To celebrate WrestleMania’s 40th anniversary, WWE has delivered gifts to fans. Each of these matches was released in full on the company’s official YouTube channel. This list, released just before WrestleMania 41 this weekend, highlights the best moments, matches and rivalries that define “the immortal showcase.”
From number one, there’s WWE’s pick, the best WrestleMania match of all time.
50 Best WrestleMania Matches per WWE
Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels: WrestleMania xxv Bret Hart vs. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin – Submission Match: WrestleMania 13 Rock vs. Hollywood Hulk Hogan: WrestleMania x8 Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat – Intercontinental Title Match: Rock vs. Wrestlemania X-Seven Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes – Uncontroversial WWE Title Match: Wrestlemania XL Dudleys vs. Hardys vs. Edge & Christian – TLC Match: Wrestlemania X-Seven Hugan vs. Andre the Giant – WWE Title Match: Wrestlemania III III Altimate Warrior viiime Rousey vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch – Triple Threat Match: Wrestlemania 35 Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart: Wrestlemania x Razor Ramon vs. Shawn Michaels – Intercontinental Title Ladder Match: Wrestlemania X “Stone Cold” Steve Austin vs. Wrestlemania XII Hulk Hogan vs. Ultimate Warrior – Champion vs. Champion Match: Wrestlemania vi Charlotte Flair vs. Rhea Ripley – Smackdown Women’s Title Match: Wrestlemania 39 Kurt Angle vs. Brock Lesnar – WWE Title Match: WWEMEMANIA vs. Triple h HERS A COLL MATE: WRESTLEMANIA XIX Sasha Banks vs. Biancabel Air – Smackdown Women’s Title Match: WrestleMania 37 Roman Rains & Rock vs. Cody Rhodes & Seth Rollins: WrestleMania XL Rondalucy & Kurt Angle vs. Triple H & Stephanie McMahon: Lestelmania Punk: WrestleMania 29 “Stone Cold” Steve Austin vs. Kevin Owens: WrestleMania 38 Roddy Piper vs. Bret Hart – Intercontinental Title Match: WrestleMania VIII Brian vs. Triple H: WrestleMania XXX Edge vs. The Undertaker – World Heavyweight Title Match: WrestleMania XXIV The USOS vs. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn – WrestleMania 39 Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Landthimks – Wwe Women’s Title Match: Sasha Bank vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Batista – WWE World Title Match: Wrestlemania XXX Ric Flair vs. Randy Savage – WWE Title Match: Wrestlemania viii Shawn Michaels vs. Ric Flair: Wrestlemania xxiv Daniel Bryan vs. Kofi Kingston – Wewwe Title Wrestlemania 38 The Undertaker vs. Triple H-No Hold Match: Wrestlemania XXVII Eddie Guerrero vs. Kurt Angle – WWE Title Match: Wrestlemania XX Gunther vs. Sheamus – Intercontinental Title Match: Wrestlemania 39 Block Lesnar vs. Roman League WrestleMania 31 The Undertaker vs. AJ Styles – Boneyard Match: WrestleMania 36 Mick Foley vs. Edge: Hardlemania 22 John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels – WWE Title Match: WrestleMania 23 Seth Wrelins vs. Triple H – Unused Match & Hulk Hogan vs. Rowdy Roddy Piper & Paul Orndorff: Wrestlemania I Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar – Universal Title Match: Wrestlemania 33 The Rock vs. John Cena: WrestleMemania XXVIII XXVIII STING VS. TRIPLE H – No-Fail Match
Analysis of cage side sheets
Since WrestleMania 2 in 1986, all WrestleMania have seen live, so WWE’s latest countdown is hardly flawed. This list offers a solid balance between the past and present, exhilaratingly avoiding the latest bias that often plagues similar rankings.
That said, there are four matches where I arrive at the top 10 for my grandfather. It undoubtedly coincides with its revolutionizing industry, shaping WrestleMania into today’s global sight.
T&Hulk Hogan vs. Rowdy Roddy Piper & Paul Orndorff: The first WrestleMania main event was the foundation on which WWE was built. If this match fails, there may be no WWE. Instead, it lived on hype for up to several months, sending fans home with satisfying finishes. Hulk Hogan vs. Andre The Giant, WrestleMania III: From storytelling to star power, this match defined what the WrestleMania main event should be. With 93,000 reported fans packed into the Pontiac Silver Dome, it still offered a tall, iconic moment and set the bar for all Wrestle Manias. Razor Ramon vs. Shawn Michaels, Wrestlemania X: Many ladder matches have since surpassed this in terms of stunts. However, this encounter, thanks to Michaels and Ramon’s well-time talks, introduced ladder matches to a global audience, setting the stage for a generation of wrestlers to continue. Ronda Rousey vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch, Wrestlemania 35: The match was hampered by questionable bookings and controversial finishes, but marked a historic milestone. Thanks to Rousey’s star power, Lynch’s popularity, and the value of Flair’s name, the wrestling woman finally smashed the glass ceiling and for the first time found the biggest event in the industry.
Legend, notes, omitted
Naturally, the three names that are most synonymous with WrestleMania will appear multiple times in the list. Holding the record in 27 Wrestle Mania matches (two losses including 25 wins and a legendary 21-0 win streak), the Undertaker will lead the way with eight matches coming in.
Closest to the back is Shawn Michaels. Michaels, often referred to as “Mr. Wrestlemania” for his consistently impressive performance, has appeared seven times, bringing home the top spot of his iconic match with the Undertaker in 2009.
Interestingly, the Roman ruler, who holds the record of most WrestleMania’s main event in nine records, is only visible on the list three times. Two of these matches come from last year’s Wrestle Mania night and two nights. However, his absence in particular is a highly debated showdown with Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 39. On my list I sit second only after Hogan Andre from Wrestlemania III.
Another important, but much more sensitive, omission is the main event of WrestleMania XX. In 2004, Chris Benoit beat Triple H and Shawn Michaels, and many considered it the biggest triple threat match in WrestleMania history. However, the tragic event in 2007 led the WWE to exclude him from all official recognition when Benoit took the lives of his wife, son and himself.
lastly
Unlike the recent list of the biggest title changes in WrestleMania history, this is the mostly correct countdown for WWE (finally). There are no objections to the selected match, subtracting some issues with placement.
But now it’s your turn, Cagedar: What do you think of WWE’s ultimate list? Do you agree with their rankings? What is your number one WrestleMania match ever? Share your thoughts (and memories) in the comments section.