I'm judging this on match card from top to bottom, favorite moments and how it holds up in 2016. I think for me a lot of the older ones would be disqualified solely on the last fact but regardless, let's start the list!
5. Wrestlemania 21 - We start this list with one of the last Wrestlemanias to be held in an arena, Wrestlemania 21! WM21 took place on April 3rd, 2005 in the Staples center and featured a great card. Eddie Guerrero VS Rey Mysterio would start off their almost YEAR long feud and was solid show opener here. It wasn't there best match but it was still something to watch. Money in the Bank made its debut with Christian, Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho, Kane, Edge and Shelton Benjamin all competing for a contact at a World Title match anytime they wanted. This was a match filled with so many great talents who hadn't gotten the spotlight or have been out of it. Edge, Christian and Benjamin were all guys who never held World Titles yet so they were willing to do what it took to get the opportunity. Jericho and Kane had their reigns but haven't been champion in a long time while Benoit was in the main event from the previous year's WM and wanted to return to there someday. What came about was one of the finest ladder matches in Wrestlemania history and is still in my opinion the best Money in the Bank match they have ever put on. Edge would win and use the MITB briefcase to strengthen his already Hall of Fame career. Randy Orton tried to end the Undertaker's Streak a full 9 years before it actually ended in an entertaining match-up. This was the first match where Taker's WM opponent was going solely after The Streak and would start up some of the best matches of Undertaker's career and also starting up another long feud of 2005. And it would show one of the greatest counters in Wrestlemania history. Taker would go for a Chokeslam, only to have Orton counter into a RKO. Amazing! Orton had a breakout performance here in his 1st Wrestlemania singles match but wasn't able to get the win.
The match of the night was the first ever meeting between Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle, which if I have to go into detail why that is amazing then why are you reading this post? Angle wanted to show the world he was better than Michaels and how HBK stole Angle's glory in 1996. Angle won a Gold Medal with a broken freaking neck while HBK won his first WWE Title in an Ironman match at Wrestlemania XII. In one of the best Wrestlemania matches ever, (maybe another list?) Kurt Angle trapped HBK in the Ankle Lock for what seemed like an eternity, only for HBK to finally tap out. The two would end up splitting the rivalry 1-1-1 in 2005 but it all started in their classic match.
More than anything else, this event is remembered as the night John Cena and Batista both broke out by winning their brand's respective World Titles. John Cena ended John Bradshaw Layfield's 280 day reign while Batista became the Man on Raw by pinning Triple H in the main event. Both of those guys won the titles on the same night and lost them around the same time as well. They were the two biggest stars since the Attitude Era and they both shared their moment on the same night. We know how the story goes from here and it would launch Batista to super stardom while it propelled Cena to being the face of the company, a fact Batista would not ignore and brought up during their build for their Wrestlemania match 5 years later.
Wrestlemania 21 was a show that set up the next generation. Look at how many guys had strong performances here. John Cena, Batista, Edge and Randy Orton made it clear that while the old guard was still about but it would one day be their turns. Those four guys share a combined total of 44 World Title reigns from 2004-2014. That's a ridiculous number of reigns! It just goes to show you how important this show was and also why it's one of my favorites. Matches were great but the long lasting effects are still felt today. Fantastic show!
4. Wrestlemania 31 -Yes, this is not a typo. Last year's Wrestlemania was one for the ages. Taking place on March 29th, 2015 from Levi's Stadium, WM31 was a show featuring the younger talent taking on the veterans of the company. Matches like Seth Rollins VS Randy Orton, John Cena VS Rusev, The Undertaker VS Bray Wyatt and Roman Reigns VS Brock Lesnar all prove that point. Three of the matches had the youth talent taking on the Class of 2002. You know, the year all the big stars debuted? John Cena, Batista, Brock Lesnar and Randy Orton. It's like WWE tried to mimic what they did 10 years earlier at Wrestlemania 21. The show started off though with a frantic Ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship. While there were a lot of great mid card stars here, there was one that stood out from the rest of the bunch, that being Daniel Bryan, who was in the main event of Wrestlemania XXX. Bryan inclusion was done so that he could win and begin elevating the title and put it back on the right path of relevancy. He did win in an awesome ladder match but due to injuries, WWE's plan didn't work to well. It looks like this will be the new tradition as Wrestlemania 32 is doing the same. I just wish the match had more time. Rollins fought Orton next in a great one on one match. Rollins was involved in the last two Wrestlemanias but was involved in 6 man tag matches so this was his big singles debut. He put up a great fight but was quelled by Orton and ANOTHER fantastic Wrestlemania RKO. As Rollins was going for his Curb Stomp finisher, Orton stood up, forcing Rollins high into the air and Orton caught him with the RKO. Spectacular!
Next was Sting's first ever WWE match against Triple H. Heading into the match, I wasn't excited for the match at all as Sting is up there in age. Triple H came out in one of the best Wrestlemania entrances ever and proceeded to have a great WM match with Sting, one that called back to the Monday Night Wars. During the match, both DX and the NWO got involved as members from both groups made their way down to the ring to help their respective company's star. We even got to see Shawn Michaels deliver Sweet Chin Music to Sting! Unreal. In a shocking move, Triple H hit Sting with his signature Sledgehammer and got the pinfall victory over Sting. What? How does one defeat an Icon in their first match in the company? Still not sure but with the win, Triple H defeated WCW as he was able to defeat ANY star that came over that was a former WCW Champion. The two shook hands after the match. It exceeded every expectation I had and turned into one of the best matches of the night. The Divas didn't get any time of exposure because they didn't have Nikki defend the title so what we got was a boring tag match that was AJ's last Wrestlemania match. No surprise there! Cena was up next as he faced Rusev for the United States Championship in another move to make the title important again. He already took the loss to Rusev at Fast Lane so we all knew Super Cena was winning here. It wasn't a bad match, just one that we all saw coming a mile away. Cena won and began to make the title important again by defending it every week against random challengers and by having meaningful feuds for the title. It was the start to one of the best things about WWE in 2015. Bray Wyatt got The Undertaker in his first match since losing at WM30. Even though the stars were all aligned for an Undertaker loss, it was Bray Wyatt who got the loss in a solid one on one match. Undertaker proved he still was raring to go with his 22nd Wrestlemania victory.
In the controversial and much fan hated main event, 2015 Royal Rumble winner Roman Reigns fought defending kidnapper, I mean, champion, Brock Lesnar. This was a fight. A true war between the two as Reigns took everything Lesnar had. Reigns would be hit with FOUR DIFFERENT F-5s here. As both men were down and Brock Lesnar was bleeding, Seth Rollins' music blasted through the stadium to massive fanfare as he was cashing in his Money in the Bank contract, which was a first in the 10 year history of the contract. It only took about 40 seconds after the bell rang for Rollins to make history as the first heel to win and WALK OUT WWE Champion in the main event. Once again, sorry Yokozuna. Hulk Hogan had other plans. It's one of the greatest moments in the now 32 year history of the event.
Wrestlemania 31 proved that if enough thought and planning that WWE can produce a really good PG Wrestlemania. Yes, there are moments I wished had been different, like the Divas match and Bray Wyatt's loss but it was still one of my favorites regardless of those two things. WWE has done very well with the first two Wrestlemanias in the 30s, here's hoping they continue the trend.
3. Wrestlemania X-Seven - Called by many as the greatest Wrestlemania of all time, Wrestlemania X-7 took place on April 1st, 2001 in Houston, Texas in the Astro Dome. Not only is it cited as one of the greatest ever, it's also cited as the end of the Attitude Era but more on that later. I'm certainly one of the people who says this is the greatest Wrestlemania WWE has ever done but this list is not about the greatest, but my FAVORITE. Still, it was a great show even though it ranks as #3. Stand out moments include the great technical match between Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle, the hardcore war between Raven/Big Show/Kane and Shane McMahon's coast to coast on his own father! This event also featured TLC 2, which was the return match from SummerSlam 2000, which featured Edge and Christian, The Dudleys and The Hardy Boys. Simply put, it's the best ladder match in WWE history and it features the greatest bump of all time. Don't even try to argue with me on this one. Jeff Hardy was dangling from the titles in the middle of the ring after Bubba Ray Dudley pulled a Ladder from underneath him. Edge was waiting on the other side of the ring with a ladder and proceeded to jump off, Spearing Jeff Hardy all the way to the ring. It's one of the most frightening and amazing things I've ever seen in my entire life.
Edge and Christian won AGAIN as they won at Wrestlemania 2000 and at the aforementioned SummerSlam 2000, solidifying their status as the greatest tag team in the WWE. After this, The Undertaker and Triple H would start their trilogy of matches at Wrestlemania in a hard fought war that gave Undertaker his 9th win at the Show of Shows. Though the card was stacked from top to bottom, all eyes were on the main event featuring the two biggest superstars in the company.
The video package, which is the best WWE has every put together by the way, really told the story here. Austin, who was out with a neck injury that sidelined him for over a year, came back, won the Rumble and wanted to reclaim his spot at all costs. He would not be denied his championship. The Rock just wasn't going to give him the title as he was the one who was carrying the company in his absence. It was a great story between the top two dogs. The match was made to be a No Disqualifications match at the last minute, which added even more to the story. This one match featured everything we all loved from the Attitude Era; violence, mega stars and controversy. The two hit each other with all they had, used weapons and were bleeding. The end came when Vince came out and handed Austin a chair, which he then used to beat the living hell out of The Rock. It would get the job done as Austin would win one of his last WWE Titles and then would shake hands with his arch-nemesis Vince McMahon in one of the most surreal WWE moments every. Imagine, two guys who hated each other and made each other's lives a living hell for three years became friends. It was that signal alone that showed you the Attitude Era was finished, especially with WWE purchasing WCW the week of the show. The Attitude Era really started to compete with WCW and the NWO so it was a fitting end.
Wrestlemania 17 was a show that captured everything people loved about the Attitude Era in one amazing night of competition. It had everything really but the sex that everyone loved so much. It's kind of great how it all came together in the end and it's definitely the best show WWE has ever produced.
2. Wrestlemania 22 - No one really talks about this show but it's easily one of the better Wrestlemanias put on without the need of part timers. Wrestlemania 22 took place on April 2nd, 2006 in the Allstate Arena and is the last Wrestlemania to take place inside a small arena, as from 23 onward, Wrestlemania has been reserved for football stadiums to pack more fans inside. 22 was a great show and has one of the most infamous bumps in Wrestlemania history. Money in the Bank made its return after the success of the match from WM21 and it featured Ric Flar, Finlay, Matt Hardy, Shelton Benjamin, Bobby Lashley and Rob Van Dam. RVD was the favorite as he was probably the most deserving person in the match who had never won a World Title. Although RVD won, Shelton Benjamin stole the match with all his moves and athletic feats. Benjamin holds the title of being the most deserving superstar to never win the Money in the Bank briefcase now. It was a fantastic match with death defying moves but like many of the MITBs to come, it ended a little too fast for my tastes but with a card of 11 matches, I understand.
The match of the night was the hardcore war between Edge and Mick Foley. Edge wanted revenge on Foley, who he felt cost Edge his chance of walking into Wrestlemania as WWE Champion. Every time I see this match, I wonder why they didn't do Orton and Foley's Hardcore match at Wrestlemania XX for the IC Title. Anyway, this match here was exactly what it needed to. It not only provided the fans with an entertaining match but it helped push Edge along as a serious main event player. There was barbed wire, chairs, Barbie and of course, thumbtacks, which went directly into Edge's back! The match was definitely brutal but the way it ended was just savage. They had a table set outside the ring for most of the match, which Lita eventually lit ON FIRE and then Edge would proceed to SPEAR Mick Foley through the flames and wood. Seriously, Edge was fearless in that ring!
Edge got the victory and would eventually win the WWE Title a couple months later. Foley did his job and effectively pushed Edge to the next level. Next up is the women's match to beat at a Wrestlemania. Trish Stratus, who was the Women's Champion for about 14 months at that point, faced off against her demented fan Mickie James. Trish and Mickie were having this idol/stalker thing going on and it finally came to blows after Trish kept denying Mickie's advances to her. Yes, this was all for a Women's Title match. Once they got into the ring, people were actually booing Trish, probably because they were tired of seeing her with the title. Mickie James came in with a game plan and worked Trish's leg, which she used in part with how she won the match. Trish was coming at Mickie as Mickie was grounded but she was playing possum and Mickie kicked the bad leg out and had her knee ready for Trish's face as she fell. After a botched Stratusfaction by Mickie James, Mickie gave Trish a swift Chick Kick to the head for the three count and Women's Title. It was a match filled with wrestling moves, near falls and upskirts. It's a fantastic example of a women's match done right and definitely a bright spot on the whole card. The Undertaker defended his Streak in a forgettable Casket Match against Mark Henry but after this match, each and every one of The Undertaker's matches at Wrestlemania were must see.
Shawn Michaels faced Vince McMahon in a Street Fight, which saw HBK kick the crap out of his boss. HBK displayed a lot of emotion that we weren't used to from 2002 return Shawn Michaels. In particular, there must have been some hecklers in the front row as you can see HBK verbally having it out with them. Despite interference from Shane McMahon and The Spirit Squad, HBK was able to get revenge on McMahon from all the embarrassment in the months leading up to Mania. HBK also did some DX crotch chops, teasing some type of DX reunion, which would of course happen during the summer months. His massive elbow drop to McMahon through the table was spectacular and was a nice way for HBK to prevail. Great payoff match from a great overall story. Rey Mysterio also won the World Title, honoring his late friend Eddie Guerrero. It was an emotional moment and the feel good moment of the night.
In the main event, John Cena, making his Wrestlemania main event debut, battled Triple H. Triple H ran Raw from 2002-2004 with Evolution, keeping a strong grasp on the World Title. Once Batista took over and beat him three times, Triple H took time off. During this period, Cena and Batista switched shows due to the draft and Cena became the face of Raw while HHH was away. It was finally time for Triple H to retake Raw from Cena right? That's what all the fans thought, including me. Cena and Triple H had a great main event and Cena was booed heavily by the Chicago crowd. He was booed so hard that Triple H had no choice but to play to the crowd. He even did his own DX crotch chop as well for good measure. In one of the more shocking Wrestlemania moments, Cena locked HHH in the STFU and forced The Game to tap in the main event. This would be HHH's 3rd STRAIGHT Wrestlemania main event loss. Many fans were surprised by the finish, just look at their faces at the end of the match. This match was done to solely push Cena and to continue to ascend him to the top of the roster. Why don't they do that with stars now huh? Anyway, Cena won the hard fought match, much to the chagrin of the crowd.
Wrestlemania 22 is severely underrated and overlooked. It had a solid card and the main matches delivered on the big stage. There's a lot of fluff on the show as well but it doesn't hold back the overall greatness of the show. When I re-watch Wrestlemanias, this is one of my favorites to see, simply because of the card. Add the fact that's it's the last Mania in a smaller arena with an electric crowd and you have my 2nd favorite Wrestlemania.
1. Wrestlemania XIX - This is easily my favorite Wrestlemania of all time. What's not to like about this show? It had everything a fan needed! It took place on March 30th, 2003 in Safeco Field in Seattle. It was one of the first Wrestlemanias to use larger stages, like football and baseball stadiums, to increase fan turnout. I don't want to say XIX had the perfect card but it had an amazing action packed card that didn't disappoint. It started off strong with Rey Mysterio challenging Matt Hardy for the Crusierweight Title in Mysterio's debut at the show. It was a quick match to wet the fan's appetite for what was to come. Undertaker improved his Streak to 11-0 while Trish Stratus would win another Women's Title at the big event. Team Angle made a successful debut as well as they defended their tag titles in a Triple Threat match. After that match, there were consistent main events matches that delivered on all fronts.
Shawn Michaels VS Chris Jericho was a match pitting two like styles together. Even during the build, Jericho said he was always referred to as the next Shawn Michaels but considered it an insult now as he was trying to be the very first Chris Jericho. It was a simple premise that was executed perfectly. This was a wrestling match with close calls, submissions, and even Jericho pulling out old Sweet Chin Music on HBK. That was a nice touch on the match. They had a great match, which saw HBK win by roll-up. Jericho didn't need the win; he just needed to look like a star and thanks to HBK, he certainly did.
Triple H defended his World Title against former WCW Champion Booker T in a great match. Back and forth action here and a classic heel Triple H retained in a nice match-up. This was Triple H in the midst of destroying all the main eventers from WCW that came over to WWE. Next was the war between Vince McMahon and Hulk Hogan. Though both men were obviously up there in age, they put on an amazing street fight that others should look as the blueprint for the match. Both guys were bloody and went all out for the match. McMahon's leg drop to Hogan through the announce table is a spot that a 60 year old man shouldn't be doing BUT it was awesome to see! Roddy Piper being added to the match was a nice flashback and even better to see him try and screw Hogan but, this is Hulk Hogan we're talking about here and Lord forbid if he actually loses. After Hogan beat Vince with three consecutive Leg Drops, Shane McMahon come down to retrieve what was left of his dad. I thought that this was going to lead to something at WM20 but it never did. Ah well. Next up was the 3rd Wrestlemania encounter between Stone Cold and The Rock. Austin won the last two matches and it was eating Rock up inside, which led to this match. Great video package and build for the match. The match itself was great, going back to their two past matches at the show. I always love a good finisher steal and they both did just that here. In the end, it took three Rock Bottoms to put Austin away for good as he exercised his demon by winning here. After the match, you can see the two exchanging words with one another and it was later revealed that The Rock told Austin he loved him. Such a class act. The two knew this would be their last match against one another and got to share a personal moment while over 50,000 people watched. Truly electrifying.
The main event featured Kurt Angle defending the WWE Title against Brock Lesnar. This was the first main event of Wrestlemania to feature two guys who used their real names! Weird right? Anyway, this match had a lot to follow but it handled the pressure well and turned up being a fantastic main event. We all know the real highlight of the match though. Brock had Angle beat after hitting the 2ND F-5 but Brock didn't cover. He went to the top rope and performed a Shooting Star Press. His landing was horrible as he landed on his forehead. I don't know how he didn't die that night but Lesnar was able to bounce back, hit another F-5 and win his 2ND WWE Title. Angle showed respect after the match and genuine concern as Brock held up his title in front of the crowd. You could tell by his eyes that he wasn't there, same with Miz at 27. Thankfully, his return came very soon.
Wrestlemania XIX had everything I need in a wrestling event. There has never been a Wrestlemania with so many matches that deserved to be match of the night than at 19 and that alone should speak volumes why it's my favorite of all time. If you haven't seen it, watch it immediately. It's the blueprint for all Wrestlemanias and it truly captured the magical feeling that is Wrestlemania. It's an instant classic.
Well, there's another list! What do you think? What's your favorite Wrestlemania? Let me know! We are extremely close to the Show of Shows; will Wrestlemania 32 be able to crack my list?
Well, there's another list! What do you think? What's your favorite Wrestlemania? Let me know! We are extremely close to the Show of Shows; will Wrestlemania 32 be able to crack my list?
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