1 week Ago By Kevin Pantoja
20. WWF Intercontinental Championship: Roddy Piper [c] vs. Bret Hart – WrestleMania VIII Image Credit: WWE Bobby Heenan said this was a street fighter against the Excellence of Execution.
Pretty apt. Side note but I love this pink Bret attire. Piper opened with an arm drag as if to show he could hang in Bret’s world.
Bret responded with one and sent him packing in their next exchange. Bret kept outwrestling Piper, frustrating the champion, which caused the match to get more physical. You have to love Bret feigning an injury and getting slapped for it.
With the increased intensity came Bret’s blade job. The blood added so much to this one. That put this right in Piper’s wheelhouse and made you feel like Bret was in real trouble.
Bret knew it too. He desperately went for flash pins and began using more aggressive offense. This was a case where the ref bump worked, as Piper got the ring bell and went to use it.
Except he decided against it. And it cost him as Bret countered his Sleeper Hold by walking up the turnbuckle and turning it into a pin. That gave him the win and the title in 13:50.
One of my favorite matches ever. They told an incredible story in under 15 minutes. The intensity level made sense, the wrestling was smooth, and that finish was perfect.
Stellar wrestling. [****1⁄2] 19. WWE World Heavyweight Championship: Randy Orton [c] vs.
Batista vs. Daniel Bryan – WrestleMania XXX Image Credit: WWE After what happened to The Undertaker, Bryan was seemingly the only thing that could wake people up. Early on, the idea was that Bryan was so battered from the first match that he was taken out easily, allowing Batista and Orton to have the one-on-one encounter they wanted.
That was the worst section as Bryan brought energy to everything he did and the crowd ate it all up. Things were going well but then HHH and Stephanie showed up as Bryan got momentum going to really stack the deck and add to the underdog story. Of course, Bryan thwarted them but then still had more to overcome, including a Batista Bomb/RKO (really a neckbreaker) combo through the announce table.
Orton landing on a monitor made for a wild bump. When they brought out the stretcher for Bryan, you could fell the fans worrying that he’d be done. Bryan returned though and yet they still have his run cut off.
It was such a good use of the emotional ups and downs in a big match. When the big finish happened, it got the perfect reaction as Bryan made Batista tap to the Yes Lock, winning the top title at the 23:19 mark. A fantastic main event resulting in one of the coolest moments in history.
[****1⁄2] 18. Money in the Bank Ladder Match: Chris Benoit vs. Chris Jericho vs.
Christian vs. Edge vs. Kane vs.
Shelton Benjamin – WrestleMania 21 Image Credit: WWE The inaugural Money in the Bank Ladder match. It featured an incredibly talented group of people and all felt like they had a realistic shot at winning. I liked the way these guys found inventive ways to use the ladder.
There was Benoit hitting a German suplex as Jericho held one and him countering a Kane Chokeslam off one into a Crippler Crossface. I loved Edge and Christian busting out a con-chair-to style ladder combo. Shelton Benjamin was given plenty of opportunities to steal the show.
It’s like the other five guys knew he was the least known star and they wanted to make sure he came out looking like a million bucks. Tomko helping Christian was clever and had only been done in one previous ladder match that I can recall. I will admit that Benoit’s headbutt off the ladder is really hard to watch now.
Especially when you consider the reaction he had to popping his stiches open. Just as he came close to winning, Edge hit him with a chair and retrieved the briefcase at the 16:00 mark. A revolutionary match for the time.
It still ranks at the top (at worst top 3) MITB matches in history. Everyone played their role perfectly and got a chance to shine. The pace never slowed and everything made sense.
Fantastic. [****1⁄2] 17. WWE Smackdown Women’s Championship: Charlotte Flair [c] vs.
Rhea Ripley – WrestleMania 39 Image Credit: WWE Rhea Ripley was among the hottest wrestlers in early 2023 while Charlotte sat atop the division. They also had the added story of Charlotte beating Rhea at Mania in 2020. The two traded some insults and Rhea took control soon after.
Rhea shouting “IS THIS YOUR QUEEN?” was a great moment. That took a while and was fun before Charlotte made her rally to a chorus of boos. She did hit some impressive stuff, as usual, like a sweet fallaway slam/suplex hybrid but then Rhea upped her with a sick avalanche German.
She nearly died on it and then took a German shortly after where she literally landed on her face. It looked brutal on the replay. Charlotte worked this match as a heel and I think that benefitted it.
It’s when she’s at her best and the crowd was pro-Rhea anyway. Rhea delivered Riptide for a telegraphed near fall and Charlotte got one on an inside cradle. Rhea applied the Prism Trap submission but Charlotte clawed to the ropes to break it in a cool spot.
They fought to the top where Rhea won with an avalanche Riptide in 23:32. Phenomenal match. Probably only behind Sasha/Bianca for the best women’s match in Mania history.
Charlotte working heel was the right move and she remains a great big match wrestler (even if her character is mid). Rhea is the present and future. [****1⁄2] 16.
World Heavyweight Championship: Edge [c] vs. The Undertaker – WrestleMania XXIV Image Credit: WWE Easily one of my most-anticipated WrestleMania main events ever. This felt like a big deal from the entrances until the closing bell.
Coming in, neither man had ever been pinned at WrestleMania. Edge came in with a smart plan. He did his homework and had counters ready for Undertaker’s key stuff, always looking to negate whatever he did.
After Undertaker’s signature dive, Edge still remained in control and kept the focus on Undertaker’s damaged lower back. When they started going into counters, the match truly became great. We’re talking Last Ride, Chokeslam, Edgecution, and almost every big offensive shot these guys had.
The main point stood that Edge had Undertaker’s number. The ref bump made sense because it allowed Edge to hit Undertaker with a camera, which was a callback to Survivor Series. It also gave us the iconic Charles Robinson sprint to the ring on a Tombstone near fall.
Edge hit a Spear after a run-in by Hawkins and Ryder. He went for a second knowing one wasn’t enough. Though he hit it, Undertaker trapped him in Hell’s Gates and he had no choice but to tap after 23:49.
Outstanding pro wrestling. Undertaker’s best Mania match to this point and the third-best Mania main event to date. Edge was a brilliant villain with a smart plan but Undertaker overcame and was too much for him.
Lots of callbacks, counters, and drama. Incredible. [****1⁄2] 15.
WWE Intercontinental Championship: Randy Savage [c] vs. Ricky Steamboat – WrestleMania III Image Credit: WWE Widely considered one of the greatest WrestleMania matches of all time. These two did what I want in a match, which is make each movement matter.
Whether it was a small toss into a ring post or a big moment like Steamboat lifting him into a choke, it all played a part and had purpose. I hate when matches waste time with filler moves for the sake of it. The crowd was way into everything.
You get cool moments like Steamboat skinning the cat, which I don’t think happened often in the 80s. I thought all the near falls were a positive. It really made it feel like both guys were desperate to win.
It also made Steamboat feel like a fighter who wouldn’t quit. Everyone was on the edge of their seats for the late close calls. At first, I wasn’t into the idea of a ref bump, but since it led to the ring bell tease, I really liked it.
George Steele got revenge by shoving Savage off the top and Steamboat countered a body slam into a small package to win the title in 14:35. An all-time classic. Nearly everything about this match worked.
It was revolutionary for the time. I loved the little nuances throughout and how it played off the storyline. [****3⁄4] 14.
Daniel Bryan vs. Triple H – WrestleMania XXX Image Credit: WWE The winner joins the main event against Batista and Randy Orton. Everything about this rules, from the video package to the entrance to the match itself.
It all just works so well together. Early on, HHH held serve with his veteran knowhow and power while also managing to cut off any bit of momentum Bryan had, and he had several bursts. I liked HHH targeting the arm, adding t the story later in the night, and I also appreciated HHH doing heel stuff like trying for countout wins.
Man, Triple H even busted out a fucking Tiger Suplex here. No matter what HHH did though, Bryan refused to give up, which was a perfect story to tell here because it’s how the entire angle was built. When Bryan got going, the crowd ate it up because of how expertly this was laid out.
My favorite thing might be how it doesn’t rely on a bunch of false finishes and finisher kickouts. Bryan survived a Pedigree but on a night like this, it worked. They didn’t do any other cases of that so it didn’t get overdone.
The finish was so simple too. Bryan did a counter of a back drop and then just hit the Busaiku Knee to win in 25:57. A spectacular match and the second best Mania opener ever.
Brilliantly laid out and executed. Triple H’s best non-gimmick match ever. [****3⁄4] 13.
WWE Intercontinental Championship: Gunther [c] vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus – WrestleMania 39 Image Credit: WWE The number one match on my top 100 in 2022 was Gunther vs.
Sheamus, so WWE ran it back in a way that could potentially somehow improve on things. They threw Drew McIntyre into the mix and the results were spectacular. This was a case of three hard hitting men just beating the hell out of each other for 16:36.
And let me tell you, that is right up my alley. I don’t even have too much to say about it because it’s such a straightforward match in the best possible way. They found inventive ways to put twists on their usual spots and made the most out of simple things like chops.
Drew’s dive to the outside was one of the best spots across both nights of Mania and though he’s done it before, it felt special in this environment. Sheamus was kind of the MVP here, throwing himself into every move and taking some vicious bumps. That’s basically Sheamus’ career in a nutshell.
Gunther retained to continue his outstanding reign after powerbombing Sheamus onto Drew and then giving Drew one of his own, capping one of the best matches in Mania history. [****3⁄4] 12. World Heavyweight Championship: Triple H [c] vs.
Chris Benoit vs. Shawn Michaels – WrestleMania XX Image Credit: WWE The first Triple Threat match for a World Title at WrestleMania. A lot of the early stuff here was Michaels and Benoit taking turns going after Triple H after weeks of frustration.
That eventually backfired as they started fighting each other. From there, it became a match where the guys were constantly trading offense. You never felt like one man gained a clear upper hand over.
And when they got close, the third guy who interrupt and swing the momentum. There were a bunch of great little moments thrown in. For example, Benoit going for the Sharpshooter on Shawn got a great pop.
And it led to Shawn being busted wide open, making him even more vulnerable when Benoit attempted the Crippler Crossface. Benoit got taken out by a DX double suplex through a table, giving us another installment of HBK vs. HHH.
They went at it for a while before Benoit returned. He had to get rid of Shawn before finally trapping HHH in the Crippler Crossface. When HHH got close to the ropes, he rolled him to the middle of the rig and Triple H tapped out at the 24:47 mark.
One of the greatest triple threat matches in history. It had non-stop action, told a compelling tale, and featured an emotional crowd that hung on every moment. [****3⁄4] 11.
Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker – WrestleMania XXVI Image Credit: WWE Streak vs. Career.
Shawn showed zero intimidation during Undertaker’s entrance and even did the throat cut signal to piss him off. That set the tone for what this match ended up being. Shawn had a game plan and he executed it to near perfection.
For example, he worked the legs and did well with it. But Undertaker would wreck him with something like a Tombstone on the outside. How was he supposed to prepare for something Undertaker hasn’t done in years? I loved that Shawn could hit Sweet Chin Music from anywhere and how he had a counter ready for Hell’s Gates.
The sequence of Shawn slipping out of the Last Ride announce table spot, hitting Sweet Chin Music, adding a moonsault, and hitting a second SCM inside for a near fall was spectacular. The fans were losing it. Shawn survived a Tombstone but Undertaker showed some mercy.
He shouted for Shawn to stay down. As defiant as ever, Shawn did the throat slash gesture again and slapped him. Undertaker finally ended it with a goddamn jumping Tombstone after 23:59.
They had a ton to live up to yet still succeeded. They told a fantastic story and gave us the kind of drama that only two of the greatest ever could pull off. Shawn was desperate to keep his career but he simply wasn’t good enough to get the job done.
Undertaker had to put him down. A slight notch below the previous year’s encounter. [****3⁄4].
