Since its inception in 1985, WrestleMania is the oldest and biggest PLE that wrestling fans worldwide look forward to. It’s the pinnacle of the WWE calendar, which every wrestler aspires to feature on. WrestleMania is so huge that casual wrestling fans will tune in to watch it.
For sure, not every WrestleMania has lived up to the billing, but the glitz and glamour of WrestleMania is hard to resist. WWE pulls out all the stops for a memorable WrestleMania with the best matches typically reserved for the Show of Shows.
While WrestleMania is the oldest PLE, Survivor Series is the second-oldest PLE. The first Survivor Series took place a couple of years after WrestleMania in 1987. Traditional Survivor Series elimination matches, and in recent years, War Games, have been the main selling point of Survivor Series.
However, as both WrestleMania and Survivor Series are a part of WWE’s “Big Four” events, there have been several instances where matches have taken place at both events. Some home runs have been hit in rematches at both WrestleMania and Survivor Series encounters, but some bouts have bored fans.
8. Mark Henry Vs. Ryback – WrestleMania 29 & Survivor Series 2013
Mark Henry and Ryback are two physical specimens, but their matches against each other were boring. The World’s Strongest Man and Ryback butted heads at WrestleMania 29. Henry was the heel, and Ryback was the babyface. The fans at MetLife Stadium didn’t care about this match, and Ryback attempted Shellshock, but Henry grabbed the ropes and flattened Ryback. Henry knocked off Ryback, but Ryback attacked Henry after the match.
A few months later, Ryback issued an open challenge at Survivor Series 2013, and Henry answered the call. The World’s Strongest Man debuted a new look as he was bald. The roles were reversed with Henry as the face and Ryback as the heel.
This bout was just as boring as their WrestleMania encounter, but their Survivor Series meeting was slightly better. The result remained the same, with Henry triumphant after executing the World’s Strongest Slam.
7. Bret Hart Vs. Bob Backlund – Survivor Series 1994 & WrestleMania 11
Bob Backlund challenged Bret Hart for the WWE Championship in a Throw in a Towel match at the 1994 edition of Survivor Series. Backlund’s return to WWE in 1992 was surprising, as was his shocking WWE Championship victory over the Hitman. Backlund’s WWE Championship win came out of nowhere, and his second WWE Title reign was short-lived, lasting just three days. It was his first WWE Championship reign in 11 years.
Surprisingly, that wasn’t the end of Hart and Backlund’s rivalry as they clashed five months later at WrestleMania 11. This time it was a submission match and “Rowdy” Roddy Piper oversaw proceedings as the special guest referee. Their Survivor Series 1994 encounter was miles better than their WrestleMania match. Hart deserved a better matchup against a marquee name, but he got his win back over the former two-time WWE Champion.
