10 Most Shocking WrestleMania Kick-Outs of All Time
The Rock and Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania 18
10. The Ultimate Warrior Kicks Out After Five Elbow Drops
At WrestleMania VII, Randy Savage and The Ultimate Warrior clashed in a high-stakes loser-must-retire match packed with emotion and outside interference. In a moment that stunned the crowd, Savage delivered five consecutive flying elbow drops—a move that almost never failed to end matches in that era. Yet, against all expectations, Warrior kicked out after the fifth impact. At a time when a single finisher was considered decisive, the kick-out felt almost unbelievable, reinforcing Warrior’s near-mythical aura of invincibility. The moment left fans in shock and underscored the larger-than-life storytelling of the match. Warrior would go on to secure the victory, forcing Savage into retirement and closing one of the most emotional chapters in WrestleMania history.
9. Sid Justice Kicks Out of Hulk Hogan’s Leg Drop
The WrestleMania 8 main event between Hulk Hogan and Sid Justice produced one of the most unexpected kick-outs ever. Sid became the first wrestler in WWF history to kick out of Hogan’s Leg Drop. The moment was unplanned, caused by Papa Shango missing his interference cue that was meant to trigger a disqualification. Forced to improvise, Sid kicked out, stunning the audience and unintentionally creating a historic WrestleMania moment.
8. Roman Reigns Kicks Out of Five F5s
At WrestleMania 34, Roman Reigns challenged Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship amid expectations that Lesnar would leave WWE for UFC. Reigns kicked out of five F5s, including one through an announce table. The repeated kick outs were widely criticized as excessive, especially given the hostile crowd reaction. A sixth F5 finally put Reigns down. While divisive, the sequence remains one of the most extreme displays of finisher survival in WrestleMania history.
7. Stone Cold Steve Austin Kicks Out of the Rock Bottom
At WrestleMania 19, The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin met for the third and final time on the grand stage. After a series of reversals, The Rock delivered a second Rock Bottom. Austin kicked out, mirroring the same stunned reaction The Rock had displayed in previous encounters. Although clearly running on fumes, Austin’s defiance added emotional weight to what became his final in ring match. A third Rock Bottom ultimately ended the bout and closed Austin’s legendary career.
6. The Rock Kicks Out of John Cena’s Attitude Adjustment
WrestleMania 28 featured John Cena versus The Rock in one of the most heavily promoted matches in WWE history. With the event taking place in Cena’s hometown of Miami and expectations of a symbolic torch passing, Cena hit a clean Attitude Adjustment on The Rock. The crowd believed it was over. The Rock kicked out, drawing a massive reaction from a pro Rock audience. The moment shattered expectations and confirmed that The Rock was not there to play a supporting role.
5. Shawn Michaels Kicks Out of the Top Rope Angle Slam
At WrestleMania 21, Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle delivered a five star classic built on athleticism and intensity. Angle escalated the match by climbing to the top rope and delivering an elevated Angle Slam, amplifying the impact of an already devastating finishing move. Michaels kicked out. The crowd erupted as the match continued at a frantic pace. Angle eventually forced Michaels to submit with the ankle lock, but the kick out reinforced Michaels’ reputation as wrestling’s greatest big match performer.
4. The Rock Refuses to Stay Down Against Stone Cold Steve Austin
The main event of WrestleMania 17 was the final WrestleMania clash between Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock, and it closed the Attitude Era in brutal fashion. Austin struggled to put The Rock away, despite delivering a Rock Bottom and benefiting from Vince McMahon’s interference. The Rock kicked out after surviving a chair shot to the head, leading fans to believe a screwjob finish was imminent. Even after taking a Stone Cold Stunner, The Rock kicked out, prompting disbelief from the commentary team. Austin eventually snapped, repeatedly assaulting The Rock with a steel chair before securing the win and aligning with McMahon in one of the most controversial endings in WWE history.
3. The Rock Kicks Out of Hulk Hogan’s Leg Drop
WrestleMania 18 featured the once unthinkable dream match between The Rock and Hulk Hogan. In Toronto, the crowd overwhelmingly sided with Hogan, turning the match into a generational clash of eras. Hogan hit his iconic Leg Drop, the same move that defeated Andre the Giant and countless others. The Rock kicked out. The reaction was thunderous. That moment alone reignited the match, energized the crowd, and directly contributed to The Rock’s eventual victory, marking a symbolic passing of the torch on wrestling’s biggest stage.
2. Shawn Michaels Kicks Out of the Tombstone Piledriver
At WrestleMania 25, Shawn Michaels challenged The Undertaker’s undefeated WrestleMania streak in what many still consider the greatest match in WrestleMania history. Late in the match, The Undertaker delivered a flawless Tombstone Piledriver, a move that had almost always guaranteed victory. Michaels kicked out. The Undertaker’s reaction, staring down at Michaels with complete disbelief, became one of the most iconic visuals WWE has ever produced. Although a second Tombstone finally ended the match and pushed the streak to 17–0, the kick out elevated the match to legendary status.
1. The Undertaker Kicks Out of Sweet Chin Music and the Pedigree
The most shocking kick out in WrestleMania history occurred at WrestleMania 28 inside Hell in a Cell. The Undertaker faced Triple H with Shawn Michaels serving as special guest referee, stacking the odds against the Deadman. Michaels delivered Sweet Chin Music, immediately followed by Triple H’s Pedigree, a combination that had never failed. Both men who had previously tried and failed to end The Undertaker’s WrestleMania streak finally appeared to have done it together. When The Undertaker kicked out, the arena fell silent in disbelief. Triple H collapsed in shock, Michaels looked helpless, and the moment redefined what it meant to survive at WrestleMania. The Undertaker would go on to win the match and extend his streak to 20–0.
