As WWE WrestleMania 41 weekend is already underway, there were still some matches fans were hopeful to see this year.
From dream matches that could have been to others that were more directly teased but then sort of dropped, there are a number of directions we seemingly missed out on this year.
Here are seven WrestleMania 41 matches that were effectively canceled.
7. Bayley vs. Roxanne Perez
In the weeks and months prior to WrestleMania 41 it seemed that there could be a cross-brand battle on the big stage in Las Vegas.
With Bayley and Roxanne Perez having numerous main roster interactions – like the Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber in addition to an ongoing storyline on NXT – it really seemed as though they could be poised for a showdown at WrestleMania 41.
Instead, Bayley began being backup for Lyra Valkyria and is going to tag with her at WrestleMania to take on the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions, Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez.
Perez, on the other hand, is now in a four-way tag team match on the NXT Stand & Deliver pre-show.
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6. Jey Uso vs. Cody Rhodes
File this one under a dream match that could have been for this year in Las Vegas.
When he won the 2025 Royal Rumble, Jey Uso also won the right to challenge any champion from any roster for a match at WrestleMania 41.
While the pair are former WWE Tag Team Champions together, Uso and Cody Rhodes could have put on a compelling in-ring performance in a big main event moment.
However, understandably, two of the most beloved WWE babyfaces in Rhodes and Uso did not go on to feud in the lead up to WrestleMania 41, and rather Uso selected GUNTHER.
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5. John Cena vs. GUNTHER
Subsequently, we may have seen another dream match pitting two very different style of stars against one another – John Cena taking on GUNTHER.
Putting the ultimate babyface against an emerging generational heel could have definitely been a career defining moment for GUNTHER, but also beneficial to Cena as well.
With the vintage critique that he ‘can’t wrestle’ coming up in his WrestleMania 41 feud with Rhodes, John Cena could have used a battle with GUNTHER to prove once and for all what he could really do in the ring.
However, we could always still see the pair tangle down the road since John Cena’s farewell tour continues past Mania.
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4. World Tag Team Championship Multi-Team Match
While the War Raiders (Erik and Ivar) are going to face the New Day at WrestleMania 41, there are numerous other tag teams that could have logically been in the match as well.
It sort of seemed as though the World Tag Team Championship may have been headed for a multi-team match since Raw features quite a few teams – A-Town Down Under, American Made, Alpha Academy, LWO and New Catch Republic – who won’t be making it to the Mania stage.
Perhaps looking to avoid similarity to past events where multi-team matches have become the norm for the tag team titles, there could also be some lurking surprises that make this move make sense.
Or, we’re just in for a big show from the War Raiders and the New Day as their years-long rivalry reaches the grandest stage of them all.
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3. Lyra Valkryia vs. Becky Lynch
The anticipation of Becky Lynch making her WWE return has continued, with fans suspecting at several points The Man was about to pop up… but in the end she did not.
However, the WrestleMania 41 storyline pitting Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez against Lyra Valkyria and Bayley certainly seems as though it could have been Becky instead of Bayley.
Conversely, since there hadn’t been many new storylines begun for Lyra Valkyria after the Irish star won the inaugural Women’s Intercontinental Championship, it almost seemed as though Lynch could be returning to challenge her.
Seemingly giving reason for Lynch to return (capturing a new title), we may have to wait and see if we’ll ever see Valkyria and Lynch team up or go one-on-one in WWE again.
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2. Jacob Fatu vs. Solo Sikoa
Currently Jacob Fatu is set to face LA Knight for the United States Championship at WrestleMania 41 with Solo Sikoa technically without a match, but teased as a potential opponent for Randy Orton.
While perhaps plans had to shift given Kevin Owens’ injury and Randy Orton needing a new opponent, some fans had expected that perhaps there would be a Bloodline vs. Bloodline match at Mania.
It is entirely possible that this match will occur somewhere down the road – and may even include a title depending on the outcome of WrestleMania 41 – but the foundations have certainly been laid for a while.
With Solo Sikoa continuing to lose power and control at the same time that Jacob Fatu was becoming more and more popular with fans, the duo seem poised to go one-one-one soon.
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1. Bron Breakker vs. AJ Styles
In the road to WrestleMania, there were a couple veteran stars that seemed poised to potentially get a crack at the Intercontinental Title including Sheamus – who continues to chase it to complete his WWE Grand Slam – and AJ Styles.
With several interactions teasing a potential one-on-one bout between AJ Styles and Bron Breakker creating speculation amongst fans, it was perhaps a misdirection.
While there was a lot of motion around potential opponents for Bron Breakker to battle for the Intercontinental Championship, the opponents ended up being an interesting assortment.
Bron Breakker is set to defend the WWE Intercontinental Championship against Penta, Finn Balor and Dirty Dominik Mysterio at WrestleMania 41, while Styles is in an entirely separate one-on-one match against Logan Paul.
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