There are certain WrestleMania moments that we can barely go a day without thinking about. The Undertaker’s streak coming to an end. Daniel Bryan’s phenomenal showing in taking out all of Evolution in one night. That time Bray Wyatt super imposed worms into the ring for no reason whatsoever. But there are even more that have slipped our mind completely, many of which happened very recently. Failed pushes, celebrity appearances and stars you just didn’t realise reached such a level in their careers. With that in mind, we’ve taken a look at 10 wrestlers who picked up the pin at WrestleMania that you’ve most likely completely forgotten about.
10 10. The Headbangers
A tag-team you forgot ever performed on the grandest stage were Mosh and Thrasher, better known as The Headbangers. In the late 90s, the pair achieved some success in the Attitude Era thanks to their out their personas and in-ring ability. But it was actually in 1997 that their best moment came. The duo appeared at WrestleMania 13 and faced off against three other teams that you’ve also definitely forgotten about, picking up the win in the second match of the night for a shot at the titles later down the line. They eventually tasted gold after interference from Stone Cold (no, really).
9 9. Jacqueline
We’ve come a long way in the past 20+ years of professional wrestling, particularly when it comes to how the women are perceived. The incredibly talented Jacqueline and Ivory kicked off WrestleMania night, ahead of a Women’s title match between the more aesthetically pleasing Sable and Tori. It’s obvious that talent went very little in those days though, because Jacqueline and Ivory went for just 1:23, a sad indictment of mid 90s wrestling. It was a clean win as well, although there was more time put into the aftermath, with Terri Runnels stubbing a cigar into the cheek of Ivory.
8 8. Test and Albert
When perennial underachievers Test and Prince Albert formed T&A with Trish Stratus, the pair looked set to add something different to the tag-team division. But heir Wrestlemania 16 bout came before the legendary TLC match, and showed the gulf in class between the team and the main three duos in the division.
Taking on the entertaining duo of Al Snow and Steve Blackman – a pair named HeadCheese – the giant pairing picked up their first PPV win inside seven minutes. It was one of the most notable moments of their long runs in WWE, with gold a rarity between the two.
7 7. LOD 2000
There’s no point listing the impact in the business of the Road Warriors, as we would be here for a while. But one part of their WWE run that is often forgotten about the LOD 2000 gimmick upon their return. The duo came back to the company in ‘Mania 14, kicking off the show as part of a tag-team battle royal to determine the number one contenders. The duo hadn’t been seen since apparently dispanding earlier in the year, but with Sunny in tow (yes, she managed LOD as well as everyone else in the locker room), the pair eliminated The New Midnight Express for the win.
6 6. Snooki
WWE has and always will have a real issue with trying to implement themselves into trash pop culture. The most recent WrestleMania saw Braun Strowman completely wasted in a rivalry with the guys from Saturday Night Live and please, let us never forget the musical interludes of Mr Worldwide, Pitbull. But there’s one individual for whom a WrestleMania victory summed up the wreck that was WWE at the time.
Snooki, of Jersey Shore fame, tasted victory alongside John Morrison and Trish Stratus in what has to go down as one of the most industry destroying moments in recent years. Let us never speak of this again.
5 5. Fandango
At one time, Fandango threatened to be one of the most over people in all of wrestling. Supported by a raucous crowd, his entrance theme went viral, and the world knew who Fandango was. But injuries and a lack of a push have wasted the man’s talents.
It wasn’t always the case though, because WWE fed one of their most accomplished stars to him, at Wrestlemania, in his debut match. Weeks of vignettes and teased matches eventually led to Fandango making his debut at WrestleMania 29, where he faced off against a Chris Jericho who was not at all pleased to be facing the rookie at the biggest show of the year. But one clean win later, Fandango had everyone paying attention to his early days in the company.
4 4. Viscera
Another pre-show classic, Viscera, now in the twilight of his career and bigger than he’d ever been, picked up victory in one of the many pointless battle royals we see on a yearly basis. This was the typical classic, with an array of stars for whom a television appearance is a rarity, mixed with some wrestlers who really should be worth more than a token showing. Viscera last eliminated Snitsky, but the contest also included the likes of William Regal, Goldust and John Morrison. Coming during his love machine phase, contests such as this pre-empted the Andre the Giant showings we have today, but both are really just filler matches.
3 3. Primo
It seems an awfully long time since Primo and Epico did anything of note on WWE programming. Despite being two of the longest running superstars on the roster, the pair are treated as so much of an afterthought that they’re simply not thought of at all. The Shining Stars have well and truly lost their sparkle, but there was a time that Epico was a WrestleMania victor; in fact, it happened twice. At WrestleMania 25, he unified the tag titles with Carlito and three years later, defended the same titles alongside Epico. Needless to say, it won’t be something that you’ll see repeated again.
2 2. Maria Menounos
Another in the same mould of Snooki is Maria Menounos. Now, to be fair to Maria, she does at least have a little more credibility, having continued to work as an ambassador for the company and making positive contributions in a presenting manner. But WrestleMania 28 saw the TV personality pick up a win alongside Kelly Kelly in a bout against Eve Torres and future Hall of Famer, Beth Phoenix. In fact, Menounos held her own and picked up the pin. But while Menounos is now recognised as a semi-regular part of the company, the early 2010s were a very, very different time in WWE.
1 1. Jinder Mahal
The Jinder Mahal experiment is one that everyone involved with WWE would probably rather you’d forget about. From released in 2014 to becoming WWE champion in 2017, Mahal’s last few years with the company have been an absolute mess. Used as the poster boy for their failed introduction to India, Mahal has been dropped almost as quickly as he was built up. That’s why it seems so long ago that he won the US Title at WrestleMania 34, besting Randy Orton, Rusev and Bobby Roode. It might not be that long ago but if you’ve seen any of Mahal lately, you’ll know another run won’t be happening for the foreseeable.