WELCOME TO WRESTLEMANIA!( OR MY FAVORITE ALL TIME MATCHES)

When I was a kid, professional wrestlers were the coolest thing not music related that I had ever encountered. I remember spending hours watching old matches, pay per views and anything else I could find. As I grew older I wasn’t as interested, but in the last few years, friends, as well as a huge amount of stress and regression because of the stress brought me back to the world of Sports Entertainment as it’s called. This weekend I’m heading to Dallas, along with my wife and close friends to experience Wrestlemania 38 in all its glory. Before that, I thought it was pertinent to share the Ten best Matches I’ve watched during my complete binge of every single Wrestlemania ever. I hope you enjoy!! 

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

BROCK LESNAR/ UNDERTAKER/ WM 30
BIANCE BELAIR/ SASHA BANKS/ WM 36
SHAWN MICHEALS/ CHRIS JERICHO/ WM 19
HULK HOGAN/ ANDRE THE GIANT/ WM 3
CHARLOTTE FLAIR/ SASHA BANKS/ BECKY LYNCH: WM 33

10 RICKY STEAMBOAT/ SAVAGE: WM 3

Early on, most WWE athletes weren’t universally toned and muscular like they are now. Lots of these guys were just big. The Steamboat/ Savage match stands out as a highlight in those early days. It was well rehearsed, acrobatic in large sections, and finalized a great story of rivalry and jealousy in a match that you notice more and more great maneuvers the more you watch. Savage is tremendous as an obsessed bad guy during this, with Ricky the Dragon using his sharp and slick moves to blast back against the Macho Man. 

9 STONE COLD/ ROCK: WM 15

These two have three pretty amazing matches at Mania during the heights of both of their careers, but this one is probably the best. The No Disqualification rule is used within an inch of its life, with much of the match happening outside the ring and many foreign objects playing a role in the chaos. Jim Ross and Jerry Lawyer are over the top as hell in the broadcasters role. Of course the big bad guy Vince McMahon plays a role in the fracas, as does Mankind aka Mick Foley.  The plotting is pretty clear through most of the match, but the action is relentless, like any main event should be. 

8 TLC- EDGE & CHRISTIAN/ DUDLEYS/ HARDYS: WM 17

During the Attitude Era, these three times were responsible for some of the best matches in the entire company. This triple threat Tables Ladders and Chairs match is the stuff of legend. All six men are put through the ringer, with Edge having a particularly memorable spear from the ladder in Jeff Hardy. In the end, Edge and Christian come out on top, in what is probably my favorite TLC match during Mania. 

7 EDDIE GUERRO/ KURT ANGLE WM 20

This match was a long time coming, and it didn't disappoint. Angle is at his peak during this, and Guerrero is his usual sneaky, quick on his feet competitor.  It’s not too long of a match, but the action is frequent and fast paced throughout. Angle  is more technical, obviously, but the tendency for Eddie to use unorthodox moves or techniques makes the blink and you’ll miss the nature of the match all the more fun to watch. 

6 FLAIR/ LYNCH/ ROUSEY: WM 35

Truth be told, this match is just better than the crowd gives it credit for. The lead up was epic, with Becky coming out of nowhere to win the Royal Rumble, setting up the first ever women's Mania main event. It was a particularly long event that year, with the main event starting at the five hour mark. Still, the women in the spotlight didn’t disappoint. It ended up being the moment of the “Man,” when Becky Lynch became champion, and it capped off many other amazing moments at the longest mania to date, I think. 

5 CAREER MATCH- RIC FLAIR/ SHAWN MICHAELS WM 24

Very few moments during these events are enough to get you emotional. This moment and march is one of them. The entrances to both wrestlers are poignant and the fan reactions are overwhelming. Flair and Michaels weren’t the main draws anymore, but the match is a master class in skill and preparedness. Flair's family is in the front row, and the emotion is clear when Michaels begins his finishing moves. One of those matches you watch over and over again. 

4 ROCK/ JOHN CENA: WM 29 

The storyline for this in the lead up to the match couldn’t have been better planned and executed. John Cena, defeated the year before, turns his failure into a massive moment for the Rock to put him over in a big way. Both men look fantastic, and really go in  for a large variety of back and forth competition that lasts for nearly half an hour. You can tell both Cena and the Rock are feeding off the crowd, who love and show their approval in big ways all throughout the match. As the match goes forward, Cena shines as he outsmarts the Rock in an eventual title victory to a soaring crowd who loved every minute. 

3 HELL IN A CELL- UNDERTAKER/ HHH: WM 28

It’s easily one of the most violent matches, even without the Hell in a Cell gimmick, that it’s pretty impressive how good both athletes showcase the other throughout the match. You can tell there’s mutual respect there, which always helps the match. The rousing screams of HHH imploring Michaels to end the match as his best friend looks on is classic, but in the end, the Deadman once again prevails. 

2 ROLLINS/ REIGNS/ LESNAR: WM 31

The Heist of the century, as it’s known, has one of the best twists of any wrestling match in the history of Mania. First you get a chaotic and stellar match between Reigns and Lesnar, and while that would likely be enough, you have the ending. Lesnar is a beast early on, with blood already appearing on his face in those early minutes. However, all those moments are in the shadows as soon as Rollins comes sprinting down the massive walkway as he seizes the moment and shocks a giant stadium full of people. 

1  NO DQ RETIREMENT- STREAK- UNDERTAKER/ SHAWN MICHAELS: WM 26
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When the broadcasters start this match they make mention of how anticipated this had been so long leading up to the match. The year before the same men battled in a classic.  This match eclipsed that with much larger ramifications. Taker hadn’t yet lost at Mania, and Shawn Michaels was maybe the biggest star of the time, in terms of ring skill and general likability as a character. The match is long, but it never seems hard to watch for me. It does the impossible- making both stars look better than you even thought they could. Michaels is at his best l, taunting and egging the Undertaker in a way most aren’t able to do. The backflip off the top rope onto the broadcasters table is epic but excruciating to watch, but these two guys leave it all out there, to a huge positive crowd reaction.