The McMahon Family are one of the most influential families in all of wrestling, up there with the likes of the Harts, the Von Erichs, and the Anoa’i family. Whilst Vince McMahon, Stephanie McMahon, and Shane McMahon were not originally in-ring competitors, they made the transition to become special attractions for the company.
Over their time within the WWE, each of them has wrestled in huge matches, main events, terrible matches, and everything in between. Dave Meltzer’s star ratings are a good way to see which of those matches are the best of the lot when it comes to the McMahon family.
10 Shane McMahon & Daniel Bryan Vs Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens, WrestleMania 34 (3.5 Stars)
This match was designed to reintroduce Daniel Bryan to in-ring competition, and it was done in a simple and effective way. Prior to the match, Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens took out Bryan, before beating down Shane for an extended period.
Eventually, Bryan got the hot tag and ran wild, with he and Shane winning the match in relatively easy fashion. The spectacle of seeing Bryan wrestle was enough to carry this match to being enjoyable.
9 Shane McMahon Vs Randy Orton, No Way Out 2009 (3.5 Stars)
The bad blood between Randy Orton and the McMahon Family was hot going into this match, and that was felt throughout as these two kept it intense and hard-hitting, with blood even being used to elevate the match too (whether intentional or not).
Shane was hell-bent on hurting Orton, which led him to taking one-too-many risks, eventually leading to his defeat. There was a great structure throughout this match, with it not outstaying its welcome either.
8 Vince McMahon Vs Shawn Michaels, WrestleMania 22 (3.5 Stars)
If anyone was going to have Vince McMahon’s best ever match, then of course it would be Shawn Michaels. Whilst this was more of an extended beatdown than a back-and-forth contest, it was still very fun and made for great sports entertainment.
Vince took some hard bumps during this bout, with it being satisfying for the audience to sit through every single one of them due to how despicable his character was around this time. Michaels’ elbow from atop a ladder and through a table is an iconic 'Mania moment too.
7 Team Raw Vs Team SmackDown, Survivor Series 2018 (3.75 Stars)
By 2018, the battle for brand supremacy between Raw and SmackDown meant very little, and the lack of strong build or care for this match showcased exactly that. However, with the talent involved, they managed to carry it to a solid match at the very least.
The involvement of Shane, particularly in the final stages, as he was the last one standing on Team SmackDown, garnered some criticism, as someone else on the blue brand should have been given the spotlight instead.
6 Shane McMahon Vs AJ Styles, WrestleMania 33 (4 Stars)
This was one hell of a WrestleMania opener. Going in, fans were hesitant due to the lack of a stipulation, but it was hugely entertaining without one, and they managed to work around that with a referee bump, with Styles and Shane managing to pull off a very fun match.
Shane dug out a Shooting Star Press for the first time since his 2016 return to WWE, which popped the crowd and made for a memorable finish. Styles proved once again how strong of a performer he is by making this basic singles bout with Shane into a match of the night contender.
5 Shane McMahon Vs Kurt Angle, King Of The Ring 2001 (4 Stars)
Kurt Angle brought a whole load of intensity to this match, with it feeling like an authentic fight and brawl. The most infamous moment came when Angle repeatedly tried to throw Shane through panes of glass, only for them to not break due to the wrong glass being used, causing Angle to use raw power to throw him through.
Angle would eventually pick up the victory, even after wrestling two matches earlier in the night, losing the King of the Ring finals to Edge.
4 Stephanie McMahon & Triple H Vs Ronda Rousey & Kurt Angle, WrestleMania 34 (4.25 Stars)
As far as debut performances go, Ronda Rousey’s first match in WWE is up there with the best. This was a huge showcase and spectacle for Rousey, who looked like a natural between the ropes, but the performances from everyone else made this special too.
Stephanie McMahon put in perhaps her best in-ring showing in this match, showcasing just how much she had improved from her terrible past in-ring career back in the early 2000s. Whilst she wasn’t the main focus, she and Triple H made for brilliant foes to the team of Rousey and Angle.
3 Shane McMahon Vs Kevin Owens, Hell In A Cell 2017 (4.25 Stars)
The feud between Shane McMahon and Kevin Owens had been heating up a lot throughout 2017, and although the Hell in a Cell PPV has always felt contrived, their rivalry felt as though it did warrant the stipulation.
There was a lot of fun brawling, big moments, and it was all brought together by Shane leaping from atop the Cell in yet another stunning feat, although he would miss Owens due to Sami Zayn aiding his best friend to victory.
2 Team Raw Vs Team SmackDown, Survivor Series 2016 (4.5 Stars)
In 2016, battles between Raw and SmackDown superstars felt special. Also in 2016, Shane McMahon wasn’t an overused act who fans had gotten sick off as an in-ring performer just yet.
The structuring of this match was perfect, with so many stories intertwined, along with the wrestling being fluid and great to watch. Shane would get concussed during this match in quite a scary moment, as he was Speared mid Coast-to-Coast by Roman Reigns.
1 Team WWE Vs Team Alliance, Survivor Series 2001 (4.5 Stars)
Although this match was made great by the likes of Steve Austin, The Rock, The Undertaker, and several other all-time greats, Shane McMahon played an important role as a leading member of Team Alliance, with the McMahon Family overall being a huge part of the Invasion storyline.
Shane was the first man eliminated on Team Alliance, not outstaying his welcome and allowing the fantastic array of legends to put on a great main event, even if the story leading in wasn’t handled all that well.