The Top Ten 3.25.08: The Top FIFTY Wrestlemania Matches

Posted by Julian Williams on 03.25.2008

10? Nah. 24? That won't do. How about we check out the 50 greatest matches in 'Mania's history? Sounds good? I thought so.

Greetings people and welcome back to another edition of The Top Ten. I know this is suppose to be a list on surprisingly bad matches, but seeing how this is WRESTLEMANIA WEEK, I figured I'd do something a little bit more appropriate. No time for small talk this week, you know what you're here for and that's The Top Fifty Matches in Wrestlemania History. So without further adieu, let's hop right into this list.

The Top Fifty Wrestlemania Matches

50) The Brainbusters vs. Strike Force (WM 5)
This match is often remembered for Rick Martel abandoning Tito Santana to become "The Model", but what is often overlooked is the fact that this was a very good match. Strike Force dominated the early portions of the match, including locking on duel figure fours on The Busters. The Busters were able to gain control, though, and just as Tito was trying to fight his way back into the match, he accidentally hit a flying clothesline on Martel. After that, The Busters dominated Tito, but Tito was able to fight back and get near his corner. When he went for the tag, Martel turned his back on his partner and a few seconds later, hopped off the apron and abandoned Tito. It didn't take too long for The Busters to put Tito away after that. This bout featured great action and a shocking heel turn so you really had nothing to complain about here.

49) Lawrence Taylor vs. Bam Bam Bigelow (WM 11)
What seemed to be a one-time only altercation between New York Giants legend Lawrence Taylor and wrestling superstar Bam Bam Bigelow turned into a media field day which led up to a match between the two behemoths at Wrestlemania 11. This match has always been a source of much discussion between wrestling fans as some absolutely despised the idea of a football player with no training getting the main event slot on the biggest event of the year while others felt it was an entertaining spectacle. I fall somewhere in the middle because I felt that this definitely deserved a place on the card because it brought in a lot of fans that probably would have never even bothered to order the event, but it didn't deserve to be in the main event. Either way, the match went down with LT winning and will go down in infamy as one of the most memorable celebrity moments ever in wrestling.

48) The Undertaker vs. Randy Orton (WM 21)
Leading up to this match, Randy finally went back to his heelish ways instead of being the bitch ass Orton that HHH had punked out and regained some of the edge that made him so popular in the first place (including a SWEEET RKO on the lovely Stacy Keibler). He challenged the Deadman to a match at Wrestlemania because he figured if he ended The Deadman's historic Wrestlemania streak, then nobody could ever deny that he's truly a Legend Killer. This match was a lot better than anyone ever expected with both men busting their ass to provide one hell of an entertaining bout. Even though Randy came very close to ending the streak, he fell victim to The Tombstone and became just another number on ‘Taker's historic streak. This encounter was a pleasant surprise and helped elevate Wrestlemania 21 into one of the most memorable ‘Mania's yet.

47) The British Bulldogs vs. The Dream Team (WM 2)
Most people remember Wrestlemania 2 as being a crappy event with a crappy premise of having it take place at three different locations, but this gem of a match is something that gets forgotten amidst all the crap. The Dream Team of Greg Valentine and Brutus Beefcake came in as the champs and used their experience to take control of the match early, but it wasn't too long until the speed of Dynamite and the strength of Davey Boy proved to be too much for the so-called Dream Team. The Bulldogs won their first (and only) WWE Tag Titles after Valentine was shoved into Dynamite's head. This match alone is worth sitting through the rest of WM2 for. Almost.

46) The World's Greatest Tag Team vs. Los Guerreros vs. Chris Benoit & Rhyno (WM 19)
This is one of those matches that you overlook the first time you see it, but upon repeated viewings realize just how good it really is. This was a triple threat match for the tag team titles and the champions, TWGTT, actually came in as an underdog due to the experience that both of the other teams had over them. This was a fast and furious match that featured a wild brawl early, some great mat wrestling in the middle, and a furious ending that saw Rhyno gore the hell out of Chavo, only to be pulled out by Eddie which allowed Benjamin to cover Chavito for the three count. This was a highly entertaining match that only gets better with repeated viewings.

45) Eddie Guerrero vs. Test (WM 17)
When placed on the greatest wrestling PPV card of all-time, it's easy for a match like this to be overlooked. After all, it featured a fairly raw talent in Test and a veteran stuck in the midcard in Eddie. This definitely wasn't one of the matches that people were ordering WM 17 for, but it wound up being a very good match that was just overshadowed by a superior card. If this match had happened on virtually any other show, it would have been one of the top two or three matches of the night, but at WM17, it didn't stand a chance. However, that doesn't take away from the fact that this was an awesome match that helped propel this show into the stratosphere of the greatest ever.

44) Owen Hart vs. Triple H (WM 14)
Wrestlemania 14 is mainly remembered as the beginning of The Austin Era, so many people forget about this great match. Owen and Triple H had been feuding ever since the end of 1997 and Chyna had proven to be a repeated thorn in the side for Owen. As an insurance to keep Chyna from interfering in the match, Commissioner Slaughter handcuffed himself at ringside to Chyna. These two had a great back and forth match that saw Owen nearly catch Triple H off guard many times. The ending came when Chyna was able to throw powder in Slaughter's eyes which allowed her to climb on the apron and hit Owen right in the nuts which gave Trips enough time to hit the Pedigree for the win. This is a forgotten gem that hopefully starts to garner more of a fanbase in the years to come.

43) Diesel vs. Shawn Michaels (WM 11)
With all the hype around Wrestlemania 11 being about Lawrence Taylor and Bam Bam Bigelow, it was easy for fans to forget the match about the actual WWE Championship that year. Diesel and HBK went out and made the fans remember about the importance of the WWE Title by putting on one hell of a match before the "main event" of LT and Bigelow. The presence of Pamela Anderson and Jenny McCarthy at ringside certainly helped to add something to the match as it added that celebrity factor that brought in a lot of casual fans. Diesel dominated the majority of the matchup with his strength, but Shawn used his quickness to counter that. There were a couple points that you really thought that Shawn might pull it off, including when he hit Sweet Chin Music on Diesel while the ref was down. Although he came close, HBK eventually fell to the Jackknife Powerbomb and his boyhood dream wouldn't be realized. No sweat, though, as next year HBK went on to win his first WWE Title at Wrestlemania 12.

42) Hulk Hogan vs. Vince McMahon (WM 19)
This match should have been one of the worst matches ever. I mean one of the all-time worst matches in the history of professional wrestling. Brutally bad. Horrifically bad. Undertaker/Giant Gonzales bad. But instead it was an entertaining spectacle that had the crowd eating out of its hand. Whether it was Vince dropping a leg on Hogan from the top of a ladder through a table or the hysterically sinister look on Vince's bloody face when he grabbed a steel pipe or the return of Rowdy Roddy Piper or Hogan dropping three big legdrops on Vince, this was a match that pure entertainment. And honestly would you expect anything less from the two men that helped turn wrestling into "sports entertainment"?

41) Money In The Bank III (WM 23)
This match had a lot to live up to due to the high quality of the two previous MITB matches and I think it definitely delivered. There was a numerous amount of insane shit seen in this match. From Kennedy cracking the back of his head on a ladder after missing a Kenton Bomb to Randy giving Punk an RKO from the top of the ladder to Matt taking a splat on the mat when Finlay turned over his ladder to Finlay giving Matt the Celtic Cross on a ladder to Booker giving Randy a Bookend from the top of the ladder to Kennedy giving Hornswoggle the Green Bay Plunge from the top of the ladder to Jeff Hardy's INSANE dive from the top of a ladder which broke both Edge and another ladder in half. That dive may have replaced Jeff's Impact Zone swanton as his most insane spot to date. That Jeff/Edge spot is definitely one that is going to go down as an all-time Wrestlemania moment.

40) Steve Austin vs. Savio Vega (WM 12)
This may be the most underrated match in Wrestlemania history, so much so that I forgot to include it on the Underappreciated list a few weeks ago because I forgot about it. Shame on me! After watching this match again a few days, I realized just how truly awesome this match is and how it deserves to be remembered. It wasn't an all-time Wrestlemania great match, but it was definitely one that you could easily get into. Austin truly showcased all his talents in this match and this performance helped propel him into a main eventer by the next year. Austin picked up the win over Savio after clocking him in the head with The Million Dollar Belt and cinching in a submission. This match was a foreshadowing of the awesomeness of Austin and showed why Savio Vega is considered a very underrated wrestler in many fans eyes.

39) The Rock vs. Triple H vs. Mick Foley vs. The Big Show (WM 16)
This was a Fatal Four Way Elimination match for the WWE Title and while it may not have been as good as some were expecting it to be, it was still a damn good match. Triple H came in as the champ and most expected him to lose since it's a well-known fact that heels never win the main event at ‘Mania. The Big Show came in on a roll and seemed to be a favorite in the match, but wound up being the first man eliminated when the rest of the guys ganged up on him. Mick Foley was the next to go and that left us with The Rock and Triple H for the title. Just when it seemed like The Rock was going to win the title, Vince McMahon (who was in The Rock's corner) betrayed The Great One and smacked him over the head with a steel chair. That allowed Trips to pick up the victory and become the first heel to win the main event at Wrestlemania. This was a very entertaining 40+ minutes of action that may not have been as good as we were expecting, but was still damn fun.

38) The Undertaker vs. Kane (WM 14)
This was the culmination of a long standing feud between The Brothers Of Destruction ever since Kane cost The Undertaker a match against Shawn Michaels at Badd Blood. At first, The Undertaker refused to fight his brother, but after Kane set fire to a coffin that The Undertaker was in at The Royal Rumble, the friendly gloves were off for The Deadman. These two had a very good big man match and both of them came out looking like monsters as The Undertaker was able to pick up the win, but it took three Tombstones to Kane in order to do it. There are people who love this match and people who hate this match and I'm somewhere in the middle because while it wasn't as phenomenal as some folks make it out to be, it was still a very good match that I still enjoy to this day.

37) Triple H vs. Chris Jericho (WM 18)
I've always felt this was a match that never got a fair chance. First off, the WWE made the IDIOTIC move of putting this match on as the main event instead of Hogan/Rock which I still can't understand to this day. I understand that you want the title match in the main event, but nothing and I repeat NOTHING deserved to main event more than Rock/Hogan. As a result, the crowd was totally deflated for this match and it resulted in the most silence I've ever heard for a Wrestlemania main event. Despite Stephanie McMahon's involvement, this match still managed to be very good as Jericho played the heel role perfectly by targeting The Game's injured quad. They were able to tell a great story with Jericho being desperate to retain his title by working over HHH's leg and Trips trying everything in his power to fight back. Stephanie, to her credit, took a great amount of punishment in this match including getting Jericho's shoulder rammed into her gut and taking a Pedigree from Trips. This was a fantastic mat based matchup that mixed in some high spots and my appreciation for this match grows everytime I see it. If you haven't seen it in a while, watch it again and you might come to appreciate it a little more. That's if you can get Stephanie's shrieking voice out of your head.

36) Randy Orton vs. Rey Mysterio vs. Kurt Angle (WM 22)
Sure, this match was short as hell and could have been so much more, but for the nine minutes this match did run, it provided non-stop action that kept the crowd enthralled. Randy Orton came into this match as an uber-heel by robbing Rey Mysterio of his guaranteed Wrestlemania title shot at No Way Out after defeating him in a #1 Contender's Match after getting Rey emotional by defaming his deceased friend, Eddie Guerrero. Smackdown GM, Teddy Long, saw the injustice that took place and placed Rey into the Wrestlemania World Title Match between Kurt Angle and Randy Orton, thus making it a Triple Threat Match. From the opening bell, these men wrestled at a frenetic pace with barely any rest holds or slowdown. It was a short match, but they fit in a lot of stuff in that short time frame and the match ended when Rey busted out the West Coast Pop and dropped Orton straight on his head for the three count and the title. One of the most fun 9 minutes you'll ever spend watching a wrestling match.

35) Money In The Bank II (WM 22)
The big question before this match was would it be as good as the MITB match from WM21. The six combatants answered that question with a resounding "YES" and gave us another memorable Wrestlemania ladder match. This match had spots galore that included a Van Daminator from the top rope to Lashley(who was standing on a ladder), a superplex from the top of the ladder on 57-FUCKING-YEAR-OLD Ric Flair, a side effect from the top of the ladder on Finlay, a frog splash from the top of the ladder on Finlay(damn, Finlay got fucked up in this match), and Shelton's unbelievable jump from the ring ropes to the ladder in the middle of the ring. Overall, it was just a fun match to watch and lived up to the high standard set by the previous MITB match.

34) Steve Austin vs. The Rock (WM 15)
This was the first in the trilogy of Wrestlemania matches between The Rock and Austin and it showed just how much chemistry these guys had with each other as well as the potential for even better future matches. The Rock came into this match as The Corporate Champion and Austin was looking to stick it to Vince McMahon by beating his golden boy and reclaiming the WWE Title. These two had a straight up fight for the title and even though The Rock seemed poised at time to pull off the upset, Austin was able to hit Rocky with a stunner (with some stank of it) to claim his third WWE Title. This was just the tip of the iceburg because these two would go on to have even greater matches with each other.

33) Chris Jericho vs. Christian (WM 20)
Like most battles between men, this bout between former pals Christian and Jericho was fought over a woman. The woman in question was Trish Stratus and honestly, you can't blame the two for fighting over a hot piece like that. Anyhows, these two had a great back and forth contest which made both men look extremely good and for the first time, made Christian look like a credible main eventer. The ending came when Trish came to ringside, supposedly to help Jericho, but instead slapped the taste out of his mouth which enabled Christian to hit the Unprettier for the win. It was a surprising heel turn and an upset victory rolled together with a fantastic match so how could you possibly not love it?

32) Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio (WM 21)
Here's a match that I feel often gets overlooked and that's unfair because these two put on one hell of a match. I think that a lot of people were expecting a classic like these two put on at Halloween Havoc '97, but that was a pretty lofty goal for them to meet, especially over seven years later. If you don't try to compare this match to the Havoc match, though, you'll realize that this is a fantastic contest that is one of the best openers in Wrestlemania history. I still enjoy this match to this day and despite Rey's issues with his mask and a couple of miscues, it is still quality stuff that is sure to satisfy any wrestling fan looking for a fun match.

31) The Rock & Mick Foley vs. Ric Flair, Randy Orton & Batista (WM 20)
Check out that star power. That's (arguably) five future Hall Of Famers all in one match. This was a dream match for many fans mainly because you got to see The Rock, Mick Foley and Ric Flair together in the ring, but the two young guns in Batista and Randy Orton came in with something to prove. Going up against two of the most legendary men the business has ever seen, both Orton and Batista held their own and the result was one of the most fun matches you'll ever see. Just the interactions between The Rock and Flair alone are worth the price of admission to this match. The match ended when Orton was able to hit an RKO from out of nowhere on Mick Foley to score the upset win. This was the first big victory of Orton and Batista's careers and they would have many more to come after this.

30) Hulk Hogan & Mr. T w/ Jimmy Snuka vs. Roddy Piper & Paul Orndorff w/ Cowboy Bob Orton (WM1)
This right here is the match that made all the other matches on this list possible. Without the overwhelming success of the first Wrestlemania, there would most likely never have been another Wrestlemania and the WWE itself may have ceased to exist. This match certainly wasn't a 5 star classic, but it drew people to watch it and it satisfied everyone who watched it back then. So whenever you marvel when watching some of the other matches on this list, remember that they probably would have never even happened without this match occurring.

29) John Cena vs. Triple H (WM 22)
This match was made into a memorable one based on the awesome atmosphere surrounding it. From the over-the-top entrances, to the ring introductions, to the insane crowd response, this match felt like a true Wrestlemania main event. The match itself wasn't a five-star classic, but it was solid enough to whip the fans up in a frenzy whenever they thought Cena or Trips were about to pull off the victory. The ending came as a shock to many since lots of people thought there was no way Cena was leaving as champ, yet Triple H tapped to the STFU cleanly. For all the shit Triple H has taken over the years, he proved here that he's willing to put newer talent over and the result was a truly memorable match.

28) Batista vs. The Undertaker (WM 23)
I think that this match just about surprised the hell out of everybody as most people didn't have high expectations for this match. These two men were determined to prove all the naysayers wrong and produce a great match and they definitely delivered. The match was packed with lots of brawling, intensity and drama. There were a couple times that it seemed like Batista might actually end the WM undefeated streak of The Deadman, but ‘Taker was once again able to pull it out on the grandest stage of them all. I believe this match was vastly underrated by some people, but as time goes on it will become more greatly appreciated. A great big man brawl that proved that The Undertaker doesn't have to be in the ring with a technical marvel in order to produce a great match.

27) Shane McMahon vs. Vince McMahon (WM 17)
In an event that featured such legendary matches as Rock/Austin, Angle/Benoit, Undertaker/HHH and TLC II, who knew that this match would be able to match the lofty standards set by those classics and still be talked about to this day. This was a match where Shane was fighting for the honor of his mother after Vince had basically flaunted his affair in front of her and then drugged her up so that she couldn't retaliate. Father and son had an intense battle that saw Shane crash through the announce table after missing an elbow drop and also saw Shane debut the Van Terminator in a WWE ring. This match also featured Trish Stratus turning on Vince, Mick Foley beating down Vince, and Linda rising from her sedated state to kick Vince square in grapefruits. Poor Vince.

26) Money In The Bank I (WM 21)
This was the first ever Money In The Bank match and the spectacular performance that these six men put on made it inevitable that this would become a yearly tradition at Wrestlemania. The match started off at a fever pace with five of the competitors diving to the outside onto their opponents, even The Big Red Machine! From there, we saw even crazier spots like Shelton giving Edge a T-bone suplex from the top of a ladder, Benoit german suplexing Jericho with a ladder in his hand, Christian giving Benoit an armbreaker from the top of a ladder, and of course Shelton doing one of the most insane moves ever by running up one ladder to knock Chris Jericho off another one. At the end, the opportunist Edge laid in wait until everyone was out of the equation and then cracked Benoit's already injured arm with a steel chair and climbed the ladder to become Mr. Money In The Bank. He would use that contract to win his first ever WWE Championship and this match was really the beginning for Edge becoming a certified main eventer.

25) Macho Man Randy Savage vs. Hulk Hogan (WM5)
The MegaPowers exploded at Wrestlemania 5 when The Macho Man turned on his friend, Hulk Hogan, due to what Macho felt was Hogan trying to steal his woman, Miss Elizabeth. Hogan of course denied it, but Macho stuck to his convictions and kept coming at The Hulkster full force until they collided at WM for the WWE Title. This was a great back and forth match where Macho seemed like he was going to pick up the upset win a couple times. Hogan eventually took over and dropped the big leg for the win, but Savage's efforts couldn't be glossed over. This was the Hulkster's first great match (quality wise) in the WWE and a large part of that was due to Savage.

24) Bret Hart vs. Roddy Piper (WM8)
Rowdy Roddy Piper was known throughout his career for being a brawler and being unorthodox in the ring, but when he stepped in the ring with The Hitman for the Intercontinental Title at WM8, he had to change his entire strategy. Instead of trying to brawl with Bret, Piper actually tried to wrestle him and he was quite successful at it. Piper seemed to beat Bret at his own game when he locked in the sleeper in the middle of the ring, but Bret was able to kick off the turnbuckle and land on top of Piper, pinning his shoulders to the mat for the three count. This was a huge win for Bret since Piper was revered and very rarely tasted defeat during his illustrious career. This was a great display of wrestling between two legends and proved that Piper was as talented in the ring as he was on the mic.

23) Steve Austin vs. Shawn Michaels (WM14)
Stone Cold Steve Austin had defied authority all the way to reaching the main event at Wrestlemania and the only thing stopping him from achieving his ultimate goal was The Showstopper, Shawn Michaels. These two brawled all over the arena and put on a highly enjoyable spectacle. What makes the match even more remarkable is that Shawn Michaels was fighting with essentially a broken back and was still able to put on a terrific match with Austin. This match symbolized the beginning of a new era in the WWE as when Austin climbed the ropes with the WWE Title and Michaels got knocked on his ass by Mike Tyson, it was evident that there was a changing of the guard.

22) Kurt Angle vs. Eddie Guerrero (WM20)
This was finally Eddie's chance to shine on the grandest stage of them all and boy did he ever as he put on quite a show with Kurt Angle. Eddie had won the WWE title at No Way Out which pissed Angle off to no end and he proceeded to make Eddie's life a living hell until they met each other at Wrestlemania. These two had a great back and forth match that saw Eddie narrowly escape various attempts at the Anklelock by Eddie. It seemed that Angle had Eddie's number and was poised to take the title off of him until Eddie went into his lying, cheating and stealing playbook. Eddie loosened up his boot and when Angle attempted the anklelock again, the boot flew off which baffled Angle and allowed Eddie to score a quick rollup(with his feet on the ropes, of course). Awesome match, awesome finish.

21) Kurt Angle vs. Brock Lesnar (WM19)
Most people remember this match for Brock almost killing himself after a failed SSP attempt and that's a shame because there was a fantastic match that preceded that near fatal incident. This match was billed as one of the best technical matchups ever in the WWE as Brock Lesnar was a collegiate champion in wrestling and Kurt was of course an Olympic Gold Medalist. These two put on a fantastic exhibition of pure wrestling and it was one of the most finely wrestled matches I've ever seen. Then Brock almost took his own life and the efforts of the previous 20+ minutes didn't seem to matter. Despite the ending, this is still one of the best technical matches you're ever going to see and it showcased just how good these two men truly were.

20) Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels (WM19)
This match is a personal favorite of mine as it had two of my favorite wrestlers ever squaring off on the biggest stage of them all. A lot of people downplayed this match at the time because they felt that Jericho should have gone over and while that is certainly an understandable point, I don't think you can ignore the quality of this match. This was a great battle between these two showmen and seeing Chris Jericho mimic HBK and give him Sweet Chin Music is one of the most glorious things I've ever seen. Even though some people were sour about HBK picking up the win (including me at the time), I think that he needed it being his big Wrestlemania comeback and all and Jericho got to get revenge in a HEELISH fashion after the match by kicking HBK square in the nads. Overall this was just an awesome match between two of the best performers to ever step foot in the squared circle.

19) Mick Foley vs. Edge (WM22)
This match is another personal favorite of mine because it gave Mick Foley a chance to finally shine on the Wrestlemania stage. This match completely stole WM22 by being the most brutal match ever seen at ‘Mania. These two men brutalized each other with steel chairs, thumbtacks, barbed wire, and finally a flaming table. That flaming table spot with Edge going FACE FIRST into fire is still one of the craziest things I've ever seen and I doubt I'll see anything that surpasses it anytime soon. Foley finally got his Wrestlemania classic and I think we all know that after all the bumps and bruises he's experienced during his career for our enjoyment, he deserved to shine on the grandest stage of all.

18) Hulk Hogan vs. Andre The Giant (WM3)
This match is probably the most important match in Wrestlemania, and maybe wrestling, history. This is the match that drew over 93,000 people (allegedly) to the Silverdome and that alone should warrant it a place on this list. This certainly wasn't a technical classic, but in terms of atmosphere and importance, you'd be hard pressed to find a match that's more monumental than this one. When Hogan picked Andre up and slammed him down, the wrestling landscape changed forever and it exploded into a worldwide phenomenon. So while it can be debated whether this match should be higher or lower on this (or any) list, I don't think there can be any debate that this match certainly should be mentioned when talking about classic ‘Mania matches.

17) John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels (WM23)
This match delivered in a big time way no matter what the haters of this match might say. I watched it again recently and I was even more impressed the second time around than I was during the initial viewing. I liked how both men at certain points played either the face-in-peril or the heel-in-control. It really made the match unique. The match was completely awesome and definitely had that big time feel, despite a dead crowd. The only negative part of the match was when HBK focused on Cena's leg for like a good 5 minutes and then Cena just shook it off and was running all around the ring like nothing was wrong with him. That's the only thing that prevented this match from being a 5* classic, but everything else was so damn good, that you can forgive them for that little fuckup. Great match that was definitely worth the price of Wrestlemania alone.

16) Ric Flair vs. Macho Man Randy Savage (WM8)
This match was about as personal as you can get because Ric Flair bragged about having an affair with Miss Elizabeth and promised to reveal a scantily clad photo of Liz after he won the match (which as a horny eight year old automatically made me root for Flair). This match was a great back and forth contest which saw The Nature Boy focus and Savage's knee and dissect it to the point where Savage could barely stand. Flair seemed to be in total control and ready to set up for the figure four, when Savage was able to catch the Nature Boy in a rollup and take a page out of Flair's book by grabbing onto the tights. This gave Savage his second WWE Title and this was a great payoff to a fantastic storyline. I'm still bitter about never seeing that Liz pic, though. Damn Macho Man.

15) Triple H vs. The Undertaker (WM17)
When I talk to people about their favorite matches not just at Wrestlemania, but in general, I often hear this match come up and it's for good reason. This match is definitely overlooked because it was on the GREATEST WRESTLING SHOW OF ALL-TIME AND INFINITY and as such doesn't get the props it so richly deserves. This match was just a straight up brawl that went all throughout the arena and featured some cool spots like HHH getting chokeslammed off a scaffold to the (padded) floor and HHH cracking ‘Taker in the head with a sledgehammer while in position for The Last Ride. On any other wrestling show, this match would have absolutely stolen it, but due to it being on the WM17 card it unfairly gets overlooked sometimes and hopefully more people will learn to appreciate it in years to come.

14) Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit (WM17)
This was the first meeting between these two and while they would go on to surpass this effort in future encounters, there is no denying that this match was pure quality. They started off the match with some nifty match wrestling, which Benoit surprisingly dominated. Frustrated, Angle decked Benoit with a right hand and it was on from there. They started punishing each other with some stiff shots and then displayed some of the best hold/counterhold sequences ever seen, which rivaled that of Flair/Steamboat. Kurt was able to pick up the win through NEFARIOUS MEANS, but this was the beginning to one of the best rivalries ever seen in the WWE and it was a hell of a way to start it.

13) The Ultimate Warrior vs. Macho Man Randy Savage (WM7)
The issues between The Ultimate Warrior and Randy Savage during early 1991 were very heated. So heated in fact, that their match at WM7 was made into a retirement match where the loser would have to leave the WWE for good (which in wrestling lingo means a couple months). These two had a surprisingly great back and forth contest which saw Savage act like a desperate man, at one point dropping eight elbows from the top rope onto Warrior in a row. Warrior was able to ward off the onslaught, though, and fight back by delivering numerous shoulderblocks until Savage was a broken and defeated man. He was so badly defeated that Warrior was able to cover him with one foot for the three count. After the match, Queen Sherri attacked Savage until Miss Elizabeth (who was sitting in the audience) came to the ring to save Savage and embrace him after nearly two years of being apart. This was an emotional moment and the perfect way to cap off a great match.

12) The Rock vs. Hollywood Hulk Hogan (WM18)
Hulk Hogan had returned to the WWE in 2002 as a member of the nWo and was soon challenged by The Rock for a match at WM18. The match was suppose to feature Rock as the face and Hogan as the heel, but the Toronto crowd had a different idea as the cheered ferociously for Hogan and unmercifully booed The Rock. No matter what heelish things Hogan did, the crowd roared with approval. The Rock seemed to have the match won after hitting Hogan with The Rock Bottom, but then the unthinkable happened and Hogan started hulking up! The entire crowd (and myself) started going wild at the sight of seeing The Hulkster hulk up once again in a WWE ring for the first time in nine years. Rocky eventually won the match with a People's Elbow, but Hogan hulking up and bringing the SkyDome fans out of their seat is one moment that I will never forget and one of the reasons this match will go down as an all-time Wrestlemania classic.

11) The Ultimate Warrior vs. Hulk Hogan (WM6)
Hulk Hogan faced the Ultimate Challenge at Wrestlemania 6 and this match also marked the first time that two faces squared off at Wrestlemania for the WWE Title. The crowd was split 50/50 between Hogan and Warrior and this match had them on the edge of their seat during the entire duration of it. Everytime it seemed that one man had the upper hand, the other one would fire right back. It seemed like neither man could be put down for a three count. The ending came when Hogan missed the big legdrop and Warrior was able to splash him for the three count. This was monumental at the time as it seemed that Warrior was destined to be the next big thing in pro wrestling and while that eventually fizzled out, there's no denying that this match was off the charts in terms of pure entertainment.

10) The Triangle Ladder Match (WM16)
The levels of insanity seen at Wrestlemania was upped tremendously when three of the greatest tag teams of all-time squared off in this unforgettable match. This match featured some of the riskiest high spots ever seen in a WWE ring and left the crowd in the audience and those watching at home in absolute awe of it. Seeing Jeff Hardy swanton Bubba Ray through a table or seeing Matt Hardy get pushed off a table propped on two ladders through a table on the mat are moments that will live forever in Wrestlemania lore. The Dudleys, The Hardyz and Edge & Christian put their bodies on the line in this match and set a new standard for how ladder matches should be done. Shawn Michaels may have popularized the ladder match, but these six men helped to reinvent it.

9) Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels (WM21)
This match was every wrestling fan's wet dream come true as two of the greatest in-ring performers ever squared off on the biggest wrestling show of the year. The promos and skits leading up to this match were fantastic, but nothing could eclipse the effort put forth by both men in the Staples Center. The fans had high expectations for this match and it seemed impossible to match them, but not only did they match the expectations, but I feel they exceeded them. The match started slow with both men mat wrestling each other, which HBK was able to dominate. Angle got frustrated and started to wail on HBK, ala his match with Benoit at WM17. They started going full throttle after that with HBK setting up Angle on an announce table and then slingshotting himself from the ring ropes on top of Angle. Both men were barely able to make the 10 count back into the ring, but once they did, shit got awesome. They both started throwing their best shots at each other including an Angle Slam from the top rope and a SWANK reversal of an Ankle Lock into a rollup by HBK. The ending came when Angle was able to cinch in the Anklelock on HBK in the middle of the ring and it took two whole minutes before Michaels finally tapped out. This was an amazing display that is as fun to watch today as it was during its original showing.

8) The Rock vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin (WM17)
The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin clashed in the main event of the best Wrestlemania ever and they put on a performance that met the show's high standard. Austin was desperate to win back the WWE Title and The Rock wanted more than anything to keep his belt on the biggest stage of all. The match was made No DQ right before it began and all hell broke loose as the two warriors beat the hell out of each other all throughout the AstroDome. The match was going along perfectly when all of a sudden Mr. McMahon sauntered down to ringside. Everybody wondered what the hell Vince was doing at ringside given his history with both men. We soon got our answer when Vince began aiding Austin in trying to defeat The Rock. The Rock fought back valiantly, but the odds were too much as Austin repeatedly beat on Rocky with a steel chair to finally pick up the win and the WWE Title. A unholy alliance had been made and the image of Stone Cold sharing a beer with Vince after the match is one of the most surreal moments ever seen in the WWE.

7) TLC II (WM17)
The Dudleyz, The Hardyz and Edge & Christian had set the bar so high in their two previous ladder matches that it seemed impossible that they could meet the standard of those two classic matches. Not only did they match the expectations, but they exceeded them by leaps and bounds. This match featured so much crazy shit, that it is hard to keep count. Just off the top of my head I remember Rhyno goring Matt Hardy through a table, Spike Dudley delivering an Acid Drop (I refuse to call it the Dudley Dog dammit) to Christian from the ring apron through a table on the floor, Lita cracking Spike Dudley's head with a steel chair and then taking her top off (Admit it, you'd bang Lita), Jeff Hardy giving a swanton to both Spike and Rhyno from the top of a ladder through two tables, Matt Hardy and Bubba Ray Dudley being pushed off the top of a ladder in the ring through a stack of tables on the floor, and Edge giving a spear to Jeff Hardy 20 feet in the air. That's just some of the insane spots that were seen in this match. This match brought the term high risk to a whole new level and it's a match that is never boring to watch.

6) Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart (WM12)
These two legends faced off in the first ever Iron Man match at WM12 for the WWE Title. This match was technical brilliance as both men put on an entertaining display for the full 60 minutes (and change) and kept the crowd enthralled the entire time. Many critics of the match like to point out that it was unrealistic for them to go a full hour without either man getting a pinfall and that took away from the Ironman stipulation, but I feel that just showed how evenly matched and determined both men were to not give up the first fall. After a grueling battle, HBK was able to pick up his first WWE Title after delivering Sweet Chin Music in overtime. This is a fantastic wrestling match and if you're a fan of great wrestling action, you can't miss this match.

5) Ricky Steamboat vs. Macho Man Randy Savage (WM3)
Whenever you think of all-time great Wrestlemania matches, this has to be one of the first to come to mind. Not only did they have an excellent storyline attached to this match, but both of these combatants put on one hell of a show in front of the Silverdome crowd. This was a great back and forth contest that saw an unbelievable amount of near falls and the crowd was left on the edge of their seat during the entire match because it seemed like it could end at any moment. The end came when George "The Animal" Steele knocked Macho off of the top rope and by the time he recovered to pick up Steamboat for a scoop slam, Steamboat was able to counter into a rollup for the three count. This is a great, timeless match that has to be viewed by anybody who calls themselves a fan of wrestling.

4) Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart (WM10)
When these two brothers clashed at the beginning of Wrestlemania 10, I don't think that anybody could have expected just how great it turned out to be. This is one of the most entertaining non-gimmick wrestling matches that you'll ever see. There is literally never a dull moment. It's just straight up action for the entire duration of the match and you feel that if you blink you're going to miss something. The ending was an absolute shock at the time as nobody gave Owen a chance in hell of beating Bret and not only did he beat him, but he beat him cleanly with a great counter to a rollup. This put the world on notice that Bret wasn't the only talented member of the Hart family and these two would go on to have many other classic matchups after this one, but I don't think any of them were as good as this one.

3) Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon (WM10)
This match may seem tame in comparison to the crazy ladder matches we've seen since then, but at the time, this match featureds some of the craziest shit anybody had ever seen in a wrestling match. These two men absolutely stole the show (which is saying something considering Bret/Owen was on the same card) and this match gave birth to all the ladder matches that we see today. The bumps these two took were unheard of during that day and seeing Shawn Michaels come off the top of the ladder with a splash was one of my favorite wrestling moments as a kid. This match is one that can still be viewed today and make you cringe from all the bumps and that says a lot about its importance and staying power because we've seen a lot of crazy shit since then.

2) Bret Hart vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin (WM13)
This was about as personal as a match could be as Stone Cold and Bret Hart absolutely hated each other and wanted to resolve their issues with a submission match where one man would have to tell the other he quits and face the ultimate humiliation. This match was just off-the-wall intense as both men beat the holy shit out of each other. These men brawled in the ring, on the floor, through the crowd, and pretty much anywhere they could get their hands on one another. They truly made you FEEL their hatred for one another and you were instantly sucked in. This is one of those matches that I never like to be interrupted while watching it because you don't want to take your eyes of it. It is just that damn good. The ending of this match is one of the best I've ever seen as Bret locks in the Sharpshooter and a bloody Austin tries to muster up all the strength he has to get out of it and has blood pouring down his face in one of the most famous images ever in pro wrestling. Austin wasn't able to break the hold, but he didn't give up. He instead passed out from the pain and while Bret may have won the match, Austin's refusal to give up despite being in such overwhelming pain made him seem like a true badass. Soon the fans would turn their backs on Bret and side with Austin and this match was the reason for it. This is a historical, brilliant match that shot Austin stock into the stratosphere on his way to becoming the most popular wrestler this generation has seen.

1) Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Benoit (WM20)
The greatest triple threat match of all-time. The best Wrestlemania main event ever. Perhaps the greatest match of all-time, period. These are just some of the accolades that many fans have given to this match and once you watch it, it isn't hard to see why. These three men busted their ass for over 30 minutes to give us one of the most exciting matches I've ever seen. This match had everything from great technical wrestling to high risk maneuvers to tons of blood to a fantastic finish. Seeing Benoit make HHH tap out clean on the biggest show of the year to win his first World Heavyweight Championship is one of those moments that, while now tainted, will still live with me forever. This match took you on an emotional rollercoaster, but once the match was over and we saw Benoit celebrate in the ring with Eddie Guerrero, we all knew that it was well worth the ride.

Drive-By Pimpin'



Check out all these great columns by my 411 brethren:

-Andy Clark's "Shimmy"
-Ari's "Column Of Honor"
-Sean, Alex and David's "Triple Threat"
-Bayani's "Truth B Told"
-Weyer's "Shining The Spotlight"
-Byers' "Cheap Wrestling for Cheap People"
-Larry and Geoff's "4R's"
-Fact Or Fiction
-Sat and Uncle Trunx's "High Road/Low Road"
-Phill Feltham's "Quick Talkdown"
-Sarnecky's "Piledriver Report"
-Slimmer's News Report
-Hidden Highlights
-Carapola's "That Was Then" and "Friendly Competition"
-The Fink's Payload
-Gamble's "Just 'Spose"
-Cook's "Ask 411"
-Wilcox's "Thoughts From The Top Rope"
-Meehan's "Meethinks"
-Sforcina's "Evolution Schematic"
-Prag's "In Defense Of?."
-Wrestlers of the Week
-Randle's "Wrestling News Experience"
-Linkous' "Why I Love Wrestling"
-Double M's Rasslin Report
-News To Start Your Weekend
-Dunn's Rawtopsy, Smackdown Breakdown, & ECW eXperience
-Your News, Larry's Views
-Zac Calhoun's "The Ripple Effect"
-Joe Estee's "Keys To The Game"
-Halden's "You're An Idiot And Here's Why"
-Buy......OR SELL!!
-Chris Lansdell "The Way I C It"
-Alex Barcham's "Hitting Below The Beltway"
-T.G. Corke's "The Seventh Dimension"
-Magnus Donaldson's "Cut To The Crap"
-Tim Haught's "Pro Wrestling Pundit"
-William Bumgarner's "What Were They Thinking?"
-Jarrod Westerfield's "Viral Dose Of Reality"

The Sign-Off

That's about all my hands can type without falling off this week people. But be sure to join me next week when the topic will be The Top Ten Surprisingly Bad Matches. I promise. Maybe.