WrestleMania is considered the “Super Bowl” of sports entertainment. For one special weekend, Mania is all that matters as all eyes are on The Show of Shows. Historically, some of WWE’s biggest moments and matches have occurred at Mania.
However, the Grandest Stage of Them All has lost some of its original appeal. Much of the blame rests on the lacklustre build-ups and storylines. WrestleMania 41 had an underwhelming build, and fans aren’t thrilled about Mania 42 either. The most disappointing part is that WWE has gotten the build right on several occasions.
On that note, we take a trip down memory lane and delve into the greatest WrestleMania build-ups in the 21st century.
Disclaimer: This list is far from exhaustive and represents the views of the author alone.
#5. WrestleMania X8 Had a Star-Studded Lineup
WrestleMania X8 is ranked very high on the list of the greatest Mania events of all time. The Rock vs. Hollywood Hulk Hogan in an “Icon vs. Icon” match was the major selling point of the show. While that dream match would have sold out any stadium without any build, WWE still sold the match like the generational encounter it was.
From The Great One’s disses to a nWo’s brutal backstage assault that sent Rocky to a hospital, Hogan vs. Rock felt special. Furthermore, this program was closely tied to Stone Cold Steve Austin’s brewing hostilities with the nWo. The Rattlesnake abducting and embarrassing Scott Hall was another memorable occurrence in the buildup.
While Hogan vs. Rock overshadowed the eventual main event between Triple H and Chris Jericho, The Game and Y2J still had a compelling background story that revolved around Stephanie McMahon. Their feud had fake pregnancies, divorce settlements, and assaults on HHH’s injured quadriceps.
In addition to a stacked upper card, the mid-card for WrestleMania X8 also featured strong storylines. For example, The Undertaker’s rivalry with Ric Flair, who was a co-owner of WWE then, had an intriguing backstory that ended in a highly underrated clash at Mania.
