If there is one thing that WWE is better at than any other company in the world, their world-class production team makes their hype videos. Go and watch similar videos from back in the day by WCW or TNA (though there were some good ones) or modern-day stuff like AEW or even UFC, and you will quickly realize how excellent WWE is in this regard. Even when the product is subpar in most fans' eyes, it can’t be argued how good their promo videos are. And they are never better than when it comes to WrestleMania season. 

As this year’s WrestleMania approaches, it feels like the best time of the year for a wrestling fan, so what better time to go back into the past and take a look at some of the absolute best WrestleMania hype/promo videos over the past 39 years of the show to see not only how damned good the production team is, but how a proper video can get you right in the feels and have you excited like only these videos can!

Note: While some great video packages throughout history were used for other events, this article will only focus on the ones used for WrestleMania matches. Also, these are in no particular order to avoid arguments in the future, just a collection of some of the best and some I’m sure I’ve missed.

WWF WrestleMania X-Seven – Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. The Rock

OK, OK. Let’s get this one out of the way right now. We all know, and many consider this the most outstanding hype video ever. And after all, it was the apex of the Attitude Era, for the main event of arguably the most incredible WrestleMania ever, all set to Limp Bizkit’s “My Way.” For many of a particular generation (to which I belong), there was nothing better than this at the time. And does it hold up? Absolutely. Perhaps the only downside is the part we’ve all collectively blocked out focusing on the subplot of Austin’s wife Debra being forced to manage The Rock and it taking part of the video. That said, goddamn, the crescendo of the two trading finishers with one another as the song erupts, leading to sound bites from the iconic sit-down interview with Jim Ross—guaranteed goosebumps.

WWE WrestleMania 21 – Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels

A low-key entry for what would become one of the greatest matches in WrestleMania history. With a brief recap from the 2005 Royal Rumble setting the match up, the video features Kurt Angle tying his jealousy of Shawn Michaels back to 1996 when he was winning an Olympic Gold Medal (with a broken freakin’ neck!), and everyone was talking about HBK achieving the boyhood dream. As classical music compares the two with sound bites of both men proclaiming to be the very best, it is a low key contender for a great video package, losing points only for not including Kurt and Scary Sherry’s rendition of Sexy Boy.

WWF WrestleMania 13 – Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart

Perhaps the earliest example of a feud recapping promo with a level of gravitas not given to those that came before it. While compared to those that would come later, it is pretty barebones, one could easily argue that this helped lay the groundwork for what was to come in the future. The fact that it is also the buildup to arguably the greatest match of all time certainly doesn’t hurt. Make sure to watch the one with the correct voiceover, as there is an earlier one with Todd Pettengill voicing it that just doesn’t hit the same way.

WWF WrestleMania 14/WWE WrestleMania XX – The Undertaker vs. Kane

For fans of a certain age, the feud between The Undertaker and his brother Kane remains a watershed moment regarding storytelling in professional wrestling. The build-up to Kane’s eventual appearance at Bad Blood 1997, being manipulated by Paul Bearer out of revenge towards his former charge. It wasn’t all good, as things rarely are, but the crucial moments were collected in such a manner as only the WWF/E production team could; this was the point when these videos took off into their own stratosphere. This would be revisited years later after The Undertaker’s run as the American Badass (or Mean Mark as we diehard Taker fans refer to it, and his return as the Deadman was also done incredibly, though one could argue it had less to work with as Undertaker wasn’t seen for the months leading up to it. 

WWF WrestleMania 27 – The Miz vs. John Cena

In many fans' eyes, the worst WrestleMania main event (clearly forgetting the end of WrestleMania IX), the hype video was the best that The Miz ever looked at before his iconic Talking Smack promo. While The Miz was the third wheel in helping set up the big match between Rock and Cena the following year, the video set to Nas’ “Hate Me Now” helped establish and make The Miz seem like a legit main event talent. Maybe the best hype video ever for a match that came nowhere near living up to the hype produced by it.

WWE WrestleMania 28 – The Undertaker vs. Triple H

The iconic End of an Era match wasn’t the end of anything, but the video, splicing back and forth between the rise to the top of both men before showcasing the controversial ending of their match the year before. Giving both men something to fight for, Triple H wants to end the Streak and avenge the end of his best friend's career. At the same time, Taker intends to avenge the beating and maintain the Streak, with Metallica’s “The Memory Remains” working perfectly. Add Shawn Michaels as the guest referee, and you get a perfect storm. And I’d be remiss not to mention that the match contained maybe the best false finish in history.

WWE WrestleMania 30 – Daniel Bryan vs. Triple H

The Yes Movement. Maybe the most organic building of a superstar that wasn’t meant to reach the top. A lot went into it, including CM Punk bailing out of WWE, but it was one of the few times that WWE lived up to their whole mantra of “listening to the fans.” Set to “Monster” by Imagine Dragons, the lyrics intertwine perfectly with Bryan’s rise to the top and battle against The Authority, representing the corporate machine that WWE had become. This is one of those rare videos so good that it elevates all the talent showcased, and even the song was chosen to be used. 

WWE WrestleMania 26 – The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels

You all knew this one would be here, as it is widely regarded as the best hype video in wrestling history. In 2023 it’s funny to see how the song “Running Up That Hill” has been brought back to life thanks to its inclusion in Stranger Things. Still, for wrestling fans worldwide, Placebo’s version will always be superior and hold a special place in our hearts due to this video—running back the entire feud between HBK and the Deadman, including his failure to end the Streak at WrestleMania 25, while charting his fall from grace and willingness to throw everything away for just one more shot at glory. This is it, perfection.