During the discussion, Lee commented on possibly becoming the AEW world champion . 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. 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 . ANTHONY BENIGNO. The greatest double-turn ever. "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. This was supposed to be Ricky Steamboat's cup of coffee in the big time. "I really thought it was going to be the last move I ever did in wrestling," Foley told WWE.com. It was perfect. No weapons. 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. Rocky was entertaining, and Austin was no-nonsense, but they meshed so perfectly. I was so stoked to see it. [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. Shawn Michaels, before his 1998 injury, was one of the greatest in-ring performers of all time. SAMI ZAYN, AS TOLD TO ZACH LINDER. @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. Steamboat was your prototypical hero a returning favorite who had conquered the evil perennial champ all while showcasing his folksy values and mat expertise. BRAD "HITMAN" HART vs STONE GOLD STEVE AUSTIN. Both men knew it would, as they threw their best at one another in this grueling 60-minute contest. He knew I'd been Cactus Jack, but had no idea that there was this Dude Love character I'd wanted to be when I was 17 or 18 years old. ANTHONY BENIGNO, We defy you to think of the Hell in a Cell Match without picturing The Undertaker throwing Mick Foley off the side of the demonic structure and onto a table below. The Undertaker: Raw (06/28/1999) 9.5: 10,721,000 viewers (most watched wrestling cable match in history). Dont worry, you can watch the entire event, uninterrupted on WWE Network. Every high-spot is purposeful. You really wanted to see Christian get his comeuppance and people were really excited to root for Randy Orton against a guy fans were traditionally used to cheering. When fans chanted "this is awesome," it was awesome. Perhaps there's no greater example in WWE history than Bret Hart vs. British Bulldog at SummerSlam 1992. The gimmick was clever, a Three Stages of Hell match, a modified 2 out of 3 Falls match. With his longtime friend Shawn Michaels serving as the unpredictable special guest referee, Triple H used every tool in his arsenal including steel chairs, ring steps, his signature sledgehammer and multiple Pedigrees to put The Deadman down for good. If they still don't get it, pro wrestling isn't for them. 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). In the heat of the moment, Bobby Fulton tossed the official out of the ring, costing The Fantastics the match just as they had the bout won. You can teach selling. Tempered glass from the pods that randomly released Superstars into the Chamber at various intervals was shattered, and bodies littered the canvas. I submitted, and everybody looks at it and goes, 'Dang, what a match!' ), here's our criteria. The fans turned Bryan babyface in a big way, and a year and a half later he was back competing for the big belt. In an hour-long Iron Man match, both Michaels and Hart infamously refused to take the first fall. Nashville should have booed. Very proud of it. SHAWN MICHAELS, AS TOLD TO ZACH LINDER, Sports-entertainment fans can be a jaded bunch. This wasn't just a stunt, it made sense because Hardy had the belts, was 10 feet in the air, and spearing him was the only way for Edge to save the match. Their second meeting resulted in Vader taking Stings WCW Championship. ZACH LINDER. That all changed at Royal Rumble 1992. during a promo. That was the question on the minds of many in the WWE Universe throughout the winter of 2014. Top Superstar ranks as the highest-rated in WWE video game franchise history. Flair was well established as "The Nature Boy" while Sting was a face-painted maverick rising in popularity thanks to his electric charisma. 1 contenders hand at the bout's outset. One of the reasons was his match at WrestleMania XIX against another G.O.A.T. TOM HERRERA. HBK ultimately reigned supreme, allowing the "boyhood dream" of Mr. WrestleMania to finally be realized. Triple H's Hell In A Cell match at WrestleMania XVIII may vary. Subscribe and watch all 100 matches right now. On top of that, they were two of the best in-ring performers. He wasn't napping in the corner either (looking at you, Roman Reigns), but carried the match. In the end, the madman from Japan won this battle in what was a war of many matchups between the two human highlight reels. Triple H was a guy who was able to bring out the best in me, and thats one of the hallmarks of a great opponent. Internet Wrestling Database. used it to his advantage, forcing Blanchard to quit and reclaiming the U.S. There is no greater test of a wrestler's stamina than an Iron Man Match. And trust us, feuds don't come much bloodier than this. While the "Canadian Chrises" were universally acknowledged as among the world's best workers, they were still viewed as mid-carders at the time. There was a sudden respect because he had just gone through years of learning in one night. 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. The war between The Phenom and The Hardcore Legend went everywhere, even to the top of the haunting configuration. When people talk about Randy Orton, it's usually not as a hero, but he was perfect for the kind of opportunistic scoundrel villain that Christian was. BOBBY MELOK. MICHAEL BURDICK. I am fortunate to have those things happen more times than not in my life, which is why I am continuously, unbelievably thankful and amazed at what I was fortunate enough to be a part of. There was nothing pretty about a match between Masato Tanaka and Mike Awesome. It really wasnt a rivalry about who was better. Thats what happened when Rey Mysterio put his mask on the line against Chris Jerichos Intercontinental Championship at The Bash 2009. MATTHEW ARTUS, Fifteen years before the advent of WWEs Attitude Era, the sports-entertainment world witnessed true mayhem at the National Wrestling Alliances first Starrcade event. And you couldn't ask for a better opponent than Angle. 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. 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. But, in a twist nobody saw coming,The Eighth Wonder of the World ultimately foundhimself on the receiving end of a slam that instantly cemented the match in WWEhistory. Meanwhile, Brock Lesnar truly was "The Next Big Thing," being put in the main event on a WrestleMania card featuring Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Chris Jericho, Triple H, Hulk Hogan, The Rock and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. When wrestling is bad, dear God, it is terrible. Rob Van Dam vs. Jerry Lynn is like the sports-entertainment equivalent of the Arturo Gatti vs. Micky Ward boxing rivalry. The only thing missing was John Williams' score, though the rapid Miami crowd more than made up for it. But, by the time the match was over, fans didnt even care about Flair anymore. When Flair pulled out the win by jumping off the top rope with a cross body, it was such an amazing moment that you could understand why Flair tried (and failed) that move in every match he had after that. 1. solid block of Midwestern muscle mass that looked like he was summoned to life from Vince McMahon's dreams. 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. If the match would still be a classic with the sound off, it makes the cut. In the midst of complete disorder with bodies flying everywhere, Kane hurled Seth Rollins off the top rope and into the waiting RKO of The Viper. The Beast from the East answered with plenty of punishment of his own, including the "Oh My God!" Visit Sony LIV to sign in or sign up and enjoy WWE's premium content. 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. Lock and made his black-clad adversary tap out. "It was an incredible match, and if you watch it back now, it still holds up like a great movie. ", If you like watching two men beat the tar out of one another, this is just the match for you. The conquering of The Streak. When you watch this one on WWE Network, it won't take long for you to realize why. Bret Hart had better matches, but they were against better opponents. While gimmick matches can be used to disguise weak selling and bad storytelling, that was not the case here. But within the confines of what we had, it felt like we were creating art out there." Rude had the bout expertly planned out, as he tried to gain an insurmountable lead, going up 3-1 within the first 10 minutes of the half-hour-long contest. What more can be said about Bret Hart vs. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin's submission match at Wrestlemania 13? and seemed almost disinterested in the action. But the biggest winners would be the fans. "When I retired from full-time wrestling in 2000, you didnt really hear anything about 'defining WrestleMania moments.' Everybody seems to push it and go beyond that peak. 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. And each showed up ready for the fight of their lives. - The match must be available on WWE Network. 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. 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. 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. 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. As many expected, the 450-pound Mastodon imposed his will on the two-time WWE Hall of Famer, pummeling Flair around ringside. Randy Savage and DDP go hardcore, Ultimo Dragon and Yuji Nagata light up Las Vegas, Chris Jericho endures a struggle with Gedo and the Nature Boy brawls with Mr. Undertaker would get his chance at Badd Blood 1997 in the first-ever Hell In A Cell match. A lot of tag team wrestling can be very paint-by-numbers. In many ways it was a simple match in a relatively humble setting, but inside the ring, this was an epic. The bout soon reached its end with Tanaka's tornado DDT onto two steel chairs, leaving the ECW faithful both staggered and elated by the wanton destruction they witnessed in a short period of time. They do stuff in that match thats never been replicated. "Shawn was the perfect opponent because he was small enough that I could do some big guy stuff. "It was a special night for us both. Both guys came out bigger stars then they were before. 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. I think it helped people see Randy in a different way. 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? Yeah, it was pretty metal. 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. MIKE McAVENNIE. He's tough as hell. You don't, but The Deadman and The Heartbreak Kid certainly gave it a darn good try at WrestleMania XXVI, resulting in one of the best matches in WWE history. The endgame five Savage elbow drops failing, then three huge shoulder blocks from Warrior to set up the pin was ahead of its time. It was, quite literally, the WrestleMania main event that shook the world. Such skill, matched with The Showoffs amazing move set, electrified the crowd inside Minneapolis Target Center. If you are fortunate enough, work hard enough, hit all your marks, dont make any mistakes, you hold up your end, your guy holds up his end, and the situation, aura, awe, mystique and everything else falls into place, you get that match. BOBBY MELOK. What feverish mind dreamed up the atrocities that unfolded during TLC II? 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. "It was a lot briefer than some of the other confrontations I'm known for. So, when Stu said that, that was the point where I started thinking about retiring. Must be available on WWE Network opponent because he was summoned to from! Will on the line against Chris Jerichos Intercontinental Championship at the Bash 2009 gimmick was clever, a modified out... Of the best in-ring performers of all time John Williams ' score, though the rapid Miami crowd than... Only thing missing was John Williams ' score, though the rapid Miami crowd more made. Up for it in wrestling, '' Foley told WWE.com, both Michaels and Hart infamously refused to the. 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