Ranking the 10 best matches of the last 10 WrestleMania events

The pinnacle of the world, which Vince McMahon calls Sports Entertainment, also known as the greatest show amongst all live entertainment spectacles, is less than two months away. This is a time when the excitement of the fans is at its highest and the WWE management is working its hardest to deliver the best product it possibly can.

Every WrestleMania is as grand as it gets with almost 80,000 people in attendance, fascinating sets, and absolute marquee matches. Every year, the event marks the culmination of several ongoing storylines and the commencement of several new ones. Every Superstar looks forward to having their moment at the showcase of the immortals. Some succeed, some don't.

So, as part of the most exhilarating season of wrestling, let's take a look at some of the modern WrestleMania classics. Here, we look at the ten best matches to take place in the last ten years of WrestleMania events.

This covers bouts from WrestleMania XXV in 2009 to Wrestlemania 34 in 2018. Again, this is just an opinion as many good matches might not make the list. Feel free to have your say in the comments section below about which ones you agreed upon and the others that were missed.

Without further adieu, let's delve in to see which matches make the top ten:-

#10 WrestleMania 34 - Ronda Rousey and Kurt Angle vs Triple H and Stephanie McMahon

This was probably the best debut match anyone could have had. When the UFC legend (now Hall of Famer) and mainstream celebrity Ronda Rousey debuted at Royal Rumble 2018, there was a lot of speculation regarding how well she would be able to perform in a WWE ring.

There were already a lot of expectations from Ronda to live up to the hype, who had been an absolute winner in every realm of life, and on top of that, she had the pressure of competing for the first time on the grandest stage in wrestling.

However, to everyone's utter fascination, Ronda completely blew it out of the park and delivered a performance better than anyone could have expected. The match itself was incredibly fun. It had nothing special from a technical point of view but was a pure creative masterstroke.

Triple H and Kurt Angle, being the legendary veterans they are, performed admirably well and even the non-wrestler in Stephanie McMahon stepped up her game and did complete justice to her role in the match. 20 minutes after breaking every rule and a lot more shenanigans, the finish came when Ronda made Stephanie tap from the armbar.

The Authority was shown its place as Angle and Rousey cleaned house.

Rhonda dominating a clueless Stephanie McMahon can be seen in the video below:

#9 WrestleMania 31 - Bad News Barrett (Champion) vs Daniel Bryan vs Dean Ambrose vs Dolph Ziggler vs Luke Harper vs R-Truth vs Stardust in a 7 Way Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Championship

Bad News Barrett was a staple Intercontinental Champion by 2015. He went into WrestleMania that year to defend his title against six other men in a ladder match, which was an absolute delight to watch.

The match was heavy on spots, but, they were carefully laid out and brilliantly executed. It began by everyone performing dives onto each other. Even the then 43-year-old R-Truth leapt over the top upon his competitors. Harper had a good showing with a ladder around his neck and took everyone out. He even hit a powerbomb on Dean Ambrose through a ladder kept outside the ring!

Barrett took everyone out except Daniel Bryan at the climax of the match, who avoided his finisher and in turn hit the champ with the running knee. Bryan seemed to be heading for a win but was stopped by Ziggler, who was hit with several headbutts before the leader of the Yes Movement unhooked the title and became the new champion. The fans, as expected, loved every bit of it! .

The fact that WWE invested in such a high-profile match for the Intercontinental title is a praiseworthy setup in itself.

#8 WrestleMania 32 - Zack Ryder vs Dolph Ziggler vs Kevin Owens (Champion) vs Sami Zayn vs Sin Cara vs Stardust vs The Miz- 7 Way Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Championship

Ziggler and Ryder battle on the top of a ladder.

Much like its successful prequel from a year ago, this match was an organized spot fest. To make things better, it also had great storytelling and a very emotionally satisfying ending.

The champion Kevin Owens put on a solid performance and had several brutal spots, mostly with his arch nemesis at that time, Sami Zayn. Stardust provided comedic relief in the match, bringing his own ladder before he was taken out after Sin Cara leaped onto him through a ladder (it's fascinating how far he has come since then). Ryder hit an elbow drop on The Miz from the top of the ladder and also had some high-risk spots with Ziggler.

Finally, as Miz was edging closer to victory, he delayed unhooking the belt and it costed him dearly. Ryder seized this opportunity, pushed Miz off the ladder and became the Intercontinental champion in a moment that made almost the entire crowd cheer at the top of their voices.

Ryder did not have a successful run-in with defending the title but this will remain a moment nobody gets to steal from the Long Islander.

#7 WrestleMania 29 - The Undertaker vs CM Punk

This was Undertaker's last victory as part of his unparalleled 21-0 undefeated streak. It was also perhaps the last classic match he had at the show of shows.

After months of the distasteful build surrounding Paul Bearer's real-life demise, Punk went into this match as a very despicable heel with Paul Heyman on his side. Punk played his part perfectly throughout the bout.

He mocked the Undertaker by performing his signature old school maneuver during the match. There were some good sports too. The Cult of Personality lept on him from the top rope on to the announce table, however, the best spot of the match was when the Undertaker sat up from an anaconda vice. The look in the eyes of CM Punk was palpable.

A tombstone followed a Go To Sleep, but Punk somehow survived. Punk even hit Taker with his mystic urn once while the referee was taken out but he could not get the job done. A second piledriver finally put away Punk in what was the show's best match.

#6 Wrestlemania 27 - The Undertaker vs Triple H in a No Holds Barred Match

This was the second time the two once-in-a-lifetime superstars locked horns at the grandest stage. It was built in the aftermath of the Undertaker retiring Shawn Michaels a year ago. This was a brutal, hard-hitting, finisher-heavy match which proved why Triple H and Undertaker are two of the greatest wrestlers of all time.

The two dug deep into their respective arsenals and hit each other with every move they could, but failed to beat the other. Triple H hit a pedigree on the steel steps and also a Tombstone Piledriver on Taker, but could not keep the Deadman down. The finish came when The Game brought his trademark sledgehammer to finish things off but the Undertaker locked in the Hell's Gate. The hammer slowly fell out of the game's grasp and he tapped to bring an end to a spectacular showdown.

Triple H's desperation to be the guy that ended the streak was clearly evident in this match as he put on the performance of a lifetime.

#5 Wrestlemania 31 - Brock Lesnar (Champion) vs Roman Reigns vs Seth Rollins for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship

This match was supposed to only feature Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns and was a singles encounter for almost its entirety. Lesnar was on an absolute monster run after breaking the Undertaker's undefeated streak at WrestleMania 30 and had decimated every challenger he faced as the champion. The valiant new face of the company, Roman Reigns, was the one chosen to take him on in what would have been a highly painful, heavy-hitting, yet exhilarating WrestleMania contest.

The Big Dog kicked out of three F5's from Brock, a feat which even the Undertaker could not accomplish the year before. Brock kicked out of multiple spears; two in consecutive fashion. These finishers were well-laid out and were all a part of the flow of the match, unlike the match these two had three years later.

As Roman and Brock were flat on the mat, bleeding, and unconscious, Mr. Money in the Bank, Seth Rollins cashed in the MITB contract and won the title after hitting a curb stomp on Roman in a moment which Michael Cole aptly called 'the heist of the century'.

#4 WrestleMania 28 - The Undertaker vs Triple H in a Hell in a Cell Match with Shawn Michaels as the Special Guest Referee

The 'end of an era' match which actually ended nothing was an absolute classic. This was the culmination of a long-term rivalry spanning over four years or at least thought to be that until WWE Super Showdown 2018. In my opinion, this was probably one of the best booked, matches in history. The performers involved were all aging wrestlers who put on not just a good wrestling match but acted out a solidly emotional battle.

The match had nothing which would make it a technical masterpiece, but, the storytelling was at its best. It saw one of the best near falls of the century when The Undertaker kicked out of both the Sweet Chin Music and the Pedigree. The sequence was was further enhanced by Shawn Michaels' brilliant acting. The Undertaker simply wouldn't stay down and put Triple H away with a final tombstone piledriver to bring an end to this instant classic. This was followed by the three legendary superstars helping each other walk to the back and showcasing sportsmanship of the highest order.

#3 WrestleMania 30 - Randy Orton (Champion) vs Batista vs Daniel Bryan for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship

WrestleMania XXX was a very ecstatic night. By the time the main event came, the fans were heartbroken as Brock Lesnar had done the unthinkable by breaking the Undertaker's undefeated streak. Daniel Bryan had somehow beat Triple H in a very good match itself earlier that night and was heavily taped up.

Batista and Randy Orton made quick work of Bryan and countered his impulsive offense. They teamed up against Bryan and laid him out by hitting him with an RKO-Batista Bomb combination on the announce table. As the heels fought each other, Bryan would make his heroic comeback and would even take out an interfering Triple H.

His momentum would soon be halted, albeit briefly, as he would make a second comeback, lock in the Yes Lock on Batista and make him tap out as the crowd burst into exultant approbation. This was the ultimate underdog success story and fans across the globe rejoiced Bryan's victory.

#2 WrestleMania 26 - The Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels in a Streak vs Career Match

HBK still had it, even in his last match.

Shawn Michaels, the greatest in-ring performer in WWE history, decided to hang up his boots in 2010 after one final match. This was built incredibly well as HBK was willing to go to any extent to face the Phenom once again at WrestleMania, owing to which he even agreed to put his career on the line.

The two legends were enthralled in one of the greatest matches in WWE history. It was an incredible main event with the crowd invested which was complimented with great commentary. The undertaker hit a tombstone piledriver onto the floor outside but the Heart Break Kid triumphantly kicked out. Multiple superkicks on Taker were also not enough to keep him down. It also had a breathtaking moonsault spot on the announce table.

Finally, as Shawn kicked out of a second tombstone piledriver, the Undertaker knew he had him beat. He, however, uncharacteristically showed a glimpse of mercy, after which Shawn slapped him. This enraged Taker and he hit another devastating piledriver to bring an end to Michaels' legendary career.

#1 WrestleMania 25 - The Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels

The 25th WrestleMania was quite a disappointing show apart from this gem of a match. The bout had two of the greatest in-ring workers of all time face off for the first time at the showcase of the immortals in a match which to this day, remains to be your author's all-time favorite.

Given the plethora of talent in WWE today, a lot of wrestlers can replicate this match move for move, but, no one can come close to the level of emotional appeal the two legends brought to it. Even a botched spot where the Undertaker almost broke his neck leaping over the top rope did not sabotage it in any way, rather it enhanced the overall appeal.

The finish came when both men had kicked out of each other's finishers and were completely exhausted. Michaels went on to the top rope to hit a moonsault but was caught by a tired yet standing Undertaker who then hit HBK with a tombstone piledriver for the win. This match is the epitome of professional wrestling and will remain the best for a long time to come.

What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.

Edited by Lennard Surrao