WWE WrestleMania 31: The 20 Greatest WrestleMania Moments of All Time
In many ways, the allure of a WrestleMania moment is more important to WWE Superstars than any championship ever could be.
To deliver a performance on the grandest stage of them all is to etch your name in the history books and achieve immortality. It is a pat on the back, the recognition the performers in today's sports entertainment landscape so cherish, as if to validate everything they have sacrificed for their work.
Over the course of three decades, the greatest to ever lace up a pair of boots have taken to the squared circle and accomplished that very goal, crafting moments that would be repeated in video packages, retrospectives, publications and even trading cards for decades to come.
Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, The Ultimate Warrior, Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart and Eddie Guerrero owe a great deal of their Hall of Fame inductions to the matches and moments they competed in at the Showcase of the Immortals.
On Sunday, March 29, today's crop of competitors will chase their WrestleMania moment, be it in a heavyweight championship war, a heated grudge match or a Ladder match for the intercontinental title.
Who will succeed? Which ones will have to wait another year to accomplish their dream?
That remains to be seen.
As you gear up for this year's show, though, take a stroll through WrestleMania history with 20 moments that have helped make the event the most important in the industry, ranked in terms of historical significance and emotional impact.
20. Edge's Burning Desire (WrestleMania XXII)
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One of the most brutal and violent matches in the long history of WrestleMania occurred in April 2006, when Edge battled Mick Foley in a Hardcore match.
Feeling as though the hardcore legend had screwed him out of the WWE Championship, Edge targeted Foley, awakening in him the same dangerous Superstar who spilled blood on many continents.
Foley was in search of his WrestleMania moment, the one thing that eluded him throughout his Hall of Fame career. Come Sunday night, April 2, he would have that moment and a defining match to add to his resume of all-time classics.
The Superstars battered, bruised and punished each other in a match that captivated the fans in Chicago and had them recalling some of the legendary street fights that had occurred in the city.
It was the finish that created an instant-classic moment, as Lita caught Foley with a blow on the apron then set ablaze a table at ringside. From there, Edge exploded across the ring, catching Foley with a spear that sent both competitors crashing through the flaming table.
With both men suffering from burns, lacerations and puncture wounds courtesy of thumbtacks, Edge draped his arm over Foley and scored the win, having enhanced his own star and given Foley that elusive 'Mania moment.
19. The Ultimate Surprise (WrestleMania VIII)
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When The Ultimate Warrior allegedly held Vince McMahon up for more money prior to 1991's SummerSlam pay-per-view, as revealed in the 2005 WWE Home Video release The Self Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior, it appeared as though fans had seen the end of the face-painted Superstar in the promotion.
That is why it was so shocking to see him race to the ring at WrestleMania VIII, saving Hulk Hogan from a two-on-one beatdown at the hands of Papa Shango and Sid Justice.
The fans in Indianapolis' Hoosier Dome erupted, greeting the return with the biggest pop of the night, then remained at a fever pitch as the former heavyweight champion posed alongside the Hulkster to close out the festivities.
At a time before the Internet made surprises such as Warrior's improbable return impossible, it was a truly shocking moment that instantly made up for the otherwise lethargic show, even if the wrestling had been above-average throughout.
Warrior's participation in the show would spark discussion about his appearance and lead to questions as to whether it was the same guy behind the paint.
It was, and as he would throughout his career, he would keep fans and management guessing as to what his next move would be.
18. A Deal with the Devil (WrestleMania X-Seven)
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The rivalry between the rebellious Steve Austin and megalomaniac boss Vince McMahon helped rejuvenate World Wrestling Entertainment, bringing it back from the abyss to overtake World Championship Wrestling as the No. 1 promotion in the industry and spark the revolutionary Attitude Era.
Business rose to unprecedented heights, leading the company to become a pop culture phenomenon. Austin 3:16 T-shirts became a common sight at stores across the country, and the war between Austin and McMahon dominated television ratings.
In late 1999, a neck injury put the feud on hiatus as Austin was sidelined, forced to watch from his sofa at home as The Rock ascended to the spot he once called his own. When he returned in the fall of 2000, it was apparent the only match that made sense to headline WrestleMania X-Seven was a second showdown between the Texas Rattlesnake and the Great One.
Austin was desperate to regain the title he once held with such pride. Really desperate.
The more The Rock kicked out of his trademark maneuvers, proving his resiliency, the more frustrated Austin became. He even dug down into his bag of tricks and pulled out the Million Dollar Dream, a maneuver used during his time as The Ringmaster.
It was not until Vince McMahon made his way to the ring and proceeded to aid Austin in defeating The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment in the main event of the 2001 show that fans realized just how desperate and determined Stone Cold was to get back the championship he considered his.
Even more shocking than McMahon's involvement was the handshake the boss and his No. 1 tormentor engaged in to end the show, much to the dismay of everyone from fans to commentator Jim Ross, who watched his friend make a deal with the devil.
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17. Goodbye, Shawn (WrestleMania XXVI)
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Driven to prove he could defeat Undertaker just one year after losing a heartbreaking classic, Shawn Michaels put his legendary career on the line against the Deadman's fabled streak in the main event of WrestleMania XXVI.
As they had a year earlier, the performers thrilled the fans in Arizona's University of Phoenix Stadium with another dramatic contest.
Michaels, realizing it would be his last opportunity to deliver a memorable match for the WWE Universe, threw caution to the wind, diving with reckless abandon from the top rope and onto an Undertaker prone on the announce table.
For everything he sent his opponent's way, however, Michaels was unable to put him down. Exhausted, his body wracked with pain from a punishing match against one of the most talented and gifted brawlers in company history, he mocked Undertaker's throat-slashing gesture before ending up on the receiving end of a Tombstone piledriver.
Three seconds later, his run as an in-ring competitor came to an end.
After embracing his opponent in a nice touch of sportsmanship, Michaels made the long walk up the ramp, waving goodbye to the fans he entertained for nearly three decades.
16. Shooting Star Crash (WrestleMania XIX)
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If ever there was a time to lay it all on the line, breaking out maneuvers one would not typically execute any other time, WrestleMania would be it.
Brock Lesnar proved as much in 2003.
At WrestleMania XIX in Seattle's Safeco Field, he challenged Kurt Angle for the WWE Championship in the night's main event.
The contest was a display of mat wrestling that lived up to every fan's expectations, with each amateur wrestling great proving why he achieved the success he did on mats around the country. The most memorable spot in the entire bout came when Lesnar moved out of his comfort zone and headed to the top rope after hitting Angle with an F-5.
Fans rose to their feet in anticipation of seeing the man eventually labeled the Beast Incarnate fly through the air. What they could not imagine was that he would launch himself off the top rope for a Shooting Star Press.
Unfortunately, he would undershoot a prone Angle, landing headfirst into the mat as if he were a javelin.
It was a miracle he was not seriously hurt. In fact, despite the angle with which he hit the mat and the damage that should have been done to his neck, the only injury Lesnar suffered was a concussion. While still incredibly serious, it was nowhere near what could have happened.
The move was one of the most breathtaking in event history and single-handedly established Lesnar as the baddest man in the industry.
15. The End of an Era (WrestleMania XXVIII)
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In the three years that preceded WrestleMania XXVIII, The Undertaker had defeated both Triple H and Shawn Michaels in classic matches, even retiring the Heartbreak Kid following his win at the 26th installment of the show.
Triple H, on the other hand, had left Undertaker unable to walk out of the arena the last time they competed, proving the Deadman was not quite the dominating force he had once been. Determined to finish what he started a year earlier and actually beat the Phenom and end his storied undefeated streak, The Game accepted his challenge for a rematch, but only if it took place inside Hell in a Cell.
The special referee?
Former Undertaker victim and Triple H's best friend, Michaels.
In a brutal, violent match in which story trumped traditional wrestling, the industry giants left nothing to chance, throwing everything possible at each other. Finally, a defiant, beaten and broken Triple H delivered one more D-X crotch chop before falling victim to a Tombstone piledriver that ended his night on a losing note.
Then, in a scene of great sportsmanship, Undertaker, Michaels and Triple H helped each other up the ramp, physically and emotionally drained. It was the end of an era which those three Superstars championed, their days as full-time competitors reaching their conclusion.
The sight of them standing at the top of the ramp, staring out at the gigantic crowd that had assembled in Miami's Sun Life Stadium and realizing they were a major part of the growth of the industry, is goosebumps-inducing.
However, the fact that two of the three returned to the ring a year later hurts this moment's ability to rank higher on this list.
14. Bald Headed Blues (WrestleMania XXIII)
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The Battle of the Billionaires pitted Vince McMahon and Donald Trump against each other in a war of ego. At WrestleMania 23, each highly successful businessman would recruit a WWE Superstar to represent him in a match. The man whose representative lost would endure the public humiliation and shaming that came with having his head shaved in front of a worldwide audience.
The contest attracted mainstream media attention and was featured in numerous forms of advertising, from newspaper articles to pizza boxes.
Regardless of whether one was a wrestling fan, it was clear that World Wrestling Entertainment was having a huge event and that McMahon and Trump were central to it.
Trump's handpicked competitor, Bobby Lashley, defeated McMahon's, Umaga, and the head shaving commenced.
McMahon kicked and screamed as the winners, as well as special guest referee and longtime McMahon rival Steve Austin, lathered his head up with shaving cream and removed his billion-dollar head of hair.
A bald McMahon retreated to the locker room while Austin, Lashley and Trump celebrated their victory.
Then, in typical Austin fashion, he dropped the star of The Apprentice with a Stone Cold Stunner, drawing one of the biggest pops of the night.
13. 'I'm Sorry. I Love You.' (WrestleMania XXIV)
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There is no Superstar more honored and decorated than the legendary "Nature Boy" Ric Flair. Considered by many to be the best wrestler ever, he entered WrestleMania XXIV in the midst of a storyline in which a single loss would bring about the end of his career.
When it was announced that he would be the headline inductee into the 2008 Hall of Fame, most figured that the stylin', profiling Superstar's last ride would occur at the Showcase of the Immortals. What they could not have known was that the man to take him out would be someone who considered him an idol.
Shawn Michaels compared Flair to Old Yeller, then threatened to put him down the same way the dog is put down in the classic work of fiction.
The statement added a personal edge to the much-anticipated bout.
With all the pomp and circumstance surrounding the contest over and done with, Flair proved one more time why so many fans love and respect him, reaching within himself to pull out one more extraordinary performance.
With nothing left to give after 20 minutes of action, Flair stood across the ring from his opponent, tears running down his face but his fists raised in defiance. Michaels looked straight at him and, clearly emotional, mouthed the words, "I'm sorry. I love you," before blasting him with Sweet Chin Music to bring an end to his legendary career.
It was one of the most emotional moments in the long and illustrious history of the event and a brilliant example of just how spectacular pro wrestling can be when it is done correctly. Michaels, a lifelong fan, had to make the heartbreaking decision to put an end to the career of the man he considered a major influence.
The decision may have been business, but the ramifications were clearly eating him up inside, creating a morality play that unfolded in front of tens of thousands in Orlando, Florida, and millions watching at home—spectacular television from two of the finest to ever lace up a pair of boots.
12. The Rise of a New Generation (WrestleMania XXI)
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World Wrestling Entertainment was desperately seeking stars to carry it into the future. After years of relying on Triple H, Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker to carry the Raw and SmackDown brands, respectively, the company seized the opportunity to elevate two young, talented Superstars to the top of the industry, their coronations coming on the same night.
John Cena had gained tremendous popularity as the freestyle-rapping Doctor of Thuganomics on the SmackDown brand and was the No. 1 contender to heel WWE champion John Bradshaw Layfield. With the entertainment world watching, Cena defeated Layfield with his trademark finisher, the FU (later to be relabeled the Attitude Adjustment), and began his main event run, a run that continues to this day.
Batista, meanwhile, was the once-loyal enforcer of Evolution. Having watched Triple H's ego run wild, resulting in the ousting of Randy Orton from the group, and determined not to let the same thing happen to him, Batista revealed that he was not some stupid meathead. He was instead a calculating big man who was completely aware of his mentor's plans and always stayed one step ahead.
At WrestleMania 21, the 2005 Royal Rumble winner defeated The Game to capture the World Heavyweight Championship in the night's marquee match.
Very rarely can fans point to a single show as the genesis for a new generation of stars. That was the case with the 2005 event, as WWE put all of its chips behind Batista and Cena, crowning them the two Superstars to carry the mantle for the next decade.
11. Three Icons, One Ring (WrestleMania XXX)
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Arguably the three greatest Superstars in World Wrestling Entertainment history are "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, The Rock and Hulk Hogan.
At WrestleMania XXX, the legendary stars celebrated the Showcase of the Immortals' 30th birthday by kicking off the broadcast with an in-ring promo that captivated the audience and paid tribute to their many contributions to the long and illustrious history of the event.
Attitude Era legends Rock and Austin teased Hogan about his mix-up between the Superdome, home of the 2014 event, and the Silverdome, home of the third edition of WrestleMania.
All three wrapped up the segment with a beer bash that elicited one of the biggest pops of the night.
Rarely are three Superstars so integral to the overall success of a single promotion in one place at one time, let alone stars the likes of Austin, Rock and Hogan, whose schedules away from WWE are oftentimes jam-packed.
That they all made time to appear at the show, creating a moment the likes of which is unlikely to ever occur again, signified the importance of WrestleMania to every man and woman to ever lace up a pair of boots.
10. An Ultimate Champion (WrestleMania VI)
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Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Warrior were the two biggest babyfaces in World Wrestling Entertainment entering 1990's WrestleMania VI, and after an electric reaction to their brief interaction at the Royal Rumble, Vince McMahon went ahead with the idea to put both the WWE and Intercontinental titles on the line in an epic encounter between the fan favorites.
Warrior and Hogan, neither confused with talented in-ring workers, delivered a match that greatly exceeded expectations. Using power-based moves that led to dramatic near-falls, the Superstars kept fans guessing as to which Superstar would leave Toronto with both championships.
When Hogan hulked up and wagged his finger at Warrior, longtime fans were certain that the Red and Yellow would run wild once again, triumphing over the latest challenge to his superiority.
However, he missed the leg drop and fell victim to a big splash from Warrior, then had his shoulders pinned to the mat, cleanly, for the first time in six years.
It was a monumental moment and what should have been the passing of the torch from Hogan to Warrior. They embraced afterward before Hogan left the new champion to celebrate his victory.
Hogan would state on numerous occasions that he knew the wrong decision had been made when he rode from the ring on the special cart, as more eyes were on him than on the new face of WWE.
Right or wrong, it was a moment in time that simply did not happen in that era. Most importantly, it was Vince McMahon's first attempt to replace Hogan as the top star in the company, something he would not successfully do until the two businessmen went their separate ways in 1993.
9. 'The Boyhood Dream Has Come True' (WrestleMania XII)
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After seven years of hard work and dedication, Shawn Michaels found himself in the midst of a main event push that saw him win the 1996 Royal Rumble match to earn a show at the WWE Championship at WrestleMania XII.
His opponent at that show? Bret "The Hit Man" Hart, the only man more respected for his in-ring contributions than the Heartbreak Kid.
Booked in a 60-minute Iron Man match, the top prize in the industry at stake, their contest felt every bit the gigantic, epic encounter that it was.
For one hour, the Superstars worked the mat, took to the air and even wiped out innocent ring announcers in the process, all for the right to leave Anaheim, California, with the WWE Championship in their possession.
Late in the match, Michaels leaped from the ropes and instantly found himself trapped in the Sharpshooter, quickly dimming the prospects of him leaving with the title he had worked so incredibly hard to attain.
He withstood the punishment and refused to submit, however, leading to a draw after the time limit expired.
Interim WWE president Gorilla Monsoon ordered a sudden-death overtime period, and Michaels made the most of his second chance, blasting Hart with Sweet Chin Music to capture the title.
"The boyhood dream has come true," Vince McMahon exclaimed on commentary, delivering one of the best soundbites in event history.
And it had. Michaels, a lifelong fan of the sport, an admirer of Ric Flair, had followed in his idol's footsteps and captured the championship that solidified his claims to greatness.
8. Guerrero and Benoit Celebrate (WrestleMania XX)
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Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit were not supposed to succeed in Vince McMahon's land of giants. They were smaller, more wrestling-oriented performers who traditionally would have been the setup for the bigger, more over-the-top stars on the roster.
But that changed on March 14, 2004, as WWE presented WrestleMania XX live from the historic Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Guerrero entered the event the improbable WWE champion. His opponent, Kurt Angle, was one of the most decorated and respected stars on the roster, a former Olympian who had established himself as one of the greatest in-ring workers to ever lace up a pair of boots.
For 21 minutes, the competitors waged war in a brilliant display of hold and counter hold, wowing the audience with a wrestling classic that remains one of the more underrated gems in WrestleMania's three-decade existence.
Guerrero was able to retain, using trickery and creativity to catch Angle off guard and roll him up for the victory.
Later in the night, he would return to the squared circle to celebrate with Benoit, who defeated Triple H and Shawn Michaels in a Triple Threat match to realize his dream of becoming world champion. Together, the two Superstars who were told they had no place in the main event of a major promotion celebrated as confetti fell, the biggest night of their lives in the books.
Unfortunately, tragic circumstances have led the WWE to erase the moment from wrestling history.
7. A Macho Reunion (WrestleMania VII)
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When "Macho Man" Randy Savage turned heel in 1989, his relationship with Miss Elizabeth disintegrated on-screen. Now a vile villain, he turned to Sensational Sherri to lead him to the ring every night. The two would make for one of the most dastardly duos of the era.
After costing Ultimate Warrior the WWE Championship at the 1991 Royal Rumble, Savage and Warrior would battle in a Retirement match, the loser forced from the ring for good.
Despite putting Warrior down with five consecutive top-rope elbow drops, the king of WWE was unable to put his opponent away. He eventually fell at the hands of a number of shoulder blocks followed by a single foot on the chest pinfall, establishing Warrior's dominant victory.
Outraged over the victory, Sherri attacked the beaten and battered Savage, who was recovering from the loss and unable to defend himself.
Suddenly, Elizabeth, who had watched from afar, jumped the guardrail, rushed the ring and tossed Sherri to the outside. Tearful, she tried to help Savage to his feet, but he shoved her away. When he finally made it upright and realized what happened, he embraced his former manager and lifted her into his shoulder in a nod to WrestleMania IV three years earlier.
Then, with members of the audience in tears, he lifted the ropes for Elizabeth, something he had never done before. It was in that moment that WWE had completed some of the greatest storytelling of its history.
6. Icon vs. Icon (WrestleMania X8)
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When Hulk Hogan returned to WWE in 2002, the opportunity for a match against The Rock presented itself. Two industry icons who transcended the industry, becoming mainstream pop culture stars, they made natural rivals.
Hogan, the leader of one generation, was determined to prove his greatness, his immortality, against the younger, hotter star, The Rock, who had assumed the mantle of sports-entertainment giant in the absence of the Hulkster.
In front of more than 65,000 fans in Toronto's SkyDome, they stood face-to-face, engaging in one of the most chilling staredowns in wrestling history. From there, they proceeded to deliver a match full of drama and excitement, the fans in attendance greeting every near-fall with a tremendous pop, thinking they had seen the triumphant return of the prayer-saying, iron-pumping Hogan.
They cheered him over The Rock, appreciative of the nostalgia that his return brought them. The fans loved watching him hulk up, wave his finger and hit the leg drop.
But Rock was able to kick out of his opponent's signature maneuver and ultimately finished him off with the Rock Bottom and People's Elbow, resulting in a rare clean Hogan loss.
The Superstars embraced, fought off the New World Order's Scott Hall and Kevin Nash, posed for the fans and made the long walk up the ramp, having cemented their legacies as two of the best and most beloved in wrestling history.
5. 'The Austin Era Has Begun' (WrestleMania XIV)
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Steve Austin was the most popular star in wrestling and the greatest chance for an industry-changing performer Vince McMahon had since the heyday of Hulk Hogan. He was edgy, vulgar, attitudinal and everything the fans wanted from their professional wrestling in the late 1990s.
His meteoric rise started with a rivalry with Bret Hart, intensified with a loss to Hart in a Submission match at WrestleMania XIII and culminated with a win in the 1998 Royal Rumble.
The clear No. 1 contender and the best bet to leave the Showcase of the Immortals with his first heavyweight championship, Austin was banking on the 14th annual event being the biggest night of his career.
Shawn Michaels was the opponent, an injured champion whose backstage antics left questions about his willingness to do business and drop the title, and "Iron" Mike Tyson was the celebrity guest enforcer who had revealed an alliance with Michaels, Triple H and D-Generation X leading into the show.
Despite all of the questions surrounding the health of the competitors and the storyline involving Tyson's partiality, Austin planted Michaels with the Stone Cold Stunner, benefited from a fast count by Tyson (who had double-crossed DX) and captured his first championship, catapulting him to the top of the industry and kick-starting WWE's dominance over WCW in the Monday Night Wars—even if it would take a few weeks for the company to win its first head-to-head battle.
4. The Birth of a Spectacle (WrestleMania)
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WrestleMania was the concept of Vince McMahon, a promoter whose vision for the professional wrestling industry far exceeded the traditional confines of the business.
Eager to infuse celebrity and entertainment with the art form his father helped champion as one of its most influential promoters, McMahon recruited the likes of Mr. T, Cyndi Lauper, Muhammad Ali and Liberace to participate in a major event to take place at the historic Madison Square Garden.
With the eyes of the mainstream media on his creation, McMahon put together a show that featured his biggest and brightest stars, such as Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, Tito Santana, Greg Valentine and Junkyard Dog, while mixing in the celebrities casual fans and even non-fans had tuned in to see.
A sporting event on par with the Super Bowl in terms of glitz, glamour and fan anticipation, it was a major success for McMahon, and it served as genesis for the boss and his company to make the show bigger, better and badder than the year before.
3. 21-1 (WrestleMania XXX)
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There was no more celebrated aspect of WrestleMania in the decade that preceded No. 30 on April 6, 2014, than The Undertaker's undefeated streak. While the heavyweight championships meant a great deal, there was something about the mystique of the streak that captured the imaginations of the fans and drummed up a great deal of interest for the annual extravaganza.
Many thought it was so sacred that WWE would allow Undertaker to go his entire career without losing at the Granddaddy of Them All.
Those thoughts proved flawed as Brock Lesnar manhandled, dominated and defeated Undertaker in one of the more one-sided matches in event history: the images of the Deadman struggling to his feet, the realization that two decades of hard work to maintain the streak had come crashing down, blown away by Lesnar with the force of an F5.
Undertaker's long walk up the ramp moved some to tears while others watched in disbelief at the events unfolding before their eyes. Social media lit up with odes to the Phenom and criticisms of the booking decision.
As the speechless, shocked faces of the fans in New Orleans proved, though, no words were necessary to describe exactly what had just happened.
2. Blood from a Stone (WrestleMania XIII)
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There are few moments more important to the overall history of professional wrestling than Steve Austin's loss to Bret Hart at WrestleMania XIII.
Austin was a heel entering the match, a despicable villain who cursed, raised hell and was generally a thorn in Hart's side. The Hitman, on the other hand, was a respectable babyface, the type of competitor who took great pride in his career and was beloved by fans across the globe.
But American wrestling fans wanted different. No longer were the days of good and evil conducive to a satisfying product. As Vince McMahon would put it later, "The days of saying your prayers and taking your vitamins [was] passe." They wanted to cheer the rebellious Austin, and the fans in Chicago were all too eager to make that want a reality.
Hart showed a vicious side of himself that fans had never seen before, bloodying Austin, creating a sympathetic figure in the process, allowing the fans still in conflict over cheering the Texas Rattlesnake to get behind him fully.
Trapped in the Hitman's vaunted Sharpshooter submission hold, his knee wracked with pain and blood pouring down his face, Austin fought until his body could no longer handle the strain put on it. He passed out from the pain, and Hart was awarded the match.
In the process, fans unleashed a venomous response in the direction of Hart while raining down with cheers and respect for Austin, who shunned any attempts to help him to the back, limping up the aisle on his own.
The images of Austin screaming in pain, blood running down his face, over his teeth and to the mat below, are some of the most iconic in WWE history. Those images were published on the cover of WWE Raw Magazine and printed on T-shirts.
As a result, Austin's legend grew tenfold, as did his popularity, leading to him becoming the savior of WWE at a time when it desperately needed one.
1. Hulk Hogan Slams Andre the Giant (WrestleMania III)
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The greatest main event in the history of professional wrestling was Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant from WrestleMania III.
While the quality of the match was nothing special, the hype and crowd fervor were at an all-time high—not to mention the fact that 93,000 fans packed Michigan's Pontiac Silverdome to watch the two industry greats battle over the WWE Championship.
After years of dominating the industry as its top star, Hogan was faced with his greatest challenge in the form of his former friend turned hated rival, Andre, who aligned himself with Bobby Heenan and repeatedly mentioned the fact that, after 15 years of defeating every Superstar put in front of him, he was never granted a championship opportunity against Hogan.
Andre would prove just how big a threat he was to Hogan's title, dominating him throughout the contest, overwhelming him with his sheer size.
But Hogan, as he would so many times over the course of his career, overcame the onslaught of the giant and mounted a comeback.
Then, in moment that solidified him as the greatest star in the wrestling world, Hogan hoisted Andre in the air and delivered a bodyslam that elicited a thunderous ovation from the fans. A leg drop finished him, and Hogan successfully retained his title.
That moment paid off what had been a stellar buildup to the match, one that helped make the third WrestleMania the premier event in sports entertainment—at least for the next 14 years.
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