WWE’s Prime 7 Wrestling G.O.A.T.S of WrestleMania
It’s tough to grasp, however the popular culture phenomenon that’s WrestleMania now approaches its forty first 12 months. In the course of the “Tremendous Bowl of Wrestling’s” wealthy historical past, everybody from actuality tv stars, sporting legends, and even future presidents have stepped between these hallowed ropes for one cause or one other. However with out the gifted full-time grapplers which have constructed WrestleMania to the mega two-day occasion that it has now turn out to be, this iconic occasion might by no means have stood the check of time.
With WrestleMania 41 simply days away, M&F took a deep dive into the dropkicks and DDT’s and calculated some bone-crunching knowledge to attempt to determine which WWE superstars have contributed probably the most to the “Present of Reveals.”
At the beginning, there are infinite methods to find out who has contributed probably the most to the enduring success of WrestleMania, so we tried to take a balanced strategy that considers a wrestler’s leisure worth together with some severe stats that separate the superstars from the one-show wonders. We recognize that limiting such a listing to solely seven professional wrestlers will imply that many worthy contenders are overlooked, however for our cash, the largest present on the wrestling calendar owes probably the most to the next G.O.A.T.S — and in no specific order!
Prime 7 WWE Wrestlemania Wrestlers of All Time
Hulk Hogan
GOATED For: Launching WrestleMania and bodyslamming Andre the Big
If Vince McMahon could possibly be in comparison with Colonel Tom Parker then Hulk Hogan served as Elvis Presley because the duo introduced the very first WrestleMania to the lots in 1985. Within the historic principal occasion at Madison Sq. Backyard, “Hulkamania” took off as “The Hulkster” and Mr. T confronted off in opposition to Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff. Muhammad Ali was additionally current as a particular enforcer and raised Hogan and Mr. T’s hand in victory, serving to to seal the present’s immense success. Hulk Hogan can be referred to as upon because the figurehead for the primary three WrestleMania pay-per-views and offered an immortal second when he bodyslammed Andre The Big in the principle occasion of WrestleMania 3. By WrestleMania 5 he was again in the principle occasion dethroning Randy “Macho Man” Savage.
Hulk Hogan appeared in eight principal occasions throughout a complete of 12 WrestleMania matches, together with a number of bouts on the identical occasion. And, when most followers thought that his greatest days had been behind him, The Hulkster crushed his critics with a basic confrontation in opposition to The Rock at WrestleMania 18.
The Undertaker
GOATED For: Most Matches and ‘The Streak’
Mark Calaway, in any other case generally known as The Undertaker, constructed a streak of 21 wins between WrestleManias 7 and 21. Alongside his harmful path he dispatched the souls of the who’s-who {of professional} wrestling . He bested the likes of Jimmy Snuka, Jake “The Snake” Roberts, Triple H, Ric Aptitude, Shawn Michaels, and CM Punk to call just a few. In actual fact, ‘Taker’s matches with Shawn Michaels (WrestleManias 25 and 26) are broadly thought-about to be two of the best matches of all-time. In all, The Undertaker wrestled 27 occasions at WrestleMania between 1991 and 2020. Nobody has wrestled extra.
The Undertaker’s tally of consecutive victories on the grandest stage of all of them is unlikely to ever turn out to be near being beat, and following that devastating loss to Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 30, the “Useless Man” would stand up and go on to seize three extra WM victories, taking his grand whole of wins to 25.
Bret Hart
GOATED For: Longest Match (with Shawn Michaels) and Corridor of Fame worthy match (with Steve Austin)
The indicators that Bret “Hitman” Hart might go on to turn out to be a major a part of future WrestleMania’s could possibly be seen approach again throughout WrestleMania 2 in 1986, when Hart virtually received a 20-man Batlte Royal involving WWE and NFL athletes. (Former Chicago Bear William “The Fridge” Perry famously participated!) Andre the Big would win the match, throwing Hart to the sidelines, however this may simply be the beginning of Hart’s impending legacy. His match in opposition to Roddy Piper, successful the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 8, turned an on the spot basic and within the years that adopted, the flag bearer of WWE’s “New Technology” tangled with Yokozuna, shedding the World Championship to him at WrestleMania 9 however regaining it at again WrestleMania 10.
Bret Hart was one thing of a star maker throughout his time at WrestleMania. At Mania 12, he turned one half of the occasion’s longest ever match (an Iron Man match lasting 61 minutes and 56 seconds) whereas passing the torch, and his title, to an up-and-coming Shawn Michaels. Then, in one other pivotal efficiency, the extra skilled “Hitman” led “Stone Chilly” Steve Austin to what’s broadly considered probably the most thrilling match in WWE historical past at WrestleMania 13 in 1997 — serving to to kick off the extremely profitable “Perspective Period” within the course of.
Bret Hart’s profession was lower brief resulting from an damage sustained within the ring and he later suffered a stroke, however extremely “The Hitman” returned for one final match in opposition to Vince McMahon at WrestleMania 26 in 2010. Whereas followers by no means received to see dream matches at WrestleMania like Bret Hart vs. Kurt Angle, or Bret Hart vs. John Cena, he stays one of many occasion’s largest contributors each by way of match high quality and the way he elevated others in order that they may run with the ball and maintain WrestleMania going robust.
Shawn Michaels
GOATED For: Longest Match, First WrestleMania Ladder Match, and his distinctive contribution to the “Present of Reveals”
By the point Shawn Michaels beat Bret Hart to turn out to be the WWE Champion in that record-breaking Iron Man match at WrestleMania 12, the “Heartbreak Child’s” inventory was already on the rise. He helped to steal the present at WrestleMania 10 as a part of the exhilarating first-ever ladder match in opposition to Razor Ramon. Michaels misplaced, however few keep in mind this truth resulting from his unimaginable efficiency. Then, following 12 months, Michaels took Kevin “Diesel” Nash to the restrict in the principle occasion of WrestleMania 11.
Just like Bret Hart, though maybe with rather less grace, Michaels additionally helped to launch Steve Austin’s red-hot profession by shedding the WWE title to him at WrestleMania 14. And, regardless of a severe again damage, HBK returned to tear the home down many extra occasions at Mania with emotional rollercoasters in opposition to Triple H and two-consecutive critic’s alternative clashes with The Undertaker. By taking his performances, together with a dream match with Kurt Angle at WrestleMania 21 under consideration, Shawn Michaels has certainly earned the moniker that he bestowed upon himself as “Mr. WrestleMania.”
Stone Chilly Steve Austin
GOATED For: Kicking off the Perspective Period and his Corridor of Fame worthy match (with Bret Hart)
“Stone Chilly” Steve Austin first appeared at WrestleMania 12, however you’ll be forgiven for forgetting that he defeated Savio Vega on his massive present debut. His subsequent outing at WrestleMania 13, nevertheless, is actually unforgettable. With the grasp mentor Bret “Hitman” Hart strolling him by his paces, Austin rose to the problem and did his half in creating what this author really believes to be the best match in WWE historical past.
Whereas some folks level to Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker at WrestleMania 25 as being higher, I say they’re improper, and right here’s why: The Hart/Austin battle was a submission match, and this meant that they may not depend on crowd grabbers like close to falls or kicking out of one another’s trademark ending strikes to pop the viewers. As a substitute, Austin and Hart brawled exterior of the ring, and even into the stands, utilizing every little thing at their disposal to breathe some life into a kind of match that’s typically identified for being fairly plodding and gradual.
The storyline was electrical right here too as a bitter Bret, beforehand a fan favourite, determined to dismiss the foundations whereas “Stone Chilly,” who’d gone into the match as a villain, all of the sudden earned the fan’s respect by failing to faucet out to “The Hitman’s” sharpshooter submission maintain — regardless of mendacity in a pool of his personal blood. It’s completely deserved, then, that this match would be the first bout to be inducted into a brand new “Immortal Moments” class on the 2025 WWE Corridor of Fame ceremony.
Following WrestleMania 13, Steve Austin did for WWE within the ‘90s, what Hulk Hogan had achieved for the corporate within the ‘80s, driving report pay-per-view and ticket gross sales, to not point out these Austin 3:16 t-shirts flying off the cabinets. His later WrestleMania matches with The Rock (at 15, 17, and 19) had been additionally one thing to behold. Steve Austin final wrestled at WrestleMania 38, 20-years after his earlier match, beautiful Kevin Owens and toasting his followers with a trademark can of “Whoop A**” that confirmed that there’s nonetheless life in “The Rattlesnake But.”
John Cena
GOATED For: Most consecutive WrestleMania principal occasion appearances
Like Hulk Hogan, John Cena turned identified to the WWE Universe as a constant participant between the ropes at WrestleMania. He holds some phenomenal information too, like having seven consecutive WWE Championship matches between WrestleMania’s 22 to twenty-eight. John Cena was capable of maintain WWE afloat throughout it’s “Ruthless Aggression Period,” and this was no imply feat with the likes of Shawn Michaels, Steve Austin, and The Rock spending time away from the ring.
Whereas Cena was usually cheered and booed in equal measure, there’s an outdated adage in skilled wrestling that states it actually doesn’t matter whether or not the viewers loves you or hates you, simply as long as they’re engaged and enthralled. And like, a lot of WrestleMania’s greatest contributors (suppose Hogan shedding to The Final Warrior, or Bret Hart shedding to Shawn Michaels and Steve Austin), Cena has by no means been afraid to stare on the lights if it helps to present a rising star the rub.
Fortuitously, on his “Farewell Tour,” earlier than hanging up the jorts in 2025, Cena will get one other alternative at greatness when he makes an attempt to beat Cody Rhodes for a report breaking seventeenth world heavyweight title. Whether or not or not the “You Can’t See Me” star is profitable stays to be seen, however the man who by no means missed a WrestleMania between 2003 and 2016, and only a few since then, stays one of many extravaganza’s largest G.O.A.T.S.
Roman Reigns
GOATED For: Most principal occasions at WrestleMania
Roman Reigns isn’t just the “Tribal Chief,” however maybe additionally the chief of WrestleMania. He’s amassed 9 WrestleMania principal occasions already and is scheduled to look in a tenth at WrestleMania 41, in a triple menace match in opposition to Seth Rollins and CM Punk. Reigns can be credited with elevating the WWE Championship (and Common Championship) belts again to earlier prominence, holding the Common title for 1,316 days (The fourth longest heavyweight WWE title run in historical past).
His victory in opposition to a white-hot Cody Rhodes surprised followers at WrestleMania 39 with Reign’s reinvented what it means to be a modern-day “heel.”
On high of this, Roman Reigns has taken victory at WrestleMania in opposition to the likes of Brock Lesnar, Triple H, The Undertaker, Goldberg, Edge and Daniel Bryan. And in contrast to others on this GOATED record, Roman Reigns has not retired and doesn’t have any plans to decelerate. Reigns has not solely made an indelible influence on WrestleMania, however will proceed to take action for a while to come back.
Right here’s to those G.O.A.T.S. of WrestleMania and don’t overlook, WrestleMania 41 streams stay on Peacock in the US and on Netflix all over the place else on Saturday April 19 and Sunday April 20, 2025.
For extra info go to wwe.com.
