Wrestlemania Week

With Wrestlemania coming this weekend, I'll miss it in Houston...or should I say not watch it, not sure if there's anything to miss this year. So with that being said, I give you my Top 25 Wrestlemania matches of all time...my opinion mind you. The only official part of this list is that it is mind.

Wrestlemania Top 25 Matches

25. Cactus Jack and Chainsaw Charlie vs. New Age Outlaws-Mania 14 Dumpster Match for the Tag Titles. I realize this may be on the list simply because of my love for Cactus Jack, but I remember watching this match and enjoying it. Especially the true emotion you saw from Terry Funk after they won the titles.

24. Shane McMahon vs. Vince McMahon Mania 17 Street Fight. Father versus son, a family divided yadda yadda yadda. This saw the Van Terminator by Shane McMahon using a trash can, arguably the spot of the night.

23. Eddie Guerrero vs. Kurt Angle Mania 20 WWE Title. I put this on here because it was a nice solid match between two masters, plus the finish of the match was the most inventive since another match further down the list, but that was at Mania 8.

22. Diesel vs. The Undertaker Mania 12. I don’t think this match gets enough credit for what it is, maybe the best match between near seven foot wrestlers we may have ever seen. This is back when Kevin Nash could still wrestle without hurting himself and basically was his send off from the big stage before moving to WCW. He’d have a great match against Shawn the next month, but this should be one of his career highlights.

21. Edge and Christian vs. The Hardy Boys vs. The Dudley Boyz Mania 2000 Ladders and Tables match. Did I really put this all the way back here? Yes, I did. I’m not a spot fest kind of guy, I’d rather have a traditional match, but this did have some awesome spots and thus earns a spot on the top 25.

20. Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels Mania 19. Easily the best match of the night in what most would consider a lack luster Mania. Sure, there are plenty of memorable things at that Mania, but in many ways those are not pleasurable memories. Jericho and HBK was a thing of beauty.

19. Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels Mania 21. Once again Shawn Michaels and another of the top performers saves the show during another lack luster Mania. I think we all could watch an Angle HBK match every day and see something different. These are two men who bring their A game on the big stage.

18. Edge, Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho, Kane, Christian and Shelton Benjamin Money in the Bank Mania 21, Now some of you may be wondering why I put this above Kurt and HBK from the same lack luster card, pure and simple look at that line up. The perfect line up for the first match of this kind…I guess. I mean it’s just a multiple person ladder match with special rewards, but we’ve never seen one on Mania. Shelton took the opportunity to do an amazing spot then followed it up with…a disappearing act.

17. Ric Flair vs. Randy Savage WWF Title Match Mania 8. This is one of the best lead ups to a Mania match, let alone a Mania Main Event. Savage had this before during Mania 5, and it always revolves around Elizabeth. Flair’s only Mania match (in his prime) was one to remember, with Savage looking downright insane at the end.

16. Rick Rude vs. Jake Roberts Championship Tournament Mania 4. This match may surprise people by its place on the list, but I have always LOVED this match. These two men had such charisma and worked so well together it’s a shame they didn’t work more after this. To put it simply, I love watching this match and as such is here.

15.Undertaker vs. HHH Mania 17. As Dock would say, 17 was the best Wrestlemania ever. This match I think surprised a lot of people, I know it shocked me. I knew HHH could have a good match, and I knew Taker could on occasion, but never thought they’d be THIS good together.

14.The Rock vs. Hollywood Hogan ICONS Match Mania 18. I’m not as big of a fan of this match as others; I will say it is the most shocking turn I’ve ever seen in a match. Sure Cena was booed and HHH was cheered, but this shit happened half way THROUGH the match. The fans flipped the roles during the match, just fuckin nuts.

13. Chris Jericho vs. Chris Benoit vs. Kurt Angle Euro/IC Three Way Dance Mania 2000. You put these three men together in a match and you almost always have a match of the year candidate. It has often been said that this is the saving grace of Mania 2000, the only reason to really watch that show and I tend to agree more often then not. An interesting twist is having both titles on the line as well.

12. Randy Savage vs. The Ultimate Warrior Retirement Match Mania 7. This match is surprisingly good, especially when you consider how neurotic both men are. Warrior needs someone to hold his hand during a match and Savage is a perfectionist and wants to practice the match months in advance. In that thinking, these two were made for each other in this match.

11.The Rock vs. Steve Austin WWF Title Mania 17. Yes, I’m afraid to say that this match did not make my top ten folks. I know, shocking, but I think the finish of Austin siding with McMahon almost takes away. I think it was at Backlash the next month where they had a great match that I liked better, or it could have been the 15 one.

10. Owen Hart vs. Bret Hart Mania 10. Maybe the best match Owen Hart has ever wrestled in the WWF, though the Steel Cage match at SummerSlam that year is also up there. This shocked everyone at MSG and people took Owen seriously after that match, and it was done to perfection. A great pinning combination to beat his brother, no cheating, he gets a legit win, puts him over, just brilliant.

9. Edge and Christian vs. The Hardy Boys vs. The Dudley Boyz TLC Mania 17. The better of the two TLC matches between these teams, at least in my opinion. The spot of the spear off the top of the ladder onto the Hardy was one of the biggest spots of all time, course not shocking since that was done by a man who went head first into a table full of fire.

8. Roddy Piper vs. Bret Hart IC Title Mania 8. Remember earlier when I mentioned the best pinning predicament in Mania history that would be this match when Bret used the turnbuckle to topple over Piper who had him in a sleeper hold and pinned his shoulders to the mat…something that had never been done to Piper up to that point. Just such a great match that I think sold the powers that be that Bret could be a Main Event star.

7.Hulk Hogan vs. The Ultimate Warrior WWF Title Mania 6. Perhaps Hogan’s greatest accomplishment is being able to carry Warrior into one of the best matches in Mania history. It was the first time we really saw a good guy vs. good guy at Mania, and they did a great job of not having the fans split to one side. A great booking for the finish, clean, both finishers hit, both men kept their momentum.

6.The Rock vs. Steve Austin WWF Title Mania 15. The first of the three matches between arguably the two biggest stars that pro wrestling has ever seen. Yes, I did not stutter. They brought in more money during their run then anyone else, made better movies, and just as many people know who they are compared to Hulk Hogan. The difference between the three of them is that these two men could put on great matches any night of the week.

5.Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels Iron Man Match WWF Title Mania 12. Now, I have some issues with this match (which I went off on during this last Saturday’s show but I digress) with the ending. If you’re going to continue the match for five more minutes, why is Shawn Michaels NOT put back into the Sharpshooter? I thought it then, I think it now.

4.Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon Ladder Match IC Title Mania 10. Some consider this the best match of all time; I say it’s the best gimmick match of all time at a Wrestlemania. Well, a gimmick match using a specific object like a ladder, strap, etc. Razor may have never been better then during this time and HBK introduced the world to why he is the man you want on a Mania card.

3.Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat IC Title Mania 3. Before the ladder match above, many considered this the greatest match of all time, period. We’re not just talking Wrestlemania; we’re talking in the world. Now I won’t go that far, but my god is this a great match. What I would have paid to see a Steamboat, Savage and Flair three way dance during the mid-80s.

2.Shawn Michaels vs. HHH vs. Chris Benoit Triple Threat Match World Title Mania 20. Perhaps I’m biased, maybe it’s the Horseman in me, or the fact that Benoit is that good, but my god, this had me on my feet almost the entire match. Such a good match, one that would take the world to beat it, and luckily one has. The best is seeing HHH tap out and Benoit FINALLY getting recognition, if only for a while.

1.Steve Austin vs. Bret Hart Submission Match Mania 13. Is this the match between the glory years and the new attitude era, perhaps. Bret in a way bridges the Attitude era and the old days but my god, I could watch this match once a day and never be bored. Perhaps it’s the booking of the match that makes it so good with Austin just passing out instead of giving up and building a character that would become the biggest maybe of all time. You had something for everyone, hardcore, technical, and brawling, I don’t know what else you needed in this match. The image of Austin screaming with blood coming down his face is one many wrestling fan can imagine with no problem what so ever.