Best match from every WWE WrestleMania event in history

WrestleMania XI

Shawn Michaels vs. Diesel

Unfortunately, WrestleMania XI is always going to be remembered for the gimmicky main event featuring Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Lawrence Taylor. And while I will admit that it was actually better than it should have been and is one of the best matches involving a celebrity in WrestleMania history, it’s got no place being AFTER the WWE Championship match, which should ALWAYS close the show. With that being said, the title match that we did get between Shawn Michaels and Diesel was very good and easily took the match of the night in Hartford. Yes, there was a WrestleMania in Hartford.

The story between these two was pretty easy to write. Diesel had come into WWE as Michaels’ bodyguard and the two eventually became a tag team, even winning the tag titles at one point. And no, I can’t avoid bringing up that they were called Two Dudes with Attitudes. Wow. Nevertheless, Diesel decided to break up the team and vacate the titles after Michaels accidentally kicked him at Survivor Series in November of 1994. Big Daddy Cool would go on to win the WWE Championship just a few days later in an eight-second squash of Bob Backlund, Michaels would win the Royal Rumble and it was on.

The size difference might matter to some wrestlers but Shawn Michaels has always been able to work with anybody and this match was no different. Diesel played the power game early with Michaels trying anything to gain an advantage and finally did after a great sequence involving a failed sunset flip, a clothesline over the top, Shawn skinning the cat and hitting a nice crossbody from the top. Great stuff. Once back in the ring, HBK continued to work over his former partner and eventually put on a sleeper. But Diesel naturally powered out of it and hit some clotheslines and forearms before Sid hit the ringside area. Referee Earl Hebner was outside dealing with that when Shawn hit some Sweet Chin Music and had the three count. But by the time the ref got back in the ring, Michaels was only able to get a two.

The end was a little shaky. Sid had taken off the top turnbuckle with the hope that it would help Michaels. Naturally, things went the other way and Michaels ended up being thrown into that corner but they were so far away from the corner that Shawn hit the middle instead. But Shawn sold it anyway and Diesel hit the boot and the powerbomb for the win. This is never going to go down as one of Shawn’s best matches, but it’s definitely one of Kevin Nash’s.