Ranking WrestleMania: The Worst to the Best – Part Two

Hello, gerweck.net readers. I’m back today to present Part 2 of my “Ranking WrestleMania: The Worst to the Best” column. To read part one, go here: http://www.gerweck.net/2013/04/02/ranking-wrestlemania-the-worst-to-the-best-part-one/

Let’s get started with the next five, shall we? All of these WrestleManias had a little something extra that kept them off of the Worst Five List, but they are still near the bottom.

23. WrestleMania III (March 29, 1987; Pontiac, Michigan)
Main Event: Singles Match for the WWF Championship: Hulk Hogan (c) vs. Andre the Giant
Notable Undercard Matches: The Hart Foundation and Danny Davis vs. The British Bulldogs and Tito Santana, WWF Intercontinental Championship Match: Randy Savage (c) vs. Ricky Steamboat
Match of the Night: Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat
Show Notes: First WrestleMania where the WWF Tag Team Championship wasn’t defended.
Overview: This show was the first WrestleMania where more attention was put on the wrestlers then the celebrity involvement. That helped some. Overall, a card stacked with 12 matches and a real feel that WrestleMania was here made this the best WrestleMania of the first four. However, of those 12 matches, only two stand out all these years later: Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat and Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant (if for nothing more than the ‘Body Slam Heard Around the World’). If you watch this show, watch those two matches.

22. WrestleMania V (April 2, 1989; Atlantic City, New Jersey)
Main Event: Singles Match for the WWF Championship: Randy Savage (c) vs. Hulk Hogan
Notable Undercard Matches: Mr. Perfect vs. The Blue Blazer, WWF Tag Team Championship Handicap Match: Demolition (c) vs. The Powers of Pain and Mr. Fuji, WWF Intercontinental Championship Match: The Ultimate Warrior (c) vs. Rick Rude
Match of the Night: Randy Savage vs. Hulk Hogan
Show Notes: WrestleMania debut of Shawn Michaels.
Overview: A card with 14 matches on it may seem fitting for WrestleMania, but not on this occasion. This was a one-match card (Savage vs. Hogan), with a few undercard matches that were worthy of being on Mania. This continues the trend of some of the earlier Mania being ranked low on my list, but I can’t rank them any higher due to the quality of the shows. If you watch this show, check out Hogan vs. Savage and Warrior vs. Rude for sure.

21. WrestleMania VI (April 1, 1990; Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
Main Event: Singles Match for the WWF Championship and WWF Intercontinental Championship: Hulk Hogan (WWF Champion) vs. The Ultimate Warrior (WWF Intercontinental Champion)
Notable Undercard Matches: Brutus Beefcake vs. Mr. Perfect, Million Dollar Championship Match: Ted DiBiase (c) vs. Jake Roberts
Match of the Night: Hulk Hogan vs. The Ultimate Warrior
Show Notes: First WrestleMania to be held outside of the United States.
Overview: Yet another early WrestleMania here, but again, there was really nothing memorable outside of the main event. Sure, Beefcake vs. Perfect and DiBiase vs. Roberts were good matches for the card, but they can’t salvage this show in order to rank it any higher. If you haven’t seen the show, watch Beefcake vs. Perfect, DiBiase vs. Roberts, and Hogan vs. Warrior.

20. WrestleMania XV (March 28, 1999; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Main Event: No Disqualification Match for the WWF Championship: The Rock (c) vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin
Notable Undercard Matches: Mankind vs. “The Big Show” Paul Wight, Kane vs. Triple H, WWF European Championship Match: Shane McMahon (c) vs. X-Pac, The Undertaker vs. The Big Boss Man (Hell in a Cell Match)
Match of the Night: The Rock vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin
Show Notes: First WrestleMania to feature a Hell in a Cell Match. The Undertaker extended the streak to 8-0.
Overview: If you did not know before hand that this was show was WrestleMania XV, you could have very easily confused it for an edition of Monday Night Raw. There were so many underwhelming things about this show, from the Hell in a Cell Match to the professional fighter (Butterbean) making a joke of the professional wrestler (Bart Gunn). From The Blue Meanie and Ryan Shamrock both trying to have all of Goldust’s attention, to the God-awful match between Sable and Tori. And especially the reunion of D-Generation X that turned out to be Chyna and Triple H defecting to The Corporation. The one shining moment of the show? Rock vs. Austin in a No Disqualification Match. That match was worth seeing. If you haven’t seen the show, you didn’t miss much, but watch Rock vs. Austin nonetheless.

19. WrestleMania 2000 (April 2, 2000; Anaheim, California)
Main Event: Fatal Four-Way Elimination Match for the WWF Championship: Triple H (c) (w/Stephanie McMahon) vs. Mick Foley (w/Linda McMahon) vs. The Big Show (w/Shane McMahon) vs. The Rock (w/Vince McMahon)
Notable Undercard Matches: WWF Tag Team Championship Triangle Ladder Match: The Dudley Boyz (c) vs. Edge and Christian vs. The Hardy Boyz, WWF Intercontinental Championship/WWF European Championship Two-Fall Triple Threat Match: Kurt Angle (c) vs. Chris Benoit vs. Chris Jericho
Match of the Night: The Dudley Boyz vs. Edge and Christian vs. The Hardy Boyz
Show Notes: Only WrestleMania to not feature a traditional one-on-one match with no stipulations, second WrestleMania in a five-year span to culminate from Anaheim.
Overview: The first WrestleMania in the new millennium fell well short of expectations. Although, looking at the card, what expectations could we have possibly had? The card featured nine matches, which I think is around the perfect number for a WrestleMania. The problem? Three of the nine matches were worth seeing and delivered. The pairings in some of the matches didn’t quite click, while other matches seemed to drag on, even if they were relatively short. Plus, who can forget Chester McCheeserton? If you watch this show, check out The Dudleyz vs. Edge and Christian vs. The Hardyz, Angle vs. Benoit vs. Jericho, and Triple H vs. Foley vs. Rock vs. Big Show.

That’s it for today. As always, feedback is welcome and wanted. You can reach me on Twitter (@TheMichaelRiba) or leave your thoughts in the comment section below, whether you agree or disagree with today’s list. Check back tomorrow for the WrestleManias ranked 14-18, and remember, it’s just my opinion.