Shane McMahon is back, Brock Lesnar has been uncaged and Roman Reigns is heading into another title match nobody wants to see him in, which can all mean only one thing – we’re once again knee-deep in the road to WrestleMania. The period between the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania is, traditionally, the best time of the year to be a WWE fan. It’s the time when the company gets their crap together and actually tells those stories they like to brag about. Of course, not all roads to WrestleMania are created equal.
Make sure you’re packed, gassed-up, and ready to go, because here are the 10 best roads to WrestleMania ever…
10) WrestleMania XIX
As typically happens with trilogies, the final Rock vs. Austin WrestleMania match was probably the least interesting of the bunch. Most of the genuine emotion of their previous encounters was gone, replaced with a more generic immortal vs. immortal set-up. But hey, it was still Rock vs. Austin at ‘Mania – saying WrestleMania XIX was the least great of their matches is like rating orgasms. The ranking starts at “best thing possible” and goes up from there.
The undercard was also damn solid, with the generally fantastic Paul Heyman-booked Smackdown putting together Brock Lesnar vs. Kurt Angle as its top match, and Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho building an underrated, emotional feud. Of course, the road to WrestleMania XIX also featured the awful, needlessly racially-charged Triple H vs. Booker T feud, so even with a lot of great stuff, this one only just cracks the top 10.
How Did the Show Turn Out?
A rock-solid, if slightly soulless show, with most of the matches delivering. Really, the only blight was Triple H vs. Booker T, which wasn’t a shock given Triple H’s out-of-control ego and sluggish-ass wrestling around this time.
9) WrestleMania XXX
The road to WrestleMania XXX wasn’t without its potholes – Batista winning the Royal Rumble went over like a wet fart in a pair of blue trunks, and the non-stop Daniel Bryan beatdowns were demoralizing, but there was a feeling something different, something special, was happening. The fans wanted Daniel Bryan in the WWE Championship match at WrestleMania, and dammit, it seemed like we might actually get our way for once.
Meanwhile, The Undertaker and Brock Lesnar were being smashed together in classic unstoppable force vs. immovable object showdown, and The Shield and Wyatts were having fantastic matches on a regular basis to keep the fans distracted and happy. Most recent WrestleMania builds have been messed up to some degree, but XXX was the last time WWE made an effort to fix their mistakes.
How Did the Show Turn Out?
Daniel Bryan delivered the best in-ring performance in WWE history and Brock destroyed wrestling fans’ minds by beating The Undertaker’s streak. Probably the best ‘Mania of the PG era.
8) WrestleMania III
Wait a minute! WrestleMania III was the biggest pro wrestling event in history! How could it not rank higher? Well, Hogan vs. André was essentially a pre-made feud, built mostly on their existing reputations. The actual angle setting up the match, which saw André getting all huffy when Hogan was given a bigger meaningless trophy than him, would barely be enough to set up a Smackdown main event today. Still, the perennial fan-favorite André turning heel was massive at the time, and obviously, it all turned out pretty well.
Unlike most early WrestleManias, Hogan vs. André also had some solid undercard support. We had the long, surprisingly brutal Savage vs. Steamboat feud coming to a head, Junkyard Dog vs. the recently-crowned “King” Harley Race, and Roddy Piper vs. Adrian Adonis in a talkshow host blood feud that involved turns, sneak attacks and baseball bat rampages. So yeah, Vince McMahon did okay with this WrestleMania III thing.
How Did the Show Turn Out?
Hogan vs. André wasn’t good in a traditional sense, but it was a crazy-ass spectacle, and honestly, I still find it really watchable. And hey, if you want workrate, you have the groundbreaking, perfect Savage vs. Steamboat match. If you don’t like WrestleMania III, you’re not a wrestling fan.
7) WrestleMania XV
The build to WrestleMania XV was peak WWF Attitude Era. In January, we had the legendary rapid-fire title changes between The Rock and Mankind, establishing both as mega stars, and that transitioned seamlessly into Rock vs. Austin for the first time with Mankind as the special referee. It’s hard to overstate how heightened and how exciting everything felt during this era. Everything culminated perfectly at WrestleMania XV.
At the same time, Undertaker was in the midst of one of the hottest runs of his epic career, having just created The Ministry of Darkness, and Triple H and the remnants of DX were locked in a feud with The Corporation, Shane McMahon and Kane, which made no damn sense at all, but was nevertheless totally engrossing in that special Attitude Era way.
How Did the Show Turn Out?
Austin vs. Rock is good, but probably the least great of their three ‘Mania matches, and most of the rest of the card was a bit of a sh*t show, featuring “classics” like Bart Gunn getting knocked on his ass by Butterbean, and the Hell in a Cell where Undertaker hangs Big Bossman (I hate to say anything negative about Bossman, but it’s not great). Like a lot of Attitude Era stuff, best to stick to your memories.
6) WrestleMania XX
Time has transformed WrestleMania XX into a grand tragedy, but there’s no denying it was a really well-put-together show. The Triple H/Shawn Michaels/Chris Benoit triple threat was beautifully built, with Hunter and Shawn’s years-long rivalry providing the emotional grounding, while Benoit brought the hardcore fan support and classic underdog story.
Meanwhile, Eddie Guerrero had just beat Brock Lesnar for the Smackdown World Title in one of the great Cinderella stories of all time, and was on his way to face his perfect opponent in Kurt Angle. Add to that a red-hot Randy Orton/Mick Foley feud (still maybe Orton’s best storyline) which culminated in the reforming of The Rock ‘n’ Sock Connection, Brock Lesnar and Goldberg in a battle of the bulls and Molly Holly putting her hair on the line, you have an up-and-down great build. Honestly, I should probably rate the road to WrestleMania XX even higher, but y’know, the sadness and all. Sigh.
How Did the Show Turn Out?
Great wrestling up and down the card, but again, sadness.
5) WrestleMania X-Seven
The build to WrestleMania X-Seven wasn’t quite as fantastic as the event itself, but it was still engrossing stuff. The show was, of course, headlined by The Rock and Steve Austin, and the build hit the perfect sweet spot between WrestleMania XV, where they were both up-and-comers, and WrestleMania XIX, when they had become untouchable icons. Yes, The Rock and Austin were legends, and their impending match at WrestleMania X-Seven felt huge, but there was still room for genuine emotion and intensity.
Beneath Rock and Austin, you had a solid undercard, set up by all manner of McMahon Family shenanigans. Triple H and Stephanie were feuding with The Undertaker, meanwhile Shane McMahon had returned to bring his father to task for his more-appalling-than-usual behavior. Oh, and somewhere amongst all this, WWF bought friggin’ WCW. Needless to say, the company was on a roll around this time.
How Did the Show Turn Out?
Still considered by many to be the WrestleMania gold standard. The main event, in which Austin turned on The Rock with a barrage of chair shots, is still one of the most shocking, dramatic matches in WWE history, and it’s backed up by a great Benoit/Angle battle and the second-ever TLC match. I would argue the rest of the card is a little shaky (Right to Censor vs. The APA? Eddie Guerrero being wasted in a Test match?), but hey, if you still like X-Seven the best, I can’t argue too strenuously with you.
4) WrestleMania XIV
Just about everything about the build to Steve Austin vs. Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XIV was perfect. You had the ultimate rough-edged, blue collar hero against vs. the prima donna established guy, with the most infamous fighter in the world as the referee. Everything leading up to this one was electric, and the Austin vs. Mike Tyson brawl stands as one of the hottest segments in WWE history.
Based solely on the main event, WrestleMania XIV should rank higher, but WWF’s Attitude Era engine wasn’t fully revved up yet, so the show had kind of an underwhelming undercard. We had the culmination of Undertaker and Kane’s first feud, and a decent thing between Triple H and Owen Hart, but not much else. But really, you didn’t need much else. It’s no coincidence that the build to WrestleMania XIV was when WWF started to kick WCW’s ass in the Monday Night Wars.
How Did the Show Turn Out?
A thoroughly middle-of-the-road show. Almost everything is fine, but none of it is great. That includes the main event, which is kind of slow by ’90s HBK standards and over-focused on Tyson.
3) WrestleMania 21
In terms of productive booking, you can’t beat the road to WrestleMania 21. The build to the show saw Batista, a guy most fans had pinned as just another standard-issue WWE go-nowhere meathead, quickly grow into a legitimate superstar. The story of Batista’s ascent and Triple H’s treachery was a simple one, but it worked, and was maybe the last time WWE managed to truly make a guy through booking alone.
Oh, and WrestleMania 21 also saw the coronation of some guy named John Cena, and Randy Orton going up against The Undertaker in the feud that gave rise to his “Legend Killer” persona. WrestleMania 21 was where the modern Cena/Orton/Batista era began, which led to some not-so-great stuff down the line, but back in early 2005, the future looked very bright.
How Did the Show Turn Out?
Fantastic show, with the exception of the two matches that dominated the buildup. Both Cena vs. JBL and Triple H vs. Batista were kind of blah in terms of ring work, but hey, both matches got the job done.
2) WrestleMania V
Up until this point, WrestleMania builds were simple affairs. You took two larger-than-life human action figures, bashed them together and maybe added a few random celebrities. WrestleMania V, on the other hand, was the dawning of actual personality-driven WWF storytelling. Randy Savage being jealous of Hulk Hogan had an air of reality to it, because, well, Hogan really was trying to undermine Savage at every turn. Add in that pinch of sex appeal with the involvement of Miss Elizabeth, and you had a feud as vital as 1989 WWF standards would allow.
Savage and Hogan were backed by decent Ultimate Warrior/Rick Rude and André/Jake Roberts feuds, but ultimately, WrestleMania V was basically a one-match show. That that’s not necessarily a bad thing when that one match is the climax of the most exquisitely crafted feud in WWE history.
How Did the Show Turn Out?
A wacky, endless, 14-match show, most of which would barely pass muster on Raw today. The main event is an ’80s classic, showcasing Hogan and Savage at the height of their (mega) powers, but as I said, one match show.
1) WrestleMania XXVI
And now, the polar opposite of a one-match show. While no one feud leading into WrestleMania XXVI will be written of in legend, almost all of them were very good. On the World Title front, you had John Cena and Batista going at each other at the height of their careers, and prime “best in the world at what I do” Chris Jericho facing off against Edge, who pulled off a surprise return and win at the Royal Rumble.
Of course, the real highlight of the road to WrestleMania XXVI was Shawn Michaels vs. Undertaker, career vs. streak. Michaels went out on a high note, turning in fantastic heartfelt promos and performances every night leading up to the big event. Even though an old, broken-down HBK being the one to beat The Undertaker was, honestly, a ludicrous proposition, Michaels and Taker had us all believing it could happen.
Oh, and how could I forget still-hungry Straight Edge Society CM Punk singing Happy Birthday to Rey Mysterio’s daughter? Or the return of Bret friggin’ Hart after 13 years? In terms of sheer quantity of quality storylines, the road to WrestleMania XXVI just can’t be beat.
How Did the Show Turn Out?
A lot of things on this show fall flat – CM Punk and Rey Mysterio didn’t get a chance to do much, Cena and Batista had a Cena and Batista match, and Bret Hart vs. Vince McMahon was kind of cringeworthy, but Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker was one of the most moving, well-told in-ring stories ever. WrestleMania XXVI blew it more often than not, but WWE built so many potentially great things for the show, they could afford to.
There you are, the best of the best part of the WWE calendar. Which WrestleManias were you the most excited for? Did the shows end up living up to the hype? Hit the comments to share your road to WrestleMania stories.
