When it comes to the spring time there are many things that come to mind. Losing an hour of sleep due to daylight saving time, allergies due to pollen coming back and longer days of daylight due to daylight savings time. But for Lawrence Patchman Lang , Mike the Pun Master Rifkin and Jeff 2 Sweet Knapp springtime brings a special for them in the world of professional wrestling and that’s Wrestlemania season. With Wrestlemania 38 two nights slated for Saturday April 2nd, and Sunday April 3rd the three guys have decided to count down their top five favorite Wrestlemania moments and matches from its history.
Rifkin’s top 5 Mania Matches
5) Edge vs Mick Foley WM 22: Mick Foley needed a Mania moment and Edge wanted to cement himself as a main eventer. This hardcore match in Chicago gave both men what they needed. There were thumbtacks, barbed wire baseball bats and a spear through a table set on fire this match gave both men what they wanted and it was a great match.
4) Kurt Angle vs Shawn Michaels- WM 21 Two of the best performers in the history of the WWE on the grandest stage of them all, what else can you ask for. Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle put on a wrestling clinic in Los Angeles and stole the show.
3)The Rock vs Stone Cold Steve Austin : WM 17 – Out of the three Mania matches these two legends had 17 stands out because the end was arguably one of the craziest swerves in WWE history. Owner Vince Mcmahon comes out to ringside and helps the rattlesnake and Austin and Mcmahon become allies to the shock of WWE fans everywhere.
2) Hardy Boyz vs Edge and Christian vs Dudley Boyz : WM 17 – Three of the greatest tag teams of all time in the match that might have defined their legacy. Tables, Ladders and Chairs match for the tag titles and it stole the show, Just watch Edge from a ladder spear Jeff Hardy who was hanging from the belts. These three teams will always be remembered for this match in their iconic careers.
- Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels : WM XXV – In my mind the two best of all time put on an absolute classic on the grandest stage of them all. Michaels was known as Mr. Wrestlemania and Undertaker had the streak. This match also told a story for the next year. Also this whole list could have been just Undertaker and Shawn Michaels matches.
Jeff Knapp’s Top Wrestlemania moments
This is Wrestlemania season, and we are on the road to it. Since 1984 we have been witnesses to some of the greatest matches in history. It’s time to do the impossible, and it’s not leaping tall buildings in a single bound. I had a list of 42 matches that could have made the list, so narrowing it down was hard work. So now It’s time to pick 10 of my favorite WWF / WWE Wrestlemania matches.
In no particular order the 10 I will put on the list, and later possibly doubt myself are…
1. Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat vs Randy Savage for the WWF IC title at Wrestlemania 3. I was a huge Steamboat fan at the time and when Macho Man “crushed Steamboat’s Larynx” I was 100% angry with Savage and legit hated him for that at the time.
2. Razor Ramon vs Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania 10 in a ladder match for the IC Title. That became the standard bearer for all ladder matches to come after that.
3. Edge & Christian vs The Dudleys vs The Hardys in the 1st TLC match at Wrestlemania 17. This was the 1st TLC match and still to this day one of my all-time favorites. Nobody knew what to expect that night and brought those 3 teams to a different level
4. The Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania 25. Although Michael’s career was on the line the following year, this was my pick between the two.
5. Daniel Bryan vs Randy Orton vs Batista at Wrestlemania 30. This was the culmination of the YES movement, and the ultimate underdog finally captured the championship.
6. Eddie Guerrero vs Kurt Angle at Wrestlmania 20 for the WWE Championship.
7. The Rock vs Hulk Hogan at Wrestlemania 18 in Toronto. That crowd was absolutely electric. Two of the biggest icons in the business on the grandest stage of them all it doesn’t get bigger or better than that.
8. Bret Hart vs Steve Austin in a submission match at Wrestlemania 13. The iconic image of Austin bleeding down his face before he passed out. A double turn happened that night too.
9. Hulk Hogan & Mr. T vs Roddy Piper & Paul Orndorff at Wrestlemania. I was brand new Hulkamaniac, but I was a HUGE Mr. T fan from The A Team. I legit thought that he was a real street fighting brawler and was going to give everybody a run for their money.
10. Hogan vs Andre The Giant at Wrestlemania 3. Still was a Hulkamaniac and at that age had serious doubts that Hogan could defeat Andre. When he slammed him I was in total awe. Nowadays, Wrestlemania is sold out due to the name of it, but at WM 3, that match was the sole reason they sold out the Pontiac Silverdome.
Lawrence Patch-Man Lang top Wrestlmania moments
5. Edge vs Mick Foley Wrestlmania 22. Nothing screams a WM moment with a match that involes the Hardcore stipulation and this match had it all. To foley coming out to black and gray flannel and it was him hiding barb wire under it take down edge and when he took of the flannel trade mark black and red flannel would show that the hardcore legend was here to paly. To edge taking the bump in the tumb tacks showing that edge can even play the hardcore game and take the pain and suffering to take that bump. What makes this a WM moment for me is the table spot where Edge does the suicde dive thru the second rope to spear Foley threw the flaming table to win the match. This showed that Edge could still hang and be at the top of his game even after losing the WWE Championship to John Cena earlier in the year. Plus this would pay off for Edge cause two year later he would be the main event of Wrestlemania 24 with the Undertaker.
4. John Cena vs Shawn Michaels Wrestlmania 23 ( WWE Championship) in what was supposed to be Cena vs Triple H II but Triple H tore his right quadricep at the January PPV New Year’s Revolution. But when you have an opportunity to strike gold you take the shot and WWE did that. Having Cena vs Michaels as the main event of WM all over it and to have the WWE championship on the line make it perfect. In this match I wanted Michaels to win because who doesn’t want to see Cena lose. Regardless of that this match showed that Cena could go toe to toe with one of the greats and it showed another passing of the torch from Michaels to Cena and showed that Cena will be the Man for many years to come and hey after this matched happened and over sea tour gave us one of the greatest raw matches ever in England when they went 40 minutes 47 seconds and it showed that these two had great cemortsy in the ring and proved that no matter were they could put on a 4 star match.
3. Undertaker vs Kane Wrestlemania XX. This match still gives me goosebumps even though it is a short match. This was the return of the deadman and what better way to bring him back in front of a sold out Madison Square Garden and at Wrestlemania. The iconic OOOOHHHH YESSSS from Paul Bearer and him walking out with the Druids to the shock on Kane’s face thinking that his brother was dead after he buried him alive a few months prior and Taker walking out and the crowd going bananas cause they knew that the Deadman was back and ready to dig holes and take souls. This stands out because it showed it was the right time for Taker to once again evolve his character from American Badass to back being the deadman.
2. Shawn Michaels vs Ric Flair Wrestlemania 24. What better way to send one of the G.O.A.T. in the business then have a match against another G.O.A.T. These two had a fantastic match that people still talk about today. When Michaels said “I’m Sorry I Love You” gets me every time because the end of an era/ career was about to happen with flair losing and it’s a Wrestlemania moment that I won’t forget.
- The Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels Wrestlemania 25. This is a perfect match and even better story because you have heaven vs hell. HBK coming down from the heavens and Taker coming up from hell. These two put on a perfect match and gave it their all in the ring and it set up what would be three matches to follow one the greatest long term storytelling in WWE history with HBK at WM 26 in what would be his then final match and then WM 27 and WM 28 with Triple H and bring and end of an era with the the three men. Taker vs HBK at Mania 25 will be talked about until the end of time because of how great the match was.
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