A countdown of my favourite WrestleMania matches at the grandest stage of them all!
WrestleMania is the biggest PPV in the wrestling calendar. Each year seems to get bigger in spectacle and some matches are often described as the pinnacle in sports entertainment. WrestleMania is the Superbowl, the Champions League Final, the 100m Final. But in wrestling! It appeals to not only the die-hard fans who stick with wrestling each and every day, but also the casual fans who tune in each WrestleMania season.
Here, we count down the top 10 main event matches in WrestleMania history.
10. Undertaker vs Brock Lesnar @ WrestleMania 30
This one makes the list as it was the most shocking conclusion imaginable – Undertaker being defeated and losing his streak. He was 21-0 going into this match and people had talked about the streak for years, but never imagined that it would actually fall. Then when the referee counted to 3, the world was stunned. Brock Lesnar is of course a beast, and losing to Brock is easily done, but still – the streak!!! Their match will always be remembered as one of the most iconic moments in wrestling history.
I think we all speculated about if the streak would ever be beaten, and if it were, who would be best to take it. Some mentioned Bray Wyatt in a passing of the torch kind of moment, others said maybe Brock was the best as it solidified him as a beast. Whatever you may think, at least it wasn’t The Big Bossman!
Undertaker had this to say:
“It’s hard to say. I don’t think Brock needed it. Brock was a major attraction, he was a star, and he was made. I don’t know that it enhanced him anymore. I think it would have been great for Roman if Brock hadn’t already done it. It would have been a huge thing for Roman (Reigns).”
“I don’t know that it meant the same to Brock as it would have meant to Roman or anybody else who would have done it because Brock had already been there. Brock had already gone off to UFC. He already had all these major accomplishments. I think it could have helped somebody else.”
9. Ultimate Warrior vs Hulk Hogan @ WrestleMania 6
Going into this match, Hogan was the WWF Champion and Ultimate Warrior was the Intercontinental Champion and the winner would take all. This match took place in the Skydome in Toronto in 1990, and although the event was slightly lacklustre, this main event was widely praised.
Ultimate Warrior gave Hogan his first clean pinfall loss in 6 years, winning the match and becoming the first person to hold both the Intercontinental and WWF Championships. You can read a full review of this match here.
8. Brock Lesnar vs Kurt Angle @ WrestleMania 19
This main event already started with a lot of pressure as they were following a match between Stonecold and The Rock, and they did not disappoint! This was for the WWF Championship, which was held by Kurt Angle, and there was the stipulation that if Kurt was DQ’d of counted out then he would lose the title.
This match will be remembered for Brock’s attempt at a shooting star press from the top rope in which he was left severely concussed.
Angle later said the following: “The whole reason why I helped Brock up and tried to assist him to win the match is that my neck was broken and I couldn’t carry the title any longer,” Angle said. “I was going to have surgery the next day. So I was in a position where Brock might have broken his neck, he got knocked out, I didn’t know what to do because I couldn’t hold the title another night.
I had to basically wake him up and get him moving and see if he was OK and make sure that he could complete the move. It was very stressful. Those 15 seconds were one of the most stressful situations that I’ve ever been in. But Brock being the beast that he is followed through, hit the F-5 and he won the world championship.”
7. Cody Rhodes vs Roman Reigns @ WrestleMania 40
The story is finally finished!! These two had been going at it since the previous WrestleMania (in which Roman retained) and this one brought all the loose ends to WrestleMania 40 and tied them up nicely.
Some surprise (or not) interferences from Jey and Jimmy Uso, Solo Sikoa, Seth Rollins, Undertaker, John Cena and The Rock have seen some people say this was overbooked, however, this match makes the list purely because so many people were so invested in this story and when the bell rang, Cody finally got his moment and realised his dreams of winning the world championship.
6. Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels Career vs Streak @ WrestleMania 26
The build-up to this match saw Shawn Michaels address the crowd at the Slammy Awards and state that he believed he could beat The Undertaker at WrestleMania, after losing to him at WrestleMania 25. When Undertaker responded, he said…no. He didn’t have to prove anything to Michaels.
Shawn then obsessed over getting a rematch, and he delivered a Sweet Chin Music on the phenom at Elimination Chamber which saw him lose the World Heavyweight Championship. This enraged the Undertaker and he accepted HBK’s challenge on one condition – he put his career on the line.
Three Tombstone piledrivers saw Undertaker extend his streak and saw Shawn Michael’s career come to an end.
5. Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns (vs Seth Rollins with cash-in) @ WrestleMania 31
This is one of my favourite moments in wrestling. The main event was Roman Reigns vs Brock Lesnar (which I was not overly thrilled about). Earlier in the night, Seth Rollins was beaten by Randy Orton (despite him holding the Money in the Bank briefcase) and a cash-in seemed very unlikely.
To cash in at WrestleMania was unheard of. Towards the end of the match, Seth’s music hits and the place goes crazy! He runs down the ramp at full pelt and the referee makes this a triple threat match. You can watch the video below;
This was dubbed the ‘heist of the century’ as no-one had ever cashed in during a match before, let alone hijacking the main event of WrestleMania. Rollins had this to say;
“I had the idea to do the cash-in a couple of months before WrestleMania. So probably January (2015), December (2014),” Rollins said. “I’m riding in the car with Cesaro, Claudio Castagnoli, and we’re booking the territory as we do, and I’ve got these ideas and I’m running them by him. He’s got his ideas, and we’re just trying to come up with some stuff, and it seemed like a good idea, but I had to find the right time to put the bug in somebody’s ear.” (h/t Wrestling Inc.)
4. Hulk Hogan vs Andre The Giant @ WrestleMania 3
This match makes the list as it had arguably one of the most iconic moments ever in wrestling history. The slam that put WrestleMania on the map.
Hogan revealed that the slam wasn’t planned beforehand (although he had tried to slam Andre early in the match and nearly got squashed for his trouble) but during the match, Andre shouted “slam” and so the slam happened, followed by the leg drop for the 1,2,3.
Hogan also disclosed that he went to the ring not knowing if he was going to win or lose. Andre was dealing with back issues and was reportedly in severe pain, but he was passionate about the business and in a passing of the torch moment, he created this incredible moment that is talked about to this day.
3. Stonecold vs The Rock @ WrestleMania X7
I started watching wrestling in late 1998 and this feud was the big one at the time. Austin and Rock met at WrestleMania 15 two years prior to this, but it’s this clash that makes the top 3 of our list. Stonecold Steve Austin went into this match needing to win the title from Rock (in his own words). Rock was turning into a huge babyface star and was due to leave for Hollywood (not that I knew that as a young lad pre-internet!)
You can read a full article about that night at WrestleMania X7 right here.
2. Undertaker vs HHH w/Shawn Michaels Referee Hell in a Cell @ WrestleMania 28
Undertaker and Shawn Michaels had already battled at WrestleMania (Undertaker retiring HBK at WM26) and now The Phenom would battle The Game in a Hell in a Cell match with HBK acting as the referee.
The two had previously wrestled at WrestleMania 27, in which The Undertaker beat HHH but had to be carted out of the arena due to the physicality of the match. This left Undertaker wanting to prove he could win more decisively and not have his final memory be that of being incapacitated. HHH finally agreed to the match but on one condition – Hell in a Cell! HBK inserted himself as the special guest referee and this ensured that four years of WrestleMania matches would conclude this feud and many called this an ‘end of an era’ as these were some of the last attitude-era wrestlers still wrestling.
The psychology in this match is right up there with the best of matches. HHH was urging HBK to end the match and Undertaker was telling HBK that he can still go and not end the match. Many near falls and sledgehammer shots later, and after HBK ends up in a Hell’s Gate, the match nears the end and HBK is conflicted. HBK nails Undertaker with Sweet Chin Music, followed by HHH hitting a pedigree and a 1….2……..2.9 kick out from Taker! HBK has his head in his hands!
The finish comes with Undertaker smashing HHH with the sledgehammer and nailing a Tombstone for the win. All three men embraced at the top of the stage in what would have been the perfect send-off for all three men. This wasn’t to be, but this was a spectacular WrestleMania main event.
Here’s the Top 10 countdown so far;
| 10 | Undertaker vs Brock Lesnar | WrestleMania 30 |
| 9 | Hulk Hogan vs Ultimate Warrior | WrestleMania 6 |
| 8 | Brock Lesnar vs Kurt Angle | WrestleMania 19 |
| 7 | Cody Rhodes vs Roman Reigns | WrestleMania 40 |
| 6 | Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels | WrestleMania 26 |
| 5 | Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns | WrestleMania 31 |
| 4 | Hulk Hogan vs Andre The Giant | WrestleMania 3 |
| 3 | Stonecold vs The Rock | WrestleMania 17 |
| 2 | Undertaker vs Triple H | WrestleMania 28 |
1. Daniel Bryan vs Batista vs Randy Orton @ WrestleMania 30
Daniel Bryan was being ‘held back’ by the system and those in charge. The fans demanded that he get a title shot and after a long and torturous road, Bryan finally achieved his moment and won the big one. It just took some time to get there!
At the previous Summerslam, Bryan beat John Cena to capture the title, but was instantly screwed by HHH in which he got a pedigree, and then Orton cashed in his Money in the Bank contract to steal the title. HHH declared this a ‘business decision’ and started the Bryan vs The Authority storyline, that would culminate with Bryan overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds to win the undisputed championship at WrestleMania 30.
The Fans
The fans believed that Daniel Bryan would win the Royal Rumble, however, this would be won by a returning Batista, and the fans heavily booed this decision. The main event was originally set as Batista vs Randy Orton, but the outrage from the fans spilled over and Daniel Bryan demanded a match against HHH at WrestleMania, in which if he won, he would be inserted into the main event.
The feel good factor of Daniel Bryan overcoming The Authority and winning the championship made this a truly heart-warming WrestleMania moment.
Which matches would you add to this Top 10 list? Let us know in the comments and thanks for reading.
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