WrestleMania’s Grand Slams: The six times it all came togetherPosted on March 29, 2015 by Matthew Martin WWEShare On: Tweet In pro wrestling, a “Grand Slam” is a title of distinction given to a wrestler who wins every possible title in a promotion. The first official recipient was Shawn Michaels, who, over the course of his illustrious career captured the Intercontinental Championship, the Tag Team Championship, the WWF Championship and then–after it was introduced–the European Championship (the Women’s Championship obviously eluded him). Historians of course know that the first superstar to really earn the honor is WWWF Legend Padro Morales. Morales won the vacant WWWF United States Championship soon immediately after joining the promotion and within a month had won the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship. After returning to the then-WWF, Morales won the Tag Team and Intercontinental Championships. Those two wins, along with his WWWF World Title, led to his being billed as the first “Triple Crown” champion. The term Grand Slam had yet to be invented, and when it was, billing HBK as the first made more sense from a promotional standpoint. Nevertheless, a select few have managed to join the club of Grand Slammers, with Daniel Bryan poised to be the next (if he can win the Intercontinental Championship, that is). More elusive than being a Grand Slam wrestler, however, is being a Grand Slam Match. A Grand Slam match is the rare occasion when a (1) top billed match, for the (2) WWF/E title, in the (3) main event of WrestleMania, is also regarded as the (4) best match on the show. Though thirty WrestleManias have come and gone, only six matches have managed to claim such an honor. Several matches have main-evented the show of shows for the top title in the company; others have been the top billed and show-stealing matches, but only six have put all the pieces together to be regarded as a Grand Slam match: The best of the best on the biggest show in town. 1989: RANDY SAVAGE vs HULK HOGAN at WRESTLEMANIA V In early 1988, Hogan lost his world championship to Andre the Giant and, as you know, the title was vacated soon after and a tournament was created to decide the next champion. Though Hogan and Andre were the expected final two combatants, the tournament instead booked them against one another in the quarterfinals (which was stupid), in a match that ended with a double-DQ (which was even stupider). As a result of the match, the fans were promised that, by the end of the night, there would be a new champion walking out of WrestleMania. By the end of the night, it was Randy Savage. At least I think it was. If…Hogan…could…just…get out of the way…I could get a good look at him… Vince paid who knows how much money to Robin Leach (of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous) to be the B-celebrity in charge of handing the new championship to the new champion. Instead, Hogan nearly hops over the table and yanks it out of Leach’s hand — looking like some kind of obnoxious, hyperactive child on Christmas morning — so that he could be the one to personally deliver it to Savage. Not only that, but Hogan nearly cost Savage the match when he interfered — UNNECESSARILY — and whacked Ted DiBiase with a chair. Did the Hulkster have a beef with DiBiase? Certainly. But save your acts of vengeance for your own time. This was Macho Man’s hour, but the bald butthead just kept hogging the spotlight. As Savage and the lovely Mrs. Elizabeth were genuinely moved by the moment and tried to celebrate the championship win in peace (a victory that came after 15 years of working in the business), freaking Hogan just kept mugging for the camera with his goofy facial expressions. Oh, well. At least the torch had been passed and Macho Man could take the belt and run with it the way Hogan had before him. Except nope. Despite more than carrying the WWF banner throughout 1988, with house show revenue strong and Savage popular in every audience he performed in front of, Hogan was always right beside him, never giving the new champ a chance to breathe. They main-evented the inaugural SummerSlam together and again teamed up at Survivor Series. In other words, there wasn’t a major PPV event where Savage was allowed to stand alone, despite being the champion. Hogan was always there, making sure fans never forgot him. Macho Man began to wisen up to Hogan’s spotlight-stealing antics, and his jealousy turned violent after he seemed to catch the Hulkster having eyes for Elizabeth. It had been a while since Savage had really let out that “jealous boyfriend” side of his character but on Saturday Night’s Main Event, in early 1989, he did just that. The Hogan/Savage tag team, dubbed the Mega Powers (look at me, I’m even describing them as a tag team and not, you know, the WWF Champion and his hanger-on), had been working against their long-time rivals , The Twin Towers. In the midst of the action, Hogan was beaten down until Savage drove the heels away with a chair. While Savage played the hero, Mrs. Elizabeth (now the manager of both men) helped the Hulkster to the back, leaving the champion all alone in the middle of the ring. Naturally, Savage was peeved. Who wouldn’t be? A month later, the Mega Powers took on the Twin Towers on SNME and late in the match Savage was knocked into Elizabeth. Hogan carried her to the back, leaving Savage once again looking like a chump. Backstage, Savage confronted Hogan and threw down the gauntlet “You want to challenge me for the belt, I’ll beat you 1-2-3, that’d be okay.” Hogan, meanwhile, hammed it up begging for Elizabeth to talk some sense into the champion, until WHAM! Savage attacked Hogan, cementing his heel turn and setting the stage for WrestleMania V’s epic main event. Without question this was the biggest match on the card. It was the top heel taking on the top face for the top title in the company. Even if the main event were following an epic WrestleMania loaded with great matches, this match still would have stolen the show. Unfortunately, the card below this match was horrible. Everything stunk. Any good thoughts people have about WrestleMania V begin and end with the brilliant main event. It was the best match, in the main event, for the top title on the biggest stage of the year. Grand Slam. 1990: HULK HOGAN vs ULTIMATE WARRIOR at WRESTLEMANIA VI The WWF audience in 1990 still had a lot of casual fans, but largely the fanbase was comprised of the dedicated audience that either had existed pre-WrestleMania I or came in soon after and took to the product like white on rice. Either way, they’d seen a lot, they’d seen it repeated, and they were ready for something new. Because of that, Hulk Hogan’s popularity had dipped a bit, allowing for a true magic moment to occur during the 1990 Royal Rumble match. Soon after Hogan entered, the ring was cleared and all that remained was the Hulkster and the newest fad in wrestling: The Ultimate Warrior. It’s one of those great little moments that occur seemingly spontaneously (this wasn’t a showdown between the final two — there were still half a dozen eliminations to go), but of course there was nothing spontaneous about it at all. This was classic Vince McMahon, letting the crowd be his barometer. Based on their reaction (they went nuts for the brief 1-on-1 showdown), Vince had his WrestleMania VI main event. Soon after the Rumble, the match was set and then the stipulation was added that not only would Hogan’s WWF World Heavyweight Championship be on the line, but also Ultimate Warriors Intercontinental Championship would be as well: Title vs Title. The Intercontinental championship today means little compared to its standing in 1990. Back then it was the only other singles title in the company and one of only three total (for comparison’s sake, there are six championships floating around WWE programming, not counting the additional three on NXT). “Title for Title” sounds like a meaningless gimmick (look at how coolly it was received back at TLC 2014) but back then it was a legitimately big deal. The build to the main event featured both guys having each other’s backs in matches against heels while also cutting some of the most bizarre promos on one another. Everyone knows Warriors “HO KOGAN” promo, but people forget just how eccentric Hogan could be on the mic in those days. At one point he basically stated his desire for Ultimate Warrior to die and be reincarnated as a newborn Hulkamanic. Can you imagine Cena cutting that promo on The Rock in 2011? The build was everything you could ask for with the fans fully invested and both men rallying their respective fans behind them. Hogan may have lost a little bit of his shine, but that only allowed the Toronto crowd to be truly split between the two men. Unlike with WrestleMania V, this event was very well received. Hogan and Warrior didn’t need to redeem a stinker the way Hogan and Savage did a year prior. WrestleMania VI is arguably the second best of the era (with WrestleMania III being considered the finest of the Hogan age). The main event sold the show, however, and it delivered in spades. Is it a technical masterpiece? Of course not. But what it was, was electric. The Toronto crowd poured their emotions into every test of strength and big spot. Only a few other matches even had a chance to steal the show (the Tag Title match suffered in terms of workrate, the Savage/Rhodes mix-tag match suffered from bad booking, and the anticipated DiBiase vs Jake the Snake bout lacked a decisive finish). By the time the main event rolled around, it was almost destined to be the best in show, and it was. It was the best match, in the main event, for the top title(s) on the biggest stage of the year. Grand Slam. 1996: BRET HART vs SHAWN MICHAELS at WRESTLEMANIA XII The February 1996 In Your House event provided plenty of pre-WrestleMania drama, as the top two matches featured four guys with plenty of history between them. Owen Hart challenged Michaels for his number one contender spot, teasing a potential WrestleMania 12 main event of Owen vs. champion-Bret in a WrestleMania X and SummerSlam 1994 rematch. At the same event, Bret put his recently-won title on the line against Diesel, teasing a potential WrestleMania 12 main event of Diesel vs. Royal Rumble winner-Michaels in a WrestleMania XI rematch. Instead, Hart remained the champion and his WrestleMania 12 challenger would be Michaels. The history between those two men, from the tag ranks, to the undercard, mid-card and then, finally, main event level, is incredible. These were two guys who waded through the tail end of the “Titan Era” where being big meant more than being able to wrestle. They had climbed to the top of the ladder and now, being the unquestioned top two “wrestlers” in the company, they were set to go one-on-one for the top “wrestling championship” in the company. And, at least on this occasion, the match–despite the “size” of the competitors–was given top billing and promotion as the main event of the show. By this point in wrestling history, WCW was main-eventing shows with Hogan, The Giant (aka Big Show) and Lex Luger in 10-12 minute slugfests. The WWF, on the other hand, was in the midst of the “New Generation” era, offering workrate and athleticism as the counter to WCW’s main event scene. Essentially the two companies had flip-flopped from their bread and butter a generation earlier; whereas WWF used to be about big men in ugly matches, NWA/WCW was about 30-minute bouts of athleticism from guys like Ric Flair and Ricky Steamboat. In fact, the difference in the two companies became a driving point during the build up to WrestleMania XI. Videos were shown with montages of Bret and Shawn training for the grueling hour-long IRON MAN contest. The story of the match was face vs. face and while other WrestleMania main events have featured a similar dynamic, those matches were all about “who is willing to do more to win” (Austin/Rock) or “who has the most passionate supporters” (Hogan/Warrior) or “who will go down as the greater competitor” (Rock/Cena). This might be the only one where the story was “Whoever is the better wrestler is going to win the belt.” How novel. Like with WrestleMania V, this match stole the show because there simply wasn’t a lot of “show” to steal. Unlike with WrestleMania V, the problem wasn’t that the show was overloaded with crap; the problem was there weren’t enough stars to fill out the card. Part of the reason for the 60-minute stipulation to the main event was because Vince probably didn’t have enough stars on the roster to have a traditional 3 hour, 10-12 match show. The only competition to the main event was either the six man tag match that opened the show (which had a good match but not much starpower) and the Undertaker vs Diesel match in the semi-main event (which had plenty of star power but wasn’t a good match). This was one of the most “one-match” cards in WrestleMania history, but the match delivered. It was the best match, in the main event, for the top title on the biggest stage of the year. Grand Slam. 1998: SHAWN MICHAELS vs STEVE AUSTIN at WRESTLEMANIA XIV Who knows what Steve Austin’s career trajectory would have looked like had he not been injured at SummerSlam 1997. His time out of the ring allowed his personality to shine, however, and his already-popular character only became more so. After months away from competing he returned to action at the ’97 Survivor Series in Montreal and won the Intercontinental championship from Owen Hart. Of course that wasn’t the the title change people remember when they think of Montreal. With Bret off to WCW Michaels needed a dance partner for WrestleMania, RAW needed a franchise player to build the show around, Vince needed someone to spark ticket sales, and the WWF needed to strike back — now or never — at WCW (remember that the hottest match in WCW history happened in December of 1997, between Sting and Hulk Hogan, and things started steadily going downhill for them from there). Though Austin was still hurting from his SummerSlam injury, he could not pass up the opportunity to be under the spotlight at the top of the card. For the first time, Austin was given the ball to run with. No longer was he just a featured player around the top of the card; he was going to be the central attraction of the promotion. He didn’t have the belt yet, but in the buildup to the Rumble, Austin made it clear he was the man and it was just a matter of time. Sure enough, Austin won the Rumble for a second straight year and headed to WrestleMania to take on Michaels. “The Heartbreak Kid,” meanwhile, was dealing with a crippling injury of his own. Everyone knows about the back injury that would eventually sideline him until 2002 and it’s a shame that it hindered the potential match the two could have had on the biggest stage. Their 1996 King of the Ring match proved they had great chemistry together. After the Rumble came the race to WrestleMania. The build up to the main event is legendary. It’s easily one of the best WrestleMania main event feuds ever. Mike Tyson himself got in on the action right after the Rumble, and tussled with Austin from the word go. There have been a lot of celebrities and “celebrities” to come and go from one WrestleMania to the next, but none, I don’t think, fit in to the crazy world that is pro wrestling quite as easily as Mike Tyson. His role was played to perfection too. Twists and turns would lead to Iron Mike declaring himself a member of DX, while Vince McMahon vowed that Austin would never be allowed to become the WWF Champion. Unfortunately, the main event match was hindered by Austin’s neck (which would limit him for the rest of his career) and Michaels’ back. It featured a lot of ringside brawling and little technical work apart from some submission/rest holds. It also wasn’t the fastest-paced match ever, again due to Michaels’ injury. Still, the finish of the match is one of the greatest and most memorable in WrestleMania history. I don’t know who laid out the finish — probably Pat Patterson — but it was brilliant the way the two guys flowed from blocked superkick to blocked stunner to blocked superkick to STUNNER. HE GOT IT! MIKE TYSON IN…AUSTIN IS THE CHAMPION! STONE COLD! STONE COLD! STONE COLD! It’s the Attitude Era’s Andre slam. Even though the match quality could have been better, if both men had been healthy, and even though WrestleMania 14 was probably the best received event since WrestleMania X, the brilliance of the buildup, the passion of the fans, and the one-of-a-kind stage presence of Stone Cold helped this match to steal the show. It was the best match, in the main event, for the top title on the biggest stage of the year. Grand Slam. 1999: THE ROCK vs STEVE AUSTIN at WRESTLEMANIA XV By Survivor Series 1998, The Rock was among the hottest young superstars to come along in years. Forgoing the standard Survivor Series formula, the November event consisted of a tournament to crown the vacant WWF Championship. Why was the title vacant you ask? Well the answer is simple enough. *deeeeeeep inhale…* Stone Cold Steve Austin, Undertaker, and Kane were in a triple threat match where neither brother of destruction was allowed to pin the other. Instead, they both pinned Austin … at the same time. Naturally, the title was held up and a match between the sons of Paul Bearer was booked to determine the champion. What about Austin you ask? He was made special referee of the match and ordered to do his job fairly or be “farr’d!” Austin, of course, beat up both men and awarded himself the belt (man, he was great). McMahon then fired Austin, declared the title vacant, and booked a tournament to determine the next champ. What about Austin, you ask? He put a gun to Vince’s head and made the boss reinstate him, sign him to a five year deal (coincidentally, five years later Austin would retire), and added him to the tournament. Austin then pulled the trigger, revealing the pistol to be loaded with an “Austin 3:16” flag, like something the Joker would have done to Commissioner Gordon. McMahon was revealed to have…soiled himself during the encounter. /Phew/ Every major piece of the WrestleMania XV main event pie was assembled right as the Survivor Series title tournament drew to a close. Mankind (thought to be the Corporation’s hand-picked winner) asked for an explanation from Vince, and got his answer in the form of a Rock sucker punch and beat down. Shane declared Rock the new “corporate” champion and the trio celebrated to boos and trash raining from the stands. Then Austin showed up. Though it was still four months away from WrestleMania, and the title would end up changing hands (between Rock and Foley) a few times, as Austin and Rock brawled at the end of Survivor Series, it was obvious what the end game of this story would be. The build up to the main event was marvelous. The beer bath on the go home RAW is probably a top five WWF/E moment and one of the times where the good guy pulls one over on the bad guy before going on to win the title. Usually, the heel stands tall on the RAW before WrestleMania, but sometimes it’s okay to wink at the fans who all know the good guy’s gonna win anyway (props to the guy in the WrestleMania crowd with the “I bet Austin wins” sign). Like with the WrestleMania a decade earlier, WrestleMania XV…sucked. The top feud was money but everything under was lacking. This was still the era where, despite a lot of very popular acts on the roster, Monday Night Raw was still “The Stone Cold Stunner Show.” It would be another year, incidentally without Austin, before the flagship program was about to be supported on the shoulders of many top level guys. Once the main-event started, however, all of the bad memories of the previous 2 and a half hours vanished. It was clear the moment the glass broke that this was all the fans wanted to see. And boy were they treated to a spectacle. Like with the HBK match a year earlier, this isn’t a technical masterpiece, but man is it a blast to watch. Everything was sold so well with Jerry Lawler heeling it up on commentary and Jim Ross just having verbal orgasms with every flurry of Austin-offense. The ending sequence of events, with Mankind laying out Vince, Rock taking a Stunner and Austin getting the win all happen amidst a constant standing ovation from the crowd. They were just having a blast through the whole thing. It’s the kind of ultra-rare reaction that wrestlers perform all their lives hoping to achieve just once. Of course the night ends with McMahon taking a stunner and Austin posing with his boot literally on Vince’s throat. What a finish. This is what a WrestleMania Grand Slam match looks like. It was the best match, in the main event, for the top title on the biggest stage of the year. Grand Slam. 2004: TRIPLE H vs CHRIS BENOIT vs SHAWN MICHAELS (Whenever you have to write about Chris Benoit, there’s always a need to add an asterisk. We all know about what happened. I don’t want to dwell on that because his WrestleMania 20 match had nothing to do with it. Writing about it from a historical perspective doesn’t mean turning a blind eye to how his life ended. It just is what it is. You might find it calloused but I’m going to write about this forgetting about all the horrors that happened years later. Okay?) In 2003, Chris Benoit faced off with Angle at Royal Rumble for the WWE championship. It is one of the greatest matches my eyes have ever beheld and is recommended viewing. For their efforts both men received a standing ovation and there were moments in the match where it looked like Benoit had won it. For a guy who rarely competed on the top match, he looked more than credible as a champion. It would be a year before he would get the opportunity. At the 2004 Royal Rumble, Benoit entered at number one, went the distance, and won the match. Instead of challenging Brock Lesnar (the WWE Champion) with whom he had been feuding off and on, he switched brands from Smackdown to Raw and challenged Triple H (the World Heavyweight Champion). Keep in mind that for all of Benoit’s achievements in wrestling, the one thing that eluded him was a world title. He had technically won the World Championship at the Souled Out 2000 PPV while he was a WCW employee. But he quit the same night he won it and left for WWF because he knew he would never get a fair shake with all the power players and politickers hogging the spotlight. Four years later, he was the Royal Rumble winner, guaranteed a main event spot at the biggest WrestleMania to that point. He stood in the middle of ring on Raw ready to sign the contract that would confirm his title match with Triple H. He had a date with destiny… …and then HBK superkicked him and signed the contract himself. Michaels had returned to active duty a year and a half earlier, beating Triple H at SummerSlam and then again at Survivor Series to win the world heavyweight championship. Their feud would continue off and on throughout 2003 and into 2004 when the two met in a Last Man Standing match at Royal Rumble. The match, like their feud, was indecisive as neither man answered the 10-count, ending the contest in a draw. Feeling as though the feud was unsettled, Michaels inserted himself into the WrestleMania 20 main event by superkicking Benoit and signing his own name on the contract. Yes, that happened. It was basically “first one to sign the contract wins number one contender status.” Shenanigans happened but sure enough Benoit managed to get his title shot, though now it would be a triple threat. The drama in the leadup to the main event was great because it worked on both a kayfabe and a reality level. On TV, both HBK and Triple H had been dominant as main event stars; Benoit had been an upper-mid carder on the B-show. He was a natural underdog. In addition, the smart fans knew all about the glass ceiling Benoit had been unable to break his whole career and how Triple H and Michaels had a lot to do with keeping that glass ceiling unbreakable for guys just like Benoit over the years. How ironic that the two obstacles to Benoit’s long-desired win were two of the four Kliq members, when it was the other two (and Hogan) who played a big role in holding him down in WCW. By the time the match started, WrestleMania 20 had already been on the air for four-and-a-half hours. Though the fans at Madison Square Garden were exhausted after a mostly-good show, the announcement of the main event gave them their second wind, and they managed to hang with the action from bell to bell. It helped that the match itself is one of the greatest triple threat matches in history. The finish to this match is breathtaking: As soon as Benoit is suplexed through the announce table things kick into a super-high gear and don’t let up till it’s over. Michaels and Triple H fight one-on-one until Triple H hits a pedigree and goes for the cover. 1-2-Benoit jumps in out of nowhere to break it up. Triple H and Benoit go at it until Benoit gets the champ in the Sharpshooter. It looks like it’s over until Michaels comes out of nowhere to superkick Benoit. Back and forth, back and forth, until finally Benoit gets the crossface locked in. Triple H struggles to reach the rope but only grazes it with a finger nail before Benoit rolls him to the middle of the ring. Tap-tap-tap. The tears start flowing as soon as his music starts playing. It is 100% genuine, where his celebration four years prior was hollow. His best friend, Eddie Guerrero, joins him soon after and the two long time underdogs embrace as confetti falls. Benoit did it. He tapped out a top dog in the middle of the ring to win the biggest match of his life to hoist the Big Gold Belt as his own. The man no one thought would ever be allowed a major title run finally had his chance, in the biggest match on the biggest show in the world’s biggest arena. For one night only “Chris Benoit” was the marquee attraction shining on the sign outside Madison Square Garden. It was the best match, in the main event, for the top title* on the biggest stage of the year. Grand Slam. *it wasn’t technically the WWE Title, but for the early years of the Brand Split, the World Heavyweight Championship was unquestionably the top title in pro wrestling. ____________________ With an article like this there is some subjection at work. Obviously, which match is the “best in show” is debatable, but also what constitutes a “top billed” match? To that latter question, I would argue it is the match that gets the most attention from the company in the build-up to the event. Today there are multiple matches that claim “main event” status but that title should only be reserved for the final match on the card. A “top billed” match, however, is a match that gets the most press and attention because of star power or intrigue or interest to casual viewers. Sometimes the top billed match is the main event, but not always. For the sake of completion, here is my list of top billed matches and best-worked matches among the remaining WrestleMania events… TOP BILLED MATCHES FOR EACH WRESTLEMANIA WrestleMania 1- Hulk Hogan & Mr. T vs Roddy Piper & Paul Orndorff (also main-event) WrestleMania 2 – Hulk Hogan vs King Kong Bundy (also main-event) WrestleMania 3 – Hulk Hogan vs Andre the Giant (also main-event) WrestleMania 4- Hulk Hogan vs Andre the Giant WrestleMania 7 – Sgt. Slaughter vs Hulk Hogan (also main-event) WrestleMania 8 – Hulk Hogan vs Sid Justice (also main-event) WrestleMania 9 – Bret Hart vs Yokozuna (also main-event) WrestleMania 10 – Yokozuna vs Bret Hart or Lex Lugar (also main-event) WrestleMania 11- Bam Bam Bigelow vs Lawrence Taylor (also main-event) WrestleMania 13 – Psycho Sid vs Undertaker (also main-event) WrestleMania 16- Triple H vs The Rock vs Big Show vs Mick Foley (also main-event) WrestleMania 18 – The Rock vs Hollywood Hogan WrestleMania 19 – Hulk Hogan vs Vince McMahon WrestleMania 21- Triple H vs Batista (also main-event) WrestleMania 22 – John Cena vs Triple H (also main-event) WrestleMania 23 – Bobby Lashley (w/ Donald Trump) vs Umaga (w/ Vince McMahon) WrestleMania 24 – Floyd “money” Mayweather vs Big Show WrestleMania 25 – Triple H vs Randy Orton (also main-event) WrestleMania 26 – Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels WrestleMania 27 – The Miz vs John Cena (also main-event) {technically The Rock as guest host was the top billed “attraction” of the night) WrestleMania 28 – John Cena vs The Rock (also main-event) WrestleMania29 – The Rock vs John Cena (also main-event) WrestleMania 30 – Triple H vs Daniel Bryan BEST MATCH ON THE CARD FOR EACH WRESTLEMANIA WrestleMania 1- Hulk Hogan & Mr. T vs Roddy Piper & Paul Orndorff (also main-event) WrestleMania 2 – The Dream Team vs The British Bulldogs WrestleMania 3 – Randy Savage vs Ricky Steamboat WrestleMania 4 – Strike Force vs Demolition WrestleMania 7 – Randy Savage vs Ultimate Warrior WrestleMania 8 – Ric Flair vs Randy Savage WrestleMania 9 – Shawn Michaels vs Tatanka WrestleMania 10 – Shawn Michaels vs Razor Ramon WrestleMania 11 – Diesel vs Shawn Michaels WrestleMania 13 – Bret Hart vs Steve Austin WrestleMania 16 – Dudleyz vs Hardyz vs Edge & Christian WrestleMania 17 – Dudleys vs Hardys vs Edge & Christian WrestleMania 18 – The Rock vs Hollywood Hogan WrestleMania 19 – Shawn Michaels vs Chris Jericho WrestleMania 21 – Shawn Michaels vs Kurt Angle WrestleMania 22 – Edge vs Mick Foley WrestleMania 23 – John Cena vs Shawn Michaels (also main-event) WrestleMania 24 – Edge vs Undertaker (also main-event) WrestleMania 25 – Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels WrestleMania 26 – Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels (also main-event) WrestleMania 27 – Undertaker vs Triple H WrestleMania 28 – Undertaker vs Triple H WrestleMania 29 – Undertaker vs CM Punk WrestleMania 30 – Triple H vs Daniel Bryan ____________________ Obviously some of these are up for debate, but from where I sit there have only been six matches to put it all together. Six matches that stole the show, in the main event, for the top title on the biggest stage of the year. WrestleMania’s Grand Slams.
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WWE SmackDown LIVE Results: July 18, 2017 Cassidy July 19, 2017 WWE SmackDown Who was able to pick up some momentum heading into Battleground in the tag team main event? How did Randy Orton react to seeing the Punjabi Prison for the first time? Who emerged victorious when Becky Lynch faced Charlotte Flair? What did Chad Gable have to say about his former tag team partner's life-changing night on RAW? What happened when John Cena expressed his American pride ahead of his Flag Match against Rusev at Battleground? How did Maria Kanellis ensure a successful in-ring debut for her husband? WWE SmackDown LIVE Results: July 18, 2017 Cassidy July 19, 2017 WWE SmackDown Who was able to pick up some momentum heading into Battleground in the tag team main event? How did Randy Orton react to seeing the Punjabi Prison for the first time? Who emerged victorious when Becky Lynch faced Charlotte Flair? What did Chad Gable have to say about his former tag team partner's life-changing night on RAW? What happened when John Cena expressed his American pride ahead of his Flag Match against Rusev at Battleground? How did Maria Kanellis ensure a successful in-ring debut for her husband?
Preacher S02E05: Dallas – Against all odds Preacher turns its worst plot into compelling television, just Kevin Boyle July 18, 2017 TV Blogs Preacher produces a nuanced character study from its worst plot. Preacher S02E05: Dallas – Against all odds Preacher turns its worst plot into compelling television, just Kevin Boyle July 18, 2017 TV Blogs Preacher produces a nuanced character study from its worst plot.
WWE RAW Results: July 17, 2017 Cassidy July 18, 2017 WWE Raw How did Braun Strowman make his presence felt during the main event? What was Kurt Angle's big announcement and which WWE Superstar could benefit majorly from it? What happened when Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins confronted each other in the ring? How did Enzo Amore's plan for Big Cass backfire? Were The Hardy Boyz able to get some revenge against The Revival? How did Elias Samson leave a lasting impression on Finn Balor? Who pinned the RAW Women's Champion in a non-title match? How did a questionable decision by Titus O'Neil result in a loss for Akira Tozawa? WWE RAW Results: July 17, 2017 Cassidy July 18, 2017 WWE Raw How did Braun Strowman make his presence felt during the main event? What was Kurt Angle's big announcement and which WWE Superstar could benefit majorly from it? What happened when Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins confronted each other in the ring? How did Enzo Amore's plan for Big Cass backfire? Were The Hardy Boyz able to get some revenge against The Revival? How did Elias Samson leave a lasting impression on Finn Balor? Who pinned the RAW Women's Champion in a non-title match? How did a questionable decision by Titus O'Neil result in a loss for Akira Tozawa?
Game of Thrones S07E01: Dragonstone – After such a long wait we are treated to a perfect beginning of the end Kevin Boyle July 17, 2017 TV Blogs The Dragon Queen comes home, and the White Walkers march in a brilliant season opener... Game of Thrones S07E01: Dragonstone – After such a long wait we are treated to a perfect beginning of the end Kevin Boyle July 17, 2017 TV Blogs The Dragon Queen comes home, and the White Walkers march in a brilliant season opener...
Twin Peaks 2017 Review: Part 10 – Ruminating on relationships Salome G July 17, 2017 TV Blogs This week, Twin Peaks ruminates on relationships. Twin Peaks 2017 Review: Part 10 – Ruminating on relationships Salome G July 17, 2017 TV Blogs This week, Twin Peaks ruminates on relationships.
Review: WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES completes the hat trick Matthew Martin July 16, 2017 Movie Reviews Let's dive into the history of the Planet of the Apes franchise, and be amazed at the once-in-a-lifetime talent that is Andy Serkis and his Caesar character. Review: WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES completes the hat trick Matthew Martin July 16, 2017 Movie Reviews Let's dive into the history of the Planet of the Apes franchise, and be amazed at the once-in-a-lifetime talent that is Andy Serkis and his Caesar character.
The Mist S01E04 Review: Pequod – Mercy is in short supply and so is my patience Salome G July 16, 2017 TV Blogs This week on The Mist, mercy is in short supply and so is my patience. The Mist S01E04 Review: Pequod – Mercy is in short supply and so is my patience Salome G July 16, 2017 TV Blogs This week on The Mist, mercy is in short supply and so is my patience.
WWE: Complete list of participants for the Mae Young Classic Cassidy July 14, 2017 Wrestling News Who will be the 32 women from around the world competing in the first ever Mae Young Classic? WWE: Complete list of participants for the Mae Young Classic Cassidy July 14, 2017 Wrestling News Who will be the 32 women from around the world competing in the first ever Mae Young Classic?
WWE Spoilers: #1 Contender’s Match announced for Battleground Cassidy July 13, 2017 Wrestling News Who will compete in a 5-Way Elimination Match to determine a new #1 Contender for the SmackDown Women's Title? Who will go one-on-one with Shinsuke Nakamura at Battleground? Who will have their rematch for the United States Championship? WWE Spoilers: #1 Contender’s Match announced for Battleground Cassidy July 13, 2017 Wrestling News Who will compete in a 5-Way Elimination Match to determine a new #1 Contender for the SmackDown Women's Title? Who will go one-on-one with Shinsuke Nakamura at Battleground? Who will have their rematch for the United States Championship?
WWE SmackDown LIVE Results: July 11, 2017 Cassidy July 12, 2017 WWE SmackDown Were AJ Styles & John Cena able to defeat their respective Battleground opponents in tag team action? How did Kevin Owens ensure that the U.S. Open Challenge would be put on hold? What did Jinder Mahal promise to have in store for Randy Orton next week? How did tempers boil over before the scheduled match between Shinsuke Nakamura and Baron Corbin? What happened when Sami Zayn refused to apologize to Maria & Mike Kanellis? How will Battleground decide a new #1 Contender for the SmackDown Women's Title? WWE SmackDown LIVE Results: July 11, 2017 Cassidy July 12, 2017 WWE SmackDown Were AJ Styles & John Cena able to defeat their respective Battleground opponents in tag team action? How did Kevin Owens ensure that the U.S. Open Challenge would be put on hold? What did Jinder Mahal promise to have in store for Randy Orton next week? How did tempers boil over before the scheduled match between Shinsuke Nakamura and Baron Corbin? What happened when Sami Zayn refused to apologize to Maria & Mike Kanellis? How will Battleground decide a new #1 Contender for the SmackDown Women's Title?
Interview: Buff Bagwell Josh Modaberi July 11, 2017 Wrestling Interviews Buff talks NWO, his WWE television debut, his thoughts on Vince McMahon and much more... Interview: Buff Bagwell Josh Modaberi July 11, 2017 Wrestling Interviews Buff talks NWO, his WWE television debut, his thoughts on Vince McMahon and much more...
Preacher S02E04: Viktor – For an episode that counted Hell as a location it left me cold Kevin Boyle July 11, 2017 TV Blogs A closer look at Hell doesn't make this week's Preacher any better. Preacher S02E04: Viktor – For an episode that counted Hell as a location it left me cold Kevin Boyle July 11, 2017 TV Blogs A closer look at Hell doesn't make this week's Preacher any better.
WWE RAW Results: July 10, 2017 Cassidy July 11, 2017 WWE Raw How did Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins have each other's backs against common enemies? How did an appearance by Universal Champion Brock Lesnar lead to a volatile stare down with serious SummerSlam implications? Who preyed on The Hardy Boyz after a surprising loss to Gallows & Anderson? Who came out to go toe-to-toe with Big Cass? Was Sasha Banks able to gain some revenge for Alexa Bliss escaping her at Great Balls of Fire? How did Akira Tozawa get some payback against Neville? WWE RAW Results: July 10, 2017 Cassidy July 11, 2017 WWE Raw How did Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins have each other's backs against common enemies? How did an appearance by Universal Champion Brock Lesnar lead to a volatile stare down with serious SummerSlam implications? Who preyed on The Hardy Boyz after a surprising loss to Gallows & Anderson? Who came out to go toe-to-toe with Big Cass? Was Sasha Banks able to gain some revenge for Alexa Bliss escaping her at Great Balls of Fire? How did Akira Tozawa get some payback against Neville?
Twin Peaks 2017: Part 9 – This season’s storylines start to come together Salome G July 10, 2017 TV Blogs Twin Peaks returns this week with a dense episode that sees some of this season's storylines start to come together. Twin Peaks 2017: Part 9 – This season’s storylines start to come together Salome G July 10, 2017 TV Blogs Twin Peaks returns this week with a dense episode that sees some of this season's storylines start to come together.
WWE Great Balls of Fire 2017 Results Cassidy July 10, 2017 WWE PPVs Was Brock Lesnar able to survive Samoa Joe to hang onto the Universal Title? What unthinkable act did Roman Reigns do after losing the Ambulance Match to Braun Strowman? How did Sasha Banks respond to Alexa Bliss taking the easy way out? Was Dean Ambrose able to defy the odds and reclaim the Intercontinental Title? Who emerged from the 30-Minute Iron Man Match as the RAW Tag Team Champions? Was Enzo Amore able to gain a measure of revenge against his former "brother" Big Cass? WWE Great Balls of Fire 2017 Results Cassidy July 10, 2017 WWE PPVs Was Brock Lesnar able to survive Samoa Joe to hang onto the Universal Title? What unthinkable act did Roman Reigns do after losing the Ambulance Match to Braun Strowman? How did Sasha Banks respond to Alexa Bliss taking the easy way out? Was Dean Ambrose able to defy the odds and reclaim the Intercontinental Title? Who emerged from the 30-Minute Iron Man Match as the RAW Tag Team Champions? Was Enzo Amore able to gain a measure of revenge against his former "brother" Big Cass?
GLOW Review: Season 1 – Fun 80s romp! Salome G July 8, 2017 TV Blogs Netflix's GLOW is a fun deep dive into the world of women who took a piece of 80s wrestlemania for themselves. GLOW Review: Season 1 – Fun 80s romp! Salome G July 8, 2017 TV Blogs Netflix's GLOW is a fun deep dive into the world of women who took a piece of 80s wrestlemania for themselves.
Your SO OF COURSE preview of WWE Great Balls of Fire 2017 Matthew Martin July 8, 2017 WWE You can't just predict the WWE: You must account for Vince's insanity. THIS is your SO OF COURSE preview of Great Balls of Fire (yes, that's really what we're calling this one). Your SO OF COURSE preview of WWE Great Balls of Fire 2017 Matthew Martin July 8, 2017 WWE You can't just predict the WWE: You must account for Vince's insanity. THIS is your SO OF COURSE preview of Great Balls of Fire (yes, that's really what we're calling this one).
Review: SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING is the definitive take on the character Matthew Martin July 7, 2017 Movie Reviews After five movies of varying success, Spider-Man returns to cinemas, this time under the banner of the MCU. The result: Spidey has never been more perfectly realized. Review: SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING is the definitive take on the character Matthew Martin July 7, 2017 Movie Reviews After five movies of varying success, Spider-Man returns to cinemas, this time under the banner of the MCU. The result: Spidey has never been more perfectly realized.
