WWE WrestleMania 32: Matches That Defined PPV's Legacy
WrestleMania is World Wrestling Entertainment's premier event, its glitz and spectacle defined by the many iconic bouts that have unfolded on its grand stage.
Some matches, though, have become ingrained in the legacy of the show.
They feature Hall of Famers such as Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Shawn Michaels and Steve Austin. Others feature iconic figures such as The Rock and John Cena. And what do they have in common? All of those matches are, for one reason or another, classic bouts that have made The Showcase of the Immortals a broadcast fans, both hardcore and casual, cannot miss.
In 2016, WWE will present the 32nd incarnation of its most celebrated extravaganza. The Undertaker will battle Shane McMahon, Roman Reigns will square off with Triple H for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and Dean Ambrose will wage war with Brock Lesnar in a Street Fight.
Any one of those matches has the potential to join the ranks of WrestleMania's defining bouts, but only time will tell whether they do.
Until then, take a stroll through history and relive these matches, ranked in order of historical significance and match quality, that have added to the legacy of the event and made it the spectacular it is today.
10. WrestleMania VII: The Ultimate Warrior vs. 'Macho Man' Randy Savage
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Not only was the retirement match between The Ultimate Warrior and Randy Savage decidedly epic, but the events that unfolded after the match eclipsed it.
Savage unloaded with five of his signature elbow drops, each one driven into the heart of his opponent. The unthinkable happened, though, as Warrior kicked out of a pinfall attempt, much to the chagrin of the legendary Macho Man.
Warrior would question his destiny—if he were supposed to continue on his journey in pro wrestling—before re-entering the match and running over Savage with a series of shoulder blocks for the pinfall victory.
That wrapped up the first phase of the classic, a four-plus-star affair that featured Warrior's greatest in-ring performance and another wonderful display of greatness on the part of Savage.
After the match, an irate Queen Sherri demeaned Savage, berating him and even getting in a few kicks. Miss Elizabeth came to the rescue of her former charge, taking Sherri out and reuniting with Savage. Fans in Los Angeles erupted, some breaking into tears as WWE proved why the company is a master of extravagant storytelling when it wants to be.
9. WrestleMania 28: The Rock vs. John Cena
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Some 10 years after generations clashed as The Rock and Hulk Hogan battled at WrestleMania X8, wrestling's most electrifying man returned to the WrestleMania stage to square off with John Cena, the old guard battling the new franchise star.
Dubbed "Once in a Lifetime," the match split the audience like Twilight flicks split Teams Edward and Jacob. There were staunch supporters of Cena, those who believed Rock had no business touting his love for the industry when he walked away to pursue a Hollywood film career. Then there were those who remembered how great Rock was, how he championed the Attitude Era.
The match was emotionally charged, the off-screen dislike between the competitors bleeding into the on-screen presentation and making for a war as personal as any in recent WrestleMania history.
It was an epic bout, each man taking control for various moments while intricately placing spots that would pop the crowd and create drama surrounding the outcome.
In the end, a moment of hubris on the part of Cena led to his downfall, Rock pinning him following a Rock Bottom.
It was a triumphant homecoming for The Great One and proof positive that no one can do dream matches bigger or better than WWE.
The match helped WrestleMania 28 shatter the pay-per-view record previously set by the 23rd broadcast.
8. WrestleMania VI: Hulk Hogan vs. the Ultimate Warrior
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Never before had two immensely popular babyfaces battled in a heavyweight championship match on a stage as grand as WrestleMania. That is until WWE champion Hulk Hogan faced Intercontinental champion Ultimate Warrior at the sixth edition of the show in 1990.
67,000-plus fans inside Toronto's SkyDome watched as the top stars in Vince McMahon's traveling circus came together for a history-making match, aided by a split crowd and the intimate setting the venue provided.
For 22 minutes, they delivered a contest that was decidedly even throughout, each man enjoying control at different points. They battled for the right to leave with both titles in their possession. And with audience members so wildly loyal to their favorites, they were able to manipulate the crowd for the desired reactions.
A molten-hot finish saw Hogan miss a legdrop, then have his title reign come crashing down at the hands of a giant splash by Warrior.
Hogan presented the winner with the title after the match in what felt like the first major passing-of-the-torch moment in 'Mania history.
7. WrestleMania 23: Battle of the Billionaires
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Celebrity involvement has been a cornerstone of WrestleMania since its inception. In 2007, Vince McMahon recruited friend Donald Trump for a Battle of the Billionaires at the event's 23rd installment. The two men bet that their hand-picked Superstar could beat the other's or they would shave their head live on pay-per-view.
Trump recruited Bobby Lashley. McMahon selected Umaga for the colossal showdown.
The match sucked, relying heavily on the presence of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin to generate a reaction, but it was secondary to the involvement of Trump and McMahon. Lashley won, McMahon had his head shaved by Austin, Lashley and Trump and everyone went home happy.
Until the Texas Rattlesnake dropped Trump with a Stone Cold Stunner. Then, everyone went home ecstatic.
The match was the perfect example of celebrity blending with sport. Lashley and Umaga, two promising young stars, were given the opportunity to compete in an incredibly high-profile match while Trump brought mainstream media attention to the show, which is the point of injecting celebrity into the mix in the first place.
The event shattered pay-per-view records at the time, as WWE touted in a 2007 press release, proving the drawing power of an interesting gimmick, a compelling (and notorious) celebrity and a heel McMahon at his most devilish.
6. WrestleMania X8: The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan
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WrestleMania is the battleground for sports entertainment's biggest and most celebrated stars. Thus, it should be of no great surprise Vince McMahon would jump at the opportunity to book The Rock and Hulk Hogan in 2002, when the latter returned to WWE after nine years away.
The biggest star of the modern era and the leader of the Rock 'n' Wrestling generation battled for bragging rights. There was no championship at stake or anything to lose. Instead, the bout was about proving who the better man was.
In Toronto, home of Hogan's epic encounter with Ultimate Warrior 12 years earlier, the industry icons battled in a fittingly epic match. The fans' celebration of Hogan and their rabid support of him helped add emotion to a match that relied on the big spots rather than trying to be a traditional wrestling match.
The Rock went over, as he should have, finishing Hogan off with a People's Elbow. Their show of sportsmanship and respect, coupled with the sudden split of the New World Order and babyface turn for Hogan, helped put a nice bow on the gift to longtime fans that the match proved to be.
5. WrestleMania 25: Shawn Michaels vs. the Undertaker
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The WrestleMania XXV match between Shawn Michaels and Undertaker ranks as one of the best matches in wrestling history, if not the greatest.
An epic encounter between two of the most enduring competitors ever, they battled in singles competition with no story more complex than Michaels' desire to prove he could do what no one else could: defeat The Deadman at the Show of Shows.
From Undertaker diving headfirst over the top rope and nearly crashing with tragic results to each man kicking out of the other's finisher, the bout was one dramatic spot after the other. It was a heavyweight battle, with both Superstars employing their entire arsenals.
It was Michaels' one solitary misstep that doomed him to defeat.
Late in the bout, he launched himself off the top rope with a moonsault, only to land in the grasp of The Phenom, who planted him with the Tombstone and pinned him for the count of three.
The match was such an emotional journey that fans were exhausted. The contests that followed were greeted with silence, not because they were bad but, rather, because fans had just so thoroughly invested themselves in the five-star classic they had witnessed previously that they had nothing left to give.
That is the epitome of an extraordinary match—one that should be required viewing for anyone calling themselves a fan.
4. WrestleMania X: Razor Ramon vs. Shawn Michaels
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The ladder match between Razor Ramon and Shawn Michaels was revolutionary. Without it succeeding as it did, The Hardy Boyz, Edge and Christian and The Dudley Boyz may never have had the opportunity to become stars on the level that they did. There would be no Money in the Bank or Tables, Ladders and Chairs. The industry as we know it would not exist.
Those two Superstars wowed fans in New York's famed Madison Squared Garden with a match the likes of which they had never seen before. The daring leaps of faith by Michaels, the sound of ladder crashing into flesh and the images of a hobbled Ramon retrieving both the real and impostor Intercontinental Championships remain defining ones from WrestleMania X.
The second five-star classic of the night, it represented a shift in the industry. Gone were the days of simplicity and meatheads wrestling the same generic matches. They were replaced by a more athletic, daring breed of Superstar determined to have the best match imaginable on the grandest stage known to man.
And the sport was better off for it.
3. WrestleMania III: Ricky 'The Dragon' Steamboat vs. 'Macho Man' Randy Savage
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WrestleMania has been home to the best matches in the long and illustrious history of sports entertainment. Yet as the third incarnation of the event arrived, the show was seriously lacking that one definitive match that brought grandeur and athleticism together.
That all changed as Ricky Steamboat and Randy Savage took to the squared circle for the Intercontinental Championship.
With a strong backstory centered on Savage nearly prematurely retiring Steamboat following a vicious assault to his throat, not to mention the added element of a lovestruck George "The Animal" Steele at ringside with Miss Elizabeth, the contest was more than just a great wrestling match.
It was the payoff to stories that stretched months and, in the case of Steele, entire year.
Between the ropes, it was a display of never-before-seen athleticism and dramatic near-falls. The competitors took the fans jam-packed into the Silverdome on an emotional roller-coaster ride that concluded with Steamboat rolling Savage up and pinning his shoulders to the mat, ending his year-long reign as IC champion.
2. WrestleMania 13: Bret Hart vs. 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin
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The submission match between Bret Hart and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin at WrestleMania 13 remains one of the bloodiest and most iconic bouts in the history of the event. But more importantly, it was the moment an icon was born.
Austin suffered a tremendous beating and endured incredible pain as he was trapped in the vaunted Sharpshooter. His leg wracked with pain and his face the proverbial crimson mask, he refused to give up. As he screamed, trying to muscle his way out of the hold, the camera captured his agony, making for one of the most vivid visuals in the history of sports entertainment.
As much pain as he was in, he never gave up. Instead, he passed out, the pain too much to fight through any longer.
The match not only provided one of the more lackluster 'Mania events with an instant classic, but it provided WWE with a rare double turn that saw Hart embrace the heel role and Austin become the resident antihero.
Vince McMahon and his company would ride the Texas Rattlesnake to unprecedented success and a victory over WCW in the Monday Night Wars, proving how vital the match was to the future of WWE.
1. WrestleMania III: Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant
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The biggest main event in the history of professional wrestling, Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant was responsible for drawing 93,173 fans to the Pontiac Silverdome in suburban Detroit.
Hogan and Andre were the most recognizable stars of their time. Add to it the fact The Hulkster had dominated the sport for the three years leading into the show and the giant touted a 15-year undefeated streak, and you had even more reason to be excited about the monumental bout.
The iconic Superstars did not disappoint, either. Despite suffering from an injured back that would hamper him for the rest of his career, Andre did the honors for Hogan, even allowing the WWE champion to lift him for a bodyslam.
From the face-to-face between the two during the opening moments of the match to the unbelievable atmosphere and unforgettable legdrop finish, the match was the first to represent the "Showcase of the Immortals" tagline in fitting fashion.
WWE would book rematches between the two countless times over the next year, but none had the aura the massive pay-per-view headliner did.
