WrestleMania 28: The Faces of WrestleMania, Part 2

Welcome to the second edition in my ongoing series on "The Faces of WrestleMania."

In summary, the aim of the first edition was to explore which wrestlers had appeared at WrestleMania most frequently throughout history, that were still actively appearing there today.

The stipulation was that they had to have appeared at WrestleMania 26 or WrestleMania 27 to qualify. For full details of rules for inclusion, see the second slide of that article.

I will repeat, as people in comments did not realize it, this list includes all appearances (be they wrestling or not), but only people who are primarily wrestling. I will be doing a list of non-wrestlers as the next article. A lot of people complained about commentators and announcers that were not present.

If it makes the fact I am including them in a separate article easier to swallow, Hornswoggle would sadly belong on that list too.

This article aims to assess how much the list has changed after WrestleMania 28. Wrestlers must have appeared at WrestleMania 27 or 28, and those who last appeared at WrestleMania 26 (2010) will be cut from the list.

There are also a few additions to the list. As the men at the bottom of last year's list had seven appearances on a WrestleMania stage, I decided to set the ground figure as six, to allow for the fact that many from last year's list did not make the cut this time around.

This means wrestlers would have had to be competing in WrestleManias from 2007 or earlier—making this list a definitive look at the PG era's regular faces, whereas the previous list had a few Ruthless Aggression holdovers such as Batista and Shelton Benjamin.

Any guesses who might have made the cut that did not before?

Some are well-deserved and long-earned.

Others are certainly going to upset most of you, I suspect.

Special Mentions

* Beth Phoenix: We have one new female on this list, but Phoenix (at four appearances and still competing at the top level at least as far as WWE Divas are allowed) is likely to make the cut in a few years.

She appeared at WrestleMania this year, and in the years 2008-10. I thought it was worth putting in a mention for her, as this list is so male-wrestler heavy. If Trish Stratus does not appear at next year's event, the list will be back down to containing only one female.

* The following wrestlers last appeared at WrestleMania 26, and were thus no longer eligible for inclusion: Batista, Shelton Benjamin, Bret Hart.

Rumblings of one last run for Batista persist, but I cannot see the other two ever having a place in the company again, unless Owen Hart somehow gets inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, in which case Bret could well induct him.

23. The Great Khali (New Entry)

WrestleMania appearances: 6
Years appeared: 2007-12 (Wrestler)

I feel sure people will be upset to find out that at this point, The Great Khali is an annual regular at the WWE's largest event. Even if he was rarely in a major singles match, the man consistently finds his way on to the card somehow. It's just one of those things we all have to get used to.

23. The Miz (New Entry)

WrestleMania appearances: 6
Years appeared: 2007-12 (Wrestler)

Last of our bottom-ranked stars is The Miz. He is among the youngest best-achieving wrestlers, and that means this position is not to be sneered at.

He has been victorious in his last three WrestleMania matches—and all three were on the main card (as opposed to dark matches, which younger stars are often relegated to). If there is proof that some kind of youth movement success is occurring within the WWE, this is the man to look at.

23. Kelly Kelly (New Entry)

WrestleMania appearances: 6
Years appeared: 2007-08 (Lumberjill) / 2009-10 (Wrestler) / 2011 (Hall of Fame Inductor) / 2012 (Wrestler)

Kelly Kelly is not the most-respected female wrestler in the WWE, but she is not the least-respected, either. Regardless, it is nice to see a second WWE Diva on the list, which is so dominated by male performers. With Kelly's profile generally rising, it would be safe to assume she will continue to appear in the next few years.

She does, however, have enough of a profile as a celebrity and model that I suppose she could have a post-WWE career, something male wrestlers often struggle to achieve. I don't think appearing on the cover of Maxim makes you super-rich anymore, so that is not as likely as it may seem, but it's still worth considering that she may jump to another career at some point.

20. Mark Henry (New Entry)

WrestleMania appearances: 7
Years appeared: 1998 / 2006 / 2008-12 (Wrestler)

Has any man in the WWE waited longer to earn a consistent spot on the WrestleMania card? Sadly, Henry is nearing the end of his run as a wrestler. Along with The Undertaker, he is the most likely man to not be able to make an appearance at the next major WrestleMania anniversary in two years.

20. CM Punk (Last Year: 22)

WrestleMania appearances: 7
Years appeared: 2006 (Disguised Entrance Performer) / 2007-12 (Wrestler)

Punk's debut was an unusual one—see the YouTube video. He is one of those mafia guys.

I couldn't think of what to call him, so I went with "disguised entrance performer," because it is not made clear it is Punk.

20. Rey Mysterio (Last Year: 20)

WrestleMania appearances: 7
Years appeared: 2003-06 / 2009-11 (Wrestler)

Injury kept Mysterio off of the WrestleMania 28 card, so you can bet he'll be back next year.

Like Henry, Mysterio is in his final few years with the company, but he is a bigger star—I would consider it much more likely he will be given a major WrestleMania send-off than Mark Henry.

18. Trish Stratus (Last Year: 14)

WrestleMania appearances: 8
Years appeared: 2000 (Manager/Ring Escort) / 2001 (Interference) / 2002-03 (Wrestler) / 2004 (Interference) / 2005-06 / 2011 (Wrestler)

Stratus tumbles down the list, but remains the highest-rated woman here. She seemed close to making an appearance this year, and has yet to appear in the WWE Hall of Fame in any form. She's a lock for induction, so expect that to happen soon.

18. Booker T (Last Year: 20)

WrestleMania appearances: 8
Years appeared: 2002-07 (Wrestler) / 2011 (Commentary) / 2012 (Wrestler/Commentary)

Who says WWE buries African-American wrestlers? Who says WWE buries WCW wrestlers? Who says only losers ready for retirement work for TNA?

Booker T bucks trends like it's his profession nowadays. 

17. Christian (Last Year: 18)

WrestleMania appearances: 9
Years appeared: 2000-02 / 2004-05 / 2009-10 (Wrestler) / 2011 (Ring Escort) / 2012 (Hall of Fame Inductor)

Not a lot to say here, as Christian only appeared this year as a Hall of Fame Inductor.

He has never established himself as a "WrestleMania guy," has he? He keeps on clinging in there somehow.

14. Randy Orton (Last Year: 14)

WrestleMania appearances: 9
Years appeared: 2004-12 (Wrestler)

Orton is still thought of as a young wrestler, and he is, because his career got started at such an early age. He is actually a real veteran of WrestleMania at this point, though.

14. John Cena (Last Year: 14)

WrestleMania appearances: 9
Years appeared: 2004-12 (Wrestler)

Next year will mark a decade of Cena. Think of that what you want, it is certainly an achievement.

It is impossible to imagine the main event without him at this point, for me. No one else has been able to do so well with the PG theme.

14. William Regal (Last Year: 12)

WrestleMania appearances: 9
Years appeared: 2001-02 / 2005-07 (Wrestler) / 2008 (Announcer) / 2009-11 (Wrestler)

Regal slips down the list for not appearing this year, the first WrestleMania he has missed since 2004. He has been at WrestleMania as often as Cena and Orton, though—crazy!

11. Ric Flair (New Entry)

WrestleMania appearances: 10
Years appeared: 1992 / 2002 (Wrestler) / 2003 (Ring Escort) / 2004 (Wrestler) / 2005 (Ring Escort) / 2006-08 (Wrestler) / 2009 (Ring Escort) / 2012 (Hall of Fame Inductee)

Flair has remained on great terms with WWE, despite working at TNA. This is not surprising—Flair has always had many friends within the business. While contracted with TNA, it is unlikely we'll see him again for the next few years, but I could see Flair turning up in several years' time at the WWE Hall of Fame. Perhaps to induct D-Generation X?

11. Chris Jericho (Last Year: 12)

WrestleMania appearances: 10
Years appeared: 2000-05 / 2008-10 / 2012 (Wrestler)

Jericho continues to hold well in the ranks. For a man so famed for having a career outside of wrestling, he manages to find his way onto the WrestleMania card pretty consistently.

11. Ted DiBiase (Last Year: 9)

WrestleMania appearances: 10
Years appeared: 1988-93 (Wrestler) / 1995-96 (Ring Escort/Manager) / 2010 (WWE Hall of Fame Inductee) / 2011 (WWE Hall of Fame Inductor)

As long as DiBiase's son is with the WWE, there remains storyline potential for a return, and his character was well suited to the role of manager, but DiBiase seems relatively happy to stay away from wrestling—he is not a Hulk Hogan or a Ric Flair in that regard.

9. Edge (Last Year: 9)

WrestleMania appearances: 11
Years appeared: 2000-02 / 2005-11 (Wrestler) / 2012 (Hall of Fame Inductee)

This year marks Edge's first post-wrestling appearance at WrestleMania. He has remained heavily featured on WWE TV since his retirement, but has expressed thoughts that he is happy to live a life outside of the ring now. I don't see Edge retaining this spot in the way that some other retired wrestlers do, despite his relatively young age.

9. The Rock (Last Year: 9)

WrestleMania appearances: 11
Years appeared: 1997-2004 (Wrestler) / 2008 (Hall of Fame Inductor) / 2011 (Special Guest Host) / 2012 (Wrestler)

The Rock's victory over Cena does not bring him any higher up this list. Supposedly due back again next year, it is hard to tell if The Rock will continue to rise up this list, or disappear again as he did in 2004. A surprisingly low spot for someone so high-profile.

8. The Big Show (Last Year: 8)

WrestleMania appearances: 12
Years appeared: 1999-2001 / 2003-06 / 2008-12 (Wrestler)

I noted this before, in my previous article—part of why The Big Show has such a poor record at WrestleMania is he has had so many chances to appear at it. You tend to find that men who frequently appear at WrestleMania often have poor records there. (Shawn Michaels and The Rock spring to mind.)

The Big Show has become a bit stale, but WWE seems to love keeping him in the upper mid-card, so I would guess there are at least one or two more matches on the Grandest Stage for this man.

He's also the top-ranked "WCW guy" on this list.

7. Stone Cold Steve Austin (Last Year: 7)

WrestleMania appearances: 13 
Years appeared: 1996-99 (Wrestler) / 2001-03 (Wrestler) / 2004 (Guest Referee) / 2005 (Piper's Pit Interview) / 2006 (Hall of Fame Inductor) / 2007 (Guest Referee / Hall of Fame Inductor) / 2009 (Hall of Fame Inductee) / 2011 (Guest Referee)

Over the last few years, Stone Cold has slowed down from making a special appearance every year, to every other year. This would mean he is due back at WrestleMania in 2013, and I would assume the WWE will ensure he is also around for WrestleMania 30, as it will be a historic year.

Middle of the list is a good fit for Stone Cold. Since just under half his appearances have not been as a wrestler, it would be strange to see him at the top, but he is a familiar face around this time of year.

5. JBL (New Entry)

WrestleMania appearances: 14
Years appeared: 1997-02 / 2004-06 (Wrestler) / 2007 (Commentary) / 2008-09 (Wrestler) / 2012 (WWE Hall of Fame Inductor)

JBL! His role as a Hall of Fame Inductor propels JBL up to the upper echelons of this list. Despite his career peak being right at the end of his full-time WWE career, JBL easily deserves this spot, though it may surprise people.

5. Roddy Piper (Last Year: 4)

WrestleMania appearances: 14
Years appeared: 1985-87 / 1989-90 (Wrestler) / 1991 (Manager/Ring Escort) / 1992 (Wrestler) / 1995 (Guest Referee) / 1996 (Wrestler) / 2003 (Interference) / 2005 (Hall of Fame Inductee / Piper's Pit) / 2009 (Wrestler) / 2010 (Hall of Fame Inductor) / 2011 (Backstage)

Piper is a strange one. There is no reason for him to appear so regularly on WWE TV, or at WrestleMania. Sure, he's a legend, but no other retired wrestlers seem to end up showing up as often as Piper.

And yet unlike Hogan, Flair, and to an extent Triple H (his last few non-WrestleMania matches were not so well received), no one is encouraging Piper to stop making occasional in-ring appearances, or appearing on television as an on-air personality.

On the one hand, there is no real reason to anticipate him remaining on this list. Why would he ever appear again? Isn't his character's role essentially done now? Well, yes, except that he has such a knack for appearing at WrestleMania, that I won't count out us seeing Piper a few more times.

Slipping down by a rank is fair though, as the man is done for the most part.

4. Kane (Last Year: 4)

WrestleMania appearances: 15
Years appeared: 1998-2012 (Wrestler)

Kane remains in the same slot as last year, though with Roddy Piper no longer sharing the spot, it could be said that he has crept further up the list.

I find it strange that a man who has appeared at WrestleMania so consistently (the top three men on this list all missed at least one year since Kane became an annual WrestleMania attraction) is generally associated much more with the Royal Rumble PPV.

When Kane bows out of WWE, he will prove among the hardest to replace in the company. Though he has tended not to be a main event player in the company, his use of a fantastical gimmick, a rare feature nowadays, makes him a distinctive player.

3. Triple H (Last Year: 3)

WrestleMania appearances: 16
Years appeared: 1996-2006 / 2008-12 (Wrestler)

The top three is where the list is unchanged. However, given how consistently Kane appears at WrestleMania, and the increasingly limited storyline options for someone like Triple H, The Game could well see himself swap places with Kane in the next few years, I suspect.

Because of his family connections, though, expect him to infrequently appear—in the next five or six years, I could see him approaching the top of this list.

2. The Undertaker (Last Year: 2)

WrestleMania appearances: 20
Years appeared: 1991-93 / 1995-99 / 2001-12 (Wrestler)

Unless The Undertaker appears next year and Shawn Michaels does not, The Phenom may never catch Mr. WrestleMania for the top spot.

Yet he remains the man arguably most associated with WrestleMania, especially among younger generations who have grown up since his streak became particularly-hyped as a feature of the PPV.

While The Undertaker has a chance of reaching number one on this list, he is secure in his second place position—assuming he appears at WrestleMania 29, he will remain second on this list even in two years' time.

1. Shawn Michaels (Last Year: 1)

WrestleMania appearances: 21
Years appeared: 1989-96 (Wrestler) / 1997 (Commentary) / 1998 (Wrestler) / 1999 (Commissioner) / 2003-10 (Wrestler) / 2011 (Hall of Fame Inductee) / 2012 (Guest Referee)

Mr. WrestleMania remains at the top of the list, continuing to deserve his title. Only he could make a special guest referee position as anticipated as his was this year.

You could easily have been fooled into thinking he was still competing as a wrestler, from the amount of talk that surrounded it. He's still Mr. WrestleMania. The fact he has now appeared four times as a non-wrestler leaves me pretty certain he'll be back again, too.

Statistics

* Breakdown of nationalities: USA, 17; Canada, 5; UK, 1; India, 1; Mexico, 1

* Drop-offs - 3

* Additions to list - 6

* The only people in this list of 25 that have not held a world title or the top Divas title within the WWE are Roddy Piper, Ted DiBiase and William Regal.