Mar 27 2011
WrestleMania’s Greatest Matches (25-16)
The FGB crew has revised our top WrestleMania match list by adding matches from the past two WrestleManias, and star ratings from one more crew member. Thus, we have a new top 25.
Here is 25-16:
25. John Cena vs. Triple H – WrestleMania 22
GG says:
Endings can be predictable in big matches. In fact, for some of them, they should be. But this one wasn’t. I can remember watching this match thinking that the best thing that can happen would be for John Cena to beat Triple H, to tap him out and for Triple H to finally make him. And even though that’s exactly what happened, I was quite unsure of it until the very end when Triple H’s hand tapped the mat frantically. The match was good, but the ending was brilliant.
Winner: John Cena
24. Hollywood Hulk Hogan vs. The Rock – Wrestlemania X8
Big D says:
The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan was, in many people’s eyes, the last real “Dream Match” in the business and perhaps the first truly authentic “WWF vs. WCW” match despite Hulk Hogan being synonymous with 1980s WWF. It was the superstar of the past vs. the superstar of the present.
While the work rate isn’t quite at the level of Steamboat/Flair, they put a very good match together designed to get Hulk Hogan on almost the same level as Rock, but little did they know that the jam packed 68,000 in the Toronto Skydome would make Hulk Hogan the biggest babyface since Wayne Gretzky. Reports came in that people LEFT the building after this match. They cared about nothing else but seeing their hero from the past attempt to slay another dragon and cup his hand to his ear.
Winner: The Rock
23. The Rock vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin – Wrestlemania XIX
Duan says:
Austin vs. Rock at XIX was the final chapter in one of the all time great WWE rivalries. It also provided a fitting end to the in ring career of Stone Cold, and gave the Rock the chance to finally get that big Mania win over The Rattlesnake.
While it was almost certainly not the best match these two ever had, It was still brilliantly dramatic in its own right. And given Austin’s physical shape and Rock’s relative inactivity at the time, the match far exceeded expectations.
Winner: The Rock
22. Randy “Macho Man” Savage vs. The Ultimate Warrior – Wrestlemania VII
Alan says:
Randy Savage and Rick Rude have several things in common including Memphis roots, great voices, MANLY facial hair and oodles of in ring talent. But aside from all that, they are perhaps the only men to hold the key to the lock that is The Ultimate Warrior.
Nobody in wrestling got as many great matches out of Warrior as these two, and at Wrestlemania VII, Savage got perhaps the best. Built up as a Macho’s retirement match, this match saw him bump like a maniac for everything Warrior had in his arsenal. The crowd was worked into a frenzy and when they went into the finishing stretch I think everyone watching was on the edge of their seat. It was one of the most memorable finishes I’ve experienced. Warrior quite simply shoulder tackled Savage repeatedly for at least 3 minutes until Macho was completely and utterly decimated and all that was needed to pin him was a single foot. Throw in one of the all time great Mania moments with the reunion of Savage and Liz and you have a match more than deserving of it’s place on the list.
Winner: The Ultimate Warrior
21. Money In The Bank Ladder Match – Wrestlemania 21
GG says:
According to those in the know, this match was Chris Jericho’s idea. Put six strong workers in a ladder match with the winner receiving a future title shot. It was really a brilliant idea. Chris Jericho, Chris Benoit, Edge, Christian, Shelton Benjamin, and Kane were in the inaugural match, and what an inaugural match it was.
It was a smartly booked spot fest where all of the moves had a reason and led to the finish. The most celebrated move is probably when Shelton ran up one ladder, that was diagonally hooked into another, and clotheslined Chris Jericho off the top of the ladder and to the floor. Edge would win the match and earn a future title shot.
Winner: Edge
20. Mick Foley vs. Edge – Wrestlemania 22
Alan says:
This match is definitely one of the best brawls in the last couple of years. The match was about two things – giving Mick his “Wrestlemania Moment” and solidifying Edge as a top star. The twists and turns in this match were absorbing and extremely creative (i.e. Foley concealing barbwire under his flannel). Lita of all people took the bump of the match when Foley hit Edge with the Cactus Clothesline with her on his back. It was great. Also great was the finish, which will go down as one of THE classic Wrestlemania moments.
Winner: Edge
19. The Hardys vs. The Dudleys vs. Edge and Christian: Triangle Ladder Match – Wrestlemania 2000
Big D says:
A lot of people considered 2000 to be the year of the tag teams in the WWF. There were about 7 or 8 great tag teams in the company all fighting for supremacy. However without a shadow of a doubt, the company put the entire division on the backs of the Dudley Boys, Matt and Jeff Hardy, and Edge and Christian. The Wrestlemania 2000 ladder match was the moment that defined their careers and skyrocketed them.
In terms of innovation, they took the Mania X ladder match and went to a whole new level. There were scary spots all over, including one where Jeff Hardy did a swanton off a ladder and broke his tailbone. This was the precursor to the famous TLC matches of the future, including the one at the next year’s Wrestlemania.
Winner: Edge and Christian
18. Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels – Wrestlemania XIX
Alan says:
Most people consider the Steamboat/Savage match to be THE classic “pure wrestling” match in Mania history. I would disagree with that, and I would cite this match as my reason. For over 20 minutes, Shawn and Jericho put on the clinic to end all clinics. One absorbing exchange of holds after another left me on the edge of my seat, leading to a great finishing stretch with some crazy near falls. The post match featured Jericho hugging HBK only to hit a low blow, and it was extremely well done.
Winner: Shawn Michaels
17. The Undertaker vs. Batista – Wrestlemania 23
Duan says:
This is one of the most physically intense matches you are ever likely to see. It was Undertaker’s best Wrestlemania match to date, and perhaps a career best performance for Batista.
In the build up to Wrestlemania 23, both men promised a show stealing performance and they delivered on it. These guys brought the absolute best out of each other, and the Wrestlemania run really revitalized both characters. They went on to have the best feud of 2007 in the Observer.
Winner: The Undertaker
16. Money In The Bank IV – Wrestlemania 24
GG says:
I was quite surprised that this match did so well in our rankings. In fact, I would’ve never predicted that this match would be better ranked than the first Money In The Bank. But that’s why we rated them. We loved this match.
It was fast paced, had strong stunts, and was very logically put together. The two spots that are most memorable to me include John Morrison and Shelton Benjamin. I remember Morrison doing a moonsault to the floor with a ladder in his hand. It was scary looking, but also just an awesome spectacle. I also remember Shelton Benjamin getting dropped heels over head and onto a ladder. It was just crazy stuff.
Part of the reason why this might be so high on our list is because CM Punk won the match and went on to win the championship in a short, but memorable run.
Winner: CM Punk
We’ll countdown matches 15 through 6 of WrestleMania’s greatest matches next.
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