For the past 40 years, Wrestlemania has become the most significant, must-see event on the calendar for wrestling fans. Not just the die hards, but the casuals come to watch, the friends of the casual come to watch and why? Because it is special.
Let’s talk about 10 matches that have made Wrestlemania the special show that it is. These matches may not be the greatest Wrestlemania matches ever, but I feel like they are the most important.
I don’t think the first Money in the Bank match is the most significant one WWE has ever had, but if this particular match didn’t work, we wouldn’t have got any of the ones that follow.
This match is guaranteed excitement and wrestlers were ready to put their bodies on the line beyond anything else you’d see in the previous calendar year. The popularity of the match led to WWE giving the match itself its own PPV.
So, as far as one match generating financial gain, ROI on the Money in the Bank match is Number One. Every year, people online debate whether WWE should bring Money in the Bank back to Wrestlemania, it feels like that’s where it should belong, and one day, we might get it back. For now, though, I can’t complain about them giving us 2 per year on the same match card.
Wrestlemania 35’s mania event walked uncharted territory so that Bianca and Sasha could run through it. This match was historic for women’s wrestling, being the first time a black woman, let alone two, has ever main evented Wrestlemania.
This time around we also featured a match with two full-time WWE competitors. For many reasons this match is special. The emotions before the match even started, Bianca winning her first world title and truly becoming a main eventer in the company.
It doesn’t hurt that the match itself was also stellar, and everyone in the arena that night can still remember the sound of Bianca’s hair against Sasha’s skin.
It may not be technically the first Ladder Match for WWE, but it was billed that way, and it was special. Showing fans at the time something they’d never seen, the way both men would use the ladder as a weapon was very raw and authentic.
The image of Shawn Michaels hitting a splash off the top of a ladder is iconic for the time, now something you see at least twice a month. Shawn fell off the ladder and landed with his legs split on the ropes—an absolutely perfect finish. Finally, Razor Ramon standing on top of the ladder, belt in each hand, was a significant, lasting image.
WWE Finally let the women main event the show. The rise of Becky Lynch made this an inevitable moment and WWE adding Ronda Rousey into the company 1 year prior truly led to this clash of ultra-popular women, and the main event of Wrestlemania was the only place acceptable for that.
In the build-up they stacked the odds HARD against Becky, it was tiresome honestly, because everyone knew where we were going. We can’t fault Charlotte for being added, it didn’t hurt the match itself, just made her look like heel politicking backstage, someone to hate.
Say what you will about the quality of the match but these women deserved to be there, the women’s division deserved to be in the main event and I hope with WWE having 2-night shows, they can bring the women’s division back to the main event.
Cody and Roman, despite being such a recent match, did what was needed to elevate a mania main event to a significant, all-time classic. So many people turned up to react to this online, and the match itself delivered.
Any current wrestling fan knows it’s silly when you overbook a match, but the ending sequence to this was like a fever dream. Cody is attacked by Solo, Cena saves Cody, Rock comes out, the fucking Undertaker comes out.
Over the decades, Wrestlemania has had a few truly iconic main events; Hogan v Andre – Austin v Rock – Daniel Bryan wins at 30. Cody v Roman is the next match on that list.
This was just the cherry on top of an amazing event, Wrestlemania X7.
This was the most significant Wrestlemania match since Hulk Hogan vs Andre. The story, the build, and Limp fucking Bizkit, the hype for this match was electrifying. On this night, WWE put the two most popular men in the company, possibly ever, in the main event and they tore the roof off. This big fight feel is what Wrestlemania is all about.
Both matches Bryan had this night were significant, but this was the World title match, so we’ll put this one in. Anyone who knows Bryan’s story knows that he was never meant to be a WWE Main eventer, but he got himself over organically and forced WWEs hand into putting this story together and putting the title on Bryan.
The YES movement will go down as one of the greatest underdog stories in company history, and if you haven’t seen the ‘Monster’ video package, you’re missing out on something truly beautiful.
A lot of people consider this match to be one of the best in Wrestlemania history. It’s definitely in the conversation. I would say this match is the one Wrestlemania match that feels more like a roller-coaster from start to finish than any other.
This was actually the match that led to me falling in love with wrestling, it took wrestling to new heights for me. I’d seen ladder matches before but nothing like what these guys are doing. Every spot was ambitious and like nothing we’d seen before and to cap it off with Edge spearing Jeff Hardy out of mid-air? That is an image that will live in WWE forever.
If the day of the week ends in Y then it’s Fuck Hulk Hogan day. However, Hulk Hogan vs Andre will go down as possibly the most significant moment in WWE history ever. It definitely has the most replayed moment with Hogan lifting Andre up for a bodyslam.
This plays in every video package regarding Wrestlemania, and it will do forever. I went back and watched the match. The entrances on their own are full of nostalgia nuggets that I didn’t remember. From the ring announcer saying ‘Andre the Giant’, Hogan’s entrance and the staredown before they even touch. The match itself is a product of its time, but Wrestlemania III as a whole, including this match, has this epic feel, like the classic old movies. This match may be the most important match in company history.
It was very hard to decide between this and Hogan v Andre for the Number One spot, but this match was perfect. I believe this series of matches, leading to this finale, is the greatest Wrestlemania story ever.
This is the culmination of the greatest story told at Wrestlemania. 3 men, spanning over 4 years, The Undertaker with his unbreakable streak, Shawn Michaels with his cockiness at Wrestlemania 25 turning in desperation to be the man to beat the streak at Wrestlemania 26, costing him his career.
Then Triple H enters the picture, looking to avenge him best friend but also accomplish the one accolade he hasn’t in his career, and fail. However beating Taker within an inch of his life. Leading to the Undertaker being the one to challenge Triple H to a match at Wrestlemania 28.
Unhappy, even in victory because he only barely escaped the previous mania. Triple H initially refusing to fight Undertaker, resulting in Taker making it personal, calling HHH a coward and saying Shawn was better.
The match itself was WWE Storytelling to perfection. Everyone was on the edge of their seat, probably the greatest near fall in wrestling history, and despite everything Shawn and Triple H did to Taker, his streak survived. Finally, Undertaker and Shawn help Triple H to the top of the ramp, and all three men embrace the crowd , with Undertakers 20-0 streak presented on the screen in the background.
A perfect match, a perfect saga of matches. It would’ve been the perfect time for Taker to retire.
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