Looking Back at Some of the Great Wrestlemania Performers
With the Undertaker successfully extending his streak to 18 wins at Wrestlemania, I thought it might help put that astonishing record into context if we had a look at the competition. With that in mind, I have composed this list of some of the greats of Wrestlemania, which I have arranged in a loose top 20, based primarily on how many matches people have had at Wrestlemania, then on victories and championships won or retained. This is not necessarily a list of the 20 best Wrestlemania records, however, simply an arrangement of 20 of the biggest names in the event’s history.
20 Ric Flair
The Nature Boy is at the bottom of my list simply because the bulk of his career was spent outside WWE. As a result, he only wrestled five matches at Mania, and he lost four of those. Nevertheless, he did give us one of the enduring moments in Mania history with his final Mania match even if, in the eyes of some fans, he has rather cheapened that moment by returning to the ring.
19 Batista
Injuries have prevented Batista from racking up a few more Mania appearances. Thus far he has achieved only three Wrestlemania victories, set against two defeats. That said, one of those victories was over Triple H for the World Heavyweight Championship in what must be remembered as one of the great storylines of the decade.
18 The Ultimate Warrior
A happy accident sees Warrior and Batista side by side in this listing. Like Batista, Warrior has had five Wrestlemania matches but his four and one record nudges him ahead. Also like Batista, one of Warrior’s victories saw him win a title against a dominant champion, Hulk Hogan, at Wrestlemania 6. That moment alone suffices to book him a place on any list of Mania greats.
17 Mick Foley
With six Wrestlemania matches we come to Mrs Foley’s baby boy, the hardcore legend himself. It is perhaps unsurprising that Foley’s record is stacked towards the loss column, with two wins, three losses and one double count-out. Even so, Foley participated in a main event at Wrestlemania 2000 and won the tag team titles with his mentor Terry Funk in a fondly remembered dumpster match at Wrestlemania 14. He also provided one of the most spectacular moments in Mania history when Edge speared him through a flaming table.
16 Owen Hart
Another man who had six matches at Wrestlemania, Owen actually had an impressively dominant record, winning five of his six matches. His most famous victory was probably his Wrestlemania 10 victory over brother Bret but he also won and retained tag team championships at the big dance.
15 Roddy Piper
Piper is probably another man you might have expected more Wrestlemania matches from. Nevertheless, although a mainstay of the first two Manias, Piper only had seven Wrestlemania matches and only two victories. Having said that, he was involved in several more Wrestlemanias, whether hosting Piper’s Pit or acting as a special referee. His ultimate moment has to be his participation in the main event of Wrestlemania itself (as he said at this year’s Hall of Fame Induction, “I was there when it didn’t have a number”) when he teamed with “Mr Wonderful” Paul Orndorff against Hogan and Mr T.
14 Kurt Angle
The Olympic gold medallist also stands on seven Wrestlemania matches but, with three victories, he edges just ahead of the rowdy one. Even so, Angle has lost more than he’s won on the grandest stage, and he must be the only man in history to lose two titles at the same Wrestlemania (Wrestlemania 2000, if you’re interested). A truly great wrestler, Kurt has rarely had bad matches but his high point must be his Wrestlemania 21 clash with Shawn Michaels – the last match Angle would ever win at Wrestlemania.
13 Randy Orton
With exactly the same record (three wins, four losses) as Kurt Angle, the only reason I have moved Mr Orton up is that one of his victories saw him retain the WWE Championship – Angle never won a title match at Wrestlemania. One of the many victims of The Undertaker, one somehow feels that Orton is yet to have his truly defining Wrestlemania moment.
12 “Stone Cold” Steve Austin
Yet another man on seven Wrestlemania matches, within that seven Austin boasts an incredibly dominant record. Not only has he earned five wins for two losses, three of Austin’s Wrestlemania wins (14, 15 and 17) saw him capture the WWE Championship. Yet, it is one of his defeats that probably stands out the most, his “I Quit” loss to Bret Hart at Wrestlemania 13. Although many will point out Shawn Michaels as the man who made Austin at Wrestlemania 14, it was this match where Austin “passed out from the pain” and refused to quit that truly legitimised him as a main-eventer.
11 John Cena
An even more dominant record than Austin’s belongs to the Chaingang soldier, with six wins and only one defeat. Cena has also won both the World Heavyweight and WWE Championships at Mania, as well as twice retaining the WWE Championship and winning the US Championship! The fact that no less than three of his six victories have come by submission also makes him the most successful submission wrestler in Mania history. Like many others, Cena’s finest Wrestlemania moment probably came against Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania 23.
10 The Rock
Moving on to eight Wrestlemania matches, we come to the Great One, whose record is exactly even at four wins and four losses. When two of those losses come in a fantastic series of main events with Steve Austin, however, they’re almost as good as victories! The Rock twice retained the Intercontinental Championship at Wrestlemania but his greatest moment has to be Wrestlemania 18, when he defeated Hulk Hogan in one of the most emotional matches in Mania history.
9 Randy Savage
The Macho Man was truly a Wrestlemania specialist. A two time WWE Champion, both of his title victories came at Wrestlemania. At Wrestlemania 4 he actually won 4 matches to win his first WWE Championship, which he held onto until Wrestlemania 5 when he lost it to Hulk Hogan! Wrestlemania 8 saw him beat Ric Flair for the title, one year after supposedly being retired by The Ultimate Warrior but it is his Wrestlemania 3 Intercontinental Title match with Ricky Steamboat that remains his outstanding moment. A record of eleven matches, although only wrestling on eight Wrestlemania cards, which is why I have ranked him at this point, with seven wins and four defeats truly does not tell the whole story.
8 Chris Jericho
Having competed at nine Wrestlemanias, it is impressive that I have Jericho’s win/loss record as four and six! This is because Wrestlemania 2000 saw him effectively wrestle two matches, where he was pinned the first time but won the European Championship the second. Jericho’s greatest Wrestlemania success came this year when he successfully retained the World Heavyweight Championship against Edge; however, most would rank his defeat to Shawn Michaels as his greatest Wrestlemania match.
7 Edge
Amusingly, although Jericho this year taunted Edge for missing Wrestlemanias through injury, they have, in fact, worked the same amount of Manias. Edge, however, has a slightly more impressive record of five wins and four losses, including two tag team championship victories. One interesting fact is that Edge has lost his last four Wrestlemania matches, having won all of his first five. Edge has generally been a big-time player who has always brought his a-game to Wrestlemania but, for me, his victory with Christian at TLC 2, back in Wrestlemania 17, is still his standout moment.
6 Hulk Hogan
For many years Hulk Hogan more or less WAS Wrestlemania and his record reflects that. Hulk Hogan wrestled at eleven Wrestlemanias in all, including the first nine, and managed to compete in twelve matches, of which he won eight. It is not terribly surprising, therefore, that his losses are often more memorable than his victories, particularly against Ultimate Warrior and The Rock. Even so, there can only be one choice for Hulk Hogan’s defining Mania moment – his victory over Andre the Giant at Wrestlemania 3.
5 Kane
The Undertaker’s impressive Wrestlemania record probably helps to explain why people often overlook the fact that Kane has notched up a pretty impressive record himself. Having appeared in twelve Wrestlemanias, Kane has become part of the furniture at the big event. His record, of five wins and seven losses, may not seem quite so impressive but, when one considers that three of those losses came in Money in the Bank matches and two against The Undertaker, his record begins to look more dominant. His very first Wrestlemania match, against Undertaker at Wrestlemania 14, is probably still his best moment.
4 Bret Hart
The tremendous fitness and consistency of Bret Hart saw him compete in 12 consecutive Wrestlemanias, from 2 to 13, an amazing record in itself. Adding his latest appearance at this year’s event, that means that Bret has participated in fully half of all the Wrestlemanias, wrestling a total of fourteen matches. His win/loss record of eight and six illustrates the generosity of his career, not to mention the fact that Bret didn’t need a win to make a Wrestlemania moment – witness his losses to Shawn Michaels and Owen Hart, as well as the battle royal finish at Wrestlemania 4. Nevertheless, I would have to say that Bret’s greatest moment is one that’s already appeared on this list – the “I Quit” match with Steve Austin at Wrestlemania 13. This match was one of the defining moments of WWE history, which paved the way for the Attitude Era and all that followed.
3 Triple H
Another incredibly consistent performer, this year Triple H wrestled his fourteenth Wrestlemania match at his fourteenth Wrestlemania – a staggering feat when one considers that he is still only forty and in great shape. Perhaps surprisingly, however, given the constant accusations that he uses his influence to leverage his own position, Hunter’s win-loss record is dead even – seven wins and seven losses. Even so, Wrestlemania has been good to Triple H. No one has retained more championships at the big event than he has – three times Triple H has walked into Wrestlemania a world champion and left the same way. He also boasts the little-known record that he is the only man ever to beat Owen Hart at Wrestlemania. Many would say that Hunter is still searching for that truly defining Mania moment. His match with Undertaker at Wrestlemania 17 was a true classic but I would place his fatal four-way victory at Wrestlemania 2000 on the top of his list. Not only did he successfully retain the WWE title against three challengers – The Rock, Mick Foley and The Big Show – he did what no one had ever done before. He became the first heel ever to leave Wrestlemania victorious in the main event.
2 Shawn Michaels
The man they call “Mr Wrestlemania” comes in at number two with an astonishing 17 Manias! It would have been more if he hadn’t missed Wrestlemania 13, as well. At first glance, Michaels’ slanted win-loss record of a mere six wins and eleven defeats might seem to take the gloss off of his record but, as usual, the wins and losses don’t tell the whole story here. Yet, although Michaels had well and truly made his name by the time of his first, forced, retirement after Wrestlemania 14, it is his performances since his comeback at Wrestlemania 19 that have really been consistently stellar. His matches against Chris Jericho, John Cena and Ric Flair have all been outstanding and when one adds to them his earlier main events with Bret Hart and Steve Austin, the reason for the “Mr Wrestlemania” tag becomes more obvious. Ultimately, of course, it is his two last Wrestlemanias, with his brace of matches against The Undertaker that truly define his Wrestlemania legacy. Shawn Michaels took the most dependable, bankable streak in wrestling history and threw it in doubt again. It’s hard to see how anybody could possibly have a better Wrestlemania record or, at least, it would be if it weren’t for…
1 The Undertaker
What can we say? This man has competed in 18 of the last 19 Wrestlemanias and has won every one of his matches. His seventeen opponents include no less than ten world champions and two current hall of famers. He is one of only two men (the other being Steve Austin) to win three world championships at Wrestlemania. More important than all of this, however, is just how good some of those matches have been. Standouts include his brutal clash with Triple H at Wrestlemania 17, his encounters with Kane (particularly their first at Wrestlemania 14) and his World Heavyweight Championship wins over Batista and Edge. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, however, his greatest moments have been his two victories over Shawn Michaels in the last two Wrestlemanias. The Undertaker’s streak has become one of the great drawing tools of modern wrestling. It has now become something special simply to be the Deadman’s opponent at Wrestlemania. The only thing is where do we go from here? How can the Shawn Michaels-Undertaker rivalry be followed? Only time will tell. One thing is for sure, no one will ever match this record.
Push Me Pull You – Are the Right Guys on Top?
A quick search of the internet forum discussion topics is generally enough to illustrate that, these days, the favoured topic of debate among wrestling fans is that of “the push”. Generally, this is framed in one of two ways: firstly, that wrestler x is deserving of, but not receiving a push or that wrestler y is receiving, but not deserving of, the same. Lately, that second topic has generally concerned the sudden elevation of Sheamus to WWE Champion (“he’s being pushed too quickly” etc) while “under-pushed” wrestlers (in WWE) might include The Miz, Evan Bourne, Dolph Ziggler or a whole host of others. Even relatively high-profile wrestlers like Chris Jericho and CM Punk, darlings of the IWC as they are, are often regarded as not being pushed enough. Pushing the wrong guys seems to most WWE fans to be the biggest and most serious mistake the company makes and it is often hard to tell which is regarded as worse, under-pushing or over-pushing.
As far as Vince McMahon is concerned, he has always maintained that it is the fans who determine who gets pushed. If wrestler x is over with the fans then Vince will promote him. Many fans would disagree, saying that the reason that wrestler x is not over with the fans is simply that he has not been presented to them correctly. In short, while Vince argues that he pushes those who the fans wish to see, his critics argue that you cannot truly know whether or not the fans wish to see a wrestler until you have pushed him. So, all that said, who is right?
To be honest, both sides are over-simplifying somewhat here. Vince may say that the fans determine who gets a push but one cannot disregard the importance of a wrestlers’ initial presentation. If a wrestler spends three minutes a week being beaten like a red-headed stepchild by midcard talent and never being given the opportunity to speak, how likely are they to convince the fans that they deserve a push? Under these circumstances, could even talents like HBK have gotten over? In any case, it often seems like a rather lazy justification from Vince and his company that can be wheeled out at any time to deflect criticism. Don’t like what you’re getting? Well then, blame your fellow fans, that’s the message.
Then again, it’s all very well for fans to say “push this guy” but how should that be accomplished? On the rare occasions where Vince simply hotshots someone into a main event program, most recently with Sheamus, those same fans almost invariably tear him a new one! Sometimes, a wrestler may be very difficult to push, as in the case of Eric Young in TNA. Booked as a comedy wrestler for a long time, many fans (including Lance Storm, according to his most recent Q&A) now find it difficult or even impossible to accept him in a more serious role. Elevating talent cannot simply be accomplished through booking them to win high-profile matches. It is essential not only that the audience care about a character but also that they find him credible. Another factor that fans have to bear in mind when discussing pushes is the relative difficulty of assessing just how “over” a wrestler is in today’s market.
WWE often maintain that they have the best market research available, in the form of arenas full of outspoken fans, a statement that implies a certain degree of selective deafness on the part of WWE creative, who have frequently shown a willingness to ignore the reaction of the live crowd. However, the live crowd is by no means the only barometer of public opinion available to the WWE. First, one must consider the extent to which the crowd represent the opinions of the wider television audience. Secondly, there are other means of gauging wrestler popularity, such as merchandise sales, magazine sales and so on. Thirdly, it is difficult to gauge the extent to which any individual wrestler is responsible for such things as TV ratings and PPV buy-rates. Does the audience watch a WWE show for their favourite wrestlers, or for the overall package of talent on that show, for example? Deciding just who does and does not “draw money” in today’s marketplace is an extremely complex task.
We must also consider the extent to which the internet wrestling community are in step with the wider audience. The fact that many columnists such as myself might laud a particular wrestler and want to see him or her featured more prominently is not necessarily indicative of the mass audience’s feelings on the matter. We on the internet can often persuade ourselves that we are a bigger part of the audience than, in fact, we are. Constantly reading each other’s columns and opinions, we may think that there is near consensus on the talent and direction of a wrestler when, in fact, we represent only a small minority opinion. WWE Raw typically broadcasts to an audience of over five million people in the USA alone every week. How can we really be sure that the majority of those viewers share our grievances and frustrations?
The other difficulty is that elevating new talent often carries with it the risk of devaluing the existing talent. The most important factor in elevating someone is to give them credible, meaningful victories over credible talent. The worry for wrestling promoters is that, in doing so, they will dilute the appeal of a “proven draw”, with no guarantee that they will, in doing so, create a star whose appeal is as great, or greater, than that of the old guard. This was the trap that the old WCW fell into. By clinging on to the proven draws that they had, they allowed much of their best young talent to become frustrated and leave. When the Hogans, Pipers, Nashes et al began to lose their appeal, there was no one left to take their place.
In general, I believe that wrestling promotions exaggerate the danger to established talent of putting over new talent. Wrestling fans are extremely loyal and, once a wrestler has gained their respect and admiration, they do not easily let go of such a wrestler. A good example can be found by looking at the career of The Rock. Here was a wrestler of stupendous celebrity who was, nevertheless, frequently used to “give the rub” to rising talent, whether that meant Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit or The Hurricane. At no point did this ever affect his ability to draw money. The lessons, then, are these. The fact that a promotion like the WWE is not pushing our favourite wrestlers does not necessarily mean that they have got things wrong. However, once they do decide to push a guy, it is better that they do it too early, rather than too late. Once the audience are convinced that a wrestler is not “main-event material”, it might be impossible to ever get that momentum back. Giving a young guy a win over an established name will not, by and large, hurt the established wrestler but it may well be just what is required to move the youngster to the next level in the eyes of the fans.
Marshall Law 