10 Hugely Underrated WWE WrestleMania Matches

7. Diesel Vs. Shawn Michaels - WrestleMania XI

Sheamus Triple H WrestleMania 26.jpg
WWE.com

Tainted by an unholy trinity of 1995 (in general), a superior sequel promoted roughly a year later, and a bit of a d*ckhead finish, the semi-main event of the otherwise dire WrestleMania XI is far better than its pervading legacy.

The opening five minutes were so furious that it’s hard to believe Michaels only knackered his back three years later. He bumped like a pinball for Diesel, practically reaching the rafters at one point before thudding against what was at the time a far more unforgiving canvas. This wasn’t the sort of one-man show Michaels entered at Survivor Series ’96; more cat and mouse than David Vs. Goliath, the sight of Diesel, having just been spat on, lunging into the corner derailed any notion that he couldn’t work with a frightening head-on collision.

Re-watching it challenges the consensus belief that Michaels was a better performer upon his return from the real back injury in 2002. Shawn was brilliant at finding nuanced methods of reconciling the mismatched pairing, ducking a Diesel onslaught milliseconds after teeing off, genuinely p*ssed off, on a ringside photographer.

The action was so berserk because Michaels, the self-confessed pr*ck that he was, fancied gassing and humiliating his best friend to prove a point that he was the main event - but that only adds a retrospective layer of fascination.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!