Just 30 days remain untilWrestleMania 42 takes over Las Vegas, and fans are buzzing to see what WWE has in store. This year’s event will make history as only the second time the “Grandest Stage of Them All” has been held in the same venue as the year prior, withAllegiant Stadium, home of the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders, serving as the backdrop for the double-header.
WrestleMania has a long history with the NFL, as this year marks the 23rd time WrestleMania has taken place inside an NFL stadium. This historic partnership dates back to 1987, when WrestleMania 3 was held at the Pontiac Silverdome, the former home of the Detroit Lions.
Starting with WrestleMania 23 in 2007, the event has been held in an NFL venue every year for nearly two decades. The one notable exception was WrestleMania 36 in 2020, which took place at the WWE Performance Center with no crowd in attendance due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
WWE’s strategy of utilizing NFL stadiums has proven to be the right decision; these venues accommodate massive crowds and generate an electric atmosphere. Whether the build-up to WrestleMania is thrilling or a bit more lackluster, being inside the venue creates an incredible wave of excitement for both the fans and the performers.
With WWE once again making the easy choice to host WrestleMania inside an NFL stadium, it’s only fitting that we rank the five best WrestleManias ever to take place in an NFL atmosphere. When it comes to “The Showcase of the Immortals,” these legendary events definitely scored a touchdown on The Grandest Stage of Them All.
5. WrestleMania 25 (NRG Stadium, formerly Reliant Stadium)
Kicking off on our list is WrestleMania 25, held at NRG Stadium, home of the Houston Texans. While critics often point to the “Miss WrestleMania” Battle Royal and the lengthy Kid Rock performance as moments that weighed the show down, the event still delivered several high-quality bouts and some truly iconic entrances.
WrestleMania 25 saw CM Punk, prior to his “Best in the World” persona, make history by winning his second consecutiveMoney in the Bank ladder match. We also witnessed an incredible World Heavyweight Championship clash betweenJohn Cena,Edge, and The Big Show. Cena became a human highlight reel from the moment his entrance began to the match’s finish, where he famously hoisted both Big Show and “The Rated R Superstar” onto his shoulders.
The event also featured a physical Extreme Rules match between the Hardy brothers and the surprising return of Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, who turned back the clock after 15 years away from the ring. Rey Mysterio, while wearing a Joker costume, stunned the crowd to win the Intercontinental Championship with a 25-second squash of JBL, creating a major talking point that lingered long after the bell rang.
However, the icing on the cake was the legendary clash between The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels. The match was a storytelling marvel, framed perfectly as the celestial “Light” of Michaels colliding with the “Darkness” of The Undertaker, and it remains a gold standard for WrestleMania.
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