It all boils down to this, the Show of Shows. Many WrestleMania events have come and gone but not all have reached the heights of legendary status. Some of the best WrestleMania matches included greats like Hulk Hogan, Kurt Angle, Shawn Michaels, Eddie Guerrero, Randy Savage, and many more.
We’ve also seen an end to the careers of wrestlers on the grandest stage of them all. Superstars such as Edge and JBL bowed out after their respective matches at WrestleMania.
At the end of the day, the moments created in these matches make us care. We obviously love the wrestling part as well as the story going in as well the one told in the match. Still, “WrestleMania Moments” is something we, as wrestling fans, live for.
They leave us craving more and asking ourselves, “Wow. Can it possibly get any better than this?” Most of the time, the answer is yes. That’s where a list of the best WrestleMania matches comes in handy. We removed all the matches that were “meh,” and give you only the ones that left your adrenaline pumping.
Granted, everyone’s opinion on the best WrestleMania matches will vary. However, it’s hard to argue with most of the matches that made this list. If you feel like your favorite match was missed, feel free to add it down in the comments below.
Shawn Michaels vs Ric Flair – WrestleMania XXIII
- Match Type: Singles
- Championship On The Line: None
The Nature Boy’s final match against Shawn Michaels warmed and perhaps broke hearts all around the world. What should you expect with Shawn Michaels involved, right?
Prior to this, Ric Flair claimed on WWE RAW that he would never retire, but his address was short-lived when Vince McMahon showed up.
Mr. McMahon told Ric that he hopes he goes on forever “as long as he keeps on winning.” This led to several matches over the next few months, all possibly being the last match of Ric’s career. Yet he did not want to take on scrubs.
He never wanted to retire, but if he had to go out, Flair wanted it to be while wrestling the best. At WrestleMania, very few can come close to Shawn Michaels. They call him Mr. WrestleMania for a reason, and Flair wanted that version of Michaels. He wanted The Heartbreak Kid, The Showstopper, the Main Event on the grandest stage of them all.
Michaels warned Flair that he would not take it easy on him. If it came down to it, he’d do what he had to do.
Only a day after his induction into the WWE Hall of Fame, Flair faced Shawn Michaels in one of the best WrestleMania matches of the modern-day.
Ric Flair put up a spirited fight against Michaels, with a backdrop of woos pouring out from the crowd. He survived Michaels sweet chin music and Figure Four leg lock earlier, but a surprise kick left him dazed on the mat.
Flair, running on empty, rose and urged Michaels to end it. A seemingly distressed Michaels would infamously say: “I’m sorry, I love you” before hitting sweet chin music to put Flair away.
Roddy Piper vs Goldust – WrestleMania XII
- Match Type: Hollywood Backlot Brawl
- Championship On The Line: None
WWE Hall of Famer Roddy Piper has been part of some memorable moments throughout WWE history. However, a large chunk of those has happened at WrestleMania. He was in the first two of them and even main evented. He eventually left the WWE for a while only to come back during the infamous Attitude Era.
This was where he ran into one of the oddest yet greatest characters in WWE history, Goldust. Played by Dustin Runnels, the son of Dusty Rhodes, the man was weird but consistently proved to be his father’s son. In that, he was a creative genius as Goldust, always pushing the envelope to see what he could get away with next.
On top of this, Goldust was an impressive in-ring performer.
This allowed Piper to come back to WWE and end up in a rivalry that is still remembered to this day. Taking place at WrestleMania XII from Anaheim, California, WWE acted as if they were in Los Angeles or Hollywood. This was perfect for Goldust, who is influenced by many movies. This led to a “Hollywood Backlot Brawl” between the two men.
It was essentially a hardcore match that they had taped a lot of ahead of time. The idea was that they’d tape the first half, then have the same O.J. Simpson bronco from the infamous chase as filler. By the time the vehicle made it into the arena, they could finish up the match live.
It all worked and clearly stood out as one of the best matches of the night.
The Undertaker vs CM Punk – WrestleMania XXIX
- Match Type: Singles
- Championship On The Line: None
The Deadman gave us some of the best WrestleMania matches in the history of WWE. On top of that, his undefeated streak at WrestleMania dating back to WrestleMania VII is the longest in history. Unfazed by the challenge, rebel superstar, CM Punk, stepped up to try and end “The Streak.”
Paul Bearer’s unfortunate death played a major role in the storyline when CM Punk stole the urn containing his ashes. Punk continued to mock Paul Bearer in the coming weeks angering The Undertaker even more.
The tension came to a head at WrestleMania XXIX when the two squared off in front of a crowd split between supporting either superstar. The fiery match included multiple near falls even as Punk mocked The Undertaker throughout the contest.
Finally, after surviving Punk’s Go To Sleep and a hit from the urn, The Undertaker performed his Tombstone Piledriver on Punk and pinned him for the win. This match stands out to many as one of the last few “great” WrestleMania matches of The Phenom’s career.
Bret Hart vs Owen Hart – WrestleMania X
- Match Type: Singles
- Championship On The Line: None
The late Owen Hart had had enough of his brother, Bret Hart. It seemed that Bret always had favor with the fans and upper management in WWE. Meanwhile, Owen felt he could not get any respect. His fury prompted him to challenge Bret Hart to a fight at WrestleMania in a feud dating back to the 1993 Survivor Series.
This was the first time that two real-life brothers faced off at the show of shows. The brothers did the Hart family name proud by giving us one of the greatest technical contests in WrestleMania history.
The match started off with the two getting tangled up with Owen shouting and raising his arms after they broke apart. The momentum slowly shifted to Bret’s side after a clothesline sent Owen flying out the ring.
Owen looked like he was heading for the exit, but Bret dragged him back to the ring. Later on, Owen, locked in a sleeper hold, kicked Bret in the groin which the referee didn’t see. He then performed the Sharpshooter to a sore Bret who nearly tapped out but didn’t succeed.
Bret attempted to catch his little brother looking, but he saw it coming. Owen denied Bret’s victory roll move and pinned his big brother for the win.
Stone Cold vs The Rock – WrestleMania XVII
- Match Type: Singles – No Disqualification
- Championship On The Line: WWF Championship
The infamous WWF Championship match between “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and The Rock left the whole world speechless. Stone Cold, known for his defiant attitude against Vince McMahon and WWE management, seemingly had a change of heart at the end.
In the weeks leading up to WrestleMania X-Seven, The Rock and Austin engaged in a feud involving even Steve’s real-life wife and WWE Manager, Debra. Stone Cold’s win at Royal Rumble secured him a championship match against then-champion, The Rock, in one of the best WrestleMania matches ever.
It didn’t take long before both men had bloodied faces from hits using the ring bell during the contest. Stolen finishers and multiple pinfalls fell flat from both sides as each struggled to secure the win.
A sauntering Vince McMahon interfered in the match pulling The Rock off of Stone Cold just before the ref reached three. He later introduced a steel chair Stone Cold used to assault The Rock until Rocky could take no more. The Rock, beaten and bruised, succumbed and lost the title via pinfall.
This marked the beginning of Austin turning heel, as well as one of the best WWE Championship runs ever. It shocked the world to see Austin not only turn heel but also team up with McMahon, his biggest rival. After constant battles, this change made everyone audibly shout “why, Austin, why?” in the coming weeks.
The Undertaker vs Triple H – WrestleMania XXVIII
- Match Type: Hell in a Cell
- Championship On The Line: None
At the time, The Undertaker had been unbeaten at WrestleMania. He had defeated Triple H the previous year but in spite of the win, he did not walk out under his own power after their no holds barred match. Triple H, however, did. This meant that The Deadman wanted revenge on The Game.
Now a real-life executive for WWE, Triple H felt if he fought The Undertaker again, he’d end him. This was not “best for business,” causing The Game to refuse Undertaker’s WrestleMania challenge.
The Undertaker previously ended Shawn Michaels’ career at WrestleMania by defeating him. This played a major role, as Triple H for his entire career has been trying to prove he was better than his best friend. It took Undertaker saying Shawn was better than Triple H for the Cerebral Assassin to accept.
He’d stack the deck in his favor, however. Shawn Michaels was added as the special guest referee and the match would take place inside Hell in a Cell. Though often assumed to be The Deadman’s match, Triple H actually has the best win percentage inside Hell in a Cell. Triple H wanted to end Undertaker’s career and felt HIAC could help him do just that.
The two battled inside the cell until both were bruised and bloody. Michaels even superkicked Undertaker into a Triple H pedigree at one point in the contest but Taker kicked out. Everything that could be done to The Phenom was employed, but kick out after kick out, Undertaker refused to lose.
Finally, he hit his finish on Triple H and a hesitant Shawn Michaels counted to three to give his former rival the win over his best friend.
Edge and Christian vs The Hardy Boyz vs The Dudley Boyz – WrestleMania XVII
- Match Type: Tables, Ladders, and Chairs
- Championship On The Line: Tag Team Championship
A match involving the Hardy Boys, Dudley Boyz, and Edge and Christian already sounds exciting before the first bell rings. That’s exactly what happened in the TLC II match at WrestleMania X-Seven. All three teams had one goal, the WWF Tag Team Championships dangling high above the ring awaiting new owners.
The first match took place the previous year. Each team had something that they shined with. Edge & Christian were the kings of the chair shots. The Dudley Boyz were masters with tables. Meanwhile, the Hardy Boyz could do anything with a ladder asked of them. It made sense to put together as a result, giving us Tables, Ladders, and Chairs…OH MY!
After a successful showing at WWE SummerSlam, WWE felt they had to do it again at WrestleMania. This led to TLC II.
The match had its fair share of surprises with interferences by Spike Dudley, Rhyno, and even Lita. The Dudley Boyz quickly took care of them, performing the 3D on Lita and Rhyno after Lita’s chair shot to Spike. If that wasn’t enough, Jeff Hardy’s Swanton Bomb on Spike and Rhyno off a twenty-foot ladder should’ve done it.
Edge returned the favor with a spear of his own off another twenty-foot ladder to Jeff Hardy dangling off the championship belts. This shot is still one of the most iconic moments in WWE history.
Edge’s tag team partner Christian, with “a little help from Rhyno,” then climbed the ladder and took down the titles. This allowed the team to become the WWF World Tag Team Champions once again.
Daniel Bryan vs Randy Orton vs Batista – WrestleMania XXX
- Match Type: Triple Threat
- Championship On The Line: WWE World Heavyweight Championship
Daniel Bryan was a fan favorite in 2012 as well as 2013. Fans wanted more for him, leading to a “YES! Movement” that changed the world forever. WWE did not plan to have Daniel Bryan involved in the main event of WrestleMania XXX, much less leave as WWE World Heavyweight Champion. However, the fans forced their hand.
The Authority did all they could to put him down, but a determined Bryan kept coming back. This led to Triple H telling Bryan that if he could defeat him in a match at WrestleMania XXX, Daniel would be added to the main event.
On the day of the show, Bryan defeated Triple H, albeit with an injured left arm. This earned a spot in the WWE Championship match later that night.
Bryan dashed at Orton dropkicking him into the corner as soon as the bell rang. Batista tried to get involved but found himself outside the ring. This burst of energy, however, was short-lived as Orton went to work on the injured arm.
The match saw Triple H and Stephanie interfere, but Bryan turned the tables and attacked Triple H with a sledgehammer. Orton and Batista then turned on Bryan performing a Batista Bomb/RKO on him on the announcers’ table.
Just as it seemed Bryan was done for, he returned from the stretcher and continued attacking the other two. Later on, he would perform his running knee on Batista followed by a Yes! Lock that forced Dave to tap out while Orton was out of the ring.
Charlotte Flair vs Sasha Banks vs Becky Lynch – WrestleMania XXXII
- Match Type: Triple Threat
- Championship On The Line: WWE Women’s Championship
Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, and Sasha Banks faced off at WrestleMania XXXII for the WWE Women’s Championship. Heading into the event, the plan was to have them compete for the WWE Diva’s Championship. WWE decided to retire the title that highlighted horrible women’s wrestling and bring back the WWE Women’s Title.
The woman who won would become the new champion.
Snoop Dogg accompanied his real-life cousin, Sasha, to the ring while Ric Flair accompanied his daughter Charlotte. Becky Lynch came out solo but proved she belonged throughout the match.
Sasha and Becky teamed up momentarily at the beginning to knock down Charlotte. Becky almost made Charlotte tap out, but Sasha rushed back in to break the hold. Charlotte also came close with a Figure Eight leg lock on Becky, but Sasha came flying in off the top rope.
Later in the match, Sasha performed her Bank’s Statement hold on Becky, but Charlotte broke it and threw her out. She then performed her Figure Eight on an already worn out Becky, forcing her to tap out.
Eddie Guerrero vs Kurt Angle – WrestleMania XX
- Match Type: Singles
- Championship On The Line: WWE Championship
Eddie Guerrero and Kurt Angle’s feud involved many twists and turns. One of which included Guerrero being handcuffed and arrested under the orders of Paul Heyman. Interrupted matches, drug addiction insults, and Eddie spitting in Kurt Angle’s face all came to a head at WrestleMania XX.
Eddie’s stylish entrance involved a souped-up, orange, low rider to a raucous crowd at Madison Square Garden. Midway through the match, Angle attacked Guerrero’s mid-section following a botched strike from the top rope onto the barricade.
To make things worse, Eddie missed his signature Frog Splash landing flat on his belly on the mat. A ruthless Angle continued his barrage on Eddie with multiple belly-to-belly suplexes. However, Eddie’s quick wits proved too much for Angle when he untied his boot and slipped out the ankle lock.
Eddie then used Angle’s momentum to roll him into a pin. He then employed the ropes as leverage to win the match. I mean, as Guerrero once said, “if you’re not cheating, you’re not trying.” RIP, Eddie.
Edge vs Mick Foley – WrestleMania XXII
- Match Type: Hardcore
- Championship On The Line: None
The “Rated R Superstar” Edge and Mick Foley gave us one to remember when they faced off in a Hardcore match at WrestleMania XXII. Both men were no strangers to such contests and even became aggressive as soon as the first bell rang.
Edge arrived holding a baseball bat that he attempted to strike Foley with, but Foley quickly dodged. Lita, who accompanied Edge, tipped the odds in his favor throwing road signs into the ring that Edge used to assault Foley.
Foley retaliated with attacks of his own, using barbed wire hidden under his clothes. As the match went on, more and more weapons came into play. Thumbtacks, ring steps, and even a baseball bat covered in barbed in wire found their way inside the ring.
Foley somehow managed to set up a table with the idea that he could put Edge through it. This quickly became something the Hardcore Legend would regret. Lita attacked Foley’s groin using the bat to stop his momentum and then added liquid to the table, followed by a match to light the thing on fire.
Edge then charging at Mick from the inside, then speared Foley to the outside and through the burning table. Shocking no one, Edge won by pinfall as a result of this insane spot.
Bret Hart vs Shawn Michaels – WrestleMania XII
- Match Type: Ironman
- Championship On The Line: WWF Championship
Bret Hart vs Shawn Michaels, to most, is the greatest rivalry in WWE history. They fought in some memorable matches on the biggest stages WWE has to offer. However, perhaps their most notable is the Ironman match that took place at WrestleMania XII.
Michaels had been in the mid-card world for a while. However, after his notable WWF Intercontinental Title runs, Michaels proved he was worthy of the main event spot. Bret Hart was the man at the top of the mountain and WWE knew they could put the two together and create something special.
They delivered in every match they took part in together, but the Ironman match stands out in the pack. The two wrestled for one hour in a classic where neither man gave up a fall or submission to the other. Both men tried everything they could to take down their rival but nothing seemed to work.
Finally, the clock ran out. In most title matches with time limits, the match is over when the clock hits zero. The current champion remains the champion. However, this was WrestleMania…not some random Raw is War episode on USA Network! Gorilla Monsoon came out to tell the men that the match would be restarted and go into “sudden death.”
This meant that the man with the next fall or submission would become the new WWF World Champion. Both Hart and Michaels fought a little longer until finally, the Heartbreak Kid caught the Hitman looking. It was over, with Michaels coming out on top to win his first World Championship in the WWE.
John Cena vs The Rock – WrestleMania XXIX
- Match Type: Singles
- Championship On The Line: WWE Championship
John Cena, still reeling from the previous year’s WrestleMania loss, challenged The Rock once more at WrestleMania XXIX. He claimed the loss sent his professional life and personal life spiraling out of control. A victory at WrestleMania seemed to be the only redemption for him.
CM Punk just hit a record 434-day WWE Championship reign when he faced and lost to The Rock at the 2013 Royal Rumble PPV. Yet later that night, John Cena managed to win the Royal Rumble match. This ensured us that the two WWE titans would cross paths once again at the show of shows.
Cena’s journey left fans torn between supporting him and chanting, “Cena sucks.” It looked as though he had The Rock beat with an STF, but The Rock broke free and performed The Rock Bottom on him. Cena somehow kicked out the pin that followed.
The Rock kicked out of a pin after an Attitude Adjustment almost immediately after. A well-timed DDT set up The Rock for another Rock Bottom, but Cena countered with another AA. This allowed Cena to pin Rock for the win. crowning him an 11-time WWE Champion.
The event concluded with both men on the ramp and Rock pointing to Cena in a sign of respect.
Hulk Hogan vs Randy Savage – WrestleMania V
- Match Type: Singles
- Championship On The Line: WWF World Heavyweight Championship
The Mega Powers consisting of Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage proved to be quite the tag team. However, the two seemed to be on a collision course as tensions rose between them. Randy’s anger towards Hogan exploded when he attacked him following an incident involving his wife, Miss Elizabeth, a few months prior.
Savage felt Hogan wanted his wife for himself and despite both Hogan and Liz saying nothing was going on, Randy’s jealously could not be contained. This led to the two major names colliding at WrestleMania V.
Randy Savage versus Hulk Hogan started off cat and mouse with Hogan chasing Randy outside the ring. The two eventually returned inside where Hogan put Randy in a headlock, but Randy countered with a suplex.
The momentum shifted to Hogan’s favor as he smashed Randy’s head against the turnbuckles followed by a series of elbow drops. Savage countered with a clothesline followed by an unsuccessful pin attempt.
Later on, an irate Randy sent Elizabeth away likely due to her constantly checking on Hogan while outside the ring. His attacks on Hogan continued culminating in a Savage Elbow and pin attempt Hogan kicked out of.
Finally, Hogan “hulked-up” and everyone knew what this meant. A fired-up Hogan performed his series of punches, big boot, and leg drop which ultimately won him the championship.
Shawn Michaels vs The Undertaker – WrestleMania XXVI
- Match Type: Singles
- Championship On The Line: None
The loss at WrestleMania XXV left a bitter taste in Shawn Michaels’ mouth. Despite the outcome, he was still very confident in his ability to beat The Deadman. Much like John Cena, a victory at WrestleMania became an obsession for Michaels leading to erratic behavior.
Undertaker initially refused to give Michaels a rematch but after an interference that cost him the World Heavyweight Championship in an Elimination Chamber match, he agreed. However, he claimed that he would wrestle Michaels on one condition. If The Phenom won, Michaels’ career would be over.
Michaels responded to this by saying: “Undertaker if I can’t beat you, I have no career!”
The “Streak vs Career” match escalated quickly after Michaels taunted The Undertaker. Taker performed his Old School signature move but injured his leg early on. Michaels took advantage and focused on the injured leg inflicting even more damage.
Both wrestlers kicked out after each performed their signature moves and finishers on the other. The Undertaker appeared to show some sympathy for Michaels towards the end of the match. However, this instantly turned to anger when Michaels slapped him. This was Micheals acting as defiant as ever. If his career was coming to an end, he was going to make every moment worth it.
He then did The Undertaker’s signature throat slash, making the Deadman irate. Taker then grabbed Michaels for his tombstone piledriver move, this time jumping in the air rather than traditionally falling. This was to ensure that Michaels could not possibly kick out.
It worked and The Undertaker won, causing Shawn Michaels to retire from in-ring competition.
Rey Mysterio vs Randy Orton vs Kurt Angle – WrestleMania XXII
- Match Type: Triple Threat
- Championship On The Line: World Heavyweight Championship
Eddie Guerrero sadly passed away, but his best friend Rey Mysterio was still with WWE. Living off of this spirit, Rey went on to win the Royal Rumble and earn a World Heavyweight Title shot at WrestleMania XXII. However, it would not just be an easy one on one. Kurt Angle and Randy Orton had been battling over the title and won had the right to call themselves champion.
This led to WWE making the match a triple threat.
Randy Orton could barely contain himself, attacking Kurt Angle with the championship belt before the first bell rang. Mysterio tried to counter Orton’s Irish whip to the corner, but Orton dropkicked him mid-air.
Mysterio kicked out of the pin, but Angle returned to the ring and performed a double-suplex on both of them. Angle later reversed Mysterio’s 619 into an ankle lock but the referee, distracted by Orton, missed Mysterio tapping out.
He also forced Orton to tap out, but the ref missed it again this time distracted by Mysterio. Angle then performed an Angle Slam on Orton for a near fall but failed to do so on Mysterio who countered sending him outside.
Mysterio then dropkicked Orton onto the ropes for a 619 and West Coast Pop. He hit them to perfection, sealing his victory for the World Heavyweight Championship as Angle scrambled in too late to break the pin.
Roddy Piper vs Bret Hart – WrestleMania VIII
- Match Type: Singles
- Championship On The Line: WWF Intercontinental Championship
Bret Hart’s sneaky blading versus Roddy Piper only added to this match being one of the best WrestleMania matches ever. There was a no blade policy at the time but at some point in the match, Hart bled quite heavily. Blading, or gigging to some, essentially means to cut oneself during a match.
Hart described the move as a “gut call” citing a meeting with Roddy prior to the match as a major deciding factor. In an interview with Kayfabe Commentaries, Hart said he passed it off as getting color the hard way, therefore, avoiding the fine.
The two wrestlers went hard at each other during the match, but it was only after a bulldog from Piper did the announcers acknowledge the blood. Hart wrested back control nearly performing his sharpshooter on Piper, but Piper resisted.
Piper retrieved the bell to strike Hart but stopped short after a change of heart. He attempted a sleeper hold instead which Hart countered by kicking off the corner and landing on him for a three-count.
Shawn Michaels vs The Undertaker – WrestleMania XXV
- Match Type: Singles
- Championship On The Line: None
Shawn Michaels’s first attempt at The Undertaker’s streak was so good it won the 2009 Slammy Award for Match of the Year. Unfortunately for Michaels, that’s about all that came out of it.
The buildup to the match involved Christian themes with Michaels wearing all white and quoting scriptures from the Holy Bible. Undertaker, on the other hand, maintained his dark persona and outfits symbolizing evil and death.
The idea going into the match, pushed by The Undertaker, was “sometimes it’s hell trying to get to heaven.”
The two men battled it out coming close with near fall after near fall. Chokeslams, Last Rides, and Tombstones were nowhere near enough to put away Mr. WrestleMania, Shawn Michaels.
At one point during the match, Undertaker hits his tombstone and believes it’s over. Michaels kicked out, resulting in commentator Jim Ross saying what we were all thinking: “I just had an out of body experience!!”
Later in the match, Michaels attempted a Moonsault off the top rope only to be caught by The Undertaker. Taker then finished him off with one last Tombstone piledriver followed by a successful pin to win the match.
The Rock vs Hulk Hogan – WrestleMania X8
- Match Type: Singles
- Championship On The Line: None
After Vince McMahon bought up ECW & WCW in 2001, all of his competition was now gone. However, a lot of the contracts of top WCW performers were not part of the deal. This meant they had to wait another year to get top names. By 2002, Vince McMahon had gone mentally insane after major issues with his then-business partner, Ric Flair.
He brought in New World Order, better known as the NWO. Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, and Hulk Hogan would come in and attempt to destroy everything in their path.
This feud between The Rock and Hulk Hogan picked up steam after The Rock interrupted Hogan as he addressed the crowd on WWF Raw, challenging him to a fight. Hogan accepted but as the two shook hands, The Rock held on and performed a Rock Bottom on Hogan.
The two went on to face off in a singles match at WrestleMania X8 dubbed “Icon vs Icon.” As the match progressed, the crowd cheered Hogan much louder than The Rock despite him being “the bad guy.” This event took place in Canada, better known to WWE fans as “Bizarro World” thanks to Jerry Lawler.
The Rock applied the Sharpshooter to Hogan who willed his way to the bottom rope to break it.
The ref, lying face down on the mat, didn’t see this so The Rock dragged Hogan back to the middle of the ring and continued to apply pressure. Hogan tapped out but the ref missed that as well. Three Rock Bottoms and a People’s Elbow finally put away Hogan, and The Rock won by pinfall.
The two reconciled and shook hands at the end of the match.
Kurt Angle vs Chris Benoit – WrestleMania XVII
- Match Type: Singles
- Championship On The Line: None
Kurt Angle described the late Chris Benoit as “the only guy that I met that could match his intensity.” Benoit lived up to this statement when the two faced off in a singles match at WrestleMania X-Seven.
The match kicked off with both men trying to secure takedowns on the mat. With no clear winner in this sequence, they broke free and started over. Benoit almost had Angle in the Crippler Crossface, but Angle wriggled his way to the bottom rope.
Angle then took control throwing Benoit outside the ring and slammed him against the announcer’s table. Benoit regained some momentum after reversing Angle’s punches then using the ankle lock on him.
Angle retaliated with a Crippler Crossface to Benoit, but Benoit managed to place his leg on the bottom rope. Benoit should’ve won the match when Angle tapped out to the Crossface, but the referee was knocked out.
Later on, Angle rolled Benoit up into pin following Benoit’s two-count using the tights as leverage for the win. This match still holds up as one of the best technical contests you’ll ever see.
While we do not support what Chris Benoit did, we did want to make a fair list and highlight the best matches. A list like this would not be complete without Benoit. In the end, Chris Benoit vs Kurt Angle will likely always be one of the best WrestleMania matches ever for those who have seen it.
Brock Lesnar vs Kurt Angle – WrestleMania XIX
- Match Type: Singles
- Championship On The Line: WWE Championship
A list of best WrestleMania matches wouldn’t make sense without the title match between Brock Lesnar and Kurt Angle. The match included an added stipulation where if Angle was disqualified or counted out, he would lose the WWE Championship.
This meant that Angle could not escape the match with his title. He had to beat WWE’s “Next Big Thing” legit, which would be a tall order for the Olympic Gold Medalist. Angle actually entered this match with a legitimate neck injury. He was going to take time off and get surgery afterward, making this match his last for some time.
He performed despite the issues and was nearly perfect throughout.
Things kicked off with the two countering each other’s holds from headlocks to takedowns. A German suplex from Angle into the turnbuckle forced Lesnar out of the ring where Angle drove him into the barricades.
Lesnar survived the ankle lock multiple times, and Angle kicked out of two F-5s. After the second F-5, Lesnar tried a Shooting Star Press but Angle rolled out the way. Memorably, Lesnar did not land right when doing this move. We later found out that he had several injured vertebrae, but nothing too serious.
Lesnar then kicked out of Angle’s pin attempt and performed a third F-5 for the win shortly after. This set Brock up as a star for sure, as it was one of the best WrestleMania matches in recent memory. Yet it still holds up today as freaking awesome!
Daniel Bryan vs Kofi Kingston – WrestleMania XXXV
- Match Type: Singles
- Championship On The Line: WWE World Championship
WWE Champion Daniel Bryan knew he could go to WrestleMania without much of an issue. In fact, no one was present worthy of facing him there in his eyes. However, when Mustafi Ali was injured and unable to compete in the Elimination Chamber match for the WWE Championship, Kofi Kingston took his spot.
To prep for this, WWE had a gauntlet match with everyone in the match taking part. Kofi opened it and lasted for an hour before finally going down. This impressed WWE fans massively, leading to a surge of fans cheering loudly and making WWE take notice. Vince McMahon saw this and felt he could capitalize on it.
Kofi had to go through several hoops to get a title match after coming up short inside the chamber, where he was a heartbeat away from winning the title. Vince had him go through gauntlet matches, surprise contests, and much more. Finally, he forced his New Day partners to win a tag team gauntlet match to give Kofi his spot in the WrestleMania match.
They somehow won, leading to Kofi Kingston vs Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship. The match was incredible, as every fan cheered loudly for every single move. Kicks from both men as well as submissions and suplexes seemed to never do enough.
Finally, Kofi caught Bryan looking with “trouble in paradise” getting the 1…2…3. Kingston became the first fully black WWE Champion in company history and only the second black man to win a title of any kind at WrestleMania.
There wasn’t a dry eye in the house, as we all had the pleasure of seeing this workhorse get the title he spent a decade chasing.
Stone Cold vs Bret Hart – WrestleMania XIII
- Match Type: No Disqualification, Submission
- Championship On The Line: None
“Stone Cold” Steve Austin faced off against Bret Hart in a heated Submission Match at WrestleMania 13. Though not known for his submission moves since his “Stunning” Steve Austin days, the brash Stone Cold showed no signs of fear.
The match spilled out the ring shortly after beginning with both wrestlers fighting way out in the stands. Stone Cold led the charge ramming Hart’s head against the steel barricades. Hart, however, turned the tide unleashing a slew of punches on Austin as they headed back to the ring.
Hart focused his attacks on Stone Cold’s left leg with multiple kicks to the area and a Figure Four Leg Lock using the ring post as leverage. Austin recovered later and attacked Hart with multiple chair shots but failed to pin him successfully.
In the end, Hart put a bleeding Austin into a Sharpshooter, winning the match after Austin passed out during the hold. From the end of the match to everything that came with it, this lands as one of the best WrestleMania matches ever.
Austin refused to quit and despite the win, Hart attacked a prone Steve Austin after the bell. This set Austin up as a man who would one day become WWE’s biggest star.
Meanwhile, Hart became a heel and was gone from the company later that same year. Something about a Screwjob, but that is another story for another list.
Brock Lesnar vs The Undertaker – WrestleMania XXX
- Match Type: Singles
- Championship On The Line: None
The much-coveted streak had to come to an end sometime. The only question being at the hands of whom? The Undertaker, after going 21-0, looked untouchable at WrestleMania following his win over CM Punk. Only one other man stood in his way, The Beast Incarnate, Brock Lesnar.
The two men stared each other down in the middle of the ring prior to the bell raising tensions sky-high. The Undertaker struck first with multiple right hands that sent Lesnar reeling. Lesnar regained some control over the match with a belly-to-belly suplex and a clothesline sending Taker outside.
Both men took a serious beating the longer the match dragged on. The Undertaker survived two F-5s from Lesnar while Lesnar survived a Tombstone Piledriver from Taker. Once Undertaker positioned himself for a second Tombstone, Lesnar countered with a final F-5 for the win.
Everyone assumed, like always, the Deadman would kick out. But as the referee’s hand came down for the three-count, it shocked the world. Paul Heyman, Brock’s advocate, was shocked just as much as the fans. Some felt it might have been a mistake. Perhaps, the ref made a mistake?
Oh no, The Phenom had lost for the first time at WrestleMania.
The entire arena gasped in horror as the score on the large screen above displayed the unfathomable numbers, 21-1. To this day, this is still one of the most shocking results in WWE history.
Randy Savage vs Ricky Steamboat – WrestleMania III
- Match Type: Singles
- Championship On The Line: WWF Intercontinental Championship
Considered the greatest WrestleMania match in history, it took place at an event where very few people cared about it going in. The real build for this show surrounded Hulk Hogan vs Andre the Giant, the main event of the night. However, both Randy Savage and Ricky Steamboat did not phone it in to get us through the show and onto the main event.
They meticulously spent weeks planning their match, even trying some moves and ideas out during dark matches and WWE Live Events. By the time the show came up, they had the perfect match that they felt could last.
Savage was the WWF Intercontinental Champion and seemed jealous of Steamboat’s successes. Randy attacked Ricky when he was greeting fans one day and it led to a 6-month rivalry that would culminate to an amazing climax at WrestleMania III. The two battling it out for the title in what turned out to be a roughly 14-minute classic and one of the best WrestleMania matches ever.
The action never stopped from the first minute to the last. You could not blink or you’d miss something amazing. It was heart-pounding and absolutely brilliant. The men executed what turned out to be one of the greatest matches in professional wrestling history. The match still holds up to this very day!
The match defined both men as professional wrestlers and showed the world that big guys were ultimately not where pro-wrestling was going.
It is said by many fans that Andre/Hogan brought them to the wrestling world but Savage/Steamboat made them become fans. To us, that is something special.
[Custom Featured Images By Tony Mcelveen]
