#1
WrestleMania XX
Chris Benoit def. Triple H / Shawn Michaels
This is the WrestleMania main event that shall not be named. Even in the most recent "WrestleMania in 60 Seconds" video that WWE put together, it's as if this match never happened – luckily WrestleMania XX had a lot going for it all around the card. But if we can look past the awful deeds of one man whose brain resembled a 70-year-old Alzheimer's patient, what you'll find is one of the best championship matches in history.
Chris Benoit had everything thrown at him to make sure he never became World Heavyweight Champion. He was given the #1 spot in the Royal Rumble match, but somehow managed to last more than an hour, outlasting the likes of Mark Henry, Randy Orton, Big Show, Goldberg, Chris Jericho, Mick Foley and Kurt Angle. However, Benoit wasn't the only person with a stake in Triple H's demise. Shawn Michaels, the long-time best friend, partner and would-be rival had fought several bloody matches since his return, and every time Triple H managed to emerge victorious – thanks in major part to Evolution.
The build to this triple threat is one of the best in history. I will always remember Shawn superkicking Benoit's teeth in at the contract signing. This may have been one of the deepest, most personal rivalries until HBK's feud with Chris Jericho in 2008. The match was a bloodbath with finishers, table spots, and dozens of near falls. There was a point where the Game literally had to stop Shawn Michaels' hand from tapping out.
Everything about this contest was perfect. Jim Ross put his heart and soul into commentary, calling it the "greatest WrestleMania of all time." The closing moments of WrestleMania XX featuring Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit celebrating together is chilling, for way more reasons than I'm comfortable with now. It is a reminder of how good wrestling can be, of how great those two athletes were, and how tragic things can end up with no warning at all.
Honestly, the #1 and #2 picks on this list are interchangeable. Both are, for all intents and purposes, perfect wrestling matches.
