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
Part Three: 180 – 121
120: Ken Shamrock vs. The Rock – WWE Intercontinental Title (WrestleMania XIV): Ken Shamrock and The Rock first hooked up in late 1997 and their wars would carry on throughout 1998. It looked like Shamrock was poised to wrest away Rock’s IC title in Boston and initially he did, but he would eventually get DQ’d for keeping the assault on, giving Rock his beloved gold back and a trip to the locker room on a stretcher.
119: Ricky Steamboat vs. Greg Valentine (WrestleMania IV): In Ricky Steamboat’s final PPV match of his first run with the company, he narrowly falls in a fun match to the Hammer. The Hammer’s offense is always snug and Steamboat is a top notch seller. Mash it together and you get arguably the top match of the show.
118: Tatanka vs. Shawn Michaels – WWE Intercontinental Title (WrestleMania IX): Tatanka was riding his lengthy undefeated streak right into this big title match and had just picked up two non-title pinball victories over Shawn Michaels before the show. He would win this one too, but it was by count out, keeping him from the gold. Like many in this range, the match was good but peaked there.
117: Chris Benoit vs. MVP – WWE United States Title (WrestleMania 23): Similar to our last match, fans thought this would be a torch passing match that would see MVP take the US title with a marquee Mania win. Instead, Benoit surprisingly retained with MVP eventually grabbing the gold as the feud rolled on.
116: British Bulldog vs. Warlord (WrestleMania VII): If you didn’t know better you’d think you were watching the match at double speed. These guys had no business having a match this solid. Big guys of today could take a lesson from these two in making every moment of a match count. They could also take a lesson in physical fitness. These two are natural beauties!
115: Dusty Rhodes & Sapphire vs. Randy Savage & Sensational Sherri (WrestleMania VI): Randy Savage’s first true post main event feud started with Dusty Rhodes early in 1990 and crested here in the Skydome. The match is pretty legendary beyond its pedantic action, mainly thanks to truly inspired commentary by Gorilla Monsoon and Jesse Ventura and the surprise appearance of Miss Elizabeth, who helped Rhodes and Sapphire pick up the win.
114: Jeff Hardy vs. Matt Hardy – Extreme Rules (WrestleMania XXV): For the first time in eight years, the Hardy brothers were truly at odds, starting with Matt costing Jeff the World Title and caused a whole lot more havoc as well. It would lead to a heated feud that included Matt picking up the win in a hard hitting, weapons filled hardcore brawl here.
113: Batista vs. Triple H – WWE World Heavyweight Title (WrestleMania XXI): After months of organic build, Batista put the final nail in Evolution by running through Triple H and taking his coveted World Title to close out Mania. The match was well executed and closed out the show with a big passing of the torch moment.
112: Savio Vega vs. Steve Austin (WrestleMania XII): These two began having issues when Steve Austin walked out on Savio Vega during a tag team title tournament match. Their match here was really stiff but was hamstrung by a flat crowd and constant cut ins to Roddy Piper chasing Goldust down a California highway. Austin would win but they would top this two months later.
111: Owen Hart vs. Triple H – WWE European Title (WrestleMania XIV): Owen Hart was left to swim alone after Montreal and instead of being given a hard push to the top of the card to take advantage of the natural heat, he instead was transitioned into a feud with Triple H, who beats him here in a good match while Chyna pasted Commissioner Slaughter at ringside.
110: Test vs. Eddie Guerrero – WWE European Title (WrestleMania X-7): After being shunted down the card following his 1999 dalliance with the main event, Test was reheated in time to win the European title and put it on the line against Eddie Guerrero here. Test held up his end of the bargain and hung in with Eddie move for move before succumbing to a belt shot by Latino Heat. On many cards this match may have stood out more, but on this one it was lost in the shuffle.
109: Hart Foundation vs. Nasty Boys – WWE Tag Team Titles (WrestleMania VII): This match is often overlooked on a loaded show with a Retirement Match, a fun Blindfold Match, and the WWF Championship on the line. The Nasty Boys brought their working boots and kept up with the Harts, ultimately beating them for the gold with help from the Harts’ former manager.
108: Strike Force vs. Demolition – WWE Tag Team Titles (WrestleMania IV): As great as Strike Force was in the ring, the true force of nature was Demolition, who was gaining more and more popularity as the weeks chugged along. This was a really fun tag affair that saw Demolition cheat their way to the titles but gaining a big pop for the final three count. It would be the start of a tremendous two year run for Ax and Smash.
107: Randy Savage vs. Crush – Falls Count Anywhere (WrestleMania X): This match doesn’t equal the level of intensity of modern day “Falls Count Anywhere Matches” or even the intensity of this feud which saw Crush and the Macho Man cost each other important matches, but it is a fitting farewell for the “Macho Man” in his last major WWF match.
106: Triple H vs. Chris Jericho – WWE Undisputed Heavyweight Title (WrestleMania X-8): This is certainly a match that is much better than its reputation would have you believe. They worked their asses off and the psychology was tight as Jericho punished and tortured the rehabbed quad of The Game until Hunter made his comeback and took the title. If this bout goes on before The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan match it would likely be remembered much more fondly.
105: John Cena vs. The Rock – WWE Heavyweight Title (WrestleMania XXIX): The rematch that everyone was BEGGING for after their classic the year before suffers a little for being the biggest forgone conclusion since the Hogan/Mike Sharpe feud of ’87. Both guys worked hard and built off the foundation of the year before but they just could capture the magic of the year before. I guess we should be thankful it wasn’t thrice in a lifetime.
104: El Matador vs. Shawn Michaels (WrestleMania VIII): Shawn Michaels makes his solo WrestleMania debut and wins a feisty bout over Mania stalwart Tito Santana, who appears on the main broadcast for the last time here. Oh, and Sensational Sherri’s outfit too.
103: Kane vs. Kurt Angle (WrestleMania X-8): Another case of two high level stars being paired up because of a lack of storyline, which seemed to be a theme in 2002. Regardless, Angle, mirror universe tights and all, takes Kane to one of the best matches in his career before picking up the win in a crisp ten minutes.
102: Sheamus, Randy Orton & Big Show vs. The Shield (WrestleMania XXIX): Remember those times when The Shield was an undefeated heel unit that was blowing past WWE stalwarts with relative ease? This match didn’t reach the highs of the Elimination Chamber or TLC Shield showcase matches, but it was an action packed opener that was highlighted by Seth Rollins doing some great bumps and dives that dazzled the freezing Metlife crowd that was settling into their seats.
101: Rob Van Dam vs. William Regal – WWE Intercontinental Title (WrestleMania X-8): Solidly into the mid card after nearly breaking through the glass ceiling, Rob Van Dam goes toe-to-toe with William Regal in a slugfest that ends with RVD hitting the five star frog splash to win the IC title for the first time.
100: Undertaker vs. Kane (WrestleMania XIV): Sneaking into the Top 100 is a hotly anticipated battle between the estranged brothers, Undertaker and Kane. In a world before they wrestled 500 times, their first battle had a lot of intrigue behind it. The match had been simmering for a while before Taker finally agreed to face his sibling. Surprisingly enough the match was quite good with lots of power offense and near falls before Taker landed three Tombstones for the win. Also, we have to include the epic performance by Pete Rose.
99: Hulk Hogan vs. King Kong Bundy – WWE Heavyweight Title Steel Cage Match (WrestleMania 2): The first WWE Heavyweight Title match in Mania history saw a game King Kong Bundy try to take advantage of the rib damage he inflicted weeks earlier to capture the gold. Hogan fought through the pain and escaped the cage to retain, but the match was certainly much better than it had any right to be, including a real great powerslam spot.
98: Bret Hart vs. Yokozuna – WWE Heavyweight Title (WrestleMania IX): It seemed like Bret Hart was just gaining momentum and legitimacy as a champion when he ran into Royal Rumble winner Yokozuna in Las Vegas. With Yoko prepped as the next big heel monster, he defeats Bret to take the championship. We all know what happened next, but Hart’s effort with Yoko was really impressive and one of Yoko’s best WWE matches.
97: Jimmy Snuka, Roddy Piper & Ricky Steamboat vs. Chris Jericho (WrestleMania XXV): Chris Jericho had a complete renaissance in 2008 being a masterful heel in his feud vs. Shawn Michaels. His run in 2009 starting with the legends he faced here showed how versatile Jericho’s character work had become. This match was full of nostalgia but that didn’t get in a way of the portrayal that the legends genuinely didn’t like Jericho and were disappointed in his recent actions. That bit of hatred made this surface level nostalgia match into a good match without any parameters.
96: British Bulldogs & Tito Santana vs. Hart Foundation & Danny Davis (WrestleMania III): Referee Danny Davis had been torturing the faces all through 1986 before eventually costing the British Bulldogs their tag titles to the Hart Foundation. They also credited Davis’ tendencies to explain Tito Santana’s IC title lost from early that year. That led to the three men coming for revenge here but coming up just short as Davis gets the upset win with some help from his buddies to cap off a really good bout.
95: Brutus Beefcake vs. Mr. Perfect (WrestleMania VI): Brutus Beefcake ends Mr. Perfect’s televised undefeated streak with a big time win in the Skydome. The match was quite good with tons of heat and energy and would signify the peak for Beefcake as a wrestler before he suffered a horrific injury later that summer.
94: Randy Savage vs. Ted DiBiase – WWE Heavyweight Title (WrestleMania IV): The grand finale of the lengthy WrestleMania IV World Title tournament sees Randy Savage take home the top prize with an assist from Hulk Hogan. Ted DiBiase did his damnedest to buy and wrestle himself the gold but comes up just short yet again. The match wasn’t their best but it was still really good and the fanfare, interference and start of the Mega Powers angle help it along as well.
93: Gimmick Battle Royal (WrestleMania X-7): With WrestleMania X-7 taking place on April 1, many thought the announcement of this battle royal may be a sad April Fool’s Joke. Luckily it was real and it was a ton of fun as WWE took a rare laugh at its past by importing some of its zaniest gimmicks to compete on their biggest show of the year. It also featured the return of Gene Overland and Bobby Heenan, who recaptured their magic in the announce booth one last time.
92: Steiner Brothers vs. Headshrinkers (WrestleMania IX): Stiff as hell. These two teams beat the piss out of each other until Scott nearly killed Samu with a Frankensteiner. What is not to love?
91: Kane vs. Big Show vs. Raven – WWE Hardcore Title (WrestleMania X-7): The Hardcore Championship was pretty much on life support until the big, angry giant revived it in 2001 with matches which saw him battle a half dozen wrestlers at once. The two giants play ping pong with the smaller Raven, though the match is most fondly remembered for it’s mid-match golf cart chase.
90: John Cena vs. Edge vs. Big Show – WWE World Heavyweight Title (WrestleMania XXV): Vickie Guerrero was at the center of this WWE World Title feud, mainly due to her relationship with Edge being strained by feelings for Big Show. The match itself was well worked and had an all time spot when John Cena hoisted both men onto his shoulders on way to wresting the strap away from Edge.
89: Chris Benoit & Rhyno vs. Los Guerreros vs. Team Angle – WWE Tag Team Titles (WrestleMania XIX): Chris Benoit was coming off a flirtation with the World Title earlier in the year but with the top of the card log jammed for Mania, he was shuffled down into a tag team with the recently returned Rhyno. With the young Team Angle reigning atop the division, their win here over two strong veteran teams helped catapult their credibility on the spot. The match is really good too but again suffered when compared to multi-team matches of years past.
88: Jack Swagger vs. Christian vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Kane vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. MVP vs. Matt Hardy vs. Evan Bourne vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Kofi Kingston – Money in the Bank (WrestleMania XXVI): MITB had ran the litmus test of producing a good match every time out. This match tested those restraints to the limit as while the talent level was still strong, there wasn’t many splashy up and coming briefcase holders as in previous MITB offerings. The result here was possibly the most stunning MITB win to date and the subsequent cash in by Jack Swagger mere days later only added to the shock factor. A fun endeavor while watching this match is to time how long it takes the poor guy to unhook the suitcase.
87: Cactus Jack vs. New Age Outlaws – WWE Tag Team Titles Dumpster Match (WrestleMania XIV): Overturned finish be damned, this was a fun hardcore match that saw the teams brawl over the arena months before that would become commonplace once the Hardcore Championship was introduced months later. It’s also the only time Mick Foley left a WrestleMania carrying a championship belt.
86: Chris Jericho vs. William Regal – WWE Intercontinental Title (WrestleMania X-7): An often overlooked match that is a top five all time WrestleMania opener. Both men’s chests were beaten red as the stiff shots flowed, leading into Jericho retaining his gold in a brisk seven minutes.
85: John Cena vs. Rusev (WrestleMania 31): The TANK entrance. Did you need anything more than that? Well, we also got a really good match, arguably the best of their series. Rusev should have won this one clean, but the power of Americana fueled Cena to victory.
84: Junkyard Dog & Tito Santana vs. Terry & Hoss Funk (WrestleMania 2): A great collection of talent funneled into a hidden tag match at the back end of a bloated WrestleMania. The action is hot and heavy with the Funks picking up the cheap win, but this thing cooks with gas for most of the match.
83: Blue Blazer vs. Mr. Perfect (WrestleMania V): A really hot sprint that with more time could have easily stolen the show. Both men look great but the gross bump where Blazer lands on Perfect’s knees on a top rope splash and the closing sequence after Perfect decks Blazer with a stiff right hook help make this great.
82: Edge vs. Chris Jericho – WWE World Heavyweight Title (WrestleMania XXVI): Edge was fresh off his surprise win at Royal Rumble and looked poised to win the World Title in this match. Chris Jericho had other ideas and Jericho had unfortunately been such a great heel for so long, some of those boos were turning to cheers. This resulted in a very good, but weird match that probably wasn’t the show stealing affair both aspired to have.
81: Rey Mysterio vs. Matt Hardy – WWE Cruiserweight Title (WrestleMania XIX): Matt Hardy struck gold when he jumped to Smackdown in 2002 and founded his V1 gimmick. He was fully locked in by this point, having cut weight in order to challenge and the Cruiserweight Title. He thwarts the challenge of the Mania debuting Rey Mysterio here in a strong encounter that deserved more time to kick into the next gear.
80: Randy Orton vs. CM Punk (WrestleMania XXVII): An extremely under the radar match. CM Punk really has a pretty good track record of good to very good Mania matches without ever being in the main event. The storyline of him being the Nexus leader was a little muddled in this match, but he was adapting and starting to work a style that propelled him to work in the main event later in the summer while still retaining some of his unique characteristics.
79: Lawrence Taylor vs. Bam Bam Bigelow (WrestleMania XI): On the scale of “wrestler vs non-wrestler” matches, this match is pretty darn good. In fact, it probably doesn’t even need to be graded on that curve s it was an impressive fight with great atmosphere and hype surrounding it.
78: John Cena vs. Triple H vs. Randy Orton – WWE Heavyweight Title (WrestleMania XXIV): As cliche as it may sound, all three men were “on” for this match and they pulled out all the stops. Even a “Tower of Doom” spot! The only downside is that this match featuring the three biggest stars on Raw wasn’t longer.
77: Demolition vs. Colossal Connection – WWE Tag Team Titles (WrestleMania VI): The pop. It is all about the pop. The final two minutes of this match maybe some of the loudest in Mania history. After Demolition win the titles for the third and final time, Andre the Giant would officially turn face by slapping around Bobby Heenan and riding out alone to an enormous ovation. The match had spirit to it and fine but the crowd reaction and final moments make this a classic.
76: Undertaker vs. Diesel (WrestleMania XII): It took Undertaker five Mania matches to finally get over the hump and deliver a really good match. Nobody would have ever expected it would happened when he squared off with Diesel, especially since he was on his way out of the company. A surprisingly tight power match that had some intrigue around the finish until Taker ended it with the Tombstone,
75: Strike Force vs. Brain Busters (WrestleMania V): After nearly a year apart, Strike Force was reunited for a tag battle with the always impressive Brain Busters. Things quickly went awry as Rick Martel took a shot from Tito Santana by accident and basically turned this into a handicap squash. And it was magnificent. The opening segment was as awesome too, basically an NWA tribute style match. The spike piledriver finish put a bow on a super fun tag sprint.
74: Rockers vs. Twin Towers (WrestleMania V): Another classic tag match buried in the depths of WrestleMania V. The Rockers could do no wrong at this point and watching them fly around and pinball for the Twin Towers was super fun and oozing wrestling goodness. Boss Man’s powebomb on Michaels, followed by Akeem’s big splash was a top notch finishing sequence.
73: The Rock vs. Mick Foley vs. Big Show vs. Triple H – WWE Heavyweight Title (WrestleMania 2000): The WWE wisely threw the fans a curveball and added Mick Foley to this match the week before WrestleMania. It featured several fun double-team moments before it settled into a one-on-one match between Rock and Triple H, until the whole thing crumbled under the weight of the McMahon family drama.
72: Randy Orton vs. Seth Rollins (WrestleMania 31): After spending months as forced stablemates, Randy Orton finally snapped, left the Authority and set himself up to take down Seth Rollins at Mania. Orion would get the win after an epic RKO and that victory established him as the number one contender for Rollins after he took the title at the end of the night.
71: Roddy Piper vs. Adrian Adonis – Hair vs. Hair Retirement Match (WrestleMania III): Roddy Piper’s original swan song was dripping with tension and emotion and also capped off an epic feud. Adrian Adonis had begun tormenting the Hot Rod late in 1986 and by the time Piper returned from injury, he was a red hot babyface that wrecked the Flower Shop set to pieces. He would win this match and look on as Adonis was shaved bald before running off to Hollywood.
70: Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal (WrestleMania XXX): There’s probably a case to be made that this is the greatest Battle Royale of all time that doesn’t involve Lanny Poffo losing a pint of blood. When it comes down to the last six or seven guys the action is non-stop and is greatly enhanced by Alberto Del Rio kicking everyone in the face. The catharsis of Cesaro slamming Big Show out of the ring is still felt on rewatch despite the fact that it came on perhaps the greatest evening of catharsis the company ever produced. Good thing they capitalized on Cesaro when he was hot!
69: Rey Mysterio vs. CM Punk (WrestleMania XXVI): One of the most anticipated matches on a card filled with them, the build to this match was intense and included Punk tormenting Mysterio’s family as he went way off the deep end. The match was short lived but really good while it lasted and saw Mysterio get the victory.
68: Hulk Hogan & Mr. T vs. Paul Orndorff & Roddy Piper (WrestleMania I): The main event that started it all. It had pomp, circumstance, celebrity, hall of famers, stars, heat, action and excitement. The match got them on Saturday Night’s Main Event, in Sports Illustrated and all over the mainstream news. The in ring action was perfectly fine but everything surrounding it gets it inside the top 70.
67: CM Punk vs. Kane vs. Mark Henry vs. MVP vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Christian vs. Finlay – Money in the Bank (WrestleMania XXV): A mixed bag Mania but a really good MITB that kicked things off with a bang. This match featured a mixture of high flying and stiffness that was inserted by Finlay and Punk mixing things up. Punk winning for the second year in a row helped evolve the MITB concept and was a first time twist that felt earned instead of a gimmick.
66: Rey Mysterio vs. Kurt Angle vs. Randy Orton – WWE World Heavyweight Title (WrestleMania 22): There was quite a taint on this match and feud as Rey Mysterio was propped up as the late Eddie Guerrero’s avatar en route to his first ever world title win. Beyond the gross booking, the match itself was a lot of fun and was amazingly compressed into a sub-10 minute package. All three guys deserved better but they delivered through what they had to work with.
65: Trish Stratus vs. Mickie James – WWE Women’s Title (WrestleMania 22): I think the greatest shame in WWE is that the greatest genital grab in company history has been stricken from the records. It added greatly to the crazed James completely winning over the crowd and defeating Stratus for the title. This was one of the first women’s matches at Mania that we judged without the caveat of being a “women’s match.” It was just great and enhanced in every way by the crowd of frustrated men cheering on the spurned Mickie. They also need to put that hand lick back in. JUST PUT IT ALL BACK IN!
64: Chris Jericho vs. Chris Benoit vs. Kurt Angle – WWE European & Intercontinental Title (WrestleMania 2000): By February 2000, Kurt Angle was on top of the world and it was clear to all that he was a prodigy in the world of wrestling. Heading to Anaheim he held both the European and Intercontinental Titles but was booked into a corner by his advisor Bob Backlund as he has to put up both straps against stiff competition in back to back bouts. And he would lose both. Without ever getting pinned. It is an overlooked match in a year filled with excellent in ring work but it was really well executed and showcased a whole lot of in ring talent.
63: CM Punk vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Chris Jericho vs. Carlito vs. MVP vs. Mr. Kennedy vs. John Morrison – Money in the Bank (WrestleMania XXIV): For the third straight year we had a Money in the Bank war at Mania and this one truly featured a group of young talent looking for a chance to break through. And Chris Jericho. CM Punk, a favorite of internet fans everywhere at the time, won the wild bout but would still take a year to really break through and be positioned as a star.
62: X-Pac vs. Shane McMahon – WWE European Title (WrestleMania XV): Shane McMahon shocked the world by showing he could convincingly lace up the wrestling boots, just like his old man did a month prior. Yet, like the other matches on the card, it was more about the soap opera than suplexes, as Triple H and Chyna stabbed their friend in the back and joined the Corporation.
61: John Cena vs. Triple H – WWE Heavyweight Title (WrestleMania 22): Triple H was on a mission to do what a few others had to do in 2005: get John Cena over as a face. He failed. He was cheered in the build up and in Chicago but despite missing the target with those plans, he and Cena still executed a great main event that was dripping with drama right up until Triple H shockingly tapped out to end it.
