The match told a simple but compelling story about two driven men competing to be the best. DAVID SHOEMAKER. 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. 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. This was supposed to be Ricky Steamboat's cup of coffee in the big time. ANTHONY BENIGNO. Once hes 18, hell be out the door,' and I said. moment of the night when the ring canvas buckled from the force of Bigelow crushing Tazz with his 365-pound frame. The Human Suplex Machine clotheslined Bigelow through the timekeeper's table, and later T-Bone Tazzplexed him off the entrance ramp and onto the steel guardrail. 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. MICK FOLEY, AS TOLD TO ZACH LINDER. 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.' The Miz - 2.75 Becky Lynch (c) vs. Liv Morgan (WWE Raw Women's Championship) - 3.25 "Cactus Jack was awesome in WCW, because he was so different. "Ive seen enough," Heenan said, satiated, even a little disgusted, after the pinfall. Anyone who says Foley was just a "gloried stunt guy" needs to watch this match to see what an exceptional storyteller he could be. 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 fact he missed it keeps this match out of the top 20, but there's no denying few WrestleMania main events aimed higher and absolutely nailed the landing. Two major betrayals, the constant bickering on commentary between Jim Ross and Paul Heyman, and an epic final showdown between Rock and Austin brought a fitting end to the war for sports-entertainment domination. 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." 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. 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. The Undertaker, Triple H & Shane McMahon Wrestlemania 20 10. Its one of those things you share with each other." In his first Wrestlemania match back after returning from injury, he took on young Canadian star Chris Jericho in the highest rated match on the card that year. A showcase for the greatest pro wrestler and the biggest superstar ever. 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. The Nature Boy entered at #3 and, despite having at least 10 years on most of his opponents, wrestled at full speed for more than an hour without ever needing to take a breath. Don't have WWE Network? One of the most storied rivalries in wrestling history reached one of its high points at Starrcade 1985, as Dusty Rhodes battled back from a broken ankle suffered at the hands of Ric Flair and The Four Horsemen to challenge for "The Nature Boys" NWA World Title. But what better way to go out than one of the greatest tag team matches in WWE history, and the greatest "Monday Night Raw" match, period? For Foley, the worst fall of all came when he was dropped onto the roof where the cage beneath him suddenly gave way and he plunged to the ring below. ANTHONY BENIGNO. That he did so after a bloody No Disqualification contest between himself and The Rock only added to the hurt, especially since Austin cemented his new allegiance with 16 blows from a steel chair to The Brahma Bull. We definitely did our job that night. So WrestleMania 22 with Edge was realistically my last chance to try to carve out that spot in my legacy. Still, no matter what Austin did on this night, Steamboat was one step ahead. But this match is among the greatest not just because it was fresh for the time, but because it still works to this day. Despite the fact that both Superstars were (and are) better known for their explosive, OMG-inducing acrobatics, the match quickly turned into a gritty battle of wills, wherein Zayn seemed to correct, one by one, the mistakes that had previously kept him from the title. After a trilogy of matches that changed sports-entertainment forever, Flair earned the respect of all that had despised him. And then themed PPVs happened. "But then you think, 'Hes been away for four years. 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." 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. But it wasnt just the personal drama that made this one of the best Intercontinental Title Matches of all time. "Sid Vicious powerbombing Brian Pillman is one of those moments that could have gone horribly wrong for a person, but something you absolutely have to watch. Its one of those moves where every time you watch it you dont remember how bad it was. A good professional wrestling match requires knowing how to work the crowd, how to time your opponent's moves and how to keep your opponent safe. And after battling in enough five-star classics, they knew each others moves like the backs of their hands. When you watch this one on WWE Network, it won't take long for you to realize why. The five greatest matches in NXT history September 14, 2021 Ryan Satin FOX Sports WWE Analyst By Ryan Satin FOX Sports WWE Analyst Before a new version of NXT is unveiled Tuesday night, let's. He wasn't aware of the stories behind the characters. But compared to what you see on TV today, The Southern Boys versus The Midnight Express is advanced trigonometry." But whatever followed, we'll always have this match, an expertly paced, old school brawl that had both guys emerge even bigger stars. So while Hogan vs. Andre gave WrestleMania III its spectacle, it was Savage vs. Steamboat that made it special. It made me feel like we had seen the last of Shawn Michaels, and it was very sad. This one hurts, but tough choices must be made. In many ways, the opening chapter of the legendary Steamboat-Flair trilogy played out like the first movement of a symphony. SAMI ZAYN, AS TOLD TO ZACH LINDER. Every near-fall is suspenseful. Brock was once again a monster (which his streak-ending victory over The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXX would cement), while even in defeat, CM Punk was again a beloved babyface. With an opportunity to challenge The Rock for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 29 on the line, Cena and Punk dug deep into their arsenals to create an instant classic on Raw. No gimmicks. I was in denial, but couldnt help but agree with those feelings. There comes a point in your career, and I don't know when it happens, where you go from being the guy wanting to be in the ring with people to being the guy that people want to be in the ring with. It was an all-time moment in his career, but given Bret Hart's love of pro wrestling, we bet he preferred what happened earlier in the show: his match versus his brother Owen Hart. The two competitors had the NXT Universe hanging on every move they executed, each one looking like it could end the match. But while the reign was short, the match stands the test of time. 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. There's no doubt that part of the match's power is cringe-watching Rhodes wrestle with a completely torn pectoral muscle, his solid purple chest ultimate proof of just how much he wanted to defeat Rollins. Tempered glass from the pods that randomly released Superstars into the Chamber at various intervals was shattered, and bodies littered the canvas. But then the most unlikely of challenges appeared in the form of Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho. When fans needed a new hero atop the NWA, it turned out to be The Nature Boy himself. First, it has to be a greatmatch, not just a great spectacle. Still, Michaels went down swinging (literally slapping 'Taker), but lost the match and his career, in an emotional finale for one of the greatest in-ring workers ever. It was wild for all the right reasons. So, the Cincinnati-born competitor tried to employ a ground-and-pound attack against the Japanese titleholder. "Everything about Bret and Owen Hart was a situation anybody with siblings could identify with. 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). Put him against The Excellence of Execution and you get one of the top 30 matches in WWE history. At its best, the Rumble is one cohesive story made up of several smaller stories that not only manages to entertain fans for more than an hour, but also elevate all 30 men involved. 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. Truthfully, on paper Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart should have been a top five "best ever." Instead, it defined the enduring legacy of "The Dragon," "Macho Man" Randy Savage, the Intercontinental Championship that passed from the latter to the former, and some would say WrestleMania (if not wrestling) itself. I didnt know who I wanted to win, but the moment when Razor climbed up and grabbed both titles became such an iconic moment, especially for me as a kid, because I was there. BOBBY MELOK. A flamboyant, cocky and dastardly grappler that was an expert in his craft and he knew it. "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. Nashville should have booed. The story was simple, as the envious younger brother Owen wanted to break out of the shadow of his older brother Bret, who by that point was already a former WWE Champion and WrestleMania main eventer. Their bouts are the greatest "David vs. Goliath" matches ever, and their feud is the only one that features three matches among WWE's 30 greatest ever. 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'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. GREG ADKINS. There's never been a better example of how to make a star than the Bret Hart vs. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin feud from 1996 to 1997. 1 contenders hand at the bout's outset. But at Survivor Series 2001, the war finally hit the ring when 10 of the biggest, baddest Superstars came to fight for their respective companies. Watching these two work at that level for 60-plus minutes is an impressive display today, and was practically unheard of (in the WWE) then. These classics run the gamut, from one-on-one matches, to tag team bouts, to cage fights, to Royal Rumbles, to WrestleMania main events. Hasan abimizle 1,2,3 saniye iinde takmlar alp, efsane ma yaptk, izleyelim. "I dont think theres anyone who watches professional sports who ever believes its truly the end for a competitor. 1 Many big names have already been revealed, so. DAVID SHOEMAKER. One had the flash and showmanship, the other was pure grit and desire. Double-crossing Tazz was a very bad idea, unless you enjoyed getting suplexed onto your head. AEW star Keith Lee recently appeared on The Masked Man Show for an interview covering all things pro wrestling. While he'd still have great matches, this injury ended his legendary 2000-2001 run, when he seemingly couldn't have a bad match. ANTHONY BENIGNO. The fact that its my personal favorite and Randys personal favorite, given all the great matches hes been through, is pretty telling. He loved Bret Hart just like me, but as the match was unfolding, he started to hate Bret and love Austin. So Hogan vs. Andre at WrestleMania III and Undertaker vs. Mankind at King of the Ring 1998 are out. But, by the time the match was over, fans didnt even care about Flair anymore. Just watch him in the very best match of his career against Eddie Guerrero at Halloween Havoc 1997. But really, where could it go from here? As a fan, knowing he was coming back to have a match was probably the most excited Id ever been. In a classic Champion vs. Champion struggle, both Superstars left everything they had on the canvas, before Warrior overcame The Hulkster and took his place in the annals of WWE greatness. 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. The Rock is one of the greatest feuds in WWE history because it featured one-half of the proverbial "Mount Rushmore of Pro Wrestling." Perfect with the Intercontinental Title hanging in the balance. The brawl fit in broken pool cues, crashed merchandise tables and a shovel, and was way more dangerous than anything else happening at the time. Kevin Nash and Scott Hall made a big deal out of it, and they had just started with the company. The Foundations triumph is palpable no matter with whom you sided in one of Harts finest showdowns with his Texas Rattlesnake rival. All are masterpieces, but with careful consideration the choice is clear Sgt. I think everybody sort of feels 25 is a smidge better than 26, but not enough to bother anybody. " "Stone Cold" Steve Austin vs. TOM HERRERA. [Announcers] Dusty Rhodes and Jim Ross kept making mention of the fact that 'Flyin'' Brian was by far the smallest guy in the match and still, getting the best of his opponents throughout the match. The two collided at No Way Out 2001, on the road to WrestleMania, in the finale of a blood feud that felt as big as any 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. MICK FOLEY, AS TOLD TO ZACH LINDER. GREG ADKINS, At the inaugural Clash of the Champions, NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair was poised to teach relative upstart Sting a lesson. So when something happens that truly surprises them, you know its a moment that many will carry with them forever. Bray Wyatt vs. John. "I was so fortunate to have fought all the great guys from The Attitude Era, but Triple H caught me at the tail end of my full-time career. Now that you have the backstory, just go watch this match. Im the oldest in my family and have a little brother. Who knows? 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