Top 10 moments in WrestleMania history

This weekend WWE will put on WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia. In 1985, the concept was professional wrestling’s biggest names merging with some of the biggest names in pop culture. WrestleMania 1 was a gamble. Today, WrestleMania is now a sure thing. With tickets going on sale five months ahead of time before any matches are made, tens of thousands are sold based on the name value WrestleMania has built.

In recapping the last 39 renditions, here’s 10 moments from WrestleMania history. I said moments, not matches. What’s a good wrestling match is akin to what’s the best flavor of ice cream? Your taste is your taste.

I’m talking about moments. Where the sound of the crowd can’t be forgotten. The significance of seeing it still holds relevance today.

10: Mid-air spear during TLC at WrestleMania 17

WrestleMania 17 in Houston, Texas, has many memorable matches and storylines. But one moment is so iconic its clip still lives on today in many WWE sizzle reels of excitement.

A match called Tables, Ladders and Chairs, or TLC for short, between The Hardy Boyz, Edge and Christina and The Dudley Boys. The goal being to climb a ladder to retrieve the tag title belts hanging above the ring. At one point Jeff Hardy finds himself grasping at these titles before the ladder he used to get there is pulled out from under him.

There we see Hardy dangling in mid-air clutching these titles when one of his opponents, Edge, jumps from another ladder delivering a football tackle spear into Hardy’s chest sending them both crashing to the mat 15 feet below.

In a time before camera phones, this moment is front center to 60,000 flash bulbs going off in one of the most spectacular and original bumps spots ever seen.

9: The Surprise of DX vs NWO at WrestleMania 31

WrestleMania 31 was historic for pro wrestling icon Sting to finally get his first match in a WWE ring. He’d spent his 25-plus year career prior in every other major rivaled wrestling promotion, most famously WCW. His advertised match was against Triple H who had been with WWE since 1995. It was very much a collide of history of WWE’s flag bearer versus a man who fought the last match on WCW television.

Not long into the match we began to get some surprise guests. Triple H, the bad guy in the match, decided to use the power of numbers to help save him and members of his famed faction from the 90s, D-Generation X made their appearance to help him. Out comes The New Age Outlaws and X-Pac to the famous DX music in the original DX shirts.

Moments later as it looked to be the end for Sting, another famous beat of music hit prompting the eruption of a surprised stadium. It was the NWO— Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, and Scott Hall. The group made famous in WCW in 1996 thrusting WCW into its most popular and successful years. It was the staple of WCW television from 1996-1998 while opposite them was DX in WWE.

Now over 15 years later the two super groups core members are colliding on the biggest stage in professional wrestling in an unadvertised moment that will live on forever.

8: The Hardy Boyz surprise return at WrestleMania 33

Brothers Matt and Jeff Hardy had a successful run as daredevils in WWE from the late 90s to 2010. After that they bounced around some smaller promotions or did independent appearances but hadn’t been linked to WWE in any context.

In the middle of WrestleMania a 33, a multi-team tag team match was advertised with all of its participants…or so we thought. Just before the bell was set to ring with the advertised wrestlers in ring, it was announced one more team had been added. Seconds later famous music linked to The Hardy’s hit and an Orlando crowd delivered one of the loudest reactions in WrestleMania history.

For some fans it was their first thought of The Hardy’s that weekend and was an appropriate tag team match surprise. For others, it was still a surprise but one that had misdirection leading up to it. Just days earlier the brothers were wrestling and appearing for other promotions, something that normally wouldn’t be seen if a wrestler(s) is days away from being on WWE’s biggest show of the year.

7: Shawn Michaels’ 1st world title win at WrestleMania 12

WWE is built on characters and their stories. One of the best stories told was in 1996 when the fan favorite Shawn Michaels was on a quest to fulfill boyhood dream. Michaels would main event WrestleMania 12 against his rival Bret Hart in an unprecedented match called the “Iron Man Match.” The two were guaranteed to battle for 60 minutes with the winner being whoever could get the most victories in that hour. After 60 minutes, it was a 0-0 draw. It was determined they would continue, overtime, until one man got a pin or submission on the other.

Moments later, Michaels would hit his finishing super kick and get the pinfall victory. What followed is Michaels on his knees in tears looking at the title as the narration on commentary proclaims, “the boyhood dream has come true for Shawn Michaels.”

6: The Austin Era has begun at WrestleMania 14

In 1998, WWE entered a boom period for their business and popularity. There is no greater moment that cemented the start of this era then when Stone Cold Steve Austin won his first world title with legendary boxer Mike Tyson counting the pinfall victory.

Tyson, who was there as a special enforcer or a second referee essentially, counted to 3 after Austin gave his Stone Cold Stunner to champion Shawn Michaels. Having one of the most decorated fighters ever raise the hand of Austin as champion was significant as Austin would go on to be one of the most successful all time by any measure of pro wrestling stats or money drawn and made in the business.

The famous shot of Austin standing on the second rope holding the belt high saluting the Boston crowd while commentary announced, “The Austin Era has begun” is a staple in highlight moments of WWE history.

5: Retiring Ric Flair at WrestleMania 24

Shawn Michaels and Ric Flair are two of the greatest performers ever and had never had a marquee match on television prior to this night in 2008. The match had Flair’s career on the line stipulating he would retire if he lost. After a compelling 20-minutes of the two battling, came one of the most memorable moments of drama in WrestleMania history.

Flair’s in tears rising from his knees and motioning for Michaels to kick him with his finishers came off like Flair was asking for his career to be put to rest. The camera then gets a close up of Michaels who mouths, “I’m sorry, I love you” before delivering the kick to Flair’s face and getting the win.

Many might know that this wouldn’t be Flair’s last wrestling match. He would do several more for smaller promotions for the paydays, but it remains his last WWE match and to most fans I think it’s what they choose to remember as his last given the circumstances. The emotion can’t be denied, and it remains a top moment in WrestleMania history.

4: Austin won’t quit at WrestleMania 13

Before Stone Cold Steve Austin would win a world title, he would first be established as the toughest guy on the roster and gain fan support. Going into an I-Quit match against his rival Bret Hart, Austin was positioned as the heel or the bad guy. Hart had long been a top fan favorite. However, in 1997 the audience was starting to shift. This shift came to a peak during this famous match.

The only way to win this match is have your opponent say they quit. There are no pin falls, no disqualification stoppages. It usually results in a submission move of pain being applied to force them to verbally declare they’re giving up. Hart had just the move that was his career finishing hold called the sharpshooter. After a hard-fought match, Hart finally locked in this move that usually results in the person giving up within seconds. This time, Hart continues to apply pressure to it as Austin is seen screaming in pain with a crimson mask of blood dripping down his face. This image is one of the most famous in WWE history. Austin would eventually pass out in a pool of his blood and the match was stopped. Hart was declared the winner but emphasis from commentary on Austin never gave up. Hart would be booed by the Chicago crowd leaving and Austin heard an arena of cheers as he stumbled his way out.

This moment was magical in the moment to watch but also set in motion the Austin’s path to the title and his historic main event career.

3: Hogan slams Andre at WrestleMania 3

In the history of WrestleMania, hundreds of body slams have been executed. However, Hulk Hogan slamming Andre The Giant at WrestleMania 3 still lives on as a top moment being what it represents.

WrestleMania 3, like the first, was a gamble. If the event doesn’t pay off, then it’s unlikely we’re talking about 40. The television build to Hogan, in the middle of the Hulkamania era, defending his title against Andre was huge at the time. So much so, it drew an incredible attendance in the Pontiac Silverdome in Michigan. There’s historical debate on what the actual attendance number is. WWE touts 93,000. Whether true or not, is another debate, but it was a lot of people and the most WWE had ever drawn for one event at one location. The sequence of Hogan getting Andre up in the air for the slam is a moment that lives on forever and will forever be hard to boot from a top WrestleMania moments list.

2: The Undertaker’s streak is broken at WrestleMania 30

Going into this event The Undertaker had a record at WrestleMania of 21-0. He had never lost and his matches at WrestleMania became as big of an attraction as the title matches because of what his streak had come to mean and who he beat to remain unbeaten on the biggest show.

At WrestleMania 30 in New Orleans he would battle Brock Lesnar. A former world champion in WWE but also crossed over to the MMA world and world championship gold in the UFC.

Lesnar returned and presented a great marquee opponent for Undertaker. But having seen Undertaker win 21 times at WrestleMania, many against future hall of fame names, it felt like the streak would never be broken.

When Lesnar delivered his finishing move, pinned Undertaker and when the referee’s hand hit the mat for 3 there was a gasp by 60,000 people. After the gasp was silence. No music like normal as soon as winner is declared but stunned silence and several bold facial reactions as the cameras panned the crowd. In the moment it felt like something went off script. Did the referee make a mistake? Was The Undertaker supposed to kickout and he didn’t? The shock continued until a graphic appeared on the big screen saying 21-1 and then disbelief set in that we just witnessed the end of an historic run that started at WrestleMania 7.

We would later learn this match physically took a serious tole on Undertaker who collapsed backstage and was taking to a hospital. It’s all details that accompany this shocking but top WrestleMania moment in history.

1: Hogan and Rock at WrestleMania 18

Now I said this isn’t a list of matches, it’s a list of moments. I stick by that with this pick. In a first time ever meeting of top stars from separate generations, the moment taking place between these two before they ever physically touch is insane.

As they stood in the middle of the ring, the Sky Dome in Toronto sustained a roar of energy that sounded like it could go on forever. Everyone in that building was united in knowing they were seeing history. Hogan had been gone from WWE for 9 years and at one point looked like he would never step in a WWE ring again. Here he is, in a WWE ring at WrestleMania standing across from another superstar who had captured the popularity of the crowd much like he did 20 years prior.

It’s a WrestleMania moment that can never be duplicated. The stars happen to align on this night to have these two Mount Rushmore figures in pro wrestling have a match.