10 WrestleMania Main Events That Changed The Direction Of WWE
10. Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Benoit - WrestleMania 20
The fact that Chris Benoit walked out of Wrestlemania 20 with the World Heavyweight Championship was a huge step forward for the WWE and the outdated land of the giants tag that was so often attached to Vince McMahons company. Obviously the moment has been tarnished now after the heinous acts that Benoit carried out in his final days, but seeing Eddie Guerrero and his long-time friend embrace and break down at the end of the PPV was a breath of fresh air. In Guerrero and Benoit these were two guys who had been told for so long that they weren't big enough to get to the top of the mountain. Benoit defeating such legendary names as HHH and Mr. Wrestlemania himself, Shawn Michaels, and Eddie retaining the WWE Championship against the wrestling machine known as Kurt Angle, seemed to give a real feeling of change to the company. As Attitude Era stars like The Rock, Steve Austin and Mick Foley started to step into the background, Eddie and Benoits ascension to the main event gave hope that you didn't have to be the biggest to get to the top. With Benoits win in particular, it was finally proof that you could get to the top purely by being an all-out workhouse in the ring. Smaller guys like Eddie and Chris Jericho enhanced their stature by oozing charisma. Benoit was the first time that wed really seen someone prove that you could get to the top without being the biggest dog in the fight or the best talker; instead he was rewarded for simply being a fantastic wrestler, giving hope to fans and performers alike that sheer hard work and mastering your craft between the ropes would get you to the top of the wrestling tree.
Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics.
As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer and Presenter, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic.
Between his main day job, his role as lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund and Eli Roth to Kevin Smith and the Russo Brothers, to Kevin Conroy and Frank Miller, to Bret Hart and Sting, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, and Brian Flynn, to many, many more. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is a long-standing season ticket holder and an FSA Award-winner for his time co-hosting the Fearless in Devotion podcast.
