In the history of WWE, there have been several rivalries that have left a lasting impression in the minds of the viewers. Some have been lamented as a major milestone that marked the beginning of a new era, showcasing emotionally gripping and passionate storylines. One such rivalry was between Triple H and Chris Jericho, where the latter was the Undisputed Champion of that period.
The two veterans spent a few good years of their wrestling careers as heated rivals, where both tried to pull down the other and become the face of the company. Their feud reached its boiling point, and they decided to settle it out at WrestleMania 18. However, Jericho knew that his defending his Undisputed Championship wasn’t meant to be the last match at the grandest stage of them all.
After all, it featured an Icon vs. Icon match, showcasing The Rock and Hulk Hogan, where both men put on a show that was remembered for generations to come.
WrestleMania 18: The main event that Chris Jericho recalls with utter disappointment
Let’s be honest, main eventing WrestleMania, the show of shows, would be the dream of every WWE wrestler. For Chris Jericho, it was the same, where he main evented the greatest PPV thrice in his career. However, for him, his first main event at the greatest stage in the history of sports entertainment was not so memorable.
Appearing as a guest on WWE’s special show, Inside The Ropes, Jericho recalled the period, when he ardently believed that nothing could’ve topped the breathtaking match featuring Hulk Hogan and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson that was put on before them.
He said,
Let’s be honest, a main event in the fact that it was on last, but the main event of the show was Hogan and Rock and I knew it. And it was actually most of the people pitching to have their match on last. I was pitching not to go on last because I said, ‘How do you follow Hogan and Rock?’
Y2J continued that Triple H fought for their match to be last, and they did deserve that. However, once the Icon vs. Icon match was over, he could see the “air go out of the room.”
He expressed his disappointment to not “follow” up with what Hogan and The Rock did before them. He added,
And Triple H, and probably rightfully so, was fighting for the title match to be last but we couldn’t follow it. We just couldn’t and you could just see the air go out of the room. That’s a match, I’ve never watched it back I remember being kind of disappointed in it. Main event at WrestleMania?
He emphasized that being last doesn’t make them the main event, explaining how the wrestler’s star power plays a major role in deciding the main event at WrestleMania. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Hulk Hogan are arguably two of the greatest wrestlers in the history of WWE, and their feud brought the wrestling enthusiasts on their feet when the two men faced off against each other at WrestleMania 18.
Followed by the post-match handshake and an attempted beatdown by Scott Hall and Kevin Nash because they didn’t appreciate the kindness, and it gave them another WrestleMania moment.
The WWE Universe voice their opinion on WrestleMania 18’s main event
Even though Jericho had his rightful reasons to be disappointed with the match, the fans felt that his unfulfilled dream to main event his first WrestleMania was meaningless. A page decided to share the clip from the show on X, which was met with immense heat from wrestling fans, where everyone believed that WWE had not learned from its past.
The fans were fuming and left comments on how Paul “Triple H” Levesque’s WWE has given the spotlight to the wrong people, who would be overshadowed by John Cena vs. Cody Rhodes. The fans commented,
If the main event doesnt have the title in it, then the wrong person has the title.
— J1SY (@J1SYx) March 17, 2025
This is how I feel about jey and gunther, I don’t want them to get shat on cause cena and cody is right there and punk vs rollins vs reigns is right there too. there’s absolutely no way this shouldn’t be the last match. first match on the card for sure and it’ll be a banger.
— elijah🇺🇸 (@elipiercex) March 17, 2025
Funny how the same thing happened 7 years later. Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels happened earlier in the show. The main event couldn’t follow it.
— Shaun (@ShaunInce345) March 17, 2025
I was there and he’s right about the air leaving the stadium. After the Hogan/Rock match, everyone was spent. We all just sat down and didn’t care about the last match. We were all talking about Hogan. I personally can’t remember anything about it and I’ve never watched it back.
— Erks (@EazyErkz) March 17, 2025
There’s a reason Rock and Hogan was the poster people wanted to see this Match
It was the draw & it did not disappoint on the night
Triple h’s comeback from his injury was big but it should’ve went on before Hogan v Rock the fans were spent after it & made their match feel flat pic.twitter.com/qXGspffGtT— Michael Turner (@Michael11259994) March 17, 2025
I can understand where Triple h was coming from, a lot of the traditionalists believe the main title should always go on last but Hogan and Rock was once in a lifetime and in everyone’s minds that was the main event and should have went on last
— Michael Keating (@UnitedMike86) March 17, 2025
Nevertheless, The Game has often come up with unforeseen storylines, and with the Final Boss in the picture, something huge would take place that would be remembered for ages to come.
WrestleMania 41 will be a two-night event taking place on Saturday, April 19, and Sunday, April 20, 2025.
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