Check out Part 1 and Part 2 of our series here!
This coming weekend, the WWE’s annual spectacular, “The Granddaddy of Them All,” WrestleMania will celebrate its 36th anniversary with a very unique broadcast. Due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis, WrestleMania will not air live, but will instead be a taped show. It will also take place over two nights, starting on Saturday (also firsts). Oh, and another first? No fans will be in attendance. This Mania has a chance to be either an incredibly memorable, unusual show. Or it will go down as a complete train wreck. There really is no middle ground. But one thing is certain: It will definitely be…different.
To get you ready for the big two-night spectacle this weekend, we’re counting down and analyzing every WrestleMania. Here at Horror Geek Life, we broke down every Mania and ranked each one on a forty-point scale based on four criteria (ten points each): Historical Relevance (did something monumental happen at the event); Atmosphere (venue, set-up, and crowd); Match Quality (both work rate and card lineup); and Main Event (how did it look on paper and how was it in execution). We also awarded a bonus point if the event had a classic match (Savage-Steamboat at WrestleMania III, Austin-Hart at WrestleMania 13, etc.). If one or more events had the same score, personal preference served as a tiebreaker. Parts 1 and 2 covered 35 through 23 and 22 through 11, respectively. And now we get to, as the late, great “Macho Man” Randy Savage would say, “the cream of the crop!”
Here is Part 3, the ten greatest WrestleManias of all-time!
10. WrestleMania 31: Score 31.5 out of 40 (2 classic matches)
Location: Santa Clara, CA
Date: March 29, 2015
Attendance: 76,976
Key Matches: Brock Lesnar (WWE World Champion) vs. Roman Reigns (Main Event); The Undertaker vs. Bray Wyatt; Triple H vs. Sting (No DQ Match); Randy Orton vs. Seth Rollins; Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match (Daniel Bryan wins); Rusev (U.S. Champion) vs. John Cena
The first WrestleMania to air from the Bay Area, WrestleMania 31, did not look all that promising going in. The main event, Brock Lesnar vs, Roman Reigns, seemed like the inevitable crowning of the WWE’s anointed top guy Reigns. However, midway through the match, Seth Rollins came to the ring, cashed in his Money in the Bank contract, and made the bout a Triple Threat Match for the WWE World title. Rollins emerged victorious for one of the most surprising, and satisfying, finishes in WrestleMania history.
Another major surprise came in the Sting (wrestling in his very first WWE match after a nearly 30-year career) vs. Triple H grudge match. About three-quarters through the match, Triple H’s old faction, D-Generation X (X-Pac, Road Dogg, and Billy Gunn) came to the ring to help Triple H. But before long, Sting’s old WCW nemeses, the New World Order (nWo) came to ringside to vanquish DX and help Sting. The finish saw HHH’s buddy Shawn Michaels (also a DX teammate) superkick Sting, leading to a Triple H victory. The show opened with an excellent Intercontinental Championship ladder match, won by WrestleMania XXX hero Daniel Bryan, and also a solid Randy Orton vs. Seth Rollins bout, a Rusev-John Cena United States Championship match, and The Undertaker resuming his winning ways at Mania by defeating Bray Wyatt.
9. WrestleMania XXVI: Score 32.5 out of 40 (1 classic match)
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Date: March 28, 2010
Attendance: 72,219
Key Matches: The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels (Streak vs. Career, Main Event); Batista (WWE Champion) vs. John Cena; Chris Jericho (World Champion) vs. Edge; Bret Hart vs. Mr. McMahon; Rey Mysterio vs. CM Punk; 6th Money in the Bank Ladder Match (Jack Swagger wins)
For the first and, to date, only time, WrestleMania took place in Phoenix (well, technically Glendale), Arizona. The show was headlined by a rematch of the prior year’s masterpiece match between The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels. Billed as “Streak vs. Career,” Taker put his 17-0 WrestleMania winning streak on the line against Michaels’ career. The match, which saw “Mr. WrestleMania” Shawn Michaels lose and forced to retire (and he really did), was not quite at the level of their WrestleMania XXV match, but it came damn close and benefited by closing out XXVI.
In other action, Chris Jericho retained his World title in a stellar match against former tag team partner Edge, John Cena defeated Batista for the WWE Championship, and Bret “The Hitman” Hart returned to WrestleMania for the first time in 13 years, beating the hated Mr. McMahon in a No Disqualification Match that was more spectacle than substance.
8. WrestleMania XIV: Score 32.5 out of 40 (1 classic match)
Location: Boston, MA
Date: March 29, 1998
Attendance: 19,028
Key Matches: Shawn Michaels (WWF Champion) vs. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin (Main Event); The Undertaker vs. Kane; Triple H vs. Owen Hart; The Rock (Intercontinental Champion) vs. Ken Shamrock; Cactus Jack and Chainsaw Charlie vs. The New Age Outlaws (Road Dogg and Billy Gunn) (Dumpster Match)
The WWF had just entered the Attitude Era months before, but they were about to fully enter the “Austin Era.” WWF Champion “The Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels defended his title against the immensely popular “Stone Cold” Steve Austin in the night’s main event. The match, won, of course, by Austin, had extra intrigue in that it involved boxing megastar “Iron” Mike Tyson as the “Special Outside Enforcer.”
The other big match of the night saw The Undertaker finally battle his brother Kane after a nine-month buildup. Elsewhere, The Rock retained his Intercontinental title via disqualification, and Cactus Jack (Mick Foley) and Chainsaw Charlie (Terry Funk in a ridiculous sheer mask) defeated The New Age Outlaws in an absolutely wild Dumpster Match.
7. WrestleMania XXVIII: Score 34 out of 40 (2 classic matches)
Location: Miami, Fl
Date: April 1, 2012
Attendance: 78,363
Key Matches: John Cena vs. The Rock (Main Event); CM Punk (WWE Champion) vs. Chris Jericho; Daniel Bryan (World Champion) vs. Sheamus; Triple H vs. The Undertaker (Hell in a Cell Match)
After returning to WWE the previous year to host WrestleMania XXVII, The Rock stepped into the ring in his hometown of Miami to take on John Cena in a match that had been built up for a full year. The “Great One” held court, defeating John Cena in the main event match billed as “Once in a Lifetime.” The night’s other classic saw The Undertaker take out Triple H in an outstanding Hell in a Cell rematch of their Mania XXVII encounter. Elsewhere on the card, WWE Champion CM Punk retained his title against Chris Jericho and Sheamus beat World Champion Daniel Bryan in 18 seconds, infuriating the fans and igniting a fire for Bryan that would burn all the way to the main event of WrestleMania XXX.
6. WrestleMania XX: Score 34 out of 40 (1 classic match)
Location: New York City, NY
Date: March 14, 2004
Attendance: 20,000
Key Matches: Triple H (World Champion) vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Benoit (Main Event); Eddie Guerrero (WWE Champion) vs. Kurt Angle; The Undertaker vs. Kane; Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar; Evolution (Batista, Randy Orton, and Ric Flair) vs. The Rock ‘n’ Sock Connection( The Rock and Mick Foley); The Big Show (U.S. Champion) vs. John Cena; Christian vs. Chris Jericho
WrestleMania celebrated its 20th anniversary in grand style, returning to Madison Square Garden, site of WrestleMania I and WrestleMania X. The night’s two championship matches saw real-life best friends Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero leave with the respective titles, ending the night as they embraced in the ring with confetti falling around them as fans cheered on the emotional moment. Mick Foley and The Rock lost their handicap match to Evolution, marking The Rock’s last Mania match for eight years.
In a match that had the New York City crowd vociferously boo both men (who they knew were leaving WWE following their match), Goldberg knocked off “The Next Big Thing” Brock Lesnar. Special guest ref “Stone Cold” Steve Austin somewhat salvaged the disastrous affair by giving both men “Stone Cold Stunners” after the match. And The Undertaker returned to his “Dead Man” persona to defeat his brother Kane at Mania for the second time.
5. WrestleMania X: Score 34 out of 40 (2 classic matches)
Location: New York City, NY
Date: March 2, 1994
Attendance: 19,444
Celebrities: Donnie Wahlberg, Burt Reynolds, Little Richard
Key Matches: Yokozuna (WWF Champion) vs. Bret “The Hitman” Hart (Main Event); Razor Ramon (Intercontinental Champion) vs. Shawn Michaels (Ladder Match); Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart; Yokozuna (WWF Champion) vs. Lex Luger
The tenth anniversary of WrestleMania also emanated from MSG, just as WrestleMania I and XX did. WWF Champion Yokozuna was forced to defend his title twice, first against Lex Luger and then against Bret Hart (both men had earned title shots at Mania by co-winning that year’s Royal Rumble). Since whoever won the first title match (be it Yoko or Luger) would have to wrestle twice, so too would Bret Hart. In arguably the greatest show opener in Mania history, Owen Hart defeated his older brother Bret in an instant classic. Bret, however, would go on to defeat Yokozuna in the night’s main event, regaining the title he lost to Yoko one year earlier at WrestleMania IX.
The night’s other instant classic was the first (televised) ladder match in WWF history, as Razor Ramon retained his title against “The Showstopper” Shawn Michaels in an incredible, dramatic contest.
4. WrestleMania III: Score 35 out of 40 (2 classic matches)
Location: Pontiac, Michigan
Date: March 29, 1987
Attendance: 93,173
Key Matches: Hulk Hogan (WWF Champion) vs. Andre the Giant (Main Event); “Macho Man” Randy Savage (Intercontinental Champion) vs. Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat; “Rowdy” Roddy Piper vs. “Adorable” Adrian Adonis (Hair vs. Hair Match)
Although the WWF’s annual tradition began two years earlier, it wasn’t until WrestleMania III that the event truly became the global phenomenon that it is today. With a (reported) crowd of 93,173, WrestleMania III set an indoor attendance record that would not be topped until WrestleMania 32 twenty-nine years later.
The main event, Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant, is perhaps the biggest, most significant match in wrestling history. It was a monster main event that is still talked about to this day and helping to make the WWF the industry leader ever since. The match, in which Hogan retained after body-slamming Andre, wasn’t a great match, but it didn’t matter one bit.
The “great” moniker was, however, earned by the in-ring masterpiece between Randy Savage and Ricky Steamboat earlier in the night. Considered by most to be the greatest WrestleMania match of all-time (at least until The Undertaker-Shawn Michaels match 22 years later), Steamboat won the Intercontinental title from Savage in an absolute clinic.
3. WrestleMania XXX: Score 37 out of 40 (2 classic matches)
Location: New Orleans, LA
Date: April 6, 2014
Attendance: 75,167
Key Matches: Randy Orton (WWE World Champion) vs. Batista vs. Daniel Bryan (Main Event); Triple H vs. Daniel Bryan; The Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar; John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt; The Shield vs. The New Age Outlaws and Kane; The 1st Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal (won by Cesaro)
The second WrestleMania that I attended, and the first to take place in the Big Easy, WrestleMania XXX bucked the tradition of ten-year anniversary shows taking place at Madison Square Garden. The night kicked off with an insanely hot in-ring promo segment featuring the three biggest stars in WWF/E history: Hulk Hogan, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, and The Rock.
In the first Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal (a recurring Mania match until this year), Cesaro won by last eliminating The Big Show. But WrestleMania XXX is most remembered for two iconic moments. Daniel Bryan, the undersized internet darling underdog that fans had been passionately pulling for over the previous two years, first defeated Triple H and then Randy Orton and Batista in the main event to become the WWE World Heavyweight Champion to a chorus of “Yes!” chants. And in an absolute shocker (I was there, it was), Brock Lesnar ended The Undertaker’s 23-year long, 21-0 WrestleMania winning streak. It is a moment that will forever be on the Mount Rushmore of WrestleMania moments.
2. WrestleMania X-Seven: Score 38 out of 40 (2 classic matches)
Location: Houston, TX
Date: April 1, 2001
Attendance: 67,925
Key Matches: “Stone Cold” Steve Austin vs. The Rock (WWF Champion) (Main Event); Chris Benoit vs. Kurt Angle; The Undertaker vs. Triple H; Vince McMahon vs. Shane McMahon (Street Fight); The Dudley Boyz (WWF Tage Team Champions) vs. The Hardy Boyz vs. Edge and Christian (Tables, Ladders, and Chairs Match)
Returning to a stadium venue for the first time since WrestleMania VIII, the “Super Bowl of Wrestling” delivered on just about every front. In an electric main event, “The Texas Rattlesnake” defeated “The People’s Champion” for the WWF Championship, turning heel in the process. Father and son collided when Shane McMahon defeated his real-life dad Vince McMahon in a brutal Street Fight. Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle had an outstanding one-on-one contest, while The Undertaker went 9-0 at WrestleMania by defeating Triple H.
The night’s other classic saw Edge and Christian win the WWF Tag Team Championship by defeating The Dudleys and The Hardys in only the second Table, Ladders, and Chairs match.
1. WrestleMania XIX: Score 38.5 out of 40 (2 classic matches)
Location: Seattle, WA
Date: March 30, 2003
Attendance: 54,097
Key Matches: Kurt Angle (WWE Champion) vs. Brock Lesnar (Main Event); “Stone Cold” Steve Austin vs. The Rock; Triple H (World Champion) vs. Booker T; Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho; The Undertaker vs. The Big Show and A-Train (Handicap Match); Hulk Hogan vs. Mr. McMahon; Team Angle vs. Los Guerreros vs. Chris Benoit and Rhyno
The greatest WrestleMania of all-time came to us for the first, and to date only, time from Seattle, Washington’s Safeco Field. The main event featured two former decorated amateur wrestlers, Olympic Gold Medalist Kurt Angle and 2000 NCAA Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar, meet each other in a very highly anticipated bout for Angle’s WWE Championship. The match, which saw Lesnar attempt, and fail, a shooting star press (a move generally performed by much smaller wrestlers), was nevertheless an incredible display of pro wrestling by two of the very best.
The biggest match of the night, however, pitted long-time rivals Austin and The Rock against each other for the third and final time at WrestleMania. The Rock prevailed, avenging his two previous losses to Austin, but it was Austin who everyone would be talking about soon after, as it was revealed shortly thereafter that this was Austin’s final pro wrestling match. And though those two earned “classic match” status, a case could be made for the tremendous Michaels vs. Jericho match and the bloody, brutal Hogan vs. McMahon Street Fight. A WrestleMania for the ages.
That wraps up our WrestleMania ranking. Be sure to let us know your favorite moments!
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