The Last 10 WWE WrestleManias: Ranked From Worst To Best

WrestleMania 37 is this weekend and anticipation is growing for what is not just the Showcase of the Immortals, but the first WWE show in over a year with actual fans in attendance.

It will be a stark contrast to last year's show, which was plagued with issues due to the global pandemic caused by the coronavirus.

It's a minor miracle that WWE was even able to put on WrestleMania 36, across two nights and in the form that it was, considering everything that was going on in the world at the time.

They received a bit of criticism for it because of how quickly the COVID-19 situation was escalating and how little was really known about it but, for better or worse, the show must go on.

And just how was the show in the end?

Well, having revisited it along with the other nine WrestleManias from the previous ten years, I can tell you it was not one of the better recent efforts from WWE, although that was to be expected.

As far as the others, they demonstrate just what a monster the Granddaddy of Them All has become, all of them taking place in giant stadiums and stuffed with marquee matches, special appearances by legends and the rest of the glitz and glamour that makes WrestleMania so special.

As the next installment in the franchise approaches, I've looked at the highs, lows and in-betweens of every WrestleMania from 2011 to 2020, ranking them from worst to best.

Because it's WrestleMania, you know? I mean, what else am I going to do? Read a book, ride a bike or raise my kids?

Not bloody likely!

As an aside, I am mainly focusing on overall match quality, so I've not gone into all the celebrity cameos, concerts and skits and things of that nature. Also, it's the main card only, so the pre-shows are not considered when ranking.

Get it? Got it? Good! Let's go...

10. WrestleMania 36

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I did say it wasn't one of their better recent efforts...

WWE made the best out of an unprecedented situation, putting WrestleMania on as scheduled despite the COVID-19 pandemic basically shutting the world down.

Retreating to the sanctuary of the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, as well as filming some matches on location elsewhere, WWE presented WrestleMania over two nights and the talent and crew all worked tirelessly to produce something for their fans.

In some instances, the results were great.

The Boneyard match between AJ Styles and The Undertaker, for example, was a triumph and serves as a fitting swansong for The Deadman, if this does indeed turn out to be his 'last ride'.

The zany Firefly Funhouse match between Bray Wyatt and John Cena wasn't so much a match as a Lynchian experiment in bizarre narrative storytelling within the confines of wrestling, but it got people talking and at the very least it was something different.

Charlotte versus Rhea Ripley, Becky Lynch against Shayna Baszler, Seth Rollins versus Kevin Owens and the Triple Threat Tag Team Title Ladder Match all featured no shortage of effort and were compelling in their own ways, but it was hard to look past the lack of fans.

Especially when it came to Braun Strowman's Universal Title victory over Goldberg, or Drew McIntyre's crowning moment as he downed Brock Lesnar for the WWE Title.

Most of the rest of the matches were either filler or a shade disappointing, especially the ambitious but overlong Edge/Randy Orton Last Man Standing match.

Once again, credit to the wrestlers, crew and everyone else who managed to pull it off, but this simply wasn't WrestleMania as we know and love it and served as a stark reminder of just how important the live crowd are when it comes to sports entertainment.

9. WrestleMania XXVII

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So WrestleMania 36 had to contend with a pandemic, no fans, injuries, illness and who knows what else - what's WrestleMania XXVII's excuse?

Taking place in the old World Championship Wrestling stronghold of Atlanta, Georgia, WWE put on a show that was every bit as baffling and disappointing as the worst of WCW.

It kicked off with Edge taking on Alber...

Hold on a second, no it didn't. It began with a really long promo by show host The Rock, who hyped the crowd up and took some shots at John Cena.

I love The Brahma Bull and he's one of the very best promos in the business, but this was too long, didn't really go anywhere and was not a great substitute for action, at least for the audience watching at home.

Then it was time for Edge to defend his World Heavyweight Title against Royal Rumble winner Alberto Del Rio, which he did successfully in a half-decent bout which turned out to be the Rated-R Superstar's last for almost a decade.

The post-match destruction of ADR's pricey automobile was unnecessary and heelish, mind.

After that Cody Rhodes got a big win in a good match with the evergreen Rey 'Captain America' Mysterio before Big Show, Kane, Kofi Kingston and Santino trounced The Corre in a nothing match.

Randy Orton's win over CM Punk was fine but you expect better from those two, and while I don't think anyone expected much out of Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler's bout, it still managed to significantly underperform.

One of the worst 'Mania matches ever, it went on forever, had a rotten finish and just about drained the life out of the show. Not even guest referee Stone Cold Steve Austin and his parade of Stunners could do much to salvage it.

The one true highlight of the show mercifully followed, as The Undertaker extended his Streak against Triple H in a bruising No Holds Barred Match that saw both men hold nothing back and absolutely batter each other. A worthy follow-up to 'Taker's pair of classics against Shawn Michaels, this was one of the best matches of the entire year.

The six-person intergender match (John Morrison, Trish Stratus & Snooki vs. Dolph Ziggler & LayCool) is more noteworthy for the backstage politics involved and the fact that it reminds us all that Snooki was at one point a thing and won a match at WrestleMania.

And the main event of The Miz retaining his WWE Title against John Cena thanks to shenanigans from The Rock is one of the weakest of all time. House show quality action with a needlessly convoluted finish, it ended a wildly inconsistent show on a bad note.

8. WrestleMania 29

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Alright, so they said it would only happen 'Once in a Lifetime' but then we all went out and bought the show and made WWE millions and millions of dollars so, really, who's to blame for WWE repeating The Rock versus John Cena as the main event of WrestleMania 29?

That's right, you are!

Despite not measuring up to the first meeting between the two, it was an adequate sequel. The Predator 2 to WrestleMania XXVIII's Predator, if you will. Big Dwayne also returned the favour and put Big Match John over, dropping the WWE Title in the process.

This show suffered mostly because it seemingly took forever to get going.

The Shield's opening match win over Randy Orton, Sheamus and Big Show was fine but not at the level of previous Shield matches, while Mark Henry's limp victory over Ryback did nothing for anyone and Team Hell No's Tag Team Title defence against Big E. Langston and Dolph Ziggler felt suspiciously like a TV match.

Amazingly, the best match of the night at that point became Fandango's upset win against Chris Jericho, which wasn't even great or anything, so was the hum-drum nature of the undercard.

Alberto Del Rio's World Heavyweight Title bout with Jack Swagger also wasn't one for the books and, again, felt more like a TV match than a big WrestleMania blowoff.

Leave it to The Undertaker and CM Punk to pick up the slack and have themselves a banger, a near-fall filled thriller that was the clear show-stealer.

And before the main event, Triple H conquered The Beast and avoided retirement when he put away Brock Lesnar in a match that never seemed to click and suffered from a lack of heat.

7. WrestleMania 32

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There were some good things about WrestleMania 32, but they were certainly outweighed by the bad and, as has become a theme in recent years, the show simply ran way too long.

The seven-man Intercontinental Title Ladder Match was the perfect way to kick things off and featured all the heart-stopping action we've come to expect from these things. Better still, it ended with a genuine WrestleMania moment, as longtime loser Zack Ryder (a late replacement for an injured Neville) unexpectedly won the match to become champ (at least for a night).

That was ably followed up with AJ Styles' first 'Mania match, a competitive loss to Chris Jericho.

The six-man tag between New Day and the League of Nations isn't remembered for anything that happened during the match, but the post-match scene with Shawn Michaels, Mick Foley and Steve Austin sure did go down a storm.

Not going down a storm was Brock Lesnar's lethargic victory over Dean Ambrose in a No Holds Barred Street Fight that promised so much and delivered so little. The match has been analysed to death over the years, but just look up 'underwhelming' in the dictionary and you'll get the story.

Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch picked up the pace in the match of the night next, a fast-moving triple threat match where The Queen was crowned the new Women's Champion.

The Undertaker's Hell in a Cell win against Shane McMahon, wrestling his first match in years, had brutality and the requisite big Shane McMahon bump off the top of the cage, but little else.

Baron Corbin's Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal victory was what it was and the whole segment with The Rock, John Cena and the Wyatts could have been trimmed.

And in the main event, Roman Reigns and Triple H slogged their way through a thirty-minute snoozer that just about put the already tired Texas crowd to sleep. They woke up for Stephanie McMahon's big bump, but there was crickets for almost everything else.

6. WrestleMania 34

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Once again it was too long and there were too many matches at WrestleMania 34 but, thankfully, a fair few of them were belters.

Including the opener, a grand choice to raise the curtain, with Seth Rollins winning the Intercontinental Title from The Miz in a Triple Threat Match also involving Finn Balor which demonstrated the best of all three guys.

Even better was match number two, as Charlotte Flair retained her SmackDown Women's Championship by handing Asuka her first televised loss. People will debate the finish until the end of time, and it was a huge call to make, but the match itself was splendid.

Speaking of dodgy booking decisions, Jinder Mahal probably wasn't most people's first choice to be United States Champion coming out of a standard four-way with Randy Orton, Robert Roode and Rusev.

The best match of the night followed. Ronda Rousey teamed with Kurt Angle to down Triple H and Stephanie McMahon in a bout that had a little bit of everything and made "Rowdy" Ronda look like a total star and certainly a shrewd investment on WWE's part.

Honestly, Triple H and Steph get a lot of stick for their on-screen roles, especially when it comes to 'Mania, but they played it perfectly here, as did Ronda and Angle.

The Bludgeon Brothers' SmackDown Tag Team Title win over the Usos and New Day was to the point, but not quite as succinct, much as The Undertaker's jarring squash match demolition job of John Cena, which was just about the exact opposite of how everyone thought a 'Taker/Cena WrestleMania match would go.

Daniel Bryan's comeback match, teaming with Shane McMahon against Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens was good, as was Nix Jax's cathartic Raw Women's Title victory over Alexa Bliss, but AJ Styles versus Shinsuka Nakamura for the WWE Title, though good, didn't measure up to the lofty expectations placed against it.

Braun Strowman teamed with a child to beat The Bar for the Raw Tag Team Titles before Brock Lesnar shockingly retained the Universal Title against Roman Reigns in a shoddy main event that the crowd never gave a chance.

5. WrestleMania 33

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Another long and bloated card that could have used some trimming, WrestleMania 33 was, at least, good overall.

The night began with a pleasant surprise as AJ Styles and Shane McMahon had a damn fine wrestling match, won by the Phenomenal One.

I personally thought Kevin Owens' US Title win against Chris Jericho was fine, but the feud building up to it was much better than the payoff itself.

Vince McMahon himself was famously furious with what he saw from the pair, while Y2J has cited him and Owens being put second on the show as a factor in his decision to walk away from WWE.

Bayley outlasted Charlotte, Jax and Banks in an elimination match to hold onto her Raw Women's Title in a fair effort, before The Hardys made their amazing return as surprise entrants in the Raw Tag Team Title Ladder Match.

The pop for their reveal was astronomical and the match itself was a thriller, with Matt and Jeff bagging the straps in a match also featuring The Club, The Bar and Enzo & Cass.

John Cena and Nikki Bella's mixed tag triumph over The Miz and Maryse was a comedown and the post-match proposal will make your skin crawl in hindsight.

Seth Rollins then beat Triple H in a Non-Sanctioned Match. It was good but, typically, The Architect and The Game were out there for too long. It would be nice if somebody told Hunter one day that just because a match is long, it doesn't make it 'epic'.

The less said about Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt's dud of a WWE Title match, the better.

Maggots. On. The Canvas.

Luckily, Brock Lesnar and Goldberg were on a mission to redeem themselves for their WrestleMania XX catastrophe years earlier and kept things short, sweet and explosive, having one of the better matches of the show.

Naomi's SmackDown Women's Title Win in a six-pack challenge was rushed, which is crazy on a seventeen-hour show, but I guess they needed to save time for the main event.

They needn't have bothered, because all the time in the world couldn't help The Undertaker and Roman Reigns. The Phenom and the Big Dog stunk out the joint, in truth, and 'Taker really, really shouldn't have been out there in his physical condition.

4. WrestleMania 35

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Like most modern 'Manias, 35 was one that's better when you skim through it and choose the good bits and discard the fluff.

Another long show, it started with a bang as Seth Rollins beat Brock Lesnar in a short but very lively match to win the Universal Title. It was time.

AJ Styles then beat Randy Orton in a good wrestling match from two good wrestlers who know how to wrestle good, while the Uso's SmackDown Tag Title defence against Aleister Black & Ricochet, Rusev & Shinsuke Nakamura and The Bar was brilliant and almost non-stop action.

The Falls Count Anywhere match between Shane McMahon and The Miz had a weird dynamic (when is babyface Miz not weird?), but they worked hard and it had plenty of gaga to make it entertaining.

The four-team SmackDown Women's Tag Title match was sloppy in places, but the IIconics winning was a nice moment.

Speaking of nice moments, wasn't it lovely watching Kofi Kingston win the WWE Title after a tremendous, back-and-forth match with Daniel Bryan? A beautiful payoff to a storyline that had developed organically and something that the eminently likeable Kingston truly deserved.

Samoa Joe then destroyed Rey Mysterio (carrying an injury) in a minute to retain the US Title, followed by Roman Reigns besting Drew McIntyre in a standard match.

Batista did the honours for his mentor Triple H in what is supposedly the Animal's last match ever. Though their No Holds Barred match wasn't a patch on their battles almost fifteen years prior, it had its moments.

A moment is something that Hall of Famer Kurt Angle should have gotten, rather than being fed to the bland Baron Corbin in the filler spot. The Olympian had nothing left to prove at this point and has had more classic matches than I can count, but a match with, say, John Cena would have been the least he deserved in his retirement match.

Finn Balor unleashed The Demon to take away the Intercontinental Title from Bobby Lashley in a brief match, and then it was time for a history-making main event.

In it, Becky Lynch became Becky Two Belts by beating Charlotte Flair and Ronda Rousey in a three-way, handing Rowdy Ronda her first WWE loss.

It was messy in places and the finish looked bungled, but take nothing away from the competitors who all put on a great show and had an uphill task retaining the crowd's interest after such a long night.

3. WrestleMania XXVIII

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The most ordered WWE pay-per-view of all time wasn't the best ever or anything, but stands out thanks to two excellent matches and one absolute all-timer.

Warning signs were flashing at the start of the night, when Sheamus beat Daniel Bryan with one move in eighteen seconds to win the World Heavyweight Title, robbing fans of what was sure to be an excellent match between two men who knew each other well.

Kane's weak win over Randy Orton didn't raise spirits much and neither did Big Show's Intercontinental Title win over Cody Rhodes, though it was nice to see The World's Largest Athlete have his moment.

Kelly Kelly and Maria Menounos's win over Beth Phoenix and Eve Torres got some of the women on the show at least, even if the match wasn't something to crow about.

The show really picked up with what followed, as The Undertaker and Triple H met inside Hell in a Cell.

The culmination, really, of four years' worth of matches and storyline, the 'End of an Era' had a little bit of everything and is up there with the best matches in the history of WrestleMania. Not only did it have violence and big moves and so on but it also had real drama, thanks in large part to the inclusion of Shawn Michaels as special guest referee.

A total tour de force, some of the kickouts in this match have to be seen to be believed as they totally had the audience thinking the Streak could end.

The twelve-man inter-brand tag match between Team Johnny and Team Teddy obviously didn't have a hope in following it, but at least the lads got their payday and WWE got to humiliate Zack Ryder once again.

CM Punk successfully defended the WWE Title against Chris Jericho in a worthy semi-final, and then The Rock dropped John Cena in a really good match which was a suitably epic main event.

2. WrestleMania 31

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WrestleMania 31 was all killer, no filler as every match on the card served a purpose and it was paced expertly.

The non-stop insanity of the Intercontinental Title Ladder Match was the perfect choice for an opener and Daniel Bryan the ideal choice for winner.

Randy Orton beat Seth Rollins in a really good match with a finish that will be a highlight reel staple for decades to come.

The decision to put Triple H over Sting in the Vigilante's first WWE match has not gone down well with a lot of folks, but the match itself was a good showcase for the Stinger. The added theatrics with the DX and nWo run-ins also ticked the nostalgia box and let longtime fans relive the Monday Night Wars on the night.

AJ Lee and Paige's tag triumph against the Bellas was quick and ended in a nice moment for AJ, who was on her way out of the company.

John Cena then tanked Rusev (geddit?) to reclaim the US Title in an effective 1980's style throwback match, before The Undertaker rebounded from the Streak ending to beat Bray Wyatt in a monster match (after the lengthy interlude with The Rock, Triple H, Stephanie McMahon and Ronda Rousey).

Ending the show on a high, Seth Rollins interjected himself in what had been a blistering match between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns, cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase and pinning the Big Dog to become WWE Champion in one of the most shocking WrestleMania moments ever.

1. WrestleMania XXX

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The best WrestleMania of the past decade is WrestleMania XXX, a show that was thrown into turmoil in the weeks leading up to it when CM Punk decided to walk out and fans rejected the planned Batista versus Randy Orton main event, demanding that their favourite, Daniel Bryan, be added to the mix.

WWE acquiesced and put D-Bry in there, though he had to beat Triple H first, which he did in a sterling opener. Afterwards, The Game spitefully tried to injure him and put his chances in the main event in doubt.

The Shield then easily disposed of Kane and the New Age Outlaws, before the ascendant Cesaro won the first (and so far best) Andre the Giant Memorial battle royal.

John Cena fought off the Wyatts (and his own inner demons) to see off The Eater of Worlds in a match that was good, yes, but the booking was a head-scratcher.

And then the most controversial and shocking booking decision ever, as Brock Lesnar became the 1 in 21-1 and did the unthinkable by beating The Undertaker and ending The Streak.

It's a shame that the match itself was lousy, mostly due to 'Taker suffering a concussion early on but, as Vince McMahon says, 'the only thing they'll remember is the finish' and this is a finish that nobody will be forgetting anytime soon.

The women vying for AJ Lee's Diva's Title in the Vickie Guerrero Invitational were given a thankless spot trying to engage the crowd after the bombshell that had just been dropped, but they tried hard and did their best in the circumstances. AJ retained.

Finally, WWE nailed the Hollywood ending, as Daniel Bryan overcame significant odds to beat half of Evolution (as well as a meddling Triple H) and won the WWE World Heavyweight Title in a grand match.

It's not a perfect event by any means, but with a few great matches and many more WrestleMania moments - I didn't even mention the Rock/Austin/Hogan toast - 'Mania XXX is by any measurable the best of the past decade and a contender for one of the best ever.