6 greatest WrestleMania matches of all time

WrestleMania is a pay-per-view which is rich when it comes to history, I have decided to choose six matches that I think are at the top of the chart in the pay-per-view's 34-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 honor of being labelled as the greatest match n the history? Let's take a look.

#6 Stone Cold Steve Austin vs The Rock - WrestleMania X-7

Enter ca — The Rock countering a chair-shot with a Rock Bottom.

Two of the most iconic Superstars of the WWE’s most popular era meeting at The Showcase of the Immortals in a No-Disqualification WWE Championship main event? It does not get better than that. The rivalry between The Rock and Stone Cold has always been iconic and legendary and the feud had had three matches at WrestleMania.

Two men who were truly larger than life stars came into the company at the same time and absolutely took the company under their arms and ran with it. Never before or since have there been two men this popular at the same time.

The Rock on one side, desperate to hold onto his championship, and Austin on the other side, desperate to reassert his dominance and take back his place at the top of the roster by becoming the champion once again.

Austin had missed nearly a year due to neck surgery. During his time away, The Rock had become the biggest star in the company, and the whole story heading in here was Austin’s obsession and desperation to become champion.

The match had lots of great spots, like The Rock putting on the Sharpshooter to a bloodied Austin while Austin desperately tried to get to the ropes in a scene reminiscent of the classic match Austin had with Bret "The Hitman" Hart at WrestleMania 13. Austin returned the favour with a sharpshooter of his own and even brought back the Million Dollar Dream into his arsenal from his days as the Ringmaster, further showing how desperate he is to win the match.

The finish of the match came with The Rock hitting the Spinebuster, setting up for the most electrifying move in sports entertainment, the People’s Elbow. The Great One seemingly had it won, but Vince Mcmahon came out and broke the pin in a shocking turn of events. The Rock got up and chased Vince, running right into a Rock Bottom from Austin for an almost 3 count.

The two exchanged finishers and pins until Austin signalled for McMahon to hand him a steel chair. The assault continued as a deranged Austin went all out with chair shots to the gut and back of a helpless The Rock while the Chairman of the company watched and covered him for the win. As soon as the referee hit three, the crowd erupted. The fans just didn’t care about the heel turn. They were going to cheer Austin anyway.

The aftermath saw the crowd waiting for their hero to turn on the chairman and deliver a devastating stunner to reaffirm his allegiance to his loyal followers. Instead, the two shook hands as Austin appeared to “sell his soul to the devil himself”, in the words of a disgusted Jim Ross, as Paul Heyman drove home the fact that Austin had betrayed his fans including his longtime friend Jim Ross.

The two shared a beer in the ring over a broken Rock, who tried to get up for a final time before being hit in the face by the title belt that was around his waist at the start of the night, leaving it in the hands of a man who was prepared to do anything to win gold.

#5 Shawn Michaels vs Razor Ramon - WrestleMania X

At WrestleMania X, we witnessed history. In one of the most iconic Intercontinental championship matches of all time, Razor Ramon faced off against Shawn Michaels to determine just who the true champion was.

The feud between them dated back to the fall of 1993, when the WWF commissioner announced that he was stripping Shawn Michaels off the Intercontinental Championship because of him not defending it often enough.

A new champion was crowned as Ramon won the title in a battle royal and continued to call himself the true Champion. But the defiant Michaels refused to accept the title change. He then had IRS steal Ramon's patented gold chains, which led to the feud becoming personal, and the belt being held up until the ladder match.

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

It's one of the most talked wrestling matches of all time. Although it was not the first ladder match, it was considered the most exciting ladder match until that point. 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.

#4 Bret Hart vs Owen Hart - WrestleMania X

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 center 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. One of the hardest tasks in sports entertainment is opening the show at WrestleMania.

#3 Kurt Angle vs Shawn Michaels - WrestleMania 21

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.

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.

The ultimate drama of the match came down to whether HBK would or wouldn't tap. The entire crowd was willing 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 Steve Austin - WrestleMania 13

This was a submission match. No count outs, no disqualification, no holds barred and Ken Shamrock as the special guest referee.

You can only win by making your opponent submit. It had everything you would ever want in a match, every little thing they did made 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.

The finish came when Bret Hart put Steve Austin in the sharpshooter as Stone Cold was lying in a pool of his own blood, refusing to quit and ultimately passing out. Bret’s frustrations all boiling over, him losing his cool, and ultimately becoming the monster he was trying to fight.

Ken Shamrock teased a fight with Hart later on, but Hart stepped down from it. A referee then helped Austin get to his feet, only to be hit with a stunner, as Austin walked out by himself.

This was the actual turning point in Stone Cold Steve Austin’s career. The WWE’s stock in Stone Cold Steve Austin started to grow more and more as he became the most iconic wrestler of the Attitude Era.

#1 The Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels - WrestleMania 25

Enter capt — The Undertaker attempting to catch a leaping Shawn Michaels

Often regarded as the greatest wrestling match ever happened in the company's history by many, 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 was unbelievable and it just got better and better. It was one of those matches that no one wanted to end.

Of course, it did end, and it ended with another sublime HBK finish, a moonsault countered with a Tombstone. They had already kicked out of each other's finishers, the top rope plancha which Shawn Michaels dodged by pulling the cameraman in the way, was great television, although it was botched.

That was a planned spot where the wrestler dressed as a camera guy had to catch The Undertaker and when The Undertaker did his dive, HBK was supposed to pull him in order to break Taker’s fall.

Instead, they were too far back and The Undertaker landed right on his neck. It was one scary bump where he could have easily broken his neck, but The Undertaker went ahead with the match like nothing happened.