With WrestleMania 39 coming up, let’s take a look at some of the best and worst WrestleMania main events of all time.
WORST:
5. Roman Reigns Vs. Triple H (WrestleMania 32)
This was one of the most predictable WrestleMania main events of all time. After months of getting screwed out of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, it was clear as day that Roman would get the big babyface triumph to close the biggest show of the year. The match was hijacked with chants of “boring” and “NXT”. The match was way too long, clocking in a very boring 27 minutes and the only big pop of the match came when Roman accidentally speared Stephanie. The match wasn’t terrible by any means, but it was incredibly disappointing.
4. The Miz Vs. John Cena (WrestleMania 27)
John Cena and The Miz have had multiple one on one matches against each other and in each encounter they have managed to disappoint, and it was no exception at WrestleMania 27. Not only was this a painfully average bout to close the show of shows, but this served as a setup for Rock vs. Cena at WrestleMania the year after. A WrestleMania main event isn’t supposed to have outside interferences or screwy finishes. If it wasn’t for this match, WrestleMania 27 probably wouldn’t have much of the negative reception it has today, since the show had some solid matches in the undercard and an amazing Undertaker vs. HHH match.
3. The Undertaker Vs. Sycho Sid (WrestleMania 13)
The buildup to WrestleMania 13 suffered a lot of roadblocks due to a certain someone losing his smile. Sid was given a second reign as WWF Champion in February of 1997 but it all felt so unnatural. The match was extremely dull and Bret Hart’s constant interferences clearly didn’t help. It has been rumored that Sid crapped himself by the end of the match, which perfectly describes the state of this match.
2. Hulk Hogan Vs. Sid Justice (WrestleMania 8)
Good ol’ Sid again! This was the typical Hogan match of the time, with the heel working on Hogan throughout the whole match before the Hulkster made his inevitable comeback. This match was bound to be a disaster. First off, a DQ finish in the main event of Wrestlemania is absolutely unforgivable. Sid was an absolutely woeful worker and he and Hogan were never going to produce anything substancial. Papa Shango somehow missed his cue which forced Sid to kick out of the leg drop of doom. The Ultimate Warrior then made his return which kind of saved this from being a total dumpster fire. Avoid at all costs.
1. Hulk Hogan Vs. Yokozuna (WrestleMania 9)
This makes the list simply because of the horrendous booking decision and not the match itself, as it was just a few seconds long. This still goes down in infamy 30 years later and rightfully so, as it was an absolutely absurd decision. The WWF were promoting a new youth movement, so what did they do? They had a wrestler of the past absolutely sh*t on one of the current wrestlers that were on the rise. This buried Bret Hart, this buried Yokozuna. This benefited absolutely no one.
BEST:
5. The Undertaker Vs. Edge (WrestleMania 24)
What a match this was. The Undertaker was on a string of amazing WrestleMania matches around this time, and this was clearly no exception. The match was smartly worked with exciting near falls and great psychology. The counters were incredible, with Edge trying his best to avoid The Undertaker’s patented moves. Edge tapped out to the Hell’s Gate as a way to solidify The Undertaker’s new devastating submission hold. An amazing match to close an amazing WrestleMania.
4. Brock Lesnar Vs. Kurt Angle (WrestleMania 19)
This match almost never happened as Angle was dealing with some neck issues before the event, but THANK GOD it did as we got to witness one of the best WrestleMania main events of all time. The match started off with some magnificent mat wrestling. The German Suplex in which Lesnar landed on his stomach was a sight to see and it’s a spot that’s absolutely unforgettable. The big Shooting Star Press was unfortunately botched and Lesnar landed on his head as Angle was WAAAAAY too far away, but it was still breathtaking to see a guy of Lesnar’s size fly like that. That unfortunate moment luckily didn’t deprive this from being a great match, as Angle and Lesnar had one of the best matches of the year and one of the best matches in WrestleMania history.
3. The Undertaker Vs. Shawn Michaels (WrestleMania 26)
There’s a lot of debating over which Taker vs. HBK match is better, between WrestleMania 25 and 26, but you can’t deny that the stakes were much higher at WrestleMania 26. In terms of in ring action, WrestleMania 25 takes the cake, but the story of their WrestleMania 26 match makes it unique in its own way. Both men have outstanding chemistry so they were bound to deliver the goods here. They tried out some unique spots to differentiate from their match at the previous WrestleMania, which worked to perfection. The Moonsault through the announcers table was absolutely unreal to witness and the close near falls had everyone on the edge of their seat. A perfect retirement match for ‘Mr. WrestleMania’, which was sadly ruined by a certain tag team match 8 years later.
2. Stone Cold Steve Austin Vs. The Rock (WrestleMania 17)
The second match in the epic Austin vs. Rock WrestleMania trilogy, and the best one by a long shot. For 28 minutes, the action was extremely entertaining. Counters, drama, near falls, this match had everything. The callbacks to WrestleMania 13 with a bloody Austin trapped in the Sharpshooter to Austin resorting to using the Million Dollar Dream to achieve victory were nothing short of tremendous. The Rock’s kickout of the Stone Cold Stunner towards the end of the match still gives me chills to this day. And how could I not mention the amazing commentary by Jim Ross and Paul Heyman?! They helped elevate this match even further with their awesome calls. Austin’s heel turn is very controversial, but it still doesn’t take away the fact that this was one of the best matches in WrestleMania history. What. A. Masterpiece.
1. Chris Benoit Vs. Triple H Vs. Shawn Michaels (WrestleMania 20)
Here it is. The best WrestleMania main event of all time. Some might agree, some might disagree, but this is my personal favorite. My favorite Triple Threat match ever and one of my favorite matches of all time. All three men were absolutely amazing workers. This wasn’t the typical WWE Triple Threat match, which made this even more special. The New York crowd was its usual enthusiastic self and all three men had their working boots on. They set up some believable near falls as well as some submissions. The Double Suplex through the announcers table to Benoit was an amazing spot. HBK breaking up Benoit’s Sharpshooter with Sweet Chin Music is a spot that refuses to leave my mind. I simply love this match. The finish with Benoit making HHH tap out to the Crippler Crossface was incredible. 10/10 match, no flaws whatsoever.
And that will be all for today. Thanks for reading and until next time!
