WWE are gearing up for WrestleMania 34… but what is the greatest Showcase of Immortals of all time?
How will this year’s event stack up against past Manias? SunSport looks back and ranks every WrestleMania so far – from worst the best
IT’s less than two weeks until WrestleMania 34 on April 8 – WWE’s biggest annual super-show.
But how will this year’s event stack up against past Manias?
Sun Sport looks back and ranks every WrestleMania so far – from worst the best.
WrestleMania 2 – April 7, 1986
The WM Where: Vince doubles down on celebs and stages the event in three separate cities, with a main event at each venue.
Best Match: British Bulldogs defeating The Dream Team for the tag titles – because it’s the only match that manages to not be awful.
Low Point: It’s stiff competition, but The Fabulous Moolah v Velvet McIntyre for the Women’s Championship is horrendous. Sasha Banks v Bayley this ain’t.
Mania Moment: Andre the Giant wins the battle royal by last eliminating future champ Bret Hart.
Overall: The production’s a mess and the standard of action is absolutely miserable. If you haven’t seen it, don’t bother.
INCREDIBLE HULK WWE legend Hulk Hogan spotted in talks with chief Triple H week before WrestleMania 34 sparking return rumours
WrestleMania IV – March 27, 1988
The WM Where: The vacant WWE title is put up for grabs in a 14-man tournament at the Trump Plaza. It sounds exciting, but it’s not.
Best Match: “Macho Man” Randy Savage beats Ted DiBiase in the tournament final to become WWE Champ.
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Low Point: Hogan and Andre’s second round collision, which ends in a double DQ. They make 5 minutes feel like 50.
Mania Moment: Demolition beat Strike Force to become tag champs – the start of Ax and Smash’s then record-breaking 478-day reign.
Overall: Four hours of boring wrestling and rubbish finishes. Even Savage’s big moment – hoisting Elizabeth on his shoulder with the belt – can’t save it.
WrestleMania I – March 31, 1985
The WM Where: It all begins.
Best Match: The Hulk Hogan and Mr T v Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff main event. The wrestling’s not up to much but it’s the original Mania spectacle.
Low Point: Tito Santana’s opponent The Executioner (AKA Buddy Rose). The kind of villain your nan would have whacked with an umbrella in the 1970s.
Special mention to the lumbering, near-unwatchable Andre the Giant v Big John Studd “body slam challenge” match.
Mania Moment: Forget Liberace doing the cancan. Ricky Steamboat looks years ahead of his time as he takes on Matt Borne AKA the future Doink the Clown.
Overall: Some of the matches are (sort of) entertaining, but the production and action is primitive.
WrestleMania IX – April 4, 1993
The WM Where: WWE heads to Caesars Palace for a Roman-themed ‘Mania and Hulk Hogan returns, setting the New Generation back a year.
Best Match: The Steiner Brothers v The Headshrinkers is a solid tag team effort.
Low Point: Bret Hart loses the WWE title to Yokozuna, so Hogan charges to the ring and beats Yoko in 22 seconds. Spotlight-hogging and backstage politics at its worst.
Mania Moment: “The Two Doinks” angle, when a second clown appears to help Doink defeat Crush. A genuinely creative finish.
Overall: Tatanka and Shawn Michaels have a snooze-fest, Taker is lumped with Giant Gonzales, and Mr Perfect forgets what he’s doing against Lex Luger.
Doesn’t deserve its reputation as the worst WrestleMania but it’s poor.
WrestleMania XI – April 2, 1995
The WM Where: It’s all about celebs again. Pamela Anderson accompanies WWE champ Diesel and NFL megastar Lawrence Taylor takes on Bam Bam Bigelow.
Best Match: Diesel’s title defence against former pal Shawn Michaels. HBK’s bumping is world class – his first step towards becoming a headline calibre superstar.
Low Point: Undertaker v King Kong Bundy. Bundy’s too big for Taker to hit the Tombstone, so six minutes of awful action ends abruptly with a clothesline.
Mania Moment: LT v Bam Bam is better than anyone expected and takes the headline spot over Diesel v HBK.
Overall: It’s a bad night at the peak of WWE’s mid-90s creative lull. Even Bret Hart has an off night in his submission match against Bob Backlund.
WrestleMania XXVII – April 3, 2011
The WM Where: The Rock returns to host and makes it all about him and Cena – killing Miz’s cred as WWE Champion in the process.
Best Match: Undertaker and Triple H have a methodical brawl, before Trips taps to the Hell’s Gate. Not quite up to Taker’s usual standard.
Low Point: Cena v Miz ends in a count out. Rock restarts the match, then hits Cena with a Rock Bottom to give Miz a backhanded win.
Mania Moment: Edge beats Alberto Del Rio in his last Mania match. He was forced to retire just one week later.
Overall: On paper, this should have been a great WrestleMania. But it under-delivers on every level. It took Miz’s career years to recover from the trouncing he took here.
WrestleMania III – March 29, 1987
The WM Where: The spectacle of Hulk Hogan v Andre the Giant and a crowd of 93,000 fans (or so WWE claims) creates the template for every WrestleMania since.
Best Match: Randy Savage v Ricky Steamboat for the IC title is the original Mania show-stealer.
Low Point: Lots to choose from, but the King Kong Bundy v Hillbilly Jim mixed dwarf tag match is truly terrible.
Mania Moment: Roddy Piper beats Adrian Adonis in his “retirement match” then Brutus Beefcake appears to shave Adonis’ head. The barber gimmick is born.
Overall: The action ranges from boring to abysmal, but the importance of Hogan v Andre and Steamboat v Savage can’t be overstated.
WrestleMania 32 – April 3, 2016
The WM Where: WWE books itself into a corner.
Brock Lesnar looks bored against Dean Ambrose, Shane returns to face Taker, AJ Styles loses in his WM debut, and Triple H chokes in a WM main event for the third time.
Best Match: Charlotte v Sasha Banks v Becky Lynch kicks off the Women’s Evolution proper with a show-stealing triple threat that ditches the “Divas” moniker.
Low Point: The Rock turns up to hog the spotlight (again) and beats Erick Rowan in six seconds.
Mania Moment: Battling Taker in a Hell in a Cell match that makes no sense, Shane drops an elbow off the top of the cage but misses.
Overall: In truth, Triple H v Reigns is decent but fans don’t care. It’s a weird, thrown-together card that results in an uneven show.
WrestleMania VII – March 24, 1991
The WM Where: WWE exploits the Gulf War by having Hulk Hogan battle Iraqi sympathiser Sgt Slaughter.
Best Match: The Randy Savage v Ultimate Warrior career ending match is a belter. Warrior kicks out of five elbows and “retires” Savage (he was back wrestling nine months later).
Low Point: There’s nostalgic love for the Jake Roberts v Rick Martel blindfold match, but it’s bad. It’s also obvious they can see through their “blindfolds”.
Mania Moment: Randy Savage and Elizabeth reunite after he loses to Warrior. It still brings a lump to the throat 27 years later.
Overall: There is some good stuff amongst the (too many) matches – The Rockers v Haku and Barbarian and Mr Perfect v Big Boss Man – but the Gulf War angle sours it.
WrestleMania 22 – April 2, 2006
The WM Where: WWE cashes in of Eddie Guerrero’s death by making Rey Mysterio World Heavyweight Champion.
Best Match: To be fair, Mysterio’s win over Kurt Angle and Randy Orton is good.
But the fact the match runs shorter than the entrances for Cena v Trips speaks volumes about Rey’s position in the pecking order.
Low Point: Candice Michelle v Torrie Wilson in a Playboy pillow fight.
Mania Moment: The unhinged-but-lovable Mickie James goes full stalker and beats Trish Stratus for the Women’s Championship.
Overall: Watchable but nothing special. Even the Shawn Michaels v Vince McMahon no holds barred match coasts by in second gear.
WrestleMania XV – March 28, 1999
The WM Where: It’s peak Attitude Era as The Rock defends his title against Stone Cold Steve Austin – their first of three Mania matches.
Best Match: Rock v Austin, obviously – though it’s not their best. The big storyline is who will referee the match, Mankind or Big Show? (Mankind, in case you’re wondering.)
Low Point: Undertaker beats Big Boss Man in a lousy Hell in a Cell then hangs him with a noose post-match. A real “what were they thinking?” moment.
Mania Moment: Humpty dumpty-style boxer Butterbean legit knocks out Bart Gunn in 35 seconds. You can almost see the stars in Bart’s eyes.
Overall: With its swerve finishes (Triple H turns on DX), daft stunts, and show-long storyline it’s more like an episode of Raw – the most Attitude Era Mania of them all.
WrestleMania VI – April 1, 1990
The WM Where: Ultimate Warrior battles Hulk Hogan for the WWE Championship. The Ultimate Challenge.
Best Match: Warrior v Hogan stands up to this day. It was meant as a passing of the torch moment, but Warrior’s reign was a flop, so the torch was passed right back one year later.
Low Point: Honky Tonk Man’s live rendition of “Honka Honka Honky Love”. The worst musical performance in the history of, well, music.
Mania Moment: Andre turns babyface after losing the tag titles and being slapped by Bobby Heenan. His offence on Heenan is laughably bad, but it’s still a Mania moment.
Overall: Like most Manias of this era, it’s packed with too many pointless matches, but still holds nostalgic power for an older generation of fans.
WrestleMania VIII – April 5, 1992
The WM Where: Hulk Hogan pretends he’s having his farewell match (facing the useless Sid Justice) to nab top billing over Randy Savage and Ric Flair for the title.
Best Match: It’s a toss up between Savage beating Flair or Bret Hart’s IC title win over Roddy Piper. Both excellent.
Low Point: A rotten count out finish in the Natural Disasters v Money Inc tag title match.
Mania Moment: Ultimate Warrior makes a surprise return as Papa Shango and Sid beat down the Hulkster post-match. The original surprise return.
Overall: There’s lots of filler – Owen Hart v Skinner anyone? – but the good matches and Warrior return make up for it. Also notable for being Shawn Michaels’ singles debut at Mania.
WrestleMania 2000 – April 2, 2000
The WM Where: There’s a McMahon in every corner of the fatal 4-way main event – Triple H w/Steph v The Rock w/Vince v Big Show w/Shane v Mick Foley w/Linda.
Best Match: The Hardy Boyz v Dudley Boyz v Edge and Christian in a triangle ladder match redefines tag team wrestling. The prototype for TLC.
Low Point: Vince turns on Rock in the final seconds of the fatal 4-way, which makes absolutely no sense (though helps Trips become the first heel to leave Mania as champ).
Mania Moment: Poor Kurt Angle loses both the IC and Euro titles without being pinned or tapped in a triple threat against Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho.
Overall: Vince turn aside, the main event works a piece of standalone wrestling entertainment. The rest of the card is standard Attitude Era business.
WrestleMania XII – March 31, 1996
The WM Where: Shawn Michaels’ “boyhood dream” of becoming WWE Champion finally comes true.
Best Match: Michaels and Bret Hart’s 60-minute Iron Man match isn’t as amazing as WWE claims, but decent if you go in with low expectations.
Low Point: Triple H loses to the returning Ultimate Warrior in under two minutes. Trips must have woken up in cold sweats over Warrior’s hilarious Pedigree no-sell for years.
Mania Moment: Goldust and Roddy Piper’s “backlot brawl” turns in an OJ Simpson-lampooning car chase, before Piper strips Goldie down to his lingerie. Yes, really.
Overall: Enjoyable stuff for the most part. Undertaker v Diesel is worth watching – a solid big man match – while Stone Cold makes his Mania debut against Savio Vega.
WrestleMania XX – March 14, 2004
The WM Where: Real-life best friends Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero both become world champions and celebrate in the ring together. In hindsight, a bit awkward.
Best Match: Benoit’s win over Triple H and Shawn Michaels is an excellent triple-threat. But after Benoit’s double murder-suicide, it’s a moment WWE no doubt deeply regrets.
Low Point: The fans turn on Brock Lesnar v Goldberg. It turns into 13 minutes of stalling and Brock telling the fans to get stuffed.
Mania Moment: John Cena lifts Big Show to hit the FU and become US Champion. He did pretty well for himself after that.
Overall: The 20-year anniversary of WrestleMania is underwhelming – even The Rock’s return to team with Mick Foley against Evolution is a stinker. The top title matches just about save it.
WrestleMania XXV – April 4, 2009
The WM Where: Shawn Michaels has his first crack at the streak, the Hardy Boyz face off under extreme rules, and Ricky Steamboat has still got it.
Best Match: Shawn Michaels v Taker isn’t just a show-stealer, it’s one of the best matches of all time. A phenomenal piece of work from veterans with unique chemistry.
Low Point: After HBK v Taker tires the crowd out, the Triple H v Orton main event plays to near silence.
Mania Moment: A 56-year-old Steamboat skins the cat then hits arm drags and flying cross bodies during a Chris Jericho v Legends handicap match.
Overall: Though considered a bit of a dud Mania (which it is), the incredible Michaels v Undertaker drags the average way up.
WrestleMania XXVI – March 28, 2010
The WM Where: Shawn Michaels tries the streak again – but this time puts his career on the line.
Best Match: Taker v Michaels II is just as good – a frenetic collision that reverses the psychology of the previous year’s match.
Low Point: Bret Hart v Vince McMahon is 11 minutes of awkward silence as the entire Hart clan pummels the 64-year-old Vince.
Mania Moment: John Cena defeats a heel Batista for the WWE title. A topnotch match between the Ruthless Aggression Era’s biggest stars.
There’s also unintentional hilarity when Jack Swagger takes an embarrassingly long time to unclip the MITB briefcase.
Overall: An improvement on the year before (Jericho v Edge is good here too) and the main event is a fitting end to HBK’s career.
WrestleMania XXVIII – April 1, 2012
The WM Where: WWE Champ CM Punk v Chris Jericho plays second fiddle to Rock and Cena’s “once in a lifetime” match.
Best Match: The Hell in a Cell match between Taker and Triple H, with Shawn Michaels as guest ref. Big spots, false finishes, and OTT dramatics.
Low Point: Cody Rhodes dropping the IC title to Big Show. A rising talent of Rhodes’ calibre losing to the plodding Big Show beggars belief.
Mania Moment: Daniel Bryan loses the World Heavyweight Championship to Sheamus in just 18 seconds. The loss would propel Bryan to mega-stardom.
Overall: Taker v Triple H is great and Cena v Rock is a spectacle (if very boring) but the undercard is unforgivably weak.
WrestleMania 21 – April 3, 2005
The WM Where: WWE crowns John Cena and Batista as its next two biggest stars, defeating JBL and Triple H in respective matches to become world champs.
Best Match: Kurt Angle and Shawn Michaels live up to their reps with a heart-stopping thriller. Angle gets the win with the ankle lock.
Low Point: Big Show gets his bum out for a sumo match against Akebono.
Mania Moment: Edge wins the first ever Money in the Bank ladder match.
Overall: Above average for the most part. Cena and Batista’s moment is bolstered by Angle v HBK, Randy Orton v Taker, Eddie Guerrero v Rey Mysterio, and MITB.
WrestleMania X8 – March 17, 2002
The WM Where: Hulk Hogan returns to WWE and proves that Hulkamania will live forever, brother.
Best Match: It can only be Hogan v Rock, made even better by a white-hot crowd. Rock wins but Hogan craftily turns the fans so they erupt when he hits the Hulk Up routine. Pure wrestling magic.
Low Point: Triple H v Chris Jericho for the Undisputed Championship tries to follow Hogan v Rock and tanks.
Mania Moment: There are a couple of matches that just two years earlier would have been unthinkable – Stone Cold v Scott Hall and Undertaker v Ric Flair.
Overall: A poor undercard (Booker T and Edge fighting over a shampoo commercial sums it up) but the Rock v Hogan stare-down is probably the greatest moment in Mania history.
WrestleMania 29 – April 7, 2013
The WM Where: The Rock and Cena do it again (twice in a lifetime?) but this time for the WWE Championship.
Best Match: Taker v CM Punk. The storyline going in was rotten (Punk mocking Paul Bearer’s death and stealing the urn), so making fans believe Punk could actually end the streak is impressive.
Low Point: Ryback v Mark Henry. Need we say any more?
Mania Moment: Triple H gets blasted with dry ice during his entrance against Brock and has to wrestle with second degree burns. He still wins though.
Overall: There’s plenty to enjoy here. The Shield win their WM debut, Fandango beats Chris Jericho, and Team Hell No are on top form. Even Rock v Cena is (slightly) better.
WrestleMania XIV – 29 March, 1998
The WM Where: Mike Tyson brings a ton of publicity to kick off the Attitude Era.
Best Match: Steve Austin beats Shawn Michaels to become WWE Champ. It’s a basic match thanks to HBK’s back injury but it turns Austin into the biggest star in wrestling.
Credit also to Cactus Jack and Terry Funk’s dumpster match against The New Age Outlaws – a major precursor to the direction of the Attitude Era.
Low Point: The Legion of Doom are repackaged as “LOD 2000”. They win a tag team battle royal but the new gimmick flops.
Mania Moment: The Undertaker and Kane’s go nose-to-nose before their first ever match – the pay-off to an iconic storyline.
Overall: The in-ring quality doesn’t quite match the historical significance, but it’s a moment that changed WWE.
WrestleMania 33 – April 2, 2017
The WM Where: Taker loses to Roman Reigns in a bowling shoe-ugly match and does a chilling “retirement” ceremony. Seems kind of pointless now he’s coming back…
Best Match: After two humiliating defeats, Brock Lesnar finally topples Goldberg in a 10-minute power match that keeps the fans on their feet.
Low Point: Bray Wyatt projects images of bugs onto the ring to mess with Randy Orton’s mind. Then loses the WWE title after one measly RKO.
Mania Moment: The stadium erupts as the Hardy Boyz make a surprise return to enter the tag title ladder match.
Overall: Nothing exceptional, but above average matches – see AJ Styles v Shane McMahon and Kevin Owens v Jericho – plus big moments make this a memorable one.
Extra points for the giant illuminated globe/rollercoaster set. One of the best ever.
WrestleMania V – April 2, 1989
The WM Where: The Mega Powers explode, as friends-turned-enemies Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan battle over the WWE Championship.
Best Match: Savage gives Hogan one of the best outings of his entire career. It’s flawless stuff from infamous perfectionist Savage. Hogan wins, of course.
Mania Moment: Bobby Heenan holds Warrior’s legs down to stop him kicking out and helping Rick Rude to win the IC title.
Low Point: Bad News Brown and Jim Duggan going to a double DQ is as rubbish as it sounds.
Overall: Aside from the title matches, there’s plenty of fun stuff here – The Rockers v Twin Towers, Brain Busters v Strike Force, and Mr Perfect v Blue Blazer (Owen Hart).
The best Mania of the Hulkamania era and a monster financial success at the time.
WrestleMania 13 – March 23, 1997
The WM Where: An infamous double turn changes wrestling forever…
Best Match: Bret Hart and Stone Cold’s “I Quit” match, which sees the pair reverse babyface/heel roles. The image of a bloody Austin in the Sharpshooter is a classic.
Low Point: The Undertaker’s second WWE title win should be a big moment, but his match against Sid is (unsurprisingly) poor.
Mania Moment: Ahmed Johnson joins the Legion of Doom (spiked shoulder pads and everything) for a weapons-filled street fight against the Nation. They even use the kitchen sink.
Overall: The lowest drawing Mania in history is also one of the most important. Bret v Austin – the greatest Mania match of all time – makes it must-see.
WrestleMania XIX – March 30, 2003
The WM Where: Brock Lesnar botches a shooting star press and lands on his head – and Rock finally beats Austin at Mania.
Best Match: After four years out injured, Shawn Michaels makes his return to the Show of Shows for a fast-paced sizzler against Chris Jericho.
Low Point: Triple H easily defeats Booker T – a horrible end to a feud with racist undertones.
Mania Moment: The image of a bloody Vince McMahon about to strike Hulk Hogan during their surprisingly exciting street fight.
Overall: Probably best summed up by the Kurt Angle v Brock Lesnar main event – solid but overrated.
WrestleMania X – March 20, 1994
The WM Where: Bret Hart gets a second shot at being champ and two of the greatest matches of all time happen.
Best Match: It’s a toss up. Bret v Owen Hart in the opener is a technical clinic, but HBK v Razor Ramon changed the business with their innovative ladder match for the IC title.
Low Point: Yokozuna’s tedious, 4-minute nerve pinch on Lex Luger in the first of two WWE title matches.
Mania Moment: Bret later defeats Yoko to become WWE Champion in the second title match of the night.
Overall: The defining event of the New Generation. Masterful storytelling from Bret/Owen (Owen’s win over Bret sets him as a title challenger) and a game-changing performance from Shawn Michaels.
WrestleMania 23 – April 1, 2007
The WM Where: Donald Trump and Vince McMahon stand in opposite corners for the Battles of the Billionaires. Appropriately, WWE makes a fat pile of cash.
Best Match: Undertaker’s winning effort over Batista unexpectedly steals the show.
Low Point: Why WWE felt the need to book Kane against the Great Khali remains one of life’s great mysteries.
Mania Moment: Vince is shaved bald after his man Umaga loses to Trump’s Bobby Lashley. Guest ref Stone Cold stunners everyone for good measure afterwards.
Overall: Topped off by a thrilling Shawn Michaels v John Cena main event, it’s no wonder this was most successful ever Mania at the time (80,000 fans and 1.2 million buys).
WrestleMania 31 – March 29, 2015
The WM Where: Seth Rollins pulls off the heist of the century.
Best Match: Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns clash in an underappreciated classic. But Rollins cashes in and scarpers with the WWE title.
Low Point: Lots of counter-productive booking decisions. How much would it have meant to Bray Wyatt if he’d beaten Taker? Or to Rusev if he’d beaten Cena? And Damien Sandow if he had won the battle royal instead of Big Show?
Mania Moment: The Sting v Triple H match becomes a surprise, slightly over-the-hill battle between DX and the NWO.
Overall: It didn’t do much for rising talent or future storylines (except for Rollins, of course) but as a standalone show, it’s quality entertainment.
WrestleMania XXX – April 6, 2014
The WM Where: Daniel Bryan becomes WWE World Heavyweight Champion (Yes! Yes! Yes!) and the streak ends (No! No! No!).
Best Match: Bryan pins Triple H and goes onto beat both Orton and Batista in the main event (we know that’s two matches, but both essential parts of the story).
Low Point: Cena beats Bray Wyatt. Great action but the wrong man wins. The creative flop that is Bray’s career can be traced back to this moment.
Mania Moment: Cesaro chucks out Big Show to win the first ever Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. Also, Brock ending Taker’s streak, which turned out to be kind of important.
Overall: A sensational feel-good Mania that signified real change. The success of NXT, the women’s evolution, and a new generation of indie-style stars came soon after.
WrestleMania XXIV – March 30, 2008
The WM Where: HBK retires Ric Flair and Floyd Mayweather knocks out Big Show.
Best Match: The Edge v Undertaker main event is big, dramatic, and gripping. Everything a WM main event should be.
Low Point: The Playboy BunnyMania match (with a cameo from Snoop Dogg) is an embarrassment to humankind.
Mania Moment: Shawn Michaels whispers “I’m sorry, I love you” before super-kicking Ric Flair into retirement.
Overall: Save a few filler matches, this is excellent stuff top-to-bottom.
Big Show v Mayweather over-delivers, CM Punk wins the last great Money in the Bank, and Cena, Trips, and Orton do an ace three-way. Even JBL and Finlay have a barnstorming street fight.
WrestleMania X-Seven – April 1, 2001
The WM Where: WWE celebrates the end of the Attitude Era with the greatest WrestleMania of all time.
Best Match: The Hardy Boyz v Edge and Christian v The Dudley Boyz in TLC II. As far as multi-man ladder matches go, it’s never been bettered.
Low Point: Stone Cold joins forces with Vince McMahon at the end of his match with Rock. It’s an incredible main event, but Austin’s heel turn is a terrible creative mistake.
Mania Moment: The Vince v Shane street fight is ridiculous fun. The crowd pop is sensational when unlikely hero Linda McMahon boots Vince in the family jewels.
Overall: Every match delivers and the best action – TLC, Rock v Austin, Kurt Angle v Chris Benoit, Triple H v Taker – is some of the best to ever happen at Mania.
Some would argue that WWE has never reached the heights of this event since.