5. WrestleMania XXIV
Floyd Mayweather, John Cena's first unexpectedly quick comeback from injury, and a stout all-around card propelled Mania XXIV to being a smash hit at the box office. A record crowd packed Orlando, Florida's Citrus Bowl a one night renovation of the highest order by WWE productions and the buys came back at over one million for the second year in a row. No one should question Mayweather's contributions. Though boxing, all around, is not nearly the popular sport that it once was (especially in the United States), smaller fighters like Floyd "Money" have built themselves into legitimate draws that put wrestling to shame. The WWE Championship match, meanwhile, featured a very interesting mix of the post-Attitude era's #1 star in Triple H, the guy that Trips had groomed to replace him in Randy Orton, and the guy that actually replaced Trips as "The Man" in Cena. Critically, the show excelled on the back of three matches. The first was an outstanding Money in the Bank Ladder match won by CM Punk, but highlighted by a group of young and hungry stars itching to break through to the main-event. Aesthetically, it was the best of all the Money in the Bank matches in history. Ric Flair's final bout against the incomparable Shawn Michaels stole the show with its blend of unmatched drama and HBK showmanship. Flair was 60 years old and did not have much to offer, athletically, but he put everything that he had left into that match. Michaels telling Flair "I'm sorry; I love you" just before the super kick that finished his career is one of the most enduring moments of any WrestleMania. Edge vs. Undertaker in a World Championship vs. Streak match was arguably the top match on the card and one of the most underrated matches in WrestleMania history, often ranking ahead of reviewer star rating lists.