The top prize in World Wrestling Entertainment is the world championship. It is often the focal point of the build to the biggest event on the WWE calendar: WrestleMania. While occasionally a special attraction match may overshadow it, some type of world championship match is usually featured in the show's main event.
WWE has had many world championships since WrestleMania's debut: the WWF Heavyweight Championship, the WWE Championship, the World Heavyweight Championship, the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, and the Universal Championship. While not every championship match is great, a few bouts stand out as the best of the best.
This article only focuses on the men's side of things. That said, Becky Lynch vs. Bianca Belair, Sasha Banks vs. Belair, Charlotte Flair vs. Rhea Ripley, and Flair vs. Asuka are all fantastic.
10 Stone Cold vs. Shawn Michaels – WrestleMania 14
Stone Cold Steve Austin won his first WWF Heavyweight title and helped completely change the direction of the Monday Night Wars. He was the man picked to take over for an injured Shawn Michaels. While there was concern about if Michaels would drop the belt, the two wrestled a solid main event match.
This match would've been better just a year earlier. This was after Stone Cold's broken neck at SummerSlam 97 and after Shawn Michaels' injured back at Royal Rumble 98. Both men had to change their styles due to their injuries, and this is the last time audiences would see Michaels wrestle for four years. It's a shame that fans didn't get to see this contest when both wrestlers were in peak condition, but even injured, they gave fans a great match.
9 Macho Man vs. Ric Flair – WrestleMania 8
Randy Savage and Ric Flair would have some amazing matches together, but most of their best fights took place in WCW. At the time, the main event of WrestleMania 8 seemed set to be Hulk Hogan versus Ric Flair, but Vince McMahon decided to pivot away from the dream match wrestling fans had wanted most of the 1980s due to poor house show performances.
Instead, wrestling fans got a match that might have been actually better. The Macho Man was a more technical wrestler than Hulk Hogan and the crowd went nuts when he won his second WWF title.
8 Undertaker vs. Edge – WrestleMania 24
The Undertaker's undefeated streak was on the line against Edge's World Championship as they battled for SmackDown supremacy. The Undertaker may have been 15-0 at WrestleMania going into the show, but he had very few great matches in the early part of that streak.
Taker's main event battle with Edge proved the Deadman just needed the right opponent. The two put on a main event-worthy match and the Undertaker improved to 16-0 while winning the big gold belt for the second time.
7 Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart – WrestleMania 12
For many, Bret Hart versus Shawn Michaels is the greatest WrestleMania match of all time, and not just for a championship. However, others find it disappointing. Michaels and Hart wrestled in a 60-minute Iron Man Match that went to overtime after neither man scored a fall in the time limit. Michaels would win his first world title in overtime.
There are moments of greatness that even the biggest detractor can't deny, but it's still fairly plodding for a typical Bret or Shawn match. They had to pace themselves to ensure they made it the distance, and it takes away a lot of the excitement, especially for Southern wrestling fans who had seen Ric Flair and Ricky Morton wrestle 60-minute matches that were crisper than this one.
6 Ultimate Warrior vs. Hulk Hogan – WrestleMania 6
One year after the Mega Powers exploded, Hulk Hogan had to take the Ultimate Challenge. Set up by a spot in the 1990 Royal Rumble where Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior came face to face, fans were ready to see the top two faces in WWE square off in a one-on-one match.
Neither was a technical master, but they did not have to be for this match to enthrall fans around the globe. Part of what makes a great match is the feel as much as the wrestling, and people wanted to see these two go at it. And it's one of the few clean losses Hogan ever had in his WWE career, even if he had to kick out right after the three count to save face.
5 Hulk Hogan vs. Macho Man – WrestleMania 5
A masterful yearlong story arc came to a head in 1989 as WWF Heavyweight Champion Macho Man Randy Savage defended his belt against former friend and former champion Hulk Hogan. The Mega Powers exploded as the two biggest forces went head-to-head in the main event of WrestleMania 5.
Hogan was known for taking on much bigger opponents, so it was a different dynamic seeing him take on Savage who was actually a little smaller than him. Savage provided Hogan with the best WrestleMania match of his first WWE run.
4 Stone Cold vs. Rock – WrestleMania 17
Much like when Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior collided at WrestleMania 6, the two biggest faces in WWE squared off for the WWE Championship in 2001. The build for this one was different because Stone Cold and The Rock had previously feuded, but the in-ring action was superior to the WrestleMania 6 contest since both wrestlers were more aggressive performers than Hulk Hogan or Ultimate Warrior.
While no one will confuse either Austin or Rock for a technician like Bret Hart, both knew how to raise their game to match the spectacle and majesty associated with WrestleMania. Stone Cold-Rock II was a good match elevated by the participants, and it ended with an excellent heel turn that set up a controversial heel run.
3 Daniel Bryan vs. Batista vs. Randy Orton
What happens when the best in-ring performer of a generation also gets organically over with the crowd? WWE is forced to pivot and, inadvertently, gives fans one of the best triple threat WWE championship matches in WrestleMania history. This was supposed to be Batista vs. Orton, but the WWE Universe finally dictated to WWE what was going to happen with their reactions to Batista's Royal Rumble win.
Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton had plenty of history before Batista's Royal Rumble return. Plus, Bryan was having issues with Triple H and the Authority. After Bryan wrestled a very good opener with Triple H to earn his spot in the main event, he still effortlessly kept up with Orton, a great wrestler in his own right, and Batista, an excellent WWE Superstar but not necessarily a great wrestler. This is the only way "Yes-tleMania" could have ended.
2 Kofi Kingston vs. Daniel Bryan – WrestleMania 35
Five years after Daniel Bryan ascended to the mountain top with "Yes-tleMania," Bryan would be on the losing end of "Kofi-Mania." After a decade in WWE, Kofi Kingston was finally able to win the WWE title in an epic match with Daniel Bryan that easily could've been the main event of one night of a two-night WrestleMania event.
Kofi overcame the odds multiple times on the Road to WrestleMania to earn the title shot. While neither Bryan nor Kofi has the star power of a Randy Orton or Batista, they delivered arguably the best wrestled WWE title match of all time.
1 Shawn Michaels vs. John Cena – WrestleMania 23
A great WrestleMania championship match features good to great wrestling with big stars who can live up to the spectacle. Following the attitude era, it was unclear who would step up to be that big star after Stone Cold retired, and the Rock left for Hollywood. Eventually, John Cena took the reins and figured out how to deliver the ultimate championship match.
Cena and Shawn Michaels were tag team champions going into the event, but Michaels was also the number one contender for Cena's WWE title. Shawn has always been amazingly fluid in the ring, but Cena played to his strengths as a performer while avoiding weaknesses to deliver an epic match that stole the show.