And, of course, there was the main event, which blew the roof off of Calgary’s Saddledome. Leading into the event, CM Punk vowed to leave his hometown of Chicago — and WWE — with the WWE Title in hand. Just incredible. Try the unenviable task of selecting only 15 pay-per-views and labeling them as With that in mind, check out these events that nearly broke through into WWE.com’s ranking of the top 15 pay-per-views of all time.Hulk Hogan shocks the world with a remarkable display of strength against Andre the Giant in the main event of WrestleMania III on March 29, 1987.The inaugural WrestleMania thrust WWE into the mainstream spotlight and the second installment was the event’s first foray into the world of pay-per-view, but it wasn’t until 1987 that The Showcase of the Immortals truly hit its stride and transformed into a larger-than-life happening.
The WWE Universe witnessed a collision between ex-besties Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow, a rarely seen Ring of Fire Match with two genuine monsters, Bray Wyatt and Kane, and a superb World Heavyweight Title Match between consummate wrestlers Alberto Del Rio and Christian.Yet, those stellar matches all took a backseat to the dual main events. Yet, there were also glimmers of what was to come, such as TV Champion Sting vs. And in the main event, Ric Flair and Ricky Steamboat rekindled their legendary rivalry, fighting to a No-Contest in a WCW Title Match that could easily stand in comparison to their legendary trio of bouts from 1989. The ending stays with me even today.
The Beast” match broke new ground in brutality. The Rock gets a rematch with the man who defeated him for the WWE Title, Kurt Angle.Mere weeks before they’d unexpectedly join forces as The Two-Man Power Trip, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Triple H embarked on an unforgiving test of attrition known as a And that wasn’t even the main event.That honor belonged to WWE Champion Kurt Angle vs. The dream of every ECW fan came true at the end, too, when longtime detractor Eric Bischoff was demolished by the ECW Originals.Though many saw it as the perfect goodbye to the promotion, One Night Stand 2005 was such a rousing success that WWE brought ECW back on a full-time basis one year later.Daniel Bryan competes in the most important match of his career so far.Clichéd though it may be, the 26th annual SummerSlam was replete with matches that could have been the main event in any arena in the world. Not knowing what to expect, the Chicago faithful, and millions around the world, were in disbelief as Punk defeated Cena, grabbed the title, blew Mr. McMahon a kiss and ran off into the Chicago night with his prize.WrestleMania X-Seven not only boasted the grandeur expected of The Showcase of the Immortals, but it was also exemplary of the three-ring-circus style lineup that had something for everyone. And regardless if your favorite event is on this list, find comfort in the knowledge that your favorite WWE, WCW or ECW pay-per-view — no matter which one it is — can be found on WWE Network!Bret Hart and Diesel have an epic battle for the WWE Championship at the 1995 Survivor Series.If ever there was proof WWE could’ve beaten WCW to the punch in launching a cruiserweight division in the U.S., it was Survivor Series 1995’s Further up the card, Alundra Blaze and Bertha Faye captained squads in a match that cemented Aja Kong as the But if one match stole the show, it was the No-Disqualification WWE Championship main event between Bret Hart and Diesel, a donnybrook that not only resulted in “Hit Man’s” third title reign, but also established the Spanish announce table as a danger zone in WWE.Tazz puts his personally owned FTW Championship on the line against Bam Bam Bigelow.There was much about the original Land of the Extreme that never fully translated to pay-per-view, yet Heat Wave 1998 stands out as a stellar representation of ECW’s diversely hardcore leanings. WrestleMania 36 results: Drew McIntyre conquers The Beast to claim the WWE Title Ahead of WWE Network’s game-changing launch, check out this ranking of the 15 greatest shows to ever air on pay-per-view.