Ranking WWE's Most Underrated WrestleMania Matches Ever
WrestleMania has hosted some of WWE's very best bouts in the 40-plus-year history of the event.
Although a majority of installments are best known for their main eventsāregardless of how outstanding or how awful they may have beenā a number of 'Mania midcard matches have stood the test of time as well, with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin's iconic outing with Bret Hart from WrestleMania 13 serving as a prime example.
With every WrestleMania boasting a stacked card, however, certain matches are bound to fly under the radar and not get the recognition they deserve.
High-profile performers such as The Undertaker, Bret Hart and Randy Orton have delivered so many gems at The Show of Shows throughout the years that some aren't as revered as others despite also being excellent.
Ahead of this year's event, these are the top 10 most underrated WrestleMania matches ever, ranked.
10. Rhea Ripley vs. Charlotte Flair (WrestleMania 36: Night 2)
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WrestleMania 36 has little rewatch value due to being the sole installment to not feature fans in attendance.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused WWE to significantly shift its approach to the event, with cinematic-style matches standing out as the highlights of both nights.
The rest of the card was perfectly solid considering the circumstances, but most of the matches suffered without having an audience there to invest in the action.
Charlotte Flair vs. Rhea Ripley made the most of the situation by producing an exceptionally well-wrestled bout, regardless.
This is not to be confused with their all-timer at WrestleMania 39 three years later, but the magic of that match doesn't exist without this initial encounter.
As shortsighted as the decision seemed at the time to have Flair win the NXT Women's Championship, Ripley's setback on this show was what ultimately allowed her to evolve her character and become the beloved megastar she is today.
9. Ahmed Johnson and The Legion of Doom vs. The Nation of Domination (WrestleMania 13)
2 of 10
Outside of WrestleMania 17, WrestleMania in the Attitude Era wasn't anything worth writing home about.
There was one memorable match on each card between 1997 and 2000, but everything else is forgettable.
WrestleMania 13 is obviously the night when "Stone Cold" Steve Austin cemented his stardom against Bret Hart, which is why the six-man tag team Street Fight that took place right beforehand is often overlooked.
The Legion of Doom felt fairly out of place during such a chaotic time in WWE, but they weren't at all out of place in their hometown of Chicago. They gelled well with Ahmed Johnson and had an entertaining contest with The Nation of Domination that was exactly what it needed to be.
Their fun brawl acted as another reminder of just why The Legion of Doom are arguably the greatest tag team in wrestling history.
8. Chris Jericho vs. Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit (WrestleMania 2000)
3 of 10WrestleMania 2000 was very much a mess on the whole with an excessive amount of multi-person matches and unnecessary stipulations.
Although that also applied to a two-fall Triple Threat match for the both the intercontinental and European championships, the talent involved in the match made it far better than it had any right to be.
Chris Jericho, Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit were three of the best technical wrestlers in WWE at that time and their in-ring chemistry was fantastic. The action was above-average and easy enough to follow.
The two titles being at stake was unique and gave the competitors more to fight for. Angle walking into WrestleMania with both belts and leaving with none was also a simple story to tell, but it worked wonderfully and was a bright spot on an otherwise bloated undercard.
7. CM Punk vs. Randy Orton (WrestleMania 27)
4 of 10
CM Punk has gone on record in saying he belonged in the main event of WrestleMania 27 against John Cena and not then-reigning WWE champion The Miz, but the bout he ended up in instead was a worthy consolation prize.
Punk was paired off with longtime rival Randy Orton, who he blamed for costing him the World Heavyweight Championship nearly three years prior.
It was a fine feud to keep the both of them busy for WrestleMania that year, but the in-ring work was much better than anything leading up to the event.
Orton had systematically eliminated every other member of The New Nexus ahead of 'Mania, leaving Punk to fend for himself.
The lack of interference and shenanigans resulting in them having a straightforward yet strong sleeper, ironically overshadowing anything Cena and Miz did during their matchup later in the night.
The Viper's mid-air RKO to Punk to secure the victory wasn't quite as epic as his one to Seth Rollins on The Grandest Stage of Them All years later, but it did make for a flashy finish.
WrestleMania 27 is widely regarded to be among the worst of all time, but Punk vs. Orton is one of its few redeeming qualities.
6. Hulk Hogan vs. Mr. McMahon (WrestleMania 19)
5 of 10Underrated is an apt word for WrestleMania 19 as a whole. It's right in the middle of a string of solid 'Manias and doesn't get the same love as other installments, yet most of its matches range from good to great to downright amazing.
Shockingly, Hulk Hogan vs. Mr. McMahon played a pivotal role in the event's success.
While far from a five-star mat classic, the match is sports-entertainment at its finest. They had the built-in story of McMahon helping "make" Hogan a household name decades earlier and The Hulkster feeding off the fans who were actually responsible for fueling him all those years.
With it being a Street Fight that had Hogan's career on the line, this bloody brawl had all the bells and whistles it needed. The crowd's raucous reaction to the return of Roddy Piper, one of Hogan's opponents from the first WrestleMania, only added to its excellence.
This had the potential to be a total train wreck but instead turned into a sheer spectacle.
5. Seth Rollins vs. Logan Paul (WrestleMania 39)
6 of 10
Shawn Michaels may forever lay claim to the title of Mr. WrestleMania, but Seth Rollins shouldn't be considered far behind in that conversation.
He's had his fair share of stellar matches at 'Mania over the course of his career and walked into and out of the event with a wide variety of titles, including his first WWE world championship at WrestleMania 31.
Additionally, The Architect formally headlined WrestleMania in both 2024 and 2025, leaving the latter event victorious and with newly-appointed oracle Paul Heyman by his side.
His WrestleMania matches with Randy Orton, Brock Lesnar, Cody Rhodes, Finn Balor and The Miz are always acknowledged as being his best, but his outing against Logan Paul at WrestleMania 39 was equally enjoyable.
The YouTuber was one year removed from making his WWE in-ring debut and impressing with his performance. Facing a star the caliber of Rollins was a true test for him and he passed with flying colors.
WrestleMania 39 was filled with tremendous matches, possibly more so than almost any other installment, but Rollins vs. Paul in particular was an incredible addition to its undercard.
4. Evolution vs. Rock 'n' Sock Connection (WrestleMania 20)
7 of 10Had he not returned to WWE in 2011, The Rock's final WrestleMania match would have been his three-on-two tag team bout alongside Mick Foley against Evolutionāand there would have been nothing wrong with that whatsoever.
The Great One was practically a part-timer by this point, but it was only appropriate that he take part in the 20th installment of WrestleMania.
Although a singles match versus an emerging top talent would have been ideal, it made total sense for him to come to the aid of Foley in his feud with Evolution.
Foley challenging Randy Orton for the Intercontinental Championship would have been the perfect 'Mania match that year, but that was wisely saved for Backlash. At WrestleMania, Foley and Rock were able to rekindle their old magic and simultaneously elevate Evolution in the process.
Rock, Foley, Orton, Ric Flair and Batista all had a chance to shine and to electrify the audience, culminating in Orton pinning Foley with an emphatic RKO.
3. Roddy Piper vs. Bret Hart (WrestleMania 8)
8 of 10
The Intercontinental Championship has been involved in some of WrestleMania's most iconic clashes, including Bret Hart vs. Roddy Piper in 1992.
The night's double main event of Hulk Hogan vs. Sid Justice and Ric Flair vs. Randy Savage for the WWE Championship stole some of its thunder, but Hart vs. Piper was the real show-stealer of the card.
The two had a classic, hard-hitting, back-and-forth bout that saw both of them at the top of their game, trading holds and having an answer for everything the other pulled out of their arsenal.
The Hitman was on the rise as a singles star at the time and dethroning fan favorite Piper made for a massive moment. Meanwhile, Rowdy proved he still had enough left in the tank with the admirable effort he put forth.
Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat from WrestleMania 3 is synonymous with the intercontinental title, but Hart vs. Piper belongs in that same rarefied air.
2. The Undertaker vs. Ric Flair (WrestleMania 18)
9 of 10
Ric Flair's first WrestleMania was also his last, at least until he returned to WWE nearly a decade later following his exit from WCW. His opponent being none other than The Undertaker put him in prime position to have his best match in many years.
Fans were finally taking notice of Undertaker's undefeated streak at WrestleMania, but outside of his encounter with Triple H the year prior, a majority of his matches at the event were mediocre. Both he and Flair felt the pressure to hit a home run in 2002 and they didn't disappoint.
Flair was more motivated than he had been in some time, and 'Taker was the perfect foil for him in every way. The Nature Boy even had backup in fellow Four Horseman Arn Anderson, but it wasn't enough to earn him the victory.
Undertaker went on to have much better matches at 'Mania in the years that followed, but this one was the turning point. It's also likely that Flair would have called it a career soon after had he not regained his confidence from the spectacular showing he had here.
1. Rey Mysterio vs. Eddie Guerrero (WrestleMania 21)
10 of 10
It can't be overstated just how big of a deal it was for Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio to meet one-on-one at WrestleMania years removed from their unforgettable feud in WCW.
In early 2005, they were fresh off winning the WWE Tag Team Championship together and decided to face each other at WrestleMania 21 instead of defending their newly won titles. It was a much smarter use of the two of them at the event, especially with it being positioned as the opener.
Guerrero didn't betray Mysterio until months later, so no tension was teased beforehand. Rather, this rare babyface vs. babyface bout was all about which lucha libre legend was superior.
To ensure their matches gradually got better as the program progressed, they didn't reach the heights they were capable ofāliterally or figurativelyābut they did produce a fast-paced, exciting outing worthy of the WrestleMania billing.
WrestleMania 21 largely revolved around the arrivals of John Cena and Batista as perennial main event players, but Mysterio's signature win over Guerrero also indicated he was on the rise and ready for superstardom on his own.
Their exceptional opening contest set the tone for future barn-burners tasked with kicking off WrestleMania on a high note.
Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website,Ā WrestleRant, and subscribe to hisĀ YouTube channelĀ for more wrestling-related content.
