WrestleMania XXVI is set to take place on March 28, 2010. Vince McMahon's creation has become a global event that is viewed by more than 40 countries worldwide. Anyone who enjoys the WWE should make it to at least one WrestleMania.

The greatest spectacle in the WWE is right around the corner once again. That’s right, the 26th WrestleMania is taking place on March 28, 2010 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Phoenix, Arizona. This is the WWE’s SuperBowl. It is the biggest event that the company does each year, and it’s also one of the biggest pay-per-view events of the year. Vince McMahon’s vision has turned into one of the year’s biggest and best sports entertainment events, and this year will be no different. Legendary ring announcer and WWE Hall of Famer, Howard Finkel, is the person who actually came up with the word WrestleMania, and so on March 31, 1985, Vince McMahon took his father’s idea and turned it into the biggest wrestling extravaganza of all time. Madison Square Garden was the site and 19, 121 fans witnessed the start of something so big not many believed  possible. Luminaries like Muhammad Ali, Cyndi Lauper and Liberace took part in the inaugural event. Hulk Hogan teamed with Mr. T to take on Mr. Wonderful, Paul Orndorff, and “Rowdy” Roddy Piper in the main event. There was much debate as to whether or not this idea of a wrestling event on closed circuit pay-per-view would work. It was a tremendous risk by McMahon, but the greatest wrestling promoter in history set the bar high, and the company not only reached the bar, they leaped over it. After the first WrestleMania, Vince McMahon was asked “Where do you go from here?” Vince’s reply…….”WrestleMania 2.” It was on after that, and while most thought the WWE would never top the first event, it kept getting bigger and bigger. I attended WrestleMania 2 in Chicago, one of three sites the event was held. I was only 6 years old at the time, but I knew I was at something BIG. Here we are 26 years later, and WrestleMania is bigger than ever. WrestleMania holds some of the biggest attendance numbers in history. They held the world indoor record for what seemed like a lifetime at WM III with 93, 173, sold out Trump Plaza 2 years in a row, set a Skydome record at WM VI with 67, 678, set a Hoosier Dome record at WM VIII 62, 167, set a Houston Astrodome record for WM X-7 in 2001 with 67, 925, broke their own Skydome record in 2002 with 68, 237, set a Safeco Field record in 2003 with 54, 097, set a Ford Field record at WM XXIII of 80, 109, set a Citrus Bowl record in 2008 for WM XXIV with 74, 635, and a Reliant Stadium record for WM XXV in 2009 with 72, 744. There is a good chance that they will set a new University of Phoenix Stadium record this year as well. WrestleMania is a week long event, and from appearances, autograph signings, and the Hall of Fame ceremony, it is truly a week long attraction.

WrestleMania is watched by over 40 countries every year. To say it’s a big time event is definitely real talk. Now, then, let’s preview this year’s event which will be followed by my top ten WrestleMania matches of all-time.

WrestleMania XXVI

Shawn Michaels vs The Undertaker: The Streak vs Michaels’ career. A rematch of a match you will be seeing later in my top ten countdown. Shawn Michaels has been so obsessed with getting this rematch, that he agrees to put his storied career on the line on March 28. Unless you live under a rock, you know the The Undertaker is 17-0 at WrestleMania, and when you add the fact that Mr. WrestleMania’s career is on the line, this has to be the match that will headline the show. I truly hope that WWE brings back Jim Ross to call this match. It has to happen.

Prediction: The Undertaker will run his WrestleMania win streak to 18-0 and the legendary career of  The Showstopper will unfortunately come to a close. Why is Michaels Mr. WrestleMania? Stay tuned for the countdown and you’ll understand.

The WWE Championship

WWE Champion Batista vs John Cena: Dave Batista’s recent heel turn has been one of the better story lines WWE has come up with this year. Batista is a natural heel and his allegiance to Mr. McMahon has made for good television. John Cena, along with Randy Orton, are the two biggest stars in the company right now, and it’s hard to imagine Cena not walking out of Glendale with the title.

Prediction: Cena wins the match, but Batista finds a way to hold onto the championship. I hope this happens because I feel like Batista deserves a long title run. Plus this would set up Cena to feud with the returning Rock this summer.

Bret Hart will wrestle in his first WrestleMania match since 1997 when he takes on Mr. McMahon in the highly anticipated match that is 13 years in the making.

WWE Chairman Mr. McMahon vs Bret “Hitman” Hart: This is a match that is 13 years in the making. The Montreal Screwjob was as real as it gets in November 1997. Bret Hart was scheduled to leave the WWE for rival WCW and McMahon would not let Hart show up on WCW television wearing the WWE Championship. McMahon wanted Hart to drop the title to Shawn Michaels in Montreal at the Survivor Series, but Hart refused to lose in his native Canada. McMahon, Michaels and referee Earl Hebner set up Hart, and screwed Hart in front of the wrestling world for all to see. Hart was never seen on WWE television again until he was inducted to the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006. It has taken this long for Hart to return, and who knows what he will do to the chairman in Phoenix. This won’t be a technical masterpiece, but I cannot wait to see this feud finally end at WrestleMania. Bret Hart was the only wrestler to participate in the first 13 WrestleMania’s, and it’s great to have him back.

Prediction: Does anyone really think The Excellence of Execution will lose this match? It’s even money in Vegas that Hart puts the sharpshooter on Vinny Mac for a good 5 minutes. It’s not about who wins or loses this match, because it will be entertaining as hell. McMahon always puts on a good show, and you know Bret will be able to turn back the clock one more time and extract his revenge on the man who screwed him out of the WWE Championship in 1997.

Those are just three of the matches that will be part of WrestleMania XXVI in Phoenix. Are you ready for WrestleMania yet?! Here now are my top ten WrestleMania matches of all-time. Coming up with the top ten matches of all-time was as easy as learning Mike Martz’s playbook. I didn’t go by the top pure matches. For example, the Kurt Angle vs Brock Lesnar, the Bret Hart vs Owen Hart, HBK vs razor Ramon ladder match, and HBK vs Y2J,  matches aren’t on my list even though they qualify. I took into account the following…….The lead in, the feud and what came of the match. The lead in/promo is as big, if not bigger, than the match sometimes and my list reflects that. The actual feud and what came of the result of the match were also part of the criteria. Now, then, drum roll please…….Here are the Top Ten WrestleMania Matches of All-Time.

Randy Savage defeated Ric Flair for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania VIII. This classic match starts off the countdown at number 10 on the list of greatest WrestleMania matches ever.

10. WrestleMania VIII 1992: WWE Champion Ric Flair vs “Macho” Man Randy Savage- This classic match had it all. Ric Flair had won the Royal Rumble to capture the WWE title, and it set up a feud with Savage that was fantastic. Flair doctored photos to say that he had a past with Savage’s wife Elizabeth. Flair paraded around like the limousine riding, jet flying, kiss stealing, son of a gun he was. However, on this day, Savage was the better man, and on this day won his 2nd WWE Championship. The commentating by Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby “The Brain” Heenan for this match only added to the drama. The banter between the two was fantastic. Mr. Perfect, Heenan and Flair had a great faction going, and Perfect did all he could to help Flair, but Savage wasn’t going to be denied, and he walked out of the Hoosier Dome the new champion.

10A. WrestleMania 22 2006: WWE Champion John Cena vs HHH- I am adding this match as 10A because I was in the house at WrestleMania 22. The electricity that this particular match had was unreal. Cena made HHH tap out to retain the title as the sold out All State Arena was in shock at what just happened. The All State arena was 90% behind The Game which surprised A. Ruffolo and I. This event is the best sporting event I’ve ever been to. That’s how entertaining it was. WWE pay-per-view events have to be on your bucket list. Trust me.

9. WrestleMania XIV 1998: WWE Champion Shawn Michaels vs “Stone Cold” Steve Austin- Shawn Michaels had turned heel in the fall of ’97 and, along with HHH, formed Degeneration-X. The first DX was cutting edge, and you never knew what they would do on a given Monday Night Raw. They never stuck to the script, but people ate it up. Stone Cold also was hitting his peak in the spring of ’98 when this match happened. Austin won the Royal Rumble and was in line for a title shot. Michaels was battling a back injury that would put him on the shelf for 4 years following this match. This match makes the list because the anticipation was classic. Michaels and Austin held the tag titles the previous summer, and their rivalry was one for the ages. Michaels wasn’t ready to give up his spot as the Alpha Dog in the business, but nobody could stop Stone Cold. Mike Tyson was the special enforcer for this match which added to the intrigue. Tyson had aligned with DX, which clearly made Michaels the favorite, but on this day a legend was born. As announcer Jim Ross claimed after Austin hit the Stone Cold Stunner for the win…..”The Austin era has begun.” Yes it had, and Austin went on to become the most popular superstar in WWE history. The crowd was awarded a little something extra when Tyson shook off a Michaels punch and dropped the Heartbreak Kid after the match.

8. WrestleMania VI 1990: WWE Champion Hulk Hogan vs The Ultimate Warrior- As Vince McMahon later said, this was supposed to be a passing of the torch from Hogan to the Warrior. Of course, it wasn’t because the Warrior lacked charisma, flair, talent and believability. The Ultimate Challenge was held on April 1, 1990 at the Toronto Skydome, and the anticipation for this match was unparalleled. The Ultimate Warrior was the Intercontinental Champion and Hogan was the WWE Champion. This was the first time champion met champion,and with two superstars at their peak….it was great drama. The 67, 678 were into the match the entire time, and in the end, the Warrior scored the upset and captured the championship. Also, a 10 year old Louie Ruffolo nearly threw a fit seeing Hulk Hogan lose the title in one of the biggest matches ever. This match makes the top ten because anyone at or around my age who likes wrestling knows where they were and where they watched this match. There was never a rematch, and that is a good thing looking back. On this day in 1990, The Ultimate Warrior stood atop the WWE universe.

7. WrestleMania XIII 1997: Bret “Hitman” Hart vs Stone Cold Steve Austin- Another Mania that was held in Chicago was an instant classic, and this submission match stole the show. It comes in at number 7 on my list because this rivalry started the previous November when Hart beat Austin in his return match at The Survivor Series. Why I love this match is the course of two careers in one match. By the time this was over, Hart was the biggest heel in the company, and Austin was suddenly the fan favorite. It was a blood bath, and Hart won when special referee Ken Shamrock noticed Austin had passed out from blood loss and Hart’s sharpshooter. Austin never gave up. This was Hart’s last WrestleMania, but he and Austin put on a classic show.

6. WrestleMania XV: WWE Champion The Rock vs “Stone Cold” Steve Austin- Stone Cold appears on the list for 3rd time, and once again wins the title. By March of 1999, WWE had begun to take back control of the Monday night wars from WCW, and it was due to two immensely popular superstars. Stone Cold and The Rock were carrying the WWE into the next decade and leaving WCW in their dust. The Rock was at the forefront of Mr. McMahon’s corporation, and Stone Cold was the outlaw who simply did what he wanted. McMahon proclaimed at the beginning of WrestleMania XV that Stone Cold had “No chance in hell of winning the WWE Championship.” Even though Vinny Mac tried to interject in the match, Stone Cold found a way to beat The Great One. After he gave the Rock a 2nd stunner, the WWE had a new champion, and the toughest S.O.B. in the WWE ruled again. Overall, Rock and Austin met 3 times at WrestleMania, and the mark they left on the business will never be forgotten. They delivered a Mike Tyson left hook to WCW, and put the WWE back in the mainstream. For Austin, after this win, he established himself as the top attraction in the business, and the most popular wrestler of all-time. Forgot what happened in this match? I got your back……

5. WrestleMania III 1987: “Macho Man” Randy Savage vs Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat- The “other” match at WrestleMania III stole the show in front of 93, 173 in the Pontiac Silverdome. Steamboat and Savage were ahead of their time in ’87, and this match put Savage in “Main Event” status. The lead-in to this match had Savage as the heavy favorite because he crushed Steamboat’s larynx on the steel guard rail months prior. Steamboat vowed to return, and with help from George “The Animal” Steel, captured the win and the WWE Intercontinental Championship. 23 years later, this match still resonates with fans. Especially my father, who was a huge Savage fan. Savage went on to win 4 matches and the WWE title a year later at WM IV in Atlantic City, but his performance at WM III was one for the ages.

4. WrestleMania X-8 2002: The Rock vs “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan- This match was dubbed Icon vs Icon. Wrestling’s past vs wrestling’s future, and it was the best match of the night. It featured two of the biggest stars in the history of the business. Since they came along at different times, the thought of a Hogan-Rock match seemed like something that would only be done in a video game. Things changed in early 2002 when McMahon brought back the nWo of Hogan, Scott Hall, and Kevin Nash to destroy the WWE. Rock challenged Hogan, and Hogan accepted. This event was again held at the Toronto Skydome, and the crowd was outstanding. The Rock was Mr. Popularity while Hogan was the heel, but that changed quickly. Call it nostalgia, but fans loved seeing Hogan in the WWE for the first time since 1993. 68,000 plus turned back the clock and rooted for Hogan like it was 1988 again. The Rock had his share of the Skydome crowd, but Hogan was the fan favorite. The Rock was the better man on this night and eventually won the match, but Hogan was the story. Hogan had the fans on his side again, and second tour in WWE was a huge success. The Rock’s popularity grew as well, as it landed him in Hollywood where he starred in several movies. This match didn’t headline WrestleMania X-8, but it damn sure stole the show. It was the WWE’s version of Tyson vs Ali, and it somehow surpassed the hype.

3. WrestleMania III 1987: WWE Champion Hulk Hogan vs Andre The Giant- The most hyped match of all-time checks in at number 3 on my list, and what hype it was. Coming off the success of the first two WrestleMania’s, Vince McMahon had his sights on coming up with the biggest match in the business’ history for the 3rd Mania. At that time there was only one option….Hulk vs Andre. Andre was undefeated in his career up to that point. Hogan, meanwhile, was in the middle of a 4 year reign as WWE Champion. Andre joined forces with Bobby Heenan and turned on Hogan setting up the then biggest match ever. You had a feeling going in that Hogan would win, but considering nobody had ever seen Andre lose, you just didn’t know. That’s what made this match what it was. It wasn’t a great technical match because neither guy was a technical wrestler, but it didn’t matter. You had two tremendously popular figures (Andre was quite the movie star after his Princess Bride cameo), that grew to really dislike each other. Andre was battling a back injury that threatened to derail the match, but he was a fighter, and he gave it his all. In the end, Hogan slammed the 8th wonder of the world from Grenoble in the French Alps, hit the leg drop, and captured the win. That match was the right match at the right time that helped WWE become as mainstream as any sport in America. Everybody remembers where they were when Hogan slammed Andre. Without McMahon and Hogan, there wouldn’t be WrestleMania. Hogan headlined the first 9 WrestleMania’s, and his win over over Andre at III was one of the best ever. Hulkamania was alive and running well. Here’s a little recap……..

2. WrestleMania XXV 2009: Shawn Michaels vs The Undertaker- Last year’s WrestleMania was a great show, but one match surpassed the rest. Why this match wasn’t the last match of the evening was a travesty. Asking anyone to go out there after Michaels and ‘Taker was simply unfair. Two of the greatest performers in wrestling history put on a display I’ve only seen one other time. It was sensational from start to finish. The Undertaker won after he delivered the tombstone to HBK for the 2nd time, and ran his WrestleMania winning streak to a ridiculous 17-0. I knew it was big when people I know came up to me asking….”So how good was the Michaels-Undertaker match?!” It had everything one could want. If you haven’t seen it, please do so before the rematch. It’s asking a lot for these two men to top what they did last year, but if there are two guys in the business capable, would you doubt them?

Shawn Michaels hit Bret Hart with "Sweet Chin Music" in overtime of their Iron Man Match at WrestleMania XII to capture the win and the WWE title. This match is number 1 on my list of all-time WrestleMania matches.

1. WrestleMania XII 1996: WWE Champion Bret “Hitman” Hart vs The “Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels- Well, after 2900 words, we finally made it to the number one match in the history of WrestleMania. The Iron Man Match from WM XII was the best match I’ve ever seen. Nobody thought two guys could go for 60 minutes and keep the audiences attention. Not only did Michaels and Hart do that, they exceeded anyone’s expectations. You kind of had the feeling Michaels would win the WWE title for the first time when he entered the ring from the top of the Anaheim Pond, but it still was a nerve wracking ending. Hart had Michaels in the sharpshooter as the clock struck 0:00, and everyone assumed Hart had retained the title. However, it had been determined there must be a winner so the match continued, and Michaels eventually hit “Sweet Chin Music” for the 2nd time and pinned Hart to become the WWE Champion for the first time. Even in defeat, Bret Hart proved why he is the best there is…the best there was…..and the best there ever will be. It was an unbelievable match, and number 1 on my list of all-time WrestleMania matches. What helped put this match at the number 1 spot was the real life hatred these two men had for each other. It started long before the Montreal Screwjob. Hart hated how Michaels carried himself, and Michaels hated how Hart felt the WWE owned him everything. Michaels was the new blood and Hart felt threatened. Hart hated where the business was headed with Shawn leading it (The attitude era ’97-’03 was right around the corner). It’s why the rematch didn’t happen for 20 months. Hart felt HBK faked a knee injury in early ’97 around WM XIII to derail the rematch. Plain and simple….It’s the best rivalry the business has ever seen, and likely will ever see again. On this night in Anaheim in 1996, HBK and The Hitman made history together. They may have despised each other, but they are forever linked together as the men who had the greatest match in WrestleMania history. Michaels made the list along with Austin and Hogan 3 times each, and I hope that WrestleMania XXVI is not The Showstopper’s last match.I know Bret Hart’s return is only a one time thing, but the WWE would suffer if, for the first time since 1989, Shawn Michaels isn’t a part of it.

There you have it, the top ten WrestleMania matches of all-time. Sure there were some notable one’s left off, but ,it’s my list– so deal with it. What will happen at this years event? I have a feeling a certain rematch is going to make me redo this list about five minutes after it’s over. Just a hunch. WrestleMania XXVI on March 28 will be a must-watch, so, if you are going to buy one pay-per-view event this year, don’t buy either of the boxing matches taking place on the same night in May. Buy WrestleMania XXVI……You’ll thank me later.