There is no greater stage for a WWE Superstar to perform on than WrestleMania.
The Showcase of the Immortals has made stars, enhanced them and ensured they live on in the annals of pro wrestling history forever.
Over the past 20 years, some of the best and brightest competitors in the industry have performed on the grand stage, delivering performances that have established them the greatest in their field.
From iconic matches to jaw-dropping moments, unexpected outcomes and championship victories, the 10 Superstars on this list have seized the spotlight at WrestleMania and solidified themselves as the event's best performers of the past two decades.
The records and matches noted for each Superstar reflect the last 20 years, beginning in 1999, and are not reflective of their entire WrestleMania runs.
Roman Reigns has competed in the show-closing main event of WrestleMania in four consecutive years.
Only Hulk Hogan can make the same claim.
While that trend appears destined to end in 2019, there is no denying that Reigns has become the face of WWE and one of the major selling points of each WrestleMania on which he appears.
After working alongside Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins as The Shield in 2013 and 2014, Reigns embarked on a singles run that saw him rise to the top of the industry. In 2015, a still relatively untested Big Dog squared off with Brock Lesnar in the main event for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. The frequent rivals would do battle again in 2018.
Though Reigns has not been able to vanquish The Beast on the grandest stage in wrestling, he has padded out his resume with victories over Triple H and The Undertaker, two of the greatest icons in the history of WWE.
And The Big Dog is only just beginning.
As long as he can stay healthy, Reigns should become a fixture atop the WrestleMania card for years to come. When all is said and done and he has wrestled his final match at The Showcase of the Immortals, do not be at all surprised if he eclipses even The Hulkster, The Great One, Stone Cold and John Cena as the greatest star the event has ever seen.
Tables, ladders, chairs, fire and championships have all defined Edge's WrestleMania legacy.
The Rated R Superstar and 2012 WWE Hall of Fame inductee partnered with Christian at WrestleManias 2000 and X-Seven to emerge from wars with The Dudley Boyz and Hardy Boyz with their WWE Tag Team Championships reign intact.
Those matches stole their respective shows and helped to establish the Toronto native as one of the brightest stars on the WWE roster. After a neck injury put him out of action for two consecutive WrestleManias, he embarked on a run that would help earn him his spot on this list.
At WrestleMania 21 in 2005, he became the inaugural Money in the Bank winner. A year later, his status as a legitimate main event star in WWE was confirmed with a brutal, show-stealing hardcore match win over Mick Foley.
By the time WrestleMania XXIV in Orlando, Florida, rolled around, he was undeniably the best heel in the industry and was rewarded for his work with a main event, World Heavyweight Championship defense against The Undertaker. He would emerge on the losing end of the bout, but there was no doubt he could handle such a high-profile spot on the 'Mania card.
Unfortunately, years of wear and tear took its toll, and Edge contested his final WrestleMania match in 2011 against Alberto Del Rio, successfully defending his world title one last time.
Daniel Bryan has amassed a sneaky-great WrestleMania resume since he first stepped on the grand stage at WrestleMania XXVIII.
Though he lost the World Heavyweight Championship to Sheamus in a matter of seconds, the outrage from fans started the YES! Movement that would culminate two years later in one of the best stories ever told at the event.
It was at WrestleMania XXX that Bryan overcame all the odds, including an Authority that wanted nothing to do with him being the champion, to defeat Triple H in the night's opening match before going on to beat both Randy Orton and Batista in a Triple Threat bout to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
Pyro exploded, confetti fell and the WWE Universe chanted "YES!" as Bryan hoisted his prize. It was an emotional moment, and if it had been the last time he ever stood tall on the WrestleMania stage, it may have still been enough to warrant his inclusion on this list.
It was not.
The following year, Bryan returned from a neck injury to win a ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship. Then tragedy struck.
A history of concussions forced Bryan to the sidelines. In 2016, he announced his retirement from wrestling. Just when it looked like he would never again set foot in a WWE ring, he put in the work to prove he could still go safely and without incident.
Two years after it looked like it was all over, Bryan returned to the ring in New Orleans, the site of his greatest victory, and joined Shane McMahon in defeating Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn at WrestleMania 34.
A 5-1 record and two legitimate feelgood moments are all Bryan needs to establish himself as one of the 10 greatest Superstars of the past two decades of WrestleMania. Another WWE Championship match on April 7 would only strengthen the argument.
Best Match: vs. Shawn Michaels and Chris Benoit, WrestleMania XX
From 1999 through 2010, Triple H was one of the cornerstones of WWE. One of the biggest stars in the industry, he was one of the faces of WrestleMania during the new millennium. His matches against Batista, John Cena, Booker T, Chris Benoit and Shawn Michaels were marquee bouts that helped sell the annual spectacle to the masses.
After stepping away from the in-ring game on a full-time basis, The King of Kings remained a focal point of the show's booking. His matches with The Undertaker in 2011 and 2012 helped define his status as one of the greatest Superstars in WrestleMania history and cemented his spot in the top five of this list.
Since then, he has focused on using his star power to put younger stars over in high-profile matches, including Daniel Bryan, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and Ronda Rousey.
Despite his status as one of the busiest men in the industry behind the curtain, Triple H continues to lend his name to each WrestleMania card, delivering in prominent positions and ensuring his reputation as one of the best big-match performers in the industry remains intact.
On April 7, he will do so once more when he battles Batista in a No Holds Barred match.
The Beast Incarnate has made WrestleMania his own playground of sorts, demolishing the opposition and reminding fans why, even as a part-time competitor, he is still the baddest man in WWE.
Just one year into his WWE career, he survived a botched Shooting Star Press to defeat Kurt Angle and leave WrestleMania XIX in Seattle with the WWE Championship. It would be his one victory on the big stage for nearly nine years, as he left the industry after a 2004 loss to Goldberg at WrestleMania XX to embark on a career in the NFL and then MMA.
When he returned to the company in 2012, he immediately became one of the building blocks of every 'Mania card. One of the biggest draws in the industry, he was routinely booked in high-profile matches that allowed the company to benefit from his star power.
He may have lost to Triple H in 2013, but he bounced back, delivering one of the most shocking and unexpected victories in wrestling history at WrestleMania XXX in defeating The Undertaker, becoming the "one in 21-1," as his advocate Paul Heyman would put it.
Lesnar would clash with Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose over the next two years before getting back his win by defeating Goldberg for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania 32 in Orlando.
A victory over Reigns in 2018, stunning an audience that was certain The Big Dog was leaving with the gold, only solidified Lesnar's place on this list and reminded everyone that nothing is a given when The Beast is involved.
That is, except pain and an undesirable trip to Suplex City.
Best Match: vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin, WrestleMania X-Seven
Whether he was competing as Vince McMahon's chosen champion at WrestleMania XV in Philadelphia, The People's Champion at WrestleMania 2000 in Anaheim, California, or the returning hero at WrestleMania XXVIII in his hometown of Miami, The Rock crafted a legacy of greatness on wrestling's most prestigious stage.
It is almost unfathomable that Rock—six-second victory over Erick Rowan at WrestleMania 32 aside—has lost as much as he has won at WrestleMania, but it is telling of his star power that he did not need wins over Steve Austin or Triple H to remain the Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment.
He was, undoubtedly, the most over babyface in the sport at his height and, in 2001, began a three-year run that is as good as any in event history.
First, at WrestleMania X-Seven, he had his greatest match against storied rival Austin. One year later, he battled Hulk Hogan in a dream match that remains one of the most awe-inspiring displays of professional wrestling ever produced. The third showdown with Austin in event history, and Rock's first win over The Texas Rattlesnake, capped off the incredible streak.
After an eight-year hiatus, during which he became one of the biggest movie stars in the world, Rock returned for two straight matches with John Cena, the first of which saw him beat the new franchise player in front of a record pay-per-view audience.
The dawn of the Attitude Era in WWE brought with it the rise of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. The Texas Rattlesnake would become the Superstar the annual extravaganza was built around and a household name the likes of which had not been seen since Hulkamania ran wild in the 1980s.
Austin's place on this countdown, though, is interesting in that it consists of only four matches over a 20-year span. With that said, those matches are of such a high-profile nature and historical significance that it is impossible to leave him off in favor of Kurt Angle or Chris Jericho.
At WrestleMania XV in 1999, Stone Cold vanquished The Rock to become WWE champion. A neck injury prevented him from competing the following year but he returned to the grand stage in 2001, again beating The Rock in a magnificent main event that ended with a shocking heel turn.
One year later, Austin defeated Scott Hall in a frustrating match that failed to capitalize on his immense star power.
In 2003, in what would be his final go-round at WrestleMania, Austin returned the favor to The Great One, losing to The Rock in the final match of their iconic series.
Done as an in-ring competitor but not a wildly popular personality, Austin refereed the Goldberg-Brock Lesnar match at WrestleMania XX, concluding the segment by delivering a Stone Cold Stunner to both men and drinking beer to a rabid response. Three years later, he donned the stripes again to officiate The Battle of Billionaires and oversee Vince McMahon's head shaving.
Oh, and he stunned Donald Trump, adding "assaulting the President of the United States" to his list of WrestleMania accomplishments.
Like Hulk Hogan and Steve Austin before him, John Cena defined an entire era of WrestleMania.
The face of the event from the moment he defeated John Bradshaw Layfield to capture his first WWE Championship in 2005, the leader of the Cenation has delivered in main event after main event, solidifying his legacy as one of the premier performers in WWE history.
From consecutive victories over Triple H and Shawn Michaels in 2006 and 2007 to world title victories in 2009, 2010 and 2013, Cena has routinely come up big in the most significant moments.
It was his 2012 match with The Rock, though, that earned him the nickname of "Big Match John" from peers and fans alike. Hyped for more than a year, their dream match at the top of the WrestleMania XXVIII card, dubbed "Once in a Lifetime," drew the largest pay-per-view audience in WWE history.
The leader of the Ruthless Aggression Era and a household name for the majority of his career, Cena routinely rose to the occasion en route to earning his place in the top five of this countdown.
Despite a blossoming acting career, Cena continues to take time out of his schedule to return for the biggest event on the calendar and should do so again in 2019, though his prospective opponent has yet to be revealed.
Shawn Michaels may be the greatest Superstar in WrestleMania history but none quite captured the aura, the pageantry or the showmanship of the event quite like The Undertaker.
Undefeated from 1991 through 2014, his storied streak became one of the most captivating storylines of any of the events he appeared on, not to mention of the show's greatest draws.
Wins over Triple H, Ric Flair, Kane, Randy Orton and Mark Henry added to his graveyard of WrestleMania foes, while World Heavyweight Championship victories over Batista at WrestleMania 23 in Detroit and Edge the following year in Orlando delivered The Deadman his most memorable wins to that point in his career.
The Phenom's WrestleMania legacy took a different turn in 2009, though, when he and Shawn Michaels wrestled what may go down as the greatest match in the long and storied history of professional wrestling. For nearly 30 minutes, the iconic Superstars took the WWE Universe on an emotional roller coaster that concluded with Undertaker catching Michaels in midair and dropping him with a Tombstone to continue his unbeaten streak.
Five years later, the unimaginable would happen, further cementing Undertaker's place on this countdown but for reasons unfathomable.
WrestleMania XXX in New Orleans was the site of Undertaker's first loss at the event. After suffering a concussion earlier in the match, he fell prey to Brock Lesnar's F-5 and had his shoulders pinned to the mat. The fans in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome sat in stunned silence as they had just witnessed an outcome they never thought plausible.
For all of his victories on wrestling's grandest stage, of which there are many, it was his loss to Lesnar that stands out as one of the most unforgettable moments in WrestleMania lore.
Shawn Michaels is the greatest Superstar in WrestleMania history.
He earned the nickname Mr. WrestleMania before he left the ring for four years in 1998 because of a near-crippling back injury, and had he never wrestled again, he would have left behind a legacy that included the WrestleMania X ladder match against Razor Ramon and the Iron Man match against Bret Hart at WrestleMania XII.
But he would not have made this countdown.
Luckily for fans, Michaels exploded back on to the scene in 2002 and just months later, at WrestleMania XIX, defeated Chris Jericho in his return to The Showcase of the Immortals. That started a run of performances on the grand stage that not only confirmed his status as the best in the show's history but earned him consideration as the greatest wrestler to ever lace a pair of boots.
Three 5-star matches, beginning with a Triple Threat match for the World Heavyweight Championship against Triple H and Chris Benoit and continuing with consecutive bouts against The Undertaker in 2009 and 2010, as well as an underrated gem against John Cena in 2007, made Michaels the most must-see Superstar on the roster.
In 2008, he retired his idol Ric Flair in one of the most emotional matches at WrestleMania XXIV.
Two years later, he was retired when he lost to the aforementioned Undertaker in Phoenix.
Michaels may no longer be providing the legendary matches and moments he became known for, but that's OK because his status as the best to ever take to the stage at wrestling's premier event is not in question.
