10. Hulk Hogan vs Ultimate Warrior — WrestleMania VI
139 points, ranked by 10 of 11 voters, highest ranked by Glenn Butler at No. 3
Nick Duke: If wrestling is truly meant to elicit an emotional response from its audience, it’s hard to imagine a match that elicited a larger emotional response during my childhood than this one. I was a die-hard Hulkamaniac, but I had found myself becoming more and more enamored with the Warrior as time went on. While I was sure that Hogan would conquer as he had always done, I found myself considering the possibility of a Warrior victory, and I also wound up becoming comfortable with the idea. If anyone was going to take the WWF title from the Hulkster, I reasoned, it might as well be the Warrior.
Despite all the buildup and my worry over who would emerge victorious, the match came and went. And, even as a kid, I found myself being wrapped up in who was getting the better of each and every sequence rather than focusing on the outcome itself. Nowadays, when I look back, I regard the match as possibly the finest of Warrior’s career and one of Hulk’s shining achievements. In the pantheon of Mania matches and moments, this might be my favorite. Workrate trolls be damned – this is the culmination and pinnacle of the Hulkamania era.
9. Razor Ramon vs Shawn Michaels — WrestleMania X
140 points, ranked by 10 of 11 voters, highest ranked by Ben Morse and Wayne Maye at No. 5
Andrew Riche: Ric Flair infamously claimed that Shawn Michaels wrestled a ladder for 20 minutes at WrestleMania X in Madison Square Garden. To claim that would be a disservice to the commendable performance that Scott Hall (a.k.a. Razor Ramon) put on for the sake of what was a revolutionary concept at the time. Ladder matches had been done in Stampede Wrestling and the match was tried out back in early 1992 between Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels. That match was more of a sloppy experiment, but Shawn used elements from that dress rehearsal to help shape the first ever nationally televised ladder match to determine who was the real WWF Intercontinental Champion. Shawn had an up-and-down tenure since going solo in 1992 leading up to his real-life suspension in early 1994, which opened the door for Razor Ramon to win the I.C. belt while Michaels was benched. But Shawn used his first major WrestleMania spotlight as a launching pad for what became a legendary career. Michaels and Razor were best friends in real life and they trusted each other with life and limb to create a ladder match that was incredibly dangerous, heavy on aerials, and, most importantly, unstoppably awe-inspiring. That, it was, as Razor won the two Intercontinental belts, but Shawn became an undeniable star in the making. Both men may have gone down the aisle in MSG as up-and-comers on the mid card, but by the time they went to the locker room after their ladder match, both men became indelible icons to wrestling fans forever.
8. The Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels — WrestleMania XXVI
157 points, ranked by 10 of 11 voters, highest ranked by Nick Duke and Ben Morse at No. 2
Nick Duke: This is the followup to what I consider to be the greatest match in WrestleMania history. When working a rematch, I’ve always felt it was vital to have some similar spots and callbacks to the first match while also providing a new experience. This match certainly provides that, as it includes references to not only the WrestleMania 25 match, but Shawn’s match with Ric Flair at WrestleMania XXIV, as Shawn asks for Taker to put and end to his career at the end. This match is especially impressive considering the overwhelming expectations coming in. Their WrestleMania 25 match was an instant classic, and no one thought the two could match it. They may not have surpassed it, but they presented an all-time moment worthy of a top 10 spot on our countdown.
7. Ric Flair vs Randy Savage — Wrestlemania VIII
159 points, ranked by all 11 voters, highest ranked by Steven Graham at No. 4
Andrew Riche: “She was mine before she was yours!” I will never forget those words coming out of the mouth of recently crowned WWF Champion Ric Flair (with Bobby the Brain and Mr. Perfect smirking like jocks in the background) as he was rubbing it in the face of Macho Man Randy Savage that he had already thrown away his wife Miss Elizabeth before Savage fell in love with her. The beautiful Elizabeth had been used as storyline fodder for many of Randy Savage’s feuds, most memorably at WrestleMania V when he lashed out against Hulk Hogan and the Mega Powers exploded. Three years later, Hogan was on the way out of the WWF, while it was Flair twisting the knife in Savage emotionally. What it created was a match for the ages, a WWF title match that was high on tension, efficiently executed, and high on star power. It was so fitting that Savage beat Flair for the title the same way he had done so many times before as a heel with Liz by his side: With a grabbing of the tights on a roll-up. But this time, WWF fans were not only able to enjoy Savage’s title win without that Hogan guy getting in the way, but his robbery of the Dirtiest Player in the Game was cheered loudly in the Hoosier Dome. Not only was it a top-notch in terms of character drama, but it was boosted even more by the fact that it involved two of the greatest performers in wrestling history. An all-timer in my book.
5(tie). Bret Hart vs Owen Hart — WrestleMania X
193 points, ranked by 10 of 11 voters, highest ranked by Steven Graham at No. 2
Steven Graham: This match and the Steve Austin vs. Bret Hart “I Quit” match are the only two matches I would rate five stars in WrestleMania history. The story is played up so well in this one. Bret, the older brother, is the better wrestler. However, the younger Owen is quite good too and has a shot if Bret lets his guard down or if he gets lucky. This match plays into both guys strengths, as Bret’s selling and Owen’s offense are on showcase. Owen always believes he’s better, shown by the showboating in the beginning. Bret continues to outclass him, luckily Bret huts his leg. Owen dominates for a while, Bret teases a comeback, but Owen reverses one of Bret’s favorite moves (the victory roll) for the win that made Owen Hart. About as perfect as a wrestling match can be.
