Best match from every WWE WrestleMania event in history

WrestleMania VI

Hulk Hogan vs. The Ultimate Warrior

After three consecutive years on this list, Randy Savage didn’t quite make the cut for WrestleMania VI although his mixed tag match with Dusty Rhodes was more fun than it’s given credit for. No, the easy choice for this one is the rare face vs. face main event of The Ultimate Warrior and Hulk Hogan.

Much like Savage had done a few years earlier, The Ultimate Warrior was getting just as popular as Hulk Hogan and it was decided that a change was in order. Everyone had been wanting to see these two go at it and we got a little taste of it when the two briefly squared off at the Royal Rumble, a Rumble match that Hogan would ultimately win. The decision was made for a champion vs. champion match at WrestleMania VI and I really don’t think it could have gone any better.

Those who are into great technical wrestling were always going to be disappointed with this match but it was never going to be that, it wasn’t expected to be that and it never needed to be that. These were two big guys that were going to slug it out and see who came out on top. We got the staredown at the outset and things went from there. After a quick back and forth, they got into an old-school test of strength, which you don’t see enough of anymore, with each holding the advantage at one point and a freaking criss-cross, which you definitely never see these days. The equality continued as each one got in a slam before Warrior took the advantage and sent Hogan to the floor, with Hogan selling a knee injury that Warrior went a little heelish on and started kicking. It was funny to hear Gorilla Monsoon say that Hogan popped it back in when he stopped selling.

Hogan did show a little bit more than what we were used to with a backbreaker and a suplex before they did the obligatory double clothesline spot to get some rest. Warrior is up first and he goes into his version of the Hulk Up and Hogan finally knows how everybody else feels as he tried to get some licks in that did no harm whatsoever. Warrior hits a few clotheslines and locked in a bearhug that Hogan would fight out of before the big ref bump, at which point both men get a three count. The ref finally comes to and there’s a great near fall before the amazing finish that sees Warrior actually get Hogan up for the gorilla press. He drops him down for the splash and the fall but Hogan is up at two for the real Hulk Up and just when you think he’s going to drop the leg and get the victory, Warrior moves and hits a splash for the 1-2-3 as Hogan tries desperately to kick out in time. But he can’t and there’s a new champion that just pinned Hulk Hogan right in the center of the ring. Great storytelling. Insane crowd in Toronto, which might just come into play a little bit later on this list.