ESPN knows its stuff when analyzing greats like LeBron James and Shohei Ohtani. Yet it just missed the mark when discussing the most preeminent performer in sports entertainment history, Roman Reigns.
Ahead of its presentation of WrestleMania 42, ESPN ranked Reigns’ 10 Mania main events from lowest to highest. Topping the list was last year’s triple threat against Seth Rollins and CM Punk.
Sean Coyle, author of the piece, called it “a wonderfully worked match that stole the show and cemented Reigns
as the king of WrestleMania main events.”
For my money, it was the Match of the Year in 2025: great storyline, high drama, big stage, big money draw.
Here’s the problem: Reigns lost.
A loss doesn’t — and shouldn’t — diminish a wrestler’s claim to WrestleMania greatness. Steve Austin’s defining moment came in defeat against Bret Hart at WrestleMania 13. Many consider Shawn Michaels as “Mr. WrestleMania” despite several losses at “The Showcase of the Immortals.”
But when it comes to Reigns’ greatest WrestleMania main event, it has to be his victory over Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 39, which finished fifth on ESPN’s list.
In many ways, it was Reigns’ WrestleMania III moment, the equivalent of Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant. Like Hogan, Reigns entered as an overwhelming underdog despite having been a dominant champion. Unlike the Hulkster, he did so as a hated villain, with fans, pundits, and even former wrestlers expecting Rhodes to end the Tribal Chief’s reign.
Instead, Reigns prevailed, leaving a reported crowd of 81,395 drowning in a sea of disappointment while Rhodes sat heartbroken.
As a heel victory, it delivered one of the strongest emotional reactions imaginable. So strong, in fact, that one fan went viral after an epic meltdown, pounding his seat and striking a glass barrier while shouting at Reigns from over a hundred yards away.
Coming in second on ESPN’s list was their rematch at WrestleMania XL, where Reigns and Rhodes again showed strong chemistry. With cameos from stars like The Rock, John Cena, and The Undertaker playing into the finish, it capped a year-long saga with a fitting payoff, even though Reigns lost.
However, nothing tops the Tribal Chief standing triumphant at the end of WrestleMania 39 among a throng of sad faces, still the undisputed champion and unrivaled king of WrestleMania.
