1. The Ultimate Warrior vs Hulk Hogan - Wrestlemania VI (WWF World Heavyweight and Intercontinental Titles)
Few matches in the history of the WWE are as fondly remembered by fans of the era as "The Ultimate Challenge," in which the meteoric rise of the Ultimate Warrior reached it's climax as he earned a shot at the WWF World Heavyweight Championship, and the 'Immortal' Hulk Hogan. This was one of the rare big event matches in WWE history to feature two good guys instead of a good guy vs a bad guy, and was also notable as it was the first time when both the World Heavyweight Championship and Intercontinental Championships were on the line in the same match; and this back when those were the only 2 single titles in the company. Having the two most popular fan-favorite superstars of the era face off was such an attraction that 67,678 screaming fans filled the Skydome in Toronto, Ontario, Canada to witness the historic match. The match was a back and forth battle of strength in which neither man was able to maintain an advantage in the match for too lengthy a period of time. The match may not have been a catch-as-catch-can classic in the vein of Steamboat/Savage, but it told as compelling a story. The two strongmen were near mirror images of each other in their overpowering ring technique, and as they engaged in tests of strength, the audience was on the edge of their seat to see what was more powerful, Hulkamania or the Power of the Warrior. Right hands, chops, body slams, suplexes, and a ropes running crisscross sequence which has become synonymous with these two men would become the ingredients of a match for the ages. Near the end of the match both men were able to score would-be pinfalls, when the referee was knocked unconscious, as Jessie Ventura said on commentary, essentially making it a two-out-of-three falls match. In the finish, Hogan was able to withstand the Warrior's press slam and big splash combo, and 'hulk up' as he had done so many time before, but this time he wasn't able to hit his own finish. After Hogan hit the big boot on Warrior he went to the ropes and came looking for his leg drop, but as he came crashing down to the mat, there was no one underneath his giant thigh; Warrior had rolled out of the way and came back with another big splash, the 2nd Hogan would receive in a matter of seconds. Warrior was then able to pin the Hulkster to become the new WWF Champion! After the match another emotional moment took place, as Hogan slid outside the ring and grabbed the Championship belt. Fans across the globe wondered what was going to happen next - was Hogan about to attack Warrior with the belt in a jealous fit? No. Hulk Hogan handed the Ultimate Warrior the belt in a symbolic gesture of 'passing the torch' to the new champion and the WWF's new number 1 star. Although the Ultimate Warrior's legacy never quite lived up the expectations of that day, this match remains one of the greatest in Wrestlemania history. After being handed the belts by Hogan, Warrior would hold up his newly won Titles and pose in front of a pyro display and nearly 68,000 screaming fans, on top of the world - this is the way to remember the legacy of the Ultimate Warrior.
