highest rated wwe matches of all time
MIKE McAVENNIE. Heres the deal: Those are my teachers that were in that match Larry Zbyszko, Arn Anderson and Bobby Eaton. Sherri Martel was immaculate, Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan were hitting on all cylinders, and the recurring shots of Miss Elizabeth in the audience were perfectly done. But some of the best moments in pro wrestling history involve a third party, and theres no match that balanced three separate sets of motivations better than this one. First, it has to be a greatmatch, not just a great spectacle. Perfectly paced and executed, and it was Warriors best match by a mile. "Cactus Jack was awesome in WCW, because he was so different. 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!"). One night stand 2005 9. The storyline went that Michaels was willing to do anything to get his rematch against Undertaker, including eliminating his best friend Triple H from the Royal Rumble and costing Undertaker the title at Elimination Chamber. Some 30 minutes later, it was clear they didnt want Malenko vs. Guerrero to end. 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 Ive never questioned the wild nature of that match, because it was exactly what we both needed." JEFF LABOON. When Flair came to Texas to put his NWA Title on the line against Kerry Von Erich, the fans hoped they would see their local hero score an upset against the established champ, but what they got was even better a moral victory that spun off into the greatest rivalry in Texas wrestling history: the Von Erichs versus the Freebirds. 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. "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. Namely, each man's willingness to do anything to win. The little brother, Owen, was cast in Brets shadow and was always compared to Bret. We definitely did our job that night. MICK FOLEY, 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. There was a sudden respect because he had just gone through years of learning in one night. Each one makes sense in the context of the match. MICK FOLEY, AS TOLD TO ZACH LINDER. But compared to what you see on TV today, The Southern Boys versus The Midnight Express is advanced trigonometry." Austin tried everything he could to retain the U.S. He helped bring me up to that level that I did not think I was capable of reaching. Pinfalls, submissions and even disqualifications played a hand in the final result, which was highlighted by Angle fighting desperately and futilely for a comeback in the final 15 minutes. Steve Austin. 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!' 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. SHAWN MICHAELS, AS TOLD TO ZACH LINDER, Sports-entertainment fans can be a jaded bunch. Following submission attempt after submission attempt, including Sharpshooters and Figure-Four Leglocks by both Superstars, the self-proclaimed "genetically superior" newcomer hit the Hart Dungeon-trained Superstar with her vicious Natural Selection for the win. Matches don't come much more epic than this, and for that reason it is one of the best WWE matches ever. If so, finish reading this list, grab a tasty beverage, settle down in a comfy seat and immediately get eyes on the Champion vs. Champion Match featuring Daniel Bryan and Dolph Ziggler from Bragging Rights 2010. The loathed "Nature Boy" earned both the ire and respect (begrudgingly) of WWE fans as he entered the 30-man clash at No. And Shawn Michaels? I told him hes 9, and he said, 'Oh, hes halfway gone.' BOBBY MELOK. Even the World Titles were reversed as The Rock entered with the WCW Championship and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin captained the WCW and ECW Alliance while WWE Champion. The Brahma Bull Rock Bottomed him to the canvas for a three-count that was a nanosecond beyond Undertakers disruptive reach. And that's how you know you've told a powerful story. So he lied, cheated, and stole, with Lesnar succumbing to Goldberg's spear, a belt shot to the head, and a Frog Splash, before finally going down for the 1-2-3. 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. Just watch him in the very best match of his career against Eddie Guerrero at Halloween Havoc 1997. Alas, while this match does hold up, it is also hampered by its stipulation. The insane match between Mike Awesome and Masato Tanaka was one of the craziest pro-wrestling displays ever recorded, but in reality, the entire card was stupendous. But then the most unlikely of challenges appeared in the form of Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho. Not only did the match result in a gory mess, but as a result, the "Rowdy One" lost a portion of his hearing forever. Nothing to fall back on but both men's raw talent. There was nothing pretty about a match between Masato Tanaka and Mike Awesome. 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. Watch WrestleMania and other WWE Premium Live Events on Flow. KOFI KINGSTON, AS TOLD TO ZACH LINDER. The Beast." You think, OK, these guys have had a lot taken out of them, so this will probably be a quick one. But no, halfway through the Street Fight, you forget about what happened in the first fall, because youre now wrapped up in this brawl. Triple Hs statement was, I am a main-event wrestler, Im not part of a group, I can excel on my own, and I think we both proved those points pretty emphatically. Its an identity. 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. TOM HERRERA. The bout started with all four men brawling around ringside. 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. I was young then, and I was in the ring with all of these guys that had taught me the business. (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.) Yes, you read that right. I wanted to end on a high note. Their second meeting resulted in Vader taking Stings WCW Championship. Triple H was a multi-time champion by the end of the millennium, but still wasn't connecting with fans at a main event level. But that interview with J.R. did such a great job of building Cactus Jack into something bigger than he actually was. 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. So while Hogan vs. Andre gave WrestleMania III its spectacle, it was Savage vs. Steamboat that made it special. JOHN CLAPP. Yet, just like 18 other brave souls before him, Triple H fell to The Undertaker. Its one of those things you share with each other." PETER ROSENBERG, AS TOLD TO ZACH LINDER. Rampage Results - 2/24/23 (Young Bucks vs. Aussie Open and more!) The Undertaker was so battered that he could not exit under his own power; in fact, he had to be carted away. "It all stemmed from an interview I did with Jim Ross in the WWE studios in Connecticut. Although it was Jeff and Matt Hardy who claimed victory, all four Superstars received a standing ovation the next night on Raw. It was a very unique, hard-hitting match. 'Holy cow, you're right.' Its one of those moves where every time you watch it you dont remember how bad it was. They executed it like two veterans do." 12. Sign up for BINGE to watch. SCOTT TAYLOR. What if we had gotten a bigger platform? "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair and "Macho Man" Randy Savage, Razor Ramon vs. Shawn Michaels for the Intercontinental Championship in a ladder match. 10. It's one of those magic things where its hard to point out why it worked so well. They told me, 'Dustin, shut up. With "Dragon Slayer" sewn on his black trunks in plain white block letters, Austin delivered a performance that was anything but plain. "Now this is a good, old-fashioned street fight," commentator Bobby Heenan exclaimed at the start of Spring Stampedes tragically overlooked Falls Count Anywhere Chicago Street Fight. Good thing Smith was in there with his brother-in-law, Bret Hart. What if we had a WrestleMania to work with? "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.' 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. 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. Two generational stars. "Everything aligned and came together. "I thought I would collect on the Lloyd's of London policy that would kick in after a 450-pound man sandwiched me. The two Intercontinental Titles were hanging above the ring, and Razor Ramon was my favorite at the time. "Chris and I were not big on going into a Ladder Match. 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. And coming from the Hart family, the expectations were very high. BOBBY MELOK. Its not every day an up-and-coming competitor gets to challenge for eight unified championships at once. 3 and bamboozled victory in the closing moments of an unbelievable final four dance with Savage, Sid and The Hulkster, himself. While the "Canadian Chrises" were universally acknowledged as among the world's best workers, they were still viewed as mid-carders at the time. However, the event was stolen by two veteran wrestlers Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle. Instead, it was Mysterios lack of size that necessitated his moveset. Thats what happened when Rey Mysterio put his mask on the line against Chris Jerichos Intercontinental Championship at The Bash 2009. The crowd was red hot for this feud. Since the latest livestream, we know 62 ratings of the full 200 wrestlers on the roster. But as Bray emphatically told the Hounds of Justice, "I welcome this war!" DAVID SHOEMAKER. Perfect, Andre the Giant, Jimmy Snuka, Dusty Rhodes, Ted Dibiase, Jake Roberts, and even the Intercontinental Champion Ultimate Warrior. 2K has been revealing ratings a few at a time on Twitter over the past week, and a load of . 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. "I really thought it was going to be the last move I ever did in wrestling," Foley told WWE.com. I was fortunate to see some tapes of [Rey Mysterio] from Mexico and matches he'd had in Japan with Psychosis and Juventud Guerrera. The match itself stands as an iconic clash between WWE's past and present, and a display of the indomitable will of the WWE Universe. And Triple H emerged from this match changed forever, while Mick Foley put a blood-soaked exclamation point on his extraordinary career. The breathless contest ended in a 45-minute time limit draw, and that enmity defined WCW until its very last match. Yawn. Watching at a young age, I was creeped out and weirded out by him. 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.". With both Brock and Angle coming from standout amateur wrestling backgrounds, it's no surprise these two elite athletes took their battle to the mat at first, before The Anomaly poured on the pure strength to wear down his opponent. In the end, the man who would one day become "Stone Cold" used the ropes to steal a win and extinguish "The Dragon," temporarily. The match feels real at least as real as a fight between two guys forced to climb a ladder as both guys used the ladder as a weapon to win, not as a prop to pop the crowd. 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. Lock and he got [disqualified]. In the weeks leading up to the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, The Wyatt Family cost the members of The Shield an opportunity to compete inside the sinister structure for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Both guys were at their peak, both in terms of star power and workrate (yes, Austin's peak as a technical wrestler was in 1997, but as a brawler he was never better than in 2001). You want everybody to forget about who won or lost. Christian's been around a long time and Randy Orton's a third-generation Superstar who is so natural. The competitors wore dog collars that connected them by a long metal chain. Anyway, if anything, this Rumble does have one of the better final fours with Austin, Dude Love, Rock, and Farooq. In many ways, the opening chapter of the legendary Steamboat-Flair trilogy played out like the first movement of a symphony. 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 . I think this is one of those great cases where the same match benefitted both guys enormously. "Everything about Bret and Owen Hart was a situation anybody with siblings could identify with. And trust us, feuds don't come much bloodier than this. AEW star Keith Lee recently appeared on The Masked Man Show for an interview covering all things pro wrestling. The Kid, whose numerical nickname came about after he netted a huge upset victory against Razor Ramon, earned one of the earliest title opportunities in the history of Raw by doing it the hard way. Most consider the very first Money in the Bank Ladder Match to be the best of all time. And these wrestlers have put on many of the greatest matches in pro wrestling history. Triple H's Hell In A Cell match at WrestleMania XVIII may vary. "After the match, we sat in a room by ourselves and just sat there quietly. The most harrowing moment came near the end, when Jerry Sags tested the durability of the human spine by shoving Cactus Jack back-first off a ramp onto the floor. 1 contenders hand at the bout's outset. The contest brought fans on an emotional tilt awhirl thanks to a missed spear that left the undefeated Goldberg looking vulnerable for the first time in his career. That was the question on the minds of many in the WWE Universe throughout the winter of 2014. WWE Day 1, January 1 Cesaro & Ricochet vs. Ridge Holland & Sheamus - 2.5 The Usos (c) vs. New Day (WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship) - 4 Drew McIntyre vs. Madcap Moss - 2.75 RK-Bro (c) vs. Street Profits (WWE Raw Tag Team Championship) - 3.25 Edge vs. This one hurts, but tough choices must be made. The gimmick matched the storyline, as WWE put a roof on the cage so that Michaels couldn't escape. While fans can oftentimes get overhyped for a match and disappointed in the results, The Shield vs. "But even I, Bret Harts staunchest supporter, found it hard to not get behind Austin in that match. All these years later, it still hurts, but such a classic can only hurt so good. The "Hit Man" shook the No. Is it a little premature to declare Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins from Hell In A Cell 2022 an all-time classic? Second, the match must have historical significance, so no Chris Benoit vs. Eddie Guerrero from Vengeance 2003 and the like. When considering the greatest rivals of The Man Called Sting not named Ric Flair, one person comes to mind: Big Van Vader. And Shawn Michaels and I clicked from the first 30 seconds of that match. With chants of This is awesome! raining down, the two carried out several outstanding sequences until Bryan, the United States Champion, finally snapped the LeBell Lock onto his opponent, forced the irate Intercontinental Champion to tap out, and cemented both of their well-earned reputations. At its worst, it's just a battle royal stretched out for 60 minutes, with a bunch of random guys punching each other, while the audience impatiently counts down the next entrant. It was a game-changer for the industry. It wasn't your typical 2-out-of-3 Falls Match. 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. 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. Here is the list- WWE Top 10 Bloodiest Match of all the time in WWE history.
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