The Top 10 matches of Wrestlemania

The Build Up
The Rock was about to leave the wrestling world for Hollywood, and everyone knew it. No one knew if he would ever come back, but without a doubt he'd have to go out with a bang.

Steve Austin was on his last rope with the company, and on his knee. Everyone knew his retirement was immanent.

Steve Austin had been asked the year before to wrestle Hulk Hogan. A match that could have been his last. Austin couldn't let go of the past; so he let his retirement slip one more year.

Quite possibly the best rivalry ever, was going to have it's third and final match at Wrestlemania.

The match
The Rock and Steve Austin's final match was the greatest of any of them. The whole match portraited the entire era. The Rock needed three Rock Bottoms to finally finish of Austin.

The Aftermath
This would be Steve Austin's final match.

The Rock would come back two years later to lose in a handicap match with long time friend Mick Foley, to evolution. The Rock has not came back since.

The Build Up

In the fall of 1993, Shawn Michaels was stripped of his WWF intercontinental belt. The reason given to fans was "he wasn't defending his title enough", there are several rumors, but nothing with any fact.

Razor Ramon won the vacated Intercontinantal title in a battle royal later that year.

Afterwards, Shawn Michaels created a fake Intercontinental title, and claimed himself as the "true champion"

The Match

This is the match that ultimately gets credit for the WWE's switch from old-school wrestling to the new-age innovation we've grown accustomed too.

Shawn Michaels used the ladder to do a few splashes, but in that day in age; it was unheard of. Both competitors used the ladder as a weapon.

Ultimately, Scott Hall (Razor Ramon) won the match.

The aftermath.

This match was bigger for Shawn Michaels then it was for Razor Ramon. The Heartbreak Kid would go on to win the Royal Rumble the following year. Razor Ramon, however, would never make it out of the mid-card.

Build up

After being injured by Randy Savage, Ricky Steamboat came back for revenge. The whole feud was an intense, bloody war.

Match
Ricky Steamboat eventually defeated Randy Savage. This match is considered one of the best techincal matches in Wrestlemania history.

Aftermath
Randy Savage mainly stayed in the main event after this match.

The build up

Ric Flair had queitly retired from WWE, but Vince McMahon came up with a genius story-line. Vince came out to the ring to tell Ric Flair that the next time he lost he would be fired.

Flair beat MVP and Mr. Kennedy on PPV heading into Wrestlemania.

On Raw he announced that he felt there was no better place to retire then Wrestlemania (The PPV following)

He went on to challange Shawn Michaels to a match.

The Match

In what can only be described as heart-breaking, Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels went 20+ minutes in the best match of the entire year.

When the match started I knew Ric Flair's historic career was over.

The aftermath

Shawn Michaels is still mocked for retiring the legend.

The Build-up

Chris Benoit had spent the better part of the previous year on Smackdown being tortured by GM Paul Heyman.

He was given the number one entrant in the Royal Rumble by Paul Heyman, in an attempt to screw him out of a chance to win.

Triple H and Shawn Michaels had been going through one of the biggest feuds the WWE has seen since the brand extension.

After Chris Benoit won the Royal Rumble, he announced he would challange Triple H (from Raw) instead of staying on Smackdown!

Shawn Michaels jumped into the match, saying his feud with Triple H wasn't finished.

The match

Like the Royal Rumble, this match was booked like Benoit's career. He started off the under-dog, was never given a chance, and then finally won the big one.

Chris Benoit won the World Heavyweight championship that night.

The aftermath:

This match made Chris Benoit a legend. He has since ruined it.

The build up
Kurt Angle lost his World title match at the Royal Rumble. He then went on to take Nunzio's spot later in the night. He came into the Rumble and completely dominated...for a couple of minutes.

Shawn Michaels super-kicked Kurt Angle out of the match.

Furious, Kurt Angle came back into the ring for revenge. He eliminated Shawn Michaels and gave him one hell of a beat-down.

They went on to face-off at Wrestlemania 19.

The match

Kurt Angle and Shawn Michaels gave us gold.

Angle went on to win the match.

The aftermath

Kurt Angle has sine left the company, however there are rumors of his return.

The build up
Coming into Wrestlemania 18 there were two major feuds.
1. Chris Jericho vs Triple H
2. The NWO vs Steve Austin and The Rock

The NWO was booked as heels, although Hogan was being viewed as a face. The Rock was a face, but the fans still booed him.

I don't remember there ever being a more torn crowd then when The Rock and Hulk Hogan faced off.

The match

The match seen the crowd go back and forth for the entire match, before The Rock finally defeated Hogan.

The aftermath

This was more of a dream match come true than a build up match.

The Buiild up

Shawn Michels had just returned from career threatening injury about four months prior to this main event. Michaels won the Royal Rumble in 1996, and received the chance at Bret Hart's WWF title.

In what can only be discribed as "epic", Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels wrestled on the grandest stage of them all, for over an hour.

The match

Shawn Michaels won the match, and the WWF championship. This match can be pointed out as the beginning of Mr. Wrestlemania.

The aftermath

Shawn Michaels overtook Bret Hart as top guy in the company.

The build up

The three top teams in the WWE had been going throat to throat for over eight months. They had already been in countless table matches, and countless ladder matches. They had already done TLC. What more was there for them to do?

The match

The match took weapons in the WWE to an entire new level. It also took Edge and Christian to the pinnacle of the Tag Team division.

The aftermath

The Dudleys went on to be one of the best tag-teams ever, while Jeff, Matt, and Edge all seen success in the WWE.

Christian went to TNA and became a two-time NWA champion.

The build up.
Steve Austin was building a name for himself. He had won the King of the Ring and the Royal Rumble going into Wrestlemania.

He cheated to win the Royal Rumble. After being eliminated by Bret Hart, he came back into the ring, un-noticed by the officials.

After winning the match, the stipulation that he would be given a title match was revoked. Bret Hart, The Undertaker, Phycho Sid, and Steve Austin had a triple threat for the vacant world title.

Bret Hart won the match, but lost the title the next night after Steve Austin interfered.

Bret Hart and Steve Austin would end up in a submission match.

The Match

Steve Austin refused to tap-out it Bret Hart's sharpshooter, and with blood running down his face, he passed out.

The aftermath

This match was the beginning of the Stone Cold era. Steve Austin's legend was built on that night.