The 50 Greatest Matches in WrestleMania History

With WrestleMania XXVIII going down this Sunday, will John Cena vs. The Rock live up to these classic brawls?

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Complex Original

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WrestleMania is the one day each year that you don’t have to pretend you stopped watching pro wrestling back in junior high school. World Wrestling Entertainment calls it "The Showcase of the Immortals." That’s a bit much. Still, it’s a big deal—last year’s event reportedly generated over $62 million for the host city of Atlanta. But WrestleMania is more than just a moneymaker. Every wrestling fan knows that the best matches tend to take place on the biggest stage. And this year, a legitimate movie star, The Rock, will return to his roots—the wrestling ring—and face John Cena in the main event of WrestleMania XXVIII.


Now, it must be stated: Wrestling is not a real sport. It’s pre-determined and choreographed. Yet, the athleticism and the injuries are, in fact, quite real. (Don't believe us? Peep the video evidence.) So is the drama. And that’s part of what makes a great match. So we watched all 27 WrestleManias to bring you the best of the best: the 50 Greatest Matches in WrestleMania History.

50. Hulk Hogan and Mr. T vs. Roddy Piper and Paul Orndoff, WrestleMania I

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49. CM Punk vs. Randy Orton, WrestleMania XXVII

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48. Lawrence Taylor vs. Bam Bam Bigelow, WrestleMania XI

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47. Randy Savage vs. Ted DiBiase, WrestleMania IV

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46. Hulk Hogan vs. Vince McMahon, WrestleMania XIX

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45. Mickie James vs. Trish Stratus, WrestleMania XXII

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44. CM Punk vs. Rey Mysterio Jr., WrestleMania XXVI

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43. John Cena vs. Randy Orton vs. Triple H, WrestleMania XXIV

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42. Christian vs. Chris Jericho, WrestleMania XX

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41. Triple H vs. Undertaker, WrestleMania X-Seven

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40. The British Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith and The Dynamite Kid) vs. The Dream Team (Greg “The Hammer” Valentine and Brutus Beefcake), WrestleMania II

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39. Shawn Michaels vs. Diesel, WrestleMania XI

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38. John Cena vs. Batista, WrestleMania XXVI

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37. The Rock vs. Triple H vs. Mick Foley vs. Big Show, WrestleMania 2000

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36. The Brain Busters (Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson) vs. Strike Force (Tito Santana and Rick Martel), WrestleMania V

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35. Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant, WrestleMania III

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34. Undertaker vs. Triple H, WrestleMania XXVII

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33. Steve Austin vs. The Rock, WrestleMania XIX

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32. Undertaker vs. Edge, WrestleMania XXIV

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31. Chris Jericho vs. Chris Benoit vs. Christian vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Edge vs. Kane, WrestleMania XXI

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30. The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan, WrestleMania X8

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29. Edge and Christian vs. The Hardy Boyz vs. The Dudley Boyz, WrestleMania X-Seven

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28. Evolution (Ric Flair, Randy Orton, and Batista) vs. The Rock and Sock Connection (The Rock and Mick Foley), WrestleMania XX

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27. Steve Austin vs. Shawn Michaels, WrestleMania XIV

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26. Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit, WrestleMania X-Seven

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25. Steve Austin vs. The Rock, Wrestlemania XV

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24. Edge vs. Mick Foley, Wrestlemania XXII

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23. Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho, WrestleMania XIX

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22. John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels, WrestleMania XXIII

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21. Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio, WrestleMania XXI

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20. Shane McMahon vs. Vince McMahon, WrestleMania X-Seven

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19. Randy Savage vs. Ric Flair, WrestleMania VIII

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18. Shawn Michaels vs. Ric Flair, WrestleMania XXIV

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17. Ultimate Warrior vs. Hulk Hogan, WrestleMania VI

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16. Hulk Hogan vs. Randy Savage, WrestleMania V

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15. Bret Hart vs. Roddy Piper, WrestleMania VIII

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14. Shawn Michaels vs. Undertaker, WrestleMania XXV

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13. Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart, WrestleMania XII

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12. The Hardy Boyz vs. The Dudley Boyz vs. Edge and Christian, WrestleMania 2000

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11. Eddie Guerrero vs. Kurt Angle, WrestleMania XX

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10. The Rock vs. Steve Austin, WrestleMania X-Seven

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9. Kurt Angle vs. Brock Lesnar, WrestleMania XIX

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8. Razor Ramon vs. Shawn Michaels, WrestleMania X

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7. Ultimate Warrior vs. Randy Savage, WrestleMania VII

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6. Shawn Michaels vs. Kurt Angle, WrestleMania XXI

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5. Owen Hart vs. Bret Hart, WrestleMania X

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4. Shawn Michaels vs. Undertaker, WrestleMania XXVI

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3. Chris Benoit vs. Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels, WrestleMania XX

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2. Ricky Steamboat vs. Randy Savage, WrestleMania III

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1. Steve Austin vs. Bret Hart, WrestleMania XIII

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