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WrestleMania, The Grandest Stage of Them All, is less than two months away. The anticipation for the long-running extravaganza is high among the WWE Universe.
The event has witnessed countless matches over the past thirty years. Some leave a lasting impact on everybody's heart and some make you wonder why they happened in the first place.
Nothing hurts more than watching one of your favourite wrestlers compete for the very last time in his career. In honour of those classic matches, we will take a look at the three best retirement matches in WrestleMania history.
#4: Randy Savage vs The Ultimate Warrior, WrestleMania VII
Randy Savage could wrestle a match with a broom, and he will make it look like a million bucks. He was that good.
The same was the case at WrestleMania VII when he got a classic pay-per-view match out of the Ultimate Warrior. While it's true that it takes two to tango, the Ultimate Warrior was so bland that people never expected him to display a showing of this caliber.
The story goes back to WrestleMania V in 1989 when “The Immortal” Hulk Hogan ended Randy Savage’s WWE title reign at 371 days when the two fought over Miss Elizabeth. Savage as the Macho King would drop Elizabeth in favour of Sensational Sherri and this would lead to a two-year separation between Savage and Miss Elizabeth.
Heading into WrestleMania VII, the “Macho King” headed into the match of his life as he faced The Ultimate Warrior in a career-ending match. Miss Elizabeth was on hand for the event and sat in the front row to see the match.
Warrior scored the victory to send Savage into retirement. Sherri began berating Savage and kicked him on the ground. This was too much for Elizabeth to watch and she would jump the guardrail to save her former admirer.
When Savage got up and realized what had happened, it led to an emotional reunion of the two in the ring and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Savage finally began treating Liz with respect and the two characters falling in love.
#3: The Rock vs Steve Austin, WrestleMania 19
The Rock and Steve Austin are the two biggest names in their generation of wrestlers, and there is a good reason why the WrestleMania main event came down to the two of them on more than one occasion.
WrestleMania 19 hosted the third and final match of Steve Austin and The Rock’s epic WrestleMania trilogy. It wasn’t quite as electrifying as their last bout at X-Seven, neither did anyone expected it to be.
The first time The Rock and Steve Austin met at WrestleMania, it was spectacular. But the last time these two met, at WrestleMania at Safeco Field, it was pure magic. The two milestone superstars had unbridled chemistry, but they brought it to a new level at this event. Maybe it was the fact that both men were on their way out. Austin was injured so severely that his wrestling career was basically over, and The Rock was headed to the greener pastures of Hollywood. The two didn't have anything to prove that night in Seattle, but they stole the show anyway.
#2: Ric Flair vs Shawn Michaels, WrestleMania 24
The event was the 24th anniversary of WrestleMania, the place was Orlando, Florida.
Shawn Michaels was a part of one of the most memorable moments in wrestling history. The nature-boy, Ric Flair was out to certify that he could still clash with the younger generation. He handpicked Shawn Michaels as his opponent. Michaels reluctantly accepted.
The match was an instant classic. The performance was excellent, but it took a backseat to the drama. The storyline mirrored the timeless Old Yeller. Flair begged Michaels to give him some Sweet Chin Music, and Michaels regretfully obliged. Before he pulled the trigger, he mouths the words, "I'm sorry. I love you."
It was an emotional send-off for Ric Flair, who had spent the past three decades wrestling. As emotional as it was for Flair, it was just as emotional for Michaels, who looked to Flair as his wrestling idol.
#1: The Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels, WrestleMania 26
This match has a special place in my heart, due to the fact that Shawn Michaels is one of my favourite wrestlers of all time. This match had so much emotion and heart, which you rarely see in a WWE ring anymore.
From the entrances, it told the classic story of a man walking to the end of his career. It was like all the fans that night knew that this was the last time we’d ever see Shawn Michaels wrestle.
Early in the match, The Undertaker was in deep control and was on the offensive. Of course, as the match went on, it saw a lot of high impact moves, followed by dramatic kick-outs and reversals.
WWE did a remarkable job in building up this feud. It went way back to WrestleMania 25, where The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels gave it their all to produce a match so legendary, that even WWE claims it as one of the greatest matches of all time.
It was back and forth, as these two legends battled it out to keep what was so important to each of them. Both men pulling out all the stops, as they hit their signature moves multiple times, but in the end, as we all know, the Undertaker came out on the top and the streak lived on, and the storybook of Shawn Michaels' career was closed forever.
After the celebration for the Undertaker was over, Shawn Michaels looked dejected, as he knew he was walking away from the thing he loved the most. The Undertaker helped him up to his feet showed him the utmost respect. Undertaker then left the ring, and gave Shawn his final moments in the ring, as he said goodbye to the fans.
