Top 10 WrestleMania Matches Pt 1
10. Kurt Angle vs Brock Lesnar, WWE Championship, WrestleMania XIX
This match was the main rivalry heading into WrestleMania XIX, and it definitely lived up to the hype. Kurt had won the championship a few months prior at Armageddon, and Brock had won the Royal Rumble match. One of the conditions of the match was that is Kurt Angle as counted out or Disqualified, he would lose the championship. The match would start with chain wrestling between the two before they’d hit some of their big moves. The highlight of the match was when Lesnar would hit an F5 followed by attempting a Shooting Star Press which he botched by under rotating, resulting in a concussion. Brock would go on to win this match after pinning Angle.
9. Shawn Michaels vs Razor Ramon, WWF Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match, WrestleMania X
This match revolutionised ladder matches in professional wrestling, as well as help set the bar for Intercontinental Championship matches. Both men laid claim to being the IC Champion, despite Razor Ramon being officially recognised as the sole holder of the championship. Shawn Michaels had been suspended during his reign for steroid use, thus being stripped of the championship. He would return in November 1993, cordoning he never lost the championship, leading to the WrestleMania match between the two men.
8. Randy Orton vs Batista vs Daniel Bryan, WWE World Heavyweight Championship, WrestleMania XXX
Ahh, the “YES!” Movement. Who could forgot this? The WWE Universe made it known they were clearly behind Daniel Bryan, and when Batista won the Royal Rumble, the fans gave the Authority a piece of their mind. Batista was dubbed “Bluetista” and “Bootista” throughout this run, and would chant for Daniel Bryan at every chance. Daniel Bryan would face Triple H at WrestleMania XXX did to the Authority calling Daniel Bryan a “B Player”, and it would later be given the stipulation of the winner would be added to the main event of Randy Orton vs Batista. Daniel Bryan would win this match and turn the main event into a triple threat, which he would also win, becoming WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
7. John Cena vs Shawn Michaels, WWE Championship, WrestleMania 23
One of the few matches where Tag Team Champions faces each other at WrestleMania, and the only one where a World Heavyweight Championship was on the line. Shawn Michaels win a triple threat match to get this championship shot, defeating Randy Orton and Edge in a triple threat match. Shortly after this, Orton and Edge, who were the World Tag Team Champions, would attack Cena, leading to HBK fending off Rated-RKO and forming a tag team with Cena, and winning the World Tag Team Championships in the process. The story behind the feud was Shawn Michaels would notoriously betray his tag team partners, but claimed the this time would be different. HBK kept his word until up until WrestleMania. Cena would go on to win the match, and true to his past, Shawn Michaels would turn his back on John Cena the following night on Raw when he would eliminate the leader of the Cenation in a Battle Royal for the World Tag Team Championships.
6. Shawn Michaels vs Ric Flair, Career Match, WrestleMania 24
During 2007, Ric Flair took a number of months off before returning claiming he would never retire. Vince McMahon would come out and tell Flair that the next match he lost, Flair would have to retire. This led to a string of matches where people would challenge Ric in hopes to be the one that retired the Nature Boy, but each time, Flair would win. WrestleMania approached and it was announced that Shawn Michaels would be Flairs opponent and the Ric Flair would be inducted into the 2008 Hall of Fame. Shawn Michaels would go onto win what would go on to be awarded Match of the Year and send Ric Flair into retirement.
Northern Adelaide suburbs resident with a lifelong passion for professional wrestling since the age of 14. What drew Rhys to wrestling was the antics of Eddie Guerrero and the freestyles of John Cena, and has been hooked ever since. Currently, Rhys watches WWE and AEW programing. This passion for wrestling has led to Rhys writing for PW Down Under, where he has become the resident PPV guy.
