10. WWE Smackdown Women’s Championship: Sasha Banks [c] vs. Bianca Belair – WrestleMania 37 Image Credit: WWE Somehow, this was apparently the first world title match in WWE history between two Black wrestlers.
That’s almost impossible to fathom. We all know that the build to this was weak as hell but that doesn’t change the fact that these are two FANTASTIC wrestlers. Bianca was on the verge of tears at the bell.
I liked how this started as Sasha won out on an opening tie-up by moving into the right position and using technique to her advantage. She can’t overpower her but she can outwrestle her. Her tope suicida leading to Bianca rolling through and pressing her up the stairs and into the ring was great.
That kind of became the theme as Bianca had the power and athleticism edge but Sasha was the more experienced wrestler. Bianca got going and went for a 450 splash but Sasha got her knees up to stop her. Sasha used Bianca’s braid to her advantage at a few points but she couldn’t put her challenger away, which frustrated her.
I appreciated Bianca being hung up in the corner and actually avoiding the double stomp. Too many wrestlers just sit there and take it. A 450 couldn’t end it and Sasha grabbed the hair as part of her KOD counter.
Bianca whipped her with the hair and it set up a series of counters that led to the KOD, giving Bianca the title in 17:!5. This entire thing felt so special to be a part of. From Bianca’s power to Sasha targeting the hair to that finish, I was hooked.
I loved almost everything about this. [****3⁄4] 9. Undisputed WWE Universal Championship Bloodline Rules Match: Roman Reigns [c] vs.
Cody Rhodes – WrestleMania XL Image Credit: WWE As much as I like seeing cool spots and innovative moves, my favorite thing is when wrestling tells a great story. And as much fun as it was to poke fun at “finish the story,” WWE did just that. The Cody Rhodes vs.
Roman Reigns rematch felt like a huge deal. Though all signs pointed to Cody pulling it off, the booking of Roman Reigns over the past few years still left that doubt in your mind, especially with the rumors of him looking to pass other milestones. This was an epic for the entire 33:25 runtime, with them having a great match but it getting boosted by the sports entertainment side of things.
It was a case where the run-ins added to a match, reminding me of something like the Backlash 2000 main event. The Usos getting into it and interference from Solo Sikoa were expected but the clash between John Cena and The Rock was fun to see even if I never loved their feud. I will say, my one major issue was The Undertaker as the last run-in as it would’ve worked so much better to me if it was Stone Cold given his history with The Rock.
That said, Seth Rollins in Shield gear was so well done, especially since Roman’s need for revenge led to him hitting Seth with a chair in the back, opening the door for Cody to finally beat him. This was a feel good moment and the kind of thing wrestling should have more often. A great babyface overcoming the odds and reaching the top.
[****3⁄4] 8. WWF Championship No Disqualifications Match: The Rock [c] vs. Steve Austin – WrestleMania X-Seven Image Credit: WWE The two biggest stars in all of wrestling in the main event of WrestleMania.
It’s really all you can ask for. The pop for Austin was out of this world. This got off to an incredible start.
Austin and Rock traded blows as soon as Rock got done posing with the title. That set the tone for a war. Right from that opening bell, this had a big fight feel.
The No DQ stipulation allowed them to really hold nothing back. Rock got busted open after ten or so minutes and a ring bell shot. Rock returned the favor and Austin was bleeding.
Each Rock rally was met with boos because the crowd was all about Austin. From chairs to tables to their regular offense, they had a lengthy match that never slowed down. That’s impressive.
I loved the callbacks like Rock using a WrestleMania 13-esque Sharpshooter or Austin having to bust out the Million Dollar Dream. You really felt that desperation from Austin. As they seemingly neared the conclusion, Vince McMahon made his way to the ring.
Rock hit the People’s Elbow and Vince pulled him off the cover, confusing the crowd. Things really got weird when Austin began instructing Vince to use the chair. They were working together.
It took several chair shots and Stone Cold Stunners before Austin had done enough to win the title in 28:06. Outstanding match. They put on arguably the best WrestleMania main event in history.
[****3⁄4] 7. WWE Championship: Daniel Bryan [c] vs. Kofi Kingston – WrestleMania 35 Image Credit: WWE Kofi Kingston getting a one on one WWE Title match at WrestleMania was a massive deal.
Even more when you consider how this whole thing was built. Right off the bat, their contrasting styles came into play. Kofi wanted to take to the air and work a quick pace while Daniel Bryan was more than happy to ground him.
I loved the cut to the roster watching on a monitor backstage. This whole tale had the feel of something that everyone would be rooting for. Bryan was great here.
He held serve throughout and everything he did looked smooth and was entertaining. For example, countering Kofi’s double stomp into a Boston Crab was phenomenal. This had some amazing late drama, like Kofi’s SOS near fall getting turned into the LeBelle Lock.
The New Day took out Erick Rowan, leaving it as a one on one encounter. The final few minutes are as dramatic as it gets. Kingston hit Trouble in Paradise in 23:43 to make history and become the first African-American WWE Champion.
The drama, emotion, action, and what it meant all made this a truly special match and moment. I’m happy to have witnessed this. [****3⁄4] 6.
WWF Tag Team Championship TLC Match: The Dudley Boyz [c] vs. Edge & Christian vs. The Hardy Boyz – WrestleMania X-Seven Image Credit: WWE These six men stole the show at last year’s WrestleMania and then bested that with the first TLC Match at SummerSlam a few months later.
This is TLC II. They got off to another fast start, packing this match from start to finish with action. There was the added benefit of each team being even more over than they were a year ago.
The reaction the Dudleys got for “GET THE TABLES” was insane. As things progressed, the spots got bigger. Christian took a sick bump straight to the floor off of a ladder.
I loved the addition each team had of a third person helping them. Spike Dudley ran in with some Dudley Dogs, Rhyno helped out E&C, and Lita came to the aide of the Hardys with a steel chair. Of course, you can’t talk about this match without mentioning Edge’s legendary Spear on Jeff Hardy as he dangled from the titles high above the ring.
Matt and Bubba both took the spill through four tables, upping the ante again from the SummerSlam match. From there, Rhyno helped E&C pull down the titles to win in 15:53. An incredible match that is one of my favorites ever.
It was exactly what I wanted. Pure insanity. I loved every second of this.
. [*****] 5. WWE Undisputed Tag Team Championship: The Usos [c] vs.
Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn – WrestleMania 39 Image Credit: WWE What an incredible story this was. Lil Uzi Vert performed to introduce The Usos. Owens and Zayn had the PWG gorilla on their attire which was a nice touch.
Jimmy made Jey start so he could go up against Zayn. That worked out well, with Zayn getting isolated and that’s such a good role for him because he’s a top-tier underdog babyface. He made the hot tag to Owens earlier than expected, leading to a sick somersault senton outside.
Of course, that was all to set up Owens as the next face in peril. Sami even busted out an apron Brainbuster similar to his old corner Brainbuster. Him getting the tag and hitting an Uso splash for two was a cool moment.
Even after that, The Usos showed why they’re in the conversation for the best tag team ever, firing off a bunch of moves, talking trash, and holding serve. The superkick sandwich on Sami might’ve ended another match but Sami wasn’t going to die that easily. Sami then became the first person to kick out of 1D.
Jey shouted at Sami to quit, emotional because HE CALLED SAMI HIS BROTHER and he then hit his own Helluva Kick. As Jey talked trash, Sami hit a corner T-Bone and made the tag to Owens for a Stunner near fall that everyone bit on. The teams stood across from each other in a dope moment before hockey fights began.
Sami took out Jimmy and Owens gave him the big tag, setting up Sami vs. a downed Jey. Sami hit the Helluva Kick and Jey fell into his arms so he added a second.
KO took out Jimmy with a Stunner and Sami added a third Helluva Kick to end the reign in 24:16. Words can’t do this justice. I was emotional throughout as someone who loved Steen and Generico since 2007.
They delivered an epic match fitting of the main event but when you add in the storytelling elements from the close calls to the callbacks between Sami and Jey especially, you’ve got something special. Something special and something perfect. [*****] 4.
Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart – WrestleMania X Image Credit: WWE The build for this match was outstanding. Due to that, the heat was off the charts for this.
Every little thing they did got an insane reaction. Owen showed early that he could more than hang with his more accomplished brother on the mat. Bret was taken aback by this and pumped his fist when he finally got the upper hand.
He knew he was in trouble. His confidence grew with that advantage. He’d get a near fall and confidently move to a submission.
To turn the tide, Owen used his quickness and then resorted to submissions. He was out to prove a point. Owen had the higher impact stuff like a German suplex and a belly to belly.
Still, he was too cocky and Bret rallied. He resorted to a dive outside and hit his knee, showing that he was doing stuff out of his element. Owen went after it, calling back to the Royal Rumble turn.
Again, Bret rallied and I popped when Owen took the signature Bret sternum corner bump. Owen used a low blow to set up the Sharpshooter, which was again perfect for their story. In the end, Owen blocked a victory roll into his own pin for the upset win in 20:20.
A wrestling clinic. They told the perfect story and it was paced out incredibly well. Each spot mattered and the bigger ones came at the best moments.
The best opener in wrestling history. [*****] 3. Kurt Angle vs.
Shawn Michaels – WrestleMania 21 Image Credit: WWE I love every second of this match. Kurt Angle was absolutely vicious in his assault on Shawn Michaels’ bad back. The Angle Slam into the ring post was sick and each time Angle targeted it, you felt Shawn’s pain.
Shawn’s desperation came out in things like a low blow and a springboard splash onto a table. There were some incredible counters in this. You’d think they had wrestled dozens of times before but it was their first meeting.
The drama got ramped up late as Michaels survived an Ankle Lock, Angle Slam, and avalanche Angle Slam. It frustrated Angle to the point where he fell victim to a glorious Sweet Chin Music. The final 5-10 minutes are some of the best wrestling you’ll find anywhere.
Angle locking in the Ankle Lock to the point where Michaels kicking him away wasn’t enough to break it was spectacular. It just felt different. Michaels fought for as long as he could but he was trapped and had to tap out after 27:25.
Incredible pacing and tremendous action. Two of the best in history just putting on a classic on the biggest stage. [*****] 2.
Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker – WrestleMania XXV Image Credit: WWE Mr. WrestleMania vs.
The Streak. Outside of battles at the end of the 2007 Royal Rumble and the beginning of the 2008 iteration, these two hadn’t met since 1998. Shawn’s entrance from the heavens opposite Undertaker’s ascension from hell was perfectly done.
I loved how Michaels wasn’t intimidated at all. He stood right up to Undertaker from the start. He had a game plan, looking to cut Undertaker down to size and try some submissions.
It worked to an extent but Undertaker had some answers for a lot of it. Everyone remembers the classic spot where Undertaker went for his signature dive and nearly broke his neck. The idea of a desperate Shawn pulling the cameraman in the path of destruction was a great touch, as was his plea with the referee to try and win by countout.
He was going to end the steak by any means necessary. That’s where the match turned up a notch. It’s where they began throwing bombs and bringing in the dramatic near falls.
Close calls on the Last Ride, Chokeslam, and Sweet Chin Music. The “skin the cat” into the Tombstone near fall will probably never be topped. Undertaker’s sell of the near fall was perfect.
The Sweet Chin Music one was also good but Michaels taking a while to cover took a bit away from it. They ultimately found a way to top the incredible previous Tombstone by having Undertaker catch Michaels out of a moonsault. That signaled the finish after 30:44.
What more is there to say? One of the greatest matches of all time. [*****] 1. Submissions Match: Bret Hart vs.
Steve Austin – WrestleMania 13 Image Credit: WWE This is my favorite rivalry ever. I love that this starts with Austin tackling Bret. It set the tone for the kind of war this would be.
They fought through the crowd in the early stages but got back to the ring pretty quickly. All the little things went so well here. Like when Austin had his knee worked over and Ken Shamrock (the guest referee) asked if he was okay and Austin flipped him off.
The awesome ring post Figure Four meant more here because it could win the match thanks to the no countout/DQ situation. This really picked up when Bret went to PILLMANIZE the ankle, only for Austin to get up and wreck him with a steel chair shot. The fight went back outside and Austin did his infamous blade job here.
Like a shark smelling blood, Bret got more vicious at the sight of blood. Austin fought back and Bret took the sternum bump, kick starting another jump in intensity for this contest. Bret got the Sharpshooter on and we get the incredible shots of a bloodied Austin fighting to get free.
The shot of him powering up and nearly breaking the hold while covered in blood is one of the best things the company has ever done. The pop when he seemed to break it was insane. Alas, Bret kept it on and Austin passed out, giving us a finish in 22:05.
A masterclass in storytelling and the perfect way to send Austin into the next level as a megastar. It was everything you want from this kind of match. A molten crowd, intense action, late drama, and anything else you could think of.
Incredible. One of the greatest matches of all-time. [*****].
Sports
Pantoja’s Top 50 Matches In WrestleMania History (#10 – 1)

Kevin Pantoja concludes his look at the top 50 matches in WrestleMania history with #10 through 1 including Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40 and more.The post Pantoja’s Top 50 Matches In WrestleMania History (#10 – 1) appeared first on 411MANIA.