The Best WrestleMania MAIN EVENT of All-Time

[Kcorthe]

I looked around, and didn't see this thread anywhere, so I thought it might be interesting.

Now, on these forums we have all discussed the best 'Mania matches ever, the best of certain individuals, and all of that....BUT, what is the best of the WrestleMania MAIN EVENTS? As in, the LAST match on the card?

The main event of WrestleMania is one of the highest honors in professional wrestling. And in most cases, the most important match on the card (or at least it used to be, and should always be). So of all of the 23 WrestleMania main events that we have seen, which is the very best?

As far as how you determine the best match: you can judge it by impact on the industry, delivery and execution, etc. etc. Pick the OVERALL best main event in WrestleMania history.

(NOTE: The poll only allows for ten options, so I will just choose the top 10 matches that I think are in obvious contention / so, no L.T. vs. Bam Bam......)

WrestleMania 1
Hulk Hogan & Mr. T vs. Paul Orndorff & "Rowdy" Roddy Piper

WrestleMania 2
Hulk Hogan vs. King Kong Bundy

WrestleMania 3
Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant

WrestleMania 4
Randy Savage vs. The Million Dollar Man

WrestleMania 5
Hulk Hogan vs. Randy Savage

WrestleMania 6
Hulk Hogan vs. The Ultimate Warrior

WrestleMania 7
Hulk Hogan vs. St. Slaughter

WrestleMania 8
Hulk Hogan vs. Sid

WrestleMania 9
Hulk Hogan vs. Yokuzona

WrestleMania 10
Bret Hart vs. Yokozuna

WrestleMania 11
L.T. vs. Big Bam Bigelow

WrestleMania 12
Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels

WrestleMania 13
Undertaker vs. Sycho Sid

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

WrestleMania 15
"Stone Cold" Steve Austin vs. The Rock

WrestleMania 16
Triple H vs. The Rock vs. Mick Foley vs. Big Show

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

WrestleMania 18
Triple H vs. Chris Jericho

WrestleMania 19
Brock Lesnar vs. Kurt Angle

WrestleMania 20
Chris Benoit vs. Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels

WrestleMania 21
Batista vs. Triple H

WrestleMania 22
John Cena vs. Triple H

WrestleMania 23
John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels

MY PERSONAL CHOICE: Its tough....but I think I am going to have to go w/ The Rock vs. "Stone Cold" at WrestleMania 17 in 2001. Why? Well, anyone that knows anything about that match knows that it was built up EXTREMELY well. Beside that, the atmosphere and the drama surrounding that entire match, during its 28 minutes in length, was just unbelivable. Rock and Austin are two guys that work so well together, and I don't need to tell any of you that. And no, the match wasn't a technical masterpiece or anything closely related to such, but it was never meant to be. It was The Rock vs. Stone Cold, the modern day Hogan/Warrior showdown. The two top babyfaces going at it in their prime. And than the shock ending, for better or for worse, it still shocked us all. It is one of my favorite matches of all time.

Honorable mentions, for me, go to Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant @ WM3, Steve Austin vs. HBK @ WM14, Hogan/Warrior @ WM6, & the 3-way @ WM20.

What do you guys think?

 

[ilovewrestling47]

My favorite would have to be Hart vs Michaels in the 60-minute iron-man match for the WWF Title. It just had so much drama. I just laughed at Hart's face when it was announced as going to sudden-death. Then Shawn hits the Sweet Chin Music out of nowhere for the win. I loved his entrance too, coming in on a zipline. It has also made the line which I will remember forever: "The boy whose dream has come true."

 

[Unanimous]

I voted Chris Benoit vs. Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels. Why? Becuae it has a face that everyone wants to win (Benoit), the heel that everybody hates (Triple H), and the tweener who is Shawn Michaels. The build up was good. And the match was also a great match. You couldn't have predicted who was going to win, and the match had a lot of close calls where you thought each man was going to win. And Triple H tapping out was unheard of in 2004. The ending with Eddie was very emotional.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

Wow, firstly this makes me think that Mania has had a lot of shit main events LOL.

My pick, is Austin Vs Micheals. It was the two top guys, in a clash, and set off the beginning of a very successfull era. Great crowd heat throughout, and a very entertaining match, expecially if you make yourself aware of the severe back injuries HBK suffered through during it. You can see him gritting his teeth on almost every move. Amazing, and nearly inspiring. Well done Shawn.

 

[rolltide_pisco]

I voted for Hogan/Warrior only cause it was the 2 biggest babyfaces in the world who had the fans split and it shocked the world to see Warrior win. Too bad Warrior screwed up his career cause Hogan put em over and he had the torch passed to him

 

[xtremesteven33]

gotta be Austin vs Rock.....

-Perfect Build-up
-Austins first title match coming back from surgery
-Houston TX, Austins home state
-JR at his commenatating BEST....pure gold....
-One of the most shocking and unpredictable endings of all time...
-Great build up song that fit perfectly for some reason with the match..."My Way" Limp Bizkit....


nothing even comes close

 

[kevin-316]

i voted for shawn michaels v bret hart wrestlemania 12 simply incredible i can remember the first time watching it when i was 9 years old and thinking it was the greatest match i had ever saw 12 years later the day before wrestlemania 24 i watched it again and it still is amazing. not only the best wrestlemania main event but maybe the greatest match of all time?

 

[IrishCanadian25]

The final match of Wrestlemania 8 may have been Hogan vs Justice, but I maintain that the true MAIN EVENT that night was the WWF Title Match between Flair and Savage. Hogan's match went on last because a) it was rumored to be his last match, and b) Ultimate Warrior's return.

But between the build up and execution, the Flair vs Savage match was among my favorites of all time. There was so much real, palpable drama to that match, from the rumors of the Elizabeth Centerfold to the doctored photos of Ric poolside with Liz to the interviews both men did on Regis and Kathie Lee. The match felt so legit and it was vintage. Mr. Perfect was masterful, and Heenan with Monsoon in the booth was priceless.

I know there is a lot of love for Austin vs Rock, and I respect that, but man the WM8 WWF Title Match is something I will mark our for until my dying day.

 

[Skillz]

Hogan/Warrior is an absolute classic to anyone who understands what truly makes a great professional wrestling match. The anticipation was off the charts, the atmosphere was electric, the way they worked the crowd was done perfectly, and the story they told was phenomenal. This truly had a main event feel to it, you really believed that these were the two biggest forces in the WWE at the time.

Hart/HBK was a classic "wrestling" match. Probably the best mat wrestling match of all time. Not only was it full of great action with lots of different wrestling moves, more importantly it told a great story.

Austin/Rock was a classic brawl. It was this decade's version of Hogan/Warrior, clearly the two biggest stars going against eachother.

My personal favorite has got to be Hart/HBK, but Hogan/Warrior epitomizes what professional wrestling is, and should always be about.

Top 5:

1. Hart/HBK
2. Hogan/Warrior
3. Austin/Rock
4. Hogan/Savage
5. HHH/HBK/Benoit

 

[africonda]

damn i must be too old because i picked hogan and warrior. compared to a lot of the junk now, wwe knew how to build up their main events a lot better. the two biggest faces in wrestling history fighting each other, title vs title, one hell of a match, hogan actually allowing himself to lose for once, to me that was the best main event ever. i would then go with the iron man match with hbk and brett, i was there live so i remember that one vividly, actually they are both equal, i just picked wrestlemania 6 cause i was pissed shawn beat brett, still am LOL

on another note, what do you guys think of that career match between savage and warrior and wrestlemania 7, i think that was one of the best matches of all time...any comment on that

 

[sxwwrestling]

The greatest main event of all time was Hulk Hogan vs Andre the Giant. More people watched this ppv than any other and it still is the attendence record. This ppv is still talked about today more than any other, and for anyone who says its HBK/Hart at WM 12 that match was BORING!!!

 

[1997RAWFan]

The greatest main event of all time was Hulk Hogan vs Andre the Giant. More people watched this ppv than any other and it still is the attendence record. This ppv is still talked about today more than any other, and for anyone who says its HBK/Hart at WM 12 that match was BORING!!!

I'm pretty sure WrestleMania 23, then this year WrestleMania 24 surpassed that PPV in buyrates. And I think WrestleMania 23 surpassed it in attendence.

I personally like Austin vs. Michaels (14) and Hart vs. Michaels (12).

 

[bioshock]

damn i must be too old because i picked hogan and warrior. compared to a lot of the junk now, wwe knew how to build up their main events a lot better. the two biggest faces in wrestling history fighting each other, title vs title, one hell of a match, hogan actually allowing himself to lose for once, to me that was the best main event ever. i would then go with the iron man match with hbk and brett, i was there live so i remember that one vividly, actually they are both equal, i just picked wrestlemania 6 cause i was pissed shawn beat brett, still am LOL

on another note, what do you guys think of that career match between savage and warrior and wrestlemania 7, i think that was one of the best matches of all time...any comment on that

I agree with everything you said, and the Warrior Savage career match at WM7 prolly is the greatest match in WM history, it had build up as good as any match in WM history, the match its self was top notch, and the pure drama at the end, maybe the only thing in wrestling history that could match the drama would be the HBK-Flair match from WM24.

One thing tho, for this main event list, you should of listed all the co main events as well, since like WM8 it should be the Savage-Flair match as the main event, not the crappy Hogan-Sid match.

But heres my top 5 best & top 5 worst WM main events.

Top 5
#1 Undertaker vs Edge WM24
#2 Hogan vs Warrior WM6
#3 Hogan vs Andre WM3
#4 Austin vs Rock WM17
#5 Benoit vs HBK vs HHH WM20

Top 5 worst
#1 LT vs Bam Bam WM11
#2 Sid vs Undertaker WM13
#3 Hogan & Mr. T vs Piper & Orndorf
#4 Yokozuna vs Bret Hart WM10
#5 Hogan vs Sid WM8 (Warrior's return helped save this big time from being the worst)

 

[bioshock]

I'm pretty sure WrestleMania 23, then this year WrestleMania 24 surpassed that PPV in buyrates. And I think WrestleMania 23 surpassed it in attendence.

I personally like Austin vs. Michaels (14) and Hart vs. Michaels (12).

LOL man your way off! WM3 is one of the most seen PPV's of all time, heck in WWE's history WM3 is the top buyrate by a long shot with 10.2 million buys, 2nd is WM4 with 6.5 million buys. Now WM23 is at 2.97 million buys, and I'm sure WM24 is right around the same making WM3 around 3x more buys. So get your facts straight.

And also the attendance is way off too, WM3 had over 93,000 packed in the Silverdome, while Ford Field only had a little over 80,000. And WM24 only had a little over 74,000.

But it is saying something since WM23 & prolly WM24 are the most seen WM's since WM6 which had 3.8 million buys, while WM7 only had 2.8, guess WWE is finally doing something right again.

 

[bambam]

The final match of Wrestlemania 8 may have been Hogan vs Justice, but I maintain that the true MAIN EVENT that night was the WWF Title Match between Flair and Savage. Hogan's match went on last because a) it was rumored to be his last match, and b) Ultimate Warrior's return.

But between the build up and execution, the Flair vs Savage match was among my favorites of all time. There was so much real, palpable drama to that match, from the rumors of the Elizabeth Centerfold to the doctored photos of Ric poolside with Liz to the interviews both men did on Regis and Kathie Lee. The match felt so legit and it was vintage. Mr. Perfect was masterful, and Heenan with Monsoon in the booth was priceless.

I picked other for this reason. IC25 again me and you see eye-to-eye. The true ME for WM8 was Savage/Flair. The build up and the hype for this match was great. I loved Mr. Perfect in these angles too. He really made you think the had "real" pictures. As for the match it self, Great spots, and great wrestling the whole match. Because Savage was so great at selling, He made you think he was going to rip Flairs heart out. And Flair was Flair in this match, Just about Perfect! Savage/Flair Hands down!

 

[CelticPride101]

ok well i am young but i gotta say the best wm main event for me was the rock vs hulk hogan i mean this was sooooo hyped up it was the wwe's biggest superstar against wwe's former biggest superstar i mean it was a good match and you wanna know how this was sooo good this wasent even for a title or anything i mean usually at wrestlemania the last match tends to be a title match not in this case people wanted too see this rock put on a great match even tho hogan isent the greatest wrestler he put on a decent match i just love this match and the crowd reaction not even knowing who to cheer on great stuff..personally my favorite wrestlemania match

 

[buljak]

oh well all i got to say that WM 24 main event was crapppppp!!!!

it was so boring

i fell a sleep and the ending was the same as wm 23 with undertaker winning and ending the show

so smackdown has had the main event at mania for last 2 years and raw is the so called main brand ? how does that work???

 

[jontabs]

oh well all i got to say that WM 24 main event was crapppppp!!!!

it was so boring

i fell a sleep and the ending was the same as wm 23 with undertaker winning and ending the show

so smackdown has had the main event at mania for last 2 years and raw is the so called main brand ? how does that work???

Taker did win the title last year, but he wasnt in the main event. Strange, considering that the Batista-Taker match was considered to be match of the year last year.


Main event of WM last year was Cena-Michaels.

 

[justinsayne]

oh well all i got to say that WM 24 main event was crapppppp!!!!

it was so boring

i fell a sleep and the ending was the same as wm 23 with undertaker winning and ending the show

so smackdown has had the main event at mania for last 2 years and raw is the so called main brand ? how does that work???

Did you even watch WM23?!?, cause Taker and Batista's match was like the fourth match on the show, dude seriously...

As far as WM24 being mistaken, I have to ask again did you watch the show?!?!?, cause it's probably the best WM since 19, just about every match was good or at ther very least watchable, MITB, HBK/Flair, Taker/Edge were all great, the triple threat was decent, and Mayweather/Show was better than expected, Batista/Umaga was watchable, the only real disappointing thing on the show was the ECW title Squash match

and Raw has had every ME on WM for the past 4 years (20, 21, 22, 23)

 

[jontabs]

Oh and I forgot.

Best WM main event in my opinion would be Warrior-Hogan. Despite the lack of "spots" that fans today are used to seeing, that match had two things which are lacking in today's matches.

1. BUILD UP = Can't emphasize this enough.

2. DRAMA = The reason why the match worked was because the crowd didn't know who would pull it off.


Same reasons apply to the Bret/Shawn match, but the mere fact that it was "HOGAN" versus "WARRIOR" and champion versus champion, makes this match the best WM event for me.

 

[BrooklynBuc]

To me, the greatest main event of Wrestlemania was Benoit vs. Michaels vs. HHH (c) for the World Heavyweight Championship.

It had literally EVERYTHING:

1. The unstoppable heel vs. the tough, gritty underdog vs. the former champion with a grudge to settle;

2. Incredible drama with the false finishes, the submission holds, and the fact that Shawn Michaels' Sweet Chin Music could hit at any time, plus Benoit could hit the Crossface at any time;

3. The ending at the time surprised EVERYONE. Who honestly thought Benoit would overcome the odds and beat perennial favorites HHH AND Michaels? Plus, who thought HHH would tap out? It was the first submission victory ever in a Wrestlemania main event.
4. The final part with Guerrero coming out to Benoit and hugging him while they both were holding up the top titles of the WWE, knowing they both went through so much crap for that moment in Madison Square Garden was so strong and emotional.

This is still my #1

#2 - The Undertaker vs. Edge (c), World Heavyweight Championship, Wrestlemania 24

This match had so much drama behind it. Undertaker's winning streak at 15-0. Edge's streak of never losing by pinfall or submission at Wrestlemania. Edge having two victories over Taker, plus countless times costing him the World title led to this match. Undertaker's entrance was a little less than what I expected but still the atmosphere of being outside at night added to it. The match itself was brutal. No one knew if the streak would continue or not. The crowd saw false finish after false finish. Edge practically brutalizing The Undertaker in ways I've never seen before, plus all of the signature moves that Taker had to use, the spear and the surprise submission lock to get the win, followed by the fireworks. 30 minutes of an ending no one will ever forget.

#3 - Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. The Rock (c), WWF Championship, Wrestlemania 17

More great drama behind two of the biggest faces in the history of the WWE. Whoever wrote the story for this match and the build was a genius. Austin's frustrations and desire to be champion again by any means necessary, The Rock doing whatever to stay champion, the violence and the grittiness, everything made this match as exciting as you could get. Add in that it was in Austin's home state, which made the crowd doubly excited and raucous, then the shock that Vince McMahon was going to help his mortal enemy be champion again. That ending with Austin and McMahon toasting with beers and celebrating to a booing Texas crowd will last a long time in people's heads.

#4 - Shawn Michaels vs. Bret "Hitman" Hart (c), WWF Championship, Wrestlemania 12

The two greatest faces in the WWF at the time culminated into this match. An IronMan match that was supposed to last 1 hour, a match rarely done in the WWF at the time. Add in that for one hour, neither man could even get one pinfall, submission, DQ or countout, and that is some drama. I watched this match for the first match wondering how long before someone simply faints of exhaustion. When the hour ran and Bret Hart started leaving, I was a little bit mad that it would simply end after no clear cut winner. However, Gorilla Monsoon declared sudden death overtime and I knew Shawn was going to win - he had the quicker finisher. It still took two but Michaels won the hard-fought battle for his first WWF Championship. Who knew that damn near perfectly scripted match would cause so much drama in the years to come?

#5 – Hulk Hogan (c) vs. The Ultimate Warrior (c), WWF Championship vs. Intercontinental Championship, Wrestlemania 6

This was indeed the Ultimate Challenge. All of the singles gold in the WWF was on the line. The two most dominant and popular superstars in the WWF at the time were going at it in the Toronto Skydome. This match had never happened before. It was the Austin vs. Rock of its time. Even the beginning when both men didn’t use the carts to enter. The beginning with the shoulder butts, the clotheslines, and the ending with an emotional Hogan passing the torch; the match more than lived up to its billing.

 

[Mr. TM]

I voted for the Wrestlemania 20 match up between Triple H, Shawn Michaels, and Chris Benoit. That match was probably one of the best matches of all time. It had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Seeing Chris Benoit win a match, where he was heavily unfavored against the long reigning WWE Stars of HHH and Shawn. It made me soo proud for Chris, accomplishing the lifetime goal hes been chasing for most of his life. The part that gets to me is when he has the belt, hes crying, the audience is crying, im crying, and out comes Eddie Guerrero, his long time friend. The hug, and the tears are roling. almost 5 years later, we have lost both of these two great preformers. I cant watch it anymore, its my favorite Wrestling moment, but it hurts me sooo much. Its my favorite main event of all time.

 

[The Champ is here]

All of the WM main events were unbelievable!

But the Main Event which is the best of all-time is Wrestlemania X7.

This match had Back/forth momentum, actual wrestling moves, blood, drama, they fought in the stands, broke the annoucer tables, it had submission moves, and of course the useage of steel chairs.
Also, don't forget this match had arguably the best build up going into a Wrestlemania main event ever!....With help from Raw and Thursday night Smackdown. The theme of Austin saying "stay healthy" to The Rock and helping him whenever a wrestler was beating down on the Rock after the ring bell was awesome, and when Austin's wife Debra was the Rock's manger, that made the build up even more personal.

The finish of the match was unpredictable. With Vince McMahon ringside nobody didn't know what he was doing or who he was going to screw. The match ended with Austin giving The Rock a dozen chair shots to the body and the Rebel and the Boss shake hands....this match defines excatly what Sports Entertainment material should be. [B]Unpredictable, athlethic, drama, blood, tables, crowd interaction and Steel Chairs. [/B]

 

[klunderbunker]

For me, its Austin Rock at X7. This match was the only choice for Wrestlemania's Main Event. It was the two biggest stars in the company going at it for the top title, and it was an example of a time where there was little storyline going into the match. There was a promo that Austin did before the match where he said "The fact is Rock, you've got the WWF title, and I want it." That's as simple as it needed to be, and that's what they did. These two had been built up as unstoppable forces to this match and they finally collided in Houston. As for the Austin turn at the end, I'm probably in the minority here, but I loved it. Wrestlemania is supposed to put an end to things, yet at the same time be a new beginning. For Austin, the undisputed top guy in the company finally turn heel and align himself with his top rival was mind blowing to me at the time. The Attitude Era was over, and it set up a major storyline with the Two Man Power Trip the next night. It was timed perfectly, and left the fans in shock. There are some that come close, but none that come off as well as this one.

 

[Monkey_Mania]

I agree with KB. It might be very overrated and deservedly so, but Austin/Rock at WM17 was beyond insane. The build up for it, then the shocking ending to it. KB hit it right on. This set things up for the end of the attitude era but went straight into the new one. It's too bad Stone Cold's Heel turn didnt work out. Because it was executed perfectly.