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. Though reviled by much of the WWE Universe for his anti-U.S. angst, Bret still had a very strong sect of support in the north. 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. Michaels and Hart made their match feel real, as real as any boxing match or MMA fight. 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. We were not about to go out there and have a crash-and-burn Ladder Match under any circumstances, so it benefited us that the [rivalry] didnt call for that. He helped bring me up to that level that I did not think I was capable of reaching. They executed it like two veterans do." In the first-ever meeting of the men who would become WCWs signature rivals, Sting and Flair battled back and forth, displaying uncanny technical prowess and in-ring ability. The conquering of The Streak. Every single minute of this bout was intense and every competitor added his own wild moments to the highlight reel in a mad scramble for the coveted Money in the Bank briefcase. John Cena vs. CM Punk is not only the best match of either man's careers or even the best match of the 2010s. And you couldn't ask for a better opponent than Angle. Years before ECW mastered the in-your-face, crash-TV style of wrestling, these two teams introduced it to the world, as the rivalry between The Midnight Express and The Fantastics exploded in a vicious brawl. It took place on April 1, 2001, at the Reliant Astrodome in Houston, Texas.It was the first WrestleMania held in the state of Texas.Twelve matches were contested at the event, including one broadcast . Its somewhat difficult to watch the match back as a weary Undertaker fights like a man possessed to hold off the inevitable. The Miz - 2.75 Becky Lynch (c) vs. Liv Morgan (WWE Raw Women's Championship) - 3.25 SCOTT TAYLOR. But this match is among the greatest not just because it was fresh for the time, but because it still works to this day. Triple H picked up the "W," but both men emerged changed forever. While gimmick matches can be used to disguise weak selling and bad storytelling, that was not the case here. But, by the time the match was over, fans didnt even care about Flair anymore. We were having a blast and the crowd was electric. Throughout the bout, The Undertaker relished the opportunity to punish the degenerate inside the steel payback for Michaels costing The Deadman the WWE Title at SummerSlam that year. Is it a little premature to declare Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins from Hell In A Cell 2022 an all-time classic? Youd be foolish not to rush to relive it. While Bryan was the world's best wrestler since Day 1, his character work elevated him to WrestleMania main event-level status, especially his super sticky "Yes!" Perhaps the biggest testament to that fierce conflict was their WWE Iron Man Match for the WWE Title at The Showcase of the Immortals. Flair even went so far as to provide altered photos to WWE Magazine long before the advent of Photoshop or TMZ. Anyone who says Foley was just a "gloried stunt guy" needs to watch this match to see what an exceptional storyteller he could be. If there was a giveaway that was the end, that was it. But as Bray emphatically told the Hounds of Justice, "I welcome this war!" His performance here proved he truly was "the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be.". Plus, get every WWE Premium Live Event, your favorite shows, new movies, live sports, and more. The Rated-R Superstar, on the other hand, had been undefeated in such matches. Just watch him in the very best match of his career against Eddie Guerrero at Halloween Havoc 1997. ANTHONY BENIGNO, It was statement enough that the Intercontinental Championship Match was the main event at SummerSlam 1992 (which also featured Ultimate Warrior vs. Randy Savage for the WWE Title). Their first meeting resulted in Sting being sidelined with injuries. 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. It was the main event of the second-biggest PPV of 1992 in front of more than 80,000 of Smith's fellow Brits at Wembley Stadium. 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? If youre a fan of tag team wrestling then you must watch The Steiner Brothers World Tag Team Championship Match against Sting & Lex Luger at SuperBrawl I. The grudge match had all the hallmarks of a classic brawl: arena-sprawling fisticuffs, assorted weaponry (chairs and trash cans in this case) and the prevailing sense that none of it could actually be controlled or regulated. "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. Welp, fans certainly swallowed their words a month later when the three put on one of the greatest WrestleMania main events ever and the best triple threat match of all time. Its very innovative and not dated at all. Physically, his body was completely worn out and The Rock was no longer a regular WWE Superstar, so to have this incredibly meaningful match was special. The two competitors had been at each others throats over the WWE Championship for the entirety of 2003 at this point, and everything came to a head here. Shawn Michaels after his 2002 return is arguably the greatest in-ring performer ever. MITCH PASSERO, The WWE Light Heavyweight Championship never garnered the same praise as the WCW Cruiserweight Title, but that doesnt mean the division didn't have its moments of brilliance, such as Backlash 2000. I said, 'I dont want to miss my kids growing up.' SCOTT TAYLOR, Once upon a time, a small organization based in northeast Japan so perfected its intricate and high-flying take on the three-on-three match format that it birthed a genre unto itself called the Michinoku Pro Six-Man Tag. But dont dismiss this WrestleWar 1990 main event as another night of The Nature Boy dragging an outmatched opponent to the Promised Land. KEVIN POWERS, Daniel Bryan was riding high on a wave of "Yes!" Overrun segment: 2: Steve Austin, The Rock & Vince McMahon vs. Not only did it feature the greatest debut of all time, but the first Hell In A Cell match remains the greatest Hell In A Cell match. Latest Results. Shawn Michaels is regarded by many as the absolute best wrestler of all time. The highest-rated NXT match on this list saw Almas and Gargano give absolutely everything they had as they did battle for the NXT Championship. They fought in WrestleMania 13 Submission Match in which blood was tipping out in the face of Stone Gold. 25. TOM HERRERA. Alas, while this match does hold up, it is also hampered by its stipulation. One night stand 2006 8. One had the flash and showmanship, the other was pure grit and desire. After racking up several WWE Tag Team Title reigns, Nitro moved from SmackDown to Raw and immediately became a top contender to the Intercontinental Championship. Take a look at this.' I dont think theres ever been a case where a guy reverted back to a character hed been in his pre-WWE career. That's the case here. Through the duration of the match, Shawn was the underdog, and you didnt know if hed be able to pull it out. Nowhere was this more true than in Punk's hometown of Chicago, which featured a crowd loud enough to register on the Richter scale. Austin tried everything he could to retain the U.S. There, two of the top competitors of all time battled to a stalemate for 60 minutes. Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon: 1994 10 of 15 Many still. With the odds stacked against him Neville didnt have to be pinned or submit to lose the NXT Title the championdid everything he could to remain the face of NXT, solidifying his spot in the NXT record books. The clash between Goldberg and Diamond Dallas Page over the WCW World Championship at Halloween Havoc 1998 was far from a mat wrestling classic, but it had the crowd at the edge of their seats all the same. ly/FUTDRAFT19 MOBL OYUNLAR N: bit. "You cant predict chemistry. Very proud of it. Sometimes, the long way is the best. In his hometown of Charlotte, N.C., Flair put his career on the line against the monstrous Vaders WCW Championship. Third, there must be a conclusive winner (s), so Shawn Michaels vs. Mankind. BOBBY MELOK. MATTHEW ARTUS, To this day, Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels stands as one of the greatest rivalries in WWE history. Whether any of these matches are your favorites, or you're discovering them for the first time, put the 30 best WWE matches of all time on your "must-watch" bucket list. and its also the challenge of 'Whats your desire to try?' Not fairly. If you tear the frickin' house down, that'll usually take care of it." It was a great Vengeance in July 2002 and an unbelievable Triple Threat main event that saw WWE Undisputed Champion Undertaker, The Rock and Kurt Angle strike down upon each other with furious anger and with one anothers signature moves, including a Rock-charged chokeslam, an Angle-executed Rock Bottom and an Undertaker-driven Angle Slam. Prior to hugging teammates or filling arenas with choruses of "Yes! With a capacity crowd chanting "Yes!," Bryan hit Cena with a running knee 26 minutes, 47 seconds into the bout. However, the event was stolen by two veteran wrestlers Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle. Thats the expression, 'Take them on a roller coaster ride.' The little brother, Owen, was cast in Brets shadow and was always compared to Bret. Trust us, putting this list together was tough, and there are bound to be omissions, but these matches truly are the "best of the best," and belong on any all-time list. Perfect at ringside, an incensed Savage lived up to his name by beating, battering and bloodying Flair before winning the title. 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). It was a defining moment for Michaels, who celebrated his last World Championship in his WWE Hall of Fame career. How did the nWo's Scott Hall & Kevin Nash factor into the contest? 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. The Royal Rumble concept is Pat Patterson's masterpiece. Johnny Gargano vs Tommaso Ciampa (Unsanctioned match, NXT TakeOver: New Orleans,. PETER ROSENBERG, AS TOLD TO ZACH LINDER. When they finally set the match in place, I almost couldnt believe it. Royal rumble 1992 14. You can teach selling. 1 contender was no slouch, having previously claimed the WCW Cruiserweight Championship on two separate occasions. Following The Rock and Steve Austin's showdown is no easy task, but Angle and Lesnar put on a clinic while constantly pushing each other's competitive hunger to another level. "The fun part for me was the challenge of working with someone that I'd never worked with before. Survivor series 2002 5. The match worked because it highlighted the characteristics that would shoot the competitors to the main event: Dean Ambrose's chaotic frenzy, Seth Rollins and the late Brodie Lee's (Luke Harper) ring general workrate, and Bray Wyatt and Roman Reigns' WrestleMania main event-level starpower. It has been said a great wrestler can make a broomstick look good. TOM HERRERA. "It was about making the small things mean a lot. Cena put Bryan over clean as a sheet, succumbing to the "Yes Kick," kicking off Bryan's short-lived (almost literally three minutes) title reign. Riding high on a roller coaster ride. him in the very best match of his on. A Cruiserweight Division both men emerged changed forever Submission match in place, I almost believe. Pat Patterson 's masterpiece even care about Flair anymore on the line against the monstrous Vaders WCW.. Shows, new movies, Live sports, and you could n't ask a... Wwe Hall of Fame career guy reverted back to a character hed been in his pre-WWE.... 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