It was a big time for me and I loved it." 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. Wrestlemania 19 - 2003 Something about the late '90s and early 2000's just made for some excellent sports entertainment, and Wrestlemania 19 didn't disappoint. Not fairly. One had the flash and showmanship, the other was pure grit and desire. I said, 'I dont want to miss my kids growing up.' They should have pleaded for Ricky to do something about it. 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. Was The Rock victorious that momentous March night in 2002? Undertaker had a bloodied Michaels beaten until the lights went black, chilling organ music began, and out of the flames emerged Undertaker's long-lost brother, Kane. One of the most infamously vicious battles youll find on WWE Network is also one of NWA/WCWs finest. It made me feel like we had seen the last of Shawn Michaels, and it was very sad. "I knew going into Chicago it would be an unpredictable and hostile crowd, and it really was. The Gold Standard truly set the standard for creativity in these types of matches with such feats as a twirling powerslam off a ladder, and even using a ladder as a ramp to reach an opponent on a separate ladder. Seeing them butt heads was very identifiable, and when they actually went at it, it was very emotional and real. Its very innovative and not dated at all. 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." And after battling in enough five-star classics, they knew each others moves like the backs of their hands. There have been 218 matches awarded 5 or more stars; Mitsuharu Misawa and Will Ospreay are tied for the most individual . 1. 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 . The first Women'sMatch on this list displayed the incredible athleticism, strength and desire of two women with arguably the most impressive pedigrees in WWE. The best match is up to you, the WWE fan. But that wasnt all. 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? The fact that its my personal favorite and Randys personal favorite, given all the great matches hes been through, is pretty telling. 21 min read Hey everyone! Their first meeting resulted in Sting being sidelined with injuries. 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 SHAWN MICHAELS, AS TOLD TO ZACH LINDER, Sports-entertainment fans can be a jaded bunch. Well, one veteran, as technically Kurt Angle had debuted only five years earlier, but by then had already established himself as one of the best ever. 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." BOBBY MELOK, Ah, yes. Yes, NXT has produced some of the best matches of the past decade, but it has always been positioned as a developmental promotion for the main roster, thus we chose not to include it and focus entirely on the main roster product. It was a 20 minute masterpiece of mayhem, telling a story about how Triple H had to reach new levels of evil in order to defeat the Hardcore Legend. The crowd obviously had a lot to do with it, but I got the Brogue Kick out of the corner, which caught everybody off-guard, then I passed out in the 'Yes!' GREG ADKINS, At the inaugural Clash of the Champions, NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair was poised to teach relative upstart Sting a lesson. Their rivalry culminated in a Ladder Match on the Nov. 20, 2006, edition of Raw. There was brawling, wrestling, the most palpable antipathy between two performers feasible, and an undisputed victor that somehow didnt demean the loser at all. The 1987 WWE fanbase had been conditioned to watching 6'5 giants with outlandish gimmicks take turns punching each other, with the biggest move being a bodyslam. These classics run the gamut, from one-on-one matches, to tag team bouts, to cage fights, to Royal Rumbles, to WrestleMania main events. I wasnt able to do that at WrestleMania, so I approached Backlash with Randy in a completely different manner. KEVIN POWERS, The managerial services of Terri Runnels and $100,000 were on the line when The Hardy Boyz went to war with archrivals Edge and Christian in the deciding match of the Terri Invitational Tournament. 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. 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. 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. Both competitors were battered and bloodied as they unloaded from their diverse arsenal of moves, with Lynn delivering perhaps the biggest highlight of the night: a sunset flip powerbomb that drove RVD through a table on the outside floor. She did and she didnt, maturing before the fans (and Banks) eyes into a bona fide, certified champion, while still retaining the hugs, headbands and admiration that defined her aesthetic. 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). Bray Wyatt vs. John. That said, we think it boils down to two all-time greats being in absolute command of their characters, their craft, and the crowd. 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. As a fan, knowing he was coming back to have a match was probably the most excited Id ever been. SETH ROLLINS, AS TOLD TO ZACH LINDER. injury time. 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. Not only was Steve Austin vs. Everyone seems to remember the bookend moments of their instant-classic rivalry, such as Punks hot-fire pipe bomb where he took Cena to task for his perceived dominance and trashed WWE itself for imposing a glass ceiling over underappreciated mid-carders, and of course, The Second City Saints kiss-off goodbye to Mr. McMahon with the title in hand. It was, quite literally, the WrestleMania main event that shook the world. MICHAEL BURDICK. Sometimes the best feuds are the ones you didn't know you wanted until they actually happen, and this was 100% the case here. The Undertaker, Triple H & Shane McMahon A lot of tag team wrestling can be very paint-by-numbers. All these years later, it still hurts, but such a classic can only hurt so good. "I love that match because of the unpredictability of it. Watch every Premium Live Event and enjoy some of your favorite WWE content on Disney + HotStar. Only in pro wrestling is a groin shot a thing of beauty. 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.' 'Taker finally granted Michaels his wish, but for a price HBK's career. For another, he was facing AJ Styles, who was 3-0 against Cena as a singles competitor going back to their first battle seven months earlier. That changed on May 21, 2001, when the duo challenged Austin and Triple H for the belts on "Monday Night Raw.". Before you get out your pitchforks (or perhaps we should say "steel chairs"? I was young then, and I was in the ring with all of these guys that had taught me the business. The 25 Greatest wwe events of all time are 1. Some feel it was an overlong and indulgent display on the part of all three performers (especially Shawn Michaels as the anxiety-ridden ref). "The thing about both me and Savage was that neither one of us liked to do a lot of talking when it came to settling our differences. Everyone talked about what great shape he was in, and of course, I had at least a little bit of a reputation as a guy that could wrestle an hour, so I knew going into the match that this might be the one guy who can give me a run for my money. Together, their in-ring chemistry made for unforgettable bouts. So, the Cincinnati-born competitor tried to employ a ground-and-pound attack against the Japanese titleholder. Four of WWE's Superstars of Tomorrow left an indelible mark in the minds of the WWE Universe at NXT TakeOver: Fatal 4-Way. MATTHEW ARTUS, To this day, Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels stands as one of the greatest rivalries in WWE history. 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. @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. 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. 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. This was supposed to be Ricky Steamboat's cup of coffee in the big time. 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? 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. Thats how I learned by listening to these guys, my mentors. Unquestionably, watching a Peoples Champion on the verge of electrifying millions through other avenues go toe-to-toe with a sports-entertainment legend who had lost his way to the vices of "Hollywood" and a New World Order is appointment viewing. Instead, it was Mysterios lack of size that necessitated his moveset. 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. It took years for me to get over his rivalry with Bret Hart. While both guys could play heel or face perfectly, Naitch was at his best as the bad guy, while Savage was the good guy you loved to root for, especially when he's fighting for the honor of his valet (and real-life wife) Miss Elizabeth. 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