20: John Cena vs The Rock – WrestleMania 28
Once in a lifetime!…or at least they would say until the next year. The hype around John Cena vs the The Rock was quite unlike a WrestleMania main event in many a year. Literally announced as the main event of WrestleMania one day after WrestleMania 27, the WWE had an entire year to build this match. Of course, this wasn’t done consistently as the Rock would only make rare appearances until the standard few week period out from the show, but we got all kinds of smack talk and the famous rock and Rap night on Raw.
The match wasn’t perhaps as good as the sequel and the Rock perhaps a little older hadn’t got the same spring in his step as he had 7 years earlier, but the hype and energy for the match is what made this so special. It is an example of what the WWE does so well to create and build stars with larger than life personalities and that connection with the audience sometimes trumps a classic wrestling match in the ring.
19: Roman Reigns vs The Undertaker – WrestleMania 33
When Brock Lesnar defeated the Undertaker at WrestleMania and ended the streak it was a massive shock, and in one sense should perhaps have been the end of the Undertaker’s career and the passing of the torch to a new star. That didn’t happen as the Undertaker continued to come back for annual WrestleMania matches, and although the Deadman didn’t even retire after this match, this was essentially the Undertaker’s retirement match and the passing of the torch to Roman Reigns.
Obviously Taker didn’t retire, but at the end of the match Taker did symbolically leave his career in the ring by taking off his gloves, coat and leaving his hat. Add to the fact that this wasn’t a title match and they went as far as they could to tell you this was the end without actually saying it. Of course, this wasn’t the end and the Undertaker would wrestle until WrestleMania 36 which would be his final match…we think.
