It’s hard to believe WrestleMania XL is already here. Sheesh – I feel like I blinked and 20 years past since me and the fellas crowded into my parents’ living room to watch WrestleMania XX. I’m an old. Nonetheless, the hype for this year’s main event between Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes has got me thinking about my favorite main events from years past. Like a lot of stuff in wrestling, you can look at it through more than one lens – what’s the ‘best’ vs. what’s the ‘most entertaining’…who’s the ‘best worker’ vs. who’s the ‘biggest draw.’ For my own Mount Rushmore, I’m going with simply “I enjoyed these the most and they were the first ones that come to mind when I first pondered this question.”
My Personal Mount Rushmore of WrestleMania Main Events
Hulk Hogan vs. Ultimate Warrior (WrestleMania VI) – The operative word in this headline is ‘personal’ – remember that. In 1990, it didn’t get any bigger than Warrior and Hogan. I’m absolutely mortified to watch this match again in 2024, so please don’t hold me accountable for this and make me watch it again. At the time, it was two titans of the industry in a war of attrition for both belts. To this day, I hope we get another ‘title for title’ gimmick at ‘Mania.
Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels (WrestleMania XII) – If I’m being honest with myself, this match has not held up well over time. I recently re-watched and yeah, it’s a bit of a slog. But, I had to put it on my personal Mount Rushmore because of the impact it had on me at a young age. I thought this shit was peak sport. As a kid, I ate up every minute of this match and it probably had a more profound effect on me than any other wrestling match of the era. I thought Bret Hart was Michael Jordan in 1996.
John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels (WrestleMania 23) – You can make a strong argument that this is the greatest main event in WrestleMania history. In my opinion, the only thing it had going against it was that none of us really thought Michaels was going to win against prime Super Cena. The fact that these two put on an exciting bout that had us even remotely questioning that is a testament to the work these two icons put together that night in Detroit.
Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes (WrestleMania 39) – I don’t care what the haters have to say about this match. Look at where it has gotten us today with the whole “finish the story” bit. I loved this match – it had a little bit of everything in it. It was fast-paced action, near falls…I genuinely didn’t know what was going to happen, and the ending was so satisfying because of how unsatisfying it was for so many people. Does that make me the hater? Maybe. But, it was a massive swerve that has since led to bigger and better things. It’s one of my favorite wrestling matches that I’ve seen in quite some time.
Honorable Mentions: Michaels-Undertaker at WrestleMania 26, Triple H-Benoit-Michaels at WrestleMania XX, Styles-Undertaker at WrestleMania 36, Reigns-Lesnar(-Rollins) at WrestleMania 31
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.
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