We have entered the top 10! Here are the first five
of the ten greatest matches in Wrestlemania history!!
#10:
The Money in the Bank Ladder Match – Wrestlemania XXI
Wrestlemania has served as the stage for the
evolution of the Ladder Match. Every time—with the exception of the TLC
match—that the ladder match has gone to the next level, the Show of Shows has
been the host. In 2005, at Wrestlemania XXI, the latest form of the ladder
match, the Money in the Bank Ladder Match, made its important debut. At first, The Money in the Bank Ladder Match
seemed like a really cool idea on paper; six amazing competitors WWE had to
offer in one ring; competing for one prize. But, like the first Triple Threat
Tag Team Title Ladder Match at Wrestlemania 2000, that was a lot of people in
the ring at once. There was definitely potential for a lot of confusion. Edge
has recalled in interviews that he was so against the idea of it, he actually
tried to get out of the match because it could’ve been a major flop. But WWE
was aware of the dangers of this new match being a letdown to fans, so they
entrusted six of their best performers to go out there and pull off a
masterpiece. Chris Jericho, Edge, Chris Benoit, Christian, Kane, and Shelton
Benjamin were to be the six men given the task of making this match legit… And
that’s precisely what they did. For
starters, Kane’s entrance, I thought, was so cool, with his signature ramp
explosion setting all of the ladders on fire. Right off the bat, WWE gave us a
great visual and a foreshadowing of sorts, of what was to come, because
destruction was certainly on the horizon. Even before the ladders came in to
play, there were some great spots involving Superstars taking some high risk
moves, either diving over the top rope or off of the top turnbuckle, on to
their opponents. As the Money in the Bank Ladder Match evolved over the years,
we saw more innovative, flashy and clever things done with ladders to keep the
match fresh for the fans. But, with this being the inaugural Money in the Bank
Ladder Match, we saw some good old fashioned
ladder-being-used-as-a-straight-up-weapon against one another. Nothing like the
classics, aye? Men were thrown in to ladders and vise-versa. Whatever the case
was, it looked brutal and absolutely painful. Nothing, however, looked more
painful than Chris Benoit’s diving Head-butt off the top of a ladder to Kane. I
don’t know if he was just selling it, or it was real, but it looked as if his
head made contact with the mat (and part of Kane), but him writhing in
excruciating pain on the canvas certainly looked genuine. Edge, the man who was
originally against taking part in the match, showed us the meaning of being The
Ultimate Opportunist, when he blasted Chris Benoit, who was attempting to
retrieve the briefcase, with a chair in his injured arm. Following the chair
shot, Edge scaled the ladder and retrieved the briefcase, becoming the first
man to win the Money in the Bank Ladder Match. He would later go on to cash
that in against John Cena to become the WWE Champion. It was a match pivotal to
Edge’s ascension in to main event status, and it was the match that was linked
to Wrestlemania for a few years, going on to earn its own pay-per-view. If not
for that first match being the success it was, some guys (like Edge and CM
Punk) may have never made it to that next level in the WWE.
#9:
Edge + Christian vs. The Hardy’s vs. The Dudley’s – Wrestlemania XVII
After the huge success of Wrestlemania 2000’s Triple
Threat Tag Team Ladder Match for the Tag Team Championship between Edge and
Christian, The Hardy’s, and The Dudley’s, the WWE decided to have a rematch at
that year’s Summerslam. Only it wasn’t just ladders that were being advertised.
As if the possibility of seeing another amazing match, like the one that took
place that year at Wrestlemania, wasn’t enough to have fans’ eyes glued to the
screen, WWE promised the addition of tables and chairs; proclaiming this title
match the first ever Tables, Ladders, and Chairs Match. As you could have guessed,
it went over phenomenally with the fans. In fact, it went over so well, that a
third match between these three teams was set up by WWE. This time the stage
would be Wrestlemania XVII in Houston, and once again, it would be under TLC
rules. So how could this match be any more epic than the first two? For
starters, let’s take the crowd. The crowd that night in the Reliant Astrodome
was far larger than the previous year’s Wrestlemania and
Summerslam—Wrestlemania XVII had 67,925 people in attendance, while
Wrestlemania 2000 had 18,034 and Summerslam 2000 had 18,124. Definitely a huge
factor; especially considering the crowd in Houston was absolutely nuts.
Although a larger crowd is trickier for wrestlers to gauge crowd response, a
crowd of that magnitude makes an already highly anticipated match seem that
much grander. When having a big rematch, especially on a plain such as
Wrestlemania, there is a lot of pressure and expectation put on the
competitors. They need to be original and keep the audience interested. They
can’t spew out the same recycled match the fans have already seen. These three
teams pulled it off perfectly. Somehow, someway, the Wrestlemania Triple Threat
Tag Team TLC match had surpassed the Ladder Match from the year before. This is
because the men involved knew how to grab an audience and have their undivided
attention. Seven years earlier, at Wrestlemania X, Shawn Michaels and Razor
Ramon left the world in awe when they showed wrestling fans how to use a ladder
as a weapon in a Ladder Match. Wrestlemania XVII continued this tradition.
However, ladders not only served these men as weapons, but they served them as
higher platforms in which to deliver high risk aerial maneuvers. This
especially is a plus for Jeff Hardy, who has been known to take a risk or two
during a match. With the addition of tables and chairs, there were seemingly
endless possibilities for visual stunning spots throughout this match, such as
Jeff Hardy receiving a Powerbomb through a table, in which Edge was laying upon,
by Bubba Ray Dudley. However, no spot during this match was more insane, brutal
and noteworthy than Edge jumping off the top of a 20-ft. ladder and spearing
Jeff Hardy, who had been dangling high in the air above, from the Tag Team
Championships. That spot is one of, not only Edge’s, but Wrestlemania’s most
popular moments. The presence and involvement of Rhyno, Lita and Spike Dudley
added to the match. Christian received a crazy looking Dudley Dog from Spike to
the outside of the ring through a table, which was very cool. Matt Hardy got
Gored by Rhyno through a table in the corner. Lita, again, needing to prove she
can hang with the guys, took a 3D in the middle of the ring. It was absolute
chaos, but it didn’t look sloppy. Every spot for every person was planned out
almost to perfection. These guys didn’t overuse any weapon. They gave the fans
exactly what they wanted to see. In the end, like they had the year before,
Edge and Christian climbed the ladder; once again becoming Tag Team Champions.
But it was all three teams, and their respectful allies, who made this match an
amazing Wrestlemania classic.
#8:
‘The Macho Man’ Randy Savage vs. Ric Flair – Wrestlemania VIII
In the days of The Territories, there were two men
that people flocked to wrestling arenas to see. Those men were Ric Flair and
Hulk Hogan. Hogan, of course, took Vince McMahon’s New York based WWE—then
WWF—out of the Northeast and made it a nationwide, and eventually worldwide,
phenomenon. Down South, Ric Flair was the equivalent of Hulk Hogan. He was the guy to go see; an NWA and WCW
World Champion. In the tail end of 1991, after a heated departure from WCW,
Flair showed up in WWE sporting the Big Gold Belt—yes, that’s right! Years
before Eric Bischoff was pulling this move on McMahon, McMahon was pulling the
same antics on WCW. This immediately sparked interest in fans, especially the
loyalist, because in the same company was the World Champion and the WWE
Champion. Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair. It was a dream match about to become
reality! Due to some legal issues, Flair was forced to stop showing up on WWE
television with the belt, so the Champion versus Champion angle was dropped.
But this didn’t mean Hogan and Flair weren’t about to make history. Flair, in
November of 1991, cost Hogan the Championship to The Undertaker. That following
January, at the Royal Rumble, Ric Flair entered the Rumble match at #3 and won
it; winning the recently vacated WWE Championship. Things were really beginning
to take shape. Then, at a Wrestlemania VIII Press Conference, Hulk Hogan was named
the Number One Contender for the WWE Championship. It was official; Hulk Hogan
was going to challenge Ric Flair for the WWE Championship on the Grandest Stage
of Them All. Well, that was until booking changed and Hogan got pulled from the
match and tossed in to a program with Sid Vicious for Wrestlemania. The match
fans had been salivating over had been pulled out from under them. Yet, there
was a shining light in all of this nonsense. With Hogan wrestling someone else
in a match with far less hype than the originally planned, Randy Savage was
named the man who would challenge Flair for his WWE Championship. This, as many
could guess, was a very good thing. As huge as Hulkamania was, Hogan’s actual
in-ring ability was limited. Flair could have (and would have) carried the
match for the two and it would’ve still looked superb—it’s been said on
numerous occasions that The Nature Boy could wrestle a broom handle, and it
would be a five-star match. But when you take Hogan out of the equation, and
add in Randy Savage, the possibilities for what fans might see are limitless.
These are two of the greatest in the history of professional wrestling; and
them locking up at Wrestlemania, and for the WWE’s richest prize no-less, is
nothing short of a match made in Heaven. Flair says in the WWE’s book, The WWE Championship: A Look Back at the
Rich History of the WWE Championship, that the decision ended up being for
the best, because he got to wrestle the better man, while Hogan was stuck
wrestling a stiff big man in a match that would certainly be dull. There was
great booking for this match leading in to the event. Flair, in typical Nature
Boy fashion, told the world that he and Elizabeth were having an affair. This,
of course, enraged the challenger. Not only did he need to strip Flair of his
title, but he needed to defend the honor of his woman. When bell time came,
these two were ready to wage war on one another. The match was a masterpiece.
These two always had a natural ability to always be ahead of the game, as far
as match delivery went. This match was fast paced, and filled with drama and
great spots. The Macho Man took an insane Back Body Drop over the top rope,
where he took it as if he was in the ring… back to floor. Flair dished out
punishment and Savage kept fighting back. Flair bled, as The Nature Boy so often
does. These two gave fans everything they could have asked for in a wrestling
match. In the end, it was Savage who overcame The Nature Boy and, once again,
became WWE Champion. While Hulk Hogan and Sid headlined Wrestlemania VIII in a
match that was not only boring, but riddled with terrible spots, missed queues,
and a very confusing ending; Ric Flair and Randy Savage were delivering a
Wrestlemania match that would be remembered forever.
#7:
Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H vs. Chris Benoit – Wrestlemania XX
Shawn Michaels may be the greatest performer in the
history of the business, Triple H is definitely one of the biggest and baddest
heels of all time, and Chris Benoit may have been one of the greatest technical
wrestlers to ever lace up a pair of boots. So, when these three get together in
a Triple Threat match for the World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestlemania,
how can you not expect it to crack the top 10 greatest Wrestlemania matches of
all time? Wrestlemania returned home to Madison Square Garden in 2004 to
celebrate its twentieth birthday. On a night where we saw The Undertaker return
as The Dead Man, Molly Holly getting her head shaved bald, and The Rock wrestle
in his last match for what would end up being eight years; the match that fans
left remembering was the closing bout between Triple H, Shawn Michaels and
Chris Benoit. In 2004, Chris Benoit won the Royal Rumble; entering at #1 and
lasting to the end. Since he had been on Smackdown, everyone figured he’d
challenge whoever the WWE Champion was—at that point, it was Brock Lesnar, and
I think some fans were salivating at the idea of those two clashing. The same
night that Benoit secured his spot in a Wrestlemania title match, Triple H and
Shawn Michaels contested to a draw in a brutal Last Man Standing match. So,
many thought HBK and Triple H would meet at Wrestlemania. That’s where things
seemed to be heading on Raw, until Benoit shocked everyone and made the jump
from Smackdown to Raw, declaring he was challenging Triple H for his World
Title. The Show Stopper did not take too kindly to this, and during the contract
signing for the match at MSG, he Super Kicked Benoit and signed the contract
instead. So, Eric Bischoff decided to make the match at Wrestlemania a Triple
Threat Match between these three men… and it was the best decision he ever made
(probably because he didn’t really make it). Three of the best in the business
were going to compete at the twentieth anniversary of the biggest show WWE had
to offer, at the most famous arena in the world. What more could you ask for?
Triple Threat matches are unique because, since there are more than two people
competing in the match, there is very little down time. Two people can go at it
while the other rests, and then he can come back in while another competitor
rests up. Unfortunately, for Chris Benoit, one of his rest moments occurred
when Shawn Michaels and Triple H Double Suplexed him off of the announce table
through another announce table. Shawn Michaels bled so badly in this match, it
was a surprise he didn’t pass out from blood loss. The match wasn’t entertaining
simply because it was filled with violent spots; it was also a classic
wrestling match. Benoit always came with an array of suplexes in his arsenal,
and when he pulled them out, you were in awe of the bumps these competitors
took. The ending was the big shocker in this match. Most people thought the
outcome would’ve been either Triple H or Shawn Michaels. They had been engaged
in such a heated rivalry for so long, and, let’s face it; they were higher up
the roster than Benoit. Going in, Benoit was, unfortunately, considered the
third wheel. So when he won the match, the crowd at The Garden and at home was
in shock. The bigger shocker than that of Benoit winning was him making Triple
H tap out to the Crippler Crossface. There may be a lot of controversy and
heated debate surrounding Chris Benoit, but two things that can’t be denied are
his in-ring ability and how much blood, sweat and tears he put in to the
industry before the industry actually gave back. At Wrestlemania XX, Chris
Benoit finally got his big payoff for all the years he poured in to the
business.
#6:
The Undertaker vs. Edge – Wrestlemania XXIV
The Undertaker’s Streak is the benchmark of
Wrestlemania. It is more important than the WWE Championship when it comes to this
event. There have been many men to challenge The Phenom at The Show of Shows,
and they have all failed. Unfortunately, this is a damper going in to
Wrestlemania, because The Undertaker’s matches are always predictable. You know
he’s going to come out on top. At Wrestlemania XXIV in Orlando, The Undertaker
challenged Edge for the World Title; and if there was anyone who has come close
to having us believe The Streak was over and done with, it was Edge. I had just
gotten back in to wrestling that year, but I had been in the loop while I
wasn’t watching. This was the match, along with HBK vs. Flair from the same
Mania, which convinced me to start watching on a regular basis. The build for
this match was great. Edge, like The Undertaker, had never lost at
Wrestlemania. It obviously wasn’t as impressive as The Undertaker’s reign, but
it still made for good television; Streak versus Streak. Also, The Undertaker
had never defeated Edge, so it made his obstacle that year seem that much more
difficult. Now, there are always small moments during Undertaker matches at
Wrestlemania where he’s hit with a finishing move and you lean forward in your
seat because, for a moment, you think he’s going to lose. But then he kicks out
at the last second. When he wrestled Edge, I, along with all my friends
watching, was actually out of my seat during this match, because we thought
Edge actually had The Undertaker beat a few times. And when Undertaker actually
kicked out, you truly were in shock. Still, in the end, Edge went for The Spear
and got caught in the Hell’s Gate. He tapped out and The Undertaker became the
new World Champion, and more importantly; The Streak lived on. There may have
been better men that The Undertaker has wrestled at Wrestlemania—we’ll discuss
that soon—but no one man had a crowd believing his Streak was over and done with
than Edge.
There are five matches left on the countdown, and
Sunday morning, before Wrestlemania XXIX, they will be revealed! So stay tuned!
