Over the last 42 years, there have been so many celebrated matches at WrestleMania that it's difficult to keep track of them. Savage vs. Steamboat. Austin vs. The Rock. HBK vs. The Undertaker. WWE never fails to celebrate the dozens of mat classics that have occurred over the years — the world title matches and main events.
But then there are the matches that fly under the radar whether it’s because of their placement on the card or because of an underwhelming build. They have yet to receive their accolades — until now. We’re on the road to WrestleMania and these are the 10 Most Underrated WrestleMania Matches of All Time.
“Stone Cold” Steve Austin vs. Savio Vega (WrestleMania XII)
Steve Austin’s initial foray into the WWE didn’t set the world on fire. Strapped with the moniker of “The Ringmaster” and given Ted DiBiase as a mouthpiece, it was difficult for Austin to display his talents. Gradually, Austin was given more creative freedom, and in the early days of his “Stone Cold” gimmick, he faced off against the veteran Savio Vega. Austin was a different worker before his terrifying neck injury and was able to deploy a hard hitting style with a game opponent eager to match his aggression. An entertaining match with stiff shots and a creative heelish finish, this match was overlooked due to constant cutting to the Hollywood Backlot Brawl between Roddy Piper and Goldust.
The Rock vs. Ken Shamrock (WrestleMania XIV)
Soon after his epic heel turn, a young, brash Rock was the reigning Intercontinental Champion facing a formidable challenger: The World’s Most Dangerous Man, Ken Shamrock. Their match featured competitive back and forth action until Shamrock hooked in the Ankle Lock for the submission and the title. But Shamrock, who was known for his fiery temper, refused to let go of the hold, leaving the referee no choice but to reverse the decision and disqualify Shamrock, handing the title back to The Rock.
Cactus Jack and Chainsaw Charlie vs. The New Age Outlaws (WrestleMania XIV)
Maybe not a technical mat classic but certainly a fun match. Cactus Jack and Chainsaw Charlie (aka Terry Funk) had a long history of brutal battles against each other but joined forces to form one of the most extreme tag teams in WWE history and challenge the reigning tag champs, “The Road Dogg” Jesse James and “Bad Ass” Billy Gunn, together known as the New Age Outlaws. About a month earlier, the Outlaws locked the extreme duo in a dumpster and pushed them off the stage, hence the stipulation here. The result was a Dumpster Match where the winner was whoever could lock their opponents in a dumpster. Hardcore fun at its best with a lot of sick bumps that saw Jack and Charlie take home the gold. Even though the Outlaws regained the straps the next night on Raw in a cage, this one put a lot of smiles on faces.
Kane v. The Big Show vs. Raven (WrestleMania X-7)
One of the more insane matches in WrestleMania history, Kane, Big Show, and Raven fought all over the building pulling out every hardcore trick in the book. Legend has it that the match almost killed the power to the entire building when Raven commandeered a golf cart and almost cut a wire that supplied the majority of the power to the production. Competitors were thrown through walls, glass windows, and hit with every weapon under the sun. The Hardcore Championship had its variety of good vs. not-so-good matches but this random trio made the most of their time. This may not be a technical classic, but seeing someone the size of Kane jumping off the stage with a leg drop was a sight to behold. In the end, the Big Red Machine pinned Show to win the title.
Mickie James vs. Trish Stratus (WrestleMania 22)
Considered one of the best Women’s matches in WrestleMania history, established star Trish Stratus defended her Women’s Championship against newcomer Mickie James. Debuting as an obsessed fan of Stratus, Mickie was soon revealed to be more of a creepy stalker and threw down the gauntlet for a match with Stratus at the show of shows. These two competitors put on a hell of a match and helped usher in a new era, demonstrating that women’s wrestling could and should be viewed on the same level as the men. Despite the post-match controversy which saw James make crude gestures toward the camera, the match should be considered a classic.
Adrian Adonis vs. “Rowdy” Roddy Piper (WrestleMania III)
In what was originally built as Roddy Piper’s retirement match before heading off to Hollywood (don’t worry he'd be back sooner than later) Piper and “The Adorable” Adrian Adonis gave us one hell of a match on an already jam packed card at WrestleMania III. Piper was and still is renowned as one of the best of all time and his rival Adonis could bump like a madman considering his size. The stipulation that whoever lost the match had to have his hair shaved was an additional treat for fans. Piper and Adonis gave each other everything they had in this match and the finish involving Jimmy Hart and the appropriate run in from Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake earned a chef’s kiss. But this was an enjoyable, cathartic blow-off match to a feud that started back to the fall of 1986.
JBL vs. Finlay (WrestleMania XXIV)
This match isn’t mentioned nearly enough when it comes to the best street fights in WrestleMania history. Two vicious brawlers in the form of Finlay and John Bradshaw Layfield beat the tar out of each other — which is how they actually preferred to do business! The two veterans gave no quarter to each other and made sure their opponent felt every stiff blow whether it came from a table, chair, garbage can or their own fists. JBL earned the victory with a lariat and also obliterated poor Hornswoggle with a trash can.
Brock Lesnar vs. Goldberg (WrestleMania 33)
Thirteen years removed from their debacle of a match at WrestleMania XX, these two competitors were eager to make people forget that ill-fated affair. The vibes had certainly changed since then regarding Lesnar and Goldberg. Brock was an established Conqueror and Beast, while a recently returning Goldberg was booked as the monster that he should’ve been during his initial WWE run. The story here was Lesnar seeking revenge for his embarrassingly quick loss to Goldberg at Survivor Series. The result: a well thought out and produced match that highlighted the strengths of both Lesnar and Goldberg that played out like Godzilla vs. Kong. Both titans landed huge haymakers from the opening bell, but Brock prevailed at the 4:44 mark following ten (!!!) German suplexes and an F5 to reclaim the WWE Universal Title.
Rob Van Dam vs. William Regal (WrestleMania X8)
Rob Van Dam will go down as one of the greatest of all time and his place in the WWE Hall of Fame is rightly deserved. But real wrestling fans know that William Regal is one of the finest technicians to ever grace the squared circle as well. Making his WrestleMania debut, RVD challenged Regal for the Intercontinental Championship well into Regal’s “power of the punch” era where he routinely utilized brass knuckles. RVD was still fairly new to the WWE and found a great “dancing partner” in the form of Regal who made his younger rival look like a million bucks, showcasing RVD’s high flying athleticism in a match that ended with RVD winning his first Intercontinental Title. Definitely a tape study choice for aspiring professional wrestlers.
Evolution vs. The Rock ‘n’ Sock Connections (WrestleMania XX)
When WrestleMania turned 20, WWE knew they had to bring out the big guns. So Mick Foley called on his old rival The Rock (who had been absent for the majority of a year) to assist him in his battle against Evolution. The ensuing handicap match against two future superstars in Randy Orton and Batista, and the legendary Ric Flair made for a blockbuster encounter. This was a combination of comfortable nostalgia (Rock and Flair mimicking each other’s mannerisms) and a glimpse into the future. Batista looked like an absolute powerhouse and Orton scored the pin following an RKO of Foley.
