wrestling / Columns
The Contentious Ten 03.15.10: Top 10 WrestleMania Matches
Okay, not much space, not much time, you all know why we’re here, let’s get going.
No Taker? Come on.
Batista’s bodyslam of Taker through a table should be mentioned.
No suicide dive from WM 25? That’s what made the match.
Posted By: ROH Commish
I believe I did a column two weeks ago focuing entirely on Undertaker’s Streak, so I have no guilt about not having Undertaker moments on the list. That was deliberate. As for the dive, I included it in my “Holy Shit” Moments list. Many people listed one or more of those moments as worthy of the top ten; however, I felt that choosing one over all of the others was a bit pretentious (not to mentioning difficult to write a paragraph on), and exclusive. Grouping them together as an honorable mention was my way of honoring them without lifing up one moment as the best of the bunch, since that’s a debate I just don’t want to get into. Fair enough?
Next we have a long comment from The REAL MP, which I’ll answer in bits.
I love WrestleMania and am about ready to go through them all again, so let’s do this right:
The first ‘Mania really needs SOMETHING on there. I’d say just the entrances of all the celebrities as the big time moment, although my personal favorite part is Piper’s entrance with the full bag pipe band (there’s a name for that I’m forgetting). I find that show to be totally watchable and a bit underrated.
Hogan/Warrior might be a top 5 moment for me, it was huge and unthinkable at the time. Rock/Hogan is still more unthinkable though, since the Monday Night War and his age made it seem like Hogan would never be back.
Wrestlemania I is totally watchable, but I felt that Rose was a better celebrity moment and couldn’t think of anything else that really deserved top ten over what I included. Hogan/Warrior competed with Hogan/Rock; with the Slam at the top, I didn’t want TOO much Hogan, so I went with the more outlandish one.
I think Bret’s title win at X has a place on there. That’s gotta be the biggest moment in his career and a validation of him being the real top guy at the time. I’d argue that it’s just as big as Shawn’s first title win. What about Shawn’s entrance on the zip line? It’s up there with Hogan slams Andre in terms of most re-played.
XIV is a tremendously entertaining show, glad to see you like it. That was actually the first WWF PPV I watched live (on TV). Austin’s win and Tyson KO’ing Michaels are probably the two biggest oversights on this list. Also among the most re-played.
One word: diversity. I didn’t want Austin dominating the list, so I chose his two best moments out of his four big ones. Also, I didn’t want title wins dominating the list, so I only included HBK’s since the celebration was all about the title. HOWEVER, upon reconsideration, the Mike Tyson involvement would have fit my desire to have a celebrity moment (hence Pete Rose), so I would probably swap the two out if I redid the list and replace HBK’s title win with the zip-line entrance.
Austin’s last match at XIX is another personal favorite. Knowing what we know now about all the circumstances surrounding it, it has all the emotion of Flair’s “retirement match” but in a lot more manly way if you ask me.
I considered it, but again, back to diversity, and I felt that Austin turning was a bigger moment for Austin-Rock and that Flair was the better retirement. It was pretty perfect though and I should have included it in the honorable mentions.
Finally, HBK kicks out of the tombstone? Might be premature since the rematch could be a worse match and yet still a bigger moment since the stakes are so high.
Personal opinion: Taker’s facial expression ruined that for me. It broke character in a ridiculous, humourous way. I shouldn’t be laughing at someone kicking out of the Tombstone. And yeah, the streak ending or HBK’s retirement will easily top it for Mania Moments.
Hubbard, I’d really appreciate if you reply to this comment next week.
If Benoit hadn’t done what he done 3 years ago, where do you imagine yourself putting the Benoit and Eddie moment at Wrestlemania XX?
Posted By: Guest#5111
I didn’t even consider the events of June 2007 in regards to the list, so the question is somewhat irrelevent. Regardless of the feel-goody-ness, it can’t top Hogan-Andre for historical signficance or Austin’s babyface turn. Those were top two before I even started the rest of the list. I flip-flopped that moment and the Savage-Liz reunion a couple of times, but ultimately chose to go with my gut; I enjoy Savage-Liz more.
For the last time, Benoit’s final actions will rarely, IF EVER, have any bearing on the placement of this list. I probably won’t include him on a “Greatest Wrestlers of All Time” list, since the conotation of “Greatest” is different than “Best”, and I certainly can’t call him one of my favorites anymore, so if I ever do that list he won’t make it past the honorable mentions. However, his actions do not affect the quality of his matches nor do they affect the ingenious booking of several of his best moments.
If other people want to pretend Chris Benoit never existed, fine by me. They have a right to do that and I respect it. However, I have made my peace with that; my reasons for being able to move on would spark a debate that I don’t want to start again, since this column has gifted me with a larger audience that doesn’t know everything about me. If you can’t accept that and really want to know, you can e-mail me and we’ll discuss it in private.
Now, onto the list.
Honorable Mentions:
Since there have been so many great matches at Wrestlemania over the years, I’m going to actually go full-bore and give you TEN honorable mentions, in no particular order. Each of these could have made the top ten, yet I excluded them for reasons which I will explain under each blurb.
The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan, Wrestlemania X-8: Whenever people talk about dream matches, one match need never be brought up, because in 2002, the stars aligned for the biggest star in professional wrestling to argue with a man who was just as charismatic and almost as popular. The atmosphere was electric in Toronto Skydome as the two icons clashed, but The Rock ultimately overcame the Immortal One. The match was excluded from the top ten to focus more on matches that delivered from a technical and storytelling standpoint, but only a select few can match this for intensity.
Ric Flair vs. Randy Savage, Wrestlemania VIII: While the World Wrestling Federation missed the boat by not giving us the long awaited Ric Flair vs. Hulk Hogan match, this was quite the consolation prize. Flair’s technical acumen and villainous tactics meshed beautifully with Savage’s wild brawling and fighting spirit. A big moment for both men as Flair got to defend as champion at the biggest WWF show of the year and Savage got a second run with the WWF Title after a long, bumpy odyssey. While an excellent match, this one will always be remembered as a substitute for Hogan vs. Flair, which is why I chose not to include it in the final ten.
Brock Lesnar vs. Kurt Angle, Wrestlemania XIX: On a show that saw The Rock end Steve Austin’s career and Vince McMahon and Hulk Hogan wage war on each other, this main event brought the “Wrestle” in Wrestlemania. The challenger was an NCAA Heavyweight Wrestling Champion in College and the champion was an Olympic Gold Medalist. Angle and Lesnar put on an excellent wrestling match, but ultimately put over two stars who would not be in WWE much longer; Lesnar would go to football and then MMA, while Angle would go to TNA. It’s lack of long term impact, and the fact that there are better technical matches, keep this in the honorable mentions
Randy Savage vs. Hulk Hogan, Wrestlemania V: A personal favorite of mine and the blueprint for what a Wrestlemania main event should be; the top babyface defeating the top heel in a match with a compelling, emotional storyline. With a personal history as a tag team and jealousy over Miss Elizabeth’s loyalty, these two tore the house down, and as Jesse Ventura said, “this is truly what the words ‘Main Event’ was meant for.” However, I recognize that I may be exceptional biased to this one and my esteem for it is generally unshared, so I shall not include it on the main list.
Ric Flair vs. Shawn Michaels, Wrestlemania XXIV: I can hear this decision getting the Cena reaction, as some are jubilant and some are crying “What?” Personally speaking, I prefer this match to HBK-Angle AND HBK-Taker (heresy, I know) because they don’t freaking lean on each other to get up, but that’s just me. Part wrestling clinic and part in-ring tribute to Ric Flair, arguably the best of all time, this is near the top of my favorites. Objectively, I can’t say it’s definitive top ten material.
The Ultimate Warrior vs. Randy Savage, Wrestlemania VII: Regular readers will know that I have no love lost for WOYAH, but they might also recall that this match lead to my favorite ‘Mania moment ever. Savage worked some unbelievable magic in here, and to Warrior’s credit, he plays along with the story to perfection. I also have to give credit to Sherri Martel, who added so much to this match. This was definitely in consideration for the top ten, but eventually I had to drop it for the rest of the ones that did make it. Still a great match, Warrior’s best and one of Savage’s best as well.
Chris Jericho vs. Christian vs. Kane vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Edge vs. Chris Benoit, Wrestlemania 21: Oh what a glorious match that came out of nowhere. This was basically an excuse to show off RAW’s awesome upper-midcard from 2004-2005ish, and while ladder matches are fun and the stipulation was cool, I didn’t give this much thought to the match coming into it. Turns out, with great storytelling, awe-inspiring and innovative spots, and a ton of creativity, the match very nearly stole the show. It’s the reason Money in the Bank has become a yearly tradition, but none have lived up the original in my estimation. Great match that I can’t really justify putting in the top ten.
Andre the Giant vs. Hulk Hogan, Wrestlemania III: My original thought was to have this match at number ten; however, after highlighting the Slam Heard ‘Round The World as the Greatest Wrestlemania Moment, I have fewer reservations about it being kept in the honorable matches. The match always deserves to be discussed in great Wrestlemania matches, but again, I chose to focus on matches who delivered great wrestling.
Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels, Wrestlemania XII: Opinions on this one run the gamut; most consider it a great match, some even call it the best ever. Others call it overrated and simply good, and a very select few call it a boring waste of sixty minutes. I’m somewhere in between; I recognize the faults and love the match anyway. Regardless, it was a very important match. However, I feel it has too many faults to warrant a spot in the top ten.
Mick Foley vs. Edge, Wrestlemania 22: This is one I’m sure is going to get a lot of mention in the comments section, and it does have many of the things I’m looking for. Two big name stars, a show stealer, hard work, intensity, a Wrestlemania moment, standing out from the crowd, and left both guys better for having the match. Foley got his ‘Mania moment and Edge came out a bigger star. Ultimately, I had to make a decision to leave this out simply because the ten I picked were better or more important.
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Hulk Hogan vs. The Ultimate Warriorsize=6>
WWF Championship vs. Intercontinental Championship Match, Wrestlemania VIsize=4>
One of those rare Hulk Hogan matches where the spectacle of his matches with Andre and The Rock met with the work ethic of his matches with Antonio Inoki and Randy Savage. To say the crowd was rabid for this match would be an absolute understatement; the site of the two biggest babyfaces in the WWF, one the symbol of it’s prosperity and the icon of the present, the other presumably the man who will carry the company into the next decade, staring each other down, shoving each other and battling in a Greco-Roman Knucklelock like two Greek Gods had the crowd losing their minds. The match was exactly what it needed to be; a titanic struggle between two unstoppable forces, and while parts a bit goofy (the criss-cross which serves no purpose, the knee that just “pops” back into place for no reason, and the usual Hogan and Warrior superhero wackiness), it does have the traits of a good wrestling match: hard work, a heat segment, comebacks, and a surprisingly complicated finishing sequence where one finisher plays right into the other.
Regular readers will know that I have a soft-spot in my heart for Hulk Hogan, and will also know that the Ultimate Warrior doesn’t usually entertain me. This match is one of the few exceptions; while I wouldn’t suggest repeated viewings as the epic “battles within the battles” can get old really fast, the first time I saw this, I loved it and was left in awe of it. One of the best matches in either man’s career, and while there may be matches that are better than this one that I left off of the list, I have to give these guys credit for delivering a great match and exceeding the expectations of critics. The passing of the torch moment is kind of ironic in retrospect; Warrior would prove to be unworthy of the torch, yet the moment is historic because it was Hogan’s moment of true class, grace and character, and some would call it the defining moment of his career. A spectacle of a match that every wrestling fan should see once.
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Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaelssize=6>
Wrestlemania 21size=4>
By all rights, this match should never have been accepted by twenty-first century fans. Who would predict that this attention deficient generation of wrestling fans would accept a match where the first ten minutes was a simple story of Kurt Angle being unable to break out of a headlock? This is a storytelling tool from the sixties! And admittedly, if it were anyone else but Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle, two men universally respected for their achievements, talent, and passion, trying to get it over, it probably would have flopped. Of course, the match did eventually see crazy high spots and dramatic counters, so perhaps the fans were willing to sit through that to get to the “good stuff”. I don’t know, but the more I watch this, the more it baffles me that people were talking this up as an instant classic, a match for the ages! Not that it isn’t a fantastic match (though riddled with problems), I’m just amazed it got over.
This would serve as the template for other “epic” matches at Wrestlemania, and it is a fantastic example of how to build a match from simple moves to big spots, and how to use body language to tell a story and take the audience on an emotional roller-coaster. I just don’t see how this got it’s reputation as anything other than a well-performed, well-thought out exhibition. Personally, I think it’s just a great match between two great workers, and ultimately it doesn’t have much long-term impact (Angle, who got a huge rub from making Shawn tap at ‘Mania, would leave for TNA a year and a half later). That’s good enough to make the top ten, but I have to think that anyone who hasn’t seen the match and hears all the hype it’s been given would ultimately be disappointed with it.
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Edge & Christian vs. Matt & Jeff Hardy vs. Bubba Ray & D-Von Dudleysize=6>
WWF Tag Team Championship Triangle Ladder Match, Wrestlemania 2000size=4>
Two major matches served as prequels to this one; the ladder match between E&C and the Hardyz at No Mercy ’99, and the tables match between the Hardyz and the Dudleyz at Royal Rumble 2000. When WWE decided to throw all three teams together in a Triangle Ladder Match in their Wrestlemania debuts, they created a match that will steal the show and make the careers of the six men involved. While the two matches mentioned earlier were the first real “car-crash/stunt-show/let’s-see-how-many-times-we-can-almost-die-but-live” matches, this was the pinnacle at the time, what they were all building too. While they would top themselves at Summer Slam with the first TLC match, this was their best and more important Wrestlemania match. TLC II had bigger, crazier spots and was in front of a larger audience, but by the time it took place, the three-way rivalry had devolved into a caricature and the teams were already established. Here, they were young and unproven, and the feud was new and exciting.
So many spots from this match stand out to me. Jeff Hardy’s 450 degree splash that eats ladder, Bubba Ray’s cutter off of the ladder, Edge spearing Jeff off the ladder, Bubba using Terry Funk’s spinning ladder spot, Christians dive off the ladder to the floor, Jeff jumping into a thrown ladder by Bubba, D-Von’s headbutt that sends him through a table, Edge’s Russian Legsweep off the ladder to Matt that narrowly avoids the ropes, Bubba powerbombing Matt from the announce table through another table, and I could go on. It’s a spectacle of amazing spot after amazing spot, and they keep getting wilder and wilder. The most iconic is Jeff Hardy standing on top of a twenty-foot ladder in the aisle-way, then leaping off, thousands of camera flashes going off to capture his short flight, and then crashing through Bubba Ray and a table in a Swanton Bomb. In the end, Edge would throw Matt off of a table held up by two ladders and through another table that just exploded, and E&C won their first of many tag-titles; it would be the first of many Wrestlemania moments for the future Rated R Superstar.
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Bret Hart vs. Owen Hartsize=6>
Wrestlemania Xsize=4>
There are very few matches that have infinite replay value, that you can watch over and over and over again and the magic is still there, it’s just as entertaining as it was the first time you saw it. For me, the first time seeing it was around January 2006 as I perused through the matches of the Bret Hart DVD set that I got for Christmas. Since my brothers and I had been WCW loyalists during the ’90’s, I had never really seen Owen Hart in action. Bret I knew was a great performer, but I often wondered how good Owen was. In this match, Owen proved that he was just as technically sound as Bret, and more athletically gifted and more charismatic. The two brothers put on a real wrestling clinic that could very well be the best technical match of all time. And while the wrestling is virtually flawless, it would mean nothing without the emotional background to anchor it.
Fortunately, the story of a jealous brother sick of being overshadowed by his older brother, despite being just as talented if not more, resonates with most people. Some would cheer Bret, but there were plenty who saw Owen’s side and wanted him to win. Coming into the match, Owen was Bret Hart’s annoying punk little brother who wanted to make a point. Yet, through a combination of his talent, intelligence and ruthlessness (and possibly being underestimated by Bret) Owen was able to get a shocking, but entirely convincing win over his brother. The win made Owen’s career. Technically sound, emotionally compelling, fiercely competitive, action-packed but grounded in psychology, this one belongs in the elite of Wresltemania classics. The match was pure wrestling perfection, and a symbol of everything a wrestling match should be.
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The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaelssize=6>
Wrestlemania XXVsize=4>
Once again, I must point out that this match has been very unfairly over hyped; while it IS an amazing match, and I wouldn’t even argue if someone wanted to give it five-stars (I wouldn’t, but that’s just me), it is far from flawless, and nowhere near the greatest match of all time, or even the best match in Wrestlemania history. From a technical standpoint, I think HBK and Undertaker can easily top this match this year. I think it is a disservice to this match to attach hyperbole on it; hyperbole attracts critics who will tear something about to the point where one can’t enjoy it anymore. So let us call this what it is: a very dramatic match between two legends on the biggest stage imaginable that managed to live up to the hype in drama and exceeded expectations of it’s technical aspects. Those are accomplishments that many said were impossible and speaks more thoroughly about the match than snowflakes ever could. It is enough that these two gave us the ultimate in fan-service.
The structure of the match and the character psychology make this match great. The first ten minutes see Undertaker furiously try to wear Shawn down, while Michaels ducks, weaves, and picks his spots to take advantage of the kinks in The Deadman’s armor. The methodical approach works until Undertaker nearly ends the match with Hell’s Gate, and Shawn’s confidence turns to desperation as goes for a moonsault, which misses, and when ‘Taker nearly kills himself on a dive, HBK prays, begging God to let him be counting out. When he isn’t, the kid-gloves are off, and Michaels spends the rest of the match looking for an opportunity to kick The Phenom’s teeth down his throat, but on two occasions, this does not earn him victory. As his clarity starts to slowly disintegrate, Undertaker grows more focused, unleashing his most Hellish offense: The Chokeslam, the Last Ride, and The Tombstone Piledriver, yet Michaels is able to survive each time. The finish shows the emotional and mental toll the match took on Shawn. At the beginning, he was calm and used his intelligence to gain an advantage. At the end, he goes for a stupid, reckless moonsault that ends up costing him the match, as Undertaker drops him on his head to win the match and crush his dreams. Shawn tried to catch the Leviathan, and it didn’t happen.
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Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboatsize=6>
Intercontinental Championship Match, Wrestlemania IIIsize=4>
While Wrestlemania III will always be remembered for having the biggest match in wrestling history, some claim that the show also had the best match in history as well. While I would not go that far, the fact that Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat is talked about in the same reverent tones as Hogan and Andre speaks mountains about it’s quality. Without a doubt, it was the greatest wrestling match in the World Wrestling Federation when it happened, and is the standard for Wrestlemania matches. Combining storytelling with lightning fast action, great character psychology, a big title change and a raucous crowd, the match has everything you look for in a classic.
Really, not a whole lot needs to be said about this match. If you’ve seen it, you know why people herald it as one of the best. If you haven’t seen it, it’s virtually impossible to explain things like why Ricky Steamboat, the ultimate good guy, grabs Savage by the throat a few minutes in, or why every roll-up means helps put over the story of Steamboat getting one last chance at the title, or how Savage’s brief selling of his back makes the finish so much better. The match really speaks for itself, and no list of the Greatest Wrestlemania Matches would be complete without Savage vs. Steamboat.
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Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramonsize=6>
Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match, Wrestlemania Xsize=4>
There were ladder matches before, and there have been a select few ladder matches that have surpassed it since. Yet no ladder match has the legacy that this one has, and for good reason. As a ladder match, it is the blueprint and the standard to which all others are measured. But that is only the tip of the iceberg for it’s historical significance; many critics cite this as the place where Shawn Michaels stopped being “a talented mid-carder that puts on good matches” and became a bonafide star. Certainly, this is the beginning of his singles greatness at the Big Dance, the first “Big Match Situation” for him to outperform all others. It also inspired countless wrestlers such as the Hardyz, Edge & Christian, Chris Jericho, Paul London and John Morrison to become great ladder match performers.
More importantly, this match was absolutely mind-boggling for wrestling fans, most of which had never even heard of a ladder match, much less seen one. The general consensus is that this will be a glorified pole match, where the wrestle for a bit, and then someone climbs the ladder and wins. So literally every thing they did with the ladder was new, fresh, exciting, and ground-breaking. Some argue that this match means nothing in light of “newer, crazier, more inventive” ladder matches. It’s a relic, groundbreaking for it’s time yet ultimately surpassed. To those who say this, I ask: Is Star Wars obsolete and any less innovative or groundbreaking in a world with Avatar? Watch the reaction of the crowd in this match; listen to them roar for every new move they perform. That’s something that happens only in a select few matches. It is amazing that on the same night that Bret and Owen Hart showed wrestling fans exactly what a wrestling match should be, Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon were showing what a wrestling match could be.
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The Rock vs. Stone Cold Steve Austinsize=6>
WWF Championship No Disqualification Match, Wrestlemania X-SEVENsize=4>
First, a History Lesson: In the 1994, WCW hired Hulk Hogan, the biggest star in professional wrestling history, who had been with the WWF since 1983, and had redefined the business in the process. Sometime before this, they release Stunning Steve Austin, who is seen as nothing more than a good mechanic, and he eventually finds his way to the WWF, who see him in much the same light. Lured by the promise of Ted Turner’s money, two of the WWF’s biggest stars, Diesel and Razor Ramon, leave to go to WCW and form the New World Order with Hogan, eventually making WCW the biggest wrestling company in the world. Before they leave, they break kayfabe to show solidarity with their friends Shawn Michaels and Triple H; the WWF takes exception to this and punishes Triple H and gives his King of the Ring victory to Steve Austin. Austin beats Jake “The Snake” Roberts, cuts the “Austin 3:16” promo, and has an amazing feud with Bret Hart before turning babyface and becoming the future of the business, overcoming a career threatening neck injury at the hands of Owen Hart. Bret also decides to go to WCW, but does not want to drop the WWF Championship; Michaels, Hunter and Vince McMahon organize the Montreal Screwjob. Mr. McMahon becomes the most hated man in wrestling, and after Austin wins the belt from Michaels, who is forced to retire from a back injury, he becomes the nemesis to the champion. That rivalry allows the WWF to push past WCW in the ratings war.
During this time, the WWF hired a third-generation star with a great look and a natural charisma, and dubbed him Rocky Maivia. The fans turned on his white-meat babyface act, and they turned him heel, a role in which he excelled. Cutting amazing promos with an amazing cocky swagger, “The Rock” was embraced by the WWF fans, and Vince chose him as his corporate representative to face Austin. The Rock would lose to Austin at Wrestlemania XV, but instead of going down the card, he continued to grow into the company’s second biggest star. Before 2000 came, Austin’s injuries caught up with him, and he was forced to take a year off. During that time, Rock was pushed into his role, and became just as big a star as Austin in 2000. Austin returned, and these two were the favorite to win the Royal Rumble; The Rock was eliminated by Kane, who had been in the match for almost an hour, and only due to the use of a chair and by sheer force of will was Austin able to win the Rumble. Yet when it came time for him to settle a personal rivalry with Triple H, he lost, and lost soundly. Meanwhile, The Rock had become WWF Champion, defeating Kurt Angle, and Rock vs. Austin, the rematch is set for Wrestlemania. To make things more interesting, WCW goes out of business before the show happens; thanks to Austin, McMahon, and The Rock, the WWF has won the war.
What was once simply a title match is so much more. WCW is gone; this match is the battle of the two biggest stars since Hogan, and only one can win. Rock has yet to beat Austin in a fair-fight, but he is more seasoned now than he was two years ago. Austin, on the other hand, is breaking down, yet still wants to cling to the top. Two irresistible forces met two immovable objects; there was no cute feeling out process, no beating around the bush. Austin attacked Rock before the bell and never let up, and Rock would not give him an inch. In the end, Austin had to resort to truly desperate measures, aligning with Mr. McMahon. Before the match, Austin had it made No DQ so he could bend the rules however he wished, and before the match’s end, the alliance was made public. Yet a chair shot could not keep Rock down, nor could Stunners; in a fit of jealous rage born out of pure need to be the best, Austin pummeled the Rock with a barrage of blows from the chair before pinning him and once again becoming WWF Champion. While not technically the best, the history and in-ring storytelling is almost without peer. Since this moment, pro wrestling has never been the same, and it likely never will.
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Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Benoitsize=6>
World Heavyweight Championship Match, Wrestlemania XXsize=4>
Some people call this the greatest triple-threat match of all time, and I’d be hard-pressed to argue with that. This was a situation where the performers used the specifics of the match to help tell their story, yet never allowed themselves to be contained by the conventions of it. They wrestled it like they would wrestle any other match; there just happened to be three guys involved. There are several amazing three-man spots in here; HBK’s moonsault onto both Benoit and Hunter, Helmsley throwing HBK injured-shoulder first into Benoit in the tree of woe, Benoit breaking up the Pedigree with his hooking clothesline, Hunter preventing a physical tap-out from HBK trapped in Benoit’s Crossface, the former DX partners double suplexing Benoit through a table, and HBK superkicking Benoit to break up his Sharpshooter on The Game all stand out to me. Yet none of these spots come across as contrived, and they work within the context of the match. Which is really what this match is about; taking an obviously very thorough script that tells every story point and has stories within the big story, and performing it in such a way that it looks almost accidental. Understandable: it’s three of the best wrestlers of all time expected to deliver an epic main event at the twentieth Wrestlemania in Madison Square Garden. You want to script it out so that nothing goes wrong, but if they don’t pull it off just right, it will fall on it’s face. Somehow, these three men pulled off that miracle.
The originality behind this match just baffles me: you take Triple H, the top heel who everyone loathes, and you have him feud with Shawn Michaels, his best friend who made an awe-inspiring comeback to the ring, giving you a very personal, very deep rivalry. But you throw Benoit, a wrestling machine who just wrestled twenty-nine men over the course of an hour to earn his title shot, who doesn’t care about their personal rivalry and just wants to achieve his dream, and it gets even more insane. There’s so many moments in this match and every move counts; from a simple story of HBK trying over and over to hit a simple clothesline on Benoit, to the subtle design behind the unintentional teaming up where HHH sends Benoit to Shawn and HBK tosses Benoit out, which is mirrored by the very intentional suplex through the table. That one spot, and HBK’s dramatic reaction to it, tells the story of the whole match. HBK needs to beat Hunter, and he’ll do anything, even team up with him to take out Benoit, to do it. But Benoit’s dream is greater, and he throws Shawn out of the ring and says it is his match to win, his title to hold. Making his point almost costs him, as Hunter hooks him up for the Pedigree, and everyone lets out a collective gasp. Then, amazingly, seamlessly, Benoit counters to the Crippler Crossface, and though the Champion gives a valiant fight, eventually, he must surrender his title, and Benoit achieves his dream. Regardless of the people involved or anything that has happened since then, this match is a masterpiece of booking and proof that professional wrestling can indeed transcend it’s genre and truly be art.
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Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Bret Hartsize=6>
No Disqualification Submission Match, Wrestlemania 13size=4>
The debate over what the Greatest Match of All Time is will probably never be definitively ended. There is a huge difference between BEST and GREATEST as well; Hogan vs. Andre is a Greater Match that many that are better than it, because of it’s impact. However, when people ask my opinion, this is my go-to match for the Greatest Match of All Time. I shall now make my argument. First of all, the in-ring action is amazing, a mix of wild brawling and technical wrestling that meshes beautifully and builds logically. The storytelling and psychology is fantastic, which should be no surprise given that Austin and Hart were two of the best storytellers in wrestling history. Moreover, the character dynamics are very special; Bret Hart is the veteran technical wrestler representing tradition and respect, and Austin is the no-frills badass brawler who cares about nobody but himself, representing the rebellion and coolness of a newer generation of fans. Despite their philosophical differences, both men have tremendous fighting spirit, which set up the stipulations where one man would have to give in and submit to the other. From a booking and wrestling standpoint, these two were made for each other.
Now, while all of that lends to the match being a classic, there are also very unique intangibles. For one, I implore you to find a better booked finish that Bret out-brawling the toughest son of a bitch in the WWF, busting him open and nearly crippling his legs with a chair, and then torturing him with the Sharpshooter. A bloody Austin lying on his stomach is forced to watch as he pours his vital fluid into a puddle around him. Yet he fights, nearly breaking the hold, fighting fiercely, refusing to quit, crimson plasma pouring into his teeth. But Bret holds on, and Austin passes out from the pain, unconscious, his head buried in a pool of red. He loses the match, but never gives up. Now, you also get the double-turn, something that could have only happened with specific booking with specific characters at a specific time for a specific crowd. Chicago in the spring of 1997, with Austin and Bret, fit those specifics. The result? Steve Austin became a babyface, a household name and the biggest star in wrestling since Hulk Hogan. Aside from it’s in-ring brilliance, the match has a legacy and an impact on the business that few can touch. For my money, it is the Best and Greatest Wrestlemania match, the Greatest Story Ever Told in a wrestling ring, and the Greatest Match of All Time.
*****
Whew. Well, now that that list is done, we have one more stop on the Wrestlemania series, which will be much easier: “Top Ten Wrestlemanias”.
