The 26 Best WWE PPVs of All Time, Ranked

Judgment Day 2000 took place in front of 16,827 fans at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky. This show was great from top to bottom. The undercard featured a fun Six-Man tag team match, an action-packed Triple Threat Match for the European Championship between Eddie Guerrero, Dean Malenko, and Perry Saturn, a No Holds Barred Match between Big Show and Shane McMahon, a really good Submission Match for the Intercontinental Championship between Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho, and a tag team Tables Match between The Dudley Boyz and D-Generation X.

The first half of the year for 2000 was all about Triple H, The Rock, and the McMahons. Considering a ton of popular names were out of action, Triple H and The Rock really got their time to shine. If you’re not a fan of long Iron Man Matches, the main event between Rocky and HHH might not appeal all that much to you. I’ll admit that these two made that match stipulation work really well, though. The match had Shawn Michaels as a special guest referee and The Undertaker made his long-awaited return for the crowd-popping finish.

Backlash became the recurring PPV to follow WrestleMania from 1999 to 2009. It usually featured rematches from 'Mania or launched entirely new angles. In 2004, the event took place in Edmonton, Alberta Canada at Rexall Place in front of 13,000 Canadian fans. Although WrestleMania XX was more of a spectacle with all the glitz and glamor of 'Mania including big matches, returns, and memorable moments, Backlash was far grittier.

The main event was a rematch of the Triple Threat Match at 'Mania XX, but this time Chris Benoit was defending the World Heavyweight Championship against Triple H and Shawn Michaels. It was a really solid match where they even played on the "Montreal Screwjob" with an Earl Hebner spot and Michaels tapping out to the Sharpshooter. Earlier in the show, Randy Orton became a made man in a Hardcore Match against Cactus Jack that officially legitimized Orton as a tough guy. The undercard on the show was solid too, but these two matches really made the show unforgettable.

It was the Summer of 1998 and it was the HIGHWAY TO HELL! SummerSlam took place in the historic Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York in front of 21,588 rowdy fans. The main event was the WWF Championship match between the champion “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and his challenger The Undertaker. The odds were meant to be stacked against the "Texas Rattlesnake" as The Undertaker and Kane were on the same page for the first time since Kane’s debut.

However, "The Phenom" would turn away Kane’s assistance and Austin would retain his championship in the process. The second match that made this card unforgettable was the Ladder Match between The Rock and Triple H over the Intercontinental Championship, which let fans know the future was in good hands. The rest of the card was pretty fun - we saw Jeff Jarrett get his head shaved and even bear witness to a Lions Den match. This "Attitude Era" classic is hands down one of the best WWE PPVs I've ever seen.

If you love Ladder Matches, then you must have loved when the WWE made the Money in the Bank concept its very own PPV. This meant you would get one or two multi-man Ladder Matches in one night. There have been a ton of great and memorable events from that PPV, but 2016 stands out to me the most. It took place at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada in front of 14,150 fans. The main event was the long-awaited singles match between Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns for the WWE Championship that was meant to take place the prior year at Survivor Series before Rollins got injured.

Dean Ambrose had won the MITB contract earlier in the night in a Ladder Match stacked with top-tier talent. Rollins was able to defeat Reigns to become the WWE Champion, only for Ambrose to cash in and win the title immediately after. This meant all three members of the former Shield stable were all champions in one evening. The undercard also featured the first encounter between John Cena and AJ Styles, which was a dream match that met everyone's expectations. This was a great event overall and well deserving of being considered among the best WWE PPVs.

Due to the pandemic, 2020 was a pretty strange year. It led to the WWE having to host a year's worth of PPVs with either no fans or their own developmental talent acting as "fans." WrestleMania the year prior was held in the WWE Performance Center in front of exactly zero people. Living through that alone made the two-day WrestleMania 37 event in front of 25,675 fans both nights in Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida more significant. The main events of both nights were incredible.

Night One was main-evented by the women when Bianca Belair defeated Sasha Banks for the Smackdown Women’s Championship. This was the first time two black women would main event 'Mania. Night Two ended with Roman Reigns retaining his Universal Championship against Edge and Daniel Bryan in a Triple Threat Match. The undercard of both nights had standout matches as well. Night One had Rollins versus Cesaro, Lashley versus McIntyre, and the better-than-expected Bad Bunny match. Night Two had Kevin Owens versus Sami Zayn featuring Logan Paul, Sheamus versus Riddle, and Rhea vs. Asuka.

The WWF struck gold when they turned Bret “The Hitman” Hart heel and had him turn his back on his American fans while still being a hero to his fans in Canada and around the globe. However, The Hitman’s disgust at the demise of American culture and values was also an issue for his American co-workers, too. Luckily, he was surrounded by his family in The Hart Foundation, which included Owen Hart, Davey Boy Smith, Brian Pillman, and Jim Neidhart. Calgary Stampede took place in front of 12,151 fans in the Calgary Saddledome in the Hart Family's hometown of Calgary, Alberta Canada.

This meant that The Hart Foundation had the home team advantage in their ten-man tag team match against their American opponents Steve Austin, Goldust, Ken Shamrock, and the Legion of Doom (Hawk and Animal). This match was a barnburner supported by a ruckus Canadian crowd. The undercard only featured three other matches where The Great Sasuke faced off against Taka Michinoku, Triple H fought Mankind and The Undertaker successfully defended his WWF Championship against Vader.

In 2002, WCW was out of business and most of the big superstars who weren’t available during the simply passable at best "Invasion" angle (it did have its moments) in 2001 were now with the company. I think that’s what makes WrestleMania X8 stand out the most. This PPV card featured the nWo and Ric Flair literally just five months after the Invasion angle ended. The event took place in Toronto, Ontario Canada at the Skydome in front of 68,237 fans.

The main event was the Undisputed Championship match where Triple H defeated Chris Jericho to win both titles. However, it was hard for them to follow the “Icon vs. Icon” match between The Rock and Hollywood Hulk Hogan. This was Hogan's return to the big event since leaving the WWE shortly after WrestleMania IX. The other two big matches were Steve Austin versus Scott Hall and Ric Flair versus The Undertaker. The undercard was pretty stacked too with William Regal versus Rob Van Dam, Diamond Dallas Page versus Christian, Booker T versus Edge, Kane versus Kurt Angle, and so much more. From top to bottom, 'Mania X8 gets the nod here for being one of the best WWE PPVs.

SummerSlam 2000 took place at the Raleigh Entertainment and Sports Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina in front of 18,000 spectators. The WWE was really in their bag with their PPVs in the year 2000 and SummerSlam was no different. The main event was a Triple Threat Match between The Rock, Kurt Angle, and Triple H for the WWF Championship. This banger of a match wrapped up the feud between HHH and The Rock for the time being while really kick-starting the feud between Hunter and Angle involving Stephanie McMahon.

The first-ever Tables, Ladders, and Chairs Match between Edge & Christian, The Hardy Boyz, and The Dudley Boyz also took place at this event and easily stole the show. The undercard also featured Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho in a Two-Out-of-Three Falls Match, The Undertaker fought Kane to a no-contest, and Shane McMahon taking a death-defying bump in a Hardcore Match against Steve Blackman.

The 2001 Royal Rumble was stacked with iconic talent in the actual marquee match - while watching this as a kid, I was convinced that there were multiple choices for potential winners. The event took place in front of 17,137 people in the New Orleans arena in New Orleans, Louisiana. The very entertaining Royal Rumble match came to its epic conclusion when “Stone Cold” Steve Austin won by eliminating Kane to win his third Rumble Match and securing his spot in the main event of WrestleMania X-Seven for the WWF Championship.

Speaking of the WWF Championship, Kurt Angle successfully defended the title against Triple H with the help of Steve Austin. The undercard featured a solid Tag Team Championship Match, a Women’s Championship match with a shocking finish, and a Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Championship between Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit.

Truth be told, the build-up for most of WrestleMania 31 was atrocious outside of a couple of feuds. The show took place at Levis Stadium in Santa Clara, California in front of 76,976 fans. The main event was a not-so-anticipated match-up between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. The match was saved when Seth Rollins decided to cash in his Money in the Bank contract, therefore turning the match into a Triple Threat.

Rollins would win the title by completing the heist of the century. The undercard was stacked with a Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Championship featuring seven of the WWE's finest workhorses, AJ Lee teamed with Paige to face off against the Bella Twins, The Undertaker finally clashed with Bray Wyatt, John Cena overcame Rusev, Randy Orton defeated Rollins with an unforgettable RKO out of nowhere, and Sting & Triple H engaged in a clash that paid tribute to the "Monday Night Wars." Shoddy booking decisions aside, 'Mania 31 is still one of the best WWE PPVs.

The entire road to WrestleMania X-Seven was pure flames! No Way Out was no different as the event wrapped up all the unfinished business lingering on from the year 2000 and set the table for 'Mania X-Seven. This event took place in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Thomas & Mack Center in front of 15,223 fans. The main event was a WWF Championship match where Kurt Angle defended the title against The Rock.

The Rock would win, which would set up him versus "Stone Cold" Steve Austin for the 'Mania X-Seven main event. Speaking of “Stone Cold,” he would wrap his feud up with Triple H in an epic Three Stages of Hell Match (HHH ultimately prevailed in this one). The undercard featured other solid matches such as a Fatal 4-Way Match between Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho, X-Pac, and Eddie Guerrero and a Triple Threat Tag Team Tables Match between The Dudley Boyz, Edge & Christian, and The Brothers of Destruction.

Vengeance 2005 is one of those hidden gem PPVs for the younger generation if they have never seen it. The event took place in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Thomas & Mack Center in front of 10,000 fans. Triple H and Batista would blow off their rivalry and have the final match of their trilogy inside Hell in the Cell. The match itself was an intensely bloody affair. Batista would retain his World Heavyweight Championship and finally earn HHH’s respect as a worthy champion.

The undercard featured the famed WrestleMania rematch between Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle, John Cena defending the WWE Championship against Chris Jericho and Christian, Kane versus Edge, and a solid Intercontinental Championship bout between Shelton Benjamin and Carlito. Don't sleep on this one, folks - Vengeance 2005 belongs on everyone's best WWE PPVs playlist.

SummerSlam 2013 is one of those events I think people forget was actually that good. This was during the stretch when WWE was having the biggest event of the Summer in the same city for consecutive years. This event took place in the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California in front of 17,739 fans. The main event was John Cena defending his WWE Championship against Daniel Bryan after handpicking Bryan as his opponent to give him the ultimate opportunity. Triple H would be the special referee for that amazing encounter.

Bryan would ultimately win the match, only for Randy Orton to cash in his MITB contract, cutting the celebration short, and Triple H helping him win thus starting The Authority angle. The undercard featured an Inferno Match between Kane and Bray Wyatt, Christian versus Alberto Del Rio for the World Heavyweight Championship, and (my personal favorite match from the show!) CM Punk and Brock Lesnar getting dubbed as "The Best vs. The Beast." This LA classic has to be considered among the best WWE PPVs of all time.

In 2011, the WWE decided to take its shot at having its own version of Ring of Honor's "Summer of Punk" storyline. This made things really get super exciting on the road to Money in the Bank. The event took place at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois in front of 15,00 fans. The main event was John Cena defending his WWE Championship against a highly frustrated CM Punk, whose WWE contract came to an end at midnight on this show and he hadn’t re-signed yet.

Punk would win the championship in front of a rowdy hometown crowd and the atmosphere was truly insane. The undercard featured two awesome Money in the Bank Ladder Matches, Big Show versus Mark Henry in a battle of the behemoths, two beauties fighting over the Divas Championship in Kelly Kelly versus Brie Bella, and another great match in the underrated Randy Orton and Christian rivalry. With all things considered, this show is without a doubt one of the best WWE PPVs ever seen.

The WWE was once again experiencing the "winds of change" in the latter half of 2007 and early 2008, but they were going to make sure WrestleMania sent everyone home happy. WrestleMania XXIV took place at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida in front of 74,635 fans. The main event of the show was The Undertaker defeating Edge to defend his streak and become the World Heavyweight Champion.

Floyd Mayweather Jr would also compete at this event against the Big Show and Snoop Dogg would even make an appearance for the Playboy BunnyMania Lumberjill Match. The undercard featured some other noteworthy matches such as the Money in the Bank Ladder Match, Batista versus Umaga, and an intense Triple Threat Match between Randy Orton, Triple H, and John Cena for the WWE Championship. However, this event will always be remembered for Ric Flair’s emotional "retirement" match against Shawn Michaels, which is notable for being the "Nature Boy's" final WWE bout. This legendary 'Mania belongs among the rest of my top picks on this list of the best WWE PPVs.

It was dubbed the "Miracle on Bourbon Street," which sounds super positive but the truth is that this event took fans on a rollercoaster of emotions. The 30th annual granddaddy of them all took place in New Orleans, Louisiana in front of 75,00 fans at the Mercedes Benz Superdome (which slipped Hulk Hogan's brain at the start of this show!). The major storyline arc coming into the event was Daniel Bryan coming into the event as the fan-favorite ultimate underdog trying to overcome the odds of The Authority to main event WrestleMania XXX, which was dubbed as the “Yes Movement!”

Bryan defeated Triple H in the opening match to move on and beat both Batista and Randy Orton in the main event. The low part of the night was The Undertaker losing his WrestleMania undefeated streak to Brock Lesnar, which shocked the world and everyone in attendance. John Cena versus Bray Wyatt and the opening segment with The Rock, Steve Austin, and Hulk Hogan also stand out from this star-studded event.

The WWF started moving away from the "New Generation Era" and more towards the "Attitude Era" in the Spring of 1997. By the Summe of '97, things were in full gear. The event took place in East Rutherford, New Jersey at the Continental Airlines Center in front of 20,200 fans. The Hart Foundation had been causing chaos for their American foes by ambushing them like a pack of wolves. This event would have each member (excluding Jim Neidhart) in a match with a special stipulation attached to it if they lost.

Bret Hart would win his fifth and final WWF Championship when he defeated The Undertaker in the main event. Shawn Michaels was the special guest referee and the match ended in a controversial fashion. The undercard featured The British Bulldog versus Ken Shamrock, Brian Pillman versus Goldust, Owen Hart versus "Stone Cold" Steve Austin in the infamous match where the "Texas Rattlesnake" broke his neck, and a Steel Cage Match between Mankind and Triple H. This '97 classic is indeed one of the best WWE PPVs in wrestling history.

I always say that WrestleMania XIX was a tribute to three WWF/E eras. The "Rock N' Wrestling Era," The "Attitude Era," and the dawn of the new "Ruthless Aggression Era." It took place in Seattle, Washington in front of 54,000 fans at Safeco Field. The main event was a WWE Championship match between two shoot amateur wrestling specialists competitive by nature beings in Brock Lesnar and Kurt Angle.

Kurt Angle came into the match with a broken (FREAKIN'!) neck and Brock Lesnar risked his life trying to capture the title with a botched Shooting Star Press. The undercard featured "Stone Cold" Steve Austin in his last match for 19 years against The Rock & completing their trilogy at WrestleMania, Chris Jericho facing his idol in Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker overcoming the odds to continue his undefeated streak, Triple H defending his World Heavyweight Championship against Booker T, and Vince McMahon and Hulk Hogan finally getting their hands on each other in a violent Street Fight.

Survivor Series 2002 took place in the historic Madison Square Garden in New York City in front of 17,930 fans. The attraction of this show was the introduction of the new Elimination Chamber Match, which was Vince McMahon’s answer to WCW’s popular WarGames match. Triple H would defend his World Heavyweight Championship against Kane, Chris Jericho, Rob Van Dam, Booker T and the "Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels, who won in only his second match since coming out of retirement.

The rest of the card was eventful too with The Dudley Boyz & Jeff Hardy facing 3-Minute Warning & Rico in an Elimination Tables Match, a Triple Threat Elimination tag team title match featuring the "SmackDown Six," a Hardcore Match for the Women’s Championship, and Brock Lesnar losing his WWE Championship against Big Show when Paul Heyman turned on him. Also, I was personally hyped for Scott Steiner making his WWE return with his "Big Poppa Pump" persona. This MSG event is certainly high on my list of the best WWE PPVs.

Extreme Championship Wrestling always had an underground cult following. The ECW product influenced both WCW and WWE during the "Monday Night Wars." The company went out of business in 2001 and it was dearly missed. When there were rumblings of a one-night event to honor ECW after the popularity of the Rise and Fall of ECW DVD and Rob Van Dam’s insistence to do so, everyone was excited.

It took place in New York City at the famous Hammerstein Ballroom in front of 2500 passionate fans. The card was stacked with ECW alumni competing in matches that reignited old rivalries. One of the best parts of the night was when Paul Heyman came out to thank the fans for his brainchild and roasted the WWE invaders who were also in the crowd. It was a show that made you feel nostalgic all and celebrated a monumental movement in professional wrestling, which makes it one of the best WWE PPVs of all time.

The Royal Rumble is an annual event and one of the most exciting PPVs of the year. I actually ranked the 15 Best Royal Rumbles for ONE37pm and the 1992 edition took the number one spot. It took place at the Knickerbocker Arena in Albany, New York in front of 17,000 fans. The card only featured five matches - those bouts were three tag team matches including the Legion of Doom and The Natural Disasters doing battle over the tag team titles.

"Rowdy" Roddy Piper would also win his first singles championship in the WWF when he defeated The Mountie for the Intercontinental Championship. The real treat of this was the Rumble match itself which featured a who's who in pro wrestling from that era and future eras. The vacated WWF Championship was on the line for the match so the stakes were high. In the end, the "Nature Boy" Ric Flair won and that victory brought a tear to his eye.

In 2005, WrestleMania went Hollywood. This show took place in Los Angeles, California at the Staples Center in front of 20,193 fans. This event felt like the beginning of a new era - two stars who became prominent during the "Ruthless Aggression" era from rookies to main-eventers in John Cena and Batista both walked out as champions by defeating seasoned veterans John "Bradshaw" Layfield and Triple H.

The undercard featured Randy Orton trying to end The Undertaker’s streak, Eddie Guerrero vs Rey Mysterio in some friendly competition, an actual sumo wrestling match, the first-ever Money in the Bank Ladder Match, and a bonafide classic between Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle (who faced each other for the first time ever).

Also, there were great in-ring segments, such as a "Piper’s Pit" with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin as the special guest and Hulk Hogan making a surprise appearance to save Eugene from Muhammad Hassan & Shawn Davari. Lastly, the build-up featured a bunch of hilarious parody trailers of popular films with professional wrestlers that I highly recommend you find and watch if you’ve never seen them. This Hollywood 'Mania is one of the best WWE PPVs I've ever witnessed.

The Survivor Series PPV started in 1987 as the annual Thanksgiving event from the WWF (it was also created to oppose a Jim Crockett Promotions' Starrcade '87: Chi-Town Heat) that featured traditional 5-on-5 tag team elimination matches. The problem with some of the events from the earlier years is that a card filled with those matches could get draining after a few years. I always preferred the events that featured those traditional elimination tag matches as well as other sorts of match types. 2003 was definitely a great example of that setup.

This show featured two traditional elimination tag matches - those matches were Team Angle vs. Team Lesnar and the phenomenal Team Austin vs. Team Bischoff where Austin put his career on the line. The undercard featured a Buried Alive Match with an insane ending, an Ambulance Match, and several quality championship matches. The card for this one was stacked! This event took place at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas in front of 13,487 fans and stakes its claim here as one of the best WWE PPVs in company history.

WrestleMania III is quite possibly the most important PPV in WWE history. It changed the wrestling landscape, elevated the perception of the federation in the public eye, and officially made WrestleMania the Super Bowl of professional wrestling. It took place at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac Michigan in front of a disputed 93,174 fans. The draw was to see if the "Immortal" Hulk Hogan would be able to overcome his biggest challenge yet in Andre The Giant to retain his WWF Championship.

Andre had recently turned to the dark side BY aligning with Bobby "The Brain" Heenan and had been undefeated for years. Hogan body slamming Andre The Giant was seen and heard around the world. This show's undercard featured little people wrestling, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper’s first farewell to the company in a match against Adrian Adonis, and the highly acclaimed Intercontinental Championship match between “Macho Man” Randy Savage and Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat (which definitely stole the show!).

When the card is stacked and you’re invested in the stories, it creates a great PPV. That was the case with SummerSlam 2002. Honestly, this show was a WrestleMania-caliber card. It took place in front of 14,797 fans in Uniondale, New York at the Nassau Coliseum. The torch was passed to the future of the company when The Rock dropped the WWE Undisputed Championship to Brock Lesnar.

Shawn Michaels had his first match in five years when he returned to get revenge on his former friend Triple H in an unforgettable street fight. The undercard featured matches between workhorses such as Eddie Guerrero vs. Edge, Rey Mysterio vs. Kurt Angle, Rob Van Dam vs. Chris, Benoit, and Ric Flair vs. Chris Jericho. It was a fantastic event for the "biggest party of the summer" and undoubtedly one of the best WWE PPVs of all time.

WrestleMania X-Seven is arguably the greatest WrestleMania of all time and also arguably the greatest WWE PPV, too. It’s stacked with talent from top to bottom, with a buffet of wrestling styles and matchups. It took place in front of 67,925 fans in Houston Texas at the Reliant Astrodome. The main event was the highly anticipated 'Mania rematch between The Rock and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, where they both walked in as extremely over babyfaces.

Only one of them walked out after selling his soul to the devil. The undercard was stacked with a Tables, Ladders, & Chairs Match, Triple H versus The Undertaker, a fun Hardcore Triple Threat Match, the infamous father/son match between Vince and Shane McMahon, and so much more. If you watch this show with your lapsed or non-wrestling fan friends, I bet they’d even enjoy it.