It is WrestleMania week! And we at Place to Be Nation love lists. So, over the past month, JT Rozzero, Ben Morse, Chad Campbell, Marc Clair, Brian Bayless, Brian Meyer, Glenn Butler, Jordan Duncan, Aaron George, Neil Trama & Andy Halleen have spent many hours crafting PTBN’s All Time WrestleMania Match Ranking just for your enjoyment! We have argued. We have number crunched. We have reshuffled multiple times. But, here is our final, ultimate, complete ranking of every single WrestleMania match in history. All 300 of them. The list only includes those matches that aired on pay-per-view and is an aggregate of votes from those that participated in the project. With that said… away we go!
300. Jerry Lawler vs. Michael Cole (WrestleMania XXVII): When you factor in all of the hype and build that went into this, plus the fact that is was Jerry Lawler’s lone WrestleMania match that easily should have been a squash win for the King, this takes the last spot on our list. The feud could have continued either way, but instead we got an overthought, overbooked mess that was a major disappointment.
299: Bret Hart vs. Vince McMahon – No Holds Barred (WrestleMania XXVI): After waiting over a decade for Bret Hart to fully make amends and return to the WWE family, the hype for his WrestleMania tussle with Vince McMahon was through the roof. However, Hart wasn’t in condition to do much and instead the overbooking flowed, including a brutal chair assault that just about turned Mr. McMahon face. Sometimes simple is the way to go.
298: Undertaker vs. Big Boss Man – Hell in a Cell (WrestleMania XV): Undertaker has had 23 WrestleMania matches. Nothing was as bad as this mess when you factor in the build and the fact that they were given the still red hot Cell gimmick to play in.
297: Velvet McIntyre vs. Fabulous Moolah – WWE Women’s Championship (WrestleMania 2): A worthless, throwaway squash that exists solely so the legendary Moolah has a Mania victory.
296: Uncle Elmer vs. Adrian Adonis (WrestleMania 2): A sloppy, forgettable match jammed into an already overflowing WrestleMania 2 card.
295: The Kat vs. Terri Runnels (WrestleMania 2000): 2000 was a peak time in untrained women wrestlers getting spotlight matches. This one was booked so Val Venis could be a lech.
294: Miss WrestleMania Battle Royal (WrestleMania XXV): A fun idea on paper with some old school Divas making returns (Sunny!) but not memorable happened and it was all a backdrop for Santino Marella and his intergender gimmick,
293: Candice Michelle vs. Torrie Wilson – Playboy Pillow Fight (WrestleMania 22): About what you would expect from these two with that gimmick in 2006.
292: Mickie James, Kelly Kelly, Eve Torres, Gail Kim & Beth Phoenix vs. Michelle McCool, Layla, Maryse, Alicia Fox & Vickie Guerrero (WrestleMania XXVI): This felt like a way for the face Divas to get revenge on Vickie Guerrero but instead it was a way to get Vickie a win and continue to build up her character.
291: Sable & Torrie Wilson vs. Stacy Keibler & Miss Jackie – Playboy Evening Gown Match (WrestleMania XX): Just a treat for guys who like hot women in lingerie.
290: Akebono vs. Big Show – Sumo Match (WrestleMania 21): This was a unique concept and Akebono is a legendary name but besides the initial spectacle there wasn’t much substance to this one.
289: Boogeyman vs. Booker T. & Sharmell (WrestleMania 22): Booker T. and Sharmell were in the middle of a really inspired run but instead of a showcase match he is fed to a character that was going nowhere fast.
288: Ashley vs. Melina – WWE Women’s Championship LumberJill Match (WrestleMania 23): They really tried with Ashley and she worked hard at it, but it just never clicked.
287: Hulk Hogan vs. Yokozuna – WWE Heavyweight Title (WrestleMania IX): At the time, it was easy to get wrapped up in the moment, nestled in the bosom of Hulkamaniac nostalgia. However, this quick squash was a major booking misstep for the WWF and it set them back quite a bit as they attempted to rebuild the promotion in 1993.
286: Corporal Kirchner vs. Nikolai Volkoff – Flag Match (WrestleMania 2): There was so much jammed into this card that it led to many quick squashes. This feud had some legitimate build but was a waste of an outing in the end.
285: Kane vs. Great Khali (WrestleMania 23): Heading into the show, many were dreading this one and while it wasn’t the complete trainwreck that was feared, there wasn’t much here to enjoy.
284: Kane vs. Chavo Guerrero – ECW Heavyweight Title (WrestleMania XXIV): A fun moment that ended Chavo Guerrero’s title reign of terror but it was nothing more than a chokeslam.
283: Maria & Ashley vs. Beth Phoenix & Melina – Playboy BunnyMania LumberJill Match (WrestleMania XXIV): A frustrating time for WWE as you had talented female workers stuffed into matches like this on the biggest night of the year.
282: Sable vs. Tori – WWE Women’s Title (WrestleMania XV): Sable was on fire at this point, working her smarmy heel character and with Tori joining the fray it seemed like the company was ready to get a bit more serious with the division. This ended up being a mess and it would be a long while before those hopes were realized.
281: Undertaker vs. Giant Gonzalez (WrestleMania IX): A match that is not as bad as its legacy but still doesn’t bring much to the table besides Undertaker’s epic chariot entrance, flanked by a vulture.
280: Earthquake vs. Adam Bomb (WrestleMania X): Adam Bomb was replacing the injured Ludvig Borga against the recently returned Earthquake and on paper this could have been a fun power match. Sadly, due to time constraints it was whittled down to a quick squash for Quake.
279: Legion of Doom vs. Power & Glory (WrestleMania VII): The Legion of Doom was being prepped for a WWF title run later in the year and mow through one of 1990’s strongest teams. An injury to Hercules added to the plans for this to be kept very brief.
278: Chyna vs. Ivory – WWE Women’s Title (WrestleMania X-7): A pretty hot feud in 2001, this saw Chyna gain full revenge on Ivory by press slamming her straight out of her championship slot.
277: Red Rooster vs. Bobby Heenan (WrestleMania V): The backstory for this one was pretty well developed but after Ultimate Warrior pasted Bobby Heenan earlier in the night, he stood no chance here as the Rooster pecked his way to revenge.
276: Jake Roberts vs. Rick Rude (WrestleMania IV): The poor grading of this one has more to do with expectation than workrate. These two were given the most time to fill in the WWF Title tournament and things just never clicked, with a resthold infused match structure clearly tipping a draw.
275: Hart Foundation vs. Bolsheviks (WrestleMania VI): Another squash that existed to get the Hart Foundation rebuilt for a title run.
274: Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan – World Heavyweight Title (WrestleMania XXVIII): Another match slotted here out of disappointment but it was a really wild moment and in retrospect was probably the best thing that could have happened to Daniel Bryan’s career.
273: Ultimate Warrior vs. Hunter Hearst-Helmsley (WrestleMania XII): Another squash but this was one that was anticipated as the Ultimate Warrior made his long awaited return to the ring by wrecking good soldier Hunter Hearst-Helmsley. The people wanted it and they got it.
272: David Sammartino vs. Brutus Beefcake (WrestleMania I): A meandering affair that was highlighted by Bruno Sammartino, who likely should just been in the match teaming with his son against Beefcake and Lucious Johnny V.
271: Don Muraco vs. Dino Bravo (WrestleMania IV): A quick filler match from the tournament with a really weak finish.
270: Texas Tornado vs. Dino Bravo (WrestleMania VII): A nice moment with lots of energy for Kerry Von Erich, who picks up a win in his only WrestleMania appearance.
269: Ronnie Garvin vs. Dino Bravo (WrestleMania V): A match best known for being the backdrop for the returning Jimmy Snuka as well as the post match antics with Garvin stomping a hole through Frenchy Martin.
268: Jim Duggan vs. Bad News Brown (WrestleMania V): These two seemed tailor made for a wild brawl but instead it was fairly uninspired and ended in a quick double DQ.
267: Paul Orndorff vs. Magnificent Muraco (WrestleMania 2): On paper, this should have been a pretty hot opener but it just set the tone for a disappointing night of action, capped with an awful finish.
266: Undertaker vs. King Kong Bundy (WrestleMania XI): According to our list, Undertaker has had two matches worse than this one, but this is arguably his most boring and aimless.
265: Jake Roberts vs. George Wells (WrestleMania 2): This was just a showcase squash for Jake Roberts and Damien, who had both recently started with the company.
264: Roddy Piper vs. Bad News Brown (WrestleMania VI): Another match that looked like fun when it was announced but just never got out of first gear. After a weak brawl the two fought to the back for the double countout and the feud ended quietly afterwards.
263: Bushwhackers vs. Fabulous Rougeau Brothers (WrestleMania V): There is some fun in here and both teams can work the crowd nicely but it was as basic a tag match as it gets.
262: Rikishi & Scotty 2 Hotty vs. APA vs. The World’s Greatest Tag Team vs. Basham Brothers – WWE Tag Team Titles Fatal Four Way (WrestleMania XX): This was the definition of a match crammed into a bloated card in an attempt to reward nearly everyone on the roster with a slot on the twentieth anniversary. It was really boring with no cohesion and saw the worst option go over for the win.
261: Natural Disasters vs. Money, Inc. – WWE Tag Team Titles (WrestleMania VIII): A super boring tag title match with an even lazier finish.
260: Head Cheese vs. T&A (WrestleMania 2000): “Bowling shoe ugly” sums this one up. Everyone loved Al Snow and Steve Blackman at this point but they fell flat when given the ball in a big spot. T&A didn’t help.
259: Godfather & D-Lo Brown vs. Big Boss Man & Bull Buchanan (WrestleMania 2000): A good choice to get the crowd fired up as Godfather was super over but too many blown spots and nerves never got it off the ground.
258: George Steele vs. Randy Savage – WWE Intercontinental Title (WrestleMania 2): This was a key match in great feud that filled with awful matches And this is one of them. A few histrionics aside, Randy Savage gets off to a shaky start with his WrestleMania career.
257: Christy Hemme vs, Trish Stratus – WWE Women’s Title (WrestleMania 21): Trish Stratus was on fire as a heel but when Lita went down with an injury, their big blowoff was shot down. In stepped a game Christy but she wasn’t ready to step in quite yet.
256: Jim Duggan vs. Dino Bravo (WrestleMania VI): Another aimless Jim Duggan brawl that featured him shouting “USA” at a Canadian crowd. The sole purpose of this was to have Earthquake flatten him after the match.
255: Alundra Blayze vs. Leilani Kai – WWE Women’s Title (WrestleMania X): With the Women’s Division reborn under new torchbearer Alundra Blayze, this match was a showcase of her abilities. Instead of importing someone that could really make her look impressive, we got Leilani Kai dragged out of mothballs to provide zero challenge in any way.
254: Junkyard Dog vs. Harley Race – Loser Must Bow (WrestleMania III): If this happened in 1983, this match would be much higher up the list. As is, both guys were working through limitations and did their best with what they had to work with.
253: Vickie Guerrero Invitational – WWE Women’s Title (WrestleMania XXX): AJ Lee was still the focal point of the division but her WWE career was in flux due to her personal life. Toss in a random mix of Divas with no direction and a short match time and you were guaranteed for an unmemorable outing.
252: Bam Bam Bigelow vs. One Man Gang (WrestleMania IV): Another quick tournament match that had a couple of fun power spots but ended with a thud.
251: Mega Maniacs vs. Money, Inc. – WWE Tag Team Titles (WrestleMania IX): Revisiting WrestleMania IX and Hulk Hogan, his first match of the night was equally as disappointing but at least had some meat on it. Teaming with Brutus Beefcake, the two failing to capture the tag team titles should have been a major red flag for what was to come later in the night.
250: S.D. Jones vs. King Kong Bundy (WrestleMania I): The most memorable squash in WrestleMania history, setting up a kayfabed record victory time that would be referenced for years to come.
249: Undertaker vs. Kane (WrestleMania XX): The biggest hype here circled around the return of the Deadman character for Undertaker. The MSG crowd gave him a hearty welcome and his entrance was intense but the match that followed was disappointing, bland and forgettable.
248: Tito Santana vs. The Mountie (WrestleMania VII): Effectively a harmless squash for Mountie, the most important footnote of this match was that it was Santana’s seventh straight Mania bout.
247: Don Muraco vs. Ted DiBiase (WrestleMania IV): A surprisingly feisty little match for the juiced Muraco with a solid ending that puts Ted DiBiase in the finals of the tournament.
246: Rocky Maivia vs. The Sultan – WWE Intercontinental Title (WrestleMania 13): The flailing Intercontinental Champion blue chipper wasn’t given much to work with for his first Mania match. Plus, he took a shit kicking and won in a fluky manner and then was saved by his father. Not the best showing for young Rocky.
245: Lex Luger vs. Yokozuna – WWE Heavyweight Title (WrestleMania X): After delivering a pretty fun match at SummerSlam, things hit a wall here in MSG. A clearly checked out Lex Luger went through the motions before picking up a brutal DQ loss and one of his final shots at the WWF Title.
244: Tenryu & Kitao vs. Demolition (WrestleMania VII): For a throwaway tag match, there was some historical significance here as it features the legendary Tenryu’s only WrestleMania appearance and is also the final Mania bout for the beloved Demolition, albeit a shell of the original team. Plus, it had a rare powerbomb in 1991 WWF!
243: Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant (WrestleMania IV): A far cry from their tilt a year earlier, this go around was quite boring with significantly less crowd heat. That said, it was a big time match and featured an important and surprising double DQ finish to set up the changing of the guard.
242: Brutus Beefcake vs. Honky Tonk Man – WWF Intercontinental Title (WrestleMania IV): Brutus Beefcake comes up short of taking the gold in a blasé match but does snip some of Jimmy Hart’s locks after a DQ finish.
241: Randy Savage vs. One Man Gang (WrestleMania IV): In his final step before competing for the WWF Title in the tournament finals, Randy Savage outlasted the One Man Gang thanks to one of the dumbest big match disqualifications you will ever see.
