WrestleMania 2018: 8 Best Rematches Ever Ahead of Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns

Rematch.

To wrestling fans, the word has negative connotations. Rematches are the product of repetition, and repetition is bad. In a world with so many talented workers, why should fans be subjected to the same match between the same two Superstars? That sentiment is even stronger in regard to WrestleMania, WWE's most significant show of the year.

Fans are quick to take to the internet to bemoan the idea of a match they have already seen once before on the grand stage, but history tells us rematches have been a staple of WrestleMania from its earliest days.

From the irresistible force vs. the immovable object to a Texas Rattlesnake vs. The People's Champion, the show has been home to rematches that have helped shaped the incredible legacy of wrestling's most prestigious event.

In preparation for the show's latest high-profile rematch in Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar on April 8 in New Orleans, relive these eight return bouts—from worst to best—that helped enhance the legacy of wrestling's greatest spectacle.

8. John Cena vs. The Rock (WrestleMania 29)

To call John Cena vs. The Rock II from WrestleMania 29 a massive disappointment in relation to its predecessor a year earlier would be an understatement. Rushed and wholly unnecessary, it failed miserably to live up to bar the Superstars set in Miami in 2012.

Fans inside MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, knew it too.

There was a complete lack of energy for the title bout as Rock defended against Cena in a match many considered a foregone conclusion. And rightfully so. From the get-go, it felt like WWE had set up the contest specifically to get Cena his win back after a crushing defeat the year before.

Early, the Superstars rushed through a trading of finishers. From there, Rock suffered an injury that slowed the pace and hurt the overall quality.

Still, the electric performers overcame the lackluster feel of the match and the disinterest of the wrestling world at large to deliver a somewhat respectable performance, even if everyone and their mothers knew Cena was getting his win back and capturing the WWE Championship once again.

Perhaps worst of all is the forced passing of the torch moment from Rock to Cena, a display that should have been a moment in time but was, rather, a forgettable conclusion to an OK rematch that ranks at the bottom of our countdown.

7. Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar (WrestleMania 33)

Sometimes, less is more.

No one will ever consider the showdown between Goldberg and Brock Lesnar over the WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania 33 to be a classic match. Nor should they. Based some 13 years after their first battle on the grand stage, it was the culmination of months of storytelling that saw the WCW icon return and repeatedly one-up The Beast Incarnate in high-profile situations.

Goldberg entered the event riding a wave of momentum, having beaten Lesnar in seconds at Survivor Series and eliminated him at Royal Rumble.

The Beast, sensing the significance of avoiding a third straight defeat at the hands of his foe, took the fight to him off the bat at WrestleMania.

Using his momentum against him, Lesnar pummeled Goldberg with a series of suplexes and ended his title reign courtesy of the F-5.

The match, short and sweet, was exactly what it needed to be and a significant improvement from their notorious, somewhat embarrassing, WrestleMania XX effort.

6. The Undertaker vs. Triple H (WrestleMania XXVII)

At WrestleMania X-Seven, The American Badass rolled to another historic win, as The Undertaker defeated Triple H to extend his record at The Showcase of the Immortals to 9-0.

Fast forward a decade, and the future Hall of Famers met again inside the squared circle at WrestleMania, with their legacies on the line.

The Game had just returned from hiatus and, after a tense staredown with The Deadman on an episode of Raw, agreed to compete against him at WrestleMania XXVII, hopefully doing what no other man had done on wrestling's grandest stage: beat him.

He came damn close, leaving The Phenom reeling and in worse shape than any opponent ever had at the event. Though The Game tapped out to Hell's Gate, he did so only after inflicting so much pain to Undertaker. Commentators openly discussed the fact The Deadman had been thoroughly dominated by his opponent.

Even worse?

Despite the fact he won, Undertaker was stretchered out of the Georgia Dome, unable to walk himself to the locker room despite his victory.

Two grizzled veterans in the twilights of their careers, they relied on epic storytelling while mixing in a few high-quality spots to captivate fans. It worked and even spawned another rematch the following year.

5. The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels (WrestleMania XXVI)

The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XXV is arguably the greatest match in the history of the event.

Tasked with replicating the quality of that match, the legendary figures headlined the following year's show with an explosive stipulation: If Michaels lost, he would retire.

With the drama amplified and the stakes higher than ever before, the veterans tore the house down with a rematch that may not have lived up to the lofty expectations created by the original but still closed the show on a high note.

Master storytellers, Michaels and Undertaker executed a finish that was both emotional and vivid.

Defiant in the face of defeat, Michaels slapped his opponent in the face, only to eat a Tombstone and see his career ended as The Deadman extended his WrestleMania winning streak.

It was a beautifully wrestled match that left audiences grateful for both competitors' work on wrestling's grandest stage.

4. 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin vs. The Rock (WrestleMania XIX)

"If there's one thing that Hollywood has taught The Rock, it's that act one and act two...they don't matter. The only thing that matters, everyone remembers...act three."

At WrestleMania XV and X-Seven, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and The Rock battled in matches that featured them at the top of their respective games. They were elite performers whose physicality and storytelling led fans on amazing roller-coaster rides of emotion. Their championship bouts at those shows solidified their spots as industry icons.

Their third and final match against each other at The Showcase of the Immortals was different.

Austin was at the tail end of his career, and Rock was headed for Hollywood. Neither was long for the wrestling world, but both were still as driven as ever to deliver a quality match that lived up to their encounters from previous years. 

A match that was more spectacle than substance saw the Superstars trade finishers, wowing the crowd with the perfect blend of drive and comedy. Austin, just hours removed from a hospital stint, as revealed in the 2004 documentary film The Mania of WrestleMania, fought valiantly. But it was The Great One who emerged victorious.

The perfect conclusion to the trilogy saw Rock finally rewarded with a victory over The Texas Rattlesnake.

It remains the only one-on-one win Rock netted against his greatest rival.

3. The Undertaker vs. Triple H (WrestleMania XXVIII)

Two Superstars of a bygone era looked to end their differences in grand fashion at WrestleMania XXVIII, as Triple H and The Undertaker battled inside Hell in a Cell, with special guest referee Shawn Michaels, in what became known as The End of an Era.

Undertaker was at a distinct disadvantage as he set foot inside the unforgiving steel structure. Across the ring from him stood the man who nearly ended his career and streak a year earlier, Triple H, and that man's best friend (and the Superstar he retired two years earlier), Michaels.

With so many storylines intertwining, the match became an instant classic.

Built on tremendous, heart-stopping near-falls that had some fans believing it might be the year The Phenom saw his streak ended, the bout stole the show out from underneath The Rock and John Cena and left the fans at the show in Miami and those watching around the world hanging on every spot.

A strong one, in particular, saw Michaels blast Undertaker with Sweet Chin Music and Triple H follow that with a Pedigree. The Undertaker survived, but just barely.

The finish featured a play on Michaels' last match, as Triple H defiantly stood feet from his opponent and executed a crotch chop, only to be Tombstoned and defeated.

The three Superstars, pillars of WWE throughout the 1990s and into the 2000s, exited the arena together, joining in an emotional embrace at the top of the ramp.

2. Hardy Boyz vs. Edge and Christian vs. The Dudley Boyz (WrestleMania X-Seven)

At WrestleMania 2000, The Hardy Boyz, Edge and Christian and The Dudley Boyz battled in a triangle ladder match that would set the stage for every one of their battles that followed. It was a chaotic and unforgettable bout that not only utilized the ladders around ringside but also introduced tables and chairs to the fray.

The following year, the teams capitalized on the popularity of the Tables, Ladders and Chairs match that was introduced the previous August at SummerSlam and once again attempt to steal the show at WrestleMania X-Seven with TLC II.

A car crash of a match that featured additional drama in the form of interference from Lita, Rhyno and Spike Dudley, the bout featured jaw-dropping displays of risk and excellence by three teams at the height of their abilities and popularity.

Edge and Christian most benefited from the assistance of Rhyno to secure the tag titles, but the real winners were the fans in Houston's Astrodome who had just witnessed one of the greatest matches the event will ever host.

1. 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin vs. The Rock (WrestleMania X-Seven)

WrestleMania XV may have featured the first showdown between Steve Austin and The Rock on the grand stage, but it was their rematch two years later that represented their greatest showdown.

The Texas Rattlesnake and The Rock were the two most popular stars in the wrestling world, iconic performers whose mainstream recognition was undeniable and whose connection with the diehard fans was unbreakable.

They blew the roof of Houston's famed Astrodome with a main event that was epic in all senses of the word. Brutally violent, beautifully poetic, artistically wrestled and genuinely emotional, they delivered a suitable ending to the Attitude Era as fans had known it.

Austin, the desperate former champion, aligned with WWE CEO Vince McMahon, proving he would do anything to regain the title that had defined him since 1998. The relentlessness of his steel-chair beatdown of The Great One was as gut-wrenching as any Stone Cold Stunner could have been and represented a vile side of Austin fans had not seen in years.

Lust for championship gold overshadowed his morals and the character that had led him to the top of the industry, and the result was an engaging and definitive match in one of the greatest rivalries to grace a WWE ring.