WWE WrestleMania, first held on March 31, 1985, has evolved into a two-night extravaganza over 41 years. The updated list for WrestleMania 42 highlights the top 42 moments and matches in its history.
On March 31, 1985, WWE held its first ever WrestleMania at Madison Square Garden. Now, 41 years later, WrestleMania has become a full-blown extravaganza, with the event itself spanning two nights.
For WrestleMania 42, weâre updating our annual list â replacing one moment (sorry, Johnny Knoxville) and adding an extra for the 42nd installment of the âShowcase of the Immortals.â
(Events are in chronological order.)
The first WrestleMania set the stage for the next 40 years, bringing stars such as Cyndi Lauper, Mr. T and Muhammad Ali into the fold. Like much of the older WrestleMania main events, the wrestling itself took a backseat to the spectacle of it all. But the star power and precedent set by that event â and this match in particular â makes it deserving of a spot on our list.
If WrestleManiaâs first main event set the precedent for celebrity and spectacle, this match set the bar for technical wrestling. Youâll find a not insignificant contingent of wrestling fans and pundits who still list this match among the greatest of all time, if not the greatest. Savage and Steamboat embodied the spirit of the Intercontinental Championship, which is known as the âworkerâs belt,â usually carried by WWEâs workhorse star. Savage performs remarkably as a heel here, and the number of false finishes really elevates this match into immortal territory. Steamboat may have won, but this pushed both men into a new stratosphere.
Our second match from the landmark WrestleMania III has quite possibly the most influential moment in WrestleMania â and WWE â history. Unlike Savage-Steamboat, this match was far from a technical masterpiece, but it really didnât matter when you factor in the build of Andre and Hoganâs friendship falling apart and the climactic moment where Hogan slams the giant before hitting his leg drop for the win. This match is as iconic as any other on this list, and it headlined the WrestleMania that cemented the eventâs status as WWEâs biggest of the calendar year.
The key moments include iconic matches and celebrity appearances, starting from the inaugural WrestleMania in 1985.
The first WrestleMania took place on March 31, 1985, at Madison Square Garden.
WrestleMania has evolved into a two-night event, becoming a major annual spectacle in professional wrestling.
The main participants in the first WrestleMania match were Hulk Hogan, Mr. T, Roddy Piper, and Paul Orndorff.
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Hogan and Savage embodied this era of WWE, so itâs not surprising that we see them present early and often on this list. The âMega Powersâ had been together for roughly a year (unofficially and officially) before a split in the lead up to WrestleMania V, which saw the champion, Savage, working heel as Miss Elizabeth was torn between the two former friends. Savageâs ring psychology shines early on in the match, and his chemistry with Hogan is strong. The ending follows the traditional Hogan formula for the time, giving fans a payoff worthy of this landmark feud.
Warrior and Hogan entered WrestleMania VI as the Intercontinental and WWF champions, respectively. For the first time ever at a WrestleMania, two titles would be on the line in the same match. Up to this point, Hogan had been in four of five WrestleMania main events, winning them all, so him putting over Warrior â one of the biggest stars of this era â was noteworthy. The stakes more than the match itself warrants inclusion on any WrestleMania âbest ofâ list.
A relatively forgettable match on the mid-card of WrestleMania VII turned out to be the start of perhaps the most revered streak in wrestling history. Undertaker pinned Snuka after a Tombstone piledriver to begin a stretch where the legendary character won 21 straight matches on WWEâs biggest stage.
A perfect choice in the early stages of WrestleMania X at Madison Square Garden, the brother vs. brother match was a showcase of pure wrestling ability between two of the best in the industry at the time. The DNA of so many WrestleMania matches in the future can be traced back to this contest. The storytelling and execution here is top-notch, and sets the stage for one of the best WrestleManias ever. Even the finish, as sudden as it was, came as a surprise with Bret slated to face Yokozuna for the WWF championship later in the night.
The second WrestleMania X match to make our list is an all-time classic between Kliq members Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon. While some aspects of this match havenât aged well, considering how ladder matches evolved in the years that followed, Michaels and Ramon pulled off some truly jaw-dropping spots for the time with impeccable pacing and storytelling. It wasnât the first time Michaels performed at the âShowcase of the Immortals,â and he didnât win, but this was the start of a mid-1990s run that cemented him as Mr. WrestleMania.
Michaels and Hartâs feud â real-life and storyline â dominated the mid-1990s and made for some of the greatest matches of all time, including the main event of WrestleMania XII. Very few wrestlers in WWE history have competed in an Iron Man match, and only one has ever taken place at WrestleMania. The climax of the match comes as time expires with Hart putting Michaels in the Sharpshooter. With no man having scored a pinfall or submission, the match heads to overtime. Michaels eventually wins, 1-0, and captures the WWF Championship for the first time in his career, leading to one of the iconic commentary lines in wrestling history: âThe boyhood dream has come true.â
Austinâs meteoric rise began almost a year earlier, as he coined his iconic âAustin 3:16â slogan en route to winning the 1996 King of the Ring event. Hart and Austin had been feuding for several months, with the payoff coming at WrestleMania in a submission match. Arguably the greatest submission match ever, the lasting image remains a bloodied Austin passing out in the grip of Hart's Sharpshooter. Austin did not submit, but Hart was declared the winner and battered Austin after the match, cementing Austin as a fan favorite and beginning one of the greatest runs in WWE history.
A pivotal moment for WWE as Austin would ultimately win this match and become the face of the organization, while Michaels would step away from in-ring action due to what was believed to be a career-ending back injury. Entering the event, Tyson had aligned himself with Michaels and D-Generation X, seemingly stacking the deck against the ultra-popular Austin. Tysonâs services as enforcer would be required when referee Mike Chioda became incapacitated in the matchâs closing stages. Tyson turned on Michaels, giving Austin a quick three count for the win before celebrating with the new champion.
This wasnât the first time these three legendary tag-teams faced off at WrestleMania. It wasnât even the first âTables, Ladders & Chairs" match, but itâs by far the most memorable. As chaotic as the match is from the opening bell, it never becomes overwhelming â even with interferences from Lita, Spike Dudley and Rhyno. The three biggest spots from this match are immediately recognizable to WWE fans: Jeff Hardyâs Swanton Bomb through Rhyno and Spike Dudley, Edge spearing Jeff Hardy as he hung from the title belts, and Bubba Ray and Matt Hardy crashing from a ladder through four tables outside the ring. Edge and Christian won the match, but all three teams would be forever linked after this contest.
A quasi-rematch of the main event from WrestleMania XV, Austin and The Rock faced off for the second time at a WrestleMania. The build for this match was peak âAttitude Era,â including one of the greatest pre-match montages in WWE history, featuring Limp Bizkitâs âMy Way.â The biggest moment came at the conclusion of the match, as Austin attacked The Rock with a steel chair provided by Vince McMahon, winning the WWF Championship and pulling off one of the most surprising heel turns ever in the process.
Dubbed âIcon vs. Icon,â this WrestleMania match could be the greatest in Hoganâs career. Hogan, who returned to WWE after the demise of WCW, was still working heel with his legendary nWo faction. The Toronto crowd quickly forced Hogan and Rock to switch roles as they booed Rock and cheered Hogan, creating an electric atmosphere that was unmatched by any other contest on the card that night. The moments the two shared after the match â a handshake, rescue and posing for the crowd â resulted in a generational moment and turned Hogan face for the first time during that WWE run.
Both Lesnar and Angle had legitimate wrestling credentials as a former NCAA heavyweight champion and 1996 Olympic gold medalist, respectively. A newer generation of fans are used to a very typical Lesnar formula during his most recent WWE work, but during his first stint Lesnar was as explosive and talented a star as WWE had on its roster. Angle and Lesnar show off equal parts technique and power during this main event, which features one of the wildest â and scariest â spots in WrestleMania history, as Lesnar lands on his head attempting a shooting-star press across the ring. Incredibly, Lesnar is able to finish the closing sequence of the match and pick up the win.
Angle makes the list here in back-to-back years, which is unsurprising considering how talented he was at his peak in WWE. Guerrero, a beloved star who reached new heights after coming over from WCW, is at his best in this match, showing off his rare combination of speed and power in the ring. The climax of the match â Guerrero using shady tactics to escape an ankle lock and leverage the ropes for a pin â shows that even though the champion wasnât always aboveboard in the ring, fans still loved âLatino Heat.â
WrestleMania has a long history of iconic ladder matches, but perhaps none as impactful as the âMoney in the Bankâ ladder match. The unique stipulation guaranteed the winner a chance to âcash inâ an opportunity for a championship of their choosing â most often the WWE Championship. Edge won this inaugural match, which became a WrestleMania staple before breaking off and becoming WWEâs fifth-biggest annual event.
During an era when womenâs wrestling wasnât anywhere close to what it is today, James and Stratus not only told one of the most memorable stories in WWE at the time, but had one of the great womenâs matches in WrestleMania history. Storytelling and ring psychology reign supreme throughout, as James focused on Stratusâ leg for the majority of the match and, much to the surprise of the crowd, picked up the win over the champion on WWEâs biggest stage.
This match truly embraced the extravaganza of WrestleMania, pitting Trump and McMahon against each other with the stipulation that the loser would get his head shaved. More circus than wrestling match, Lashley and Trump were victorious and McMahon lost his hair. This also marks the only time in U.S. history a future president received a Stone Cold Stunner.
Weâve all seen the meme, but what occurred at WrestleMania XXIV was a truly special moment. Flair and Michaels shared the stage in what would be Flairâs âretirementâ from in-ring competition with WWE. The second-longest match on the card featured two of the greatest to ever wrestle, and earned countless accolades. Flair has called the âIâm sorry, I love youâ quip from Michaels his favorite WrestleMania moment and claims it was completely unscripted, adding to the overall legend of this match.
Rather than writing about each individual match during this epic four-year stretch, weâre combining them. Itâs truly a saga involving three of the greatest all-time performers in WWE history.
Michaelsâ first showdown with Undertaker had a relatively normal build, with HBK simply trying to end the Undertakerâs 16-0 WrestleMania streak. That match, which was named 2009 Match of the Year by Pro Wrestling Illustrated and Wrestling Observer Newsletter, seemingly demanded a rematch the following year, as Michaels became obsessed with ending Undertakerâs streak, so much so that he put his own career on the line at WrestleMania 26.
The following year, Michaelsâ storyline and real-life friend Triple H took on the Undertaker â the two had previously battled at WrestleMania X-7, 10 years prior â but, like Michaels, Triple H was unsuccessful in ending the streak. The story between the three âAttitude Eraâ stars ended at WrestleMania XVIII with an all-time âHell in a Cellâ match, culminating with Undertaker improving to 20-0 and the three men marking the âend of an eraâ in an iconic photo at the top of the ramp in Miami, Florida.
While itâs hard to rank them individually, itâs fair to say that these are four of the greatest matches in WWE history and must-watches for any wrestling fan past, present or future.
This match gets looked back upon somewhat unfairly because it was a repeat main event from WrestleMania XXVIII. A certain contingent of fans had begun to sour on John Cena, and an unforeseen injury to The Rock in the beginning stages created some uneven pacing early. All of that said, the final two-thirds of this main event match were spectacular and the fans fully bought in by the end. Cena and Rock both utilized callbacks to their match from the year prior and leveraged their familiarity with one another in the storytelling here. Fittingly, 11 years after Rock and Hogan shared their passing of the torch moment at WrestleMania, Rock and Cena did the same, this time with the tables turned.
Undertaker entered WrestleMania XXX with a perfect 21-0 record at the âShowcase of the Immortals,â which set the stage for one of the most surprising match results in WWE history. Lesnar and Undertaker went toe-to-toe for more than 25 minutes â the second-longest runtime of the night â before Lesnar ultimately pinned âThe Phenomâ for the first time ever at WrestleMania. Fans were legitimately shocked â memes anyone? â and Undertaker would only lose one more time at WrestleMania, to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 33.
Bryanâs meteoric rise in WWE culminated in the run-up to WrestleMania, as fans revolted at the 2014 Royal Rumble and pushed for Bryan to be included in the WWE Championship match between Randy Orton and Batista at WrestleMania XXX. The âOccupy Rawâ segment and overall âYES!â movement are among the greatest WWE moments of the 2010s. Facing a stacked deck as a beloved underdog, Bryan opened the show with an excellent match against Triple H â the storyline authority figure who continually stood in Bryanâs way because he did not fit the prototypical WWE star build â before eventually winning in the main event and celebrating with the Superdome crowd.
Rollinsâ night began with a losing effort in a singles match against Randy Orton, resulting in one of the greatest RKO moments in WWE history. Ultimately, Rollins would leave Leviâs Stadium on top of WWE after cashing in his âMoney in the Bankâ contract during the main event match between Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar. One of the lasting WrestleMania moments of the past decade is Rollins standing atop the (very long) entrance ramp, swinging the WWE Championship he had just won above his head.
A new era of womenâs wrestling was well underway by the time these three took the ring to make their WrestleMania debuts. But a significant change came on this night eight years ago, as the WWE Divas Championship was retired and replaced with the WWE Womenâs Championship. Banks had an all-time WrestleMania entrance as her cousin Snoop Dogg performed her theme music, and Flair was accompanied to the ring by her Hall of Fame father, Ric, who factored into the finish. In an otherwise standard WrestleMania, this match clearly stands out.
An injury opened the door for one of the best organic builds in recent memory. Mustafa Ali, unable to compete at the Elimination Chamber event in February of that year, was replaced by Kofi Kingston â a longtime WWE star whose popularity surged as a member of the New Day faction. Fans rallied behind Kingston for the next two months as he began his journey to face Daniel Bryan (no stranger to fan-built WrestleMania moments himself) at WrestleMania 35. Kingston would beat Bryan, sparking a raucous reaction from the New Jersey crowd and becoming just the third Black WWE champion in history.
For the first time in the history of WrestleMania, women main-evented the biggest show of the year. Lynch had begun a stunning rise at SummerSlam the year prior, turning on longtime friend and fellow âFour Horsewomenâ member, Flair. Lynch went on to win the SmackDown womenâs championship from Flair several weeks later as the two continued their feud. An errant punch from Nia Jax gave Lynch a real-life injury and prevented her from facing Rousey at Survivor Series, and Rousey ultimately interfereed and cost Lynch her title in December 2018. Lynch won the Royal Rumble, challenged Rousey at WrestleMania and Flair was added in a winner-take-all scenario. A solid WrestleMania main event ended with Lynch pinning Rousey and celebrating, becoming âBecky Two Beltsâ and cementing herself as perhaps the most popular womenâs star of all time.
WrestleMania 36 is unique for myriad reasons, considering it was the first to span two nights and, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, was forced to take place in front of no fans at the WWE Performance Center. WrestleMania 36 marked the return of The Undertaker, who last performed in a squash match against John Cena at WrestleMania 34. Due to the pandemic, WWE was forced to get creative with some of its matches, resulting in more cinematic experiences for the Undertaker-Styles and Cena-Wyatt showdowns. Both contests were entertaining and well-received, despite not being traditional wrestling matches.
If the âFour Horsewomenâ ushered in a new era of womenâs wrestling in WWE, Bianca Belair catapulted it to new heights. The self-proclaimed âEST of WWEâ stole the show at back-to-back WrestleManias. At WrestleMania 37, coming off a Royal Rumble victory, Belair main-evented Night 1 against Sasha Banks in what is arguably the greatest womenâs match in the history of the âShowcase of the Immortals,â emerging victorious and capturing the first singles title of her WWE career. This also marked the first time in WWE history two Black women were in the main event of WrestleMania. The next year, after getting squashed by a returning Lynch at SummerSlam, Belair got revenge and won a championship at WrestleMania for the second consecutive year. While Belair-Banks was the better match, Belair-Lynch was among the best matches of their WrestleMania and gave fans a significant payoff after SummerSlamâs disappointing result.
A relatively poorly kept secret, Cody Rhodesâ WWE return still sparked pandemonium in Texas. Rhodes had left WWE years prior and became one of wrestlingâs biggest stars, even helping to create WWEâs first true competitor in nearly two decades in All Elite Wrestling. During his time away, Rhodes showcased in-ring ability and skills with the microphone that would turn him into one of if not the biggest star in WWE today. Rhodes used his patented entrance (style and music) and immediately won over fans before putting on a strong match with Seth Rollins, setting the stage for the next era of WWE.
What initially began as a comical run with Zayn joining The Bloodline turned into one of the most well-executed stories in recent WWE memory. After months of building tension between Zayn and The Bloodline, the star eventually turned on the dominant faction at the Royal Rumble, hitting Roman Reigns with a steel chair. Zayn subsequently got so hot that a segment of fans wanted him to potentially replace Royal Rumble winner Cody Rhodes in the main event of WrestleMania. Instead, Zayn and longtime best friend Kevin Owens teamed up to take on Jimmy and Jey Uso for the the Tag Team Championship in the main event of WrestleMania Night 1. Owens and Zayn won the titles, causing a crowd eruption and hinting at a potentially disastrous weekend for The Bloodline.
The first step in Rhodesâ two-year "Finish the Story" angle happened in Los Angeles in 2023. After setting out to go from âundesirable to undeniable,â Rhodes was closing WWEâs signature show as the company's biggest and most marketable babyface. Reigns entered on a historic championship reign and was main-eventing WrestleMania for the third consecutive year and for the seventh time overall. Rhodes and Reigns built up the tension in typical main event fashion, with interferences from The Bloodline as well as Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens. In the end, Reignsâ real-life cousin, Solo Sikoa, would take advantage of a distracted referee and drop Rhodes, leaving the crowd stunned as the heelâs championship run continued.
Looking back at my grades from 2024, there were some moments that I marked higher on the overall WrestleMania 40 card. In the same breath, no match on either nightâs card had a more surprising outcome than Zayn going over Gunther. WrestleMania 40 marked the third consecutive âShowcase of the Immortalsâ that Zayn managed to steal the show in his own right. A jack of all trades, Zayn carried a celebrity-driven âJackassâ match, main-evented â and won â a tag-team championship contest against the Usos, and then dethroned arguably the most dominant non-Reigns figure in recent WWE history in what was arguably the best pure wrestling match on either nightâs card. Even after a loss, this match also put Gunther on a clear path to winning the World Heavyweight Championship later in the year, which is worth mentioning, especially in retrospect.
McIntyre vs. Rollins was a strong opening match for Night 2 of WrestleMania 40, especially considering that âThe Visionaryâ competed on both nights with a significant knee injury. As good as the match was, the reason this moment makes the cut comes after the initial bell. McIntyre, who defeated Rollins, mixed it up with CM Punk at ringside, which allowed Priest to cash in his guaranteed championship match and defeat the âScottish Psychopathâ to win the World Heavyweight Championship for himself. A MITB cash-in is always going to be one of the most exciting moments on WWE programming, and the fact that it came at WrestleMania (for just the second time ever) added to the aura of the moment. This also served as a major launching point for one of the best WWE feuds of 2024: McIntyre vs. Punk.
An âAvengersâ-style moment in WWE history, Rhodes finally capturing the Undisputed WWE Championship doesnât just belong on this list, it could very well be the greatest main event in WrestleMania history.
The Bloodline Rules stipulation ensured that there would be plenty of run-ins, upping the ante each time and creating absolutely perfect chaos involving The Bloodline, The Rock, John Cena, Seth Rollins and The Undertaker.
There have been better technical matches and perhaps better kayfabe-only storylines in WWE history, but when you look at the career arc of Rhodes and what he has meant to the wrestling industry, and his ascent to being the biggest star in WWE, there may not be a better narrative in the history of professional wrestling as a whole.
Undeniably the best match of last yearâs Night 1, Rollins, Punk and Reigns put together a masterclass in storytelling and a classic in the ring that lasted more than half an hour. Adding to the significance of the moment was the fact that this was Punkâs first WrestleMania main event and he had Paul Heyman in his corner. The opening montage and Punk coming out to âThis Fire Burnsâ was a callback that could have warranted its own spot on this list.
Even with no titles on the line, the stakes felt big enough that this belonged in the main event â Rollins and Punk had been feuding for more than a year, Punk and Reigns shared a shaky alliance dating back to WarGames, and obviously thereâs plenty of shared, tumultuous history between Rollins and Reigns. The double betrayal by Paul Heyman was a genuine shocker and set up Rollins to create the dominant faction on âRawâ for the next year.
If Punk, Rollins and Reigns closed out Night 1 on a high note, Belair, Ripley and Sky opened Night 2 on an even higher one in perhaps the most pressure-packed, non-main event spot on the WrestleMania card.
Voted Uncrownedâs Match of the Year for 2025, these three women didnât just steal the show on Sunday, they stole the entire WrestleMania weekend with a fast-paced, innovative and technically sound contest that belongs in the discussion for greatest womenâs match of all time. With Belair already having a pair of epic WrestleMania matches under her belt and Ripley being the most over female talent in WWE at the time, the star power of these two played into an angle where Sky â the actual champion â seemed like an afterthought in Las Vegas. (This match played a significant role in Sky also being named Uncrownedâs Female Wrestler of the Year, for those keeping score.)
Part of this matchâs legacy will be the fact that Belair suffered a hand injury that has kept her out of action for the past year, but it should not take away from the brilliant work these three women did at WrestleMania 41.
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