Honourable mentions
Okay so I will definitely have left out some major moments, but here are a few honourable mentions that I didn't feel quite made the cut. Elizabeth saving Macho Man Randy Savage at WrestleMania 7 remains possibly the best 'love story' moment WWE has ever pulled off. WrestleMania 12's Iron Man match and WrestleMania 10's ladder match were both superb matches, but I didn't think they really had that feeling of a moment to solidify a place in the list. And finally, the return of the Women's Championship at WrestleMania 32 and the return of The Undertaker at WrestleMania 20 are both great moments, but I think they both get trumped by other moments that are somewhat related in the list. But without further ado, let's get into the list.
Hogan slams Andre (WrestleMania 3)
Where else could you start? No list, video package or conversation about WrestleMania moments is complete without the iconic image of Hulk Hogan slamming Andre the Giant at WrestleMania 3. The significance of the moment seems to diminish as the years go on, but this will always be one of those moments that is remembered throughout history.
Austin won't tap (WrestleMania 13)
Heading into a no disqualification submission match at WrestleMania 13, Bret Hart was the babyface and Stone Cold Steve Austin was the heel. 25 minutes of violent attacks, a lot of bloodshed and incredible wrestling later, the roles were reversed. But the moment that solidifies this as a great moment came at the end of the match. Austin, locked in the sharp-shooter was screaming in agony, wearing JR's famous "proverbial crimson mask", stretched and clawed for any way out, refusing to submit. As the crowd saw him fade, passing out rather than giving up, the company had a new face. Bret Hart solidified his own turn by continuing to attack Austin after the bell but, despite losing the match, WrestleMania 13 was Austin's night.
Benoit and Guerrero's hug (WrestleMania 20)
A moment now marred by what would go on to happen to both men and the stark contrast in how they're remembered. But, if we transport ourselves back to March 2004, this was one of the most heart-warming moments in wrestling history. Guerrero and Benoit were close friends who had wrestled together across several companies but were destined to never be champions in WWE. They were too small and too technical. But after working hard, winning the love of the crowd, WrestleMania 20 ended with Eddie Guerrero, holding the WWE Championship, and Chris Benoit, holding the World Heavyweight Championship, embracing in the middle of the ring.
Money in the Bank (WrestleMania 21)
At WrestleMania 21, the Money in the Bank Ladder Match debuted. It was a fun idea at the time, but little did we know what it would become. Now a staple of WWE, a huge part of everyone's predictions for what's going to happen each year in wrestling and a pay-per-view that's mentioned in the same breath as 'the big 4'. In just 15 years Money in the Bank has gone from a fun match thrown onto a card, to something that people look forward to, hoping certain superstars can use it as their chance to break-out from the mid-card and it all started at WrestleMania 21.
"I'm sorry, I love you" (WrestleMania 24)
The greatest wrestler of all time is a debate for another day, but Ric Flair is indisputably a true legend of the industry. At WrestleMania 24, a 59-year-old Flair would bow out against Shawn Michaels, a man who idolised Flair as much as anyone and showed the same love and passion for the business as Flair himself. In what was a surprisingly good match for someone about to enter his sixties, there were several times where you believed Flair could win, but ultimately, with Flair begging him to finish the job, Michaels would end a great career, but not before delivering a final message to Flair. "I'm sorry, I love you".
Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels (WrestleMania 25 and 26
Okay, I'm using Michael's retirement to make this a moment, but I had to include both matches. Two of the greatest wrestler's of all time have one of the best matches in wrestling history at WrestleMania 25, an incredible spectacle that saw The Undertaker extend his streak to 15-0, but somehow managed to raise the already through the roof stock of both men involved. A year later, Michaels put his career on the line in his desperate attempt to beat the streak, but sadly this would be the end of the line for the Heart Break Kid.
The End of The Streak (WrestleMania 30)
The Undertaker's streak is one of wrestling's greatest storylines. The inhuman wrestler who can't be beaten on the Grandest Stage of them all. So when Brock Lesnar challenged The Undertaker at WrestleMania 30, we thought it was another simple part of that story. Brock was dominating WWE at the time and sure he'll give Undertaker a tough match, but we all know the result. So when Brock Lesnar F5'd The Undertaker for the third time. Then the referee's hand hit the canvas for the third time, the arena, everyone watching at home and even Paul Heyman was in stunned silence. Nobody could believe what they had just seen. It remains one of the most hotly debated topics to this day, but if there's one thing no wrestling fan can deny, it's that it was a huge moment.
YestleMania (WrestleMania 30)
When Stephanie McMahon called Daniel Bryan a B+ player, it wasn't really storyline, it was how the WWE viewed him. A small guy who's good at his job, but he's just not made for the big time. Then the Yes Movement began. The fans began interrupting segments across shows with "Yes" chants. The fans overtook Raw, the fans booed a returning Batista after he won the Royal Rumble that Daniel Bryan was eliminated from. WWE couldn't ignore this and thus he was given a place a WrestleMania. The show began with Daniel Bryan beating Triple H for a spot in the main event. After the match Triple H attacked Bryan, damaging his shoulder and putting his main event spot in doubt. But sure enough, nothing was going to stop Bryan that night. Randy Orton and Batista teamed up on him, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon interfered, but WrestleMania 30 ended with one of the most iconic scenes in WWE history, as Daniel Bryan held the WWE World Heavyweight Championship aloft, as the entire arena chanted "Yes, Yes, Yes".
The Heist of the Century (WrestleMania 31)
2015 was a weird time in wrestling, Brock Lesnar had been WWE Champion since his domination of John Cena at SummerSlam, and his lack of appearances meant fans were getting tired of his reign and his heir apparent Roman Reigns had just been booed out of the building after winning the Royal Rumble, something not even The Rock could prevent. So heading into WrestleMania 31's main event of Brock Lesnar versus Roman Reigns, there was really no positive end to the night and fans started to turn on, what was actually quite a good match, pretty quickly. So when Seth Rollins became the first person to ever cash in his Money in the Bank contract at WrestleMania, in the main event no less, the fans couldn't believe it. WWE had wriggled out of an impossible situation and gave Seth Rollins one of the most incredible moments in WrestleMania history.
Women's Main Event (WrestleMania 35)
Women's wrestling in 2015 was at one of it's lowest points. The Diva's Championship wasn't defended at WrestleMania... plus it was called the Diva's Championship. On top of this, the Give Diva's a Chance movement was in full flow, demanding that WWE give women a chance to prove they could wrestle, rather than just throw a 5-minute tag match onto each show as a token gesture. So to think that just 4 years later, Ronda Rousey, Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch would be main eventing WrestleMania is incredible. Not only did they main event, but they earned that spot, Becky Lynch was the hottest property in wrestling at the time, Ronda Rousey had proven that she was a top talent despite her in-ring debut only coming a year prior and Charlotte Flair was the de-facto face of the company. On top of that, not only were they three of the biggest names in the company, they also had to most compelling storyline in the lead up to WrestleMania. Women's wrestling has come on leaps and bounds in the last few years and there is still plenty more to come, but this match will always be a moment we can look back on fondly and remember that it was done the right way.
So what do you think? What are your favourite WrestleMania moments? Are there any I haven't mentioned? Let us know in the comments below.
0 comments: