Top 10 WrestleMania Matches

Every year, the WWE Universe gathers to watch an event where legacies are established and legends are made. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 WrestleMania matches. For this list, we’ve picked what we consider to be the top 10 best and most memorable WrestleMania matches of all time.

Known as probably the most extreme series of matches ever seen in the WWE, the TLC – or tables, ladders & chairs – matches contested between tag teams had wrestling fans on the edges of their seats. All the TLC matches are amazing – including the previous year’s unofficial bout at WrestleMania 2000 – but the second one goes down as the true classic. With insane high-flying action, lots of violence, and several iconic moments – like when Jeff Hardy performs a Swanton Bomb or where Edge spears Jeff Hardy while he dangles helplessly from the belts over the center of the ring – this match set the stage for all tag-teams in the future. And in case you’re wondering: Edge and Christian took this one.

Shockingly, Shawn Michaels made a comeback in the early 2000s just after suffering a near-career ending back injury . Chris Jericho took issue with Shawn’s comeback – as an arrogant heel, he felt that he had secured his spot as the WWE’s ring general and best technical wrestler. What followed was a bitter and personal feud centered on legacy and entitlement. And Michaels and Jericho put on an absolute clinic in the ring. Any doubts about Michaels being rusty were immediately dismissed when he won the match, and in fact, this match kick started what was arguably the best stretch of his career.

Hulk Hogan sure knows how to put on a dramatic and memorable WrestleMania main event, and though his battle with Randy Savage is possibly even better, it’s the atmosphere and cultural impact of his bout with André that plants this one firmly in the list of greatest WrestleMania matches. After all, it includes what is quite possibly the most important image in the history of wrestling: Hulk Hogan scoop-slamming the 500+ pound André the Giant. Already a huge success, this storied match kicked off “Hulkamania” in earnest, and transformed Hogan into one of the biggest superstars in the history of wrestling.

A ladder match is a pretty common gimmick in the modern-day WWE, but in 1994, they were nearly unheard of. That’s when Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon basically set the foundation for WWE-style hardcore matches. It might seem fairly tame by today’s standards, but some of the moments – like when Shawn Michaels drop kicks the ladder so Ramon bails – were downright brutal at the time. This was an epic match between two of the WWE’s most popular up-and-coming wrestlers, and – even though Ramon won – it really set Michaels’ singles career in motion. Not to mention, it established the Intercontinental Title as an extremely desirable commodity.

#6: The Rock vs. Hollywood Hulk Hogan “WrestleMania X8” (2002)

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In 1993, Hulk Hogan shocked fans by leaving the WWF for rival WCW… And shocked them again when he ditched his trademark red and yellow for the black and white of the rebellious, obnoxious nWo. When WCW went out of business, Hogan and the nWo finally returned to the WWE where they ran headfirst into The Rock. He returned to Toronto’s SkyDome, a place he made famous years earlier at WrestleMania VI when he lost to the Ultimate Warrior. Celebrating their childhood hero’s return in a match dubbed “Icon vs. Icon,” the raucous crowd refused to boo Hogan as a heel, and even though the Rock ended up winning, the Hulkamaniacs of the world went home happy.

As the main event for what was arguably the greatest overall WrestleMania of all time, the second of three matches between Stone Cold and The Rock certainly delivered. When Steve Austin took time off with a neck injury, The Rock took his spot as the face of the company. This No Disqualification match was about Austin trying to regain the throne, by any means necessary, including chair shots, ring bells, brawling throughout the crowd, and the absolutely unthinkable: Stone Cold allying with his arch-nemesis Vince McMahon to put down “The People’s Champ” once and for all.

A 60+ minute Iron Man match, even between the WWE’s two most talented wrestlers, probably wouldn’t fly with today’s audience. Yet, that’s exactly what the fans were given as the main event of “WrestleMania XII.” Bret Hart was a respected and hard-working champion, but there’s no doubt that Shawn Michaels was flashier and more exciting, and together the two put on a technical masterpiece of a show. Although there are some that call this match too methodical and even a little boring, the grace, athletic ability and professionalism that Hart and Michaels exhibit turn it into a true artistic masterpiece.

In the late ‘90s, fans were tired of the WWF, and the financial numbers reflected that. That is, until ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin came along and brought the Attitude Era with him, catapulting the WWF into a new golden age filled with toilet humor and violence. Bret Hart, a holdover from the previous era, resented the new direction, and what followed was an epic, brutal, bloody match that acted as a passing of the torch. Bret Hart ended up winning this No Disqualification Submission match, but the message was clear: the ‘Stone Cold’ era had begun.

Taking place on the same card as André vs. Hogan has turned this one into a bit of a hidden gem, but in terms of in-ring quality, almost nothing rivals the technical prowess and showmanship of Randy Savage versus Ricky Steamboat. The set-up was so simple and can be boiled down to a clash of pride and ego: who is the best wrestler in the world? The two legends gave us an absolute wrestling masterpiece, with Steamboat ultimately taking it to become the WWF International Champion, and it stands the test of time as one of the most breathtaking matches ever fought. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions: - Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart “WrestleMania X” (1994) - The Undertaker vs. CM Punk “WrestleMania 29” (2013) - The Undertaker vs. Edge “WrestleMania XXIV” (2008) - Brock Lesnar vs. Kurt Angle “WrestleMania XIX” (2003)

‘Mr. WrestleMania’ Shawn Michaels felt that he was just the man to end the Undertaker’s vaunted “WrestleMania” streak, and he came close – it took several tombstone piledrivers on the part of The Undertaker to finally put Michaels away and go 17-0. This match, simply put, is a work of art, exquisitely played out by two of the greatest ring generals ever. The drama is palpable; the near-falls believable, the action flawless. Just listen to the crowd; they’ll tell you. Though the following year’s rematch, where Michaels put his career on the line and subsequently retired, is also spectacular, their first match is simply unforgettable. Do you agree with our list? Did we forget any iconic WrestleMania matches? For more action-packed top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.