WWF/WWE Wrestlemania Ranked From Worst To FirstApr 09 '04 (Updated Mar 31 '05) Write an essay on this topic.
Popular Products in Movies
The Bottom Line Wrestlemania from worst to first.
This is where it all stops. After my year and a half project known as my Wrestlemania reviews, it's come to an end. The hours of tape watching, the 19 reviews, and the greatest matches review has all been worth it. And finally, here's my last review until the Wrestlemania XX DVD comes out on Wrestlemania, the phenomenon. Throughout all my Wrestlemania reviews, which can be seen listed on my profile page, there were definitely shows that were easier to write about than others. But they were either the ones that sucked badly, or the ones that were great. It's easy to write about what was done right or wrong, but not easy to just have no opinion one way or another. Writing those reviews can drag. But, below is my list of Wrestlemania's ranked from worst to best. The One Star Shows Wrestlemania IX The worst Wrestlemania of all time has to be Wrestlemania IX. It had an awful setting being outdoors at Caesar's Palace and had probably the worst Wrestlemania match ever in the Undertaker vs. Giant Gonzales. And the main event of Bret Hart vs. Yokozuna was less than average and having Hulk Hogan take everyone's heat at the end was awful. Best Match: Shawn Michaels vs. Tatanka Wrestlemania IV This was the most disappointing Wrestlemania because there was a chance for some really good matches. It was also the only time the WWE/WWF Championship was decided in a tournament. The main event with Randy Savage winning the belt by beating Ted DiBiase was lackluster for a main event, especially with those two guys working. Best Match: Randy Savage vs. Ted DiBiase Wrestlemania 2 This was simply a mess. Three different cities with one specifically bad main event and it wasn't even a wrestling match. Mr. T as the good guy was so bad in the boxing ring that he turned Roddy Piper from the baddest of the bad guys into a good guy. Best Match: The British Bulldogs vs. Greg Valentine and Brutus Beefecake Wrestlemania V This was one of those Wrestlemanias that had a lot of matches, most of which were bad and were there to make the main event look even bigger. It was the culmination of a year long angle to break up the Mega Powers. Best Match: Hulk Hogan vs. Randy Savage The Two Star Shows Wrestlemania XI Wrestlemania XI had celebrity star power in Lawrence Taylor, but it was the actual wrestlers who made this event bad. How Bret Hart and Bob Backlund could have a bad match was beyond me. Also, the WWE/WWF Championship took a back seat to Lawrence Taylor vs. Bam Bam Bigelow. Best Match: Not really a good match on the show, but while Hart and Backlund probably was techincally the best match, I was actually more entertained by Owen Hart and Yokozuna vs. The Smoking Gunns. Wrestlemania XV The WWF/WWE was still on an upswing. The prior Wrestlemania saw them make a comeback and this show was a huge success, but it wasn't really good. They tried to get just about everyone on the show and also ruined a usually unruinable match, Hell In The Cell. But that's what happens when Big Bossman is in the cell. Best Match: Shane McMahon vs. XPac was surprisingly good, but Steve Austin vs. The Rock was the best match, and the one that people wanted to see. Wrestlemania 2000 The WWF/WWE was at their all-time peak in the year 2000. Just like the year before, they tried to get everyone on the show and there was an abundance of tag matches and three way and four way matches. But there was one saving grace called the Triangle Ladder match. It really set the stage for the TLC matches that would come later. Best Match: Triangle Ladder Match between the Dudley Boyz, Edge and Christian, and the Hardy Boyz. Wrestlemania X-8 This was a one match show. The WWF/WWE were really on a fast decline and this show showcased that fact. But they did one thing right. The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan was amazing as far as getting the crowd to react to everything. Best Match: Rock vs. Hogan The Three Star Shows Wrestlemania The one that started it all. In the ring it wasn't anything special. But there was a special feeling around the show. It was also the one Mania that had actual A list guests. Watching the fans react to the main event was special even if the match wasn't. Best Match: Ricky Steamboat vs. Matt Bourne Wrestlemania 13 When you talk about special Wrestlemania matches, Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin from Wrestlemania XIII takes the cake. But when you talk about special Wrestlemanias, this is far from the finest. If Austin vs. Hart was average, or even just above average, this would be the worst Wrestlemania of all-time. But because of that match, it's not. Undertaker vs. Sycho Sid has to be the worst Wrestlemania main event ever. Best Match: Hart vs. Austin Wrestlemania VII It was the red, white, and blue vs. the Iraqi sympathizer. The WWF/WWE took advantage of the current war situation and had Hulk Hogan beat Sergeant Slaughter for the WWF/WWE Championship. There was a special match on the card, and the Tag Team Championship was good. Best Match: The Ultimate Warrior vs. Randy Savage Wrestlemania VIII The WWF/WWE had a hand made main event. Ric Flair vs. Hulk Hogan. And Vince McMahon threw it away. What he put together wasn't bad though as Randy Savage vs. Ric Flair and Bret Hart vs. Roddy Piper were really good. Best Match: Randy Savage vs. Ric Flair Wrestlemania XII This was another one match show. It was only about Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart. And while time has made this match seem better, it was good, but not as good as everyone thinks. There was not much else of note on this show, but that match and the way it came out, making Shawn Michaels a bigger star, made the PPV seem better than it was. Best Match: Michaels vs. Hart The Four Star Shows Wrestlemnia VI Just like many other Manias, this one was built up to showcase what was the WWF/WWE's top match since Hulk Hogan vs. Andre The Giant at Mania III. Also on this show was Mr. Perfect's first television loss against of all people, Brutus Beefecake. Best Match: Hulk Hogan vs. The Ultimate Warrior Wrestlemania XIV It was Stone Cold Steve Austin's time. The phenomenon was about to explode. It was perfect timing too as WCW was at the time, the top company. And oh yah, a guy by the name of Mike Tyson was involved as well. But this was just as important for furthering the careers of two young up and comers named Hunter Hearst Helmsley and Rocky Maivia. Best Match: Steve Austin vs. Shawn Michaels Wrestlemania X It was the 10th show that almost wasn't going to have a second. Wrestlemania X had two great matches, one that gets more credit than it should, and one that is underrated in Wrestlemania lore. Best Match: Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart was just a hair better than the Ladder Match between Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon. Wrestlemania XX It's only a month old as I'm writing this and the show is still fresh in my memory. There were four really good to great matches, but one was more special than the others. If you would've asked me last year if Chris Benoit and and Eddie Guerrero would be World Champions, I would've said no freaking way. But they are. Incredible. Best Match: Chris Benoit vs. Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels Wrestlemania III This is the show that the WWF/WWE always say is their best show. It was definitely their biggest. The show was built around Hulk Hogan facing his biggest foe ever, one time friend, Andre The Giant. Little did they know that one match would steal the show and all my memories as to why this one was great. Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat was the greatest match I've ever seen. Best Match: Savage vs. Steamboat The Five Star Shows Wrestlemania XIX It won't get credit for being as great as it was, but this was a great show if you're a wrestling fan. There were two great matches and two very brave, almost insane performances. Both Stone Cold Steve Austin and Kurt Angle wrestled when they probably shouldn't have. Austin had a nervous breakdown the day before the show and Angle had a broken neck. And Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels almost stole the show, had not Angle had the performance of a lifetime. Best Match: Kurt Angle vs. Brock Lesnar Wrestlemania X-Seven It's the show that nearly all future wrestling shows will be measured. When asked if a PPV wrestling show was good, people will ask, "but was it as good as Wrestlemania XVII?" The last two hours of this show were simply amazing. Hot match after hot match. Incredible performance after incredible performance. Inspiring, can you top this stunts that seemed to make this show more special than any show in the history of PPV television. Best Match: The Rock vs. Steve Austin Part II There you go. Hours of research. Money well spent. All because I wanted to see if I could write a historical piece about Wrestlemania. And I did get some nice reviews (19 of them and they will increase by one every year) out of it too. Finally, at least until the DVD for Wrestlemania XX comes out, I'm done. Thanks for reading.  |
| Read all comments (7)|Write your own comment |
