My Top 25 Wrestlemania Moments
With Wrestlemania 25 on the horizon I would like to talk about my top 25 moments and matches that I’ve witnessed. Yes I will count them down and not put them as an ordinary list.
#25- Wrestlemania Fourteen saw the debut of Pete Rose, the legendary baseball player. He made some disrespectful remarks about the Red Sox, and then Kane gave him a Tombstone for his trouble. six years later Pete was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by none other then Kane.
#24- It was at Wrestlemania Twenty when the highly anticipated Brock Lesnar vs. Goldberg match took place. The fans chanted “this match sucks,” and sang, “Na Na Na Hey Hey Hey Goodbye.” It was Lesnar’s and Goldberg’s last night and at the end Stone Cold stunned both of them right out of the WWE.
#23- At Wrestlemania Five saw the return of Rowdy Roddy Piper after a two year absence from WWE. He hosted Pipers Pit, with the mouthy Morton Downey Jr. Needless to say the fire was put out on Pipers Pit.
#22- Wrestlemania Seven, had the first career ending match in WWE History. It was the Ultimate Warrior vs. Randy Savage. I do not like either wrestler but both had one of the greatest matches in Wrestlemania history. Savage lost, Elizabeth returned however Savage was wrestling again with 8 months later of the event.
#21- Roddy Piper is known to be crazy but Wrestlemania Six he proved to be really crazy. He painted himself half black for his match against Bad News Brown and said he was the Hot Rod, and the Hot Scot. It was really weird but I got a good laugh out of it.
#20- At Wrestlemania Twenty One, a disgruntled Muhammad Hassan was angry he did not get a match on the show, so he proceeded to beat up Eugene until…the music hit and out came Hulk Hogan for the rescue and posed for about ten minutes. It was the night after Hogan had been inducted into the hall of fame.
#19- At Wrestlemania 19, the Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels wrestled in his first Wrestlemania in five years. His match with Chris Jericho was one of my favorites and it proved that Shawn Michaels still was as good as he once was.
#18- Going back to Wrestlemania Seven and one of the most unique matches in history. The blindfold match between Jake Roberts and Rick Martel is still in my mind one of the most underrated matches in the history of ‘Mania. Watch it and you might understand why I like it.
#17- Wrestlemania Seventeen saw three teams fight for the tag titles in TLC Two. The Hardy’s, Dudley’s, and Edge/Christian put their bodies on the line for the moment and the titles. Edge and Christian won the match but all six man live in Wrestlemania history forever.
#16- Going back to Wrestlemania 21 I have three that are tied at number sixteen all from this event because they are equal in my opinion. Roddy Piper hosted Pipers Pit and his guest was the Texas Rattlesnake Steve Austin. Two combustible elements which you knew that would have an explosion. Unfortunately for Carlito they both exploded on him, then Austin proceed to give Piper a Stone Cold Stunner. Then you had the Undertaker vs. Randy Orton in which Orton proved he could hang with the best. Undertaker kept his streak alive but Orton won the respect of a lot of people. And then back to the Show stopper, Shawn Michaels. He took on the Olympic Goal Medalist Kurt Angle. It was a match doe the ages and a match people still remember to this day.
#15- Wrestlemania Six saw the Ultimate Challenge finally come ahead. The Ultimate Warrior with his Intercontinental Title took on Hulk Hogan with his WWE Title. And it was title vs title. Many people have different feelings on the match. Some people said it sucked, some people say it was great but it was good enough to be on this list because it was monumental and a once in a lifetime match (thanks WCW for ruining that feeling and the reputation of that match).
#14- When Ric Flair returned to the WWE in 2001, his intention was not to wrestle at all. Soon that all changed and was apart of a classic encounter with the Undertaker at Wrestlemania Eighteen. Undertakers streak was kept alive but Flair still proved without any doubt that he was still “The Man.”
#13- Some people might get mad at me for saying this but you can’t discount his match at Wrestlemania Twenty. It was Chris Benoit vs. Shawn Michaels vs. World Heavyweight Champion Triple H. It was one of the best Main Events in wrestling history. There was blood, drama and all of them on that night left it in the ring.
#12- Hulk Hogan is associated with a lot of Wrestlemania moments but Wrestlemania Eighteen after a nine year absence he took on The Rock in what most consider the resurrection of Hulkamania. It was one of Hogans best matches if not his best in his career.
#11- Wrestlemania 10 saw the first ladder match in Wrestlemania history and it set the bar high. Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon(Scott Hall) stole the show and had the best match of the night in my eyes. Ladder matches have now become a Wrestlemania tradition with the Money in the Bank Matches.
#10- Back to the Hulkster, he has four moments that are tied at ten. The Mega Powers exploded in 1989 and Hogans match with Randy Savage was in Hogan classic. Hogan won and they deemed him Immortal after that match was over. Then at Wrestlemania nine he came out to help Bret Hart after his WWE title lost to Yokozuna, and Mr. Fuji challenged Hogan on Yoko’s behalf. Hogan stormed the ring and in nine seconds became WWE Champion for the fifth time. It was a great ending to a horrible Wrestlemania. Next is when Hogan fought Mr. McMahon at Wrestlemania Nineteen in a brutal street fight that saw blood, sweat, tears and saw the return of the Hot Rod. And lastly rounding out the Hogan moments is Wrestlemania Three when he body slammed the legendary Andre the Giant. It was a moment that changed the history of wrestling forever. Thank you Hulk for providing me with so many great moments.
#9- The Main Event for Wrestlemania Seventeen was between the two biggest stars at the time. The Rock vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin headlined Wrestlemania in Houston Texas and it had a shocking ending. Stone Cold joined forces with Mr. McMahon and beat The Rock for the WWE Title. The match was brutal, bloody, shocking and very memorable. It’s a must see for any fan of wrestling past or present.
#8- Wrestlemania 22 has two moments tied for eight that still stick out in my mind. Both had blood and broken bones. Shawn Michaels and Vince McMahon in their epic street fight saw Shawn Michaels provide us with another great moment at Wrestlemania. Then you had Mick Foley take on Edge in a Hardcore match. If you have never seen this match…watch it!!! Because the ending is freaking sick and heart-wrenching.
#7- Did I say I was done with Hogan? My bad, because Wrestlemania’s first Main Event set the stage for it all and set the standard for all Wrestlemania Main Event’s It was Hogan/Mr. T with Snuka in their corner against Piper/Orndorff with Orton in their corner. Also Muhammad Ali was the special enforcer in the match, which set the standard for celebrity involvement at Wrestlemania.
#6- McMahon vs. McMahon, Shane vs. Vince and it was a street fight that saw a cat fight with Stephanie McMahon and Trish Stratus, a kick in Vince’s family jewels from his wife Linda, and the special referee Mick Foley giving Vince the mandible claw with Mr. Socko. The McMahon’s definitely proved why they are dominant in the entertainment business.
#5- One hour, one title, and one dream. Shawn Michaels fought his whole career for the moment and this match. The Iron Man match at Wrestlemania Twelve was perhaps the single greatest match in the history of Wrestlemania. They actually went over sixty minutes and Shawn won in overtime. Bret Hart was a true champion and carried the WWE Title very well and made it a respectable title. This match never gets old and if you’re a true wrestling fan, you will or already have watched this match.
#4- Brother vs. Brother, Bret Hart vs. the late great Owen Hart. Owen wanted to jump out of Bret’s shadow and did he ever at Wrestlemania Ten. I always said that this was the best opening match to a Wrestlemania because they put on a show. They also proved their father was the best trainer in professional wrestling and his sons carried on their fathers tradition of submission wrestling. Owen won but it was ultimately Bret’s night when he won the WWE title later on that night.
#3- Steamboat vs. Savage at Wrestlemania Three was the best I-C Title match in Wrestlemania History in my view. They kept the respect and tradition alive of the I-C title with the match they had. It was their match that made Wrestlemania Three, not Hogan-Andre. Watch it and you’ll see what I mean
#2- Diamonds are Forever and so is Ric Flair. At Wrestlemania 24, the Nature Boy walked down the aisle one last time to face a guy that admired him, loved him and wanted to be like him….The Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels. The match lived up to what I thought it would be. Flair had a great match and I actually consider it a Flair classic. The ending was emotional and one of the greatest to a match. Shawn said, “I am sorry, I love you.” Then he hit Sweet Chin Music to end the amazing career of the greatest of all time, Ric Flair.
#1- Wrestlemania Thirteen, the match that made Stone Cold Steve Austin a legend. His submission match with Bret Hart is my favorite moment in Wrestlemania history. It was just such a great match because both guys were in their prime and at the height of their careers. Bret Hart technically won the match, but Austin never quit. He passed out due to loss of blood. The image of Austin in the sharpshoot with crimson mask of blood on his face is still engraved in my mind.
So there you have it, my top twenty five moments in Wrestlemania history. I am sure this years Wrestlemania will provide us with many more moments. Stay tuned to find out.
