50 Must-See WrestleMania Matches
3. Randy Savage Vs. Ricky Steamboat – WrestleMania 3
For decades, this was the standard-bearer for great WrestleMania matches – and in many ways, still is.
The lead-up to this classic Intercontinental Championship match was tremendous. Macho Man and the Dragon had an IC title match that saw champ Savage attack Steamboat and injure his throat on the guardrail. Savage then punctuated it by dropping the ring bell onto Steamboat’s throat, knocking him out of action. (Dragon’s selling of the beating was tremendous.)
At WrestleMania 3, Steamboat made his return and was seeking revenge. In reality, he and Savage had painstakingly mapped out an intense, intricate match that had fans on the edge of their seats. They battled back and forth with more than a dozen two counts during their nonstop affair.
The end came with the famous moment where Savage went to use the ring bell again, only for George “The Animal” Steele – another wrestler who had been abused by Macho Man – to interfere on Steamboat’s behalf. A dazed Savage went for a bodyslam, which Steamboat turned into a small package for the win and the title. The pop from the crowd tells you how heavily invested they were in the match.