WRESTLEMANIA GUIDE
WrestleMania: The Belts Behind Forty-Two Years of Main Events
Updated August 2026 · by 12StarsChampionship
Every WrestleMania is remembered for one image, and more often than not there is a championship belt in it — held aloft, handed over, or wrapped around a shoulder that had waited a lifetime for it. This is the story of the show through the titles themselves, and the replicas you can own of them.
It Started at Madison Square Garden
The first WrestleMania ran on 31 March 1985 at Madison Square Garden in New York. In the main event Hulk Hogan and Mr. T beat Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff, with Muhammad Ali working as guest referee and 19,121 people in the building. It was a gamble that could have ended the company; instead it created the template every wrestling supercard has followed since.
That night also set the visual language of the sport: oversized gold plates on a thick leather strap, built to read from the back row and on camera. Four decades later the construction has barely changed — and it is the same construction we use.
The Moments That Made the Belts Famous
WWE's own ranking of the greatest WrestleMania moments puts Hulk Hogan body-slamming Andre the Giant at WrestleMania III at number one. At WrestleMania 13, Steve Austin refused to submit to Bret Hart — the most famous double turn in wrestling, and the night Austin became the biggest star of his generation. And at WrestleMania 40, Cody Rhodes finally beat Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship, a title his father Dusty Rhodes never won.
What those nights have in common is the belt. It is the object the whole story is built around, which is why a replica on a wall is not really a piece of merchandise — it is a bookmark in someone's life.
WrestleMania 42: Las Vegas, 2026
The most recent edition ran over two nights, 18 and 19 April 2026, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. More than 106,000 people attended across the weekend and WWE reported it as one of the highest-grossing events in its history.
On Saturday, Cody Rhodes retained the Undisputed WWE Championship against Randy Orton. On Sunday, Roman Reigns beat CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship. Two nights, two of the most recognisable titles in the sport — and both are belts we build.
Owning the Belt, Not Just the Memory
Our WrestleMania-era replicas are handcrafted to order: real metal plates — brass, zinc, 24K gold-plate or CNC-machined — mounted on a genuine leather strap. The WWE Undisputed Championship replica is the modern main-event title, and the Winged Eagle classic is the belt of the Hogan and Bret Hart eras.
Every belt is built when you order it, includes a free name plate, and ships worldwide with duty and tax already in the price — nothing to pay when it arrives.
Which Era Is Yours?
If you grew up in the eighties and early nineties, the Winged Eagle is the WWE Championship. If your WrestleMania is Cody finishing the story, it is the Undisputed. Neither is more correct than the other — that is rather the point of a forty-two year old show.
Not sure which finish suits you? Our materials guide explains brass, zinc, 24K gold and CNC in plain English, and the buying guide covers sizing and how to choose.
Keep reading
- The evolution of the WWE Championship belt: every era explained
- The 9 best WWE replica championship belts to own in 2026
- Brass vs zinc vs 24K gold vs CNC: which belt material is right for you?
Browse every WWE championship belt →
Shop the Belts in This Guide
Handcrafted to order, free delivery worldwide.
