The Piledriver Report 03.04.10: The Greatest Match in WrestleMania History Tournament - Round One Results and Round Two Match-Ups

Posted by Ronny Sarnecky on 03.04.2010

For the past four years, “The Piledriver Report” has brought to you an annual wrestling tournament.This year’s tournament will name the greatest WrestleMania match in the supercard’s first twenty-five shows. Read which matches advanced to in the tournament and vote on each second round match of TPR’s Fifth Annual March Madness Tournament. Help crown the Greatest WrestleMania match of All-Time.

Before I begin this week's article, I would like to mention that in the four plus years that I have created the Ultimate March Madness Wrestling Tournament there has never been more controversy then this year's brackets. Because of this, I feel I must address some of the Comments from last week. There are four number one seeds. I tried to put each number one seed in the bracket where that WrestleMania match took place, such as Shawn Michaels vs. the Undertaker being placed in the HOUSTON REGION. Since you had two number one seeds that took place in Houston, TX (Michaels/Taker and Edge-Christian vs. Hardys vs. Dudleys), I couldn't have two HOUSTON REGIONS. Therefore, since Edge and Christian won their match at WrestleMania, and are from Canada, I created the TORONTO REGION. The number one seeds were the only seeds that I tried to put in the proper region. All other seeds could have gone in any region.

The next argument had to do with rankings. Since "greatest match" is a matter of opinion, as my greatest match may be different then your greatest match, I needed a barometer to measure what matches made the cut. In order to do this, I used the "Wrestling Observer Newsletter's" rankings, which I found through the website http://starratingslist.blogspot.com/2009/09/wwe-wrestlemania-star-ratings-list.html. I used the star rankings to determine the seeding, which is why Hogan vs. The Rock (a three star match) was only a 15 seed. Personally, I would have ranked it higher. However, I was trying to be unbiased, and not use my personal feelings influence the tournament. If that was the case, I would have included one of my all-time favorite WrestleMania matches (Chris Jericho vs. Chris Benoit vs. Kurt Angle) into the tournament. Since that match was under three stars, I had to eliminate it from contention.

The biggest compliant in regards to this tournament was the exclusion of the Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant match from WrestleMania III. While I agree, the match was historic, and should be there, using the about qualifications made that impossible. What I should have done, and regret not doing it at the time, was give every WrestleMania main event an automatic entrant into the tournament. Then again, if I did that, the undeserving Bundy vs. Hogan WrestleMania 2 match would have made the field.

After hearing the complaints, I regret not putting Hogan/Andre in. However, this is what makes March Madness so great. I love watching the Tournament announcement show, and then hearing the commentators complain about which schools got snubbed. I guess I am playing the wrestling version of the NCAA Commissioner now in hearing the complaints. I understand everyone's complaints and concerns, but hope you enjoy this year's tournament nonetheless. Now, on with the show.

The field is now narrowed down to the final thirty-two WrestleMania matches in the tournament. Before the results are given, I would like to thank everyone who has voted thus far. I have received 133 e-mails voting on the tournament. Thank you again.

Along with the results, I will be including how many votes each wrestler received in parenthesis. Next, will come the SECOND ROUND match-up, which I will need you to vote on. I will end the column with the wrestlers I had picked to win in the first round.

PLEASE E-MAIL ME WHO YOU THINK WILL WIN THE ROUND TWO MATCHES BY MONDAY, MARCH 8th, 2009 at [e-mail] or by entering your choices in the Comments Section.

ROUND ONE RESULTS

HOUSTON REGION



1. Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels- WrestleMania XXV (128) over 16. Nikolai Volkoff/Iron Shiek vs. Barry Windham/Mike Rotundo- Wrestlemania I (4)

8. Batista/Ric Flair/Randy Orton vs. The Rock/Mick Foley- WrestleMania XX (69) over 9. Shawn Michaels vs. Vince McMahon- WrestleMania 22 (63)

5. Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho- WrestleMania XIX (98) over 12. Christian vs. Chris Jericho- WrestleMania XX (33)

4. Undertaker vs. Edge- WrestleMania XXIV (120) over 13. Triple H vs. Booker T- WrestleMania XIX (11)

6. John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels- WrestleMania 23 (108) over 11. Shawn Michaels/Marty Jannety vs. Haku/Barbarian- WrestleMania VII (22)

3. Randy Savage vs. Ultimate Warrior- WrestleMania VII (117) over 14. Chris Benoit vs. MVP- WrestleMania 23 (14)

7. The Rock vs. Steve Austin- WrestleMania XIX (124) over 10. Roddy Piper vs. Adrian Adonis- WrestleMania III (17)

2. Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat- WrestleMania III (118) over 15. Undertaker vs. Ric Flair- WrestleMania X-8 (13)

CHICAGO REGION



1. Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin- WrestleMania 13 (128) over 16. Bobby Lashley vs. Umaga- WrestleMania 23 (4)

9. Undertaker vs. Triple H- WrestleMania X-Seven (97) over 8. Money In The Bank: CM Punk vs. Kane vs. Mark Henry vs. MVP vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Christian vs.Finlay- WrestleMania XXV (36)

5. Money In The Bank: Mr. Kennedy vs. Edge vs. CM Punk vs. King Booker vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Matt Hardy vs. Finlay vs. Randy Orton- WrestleMania 23 (111) over 12. Terry Funk/Dory Funk vs. Junk Yard Dog/Tito Santana- WrestleMania 2 (20)

4. Brock Lesnar vs. Kurt Angle- WrestleMania XIX (120) over 13. Matt Hardy vs. Jeff Hardy- WrestleMania XXV (12)

6. Money In The Bank: Rob Van Dam vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Ric Flair vs. Finlay vs. Matt Hardy vs. Bobby Lashley- WrestleMania 22 (89) over 11. Randy Orton vs. John Cena vs. Triple H- WrestleMania XXIV (42)

3. Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit- WrestleMania X-Seven (123) over 14. John Cena vs. Edge vs. Big Show- WrestleMania XXV (9)

7. Hulk Hogan vs. Ultimate Warrior- WrestleMania VI (84) over 10. Steve Austin vs. The Rock- WrestleMania XV (47)

2. Owen Hart vs. Bret Hart- WrestleMania X (124) over 15. Charlie Hass/Shelton Benjamin vs. Rhyno/Chris Benoit vs. Eddie Guerrero/Chavo Guerrero- WrestleMania XIX (7)

NEW YORK REGION



1. Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon- WrestleMania X (124) over 16. Floyd Mayweather vs. Big Show- WrestleMania XXIV (8)

8. Shawn Michaels vs. Ric Flair- WrestleMania XXIV (84) over 9. Roddy Piper vs. Bret Hart- WrestleMania VIII (47)

5. Edge/Christian vs. Hardys vs. Dudleys- WrestleMania 2000 (97) over 12. Steve Austin vs. Shawn Michaels- WrestleMania XIV (35)

4. Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart- WrestleMania XII (113) over 13. Terry Funk/Mick Foley vs. Bill Gunn/Road Dogg Jesse James- WrestleMania XIV (19)

6. Undertaker vs. Batista- WrestleMania 23 (107) over 11. Bret Hart/Jim Neidhart vs. Jerry Saggs/Brian Knobbs- WrestleMania VII (22)

3. Steve Austin vs. The Rock- WrestleMania X-Seven (127) over 14. Triple H vs. The Rock vs. Mick Foley vs. Big Show- WrestleMania 2000 (5)

7. Davey Boy Smith/Dynamite Kid vs. Brutus Beefcake/Greg Valentine- WrestleMania 2 (92) over 10. Ahmed Johnson/Hawk/Animal vs. Crush/Faarooq/Savio Vega- WrestleMania 13 (37)

2. Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels- WrestleMania 21 (93) over 15. Hulk Hogan vs. The Rock- WrestleMania X-8 (39)

TORONTO REGION



1. Edge/Christian vs. Hardys vs. Dudleys- WrestleMania X-Seven (125) over 16. Shane McMahon vs. Vince McMahon- WrestleMania X-Seven (7)

8. John Cena vs. Triple H- WrestleMania 22 (80) over 9. Rey Mysterio vs. Kurt Angle vs. Randy Orton- WrestleMania 22 (52)

12. Money in the Bank: CM Punk vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Chris Jericho vs. Carlito vs. MVP vs. Mr. Kennedy vs. John Morrison- WrestleMania XXIV (93) over 5. Diesel vs. Shawn Michaels- WrestleMania XI (40)

4. Randy Savage vs. Ric Flair- WrestleMania VIII (91) over 13. Rey Mysterio vs. Eddie Guerrero- WrestleMania 21 (40)

6. Edge vs. Mick Foley- WrestleMania 22 (124) over 11. Tatanka vs. Shawn Michaels- WrestleMania IX (7)

3. Money in the Bank: Edge vs. Chris Jericho vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Chris Benoit vs. Christian vs.Kane- WrestleMania 21 (127) over 14. Ricky Steamboat vs. Matt Bourne- WrestleMania I (4)

7. Eddie Guerrero vs. Kurt Angle- WrestleMania XX (91) over 10. Undertaker vs. Randy Orton- WrestleMania 22 (41)

2. Chris Benoit vs. Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels- WrestleMania XX (124) over 15. Triple H vs. Chris Jericho- WrestleMania X-8 (8)

ROUND TWO MATCH-UPS

HOUSTON REGION



1. Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels- WrestleMania XXV
VS.
8. Batista/Ric Flair/Randy Orton vs. The Rock/Mick Foley- WrestleMania XX

5. Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho- WrestleMania XIX
VS.
4. Undertaker vs. Edge- WrestleMania XXIV

6. John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels- WrestleMania 23
VS.
3. Randy Savage vs. Ultimate Warrior- WrestleMania VII

7. The Rock vs. Steve Austin- WrestleMania XIX
VS.
2. Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat- WrestleMania III

CHICAGO REGION



1. Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin- WrestleMania 13
VS.
9. Undertaker vs. Triple H- WrestleMania X-Seven

5. Money In The Bank: Mr. Kennedy vs. Edge vs. CM Punk vs. King Booker vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Matt Hardy vs. Finlay vs. Randy Orton- WrestleMania 23
VS.
4. Brock Lesnar vs. Kurt Angle- WrestleMania XIX

6. Money In The Bank: Rob Van Dam vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Ric Flair vs. Finlay vs. Matt Hardy vs. Bobby Lashley- WrestleMania 22
VS.
3. Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit- WrestleMania X-Seven

7. Hulk Hogan vs. Ultimate Warrior- WrestleMania VI
VS.
2. Owen Hart vs. Bret Hart- WrestleMania X

NEW YORK REGION



1. Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon- WrestleMania X
VS.
8. Shawn Michaels vs. Ric Flair- WrestleMania XXIV

5. Edge/Christian vs. Hardys vs. Dudleys- WrestleMania 2000
VS.
4. Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart- WrestleMania XII

6. Undertaker vs. Batista- WrestleMania 23
VS.
3. Steve Austin vs. The Rock- WrestleMania X-Seven

7. Davey Boy Smith/Dynamite Kid vs. Brutus Beefcake/Greg Valentine- WrestleMania 2
VS.
2. Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels- WrestleMania 21

TORONTO REGION



1. Edge/Christian vs. Hardys vs. Dudleys- WrestleMania X-Seven
VS.
8. John Cena vs. Triple H- WrestleMania 22

12. Money in the Bank: CM Punk vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Chris Jericho vs. Carlito vs. MVP vs. Mr. Kennedy vs. John Morrison- WrestleMania XXIV
VS.
4. Randy Savage vs. Ric Flair- WrestleMania VIII

6. Edge vs. Mick Foley- WrestleMania 22
VS.
3. Money in the Bank: Edge vs. Chris Jericho vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Chris Benoit vs. Christian vs.Kane- WrestleMania 21

7. Eddie Guerrero vs. Kurt Angle- WrestleMania XX
VS.
2. Chris Benoit vs. Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels- WrestleMania XX

MY FIRST ROUND PICKS

HOUSTON REGION



1. Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels- WrestleMania XXV over 16. Nikolai Volkoff/Iron Shiek vs. Barry Windham/Mike Rotundo- Wrestlemania I

9. Shawn Michaels vs. Vince McMahon- WrestleMania 22 over 8. Batista/Ric Flair/Randy Orton vs. The Rock/Mick Foley- WrestleMania XX

12. Christian vs. Chris Jericho- WrestleMania XX over 5. Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho- WrestleMania XIX
4. Undertaker vs. Edge- WrestleMania XXIV over 13. Triple H vs. Booker T- WrestleMania XIX

6. John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels- WrestleMania 23 over 11. Shawn Michaels/Marty Jannety vs. Haku/Barbarian- WrestleMania VII

3. Randy Savage vs. Ultimate Warrior- WrestleMania VII over 14. Chris Benoit vs. MVP- WrestleMania 23

7. The Rock vs. Steve Austin- WrestleMania XIX over 10. Roddy Piper vs. Adrian Adonis- WrestleMania III

2. Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat- WrestleMania III over 15. Undertaker vs. Ric Flair- WrestleMania X-8

CHICAGO REGION



1. Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin- WrestleMania 13 over 16. Bobby Lashley vs. Umaga- WrestleMania 23

8. Money In The Bank: CM Punk vs. Kane vs. Mark Henry vs. MVP vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Christian vs.Finlay- WrestleMania XXV over 9. Undertaker vs. Triple H- WrestleMania X-Seven

5. Money In The Bank: Mr. Kennedy vs. Edge vs. CM Punk vs. King Booker vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Matt Hardy vs. Finlay vs. Randy Orton- WrestleMania 23 over 12. Terry Funk/Dory Funk vs. Junk Yard Dog/Tito Santana- WrestleMania 2

4. Brock Lesnar vs. Kurt Angle- WrestleMania XIX over 13. Matt Hardy vs. Jeff Hardy- WrestleMania XXV

6. Money In The Bank: Rob Van Dam vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Ric Flair vs. Finlay vs. Matt Hardy vs. Bobby Lashley- WrestleMania 22 over 11. Randy Orton vs. John Cena vs. Triple H- WrestleMania XXIV

3. Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit- WrestleMania X-Seven over 14. John Cena vs. Edge vs. Big Show- WrestleMania XXV

7. Hulk Hogan vs. Ultimate Warrior- WrestleMania VI over 10. Steve Austin vs. The Rock- WrestleMania XV

2. Owen Hart vs. Bret Hart- WrestleMania X over 15. Charlie Hass/Shelton Benjamin vs. Rhyno/Chris Benoit vs. Eddie Guerrero/Chavo Guerrero- WrestleMania XIX

NEW YORK REGION



1. Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon- WrestleMania X over 16. Floyd Mayweather vs. Big Show- WrestleMania XXIV

8. Shawn Michaels vs. Ric Flair- WrestleMania XXIV over 9. Roddy Piper vs. Bret Hart- WrestleMania VIII

5. Edge/Christian vs. Hardys vs. Dudleys- WrestleMania 2000 over 12. Steve Austin vs. Shawn Michaels- WrestleMania XIV

4. Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart- WrestleMania XII over 13. Terry Funk/Mick Foley vs. Bill Gunn/Road Dogg Jesse James- WrestleMania XIV

6. Undertaker vs. Batista- WrestleMania 23 over 11. Bret Hart/Jim Neidhart vs. Jerry Saggs/Brian Knobbs- WrestleMania VII

3. Steve Austin vs. The Rock- WrestleMania X-Seven over 14. Triple H vs. The Rock vs. Mick Foley vs. Big Show- WrestleMania 2000

7. Davey Boy Smith/Dynamite Kid vs. Brutus Beefcake/Greg Valentine- WrestleMania 2 over 10. Ahmed Johnson/Hawk/Animal vs. Crush/Faarooq/Savio Vega- WrestleMania 13

2. Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels- WrestleMania 21 over 15. Hulk Hogan vs. The Rock- WrestleMania X-8

TORONTO REGION



1. Edge/Christian vs. Hardys vs. Dudleys- WrestleMania X-Seven over 16. Shane McMahon vs. Vince McMahon- WrestleMania X-Seven

9. Rey Mysterio vs. Kurt Angle vs. Randy Orton- WrestleMania 22 over 8. John Cena vs. Triple H- WrestleMania 22

5. Diesel vs. Shawn Michaels- WrestleMania XI over 12. Money in the Bank: CM Punk vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Chris Jericho vs. Carlito vs. MVP vs. Mr. Kennedy vs. John Morrison- WrestleMania XXIV

4. Randy Savage vs. Ric Flair- WrestleMania VIII over 13. Rey Mysterio vs. Eddie Guerrero- WrestleMania 21

6. Edge vs. Mick Foley- WrestleMania 22 over 11. Tatanka vs. Shawn Michaels- WrestleMania IX

3. Money in the Bank: Edge vs. Chris Jericho vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Chris Benoit vs. Christian vs.Kane- WrestleMania 21 over 14. Ricky Steamboat vs. Matt Bourne- WrestleMania I

10. Undertaker vs. Randy Orton- WrestleMania 22 over 7. Eddie Guerrero vs. Kurt Angle- WrestleMania XX

2. Chris Benoit vs. Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels- WrestleMania XX over 15. Triple H vs. Chris Jericho- WrestleMania X-8

THE PARTICIPANTS

Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels- WrestleMania XXV: One of only three five star matches in WrestleMania history. Won the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Pro Wrestling Illustrated, and WWE Match of the Year in 2009. This match featured the Undertaker's undefeated streak against Shawn Michaels' self-proclaimed "Mr. WrestleMania" moniker.

Batista/Ric Flair/Randy Orton vs. The Rock/Mick Foley- WrestleMania XX: In a rare WrestleMania "handicapped match, the Rock n' Sock Connection reunited for one final match. This match was The Rock's final match of his professional wrestling career. The handicapped math was important in the careers of Batista and Randy Orton, as they received a rub from two of the most memorable performers in the company's history.

Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho- WrestleMania XIX: This was the WrestleMania in-ring return of Shawn Michael after missing the previous four Manias (in-ring) due to a career threatening back injury. Chris Jericho was fighting his boyhood hero in a match that proved that Shawn Michaels still had "it."

Undertaker vs. Edge- WrestleMania XXIV: The streak vs. The title. At WrestleMania XXIV, these two men closed the show. It was a long time coming, as Edge should have main evented in the WrestleMania 22 match that went to Triple H and John Cena. It was worth the wait, as they had arguably the match of the night.

John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels- WrestleMania 23: The main event of WrestleMania 23 was originally planned to be Triple H vs. John Cena II. Unfortunately for the WWE, Triple H was injured for the show. Fortunately for the fans, Shawn Michaels was inserted to take Triple H's place. For the first time since Michaels' headlined WrestleMania XIV against Steve Austin, Shawn was in a singles contest to close out a WrestleMania. Both men delivered an excellent match. The one thing that hinders the outlook on this contest is that a couple of weeks later, Shawn and Cena had a classic bout on RAW that lasted over 45 minutes.

Randy Savage vs. Ultimate Warrior- WrestleMania VII: The Ultimate Warrior/Randy Savage rivalry started to take shape in the winter of 1990 during a house show run where the "Macho King" tried to win the WWF World title from the painted warrior. The feud intensified at the 1991 Royal Rumble when Savage's interference cost the Ultimate Warrior the title in his match against Sgt. Slaughter. The WWF signed Randy Savage vs. the Ultimate Warrior to take place at WrestleMania VII, with a special stipulation. The loser of the match would be forced to retire from wrestling. Both men pulled out all of the stops in this match. A Savage/Miss Elizabeth reunion put the icing on the cake. This WrestleMania contest was probably the greatest in-ring performance of the Warrior's career. In ranking this match amongst the greatest WrestleManias of the first decade of the super show, Savage vs. Warrior is easily in the top five. The WrestleMania VII Savage/Warrior match ranks as one of the WWE's Top 24 Matches in WrestleMania history, according to wwe.com.

The Rock vs. Steve Austin- WrestleMania XIX: This match looks to go down in history as the final match in the career of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. In the WrestleMania: Austin vs. The Rock trilogy, their final Mania encounter ranks as the second best match between the two in the super show's history. While The Rock came back for WrestleMania XX, it would have been fitting if both ended their careers against each other that night. Although the "Attitude Era" ended two years earlier, the final clash between the leaders of that time period turned back the clock to the days when The Rock and Austin were captivating the wrestling world on a weekly basis.

Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat- WrestleMania III: In the early years of WrestleMania, the Savage/Steamboat WrestleMania III classic was the match that all other great WrestleMania matches were judged by. This match had everything. There was a hot grudge between two wrestlers that needed to be settled. A major championship was at stake. Two of the greatest workers in the industry were facing each other in the peak of their careers. The stars were all lined up for the two men to have the match to end all matches. It was great. The work rate was awesome. The near falls had you at the edge of your seat during a time when kayfabe was still on its last legs. This match won that year's "Pro Wrestling Illustrated" and "Wrestling Observer Newsletter" Match of the Year, as well as one of wwe.com's Top 24 WrestleMania matches of all-time.

Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin- WrestleMania 13: While the King of the Ring "Austin 3:16" promo, helped launch the WWF career of Steve Austin, his WrestleMania 13 match-up against Bret Hart raised "Stone Cold" into another stratosphere. Their "I Quit" match help turn Steve Austin into a mega face, and turn Bret Hart into the top heel in the company in a role reversal angle. This match was only the second five star match in WrestleMania history up to this point. The match won both the "Wrestling Observer Newsletter" and the "Pro Wrestling Illustrated's" Match of the Year. It was also named one of wwe.com's Top 24 Matches in WrestleMania history.

Undertaker vs. Triple H- WrestleMania X-Seven: This match was voted on as one of wwe.com's Top 24 Matches in WrestleMania history. Their WrestleMania match featured a lot of brawling. At the time, the Undertaker's streak wasn't as heavily pushed as it is today. The fans weren't sure who would win this match. That helped build the drama of the match, and helped make WrerstleMania X-Seven one of the greatest Manias of all-time.

Money In The Bank: Mr. Kennedy vs. Edge vs. CM Punk vs. King Booker vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Matt Hardy vs. Finlay vs. Randy Orton- WrestleMania 23: This "Money in the Bank" ladder match was notable for all of the high risk maneuvers that were used during the bout. During the match, Mr. Kennedy missed a Kenton Bomb and landed on a ladder on the back of his neck. He then received a Swanton Bomb from Jeff Hardy. Randy Orton performed an RKO on CM Punk while standing on the ladder, and King Booker hit his Book End to Orton from the top of the ladder as well. Midway through the match, Jeff Hardy climbed a fifteen foot-high ladder inside the ring and then performed a leg drop off of that ladder onto Edge, who was lying prone on another ladder outside the ring, set-up on the ring apron and the barricade. Due to the impact, the ladder on which Edge was placed, broke in half.

Brock Lesnar vs. Kurt Angle- WrestleMania XIX: This was a true wrestling dream match. Both men were skilled amateur wrestling champions, each having won an NCAA wrestling championship during their collegiate years. The match-up between Angle and Lesnar was as close to "real" as you can get in professional wrestling. The match is probably best remembered for Brock Lesnar's botched shooting star press in the final moments of the contest. It was a mistake that could have cost Lesnar his pro wrestling career, or even later his MMA career. Thankfully, all it left in the end was an image of Brock Lesnar showing the world he had the guts to try anything.

Money In The Bank: Rob Van Dam vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Ric Flair vs. Finlay vs. Matt Hardy vs. Bobby Lashley- WrestleMania 22: The second installment of the WWE's annual "Money in the Bank" contest featured Rob Van Dam winning the briefcase leading to him becoming a the WWE and ECW World Champion in the summer.

Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit- WrestleMania X-Seven: This match pitted arguably the two best technical wrestlers in the world against one another. The early portion of the contest gave the fans something they weren't used to seeing; mat wrestling. It was a nice change of pace until the standard pro wrestling match broke out. Of course, when it comes to Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle, their "standard" wrestling match is so much more. This was a great match that was worthy of being held on the greatest WrestleMania card of all time. Angle vs. Benoit was voted as one of wwe.com's Top 24 WrestleMania matches of all-time.

Hulk Hogan vs. Ultimate Warrior- WrestleMania VI: The Ultimate Challenge pitted the two top baby faces in the WWF at the time. This was a rare occasion in the Vince McMahon, Jr. World Wrestling Federation. In the WWF, at the time, the WWF never had two faces go up against each other in major matches, much less be in the main event of WrestleMania. While the event had "dream match" written all over it, the thought of Hogan vs. Warrior from a work rate standpoint had "nightmare" written all over it. Shockingly, Hogan vs. Warrior surprised everyone. The two men had a really good match with each other. Hogan carried the Warrior to his best career match up to that point in time. Who would have thought Hulk Hogan of all people would have been able to carry the Ultimate Warrior to a career match? This title vs. title unification match won PWI's "Match of the Year," as well as being one of wwe.com's Top 24 WrestleMania matches of all-time.

Owen Hart vs. Bret Hart- WrestleMania X: Owen Hart vs. Bret Hart from WrestleMania X is quite possibly the greatest opening match in WrestleMania, if not pay per view, history. At the time, Bret and Owen were two of the top in-ring performers. Their match at WrestleMania X was a classic. The surprise ending of a clean Owen Hart victory made the match even better. This match was voted as one of wwe.com's Top 24 greatest matches in WrestleMania history.

Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon- WrestleMania X: The first WWF ladder matches took place a couple of years earlier when Bret Hart was defending his Intercontinental championship against Shawn Michaels. This time Shawn Michaels was going up against Razor Ramon in a ladder match at WrestleMania X. It was a first for the WWF's biggest event. Shawn and Razor did not disappoint. The Shawn/Razor match set the standard for what ladder matches should be. Michaels vs. Razor won the "Wrestling Observer Newsletter" and "Pro Wrestling Illustrated's" Match of the Year. They were also voted as one of wwe.com's 24 Greatest WrestleMania matches of all-time. The Shawn/Razor match earned the first five star rating in WrestleMania history.

Shawn Michaels vs. Ric Flair- WrestleMania XXIV: This was supposed to be the final match in the legendary career of Ric Flair. While it turned out not to be his last match, it was the "Nature Boy's" best match in several years. Of course, Shawn Michaels had a lot to do with that. The emotion surrounding the match was second to none. The crowd made this match even more special then it already was. The greatest wrestler of all-time against arguably the greatest wrestler of his generation battling in the final match of Ric Flair's career. The match was befitting of the careers of both men. Michaels vs. Flair won the PWI Match of the Year, and was named one of the Top 24 WrestleMania matches of all-time by wwe.com.

Edge/Christian vs. Hardys vs. Dudleys- WrestleMania 2000: More then any other match, the WrestleMania 2000 tag team triple threat ladder match between the Dudleys, Hardys, and Edge/Christian put tag team wrestling in the "Attitude Era" on the map. The six men in this match took the art form of the ladder match, and turned the specialty match into a must-see match along the lines of a Hell in a Cell match. The Hardys vs. Dudleys vs. Edge/Christian ladder match was voted PWI's "Match of the Year."

Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart- WrestleMania XII: The Michaels vs. Bret "Iron Man" match was the first, and only WrestleMania match to go over one hour. At the time, Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart were the top two performers in the company, if not all of wrestling. The "Iron Man" match was the culmination of Shawn Michaels capturing his "boyhood dream." It is a match that will live in the annals of WrestleMania history. Michaels vs. Bret won the PWI Match of the Year, and was named one of the Top 24 WrestleMania matches of all-time by wwe.com.

Undertaker vs. Batista- WrestleMania 23: The streak vs. the belt. The Undertaker vs. Batista. Heading into WrestleMania, much wasn't expected going into this match. At the time, Batista was having sub par matches. Surprisingly, the two had really good chemistry with each other. They had arguably the best match on the card. The match was voted one of the Top 24 Matches in WrestleMania history by wwe.com.

Steve Austin vs. The Rock- WrestleMania X-Seven: This was the second of the three Austin/Rock WrestleMania matches. Many believe that this was the best Rock/Austin match of the three. The climax of the match featured "Stone Cold" Steve Austin turning heel, and joining Mr. McMahon and Triple H. The match was voted one of the Top 24 Matches in WrestleMania history by wwe.com.

Davey Boy Smith/Dynamite Kid vs. Brutus Beefcake/Greg Valentine- WrestleMania 2: The match between the British Bulldogs and the team of Greg Valentine and Brutus Beefcake was the best match in the second installation of WrestleMania. After a long chase, the Bulldogs finally captured the WWF World Tag Team championships in an excellent bout that saw both Captain Louis Albano and Ozzy Osbourne in their corner.

Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels- WrestleMania 21: Angle vs. Michaels was what WrestleMania is all about. When you think of WrestleMania, especially in the early days, you though of dream matches. After all, WrestleMania always provided you with unique matches. Shawn Michaels was arguably the best wrestler of the nineties. Kurt Angle was arguably the greatest wrestler of the new millennium. While Kurt Angle was in his prime, Shawn Michaels was still near the top of his game as well. The match didn't disappoint as it was named "Pro Wrestling Illustrated's" Match of the Year, as well as being voted one of the Top 24 Matches in WrestleMania history by wwe.com.

Edge/Christian vs. Hardys vs. Dudleys- WrestleMania X-Seven: Arguably the greatest ladder match in the history of the gimmick. If the previous year's ladder match put tag teams on the map during the WWF's "Attitude Era," this match cemented the three teams place in WrestleMania history. However, in order to up the ante, the WrestleMania tag team triple threat rematch was more then just a ladder match. This was billed as a "tables, ladders, and chairs" match. Everything was legal, and everything was used in this edge of your seat match. The match was named "Pro Wrestling Illustrated's" Match of the Year, as well as being voted one of the Top 24 Matches in WrestleMania history by wwe.com.

John Cena vs. Triple H- WrestleMania 22: This was the match that featured the leader of the WWE against the man the WWE was trying to push as the man who will need the company in the future. Cena held the title for most of the past year. Triple H was without gold for a year. Most felt that Triple H would regain the strap, and were shocked when Triple H tapped out. This was a good match featuring the top two pushed stars in the company.

Money in the Bank: CM Punk vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Chris Jericho vs. Carlito vs. MVP vs. Mr. Kennedy vs. John Morrison- WrestleMania XXIV: Out of all of the Money in the Bank matches at WrestleMania, the contest at WrestleMania XXIV was probably the worst of the series. Even so, it was still a 3¼ star match. This spot fest saw CM Punk win the briefcase, and eventually cash it in for his first World Heavyweight championship.

Randy Savage vs. Ric Flair- WrestleMania VIII: The best worker in the WWF during the late eighties versus the best worker in the NWA/WCW of the late eighties finally clashed at WrestleMania VIII. It was worth the wait, as both men put on an entertaining match. Savage vs. Flair was the best match of WrestleMania VIII, and earned a spot on the wwe.com's Top 24 Matches in WrestleMania history list.

Edge vs. Mick Foley- WrestleMania 22: For all he accomplished in the WWE, Mick Foley never had a "WrestleMania moment." He won the tag team titles. He refereed a match. He even wrestled in the main event. However, he never had that one memorable moment, until now. Edge and Mick Foley fought each other in a hardcore battle that saw Edge move up to another level as a performer (despite already holding the WWE World title). Thanks to being driven through a flaming table, Foley had his "moment." The fans got to realize that Mick really is crazy.

Money in the Bank: Edge vs. Chris Jericho vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Chris Benoit vs. Christian vs. Kane- WrestleMania 21: The inaugural Money in the Bank match was held at WrestleMania 21. Usually, you save the best for last, but in the case of the Money in the Bank matches, the WWE put their best foot forward, as this match was a 4½ star contest. Edge was the match, and last then a year later, he cashed in the briefcase, won the title, and never looked back.

Eddie Guerrero vs. Kurt Angle- WrestleMania XX: This was a battle of two of the world's best performers in the business. They did not disappoint. Both men fought a close match. The finish was pure Eddie, as he used his guile to escape Angle's ankle lock attempt to pin the Olympic gold medalist.

Chris Benoit vs. Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels- WrestleMania XX: The main event of the 20th WrestleMania featured arguably the greatest Triple Threat match in the history of the promotion. All three men performed brilliantly that night giving Chris Benoit the kind of night in wrestling that his misused talent always deserved. The sight of Benoit and Eddie Guerrero embracing in the middle of the ring, as streamers came sailing down from the sky, was perhaps the greatest moment in WrestleMania history. At least until you know what happened. The match was named "Pro Wrestling Illustrated's" Match of the Year, as well as being voted one of the Top 24 Matches in WrestleMania history by wwe.com.