Ranking What Was REALLY The Best Wrestling PPV Every Year 1990-2020

7. 2014 - WWE WrestleMania XXX

Daniel Bryan WrestleMania XXX
WWE

Man, what a show.

WrestleMania XXX was, essentially, your fantasy booking manifested in the epic spectacle of a stadium. That was the magic; the euphoria was in how just how much better it was guaranteed to be than the original plan of Batista Vs. Randy Orton.

Willed into existence by a fanbase so furious that they weren't giving up on Daniel Bryan, WWE relented, and booked his ascent to the WWE World Heavyweight Title via two very different and stunning pro wrestling matches.

Bryan defeated Triple H to earn the main event in a scientific joy in which Triple H dared - and so very cathartically failed - to match Bryan's expert submission prowess. The main event was worked within the vintage mode of WWE melodrama, but Bryan was and is superb at it, his incandescent babyface fire a perfect match for the basics of the formula.

The Streak died in ugly, awkward fashion, and a fun squash match was still a waste of a Shield unit that had earned a big spot - but WrestleMania XXX was nonetheless as memorable as it was life-affirming.

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!