17. WrestleMania XII
This show is known for one thing, and one thing only – Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels going more than 60 minutes for the WWF Championship. Not to say there aren’t other decent or fun things happening on the card – the opener featured a random collection of Owen Hart, the British Bulldog, Vader, Yokozuna, Jake Roberts and Ahmed Johnson – but people only revisit this show to see the moment Shawn Michaels became a legend in the pro wrestling business.
16. WrestleMania XIV
WrestleMania XIV is the closest thing to middle-of-the-road that you’re going to get in wrestling. Because of the nature of wrestling fans, most shows are incredibly polarized – either you loved them or you hated them. But XIV is one of the few shows… I don’t really have an opinion on.
It’s pretty OK. I guess?
This was the first Mania after the “official” start of the Attitude Era, and just looking at the card you’d think it was one of the best in history. Shawn Michaels vs. Steve Austin? Cactus Jack and Terry Funk vs. The New Age Outlaws? The Rock and Ken Shamrock, Triple H vs. Owen Hart, a tag team battle royal…
What we got was a main event the WWE has still not stopped talking about, and for good reason. The actual match went 20 minutes and was fun, but nowhere near an all-time classic. Fortunately that’s not important. The historical significant is the end of the Shawn Michaels era, the beginning of the Austin Era, and the moment we’ve all seen a hundred times – “Iron” Mike Tyson knocking HBK out cold, turning on Degeneration X to send the fans home happy.
Nothing else really mattered.
