2. WrestleMania X-Seven
One of the greatest WWE PPVs ever, Mania X-Seven was the benchmark event for the Attitude Era and, coincidentally, the end of the most celebrated period in wrestling history. When Austin won the WWE title at WrestleMania XIV and had his hand raised by the globally relevant Mike Tyson, the WWE moved in a direction that drew unprecedented attention to professional wrestling. In pushing the envelope for what they could get away with on cable TV, they attracted a massive influx of new fans to the sport/entertainment genre. The Rock emerged as the "1A" to Austin's "#1" spot in the WWE, arguably surpassing his success due to his mainstream appeal. When Rock and Austin faced in a babyface match at Mania 17, it was the culmination of roughly three years of the single most competitive period in pro wrestling history for the top position in a major wrestling organization. Triple H had attempted to put his name into that conversation with an incredible year 2000, but could not catch the blazing trail set by Austin and Rock. Rock vs. Austin was an amazing main-event that set the all-time domestic (USA) record for PPV buys in pro wrestling. Vince McMahon, who had earlier in the night lost to his son, Shane, in a battle that famously featured "WWE vs. WCW" headlines after the junior McMahon had "purchased" the struggling former competitor on the Monday prior to WrestleMania, formed an ironic alliance with Austin to help Stone Cold win the title from The Rock and officially end the Attitude Era. The Monday Night War having been won, the WWE moved in a different direction. The second wrestling boom was over. However, with a captivating Rock-Austin clash to send the fans home happy after a thrilling event that also included an amazing Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match, an era-specific brawl of the highest order between Triple H and Undertaker, and Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit in a bout once voted by their peers as one of the top 10 matches in Mania history, the Attitude Era ended on an incredibly high note.