It’s WrestleMania season. Arguably WWE’s biggest event of the year, WrestleMania 41 will be live-streamed in the region on Netflix for the first time, meaning fans here can watch it live.
Held at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada, on April 19 and 20, the two-day spectacle has some major storylines, including CM Punk’s first time headlining WrestleMania and possibly John Cena’s last. He has announced that he’ll retire at the end of this year.
Now in its 41st year, the annual event – dubbed “the grandest stage of them all” – has produced some incredible highlights. Looking back, here are 10 of the most memorable WrestleMania moments.
Hulk Hogan body slams Andre the Giant
Match: Hulk Hogan vs Andre the Giant at WrestleMania III (March 29, 1987)
WrestleMania had already become a massive sensation by its third iteration, but there was still something missing.
In what was billed as the “biggest main event in sports entertainment,” Hulk Hogan defended his WWF World Heavyweight title against Andre The Giant. A behemoth of a man, Andre was known the world over for his massive stature and incredible ability.
The big moment came when Hogan scoop-slammed Andre after carrying him on his shoulder and dropping all 238kg on the mat. The crowd erupted and then Hogan went for his signature finisher leg drop. The referee counted to three and Hogan retained his championship.
Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth reunite
Match: Macho Man Randy Savage vs The Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania VII (March 24, 1991)
In a more tender moment that isn’t usually seen in wrestling, there is one reunion that has always stood out. The lead-up begins with 'Macho Man' Randy Savage teaming up with Hulk Hogan to form a tag team called the Mega Powers, with Savage’s real-life wife Miss Elizabeth as their manager.
However, throughout their partnership, Savage showed hints that he was turning heel (the term for a bad guy in wrestling) by becoming jealous of the relationship surrounding Hogan and his wife. This eventually led to the disbandment of the tag team as well as Elizabeth’s role as being Savage’s manager. He instead had Sensational Sherri take over.
During WrestleMania VII, a “retirement match” took place between Savage and The Ultimate Warrior in which the loser had to retire. Elizabeth, who had been absent from TV for years, was spotted watching from the crowd. After Savage lost the match and was attacked by Sherri, she hopped the crowd barrier, got into the ring and grabbed Sherri to throw her to the outside. Elizabeth began to cry and the pair embraced in the ring to cheers, with Savage even lifting Elizabeth up on his shoulder.
Steve Austin aligns with Mr McMahon
Match: Stone Cold Steve Austin vs The Rock at WrestleMania X-Seven (April 1, 2001)
One of the greatest rivalries in WWE history, The Rock defended the WWF Championship against Stone Cold Steve Austin in the main event. Just before both wrestlers were introduced, a last-minute no disqualification stipulation had been announced.
In a heavy-hitting match that had both wrestlers using the other’s finishing moves on each other, the most shocking moment came at the end when Stone Cold was handed a steel chair by his long-time enemy Mr McMahon. Using it against The Rock, he became the new WWF champion. It was an unforgettable moment that had Stone Cold and McMahon, once heated former rivals, shake hands.
Rey Mysterio wins the World Heavyweight Championship
Match: Rey Mysterio vs Randy Orton vs Kurt Angle at WrestleMania 22 (April 2, 2006)
Who doesn’t love a good upset? The biggest one of the night happened when Rey Mysterio, a smaller Mexican luchador wrestler, managed to win a triple-threat match against Randy Orton and Kurt Angle for the World Heavyweight Championship (held by Angle at the time).
Mysterio had earned an outside chance to be in the match, thanks to his drive to honour his friend Eddie Guerrero, who had died the year before, and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame that same night.
After winning, Mysterio was immediately received by Guerrero’s family, including his wife Vicki and cousin Chavo, who celebrated the win and honoured the late great wrestler.
Streak vs Career between Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker
Match: Shawn Michaels vs The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXVI (March 27, 2010)
A rematch from the year’s prior WrestleMania, this was billed as “Streak vs Career” between The Undertaker, who was 17-0 heading into the event, and Shawn Michaels, who said he would retire if he didn’t win the match.
Instantly a classic, the 30-minute match had both wrestlers give it their all, with momentum seemingly shifting back and forth, making it difficult to tell who had the upper hand. In the end, The Undertaker delivered a third Tombstone Piledriver (his finishing move) to Michaels to extend his winning streak while ending Michaels’ career. However, the two shook hands after the match and embraced as Michaels also interacted with fans for the final time.
Brock Lesnar ends The Undertaker’s streak
Match: Brock Lesnar vs The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXX (April 6, 2014)
Heading into the match, The Undertaker had carried a 21-0 winning streak, dating back to his first victory at WrestleMania VII against Jimmy Snuka in 1991. He defeated Shawn Michaels, Triple H and Ric Flair while building the streak.
Many fans assumed that although Lesnar was a worthy candidate to end it, that it wouldn’t actually happen. After performing three F-5s (Lesnar’s finishing move) to The Undertaker, Lesnar pinned The Dead Man in an ending that shocked fans in attendance and around the world and mainstream news outlets even picked up what had happened.
Daniel Bryan wins the WWE championship
Match: Daniel Bryan vs Randy Orton vs Batista at WrestleMania XXX (April 6, 2014)
If there was ever an underdog to root for, it was Daniel Bryan. Growing in popularity with fans and praised for his wrestling ability, he quickly became a fan favourite.
His rise in stardom had him compete for the WWE Championship at Summerslam, where he defeated John Cena with Triple H as the special guest referee. However, just moments afterwards, Triple H attacked Bryan, and then Randy Orton cashed in his Money in the Bank contract to win the title, showing the two were in an alliance.
The journey for Bryan then included a match with Triple H at WrestleMania, with the stipulation that whoever won would be added into the main event later the same evening. After defeating Triple H, a battered Bryan was added to the championship match, turning it into a triple threat. Although seemingly taken out and being carted away on a stretcher, Bryan refused medical attention and continued on. He eventually submitted Batista to win the WWE Championship as fireworks, confetti and pyrotechnics went off as he celebrated with fans.
Seth Rollins cashes in for WWE World Heavyweight championship
Match: Seth Rollins vs Roman Reigns vs Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 31 (March 29, 2015)
Although Seth Rollins had lost his singles match against Randy Orton earlier in the evening, he surprised many by returning to the ring to cash in his “Money in the Bank” briefcase. This allowed him to insert himself into the main event for the WWE World Heavyweight championship.
After Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar had spent time beating each other up without a successful pinfall, Rollins' music hit and he ran towards the ring to cash in his contract, turning the singles match into a triple threat for the title – eventually winning by pinning his former teammate Reigns. The victory has been dubbed the “Heist of the Century” and Rollins swinging around the championship belt on the top of the ramp is a moment that most fans won’t forget.
Women take centre stage at WrestleMania for the first time
Match: Ronda Rousey vs Charlotte Flair vs Becky Lynch – WrestleMania 35 (April 7, 2019)
This was the first time women wrestlers headlined the main event of WrestleMania. It took place between Raw Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey, SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch in a winner-takes-all triple threat match.
The three talented wrestlers had built a good feud heading into the evening’s main event, which eventually had Lynch pin Rousey and win both belts (also earning her the nickname “Becky Two Belts”) in front of 80,000 fans at MetLife Stadium.
Cody Rhodes ends his story in winning fashion
Match: Cody Rhodes vs Roman Reigns at WrestleMania XL (April 6-7, 2024)
Roman Reigns, the Original Tribal Chief and head of The Bloodline stable, defended the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship against Cody Rhodes, a legacy wrestler who had returned to the WWE after being away for six years.
Rhodes is the son of Dusty Rhodes, a wrestling Hall of Famer who died in 2015. His father had almost become the WWE champion at one point but lost due to a technicality, something that spurred Cody on for his whole career.
The matchup was electric as both had something at stake. Reigns was on his way to becoming the longest WWE championship title holder, while Rhodes needed to win to fulfil his life goal and honour his father’s memory. In a hard-fought and entertaining match, Rhodes won to become the new face of the WWE and cement his place in the history of wrestling.
