There have been a lot of rivalries in WWE over the last 40 years, and today we are going to see the only Back-to-Back WrestleMania Rivalries in history.
Back-to-Back WrestleMania Rivalries between Hulk Hogan Vs. Andre The Giant (WrestleMania 3 & 4)
The first chapter in this larger-than-life rivalry between Hulk Hogan and Andre The Giant took place at WrestleMania 3 in front of 78,000 people inside the Pontiac Silverdome.
The match took place in the Main Event of WrestleMania 3, where André won the match and WWF World Heavyweight Championship, even though Hogan’s shoulders were not on the mat during the entire three-count. After the match ended, André publicly contractually surrendered the title to DiBiase, however, the transaction was subsequently declared invalid by then-WWF president Jack Tunney, and the title was declared vacant.
Less than a year into their rematch at WrestleMania 4 which took place at Boardwalk Hall, In the main event Andre defeated Hogan and ended his 1,474-day run as WWE Champion.
Andre handed the championship to Ted Dibiase immediately, who then got stripped of the championship belt and isn’t officially recognized as champion to this date.
Back-to-Back WrestleMania Rivalries between Bret Hart Vs. Yokozuna (WrestleMania 9 & 10)
The epic rivalry between Bret “The Hitman” Hart and Yokozuna was just pure work of art. It all began at WrestleMania 9 when Bret Hart faced Yokozuna one-on-one for the WWF Championship. Unfortunately, Hart fell victim to Yokozuna’s sheer power and fell short of retaining his title.
One year later at WrestleMania 10 Bret Hart once again found himself in the title picture for the WWF Championship against his old nemesis Yokozuna.
Despite the odds stacked against him, including having to compete twice in the same night due to the event’s unique format, Bret emerged victorious by reclaiming the WWE Championship and solidifying his legacy as one of the greatest wrestlers of all time.
These two encounters between Bret Hart and Yokozuna remain iconic moments in WrestleMania history, showcasing the athleticism, drama, and sheer excitement that define the world of professional wrestling.
Back-to-Back WrestleMania Rivalries between The Hardys Vs. The Dudley Boyz Vs. Edge & Christian (WrestleMania 16 & 17)
If you’re a fan of tag team wrestling, then the triple threat matches between The Hardy Boyz, The Dudley Boyz, and Edge & Christian are a perfect treat for you.
Although the tag team wrestling format is been in the industry since the 1050s people and the promoters haven’t paid attention to that, but that all changed when these three teams stepped foot in the ring together and created magic.
At WrestleMania 2000, the three teams competed in a Triple Threat Ladder Match for the WWF Tag Team Championships. The match was filled with high-flying action, innovative and breath-taking spots, and stupendous use of ladders. Despite all teams giving it their all, Edge & Christian managed to climb the ladder and retrieve the titles, starting what would become a series of all-time recalled classic tag team encounters between these teams.
The rivalry between these three teams reached its peak at WrestleMania 17 with a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs (TLC) Match for the WWF Tag Team Championships. This match is often hailed as one of the greatest in WrestleMania history and is remembered for its breathtaking spots and sheer brutality.
At one moment in the match, Edge spears Jeff Hardy in mid-air of a ladder, this one moment till this date is unforgettable for any WWE fan.
Tables were smashed, ladders were climbed, and bodies were thrown from great heights. Once again, Edge & Christian emerged victorious, solidifying their status as the dominant team of the era.
The matches between The Hardy Boyz, The Dudley Boyz, and Edge & Christian at WrestleMania 16 and 17 are considered classics and have left an indelible mark on WWE history. They are remembered not only for their incredible in-ring action but also for the innovation and excitement they brought to the tag team division.
WrestleMania 16 and WrestleMania 17 are legendary and helped define the era of tag team wrestling known as the “Attitude Era.”
The Undertaker Vs. Shawn Michaels (WrestleMania 25 & 26)
Next on the list is hands down one of the biggest rivalries in the history of WrestleMania between two of the biggest icons to ever step foot in the WWE.
The first encounter in the rivalry took place in the hometown of both of these superstars inside the NRG Stadium, Both superstars gave their all to put on a clinic nobody saw coming. They both went on to put on a match that exceeded every expectation and even now years later have been recalled as pure greatness.
When their match won the 2009 Slammy Award for Match of the Year, Michaels stated in his acceptance speech that he could still defeat The Undertaker at WrestleMania and challenged him to a rematch at WrestleMania.
A month later, The Undertaker gave Michaels his reply by denying the rematch, stating that he had nothing to prove to him.
To further provoke the Undertaker, Michaels snuck into Undertaker’s Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship and performed Sweet Chin Music on The Deadman, allowing Chris Jericho to defeat The Undertaker and win the World Heavyweight Championship.
On the following night, The Undertaker changed his mind and accepted the rematch but with the stipulation that if Michaels loses, he would have to retire.
To which Shawn replied and it still buzzes in my ears till now:
“You don’t get it. If I can’t beat you at WrestleMania, I have no career.
You’re on.”
Two weeks later, Michaels and The Undertaker agreed on an additional stipulation: that the match would have no disqualifications and no count-outs.
The match at WrestleMania truly featured the spectacle everyone had thought, they both went on to create a magic that will live in the air of WrestleMania forever. And no one can forget that moment when Shawn slapped the face of the Undertaker asking him to end his career.
That moment is a piece of art, and Shawn Michaels is truly Mr.WrestleMania.
The Undertaker Vs. Triple H (WrestleMania 27 & 28)
After weeks of rumors and speculation, The Undertaker made his triumphant return on the 21 Feb 2011 edition of Monday Night Raw. But his return was short-lived as out came Triple H to the ring to confront The Deadman. Moments later, both men turned to the WrestleMania 27 sign.
This match was announced as a No Holds Barred match. The thought of Undertaker and Triple H facing off at WrestleMania was a big announcement in itself; putting them in a no-rules just skyrocketed the storyline. The match was simply the best on the whole show, and it ended with The Undertaker locking in Triple H into his submission Hell’s Gate for the win.
The match itself was so brutal that The Undertaker wasn’t able to move himself after the match and the doctor had to come inside the ring to check on him. The Undertaker was eventually carried to the backstage area with the help of a vehicle and a few officials and medical personnel.
The next encounter up the very next year at WrestleMania 28 inside the Hell A Cell the match was named “The End of an Era”. This was surely one of the most dramatic and emotional matches part of the Undertaker’s WrestleMania streak.
With Shawn Michaels as the special guest referee, Taker and Triple H went on to tear down the down and put on a true WrestleMania match. The match had a lot of interesting parts, but my favorite was when the match went exactly into 32:00 where the Undertaker was trying to tombstone Triple H but instead, it got countered into a Sweet Chin Music and a Pedigree. But The Undertaker still managed to kick out.
In my opinion, if the streak didn’t end right there, it should have never ended.
The Undertaker went on to kick out on the cover by the game and eventually won the match while continuing his undefeated streak of 20-0.
Back-to-Back WrestleMania Rivalries between The Rock Vs. John Cena (WrestleMania 28 & 29)
This next WrestleMania is “Once in a Lifetime” as these two generational talents went face-to-face in a truly one-dream rivalry ever in the history of WWE.
This rivalry started when the host of WrestleMania 27 The Rock cost John Cena the championship match in the main event against The Miz.
The next night on Raw, Cena and The Rock went face-to-face to set a match and WrestleMania 28, never before in the history of WWE had a WrestleMania main event been announced one year before the show. They both went down face to and side by side in the coming months as we head to the next WrestleMania.
The Rock and John Cena went face-to-face in the main event of WrestleMania 28 in an epic battle, a truly once-in-a-lifetime matchup. Cena fell short of the great one as he tried to deliver his Five Knuckle Shuffle to The Rock and he countered it into a Rock Bottom to win the match.
After getting beaten by the Rock in the biggest match of his life, Cena faced the returning Brock Lesnar on Raw after WrestleMania.
Later down the year Cena will go face-to-face with Brock Lesnar in an Extreme Rules match and eventually defeat him and let the doubters know that he is not over yet.
The Rock would return to WWE before the WrestleMania 29 and challenge CM Punk for the WWE championship and win it once again. On the other hand, Cena entered the Royal Rumble and won the match for the second time in his career setting up a rematch with the great one, this time for the WWE Championship at the main event of WrestleMania 29.
The two met once again in the main event at WrestleMania 29, fans got to relive the two one the greatest to ever do it going down facing to facing and tearing the show down. After one year of setbacks, Cena conquered his biggest demon as he defeated The Rock in the main event of WrestleMania 29.
Back-to-Back WrestleMania Rivalries between Cody Rhodes VS Roman Reigns (WrestleMania 39 & 40)
Starting from WrestleMania 3 discussing all back-to-back WrestleMania rivalries now we have arrived in 2024, with one of the biggest WrestleMania storylines ever to take place with “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhoades going face-to-face with the Undisputed WWE Champion “The Head of the Table” Roman Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania 39 & 40.
It all started back when Cody Rhodes returned to WWE after 6 years and won the Royal Rumble in 2023, Cody challenged Roman for the championship as he was the only champion in the main roster ever since the championship unification which took place at WrestleMania 38.
Cody destined to finish his story went on to challenge Roman Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania 39 where he got screwed by Bloodline when he was on the verge of defeating Roman. Throughout the last year, Cody is been on the top of his game while having big-time feuds with Brock Lesnar and Shinsuke Nakamura.
Cody once again won the Royal Rumble in 2024 and decided to challenge Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania XL. The Rock also made his return to WWE and asked Rhodes to step aside so he could challenge Reigns at WrestleMania 40 for a long-awaited dream match. Rhodes denied the Rock’s offer and teamed with Seth Rollins to take on both Reigns and the Rock at WrestleMania XL: Night 1 in a tag team match.
The Rock also added a stipulation in their tag team match saying if Rhodes and Rollins can beat him and Reigns at Night: 1, then his match against Reigns at Night: 2 will be free of Bloodline. But if Rhodes and Rollins lose, then the Night: 2 main event would be contested under Bloodline Rules.
Rock and Reigns defeated Rollins and Rhodes in their tag team match at Night: 1, which led to a Bloodline Rules match at Night: 2. Rhodes and Reigns delivered one the greatest ever main events in the history of WWE where “Jimmy Uso, Solo Sikoa and The Rock” came for the help of Reigns. In response to that, “Jey Uso, John Cena, Seth Rollins, and The Undertaker” came out to help Rhodes, who then defeated Reigns to win his first WWE Championship.
