Everything is bigger in Texas including wrestling. Some of the greatest wrestlers of all time hail from the Lone Star State. Shawn Michaels, Undertaker, Steve Austin, and Booker T are all Texan legends who became WWE icons. Along with the many icons that Texas has produced, the state has also produced its fair share of great WWE events.
The state of Texas has hosted almost 1,000 WWE events. Some of the biggest moments in wrestling have happened there from Shawn Michaels turning on Marty Jannetty to Sting’s last WWE match in 2015. This list will rank the 10 best WWE shows to ever take place in Texas.
10/10 Raw: July 24, 2000 – Austin, Texas
The July 24, 2000 episode of Raw was one of the most watched episodes in WWE history. The card was absolutely stacked from top to bottom with dream matches. Kurt Angle wrestled the Undertaker and also defeated Kane and the Rock in a tag match.
There was also the tag team trio that never disappointed when Christian & Edge defeated The Dudley Boyz & The Hardy Boyz in a Three Way Dance to retain the WWE Tag Team Championships. It was a Raw as big as the state it took place in, Texas.
9/10 This Tuesday in Texas – San Antonio, Texas
This Tuesday in Texas is a forgotten WWE pay-per-view event. The matches featured massive star power. Jake “The Snake” Roberts, battled Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan competed against The Undertaker.
Bret Hart also retained his Intercontinental Championship against Skinner. The drama surrounding Roberts and Savage was worth the price of admission. This was a few weeks after Roberts infamously allowed his snake to actually bite Savage.
8/10 WrestleMania 32 – Arlington, Texas
Although WrestleMania 32 is not one of the best ‘Manias ever, the event did feature a ton of high points including the Women’s Title match that helped relaunch the WWE women’s division. The main event between Triple H and Roman Reigns was below average. The show still featured plenty of great matches for the 101,000-plus audience members in attendance.
The IC Title match that featured Kevin Owens, Dolph Ziggler, The Miz, Sami Zayn, Stardust, Sin Cara, and Zack Ryder was great. The Rock returned to WrestleMania and Charlotte (with Ric Flair) defeated Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks in arguably the match of the night.
7/10 SmackDown: Aired June 19, 2003 – San Antonio, Texas
By 2003, SmackDown had begun to establish itself as a brand away from Raw. One of the biggest ways the brand pulled it off was by having massive shows like the episode that aired on June 19, 2003.
The main event featured Big Show and Brock Lesnar competing a week after they broke the ring on SmackDown. Rey Mysterio wrestled Kanyon in a fun match. Kurt Angle and Charlie Haas also helped fill out a stacked card that was replete with star power.
6/10 WrestleMania 25 – Houston, Texas
WrestleMania 25 is often best remembered for the Shawn Michaels Vs. Undertaker singles match. This was the first of their two ‘Mania matches. The Money in the Bank Ladder Match saw CM Punk win the contract for the second time.
This event also featured Matt Vs. Jeff Hardy. The world title matches were fine with John Cena and Triple H leaving victorious. Overall, the show was solid and a great moment for Texas natives, Undertaker and Shawn Michaels.
5/10 1997 Royal Rumble – San Antonio, Texas
The 1997 Royal Rumble set up one of the greatest WrestleMania matches of all time. In a nutshell, 1997 was the end of the Bret Hart era and the beginning of the “Stone Cold” era. Shawn Michaels was still also a top guy at the company.
Although Steve Austin was the show’s MVP after he won the Rumble outlasting Bret Hart at the end, the card also featured Vader Vs. Undertaker. Triple H and Goldust opened the show with a great bout as well. The main event saw the hometown star, Shawn Michaels, defeat Sycho Sid to win his second WWE Championship.
4/10 Fully Loaded 2000 – Dallas, Texas
Fully Loaded 2000 was one of the best pay-per-view events of 2000. The three “main event” matches were all great and the show delivered on both star power and in-ring performances. Kurt Angle and The Undertaker put on a solid bout.
Triple H and Chris Jericho put on a classic Last Man Standing match that was two of their best performances all year. The Rock retained the WWE Championship in the main event. It’s a forgotten gem from the later days of the Attitude Era.
3/10 2007 Royal Rumble – San Antonio, Texas
The 2007 Royal Rumble was a great clash between wrestlers from SmackDown, Raw, and ECW. The Rumble itself was an awesome match. It was the first time in history an entrant at number 30 won the match. The final four were all huge stars from the era, Edge, Randy Orton, Shawn Michaels, and Undertaker.
John Cena also competed against Umaga in a classic Last Man Standing Match. The Hardys defeated MNM (with Melina) in a match that was full of great spots.
2/10 SmackDown: September 13, 2001 – Houston, Texas
The WWE has been known to exploit horrific moments. It seemed clear there was no chance of that happening in Houston, Texas three days after the terrorist attacks of 9/11. On September 13, 2001, the company put on a beautiful tribute to a country in shambles.
The card itself was stacked featuring matches from Rob Van Dam, The Rock, Kurt Angle, and the Hardy Boyz. Still, the bigger appreciation for this monumental event comes from the idea that everything felt united including the wrestlers. It was a great show at a very tough time in American history.
1/10 WrestleMania 17 – Houston, Texas
WrestleMania 17 isn’t only the best event to ever take place in Texas, many fans consider this event to be the greatest WWE pay-per-view of all time. Triple H attempted to end the streak. Vince and Shane McMahon competed in a Street Fight full of violence. Kurt Angle was a technical monster in his match and all of those were middle-card events.
The opening of the show was a classic between William Regal and Chris Jericho. Edge and Christian defeated The Dudley Boyz (c) and The Hardy Boyz in one of the best matches of the night. The main event was a No DQ WWE Title match between two of the biggest stars of all time The Rock and Steve Austin. This show was stacked from top to bottom and is the WWE at its absolute best.