Why WWE WrestleMania No Longer Has The Best Matches Of The Year
Lessons from the past, hope for the future?
Until the day comes where anyone anywhere utters the words, "Well, those matches really sucked but hey, at least I got to see P. Diddy live! What a great show !", let us consider that it's the wrestling that makes or breaks WrestleMania, and gives fans their money's worth.
The best editions of the show are remembered for their all-time classic contests, while we gladly forget the tepid action from the worst iterations of WWE's annual Granddaddy of Them All.
And yet, should we take it for granted that the best of WWE's in-ring action takes place at 'Mania? Does the Showcase of the Immortals regularly host WWE's Match of the Year, or at least strong contenders for it, and has it always been the case? What trends can we highlight from the event's storied, rich history ?
Nowadays, we get to witness hundreds of breathtaking encounters from all over the world every year, which makes picking the very best ones more complicated than ever for us geeky listers. It wasn't always the case, though...
20. WrestleMania I To WrestleMania VI: The Most Important Match Of The Year (I)
What was WWF's Match of The Year in 1985, year of the first WrestleMania? According to PWI, it was the main event of the show, Hulk Hogan & Mr. T vs Roddy Piper & Paul Orndorff. In itself, it's a bout that wasn't bad at all, and way more action-packed than any other on the card. Still a question arises: were there any alternatives?
Bare the glorious Randy Savage vs Ricky Steamboat exception at 'Mania III, WrestleMania was at the time, if not a one-man show, at least a one-match show. Each edition was basically a new installment in the Hulk Hogan Adventures franchise, and so the company used every creative tool to make his matches feel like the only ones really worth seeing. They were given more time and narrative significance than the rest, and as a result, they were in effect WWF's annual shot at MOTY praise. It was that or nothing.
Tellingly, in 1986 and 1989, when WrestleMania main events weren't granted the award from PWI, it was given to NWA matches. Then again, in 1988 it was somewhat inexplicably awarded to the weird Hulk Hogan and Andre The Giant screwjob from Main Event. Y'know, the one with two Earl Hebners.