Triple H and Roman Reigns are preparing to do battle in the 32nd main event in WrestleMania history.
While it's not the most exciting main event on paper, it'll still be quite the spectacle when the WWE World Heavyweight Champion and the leader of the Roman Empire stare across from the ring at each other this Sunday at AT&T Stadium in Texas.
Both combatants obviously have a lot weighing on them considering its the biggest match on the grandest stage of them all, but as history has shown, not all main events have delivered. While WrestleMania is known for some of the best final battles of all time, it's been a mixed bag through the years.
Here are our rankings for the last 31 'Mania main events, a list that will undoubtedly change each year.
31) Bret Hart vs. Yokozuna -- WrestleMania IX (1993)
It didn't take very long for Yokozuna to run out of gas in this one. There was nothing truly notable about the match itself, and Hulk Hogan coming down to win the title from Yokozuna mere minutes after he defeated Hart didn't help things either.
30) Lawrence Taylor vs. Bam Bam Bigelow -- WrestleMania XI (1995)
In a desperate attempt to get some publicity and save the company from the doldrums, Vince McMahon opted to bring former Giants great Lawrence Taylor into the fold to face Bigelow in the main event of the biggest show of the year. While LT held his own in the ring in victory and the bout was quite entertaining, it was still a football player against a midcard wrestler to close the show.
29) Hulk Hogan vs. Sid Justice -- WrestleMania VIII (1992)
This was dubbed as Hogan's farewell match, which probably explains why it went on last, but the WWE definitely should have ran with Randy Savage vs. Ric Flair as its main event. This clash was just boring and had a botched finish, as Papa Shango missed his cue to interfere at the end, causing Sid to kick out of Hogan's leg drop. The DQ finish didn't help things, but it was slightly saved by The Ultimate Warrior's shocking return.
28) John Cena vs. The Miz -- WrestleMania XXVII (2011)
This resembled more of a match you'd see on "Monday Night RAW" than the main event of the WWE's marquee event. From a false double-countout finish to The Rock's over-involvement, there just wasn't much to see here as Miz retained the title.
27) Triple H vs. Randy Orton -- WrestleMania XXV (2009)
The 25th anniversary of WrestleMania closed out with a whimper as "The Game" and "The Viper" fought in a very boring match. It's crazy to think how many times these two have wrestled each other in great bouts, yet when the lights were shining brightest, they put together a stinker. It doesn't help that Triple H's big win followed the classic encounter between The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels.
26) The Rock vs. John Cena -- WrestleMania XXIX (2013)
The main problem with this match is it was a rematch from the year before when the WWE Universe was promised a "once in a lifetime" battle between the "Cenation" leader and the "People's Champion." The match itself was fine, but predictably, Cena got his win back against The Rock to recapture the WWE Championship.
25) Hulk Hogan & Mr. T vs. Roddy Piper & Paul Orndorff -- WrestleMania I (1985)
It's hard to imagine the WWE Championship not being defended at WrestleMania and the show ending in a tag team match, but that's exactly what happened at the inaugural event. Vince McMahon teamed up wrestling and pop culture to deliver this star-studded main event. The babyface team naturally won and though it's not a five-star classic, it was still an entertaining ending to the spectacle and helped make the franchise a success.
24) Hulk Hogan vs. King Kong Bundy -- WrestleMania II (1986)
In the first and only standard Steel Cage match in 'Mania history, Hogan successfully defended the WWE Championship against King Kong Bundy. Though it was entertaining for what it was, the match spanned just over 10 minutes, something eclipsed by most "RAW" matches these days.
23) The Undertaker vs. Sid -- WrestleMania 13 (1997)
This is a notable event as The Undertaker won the WWE Championship for just the second time in history, but the flip-flopping of the card due to Shawn Michaels' injury didn't help things. This match plodded along and was a real snooze-fest until 'Taker finally put Sid -- and the audience -- out of their misery.
22) Bret Hart vs. Yokozuna -- WrestleMania X (1994)
This was a huge moment for the WWE as Hart recaptured the WWE Championship to launch the New Generation in the first edition of the event without Hulk Hogan. It wasn't a classic, however, as Yokozuna was noticeably tired due to his earlier clash with Lex Luger. Hart's match with his brother Owen and Razor Ramon's Ladder Match with Shawn Michaels easily outshine this one.
21) Chris Jericho vs. Triple H WrestleMania X-8 (2002)
This was "The Game's" big moment after returning from a serious injury to win the Royal Rumble Match. It, however, was a mediocre match and the crowd was completely dead after giving it their all to the clash between Hulk Hogan and The Rock, which likely should have been put on last.
20) Sgt. Slaughter vs. Hulk Hogan -- WrestleMania VII (1991)
At the height of the Gulf War, the WWE turned Slaughter into a Iraqi sympathizer and he captured the WWE Championship from The Ultimate Warrior at the Royal Rumble. It set up this patriotic battle for the "Show of Shows," which was a decent in unspectacular match, won by Hogan.
19) Batista vs. Triple H -- WrestleMania 21 (2005)
This was a huge moment for Batista as he became World Heavyweight Champion for the first time in his career. While this was a solid match, it dragged on for a bit and wasn't a show-stealer.
18) The Rock vs. John Cena -- WrestleMania XXVIII (2012)
This match gets the nod over the other one because not only was it their first encounter, making it fresh, but it was "The Great One's" first 'Mania match in eight years. This was a tremendous bout and saw The Rock close out WrestleMania standing tall for the first time ever after being screwed many times during the Attitude Era.
17) Triple H vs. The Rock vs. Mick Foley vs. The Big Show -- WrestleMania 2000 (2000)
This was doomed from the start due to a McMahon being in every corner, thus sucking the energy from the Superstars to focus on the family drama. The match was okay, but Vince McMahon screwing The Rock and Triple H winning still leaves a bad taste even 16 years later.
16) John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels -- WrestleMania 23 (2007)
The WWE had to change its plans after Triple H suffered an injury to negate Cena-HHH II, so HBK was thrust into the spotlight for his last ever crack at the richest prize in the game at WrestleMania. What resulted was a highly-entertaining bout, but it would have been nice to see Michaels have one last hurrah at 'Mania by leaving with the gold.
15) Edge vs. The Undertaker -- WrestleMania XXIX (2008)
The "Rated 'R' Superstar" got his first and only main event match when he defended his World Heavyweight Championship against The Undertaker. This was an amazing match between two of the WWE's all-time greats, which saw 'Taker earn back the gold by making Edge tap out.
14) John Cena vs. Triple H -- WrestleMania 22 (2006)
The best part of this match was the audience as this was the initial point where the "Cenation" leader became a polarizing figure. The WWE Universe mercilessly booed Cena throughout this fantastic main event, but he still stood tall to retain his WWE Championship.
13) Randy Savage vs. Ted Dibiase -- WrestleMania IV (1988)
The finals of the one night, single-elimination tournament to crown a new undisputed WWE Champion surprisingly (and refreshingly) didn't include Hulk Hogan. The "Macho Man" wrestled in his fourth match of the evening against Dibiase and though "The Hulkster" got involved, Savage had his moment to shine by winning the richest prize in the game for the first time in his career.
12) Hulk Hogan vs. Randy Savage -- WrestleMania V (1989)
In an amazing storyline that took over a year to reach its climax, the Mega Powers exploded at WrestleMania V. After helping Savage gain the title in the very same building -- Trump Plaza -- the year before, the "Hulkster" dethroned his former partner in an epic clash to win it back.
11) Kurt Angle vs. Brock Lesnar -- WrestleMania XIX (2003)
Two of the WWE's most athletically gifted and highly decorated Superstars battled it out for the WWE Championship when Angle defended against Lesnar. Despite a botched Shooting Star Press attempt by "The Beast," this match was unbelievable as Lesnar cemented his legacy by winning the gold for the first time.
10) Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant -- WrestleMania III (1987)
Though it's not by any means a five-star classic, this is the main event that put WrestleMania on the map. Andre put his 15-year undefeated streak on the line against Hogan's WWE Championship in front of a huge crowd at the Pontiac Silverdome. The audience was hot from the outset, including when Andre scored an early near-fall. In the end, Hogan nailed the Giant with the slam heard 'round the world and retained the belt.
9) Daniel Bryan vs. Batista vs. Randy Orton -- WrestleMania XXX (2014)
Thankfully, the original plans of a Batista-Orton encounter were squashed and Bryan showed that even smaller wrestlers can have their day. Bryan won this Triple Threat Match to capture the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and send the Mercedes-Benz Superdome into a frenzy in one of the best WrestleMania Moments ever.
8) Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar (vs. Seth Rollins) -- WrestleMania 31 (2015)
Last year, it seemed like the WWE was about to pull the trigger on the Reigns mega push. In one of the most shocking (and greatest) endings in WrestleMania history, Rollins cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase to make it a Triple Threat Match and left Levi's Stadium with the title in a moment that will go down as one of the best in 'Mania history.
7) Steve Austin vs. The Rock -- WrestleMania XV (1999)
At the height of the Attitude Era, two of the WWE's very best went head-to-head as Austin fought the Corporation's Rock in a no DQ match for the WWE Championship. It was the basic formulaic brawl that time is famous for, but it was absolutely awesome. In the end, Austin defeated The Rock to thwart off McMahon's plans.
6) Chris Benoit vs. Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels -- WrestleMania XX (2004)
While obviously this has a sad connotation now, this bout was one of the best Triple Threat Matches in wrestling history. The drama all three men participated in at Madison Square Garden that March night is unparalleled. In the end, Benoit finally won the big one and celebrated being on top of the mountain with his friend Eddie Guerrero. At the time, it was one of the happiest endings in 'Mania history, but now it's sad to look back on.
5) Steve Austin vs. Shawn Michaels -- WrestleMania XIV (1998)
This is a match between two of wrestling's greatest icons, and though Michaels was working with a horribly messed up back, he bumped like a mad man to make Austin look good. The "Texas Rattlesnake" picked up his first ever WWE Championship -- with help from a fast count by special enforcer Mike Tyson -- to usher in the Attitude Era.
4) The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels -- WrestleMania XXVI (2010)
After stealing the show the year prior, The Undertaker and Michaels raised the stakes in a Career vs. Streak match to close out the "Show of Shows." The confrontation may not live up to their epic encounter from the year before, but it was one hell of a main event. The Undertaker toppled HBK for the second straight year, ending one of the most illustrious careers in wrestling history.
3) Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart -- WrestleMania XII (1996)
Realizing how thin his roster was, Vince McMahon opted to have his two best athletes compete for over an hour in the first-ever Iron Man Match. Hart and Michaels put on an absolute clinic, and though it's not the type of match that the fans of sports entertainment would enjoy, wrestling purists ate it up. Michaels defeated Hart in overtime to win his first-ever WWE Championship.
2) The Ultimate Warrior vs. Hulk Hogan -- WrestleMania VI (1990)
This was a one-match show -- and boy did that match deliver. For the first time ever, a babyface vs. babyface contest closed out the WWE's cornerstone event. The Warrior put up his Intercontinental Championship against Hulk Hogan's WWE Championship in a winner-take-all bout that divided the fans. The Warrior had the best match of his career that day in Toronto and escaped the SkyDome with two belts, handing Hogan his first defeat at 'Mania.
1) Steve Austin vs. The Rock -- WrestleMania X-7 (2001)
Last year, we ranked WrestleMania X-7 as the best of all time, so it's only fitting that the main event would top this countdown. This was the very peak of the Attitude Era and the beginning of the end for it. The WWE's roster was absolutely stacked at this point and two of the best in the business waged war on its brightest stage for the WWE Championship. Though Austin's heel turn is much-maligned, this match was filled with tremendous drama and The Rock played the never-say-die babyface role to perfection. Austin won the title in what signaled the end of the Attitude Era as the Invasion Angle would soon come into focus. This is one of the greatest bouts in WWE history, despite Austin's heel turn in his home state of Texas being regrettable.
