Before WrestleMania emanated from huge stadiums, WrestleMania took place in arenas but it did not take away from the grandeur of what the event encapsulates. 1999 was a huge year in the Attitude Era but WrestleMania XV was sadly underwhelming.
The likes of The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Undertaker, Triple H, and Kane were amongst the few that competed on this card. Sadly it's also the final WrestleMania appearance for both Owen Hart and Gorilla Monsoon, with both men passing away in 1999. Nonetheless, six championships were defended at WrestleMania XV so there was a lot at stake, with all the bouts on the main card ranked from worst to best.
10 Butterbean Vs. Bart Gunn
WWE introducing The Brawl For All in the summer of 1998 was silly, as wrestlers legitimately got injured by clashing in boxing matches. Bart Gunn emerged as the surprise winner of the competition and he collided with Butterbean at WrestleMania XV.
Now, this was illogical as Butterbean is a legitimate boxer, and Gunn is not, so there was only going to be one winner. Butterbean knocked Gunn out with ease, and the bout lasted 35 seconds. Unfortunately, Bart never recovered from this moment and shortly departed WWE thereafter.
9 Sable Vs. Tori
Sable was undoubtedly the top female star in 1999, and she turned heel during her run as the WWE Women's Champion. She defended the Women's Championship against Tori, who was obsessed with her, and helped her retain the Women's Title at the Royal Rumble.
Unfortunately, this was a dreadful encounter with neither up to scratch as credible in-ring performers. Tori gained an upper hand in the bout, but that all changed when Nicole Bass interfered and dismantled Tori. Sable kept her Women's Championship intact with the Sable Bomb.
8 Owen Hart & Jeff Jarrett Vs. D'Lo Brown & Test
Owen Hart's final WrestleMania match came alongside his good friend Jeff Jarrett. They defended the WWE Tag Team Championship against the makeshift team of D'Lo Brown and Test.
The challengers got their opportunity as they prevailed in a battle royal on Sunday Night Heat, earning the right to face the champions. Since there was no build-up heading into this title match, it was always going to be a lackluster affair. Hart and Jarrett retained their titles with little trouble.
7 Billy Gunn Vs. Hardcore Holly Vs. Al Snow
WWE tested the waters by having The New Age Outlaws compete as singles competitors. Billy Gunn put his Hardcore Championship on the line against former champion Hardcore Holly, and Al Snow in a triple threat match that opened up the main card.
This was an average Hardcore Title match, and it did not get WrestleMania XV off to a great start, although weapons were involved. Gunn executed his patented Fameasser on Snow onto a chair, but at the last second Holly intervened and regained the Hardcore Title by pinning Snow.
6 Road Dogg Vs. Goldust Vs. Ken Shamrock Vs. Val Venis
Road Dogg was hoping not to suffer the same fate as Billy Gunn, when he defended the Intercontinental Championship in a Four Corners Elimination match. Dogg had his hands full as Goldust, Ken Shamrock, and Val Venis were all former Intercontinental Champions.
In fairness to all four participants, they delivered a decent contest. Venis and Shamrock were counted out which left Dogg and Goldust as the final two slugging it out for the gold. Ultimately, Road Dogg retained his title after Ryan Shamrock accidentally tripped up Goldust. Despite the successful defense, Dogg was certainly not a great Intercontinental Champion overall.
5 Mankind Vs. Big Show
Mankind and Big Show squared off, with the winner earning the right to be the special guest referee in the WWE Championship match between Steve Austin and The Rock. Show dominated Mankind in the early exchanges of this contest, using his size and strength to his advantage.
However, Mankind was not to be denied, as he put up a strong fight by locking Show with the Mandible Claw. Show reversed it with a brutal back-body drop, but he couldn't keep his emotions in check, as he got disqualified when he chokeslammed Mankind through two chairs. Mr. McMahon was not impressed, and Show clocked McMahon after the Chairman provoked him.
4 The Undertaker Vs. Big Boss Man
The rivalry between The Ministry of Darkness and The Corporation ultimately saw The Undertaker and Big Boss Man collide in one of the worst Hell in a Cell matches in WWE history. It was the first Hell in a Cell match featured at WrestleMania. The Phenom was handcuffed to the cell by The Big Boss Man who busted Undertaker wide open with his trademark nightstick.
However, the handcuff broke loose when Boss Man hit Undertaker hard in the head with the nightstick. The Undertaker ultimately emerged victorious with a Tombstone Piledriver. The match wasn't memorable but the aftermath was, when The Brood descended on the roof, handing their leader a noose, and Undertaker hanging Boss Man by the neck, after Paul Bearer had a remote that raised the cell.
3 Kane Vs. Triple H
Before Kane and Triple H's upcoming clash began, The Big Red Machine was assaulted by The San Diego Chicken, which was Pete Rose in disguise. For the second year in succession, Kane dropped Rose with a devastating Tombstone Piledriver.
This is actually one of Kane and Triple H's best matches together. It wasn't an instant classic, but they had a good story behind it. Chyna who was a member of The Corporation, returned to DX as she clocked Kane in the back with a steel chair. The Game lost by disqualification, but it was a huge moment to see Chyna back in the DX fold, with fans giving Triple H and Chyna a standing ovation.
2 Shane McMahon Vs. X-Pac
Shane McMahon defended the European Championship against X-Pac after The Boy Wonder stunned X-Pac a month before winning the title. McMahon had fellow Corporation member Test in his corner in this back and forth contest.
X-Pac was the more experienced of the two, so he carried Shane through, who was still relatively new to getting in the ring physically. Triple H and Chyna raced down to the ring but, with The Game betraying X-Pac, dropping him a jaw-dropping Pedigree. Shane retained the gold, but the bigger story was The Game and Chyna joining The Corporation.
1 The Rock Vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin
The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin closed out the show in a No Disqualification WWE Championship match. This was the first match of their legendary trilogy at WrestleMania, and whilst it was the weakest of the bunch, it was still a pretty good match.
Rock and Austin both have tremendous in-ring chemistry, and they both kicked out of each other's finishers, leaving both men stunned. Ultimately, The Texas Rattlesnake continued his dominance over The Rock, and he regained the WWE Championship in an enthralling battle.