Long before WWE decided to start calling its biggest shows premium live events, pro wrestling fans knew them as pay-per-views, or PPVs. It was a fitting name since everyone literally had to pay extra to watch them, as opposed to weekly TV broadcasts on network or cable (though of course, viewers paid for that too).
While the history of wrestling PPVs traces its history back to the 1983 edition of Starrcade shown on closed-circuit television, the then-WWF first dipped its toes into that water with the first WrestleMania in 1985. Since then, WWE PPVs have become part of the rhythm of wrestling fandom, usually taking place monthly but for some years even more often than that.
That means there have been now been hundreds of these big cards over the decades, from WrestleMania to SummerSlam to Royal Rumble to all kinds of shows that have come and gone. And while most were examples of what WWE does best, some have withstood the test of time to linger in the memory longer than the rest.
Picking the best of the best is no easy task, and while the Wrestling Junkie staff has its own opinions, we decided to make this a more democratic affair. Like we did for our list of the best WWE matches of all time, our list of best pay-per-views utilizes reviews left by fans on Cagematch to sort through the gems.
And yes, premium live events are eligible as well. They’re all still PPVs to us, even if they come via a monthly subscription.
Without further ado, here are the 15 best WWE PPVs of all time, starting at No. 15 and working up to the top.