The 40 Best WrestleMania Matches, Ranked

If there was ever a match that could try to give Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart from WrestleMania X a run for its money for the best opening match for a WrestleMania, it's most likely this one. The Miz was defending his Intercontinental Championship here against Seth Rollins and Finn Bálor All three of these former World Champions went out there with chips on their shoulders as if they had something to prove by trying to steal the show for the workhorse championship. They brought the fire and made the most of having the three of them out there in the ring at the same time. I don’t think anyone really had a solid prediction on who would win this match, which made it more exciting. Rollins would be the eventual winner after an absolute barnburner of a title match.

When you take two of the best professional wrestlers on the planet at the time and get them to wrestle each other for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania, it's a no-brainer that it ended up being so good. These two went back and forth for about 25 minutes with intense chain wrestling and trying to one-up the other. They kept getting near falls or locking each other in holds to keep the Madison Square Garden crowd on their toes. Guerrero would resort to his lying, cheating, and stealing ways to win the match in the end by loosening his boot laces to slip out of the Ankle Lock with ease. It was a classic "Latino Heat" finish to a solid technical contest.

Becky Lynch made her return at SummerSlam 2021 by beating Bianca Belair in an astonishing 26 seconds and winning the Raw Women’s Championship in the process. "Big Time Becks" was on top of the world and derailed all the momentum Bianca had accrued after winning the title at WrestleMania 37. They would have a rematch at Wrestlemania 38 and it thankfully ended up being much longer than 26 seconds. It was a really good match and the best women’s match of the two nights of the show. They kept people guessing throughout the entire contest as it would not have been surprising if Becky actually retained. In the end, Bianca would emerge victorious by winning two consecutive WrestleMania’s and leaving with a title. These talented ladies easily produced one of the best WrestleMania matches I've ever seen.

I have such a soft spot for this match. It wasn’t just for the incredible finish with the unforgettable Curb Stomp into the RKO counter, but also for the fact that I always saw this match as the past versus the future. Both Randy Orton and Seth Rollins are favorites of mine. They had both been involved in the Authority storyline tied to Triple H. I always saw Orton as Triple H’s chosen one from back in the early 2000s and Rollins as his chosen one in the 2010s. It was a solid straightforward match. I was pleasantly surprised when Orton won but genuinely happy about it. Seth would get his moment later in the night in the "Heist of the Century" to make up for it.

Roman Reigns returned in the Summer of 2020, turned his back on the fickle fans, and began his reign of terror as the "Tribal Chief." Reigns had the odds stacked against him by WrestleMania 37 when he was forced to defend his championship against both Edge and Daniel Bryan. This match was significant too because just years prior, both Edge and Bryan were forced into retirement and there was even a time when fans weren’t sure if Roman would return due to him battling Leukemia. It was an inspirational story for all three of them. In the end though, Roman would smash his foes and stack both of his opponents as he promised to the surprise of most of the WWE Universe.

WrestleMania 35 is historic for having the first-ever women’s main event. But to be quite honest, this probably should have been the main event. Remember that quote about living long enough to become the villain? Well, that was the position Daniel Bryan found himself in here. He morphed into the litany of villains he had to overcome back in 2014 and now Kofi Kingston was the ultimate underdog which Bryan once was. The build-up was fantastic and managed to make everyone emotionally invested in its outcome. Thankfully, Kofi Kingston would win the match to become the first-ever African-born WWE Champion.

Although there were some other memorable matches that went down at WrestleMania 34, Charlotte Flair and Asuka had the best minute-to-minute wrestling match on the entire card. Asuka had been undefeated for 914 days up until this point and was the winner of the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble. Charlotte was already the most decorated woman on the roster and the current Smackdown Women’s Championship. They had a competitive match that kept people in suspense the whole while. By unpopular decision, the "Queen" would end the streak of the "Empress of Tomorrow" by proving she was indeed ready for Asuka. I think because most fans hate the decision, they disregard just how good this match actually was.

This was Ronda Rousey’s first match in the WWE. It was obvious that Rousey had issues with Stephanie McMahon going all the way back to her confrontation with her and Triple H back at WrestleMania 31 in 2015. I believe the initial idea was to have The Rock team with Rousey here but when that wasn’t possible, we had Kurt Angle return to the ring to be her partner instead. This match was not only good because of the competitors but it was a ton of fun. It was the best way to hide any weaknesses Ronda might have had at this point by working with three of the absolute best sports entertainers in WWE. This debut performance from Rousey will always stick out and christen this match as one of the best WrestleMania matches.

It was originally dubbed “Once in a Lifetime” even though by the next year that wouldn't be the case. John Cena talked trash about The Rock's decision to ditch wrestling for Hollywood. "Rocky" would eventually come back and expectedly wasn’t happy about the leader of "Cenation’s" comments. The match had a one-year build and it was really anticipated by fans hailing from two different generations. They had a great match with plenty of exciting false finishes and near falls. I think the most insane part of it is that nobody really thought the" Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment" would win the “one” match that they would have at the time. It was pretty shocking, to say the least.

It was around 2005 when trying to end "The Phenom’s" undefeated streak became just as big of an achievement as winning a championship at WrestleMania. Randy Orton found himself wanting to add that accolade to his resume and why not? He was nicknamed the "Legend Killer" for a reason. 'Taker accepted and it led to a very entertaining match between the two. Considering how hard they were trying to push Orton at the time and the fact that "The Streak" didn’t have the full aura it had by WrestleMania 25, it wasn’t unbelievable that Orton could be the one to end the streak during this match. Orton winning wasn’t the case here, but this match ended up starting the rivalry that defined Orton’s career after his time in the Evolution stable.

Brock Lesnar and Kurt Angle are two natural athletes backed by highly successful amateur wrestling backgrounds and a strong sense of competitiveness ingrained in them. Although their match was tested with some setbacks, such as Kurt Angle having a broken neck going into it, they still delivered an all-time classic. It was explosive and really open to going either way. I don’t think any of us fans thought "The Beast" would attempt a Shooting Star Press that would concuss him to the point where he didn’t even remember the end of the match, though. That being said, with one of them wrestling with a broken neck and the other concussed, they still pulled off a banger here.

'Taker added another incredible moment to his career when he won the 2007 Royal Rumble. Soon after, he chose Batista to face for the World Heavyweight Championship. John Cena was rumored to face Triple H at 'Mania 23, but he got injured in December and the plans switched to Cena versus "HBK" instead. Somehow that ended up being the main event, which didn’t really sit well with Batista and 'Taker. Therefore, they wanted to prove they should have been given the main event spot and they did just that with this amazing match. What fans got here was non-stop action from bell to bell. It was actually awesome considering you’d think these two big guys would work at a slower pace. The unexpected greatness of this big-man brawl easily makes it one of the best WrestleMania matches.

Seth Rollins was looking to face anyone just to be part of 'Mania 38. When it finally came time to step into the ring, Rollins' arrival led to the shocking arrival of Cody Rhodes, who left the company six years prior. If the anticipation of Rhodes' return due to the rumors swirling for weeks wasn’t enough, the two ended up having an incredible match in the process. The fans were invested throughout the entire ordeal. Rhodes had really found himself as a complete performer in the six years he was gone from the company and Rollins had become one of WWE’s absolute best in that same time span. It was a solid straightforward competitive match that was easy to digest and fun to watch. And thanks to the extra surprise factor, this bout is one of the best WrestleMania matches.

There was an angle in 2008 where if Ric Flair was to lose his next match, he would be forced to retire. Therefore, when it came time for his match with HBK at 'Mania 24, the writing was clearly on the wall. It was almost as if everyone knew it was going to be Flair’s final match and it elevated the emotional connection towards the match going into the event. They had a classic battle with the idea that Michaels was tasked to put down his hero. The “Thank you. I love you” line that Michaels mouthed before hitting Flair with the final "Sweet Chin Music" superkick will always be ingrained in my memory as a highly emotional cinematic moment.

In another epic battle, the “Macho Man” Randy Savage and Ultimate Warrior faced each other in a match where they both put their careers on the line. At the time they were two of the most colorful and larger-than-life superstars. They were also both unpredictable characters and former World Champions. The match itself was competitive and entertaining from start to finish. Savage was overconfident, while Warrior was trying to find his warrior spirit to leave this bout victorious. The overall story involving Queen Sherri and the reunion of Savage and Miss Elizabeth was just the cherry on top of this classic.

It was dubbed the “End of an Era” to pay tribute to a bygone time of which all the men involved in the match were a part of. It was also the end of the four-year 'Mania story arc between 'Taker, HHH, and Michaels. 'Taker defended his streak in a rematch against Triple H here. But this time, it took place inside the "devil's structure" with Michaels as the special guest referee. It was filled with drama and close calls that kept fans on the edge of their seats. The moment when 'Taker got hit with Sweet Chin Music followed by the Pedigree seemed like the nail in the coffin, but it shockingly wasn't. That moment was definitely epic and befitting of one of the best WrestleMania matches ever contested.

The "Women’s Revolution" hit an all-time high in 2016 when we got this Triple Threat between three of the new fresh faces on the main roster at WrestleMania. Sasha Banks, Charlotte Flair, and Becky Lynch would also be wrestling for the re-introduced Women’s Championship as they finally retired the Divas Championship. This match could have been the main event as they simply tore the house down. The women have had great stories coming into 'Mania, but it didn't always result in great matches. This might have been the first great competitive women’s match at the big show and set the standard for the future of women’s wrestling, which is why it's recognized as one of the best WrestleMania matches.

Kurt Angle and Shawn Michaels was something of a dream match before it finally happened. Michaels returned to the ring after being retired for five years in 2002. Yet for two and a half years, he never crossed paths with Angle until 2005. They complimented each other's styles tremendously and gave us an incredibly competitive match at this WrestleMania. This was one of those matches you truly believed could go either way. But ultimately, Michaels put Angle over after taking the fight to each other in an absolute banger. It’s a match that aspiring wrestlers breaking into the business should study intently.

In the hope of successfully following up their 'Mania 25 encounter, Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker decided to go round two the following year. To increase the stakes and to get the rematch, the "Heartbreak Kid" put his career on the line. Although this wasn't as good as the first encounter, it had a bit more emotion attached to it for the fans as the writing was clearly on the wall for Michaels’s career. It had fans conflicted because they didn’t want the streak to end, but also didn’t want Shawn to retire. It was a roller coaster of emotions during this one, for sure.

This is the best WrestleMania match for the last generation of fans. This is the one you could argue against Steamboat and Savage for being more modern. 'Taker and HBK were seasoned veterans at this point and beyond confident in their ability to tell a story in the ring. That is exactly what they did when they stole the show at WrestleMania 25. 'Taker was defending his streak here against "Mr. WrestleMania" where every near-fall was believable and it kept you on the edge of your seat. This set the bar for future 'Mania matches yet none have yet to feel as special as this one yet.