It’s a debate that every WWE fan has had with friends or people online at some point: which WrestleMania match is the greatest of all time?
And once you get into that conversation, it inevitably expands to your personal top-five, top-ten, and with so many possibilities, everyone seems to have a different opinion on which WrestleMania match is the greatest.
However, as we’ve made our way towards WrestleMania 32 this Sunday, and I’ve found myself watching past ‘Mania events. I’ve not only found myself watching the popular choices for greatest of all time, but also noticing quite a few great contests from past WrestleMania events that seem to be a bit forgotten. That’s led me to create this countdown – ranking all 301 matches which have taken place on WrestleMania, 1 through 31.
A couple notes on the list:
- No matches from kickoff shows are included.
- The list is broken down into ten pieces, 30 matches in each piece, leading up to one.
- Matches are ranked not only on in-ring quality, but entertainment value, as well as historical impact. There’s no exact formula for this, it’s simply my list. I’ll explain a bit of my thinking on each grouping, but I’m always available to discuss/banter on this list either in the comments section below, or on social media.
Without further ado…
*NOTE* WrestleMania 32 is NOT included.
Analysis: Let’s face it: most of these matches are pure hot garbage. Especially in the early days of WrestleMania, when you got past the main events, it began to look more like a house show or a Saturday morning program than a spectacle the magnitude we expect nowadays with WrestleMania.
In this group, we get rid of quite a few Divas matches, three separate matches from WrestleMania 2, and Michael Cole.
And yes, even I am surprised I was able to find a match worse than the one involving Michael Cole.
Must-Watch: Really, you don’t need to watch any of these. That being said, if you were to pick one from this grouping, head to WrestleMania 13, and see an extremely young Rocky Maivia in his first WrestleMania match.
Let’s just say the Chicago crowd can’t quite smell what he’s cooking yet.
Hidden Gem: Ha…you’re funny.
Analysis: We continue to make our way through quite a bit of muck, but at least we get some serviceable bouts in this grouping.
However, it says something that the pure entertainment and, honestly, ridiculousness of a gimmick battle royal tops every other match on this board.
Many of these matches are time filler’s on their particular Mania cards, something WWE seemingly has finally realized are unacceptable nowadays.
Must-Watch: There are a few I’d point to if you’re looking to trying to kill a bit of time in your WrestleMania prep, or if you’re looking to put together some rare WWE trivia. Crush vs. Doink at WrestleMania 9 had quite a bit of build behind it, although on par with WWE’s cartoonish ways in the early nineties.
Also, the APA battling in Texas at WrestleMania 17 has the crowd into an otherwise bland match.
Or, if you’re simply looking for entertainment, watch Bart Gunn get his lights knocked out in an epic way by Butterbean at WrestleMania 15.
Hidden Gem: Doink The Clown vs. Crush at WrestleMania 9.
Analysis: We’re almost 100 matches into our countdown, and the quality begins to improve, albeit not dramatically. It’s actually a bit frightening to go back and realize how many bland contests took place at the “Granddaddy of Them All”.
However, the most disappointing match on this list must be Brock Lesnar and Goldberg from WrestleMania 20, as it was billed as a co-main event with huge expectations, and instead rendered itself almost unwatchable until enforcer Steve Austin stunned them both out of the company.
Must-Watch: While the match itself wasn’t much to write home about, for its historical importance, take a trip back to WrestleMania 7 and take in match #231 – The Undertaker vs “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka.
When The Deadman dispatched Snuka, nobody had any idea that the victory was only the beginning of an amazing streak for The Undertaker, which would immortalize The Phenom among the members of the WWE Universe.
Hidden Gem: Still a bit a stretch to call any of them “gems”, but let’s go with Rick Rude vs. Jimmy Snuka from WrestleMania 6.
Analysis: We’ve begun to enter the section of the countdown where we find some minor matches whose action surpasses expectations, and main event matches which fell far short of expectations.
Roddy Piper’s boxing match with Mr. T at WrestleMania 2 was a debacle that even Piper despised, but the sheer spectacle of the event brought it in this high on the countdown.
Meanwhile, short, squash matches such as Ultimate Warrior defeating Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Hulk Hogan defeating an exhausted Yokozuna and Sheamus’ 18 second victory over Daniel Bryan all come in within this grouping, meaning this may very well be the shortest block of matches to watch.
Must-Watch: Two easy choices here as far as I’m concerned. The Steiner Brothers’ sole WrestleMania appearance at WrestleMania 9 was in a physical bout against The Headshrinkers, and is certainly worth the time for another look.
Also, cue up WrestleMania 5, and watch a young Mr. Perfect square off against an even younger Owen Hart, under his Blue Blazer persona.
Hidden Gem: The Steiner Brothers vs. The Headshrinkers from WrestleMania 9
Analysis: We make it to the halfway point of the countdown in this grouping, and the overall quality of matches continues to improve, despite a few disappointing main event’s.
Not a great grouping for Hulk Hogan, as he finds three of his WrestleMania main events unable to crack the top 150, as well as a much-anticipated, yet uninspiring rematch with Andre The Giant at WrestleMania 4.
Also, a sad state of affairs for WrestleMania 2, as all three main-events from an event that many call the worst WrestleMania of all time have already appeared on the countdown.
Must-Watch: While he was certainly past his prime, Harley Race’s bout with Junkyard Dog at WrestleMania 3 is worth watching, if for nothing else but the reaction JYD receives from the record-setting crowd.
Also, while it’s rather one-sided, The Shield’s dominance at WrestleMania 30 against Kane and the New Age Outlaws is an exciting contest which hearkens back to the days when The Shield ran roughshod over WWE.
Hidden Gem: The Orient Express vs. The Rockers from WrestleMania 6
Analysis: In our final grouping before entering the top 100, we’ve made it to the point in the countdown where quality is basically ensured in any of your choices, and each match on this list has something positive which can be said about it.
I’d expect most to scoff at John Cena vs. The Miz being this high on the list, but I still defend Miz’s reign as champion, and the impending issue with The Rock made that main event more unpredictable than most expected.
Also,we begin to find high-quality Divas action in this grouping at #125, as Trish, Jazz and Lita put on a great show at WrestleMania 18.
Must-Watch: The work rate of matches certainly steps up with most of the options on this list, but if I have to choose, I’d point you towards #132 – Cody Rhodes vs. Rey Mysterio.
Also, there’s some great tag team wrestling in this collection at #122, with Demolition vs. Strike Force, and #140, The Hart Foundation vs. Shake, Rattle & Roll, The Honky Tonk Man and Greg Valentine.
Fans today are so conditioned to how a tag team match needs to go, that going back and watching a match or two from this era can really be refreshing.
Hidden Gem: #136 – Chris Jericho vs.Jimmy Snuka, Roddy Piper, and Ricky Steamboat from WrestleMania 25. Nobody expected this to become a legitimately good wrestling match, but Ricky Steamboat shows that age doesn’t mean a thing, and has a great showing with Y2J.
Analysis: Here’s where things really began to get tough when it came to determining where each match fell in these rankings, as historical impact truly began to come into play and made things a bit more difficult.
The Undertaker vs Sid from WrestleMania 13 wasn’t a masterpiece by any means, but it was The Undertaker’s first Championship win at WrestleMania, as well as the beginning of his first true reign, with his first reign lasting mere days.
Also, with so many celebrities falling flat at WrestleMania, I felt it was important to acknowledge one instance where a celebrity actually delivered on the hype around his appearance, placing Lawrence Taylor’s battle with Bam Bam Bigelow at WrestleMania 11 at #99 overall.
Fans who were watching the build to that match will remember just how huge that match was built to be, and LT had enough athleticism, paired with Bigelow’s always underrated talent, to pull off a match which worth the effort.
It’s also interesting to note that Trish Stratus and the Divas make two more appearances on this grouping.
Must-Watch: It’ll be tough to give only one from here on out, but Team Angle vs. Los Guerreros vs. Chris Benoit & Rhyno from WrestleMania 19 is one that often gets forgotten due to the multiple main event’s on that card, and certainly didn’t disappoint.
Also, Rey Mysterio and CM Punk from WrestleMania 26.
Hidden Gem: Again, I could choose a few, but I’ll point out another match younger fans probably haven’t ever seen. WrestleMania 5 marked the only WrestleMania appearance for Tully Blanchard and the Brain Busters, a team new NXT fans have heard The Revival, Dash & Dawson compared to multiple times.
Their bout with Strike Force was as much about storyline as it was in-ring action, however I suggest any fans of tag team wrestling go back and check this one out, to see how different a tag match can feel when you don’t always follow the formula we’re accustomed to today.
Analysis: Well, there’s certainly a lot going on in this grouping. Three ladder matches, two appearances by Vince McMahon, and multiple World Title matches in the 61-90 range.
Sting’s only WrestleMania appearance to date shows up on this list, as well as Edge’s final match with WWE.
Fans who may be using this list to help them prep for WrestleMania 32 couldn’t be blamed if they started with this grouping and watched through to #1, as there aren’t really any letdowns as we move through this section.
Must-Watch: For in-ring quality, it doesn’t get much better than Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit at WrestleMania 17.
For entertainment, Hulk Hogan vs. Vince McMahon told a great story in a street fight for the career of Hogan.
But this year, I suggest you go back and watch the only WrestleMania appearance for “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes, as his mixed tag match at WrestleMania 6 may have been the most anticipated match on the card besides Hogan/Warrior, and Dusty was in all of his glory on the biggest stage of them all.
Hidden Gem: I’d be remiss if I didn’t at least mention Kane vs. Big Show vs. Raven at WrestleMania 17, as it was a great hardcore match, and that doesn’t happen often.
Also, Triple H vs. Booker T from WrestleMania 19 may have been some of Booker’s greatest work in WWE, even if almost nobody agrees with the outcome.
Analysis: Allow me to try to preemptively disarm some of the anger I could see coming my way from this grouping, as while I expect many will accept most of it, I feel I’m going to hear it on a couple of these.
First, the main event of the original WrestleMania pitting Hulk Hogan and Mr. T against Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff was in no way an all-time classic in terms of in-ring skill. Mr. T did just enough to not embarrass himself inside the ring, and looking back, it may have been better to simply go with Hogan/Piper in that spot.
However, the build to that match was basically the entire build to the event, and the success of the event was largely, almost entirely because of the story and the anticipation of that battle, making it hugely important to the legacy of WrestleMania, and causing it to rise to this point on the list.
I expect some will complain, but ultimately at least see my view on this one. Now, as for this other match…
Yes, I placed John Cena vs. The Rock at #45 overall, above matches involving Austin & Rock, Kurt Angle, Mysterio & Guerrero and more. Most tend to look back at the overly lengthy build to this match and discredit the match itself because of how they feel about the choice to drag the story out for a year.
However, the first meeting between Rock and Cena was actually quite good, certainly good enough inside the ring to get to this point on the countdown when paired with the spectacle that it was at that time. While we may not have been clamoring for Rock/Cena originally,
WWE truly did a great job building the match, and both wrestlers put everything they had into the promos leading up to the match, making this match truly must-see in my opinion.
Maybe we didn’t need the rematch, but the original was legit.
Must-See: Most of these matches would fit this label, but do yourself a favor, and go watch Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio at WrestleMania 21 again.
These two reignite their epic feud on the grandest stage in sports-entertainment, and they definitely don’t disappoint.
Hidden Gem: #36, the first ever meeting between The Undertaker and Kane at WrestleMania 14. The build to the match was great, the match itself was great, and the finish found a way to extend The Undertaker’s streak, yet solidify Kane as the monster who would continue on to have the almost twenty-year, hall of fame career we’ve seen to date.
Analysis: There’s a lot of ways to go with the top five, top ten, or even more on these lists, so I expect a lot of debate on my choices here.
For my money, Undertaker and Shawn Michaels is the greatest match in WrestleMania history. I still remember how I felt watching that match live, and I still find myself shaking my head when I go back and watch this one again.
It would have been possible to place Hart/Austin or Savage/Steamboat in this spot, and I’m sure many will, but Taker/HBK is the choice for me.
Perhaps not surprisingly, “Mr. WrestleMania” Shawn Michaels makes five appearances in my top 10, and TEN appearances in the top thirty.
A couple of notes: We see huge milestone main events in the top thirty, with Daniel Bryan conquering The Authority at WrestleMania 30, and Chris Benoit’s championship victory at WrestleMania 20.
We find two tag team matches, both of them containing the same three teams, with the TLC match at WrestleMania 17 cracking the top 5.
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the top 30 is at #19, the triple threat match at WrestleMania 31 between Brock Lesnar, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins.
In my opinion, the greatest Money In The Bank Cash-In is also one of the greatest WrestleMania moments of the modern era, but even before Rollins appeared, the clash between Lesnar and Reigns had an immense “big-fight feel”.
Must-See: I’m not copping out when I tell you that you should be rewatching all of these matches prior to Sunday’s event.
That being said, Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 21 is a classic that younger fans may have missed, as is the fan favorite war between Bret Hart and Roddy Piper at WrestleMania 8.
And everyone should go back to WrestleMania 10 to remember Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon, the match that inspired every single amazing ladder match you’re seen in the modern era.
Hidden Gem: Among WWE fans, very few of these matches can be considered “hidden.”
But a couple that aren’t always on the tip of people’s tongues: Kurt Angle vs. Eddie Guerrero at WrestleMania 20, Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart at WrestleMania 10, and Randy Savage vs. Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania 7.
What does everyone think? Where do you disagree? Let me hear your thoughts below or at @TimBell81 on Twitter!