The wrestling staff of Back Sports Page have carefully selected what they believe to be the top 41 matches in WrestleMania history. Presented in chronological order, this series will detail the backstory, match review, and aftermath of each match, along with how the outcomes shaped the careers of those involved.
Backstory: It’s 2004. Triple H is running through the RAW roster during his notorious “Reign of Terror.” He’s formed Evolution with the legendary Ric Flair and aspiring superstars Randy Orton and Batista. The Game has an iron grip on the industry that nobody can break, not even Bill Goldberg.
Then comes Chris Benoit, who wins the 2004 Royal Rumble. Mind you, he was on Smackdown when he won the Rumble. One would think that he would stick with the blue brand and compete for the WWE Championship, right? Well…
Benoit found a loophole in his contract that allowed him to switch over to RAW and face Triple H for the World Heavyweight Championship. He decides he wants The Cerebral Assassin at WrestleMania 20 and goes to sign the contract. But here comes the Heartbreak Kid with a Sweet Chin Music and he signs his name instead! Now, we have a triple threat.
Match Review: First, let’s acknowledge that what Chris Benoit did to his family later in his life was horrendous. It marred a terrific professional wrestling career and wiped his legacy away permanently.
But the match itself was incredible. It started with Shawn Michaels and Chris Benoit facing each other. They wanted a piece of Triple H because who didn’t? The match was a back-and-forth contest where the three contestants would constantly trade blows and finishers. Here comes a Sweet Chin Music on Triple H! Benoit applies the Crippler Crossface on Shawn Michaels! Triple H applies and does the Pedigree on Benoit… Except he doesn’t.
The Game tapped to crown the new World Heavyweight Champion in Madison Square Garden. The story was finished. It was a lifelong journey of a midcard wrestler who wanted a chance at ultimate glory. He came close each time, only to fall short. But WrestleMania 20 was his night to shine. Yes, the events afterward were horrendous. But the match itself was a pro wrestling masterclass in technical wrestling and spots.
Aftermath:
- Chris Benoit: Benoit would celebrate his WrestleMania victory with his best friend, Eddie Guerrero, later that night. He had an illustrious career that involved three United States Championship reigns and four Intercontinental Championship runs. Benoit also won the WWF World Tag Team Championship three times, once with Chris Jericho and twice with Edge. Unfortunately, this was where the story ends on a terrible note. Benoit murdered his wife, Nancy Benoit, and son, Daniel, in 2007, before taking his own life.
- Triple H: Triple H would regain the World Heavyweight Championship at Unforgiven in 2004. He and his Evolution stablemates would turn on Randy Orton on RAW after Summerslam. Of course, The Game would eventually lose his World Heavyweight Championship to Batista at WrestleMania 21.
- Shawn Michaels: Shawn Michaels would get a rematch for the World Heavyweight Championship with Chris Benoit. This time, it would be the Heartbreak Kid who would tap out to the Crippler Crossface.
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