WWE WrestleMania 32: 10 Greatest WrestleMania Performers of All Time
WrestleMania is affectionately known as the Showcase of the Immortals, and as such, it has been home to some of the biggest and best performers to ever lace a pair of boots. While some have faltered, failing to have that one truly great 'Mania moment, others have risen to the occasion, saving their finest performances for the big event.
While a great performance on Monday Night Raw or a B-level pay-per-view such as Backlash or Unforgiven may be memorable and even catapult one into stardom, there is something about delivering on the biggest stage, with the eyes of the wrestling world on you, that sets the best from the rest.
From Hulk Hogan to the current franchise player of WWE, John Cena, the company's most influential stars have seized the opportunity to achieve immortality.
On April 3, the Superstars of today's WWE will look to deliver performances that add their names to this list as they take to the squared circle in the enormous AT&T Stadium near Dallas for the spectacle and grandeur that is WrestleMania.
Relive the men who have helped establish the event as the premier one in sport and entertainment with these, the 10 greatest performers in WrestleMania history.
10. Edge
1 of 10
The Rated R Superstar began his WrestleMania career in a tag team, revolutionizing the ladder match with partner Christian and rivals The Hardy Boyz and Dudley Boyz.
Determined to prove themselves as the future of the industry, those three teams wowed audiences in jaw-dropping displays of sacrifice and determination, throwing caution to the wind in some of the most breathtaking moments of athleticism ever seen.
First at WrestleMania 2000 in the first triangle ladder match, then a year later in Tables, Ladders & Chairs II.
By the time 2002 arrived, Edge was a singles star searching for solo glory. A disappointing match with Booker T did not help matters, but a victory in the first Money in the Bank match at WrestleMania 21 put him on track for greatness.
By the time the next year's event approached, Edge had captured the WWE title (and lost it) and was embroiled in a heated feud with Mick Foley. On the grandest stage in the sport, Edge defeated Foley in a barbaric and violent match that saw him withstand thousands of thumbtacks in his bare back and a flaming table.
The following year, he arrived to WrestleMania with the World Heavyweight Championship for a date with The Undertaker. His match against The Phenom was arguably the best on the entire card. In fact, Edge would be world champion heading into the event two more times, a testament to his status as one of the top stars in the industry.
9. 'Macho Man' Randy Savage
2 of 10
Before Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels delivered five-star classics on the grand stage, "Macho Man" Randy Savage was WWE's show-stealing phenomenon.
He was an over-the-top character whose promos were rambling and often incoherent but whose charisma spoke volumes to a generation of fans. Along with his flashy robes, big personality and the lovely Miss Elizabeth by his side, Savage was a captivating figure.
He was also one of the best workers to ever lace a pair of boots, and fans witnessed as much at WrestleMania III, when he and the great Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat stole the show out from under Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant with a match that is so extraordinarily good some fans still consider it the best in event history some 29 years later.
Savage's performance that night in Michigan proved to management he was a main event-worthy performer, a guy who could deliver in the biggest of moments. He would get his chance the following year, when WrestleMania IV became the Randy Savage show. On that night, he defeated four other Superstars to capture the WWE Championship and cement his legacy as one of the elite performers of his generation.
Subsequent matches against Hogan, The Ultimate Warrior and Ric Flair only further proved why he was every bit as phenomenal as he claimed to be.
For as much as he did in the ring at WrestleMania, it may be his reunion with Elizabeth at the seventh event that stands head and shoulders above all. It was a moment of raw emotion, one that left both men and women in the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena in tears.
Whether he was delivering five-star classics or evoking emotional responses, Savage was a Superstar whose memory lives strong today because of the hard work and dedication he put into his craft and the way his performances touched so many who had the privilege and honor of watching him.
8. Bret Hart
3 of 10
Bret Hart is an interesting case because if you look at the first-half of his WrestleMania legacy, it is polluted with meaningless tag matches that never really gave him the opportunity to showcase his skills. In fact, some of them were last-minute additions to the card, the result of bookers having nothing better to do with him and partner Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart.
That all changed in 1992, when he challenged "Rowdy" Roddy Piper for the Intercontinental Championship.
In that match, Hart got a better performance out of Piper that any of his fellow Superstars ever had. He forced The Hot Scot into an actual wrestling match, leaving behind the brawling and heavy punch-and-kick fests that had landed Piper square in mediocrity for many years.
The result was a brilliant wrestling contest, rife with emotion, that saw Hart do the unthinkable: pin Piper's shoulders to the mat. It was something that had not been done since his arrival in 1984, a moment that put Hart over as strong as any championship could have and a sign of respect from Piper.
Hart went on to headline both WrestleManias IX and X in WWE Championship matches, losing the title at the first one and winning it back from the massive Yokozuna in Madison Square Garden the following year. That night in 1994 was a grand celebration of The Hitman.
Not only had he captured gold, but he had delivered a five-star encounter with brother Owen Hart earlier in the night, proving he could wrestle any man of any style or size and deliver strong matches every time.
One year after a historic Iron Man match in which he lost the WWE title to Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XII, Hart navigated the political waters backstage to deliver another instant classic, this time against "Stone Cold" Steve Austin at WrestleMania 13 in Chicago. That match not only confirmed The Hitman's awesomeness, but it helped develop Austin into the legitimate star who carried WWE into the Attitude Era.
Some 13 years after his epic encounter with Austin, Hart returned to 'Mania an older man with a limp noticeable to his legions of fans and his speech still not what it used to be following a stroke suffered years earlier. But he had unfinished business with Vince McMahon, the evil promoter who screwed him over in his home country, Canada, in 1997.
Hart beat, battered and pummeled his longtime employer at WrestleMania XXVI and beat him in the center of the ring with The Sharpshooter, bringing the in-ring chapter of his career to a close on a high note.
7. The Rock
4 of 10
If one judged The Rock based on his first appearance on the grand stage, he would be nowhere near this list.
As young Rocky Maivia, he wrestled one of the worst title matches in event history against The Sultan for the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 13. It is somewhat ironic, though, in that it represented the roadblocks that existed early in Rock's journey to greatness. He would come back from that showing, every one of his performances getting progressively better before an awesome WrestleMania XV bout with Steve Austin.
Two years later, he would battle the same Austin in a five-star affair at WrestleMania X-Seven, live from the home state of his opponent, Texas. That match proved Rock's resiliency. No longer was he a catchphrase machine. Instead, he was an immensely tough performer who endured every single thing thrown at him by Austin, and an interfering Vince McMahon, before a ruthless flurry of chair shots left his body no longer able to match his determination.
Flash forward another two years, and The Great One had returned to WWE a different man. No longer The People's Champion, he was a Hollywood movie star. An egotistical one at that. At WrestleMania XIX, he battled Austin for the third time on the grand stage.
This time, picked up arguably the biggest win of his career and, in the process, retired Austin.
In between the series with Austin, Rock battled Hulk Hogan in an iconic contest in Toronto. Then, he returned from his busy schedule as an A-list actor to lend his name and box office appeal to WrestleMania in 2011.
Since his stint as host, The Rock has appeared at every WrestleMania, ensuring the show is seen as the oh-so-important extravaganza that it is. His willingness to do that, as well as his contributions to the show in the ring, have earned him the right to be recognized as one of the greatest performers in WrestleMania history.
6. John Cena
5 of 10
After one discusses Hulk Hogan and Steve Austin as leaders of entire generations of wrestling fans, one must next discuss John Cena. The face of the PG Era of WWE, he is the franchise star for Vince McMahon's company.
He is also the name on the marquee that draws fans, die hard or casual, to each year's Showcase of the Immortals.
WrestleMania 21 brought with it Cena's first opportunity to capture heavyweight gold. He did, defeating John Bradshaw Layfield in a nondescript match. It was his match the following year, a title defense against Triple H, that catapulted him to the next level. In front of a hostile Chicago crowd not quite sold on his vanilla babyface character, Cena proved himself by beating The Game with the STF.
The following year, he hung with the best in the industry, delivering another quality main event—this time against Shawn Michaels.
Subsequent matches against Edge and Big Show, Randy Orton, Batista and The Miz were good enough, but it became clear The Champ needed a legendary battle to cement his status as the leader of this era of WrestleMania.
He got it in 2012, when he faced The Rock in a battle of icons. In his biggest match to date, Cena shone brightest, delivering a performance that silenced his doubters and proved, once and for all, that he belonged on the biggest of stages against the most recognizable stars.
Though he lost that night, he defeated Rock one year later in a rematch, winning the WWE Championship in the process.
Since then, Cena has remained the key to the company's marketing and promotional strategies, a star regardless of his placement on the card.
5. Triple H
6 of 10
Triple H has become a standard-bearer of sorts, the final test for any young star to pass before ascending to the top of the industry.
In 2014, Daniel Bryan defeated The Game before going on to capture the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Just two years later, The King of Kings is preparing to defend that title against Roman Reigns in a match that, while certainly polarizing, should serve as the final push for the second-generation star into the stratosphere of main event talent.
But The Game has not always been a stepping stone. For years, he was one of the few talents WrestleMania was built around.
Whether he was doing the job for The Ultimate Warrior in a squash match or delivering a Pedigree to Randy Orton to retain the top prize in the sport in the night's main event, Triple H has accomplished tremendous success at nearly every position on the card.
In doing so, he has established himself as one of the elite performers in WrestleMania history.
To many, his greatest showing in event history came in 2012 when he battled The Undertaker in an End of an Era Hell in a Cell match.
Two men battled for the last time, inside the most demonic structure in WWE, for the right to prove themselves superior. One year after beating The Deadman so severely he needed to be stretchered out of the arena, Triple H was certain he could finally put an end to the vaunted Streak.
He was wrong. Defiantly telling his opponent to "suck it," The Game walked right into a Tombstone Piledriver that ended his night on a losing note.
Win or lose, Triple H is oftentimes involved in the most buzzed-about match on the 'Mania card, earning him his status on this list.
This year is certain to be no different.
4. 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin
7 of 10
For WWE, no other period had ever produced the notoriety, profit or critical acclaim as the Attitude Era. It was a magical time for the company, one that blended intense in-ring action with vivid characters and controversial storylines to generate must-see television.
No Superstar better embodied what it meant to be a competitor at that time than "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.
The Texas Rattlesnake was mean, nasty, cursed like a sailor, drank beer and flipped the middle finger to anyone who pissed him off.
And even those who did not.
He was anti-authority, a rebel with a cause. He wanted the WWE Championship and had no problem hitting a Stone Cold Stunner on any sorry soul who stood in his way.
Needless to say, WrestleMania became a playground of sorts for ol' Stone Cold, a grand stage on which he could whoop ass and take names later. He did just that, picking up a signature win over Savio Vega in his first dance at the event. He could not possibly have imagined, though, how significant his first loss at the spectacular would be to his career and the industry as a whole.
At WrestleMania 13, Austin bled buckets during a Submission match against Bret Hart. The match was the culmination of their rivalry, or at least fans thought so at the time, and it looked as though The Hitman was going to put his biggest tormentor away. Maybe for good.
A funny thing happened later in the feud, rearing its head again that night in Chicago: Austin began eliciting cheers from fans who appreciated his attitude, his swagger and his badass appeal. They loved his no-nonsense demeanor and rejected Hart's goody two-shoes personality. Thus, when Austin found himself trapped in the Sharpshooter, blood pouring down his face in an iconic image that would later define him, the fans erupted. They wanted so badly to see him fight his way out of the move and win the match.
But he did not.
The loss and the sympathy fans felt for him resulted in his babyface turn. That moment in time would be the genesis of a push that culminated one year later in Boston with Austin's coronation as WWE champion following a victory over Shawn Michaels. Title wins over The Rock would follow.
Austin was the premier star for WWE during the late 1990s and early 2000s, a larger-than-life persona who led Vince McMahon and his company to heights previously unknown. He was the man at the forefront for many a 'Mania and the captain who steered the WWE ship. For that, he most definitely deserves recognition on this list.
3. Hulk Hogan
8 of 10
Without Vince McMahon's vision and a star as popular as Hulk Hogan to help carry it out, WrestleMania would have never existed. The Hulkster was a major part of the success of the inaugural event, not to mention the eight that followed it.
His charisma alone attracted casual fans and even those who had never seen a single wrestling show in their life. He was a magnetic personality, a larger-than-life character who drew the attention of the audience and, alongside the numerous celebrities recruited for the first event, was essential to making WrestleMania a bona fide success.
As the event grew and evolved, Hogan was at the forefront. He was the biggest star the industry had to offer and involved in some of the most memorable matches in sports-entertainment history.
His bout with Andre the Giant at the third incarnation of the spring spectacular drew 93,173 to the historic Pontiac Silverdome in suburban Detroit. His role in the year-long build between the fourth and fifth 'Mania events led to the epic "Mega Powers Explode" WWE Championship match with "Macho Man" Randy Savage.
And who could ever forget the war between him and The Ultimate Warrior in which both the WWE and Intercontinental Championships were at stake?
Even after stepping away from WWE and leading WCW in the Monday Night Wars for eight years, Hogan returned to the spotlight in 2002 with a suitably monumental matchup against The Rock that became an instant classic. Then, one year later, it all came full circle as he and McMahon battled in a bloody Street Fight to determine who deserved credit for the success of the Showcase of the Immortals.
Few have ever been able to lend the type of credibility to a main event on the grandest stage the way Hogan has over the course of his career. In fact, he could step out of retirement tomorrow for one last go-round and people would be willing to pay their hard-earned money to see whether The Hulkster could deliver one last time.
That is power no mortal man can achieve.
2. Shawn Michaels
9 of 10
There is a reason Shawn Michaels has been labeled Mr. WrestleMania. All one has to do to find out why is look back at the matches he wrestled on the industry's grandest stage and how iconic the majority of them are.
After a disappointing match at WrestleMania IX, Michaels vowed to never let anyone outshine him again at wrestling's premier event, as he detailed to Jonathan Coachman on ESPN's SportsCenter (h/t 411Mania).
He made good on that promise, steadily and spectacularly amassing a resume unmatched by any other Superstar to ever set foot on the WrestleMania stage. From his revolutionary ladder match against Razor Ramon at the 10th incarnation of the event to his boyhood dream coming true with his victory over Bret Hart for the WWE Championship at No. 12, Michaels established a foundation for himself.
Epic encounters against Chris Jericho, Kurt Angle and the heartwrenching retiring of Ric Flair only solidified his status as the most must-see performer in WrestleMania history.
His greatest performance came in 2009, in Houston, where he and Undertaker delivered a classic match the likes of which may never be equaled.
One year later, he graciously walked away from the sport following another extraordinary battle with The Deadman, retiring after a second consecutive defeat.
There is no denying how much the event misses Michaels. For years, he was the one man fans could depend on to deliver the show-stealing performance regardless of how disappointing the build to the event may have been. He was greatness personified—a rarity in the sport.
1. The Undertaker
10 of 10
The greatest performer in WrestleMania history is The Undertaker.
Bar none.
The Phenom has become synonymous with The Showcase of the Immortals, and while his once-celebrated undefeated streak may no longer be in existence, there is no denying what the character has meant, and continues to mean, to the most important show of the year.
There has always been an aura that has set Undertaker apart from his peers. And there is something about him taking the stage at WrestleMania that makes the entire event feel more important.
Perhaps it is the fact he essentially comes out of a mini-retirement every year to add star power and credence to all of the hype WWE heaps on the show. Maybe it is the number of legitimate all-time great matches he has produced over the years.
There were no classics to be had early in the vaunted Streak. Instead, what fans watched was the growth and evolution of Vince McMahon's greatest creation. From young star to WWE's MVP to the last of the gunslingers, he developed from era to era, changing his look and attitude as he went. He adapted with the times, remained fresh and it helped fans appreciate him throughout 23 'Mania wars.
For all of his phenomenal matches with Edge, Triple H, Ric Flair, CM Punk and Randy Orton, though, it is his WrestleMania XXV match with Shawn Michaels that proved to even his staunchest of critics that he was capable of that industry-changing, career-defining match.
His battle with Michaels in Houston was flawless, a match so beautiful and emotional it is the definitive bout one shows non-fans in the hopes of explaining why the sport can be so magical. It is a masterpiece of performance art and a match that will live forever in the annals of WrestleMania.
Even if he had not compiled The Streak, beaten every Superstar put before him for 21 years or been WWE's greatest character, that one match alone would have earned him a spot on this list. It just so happens it cemented his stats atop it.
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