Ranking Every WWE WrestleMania Main Event - From Worst To Best
WrestleMania remains 'The Grandest Stage', but who stole the show, and who stuttered under the bright lights?
The main event of WrestleMania is the biggest match of the pro wrestling calendar. The global behemoth that is WWE plays out its "end of season" finale in a stadium full of people, as fans watch in their millions from every corner of the globe. Headlined by the biggest names of the past and present and aimed for by all future superstars, the main event of The Showcase Of The Immortals has a prestigious history, but not all of these matches have lived up to expectations.
The pressure of satisfying a rabid global fanbase is enormous, and the main event of WrestleMania has as many endings that leave everyone frustrated as it does moments etched into history for their greatness.
From boyhood dreams coming true, to botched endings for matches that should have held generational cultural significance, and from life-affirming stories being finished to matches that will forever feel like missed opportunities, this is a look back at every 'Grandest Stage' main event so far. Ranked from worst to best, this is your definitive guide to the biggest headliners in the business...
47. Lawrence Taylor vs Bam Bam Bigelow (WrestleMania 11)
Despite WWE being a global brand, WrestleMania can sometimes be a very American affair. As such, it can get carried away with thinking that the whole world knows or cares about American culture. "What the hell is a Gronk?", asks the rest of the world, as America has to explain that he's a Patriot of the New England variety.
Lawrence Taylor is largely considered the best defensive player in NFL history, and if you have great taste in movies, you may also recognize him from Oliver Stone's 'Any Given Sunday'. Nevertheless, he is absolutely not a professional wrestler, and so his match with Bam Bam Bigelow was not worthy of headlining WrestleMania 12.
Taylor wins the match by doing a shoulder tackle from the second rope in what is a pretty admirable moment from a 240 lbs man who can't wrestle. Before Bad Bunny and Logan Paul destroyed the idea that celebrities can't wrestle, this is the kind of slop that would regularly show up on WrestleMania cards. Taylor vs Bam Bam was not befitting of pro wrestling's biggest show of the year, and it came at a time when the whole industry was trying to find relevance again after the boom period of the 1980s.