6 greatest WrestleMania matches of all time
WrestleMania is a pay-per-view which is rich when it comes to history, I have decided to choose six matches that I think are at the top of the chart in the pay-per-view's 34-year history.
The challenge is a daunting one because WWE’s long-running wrestling extravaganza has seen countless classics over the past three decades, but which of these deserve the honor of being labelled as the greatest match n the history? Let's take a look.
#6 Stone Cold Steve Austin vs The Rock - WrestleMania X-7
Two of the most iconic Superstars of the WWE’s most popular era meeting at The Showcase of the Immortals in a No-Disqualification WWE Championship main event? It does not get better than that. The rivalry between The Rock and Stone Cold has always been iconic and legendary and the feud had had three matches at WrestleMania.
Two men who were truly larger than life stars came into the company at the same time and absolutely took the company under their arms and ran with it. Never before or since have there been two men this popular at the same time.
The Rock on one side, desperate to hold onto his championship, and Austin on the other side, desperate to reassert his dominance and take back his place at the top of the roster by becoming the champion once again.
Austin had missed nearly a year due to neck surgery. During his time away, The Rock had become the biggest star in the company, and the whole story heading in here was Austin’s obsession and desperation to become champion.
The match had lots of great spots, like The Rock putting on the Sharpshooter to a bloodied Austin while Austin desperately tried to get to the ropes in a scene reminiscent of the classic match Austin had with Bret "The Hitman" Hart at WrestleMania 13. Austin returned the favour with a sharpshooter of his own and even brought back the Million Dollar Dream into his arsenal from his days as the Ringmaster, further showing how desperate he is to win the match.
The finish of the match came with The Rock hitting the Spinebuster, setting up for the most electrifying move in sports entertainment, the People’s Elbow. The Great One seemingly had it won, but Vince Mcmahon came out and broke the pin in a shocking turn of events. The Rock got up and chased Vince, running right into a Rock Bottom from Austin for an almost 3 count.
The two exchanged finishers and pins until Austin signalled for McMahon to hand him a steel chair. The assault continued as a deranged Austin went all out with chair shots to the gut and back of a helpless The Rock while the Chairman of the company watched and covered him for the win. As soon as the referee hit three, the crowd erupted. The fans just didn’t care about the heel turn. They were going to cheer Austin anyway.
The aftermath saw the crowd waiting for their hero to turn on the chairman and deliver a devastating stunner to reaffirm his allegiance to his loyal followers. Instead, the two shook hands as Austin appeared to “sell his soul to the devil himself”, in the words of a disgusted Jim Ross, as Paul Heyman drove home the fact that Austin had betrayed his fans including his longtime friend Jim Ross.
The two shared a beer in the ring over a broken Rock, who tried to get up for a final time before being hit in the face by the title belt that was around his waist at the start of the night, leaving it in the hands of a man who was prepared to do anything to win gold.