The No Mas Top 23 Wrestlemania Moments

(The Franchise is away at karate camp this week, and possibly next week as well, so unfortunately there will be no Sharpshootin today. In its vaunted place, here's the continuation of his countdown of the Top 23 Wrestlemania Moments. This week it's #18 to 14 - click here to see #23 to 19.)


#18: Crash Test Dummy
Wrestlemania IX – Safeco Field, Seattle WA
March 30, 2003

The Match: Kurt Angle (c) vs. Brock Lesnar

The Moment: Brock Lesnar’s rookie year in WWE was unlike any other. He rose through the ranks faster than anyone in the business by becoming the youngest ever WWE Champion (Randy Orton has since broken that record). Considering his amazing amateur wrestling background it seemed inevitable that he would face the only Olympic Gold Medalist in WWE history, Kurt Angle. The match definitely lived up to the hype and with Angle on the ropes Lesnar decided to try a move usually reserved for men 100 pounds lighter than him. He probably should have kept things that way.



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#17: Proud to be an American
Wrestlemania VII – LA Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
March 24, 1991

The Match: Hulk Hogan vs. Sgt. Slaughter (c)

The Moment: Vince McMahon, being the ultimate promoter that he is, decided to exploit the Gulf War by turning former American Hero, Sgt. Slaughter, into an Iraqi sympathizer. Obviously, the Hulkster would have none of this and, in the midst of the first war in Iraq, Hulk and the Sarge engaged in a little squared circle warfare. Just like with the Persian Gulf War, the good guys came through in the clutch (or, well, I guess that depends on who you ask).

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#16: Finally, the Crippler is Crowned
Wrestlemania XX – Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
March 14, 2004

The Match: Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Benoit vs. HHH (c)

The Moment: For over a decade, Chris Benoit constantly heard that he was going to be World Heavyweight Champion. But whenever he seemed to be on his way to the top, the glass ceiling would smack him right on the head. Until, on the same stage where the inaugural Wrestlemania took place, the Crippler defied all the odds and captured the title that had eluded him for so many years.



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#15: Family Feud
Wrestlemania X7 – Astrodome, Houston, TX
April 1, 2001

The Match: Shane McMahon vs. Vince McMahon

The Moment: The McMahons, the first family of wrestling, have had their share of infamous moments inside the ring but none more shocking than when Vince McMahon faced his only son, Shane McMahon, in a brutal match. In the end, youth won out as Shane, who had just “purchased” WCW less than a week prior to their bout, reigned victorious over his old man with a devastating rendition of the Van Terminator.

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#14: To the Employed Go the Spoils
Wrestlemania VII – LA Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
March 24, 1991

The Match: The Ultimate Warrior vs. Randy “Macho King” Savage in a Retirement Match

The Moment: There’s really nothing like a good ol’ fashioned retirement match– especially on the grandest stage of ‘em all. What made this one so intriguing was the uncertainty of who would have to call it quits. Would it be the fan-favorite Ultimate Warrior or the now-evil Randy “Macho King” Savage? (Obviously, this is wrestling so we all knew the loser would return in six months but nevertheless it was squared circle drama at its best)