Most consider the very first Money in the Bank Ladder Match to be the best of all time. Shawn Michaels was the cowardly heel who had managed to escape Undertaker's clutches. Put all of them together and you get John Cena vs. CM Punk for the WWE Championship at Money In The Bank 2011. Yet it was the record 68,237 fans inside Torontos Skydome that made WrestleMania X8s epic "Icon vs. Icon" Match truly historic. Meanwhile, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin had just returned from career-threatening neck surgery and looked to prove to everyone that he was still "The Guy" in WWE. 25. Brock Lesnar was the most successful rookie of all time, a 6'3, 290 lbs. chants when he arrived in L.A. for SummerSlam 2013. But lo and behold, Cena got it done, whittling away at Styles indomitable will to win the WWE Championship and finally tie The Nature Boys record. Swanton Bombs and Spears off ladders are what everybody remembers; what they forget is that Rhyno, Spike Dudley and Lita all got involved, too, essentially making the match a 9-way affair. Put them together and you get more stars than the Milky Way galaxy. Smackdown - 4 Matches Most frequent ratings: 4.5 Stars - 88 Matches 4.75 Stars - 23 Matches 5 Stars - 8 Matches Highest Rated Years: 1987: 1 Match 1992: 2 Matches 1993: 1 Match 1994: 5 Matches 1995: 3 Matches 1996: 3 Matches 1997: 3 Matches 1998: 2 Matches 1999: 1 Match 2000: 5 Matches 2001: 9 Matches 2002: 6 Matches 2003: 1 Match 2004: 3 Matches This was before the internet, so it's likely that many regional fans weren't familiar with Flair. As many expected, the 450-pound Mastodon imposed his will on the two-time WWE Hall of Famer, pummeling Flair around ringside. You can't overpower The Beast Incarnate, you can only hope to outwrestle him. This match, though. SHAWN MICHAELS, AS TOLD TO ZACH LINDER, Raw results, Feb. 27, 2023:Becky Lynch and Lita capture WWE Womens Tag Team Titles from Damage CTRL with help from Trish Stratus, SmackDown results, Feb. 24, 2023: Jey Uso looks on as Sami Zayn takes out Jimmy Uso, WWE NXT results, Feb. 28, 2023: Carmelo Hayes beats Tyler Bate in showstopping main event, Roman Reigns conquers The Beast to become the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion on WrestleMania Sunday, the meme-ified gentleman in the front row, Photos: See the latest WWE action figures from Mattel, Rhea Ripley vs. Charlotte Flair rivalry history. That was the same move that actually dislocated John Laurinaitis elbow in Japan in '91, and now [I had] to trust that this is going to work out fine from greater heights. "My statement for this match was, 'I want to retire, and I want to go out the way I came in, as Cactus Jack having the type of matches that I made my name doing.' The most brutal brawl of all. When they finally set the match in place, I almost couldnt believe it. The Rock at WrestleMania X-Seven one of the "biggest" main events in WrestleMania history (right up there with Hogan vs. Andre), but it was also the best WrestleMania main event. At 44, Styles is still one of the best performers in the company and has had classic matches with the likes of Brock Lesnar, Kevin Owens, and John Cena. I didnt come around to respecting him until 2000 or 2001. The war between The Phenom and The Hardcore Legend went everywhere, even to the top of the haunting configuration. In his hometown of Charlotte, N.C., Flair put his career on the line against the monstrous Vaders WCW Championship. Still, no matter what Austin did on this night, Steamboat was one step ahead. He thought it was just a regular match, and all of a sudden he got thrown onto a pay-per-view when he showed up. The only thing missing was John Williams' score, though the rapid Miami crowd more than made up for it. Bray Wyatt vs. John. "Chris and I were not big on going into a Ladder Match. BOBBY MELOK. But the middle portion the match itself demands just as much respect as those two milestones. What makes it even more impressive is there were no gimmicks (HIAC or Casket) and no stakes (like HBK's career), besides of course, Undertaker defending his streak and the pride of victory. "Ive seen enough," Heenan said, satiated, even a little disgusted, after the pinfall. Well, he probably was the best ever. "I love that match because of the unpredictability of it. While their feud had no shortage of great moments, their undisputed masterpiece was the main event at WrestleMania X-Seven. Even in defeat, Jericho stayed strong, as he lost to a simple roll-up, as the wily Michaels capitalized on Jericho's arrogance. When fans needed a new hero atop the NWA, it turned out to be The Nature Boy himself. Nowhere was this more true than in Punk's hometown of Chicago, which featured a crowd loud enough to register on the Richter scale. A head-on attack would have been moot, but Rey created opportunities in ways other competitors could not. WWE SmackDown Results - 2/24/23 (Firefly . He wasn't aware of the stories behind the characters. Double-crossing Tazz was a very bad idea, unless you enjoyed getting suplexed onto your head. Sign up for Peacock to watch. It was about which way the pendulum happened to swing on that particular day." It made me feel like we had seen the last of Shawn Michaels, and it was very sad. But Daniel Bryan vs. That night, The American Dream became reality. The two competitors had the NXT Universe hanging on every move they executed, each one looking like it could end the match. For my money, this is one of the absolute best matches of all time. It was a big time for me and I loved it." " RICKY STEAMBOAT, AS TOLD TO ZACH LINDER. In the ultimate show of respect, the Deadman and the Heartbreak Kid held up The Game as they left the stadium, battered, beaten and bloodied. The athletic Charlotte captured the NXT Womens Championship against a ring veteran, giving the WWE Universe a taste of what wasto come in the Women's Division. Together, their in-ring chemistry made for unforgettable bouts. Seriously, the Chi-Town crowd was so hot that Cena and Punk could've slapped each other like King Kong Bundy vs. Hercules Hernandez, circa 1986, and the fans still would've popped. While the idea was to keep both guys in the cage, a cameraman got "injured" and needed treatment, allowing Michaels to escape. Triple H was in the midst of his 2000-2001 run as the WWE's resident big bad, when he seemed physically incapable of having a bad match. Namely, each man's willingness to do anything to win. Perfect at ringside, an incensed Savage lived up to his name by beating, battering and bloodying Flair before winning the title. Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon: 1994 10 of 15 Many still. WrestleMania 17 (stylized as WrestleMania X-Seven) was the 17th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). Put him against The Excellence of Execution and you get one of the top 30 matches in WWE history. For me to even question my unabashed hero and almost side with whom I viewed as the ultimate enemy, how could one match do that? SAMI ZAYN, AS TOLD TO ZACH LINDER. But the bout stands as an essential piece of history, one of the few times you felt the Earth move on its axis and suddenly realized that things would never, ever be the same. The animosity between Tully Blanchard and Magnum T.A. While Hulk Hogan vs. Sid Vicious would close the show, Ric Flair vs. Randy Savage stole the show, showcasing two of the best ever at the top of their game. MIKE McAVENNIE, "The wild-eyed Southern Boys of [Steve] Armstrong & [Tracy] Smothers faced off against the Stan Lane & Bobby Eaton version of The Midnight Express. Austin lost, but became a hero. When you watch this one on WWE Network, it won't take long for you to realize why. TOM HERRERA. The Game then shocked the WWE Universe when he nailed Bryan with a Pedigree and served him up to The Viper, who quickly pinned Bryan and closed the night as the new WWE Champion. BOBBY MELOK, Ah, yes. The 15-time World Champion, reeling from a loss to The Rock and all but emasculated in the weeks leading into the Lesnar match, tapped into that same well of savagery that allowed him to survive, say, JBL in an "I Quit" Match, and ultimately came out with the win. "I dont think Rey knew it was a pay-per-view. "It was a really good action-adventure story, but as much as I love that match, its the one match that leaves me with that what if feeling. When Mysterio leapt from the apron to the top rope, moonsaulted and caught Guerrero with a DDT on the way down, it was because he had to. Smith was "high as a kite" on the plane flight, so fearing disaster, Hart meticulously prepped the match and had Smith recite it back to him. Both men were in full command of their craft and characters, telling a story of a hero trying to win the right way and a vicious psycho who'd do anything to win. Pro wrestling fans chanting "this is awesome!" Steamboat was your prototypical hero a returning favorite who had conquered the evil perennial champ all while showcasing his folksy values and mat expertise. The Big Red Machine tombstoned The Dead Man, while a broken-down Michaels crawled over Undertaker to steal the win. "We both knew that we had to go all out and lay everything on the line," DDP once told WWE.com. It was intense, because Steve Austin wins the regular match with a Stunner, and then its time to start again, this time as a Street Fight. Plus, get every WWE Premium Live Event and the worlds best TV and movies. MATTHEW ARTUS. And not just because it created was the biggest draw of all time, but because of the story it told and especially the matches it produced. It wasnt until a few years later, when that term came into the wrestling lexicon, that people started pointing out that I hadnt actually had one of those. Long story short? It was Mr. McMahon's idea to let me become these characters, because they all had unique stories and they kind of worked in conjunction with Mankind. Latest Results. In particular, the TLC match consisting of the Hardy Boyz, Dudley Boyz, and Edge & Christian is arguably one of the most superb matches in WWE history. But, by the time the match was over, fans didnt even care about Flair anymore. No way out 2001 11. The 25 Greatest wwe events of all time are 1. For Triple H's Royal Rumble opponent, WWE turned Cactus Jack into a mythic figure less a flesh-and-blood man than violence personified. Matches don't come much more epic than this, and for that reason it is one of the best WWE matches ever. While Angle entered the match needing neck surgery, it was Lesnar who left the match injured, following his infamous botched shooting star press. You can trace the moment NXT became must-see television to the second the final bell rang in this jaw-dropping 2-out-of-3 Falls Match between Sami Zayn and Cesaro. SCOTT TAYLOR. The day that lives in infamy. You can watch it as a standalone amazing match and see it unfold. But the shadow of the epic showdown at King of the Ring has lingered ever since. KOFI KINGSTON, AS TOLD TO ZACH LINDER. Yet what made this match special wasn't the spectacle, but the storytelling. Truly great matches don't just get stars, they create them. Unfortunately, a cruel twist of fate would force Bryan to vacate the title soon after, starting a chain of events that would ultimately lead to his retirement. Cody Rhodes bested Damian Sandow in a fine battle, that had the right level of intensity for the friends turned foes. Watching these two certified WWE Hall of Famers duke it out at Chi-Town Rumble should be near the top of every WWE fans bucket list. Im the oldest in my family and have a little brother. His back was in terrible condition. This match was so brilliant because it was non-stop, wall-to-wall action that still took time for selling and storytelling. He had retired and it was very unceremonious and under the radar. The breathless contest ended in a 45-minute time limit draw, and that enmity defined WCW until its very last match. ", This match had it all, from Pat Pattersons over-the-top ring announcements to the final chaotic moments that led to The Texas Rattlesnake using Mr. McMahons lifeless arm to make the three-count. Thankfully, The Ultimate Underdog rose to the occasion against Ultimo Dragon at WCW World War 3 96. Ironically, after a wooden chair was tossed into the unforgiving steel confines, T.A. The match was a clash of styles, but in a good way. "The physicality and our different styles have created a great chemistry. And when that identity is put on the line in a match, it makes that bout incredibly personal. The best example of an established star elevating a new star. Mysterio challenged Dragon for possession of the J-Crown, a collection of unified titles that the reigning champion wore to ringside with relish. What made TLC II so excellent is it is a painstakingly and let's be honest, painful assembly of jaw-dropping moments that coalesce into a single story. "It was a lot briefer than some of the other confrontations I'm known for. SHAWN MICHAELS, AS TOLD TO ZACH LINDER, What made this match so dramatic was the fact that Ric Flair claimed to the world that he had a prior "romantic" relationship with Randy Savage's wife, Elizabeth. John Cena vs Shawn Michaels - Monday Night Raw (April 27, 2007) The first in the list of John Cena best matches is The Champ vs The Heart Break Kid! (And all of this before the post-match beatdown, which featured Lex Luger destroying a trophy with a steel chair and Sting making a run-in in slacks, which is about all you can ask for.) BOBBY MELOK. A lot of tag team wrestling can be very paint-by-numbers. Ric Flair might not have been a good guy, but the fans loved him for it. Thats damn near impossible, unless youve somehow been to every single mat contest since George Hackenschmidt won the World Title in 1905. And one of the most famous examples from this era wasn't a highspot or a 2.75-second nearfall, but a simple staredown between two of the most famous factions ever, The Shield and The Wyatt Family on "Monday Night Raw." One had the flash and showmanship, the other was pure grit and desire. There, two of the top competitors of all time battled to a stalemate for 60 minutes. It remains one of the most memorable, energetic and enthralling Cruiserweight clashes of all time, succeeding at raising the profile of Mysterio and Ultimo Dragon as well as the bar for all of sports-entertainment. But I had just started to like Shawn and root for the bad guys. Liger, however, matched that strategy and stayed up tempo enough to put Pillman at risk for a loss. Some stole the show, while others were part of classic cards that were great from top to bottom. In many ways, the opening chapter of the legendary Steamboat-Flair trilogy played out like the first movement of a symphony. Did we mention the vacated WWE Championship was at stake for the first and only time ever in the Rumble? When inspired, The Total Package could go, and he showed that during an NWA Title opportunity that was originally intended for an injured Sting. And as her post-match embrace from Banks and her fellow Four Horsewomen indicated, that admiration was clearly mutual. This, just four weeks after Punks most trusted advisor cut him down at the knees right when it appeared he was poised to win the WWE Championship contract at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view. Meanwhile, Michaels had supplemented the multifaceted, in-ring abilities that made him great in the 1990s, with the superb pacing and storytelling that comes from experience. But if you're looking for sports-entertainment nirvana, you'll never get closer than this. It stands the test of time." Scarier than a ladder, more dangerous than a cage, and more vicious than a street fight, the Hell In A Cell was a match where wrestlers who hated each other could finally settle their score, at risk to their lives. Lock and made his black-clad adversary tap out. The inaugural ladder-wrecking melee was chock-full of daring and innovative maneuvers, many of which were executed by the uber-agile Shelton Benjamin. At a time when pro wrestling in general, and WWE specifically, had lost the raw authenticity that makes the business "beautiful" (in its own absurd and grotesque way), Rhodes vs. Rollins felt real. Michaels and Hart made their match feel real, as real as any boxing match or MMA fight. Flair for the WWE Championship would be enough of a draw for most fans, this was McMahon Land after all, so the two were also feuding over Flair's less-than-gentlemanly treatment of Miss Elizabeth, who Flair "dated" before Savage ("She was mine before she was yours!"). But the biggest winners would be the fans. DAVID SHOEMAKER, What many of Rey Mysterios most flagrant imitators and theres a generation of them too often overlook is that the lucha icon didnt perform dazzling maneuvers just because they looked cool. It's one of those magic things where its hard to point out why it worked so well. When youre putting in that much time, the thought process behind it is youve got to have a couple guys who know how to do it. Top Rated Wrestling Matches Top Rated of All Time Current Champions (WWE Raw) (WWE SD) Bron Breakker (NXT) (ROH) Josh Alexander (Impact) Daniel Garcia Tyrus (NWA) Yuji Nagata (AJPW) Kazuchika Okada (NJPW) Kaito Kiyomiya (NOAH) El Hijo Del Vikingo (AAA) Gran Guerrero (CMLL) Levaniel (wXw) PWI Magazine Top Rated Matches of All Time So what makes their bout at WrestleMania 25 the greatest? In the bouts opening minutes, the ECW Arena fans, distracted by a disorderly fan, chanted "Throw him out!" That brought a lot more to the match on a technical level. The Rated-R Superstar, on the other hand, had been undefeated in such matches. But dont let Scottys appearances fool you: The vertical-haired half of Too Cool was a well-versed veteran by the time he and Malenko tangled over the Light Heavyweight Title. The gimmick was clever, a Three Stages of Hell match, a modified 2 out of 3 Falls match. Thats how I learned by listening to these guys, my mentors. I identified with Bret. Kurt Angle was actually able to stop The Showstopper, forcing Shawn to tap out to the Ankle Lock. While the match is a clinic, it's most remembered for Triple H's gut check-performance, finishing the bout as planned despite tearing his quad. And Shawn Michaels? Which do you think is best? The Brahma Bull Rock Bottomed him to the canvas for a three-count that was a nanosecond beyond Undertakers disruptive reach. "Obviously, the challenge was whether I could top the previous match. So while Michaels vs. Hart at WrestleMania XII isn't perfect, it belongs on this list for its unprecedented display of pure athleticism and emotional storytelling. Some dudes just "click" and that certainly applies to Mark Calaway and Michael Hickenbottom, better known by their respective ring names of The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels. "You cant predict chemistry. It says a lot about Flair the institution, but the match speaks even more loudly about the potential of Curt Hennig the hero a role which he played here better than he ever did. On top of that, they were two of the best in-ring performers. Instead, despite the presence of Mr. Triple H was a guy who was able to bring out the best in me, and thats one of the hallmarks of a great opponent. ANTHONY BENIGNO. The bout started with all four men brawling around ringside. It was a bold, risky move this match earned and was absolutely brilliant from a creative standpoint. It's a match that would feel fresh in any era, with a simple story about an egomaniac (Jericho) trying to break out of his hero's shadow, while that same hero (Michaels) wants to prove he's still got it. Its very innovative and not dated at all. You can teach selling. And you couldn't ask for a better opponent than Angle. In the end, he did the unthinkable align with his arch-enemy, Vince McMahon. Whenever Sting and Ric Flair are together in any kind of match, they attract eyes, but to me, this entire match was just a story about Brian Pillman. JOHN CLAPP. "From the beginning, the way Pillman dominated Barry Windham for the first full five-minute section of the match was sort of unexpected, because Windham was a lot bigger than Pillman, and at that point at least, a lot more established than Pillman was. I bruised my sternum, because I did the running knee in the corner and hit my sternum because I was literally moving faster than I ever had before. I can't all of a sudden become a great amateur wrestler, but I can be the underdog Shawn Michaels. Need a crash course on why a dedicated sect of sports-entertainment fans is still holding out hope for the resurgence of a Cruiserweight Division? He and his brothers-in-arms were seen as kings in competition against their five American foes. This was about as pure a tag team match as youre going to find. 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