Thank you for saying "the 25th Wrestlemania" instead of as the WWE erroneously states "the 25th anniversary of Wrestlemania". Technically it's the 24th anniversary.

Can't wait to see how high upcoming WWE Hall of Famer Koko B. Ware ends up on the list.

J/K, it'll be interesting how you slot Hogan and Triple H against guys like the Undertaker, HBK and The Rock!

I love this idea. You know your wrestling. Shawn Michaels deserves the top spot by a mile. Him and 'Taker will wrestle another classic this year.

Handicapping the odds for #1...

The Undertaker - 15:1 (thought he might be #1 until I read the last line)
Steve Austin - 5:1 (no doubt in my mind that he is the greatest superstar in the history of the business, but how much did he really go above and beyond at Mania?)
The Rock - 2:1 (short career, but several of the greatest moments in WrestleMania history)
Hulk Hogan - 1:1 (so many epic moments... vs. Andre, vs. Warrior, vs. Rock...)
Shawn Michaels - 1:2 (has stolen the show on numerous occasions, and surpasses all the ones I've mentioned except Taker in # of appearances, plus don't forget who's putting together the list)

I think for a long time Hulk was the No 1 Wrestlemania star by a mile. He main-evented 7 out of the first 9 and was involved in the main event in the other two (rightly or wrongly). Later, he was in the de facto main event at WM18 and one of the main events of WM19. All of his matches, perhaps with the exception of Bundy, were pretty huge and important.

As a result, I'd say he's still number one. Undertaker has been involved in the most Wrestlemanias and the streak is legendary but none of his matches were "business-changing". Plus, for every Edge or HHH there's been a Giant Gonzalez or Mark Henry.

HBK has a strong no. 2 claim. None of his WMs before WM12 were particularly significant but since then he's been great in all of them (covering 8 events). However, while his matches against Angle, Jericho, Vince and Cena were top notch they weren't as historic or monumental as Hogan-Andre/Warrior/Savage/Rock etc.

It'll be interesting to see who you rank higher between HHH and Austin. HHH has been in more main events but with the exception of WM12 and 18, every Austin match at Wrestlemania was HUGE.

I don't think you can say Shawn Michaels by a mile. Even though the Undertaker has the streak, he has wrestled some awful performers. But to his credit he has carried the matches. I think you have to look at Bret Hart closely. 2 battle royals at 2 and IV and some tags aside, he had very good matches against Pier at VIII, carried Yokozuna in IX, a great match against Owen in X then another against Yoko at X, and 2 classics, one against Shawn and the match with Stone Cold. He has performed in many Mania's and his matches are some of the best. There will be alot of opinions here...should be good!!!!!

How about Ricky Steamboat

Cool idea Eck,should make for some good debate.I can see why you're not putting him on there, but Vince deserves the top spot, after all WrestleMania is his brain child.

This will be interesting.

If you take all the factors into place, Hogan has to be the odds favorite to grab #1. But these countdowns always has surprises and I look forward to them.

Shawn Michaels and Undertaker were great at Wrestlmanias.... but they didn't sell tickets or draw interest like the Hulk did.

I will also be interesting to see who Eck doesn't include in the list.

it is a good idea, but you are goingto put hbk at #1 as always. lol. either him or hogan cause they built 10 wrestlemanias around him.

Bret Hart has to be in the Top 5.

Please, Eck. We can read you like a book:

5. Danny Davis
4. Adrian Adonis
3. Brutus Beefcake
2. Junkyard Dog
1. Giant Gonzalez

Mark.

I really think you should just say that Shawn is #1. We all know it's coming. And we all know it's true (weather or not we wish to admit it... I do think he is the best)

I'll put my money on Hulk Hogan for #1, for the simple reason that any industry's transformation from niche into mass market begins with the "household word" phenomenon—and long before Steve Austin or Shawn Michaels, when most of America knew nothing about professional wrestling beyond a vague idea that it might be fixed, people nevertheless had heard of "WrestleMania," and they recognized the name "Hulk Hogan."

He was the first, biggest real celebrity. And you can argue, as the "Legends" panel did on WWE 24/7 a few weeks back, that Stone Cold was a bigger star in terms of pure dollars...but the reason those dollars were being spent on wrestling in the first place, instead of concerts or movies or what not, was the years of groundwork that had been laid, turning professional wrestling into a major, mainstream industry. And no single wrestler ("wrestler"...so, McMahons aside) is more responsible for that than Hulk Hogan.

Great idea. I can't wait to read your list. I agree with Joe, #1 HAS to be one of them...right? My guess...Shawn Michaels or Hulk Hogan...:)

Pro Wrestling Illustrated did a special counting down the Top 100 superstars of WrestleMania a few years back. I think it was in 2003 - around the time of WM19.

I know their Top 3 was:

1) Hulk Hogan
2) Steve Austin
3) Undertaker

I don't remember the rest of the Top 10 in order, but I know Ricky Steamboat was number 10. Shawn Michaels, Randy Savage, Bret Hart, Triple H etc... made up the rest of the 10.

Vince McMahon rounded out the list at number 100.

They also had a countdown/sidebar looking at the "10 worst WM careers." The Brooklyn Brawler led the list.

And here I thought Stephanie was Vince's brain child, not Wrestlemania. Good luck with the list Kev, its going to be a blog-reply bonaza.

I would say Hogan has to be number 1. His matches in the first Wrestlemanias, not only ensured that Wrestlemania would continue on but that WWE would continue in business. It gave then the cash and the exposure to compete with WCW. And, according to Wikipedia "Kevin Eck of Wrestling Digest stated, 'The [Hogan-Mr. T tag] match itself was far from a technical-wrestling classic, but it delivered in terms of entertaining the crowd.' "

Also, seeing Madusa mentioned as a possible entry in the Diva battle royale sent me to her web site -- madusa.com. If you click on her bio you will see a piece written by the editor of WCW Magazine, one Kevin Eck.

Im a little miffed at thebeast's comments about none of Shawn Michaels pre WMXII performance. being significant.

Correct me if im wrong but he fought Diesel for the title at WMXI and there was the small matter of 'that' ladder match (still not just the greatest ladder match in history but one of the greatest matches period, in my humble opinion).

I would probably agree that Michaels matches against Angle, Jericho and Cena weren't as historic or monumental as Hogan vs Andre, Warrior, Savage and The Rock etc. but his matches with Bret Hart and Steve Austin (the latter heralding the birth of the attitude era) certainly were monumental.

Undertaker's streak at mania is tremendous but a lot of the time he was not headlining the show and fighting poor opponents e.g. Giant Gonzalez, King Kong Bundy, Jimmy Snuka, (who was well past his best) and Big Boss Man.

The Rock, Steve Austin and Bret Hart are all right up there also.

If we are talking quality of matches it would have to be Michaels in my opinion, but going on the criteria provided by KE, my top 10 would be:

1. Hulk Hogan
2. Shawn Michaels
3. Steve Austin
4. Undertaker
5. Bret Hart

Though it may be a little controversial, Steve Austin edged out taker for 3rd spot purely for the impact he had on the business in the late 90's/early 00's stemming from his submission match at WMXIII and first title win at WMXIV.

Can't believe I forgot Bret Hart. Slot him in at 8:1.

I still think it's between Hogan and Michaels. Rock and Austin would be 3 and 4.

Finally, Chris Slater, the thing to keep in mind about the PWI list is that it treats wrestling as if it were a shoot. Thus, win-loss records carry a bit heavier impact. Okay, a lot heavier. Thus, Undertaker will be lower (and Michaels higher) on a PWI list than a list such as this, where W/L is not considered.

I think on the balance Michaels deserves the top spot, rarely has his Mania match not been one of, if not THE best match on the card. He's had more 'Wrestlemania moments than just about anyone'. (Ladder match WM10, Winning his first world title WM12, Triumphent return WM19, Retiring Ric Flair WM 23...the list could go on.)

My top five would be:
1. Shawn Michaels
2. Stone Cold Steve Austin
3. The Undertaker
4. Hulk Hogan
5. Bret Hart

No matter what you think of Hogan, he has to be the default number one guy on the list. Without Hogan, there wouldn't be a forum for guys like the Undertaker and Shawn Michaels to showcase their talents. I'm not saying Hogan was the sole reason for getting Wrestlemania on the map, but without him, who knows how big Wrestlemania would be not just to wrestling but to pop culture?

Geez Kevin , a potentially hot topic for you . You haven't as yet done anything but mention you would be compiling a list and youv'e already gotten this many comments !
Just to get my two cents in I'll make an early prediction that somewhere near the top would have to be .... Hogan ?

I'm gonna try and put up a list and see how I do.
25. British Bulldogs (I know but they were my favorite team)
24. Chris Jericho
23. Ted Dibiase
22. John Cena
21. Jeff Hardy
20. Dudley Boys
19. Diesel
18. Kane
17.Razor Ramon
16.Ric Flair
15.Tito Santana
14.Yokozuna
13. Kurt Angle
12. Edge
11. Roddy Piper
10. Jake the Snake
9. Cactus jack/Mankind
8. Andre the Giant
7. Rock
6. Steve Austin
5. Bret Hart
4. HHH
3. Hulk Hogan
2. Undertaker
1. Shawn Michaels

Just for the record, Shawn Michaels is 6-9 at WM (5-7 as a singles wrestler). I know he had some memorable performances in losing efforts (X, ladder to RR; XIV to SCSA; XXI to Angle), but wrestling is about suspending disbelief. If we're enjoying the spectacle at least a bit because we like the idea of competition, we have to discount the losing-est competitor in the history of WM at least somewhat. (I know, Tito Santana and the Big Show also have 7 singles losses, but Michaels did lose to The Oriental Express and The Twin Towers, and that counts against him in my book)

Taking into account performance, historical importance, contemporary importance, and success, my top 5 would be:
1. Hogan
2. SCSA
3. UT
4. HBK
5. Bret

The Rock, HHH not far behind. Edge with the greatest chance to move into the top 5 of any current wrestler.

It actually pains me to put Michaels ahead of Bret. It seems like that should never happen, but he has done so much more over the years.

Oh, and before anyone tells me about the importance of HBK's jobs to the business, I'd like to ask who you think was the all time greatest house show performer: The Brooklyn Brawler or Playboy Buddy Rose? They have a lot in common with Mr. Wrestlemania.

I see there's already a growing concensus that Hogan should be #1, and rightfully so. But beyond that you can make an argument for any number of people in the top 5, depending on how Eck weighs his 4 criteria. If more weight is given to impact on business and position on the card, guys like Austin and Rock, who were 1 and 1A behind the Attitude Era but didn't have long careers as main eventers, move up. If it's more weighted towards longevity, guys like Micheals, HHH, UT, even Bret Hart, who have been/or were main event stars over a longer period, but didn't have the impact of Austin and Rock, move up. Can't wait to see how it all shakes out and the insuing debate.

Michaels takes this easily. Look at how many PWI matches of the year he has had at WrestleMania alone.

SEVEN. That's nearly 1/3 of WrestleMania events stolen by the Heartbreak Kid.

Plus, for years he didn't win at WrestleMania: a MOY candidate vs. Jericho in '03, a tremendous match against Cena in '07, and a historic match that changed the company and propelled the Attitude Era vs. Austin in '98.

Four of the last five matches of the year have been Shawn Michaels WrestleMania matches. The other? A RAW Cena vs. Michaels matches.

Not to be a buzzkill for the Hulkamaniacs, but look at his criteria and remember that Undertaker and Shawn Michaels have had the most (and second most) matches at WrestleMania, respectively, so if all 4 factors are given equal weight, then it could be a three-horse race amongst Hulkster, Undertaker, and HBK.

But Hulk Hogan was a star year-round while Taker and HBK "at WrestleMania" have become a separate entity from the rest of their careers, so I'm thinking those two will be the last two men and since HBK has had more "WrestleMania moments" than anyone else, I expect he will garner the top spot.

Incidentally, I've kept track of "WrestleMania Rankings" since 1996, which are based on win/loss records with a lean for number of matches (i.e. 3 wins, 2 losses gets a higher rank than one with 3 wins, no losses) and Undertaker is #1 by a landslide. As I recall, Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart, Randy Savage, and HBK round out the top five. I'd hope all five of those men crack the Top 10 here.

Hogan has to be No 1 without question and going by your own criteria...and Kev I think you know if you put HBK No 1, then you will come in for a lot of flak, being an uber HBK mark. I would be surprised if HBK made no 2, but hey this is wrestling blogging - anything is possible.

Can't wait until I can compare lists.
25. Tito Santana
24. Big John Studd
23. Mick Foley
22. Yokozuna
21. Ted Dibiase
20. Kane
19. Randy Orton
18. Kurt Angle
17. Edge
16. King Kong Bundy
15. John Cena
14. Ricky Steamboat
13. Ultimate Warrior
12. Snake Roberts
11. Chris Jericho
10. HHH
9. Andre the Giant
8. Steve Austin
7. The Rock
6. Bret Hart
5. Shawn Michaels (sorry Kev)
4. Roddy Piper
3. Randy Savage
2. Hulk Hogan
1. Undertaker

jeff-how could you put deisel on that list? he wrestled at 2 wrestlemanias-beating hbk and losing to taker. his 2 other appearances were when he was in hbk's corner at wrestlemania 10 and at wrestlemania 18 when he and hall turned on hogan

"Plus, for years he didn't win at WrestleMania: a MOY candidate vs. Jericho in '03, a tremendous match against Cena in '07, and a historic match that changed the company and propelled the Attitude Era vs. Austin in '98."

The '03 match was one of his 6 wins.

I give him tons of credit for the Cena match. I'm not sure whether he deserves more admiration for putting on such a good match as a fill-in, or if that counts against him, being that he wasn't even supposed to be booked in the main event. I can see either side of the debate, and i think they balance.

You're on a different page than me about the WM XIV match. That match was choreographed to go easy on his back (which I don't discredit, but HHH gets knocked for being a step slower, and Michaels' deserves the same treatment for dealing with injuries). Austin's emergence and connection with the fans was the historical moment. My second most prominent memory of that match was Tyson's role. Uncharacteristically, Michaels did not steal the show.

"Four of the last five matches of the year have been Shawn Michaels WrestleMania matches. The other? A RAW Cena vs. Michaels matches."

Benoit carried the '04 triple threat. The '05 match with Kurt Angle is maybe my favorite WM match ever, at least in the top 3. The match with Vince McMahon was mediocre with one iconic moment (elbow drop from the ladder). Both of the matches with Cena were terrific, the WM one and the follow-up. The Flair match exceeded my expectations.

I didn't love his match with Diesel at WM XI, but I loved the Ironman match.

The list of great WM moments I attribute to HBK:
-Ladder match at X (w/ great opponent)
-Ironman match at XII (w/ great opponent)
-angle at xxi (w/ great opponent)
-cena at xxiii (w/ decent opponent)
-flair at xxiv (w/ great opponent- flair was GREAT that night, even if he hadn't been for years)

Now, there are many ways to put on a great match. Michaels sells well and never botches moves. That makes for phenomenal matches with other great workers. I have no doubt that his match with UT will be outstanding. At the same time, both Hogan and UT have put on matches that didn't have the technical panache to get MOY awards, but which were just as important to the business and probably encouraged more people to buy PPVs, and they did it against weaker opponents.

Consider Hogan's iconic moments:
-headlining i, which would not have even happened without him.
-andre at iii, probably the most iconic moment in the history of pro wrestling
-mega powers match at v
-uw at vi
-slaughter at vii (the patriotism angle was WAY over)
-the rock at x8

I even enjoyed his match with Vince more than HBK's match with Vince. Again, I'm not arguing that these matches were better worked, but they were all more emblematic of the "showcase of the immortals" tag. They certainly felt more important to me.

The top 10 wrestlers of all time! Trully the best The Rock and triple H give me a break

10. Superfly snuka
9. The Sheik
8. The Road warriors (NWA days)
7 Gorgeous george
6. Nature Boy Buddy Rogers
5. Andre the Gient
4. Bruno Sammarteno
3. Roddy Piper (Pipers Pit)
2. Hulk Hogan
1. The Nature Boy

Andrew - the match against SCSA jumpstarted the Attitude Era. It wasn't one of HBK's best matches, but it was significant and changed the face of pro wrestling forever. Austin and Tyson deserve much of the credit, but Shawn must get some of it.

The '03 match wasn't one of his wins, that honor went to Brock Lesnar vs. Kurt Angle, which main-evented the WM.

IMO - The Cena-HBK match at WM was way better than the Cena-HHH WM match the year before. It gets better every time I watch it.

Michaels invented the ladder match with that innovative 5-star match against Razor Ramon. That's memorable to say the least. The Diesel-HBK storyline was a very good storyline (rare in that bad WWF era), Iron Man Match was the best match in WrestleMania history and HBK more than held his own with Bret Hart. The triple threat match was not carried by Benoit, all three were in top form on this night and all three deserved to win. It was one of the top 5 matches in WrestleMania history IMO. Memorable, exhilerating match vs. Kurt Angle, fun match against McMahon (which IS a overrated, but who can forget some of the spots?), and perhaps his most memorable of all......the match against Flair and leading Ric to his last classic match.

And now we got Michaels vs. 'Taker which will no doubt be another classic in both men's careers.

I still think Michaels wins this because of his in-ring performances. You say Hogan wins it because of his out-of-the-ring storylines vs. guys like Andre and Slaughter, which were certainly not great, or even very good, wrestling matches but rather iconic moments in the industry. I can understand that, but I'd disagree.

Tremendous debate going on, and I think this will be as interesting as the SummerSlam 2005 match: Hulk Hogan vs. Shawn Michaels!

Six people have voiced support for Shawn Michaels, myself included-
Shawn Michaels deserves the top spot by a mile ... Look at how many PWI matches of the year he has had at WrestleMania alone. Posted by: Pimentel
Shawn Michaels has stolen the show on numerous occasions, plus don't forget who's putting together the list) Posted by: Joe Mathieson
You should just say that Shawn is #1. We all know it's coming. Posted by: Richard
Taker and HBK "at WrestleMania" have become a separate entity from the rest of their careers ... and since HBK has had more "WrestleMania moments" than anyone else, I expect he will garner the top spot. Posted by: Mr. Sarcasm
1. Shawn Michaels Posted by: Gary
1. Shawn Michaels Posted by: Jeff b

But eight people have voiced support for Hulk Hogan-
For a long time Hulk was the No 1 Wrestlemania star by a mile ... I'd say he's still number one. Posted by: thebeast
Hogan has to be the odds favorite to grab #1. Posted by: Shawn Patrick
I'll put my money on Hulk Hogan for #1 ... he was the first, biggest real celebrity. And no single wrestler is more responsible for (WrestleMania) than Hulk Hogan. Posted by: Stephen
I would say Hogan has to be #1. His matches in the first Wrestlemanias, not only ensured that Wrestlemania would continue on but that WWE would continue in business. Posted by: Bob Buscaglia
No matter what you think of Hogan, he has to be the default number one guy on the list. Posted by: Cliff
Hogan has to be No 1 without question. Posted by: Wayne
1. Hulk Hogan Posted by: David Marjoram
1. Hogan Posted by: Andrew

This will be interesting! Especially if The Undertaker were ranked #1, LOL.

Just to clarify Pimentel's comments about HBK/Y2J at WM19, HBK won the match but the match did NOT win the MOTY honors.

This debate is fun! I don't think HBK is called Mr. Wrestlemania for no reason. When I think of classic matches at WM, I immediately think of Shawn. The matches are the culmination of the feuds, so the actual match matters. That being said, Hogan has had some nice matches, but I don't think of his match quality when I think of WM-I think of moments that he created, which are accounted for, as well. Additionally, I don't believe that just because Hogan was the forefront player in the WM beginnings that makes him the greatest. As Ric Flair said, you may great, but someone greater may surpass you. Hogan gets credit for being an innovator; however, when someone takes what you've started and makes it better, that person deserves due credit. None of Hogan's greatest matches surpasses Shawn's greatest matches. The moments they've created are comparable. Hogan has had more impact on the business. If I had to decide who is the greatest superstar in WM history, I will go with Shawn because no one has proven better than him. He is the exclamation point in pro wrestling and certainly at WM.

This has been a tremendous undertaking for you, and very interesting reads.

Just out of curiosity, which WWE Diva would get the highest rank if this list had listed every competitor, and where do you think, approximately, she would be placed?

RESPONSE FROM KE: My brain can't handle that one right now. off the top of my head I suppose Trish would be No. 1.

If you're curious, this is WrestleMania rankings based on win/loss records with a benefit to more matches (if tied, then the quality of opponents is calculated by adding the ranks of the people they beat).

1. Undertaker (17-0-0)
2. Hollywood Hulk Hogan (8-3-1)
3. Bret Hit Man Hart (7-6-0)
4. Randy Macho Man Savage (7-4-0)
5. Shawn Michaels (6-10-0)
6. Triple H (6-7-0)
7. Kane (5-6-0)
8. Edge (5-3-0) -> Up From #10
9. Owen Hart* (5-2-1)
10. Stone Cold Steve Austin (5-2-0)
11. John Cena (5-1-0) -> Up from #16
12. Big Boss Man* (5-1-0)
13. The Rock (4-4-0)
14. Ted DiBiase (4-3-1)
15. Christian (4-3-0)
16. Davey Boy Smith* (4-2-1)
17. The Ultimate Warrior (4-1-0)
18. Earthquake (4-1-0)
19. Rob Van Dam (4-0-0)
20. John Bradshaw Layfield (3-7-0)
21. Chris Jericho (3-6-0) -> Up from #35
22. Kurt Angle (3-5-0)
23. Chris Benoit* (3-5-0)
24. Jake The Snake Roberts (3-4-1)
25. Yokozuna* (3-3-0)
26. Jim The Anvil Neidhart (3-3-0)
27. Repo Man (3-3-0)
28. Brutus The Barber Beefcake (3-2-2)
29. Rey Mysterio (3-2-0) -> Up from #45
30. Ricky The Dragon Steamboat (3-2-0)
31. Scott Hall (3-1-0)
32. The Iron Sheik (3-1-0)
33. Demolition Ax (3-0-0)
34. Sable (3-0-0)
35. Road Warriors (3-0-0)
36. Matt Hardy (2-5-0) -> Up from #65
37. Greg The Hammer Valentine (2-5-0)
38. Rowdy Roddy Piper (2-4-1)
39. Randy Orton (2-4-0) -> Up from #41
40. Rick The Model Martel (2-4-0)
41. Mick Foley (2-3-1)
42. Andre the Giant* (2-3-1)
43. Eddie Guerrero* (2-3-0)
44. One Man Gang (2-3-0)
45. Nikolai Volkoff (2-3-0)
46. Batista (2-2-0)
47. Trish Stratus (2-2-0)
48. Rikishi Phatu (2-2-0)
49. Hacksaw Jim Duggan (2-1-1)
50. Lex Luger (2-1-0)

* - deceased