15 Greatest WrestleMania matches of all time: Part 3

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.

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.

Note: This list consists of three parts, this is the final part of the list. Click the links below to read the other two parts.

Part 1: #15 to 11

Part 2: #10 to 5

#5: Bret Hart vs Owen Hart, WrestleMania X

Owen with a sharpshooter locked in on Bret!

One of the hardest tasks in sports entertainment is opening the show at WrestleMania. There's always a great deal of pressure when you’re the first performer the crowd sees, and when its WrestleMania, that pressure is multiplied by a thousand. Blood brothers Bret and Owen Hart were given that exact task at the tenth anniversary of the show and did not disappoint. The hype for this match was very high, as were the expectations, and the two brothers delivered big time.

They took the centre stage and put on a clinic. From bell to bell, the match was virtually flawless, and on any other night easily would’ve been the best match. What makes this match even more memorable is that Owen won in a huge upset. I don’t think anyone in their right mind expected him to beat Bret that night, as Owen was not even seen as being in Bret’s class at the time.

The Harts put on a clinic in mat wrestling, selling and psychology and would have single-handedly made this show awesome. Anyway, this is a must see match for wrestling fans and is the match that made Owen a star and poured more fuel into the searing Hart Family fire. This match is the absolute definition of pure wrestling.

#4: Shawn Michaels vs Razor Ramon, WrestleMania X

HBK performing the frog splash from the top of the ladder!

This is one of the most talked about matches in WWE history to this day. The story going in was that Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon were both Intercontinental Champions, and there could only be one, which meant there needed to be a match to decide just who the true champion was.

Both guys changed the course of wrestling with the match they put on at Madison Square Garden. The match had every ingredient needed to make a match perfect: top-tier athleticism, storytelling and historical meaning.

The impact of this match on wrestling was a huge and set the tone for what was to come in the Attitude Era. Although it was not the first ladder match, it was considered the most exciting ladder match. It was the first time the ladder match was featured on a WWF pay-per-view. Through their hard work and insane bumps, they catapulted the ladder and made it a star.

#3: Kurt Angle vs Shawn Michaels, WrestleMania 21

HBK trying evade the Anklelock!

This was a Dream Match that had been discussed for years amongst the hardcore wrestling fans. Kurt Angle and Shawn Michaels were at their best, and the fans began to demand this great match.

In this battle to determine the best wrestler of all time, Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle went to war for over 30 minutes and put on a show for the fans in Los Angeles, and around the world watching at home. The storyline leading up to this match was Michaels eliminating Kurt Angle from the Royal Rumble that year, which set Angle off to attack HBK and eliminate him right back.

Another added piece to the story was that Angle won a Gold Medal in 1996, but claimed that all anyone was talking about was Shawn Michaels in the WWE. He felt like he was the better wrestler, and he wanted to prove it by beating Shawn Michaels on the Grandest Stage of Them All: WrestleMania 21.

The match itself started methodically with the submission-based stuff, but then it really kicked off in the second half, with HBK bringing the Moonsault and a brilliant counter sequence finisher finale.

In the end, Kurt Angle made Shawn Michaels tap out with his signature, the Ankle Lock. The entire crowd was willing for HBK to counter the ankle lock and make the ropes each time and there was that feeling of disbelief when he finally tapped.

#2: Bret Hart vs Stone Cold Steve Austin, WrestleMania 13

Austin attempting the Boston crab submission on Hart!

With special guest referee Ken Shamrock, this match was set up to be an instant classic, as the new face of WWE Stone Cold Steve Austin went up against one of the best technical wrestlers of all time, Bret Hart. This match symbolized a lot of what WWE was going through at the time, as a new breed of wrestlers went head to head with some of the old faces of wrestling.

This submission match is one of the best ever, as they went head to head, and went all over the Rosemont Horizon Arena in Illinois. They beat each other to pieces and put on a tremendous match. We all know how this classic ended - with Austin passing out to the sharpshooter in the middle of the ring, and never truly tapping out.

It had everything you would ever want in a match, every little thing they did make perfect sense. Two great competitors, a vicious heel, a courageous babyface, an extremely high work-rate, plenty of crowd heat, terrific storytelling throughout to top it all and the greatest double turn in the history of the business.

This was the beginning of the Austin era. After that Austin turned into a megastar and became insanely over with the new breed of WWE audience. The lasting image of Stone Cold Steve Austin struggling for the ropes, as he slowly passes out, and eventually stops moving is the best piece of psychology you will ever see, and one of the best moments in WWE history.

Bret Hart walked away as the winner, but Stone Cold Steve Austin walked away as a bigger star. One of the true classics of WWE.

#1: The Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels, WrestleMania 25

Chokeslam from Hell!

Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker at WrestleMania 25 is the best match to ever happen at WrestleMania, period.

Two of the best ever went head to head at WrestleMania. At this point in time, Michaels was coming off his story with JBL, and he felt like he had nothing else to lose and had nothing left to do in the WWE except one thing: defeat the Undertaker at WrestleMania.

This was further emphasised by their spectacular entrances with Michaels descending from above in a heavenly glow, while The Undertaker rose from depths in smoke and purple light.

It was an all-out war between these two. It defined the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania. Nothing was more fitting for this event, and it should have gone on last. It was just that good.

Michaels cut a great promo that was filmed in a mock cemetery where he talked about all of Taker’s past opponents that he had laid to rest.

A match with this sort of hype could have been the solo match on any card and still defined WrestleMania. The back and forth action of this match were unbelievable, and it just got better and better. It was one of those matches that no one wanted to end.

One of the best parts of this match was the voice of Jim Ross being able to lead the commentary. I think Ross helped tell the story just as much, and I think he should be recognized for his amazing work for this match.

The finish to this match was just another sublime HBK finish, a moonsault countered with a Tombstone. The Undertaker caught HBK in mid-air, in the position for a tombstone, and you can even see Michaels throwing his arms around while it’s happening, telling the story that he got caught in a mistake, which Taker took advantage of.

They had already kicked out of each other's finishers, and the top rope plancha which Shawn Michaels dodged by pulling the cameraman in the way was great television, although it was botched.

This match will stand the test of time, and will hopefully be watched for generations to come.