Everyday from March 1 until WWE Wrestlemania 33 on April 2, Fightful will be bringing you the Countdown To WWE Wrestlemania 33. Each day, you will be getting a top 10 list or an event preview or statistics/figures from past ‘Mania events and everything in between.
In today’s column, we will be taking a look at the Top 10 Multi-Person Matches In ‘Mania History. There have been a lot of multi-person matches at ‘Mania and this column will be taking a look at the best of them all. A quick side note, multi-person matches consist of triple threat, fatal 4 way and the such, not tag team or battle royals. Ladder matches will be left out as well, as there will be a separate top 10 for them.
#10: Victoria (Champion) vs. Jazz vs. Trish Stratus (WWE Women’s Title Match) (‘Mania 19)
This match was probably the peak of the women’s division for that era, with Trish Stratus, Jazz and Victoria having great matches with each other every time they stepped into the ring. This was also a well booked match because the women all had a male counterpart (Steven Richards with Victoria and Rodney Mack/Teddy Long with Jazz), except for Trish, which made her journey even more perilous. This match was also not given a death sentence as it was not placed in a bad position on the card, taking place early in the show. Trish won the match after catching Victoria with the Stratusfaction, capturing the WWE Women’s Title once again.
#9: Edge (Champion) vs. John Cena vs. Big Show (WWE Title Match) (‘Mania 25)
This feud between the three started after John Cena found out Big Show had feelings for Vickie Guerrero, who was the wife of Edge. The match did have a ‘Mania moment as Cena hoisted both Edge and Show on his shoulders at the same time to deliver an Attitude Adjustment. This was also one of the few times that Show wasn’t put in the awkward position of facing a celebrity at ‘Mania. Cena would win the match and the championship, while the proposed Edge/Show feud wouldn’t last a very long time.
#8: Randy Orton (Champion) vs. Triple H vs. John Cena (WWE Title Match) (‘Mania 24)
John Cena seemingly had a knack for competing in triple threat matches at ‘Mania, as this would be the first of two in a row he had at ‘Mania. Orton was also at his peek in this match, with his running boot to the face taking out superstars left and right. This was also a pre-authority Triple H, who was also dealing with a wide variety of injuries at this point in time. Orton would retain the title after punting Cena in the head and then pinning Triple H, who was taken out with an Attitude Adjustment.
#7: Jazz (Champion) vs. Lita vs. Trish Stratus (WWE Women’s Title Match) (‘Mania 18)
This match may be the most under appreciated women’s match in ‘Mania history, which is something all three women acknowledged multiple times in past interviews. The reason it goes unnoticed is that it was placed in between a match between The Rock and Hulk Hogan, then a WWE Title Match between Chris Jericho and Triple H. This was a homecoming for Trish, who was competing in her hometown of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Jazz would walk away with her title intact after nailing Lita with a top rope Fisherman Buster Suplex.
#6: Raven (Champion) vs. Kane vs. Big Show (WWE Hardcore Title Match) (‘Mania 17)
Talk about a match that came out of nowhere to be a great spectacle. Nobody expected this match to be any good when it was announced. However, you had Show being driven in a golf cart to attack Kane and more weapons shots than the average human can consume. The match started off in the ring, wound up going to the backstage area and then it all ended on the entrance ramp. Kane won the match and the title after nailing Show, who was already put through some staging by the entrance ramp, with a leg drop.
#5: Charlotte (Champion) vs. Sasha Banks vs. Becky Lynch (WWE Women’s Title) (‘Mania 32)
I wrote earlier about how the ‘Mania 19 women’s match was the end of one women’s wrestling era. Well, this was the start of the biggest era of women’s wrestling in WWE history. The match was great from bell to bell, with all three women putting everything they had into the match. Charlotte even nailed her two opponents with a moonsault from the top rope to the arena floor, with Sasha doing her patented suicide dive as well. Charlotte kept the title after forcing Becky to tap out to the Figure 8, while her father in Ric Flair stopped Sasha from breaking up the submission.
#4: Triple H (Champion) vs. The Rock vs. Mick Foley vs. Big Show (WWE Title Match) (‘Mania 2000)
This match would make history for the WWE in many ways, starting off with the fact that it was the first and thus far, only fatal 4 way match to headline a ‘Mania. It was also the lone match to feature a member of the McMahon Family in a wrestlers corner and it was the first time a heel left victorious in the ‘Mania main event. It was also an elimination match--Show went out first, Foley second and The Rock last. The post-match was also memorable as The Rock nailed Stephanie McMahon with a Rock Bottom and a People’s Elbow.
#3: Randy Orton (Champion) vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Batista (WWE Title Match) (‘Mania 30)
The ending of WWE Wrestlemania 30 was just about every hardcore wrestling fans dream come true. I should know. I'm one of those hardcore fans, too. Earlier in the evening, Bryan defeated Triple H in a singles matches to get the right to compete in the main event. The match featured Bryan taking a stretcher job and Randy Orton nearly crippling himself by landing back first on a television monitor during an RKO on a table. Bryan would win the match and the title when he submitted Batista with the Yes Lock. Sadly, it was the final great wrestling match of Bryan's career.
#2: Kurt Angle (Champions) vs. Chris Benoit vs. Chris Jericho (WWE Intercontinental Title & WWE European Title On The Line) (‘Mania 2000)
This is the only triple threat match in ‘Mania history and maybe WWE history to have not only two titles on the line, but a separate fall for each title. This was also the ‘Mania debut for all three competitors in the match and it was a wrestling classic. Angle would enter the match with two championships, but he would be leaving the match with zero championships. Jericho would walk away with the WWE European Title and Benoit would walk away with the WWE Intercontinental Title.
#1: Triple H (Champion) vs. Chris Benoit vs. Shawn Michaels (WWE Title Match) (‘Mania 20)
Although the story of Chris Benoit would end in a truly tragic matter, for one night, wrestling fans were treated to a glorious moment. The match between these three was an instant classic and at different points throughout the match, fans believed that any of the three could walk away victorious. Benoit would walk away the winner and champion after forcing Triple H to submit to the Crippler Crossface. And after the match concluded, Benoit and longtime friend Eddie Guerrero would stand in the middle of the ring holding their titles in the air.
Countdown To WWE Wrestlemania 33 #1
Countdown To WWE Wrestlemania 33 #2
Countdown To WWE Wrestlemania 33 #3
Countdown To WWE Wrestlemania 33 #4
Countdown To WWE Wrestlemania 33 #5
Countdown To WWE Wrestlemania 33 #6
Countdown To WWE Wrestlemania 33 #7
