight against Wyatt.
Cena chases Wyatt into the Doctor of Thuganomics era, forcing the former to rap everything he says. Wyatt tries to get Cena to understand how his actions during that period negatively affected numerous wrestlers. He gives him one last chance to make things right, but Cena refuses.
The final section sees Wyatt return to his original form. The bayou prophet asks Cena if he’s a man of the people, why wasn’t he listening when they crossed paths six years ago? He says the people needed him, and while it should’ve been his grandest moment was his greatest failure. He hands Cena a chair and implores him: Fix it. Cena swings but Wyatt disappears.
Wyatt has one last trick up his sleeve, transporting them to the NWO era of WCW, calling back to Cena’s past at the WCW Power Plant training center. Pantomiming Eric Bischoff, Wyatt introduces “the coolest guy” John Cena, who walks out adorned in NWO merchandise. After a too-sweet, Cena tires of the games, throws his hat down, and attacks. He wails on Wyatt, but unbeknownst to Cena Wyatt is replaced with Huskus the pig boy. While Cena is distraught, The Fiend appears behind him. An audio recording of Cena begins to play.
“This WrestleMania match is going to accomplish what should’ve happened six years ago,” Cena said. “Ending the existence of the most overhyped, overvalued, overprivileged WWE superstar in existence.”
The Fiend hits Sister Abigail and the Mandible Claw. Funhouse Wyatt comes out to count the pin. 1. 2. 3. The Fiend wins. Cena’s lifeless body disappears from the ring.
Aftermath:
- “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt continued to be one of the most popular members of the roster. Post-Mania, he began a feud with the new Universal Champion, Braun Strowman. Wyatt defeated Strowman for the title at SummerSlam 2020, losing the title to Roman Reigns to start his lengthy reign. Wyatt tragically died on August 24th, 2023, but is contributions will impact wrestling for decades.
- John Cena was a part-timer by the time WrestleMania 36 came around, and this match cemented that status. He wouldn’t appear on WWE television again until July 2021, where he would challenge Roman Reigns at Money In The Bank for the WWE Universal Championship. Cena began his retirement tour at the beginning of 2025, turning heel at Elimination Chamber. He will challenge Cody Rhodes for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas.
This match is unlike anything WWE has ever produced. Wyatt created nuanced examination of what it means to be the face of WWE, what it means to be the face of wrestling. The match was a character assassination of John Cena, an end to an era of the way things used to work in WWE. It was the bridge between the era of Cena into the current landscape of WWE. It was also Bray Wyatt’s magnum opus.
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