highest rated wwe matches of all time

Its WWE.coms biggest list ever, and the definitive guide to the 100 best matches available on WWE Network. Shawn Michaels was the cowardly heel who had managed to escape Undertaker's clutches. I look at that as the event that turned Mr. McMahon into a Mick Foley fan. So, the Cincinnati-born competitor tried to employ a ground-and-pound attack against the Japanese titleholder. And WWE's younger fanbase, who grew up with WWE's larger-than-life giants, was underwhelmed by the 43-year old claiming to be "the real champ." But this wasn't any other event; it was WrestleMania X and the "match of the night" belonged to Razor Ramon vs. Shawn Michaels for the Intercontinental Championship in a ladder match. While their feud had no shortage of great moments, their undisputed masterpiece was the main event at WrestleMania X-Seven. The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin. Most consider the very first Money in the Bank Ladder Match to be the best of all time. Fans weren't too pleased when Shawn Michaels was shoe-horned into the main event of WrestleMania XX, turning a World Championship bout between Triple H and Chris Benoit into the first triple threat main event in WrestleMania history. Title from Blanchard, but also humiliate his opponent and, ultimately, Tullys Four Horsemen cohorts. Triple H picked up the "W," but both men emerged changed forever. I can't all of a sudden become a great amateur wrestler, but I can be the underdog Shawn Michaels. The Miz - 2.75 Becky Lynch (c) vs. Liv Morgan (WWE Raw Women's Championship) - 3.25 DEAN AMBROSE, AS TOLD TO ZACH LINDER, As the old adage goes: "Its not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game.". 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. To truly appreciate "Macho Man" Randy Savage vs. Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat's Intercontinental Championship match at WrestleMania III, you have to watch the card in its entirety. "I'm on record as saying that its probably impossible to wrestle a perfect match, but I think it's as close as I ever got. In many ways, Shawn Michaels was the perfect wrestler. "For whatever reason, he was really good at adapting to different guys' styles. KARA MEDALIS, At WrestleMania III, the 15-year undefeated Andre the Giant stepped over the top rope to face WWE Champion Hulk Hogan in front of more than 93,000 members of the WWE Universe. It was over-the-top and cartoony in the best way, and resulted in a bout that ended with a bloody Flair getting rolled up by Savage for the 1-2-3. A flamboyant, cocky and dastardly grappler that was an expert in his craft and he knew it. From an all-time classic to a modern masterpiece, Andrade 'Cien' Almas and Johnny Gargano take second place on the list with a rating of 9.65 from 673 votes. In the end, Bret underestimated his baby brother and lost to a rollup. The back-and-forth bout ended with the plucky, ever-resilient Michaels failing in his comeback and succumbing to Angle's vicious ankle lock. - The match must be available on WWE Network. But the middle portion the match itself demands just as much respect as those two milestones. 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. 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. Magnums goal was not only to win back the coveted U.S. Flair even went so far as to provide altered photos to WWE Magazine long before the advent of Photoshop or TMZ. One of the reasons was his match at WrestleMania XIX against another G.O.A.T. Hart won, but emerged a villain. The gimmick was clever, a Three Stages of Hell match, a modified 2 out of 3 Falls match. Consider this: the Hell In A Cell match was once the ultimate stipulation. 5 Undertaker Vs. 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. Thats what new wrestlers are learning today. But this wasn't a tag team match. His back was in terrible condition. That night, September 1997, was just the perfect place, the perfect time, and a great opponent in Triple H, who took it to the next level and allowed me to have that moment in the sun. Since we are based in Europe, we are forced to bother you with this information. Before SummerSlam 1991, Bret "Hit Man" Hart was an unknown commodity as a singles wrestler. But the gimmick earned its reputation as "The Devil's Playground" due to what went down in this match (and to be fair, the infamous Undertaker-Mankind match at King of the Ring 1998). But it wasnt just the personal drama that made this one of the best Intercontinental Title Matches of all time. @JOEYSTYLES, In front of more than 70,000 fans in the Georgia Dome, two Superstars who defined an era clashed in an epic No Holds Barred Match. DAVID SHOEMAKER. In an hour-long Iron Man match, both Michaels and Hart infamously refused to take the first fall. Top three matches of 2021: SmackDown vs. Roman Reigns; Dynamite "Grand Slam" vs. Kenny Omega; Dynamite "Winter is Coming" vs. "Hangman" Adam Page Bryan Danielson put together one of the most. But you can't teach chemistry; you either have it or don't. The moment Triple H reacted to Cactus Jack, from that point on Cactus was the go-to, larger-than-life, mythological character who is bigger, better and badder than anyone else Id ever be." MIKE McAVENNIE, Though their 2-out-of-3 Falls "farewell match" later that summer would become the stuff of legend, Malenko and Guerreros time-limit draw in May 1995 was no less mesmerizing. The crowd was red hot for this feud. Yes!," Bryan was long considered a sound ring technician and submission specialist. "Shawn was the perfect opponent because he was small enough that I could do some big guy stuff. Ric Flair and Ricky Steamboat. From WrestleMania 30 to ECW Hardcore TV #97, weve reviewed everything available on WWEs groundbreaking streaming platform, and done our very best to rank its greatest 100 matches to celebrate the three-year anniversary of its launch. Its very innovative and not dated at all. We looked at each other, smiled and just took it in. MICK FOLEY, AS TOLD TO ZACH LINDER. "Believe me, even as the referee was making the three-count, even as I was surrounded by the potpourri of burnt hair, charred flesh and blood, as I was losing, I realized I was having that defining WrestleMania moment." The Royal Rumble concept is Pat Patterson's masterpiece. "Usually a 2-out-of-3 Falls Match doesnt feel like three separate matches, but Austin and Triple H wrestled three separate matches back-to-back, and it wasnt even the main event of the pay-per-view. 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. If they still don't get it, pro wrestling isn't for them. The Rock is one of the greatest feuds in WWE history because it featured one-half of the proverbial "Mount Rushmore of Pro Wrestling." This is a fair, if disputable, point. If it is carnage you seek, youll find it at Extreme Rules 2012, wherein Brock Lesnar elbowed John Cenas head into the proverbial crimson mask within minutes of the opening bell and didnt wrestle the Cenation leader so much as torture him for the duration of this 20-minute flogging disguised as a pay-per-view main event. Posted below are the 35 best WWE matches of all time, according to fans. In the end, Bryan prevailed, defeating Triple H in what one of the best opening matches in WrestleMania history, and Triple H's last great match before retiring in 2022. Of course, youre going to have some moments where its going to be a low point of the match, but its designed that way so we were going to be able to get them back up later in the match. The Dead Man was the former champion who wanted vengeance against Michaels for costing him the title at SummerSlam. The day that lives in infamy. Don't have WWE Network? This match, and the standing ovation that followed, would be CM Punk's last great moment in WWE. Despite being a multi-time NWA/WCW champ, with multiple hour-long classics under his belt, Flair wasn't connecting at a main event-level with the WWE fans. SAM ROBERTS, AS TOLD TO ZACH LINDER, There may not be another match that embodied WWEs Attitude Era more than "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and Dude Loves battle for the WWE Championship at Over the Edge 1998. Yet that's exactly what Bam Bam Bigelow did, setting up this personal slugfest between two of the toughest men in ECW, right in Bam Bam's hometown of Asbury Park, N.J. From the get-go, Tazz and Bam Bam tore into each other like two predators on a National Geographic documentary. "I was 13 years old when this match happened, and I cannot state enough how much of a Bret Hart fan I was. 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. But this match is among the greatest not just because it was fresh for the time, but because it still works to this day. ANTHONY BENIGNO. For my money, this is one of the absolute best matches of all time. MIKE McAVENNIE. It was about which way the pendulum happened to swing on that particular day." These classics run the gamut, from one-on-one matches, to tag team bouts, to cage fights, to Royal Rumbles, to WrestleMania main events. ", Savage abused everyone caught in his crosshairs, piledriving referee Mark Curtis and slapping announcer Dave Penzer, while DDP the hardest-working man in WCW earnestly fought the good fight. On top of that, they were two of the best in-ring performers. "Being inside WarGames is intimidating. Naturally, Flair targeted Rhodes' ankle from the get-go, sending Dusty scrambling into the Atlanta crowd to recover. "The year before, one of our camera guys, Stu, asked how old my son was. It really wasnt a rivalry about who was better. Every minute was full of unadulterated, wince-inducing punishment and the ECW fans loved them for it. The focus was rightly on Punk, riding the feeding frenzy of his hometown Chicago crowd, but Cenas defiance in the face of not just one man but an entire city was equally as compelling. "It was very important for me in terms of redeeming myself for what I thought was a very disappointing appearance at WrestleMania XX. The wince-inducing clash established that Hell in a Cell was WWEs most sinister stipulation when both rivals took the fight atop the structure before HBK tumbled off the side of the Cell and through the Spanish announce table. Thankfully, it didn't come to that, but it did end with both men bloody, battered, beaten collapsing into a heap, with Triple H landing on Austin in a twist of fate. 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. I just, for whatever reason, couldnt feel the moment that night. "After the match, we sat in a room by ourselves and just sat there quietly. It was a cool dynamic to see Sting try to take the fight to Cactus Jack." And each showed up ready for the fight of their lives. It was perfect. Thats the blessing of 'Can you do it?' Here now, an A-to-Z guide for both novices and longtime squared-circle diehards alike for what to watch. ANTHONY BENIGNO. It was a very unique, hard-hitting match. It stands the test of time." SETH ROLLINS, AS TOLD TO ZACH LINDER, John Cena and CM Punk shared a special kind of animosity. Mick Foley described the bout best when he told WWE.com that his clash with Austin was, "The kind of match you could show to someone and say, 'This is why Im a wrestling fan.' You can watch it as a standalone amazing match and see it unfold. Things don't always go according to plan in pro wrestling. 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. You could make the case that this was the best of their three WrestleMania matches because they knew each other so well at this point. They needed each other and wrestling wouldnt be what it is today without 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin and The Rock, and this match was the culmination of that." The two competitors had the NXT Universe hanging on every move they executed, each one looking like it could end the match. While the WWE Universe was still catching its breath, Daniel Bryan snapped in what was then called the"No!" MICHAEL BURDICK. I think it helped people see Randy in a different way. 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. 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. Every factor was working against John Cena's favor heading into his hot-blooded Tables, Ladders & Chairs Match against WWE Champion Edge. 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. In interviews before the match, both guys agreed: Its not about a title its about pride. This angle got him over, but he was still a sniveling heel of the Edge or Seth Rollins variety, not the cold-blooded killer, a la Jake Roberts, WWE needed as a foe for The Rock. JEFF LABOON. There was a special energy there. "The fun part for me was the challenge of working with someone that I'd never worked with before. DAVID SHOEMAKER. The loathed "Nature Boy" earned both the ire and respect (begrudgingly) of WWE fans as he entered the 30-man clash at No. Instead, they put on a clinic that to this day still keeps you on the edge of your seat, even with the sound off. Very proud of it. All are masterpieces, but with careful consideration the choice is clear Sgt. While Savage vs. Ungraded & graded values for all '22 Panini Chronicles Draft Picks Rise Above Basketball Cards. He won the title in June of that year, then traded it back and forth with Jeff Hardy in the fall. The little brother, Owen, was cast in Brets shadow and was always compared to Bret. The first match rated more than five stars by Meltzer was Ric Flair vs Ricky Steamboat in 1989. Truthfully, on paper Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart should have been a top five "best ever." 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. Both men took turns clobbering each other around the arena in a barbaric Texas Death Match, living up to their legendary reputations for being able to inflict and tolerate high amounts of pain. WWE is the most successful pro wrestling (or, as they say, sports entertainment) promotion of all time. Flair was well established as "The Nature Boy" while Sting was a face-painted maverick rising in popularity thanks to his electric charisma. But if you're looking for sports-entertainment nirvana, you'll never get closer than this. Fresh off a third reign as World Tag Team Champions with Jim Neidhart, Hart was clearly gifted, but no one knew if he could cut it on his own. However, the event was stolen by two veteran wrestlers Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle. Ric Flair sure was a bad guy. 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. In terms of average match ratings by @davemeltzerWON, Elimination Chamber (3.90) is the second highest rated WWE PLE of all time behind Clash at the Castle (4.00) last September. Yet Vince McMahon had other plans in 2014, specifically an ill-conceived bout between former Evolution teammates Randy Orton and Dave Batista. And Shawn Michaels and I clicked from the first 30 seconds of that match. Of course, the No. I was so stoked to see it. There's more, but the fact remains that these three teams managed to turn what in lesser hands would be a "garbage match" into a work of art that would impress even old-school purists. samantha jones news anchor 12' x 18' 4" x 1 5/8" Dollamur Flexi-Roll Wrestling Mat READ DESCRIPTION USED New (Other) $1,259.30 Seller: . Razor Ramon defeated Shawn Michaels in WWE's first-ever televised Ladder Match, becoming the undisputed Intercontinental Champion. Luger ultimately lost via count-out leaving the ring to save The Stinger from a Horsemen attack but he emerged as both a hero to the people and a legitimate big-time player. There have been 218 matches awarded 5 or more stars; Mitsuharu Misawa and Will Ospreay are tied for the most individual . He had retired and it was very unceremonious and under the radar. If there was a giveaway that was the end, that was it. " RICKY STEAMBOAT, AS TOLD TO ZACH LINDER. If you have guys that just have been working 20, 25 minutes every night, and then you tell them to go out there and do an hour, they may find it difficult. Perfect. Brock Lesnar and CM Punk are two of the greatest "Paul Heyman Guys," both in real life and in storyline terms. "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. This was one of those perfect storms of pro wrestling a Loser Leaves Town Match between two top-level wrestlers on a stray episode of Raw one night in January. Purists balk at the role George "The Animal" Steele played in the final outcome, claiming it denied the WWE Universe a truly decisive victory. BOBBY MELOK. Enter Mick Foley. And Triple H emerged from this match changed forever, while Mick Foley put a blood-soaked exclamation point on his extraordinary career. 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. 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. But he, and we, will always have New Orleans. Hart had come back from an extended absence to work with who he felt was the WWE's best wrestler, before regaining his title from Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 13 (yeah, so much for that). during a promo. "It was always so hard to tell who the crowd was going to root for more. Their three matches throughout that year were revelatory, but the grand finale in Nashville featured the most unexpected outcome of all. In a match that can be considered one of the finest displays of technical wrestling ever, Perfect worked over Hart and thought he had retained his title, only for the "Hit Man" to kick out of the Perfect Plex. Kurt helped me and showed me how I can look like a better wrestler, reversing moves and getting out of holds and things of that nature. Not to mention, the huge crowd in Seattle looked so amazing the whole show and were loud the entire night. So while Hogan vs. Andre gave WrestleMania III its spectacle, it was Savage vs. Steamboat that made it special. The entire crowd stood on their feet with jaws agape wider than the hole in the ring as Bam Bam then pinned Tazz to become the new ECW World Television Champion. GREG ADKINS. With the 38th edition of Wrestlemania on the horizon, we've assembled our ranking of the 25 best Wrestlemania matches ever, all of which can be watched on Peacock. The two Intercontinental Titles were hanging above the ring, and Razor Ramon was my favorite at the time. Following a grueling half-hour war that lived up to any of their or anyone elses previous battles, Flair finally scored a three-count over his Mr. Nice Guy rival. Namely, each man's willingness to do anything to win. And that's how you know you've told a powerful story. Besides having to call every move and counter as if my voice was being sped up by audio editing, I witnessed firsthand some of the most amazing sequences in history. But for the fan that was really enjoying the intricacies and the methodology and the psychology and the depth of the Jericho-Michaels rivalry at the time, I think it really did a good job of that.
Disadvantages Of Highland Cattle, Suzanne Critchley Mark Butler, Articles H