Pantoja’s Top 50 Matches In WrestleMania History (#30 – 21)

30. WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns [c] vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Edge – WrestleMania 37

Image Credit: WWE

This was instantly special given who was in it. Two of them retired and thought they’d never wrestle again, while the other beat leukemia. After Jey Uso was taken out by Edge, we got treated to Edge against Daniel Bryan for a bit, which is two of my all-time favorites. I absolutely loved the spot where Roman and Edge collided shoulders on Spear attempts. It made sense and looked brutal. Bryan had a hot run hitting kicks and slapping on submissions before Roman powerbombed him through a table, only for Edge to Spear him off the steel steps. It was wild and glorious. There was a really cool spot where a chair broke and Edge used the piece of it for extra leverage on a crossface on Roman. Everyone had huge close calls at several points. Bryan even took a Con-chair-to, which is nuts. Jey Uso got involved but Edge got rid of him only for Roman to Spear him. A con-chair-to later and Roman dragged Edge onto Bryan, pinning both to win in 21:40. Outstanding pro wrestling. It hit some expected tropes and had the heel win but what a ride to get there. They wrestled this like it was their last match, which is fitting given who was involved. Wild spots, huge drama, tons of emotion, and three of the best wrestlers ever putting on a showcase on the biggest stage. [****½]

29. Money in the Bank: Carlito vs. Chris Jericho vs. CM Punk vs. John Morrison vs. Mr. Kennedy vs. MVP vs. Shelton Benjamin – WrestleMania XXIV

Image Credit: WWE

This is one of my favorite Money in the Bank matches. It goes right into the action. John Morrison is doing moonsaults with a ladder off the top within the first two or three minutes. That pace was kept up throughout and that’s important. It’s almost impossible to reel off every big spot. The sunset flip/superplex combo was a standout, as was the Backstabber off the ladder, and Benjamin’s ridiculous bump through a ladder. I thought that Matt Hardy’s surprise return to cost MVP the match was well done. The crowd ate that shit up. In fact, the fans were hot for everything. It all ultimately came down to the recently returned Jericho and Punk. The drama was high but Punk trapped Jericho’s leg in the ladder and pulled down the briefcase to a huge pop after 13:54. I love this match. It features great inventive spots, has no downtime, and is filled with fantastic action, all coming to a satisfying conclusion. I’m probably the high man on this but whatever. [****½]

28. WWE Women’s Championship: IYO SKY [c] vs. Bayley – WrestleMania XL

Image Credit: WWE

It took a long time but Bayley finally got to have a truly great moment after returning from injury a few years back. She spent most of the past couple of years getting dominated by Bianca Belair but after a great performance that saw her win the Royal Rumble, Bayley was back in a top spot. Damage CTRL turned on her, setting her up as a top babyface against IYO SKY, which was a recipe for success. The two went out there for 14:23 on the biggest stage and nearly stole the show. There’s just so much to like here from the fact that it was free of shenanigans to the fact that both women brought out unexpected moves, it all felt fitting of a big WrestleMania match. Just two of the best women in the world doing their thing. IYO targeted the leg and Bayley sold it very well, further drawing a strong reaction from the crowd when it was time to make her rally. IYO made a key mistake, missing the third moonsault attempt and Bayley capitalized to win the title with the Rose Plant. Fantastic stuff, a well-deserved moment, and WWE’s best women’s match of 2024. [****½]

27. WWE Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match: Razor Ramon [c] vs. Shawn Michaels – WrestleMania X

Image Credit: WWE

Shawn was stripped of the title due to suspension and Razor won the vacant strap. Shawn returned with his title, so two belts hung above the ring. These guys took a few minutes to bring the ladder into play but I liked it. With this being the first televised WWF ladder match, it makes sense that they wouldn’t be too eager to use it. When they did, the uses of it made sense. Since this wasn’t common, the crowd reacted perfectly to even the smallest of uses of the ladder as a weapon. This was paced in a way that was back and forth, with neither man having a clear upper hand. That’s important for this kind of setting. It could’ve gone either way. Shawn provided the IICONIC moments with his ladder dives. They still get replayed in video packages over 20 years later. The finish was fitting as Shawn got knocked off the ladder and crotched himself on the ropes. His leg got trapped in the ropes and when he got that free, his hand got stuck. Razor retrieved the title in 18:47. A stellar match that was groundbreaking at the time. It’s not as exciting as ladder matches today, but they did some impressive and innovative things, setting the standard going forward. [****½]

26. WWE Intercontinental Championship: Gunther [c] vs. Sami Zayn – WrestleMania XL

Image Credit: WWE

Sami got his ass kicked from the start but he got his licks in, evidenced by Gunther’s chest being red. Gunther threw vicious chops back, which has to suck in 40 degree weather (commentary has given us so many weather updates tonight). Sami found a way to throw some suplexes yet he couldn’t muster a lot of momentum against the champion. Sami survived the powerbomb but was still barely standing, except when he busted out the Helluva Kick for a near fall. Gunther delivered two more powerbombs, yet Sami again kicked out and Gunther wasn’t sure what to do. Nobody really ever survives that much. I liked Gunther talking smack to Sami’s wife in the crowd and her response was “it’s over for you.” That’s a top-tier level of confidence. That triggered Gunther to go off and spam powerbombs. He wouldn’t cover though, continuing the assault and even hitting a top rope splash. Sami fired up and delivered a Helluva Kick followed by a BRAINBUSTAAAAA from the top. He added another Helluva Kick and ended Gunther’s legendary reign at the 15:26 mark. An outstanding match that built and only got better. The emotion from Sami’s wife, his comeback, Gunther being an asshole, and that finish with the BRAINBUSTAAAA was phenomenal. [****½]

25. Hell in a Cell: Triple H vs. The Undertaker – WrestleMania XXVIII

Image Credit: WWE

I loved the intrigue about what Shawn Michaels would do as the guest referee. Would he side with his friend against his old rival? Would he stop his friend from achieving what he couldn’t? Would he call it down the middle? I liked how Undertaker came out with fire, looking to prove that last year was a fluke and that he could still hang with the best. I also liked how they utilized the stipulation well from guys getting thrown into the cell to bringing in chairs and stairs, yet never feeling like it overdid that or relied too heavily on them. The story carried this, including HHH beating Taker with a chair like last year and even Shawn telling him to cover rather than to keep up the assault and Taker demanding that Shawn not call for an end. When Taker put Shawn in Hell’s Gate for trying to stop the match only for HHH to crush him with a sledgehammer, it sent the match into the next gear. Shawn’s revenge set up the Sweet Chin Music into the Pedigree, which is probably the greatest near fall in wrestling history. Seriously, it still gives me chills. I will say, the match peaked there. The stuff after it is good but that’s the high mark. HHH remained defiant but became the 20 in 20-0 after an epic 30:53. Yeah, that’s an all-timer. The HHH/Taker matches aren’t on the level of HBK/Taker but they’re fantastic in their own right and a great end to a four-year story. [****½]

24. Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels – WrestleMania XIX

Image Credit: WWE

Shawn’s first Mania match since 1998. I loved the story behind this. The idea was that Jericho idolized Michaels but now feels he has surpassed him. Their early exchanges ended in a stalemate that showed how evenly matched these two were. When Jericho took control, he shouted things like “I’M BETTER THAN YOU.” I loved Jericho doing a nip up after a flying forearm and stealing Shawn’s signature pose, only for Shawn to nip up behind him. Great stuff. The same goes for Jericho hitting Sweet Chin Music. Shawn survived it and hit the elbow before tuning up the band. You thought would be it but Jericho was prepared and countered into the Walls. Fantastic. When that failed, Jericho grew frustrated. That was all Shawn needed. Jericho went for a back suplex and had it countered into a rollup that ended things in 22:34. Incredible storytelling. They gave us exactly the match we needed. Both guys were on their A game and it remains one of the best matches either man has ever put on. It’s a personal favorite of mine. Shawn’s first truly great Mania match. [****½]

23. Retirement Match: Randy Savage vs. Ultimate Warrior – WrestleMania VII

Image Credit: WWE

Just before the match, Elizabeth was shown in the crowd. Almost immediately, this felt special and different from the rest of the night. Talk about a big fight feel. Every single thing they did was met with incredible anticipation and response from the crowd. Both Randy Savage and Ultimate Warrior tell an amazing story with little things like looks and mannerisms. Sherri kept trying to get involved, but it made sense. Savage knew he was outmatched in terms of sheer power, so he had a plan. And it mostly failed as Sherri continually got thwarted. The drama twists and turns. Sherri accidentally hit Savage with her shoe, but instead of that being where Warrior wins, Savage quickly regained control. In a memorable moment, Savage reeled off FIVE STRAIGHT ELBOW DROPS and Warrior still kicked out. Warrior fired up and hit his finisher, only for Savage to kick out. This was before kicking out of finishers was common, so it came across fantastically. After Savage missed a double axe handle to the outside and crashed on the guardrail, Warrior added three shoulder blocks to win in an emotional 20:46. An incredible match totally built on drama and emotion. It was captivating and the fans ate up every little thing they did. A classic. [****½]

22. WWE Championship: Eddie Guerrero [c] vs. Kurt Angle – WrestleMania XX

Image Credit: WWE

Kurt Angle looked to keep the pace slow while Eddie wanted to quicken it. Such a simple story to build a match around yet it works masterfully. Angle put the focus on Eddie’s ribs. Belly to belly suplexes were handy in this case. I loved how Eddie nearly hit the Frog Splash in the opening minutes after getting dominated. It was as if he could get his ass kicked but he’d be okay because he had that in his arsenal. Angle got frustrated because he was in control yet Eddie kept finding openings. The champion gained confidence with each of his hope spots. Then it was Eddie’s turn to get thwarted as Angle had a counter ready for his signature offense. Since there weren’t false finishes in each match back in 2004, the fans totally bit on the Frog Splash near fall. It got one of the best reactions of the night. Then, we got one of the most clever finishes ever. Eddie escaped the Ankle Lock and loosened his boot to ease the pressure on the damage. Angle pounced and put the hold back on, only for Eddie to slip out of the boot. A stunned Angle then got pulled into an inside cradle to lose in 21:32. And Eddie used the ropes for leverage. And his ankle wasn’t really hurt. A perfect ending for the story the rivalry was telling. Eddie was the kind of champion who cheated and he celebrated that fact. Everything leading up to it was also tremendous. Stellar pro wrestling. [****½]

21. Hardcore Match: Edge vs. Mick Foley – WrestleMania 22

Image Credit: WWE

After they dropped the ball with Edge as WWE Champion to start the year, this match was supposed to remedy that. It worked. He went to war with Mick Foley in one of the most violent matches you’ll see anywhere. Early on, you got the sense that Edge bit off more than he could chew. Sure he brought a bat to the ring but once Foley brought out the barbed wire, Edge was in trouble. Edge got an opening when he hip tossed Foley into the steel steps. That seemed to spark something inside of him as he started getting more vicious than Foley. He used the barbed wire in sick ways. To retaliate, Foley had to dig deep and bring out his old Cactus Jack tricks. And then that finish. It’s one of my favorite in WrestleMania history. Lita set a table on fire and Edge Speared Foley off the apron and through it. The slow motion shot of Edge going face first into the flames is insane. The whole thing went 14:37 and it was outstanding. I loved the way the momentum kept swinging as each guy had to do just a little more. The Rated R Superstar had officially arrived and he never looked back. [****½]