The BEST Wrestling Moment Every Year (1989 - 2026)

19. 2008 | Floyd Mayweather Breaks The Big Show’s Nose

The 24th edition of the show remains the most underrated in WrestleMania history, and Floyd Mayweather Vs. the Big Show was an incredible revelation of a spectacle. 

The storytelling was weird and wonderful; big giant babyface versus little arsehole of a heel was the antithesis of the most famous WWE match ever, and probably shouldn’t have worked, but it was entirely character-dependent. Mayweather was shockingly great on the night because he played the game to an improbable extent. The man widely accused of dodging the big fights to preserve his ego and immaculate record ran away like a little coward and practically squealed when the Big Show got his hands on him. Mayweather didn’t cost the publicised fee, but he cost a bomb, and was well worth the money. The atmosphere he conjured was in part driven by a brilliant angle at No Way Out 2008. (Floyd’s casting as a babyface looking out for fellow wee guy Rey Mysterio was daft, since he’s so detestable, but WWE was clever enough to pivot.)

Show laughed at Mayweather’s size and dropped to his knees, offering him a free shot. Floyd took it, but his instincts kicked in. He legitimately messed Show’s face up. This went wrong, but was utterly electrifying. Wrestling is so much more potent when something real happens. 

You’d be hard-pressed to find a more pissed-off looking man in that moment than the Big Show, and since he was also very massive, you’d be hard-pressed to find a scarier man. WWE very rarely got Show right - in their defence, booking a giant on weekly episodic TV for years on end is close to impossible - but he fulfilled his elusive promise here.