In an older article we’ve taken a look at some of the best Wrestlemania matches in the history of pro wrestling. Those amazing fights gave us some memorable scenes that act as reminders of why we love wrestling so much. However, since Wrestlemania events are such layered shows, it often happens that some great matches get left behind, overshadowed by main events or other big names. To correct this injustice, we’ve decided to compile a list of some of the best underrated Wrestlemania matches in the history of pro wrestling. Let’s begin.
Wrestlemania XXIX – CM Punk vs. Undertaker
The first match that we’ll take a look at is the most recent one that happened during the Wrestlemania XXIX event at MetLife stadium in New Jersey. Of course, the main event that attracted most attention was the match between the Rock and John Cena. However, the event also had a hidden gem in the form of a match between the Undertaker and CM Punk that followed a quite grim storyline involving the death of Paul Bearer, a well-known wrestling manager and Undertaker’s friend. CM Punk built up the hate with his disrespect of Bearer’s urn and mocking in the Hall of Fame, so the Undertaker’s win had quite a satisfying feel to it. Considering that the Undertaker was already considered old by some wrestling standards, the moves that he pulled off were rather amazing.
Wrestlemania XXI – Undertaker vs. Randy Orton
The next match on the list again involves the Undertaker, but way earlier in 2005. There aren’t many people that can say that they came close to breaking the Undertaker’s famous Streak, but Randy Orton might be one of them. The main event of the 21st Wrestlemania saw Triple H fight Batista for the champion title, obviously attracting the crowd, but the match between the legendary Undertaker and the eager Randy Orton had a lot of potential to become the greatest match of the event had he managed to win and stop the notorious Streak. Although the Undertaker won with his trademark move – the piledriver, it was still a tense and uncertain match all the way to the end.
Wrestlemania V – Ultimate Warrior vs. Rick Rude
The third match on our list takes us back to 1989 when Wrestlemania V was held in New Jersey, with the Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage fight as the main event. Obviously, since Hulk Hogan was in his prime as one of the most famous and beloved wrestlers at the time, along with the mighty Randy Savage, all other matches didn’t have a chance of getting through to viewers. However, one undercard match put up the Ultimate Warrior against Rick Rude in an amazing performance that many consider to be the Warrior’s first good match. While Rick Rude gave an alright performance, it was the Ultimate Warrior who truly shined there with his acrobatic skills and amazing moves that shouldn’t have been overlooked, despite the enormous main event.
Wrestlemania VIII – Roddy Piper vs. Bret Hart
With two exciting main cards in Wrestlemania VIII, it was really hard for the undercards to get any exposure, but we feel that one of them still managed to do it. The two main events included Hulk Hogan fighting and defeating Sid Justice in an expectedly great match, and Randy Savage destroying Ric Flair and snatching his title away. While both of these are great matches, one undercard that may have slipped unnoticed was the match between Roddy Piper and Bret Hart. The fresh champion, Roddy Piper was forced to defend his title against the famous Bret Hart, for whom he had only the utmost respect. Piper showcased a number of his skills and amazed the crowd, but it was Hart who managed to put down Roddy and take the title. It was a truly unappreciated match.
Wrestlemania XII – Steve Austin vs. Savio Vega
The 60-minute Iron Man match that was the main event of Wrestlemania XII, saw Bret Hart lose his title to Shawn Michaels in quite an amazing match. The event also included a number of big names like the Undertaker, Owen Hart, the Ultimate Warrior, etc. However, what slipped under the radar was the fact that this event was Steve Austin’s first Wrestlemania appearance. Although his fighting style was a bit different at the time, he still managed to make quite a show against the underappreciated Savio Vega, defeating him in just over 10 minutes. We got the chance to see a glimpse of Austin’s great wrestling technique and his first steps towards creating the Attitude Era.
This was our list of 5 great Wrestlemania matches that went quite unnoticed, despite deserving a lot more attention. What other matches do you feel belong on this list? Tell us why.
