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In a bid to convince people that Rock vs Cena II could be good, the WWE website has published a list of the top 5 WrestleMania rematches.
#5. Bret Hart vs. Yokozuna (WWE Championship)
The main event of WrestleMania IX saw Bret Hart try to defend his WWE Championship against the 1993 Royal Rumble winner Yokozuna. The challenger defeated the champion, and very nearly became the first heel to leave a WrestleMania event as the champion. But Yokozuna got cocky and challenged Hulk Hogan to a title match. Hogan had already been in another match earlier in the night, so Yokozuna thought that the playing field was even. What Yokozuna didn’t think about was the fact that Hogan had been in a tag team match against two mid-carders about 40 minutes earlier. Yokozuna had finished his match against the main-eventer Bret Hart not even 2 minutes ago. Yokozuna deserved to lose the title so fast.
In 1994, both Bret Hart and Lex Luger won the Royal Rumble. It was decided that both men would challenge for the title individually at WrestleMania X. One of the challengers would face Yokozuna for the WWE Championship. And then the winner of that match would face the second challenger later in the night. But to keep things fair, the man who was not involved in the first match had to compete in another match on the same night first. The coin toss decided that Hart would have to face his own brother Owen Hart before competing for the title. Luger would have faced Crush if the coin toss went the other way. Yokozuna beat Luger, setting up the title rematch between him and Hart. But this time, Hart did overcome his old enemy.
#4. Edge & Christian vs The Dudley Boyz vs The Hardy Boyz (World Tag Team Championship)
Edge & Christian and the Hardy Boyz (Jeff Hardy & Matt Hardy) were much smaller than most of the other teams in the tag team division in 1999. But both teams used a quick paced and high-risk offense which proved effective against their larger opponents. And when the two teams faced each other, it generated highly exciting tag team matches that just did not happen when other teams were involved. This was proven to be especially true when the two teams faced off in the first ever tag team ladder match. The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray Dudley & D-Von Dudley) added a new layer of team work and hardcore expertise to their common power based offense. And fans were amazed when the Hardyz were able to match this. So placing all three teams into the same match seemed like a really good idea.
And it was. The three teams fought over the World Tag Team Championship in a ladder match at WrestleMania 2000. Many fans mistake this for the first TLC match which happened later that year. But it was a forgivable mistake considering that steel chairs and wooden tables were used heavily throughout. This would be the first time in many years that the WrestleMania main event was not voted as the match of the year.
By the time WrestleMania X-7 came around, the WWE had struck gold with the first TLC match with the same three teams. So it stood to reason that the match could work once more. The only difference was that the Hardyz were defending the titles, not the Dudleyz. And on both occasions, Edge & Christian left with the gold.
#3. Steve Austin vs The Rock
The Rock became a hate figure in the WWE because of how heavily he had been pushed so close to the beginning of his career. A year after his debut, the Rock became the WWE Champion, and then would headline the next WrestleMania (XV) as Mr. McMahon’s hand-picked champion. This was a part of Mr. McMahon’s plot to stop Steve Austin ever regaining the title. To tip the odds further in Rock’s favor, McMahon made the match a ‘No Disqualification’ match. But Austin would not be stopped.
Austin spent most of 2000 out of action due to a neck injury. He was determined to make a full comeback by winning the WWE Championship once more. After a few derailments, Austin won the 2001 Royal Rumble, becoming the only man to have ever won the match 3 times. And by the time he got to WrestleMania X-7, the WWE Championship was back around The Rock’s waist. Once again, the match was made into a ‘No Disqualifications’ match. While Austin left with the gold once again, he was now Mr. McMahon’s hand-picked champion.
They had a third encounter at WrestleMania XIX. While there was no title on the line, fans had no idea that this would be Austin’s final match. It was also revealed that while Rock was in the best shape of his career, Austin had a heart attack the night before. On this occasion, the Rock sent Austin out with a loss.
#2. The Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels
The set up for their WrestleMania XXV did not make much sense. But it was a dream match all the same. And Michaels seemed like a credible threat to stop Undertaker’s WM winning streak. But Undertaker came away with yet another win.
Shawn Michaels believed that he almost had the Undertaker beat and became obsessed with facing him one more time. Only on this occasion, Michaels agreed to retire if he could not hand Undertaker his first loss at a WrestleMania event. Even though the match was made the main event of WrestleMania XXVI, the ending was spoiled when Michaels was inducted into the Hall Of Fame prior to the match (thus indicating that his career was over, but Undertaker’s was not).
#1. The Undertaker vs. Triple H
OSR members don’t put much stock in the WWE.com lists. And this is exactly why. The number one rematch is the one that the WWE wants fans to like the most. But then again, Triple H was the only person whose ego was so big that he could have used his power to get a victory the Undertaker.
Just before WrestleMania X-7, Triple H made the very bold claim that he had beaten every man on the active roster at least once. Then Undertaker reminded him that Triple H had never beaten him in a singles match. This led to a showdown between the pair, and one of Triple H’s finest performances.
Ten years later, Triple H posted himself as the top candidate to break Undertaker’s WM streak. The WWE played down the fact that Triple H had already lost to him at WM before. But either way, Triple H got to be the third least anticipated opponent at WrestleMania XXVII. The only others that were anticipated less than him were Mark Henry and…
Triple H. Triple H was convinced that he was indeed the Undertaker’s greatest opponent, and therefore deserved to be Undertaker’s final opponent. Triple H kept hinting that he would retire if he lost, but never intended to do so. Worse still, he spat over Shawn Michaels’ legacy to have the match. The only good thing that actually came out of this was that the men thought in a ‘Hell In A Cell’ match. This extended the record for both men for most HIAC matches. And mercifully, Undertaker went 20-0.
#5. Bret Hart vs. Yokozuna (WWE Championship)
The main event of WrestleMania IX saw Bret Hart try to defend his WWE Championship against the 1993 Royal Rumble winner Yokozuna. The challenger defeated the champion, and very nearly became the first heel to leave a WrestleMania event as the champion. But Yokozuna got cocky and challenged Hulk Hogan to a title match. Hogan had already been in another match earlier in the night, so Yokozuna thought that the playing field was even. What Yokozuna didn’t think about was the fact that Hogan had been in a tag team match against two mid-carders about 40 minutes earlier. Yokozuna had finished his match against the main-eventer Bret Hart not even 2 minutes ago. Yokozuna deserved to lose the title so fast.
In 1994, both Bret Hart and Lex Luger won the Royal Rumble. It was decided that both men would challenge for the title individually at WrestleMania X. One of the challengers would face Yokozuna for the WWE Championship. And then the winner of that match would face the second challenger later in the night. But to keep things fair, the man who was not involved in the first match had to compete in another match on the same night first. The coin toss decided that Hart would have to face his own brother Owen Hart before competing for the title. Luger would have faced Crush if the coin toss went the other way. Yokozuna beat Luger, setting up the title rematch between him and Hart. But this time, Hart did overcome his old enemy.
#4. Edge & Christian vs The Dudley Boyz vs The Hardy Boyz (World Tag Team Championship)
Edge & Christian and the Hardy Boyz (Jeff Hardy & Matt Hardy) were much smaller than most of the other teams in the tag team division in 1999. But both teams used a quick paced and high-risk offense which proved effective against their larger opponents. And when the two teams faced each other, it generated highly exciting tag team matches that just did not happen when other teams were involved. This was proven to be especially true when the two teams faced off in the first ever tag team ladder match. The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray Dudley & D-Von Dudley) added a new layer of team work and hardcore expertise to their common power based offense. And fans were amazed when the Hardyz were able to match this. So placing all three teams into the same match seemed like a really good idea.
And it was. The three teams fought over the World Tag Team Championship in a ladder match at WrestleMania 2000. Many fans mistake this for the first TLC match which happened later that year. But it was a forgivable mistake considering that steel chairs and wooden tables were used heavily throughout. This would be the first time in many years that the WrestleMania main event was not voted as the match of the year.
By the time WrestleMania X-7 came around, the WWE had struck gold with the first TLC match with the same three teams. So it stood to reason that the match could work once more. The only difference was that the Hardyz were defending the titles, not the Dudleyz. And on both occasions, Edge & Christian left with the gold.
#3. Steve Austin vs The Rock
The Rock became a hate figure in the WWE because of how heavily he had been pushed so close to the beginning of his career. A year after his debut, the Rock became the WWE Champion, and then would headline the next WrestleMania (XV) as Mr. McMahon’s hand-picked champion. This was a part of Mr. McMahon’s plot to stop Steve Austin ever regaining the title. To tip the odds further in Rock’s favor, McMahon made the match a ‘No Disqualification’ match. But Austin would not be stopped.
Austin spent most of 2000 out of action due to a neck injury. He was determined to make a full comeback by winning the WWE Championship once more. After a few derailments, Austin won the 2001 Royal Rumble, becoming the only man to have ever won the match 3 times. And by the time he got to WrestleMania X-7, the WWE Championship was back around The Rock’s waist. Once again, the match was made into a ‘No Disqualifications’ match. While Austin left with the gold once again, he was now Mr. McMahon’s hand-picked champion.
They had a third encounter at WrestleMania XIX. While there was no title on the line, fans had no idea that this would be Austin’s final match. It was also revealed that while Rock was in the best shape of his career, Austin had a heart attack the night before. On this occasion, the Rock sent Austin out with a loss.
#2. The Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels
The set up for their WrestleMania XXV did not make much sense. But it was a dream match all the same. And Michaels seemed like a credible threat to stop Undertaker’s WM winning streak. But Undertaker came away with yet another win.
Shawn Michaels believed that he almost had the Undertaker beat and became obsessed with facing him one more time. Only on this occasion, Michaels agreed to retire if he could not hand Undertaker his first loss at a WrestleMania event. Even though the match was made the main event of WrestleMania XXVI, the ending was spoiled when Michaels was inducted into the Hall Of Fame prior to the match (thus indicating that his career was over, but Undertaker’s was not).
#1. The Undertaker vs. Triple H
OSR members don’t put much stock in the WWE.com lists. And this is exactly why. The number one rematch is the one that the WWE wants fans to like the most. But then again, Triple H was the only person whose ego was so big that he could have used his power to get a victory the Undertaker.
Just before WrestleMania X-7, Triple H made the very bold claim that he had beaten every man on the active roster at least once. Then Undertaker reminded him that Triple H had never beaten him in a singles match. This led to a showdown between the pair, and one of Triple H’s finest performances.
Ten years later, Triple H posted himself as the top candidate to break Undertaker’s WM streak. The WWE played down the fact that Triple H had already lost to him at WM before. But either way, Triple H got to be the third least anticipated opponent at WrestleMania XXVII. The only others that were anticipated less than him were Mark Henry and…
Triple H. Triple H was convinced that he was indeed the Undertaker’s greatest opponent, and therefore deserved to be Undertaker’s final opponent. Triple H kept hinting that he would retire if he lost, but never intended to do so. Worse still, he spat over Shawn Michaels’ legacy to have the match. The only good thing that actually came out of this was that the men thought in a ‘Hell In A Cell’ match. This extended the record for both men for most HIAC matches. And mercifully, Undertaker went 20-0.