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WrestleMania, the grandest stage of them all.
When a Superstar walks down that aisle, they know that they have to give a hundred percent of their emotion into their match. They have to make the fans feel everything they are emotionally and physically.
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Since it's a pay-per-view which is rich when it comes to history and considering the 35th event is approaching fast, I have decided to choose fifteen matches that I think are at the top of the chart in the pay-per-view's 35-year history.
The challenge is a daunting one because WWE’s long-running wrestling extravaganza has seen countless classics over the past three decades, but which of these deserve the honour of being labelled as the greatest match in the history? Let's take a look.
#15 Shawn Michaels vs Steve Austin, WrestleMania XIV
In one of the rare matches between these two men, WrestleMania 14 proved to have hosted one of the best main events in WrestleMania history, when Stone Cold Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels tore the house down.
But they weren’t the only two that had something to do with this epic match-up as multiple Heavyweight Boxing Champion Mike Tyson was the special ring enforcer, and he sure played a part in this fight.
At this point in time, Shawn Michaels was wasting away as an in-ring performer and wasn’t the same HBK we all knew and loved.
He gained some weight and wasn’t as quick as he once was. This led to WWE officially giving the ball to Stone Cold Steve Austin, and having him rule the Attitude Era.
Mike Tyson, of course, played a huge part in this match, as he was the one who counted against the Heartbreak Kid.
After the victory for Stone Cold Steve Austin, we saw the Baddest Man on the Planet, Mike Tyson strike Shawn Michaels, and we were given a moment that no one will ever forget.
#14 Ric Flair vs Shawn Michaels, WrestleMania 24
Speaking of retirement matches, this match will live on in history forever, as we saw one of the greatest ever have to hang up his boots and walk away from WWE.
Going into this feud, Shawn Michaels didn’t want to do this, but Flair wanted him to be the one to put it to an end, which shows how much Flair respected Shawn Michaels.
This match truly showed the heart that both men have, especially Ric Flair, as he kept up with HBK, and gave him all that he had.
Shawn Michaels had multiple chances to end Flair, but couldn’t because he didn’t want the match or Flair’s career to be over, so Flair took advantage of the situation, and almost cost Michaels the match.
The best part of this match was the final “scene” between both competitors, where Shawn Michaels superkicks Flair, not once but twice, and mutters the words, “I’m sorry. I love you”, and as he is about to put Flair away, you can see Flair mouthing the words, “Come on!” which was storytelling at it’s finest.
#13 The Dudley Boys vs The Hardy Boys vs Edge and Christian, WrestleMania X-7
This was a highly anticipated rematch from WrestleMania 2000 a year ago.
When you thought the bar couldn’t be raised any higher, the same groups of guys, set the standard for what TLC matches are supposed to be.
Once again, walking into this match, the Dudley Boys were the Tag Team Champions, but that honestly didn’t matter because it was winner take all, and the Champs had no real advantage.
The best parts of this match were the number of awesome spots that took place. The obvious one was Edge spearing Jeff Hardy, as he was hanging from the Tag Titles.
That clip is still played to this day and is recognized as one of the most devastating moments in WWE history.
Another great part of this match was when Bubba Ray Dudley & Matt Hardy were sent off the ladder, and into four tables that were stacked up on top of each other, on the outside of the ring.
The match ended with Christian grabbing both titles (with the help of Rhino), and Edge holding D-Von Dudley down, so he couldn’t climb the ladder.
These six men, with some help from others like Rhyno, Spike Dudley, and even Lita, created a match that will stand the test of time and will be remembered as one of the best matches in WWE history.
#12 The Rock vs Hulk Hogan, WrestleMania 18
In a match where time stood still, two of the biggest stars of their generation went toe to toe, and have one of the most electrifying matches in pro wrestling history.
In the Toronto SkyDome, two icons battled it out to see who the true Great one was. This match came together due to the nWo’s debut in WWE, after running roughshod all over WCW.
Hulk Hogan is probably the biggest name in wrestling history and is one of the best to ever lace up a pair of boots, but the Rock is quickly approaching him in being a household name, as he is now one of the biggest actors in Hollywood.
This match was one for the ages and gave the fans all over the world the match that everyone wanted to see.
Going into the match, WWE and Hogan understood that they needed to get as much heat as they could on the nWo and Hulk Hogan, to ensure that the Rock would get the majority of cheers in the Skydome.
The plan backfired, as the fans were behind Hogan for the entire match, and were rooting for their past hero, instead of their current hero.
It was one of the weirdest crowds I’ve ever seen, as WWE did so much to get the heat on Hogan, but in the end, Hogan was just too lovable to hate.
The match was slow-paced and told a tremendous story as two legends put on a show of the ages.
I never heard a crowd want someone to win as badly as they did for Hogan. That crowd roared after every move delivered by Hogan, and it was a sight to see.
In the end, the Rock defeated Hogan, much to the disappointment of the thousands of fans in the Skydome that night.
Hogan gave the Rock the ultimate rub by putting him over and making him a bigger star than he already was. If you like great stories, this is the match to watch.
#11 Shawn Michaels vs Bret Hart, WrestleMania 12
In an all-time classic, two of the best wrestlers to ever grace the WWE ring put on an over hour long match that to this day is the measuring stick to a WrestleMania main event.
Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart have talked about this match so many times, as they feel like this match couldn’t have gone any better, and for it going into overtime made it even better in the end.
It was a good back and forth between two greats, and we didn’t see a pinfall in the normal 60 minutes of this match.
This match like so many others had amazing spots, for example when Bret piledrived HBK, and he literally bounced up off the mat with such force which really showed that these two wanted to be the best so badly.
Not only wanting to be the best when it comes to the storyline, but in real life, Bret and Shawn battled for the top spot at that time, and it was as real as it can get.
In the final 30 seconds, Hart had Michaels in a sharpshooter, and everyone though Michaels was going to tap right then and there.
That didn’t happen as Michaels held on, and the match went into overtime, and Shawn Michaels won the WWE Championship by hitting his finishing maneuver.
As Vince McMahon said it so greatly, “The Boyhood dream has come true for Shawn Michaels”.
There will be three parts to this list and the remaining parts will be posted soon.
