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The best WrestleMania matches combine athleticism and drama into memorable moments that captivate fans around the world. I sifted through over 460 matches to bring you the 10 best WrestleMania matches in history, including cinematic, hardcore, and technical matches that showcase WWE at its best.
So sit back and enjoy the 10 Best WrestleMania Matches ranked.
10. AJ Styles vs. The Undertaker – WrestleMania 36 (2020)
The 2020 Covid-19 pandemic disrupted the entire world, including betting on the WWE.
The Undertaker had been winding his career down for some time, and WrestleMania 36 would not only be his last ‘Mania, it was his last match ever. His “Boneyard Brawl” against AJ Styles was a pre-taped cinematic match that took place on the grounds of a spooky, atmospheric farm.
The match incorporated supernatural elements and horror movie-inspired visuals that were surprisingly effective.
While fans — and The Undertaker himself I’m sure — would have liked for his last match to take place in front of a live audience, his Boneyard match against Styles was one of the best Undertaker WrestleMania matches ever; and made the most of a less-than-ideal situation.
9. The Rock vs. “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan – WrestleMania 18 (2002)
The Rock and “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan are two of the most magnetic super stars ever to step foot in a WWE ring.
Neither competitor was particularly known for their wrestling skills. Instead, they both were arguably the most charismatic performers of their respective eras, and the two faced off at WrestleMania 18 in an “Icon vs. Icon” match.
What ensued was a masterclass of working for a crowd. While it didn’t feature many spectacular moves, the crowd ate it up and was white-hot the entire time; one of the loudest wrestling crowds you’ll ever hear. The match might not have been the best wrestling match, but as sports entertainment it’s easily one of the best WrestleMania matches ever.
8. The Dudleys vs. Edge & Christian vs. The Hardys – WrestleMania 17 (2001)
WrestleMania 17 saw one of the most memorable matches in WWE history: a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs (TLC) match between the Dudley Boyz, Edge & Christian, and The Hardy Boyz.
The three teams would destroy each other several times over while vying for the WWE Tag Team Championship belts hanging high above the ring. It featured death defying falls from enormous ladders, bone-crunching crashes through tables, and an array of chair shots to the head.
Even though it was on the undercard, the TLC match stole the show at that year’s WrestleMania. It’s still the most widely talked about match of the event, and would go on to catapult all teams involved into super stardom in WWE.
7. Charlotte Flair vs. Rhea Ripley – WrestleMania 39 (2023)
It’s fair to say that Charlotte Flair is the most dominant female wrestler in WWE history, having won the Women’s Championship 6x and the Women’s World Championship 7x. And her dominance extended to WrestleMania too, as “The Queen” was undefeated in singles competition, having previously bested Asuka, Rhonda Rousey, and even Rhea Ripley.
But the Rhea Ripley that showed up to WrestleMania 39 was vastly improved over the version Flair beat a few years before. Ripley had become a force in the Women’s Division, and took her place at the top of the food chain by handing Charlotte her first singles defeat at WrestleMania 39.
Not only did she win the WWE Women’s Championship, Ripley also cemented her legacy as the best Australian wrestler in WWE history.
6. Daniel Bryan vs. Kofi Kingston – WrestleMania 35 (2019)
By 2019, Daniel Bryan had become “The New Daniel Bryan,” a pompous heel that criticized the audience for not taking climate change seriously enough.
Kofi Kingston, meanwhile, was a major audience favorite that had never won the WWE championship despite having been with the company for over 11 years. That spring saw the rise of “Kofimania” in which fans clamored for Kofi to get a world title shot, a run that included one of the best Elimination Chamber matches ever.
Kingston finally earned a chance at Bryan’s WWE Championship at WrestleMania 35; a match that was extremely reminiscent of Bryan’s title match at WrestleMania 30. The two put on a classic bout that led to one of WrestleMania’s most unforgettable moments ever, a moment that nearly the entire WWE universe would celebrate.
5. Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton vs. Batista – WrestleMania 30 (2014)
Daniel Bryan was known for years as the best independent wrestler in the world, having bona fide classic matches against an array of opponents in smaller, lesser known promotions.
He had been steadily gaining popularity in the mainstream WWE for several years by time WrestleMania 30 rolled around. But when Bryan earned a WWE World Heavyweight Championship shot against champion Randy Orton and Batista, not many people thought Bryan could defeat the two larger, more muscular competitors.
The fact that none of the WrestleMania odds expected Bryan to beat his opponents was made that much sweeter when he actually did, leading to one of the most memorable and least likely moments in all of WWE and WrestleMania history.
4. Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart – WrestleMania 10 (1994)
Bret Hart is known as the “best there is, best there was, and best there ever will be.” Owen Hart was supremely talented in his own right, a talent that was often overshadowed by his big brother Bret. Bret vs. Owen was booked for WrestleMania 10, and is widely regarded as one of the best opening matches in WrestleMania history.
Having grown up wrestling together, the two had an unmatched blend of chemistry and technical prowess that translated into an unforgettable clash. Much of the story of the match revolved around Owen trying to prove that he was as good of a wrestler as Bret, if not better. For my money, this is easily the most rewatchable WrestleMania match ever.
3. Charlotte Flair vs. Sasha Banks vs. Becky Lynch – WrestleMania 32 (2016)
Even though it was only the fifth match of the night, Charlotte Flair vs. Sasha Banks vs. Becky Lynch for the WWE Women’s Championship stole the show with the best match at WrestleMania 32.
The WWE Women’s division was previously known for emphasizing looks rather than wrestling and storytelling acumen, but these three (along with Bayley) had worked to bring relevance and respect to the division.
The match was the best WrestleMania women’s match up until that point, and the three of them made the most of their opportunity to show that women could put on matches just as well as the men could. This change was represented by the fact that after the match, the gimmicky Women’s “Butterfly” Championship belt was replaced by a legitimate Women’s Championship belt.
2. Bret Hart vs. Shawn Micheals – WrestleMania 12 (1996)
Shawn Micheals was already well on his way to becoming “Mr. WrestleMania” by time WrestleMania 12 rolled around, having had classic matches against Razor Ramon and Diesel in previous years.
But “The Heartbreak Kid” had never accomplished his childhood dream of winning the WWF Championship. To do so, he would need to defeat champion Bret Hart, who Micheals had already clashed with — both on and off camera.
The two were slated for an hour-long Iron Man Match, with the winner decided by who had the most pinfalls during the hour. What ensued was one of the best wrestling matches you’ll ever see, featuring arguably the two best WWE wrestlers ever, performed perfectly down to the second.
1. The Undertaker vs. Shawn Micheals – WrestleMania 26 (2010)
The Undertaker vs. Shawn Micheals at WrestleMania 26 wasn’t just the best WrestleMania match ever, it was a battle between two of the best WWE heels ever as well.
It was billed as a “Streak vs. Career” match, as the Undertaker was 17–0 in WrestleMania matches. Micheals, meanwhile, had staked his career against the Undertaker’s streak, meaning that if Micheals lost he would have to retire.
The match was a hard hitting affair that saw both performers give it their all. In the end the Undertaker kept his streak going, and Shawn Micheal’s illustrious, hall of fame-worthy career came to a close.
Notable Mentions
It’s worth noting that two of the best matches in WrestleMania history were “Stone Cold” Steve Austin vs. Bret Hart (WrestleMania 13) and Sasha Banks vs. Bianca Belair (WrestleMania 37), however I previously covered them in my Best WWE Matches to Watch on Netflix blog.
The Best WrestleMania Matches Ever
The best WrestleMania matches are the culmination of months of storytelling, offering fans a wide range of memorable moments.
One of the best matches at WrestleMania was the “Career vs. Streak” match between the undefeated Undertaker and “Mr. WrestleMania” Shawn Micheals, a physical and emotional contest that brought out the very best in both competitors.
And if you’re interested in betting on WrestleMania, you can visit an array of offshore sportsbooks to put your wrestling knowledge to the test to potentially win real money.
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