WWE Gallery: 35 Best WrestleMania Matches

31. Shawn Michaels Vs. Mr. McMahon - WrestleMania 22

Final 35 Gallery
WWE

You have to feel for a WWE talent—especially one nursing a niggling injury they can work through, which they must to impress or change their perception with management. They must be seen to work as hard as the standard-setting COO.

The non-wrestler COO, at WrestleMania 22, took a top rope elbow drop, through a table, with a bin on his head, in atonement for his sacrilege—after enjoying a mere two hours of sleep.

But it wasn’t the big bump that carves this hilarious and dramatic match into legend; McMahon’s panicked, hammy facials substituted wonderfully for the athletic excellence we had come to expect of the Heartbreak Kid. You couldn’t not piss yourself laughing when McMahon delightedly celebrated his son’s Kiss My Ass Club induction, under the belief that Shawn was puckering up.

Deeply silly, yes, but quintessentially Vince—who at his best was the best performer in the history of the industry.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!