It is dreams come true scenario for the wrestlers to perform well at WrestleMania and if the performance goes on to meet the expectations of the WWE Universe, then, it could be categorized as a job well done.The process of meeting expectations is easy to read out from the paper (or computer screen for that matter) but in reality it is an all-out war.WWE fans are the special breed of sports entertainment fans that is incredibly hard to satisfy and this is why, a match deserves a plethora of credit if it manages to make the fans happy. Over the history of the pay-per-view, there have been a handful of such matches and here is a look at them.
#6 Honorable Mention: Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels (WrestleMania 21)
If you are good at tallying, go on and count the number of times Shawn Michaels appears in this list because after reading this, you won’t have any doubts on why he is called Mr. WrestleMania. And also, let’s take a moment to refresh our memories about Kurt Angle and how much we are missing him in WWE.
#5 Hulk Hogan vs. Ultimate Warrior (WrestleMania 6)
Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Warrior are two superstars known for their cult following. They were not certainly a Bret Hart or Daniel Bryan when it came to technical wrestling skills but both the superstars knew how to keep the fans on the seats.
At WrestleMania 6, WWE came up with the idea of pitting these two against eachother in a champion vs. Champion match. Warrior was the reigning Intercontinental champion back then while Hogan was the WWE champ. And since the IC championship was a big deal back then, the WrestleMania main event with both the titles got hyped to the core.
The match wasn’t a technical wrestling marvel, but the big match atmosphere was there from bell to bell and Warrior’s win capped off the historic night.
#4 Shawn Michaels vs. Undertaker (WrestleMania 26)
A little help with the tallying process here: Two for Shawn Michaels. The WrestleMania 26 showdown between Michaels and Undertaker came a year after their first battle at Mania. Throughout the buildup, Michaels was projected desperate for a rematch with the Phenom while Undertaker was in no mood to have one.
Michaels went to the extreme to convince Taker into a match and was finally successful when he cost Taker the World Heavyweight Championship. Taker soon accepted the rematch but challenged Michaels to put his career on the line as well.
Thus it became a career vs. streak match at the show and boy, did it live up to the expectations or what? The match went onto be the Wrestling Observer Best match of the year and added another tale to the legendary superstars.
#3 Steve Austin vs. Rock (WrestleMania 17)
Any match featuring Steve Austin and The Rock together it bound to come along with high expectations. These expectations were met a lot of times by the duo and WrestleMania 17 was one of those occasions. The two had earlier faced off at WrestleMania 15 and this was billed as a rematch for the same.
The fact that it took place in Austin’s home town made it even bigger. Austin went into the match as a squeaky clean anti- hero but when the final bell rang, he was a full blown heel. Austin’s heel turn in his home town was something unexpected and made the match special for everyone who tuned in.
Austin and Rock went on to have another match at WrestleMania but this one still remains as their best outing from the lot as it met a lot of expectations and beyond.
#2 Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart (WrestleMania 12)
Three for Michaels and it came against his fiercest rival, Bret Hart. Michaels and Bret has a rich history when it comes to wrestling matches and their Iron Man Match at WrestleMania 12. The idea of two of the best workers in WWE wrestling for a whole 60 minutes was mouthwatering to say the least.
The fans expected this match to follow the trend of every other iron man match that happened in the past. However, it ended up being different. There weren’t any falls in the entirety of the sixty minutes and even though it wasn’t a ‘great’ booking decision on originality grounds, both men deserve their share of credit for pulling off a thrilling affair in the lengthy period.
#1 Shawn Michaels vs. Undertaker (WrestleMania 25)
The top match that lived up to the hype apparently wraps up the tally on four for Michaels. The showdown between Michaels and Taker at WrestleMania 25 is the type of the match which will go down into text books if they open a wrestling school somewhere.
Almost everything about it was near perfect and since it has been dissected in every possible way in the internet, there is no need of any explanations on how the match happened. Just like their outing at WrestleMania 26, it won the Wrestling Observer award for the best match.
The only forgettable thing about the match was Michaels retiring at the end. He ended his career on a high and sadly for the fans, the Heart Break Kid decided to remain strong about his decision.
