1. WrestleMania XXVIII
WrestleMania XXVIII set the new standard for "The Granddaddy of 'em all." On the merits of The Rock vs. John Cena in the third legitimate dream match produced in the WrestleMania Era, 2012's "Show of Shows" earned the highest number of buys ever produced for a wrestling PPV. The Rock came back in 2011 and provided the WWE with a legitimate celebrity that just so happened to gain his original fame from pro wrestling. It was the perfect situation for the WWE. Every year since Mania's inception, they have searched for the right celebrity presence to drive mainstream interest in the year's biggest wrestling event. When The Rock left the WWE, it did hurt the business. Fortunately, John Cena emerged as the #1 star in the industry to help steer the WWE ship back to prominence. Cena's legacy might very well be that he was the top star during the time in which WrestleMania became what Vince McMahon had always hoped it would become a yearly destination event with few peers in sports or entertainment. When The Rock (finally) came back, he had built up a big enough name for himself in Hollywood that his presence combined with WrestleMania's stature was a potent recipe for unprecedented success. Undertaker vs. Triple H with Shawn Michaels guest refereeing their Hell in a Cell match was an awesome secondary draw. The all-time classic match arguably stole the show. The Rock vs. John Cena does not get merely the accolades that it deserved from critics. Perhaps it was a fickle and jaded fanbase that could not find appreciation in an epic showdown of 30-minutes in length carried by a man notoriously underrated for his wrestling talents (Cena). Rock-Cena and Taker-Trips created for a critical juggernaut at the top of the card...and then there was the WWE Championship match pitting CM Punk against Chris Jericho in a bout similar to Y2J vs. HBK from nine years prior. The catch-as-catch-can work of art added a third 4-5 star match to the card. The undercard was nothing special, but the top three matches were better than any other WrestleMania's best trio (and, perhaps, just as historically significant). Consider, also, that the event may receive a boost down the road from the 18 second loss that catapulted Daniel Bryan to superstardom and WrestleMania 28 seems destined to age well and maintain its top spot.