The Showcase of Immortals is right around the corner. That means the WWE is putting heart and soul into their storylines. Wrestling is more than what you see inside the ring. It’s a story that needs to be built as an attractive, must-watch event. Given that Wrestlemania 40 is rapidly approaching, how about we take a trip down memory lane as we recap the top 5 best Wrestlemania storylines of all time?!
5. ‘I’m Sorry, I Love You’ – Wrestlemania XIV
Ric Flair is arguably one of the greatest to ever lace up a pair of boots. However, Father Time is undefeated. That’s something that WWE was banking on for MONTHS with the Nature Boy’s storyline en route to Wrestlemania 24. Vince McMahon put Flair under the scope. Basically, if Flair wanted to continue wrestling, he had to win every match. As soon as he lost, his career would effectively be over.
Flair was 58 at this point and had a three-decade-long career. He had tough matches after tough matches, putting his career on the line every week. The Nature Boy battled Mr. Kennedy, MVP, Umaga, Triple H, and even Vince McMahon himself, and he overcame every obstacle. That was until Wrestlemania 24, where he faced Shawn Michaels, Mr. Wrestlemania himself, who has known Flair for ages. They delivered a drama-filled, unbelievable story-telling match that ended with HBK whispering the iconic ‘I’m Sorry, I Love You’ seconds before delivering a career-ending Sweet Chin Music. Absolute cinema on the Grandest Stage of them all.
4. The Rock vs ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin – Wrestlemania X-Seven
Plain and simple, this is one of the -if not the best rivalries in the history of sports entertainment. The Rock and Steve Austin were the faces of WWE’s best years, the Attitude Era. They were both loaded with charisma, mic skills, catchphrases, cool gimmicks, crowd control, and the ability to deliver unbelievable matches. They have the best Wrestlemania trilogy of all time, and this was the main event of, arguably, the best Wrestlemania of all time too.
It was an impromptu No DQ match and the storyline involved Debra, Stone Cold’s wife at the moment, managing The Rock. This was a personal feud between the two faces of the company with one clear objective in mind, to prove who was the undisputed best. The match itself was brilliant and ended with the biggest plot twist of all time. Vince helped Austin beat The Rock after 16 chair shots and then shared a beer together. This is peak WWE. Honestly, it’s hard to think this will ever be topped as a feud, but not to top the best Wrestlemania storylines of all time list.
3. Will Cody Finish his Story vs. The Bloodline? – Wrestlemania XL
It was 2016, when a frustrated Cody Rhodes left WWE to turn the pro wrestling industry upside down and change it forever. After three years in the indies, Rhodes allied with big wrestling names outside of the WWE and a certain billionaire, Tony Khan, to compete with the WWE under the name of All Elite Wrestling (AEW). AEW was announced in 2019, and that effectively marked Rhodes as WWE’s nemesis. In 2023, Cody would once again shock the world when he left his own creation to return to WWE. The difference now is he was arguably wrestling’s biggest star.
Cody took his story, inspired by his late father, the Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes, and tried to conquer the most coveted title in wrestling, the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. The belt is held by Roman Reigns, and has been atop of the industry for more than 4 years in one of the most dominant title runs in history. Cody faced Roman at Wrestlemania 39, where Reigns retained.
Rhodes’s path back to the title would see him win the Royal Rumble in January 2024. Then, it seemed that his direction was going elsewhere, due to The Rock’s return. The Rock is Reigns’ cousin, and he betrayed Rhodes which sparked a massive social media movement that saw Cody challenge the mythical champ at this year’s Showcase of Immortals. Not only that, but The Rock has made this very personal in his promos. Cody allied with Reigns’ longtime rival Seth Rollins. We are due to see if Rhodes will finish his story, but how we got to this point has been nothing short of amazing.
2. Streak vs Career: The Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels – Wrestlemania XVI
I know wrestling can’t be nominated for Oscar awards, but if that was a possibility, I present you the winner. You could look at the promo video and be mesmerized time and time again. Two of the best performers the industry has ever seen faced off in an instant classic at Wrestlemania 25. After what was a showstopper, Shawn Michaels begged the Undertaker for a rematch. This request was denied by the Deadman, who was the World Heavyweight Champion at the time. HBK went spiraling down trying to get that rematch. After going through numerous ill-fated attempts to achieve it, he cost Taker his championship.
This prompted an angry Undertaker to accept Michaels’ challenge but with a big stipulation. Michaels would have another shot at ending Undertaker’s unbeaten Wrestlemania streak. However, should he fail to do so, he would have to retire. HBK, in what can only be described as a gangster move, didn’t hesitate to accept. This ended in a massive match that would end HBK’s Hall of Fame career. What makes this such a great Wrestlemania storyline is that not only was it an amazing buildup, but it also served as a prequel for Triple H vs The Undertaker rivalry, which was another big historic feud (even if the in-ring action wasn’t as prolific).
Honorable Mentions Best Wrestlemania Storylines of All Time
- Hogan vs Andre – Wrestlemania III
- KofiMania – Wrestlemania 35
- Jericho vs Owens – Wrestlemania 33
- Mega Powers Explode – Wrestlemania V
- Rock vs Cena 2 – Wrestlemania 29
- Vince vs Shane, the McMahon Civil War – Wrestlemania X-Seven
1. Is Daniel Bryan Better Than a B+ Player? YES! – Wrestlemania XXX
This might be the first time where the WWE Universe made the WWE brass fold their hand. That’s why it’s the best Wrestlemania storyline of all time. After years of overcoming obstacles, Daniel Bryan became a fan favorite despite not being the prototypical star the WWE looks for. Nevertheless, the crowd would continuously hijack the shows with “Yes!” chants, Bryan’s catchphrase. This became so big, the WWE had no choice but to throw Bryan into superstardom.
Boy did it pay off! This served as the classic underdog vs. mean authority storyline. It was Daniel Bryan, a small, talented but often overlooked wrestler, against the evil, corporate, stubborn brass who thought they knew better. Bryan saw how a returning Batista won the Royal Rumble and took his chance to mainevent Wrestlemania away from him. He saw Triple H and Stephanie McMahon roadblock him at every turn. Bryan knew his only way to success was to beat Triple H, which he did at the Wrestlemania XXX opener. If Bryan won, he’d be inserted into the Batista vs Randy Orton main event for the WWE World Heavyweight Title. Bryan was brutally attacked in the weeks prior to Mania. This meant he entered his bout vs. Triple H with an injured shoulder.
Bryan’s story was too good, too strong, and he managed to beat the Cerebral Assassin, but that meant he was subject to even more punishment once the match ended. A seriously depleted Bryan entered the Triple Threat against fresh and bigger rivals. However, in a Cinderella story, Bryan tapped Batista out and conquered what can be the best ‘feel-good’ moment in Wrestlemania history. Absolute perfection.
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