The Good Doctor’s Top 10 Wrestlemania Matches of All-Time

It’s beginning to be that time of year again, WrestleMania season. This season is all about WWE’s 40th anniversary of the show of shows, WrestleMania! So, in that spirit, here are my top 10 favorite matches of all-time.

10. Daniel Bryan vs Randy Orton vs Batista (XXX)– Ah, my first ever WrestleMania that I attended. The WWE Universe took over the show with the ‘Yes! Movement’. The Big Easy was hot with excitement for this match. Bryan had to take out Triple H in the opening match of the night, just to secure a spot in the main event. This match was the culmination of months and months of struggle for Bryan to get noticed as a main event player. When all was said and done, Bryan stood in the ring, confetti raining down, as the new undisputed champion. This was a WrestleMania moment!

9. Razor Ramon vs Shawn Michaels (X)– Make no mistake about it, this match revolutionized the industry, as Michaels and Hall battled it out with a ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship. This match is truly special, as most ladder matches rely on high spots to wow the audience, but not this match. Michaels and Hall used the ladder to enhance the psychology-driven feud between the two. Michaels opted to use the ladder as a weapon, injuring Hall’s ribs during the match. This was an instant classic!

8. The Hardy Boys vs The Dudley Boys vs Edge and Christian (X-Seven)-Yes, this match is a spot higher than Ramon and Michaels, even though the ladder match gave birth to the Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match that the trio made famous at Mania 17. In fact, this was the second such match that the trio had at WrestleMania, the first occurring in 2000. On a card that many, including myself, believe to be the best Mania of all-time, this match stood tall. The trio upped the creativity and violence with this match.

7.The Undertaker vs Triple H (XXVIII)– Having nearly defeated the Deadman a year earlier at Mania XXVII, Triple H earned more of a moral victory. Wanting a rematch, Trips got it and it didn’t disappoint. Going off of 4 years of storytelling, Triple H and Taker, along with Shawn Michaels as the guest referee, told a violent and beautiful story in the ring, as thousands of fans were on their feet the entire match. In the end, Taker prevailed, but the embrace of the three men at the end of the match, will forever be remembered by pro wrestling fans all over the world. This was just one of the many WrestleMania moments for each wrestler over the years.

6. The Rock vs Stone Cold Steve Austin (X-Seven)-The most iconic superstars of not just the Attitude Era, but maybe all-time faced off for what would be the end of an era. The pair tore down the house at the Houston Astrodome in a bloody yet poetic match. Austin pulled out all his tricks, unloading chair shots to The Rock and even using the Million Dollar Dream, harkening back to his Ringmaster days. In the end, Austin pulled off the heel turn, aligning with his arch nemesis, Mr. McMahon, and getting the victory over The Rock.

5. Shawn Michaels vs Ric Flair (XXIV)– This match will forever be remembered for these words, “I’m sorry, I love you.” Michaels uttered those words to Flair before super kicking the Nature Boy into retirement. The duo put on an emotional rollercoaster of a match that saw Flair nearly take down the wrestler who idolized him but promised to put Ol’ Yeller out of his misery in the weeks leading up to the match. This match became a classic, thanks to Michaels’ work of art, carrying Flair and making him look like a million bucks. The send-off at the end became a measuring stick for how to end a career.

4. The Undertaker vs CM Punk (29)– While we didn’t know it at the time, this would become one of CM Punk’s last great performances inside a WWE ring. Fresh off a more than a year run as champion, Punk was ready to do what no one else had been able to do, defeat Taker at Mania. Punk was mere seconds from winning the match over Taker, setting him up for the GTS after nailing him with his own urn, but the Taker turned it into a Tombstone Piledriver for the victory. This match truly solidified Taker as one of the greatest performers in company history.

3. The Rock vs Hulk Hogan (X8)– Icon vs Icon, is how this match was billed. This was the true main event of WrestleMania 18. I know that this is ranked way higher than most would have it, but hear me out. I grew up a wrestling fan because of Hogan. I came back to wrestling because of The Rock. They both left an imprint on the industry that will always be remembered. Rock and Hogan were never considered great technical wrestlers, but the pair were two of the greatest crowd manipulators there have ever been. The Toronto crowd was hot all night, but for this match, they went to an all-time new level. This win cemented The Rock’s place in pro wrestling history and proved that Hogan was still at the top of an industry that many thought had passed him by years earlier. For my money, this is one of the greatest Mania matches ever. The drama, along with the twists and turns that Hogan and Rock used, as well as the simple spots were nothing short of electrifying.

2. Ricky the Dragon Steamboat vs Macho Man Randy Savage (III)– This match thrived off an angle that will never be forgotten. Savage had used the ring bell to crush Steamboat’s throat. While the Rock and Hogan told a story with emotions and manipulating the crowd, this match was a masterclass in athleticism. Ending such an athletically skilled match with a simple roll-up, may seem anti-climactic, but it was nothing of the sort. This was a match that had fans on the edge of their seats, realizing that it could end at any moment. But it just kept going. This match is not only considered one of, if not the greatest Mania match ever, but it’s been noted as influencing many of today’s greatest superstars. It’s the pinnacle of what a great wrestling match should be.

1. Stone Cold Steve Austin vs Brett Hart (13)– I ranked this match as the best Mania match of all-time for a simple fact, it gave birth to the Rattlesnake. Austin became the face of the Attitude Era, a time that many fans revere as the greatest period of pro wrestling. This match is the prime example of two men working together to put on a match that would not only achieve greatness but go down as a match that would epitomize great rivalries. The image of Austin, in agony, blood pouring from a cut on his head, as he is locked in Hart’s sharpshooter lives on today. The image is featured on t-shirts, it was so popular. The match began with Hart playing the babyface, Austin the heel, but as it went on, roles reversed, altering the professional wrestling landscape forever. That’s why this match is number one.

Honorable Mention-There are so many matches over the 40 years of WrestleMania’s that I could add to this list. I could probably make a top 40 list, but that would take too long. Nonetheless, here are a few honorable mentions; Chris Benoit vs Shawn Michaels vs Triple H (XX), Bret Hart vs Owen Hart (X), Shawn Michaels vs Kurt Angle (21), Shawn Michaels vs The Undertaker (XXVI), Mick Foley vs Edge (22), and Kofi Kingston vs Daniel Bryan (35). Obviously, there are many more I could add. I consider all these matches great for not just industry standards, but personal reasons as well. Seeing Kingston become a champion and the emotion that came from the crowd at MetLife Stadium was unreal. I will always remember it. For me, my favorite matches, the ones that bring out the passionate side of The Good Doctor, are the matches that evoke emotion. And in the end, if you look at any of these matches, emotion and passion are present. To me, that’s what makes a great wrestling match. Looking toward the road to WrestleMania XL, it’s clear, there will be a lot of matches that will evoke emotional responses from the fans in attendance and those watching at home. In the end, it’s about getting those responses for the performers and being entertained for the fans. In the word of Maximus from the movie ‘Gladiator’, “Are you not entertained? Are you not entertained? Is this not why you are here?” For myself and all the pro wrestling fans who will be tuning in on April 6 and 7, I think we know that answer. Enjoy the show and the ensuing Road to WrestleMania XL!