Ranking the 10 Biggest WWE Booking Mistakes of the Last 5 WrestleManias

WrestleMania is the one moment of the year when WWE brings its absolute best. The whole card is filled with big matches that bring an end to some of the biggest stories of each year.

With so much expectation placed on the marquee event, it is always likely WWE will make decisions that disappoint. Whether it be a veteran defeating an up-and-coming star or a popular challenger not winning gold, these booking moves can frame the entire weekend.

Over the past five WrestleManias, WWE has made several questionable moves. Even on shows like WrestleMania 35 or WrestleMania 37, which were widely loved, not every decision shone.

For instance, Brock Lesnar pulled off a shocking win over Roman Reigns that looks awkward with hindsight, and Randy Orton defeated Bray Wyatt at two 'Manias.

These are just a few of the 10 biggest WrestleMania mistakes over the past five years that still sting to this day.

10. WrestleMania 33: Mojo Rawley Wins Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal

Many may have already forgotten Mojo Rawley, a charismatic former football player who never seemed to get over in WWE. There was no point in his career where he got any kind of spotlight that mattered except at WrestleMania 33.

On that night, he won the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal with the help of Rob Gronkowski. It was a gimmicky move by WWE, which should be able to use The Grandest Stage of Them All for longer-term storytelling.

This is not meant as an indictment on Rawley as a performer. He struggled to make his mark, but the company hardly seemed to have a good idea on how to use him.

After this show, The Hype Man got no push. WWE's fascination with his friend, Gronkowski, never solidified into anything beyond a hosting gig at WrestleMania 36 and one 24/7 Championship reign, a title Rawley would hold seven times without any real build.

In the end, this wasn't even an experiment to push a new talent. It was a stunt to get people talking about the NFL icon. It would have been better to give runner-up Jinder Mahal the win. He would have benefited more from that accomplishment and added to his WWE legacy.

9. WrestleMania 37: Bayley Only on Show to Get Embarrassed by The Bella Twins

Bayley was the longest-reigning SmackDown women's champion in history. When she eventually dropped the title to Sasha Banks, she went on to put over Bianca Belair and set her up to become the next champion.

While The Role Model could not be a part of the massive title match, she should have had some role on the show. But when WrestleMania 37 began, she had no spot on the card.

She was not wrestling. She wasn't even a host as that role was taken by Hulk Hogan and Titus O'Neil. Instead, she got one segment where she pestered the hosts and got knocked down by Nikki Bella.

It was an embarrassing waste of one of the best female Superstars in WWE. The Bella Twins were treated as better than her just months after she was the most dominant champion in the company. She should have been allowed to host the event or at least stage a promoted edition of her Ding Dong, Hello talk show.

8. WrestleMania 37: Anti-Climax of Women's Tag Team 2-Night Experience

Credit: WWE.com

WrestleMania 37 was an important moment for WWE as the company finally got back to business with a two-night live event in front of fans again after the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to make the weekend matter, it took multiple paths to get as many wrestlers on the card as possible.

The women's tag team division was showcased in a two-night event at Raymond James Stadium where the contenders would face off in a gauntlet match. The winners would go on to face Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax on Night 2.

While the gauntlet match itself was a surprise hit thanks to the hard work of the women involved, WWE failed to capitalize on the energy built up in it. The Riott Squad went on a run, carrying the contest only to lose at the finish line to Natalya and Tamina.

While Natalya and Tamina had a story for a match with Baszler and Jax, the crowd was hottest for Liv Morgan and Ruby Riott that night. What was worse was that Natalya and Tamina would go on to lose the next night, despite the crowd being fully behind them by the end of the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships match.

Natalya and Tamina would go on to capture the titles on SmackDown a month later, but the damage was done as the popular veterans had lost that crowd energy. All around, WWE failed to make the women's tag division relevant at a time when it truly needed it.

7. WrestleMania 36: Becky Lynch Defeats Shayna Baszler

A year before Shayna Baszler's unnecessary victory with Nia Jax at WrestleMania 37, she lost the most important match of her career.

The Queen of Spades was built up as a destroyer from the moment she arrived in WWE, and she won an Elimination Chamber match by eliminating everyone else one by one to stake her claim to the Raw Women's Championship.

This should have been her moment, especially since Becky Lynch would go on to vacate the title soon after. Even if Big Time Becks has now factored this title reign into her current run, Baszler needed this moment more.

The former MMA fighter has gone on to do little on the main roster since then. A woman who dominated NXT, she has similar tools to close friend Ronda Rousey and can dissect her opponents with technical offense.

Baszler should be a big star in the modern WWE landscape. Instead, she got thrown into a tag team division that barely gets screen time and then moved lower down the totem pole.

At this point, she has been lucky to get on television most weeks.

6. WrestleMania 36: Charlotte Flair Defeats Rhea Ripley

Credit: WWE.com

Much like Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair will often be protected over the rest of the women's division. Both women are extremely talented, but there needs to be true challenger to make any division shine.

While Bianca Belair has overcome some rough moments to remain an upper-midcard wrestler, Rhea Ripley has struggled to do the same. WrestleMania 36 was especially egregious as The Nightmare was NXT women's champion at the time.

The Australian had won the title in one of NXT's last great moments of its black-and-gold run, dethroning the unstoppable Shayna Baszler. She was the symbol of greatness for the brand, yet she tapped out when she got the chance to showcase herself and NXT.

Ripley vs. Flair was one of the best matches on the WrestleMania 36 card, and it could have been a moment to solidify The Nightmare as a future star.

Instead, The Queen won and then barely defended the NXT Women's Championship. She ended up dropping it at NXT TakeOver: In Your House to Io Shirai.

Just over a year later, Ripley lost to Flair at Money in the Bank in a cycle that has never stopped.

5. WrestleMania 34: Brock Lesnar Defeats Roman Reigns

Credit: WWE.com

WrestleMania 34 was meant to be the rematch everyone had wanted. Roman Reigns was getting a second chance at Brock Lesnar after Seth Rollins had interrupted their legendary WrestleMania 31 clash.

Everyone assumed this would be the crowning moment for The Big Dog. He would topple The Beast Incarnate and end his era of dominance. Instead, Lesnar won after six F-5s.

The crowd booed the whole match, which was an indulgent mess. Both men kept kicking out of each other's signature offense, and it did not help that Reigns was rarely able to get in much offense. It was an extended squash rather than the unique battle the two had in their first outing.

Nothing came of Lesnar winning, either. He did not help build any new stars and continued to be absent from television most weeks, leaving the regular performers without a championship. It was just an excuse to extend this feud all the way to SummerSlam 2019 where The Big Dog finally got his win.

With a third match set for WrestleMania 38, perhaps WWE can redeem itself with better booking. Now that both men are better defined as characters, it should be a better match...but will the right man win?

4. WrestleMania 35: Shane McMahon Defeats The Miz

Credit: WWE.com

Many may have forgotten the odd pairing of The Miz and Shane McMahon for WrestleMania 35, and most of that comes down to the shoddy booking of the finish.

This angle was built by two great storytellers. A desperate A-Lister wanted to find success only to be betrayed by the greedy McMahon, who believed his own tainted hype. They were set for a Falls Count Anywhere match that few expected much from.

What mattered was that WWE solidified Miz as a top babyface with a big win. Instead, he lost and never got his revenge.

McMahon went on a power-trip run on WWE that only ended because of Kevin Owens. While The Miz is a great heel, he had crowd energy behind him at MetLife Stadium.

With this loss, The A-Lister slipped into the background and started playing the conniving heel again. It is a role he is good at, but he still hasn't gotten a fair shake as a fan favorite.

3. WrestleMania 34: AJ Styles Defeats Shinsuke Nakamura

Shinsuke Nakamura is the rare Japanese wrestler WWE was forced to take seriously. The three-time IWGP heavyweight champion was a huge name when he signed with the company, and NXT treated him like one.

When The Artist arrived on the main roster, it seemed his booking would continue to build him. He won the 2018 men's Royal Rumble match in a moment that was as shocking as it was welcome. He was on his way to a world title.

He was paired with WWE champion AJ Styles, a rival which whom he had outstanding matches in New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Everything seemed set perfectly...until Nakamura lost.

The contest in New Orleans never quite lived up to the expectations fans had, but the loss made it all the worse. Nakamura would turn heel on Styles and have better matches with him, but fans cared less and less as they knew The Artist would never win.

Nakamura has never been world champion. He has been a United States, intercontinental and SmackDown tag team champion, but WWE has remained conservative with his booking. The trigger was never pulled to make him the first Japanese WWE champion.

2. WrestleMania 35: Baron Corbin Ends Kurt Angle's Legendary Career

Credit: WWE.com

Kurt Angle is one of the greatest in-ring performers of all time. In 1996, he won an Olympic gold medal, and the professional wrestling world took notice. Once he was signed by WWE, there was no going back.

A four-time WWE champion and Hall of Famer, he was the peak of athletic ability in the ring. He could make anyone look great, and it was no wonder WWE allowed him to keep wrestling as long as he wanted to.

At the age of 50, Angle wrestled his last match, losing to Baron Corbin at WrestleMania 35. The Lone Wolf is a solid performer who has continued to build a foundation as a hateable heel. However, he never felt like the right man to end the Olympian's career.

Not only did he not fit the mold, but he didn't benefit from the moment, either. He would go on to remain at largely the same level as a heel and never leaned into the role of the man who ended Angle's career.

It would have made more sense for The Olympic Gold Medalist to lose to someone who could carry on his legacy. Chad Gable comes to mind, but even stars like Bobby Lashley, Daniel Bryan, Samoa Joe and Cesaro would have made more sense. Some might still be with WWE after that rub.

1. WrestleMania 33 and 37: Randy Orton Defeats Bray Wyatt

Credit: WWE.com

Bray Wyatt is no more. The WWE Superstar was released on July 31, 2021 to little fanfare. It was an unremarkable end to a unique run in WWE.

Many look back on Wyatt's run as a series of missed opportunities, and perhaps none stand out more than the two times he fought Randy Orton at WrestleMania and lost.

Two of the worst and weirdest matches to take place on The Grandest Stage of Them All, Orton vs. Wyatt never truly worked. The two lacked chemistry, and they could only try to mask it with a lot of smoke and mirrors.

Their first match at WrestleMania 33, Wyatt walked in as WWE champion, the only time he would hold that title. He had been put by John Cena just months before when he won the gold, and it felt like The Eater of Worlds was ready to run with the belt. But, for some inexplicable reason, he lost.

He would be forced to reinvent himself as The Fiend, a monster trapped in the mind of a creepy children's TV host. It was a unique gimmick that immediately got over. However, when the lights were brightest at WrestleMania 37, he lost again to The Viper and was never seen again in a WWE ring.

These two matches ended the WWE career of one of the most creative character workers in the company. At his peak, he looked to be a true main event act, but the company never trusted him enough to let him run with a title.