What’s the best Wrestlemania storytelling wise?

[Jonathan Michaels]

Personally I think 35 is a strong contender.

The through line of babyfaces having to overcome the McMahons, Kofi, Becky and Miz all fighting back against the system, was pretty damn good.

[Jindrak Mark]

Not taking into account match quality (Bret-Vince I thought was absolutely terrible to watch) but just story-wise 26 I think is very good.

Bret finally getting revenge on Vince and just beating the crap out of him for 15 minutes straight.

HBK's insane obsession with ending the streak then realizing in the end he can't do it, slapping Taker and getting Tombstoned to end his career.

Cena and Batista, the two faces of the company for the previous 5 years, finally getting their big Mania match.

Edge trying to play nice after a triumphant comeback and in doing so lacking his old killer instinct, allowing Jericho to cheat to beat him then Edge snaps after the match, signalling he was going back to his old heel self and the turn would be complete within a month or so.

Sheamus challenging HHH and the build was HHH saying when I was the new guy I faced a bigger star in my first Mania and got crushed so it can happen to you. He doesn't get squashed, he puts up a good fight but his inexperience just costs him in the end because he was too cocky to heed the warning.

Rey getting revenge after Punk had been terrorizing his family.

Cody and Ted not being able to keep their egos in check. They start the match teaming up and beating down Orton but they both want the glory of winning, come to blows and of course it costs them and Orton wins.

[fw91]

Yeah I agree about 26. Take out match quality and I think thats a textbook blueprint for what a wrestlemania card should be.

[tirtefaa]

Four stand out...

WrestleMania 17
WrestleMania 19
WrestleMania 21
WrestleMania 26

All feel big. All have matches that going into the event, you never knew which one would steal the show? All led to bigger things moving forward, so it wasn't just a moment in time, it was a moment that led to other moments.

There's plenty of matches from other Manias that were good, but none felt as impactful as those four.

[Jindrak Mark]

Dec 16, 2023 14:59:16 GMT -5 fw91 said:

Yeah I agree about 26. Take out match quality and I think thats a textbook blueprint for what a wrestlemania card should be.

I remember at the time thinking it was the biggest feeling Mania in years then being shocked when it turned out it got the second lowest PPV buys in a decade. Although in hindsight in didn't have the celebrity boost that 25 had with the Wrestler/Mickey Rourke hype, 24 had Mayweather, 23 had you know who and then 27-29 would have Rock.

[clc]

Wrestlemania 3-5

Wrestlemania 5 is peak wrestling story telling with the Mega Powers Explode.

It all starts at the build up to 3 with Andre turning on Hogan, Andre teaming up with Dibiase to set up 4, Macho emerges as champ in 4 with help from Hogan. The Mega Powers are formed. Then at 5 the Mega Powers explode.

[Moppy]

Wrestlemania XV. Nothin' but swerves all night bro!

[The Summer of Muskrat XVII]

Dec 16, 2023 16:56:12 GMT -5 clc said:

Wrestlemania 3-5

Wrestlemania 5 is peak wrestling story telling with the Mega Powers Explode.

It all starts at the build u to 3 with Andre turning on Hogan, Andre teaming up with Dibiase to set up 4, Macho emerges as champ in 4 with help from Hogan. The Mega Powers are formed. Then at 5 the Mega Powers explode.

That’s 1 story running multiple Mania’s, I think what OP is going for is what 1 Mania had the best top to bottom storytelling across multiple matches.

Although, having re-watched all the MTV specials, SNME and Main Events and PPV’s from 84-90 earlier this year. My god, Hogan’s first run, and the build to his second run is just incredible. Hogan from winning the belt in 84 until losing the belt to Warrior in 90 is just awesome f***ing storytellibg to watch

[bluebeach25]

28 has an Argument for being the most Hyped and Storytelling Mania. Cena/Rock had a great Build. The Promos they had were so great from start to end, looking at it back and even at the time Cena really owned Rock in almost every Promo leading up to the Match! The Story was just there with the Face of the Company going up against the Former Big Star and at the time Current biggest Movie Star in the World (up there).

Cena/Rock happening was rumored for long to that point, so the Build was longer than most know. Cena shooted against Rock in a 2008 Interview. They had a Interaction at the Hall of Fame that Year too, Rock kinda dissed him!

Taker/HHH/HBK saga is a Story of it's own. Pitch perfect!

Punk/Jericho was done perfect build-wise, i didn't like the Match they had but Jericho going against Punk's Family and the whole Jericho comeback thing let to a great Story.

[Cranjis McBasketball]

Dec 16, 2023 16:56:12 GMT -5 clc said:

Wrestlemania 3-5

Wrestlemania 5 is peak wrestling story telling with the Mega Powers Explode.

It all starts at the build up to 3 with Andre turning on Hogan, Andre teaming up with Dibiase to set up 4, Macho emerges as champ in 4 with help from Hogan. The Mega Powers are formed. Then at 5 the Mega Powers explode.

I’d make the argument it actually carries on to Mania 7. After losing to Hogan, Savage ditches Miss Elizabeth, becomes a deranged King, finally loses to Warrior, costing him his career and reunites with Liz. Hogan and Andre were done, but Savage is still spinning off from that angle.

[fg]

Dec 16, 2023 13:15:05 GMT -5 Jonathan Michaels said:

Personally I think 35 is a strong contender.

The through line of babyfaces having to overcome the McMahons, Kofi, Becky and Miz all fighting back against the system, was pretty damn good.

Yes, and it finally stopped the era where faces get mostly booed and the heels getting cheered (when the heels faced the shat on faces.)

[CMWaters]

Even if just for two matches, no one has said 30 yet with the Daniel Bryan story (and it being the hero needing to win moment after Undertaker's streak ended)?

[khali]

I think Mania 3 remains one of the best examples.

Hogan/Andre: Andre comes back from suspension and word gets out that Bobby Heenan was at the meeting. Jesse tries to investigate and figures out something fishy just be going on since Heenan won’t tell him anything. Then there’s the great series of Piper’s Pit where Andre is acting weird before eventually emerging with Heenan. Like one time he just tells Hogan “four years is a long time to be champion,” and shakes his hand a little too hard before leaving.

Piper/Adonis: Was building even in the months Piper wasn’t on tv, as Adonis took his talk show segment and Bob Orton as his lackey. The angles when Piper came back were strong too.

Savage/Steamboat: classic injury angle to build that one up.

Danny Davis: The six man tag he’s in on the show is a payoff to stuff that happened starting a year prior with Santana losing the IC Title.

[David-Arquette was in WCW 2000]

Dec 16, 2023 17:17:29 GMT -5 bluebeach25 said:

28 has an Argument for being the most Hyped and Storytelling Mania. Cena/Rock had a great Build. The Promos they had were so great from start to end, looking at it back and even at the time Cena really owned Rock in almost every Promo leading up to the Match! The Story was just there with the Face of the Company going up against the Former Big Star and at the time Current biggest Movie Star in the World (up there).

Cena/Rock happening was rumored for long to that point, so the Build was longer than most know. Cena shooted against Rock in a 2008 Interview. They had a Interaction at the Hall of Fame that Year too, Rock kinda dissed him!

Taker/HHH/HBK saga is a Story of it's own. Pitch perfect!

Punk/Jericho was done perfect build-wise, i didn't like the Match they had but Jericho going against Punk's Family and the whole Jericho comeback thing let to a great Story.

I feel they went too personal too soon with Jericho and Punk, and the match was bland, but yeah the shows does stand out overall from a storytelling perspective.

[Deleted]

30 was one of the greatest Mania's and certainly has a few great storylines with only one real eh storyline:

Bryan's matches were great, the Shield killing the old guys in minutes on their way to turning face was a great moment, Cesaro continuing his momentum gain in the Real Americans by doing an homage to Hogan/Andre in a way only he can to win the battle royal (probably biased here as I love the dude), everyone wondering how Taker was going to beat Lesnar in a way that was convincing, only for Lesnar to shock everyone, win the match, and begin his era of dominance in the company. Wyatt attempting to get Cena to turn to the dark side was a story that most were interested in during it, and look back less fondly on it because of the way it went.

Honestly I don't remember the tag team opener in the slightest but I do remember the women's match being frustrating. No one really being focused on, AJ burying the whole division in the buildup, and the only person who had any momentum was Naomi and they ended up having her be the one to submit before switching gears to put the title on Paige the next night.

Great PPV, one of the best and a decent bit of that is the story going into it but really it's the performances and the moments that come out of that night that matter the most. Wouldn't have been possible without the story going into it though.

[chazraps]

14

Yes, the stories were all predictable endings - but that bothered absolutely nobody as (with the possible exception of Triple H vs Owen) they were the right endings for satisfying story-endings.

Even the thrown together tag team battle royal gave us the feel good surprise big return of the Legion of Doom which for one night was very welcome. And Taka-Papi was presented as a showcase for where wrestling could be going and it delivered. Everything else had masterful thought out well built stories fully cementing a new era and making fans feel like they got their money's worth - compared to Starrcade '97 a few months prior where pretty much everyone who purchased it felt bait-and-switched by, not just Hogan vs Sting, but the entire card being upended.

[Soultastic]

30 felt at the time like a snap shot of the future. Shield dominates, Cesaro wins a big match, the streak ends and creates a new monster, and Bryan wins the title. Even Cena beating Wyatt kinda lets you know about the future because it possitions him as uncorruptible, a steady foundation. Even the begining with Hogan, Rock and Austin felt tied to the theme of time moving foward.

If only they had followed through...

[darbus alan]

Wrestlemania 30. The ultimate underdog wins the big one is a classic story.

[Zone Was Wrong]

youtu.be/Cu18oxc0D3E?si=keW0iMPPVIA5mn49&t=49

[Friday Night SmackOwn]

Dec 17, 2023 13:03:22 GMT -5 CMWaters said:

Even if just for two matches, no one has said 30 yet with the Daniel Bryan story (and it being the hero needing to win moment after Undertaker's streak ended)?

Just the way the show was laid out was also good.

You had Bryan beating Triple H, but the heel HHH and Steph still getting in one last heat moment by beating up Bryan post-match.

Then the Shield squashing Kane and the NAO as a bit of a breather after the heat moment.

Cesaro getting his star-making moment at the Andre battle royal, being followed by Cena overcoming Bray Wyatt's machinations to win.

Of course, the shock of Brock breaking Taker's streak as the emotional low eventually being followed by the euphoric moment of Bryan finally getting his moment and toppling the Authority.