Notes On When WrestleMania 41 Matches Came Together, Notes On Matches That Didn’t Happen

A new report has some details on when the matches for WrestleMania 41 came together along with some other bouts that didn’t happen. A whiteboard in the recent teaser for the WWE: Unreal Netflix series featured some of the matches that were preliminarily being discussed, and Fightful Select has some notes on the matter.

Several of the matches that didn’t happen had been previously reported on as being tentative, and the whiteboard in question was obviously not the final card. Some people were listed twice in terms of possible matches.

* Wyatt Sicks vs. The Judgment Day was a possibility at one point and the report notes that Bo Dallas being out of action caused issues around that match, though many of the talent potentially involved hadn’t been approached about it.

* Jade Cargill vs. Nia Jax had been discussed internally, but during the time Cargill was sidelined due to her injury the decision was of course made to go with Naomi instead. A title match was listed on the board but Charlotte Flair vs. Tiffany Stratton match was already set by December before Flair had returned from injury. Flair was listed on the board as teaming with Becky Lynch against IYO SKY and Asuka, though talent had not been pitched the match. Lynch had been approached with a separate match at one point.

* WrestleMania plans for CM Punk, Seth Rollins, Gunther and Roman Reigns had been flexible at that point, and both Rollins and Punk were listed twice.

* Rhea Ripley vs. Bianca Belair was listed on the whiteboard and, of course, IYO Sky was later added to it.

* Sources in WWE said that Jey Uso vs. Gunther was set as of mid-January.

* The word within WWE was that Randy Orton picked Joe Hendry to be his opponent after Kevin Owens’ injury knocked him out of the match. Orton vs. Owens had been planned for a long time, as were Chad Gable vs. Rey Mysterio and AJ Styles vs. Logan Paul.