WWE: How would you rank the WrestleManias shows?

[BonMorrison]

i like your list, 19 was a very good mania but the booker t/hhh match left a bitter taste in my mouth it made booker look soooo bad..

Yeah, that and the Undertaker match are the only stains on the show. To this day, I think it's one of the most idiotic booking decisions WWE has ever done. One of the wrestling websites did a full multi-page breakdown on why it was idiotic but the tl;dr version was pretty much, WWE started a class/race feud that ended with the rich, white guy winning.

A lot of people seem to like WM22. I thought it was one of the worst ones I ever saw.

It was the undercard. MitB, Edge/Foley, Michaels/McMahon, and James/Stratus were all 4*+ matches. That Women's Title match was one of the best Women WWE matches of all time until that awful botch at the end. Main events were disappointing though. Cena/Triple H was just a good PPV main event but not WM-calibre and the triple threat was so underwhelming and only got less than ten minutes.

Fun fact, WM22 was the last WM to be held in an arena. After that it was all stadiums which probably explains why it's been a long time since we've had a really, really great WM crowd.

I see a lot of people have WMXX pretty high up, didn't expect that. I always thought it was too bloated with filler and had too many matches. The main event was incredible and one of the GOAT matches though. IIRC I thought Angle/Guerrero was disappointing based on their talent levels but I was pleasantly surprised at how good the Christian/Jericho match was. The handicap tag match between Evolution/Rock & Sock was fun too. Maybe I should push it up a bit on my list.

 

[Falco Lombardi]

I think 19 tops 17

 

[KaseMeOutside]

ya the more i think about it the more 19 moves up in my mind....

there were 4 excellent/marquee matches even ignoring hhh/booker

vince and hogan was compelling for so many real life reasons...they were stiffing the **** out of each other

jericho/hbk was exactly what everyone thought it'd be

austin/rock.....rock finally got his big win over austin, and it ends up being austin's final match, so it'll always make 19 have a distinguished legacy

brock/angle...what more needs to be said.

 

[M.C.G. 31]

Wrestlemania 19 was one of the worst Wrestlemanias in terms of drawing power but it was an excellent show when it comes to work rate.

 

[Never]

It was the undercard. MitB, Edge/Foley, Michaels/McMahon, and James/Stratus were all 4*+ matches. That Women's Title match was one of the best Women WWE matches of all time until that awful botch at the end. Main events were disappointing though. Cena/Triple H was just a good PPV main event but not WM-calibre and the triple threat was so underwhelming and only got less than ten minutes.

MITB that year was pretty weak IMO. Flair and Finlay....lol. I agree about the Triple Threat. Underwhelming + Rey Mysterio becoming World Champion, because let's be completely honest. Rey ONLY won that title because of Eddie's passing a few months earlier. Edge/Foley stole the show for me. The main event had your typical "Cenawinslol" finish.

 

[Engebretson]

Wrestlemania 15 is not getting enough deserved hate, IMO. This what happened when Vince Russo was put in charge of a WrestleMania:

- Hardcore Championship match which was so worthless I forgot it was even on the card.

- Owen and Jarrett retain the Tag Team belts which was decent enough, but D'Lo and Test won a battle royal on Heat to randomly get put together for this match. No build and no reason to care.

- The Brawl for All

- Manking vs Big Show which ends in a cheap and predictable DQ

- 4 Corners IC championship match between the Road Dogg and 3 guys who were all fighting over Ken Shamrock's sister.

- Kane vs HHH in which Chyna turns face

- The godawful excuse for a Women's Championship match which saw the debut of Nicole Bass

- Shane becomes the European Champ as Chyna turns back to heel in the same night she already turned face.

- Taker's HIAC match with the Big Bossman...

- Rock and Austin which decent but extremely predictable and lazy

 

[BonMorrison]

I had XV second last as did MCG so we gave it some deserved hatred.

 

[Marv4Life]

XIX is overrated. 2 Limp Bizkit concerts, pointless catfight, the wrong guy won the WHC match and Jericho should have beat HBK. A top 5 Mania yeah but not the best and not even the best since the AE ended.

 

[Never]

Maybe I'm in the minority but I really enjoyed 21.

 

[BonMorrison]

I don't believe it's minority thinking to consider 21 pretty good. It is a lot like 22 with a strong undercard but weak main events. MitB, Mysterio/Guerrero, and Taker/Orton were all great. I still think Orton should've ended his streak there but oh well. And of course, who can forget Angle/Michaels which was an instant classic.

 

[M.C.G. 31]

I don't believe it's minority thinking to consider 21 pretty good. It is a lot like 22 with a strong undercard but weak main events. MitB, Mysterio/Guerrero, and Taker/Orton were all great. I still think Orton should've ended his streak there but oh well. And of course, who can forget Angle/Michaels which was an instant classic.

I think it's overrated.

 

[BonMorrison]

I think it's overrated.

I see how it is.

 

[M.C.G. 31]

I see how it is.

I wrote a post about it here a while ago. It was good but not the classic it's heralded as in my opinion.

 

[Loosie]

Off the top of my head without look up things and re-watching I'd have to say my top 3 are 17, 30 and 10. I have not seen recent WMs except for 30.

18 gets an honorable mention as I was there, 6th row.

 

[Loosie]

XIX is overrated. 2 Limp Bizkit concerts, pointless catfight, the wrong guy won the WHC match and Jericho should have beat HBK. A top 5 Mania yeah but not the best and not even the best since the AE ended.

Not to mention Brock's botched SSP.

 

[Loosie]

Wrestlemania 15 is not getting enough deserved hate, IMO. This what happened when Vince Russo was put in charge of a WrestleMania:

- Hardcore Championship match which was so worthless I forgot it was even on the card.

- 4 Corners IC championship match between the Road Dogg and 3 guys who were all fighting over Ken Shamrock's sister.

The last minute switch of Road Dogg and Billy Gunn was stupid.

You had Road Dogg who had been involved in the HC division, and Billy Gunn who was involved with the Ryan SHmrock foursome storyline win the belt each other was chasing a week prior to WM when the matches were already set

 

[EpochLink]

My Top 5 Mania's:

1. Wrestlemania 19 (probably the best work rate of any Mania show)
2. Wrestlemania 17 (the peak of the attitude era all into one show)
3. Wrestlemania 3 (what else is there to say about this one)
4. Wrestlemania 14 (a great card and a change in guard)
5. Wrestlemania 20 (2 classic world title matches)

Honorable mentions: Wrestlemania 12 (underrated to a degree), Wrestlemania 7 (not really given much credit for being a good Mania), Wrestlemania 21 (a really good show that people sleep on)

 

[EpochLink]

Whoops: I forgot about Wrestlemania 10 (2 ***** matches)

Actually, I'm surprised people don't rank Wrestlemania 10 in their top 10..

 

[ColePens]

19 bugs me because the idea of the card seems way too top heavy. It's just one good match after another. I really believe Jericho/HBK should have opened. Just splitting those matches up would have been nice.

I also don't feel like there is a true mega main event on that one. Idk why. 19 is definitely a top 5 WM, but I rarely ever want to watch it again. I'm drained by the end.

 

[ColePens]

Off the top of my head without look up things and re-watching I'd have to say my top 3 are 17, 30 and 10. I have not seen recent WMs except for 30.

18 gets an honorable mention as I was there, 6th row.

17, 30, 10 are definitely in my top 5. I think 30 could be a top 3 if.... Taker didn't lose the streak. While an iconic moment, it just is ****ing stupid. I think that would have been one of my favorite WMs outside of 17. And I love 10. You can throw 10 on today and just enjoy the show.

I think Hart's ability to sell and make the fans get behind him is one of the coolest things. It was just tremendous.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

No true main event with Rock-Austin III?

 

[ColePens]

No true main event with Rock-Austin III?

Now I don't remember all the booking ideas, but I think in a re-do, they should have let that go on last and it should have been a retirement match. If i'm not mistaken... it wasn't booked as the farewell was it? I just feel that match could have and should have been one emotional story that ended the era.

That's the emotional storyline/enterainment part of the wrestling fan that I dig. That would have been the send home moment between the two and I think it would have made it more memorable.

Just my opinion. Doesn't mean i'm right. I understood when I wrote it that I would be in the minority.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

Now I don't remember all the booking ideas, but I think in a re-do, they should have let that go on last and it should have been a retirement match. If i'm not mistaken... it wasn't booked as the farewell was it? I just feel that match could have and should have been one emotional story that ended the era.

That's the emotional storyline/enterainment part of the wrestling fan that I dig. That would have been the send home moment between the two and I think it would have made it more memorable.

Just my opinion. Doesn't mean i'm right. I understood when I wrote it that I would be in the minority.

What that one really comes down to is that Austin didn't want any of that fanfare for it. So talent didn't want it built like that. And when it's Austin-Rock, it's hard to argue with them.

 

[BonMorrison]

Yeah if I remember correctly, Austin wanted to go out quietly.

 

[Loosie]

19 bugs me because the idea of the card seems way too top heavy. It's just one good match after another. I really believe Jericho/HBK should have opened. Just splitting those matches up would have been nice.

I also don't feel like there is a true mega main event on that one. Idk why. 19 is definitely a top 5 WM, but I rarely ever want to watch it again. I'm drained by the end.

3 big things bug me about 19 that keeps it from the top. Taker's match (at least they did finally keep Nathan Jones out of it, but still), the ending of the HHH/Booker match, and the botched SSP.

If Booker wins and Brock nails that SSP it likely bumps it up my list.

Just because I'm in 1996 in my viewing right now to, WM 12 is middle of the road as it's literally a two match card, but watching around that time (from about SummerSlam 1995 until Diesel and Ramon leave) the WWF was really a 4-man promotion. The RAW and PPVs still have all the WWF Store commercial and all they are pimping is the same shirt with either Bret, Diesel, Shawn or Taker on it.