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!
Part One: 300 – 241
Part Two: 240 – 181
180: John Cena vs. John Bradshaw Layfield – WWE Heavyweight Title (WrestleMania 21): After a frsutrating title reign by JBL where he escaped with his gold week after week thanks to help from his Cabinet, it seemed like he was primed for an all out war with the hot shot, upstart challenger in Los Angeles. Instead of a crazy, overbooked brawl, the match was short and dominated by JBL until Cena grabbed a flash win that ended up being overshadowed by the title match that followed it. JBL’s reign deserved a better finale for sure.
179: Jake Roberts vs. Ted DiBiase – Million Dollar Title (WrestleMania VI): Another match that had a great build before falling flat with the big blowoff. The angle was well built and the prematch promos were tremendous but once they stepped into the ring, things just didn’t heat up as much as fans would have wanted. The unclean finish didn’t help matters either, but Roberts got the last laugh by chucking Ted’s money in the crowd.
178: Hercules vs. Haku (WrestleMania V): A solid opener between two veterans that doesn’t overstay its welcome and gets the face a win to open up a long night of wrestling.
177: Can-Am Connection vs. Bob Orton & Magnificent Muraco (WrestleMania III): Another solid opener featuring veteran competitors that are proficient at working this exact type of match. Again the faces get the win, firing up the crowd for a memorable night.
176: Ricky Steamboat vs. Hercules (WrestleMania 2): It is Ricky Steamboat selling power offense and the picking up a win with an aerial move. You know what you are getting each and every time.
175: Alberto Del Rio vs. Jack Swagger – WWE World Heavyweight Title (WrestleMania XXIX): The Great Jack Swagger American Pride push came out of nowhere in 2013 but he was instantly vaulted into a WrestleMania title match with Mexican Hero Alberto Del Rio, who was really being swaddled in regalia as a big time face star. Del Rio got the expected win but the long awaited Dolph Ziggler MITB cash in was delayed by a night.
174: Batista vs. Umaga (WrestleMania XXIV): With neither guy in any program of substance, Batista and Umaga were matched up for an interbrand slugfest in Orlando. The match was sloppy and stiff as you would expect but both guys worked hard and put on a fine show.
173: Demolition vs. Powers of Pain & Mr. Fuji – WWE Tag Team Titles (WrestleMania V): Back in November, Mr. Fuji dumped Demolition for the Powers of Pain in preparation for this very moment, a chance for his new team to humiliate his old and take their titles. However, his hubris backfired as he entered the match looking for the advantage but ended up being the reason for the loss. The match was a typical punch and kick affair but the pop for the Demolition win was next-level.
172: Trish Stratus vs. Victoria vs. Jazz – WWE Women’s Title (WrestleMania XIX): This time around Trish Stratus does get her Mania title win and it also is part of her well received, hard hitting feud with Victoria that finally legitimized her as a worker.
171: Big Show & Kane vs. Chris Masters & Carlito – WWE World Tag Team Titles (WrestleMania XXII): This tag team title opener was waged between two teams that really dominated 2006 in different ways. Show and Kane took the tag titles in late 2005 and were looking quite unstoppable regardless of what was thrown their way. They were quite over with the crowds too. Carlito & Masters were the young guns looking to make their mark but kept coming up short when Carlito would trick his not-as-smart partner. Their issues came to light again here as they eat a loss when a win really could have propelled them.
170: Furnas & LaFon vs. New Blackjacks vs. Headbangers vs. Godwinns (WrestleMania 13): Continuing the opening match theme, this four way battle was for a future tag team title shot and featured four teams that were pretty much stuck in neutral. It came down to the Headbangers and Godwinns, with Mosh and Thrasher picking up the win. The finish was the only part of the match that interested the crowd and really should have been a showcase for the quickly fading Furnas & LaFon.
169: Chris Jericho vs. Fandango (WrestleMania XXIX): During Chris Jericho’s recent runs, he has worked hard to help put over newer talent. Fandango fit the bill but with that name and gimmick, he didn’t seem destined for stardom. He would get his first televised win here in a fine match and then explode in popularity a night later when the crowd Fandangoed their way into pop culture. That would be his peak, rendering the win in his debut match here pointless.
168: Cruiserweight Open – WWE Cruiserweight Title (WrestleMania XX): Lots of talent surrounded the ring in yet another bout used to jam the roster onto this monumental card but due to time restraints and booking, it was just a mish mash of random high spots with no flow and a ho-hum Chavo Guerrero retention.
167: Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar (WrestleMania XX): This highly anticipated war fell apart before it even started when word leaked out that both men would be leaving the company as soon as the show ended. The crowd gave them no chance to succeed so they went through the motions, ate a pair of Stone Cold Stunners and rode off into the sunset. At the very least, this is enjoyable just for the absurd atmosphere and breaking of the fourth wall by all involved.
166: Big Show vs. Cody Rhodes – WWE Intercontinental Title (WrestleMania XXVIII): The highlight of the build to this one was Cody Rhodes mocking Big Show’s Mania foibles of years gone by and they paid things off well with Show winning the IC title after an entertaining match for a good Mania moment.
165: Hart Foundation vs. Honky Tonk Man & Greg Valentine (WrestleMania V): This crisp tag match was nestled in the middle of a robust card that was loaded with tag team battles and is often overlooked. It was ell executed, played into the Foundation’s issues with Jimmy Hart and gave the Hitman and the Anvil a convincing, hard fought Mania victory.
164: Goldust vs. Hunter Hearst-Helmsley (WrestleMania 13): This feud had flared up back in December and would rage on for most of 1997 but their most high profile match here ended up being just OK. The most memorable moment was Chyna shaking Marlena like a rag doll as Hunter picked up his first Mania victory.
163: 20 Man Invitational Battle Royal (WrestleMania IV): Battle Royals can be hit or miss based on who is in the match and what the booking dictates. This one was right down the middle, with limited action but some very memorable spots, including the closing moments when Bad News Brown double crossed Bret Hart leading to the Hitman destroying the giant trophy.
162: Hardcore Battle Royal – WWE Hardcore Title (WrestleMania 2000): By early 2000, the wild hardcore division was a highlight of WWE TV, especially once Crash Holly instituted the 24/7 rule. So, in Anaheim, a bunch of low mid carders were dumped into the ring and able to let loose with weapons and mayhem. A mis-timed ending left viewers confused but there were some fun moments sprinkled throughout the 15 minute brawl.
161: Diamond Dallas Page vs. Christian – WWE European Title (WrestleMania X-8): Arguably one of the better sub ten minute championship matches in Wrestlemania history. DDP brought it in his one and only match on the grandest stage, while Christian was up for the challenge in his first solo match.
160: John Morrison, Trish Stratus & Snooki vs. Dolph Ziggler, Layla & Michelle McCool (WrestleMania XXVII): It’s the Jersey Shore, bitch! Capitalizing on the popularity of MTV’s hit reality show, WWE imported Snooki for a celebrity match in Atlanta and she did a damn fine job. They had her in there with some solid workers, including a special appearance from Trish Stratus, but she held up her part of the bargain well and put on an entertaining performance.
159: Koko B. Ware vs. Rick Martel (WrestleMania VI): One of the best parts of this opener is getting to soak up the incredible ambiance of the Skydome during the entrances. The match itself was solid too, cutting a good pace and featuring nice psychology from Martel on offense.
158: Tito Santana vs. Barbarian (WrestleMania VI): Fresh off the breakup of the Powers of Pain, Barbarian picked up a good win over WrestleMania veteran Tito Santana in his first singles PPV match. The match included a great finishing spot when Santana did a 360 sell from Barbarian’s flying clothesline.
157: Virgil vs. Ted DiBiase (WrestleMania VII): This was more storyline than an actual match, with Ted DiBiase unveiling his new valet in the form of Sensational Sherri, ensuring that this heated feud would continue into the hot months of summer.
156: Randy Orton vs. Kane (WrestleMania XXVIII): These two guys may have one of the toughest spots in Mania history after the Bryan vs. Sheamus match. It is easy to understand WWE’s decision to send out two guys that have a great familiarity to ease the crowd back into the show after the emotional tone of the previous match. The fact that this match isn’t a complete failure is a testament to the professionalism of both men. The match was also worked in an interesting nature with Orton working underneath for most of the encounter. A surprise finish makes this a good match that overachieved given the card positioning it was forced into.
155: Crush vs. Doink the Clown (WrestleMania IX): It would be an ILLUSION if this match were to rank any lower. Smack dab in the middle seems just right for this bout between the technically gifted clown and the powerhouse from Hawaii that saw a shocking upset finish from which Crush never fully recovered.
154: British Bulldogs & Koko B. Ware vs. Islanders & Bobby Heenan (WrestleMania IV): With an intense dognapping storyline central to this match, it was time to see the Bulldogs and Matilda get revenge on the Brain for his heinous actions. Heenan brought the comedy by wearing a dogcatcher’s jacket and got the win in the end, but still got chased down and mauled by Matilda.
153: Taka Michinoku vs. Aguila – WWE Light Heavyweight Title (WrestleMania XIV): The light heavyweight division was still fairly new at this point and the company was bringing in random challengers to tussle with its centerpiece star. Many fans were used to WCW’s cruiserweight matches and by comparison this was a disappointment but it still had enough goodness in it to get to the middle of this list.
152: Team Hell No vs. Dolph Ziggler & Big E. Langston – WWE Tag Team Titles (WrestleMania XXIX): It seemed like a pretty big demotion when Daniel Bryan was relegated to teaming with Kane in mid 2012, but they brought the heat and really built some strong chemistry. By the time Mania rolled around, they were tag team champs and on a roll. Dolph Ziggler was on point too and fans were frothing for him to cash in his MITB. He and Big E take the loss here but the big win would come a night later.
151: Razor Ramon vs. Jeff Jarrett – WWE Intercontinental Title (WrestleMania XI): Back in January, Jeff Jarrett preyed on Razor Ramon’s machismo and took his IC title. We get a good rematch here with a surprising finish when it ends in a DQ loss when the Roadie got involved.
150: Owen Hart & British Bulldog vs. Vader & Mankind – WWE Tag Team Titles (WrestleMania 13): A rare “heel vs heel” match pitted Vader with his new partner Mankind against his former Camp Cornette compatriots, Owen Hart and Davey Boy Smith. The “heel vs heel” dynamic never seemed to fire on all cylinders like it should have. Based on our list, this bout is the exact middle point of every WrestleMania match ever.
149: Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar (WrestleMania XXX): Sure the match was somewhat forgettable and flat but the pure surprise of Lesnar’s win makes this one of the greatest boring matches in history. The WWE masterfully handled the aftermath of the match making it look like everyone in the back was as shocked as the audience. Heyman’s reaction was glorious and the lag between the pin and the start of Lesnar’s music is great attention to detail that the company usually lacks. It’s so rare that they genuinely surprise us. That genuine emotion they drew out of us makes this match a contender for greatest WrestleMania moment of all time.
148: Big Boss Man vs. Mr. Perfect – WWE Intercontinental Title (WrestleMania VII): The long-running feud between the Big Boss Man and Bobby Heenan stretched all the way back to fall of 1990, with the Boss Man running through each Heenan Family member on his way to the gold. It’s a shame the match ended the way it did, on a non-finish at the grand-daddy of ’em all, but there were big plans in store for Mr. Perfect’s title.
147: Marc Mero & Sable vs. Goldust & Luna Vachon (WrestleMania XIV): As 1998 dawned, Marc Mero and Sable’s relationship was quickly deteriorating, correlating to Sable’s immense rise in popularity. They did stay united long enough to fend off a challenge fro the bizarre duo of Goldust and Luna in a fun mixed tag that saw Sable break use Mero’s TKO for the first time.
146: Finlay vs. John Bradshaw Layfield – Belfast Brawl (WrestleMania XXIV): The storyline of Hornswoggle and Mr. McMahon seemed to cast a long shadow over what was an otherwise fun, hard hitting garbage match to kick off the 24th annual event.
145: John Cena vs. Big Show – WWE United States Title (WrestleMania XX): John Cena’s unexpected rise up the card in 2003 was capped off here with a big title win in this WrestleMania opener, receiving a huge pop along the way. To really punctuate the victory, he wiped out Show with his FU in an impressive show of strength.
144: Edge vs. Alberto Del Rio – WWE World Heavyweight Title (WrestleMania XXVII): Christian lent a hand to his former partner Edge to even the odds against Alberto Del Rio and his massive goon in this show-opening Championship Match. The booking of the show seemed to give plenty of time to some matches while others suffered, leaving this one ultimately forgettable. It also would be Edge’s final career match as he would forfeit the title in the following days, leaving many scratching their heads as to why they didn’t switch the strap to the hot Del Rio.
143: Mr. Perfect vs. Lex Luger (WrestleMania IX): Many looked to this match as one of the best on paper of a shaky Mania card. Unfortunately it fell short of expectations as the chemistry wasn’t there and Luger’s plodding heel offense slowed the pacing down quite a bit. Perfect ate the loss and then a rough beating backstage from Shawn Michaels.
142: Rey Mysterio vs. Cody Rhodes (WrestleMania XXVII): Cody was really gaining momentum breaking off post Legacy. Rey was a perfect person for him to have a showcase match against. WrestleMania 27 gets a rough reputation based on the Cole vs. Lawler atrocity and the lackluster main event, but this match along with Edge/Del Rio and Punk/Orton made for a really solid hour of wrestling to start the show. Cody getting the win felt like a surprising upset that helped his ascension up the card.
141: Wendi Richter vs. Leilani Kai – WWE Women’s Title (WrestleMania I): Hard to imagine there was a time in WWE when the women’s match was a top draw on the card, but it happened at WrestleMania I. Pop star Cyndi Lauper seconded Wendi Richter and combined with WWE’s partnership with MTV, the whole affair had a rock star feel to it. Richter took the strap after some solid action, but the atmosphere and moment carry this one.
140: Ahmed Johnson, Jake Roberts & Yokozuna vs. Owen Hart, British Bulldog & Vader (WrestleMania XII): When Vader joined Camp Cornette in January, Yokozuna was quickly shoved out and the two behemoths seemed destined to clash in Anaheim. However, Vader was rehabbing from shoulder surgery and wasn’t ready to go solo just yet so this was expanded to a six man match that had a couple fun high spots mixed in before Vader got the win and saved his manager from getting squashed.
139: Rockers vs. Orient Express (WrestleMania VI): Heading into the show, this match looked like it could be a sleeper MOTN contender but instead it was merely good. The Rockers noticeably were a step off and the weak countout finish left it in the forgettable pile of Mania tags.
138: Too Cool & Chyna vs. The Radicalz (WrestleMania 2000): The Radicalz entered WWE with a lot of hype and expectations were soaring. A WrestleMania loss to Too Cool & Chyna wasn’t quite expected. The match was well worked but left a sour taste when Chyna pinned Eddie Guerrero for the win.
137: Undertaker vs. Jake Roberts (WrestleMania VIII): Short and sweet, and effectively put over the Undertaker as a force when he shrugged off a succession of DDTs from Jake “The Snake.” A definitive “passing of the torch” moment from one enigmatic character to another.
136: WWF vs. NFL 20 Man Battle Royal (WrestleMania 2): The standard for WrestleMania was set very early on: it would be a showcase of big time matches with celebrities and outside athletes blended into the mix. The battle royal here featured an impressive mix of NFL stars and WWE wrestlers and included some big time star power. Andre the Giant would stand tall, very fittingly winning the first battle royal in Mania history.
135: Triple H vs. Sheamus (WrestleMania XXVI): After a strong push through the end of 2009, Sheamus stepped into a big time Mania feud with his offscreen buddy Triple H. Hunter would win the power based match but Sheamus got the last laugh when he beat him bad at Extreme Rules, sending him to the shelf for nearly a year.
134: US Express vs. Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff – WWE Tag Team Titles (WrestleMania I): There was a lot of template setting at the inaugural WrestleMania and this tag title match showed that major upset title wins were a possibility on these cards. Sheik & Volkoff pulled the surprise victory for the only men’s title change of the night. The heat for this one was tremendous and the work was quite good too.
133: John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt (WrestleMania XXX): There’s a moment mid way through the match where Bray Wyatt kneels in the ring and leads the New Orleans faithful in a rendition of “He’s Got The Whole World In His Hands;” in that moment we witnessed the birth of a truly special superstar in Bray Wyatt. Unfortunately he was killed dead mere minutes later, but in that moment he was a star. On a night seemingly devoted to putting over new guys it was strange to see such and interesting character fall to the big green/orange/blue/red/never give up Marine. The match was fine but you could clearly see all the potential seeping out of the Silverdome (brother) never to be recaptured no matter how many holograms one could summon.
132: Randy Savage vs. Greg Valentine (WrestleMania IV): Randy Savage’s title tournament trek continued with a second round bout with Greg Valentine. The Hammer took much of the offense which meant plenty of high quality Macho Man selling throughout until he snuck out a win to advance.
131: Chris Benoit vs. John Bradshaw Layfield – WWE United States Title (WrestleMania 22): Coming off a well fought best of seven series with Booker T., Chris Benoit carried his US Title into Mania against the hated JBL. JBL was working with a busted hand but he fought threw it, took a rough beating and then stole the title and win with an assist from the ropes.
130: Roddy Piper vs. Goldust – Hollywood Back Lot Brawl (WrestleMania XII): A tale of two matches. The first half was a hard hitting, hate filled street fight that featured an attempted vehicular homicide and a broken hand for Roddy Piper. After a Juice-esque car chase, the two ambled back into the arena for a messy finish that included Piper stripping down Goldust to some revealing lingerie for a relative non finish.
129: Triple H vs. Brock Lesnar – No Holds Barred (WrestleMania XXIX): Hey remember when we all spent an entire match wondering aloud, “He’s not actually going to book himself to tap out Brock Lesnar is he?” A feud that managed to devalue The Beast Incarnate to the point where he needed to murder John Cena and that poor black guy’s childhood to come back from it. This one could have probably done with a bit of trimming as it never really reached the epic feel they were going for. By no means an awful match but quite possibly Brock’s most forgettable Mania match, which is kind of unforgivable considering the time and build this one got.
128: Bobby Lashley vs. Umaga – Battle of the Billionaires (WrestleMania 23): In a very rare occurrence, the competitors of this match didn’t quite matter as they were solely avatars for Vince McMahon and Donald Trump. It was that Battle of the Billionaires that drew a massive buyrate and gate and was paid off by McMahon getting his head shaved after a Lashley win. Money, money, money indeed.
127: Sting vs. Triple H – No Disqualification Match (WrestleMania 31): After a three decade career, Sting had finally arrived in WWE and was set for his first Mania match. Defending the proletariat from the Authority, he stepped in against Triple H and the two had a pretty fun match filled with nostalgia and random appearances from former friends and foes. What stuffs it down the list is the fact that Triple H went over in the end and then Sting sat there and shook his hand after getting bashed with a sledgehammer. No bueno.
126: Edge vs. Booker T. (WrestleMania X-8): The infamous Japanese hair shop commercial feud. It has become a long standing joke amongst wrestling fans but for as absurd as it was, the real crime is that these two weren’t given something more legit to feud over and were just completely lost in the shuffle at Mania time because they both finished 2001 very strongly.
125: Jake Roberts vs Rick Martel – Blindfold Match (WrestleMania VII): If the purpose of a professional wrestling match is to delight and engage the crowd than Martel and Roberts excelled in Los Angeles. This is a pretty maligned match but is tons of fun and a pretty decent payoff to an angle where someone is robbed of their sight. Rick Martel’s body language was always somewhat underrated and his comedic skills are on fine display here. His frustration as he misses backdrops or smashes a chair into the post is the stuff of legend. Listen to the pop for the DDT.
124: Booker T. vs. Triple H – WWE World Heavyweight Title (WrestleMania XIX): There is a lot wrong with this match and angle, but the in ring performance of both men is not it. However, on a card loaded with great matches, this was clearly a couple of steps behind. The build was bad when you consider the planned finish, but the Pedigree and delayed cover isn’t as bad as legend leads you to believe.
123: Bret Hart vs. Yokozuna – WWE Heavyweight Title (WrestleMania X): It was a bittersweet night for Bret Hart who shook off a tough loss to his brother Owen by gaining revenge on Yokozuna and capturing his second WWE Championship. The match was short and fun but the memory of Hart being paraded around the ring on his peers’ shoulders to close the show was the perfect finish to a monumental show.
122: Smoking Gunns vs. Yokozuna & Owen Hart – WWE Tag Team Titles (WrestleMania XI): A year after their bookend matches with the Hitman, Yokozuna teamed with Owen Hart to surprise the Smoking Gunns to win the tag team titles, giving Owen his first ever WWE gold. Owen and Yoko gelled instantly and made for a fun heel team and Owen’s post match celebration here was gold.
121: Steve Austin vs. Scott Hall (WrestleMania X-8): In early 2002 Steve Austin seemed like a lost soul. He was out of the title picture, didn’t take advantage of a dream match opportunity with Hulk Hogan and was left twisting in the wind before being paired up against Scott Hall in Toronto. The match should have been better but both men seemed off and outside of some wild stunner selling by Hall, this one peaked at merely good.
