WWE WrestleMania 31: Biggest Breakout Performances in PPV History

Over its three decades, WrestleMania has been a show built as much on epic and iconic performances from the industry's most enduring stars as it has been on the glitz, glamour, pomp and circumstance.

It has also been home to breakout performances that set some of the most recognizable Superstars of all time on a path to main event success.

That could very well be the case again on March 29 when WWE presents the 31st incarnation of its Showcase of the Immortals, live on its revolutionary streaming network as well as on pay-per-view. Bray Wyatt, Roman Reigns, Rusev and Seth Rollins are performers in position to etch their names in the history books and, in the process, ensure that they headline the biggest show of the year for the next decade.

Which Hall of Fame-worthy talents preceded them, using the grandest stage in the business to propel them to the top of the promotion in a single night?

Steve Austin did. Shawn Michaels, too. And do not forget about 2015 inductee "Macho Man" Randy Savage. He's there too.

To see who else made the list of greatest breakout performances in WrestleMania history, click the "next" button to your lower left-hand side.

10. Batista (WrestleMania 23)

Batista was already a made man by the time WrestleMania 23 rolled around. He was a two-time World Heavyweight champion, the face of the SmackDown brand and one of the biggest babyfaces in the industry.

But there was something lacking from his resume: a great performance on the biggest stage in pro wrestling, WrestleMania.

When it was announced that he would defend his title against The Undertaker at the April 2007 event, there were very real questions as to what quality of a match fans could expect. After all, neither man was recognized as a great ring worker. Add to that the numerous disappointing performances Batista had turned in since returning from injury, and you had every reason to be skeptical.

So did management, who opted to put the match midway through the card, rather than risk a bad match in the main event.

Batista took the lack of faith and perceived disrespect personally and set out to show the world that he was every bit as capable of delivering under the bright lights as anyone else.

Working a power-based match full of dramatic near-falls and breathtaking high spots, Batista turned in arguably the finest performance of his career in a losing effort.

He would remain a main event talent throughout the remainder of his WWE career, but it was the WrestleMania showing that brought credibility and legitimacy to everything else he ever accomplished.

9. Chris Jericho (WrestleMania XIX)

Chris Jericho was a former WCW champion, a former Undisputed champion and one of the biggest stars in professional wrestling as WrestleMania XIX dawned. What he did not have, though, was that one defining match in WWE.

That all changed when he stepped inside SafeCo Field in Seattle for his match with childhood idol Shawn Michaels.

With one of the best builds on the entire show and the weight of the world on his shoulders to deliver a classic match with a guy who was not yet back to working full time, Jericho needed an all-time great performance to cement his legacy.

He got it that evening, working the best match of the show with a man who, at one time, could wrestle a piece of cardboard and produce a four-star bout.

Now, it was Jericho who thrilled the audience with a performance that made everyone sit up and take note of his greatness. There was no denying it: He and Michaels delivered in an enormous spot, but it was Jericho critics pointed to as one of the MVPs of that night's festivities.

Much like Michaels had years earlier, Jericho found himself with lofty expectations to meet every time he stepped inside the squared circle. The contest with Michaels at WrestleMania reinforced the idea that Y2J was among the elite workers in the industry, a label that would have adversely affected a lesser performer.

It did not in Jericho's case.

Instead, it fueled him to constantly change things up to prevent him from becoming stale.

Five years after the war that catapulted Jericho into the pantheon of the greatest Superstars of all time, the rivals again waged war in one of the greatest storylines in WWE history.

But that is another story for another time.

8. Owen Hart (WrestleMania X)

The opening match of WrestleMania X featured a war of brothers as Bret Hart battled his younger, more egotistical and selfish sibling Owen.

Though he had a WWE Championship match later in the night against either Yokozuna or Lex Luger, The Hitman had to overcome an attack targeting his knee by the man he was once so incredibly close to.

Owen, proving to the wrestling world that he was every bit as great as his brother, outwrestled Bret and picked up the win with a victory roll.

The finish, though unexpected, cemented Owen as a legitimate challenger to the top titles in WWE and the No. 1 enemy of WWE's most popular hero.

7. Edge (WrestleMania 22)

The year 2006 started off as well as possible for Edge, the self-proclaimed "Rated R Superstar."

He cashed in the Money in the Bank briefcase, won his first WWE Championship and was responsible for a ratings hike for Monday Night Raw.

Despite clearly having a character that was garnering interest and an audience, Edge quickly lost the title back to John Cena. He then found himself without a major main event match at WrestleMania 22.

That all changed with the return of Mick Foley to WWE.

Edge engaged the Hardcore Legend in a rivalry that ultimately set up the Hardcore match between the two at the Showcase of the Immortals.

Determined to prove management wrong, to show it just how big a mistake it made by taking the title off him as early as it did, Edge went to the ring and proceeded to have one of the most brutal, violent, amazing matches in the long and illustrious history of WrestleMania.

He and Foley punished each other with barbed wire, steel chairs, tables and thumbtacks before concluding their war with a breathtaking spear from Edge to Foley, between the ropes and through a flaming table.

As he sat in the aisle trembling, blood in his eyes, Edge realized that he not only had a WrestleMania moment under his belt, but he also delivered the classic match he set out to some 20 minutes earlier.

The following night, Edge returned to the main event, where he would remain for the rest of his Hall of Fame career.

6. Bret Hart (WrestleMania VIII)

There was no denying the quality of performer Bret Hart was entering WrestleMania VIII. As both a tag team and singles competitor, he proved that he was among the elite workers in the industry, especially on the heels of his instant classic against Mr. Perfect months earlier at SummerSlam.

But his opponent at the Showcase of the Immortals, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, was unlike any other opponent Hart had wrestled.

More of a character than he ever was a wrestler, Piper brawled, punched, kicked, scratched and clawed his way up the ranks, headlining the first two incarnations of the year's biggest show and capturing his first singles title at the 1992 Royal Rumble.

For Hart to deliver another classic match, he would have to craft a contest that played to the strengths of his opponent.

He did just that, blending brawling, technical wrestling and expert storytelling to create one of the greatest WWE Intercontinental Championship matches of all time.

Hart won the match and the title, but by night's end, there was no doubting that Hart was among the very best wrestlers on the planet, capable of carrying a broomstick to a quality bout if necessary.

On the heels of the Piper match and another five-star match against British Bulldog at SummerSlam '92, Hart captured his first WWE Championship in October, beginning a five-year stretch in which he was the franchise player for Vince McMahon's company.

5. "Macho Man" Randy Savage (WrestleMania III)

Prior to WrestleMania III, "Macho Man" Randy Savage was one of the most respected in-ring workers in the business. His ability to wrestle a show-stealing match against anyone, coupled with an over-the-top persona that captivated fans, helped make him a must-watch performer.

With that said, there were very real questions about his ability to be a bona fide main event attraction.

Those questions were answered, once and for all, when Savage stepped inside the sold-out Pontiac Silverdome for his WWE Intercontinental Championship defense against Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat.

In one of the greatest matches in the history of professional wrestling, Savage and Steamboat wowed the audience with dramatic near-falls and storytelling that perfectly encapsulated their rivalry.

By the end of the 15-minute contest, Steamboat was the new champion, but Savage was the undisputed winner of the match, proving any doubters wrong. He lost his gold but won the respect of fans and management alike.

One year later, Savage rode the wave of momentum coming out of WrestleMania III all the way to the WWE Championship, winning a tournament to capture the vacant title.

4. The Ultimate Warrior (WrestleMania VI)

Normally, a wrestler breaks out before his first main event title opportunity, but The Ultimate Warrior had always been anything but normal.

At WrestleMania VI, he entered Toronto's SkyDome as the WWE Intercontinental champion and No. 1 contender to Hulk Hogan's heavyweight title. For the first time, two babyfaces would headline the biggest show of the year—one looking to maintain his dominance, the other looking to rise to the top of the industry.

In a contest every bit as epic as one would have hoped for, Warrior delivered the type of in-ring performance few thought he was capable of. He stood toe-to-toe with Hogan, absorbing every major blow and signature maneuver, and he still managed to stay alive.

He even withstood Hogan "hulking up" late in the match, dodged a legdrop and finished the Hulkster off with a big splash to capture his first and only WWE Championship.

As he celebrated with his latest prize, everyone from fans to management had to feel comfortable knowing that, in the biggest match of his career, Warrior delivered a showing that justified what was a previously unimaginable clean victory over the biggest icon the sport had ever known.

3. Daniel Bryan (WrestleMania XVIII)

Daniel Bryan lost the World Heavyweight Championship to Sheamus in 18 seconds at WrestleMania XVIII.

So how could that possibly translate to a breakout performance? Simple. Bryan losing as quickly as he did ignited a frenzy in the audience, a frenzy that would result in chants of "Daniel Bryan" and "Yes" in arenas across the country, beginning that same night.

From that point on, no matter how badly WWE Creative and management attempted to stick him lower on the card, audiences would let their voices be heard with feverish, emotional and passionate chants for the former Ring of Honor standout.

Two years after what most saw as a sign of disrespect directed at Bryan, those same fans watched as the bearded Superstar defeated Triple H, Randy Orton and Batista on the same evening to become the WWE World Heavyweight champion. That never would have happened had fans not forged that ever-important emotional connection with Bryan, which resulted from his treatment in the WrestleMania XVIII opener.

2. Shawn Michaels (WrestleMania X)

With both Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon staking claim to the WWE Intercontinental Championship entering WrestleMania X, the decision was made to book the first televised Ladder match between them, their prize hanging high overhead inside the historic Madison Squared Garden.

While all signs pointed to Ramon proving himself as the undisputed IC champion, it was Michaels who seized the opportunity, delivering a performance that not only stole the entire show but also catapulted the Heartbreak Kid into the pantheon of all-time WrestleMania greats.

He and Ramon used ladders to pummel each other, all in hopes of incapacitating the opponent long enough to climb the ladder and obtain the prizes that awaited one of them.

The Bad Guy ultimate accomplished his goal, but by the end of the contest, it was Michaels' dive from atop the ladder, his fighting desperately to free himself from the ropes and his undying determination to outshine his fellow Superstars that fans most remembered.

Over the years that followed, Michaels earned the reputation of the Showstopper, the Headliner and the Main Event, thanks to his ability to consistently deliver the best matches of the night.

1. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin (WrestleMania 13)

There has never been a more important breakout performance in the history of WrestleMania than Steve Austin's showing in the Submission match against Bret Hart at WrestleMania XIII.

Fighting through incredible pain and tremendous blood loss while trapped in Hart's vaunted Sharpshooter finisher, Austin wowed the WWE Universe with his undeniable toughness and unwavering will to survive, to never give up.

He ultimately passed out, losing consciousness and leaving special referee Ken Shamrock no alternative but to call for the bell, but Austin left Chicago's Rosemont Horizon with the respect of the fans. His display necessitated a double turn that saw Austin become WWE's resident antihero and Hart become the hated foreign heel who was dismayed by the changing attitude of the United States.

By the time the following year's event arrived, Austin was the undisputed No. 1 contender and top babyface in the sport. He would capture the WWE title and guide the company to unprecedented heights.