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411’s Countdown to WrestleMania 24: Ranking The WrestleMania’s
Posted by Dustin James on 03.14.2008




Graphic by Meehan

Welcome to 411's Countdown to Wrestlemania! My name is Dustin James and I will be your host for this lovely edition of "Ranking The WrestleMania's!" Why did 411 choose me to rank the WrestleMania's? Well, they didn't! I asked. Besides, if you don't like it, then I told you to stop reading my columns anyway, Dad.

Allow me to introduce myself to all the 411 reader's who probably have no idea who I am. My name is Dustin James, I have been a wrestling fan since 1989, I use to write for numerous wrestling websites during the hey day of the "Monday Night Wars" but I quickly lost my interest in wrestling once DX reunited. I don't know why, but seeing GOD in a WWE ring might have been the straw that broke the camel's back, and I'm not even religious!

Either way, I feel as though I'm suited to rank the WrestleMania's as I HAVE seen every Mania more then once, and not to mention I currently rank the best fighters in MMA for 411 every Thursday at 411's MMA Zone! So check it out.....you won't regret it.

Now for the guidelines in which I chose to rank the WrestleMania's:

-I put a huge emphasis on ranking WrestleMania's by work rate. Why do you guys go back and watch certain WrestleMania's? Because of awesome matches, that's why.

-I put a little bit of personal bias in here. It happens whenever something gets "ranked".

-I boosted a couple of shows up due to historical meanings.

Now, here we go...411's Countdown to WrestleMania: Ranking The WrestleMania's:



#23

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Wrestlemania 9

Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada - April 4, 1993

Attendance: 16,891


Historical Information:

- Wrestlemania 9 was the first Wrestlemania held outdoors.

- Jim Ross made his WWF debut at Wrestlemania 9.

- A scheduled match between Bam Bam Bigelow & Kamala did not take place.

Best Match:

- Shawn Michaels vs. Tatanka - WWF Intercontinental Title

Worst Match:

- The Undertaker vs. Giant Gonzalez

Comments:

Easily the worst Wrestlemania ever. This Wrestlemania might be remembered more for Bobby Heenan trying to ride a camel or Jim Ross wearing a toga. Either way, shitty times all around. Crush vs. Doink was horrendous, Hulk Hogan came out and stole all the thunder once again, this time from Bret Hart & Yokozana. Just a horrible show all together. Only watch this show if you want to be entertained by the fact that Doink The Clown had a twin.




#22

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Wrestlemania 2

Nassau Coliseum, Rosemont Horizon, L.A. Sports Arena - Uniondale, New York, Rosemont, Illinois, Los Angeles California - April 7, 1986

Attendance: 16,585 (Nassau Coliseum), 9,000 (Rosemont Horizon), 14,500 (L.A. Sports Arena)


Historical Information:

- Wrestlemania 2 was the only Wrestlemania to be located at 3 different locations.

- This was the first Wrestlemania to be show on PPV.

- Jake "The Snake" Roberts & Bret Hart both made their Wrestlemania debuts at Wrestlemania 2.

Best Match:

- The Dream Team (Brutus Beefcake/Greg Valentine) vs. The British Bulldogs

Worst Match:

- Randy Savage vs. George Steele

Comments:

Ahhh yes. Good ol Wrestlemania 2. When I think of Wrestlemania 2 I think of the NFL/WWF battle royal that took place and how HUGE that would be if they did it now. Could you imagine 10 NFL players today in a battle royal with 10 WWE wrestlers? The NFL is way bigger now then it was back then, and I know plenty of people who would love to see Terrell Owens or Chad Johnson square off against MVP or John Cena. It's just too bad the NFL would never let that happen today. Sorry for sliding off subject here......but yeah, Wrestlemania 2 blows ass.




#21

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Wrestlemania 4

Trump Plaza - Atlantic City, New Jersey - March 27, 1988

Attendance: 18,165


Historical Information:

- Wrestlemania 4 contained 16 matches, the most matches out of any other Wrestlemania.

- Wrestlemania 4 & 5 are the only two WrestleMania's to be held at the same venue two years in a row.

Best Match:

- Greg Valentine vs. Ricky Steamboat

Worst Match:

- Hulk Hogan vs. Andre The Giant

Comments:

Ahhh, good ol Wrestlemania Bore. This Wrestlemania is best known for it's WWF Championship Tournament which was just god awful. Randy Savage ended up winning the WWF Title which was huge at the time because he was basically the first WWF Champ not named Hulk Hogan since like 1985. Either way, just a crappy Wrestlemania with the biggest memorable moment for me happening to be Bad News Brown giving Bret Hart the heave ho after "co-winning" the battle royal with him. Man, do I miss Bad News Brown.




#20

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Wrestlemania 13

Rosemont, Horizon - Rosemont, Illinois - March 23, 1997

Attendance: 18,197


Historical Information:

- This was the much rumored Wrestlemania where Sycho Sid crapped his pants during his main event match against The Undertaker. The wrestling tights were never found to be checked for DNA evidence.

- Billy Gunn fought Flash Funk in the Free-For-All show that aired before the PPV.

Best Match:

- Steve Austin vs. Bret Hart

Worst Match:

- Rocky Maivia vs. The Sultan

Comments:

UGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH. I hate Wrestlemania 13. Not only because you can't tell when Sid shits his pants because every single facial expression Sid makes it looks like he is pooping himself. But also because my favorite wrestler of all-time (The Rock) happens to be in the WORST MATCH OF THE NIGHT. It's not Rocky's fault too much though because his opponent (The Sultan/Rikishi) is not the best wrestler in the World, but still......The Rock improved miles after Wrestlemania 13. The only good thing about Wrestlemania 13 was Austin/Hart and the infamous "pass out instead of tap out" finish, & the Chicago Street Fight with the LOD & Ahmed Johnson taking on the Nation of Domination. You see, if Ahmed Johnson is in the 2nd BEST MATCH OF THE NIGHT......it's not a good PPV.




#19

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Wrestlemania 15

First Union Center - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - March 28, 1999

19,514


Historical Information:

- Wrestlemania 15 featured the infamous "Brawl For All" match between Bart Gunn & Butterbean where Butterbean knocked Bart Gunn out in mere seconds.

- HHH turned his back on DX at Wrestlemania 15.

- The Hardcore Championship was defended for the first time at a Wrestlemania at Wrestlemania 15.

Best Match:

- The Rock vs. Steve Austin

Worst Match:

- The Undertaker vs. Big Boss Man - Hell In A Cell

Comments:

Yuuuuck. I hate Wrestlemania 15 for numerous reasons. Not only did I dislike the "Brawl For All" tournament all together, but also I will and STILL dislike Butterbean to this day. Plus, how can you make a Hell in the Cell match just plain horrendous? I know, I know!!! Throw the Big Boss Man in it! This Wrestlemania is most memorable to me due to the fact that HHH turned his back on DX because at the time it was a real shocker. Hell, I even remember some of my friends cursing HHH's name after praising him just 5 minutes before the turn. Other than that, CRAP SHOW.




#18

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Wrestlemania 1

Madison Square Garden - New York, New York - March 31, 1985

Attendance: 19,121


Historical Information:

- Ummm duh, it's the first Wrestlemania EVER.

- Matt Borne (who lost to Ricky Steamboat on the card) would return to the WWF years later as "Doink The Clown".

- Vince McMahon cross promoted with MTV to gain exposure and momentum for Wrestlemania.

Best Match:

- Mr. T & Hulk Hogan vs. Paul Orndorff & "Rowdy" Roddy Piper

Worst Match:

- King Kong Bundy vs. S.D. Jones

Comments:

This was not a great card by any means. There were no sort of "take your breath away" moments that Wrestlemania would become notorious for, but it is here at #18 because it was the first Wrestlemania ever, and Matt Borne wrestled on it! And in case you didn't know.......I'm a huge Matt Borne/Big Josh/Doink The Clown mark. But ya, historical show.......nuff said!




#17

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Wrestlemania 11

Hartford Civic Center, Hartford Connecticut

Attendance: 16,305


Historical Information:

- Wrestlemania 11 was later broadcasted as a special one-hour event on FOX where they showed the title match between Diesel & Shawn Michaels, as well as Lawrence Taylor vs. Bam Bam Bigelow.

- Jerry Lawler & Vince McMahon had to re-record parts of the commentary at a later date due to Lawler accidentally unplugging certain microphone cards.

- Celebrities in attendance included: Reggie White, Ken Norton Jr, Pamela Anderson, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Jenny McCarthy, Nicholas Turturro, Salt-N-Pepa, & Larry Young.

Best Match:

- Diesel vs. Shawn Michaels

Worst Match:

- The Undertaker vs. King Kong Bundy

Comments:

Wrestlemania 11 didn't have any real jaw dropping matches. It was basically banking on the name of Lawrence Taylor to sell the PPV......and it worked. Lawrence Taylor went out and performed what might have been the best "wrestler vs. celebrity" match to date. I'd highly recommend watching that match if you never have. It shows you that celebrities can "go" if called upon and they don't HAVE to win your companies world title to make an impact.




#16

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Wrestlemania 6

Skydome - Toronto, Ontario, Canada - April 1, 1990

Attendance: 67,678


Historical Information:

- As a teenager, Adam Copeland (Edge) attended Wrestlemania 6 live, and sat 11th row ringside. 12 years later he returned to the Skydome and wrestled at Wrestlemania 18.

- Future WCW champion, Diamond Dallas Page escorted the team of "Rhythm & Blues" to ringside as the driver of the team's pink Cadillac. Page also returned 12 years later and wrestled at Wrestlemania 18.

- Wrestlemania 6 was the last Wrestlemania hosted by Gorilla Monsoon and Jesse Ventura. Ventura would leave the WWF later on in the year.

Best Match:

- Hulk Hogan vs. The Ultimate Warrior

Worst Match:

- Randy Savage & Sensational Sherri vs. Dusty Rhodes & Sapphire

Comments:

If it wasn't for the Hogan/Warrior match......Wrestlemania 6 could very well have been the worst Wrestlemania ever. But glory days shined on the WWF and we were given Hogan & Warrior to entertain us. If you ask me, and if you go back and watch this card......it looks like the WWF was looking to bank the whole show on just that match alone. They obviously let a 12 year old with down syndrome book the rest of the card while the head guys booked the main event. Sometimes that Vince McMahon can be a real asshole.




#15

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Wrestlemania 18

Skydome - Toronto, Ontario, Canada - March 17, 2002

Attendance: 68,237


Historical Information:

- Wrestlemania 18 was the last Wrestlemania before the brand extension.

Best Match:

- Triple H vs. Chris Jericho

Worst Match:

- Maven vs. Goldust

Comments:

Ahh yes, good ol Wrestlemania 18! What a time it was to be a wrestling fan around Wrestlemania 18. It was going to be the first Wrestlemania for Hulk Hogan since Wrestlemania 9 and he was going to face the Attitude era's hero THE ROCK! I admit, I marked out massive for this match, it's just that Jericho/HHH & Undertaker/Flair were better wrestling matches. Still, it's awesome to go back and watch Wrestlemania 18 for Hogan/Rock, the nWo, Jericho/HHH, & Undertaker/Flair. Every thing else was just horrendous. Felt like big time filler and not Mania material.




#14

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Wrestlemania 12

Arrowhead Pond - Anaheim, California - March 31, 1996

Attendance: 18,853


Historical Information:

- The main event of Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels is the longest match in Wrestlemania history.

- The Wrestlemania 12 logo is a parody of the 20th Century Fox logo.

- Portions of the "Rowdy" Roddy Piper/Goldust "Hollywood Backlot Brawl" match used footage of the LAPD chase involving OJ Simpson.

Best Match:

- Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels

Worst Match:

- HHH vs. The Ultimate Warrior

Comments:

This Wrestlemania was built around 3 things, the Piper/Goldust match, the Ultimate Warrior's return, & Bret Hart/Shawn Michaels. I remember as a kid personally enjoying Piper vs. Goldust as well as enjoying the return of the Ultimate Warrior. It just so happens the Warrior didn't have an actual match he just went out and beat HHH in a scenario that would never happen today. Either way, this is a one match Wrestlemania so basically just pass on it and watch the Shawn/Bret match elsewhere.




#13

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Wrestlemania 7

Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena - Los Angeles, California - March 24, 1991

Attendance: 16,158


Historical Information:

- This was the first Wrestlemania to not feature Jesse "The Body" Ventura as color commentator. Bobby "The Brain" Heenan replaced Ventura and hosted the show with Gorilla Monsoon. Ventura had left the WWF months before.

- Wrestlemania 7 was the last Wrestlemania appearance of Andre The Giant.

- Wrestlemania 7 was originally suppose to take place at the L.A. Coliseum, but due to security concerns related to the Gulf War, a decision was made to hold the show at the L.A. Sports Arena.

Best Match:

- The Ultimate Warrior vs. "Macho Man" Randy Savage

Worst Match:

- Jake "The Snake" Roberts vs. "The Model" Rick Martel - Blindfold Match

Comments:

Wrestlemania 7 holds a special place in my heart because it was around this time that I was enjoying the WWF like never before. I can't even put into words how it was to be a 9 year old kid watching the WWF in 1991. However, if I go back and view the show again there are a lot of stinkers and just a few good actual wrestling matches. The "retirement" match between Warrior and Savage is REALLY good. But that's just countered by how stupid it is to have the Legion of Doom squash the AWESOME team of Power & Glory. That was a team that never got respect! Either way, watch it if you enjoyed the WWF in 1991 as it was a good show back then.




#12

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Wrestlemania 5

Trump Plaza - Atlantic City, New Jersey - April 2, 1989

Attendance: 18,946


Historical Information:

- Shawn Michaels and Big Boss Man made their Wrestlemania debuts at Wrestlemania 5.

- "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka made a surprise appearance at Wrestlemania 5. It was his first Wrestlemania appearance since Wrestlemania 1.

- Rick Rude defeated The Ultimate Warrior to win the Intercontinental Championship, it was the first pin fall loss for the Ultimate Warrior.

- The tag team of Strike Force (Rick Martel & Tito Santana) broke up at Wrestlemania 5.

Best Match:

- "Macho Man" Randy Savage vs. Hulk Hogan - WWF Championship

Worst Match:

- Bobby "The Brain" Heenan vs. "The Red Rooster" Terry Taylor

Comments:

I will be the first guy to admit that I was a huge Red Rooster fan. I only wish I still had my Red Rooster t-shirt! Either way, watching him get beat up by The Brooklyn Brawler soured me on that match. But still, I enjoyed Wrestlemania 5 just for "The Mega Powers EXPLODE", and I don't know why but I always enjoyed watching the Blue Blazer compete at a Wrestlemania. There was just enough historical stuff here for me to be happy with Wrestlemania 5's ranking. Brainbusters vs. Strike Force anyone?




#11

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Wrestlemania 3

Pontiac Silverdome - Pontiac, Michigan - March 29, 1987

Attendance: 93,173


Historical Information:

- Due to the success of Wrestlemania 3, and to capitalize on the Hogan/Andre feud. The WWE created the Survivor Series PPV.

- The recorded attendance of 93,173 is the largest indoor attendance for any event in history according to WWE.com.

- Wrestlemania 3 did not have a Tag Team Championship Match.

Best Match:

- Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat - WWE Intercontinental Title Match

Worst Match:

- "King" Harley Race vs. Junkyard Dog

Comments:

Ahhh yes, Wrestlemania 3! When I was a kid growing up (I started watching WWE around Wrestlemania 6), Wrestlemania 3 was THE Wrestlemania you had to watch. It WAS the WWF at the time. I mean, Hogan slamming Andre! Savage vs. Steamboat! Midget wrestling! Billy Jack Haynes! If you have never seen the show you must watch it for historical reasons. If you have seen the show, then you know what I'm talking about.




#10

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Wrestlemania 8

Hoosier Dome - Indianapolis, Indiana - April 5, 1992

Attendance: 62, 167


Historical Information:

- The Ultimate Warrior made his return at Wrestlemania 8. He had been missing from the WWE for months.

- A scheduled match between the British Bulldog & The Berzerker never happened.

- In a dark match, The Bushwackers beat The Beverly Brothers.

- This was the first Wrestlemania where Hulk Hogan wasn't involved in the World Title scene.

Best Match:

- Ric Flair vs. Randy Savage - WWE World Title Match

Worst Match:

- Money Inc. vs. The Natural Disasters - WWE Tag Team Title Match

Comments:

Wrestlemania 8 holds a dear place in my heart because of how enthusiastic I was at the return of the Ultimate Warrior. See, when I first started watching wrestling you were either a Warrior fan, or a Hogan fan. I happened to be a Warrior fan, while my little brother happened to be a Hulkamaniac. Needless to say I wasn't too happy when Warrior bolted from the WWE, but when I heard his music come on while Papa Shango & Sid Justice gave Hogan a beat down, I jumped for joy! HE WAS BACK! Add that to the excellent Savage/Flair match, the Hart/Piper match, & of course a Wrestlemania appearance by the REPO MAN and you get a wonderful night of Wrestlemania action.




#9

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Wrestlemania 14

Fleet Center - Boston, Massachusetts - March 29, 1998

Attendance: 19,028


Historical Information:

- Wrestlemania 14 marked the first time the WWF European Championship was defended.

- Pete Rose was attacked for the first time by Kane at Wrestlemania 14.

- Wrestlemania 14 was suppose to be the last match ever for Shawn Michaels.

- The Rock debuted "If you smell what The Rock is cooking" during an interview with Gennifer Flowers at Wrestlemania 14.

- The day after Wrestlemania 14, X-Pac made his return to the WWE after a stint with WCW.

- Mike Tyson appeared as the special "ringside enforcer" for the main event title match between "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels.

Best Match:

- Steve Austin vs. Shawn Michaels - WWF World Title Match

Worst Match:

- The Undertaker vs. Kane

Comments:

Wrestlemania 14! The Wrestlemania that was slam dunked in the middle of the "attitude era" and showed. It was when the WWE was just becoming big time main stream. Just the day after Wrestlemania, X-Pac returned to the WWE and joined a "new" DX with HHH, Chyna, & the New Age Outlaws. That was a significant moment in WWE history. This to me, is just the Wrestlemania that set off the "Attitude era". It was the first Wrestlemania without either Bret Hart or Hulk Hogan, but the WWF had faith in Steve Austin......especially when you throw in the Mike Tyson piece. Just a memorable Wrestlemania for me. Plus, any Wrestlemania that has the "New" Midnight Express on it is worth a view. Wow was that horrendous.




#8

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Wrestlemania 19

Safeco Field - Seattle, Washington - March 30, 2003

Attendance: 54,097


Historical Information:

- Wrestlemania 19 marked "Stone Cold" Steve Austin's final WWE match as an active competitor.

- Wrestlemania 19 was the first time that the World Heavyweight Title, WWF Tag Team Title, and WWE Cruiserweight Title were all defended at a Wrestlemania.

- Wrestlemania 19 broke the attendance record for Safeco Field.

- Lance Storm & Chief Morley beat Kane & Rob Van Dam to retain the WWF Tag Team Titles in a dark match.

- Wrestlemania 19 marked the long awaited WWE return of "Rowdy" Roddy Piper. Piper had not appeared in the WWE since 1996.

Best Match:

- Kurt Angle vs. Brock Lesnar - WWE Smackdown World Title

Worst Match:

- A-Train/Big Show vs. The Undertaker

Comments:

Personally, I would love to rank Wrestlemania 19 first. Why? Well, it's the only Wrestlemania I have been to live! And it was an experience I will never forget. Brock vs. Kurt! Jericho vs. HBK! Booker T vs. HHH! Team Angle vs. Rhyno/Benoit vs. Los Guerreros! Ok, I have to stop. But seriously. One of the greatest moments in my life was attending Wrestlemania 19, and what a weekend of drunken fun it was.




#7

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Wrestlemania 22

Allstate Arena - Rosemont, Illinois - April 2, 2006

Attendance: 17,159


Historical Information:

- CM Punk played one of John Cena's "gangsters" during Cena's entrance. Punk was wrestling in the WWE's developmental program at the time.

- Wrestlemania 22 was the first Wrestlemania to not feature the winner of the Royal Rumble in the final match of the night since Wrestlemania 15.

- Viscera won an Interpromotional Battle Royal in the dark match. The Battle Royal featured Eugene, Snitsky, Goldust, Tomko, Rob Conway, Lance Cade, Trevor Murdoch, Matt Striker, Super Crazy, Psicosis, Funaki, Steven Richards, Johnny Nitro, Joey Mercury, Road Warrior Animal, William Regal, and Simon Dean.

Best Match:

- Mick Foley vs. Edge - Hardcore Match

Worst Match:

- Candace Michelle vs. Torrie Wilson - Playboy Pillow Fight

Comments:

What's not to love about Wrestlemania 22? Well, besides the Booker/Boogeyman & Michelle/Wilson matches. You had a great Money in the Bank match, a great Foley vs. Edge match, a great HHH vs. Cena match and hell....even Angle/Mysterio/Orton was decent enough. A pretty damn good card that in my opinion gets a little overlooked. But still, you can go back and watch Wrestlemania 22 and see just what solid wrestling is about.




#6

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Wrestlemania 23

Ford Field - Detroit, Michigan - April 1, 2007

Attendance: 80,103


Historical Information:

- A backstage skit involving Eugene & Cryme Time got a lot of WWE Legends involved. Some of the names involved were The Fabulous Moolah, Mae Young, Slick, Dusty Rhode, IRS, Sgt. Slaughter, Ricky Steamboat & Ron Simmons.

- Celebrities in attendance included, Donald Trump, members of the Detroit Tigers, Domink Hasek, & Reverend Run from Run DMC.

- In a dark match, Ric Flair & Carlito defeated Gregory Helms and Chavo Guerrero in a tag team lumberjack match. Some of the lumberjacks included Viscera, Shad, JTG, Chris Masters, Shelton Benjamin, Charlie Haas, Robbie McAllister, Rory McAllister, Super Crazy, Val Venis, Johnny Nitro, Jim Duggan, Eugene, Lance Cade, Trevor Murdoch, Kenny Dykstra, Daivari, Shannon Moore, Sylvain Grenier, Deuce, Domino, Paul London, Brian Kendrick, The Miz, Vito, Scotty 2 Hotty, William Regal, Dave Taylor, Jimmy Wang Yang, Jamie Noble, Funaki, Balls Mahoney, Little Guido, Hardcore Holly & Snitsky.

Best Match:

- John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels - RAW World Title Match

Worst Match:

- Melina vs. Ashley - WWE Women's Title Match

Comments:

This Wrestlemania was so good, it feels like it just happened last year. Oh wait, it did just happen last year! Seriously, if you happened to miss this Wrestlemania then do yourself a favor and go out and rent it just for the epic Cena vs. Michaels match! Not only do you get that, but also you get the ALWAYS excellent Money in the Bank match, as well as a pretty good Batista vs. Undertaker match. This Wrestlemania is ranked pretty high due to how solid it was last year, it will just be interesting to see where it stands over time. Will it slide? Who knows.




#5

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Wrestlemania 21

Staples Center - Los Angeles, California - April 3, 2005

Attendance: 20, 193


Historical Information:

- Wrestlemania 21 was the first time the WWE Championship & World Heavyweight Championship changed hands on the same night at a Wrestlemania.

- Celebrities in attendance included David Arquette, Will Sasso, Motorhead, Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider, Black Eyed Peas, Ice Cube, Carmen Electra, Sylvester Stallone, & Matt Groening.

- Wrestlemania 21 marked the 4th time that HHH came out to a live rendition of his theme song at a Wrestlemania.

Best Match:

- Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels

Worst Match:

- Akebono vs. The Big Show

Comments:

Wow, we have seen some of the best WrestleMania's ever in just these recent years. Say what you will about today's current WWE product, and trust me......I know the majority of it is horrible. But they seem to turn it up at Wrestlemania time, and Wrestlemania 21 was no different. Talk about "big time". You had the epic match of Angle vs. HBK, as well as the INCREDIBLE Money in the Bank match and you have a PPV I can watch over and over and over again.




#4

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Wrestlemania 16

Arrowhead Pond - Anaheim, California - April 2, 2000

Attendance: 19,776


Historical Information:

- This was the first Wrestlemania to feature black ring ropes.

- This is the only Wrestlemania generally referred to as a year (Wrestlemania 2000) rather than a number (Wrestlemania 16).

- HHH's win in the main event was the first time a fan favorite did not walk away with the WWE Championship at a Wrestlemania.

- Wrestlemania 16 is the only Wrestlemania to not feature a traditional one-on-one match.

Best Match:

- The Dudley Boys vs. Edge & Christian vs. The Hardy Boys - WWE Tag Team Title - Triangle Ladder Match

Worst Match:

- The Kat vs. Terri

Comments:

Not only was this the name of a pretty damn good N64 wrestling game, but it was also a pretty damn good Wrestlemania. You had the pretty good Fatal-4-Way WWF Title main event between HHH, Mick Foley, Big Show, & The Rock. Then the awesome three-way European/Intercontinental Title match between Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho, and Chris Benoit. Add those two things to the EXCELLENT triangle ladder match and of course the HARDCORE battle royal! What can I say, I'm a sucker for battle royals. A pretty damn good Wrestlemania indeed.




#3

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Wrestlemania 20

Madison Square Garden - New York, New York - March 14, 2004

Attendance: 20,000


Historical Information:

- The Hall of Fame class of 2004 was inducted at Wrestlemania 20. They included Bobby Heenan, Tito Santana, Big John Studd, Harley Race, Pete Rose, Don Muraco, Greg Valentine, Junkyard Dog, "Superstar" Billy Graham, Jesse Ventura, and Sgt. Slaughter.

- The Brock Lesnar vs. Goldberg match-up was intriguing due to both competitors leaving the WWE after this show. The WWE sent them packing with Stone Cold Stunners courtesy of Steve Austin.

- Paul Bearer made his return to the WWE at Wrestlemania 20.

- Molly Holly's head was shaven due to a stipulation in a match involving Victoria.

Best Match:

- Chris Benoit vs. HHH vs. Shawn Michaels - World Heavyweight Championship

Worst Match:

- Torrie Wilson & Sable vs. Stacy Keibler & Miss Jackie - Playboy Evening Gown Match

Comments:

Wrestlemania 20, how it feels so long ago! When you think of Wrestlemania 20 you can't help but think of the image of Chris Benoit & Eddie Guerrero holding up the titles they worked so long and hard for, and now they are both gone. For those of you who want to see Benoit and Guerrero at perhaps there happiest, this is an excellent show to do so. For those of you still impacted by the Benoit tragedy, I would stay far from this PPV. But, this PPV did have some other great things on it as well, believe me. We got to see The Rock N' Sock Connection reunite and take on Evolution, we got to see Ultimo Dragon (!!!) make a Wrestlemania appearance during the Cruiserweight open, and let's not forget the forgettable match between Brock Lesnar and Goldberg. Watching the fans in attendance mess with Brock's mind is just AWESOME. Great, great, great PPV!




#2

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Wrestlemania 10

Madison Square Garden - New York, New York - March 20, 1994

Attendance: 18,065


Historical Information:

- In a dark match, The Heavenly Bodies (Jimmy Del Ray & Tom Pritchard) beat The Bushwackers.

- This was the first Wrestlemania to not feature Hulk Hogan.

- Bret "The Hitman" Hart wrestled twice on the card. He fought against Owen Hart and lost in the opening match, but defeated Yokozuna to capture the WWE Championship in the main event.

- Jerry Lawler returned to the WWE at Wrestlemania 10 after taking several months off prior.

- Tickets for Wrestlemania 10 sold out fast that people got to view the event at the Paramount Theater that is adjacent to Madison Square Garden.

Best Match:

Tie - Owen Hart vs. Bret Hart

Tie - Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon - WWE Intercontinental Title Ladder Match

Worst Match:

- Earthquake vs. Adam Bomb

Comments:

This Wrestlemania has a lot of sentimental value to me. Not only does it remind me of one of my favorite feuds of all-time in Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart, but the PPV also featured the incredible Intercontinental Title ladder match between HBK and Razor Ramon. Also, when I was a kid I LOVED the Randy Savage vs. Crush Falls Count Anywhere match....it may not hold up today but back in the day I was "crushed" when Crush came back and started painting his face. What happened to KONA CRUSH DAMNIT!?!?! Not only that but you get an appearance from Doink, Dink, The Quebecers, Men on a Mission, Lex Luger, Bam Bam Bigelow, and of course Todd Pettengill! GREAT card that brings back tons of memories.




#1

Photobucket

Wrestlemania 17

Reliant Astrodome - Houston, Texas - April 1, 2001

Attendance: 67,925


Historical Information:

- Wrestlemania 17 featured a dark match of X-Factor (Justin Credible & X-Pac) defeating Steve Blackman & Grand Master Sexay.

- Wrestlemania 17 holds the record for most title changes at a Wrestlemania, with 5.

- This was the first Wrestlemania to not feature Jerry Lawler as a commentator since Wrestlemania 9. Lawler had left the company a month earlier due to the sudden release of his girlfriend, The Kat.

- Steve Austin turned his back on the fans at Wrestlemania 17 and joined the side of Vince McMahon.

- Wrestlemania 17 featured a "Gimmick Battle Royal" featuring classic WWE gimmicks of the past. The participants included The Bushwackers, Duke "The Dumpster" Droese, Doink The Clown, Nikolai Volkoff, Tugboat, The Goon, Earthquake, The Gobbledy Gooker, Hillbilly Jim, Brother Love, Michael Hayes, One Man Gang, Kamala, Kim Chee, Jim Cornette, Repo Man, and Sgt. Slaughter. The match was won by The Iron Sheik.

- The WWE had purchased WCW just days before Wrestlemania 17. Rhyno and Spike Dudley both made surprise appearances at the show.

Best Match:

- The Dudley Boys vs. Edge & Christian vs. The Hardy Boys - TLC 2 - WWE Tag Team Titles

Worst Match:

- The Right To Censor vs. Tazz & APA

Comments:

Not only is Wrestlemania 17 the best Wrestlemania ever, it very well could be the best PPV ever. What was not to love about this show? You had Steve Austin have a great match with The Rock and then turn his back on the fans and join VINCE MCMAHON??! That was great stuff back in the day. Not only that, but you had the AWESOME TLC match between the 3 teams that I could watch wrestle any night. Add that to the sweet ass gimmick battle royal (REPO MAN!), and the excellent Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit match......it's hard not to be impressed by the impact that Wrestlemania 17 left. By the time this Wrestlemania feature on 411 is over, you might get tired of hearing about the awesomeness that is Wrestlemania 17.


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Comments (67)

 
You are rating Wrestlemania 23 6th?...Aside from Cena/Michaels which was put to shame a few weeks later in their RAW rematch, the card top to bottom sucked. When Lashley/Umaga is one your main events you know its a bad night. Also any time the IC title and tag titles are not defended, the card suffers. The ECW Originals vs NEW Breed match was underwhelming and perhaps you forgot the 6 mins Khali vs Kane took from my life that I will never get back. Even the MITB match (aside from the insanne Jeff HArdy/EDGE spot) didn;'t stand up to the previous years.

Posted By: Kevin (Guest)  on March 13, 2008 at 07:42 PM

 
 
Wrestlemania 3 had 5 tag team matches, actually. Can Am Connection vs. Bob Orton and Don Muraco, Bundy and his 2 midgets vs. Hillbilly Jim and his 2 midgets, Hart Foundation with Danny Davis vs. British Bulldogs and Koko B. Ware, and Killer B's vs. Sheik and Volkoff. And I think Brutus Beefcake and Greg Valentine fought the Rougeus, but don't quote me on that.

Posted By: Time Waster (Guest)  on March 13, 2008 at 10:13 PM

 
 
I would NOT have ranked WrestleMania 16 at #4. Only great matches were the ladder match and the main event. The last 3 WrestleManias were better than that show.

Posted By: William (Guest)  on March 14, 2008 at 12:33 AM

 
 
I agree that WrestleMania 16 is a bit overrated here, as the Ladder Match was outdone a few months later at SummerSlam, the IC Title match is way overrated considering the talent involved, and the 4-way main event is only good when it gets down to two. That said, this is a damn good list. Very close to my opinions. I would have Austin-Rock as the best match at X-Seven and Flair-Undertaker at 18, but those seem to be commonly argued. One things for sure...I doubt we'll ever see a list like this that DOESN'T have 9 ranked as worst.

Posted By: DocSarp (Guest)  on March 14, 2008 at 12:56 AM

 
 
I also think you have 16 criminally overrated. That show had about as much filler as the late 80s, early 90s shows.

But that's not the point. Thanks for actually running a decent column about WrestleMania, which I'm having trouble finding on this site.


Posted By: MP (Guest)  on March 14, 2008 at 01:44 AM

 
 
I'll continue beating the dead horse to complain at how overrated WrestleMania 2000 is. I also think you may have privileged the latter WrestleManias, which won't hold up so well in time. Still, a fun read!

Posted By: W. A. Andrews (Guest)  on March 14, 2008 at 02:13 AM

 
 
Wait how can you label Taker vs Kane at Mania 14 "worst match of the night" while it was the VERY BEST ?????

BULLSHIT

Also same for Mania 21

No mention about the Greatness than Taker vs RKO was ?

Easily match of the night alongside Angle vs Michaels

And the biggest april fool joke

Mania 23 and Cena vs HBK "Match Of The Night" while Taker vs Batista was ONE BILLION DOLLARS BETTER, got the crowd involved into it BIG TIME and Taker got the LOUDEST POP of the night on both his entance AND his pinfall over The Animal to reclaim The WHC .

Ironic also you're NOT mentionning the vastly UNDERRATED and GREAT Austin vs Rock III at Mania 19 which was easily the MOTN to me (alongside Angle vs Lesnar)


Posted By: Kyle Hyde (Guest)  on March 14, 2008 at 03:17 AM

 
 
I thought that wrestlemania 23 was terrible.

Still do an probably always will.

Number six is way too high.

I'd have it at about 16/17


Posted By: Pete (Guest)  on March 14, 2008 at 04:44 AM

 
 
Having been at WrestleMania 23, and 22 and 21 previously, i would say WrestleMania 23 was a huge disapointment. The crowd was dead and cena michaels was not that great, ie. lack of cena selling the leg. i agree with previous comments about taker batista being much better. I also think 20 should be at number 1 or 2, it was just so good. the crowd was hot the whole night. Although maybe its tainted now by recent event. also my favourite match at wrestlemania was trish v mickie, crowd was really into it and possibly the best womens match in a very long time.

Posted By: simone65 (Guest)  on March 14, 2008 at 04:48 AM

 
 
Undertaker vs Kane worst match of the night?
Wrestlemania 16 at#4??
I,m disapointed verry poor rangliste,my 2 year old nephew can do it better.


Posted By: Pavel (Guest)  on March 14, 2008 at 04:53 AM

 
 
how can you not have kane vs Khali as the worst match at wrestlemania 23

Posted By: tim (Guest)  on March 14, 2008 at 05:15 AM

 
 
Kyle Hyde you pretty much wrote down what I'm thinking. Agree with everyone that Mania 16 is massively overrated on this list and also 22 and 23. Glad that there's others who think Taker Batista was the real MOTN, a match like that is made even better when the expectations going into it are quite low.
I would rank Mania 19 higher, in fact I'd probably bump that one and 21 to numbers 3 and 4 respectively.
Is there anyone out there who doesn't like 17? A supercard unlikely to ever be topped in my opinion.
14 is too high as well. It has dated very badly and I don't think (other than for historical reasons) that there are any standout matches on the card.
I could go on about this list all day but it was a good read, cheers!


Posted By: DGT (Guest)  on March 14, 2008 at 05:18 AM

 
 
Austin-Rock at X-7 is probably the grestest story ever told in a wrestling match and therefore probably the greatest wrestling match of all time... how was it not the best match of X-7?

Posted By: Steiner (Guest)  on March 14, 2008 at 05:21 AM

 
 
your wrestlemania list very misleading how dare you put Mania 16 at #4, that sucked ass plus you shouldve ranked 3 & 12 much better this is a horrible listing of the manias though you do have 9 where it belongs

Posted By: Pete K (Guest)  on March 14, 2008 at 05:27 AM

 
 
Where I said I agree with Kyle Hyde, that doesn't stretch to his comment on Taker Kane being the best night at 14. Utter crap. Took Taker an hour to get to the ring and then it seemed to take just as long to pin Kane after a terrible match. Usually don't have a bad word against Taker but come on...

Posted By: DGT (Guest)  on March 14, 2008 at 05:45 AM

 
 
Personally 19 was the best WM in terms of workrate, mainly because this was in the era of workrate and when Smackdown was the number one brand. The main event was a great match and I think the reason it's not that well regarded as other Manias, is because it was built upon Brock Lesnar and in a year's time he would be booed out of the same event. And I'm surprised you didn't mention the awesome McMahon-Hogan match, probably the best match Hogan has had since originally leaving WWE in 1993.

Posted By: Guest#4456 (Guest)  on March 14, 2008 at 05:58 AM

 
 
afraid you got XXII ranked a lil high on the list....it started off ok enough but from the World Title triple threat to the end it stunk the place up twice over...i mean a midget won the world title just when we were all thinking the days of bad title reigns were over...i hate this Mania almost as much as IX

Posted By: Matt (Guest)  on March 14, 2008 at 06:11 AM

 
 
I think you were generally correct in your ranking,but i watched Wrestlemania 16 the other day and it has not aged well!!!

My top five would be 1.Wrestlemani 17
2.Wrestlemania 20
3.WRestlemania 3
4.Wrestlemania 8
5. Wrestlemania 14

Wrestlemania 8 was my first and is still enjoyable now as it was when i was six years old


Posted By: lobeylobes (Guest)  on March 14, 2008 at 07:44 AM

 
 
having been in the live audience at Wrestlemania 2000/16, let me just say.....IT SUCKED!!! The only things I remember from the live event are Jeff Hardy's swanton off the big ladder, I think Matt took a bump through a bunch of tables...the main event blew...the triple threat was crappy...i could go on...it sucked

Posted By: somecoolname (Guest)  on March 14, 2008 at 08:13 AM

 
 
You ranked Tazz/APA vs. Right to Censor as being worse than CHYNA VS. IVORY?!? How very dare you. That kind of error of judgment could get you shot in some countries.

For the record, my top 5 are:
1) Wrestlemania XX
2) Wrestlemania X7
3) Wrestlemania X
4) Wrestlemania 24 (hopefully)
5) Wrestlemania 21


Posted By: T.G. Corke (Registered)  on March 14, 2008 at 08:17 AM

 
 
WrestleMania 9 gets so much shit? This was a better show to watch then most of the attitude era WMs, most of the first 5 WMs easily. People just look at the results (there are a lot of shit endings) and see Hulk Hogan wins and say oh it sucks. WM 9 had a great ambiance to it and if you actually WATCHED the show and not just read the results it was real fun to watch. Im not a Hogan fan at all but I thought it was a cool surprise ending.

WM 2000 and WM 17 were prolly some of the worst WMs. Its easy to see when Dustin started watching wrestling though. Good attempt better luck next time.


Posted By: Champ (Guest)  on March 14, 2008 at 09:10 AM

 
 
It's obvious you have a bias to the more recent WrestleManias.

Posted By: Recent (Guest)  on March 14, 2008 at 09:36 AM

 
 
8 times, shawn michaels has been in the best match of the night. he is the michael jordan of professional wrestling & simply the greatest in-ring performer ever.

5 times, undertaker has been in the worst match of the night. how has 'taker lasted this long? he is clearly the most overrated "legend" in history. & i don't want to hear his supporters cry about poor booking & opponents. it's his job to make the most of what he's given, & he doesn't do that.

3 times, not including x-7, steve austin has been in the match of the night. he is clearly the most underrated in ring performer of all time, not just the beer swilling brawler that he's made out to be.


Posted By: b-rad (Guest)  on March 14, 2008 at 09:50 AM

 
 
Rhyno & Spike Dudley did not make surprise apperances, due to WCW being bought. They has both been featured on WWF tv for weeks prior and were very involved in the build-up to TLCII

Posted By: Guest#6670 (Guest)  on March 14, 2008 at 10:00 AM

 
 
your whole list is waked WM19 was whole lot better than WM23!And WM3 was the foundation for WM!wats the deal with that?

Posted By: alex (Guest)  on March 14, 2008 at 10:16 AM

 
 
MY List:
1.WM17
2.WM22
3.WM19
4.WM8
5.WM3
this list he made Bomed!


Posted By: Alex (Guest)  on March 14, 2008 at 10:28 AM

 
 
Just because some of you people are nostalgic about WM 8, doesn't mean it should be anywhere near the Top 10 of this list.

Posted By: Red (Guest)  on March 14, 2008 at 10:32 AM

 
 
LMAO @ you calling the Rock the hero of the Attitude era...go back and watch some tapes...

Austin was ALWAYS more over than the Rock...


Posted By: y2j420 (Guest)  on March 14, 2008 at 10:55 AM

 
 
I also believe that WM 2000 was a bit overrated here. Im fine with the top 3. Speaking as a person who was at WM 20. I dont think some people realize just how great that WM was. To say the crowd was hot is an understatement. I personally declare that as my favorite wrestlemania because i was able to see HBK,Rock,Austin,Flair, Foley and yes Goldberg and Lesnar. the funny thing about WM 20 was seeing flair attempt the people's elbow, hearing the roof blow off when benoit countered the pedigree into the crossface and the ever so great lesnar/goldberg match. helll there are even some chants we were making in the garden that Vince edited out ( hogan & bret chants). But above else,I will forever remember WM 20 because of Eddie & Benoit and as sad as i say it...nancy & daniel benoit.

Posted By: Maurice (Guest)  on March 14, 2008 at 11:29 AM

 
 
I think this was a VERY interesting piece you wrote up but the problem I have is you seem to give the more recent Mania's a bit too much credit.

WrestleMania 23 was really bad.



WrestleMania 2000 had 3 really good matches and 6 terrible matches that should have never been on a PPV let alone WrestleMania I mean really.

*Rikishi & Kane vs XPac & Road Dawg

*Too Cool & Chyna vs The Radicalz
(add to it that Chyna pins Eddie)

*Terri Runnels vs The Kat

*T&A vs Head Cheese

*Big Boss Man & Bull Buchanan vs D-Lo & Godfather

What an awful undercard.


WrestleMania 5 should have been higher.


Like I said. Good read but don't overrate the more recent Mania's.


Posted By: Kevin (Guest)  on March 14, 2008 at 11:36 AM

 
 
Give the guy a break. Its just his oppinions. We all have different tastes! Thanks man for sharing that with us

Posted By: Scott (Guest)  on March 14, 2008 at 11:50 AM

 
 
I may be somewhat bias because I attended the show live but Wrestlemania 22 was definitely a better show than 21 or 23 and was FAR superior to the clustered show that was Wrestlemania 2000. At Wrestlemania 22, the matches were all extremely solid, with the exception of the two you pointed out, it featured spectacular heat from the crowd, and for the first time in a very long period, it actually seemed like WWE was giving the fans what they wanted. Mysterio, Cena, Rob Van Dam, and Edge were all pushed over the incumbent main event stars we've become accustomed to. Wrestlemania 21 featured too much filler with Piper's Pit, Sumo Wrestling, and the Hogan spot (which may be considered an important spot on the show). And the main events failed to live up to the hype a show of Wrestlemania's magnitude should have. Wrestlemania 23 was centered too much around the horrible Battle of the Billionaires match. Besides that, with the amount of hype (both internally and in the media) that occured, it just didn't live up to expectations. Especially since Michaels and Cena went and had a match twice as good a few weeks later.

Posted By: Erik (Guest)  on March 14, 2008 at 12:12 PM

 
 
You criminally underrated III. It should be second or third at worst on your list. Also, X is by far the most overrated 'Mania of them all. I believe both Owen vs Bret and HBK v Hall to be WAY overrated and the rest of the card was just awful. My rankings:
1.III
2.X-7
3.XX
4.XIV
5.I


Posted By: Jason (Guest)  on March 14, 2008 at 12:17 PM

 
 
Aside from one tiny mistake (22 in my opinion was better than 23) you did an execllent job. You weren't a bias 80s mark so I salute you.

Posted By: M&M (Guest)  on March 14, 2008 at 01:05 PM

 
 
I'm sorry, but Michaels Jericho was the match of the night at WMania 19... maybe if Brock hadnt halfway killed himself during the match with Angle that would of been the best.

Posted By: Jamie (Guest)  on March 14, 2008 at 01:36 PM

 
 
Yeah I'd defintally put 16 lower. The main event was overbooked and the finish to it pissed off a lot of people.

Posted By: Giver123 (Guest)  on March 14, 2008 at 01:37 PM

 
 
Have to correct you on Wrestlemania IX. Jerry Lawler was not a commentator. It was Bobby Heenan (riding a camel backwards lol!!), debut of Jim Ross, Macho Man Randy Savage (being carried out on a Clepatra like stretcher structure) & Vince McMahon with Howard Finkus and Mean Gene Okerlund (trying to get Doink to admit there were 2 of him then after Doink closed the door on his trailer another guy (Steve Lombardi) squeezes by and goes into the trailer) and Todd Poopinapail/Pettingzoo making fun of a kid with big ears sitting in the audience...all the commentators and ring announcers and back stage interviewers wore togas...no comment on that.

Posted By: Rock 'n Roll Man (Guest)  on March 14, 2008 at 02:02 PM

 
 
well good lil column but i would say that wrestlemania through years no matter what era had one good mania throughout 80s, 90s and today. my top ten goes as such:

1.Wrestlemania XIX
2.Wrestlemania 21
3.Wrestlemania X-8
4.Wrestlemania III
5.Wrestlemania X-7
6.Wrestlemania XII
7.Wrestlemania 22
8.Wrestlemania XI
9.Wrestlemania XX
10.Wrestlemania IX
also these are out of the ones i watched. WM IX was the very first one i watched i enjoyed it even though its crapped on by todays standards. I think the IWC forgets sometimes how we became fans of this crazy sport. i would hope that we all watched these 'manias so that we arent judging by reports or review but by are own oppinion. but thats my 2cents


Posted By: babyboy3686 (Guest)  on March 14, 2008 at 02:04 PM

 
 
Good article. I think WM 18 was ranked too low, and belongs in the top ten. You had Jericho/HHH, Taker/Flair, the freaken NWO, and the heat filled magic known at Rock v. Hogan. Unless, Austin(healthy) or Rock come out of retirement to face Cena, I don't think we'll see anything like that any time soon if ever.

Posted By: Buck I (Guest)  on March 14, 2008 at 02:18 PM

 
 
WM 2000, 21 and 23 are vastly overrated in your list.

WM III and VII are vastuly Underrated.

Here's your Top 5 list:

X-7
III
X
XX
VII

After that:
XIX
VIII
23
22
V


Posted By: Patrick (Guest)  on March 14, 2008 at 02:23 PM

 
 
You can tell the author is young. He basically listed all of his top WM's as ones that happened recently. You can't appreciate the first few WM's if you're only 20 now. It's not a fair comparison. It's like me saying I liked SuperBowl 35-39 better than 1-5.

Posted By: Mike G (Guest)  on March 14, 2008 at 02:47 PM

 
 
why do I read the comments here? Listen, entertainment is very subjective, so obviously, his opinions will differ from yours. That doesn't give you all the right to say "DURRR YOU'RE AN IDIOT, HOW COULD YOU DURR!!" Jesus Christ!

Posted By: Jamal (Guest)  on March 14, 2008 at 02:57 PM

 
 
WMXX was not the only one having chants edited out. I was at WMXXII and have the live one taped as well as the dvd and especially in the main event the crowd reaction was thoroughly edited with all the F@ck you Cena chants. This one should have been ranked far above WM2000 not to mention almost any other one. Great column though man.

Posted By: Tom Jardine (Guest)  on March 14, 2008 at 03:52 PM

 
 
HHH vs Jericho the best match of WM18?????? Get the hell outta here. Hogan vs Rock and Taker vs Flair both blew the HHH match away. I wonder how Trips felt being upstaged and over shadowed by Hogan and the crowd response for him. And then he had to job to Hulk at backlash!! ahhhhh hahahahaha!! Hunter prob still wakes up in the middle of the night screaming about that one! hahaha!

Posted By: Joe Mastronardo (Guest)  on March 14, 2008 at 04:29 PM

 
 
I just wanna say that i think that WM16 is not overrated, it was the first wrestlemania i ever saw and i think it is brill! The main event is fantastic, the triple threat is brillant, i absolutely love the ladder match and of course the hardcore battle royal is the best battle royal ever!

Posted By: James (Guest)  on March 14, 2008 at 04:35 PM

 
 
"You can tell the author is young. He basically listed all of his top WM's as
ones that happened recently. You can't appreciate the first few WM's if you're
only 20 now. It's not a fair comparison. It's like me saying I liked SuperBowl
35-39 better than 1-5."

Perfectly said. Out of all the WM's I probably rewatch IV the most, and 8-16 are all pretty much garbage. X7 was the show that got Mania back to where it should be. I was at X8 and XX and thought they were both outstanding. But yeah, aside from most thinking that X7 was the best Mania, the rest is really all opinion and personal preference.


Posted By: Red (Guest)  on March 14, 2008 at 07:27 PM

 
 
people mshiting om wm 23 are just shiting on it cause of cena it was a good show for god sakes it had 3 matchs that **** stars without a dought(MITB CENA VS HBK Batista vs taker) 1 match the that is a bordoer line 4 star match( Lashley vs umaga) a decent match ECW OG's vs new breed and two bad matchs that were pee braks, stop bitching about every thing just becaue you do not like it

Posted By: Guest#5890 (Guest)  on March 14, 2008 at 08:18 PM

 
 
I agree wm 9 gets slated too much, altho in hindsight it's horrible at the time it was a great surprise to see hogan win the title, and how about a little love for steiners vs headshrinkers and the top commentary team of JR/Brain/Macho man.

I'd say wm 8 just beats 17 as being the greatest (look at the star power at 8 flair v savage, piper v bret, jake v taker, hogan v sid, warrior's return!

wm 22 is the best pf recent times, foley v edge and vince v hbk are amazing...


Posted By: vince McFAN (Guest)  on March 14, 2008 at 09:09 PM

 
 
WrestleMania 17 is the best, good choice. But Austin-Rock isn't match of the night?? That is is one of the best matches ever! Who can forget the awesome video package leading up to it? The Rock getting booed, looking shocked and then resorting to the always great heel Rock?? The roof literally blew off when Austin came out! I get chills thinking about it. They used each others finishers, Austin busted out the million dollar dream, etc. Sorry I just love that match!

Posted By: JM (Guest)  on March 14, 2008 at 09:53 PM

 
 
This list is a joke. Then again, it's spoken like a true IWC idiot, like most people who read this site are. They should put some IWC cannon out there that WM 17 is unarguably the greatest and 9 was the worst.

Whatever!

Yes, 17 was good, but not as infallable as everyone says. And 9 wasn't the best, but to me it certainly wasn't the worst. Especially not for your reasons. Hogan was the MAN at the time, it made for an exciting finish and kept him honorable because he didn't steal the show. He only accepted the challenge when Bret Hart told him to. Secondly, the Doink switch RULED! Anyone who doesn't like Evil Doink loses all credibility with me.

And don't get me started on WM 3's position.

I hope to one day change the paradigm that there's more to a great match than work rate.

I don't care what your tastes are but anyone who says the cruiserweight opener from Halloween Havoc 98 was a better match than Hogan/Andre is a damn fool!


Posted By: Riley (Guest)  on March 14, 2008 at 10:17 PM

 
 
Wrestlemania 4 always gets a bad rap. It is one of my favorites. Demolition winning the tag Titles. The epic WWF Title tournament, Randy Savage winning the belt, the great battle royal to kick it off, Bob Uecker!!!

Posted By: Adam Lyerly (Guest)  on March 14, 2008 at 11:14 PM

 
 
this list is a joke!!! You talk about historical signifigance yet you rate WM3 at 11?? Its easily top 5! 23 was awful i'm sorry but cena/hbk was only good for the last 10 mins and if it wasn't for batista/taker and mitb it would been the worst ever! 2000 belongs in the bottom 5 i don't know why you have it so high the undercard is horrendus. and if you watch WM7 the crowd was wild for the whole 3+ hours including the blindfold match which had awesome phycology and story telling. X7 yes is the best and 10 and 20 i like where you put them but after that you are WAYYYY off!!

Posted By: Brian (Guest)  on March 15, 2008 at 12:10 AM

 
 
I have to agree, WM21 has to be one of the better in the last few years. RKO/Taker was easily the best match of the night. The build up to it in itself was amazing. Yes, HBK/Angle was good. 21 was amazing. Except the Cena/JBL match... BORING!!!

Posted By: J-X Boxer (The Smug One) (Guest)  on March 15, 2008 at 12:14 AM

 
 
I really hope Ashish and Larry are paying attention to this. This column was a fantastic discussion starter, and a hell of a bar argument. Please, please keep the good Wrestlemania columns coming.

Posted By: MP (Guest)  on March 15, 2008 at 03:28 AM

 
 
And a couple other things....

OK Riley, so you say X7 isn't the best like everyone says. WHY NOT?

J-X Boxer: Orton-Taker is better than Angle-HBK? On what planet, exactly?


Posted By: MP (Guest)  on March 15, 2008 at 03:33 AM

 
 
Seconded on WMX7. Genius from top to bottom. Heyman instead of Lawler MAKES commentary.

Posted By: Adam 1.0 (Guest)  on March 15, 2008 at 04:57 AM

 
 
I have to agree that most of the recent Wrestlemanias have been the best, although I may have a biased due to the fact that I didn't start watching wrestling until late 2000. It's weird how Wrestlemania 17 was the first wrestlemania I ever watched and how it is considered the very best of the best. I've seen all of the prior Wrestlemanias and the only one that really stuck out to me was 10, all the others didn't really spark my interest. I do agree with most everybody that Wrestlemania 19 should have been ranked higher than 23, because once you got past the undercard, which was good, it was just awesome main event after main event and that to me is what Wrestlemania should be. I would even go as far as to say that 19 was the greatest Mania of all time, because there was never a dull moment. 23 however had plenty of dull moments. Outside the two title matches, I never really got into the rest of the card. Even MITB was ruined for me because I thought it was too bogged down by the 8 instead of 6 participants and I thought it would have made for a much better card if Edge and Orton were taken out and given there own 1 on 1 match, which would happen weeks later in the opener of Raw? And even though I was in attendence at Wrestlemania 22 and the crowd was red hot and it was fun as hell to boo Cena out of the building and chant "You F&%ked
up," at Rey Mysterio, I still wouldn't put this very high on my list.
MITB was awesome and Foley/Edge was great, but that was it and 2 out of 11 matches just doesn't do it for me. 21 was an awesome Mania, as it followed a similar format to 19 with great matches back to back and just from a pure suspense standpoint I thought Orton/Taker was way better that HBK/Angle and it also had a way better build. When Orton countered the chokeslam into an RKO I literally jumped out of my seat and said, "Holy Sh#t, Orton is going to do it." No other time have I felt Taker's streak was in jepordy and good job to WWE for making think it was.
Anyway here is my top 5
1)Wrestlemania 19
2)Wrestlemania 20
3)Wrestlemania 17
4)Wrestlemania 21
5)Wrestlemania 10


Posted By: Kenny V (Guest)  on March 15, 2008 at 02:27 PM

 
 
It would switch your best and worst matches around for mania 7. I really enjoyed the Jake "The Snake" Roberts vs. "The Model" Rick Martel Blindfold Match. as a kid it was great to see Jake get his revenge. then again i haven't wacthed the match since i first saw mania 7.

on the other hand the Ultimate Warrior vs. "Macho Man" Randy Savage was horrible. i watched it the other day and it had to be the worst match in history.


Posted By: Tony (Guest)  on March 15, 2008 at 03:27 PM

 
 
WrestleMania VII always gets a bad rap. If you actually sit down and watch it, it's avery exciting show. As another commenter pointed out, the crowd was hot nonstop.

And surprisingly, Hogan/Slaughter wasn't that bad. Slaughter had great heel tactics and the match was "extreme" for the WWF at the time. Plus, debut of the taker, a damn good Rockers/Haku and Barbarian match, Perfect/Bossman with appearance by Andre, Warrior/Savage with the reuniting of Liz and Randy... i have to assume the commenter above is on crack.


Posted By: PI (Guest)  on March 15, 2008 at 04:51 PM

 
 
X-7 just left a bad taste in my mouth at the end. The show was great. I just didn't really care for the main event. I have no idea why so many people loved it. Austin/McMahon uniting? Why was that a big deal? They broke them up a few months later anyway when the WCW alliance was born.

WM 17 is easly top 5, but the best? Hell no! 3, 8, and 10 were far better in my view. Maybe a few more, but I haven't rankd them.


Posted By: Riley (Guest)  on March 15, 2008 at 06:05 PM

 
 
Tony you are def on some crack or something!! Savage vs Warrior is easliy top 10 in Mania history!

Posted By: Brian (Guest)  on March 15, 2008 at 06:29 PM

 
 
i was at WM17. I think what helps this WM was the buildup. 60,000 of us going nuts at the pinacale of the attitude era. I'll be there for 25!

Posted By: Booker T (Guest)  on March 15, 2008 at 08:57 PM

 
 
HHH vs Jericho best match of Wrestlemania 18. Did you hear the crowd reaction during Hogan vs Rock. I have never heard nor seen so much crowd pop. You could hear a pin drop during HHH/Jericho match and I still say to this day Hogan vs Rock should have been the main event.

Posted By: JO (Guest)  on March 18, 2008 at 11:43 AM

 
 
If you fill Madison Square Garden with 20,000 blacks and samoans, who would be more over Rock or Austin? Demographics had as much of a reason why WWE gave the ball to Austin rather than the Rock.

Posted By: JO (Guest)  on March 18, 2008 at 12:06 PM

 
 
how can you not have undertakers debut in Historical Information?

Posted By: Litas Biggest Fan (Guest)  on March 25, 2008 at 01:11 PM

 
 
I tend to favor Mania XX, myself, mainly because ... I mean, that main event, when Michaels was tuning up the band, and the crowd showed their 'appreciation' for him by starting the chant"Ben-OIT, Ben-OIT..." And then, when H tapped, that was the biggest pop I'd ever heard, wrestling or otherwise.
So, that was at least probably the greatest moment in Wrestlemania history... it kinda sucks that I can't bring myself to watch it again. Maybe in a year or two...


Posted By: MadmanJack (Guest)  on March 27, 2008 at 02:57 AM

 
 
WM 17 as #1? honestly......who didnt see that coming...

Posted By: Guest#4489 (Guest)  on July 03, 2008 at 02:39 AM

 




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