The legacy of WrestleMania XXVII has a mixed bag of matches that either made fans enjoy or hate the show. WWE booked the attraction of The Rock coming back for the first time in many years, but he was in the role of a host rather than in a match itself. The Miz vs. John Cena rivalry had Rock involved in the main event.
WWE booked the rest of the card with upper card names like Randy Orton, CM Punk, The Undertaker, Triple H and Edge in major matches. However, not everything connected, with a few stinkers hurting the show. Find out which bouts stand out for better or worse. All matches from WrestleMania XXVII will be ranked from worst to best.
8 Michael Cole Vs. Jerry Lawler
The worst match on WrestleMania XXVII was easily Michael Cole vs. Jerry Lawler in a battle of the broadcasters. Cole turned heel and started mocking Lawler following personal moments, like his mother passing away. Vince McMahon loved the heel work of Cole and wanted to see him involved in the biggest show of the year.
Lawler having his first-ever WrestleMania match was a part of the story, but that couldn’t save it. WWE gave way too much time to the Cole vs. Lawler match, and it played a huge role in many hating the show. Not even Steve Austin hitting everyone with stunners afterwards could save the brutal outing.
7 The Miz Vs. John Cena
WWE went with a unique choice for the main event of WrestleMania XXVII, when having John Cena challenge The Miz for the WWE Championship. Miz won his first world title came after a Money in the Bank cash in, but he didn’t feel like a WrestleMania main eventer heading into the match.
The booking of The Rock and Cena’s issues taking over the program just hurt Miz in the big picture. Both Cena and Miz took a hit when having one of the worst WrestleMania main events of all time. Miz lost the title the following PPV and was back in a mid-card spot later in the year.
6 John Morrison, Trish Stratus & Snooki Vs. Dolph Ziggler, Michelle McCool & Layla
The celebrity involvement at WrestleMania has been a constant in WWE for many years. Jersey Shore cast member, Snooki had name value at the time and was booked to wrestle a match at WrestleMania XXVII, teaming up with Trish Stratus and John Morrison.
The heel team of Dolph Ziggler and LayCool with Vickie Guerrero in their corner took issue with Snooki and her partners heading into the show. Snooki’s team won a lackluster match, that is most remembered for Morrison refusing to hug Trish during the post-match celebration due to backstage issues.
5 Big Show, Kofi Kingston, Kane & Santino Marella Vs. The Corre
Less is sometimes more with match length, if it is fitting for the story. Wade Barrett led the spin-off group from Nexus known as The Corre, with Justin Gabriel, Heath Slater and Ezekiel Jackson. WWE placed together four faces to feud with them.
Big Show, Kofi Kingston, Kane and Santino Marella all teamed up to face The Corre at WrestleMania XXVII, with the theme of unlikely partners against common enemies. The faces won in a few minutes, which was the ideal ending, since The Corre was not working and needed to end.
4 Edge Vs. Alberto Del Rio
Edge headed into WrestleMania XXVII as the World Heavyweight Champion, defending the gold against Royal Rumble winner Alberto Del Rio.
The match didn’t meet the expectations many fans had for a top superstar facing a rising new talent. WWE booked Edge to win, so he could retire as a world champion, since the promotion wouldn’t get to end the Del Rio program as originally expected. Edge's return to the ring in 2020 allows him to have a far better retirement match this time around.
3 Cody Rhodes Vs. Rey Mysterio
There were reports of Rey Mysterio viewing Cody Rhodes as a future top star, and wanting to work with him heading into WrestleMania XXVII. Both wrestlers have spoken glowingly about each other, with Rey even working Cody’s All In show when each man was outside of WWE.
The bond of having a WrestleMania match together was strong, even though it was in the undercard. Mysterio put over Rhodes in a compelling back and forth match. Any lower card match on the show with minimal time should take note of Rey and Cody, in how to make the most of their opportunity.
2 Randy Orton Vs. CM Punk
CM Punk admitted he was upset about The Miz getting the main event spot of WrestleMania XXVII over him, since he was performing at a higher level as a heel. The eventual Summer of Punk came later that year, with Punk becoming the hottest act in wrestling.
WWE instead booked Punk against Randy Orton in the third biggest match on the card. Both wrestlers were in their prime, but they failed to deliver a classic WrestleMania match. The match was still quite enjoyable and would have been better received on a secondary PPV, instead of the biggest show of the year.
1 The Undertaker Vs. Triple H
There was no competition for The Undertaker and Triple H stealing the show at WrestleMania XXVII . The match placed a lot of pressure on both men, since Undertaker was coming off iconic matches with Shawn Michaels at the previous two WrestleManias.
Undertaker won a violent match over Triple H that saw them stepping up on a night where WWE badly needed a classic. Triple H made fans believe he had a chance before Undertaker pulled out the victory, to remain undefeated at WrestleMania for another year.