It’s time for the next Parents’ Basement project – The Ultimate Wrestlemania Challenge. Pat and I will both be attempting to create our dream Wrestlemania cards, using the wrestlers that we drafted head-to-head. First, the rules. Only wrestlers who actually participated in a Wrestlemania are eligible (no Sting). We’re both limited to 10 matches, only of 4 of which can be “specialty matches.” This is defined as any match that has special stipulations like a ladder match, or any match that is not either a straight singles or tag-team match i.e. triple threat. The draft process was A-B-B-A-B-A-B-A… and Pat had the first pick. Tag Teams were picked as one entity, but if one member of a tag team was drafted as an individual, his tag team was then ineligible (after Shawn Michaels is picked, no Rockers). 

Pat’s team 

1. Hulk Hogan
2. Stone Cold
3. Shawn Michaels
4. Macho Man Randy Savage
5. The Ultimate Warrior
6. Andre the Giant
7.  Legion of Doom
8. Razor Ramon
9. Diesel
10. Jake the Snake Roberts
11. Ric Flair
12. Edge + Christian
13. Chris Jericho
14. John Cena
15. Brock Lesnar
16. The Hardy Boyz
17. Randy Orton
18. The British Bulldog
19. Batista
20. Psycho Sid
21. The Nasty Boys
22. Sgt. Slaughter
23. King Kong Bundy
24. The Big Bossman
25. Lex Luger
26. Chris Benoit
27. Booker T
28. Eddie Guerrero
29. Chyna
30. Sable
31. George the Animal Steele
32. Hacksaw Jim Duggan
33. The Honky Tonk Man
34. Trish Stratus
35. Ahmed Johnson
36. The Iron Shiek
37. Koko B. Ware
38. The Headshrinkers
39. Greg the Hammer Valentine
40. The Model Rick Martel
41. One Man Gang
42. Tito Santana
43. Big John Studd
44. Stacy Kiebler
45. Torrie Wilson
46. Queen Elizabeth
47. Sensational Sherry
48. Marty Jannety
49. Mr. Fuji
50. Papa Shango

Bo’s Team

1. Bret the Hitman Hart
2. Mr. Perfect
3. The Rock
4. Undertaker
5. HHH
6. Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase
7. New Age Outlawz
8. Mick Foley
9. Yokozuna
10. Bam Bam Bigelow
11. Owen Hart
12. Demolition
13. Kurt Angle
14. Rowdy Roddy Piper
15. Ricky the Dragon Steamboat
16. Goldberg
17. The Dudleyz
18. Kane
19. Ravishing Rick Rude
20. Big Show
21. The Steiner Bro’s
22. Rey Mysterio
23. Jimmy Snuka
24. Earthquake
25. X-Pac
26. Vince McMahon
27. Rob Van Dam
28. Vader
29. Goldust
30. Jeff Jarrett
31. The Anvil Jim Neidhart
32. Faarooq
33. Dusty Rhodes
34. Arn Anderson
35. JBL
36. Ken Shamrock
37. Virgil
38. Sabu
39. Typhoon
40. Brutus the Barber Beefcake
41. I.R.S.
42. CM Punk
43. Tatanka
44. Men On a Mission
45. Lita
46. Sunny
47. Diamond Dallas Page
48. Bobby Lashley
49. Bobby the Brain Heenan
50. Shane McMahon

There’s a pretty clear difference in philosophies between the two of us. Pat is taking the more popular wrestlers, trying to create the most marketable wrestling card, which obviously makes sense. I, on the other hand, was trying create the most intriguing wrestling card to the die-hards. I was taking this more as a dream card that I would like to watch, and I think if it were real, once the butts are in the seats they’ll enjoy my show. As for the draft itself, I probably reached for Mr. Perfect in round 2, but I was so attached to having him in my main event that I had to make sure I got him. That being said, I missed the obvious opportunity of drafting Michaels with Hart and letting them settle things once and for all, so I regret that. I was happy to see Pat take Hogan first, because I wasn’t going anywhere near him. Yeah he’s a great attraction, but he can’t wrestle a lick and that’s not the kind of show I’m trying to put on. The picks Pat made that I envied because there were next on my queue were the Macho Man, Edge and Christian (I would have loved Edge as a singles guy), Chris Jericho, the Hardy Boyz, and Sgt. Slaughter. And I’m not sure what his fascination with all the females was, but we’ll just wait and see how that turns out.