Wrestlemania season is here, and our coverage of the Showcase of the Immortal (are they still calling it that?) is rolling on. Today, I’m taking a look at my personal favorite Wrestlemania feuds of all time. They’re in no particular order. Instead, I just wrote the first 10 that came to mind. Let’s get after it.
Ric Flair vs. Randy Savage – Why this wasn’t the main event of Wrestlemania VIII, I’ll never understand. But, I can remember watching it as a kid and getting HEATED listening to Flair talk about Miss Elizabeth in such a degrading fashion. That whole “she was mine before she was your’s” storyline was straight fire, and made this whole program feel deeply personal. The match was excellent, too.
Hulk Hogan vs. Andre The Giant – Arguably the biggest match in Wrestlemania history, everyone remembers Hogan completely nonsensically answering Andre’s challenge by yelling “YEEESSSSSSSS” into a microphone. But, that shit was hype back in the late 80s. It was the match that everyone wanted to see – the irresistible force and the removable object or whatever…
Steve Austin vs. Shawn Michaels – Has the match grown a little overrated with time in my own mind? Yes, sure. But, all these years later, and you still can’t deny the build for this match. The public workout that drew thousands of people. Mike Tyson’s involvement. All of it was so stereotypical Attitude Era.
The Yes Movement – Daniel Bryan’s road to Wrestlemania XXX was astonishing. I’m still amazed that something so good could happen in the modern era of wrestling. This wasn’t just one of the greatest builds of all time, but one of the greatest wrestling storylines of all time, too. It was the ultimate underdog story and one of the most euphoric payoffs in WWE history.
Triple H vs. Batista – We all remember the infamous thumbs down press conference, right? Leading up to Wrestlemania 21, Batista was red hot. It was evident that John Cena was the heir apparent to the throne, and people were already starting to grumble about it a little bit. But, when Batista got the main event instead, the audience gravitated towards him. Watching the implosion of Evolution sure was fun as well.
Chris Jericho vs. Kevin Owens – The Festival of Friendship is this generation’s Barber Shop window. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. This contest for the United States Championship was incredibly personal and the build lasted for months. The promos were great, too. Overall, just a great program, even if KO was unhappy with the ‘Mania match.
John Cena vs. The Rock – the first encounter between these guys at Wrestlemania XXVIII was decent enough. But, it was one of those cases where the action didn’t live up to the hype. That’s mainly because the hype started A YEAR prior to the event. People were excited to see this one – the promos got a little personal as these two did a great job of blurring the lines. People were interested over the course of a full year – think about how rare it is to capture something like that.
Triple H vs. Randy Orton – My God what a disappointment. That match was terrible. Outright dog shit. They totally shot themselves in the foot with this weird stipulation match. It should’ve just been a no DQ bloodbath, but it wasn’t. Still, it doesn’t take away with the rollercoaster that was the buildup for this match at Wrestlemania XXV
Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon – I loved the “who’s the real Intercontinental Champion?” storyline that led to the classic Ladder Match at Wrestlemania X. These two stole the show, and it made the Intercontinental Championship feel that much more important. I was ecstatic to hear the rumor that they might recreate this storyline with Dolph Ziggler and the United States Championship this year. But, it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen.
Hulk Hogan vs. Sgt. Slaughter – In maybe the most treacherous move in WWE history, the once esteemed Sgt. Slaughter decided to become a U.S. deserter and join the cause of one Saddam Hussein. I shit you not. But, as a kid, man – I was pissed. As were a lot of others. In fact, things got a little too real as the WWE faced a bit of backlash for the storyline – stop me if you’ve heard that one before. Nonetheless, it made for a hell of a main event for Wrestlemania VII, and one of the all time great Wrestlemania feuds.
More Wrestlemania Coverage
The 5 Most Underrated Wrestlemanias
Matches I Do and Don’t Want to See at Wrestlemania 34
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Alabama Crimson Tide football, the WWE, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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