The Show of Shows. The Grandaddy of Them All. And this year, the Ultimate Thrill Ride. Yes, WrestleMania has been called many things since its inception, but one thing always rings true: It's the biggest show in professional wrestling.
In terms of buy rates and attendances, it's up there with any other sporting event in the world. So as the 33rd incarnation of the event approaches, what is the greatest WrestleMania of all time?
Of course, the answer is subjective. But, here we will make the case for WrestleMania 17 being the greatest 'Mania of all-time, so let's get stuck into the card.
Intercontinental championship match: Chris Jericho (c) defeated William Regal
Yes, Y2J is still around and doing his business today, but by the time WM17 had taken place, Jericho was two years into his long WWE tenure. The build up to this match saw The Ayatollah of Rock and Rollah urinate in the upstanding Brit's tea and plenty of humorous barbs between two great talkers. Jericho would win after throwing Regal into an exposed turnbuckle - that the former commissioner had himself exposed - before hitting the 'lionsault' for the win.
Tazz & The APA defeated Right to Censor
Make no mistake, the APA were one of the most over tag teams during the early 2000s. Their gimmick of protecting stars for money was really over with the fans, and their hard-hitting style in the ring was a perfect mesh. Right to Censor were probably the most hated act in the company, just behind Triple H. They had begun to lose steam by this point and The Goodfather, Val Venis, and Bull Buchanan were put out of their misery in just under four minutes after an absolutely savage 'closeline from hell'.
Hardcore championship match: Kane defeated Raven (c) and Big Show
Raven had a great run as the hardcore champion where he seemed to be able to retain the strap despite terrible odds every time. Still, going up against two goliaths in Kane (who was an absolute machine at this point) and Big Show was a step too far. The Hardcore title was defended under 24/7 rules at this time, but that didn't matter during this contest. After kicking both of his opponents off of the stage, Kane followed that up with an almighty leg drop that secured victory.
European championship match: Eddie Guerrero defeated Test (c)
Remember the European title? It should come as no surprise to anyone that Latino Heat won the Euro strap via the kind of dirty tactics that the fans came to love him for. When the ref's back was turned, Guerrero nailed Test with the title belt and secured the one, two, three. Eddie sadly passed away in 2005 and is remembered as one of the most charismatic stars in WWE history. This title win was just the beginning for Guerrero.
Kurt Angle defeated Chris Benoit
The Olympic Hero had battled Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho in a magical triple-threat match the year before at 'Mania where he lost both European and Intercontinental titles. He got his revenge on the Wolverine here thanks to his scrupulous nature when he rolled up Benoit and gained extra leverage with the tights. These two were two of the best performers in the world at the time and bar the main event, it was the best wrestling match of the night. Angle would leave the company in 2006 and has just returned to be inducted into the Hall of Fame class 2017. As for Benoit, most people are aware that in 2007, he killed his wife and son before taking his own life. For that fact alone, it is unlikely he will ever grace the Hall of Fame.
Women's championship match: Chyna defeated Ivory (c)
Before the today's woman's revolution, or even the glory days of Trish Stratus and Lita, Chyna was a freak of nature. She was so good that she had never even competed for the women's title before this match, but she had been the Intercontinental champion. Ivory, a very respectable, Hall of Fame talent in her own right, had threatened her career after, supposedly, breaking the Ninth Wonder of the World's neck via a piledriver with the help of Val Venis. Chyna's triumphant return saw her flatten Ivory in under three minutes. Unfortunately, she would exit the company later that year and after appearing in some adult films, it is unlikely that she will make the Hall of Fame either. She died in April of 2016 as a result of a drug overdose at the age of 46.
Street fight: Shane McMahon defeated Vince McMahon w/ Mick Foley as Special Guest Referee
This is one of the all-time underrated bouts. It had such layered storytelling and fantastic performances that it has become timeless to watch. Was it a wrestling clinic? No. But when Linda McMahon - who had been in a comatose state since Vince said he wanted a divorce and began frolicking with Trish Stratus - stood up and kicked Vince in the groin, the roof nearly came off the Reliant Astrodome in Houston, Texas. Shane finished off his old man after going coast to coast into a trash can.
Tables, Ladders & Chairs Tag Team championship match: Edge & Christian defeated The Hardy Boyz and the Dudley Boyz (c)
This is one of the craziest matches you will ever see. After SummerSlam 2000, the WWE decided to put this match on the grandest stage of all and they did not disappoint. The memory of Edge spearing Jeff Hardy off a ladder about 20ft in the air is forever etched in millions of memories. This was only the second ever TLC match, but it has gone on to get its own pay-per-view thanks to the efforts of these six men. It's worth watching for the sheer volume of bumps and crazy moves that the WWE would probably not allow today.
The Undertaker defeated Triple H
There was a Gimmick Battle Royal before this won by the Iron Sheik, but the less said about that the better. The first instalment in the trilogy of WrestleMania matches between The Undertaker and Triple H took place at WM17 and while the latter two are more revered, this was a great slugfest between The Game and, at the time, the American Bad Ass. They fought into the crowd and had plenty of high spots, but 'Taker would finish off his adversary with the 'last ride' and extend his WrestleMania record to 9-0, a record that is now 23-1 ahead of his match with Roman Reigns next week. Nobody would dispute that these two men are among the greatest ever.
No disqualification WWE championship match: Stone Cold Steve Austin defeated The Rock (c)
Although Stone Cold moved to 2-0 against The Rock at 'Mania, the Great One would eventually get his win over the Texas Rattlesnake at the Show of Shows two years later. To headline three WrestleManias is some feat, and many might argue that these two had the biggest drawing feud of all-time. The match itself was spectacular and both men were red-hot babyfaces at the time, so the crowd was fully invested and had no idea which way it would go. Eventually, Austin would align himself with his arch-nemesis Vince McMahon and pummel the Brahma Bull with chair shots and 'stone cold stunners' until he was victorious. Austin was the biggest star in the wrestling business at the time and for him to turn heel like that was completely unexpected, only adding to the main event's greatness. They are both in the conversation for the greatest of all-time and while Austin is already in the Hall of Fame, Rocky continues to make sporadic appearances.