Countdown To WWE Wrestlemania 33 #22: ‘Mania MVP (Wrestlemania 25-32)

David Tees Mar 22, 2017 6:53PM

Every day 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 looking at the ‘Mania MVP (Wrestlemania 25-32). A ‘Mania MVP is a person, wrestler or somebody else involved in the events that played a truly vital role in that particular ‘Mania.

‘Mania 25 MVP: The Undertaker & Shawn Michaels

When you can consider just how god awful that Triple H vs Randy Orton main event was, we should all be thankful for the match we got between The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels. Although they would have a rematch a year later, this was the first of their two classics at Wrestlemania. HBK and ‘Taker are both from Texas, which made this match even better when you consider both were competing in their home state. The Undertaker would win this match and the following one at ‘Mania 26, ending the wrestling career of HBK.

‘Mania 26 MVP: Bret Hart

Thirteen years after Bret Hart last competed at ‘Mania, the “Hitman” would return for one final match with Vince McMahon. However, when you consider all the health and personal problems Hart had when he stepped into the squared circle, it was a miracle he was even there. The majority of the living members of the Hart Family were surrounding the ring for the match, with Bruce Hart serving as the referee. Bret would walk away victorious after locking McMahon in the Sharp Shooter, giving the Hart Family one more big moment on the grandest stage of them all.

‘Mania 27 MVP: Snooki

This may seem like a truly odd choice, as Snooki is one of very few celebrities to be mentioned on the ‘Mania MVP list. Snooki participated in a tag team match alongside John Morrison & Trish Stratus against Dolph Ziggler, Layla & Michell McCool. Snooki performed so well in the match that she got a contract offer from the WWE, which she almost signed, but turned down in the end. Snooki and her team won the match after Snooki pinned McCool with a handspring elbow followed by a handspring splash.

‘Mania 28 MVP: The Rock

For the first time since WWE Wrestlemania 20, The Rock stepped into the squared circle to battle John Cena in the main event. Even though he competed once before at Survivor Series, many people viewed this as his first match in a decade, and The Great One looked like he had never stepped out of the ring. The match with John Cena was far better than it had any right to be and far better than the rematch a year later. The Rock would win the match after catching Cena with The Rock Bottom, getting his first singles win in over eight years.

‘Mania 29 MVP: The Undertaker

This would be the last ‘Mania where The Undertaker’s streak would be kept alive, as it would be gone a year later. ‘Taker would get that Wrestlemania undefeated streak to 21-0 and that final win in that undefeated streak came over CM Punk. An interesting side note to this, Paul Heyman managed Punk in this match and would also manage the man who would end the streak a year later. The Undertaker caught Punk with his patented Tombstone Pile Driver to get the three count and the last win in his ‘Mania undefeated streak.

‘Mania 30 MVP: Brock Lesnar

Eat. Sleep. Break the streak. Brock Lesnar would be the first and thus far, only wrestler to defeat ‘Taker at a Wrestlemania event, turning his record to 21-1. This was also the first time Lesnar earned a win at a ‘Mania since defeating Kurt Angle for the WWE Title at ‘Mania 19. I should be noted that this was the first ‘Mania to air on the WWE Network, which may be a driving force as to why the streak ended.

‘Mania 31 MVP: Seth Rollins

History was made in the main event of 'Mania 31 when Seth Rollins, who lost to Randy Orton earlier in the evening, became the first wrestler to cash in the Money In The Bank Contract at a ‘Mania. Rollins ran in after WWE Champion Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns had spent the whole match beating the crap out of each other making it a triple threat. The finish was spectacular, as Lesnar had Rollins up on his shoulders for the F-5, but Reigns Speared him, and Rollins deliverd the Curb Stomp to Reigns, pinning his former stablemate to win the WWE Title and making history in more ways than one as the show ended.

'Mania 32 MVP: Stephanie McMahon

A lot of people have made sacrifices in both health and in other ways during the long history of Wrestlemania, and you can add Stephanie McMahon to the list. McMahon accompanied husband Triple H to the ring for the main event WWE Title defense against Roman Reigns. The match will not go down as a classic ‘Mania encounter, but McMahon did take quite the brutal spear from Reigns. McMahon would suffer a series of broken ribs from the spear, sacrificing her health for the greatness of the show.

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