10 WWE WrestleMania Matches That Should Have Closed The Show

WrestleMania is WWE’s biggest show of the year, the culmination of months of hard work, planning and preparation. Key storylines leading into the show and the top matches on the show itself are typically planned well in advance, those involving the very top stars taking precedence.

The Showcase of the Immortals has in recent times grown to accommodate as many of the active roster as possible, often featuring multi-man matches or battle royals so that everyone from Curt Hawkins to Shelton Benjamin can have their WrestleMania moment.

Naturally, the top matches are set aside for your John Cenas, Brock Lesnars and whatever legends or current headliners are in the mix. As it’s such a stacked show, WrestleMania arguably has several ‘main events’ but the reality is that only one match can go on last.

Common sense would tell you that the last match on the card should go to the match with the biggest stars or with the hottest angle going into the show, but that has not always been the case. WWE have routinely got the WrestleMania show-closer wrong, which is baffling when usually the most worthy match is usually RIGHT THERE ON THE SAME SHOW.

Whether plainly obvious at the time or easy to say in retrospect, the following matches should have, if the powers that be were paying attention, closed out WrestleMania in style.

10. Randy Savage Vs. The Ultimate Warrior – WrestleMania VII

WrestleMania VII had its share of issues, the main one being that the show was moved from the 100,000 person capacity Lost Angeles Memorial Coliseum to the much smaller Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, due to ‘security concerns’.

The concerns, such as they were, stemmed from the possibility of a potential attack or attacks on wrestlers, fans or the building itself due to the heat generated from WWE Champion Sargent Slaughter’s turn as an Iraqi sympathiser in the wake of the Gulf War.

Riding a wave of good old-fashioned red, white and blue-blooded American patriotism, noted flag waver Hulk Hogan was challenging for the strap in the jingoistic headliner. While all well and good as a morale booster for those that reside in the land of the free, WWE’s international fanbase were left out in the cold, gravitating to a much more compelling and universal rivalry that was concluded further down the card.

The outing that should have gone on last was Macho King Randy Savage’s ‘Retirement Match’ with The Ultimate Warrior.

A way better contest than the Hulkster and Sarge could ever wish to pull off, the Savage/Warrior match had everything needed to close out the biggest show of the year.

They had a simple yet well-defined issue, with Randy having cost Warrior the WWE Title at the Royal Rumble, a great story within the match itself, real stakes with both men’s careers being on the line, audience investment and an iconic finish and post-match angle.

Sincerely, if WWE could go back in time and redo the show I’m sure they would yell ‘cut’ seconds after the reunion between Savage and Miss Elizabeth and have Hogan’s mandatory pose-down take place somewhere around match number ten.

Incredibly, Savage and Warrior’s big blowoff was match number seven on a fourteen-match card, meaning they went on before Greg Valentine, Virgil, The Mountie and Paul Roma.

10. Randy Savage Vs. The Ultimate Warrior – WrestleMania VII

WrestleMania VII had its share of issues, the main one being that the show was moved from the 100,000 person capacity Lost Angeles Memorial Coliseum to the much smaller Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, due to ‘security concerns’.

The concerns, such as they were, stemmed from the possibility of a potential attack or attacks on wrestlers, fans or the building itself due to the heat generated from WWE Champion Sargent Slaughter’s turn as an Iraqi sympathiser in the wake of the Gulf War.

Riding a wave of good old-fashioned red, white and blue-blooded American patriotism, noted flag waver Hulk Hogan was challenging for the strap in the jingoistic headliner. While all well and good as a morale booster for those that reside in the land of the free, WWE’s international fanbase were left out in the cold, gravitating to a much more compelling and universal rivalry that was concluded further down the card.

The outing that should have gone on last was Macho King Randy Savage’s ‘Retirement Match’ with The Ultimate Warrior.

A way better contest than the Hulkster and Sarge could ever wish to pull off, the Savage/Warrior match had everything needed to close out the biggest show of the year.

They had a simple yet well-defined issue, with Randy having cost Warrior the WWE Title at the Royal Rumble, a great story within the match itself, real stakes with both men’s careers being on the line, audience investment and an iconic finish and post-match angle.

Sincerely, if WWE could go back in time and redo the show I’m sure they would yell ‘cut’ seconds after the reunion between Savage and Miss Elizabeth and have Hogan’s mandatory pose-down take place somewhere around match number ten.

Incredibly, Savage and Warrior’s big blowoff was match number seven on a fourteen-match card, meaning they went on before Greg Valentine, Virgil, The Mountie and Paul Roma.

9. Bret Hart Vs. Yokozuna – WrestleMania IX

Two years later and terrible Terry is up to his old tricks again, this time  sticking his nose where it didn’t belong to take down another foreign menace, Yokozuna.

Hogan had already had a match earlier in the show, teaming with Brutus ‘The Barber’ Beefcake to take on IRS and Ted DiBiase, also known as Money Inc.

Hogan slumming it in the mid-card of what was, all things considered, a rather terrible WrestleMania (possibly the worst ever), made sense when you consider that WWE were due to embark on a youth movement that prioritised athleticism and Hogan would be gone from the company by the summer.

Bret Hart defending his WWE Title against Yokozuna was the scheduled main event of the show and looked set to close it. Hart had been promised a long reign as Champion and probably assumed that he was going to beat the super heavyweight and walk out of Caesars Palace with the gold around his waist.

It didn’t quite turn out that way, with Yoko emerging victorious thanks to Mr. Fuji and a handful of salt. The match wasn’t great – they’d have a slightly better one in the main event of next year’s show – and the result was a blow to The Hitman’s growing fanbase, but the post-match tomfoolery was unforgivable.

Following the loss, Hogan – a good man with no ulterior motive – waddled out to check on Bret, who clearly needed a concerned friend after the devastating salt attack. Mr. Fuji, auditioning for ‘dumbest wrestling manager ever’ (and trust me that covers some ground) challenged Hogan on behalf of his client on the spot, putting the WWE Title on the line for good measure.

Cheering him on like a pink and black patsy, The Excellence of Execution was just fine with Hogan fighting his battles for him and the match was on. And then the match was over, thirty whole seconds later. Clothesline, big boot, 1-2-3.

WrestleMania IX is by no means a good show but this terrible piece of business just makes it that much worse. Bret and Yoko should have gone on last and Bret, by rights, should have gone over.

9. Bret Hart Vs. Yokozuna – WrestleMania IX

Two years later and terrible Terry is up to his old tricks again, this time  sticking his nose where it didn’t belong to take down another foreign menace, Yokozuna.

Hogan had already had a match earlier in the show, teaming with Brutus ‘The Barber’ Beefcake to take on IRS and Ted DiBiase, also known as Money Inc.

Hogan slumming it in the mid-card of what was, all things considered, a rather terrible WrestleMania (possibly the worst ever), made sense when you consider that WWE were due to embark on a youth movement that prioritised athleticism and Hogan would be gone from the company by the summer.

Bret Hart defending his WWE Title against Yokozuna was the scheduled main event of the show and looked set to close it. Hart had been promised a long reign as Champion and probably assumed that he was going to beat the super heavyweight and walk out of Caesars Palace with the gold around his waist.

It didn’t quite turn out that way, with Yoko emerging victorious thanks to Mr. Fuji and a handful of salt. The match wasn’t great – they’d have a slightly better one in the main event of next year’s show – and the result was a blow to The Hitman’s growing fanbase, but the post-match tomfoolery was unforgivable.

Following the loss, Hogan – a good man with no ulterior motive – waddled out to check on Bret, who clearly needed a concerned friend after the devastating salt attack. Mr. Fuji, auditioning for ‘dumbest wrestling manager ever’ (and trust me that covers some ground) challenged Hogan on behalf of his client on the spot, putting the WWE Title on the line for good measure.

Cheering him on like a pink and black patsy, The Excellence of Execution was just fine with Hogan fighting his battles for him and the match was on. And then the match was over, thirty whole seconds later. Clothesline, big boot, 1-2-3.

WrestleMania IX is by no means a good show but this terrible piece of business just makes it that much worse. Bret and Yoko should have gone on last and Bret, by rights, should have gone over.

8. Kurt Angle & Ronda Rousey Vs. Triple H & Stephanie McMahon – WrestleMania 34

Only once before has a tag team match main evented WrestleMania and that was at the first WrestleMania, before anyone really knew what WrestleMania really was. That match was a special attraction affair, teaming Hulk Hogan and Mr. T up to fend off the villainous Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff, with legendary boxer Muhammad Ali acting as the special referee.

The main event of WWE’s flagship show is ordinarily reserved for singles matches or multi-person matches over singles titles. Given Vince McMahon’s long held aversion to presenting tag team wrestling as anything other than midcard filler, it’s no surprise that a tag team match hasn’t had top billing since 1985.

He should have thought about changing tack at WrestleMania 34, because nothing on that show was as good or notable as Kurt Angle and Ronda Rousey vs. Triple H and Stephanie McMahon.

Rowdy Ronda’s first professional match ever, the pioneering former UFC champion entered a sensational performance, more than keeping pace with her three experienced co-pilots. And how great was it to see Kurt Angle, who hadn’t been in a WrestleMania ring since 2006, out there proving that he could still go when called upon?

Triple H and Steph, so often the object of scorn from fans more concerned with their backstage roles, played their parts to perfection and worked overtime to make sure their opponents – especially Rousey – came out looking like stars.

The match had a bit of everything and was laid out extremely well, something that cannot be said of the alleged main event between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns; two premier performers that were hamstrung by bad booking and a crowd who were tired and more interested in amusing themselves with hilarious – and I say that with commas well and truly inverted – chants like ‘boring’ and ‘this is awful’.

Had the tag team match went on last, the fans might have been more alert. After all, seventeen straight hours of wrestling is a lot for most people, yet the sports entertainment smorgasbord of Rousey, Angle, Triple H and Stephanie offered enough excitement to keep the apathy at bay.

8. Kurt Angle & Ronda Rousey Vs. Triple H & Stephanie McMahon – WrestleMania 34

Only once before has a tag team match main evented WrestleMania and that was at the first WrestleMania, before anyone really knew what WrestleMania really was. That match was a special attraction affair, teaming Hulk Hogan and Mr. T up to fend off the villainous Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff, with legendary boxer Muhammad Ali acting as the special referee.

The main event of WWE’s flagship show is ordinarily reserved for singles matches or multi-person matches over singles titles. Given Vince McMahon’s long held aversion to presenting tag team wrestling as anything other than midcard filler, it’s no surprise that a tag team match hasn’t had top billing since 1985.

He should have thought about changing tack at WrestleMania 34, because nothing on that show was as good or notable as Kurt Angle and Ronda Rousey vs. Triple H and Stephanie McMahon.

Rowdy Ronda’s first professional match ever, the pioneering former UFC champion entered a sensational performance, more than keeping pace with her three experienced co-pilots. And how great was it to see Kurt Angle, who hadn’t been in a WrestleMania ring since 2006, out there proving that he could still go when called upon?

Triple H and Steph, so often the object of scorn from fans more concerned with their backstage roles, played their parts to perfection and worked overtime to make sure their opponents – especially Rousey – came out looking like stars.

The match had a bit of everything and was laid out extremely well, something that cannot be said of the alleged main event between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns; two premier performers that were hamstrung by bad booking and a crowd who were tired and more interested in amusing themselves with hilarious – and I say that with commas well and truly inverted – chants like ‘boring’ and ‘this is awful’.

Had the tag team match went on last, the fans might have been more alert. After all, seventeen straight hours of wrestling is a lot for most people, yet the sports entertainment smorgasbord of Rousey, Angle, Triple H and Stephanie offered enough excitement to keep the apathy at bay.

7. Brock Lesnar Vs. Goldberg – WrestleMania 33

A common criticism of WWE these days is that the stars of the past are prioritised over stars of the present and are stopping others from becoming stars of the future. This era of part-timers coming back for short runs leading to major shows like WrestleMania has also led to some of the worst and most uncomfortable-to-watch matches in recent times.

That could well have been the case when Goldberg and Brock Lesnar clashed over the Universal Title at WrestleMania 33. Goldberg had been basically retired since leaving WWE in 2004 and, when he did return in 2016, the only matches he had were super short squashes where he was mainly on offense and only had to do a few moves. You know, the exact thing that made him so popular in the 90s.

The match with The Beast Incarnate at ‘Mania would have to be different, since fans had already seen Da Man flatten him in short order at Survivor Series. Plus, the two men needed to have a good, proper match on the grandest stage to get rid of the painful memory of their calamitous encounter at WrestleMania XX.

Fortunately, both men turned up with their working boots on and had a terrific match that was like a mini monster movie, full of big power moves and physicality. There was more action in the first minute here than there was in 2004 at Madison Square Garden.

Though it was still short by most people’s standards – the match ran under five minutes – it was a spectacle that would have been at home as a headliner. The crowd on were on their side and ate everything up, a testament to the way the match had been built and the talents of the two performers.

Headlining that year was Roman Reigns and The Undertaker, a disjointed affair over who was the biggest dog or who owned the yard, or something to that affect. The show was a legitimate seven hours including the pre-show and by that point everyone was exhausted.

It didn’t help that the match was long and full of mistakes. After Reigns’s hollow victory, it appeared as though the Undertaker was retiring, leaving his hat and coat in the ring and making a drawn out, emotional exit from the ring.

If that really was the case, maybe the match should have closed the show for sentimental reasons. After all, no performer is more respected than The Deadman and his last match should be a WrestleMania main event.

History has told us that WrestleMania 33 was not Undertaker’s last match – as if a professional wrestler would ever really retire – and, for that reason, it shouldn’t have gone last. Brock and Lesnar’s battle of the burly big-boys should have instead.

7. Brock Lesnar Vs. Goldberg – WrestleMania 33

A common criticism of WWE these days is that the stars of the past are prioritised over stars of the present and are stopping others from becoming stars of the future. This era of part-timers coming back for short runs leading to major shows like WrestleMania has also led to some of the worst and most uncomfortable-to-watch matches in recent times.

That could well have been the case when Goldberg and Brock Lesnar clashed over the Universal Title at WrestleMania 33. Goldberg had been basically retired since leaving WWE in 2004 and, when he did return in 2016, the only matches he had were super short squashes where he was mainly on offense and only had to do a few moves. You know, the exact thing that made him so popular in the 90s.

The match with The Beast Incarnate at ‘Mania would have to be different, since fans had already seen Da Man flatten him in short order at Survivor Series. Plus, the two men needed to have a good, proper match on the grandest stage to get rid of the painful memory of their calamitous encounter at WrestleMania XX.

Fortunately, both men turned up with their working boots on and had a terrific match that was like a mini monster movie, full of big power moves and physicality. There was more action in the first minute here than there was in 2004 at Madison Square Garden.

Though it was still short by most people’s standards – the match ran under five minutes – it was a spectacle that would have been at home as a headliner. The crowd on were on their side and ate everything up, a testament to the way the match had been built and the talents of the two performers.

Headlining that year was Roman Reigns and The Undertaker, a disjointed affair over who was the biggest dog or who owned the yard, or something to that affect. The show was a legitimate seven hours including the pre-show and by that point everyone was exhausted.

It didn’t help that the match was long and full of mistakes. After Reigns’s hollow victory, it appeared as though the Undertaker was retiring, leaving his hat and coat in the ring and making a drawn out, emotional exit from the ring.

If that really was the case, maybe the match should have closed the show for sentimental reasons. After all, no performer is more respected than The Deadman and his last match should be a WrestleMania main event.

History has told us that WrestleMania 33 was not Undertaker’s last match – as if a professional wrestler would ever really retire – and, for that reason, it shouldn’t have gone last. Brock and Lesnar’s battle of the burly big-boys should have instead.

6. The Undertaker Vs. Triple H – WrestleMania XXVII

WrestleMania XXVII is fondly looked back at as the show that gave us Jerry Lawler versus Michael Cole, a match involving Snooki and The Miz headlining.

Yes, The Miz headlined WrestleMania. That is a thing that happened.

No disrespect to Miz, who has proven himself as a top performer time and time again over the years, but him in the main event of the biggest show of the year is still just well, weird, all of these years of midcard dependability later.

Naturally, Miz wasn’t the main focus of the match anyway. The goal was to set up John Cena against The Rock, acting as the host of the show, as the headliner for next year’s supershow. Because why use regular television to progress storylines when you can do it on the biggest show of the year, that people still paid for back then, and that is traditionally used as a place to end rivalries?

Miz versus Cena was what it was – i.e. not very good and with a terrible double count-out initial finish followed by a restart and The Awesome One going over thanks to The Great One – and would have been alright if it wasn’t put in the position it was in.

Of the rest of the matches from a run-of-the-mill ‘Mania, Triple H and The Undertaker’s epic No Holds Barred war would have been the best way to cover for this glaring 'Miztake'.

The two legends set the tone right from the off, making special entrances to Metallica’s pulsating For Whom the Bell Tolls (Triple H) and Johnny Cash’s haunting Ain’t no Grave (Undertaker), letting everyone know that this was WrestleMania and this was going to special.

The match lived up to the hype and expectation, matching if not surpassing their first ‘Mania encounter ten years earlier at WrestleMania X-Seven. There were spectacular dives, big stunts and a level of brutality not often seen in a post-PG WWE ring – including a skull-smashing chair shot to the head delivered from The King of Kings to the Phenom that got both men fined.

Though there were no titles on the line, The Streak was at stake and at that point The Streak meant as much if not more than any title, meaning that there was enough riding on the match for it to close the show.

At half-an-hour long and with all the bells, whistles, smoke and mirrors you’d ever want or need, Triple H and The Undertaker’s No Holds Barred match should by rights have finished things out.

Also, imagine the scenes if the final shots of WrestleMania 27 were The Undertaker being stretchered out of the stadium! How could anything top that?

6. The Undertaker Vs. Triple H – WrestleMania XXVII

WrestleMania XXVII is fondly looked back at as the show that gave us Jerry Lawler versus Michael Cole, a match involving Snooki and The Miz headlining.

Yes, The Miz headlined WrestleMania. That is a thing that happened.

No disrespect to Miz, who has proven himself as a top performer time and time again over the years, but him in the main event of the biggest show of the year is still just well, weird, all of these years of midcard dependability later.

Naturally, Miz wasn’t the main focus of the match anyway. The goal was to set up John Cena against The Rock, acting as the host of the show, as the headliner for next year’s supershow. Because why use regular television to progress storylines when you can do it on the biggest show of the year, that people still paid for back then, and that is traditionally used as a place to end rivalries?

Miz versus Cena was what it was – i.e. not very good and with a terrible double count-out initial finish followed by a restart and The Awesome One going over thanks to The Great One – and would have been alright if it wasn’t put in the position it was in.

Of the rest of the matches from a run-of-the-mill ‘Mania, Triple H and The Undertaker’s epic No Holds Barred war would have been the best way to cover for this glaring 'Miztake'.

The two legends set the tone right from the off, making special entrances to Metallica’s pulsating For Whom the Bell Tolls (Triple H) and Johnny Cash’s haunting Ain’t no Grave (Undertaker), letting everyone know that this was WrestleMania and this was going to special.

The match lived up to the hype and expectation, matching if not surpassing their first ‘Mania encounter ten years earlier at WrestleMania X-Seven. There were spectacular dives, big stunts and a level of brutality not often seen in a post-PG WWE ring – including a skull-smashing chair shot to the head delivered from The King of Kings to the Phenom that got both men fined.

Though there were no titles on the line, The Streak was at stake and at that point The Streak meant as much if not more than any title, meaning that there was enough riding on the match for it to close the show.

At half-an-hour long and with all the bells, whistles, smoke and mirrors you’d ever want or need, Triple H and The Undertaker’s No Holds Barred match should by rights have finished things out.

Also, imagine the scenes if the final shots of WrestleMania 27 were The Undertaker being stretchered out of the stadium! How could anything top that?

5. Shawn Michaels Vs. Diesel – WrestleMania XI

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Shawn Michaels is called Mr. WrestleMania because of his exemplary track record of putting on great matches on the biggest and most important stage. His WrestleMania bouts with Razor Ramon, Bret Hart, Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho, Ric Flair and The Undertaker are some of the best in the long and storied history of the event.

Not quite as memorable but still really good, was HBK’s WrestleMania XI match with Diesel, the culmination of a long-simmering feud between Michaels and his former bodyguard and then-WWE Champion.

Kevin Nash has better hair than matches, but him and his Kliq buddy always had chemistry and he seemed to go the extra mile when they were in the ring together. This match is a shining example of that, Big Daddy Cool putting in a shift and by no means being carried.

As well as being a good match, Michaels versus Diesel had some of that extra razzmatazz that often accompanies big-time ‘Mania main events. There were celebrities galore, with Jenny McCarth, Pamela Anderson, a young Jonathon Taylor Thomas and Sid all involved.

The actual and long-forgotten match that closed the show was Bam Bam Bigelow taking on Lawrence Taylor.

Now, if you’re British like me and are wondering who the hell Lawrence Taylor is, L.T. was a Hall of Fame pro football player, who these days is as famous for his run ins with the law as he is for his on-field exploits.

He may have been a big deal to football fans and generated WWE a bit of mainstream publicity, but he was not a WrestleMania main eventer. His match with The Beast from the East was better than expected, mainly down to the talented Bigelow and guidance from referee and match layout expert Pat Patterson, on hand to guide the inexperienced two-time Super Bowl champion should he get lost.

It was better than expected but the bar was set low and ‘better than expected’ is really not something you should be saying about the last match on your most important show of the year.

When you think about the relevance of Taylor now and how Bam Bam’s WWE run is mostly viewed as one big missed opportunity, whereas Michaels and Nash are much-missed WWE Hall of Famers, retrospectively you have to say that they should have gone on last.

4. Randy Savage Vs. Ric Flair – WrestleMania VIII

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In an ideal world, WrestleMania VIII would have been headlined by Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan over the WWE Title. A battle of WCW’s franchise player and WWE’s golden boy, the two top stars of the eighties, it would have been huge.

A proper fantasy matchup, it was even announced as happening on WWE television before the company walked it back and changed things to a double main event of Hogan against Sid and Flair against Randy Savage. The dream match would have to wait until Hogan and Flair were wrestling for WCW two years later.

There are various theories as to why the change was made – some say the Hulkster didn’t want to do the job, brother, and others say that Vince wasn’t convinced it would work as a top-line attraction, having already run the match as a headliner on house shows and been unconvinced by the results.

Whatever the case, the match was off and both men had new opponents. While it was a double main-event, only one match could go on last and close the show. Both were worthy from a star power perspective, but only one of them had the WWE Title on the line and a hot angle leading into it.

That was The Nature Boy and the Macho Man, whose rivalry was built around Flair’s claim that Randy’s wife and manager Miss Elizabeth was ‘mine before she was yours’ – a statistical probability when you look at Flair’s record in the eighties.

Sid and Hogan, on the other hand, was centred on the fact that they used to be mates and that it might be Hogan’s last match when, in reality, he took a long holiday and waited for the steroid scandal to go away.

Hogan and Sid had a crap match, only remembered today because it ended with the surprise return of the Ultimate Warrior. Flair and Savage, meanwhile, had their typically great match that seemed to have a bit more energy to it, likely due to the match setting or perhaps the quality of the cocaine that was backstage.

Flair clearly wanted the match to be remembered and did a blade job at a time when blood was outlawed by the company. He tried to do it on the sly and got caught and fined, but fair play to Slic Ric for going all out in order to make his match stand out.

Another reason that this match should have gone on last was the surprise WWE Title victory for Macho Man. How much better would it have been going off the air with Savage and Liz in the ring celebrating his title triumph one year after reuniting at WrestleMania VII?

Loads better, that’s how much!

3. Bret Hart Vs. Steve Austin – WrestleMania 13

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Number three on our list is a total no-brainer. In fact, even a man with half the brain that you do could figure it out.

That’s right, it’s another appearance from our pal Sid who, five years after stinking up the main event of WrestleMania VII, was back to bore the masses in a WWE Title match with The Undertaker, another man who had a string of stinkers [before he was put in with an opponent that he could really do something with].

That man was not Sid and this match was a meandering mess, remembered today because of an urban legend that Sid had an accident on the Tombstone finish...

The match that went on two matches before them had anything but a bad finish; the Steve Austin and Bret Hart Submission Match ending with one of the most iconic images in all of wrestling history, a crimson-clad Austin passing out while in the Sharpshooter.

Leading up to that moment, Austin and Bret had an airtight contest that had a little bit of everything and was fought at an exhaustive pace. The post-match happenings are also noteworthy, featuring a rare double turn, Hart going heel while Austin turned babyface.

One of the best matches of the 90s, Bret and Austin’s match at WrestleMania 13 should have closed the show that night. It helped Stone Cold on his way to becoming the biggest star in the company, reinvigorated The Hitman and set up a summer of Austin versus The Hart Foundation, leading to hours of must-see TV and great matches.

2. Shawn Michaels Vs. The Undertaker – WrestleMania XXV

As mentioned previously, The Undertaker didn’t really have a proper epic WrestleMania match until many years into his WWE career. That arguably wasn’t until WrestleMania X-Seven in 2001 and his match against Triple H – by which point he was 8-0 in The Streak and had changed gimmicks.

Even after that match, ‘Taker had some snoozers – who remembers his matches with Big Show at WrestleMania XIX or his Casket Match with Mark Henry at WrestleMania 22? Yup, me neither!

Starting with his WWE Title blockbuster with Batista at WrestleMania 23, ‘Taker arguably had the best match at the show of shows for the next six years, the pick of the bunch being the all-time classic he and Shawn Michaels put together at ‘Mania XXV.

High-flying, slugfest, excellent character work and psychology, amazing false finishes – Shawn and ‘Taker had something for everyone and felt half as long as its 30-minute runtime. It also managed to create a genuine belief that HBK might break The Streak, particularly on the spot where Undertaker missed a giant dive over the ropes, was supposed to land on a cameraman but actually fell head-first onto the floor; The Deadman an inch or two away from potentially living up to his name.

It was a barnburner for sure, one of the best WrestleMania matches ever and something that holds up on repeat viewings. Pity then that it didn’t close the show. That task fell to Randy Orton and Triple H and, unfortunately, they couldn’t hope to follow it.

They had a great feud leading up to the match and there should have been a lot of heat there, considering Orton had RKO’d Hunter’s wife and kicked his father in law in the side of the head. But there just wasn’t, their match playing out before an indifferent audience who were probably burned out after what they’d witnessed not long before.

Or maybe Randy Orton against Triple H in a series that had been going on for almost five years at that point just wasn’t thought of as special enough for the main event of the Grandaddy of them All.

2. Shawn Michaels Vs. The Undertaker – WrestleMania XXV

As mentioned previously, The Undertaker didn’t really have a proper epic WrestleMania match until many years into his WWE career. That arguably wasn’t until WrestleMania X-Seven in 2001 and his match against Triple H – by which point he was 8-0 in The Streak and had changed gimmicks.

Even after that match, ‘Taker had some snoozers – who remembers his matches with Big Show at WrestleMania XIX or his Casket Match with Mark Henry at WrestleMania 22? Yup, me neither!

Starting with his WWE Title blockbuster with Batista at WrestleMania 23, ‘Taker arguably had the best match at the show of shows for the next six years, the pick of the bunch being the all-time classic he and Shawn Michaels put together at ‘Mania XXV.

High-flying, slugfest, excellent character work and psychology, amazing false finishes – Shawn and ‘Taker had something for everyone and felt half as long as its 30-minute runtime. It also managed to create a genuine belief that HBK might break The Streak, particularly on the spot where Undertaker missed a giant dive over the ropes, was supposed to land on a cameraman but actually fell head-first onto the floor; The Deadman an inch or two away from potentially living up to his name.

It was a barnburner for sure, one of the best WrestleMania matches ever and something that holds up on repeat viewings. Pity then that it didn’t close the show. That task fell to Randy Orton and Triple H and, unfortunately, they couldn’t hope to follow it.

They had a great feud leading up to the match and there should have been a lot of heat there, considering Orton had RKO’d Hunter’s wife and kicked his father in law in the side of the head. But there just wasn’t, their match playing out before an indifferent audience who were probably burned out after what they’d witnessed not long before.

Or maybe Randy Orton against Triple H in a series that had been going on for almost five years at that point just wasn’t thought of as special enough for the main event of the Grandaddy of them All.

1. The Rock Vs. Hulk Hogan – WrestleMania X8

Billed as a once in a generation clash of two icons, The Rock versus Hulk Hogan was the true main event of WrestleMania X8.

Hogan’s first WrestleMania match in nine years, his appearance brought with it a wave of nostalgia that was strong enough to wash away the bad memories of his previous ‘Mania clunkers with Sid, Yokozuna and Sergeant Slaughter.

Though allegedly a heel, the Toronto crowd was well and truly backing the Hulkster and were electric for the clash of two of the most famous wrestlers ever. You knew that you were witnessing something special when a simple turn of the head elicited a reaction that usually accompanies a huge stunt or major title change.

From a technical perspective, the match was far from perfect. It was actually rather rudimentary. But this match didn’t need fancy technical wrestling or submissions. If you want that, go and watch a Dean Malenko match.

No, The Great One versus the Immortal One was all about the charisma, baby, and both men possessed that by the bucket. All they had to do was play the hits and the fans would be putty in their hands.

This match between two larger-than-life personalities should have gone on last. Nothing was topping it, least of all a match between Triple H and Chris Jericho, which mainly served as a backdrop to Triple H and Stephanie’s onscreen tiff and was built up effectively with such intense angles as, erm, Chris Jericho cleaning up after Triple H’s dog Lucy.

The story of Triple H’s eventual WWE Title triumph after his recovery from a major injury, awesome return and Royal Rumble victory is, in other circumstances, a logical climax for the big show, but nothing was getting close to the reaction of Dwayne and Terry’s tussle.

The sight of thousands upon thousands filing out of the Skydome as The Game held the Undisputed Title aloft said it all.

1. The Rock Vs. Hulk Hogan – WrestleMania X8

Billed as a once in a generation clash of two icons, The Rock versus Hulk Hogan was the true main event of WrestleMania X8.

Hogan’s first WrestleMania match in nine years, his appearance brought with it a wave of nostalgia that was strong enough to wash away the bad memories of his previous ‘Mania clunkers with Sid, Yokozuna and Sergeant Slaughter.

Though allegedly a heel, the Toronto crowd was well and truly backing the Hulkster and were electric for the clash of two of the most famous wrestlers ever. You knew that you were witnessing something special when a simple turn of the head elicited a reaction that usually accompanies a huge stunt or major title change.

From a technical perspective, the match was far from perfect. It was actually rather rudimentary. But this match didn’t need fancy technical wrestling or submissions. If you want that, go and watch a Dean Malenko match.

No, The Great One versus the Immortal One was all about the charisma, baby, and both men possessed that by the bucket. All they had to do was play the hits and the fans would be putty in their hands.

This match between two larger-than-life personalities should have gone on last. Nothing was topping it, least of all a match between Triple H and Chris Jericho, which mainly served as a backdrop to Triple H and Stephanie’s onscreen tiff and was built up effectively with such intense angles as, erm, Chris Jericho cleaning up after Triple H’s dog Lucy.

The story of Triple H’s eventual WWE Title triumph after his recovery from a major injury, awesome return and Royal Rumble victory is, in other circumstances, a logical climax for the big show, but nothing was getting close to the reaction of Dwayne and Terry’s tussle.

The sight of thousands upon thousands filing out of the Skydome as The Game held the Undisputed Title aloft said it all.