Analyzing WrestleMania Statistics of Today's WWE Superstars

Viewing WrestleMania through a statistic-colored lens makes it clear just how much of a transitional phase WWE is in.

The old guard, the Superstars who have been central to the marquee event for years, are on their way out. Age and Father Time will soon force them to step aside. Triple H, Big Show and Kane will leave behind massive voids; men such as Seth Rollins will look to fill them.

The current crop of emerging stars have barely any history at WrestleMania. Their legends have yet to be built. 

WrestleMania 31 is set to feature these two opposing groups—those winding down their careers and those just getting theirs underway.

As exciting as all of WWE's new faces are, it's easy to forget just how long some of the veterans have been making their mark on the Show of Shows. In what has felt like no time at all, it's been over a decade since John Cena and Randy Orton made their debut at the pay-per-view.

Constant Presence

The longest streaks of WrestleMania appearances among active competitors belong to a list of men who began their WWE run before the turn of the century and two of the company's cornerstones.

Wrestler	Length of Streak	Event Streak Began	Event Streak Ended
Kane	17	WrestleMania XIV	Ongoing
Undertaker	14	WrestleMania X-Seven	Ongoing
Triple H	11	WrestleMania XII	WrestleMania 22
John Cena	11	WrestleMania XX	Ongoing
Randy Orton	11	WrestleMania XX	Ongoing
Triple H	7	WrestleMania XXIV	Ongoing
Big Show	7	WrestleMania XXIV	Ongoing

Kane's streak includes a pre-show tag team match at WrestleMania XIX. Some may debate whether that's officially being a part of WrestleMania, but even without that, one can't help but be impressed with his longevity.

His first WrestleMania match, a showdown with his kayfabe brother Undertaker, happened way back in 1998. Bray Wyatt turned 11 that year.

Undertaker has missed just two WrestleManias since 1991. Should he face Wyatt this year as expected, it will mark his 23rd total appearance at the event. That's staggering to think about.

The Deadman will have wrestled at 74 percent of the WrestleMania events to date.

Eventually, that run will stop. WrestleMania will one day be sans Undertaker, Kane and Triple H (who has 18 total appearances). That will be a surreal day.

Representing the next generation, Dolph Ziggler currently sits at five WrestleManias in a row. For him to match what Kane has accomplished, the Showoff will have to strut his way into WrestleMania 42, at which point he'll be approaching 46 years old.

Occupying the Throne

The clearest case for having new blood atop the WrestleMania card is to look at who has been the event's headliner the most.

Among active wrestlers, Triple H and Cena are miles ahead of their peers in terms of main-eventing the Showcase of the Immortals.

Most WrestleMania Main Events

• Triple H: 6 (16, 18, 20, 21, 22, 25)
• John Cena: 5 (22, 23, 27, 28, 29)
• Randy Orton: 2 (25, 30)
• Big Show: 1 (16)
• Brock Lesnar: 1 (19)
• Daniel Bryan: 1 (30)
• The Miz: 1 (27)

Looking at those numbers makes the argument that "Bryan already had his moment so shouldn't headline WrestleMania 31" even more laughable. Cena has had well more than a single moment, and so has the Game.

Cena's name sits right behind Triple H despite him starting his WWE career seven years after Triple H. This is a part of the reason for much of the Cena fatigue. WWE pushed him to the top of the card, and he has sat there for years.

At WrestleMania 30, though, he competed outside of the main event. When he faces Rusev this year, it will be the same case.

Perhaps the company is moving on. 

WrestleMania 31 will be Roman Reigns' first time to get this opportunity. WWE would be wise to mix things up on the marquee in years ahead. There is enough all-world talent on the roster not to have Reigns headline five of the next eight events as Cena did from 2006 to 2013.

Showcase of Champions 

Breaking down who went into WrestleMania as challenger and walked out as champion reveals a number of things. 

For one, it emphasizes how dominant Cena has been at WrestleMania. Add that to the equation of why some fans have tired of seeing him.

It also shows how often other Superstars were asked to play supporting roles.

Wrestler	No. of Titles Won	Events Where Wins Occured	Championship(s) Won
John Cena	5	WM 20, 21, 25, 26, 29	United States, WWE (x3) World Heavyweight
Undertaker	3	WM 13, 23, 24	WWE, World Heavyweight (x2)
Triple H	2	WM 14, 18	European, WWE
Kane	2	17, 24	Hardcore, ECW
Big Show	1	28	Intercontinental
Brock Lesnar	1	19	WWE
Daniel Bryan	1	30	WWE
The Miz	1	29	Intercontinental
Primo (Diego)	1	25	World Tag Team
Sheamus	1	28	World Heavyweight

Kane and Big Show have been WWE mainstays. They have both won their fair share of titles—but not at WrestleMania.

Both men have been asked to be someone else's prey, involved in a grudge match or, in the case of the World's Strongest Athlete, put into matches with multiple wrestlers. Big Show's last three WrestleManias have seen him enter a Battle Royal, a six-man tag and an eight-man tag.

Ziggler knows that feeling. He has yet to have a singles bout at WrestleMania.

That has kept his name off the above list. One will also notice that there aren't a ton of younger folks listed.

Bad News Barrett, Stardust, Jack Swagger and Kofi Kingston are happy to make the card each year.

Beginning with WrestleMania 31, however, that list is set to change. Reigns has a shot at the WWE title. Dean Ambrose and Ziggler are both vying for the Intercontinental Championship.

And one can bet on Ambrose, Rollins and Rusev being in the hunt for titles for years to come.

Winners and Losers

Thanks to Undertaker, there is no event in which wrestlers' records are more closely watched than at WrestleMania.

Cena, not surprisingly, has won plenty. Goldust, Orton and Big Show have far less spotless WrestleMania records.

WrestleMania Win-Loss Record for Several Active Superstars

• Undertaker (21-1)
• John Cena (8-3)
• Triple H (8-10)
• Randy Orton (4-7)
• Big Show (4-10)
• Brock Lesnar (2-2)
• Daniel Bryan (3-1)
• Seth Rollins (2-0)
• Dean Ambrose (2-0)
• Roman Reigns (2-0)
• Cesaro (1-1)
• Stardust/Cody Rhodes (1-3)
• Dolph Ziggler (1-4)
• Bray Wyatt (0-1)
• Tyson Kidd (0-2)
• Bad News Barrett (0-2)
• R-Truth (0-3)
• Goldust (0-4-2)

Note that Bryan is 3-2 if you count his dark match against Sheamus at WrestleMania 27. And two of his victories came on a single night in New Orleans last year.

For fans convinced that Triple H is out to bury everyone, it's worth noting that he has double-digit losses at the event. Most recently, he put Bryan over. Many expect him to the same against Sting.

What is most interesting about these numbers, though, is the possibility of a fresh start to a new streak.

With Undertaker's undefeated streak now over, put to rest by Brock Lesnar and a series of F-5s, WWE has a chance to begin again. A number of younger Superstars have yet to taste defeat at the event, and some haven't stepped on that grand stage yet.

Rusev is set to compete at his first WrestleMania. Erick Rowan and Luke Harper haven't wrestled at that event, either.

Ambrose, Rollins and Reigns remain undefeated. 

That's not even considering the idea of NXT stars such as Kevin Owens trying to follow Undertaker's lead.

WWE can harness a lot of drama from any one of these men getting anywhere near Undertaker's historic mark. Rollins reaching 10 wins in a row, for example, allows the company to build around his chase for 21 in a row.

There are other numbers to strive for, though.

Someone has to be the steady presence at WrestleMania that Kane has been. Someone has to get closer to Triple H's number of main events or the collection of titles that Cena has won on wrestling's biggest stage.

The pantheon of greats is graying. New legends will fill the stat sheets in WrestleMania's future.

All match statistics courtesy of CageMatch.net.