Sorry Reigns vs. Lesnar, Here Are the Real Biggest WWE WrestleMania Matches Ever

WWE champion Brock Lesnar and Universal Champion Roman Reigns will collide in a heavily-touted Winner-Take-All Championship Unification match in the main event of WrestleMania 38: Night 2 on Sunday, April 3.

However, WWE hasn't done them any favors by billing it as the biggest match in 'Mania history. As grand as the stakes are, it will be virtually impossible for them to live up to that sort of hype, especially if WWE doesn't intend on having one unified title coming out of the event.

In the near-four decades of WrestleMania, there have been quite a few history-making matchups that have stood the test of time. Show-stealers such as Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker from WrestleMania 25 and Ricky Steamboat vs. Randy Savage will be forever remembered but didn't have the same historical significance as other outings.

Reigns vs. Lesnar could well end up being in that conversation depending on how their upcoming clash plays out, but it's almost guaranteed to pale in comparison to the many matches of the past that set the bar for what WrestleMania is today.

From mega box office attractions to dream matches come to life, these are the true biggest bouts in the event's illustrious history.

Honorable Mentions

Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker (WrestleMania 26)

Everyone expected Michaels' first WrestleMania with Undertaker to be a gem, and even then it over-delivered, meaning the pressure was on for them to recreate that same magic a year later in the main event of WrestleMania 26. The stakes were raised with The Heartbreak Kid's legendary career being on the line in addition to Undertaker's storied streak, and ultimately, it was 'Taker who had his hand raised in victory and Michaels who had to bid farewell to the WWE Universe.

   

"Stone Cold" Steve Austin vs. Shawn Michaels (WrestleMania 14)

A majority of those Attitude Era WrestleMania events lacked in the quality department but were carried by strong main events, including this one. Michaels walked into the show basically with a broken back, but the key was ushering in Austin's era, and they did that extremely well. Mike Tyson being appointed the special guest referee was merely the icing on the cake.

   

Hulk Hogan vs. Randy Savage (WrestleMania 5)

From Hogan celebrating Savage's WWE Championship win at the end of WrestleMania 4 to the two teaming and later disbanding out of jealousy, Hogan vs. Savage was literally one year in the making. The Mega Powers storyline is one of the best WWE has ever done, and the way it played out was practically perfect.

      

Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon (WrestleMania 10)

HBK's biggest bouts at WrestleMania arguably weren't on the same level as those of The Rock, Hulk Hogan and John Cena, but this one in particular was historical. Michaels and Ramon had WWE's first-ever Ladder match at WrestleMania 10 and completely killed it. The success of this outing was what led to Ladder matches being as prominent as they are today.

The Ultimate Warrior vs. Hulk Hogan (WrestleMania 6)

By its sixth installment, Hulk Hogan was essentially considered the unconquerable king of WrestleMania.

He won at four of the first five events and went unpinned at all of them. Thus, the odds were most definitely in his favor heading into his unprecedented title-for-title match with The Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania 6.

Hogan had been the WWE champion since 'Mania the year prior while Warrior had been running rampant as Intercontinental champion since SummerSlam 1989. Their brief encounter in the 1990 Royal Rumble left everyone excited for their colossal clash in the main event of The Show of Shows.

The unique babyface vs. babyface dynamic was what made this match so special along with the energy in the building that night. The outcome was genuinely unpredictable, and the crowd was torn on who they wanted to win.

Granted, it was far from a technical wrestling masterpiece, but it delivered in a different way and the audience ate it up. Warrior hitting his signature splash for the victory followed by the visual of him holding up both belts as the pyro rained down behind him afterward was simply sensational.

The Rock vs. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin (WrestleMania 17)

WrestleMania 17 is widely considered to be the single greatest installment ever, and its exceptional main event is a major reason why.

The Rock and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin headlined The Show of Shows once before two years prior, but this bout had an entirely different complexion. Instead of Austin battling the despised authority-backed Rock, both were fan favorites heading into this encounter and were fully established as main-event stars.

Austin in particular was desperate to regain the gold, and that story was told beautifully throughout this match. They pulled everything out of their respective arsenals before The Texas Rattlesnake made a deal with the devil and allowed Mr. McMahon to aid him to victory in a shocking turn of events.

More importantly than anything that happened in the ring, this matchup marked the end of an era—the Attitude Era, that is. Austin and McMahon sharing a beer to close the show was a sight no one thought they'd ever see, let alone on The Grandest Stage of Them All.

WWE hasn't been the same since that night, but at least Austin and Rock held up their end of the bargain and capped off the phenomenal pay-per-view in fantastic fashion.

The Rock vs. John Cena (WrestleMania 28)

Despite not living up to its tagline of being a "Once in a Lifetime" encounter because of the rematch that took place a year later, the original round of John Cena vs. The Rock at WrestleMania 28 was every bit as epic as it was built up to be.

They had the tall task of announcing their WrestleMania match almost exactly one year out and attempting to maintain fan interest in the 12 months that followed. This included the two teaming at Survivor Series and trading countless jabs on social media and in promos on Raw.

When the bell rang that night in Miami, there was a big-fight feel in the building. Rock hadn't wrestled a singles match in nearly a decade, but that didn't stop him from hitting all of his signature spots and captivating the crowd from start to finish.

Similar to Hogan vs. Warrior, this was less about work rate and more about making moments. Rock and Cena did that in spades by stringing together a beautifully crafted story for 30 minutes and producing one suspenseful near-fall after another.

Cena's cockiness cost him in the end when The Great One caught him with a Rock Bottom out of nowhere, and it was a brilliant finish. This definitely deserved the distinction of being WWE's highest-grossing pay-per-view event ever.

The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan (WrestleMania 18)

As you can tell, The Rock has quite literally been a part of three of the biggest and best WrestleMania matches of all-time, which is no doubt a testament to the iconic career he's had.

One year removed from losing to "Stone Cold" Steve Austin but a decade before his historic clash with John Cena, Rock had his hands full at WrestleMania 18 with Hulk Hogan. The Immortal One was fresh off a return to WWE following a lengthy absence, leading him to being cheered by the crowd despite portraying a heel.

This is one of those classic contests that wouldn't be remotely the same with the volume turned off. The raucous reaction from the fans in the building that night made this match and gave it that epic aura Rock vs. Cena would have as well.

It was a back-and-forth bout that the crowd couldn't have been more ecstatic for. Rock winning was supposed to signal a passing of the torch even though Rock was at the tail end of his active in-ring career, anyway.

Nonetheless, this was a monumental match on paper, and it did not disappoint. This encapsulated what WrestleMania is all about and what a WrestleMania match can look like in the form of a full-length spectacle.

Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant (WrestleMania 3)

You'd be hard-pressed to find this on a list ranking WrestleMania's greatest matches ever from a pure in-ring standpoint, but as far as larger-than-life attractions, it doesn't get much bigger than Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant from WrestleMania 3.

Hogan was in the midst of a long-running reign as WWE champion—one that saw him walk into and walk out of WrestleMania twice before with the gold in his grasp—when he met his most imposing obstacle to date: Andre the Giant. The two had history as friends, but Andre's lust for the top title resulted in dissension between them.

It was a simple story that worked, especially back then when no elaborate angles were needed. WrestleMania 1 and 2 obviously did well in the box office, but the future of the WrestleMania brand largely depended on how well this particular pay-per-view went.

Given Andre's mobility at that stage of his career was considerably limited, he and Hogan did what they could to put on a grand main event in front of a record-breaking crowd of almost 90,00 people. Hogan battled back throughout only to plant The Eighth Wonder of the World with an emphatic bodyslam to send the fans into a frenzy.

Few matches and moments are more synonymous with WrestleMania and its legendary lore than this one right here.

     

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.