In the early 20th Century, WWE was at an interesting juncture that ultimately perhaps cost the company some potential stars. The roster held a unique blend of talent, from older stars like Shawn Michaels, Undertaker and even Ric Flair to other Attitude Era stars like Triple H and Edge.
At the same time, talent that came over from WCW and ECW were also in the mix, and future main-eventers like John Cena, Randy Orton and Batista were bursting onto the scene. That left some potential top talent performing early on the card for WrestleMania events, and resulted in some overlooked gems.
Here are five such matches from WrestleMania 18 through WrestleMania 24.
Tag Team Triple Threat
To get it out of the way up front, the tag team triple threat match is second only to the modern mixed tag match for the most awkward match stipulation. Having three teams but only two represented in the ring is a tough booking assignment, but Team Angle, Los Guerreros and the team of Chris Benoit and Rhyno pulled it off well at WrestleMania 19.
The match held a great blend of styles, from Shelton Benjamin’s raw athleticism and pure wrestling ability to Benoit’s technical skills to the wily strategy of the Guerreros. These six men did a great job of using the unique match rules and the natural confusion that would ensue to create a compelling match.
Christian vs. Chris Jericho
Christian and Chris Jericho are two of the better in-ring workers from this era of WWE, commonly known as the “Ruthless Aggression” Era. That was maybe never more evident than WrestleMania 20, when they went to battle in a matchup with no real stakes.
They put on quite a show, with each man putting his body on the line for high spots while also staying true to his fundamentally sound roots. In the end, Trish Stratus – the impetus for a matchup between former tag team partners – became the deciding factor as she turned on Jericho after seemingly assisting Christian to victory on accident.
Debut of MITB
These days, the Money in the Bank ladder match has its own pay-per-view and is an accepted aspect of the WWE calendar and storyline. But that obviously wasn’t always the case, and the match got its start at WrestleMania 21 in 2005.
That first MITB match with a world title match contract in a briefcase above the ring included Chris Jericho, Edge, Shelton Benjamin, Chris Benoit, Kane and Christian. The match was a solid introduction to the concept, with Edge coming out on top for a contract that eventually resulted in the first top title of his career the next January.
ECW Originals vs. The New Breed
Eight-man tag team matches are a tricky format to do well, but this one was really entertaining, even if it lacked what traditional ECW fans would expect from eight men carrying that brand. There were no hardcore rules, and no weapons came into play.
But the match had great action, with the older Originals – Rob Van Dam, Tommy Dreamer, Sabu and The Sandman – going out of their way to impress with high-risk moves. And the match is worth watching if for nothing else than the look on Tommy Dreamer’s face as he takes the ring and then later after his team wins in front of 80,000 fans in Detroit.
Battle for Brand Supremacy
Clearly, this wasn’t a showcase of in-ring technicians. That said, it was a battle of two men who did really well at the style they were best at working – an athletic brawl. Both men move well for their size, and they put on a compelling match while conveying real animosity.
What was also worth noting was the absence of the stakes getting in the way. Even though the WWE shoehorned its brand split into the biggest show of the year, the "brand supremacy” angle didn’t really play a role in the match, which helps this one hold up even after the brand split became a thing of the past, at least for now.
Teddy Long snaps when Swerve Strickland's race is brought up HERE
