9. Hulk Hogan vs. Ultimate Warrior - WrestleMania VI
As time has passed, Mania has become a bigger and bigger deal and wrestlers have begun to outperform many of their historic predecessors. However, Hogan vs. Warrior in the Ultimate Challenge remains one of the greatest matches of all-time. Edge does a great job of putting it into perspective. This was such an influential match that it helped create an 11-time World Championship winning, 4-time Mania headlining superstar. It is historically significant for other reasons, as well. For instance, it is largely considered to be the first babyface vs. babyface match of this magnitude in the Mania era. It gave many of us fans our first taste of what a match pitting two heroes against each other could create. Hogan vs. Warrior was perfectly handled. It built-up slowly, with little teasers here and there. To this day, one cannot help but be in awe of the atmosphere created for this bout. The entrances still elicit goosebumps. When the Warrior and Hogan were played to the ring by their iconic theme songs and the camera panned around the 67,000 strong crowd at the Sky Dome, it painted a back drop both visually and audibly that stands the test of time as one of the most electric settings ever seen at a WrestleMania. There were certainly a combination of factors that made this great, but it starts with Hogan. He was never really considered a great in-ring performer so much as a charismatic and dynamic one, so this was a real notch in the belt of his overall legacy. The crowd elevated the performance. Also, you cannot shy away from giving the Warrior his due. It takes two to tango. Looking back, one struggles imagine how this could have been any better. While many might suggest that this has not stood the test of time, it has always received praise for its original presentation. It is pretty much universally memorable to all fans that have watched it, especially those that were fans during that era and saw the rise of Hulkamania and the initial push of the Warrior in the 80s. It stands the test of time. You just have to put yourself back in the mindset of that period.
"The Doc" Chad Matthews has written wrestling columns for over a decade. A physician by trade, Matthews began writing about wrestling as a hobby, but it became a passion. After 30 years as a wrestling fan, "The Doc" gives an unmatched analytical perspective on pro wrestling in the modern era. He is a long-time columnist for Lordsofpain.net and hosts a weekly podcast on the LOP Radio Network called "The Doc Says." His first book - The WrestleMania Era: The Book of Sports Entertainment - ranks the Top 90 wrestlers from 1983 to present day, was originally published in December 2013, and is now in its third edition.
Matthews lives in North Carolina with his wife, two kids, and two dogs.
