Roundtable: History of WrestleMania

In this edition of The Wrestling Estate roundtable, the staff reminisce on the Showcase of the Immortals.

What was the first WrestleMania you watched?

Jack Goodwillie: WrestleMania 21. “Bigtime” by the Soundtrack of Our Lives was the theme song and the show crowned John Cena and Batista as the WWE’s two new kingpins moving into the latter half of the 21st century (though unsurprisingly, it was Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle who stole the show).

Anthony Mahalis: The first full WrestleMania I watched as a child was WrestleMania XV. Terrific start for a 6-year-old kid who was enthralled by Stone Cold Steve Austin.

David Gibb: I never bought a PPV until I was in college (parents, am I right?), so WrestleMania XXIV was actually the first ‘Mania I saw in real time.

Troy Taroff: First one I remember is WrestleMania 20. My brother and I begged my dad to buy it for us and only one of us kept with it (you can guess which one).

John Corrigan: WrestleMania 2000. It was a big deal to get my parents to shell out the 50 bucks, and I had to go to bed by 10 p.m., so I taped it to watch the next morning. When I woke up, my dad said that Triple H won after Vince McMahon hit The Rock with a steel chair. One problem: Vince was in Rock’s corner, so I was flabbergasted. I swore my dad must have had the names wrong.

What was your favorite WrestleMania stage design?

Goodwillie: WrestleMania IX. It’s the most unique-looking design of them all, and by just watching clips from the event, you immediately know which WrestleMania it is because hey, only one was at the great Caesar’s Palace. I don’t think the current stage designs are all that imaginative given all the space they now have by exclusively running stadiums (which I also don’t agree with). I, for one, would rather pay more money for a more intimate experience. Tangent aside, honorable mention goes to XXII as the wrestler portraits around the arena looked really cool.

Mahalis: To tell you the truth, I never really thought about the stage designs in terms of having a favorite. I think they have been pretty cool recently. I imagine that WWE will continue to try and make more modern and innovative stage designs.

Gibb: I care about this sort of thing so little that I don’t really remember what many of WrestleMania stages have looked like. I guess the one in San Jose when they did the huge entrances for Sting and Triple H was cool.

Taroff: I personally loved last year’s design. The walkway was way too long, but the giant globe at the top of the stage and the fake roller coaster in the background was a nice touch.

Corrigan: WrestleMania XX. The New York City skyline being on fire for Kane’s entrance was so cool.

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What is the greatest WrestleMania moment ever?

Goodwillie: Personally, it has to be the ending scene to WrestleMania XX with Benoit and Guerrero celebrating in the ring. Having grown together from their humble beginnings to embracing in the ring at the 20th anniversary of the greatest spectacle in wrestling gave me major reverberations watching it back again.

Mahalis: It has to be Hulk Hogan slamming Andre the Giant. Sure, it is one of the oldest moments in WrestleMania history, but I think it is still the most iconic if we are talking about a single moment. The other two that I considered were Austin beating HBK to catapult Stone Cold as the face of WWE, and Seth Rollins’ WrestleMania MITB cash in. I would have liked to go with Austin over HBK but Tyson’s fast three count really screws up the moment.

Gibb: Hogan slamming Andre.

Taroff: Hogan slamming Andre at WrestleMania 3. It still highlights every WrestleMania package to this day, and there’s a reason for that. Hogan slamming Andre was a changing of the guard for all pro wrestling.

Corrigan: Mickie James licking between her fingers during her classic with Trish Stratus at WrestleMania 22. It has since been edited out, but every horny teenage boy watching that night will never forget it.

What is the greatest WrestleMania match ever?

Goodwillie: While I think two of the top 10 went down at WrestleMania XIX, it’s tough for me to say anything other than Austin vs. Bret at WrestleMania XIII. Could I see an argument for Austin-Rock II at XVII? Absolutely, but working with Hart at the time he did was a perfect storm for the Texas Rattlesnake. He was as hot as anybody had been in a long time and there was no better wrestler to make him a star than Bret Hart.

Mahalis: This is not my favorite Mania match ever, but I think you have to go with the first Undertaker-Shawn Michaels match at WrestleMania XXV. That truly was a masterpiece, I don’t think anyone would argue that.

Gibb: I won’t choose between Austin and Bret at 13 and the first ‘Taker-Michaels match at XXV – you can’t make me.

Taroff: Undertaker vs Michaels at Mania 25. It’s still considered the greatest ever and that will never change (probably).

Corrigan: The Hulkster vs. The Rock at WrestleMania X-8. The crowd did all the work in making that magical, but Rock slightly giving in to the fans’ hatred and teasing a heel turn pushed it over the edge.

What is the greatest WrestleMania ever?

Goodwillie: I’ll take this opportunity to make a shameless plug for my WrestleMania XIX column.

Mahalis: I’m partial to WrestleMania X8. I just loved almost every story line going into it from Taker/Flair to HHH/Y2J to Hogan/Rock. All three of those matches were very good, and I think it is fair to say that Rock vs. Hogan was one of the biggest matches in not only WrestleMania history, but WWE history. The energy from that crowd was absolutely electric.

Gibb: This is really hard because I think there have been many strong WrestleMania cards without any singular show that’s perfect from top to bottom. It’s hard to deny WrestleMania 3 as the victory lap on the WWF’s national takeover and X-7 as the culmination of WWF’s peak effort level before they got ready to take their second victory lap.

Taroff: WrestleMania 17 hands down. Perfect card from top to bottom.

Corrigan: WrestleMania XXX. From Hogan, Austin and Rock sharing a few beers, to Daniel Bryan finally overcoming The Authority, to the fucking Streak ending, it was an emotional roller coaster I still haven’t recovered from.