For the last 30 years, WrestleMania has been the cornerstone event in the WWE, changing the course of history and providing wrestling fans with some of the greatest and most memorable moments in the history of professional wrestling. The WWE's marquee event has led to the term WrestleMania Moment becoming a common phrase.
Best moments from WrestleManias I-V
Over the next few weeks leading up to WrestleMania XXX on April 6 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Sports World News will be taking a look back through past WrestleManias and determining the best moment from each one, starting with WrestleMania I at Madison Square Garden in New York City in 1985 and finishing with 2013's installment of WrestleMania XXIX at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
We've already covered all of the events from I-XV, and we'll pick up now looking at the best WrestleMania Moments from 2000-XX (16-20) as we countdown towards WrestleMania XXX in New Orleans on April 6 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. There will be some honorable mentions along the way as well.
Best moments from WrestleManias VI-X
WrestleMania 2000 Honorable Mention: Dazzling debuts for Jericho, Benoit and Angle:
WrestleMania 2000 in Anaheim was interesting because it's the only WrestleMania to not feature a standard singles match. Chris Jericho, Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle each made their WrestleMania debuts at this show in a tremendous triple threat match that had Angle's Intercontinental and European Championships up for grabs in two separate falls. The first fall saw Benoit pin Jericho to win Angle's IC title while the second fall saw Jericho pin Benoit to win Angle's European title. In a great booking move by the WWE, Angle was never pinned but lost both of his titles. Jericho would later go on to say he wasn't a fan of the match, but it was actually one of the only good matches on the entire show. The trio of men would have more great moments at the event up their sleeves for years to come.
WrestleMania 2000 Moment: Hardy Boyz, Dudley Boyz and Edge & Christian steal the show:
The WWE tag team division was reborn in 2000 when the Dudleys, Hardyz and E&C emerged in order to save the division. The Hardy Boyz and Edge and Christian got things going at No Mercy 1999 by fighting in the first ever tag team ladder match, and the Dudleys were added to the mix, eventually leading to the first of a series of triangle tag ladder matches. This was the first such match, and while the three pairs would go on to eclipse this match and make it not hold up as well over time, the three teams still stole the show with some unbelievable moves, risking their bodies. In future years, the teams would add tables, ladders and chairs and revolutionize the ladder match.
Best WrestleMania Moments from XI-XV
WrestleMania X-7 honorable mention: One of the best cards in sports entertainment history:
This whole card could go under the best moment banner as it is highly regarded by many, with some even calling it the best WrestleMania and/or WWE event in history. A great opener with Chris Jericho and William Regal for the IC title, an entertaining hardcore match between Kane, Big Show and Raven, a classic between Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit, an epic street fight between Shane McMahon and Vince McMahon, a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match between the Dudleys, Hardyz and Edge and Christian which would be the highlight of the card on any other show, a gimmick battle royal for nostalgia's sake that featured a return for Bobby "The Brain" Heenan and Mean Gene Okerlund, and a great brawl between Triple H and The Undertaker highlight one of the most revered events in WWE history. The return to the stadium set up of old WrestleMania lore was an added bonus.
WrestleMania X-7 Moment: Rock vs. Austin II is the best in the trio of clashes:
While mostly everything was gold on the WrestleMania X-7 card, the main event is why people filed into the Reliant Astrodome that night. Steve Austin and The Rock fought in their second of three 'Mania matches in what was an amazing blood bath between two of the top stars in WWE history in their prime in front of a hot Austin-partisan Texas crowd. While the Austin heel turn and subsequent alliance with Vince McMahon is looked down upon and ended the Attitude Era, the match was still highly entertaining with false finishes and amazing heart-pumping action. Throughout the match, Austin and Rock played off of past WWE WrestleMania moments by mimicking past matches during the contest. In the end, it made sense for "Stone Cold" the character to return from injury and be so desperate that he'd align himself with "Satan himself" in Vinnie Mac, while it was admittedly stupid for the WWE to even try to turn Austin heel in his home state of Texas. The main event lived up to the hype and capped off one of the best events in WWE history.
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WrestleMania X-8 Moment: Hulk Hogan returns home, battles The Rock:
It was surreal in 2002 when Hulk Hogan returned to the WWE for the first time since leaving for WCW in 1993. It was Hogan's first WrestleMania appearance in nine years after being in the spotlight for the first nine installments of the event. Add in the fact that the backdrop was the same place where Hogan suffered his only other pinfall WrestleMania loss --the SkyDome at WrestleMania VI (1990) -- and the fact that The Rock was his opponent and arguably the most popular star in the WWE at that time, and you have an instant classic. The Rock and Hogan staring at each other from across the ring while flashbulbs lit up the SkyDome was unbelievable. While the crowd mostly turned on The Rock, he was eventually able to beat Hogan in an unbelievable match that saw wrestling's past meet its present. The ending saw Hogan turn face after Scott Hall and Kevin Nash turned on him and The Rock made the save. Hogan and Rock posing to end the match was by definition a WrestleMania Moment. If only the WWE had the foresight to put this match on last, it would have been one of the best endings ever to a WrestleMania.
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WrestleMania XIX Honorable Mention: An amazing undercard and main event highlight a solid installment of WrestleMania:
This one is almost as good as WrestleMania X-7, though it doesn't get as much fanfare. This has a mostly awesome card that may trail the 2001 set of matches by a little bit. Still, the backdrop of Safeco Field in Seattle being the location made this an unbelievable setting for 'Mania. An epic encounter between Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels in the fifth match of the evening setup a slew of great matches to close the card. Hulk Hogan and Vince McMahon fought each other in a street fight that was 20 years in the making and Brock Lesnar won his first WWE Championship after beating Kurt Angle. There was of course the scary moment of Lesnar nearly breaking his neck on a Shooting Star Press attempt, however Lesnar was able to recover and pin Angle in a great main event.
WrestleMania XIX Moment: A "Stone Cold" farewell as The Rock finally beats him:
This is somewhat of a forgotten clash in the Austin-Rock saga, as Rock's movie career was beginning to take off and this ended up being Austin's last match while it was the first encounter between the two not to main event a 'Mania. The contest had great drama as The Rock was hell bent on finally beating Austin after he lost to him twice at WrestleMania (XV, X-7). This match, like their other clashes, was back-and-forth with a lot of false finishes and ended with The Rock finally pinning Austin's shoulders to the mat at the biggest show of the year. We didn't know it at the time, but it proved to be Austin's last match and he went out with a bang in one of the most under rated WrestleManias of all-time in 2003.
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WrestleMania XX Honorable Mentions: Randy Orton, John Cena each start off strong at WrestleMania:
Two of the biggest names heading into WrestleMania XXX are Randy Orton and John Cena, and each man made their WrestleMania debut in strong fashion a decade ago in Madison Square Garden. Cena earned his first singles title that night by defeating The Big Show for the United States Championship in the first match while Randy Orton teamed with Batista and Ric Flair as Evolution in a great match against The Rock and Mick Foley as the Rock 'N Sock Connection. Orton ended up getting the pin on Foley in what was a huge win for him and what ended up being The Rock's final WrestleMania match for eight years. Cena and Orton would become more prevalent on 'Mania cards over the next decade.
WrestleMania XX Moment: Guerrero and Benoit Stand Tall:
While it's hard to watch now since Eddie Guerrero passed away and Chris Benoit did some terrible things in the final days of his life, the ending of WrestleMania XX was amazing at the time. Guerrero and Benoit both overcame a lot of diversity, especially being shorter guys in a land of big and tall men winning championships, and were able to walk out of Madison Square Garden as champions. Guerrero retained his WWE Championship against Kurt Angle while Benoit won his first World Heavyweight Championship by defeating Triple H and Shawn Michaels in a triple threat match in the main event after making Triple H tap out. Benoit and Guerrero --longtime friends-- hugged each other as confetti rained down on them in an emotional moment to close out the last WrestleMania to ever be held at The Garden in New York City.
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These are moments that the WWE has given at its greatest event that will not soon be forgotten, and before we see what other moments are in store at WrestleMania XXX in New Orleans, we'll continue our countdown next time around by looking at the best moments from 'Manias 21-XXV.
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