This year’s Wrestlemania is absolutely stacked and for the first time in years will give us three must-see matches. Chris Jericho will challenge for CM Punk’s WWE Title, HHH will attempt to break the Undertaker’s 19-0 undefeated streak inside Hell in a Cell (with HBK as the special guest referee) and The Rock will fight Cena in the main event. Wow! On top of all that, rumors are running wild that Brock Lesnar has just signed a WWE contact and will be making a surprise appearance. Last year’s show was a dud, but this has potential to be among the best Wrestlemanias of all time. To help get you as psyched as I am, I’ll break down the matches and give you my predictions for the winners. For dessert, I’ll give you my top 10 Wrestlemania matches of all time. Can any of this year’s matches earn a top ten spot? It’s certainly possible when the card features three epic matches…
Daniel Bryan (c) vs Sheamus for the World Heavy Weight Championship
Seriously, I can’t believe Daniel Bryan’s had the title this long. He’s one of the smallest guys on the roster and he sounds like a dork on the mic, even though he can wrestle a pretty damn good match. Sheamus has been on a roll since winning the Rumble and I’m hoping he gets this win – but this one is totally up for grabs. I’m not at all confident in my pick, but I’m going with Sheamus.
Randy Orton vs Kane
This is the most predictable match on the card. Orton wins here and it really can’t go any other way. His matches are very good, but a lot of people feel like his character has gotten stale, myself included. His feud with Kane leading up to Wrestlemania has been painfully boring, so I’m hoping this match is short to leave time for everything else. I’ll even predict the finish; Kane gets Orton up in the air for a chokeslam, which Orton reverses for a weak looking RKO.
Six on Six Tag Match for Control of Raw and Smackdown: Team Teddy Long vs Team John Laurinitis
Team Teddy: Santino Marella, Kofi Kingston, Zach Ryder, R-Truth, Booker T and The Great Khali
Team Long: Dolph Ziggler, David Otunga, Mark Henry, Jack Swagger, The Miz and Drew McIntyre
As much as I love Zach Ryder, John Laurinitis’ team will win and he’ll become the GM of both Raw and Smackdown. Things work better with a heel GM, and John Laurinitis has done a very good job of running Raw. Teddy is also getting ready to retire and I just can’t see him running both shows. I’d love to see Ryder or Booker T get the win, but it’s looking pretty unlikely. We should at least get a Spinarooni from Booker in what could be his final match. I’m calling for Dolph Ziggler to get the winning pin, which should earn him a future title shot.
Cody Rhodes (c) vs The Big Show for the Intercontinental Title
This has actually had one of the better build ups of all the matches on the card. Rhodes has made fun of Big Show non-stop for his 3-8 record at Wrestlemania which includes losses to A-Train, Floyd Mayweather, Chris Masters, Kane and Akebono (a sumo wrestler). If you’re a casual fan, you might not be familiar with the “new" Cody Rhodes. I thought he was worthless a year ago, but he’s stepped it up big time after ditching his protective face mask. Now, he’s my favorite heel not named Jericho. Cody gets the win; don’t make the mistake of betting on Big Show. Especially at Wrestlemania.
Chris Jericho vs CM Punk (c) for the WWE Title
Under the normal run of things, this would be the last match. But for just the fourth time in all of ‘Mania history, a non-title match will close the show (Rock vs Cena). But make no mistake, this will be the best match of the night. I’m calling for a Jericho win. Why? There’s no one left to challenge for Punk’s Title. He’s feuded with Cena, Orton, Alberto Del Rio and Dolph Ziggler over the last year. That doesn’t leave many options. Jericho, on the other hand, just returned after being gone since 2009 and could feud with anyone. Punk is probably the slight favorite in this match, but I'm taking Jericho here with a cheap win.
HHH vs the Undertaker – Hell in a Cell – Special Guest Ref HBK
The Undertaker is now 19-0 at Wrestlemania and almost a lock to win number 20. Most people would disagree with me, but I want to see Taker’s undefeated streak come to an end. Along with Ric Flair’s 16 world title wins, “the streak” is among the most respected records in wrestling history. If anyone were to end it, it would be bigger than any title win could ever be. BUT, in my opinion, there is only one person worthy of ending the streak – and it’s not Triple H. If I were Vince McMahon, I’d offer Brock Lesnar a long term contract and have him retire the Undertaker at next year’s Wrestlemania. This would be among the biggest moments in wrestling history and Brock would be elevated to enormous levels. We could then have a match between Brock and Cena at the following year’s Wrestlemania. I’m sure this sounds like a stretch, but there are rumors that Brock has been in negotiations all weekend and he could even show up tonight.
Instead, we have a third Wrestlemania match between HHH and Undertaker (they fought at WM 17 and last year, WM27). I wasn’t super exited at first, but when they made Shawn Michaels the special guest ref, things started to get interesting. Shawn seems to be motivated to keep HHH from breaking the streak, something he couldn’t do himself. Or, he could pull a swerve and help his buddy HHH pin the Undertaker. Either way, there should be some kind of surprise. Shawn seems pretty content on staying retired, but if he screws someone at the end – it would certainly plant seeds for a future match. I’m hoping Shawn nails HHH with Sweet Chin Music, giving Taker the win and setting up HHH vs HBK at Wrestlemania 29 (even though that’s a huge longshot). Either way, Taker gets the win no matter what, and having it inside Hell in a Cell guarantees a lot of blood.
The Rock vs John Cena
This is the biggest wrestling match in at least five years, and I have no doubt that it will deliver. Even though it’s not for a title, the winner will be elevated to super-human levels. If Rock wins, he has a legitimate claim to being the best of all time, with wins at Wrestlemania over Stone Cold, Hulk Hogan and now Cena. BUT, if The Rock, who is wrestling his second match in eight years, can beat Cena it makes the entire roster look weak as he’s beaten every other wrestler multiple times. For this reason, I do expect Cena to get the win as far as betting purposes. However, I’ll for sure be pulling for the Rock.
The Top Ten Wrestlemania Matches of All Time
Spoiler alert: Unlike some of my other wrestling columns, I will go over the results of these matches – which shouldn’t be a big deal, unless you have plans to watch all the old Wrestlemanias. If you do, I’d be more than happy to lend them to you – I have the complete box set.
10.) Stone Cold Steve Austin vs Shawn Michaels (c) for the WWF Championship – Wrestlemania 14
This match has the best build of any match in wrestling history. Leading up to Wrestlemania, Mike Tyson had joined up with Shawn Michaels and DeGeneration X. Tyson was then made the special enforcer for the main event between Austin and Michaels. Shawn almost had to forfeit the match due to a broken back, but somehow managed to pull through. It was so bad, he took a five year hiatus after Wrestlemania and many thought this would be the final match of his career. The match itself was a little short, but was still amazing. Stone Cold eventually hit Shawn with a stunner for the win and Tyson came into the ring to check on his “friend” Shawn. The two start arguing, and BOOM – Tyson knocks Shawn out cold with a punch to the face. He then takes off his shirt to reveal an Austin 3:16 shirt underneath. Austin wins his first WWF Title and celebrates with Tyson to close the show.
9.) Macho Man Randy Savage vs Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat – Wrestlemania 3
Before the match gets started, Macho Man cuts my favorite promo of all time. Savage rambles about defending his title, getting louder and louder by the second. At the end he screams, “I AM THE LORD AND MASTER OF THE RING. HISTORY BECKONS THE MACHO MAN!”. Savage and Steamboat would go on to wrestle an absolute classic with moves that were 5-10 years ahead of their time. For several years after the bout, this was considered by many to have been the greatest match in wrestling history. Everyone remembers Wrestlemania 3 for Hogan slamming Andre the Giant, but the classic encounter between Savage and Steamboat stole the show.
8.) Shawn Michaels vs Razor Ramon – Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Title – Wrestlemania 10
This was the first televised ladder match in the history of the WWF and it blew everyone’s mind. I love Razor Ramon (Scott Hall) but almost all of the credit here goes to Shawn. It’s often said that Shawn was so good that night; he could’ve wrestled a broomstick to a five star match. The spots in this match we beyond anything the wrestling world had seen at this point, including Shawn taking a swan dive onto Razor from atop the ladder. Unfortunately, Razor got the win – but HBK would go on to challenge for the WWF Title soon afterward. Shawn is in four of my top ten matches, and would have 11-12 if I did a top 20. No one comes even close to Shawn’s Wrestlemania resume’.
7.) Kurt Angle vs Shawn Michaels – Wrestlemania 21
This was a very highly anticipated match with a great build up. Kurt kept referring to himself as the best athlete on the roster while HBK proclaimed himself as “Mr. Wrestlemania”. The match had lots of great technical wrestling mixed in with several high risk spots. You could make a case that this featured the two most talented wrestlers in WWE history, even though Angle’s legacy has been somewhat tainted since leaving for TNA in ‘06. Unfortunately, Shawn lost the match after tapping out to the Ankle Lock – but this went down as one of the best pure wrestling matches of all time.
6.) The Ultimate Warrior vs Macho “King” Randy Savage - Retirement Match – Wrestlemania 7
Leading up to this match, Randy started referring to himself as the "Macho King" after winning the 1989 King of the Ring tournament. This was the peak of Macho’s career and he was in desperate need of some time off. So, this became a “retirement” match – where the loser would have to quit the WWF. Warrior and Savage worked very well together and their fast pace put that night’s main event (Hulk Hogan vs Sargent Slaughter) to shame. Towards the end, Macho has Warrior laid out in the middle of the ring and goes up to the top rope. He leaps off and drills Warrior with the Elbow Drop. He shows no hesitation and goes back up to the top rope and does it again. And again. And again. And again. FIVE Elbow Drops in a row, and somehow – Warrior kicks out of the pin. Savage is now completely exhausted, Warrior hits a few clotheslines and pins Savage for the win. Sensational Sherri, Macho’s manager at the time, comes into the ring and starts kicking and insulting Macho for losing. The referees escort her to the back, and down comes Macho’s old fling – Miss Elizabeth. Macho is barely conscious and thinks it’s still Sherri in the ring. Once he realizes its Elizabeth, they reunite as a couple and Macho gets a nice long vacation (his "retirement" lasted less than a year). Even in the loss, this was Macho’s finest moment.
5.) Shawn Michaels vs Bret Hart (c) Ironman Match for the WWF Title – Wrestlemania 12
Leading up to Wrestlemania 12, lots of people were questioning the scheduled one hour main event. It had never been done before and many casual fans just weren’t feeling it. Bret and Shawn were the only two wrestlers on the roster that could pull it off, but this match was fantastic. Shawn’s entrance was one of my favorites of all time; his music hits and his manager, Jose Lothario walks out – but Shawn is nowhere to be found. Lothario then points to the ceiling and Shawn comes down on a zipline from the rafters. The match itself was superb, even though most critics disliked the finish. After the entire 60 minutes, the match ends in a 0-0 tie. WWF commissioner Gorilla Monsoon then sends the match to overtime, where Shawn hits Sweet Chin Music and pins Bret to win his first World Title. The only knock on this match is that the Ironman stipulation wasn’t even utilized since there was only one pinfall in overtime. Most of the great Ironman matches that followed this (Brock Lesnar vs Kurt Angle is the best) have 5-10 pinfalls within the hour timeframe.
4.) Hollywood Hulk Hogan vs The Rock – Wrestlemania 18
This is easily the loudest crowd in wrestling history and it helped elevate this match to legendary status. Hogan was trying to play the heel with his nWo Hollywood gimmick, but the Toronto crowd wasn’t having it – they were going nuts for Hogan. They were going crazy for the Rock, too. Hogan and Rock have a pre match stare down, and do a good job to hype the crowd up even more. Once the match got started, even the most basic moves like a headlock had the fans going apeshit. The wrestling was pretty basic, but it didn’t matter. In the end, The Rock wins with a Rock Bottom. The torch is passed, and The Rock becomes just the second man to pin Hulk Hogan at Wrestlemania (Ultimate Warrior beat Hogan at WM6).
3.) Stone Cold Steve Austin vs The Rock (c) for the WWF Title – Wrestlmania 17
This was mysteriously changed to a no DQ match right before it started. From the opening bell, Austin and Rock beat the hell out of each other. Since it’s no disqualification, they use chairs, the ring bell, the announce table, TV monitors – anything and everything. Late in the match, both Rock and Stone Cold are bloodied up, and the Rock puts Austin in the sharpshooter. Austin escapes, but Rock hits him with his own finisher, the stunner. Rock then hits a People’s Elbow, and we suddenly realize why the match was changed to no DQ…Vince comes down and saves Austin from being pinned. He then gives Austin a chair, and Austin beats the hell out of Rock for the win. The show then went off the air, and we were left with a cliffhanger as to why Vince and Austin – two bitter enemies – were forming an alliance. They were trying to turn Austin heel, but it didn’t really go over with the fans. Despite the failed heel turn, the match was pretty amazing and the end was a total surprise. The Rock and Austin had three matches at Wrestlemania (here + WM15 and WM19), but this is almost unanimously considered their best.
2.) Bret Hart vs Stone Cold Steve Austin – “I Quit” Match - Wrestlemania 13
Where the previous match’s only flaw was the failed heel turn, Hart and Austin pulled it off perfectly. Going into the match, Austin was considered the heel for his disrespect of authority. Bret was the babyface, as the fans respected him for his wrestling ability. What transpired was the most perfectly executed heel/face turn of all time. The match itself was brutal, as both men take a ton of punishment with Austin getting the worst of it. Towards the end, Austin looks like he’s gonna die, and Bret locks him into the sharpshooter. Austin is screaming in pain with blood gushing from his head. He eventually passes out in a pool of his own blood, but never says “I quit”. The ref awards Bret with the win, and the crowd cheers Austin for never giving up. Hart then goes mental and starts beating on the unconscious Austin. Hart is then booed out of the building, and when Austin gets to his feet, the crowd gives him a standing ovation. From then on, Austin was beloved by the fans and would go to become the highest grossing wrestler of all time (In 1998, the WWF sold over $500 million worth of merchandise – with Stone Cold items accounting for 50% of all sales). If this match didn’t go over as perfectly as it did, Stone Cold may have never become a household name.
1.) Brock Lesnar vs Kurt Angle (c) for the World Heavyweight Championship – Wrestlemania 19
You cannot argue that Brock Lesnar and Kurt Angle are the two best athletes in WWE history - Brock won an NCAA and UFC Title, while Kurt won a Gold Medal at the 96 Olympics. Putting them together in a match was like nothing I’ve ever seen. Every single move was so intense it could kill a normal person. Without chairs or tables, they endure one of the most painful matches of all time. Towards the end, Brock hits two F-5s but cannot finish off Angle. Out of desperation, Brock climbs to the top rope and attempts a shooting star press – an extremely difficult move almost exclusively done by cruiserweight wrestlers. Basically, the move involves jumping off the top rope to peak height and doing a reverse flip in mid-air. BUT, Brock doesn’t get it quite right, misses Angle and lands on his head. The crowd is shocked that Brock would attempt something that insane and are worried that he may be paralyzed. Somehow, Brock gets to his feet, picks up Angle and hits a third F-5 for the win.
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