The Top 25 Wrestling Matches Of All Time

"When I get bent, I must represent." ~ Black Moon

    So being a self-proclaimed "wrestling dork," I spend a gigantic amount of time on YouTube and various other platforms watching wrestling from today and from yesteryear, with a large quantity of my attention of course on the "Attitude Era." Another thing in keeping with the wrestling theme is that I like to see the opinions of fans and "experts" about how they interpreted and rank certain matches based on whatever criteria they deem necessary. I have to say that I haven't been too impressed with a large majority because, essentially, they all look the same. I've also noticed this when I am looking at lists about musicians and they're rank in terms of artists, bands, songs, albums, etc. I think a lot of people are afraid to take risks, and if they do, they over-compensate the ranking in order to attempt to be "bold and different."

    Personally, when concocting this list, I wanted to be different, but I didn't want to get super-weird with it. I think there are simply classic matches, which is why they are described as such. I also think that some matches have kind of been swept under the rug because of one reason or another. The list will mostly cover matches from my lifetime (basically 80s and on), so don't get offended if you don't see many Bruno Sanmartino or Pedro Morales matches...or get offended, I don't mind.

    First, let's go through a few matches that seem to pop up on a lot of lists, and why they should NOT make it...

The Rock vs. Steve Austin (Wrestlemania X-Seven, 2001): In what would become the death-nail of the Attitude Era, Stone Cold made arguably the worst heel turn of all-time in joining forces with the devil himself, Vince McMahon. The match overall is fine, but everything that happens at the end made me shake my head. First of all, the finish was really stupid. It wasn't a Stone Cold Stunner or a Rock Bottom that did the job. Rather, it was Stone Cold belting Rocky with a chair introduced by McMahon, which was so anti-climatic. Of course the reason why it misses the list is because of the negative connotations it caused after. Ratings went down, and even though Austin was meant to be despised, he was still cheered wherever he went. Such a sour note to end on for arguably the greatest wrestling PPV ever put on. 

1992 Royal Rumble: This will no doubt be remembered for two things: Ric Flair and the star-studded field, but after that, is there anything really redeemable here? Don't get me wrong, the story with Flair nearly running the entire gauntlet to win is great, and his "tear in my eye" promo after the match was even better, but when you actually watch this, it's pretty rough to watch. 

Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels (Wrestlemania XII, 1996): While I used to think this match was great, upon recent viewings, this match is kind of dull for the most part. With no decisions for either in the first sixty minutes of the match, this was like watching soccer where the teams kind of volleyed the ball back and forth for the entire game before it ended in a nil-nil tie. The decision to continue the match after the bell sounded also made no practical sense because it was never in the rules that the match would continue in case of a tie. If that was a known fact, Bret Hart, who dominated the conclusion of the bout, would have stayed on Michaels after the bell sounded. Instead, Hart had already left the ring with his title belt, giving Michaels time to recover from the sharpshooter Hart had locked on as the bell sounded. The match ended minutes later when Michaels super-kicked Hart for the victory. The finale also shone light on the incredible ego HBK had at the time, demanding Hart leave after the final bell had sounded so he could celebrate (I believe the exact words were "get out of my f*cking ring"). This would be a sign of times to come in terms of the WWE favoring Michaels over Hart leading up to the infamous Montreal Screwjob that happened one year later. I will say that the superkick spot into the timekeeper during the match was a great visual, but outside of that, there wasn't too much that was memorable here.

Hulk Hogan vs. Andre The Giant (Wrestlemania III, 1987): Obviously this match has one of the more memorable and enduring spots ever with Hogan body-slamming Andre at the end and hitting the leg-drop to end Andre's title reign...but what else happened? This match makes lists because of its "cultural significance," but that's literally it. The match itself was incredibly clunky, and another match on the card, which will be mentioned a little later, has overshadowed this match entirely.

Kurt Angle vs. Steve Austin vs. The Rock vs. The Undertaker vs. Triple H vs. Rikishi (Armageddon, 2000): Yet another match that will be remembered for one spot, this first, and only six-man Hell in a Cell match is really only known for Rikishi being tossed off the cell by the Undertaker. In reality, the reason this match is remembered is because it featured the biggest names of the late 90s - early 2000s. There was solid action that happened outside the ring when the entrants all made it out of the cage, but for this to be on an all-time list is lazy in my opinion.

#25: Thunder Rosa vs. Dr. Britt Baker (St. Patrick's Day Slam, 2021):

It what I believe will be my only submission that could even begin to be deemed somewhat "controversial," these two women put on arguably one of the best televised matches of all-time. Given the "Lights Out" stipulation, you knew going in that there would be weapons and everything else involved, but I don't think anyone in the crowd, or watching at home...or even people backstage who knew what was coming, expect how well this match was going to go off. Baker starts right off in her heelish ways by hitting an air-raid onto the aisleway within a minute of the match starting. From there, things escalated quickly. Rosa's Death Valley Driver spot to Baker on the ladder is one of the stand-outs, along with the visual of the blood pouring down Baker's face (which she's parlayed into a best-selling t-shirt), and her kickout at 2 1/2 after being power-bombed into a large pile of thumbtacks.

#24: Tyler Bate vs. Walter (UK Takeover: Cardiff, 2019):

So a classic David vs. Goliath set-up here, and if done correctly, those are some of the best matches you can get with a live audience pulling for the underdog and against the giant favorite. In this case though, Bate made it clear that this was not going to be ordinary, as he was able to pick up the bigger Walter and hurl him around the ring, with a giant crowd pop on every occurrence of this happening. Walter also looked amazingly agile for his size, and with that, the dynamic of "the unexpected" came full-circle, as now, everyone's premonitions on how this match would go had been thrown out the window. Ultimately Walter would prevail, but not before plenty of moments where it looked like Bate had him on the ropes and up against it.

#23: Kurt Angle vs. Brock Lesnar (Smackdown, 2003):

In what would be the first Iron Man match ever televised on TV by the WWF/E, Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar, the two greatest amateur wrestlers to ever turn professional, went 60 minutes on a September episode of Smackdown. Their match at Wrestlemania is more well-known, but that can mostly be attributed to Brock's now-infamous botched shooting star press. This match went back-and-forth but did feature Brock using cheap shots, low blows, and even a chair to gain the advantage. This could be looked at the precursor to Lesnar slipping back to the dark side as it was shown he would do literally anything to take back the title. It came down to the very end as Angle had his ankle lock sinched in, but was unable to make The Beast Incarnate tap, making Lesnar once again the champion.

#22: Steve Austin vs. Bret Hart (Survivor Series, 1996):

In what would be the first match of a legendary feud that would stretch almost until Bret Hart's departure from the WWF in 1997, these two powerhouses squared up in Madison Square Garden after months of build-up. Hart had been away from the company for six months, and during his hiatus, Steve Austin had gone from "The Ringmaster" to "Stone Cold," with him stealing the show seemingly every week on RAW cutting scathing promos against the Canadian hero ("if you put an "S" in front of Hitman, you have my exact thoughts on Bret Hart" was classic). While their next 1-on-1 encounter will be mentioned in a little bit, this was the precursor to that. The match itself is obviously a clinic, but perhaps Austin's walk to the ring could be the biggest thing to take out of it. Right in front of the camera upon his entrance, you could literally see the transition from professional to stone-cold killer, with an almost demonic look heading to the ring. The finish is a great story-telling mechanism as well, as Austin had the Million Dollar Dream submission locked on, but Bret reversed it into a pinfall that won him the match, leaving Austin in shock, which is possibly the time when Austin needed to forget about his past with Ted DiBiase, and focus more on his present and future, making the Stone Cold Stunner his de facto finisher from here on in.

#21: The Rock vs. Hollywood Hogan (Wrestlemania X8, 2002):

Going into this match at Wrestlemania, you kind of knew what the outcome would end up being. Hogan, as the heel, would try some dastardly things to win the match, but Rock, as the babyface, would wind up overcoming and winning the match because at the time, Rock was a far superior athlete and wrestler than Hogan, who was on the final lap of his career, was. What ended up happening though was the fiery Toronto crowd treated Hogan like he was coming out in 1990 at Wrestlemania VI (also in the SkyDome) to face the Ultimate Warrior. He was lauded with praise and cheered throughout the entirety of the match, making the two participants have to change the match on the fly to counter this seemingly new development. As Hogan "hulked up" towards the end of the bout, a spot that was improved in the match, the crowd went into an absolute frenzy. So while maybe the quality of the match was par for the Wrestlemania course, the atmosphere was possibly the most electric it has been in the company's long history.

#20: Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa (Takeover: Chicago, 2018):

In what became the biggest rivalry in the history of the NXT brand, Gargano and Ciampa put on a trilogy of matches stemming from Ciampa's shocking betrayal of Gargano, which took place in Chicago a year prior to this match. While their first encounter at Takeover: New Orleans was an epic encounter, I favor this match because of the gripping storytelling between the two former best friends and tag partners. It got so personal that, at one point, Ciampa ripped the wedding band off Gargano's finger and hurling it into the crowd. Another aspect that makes this is a classic is its finish. With Ciampa prone and handcuffed, it appeared Gargano was about to garner yet another victory in the feud, when Ciampa was able to headlock Gargano and blast a draping DDT onto the exposed wood of the mat to score the victory, in one of the most out-of-nowhere endings in modern wrestling history.

#19: Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart (SummerSlam, 1994):

While it's possible their encounter at Wrestlemania X is held in higher regard by some, I prefer the Hart brothers' bout at that year's SummerSlam for a few reasons. First, it was for the WWF Championship, and would easily be the closest time Owen had to become the company's #1 man. Second, the steel cage presented so many close calls in terms of the end of the match which included both men frantically trying to escape via the door or climbing over the top of the cage. The match went back and forth so much that there really wasn't any clear advantage for either brother, which meant every attempt to win was ratcheted up more and more as the match went along. Third was the constant shots of the Hart parents, Jim Neidhart, and Davie Boy Smith, which further encapsulated how the entire Hart family was torn as to who they wanted to become victorious.

#18: Kenny Omega & Adam Page vs. Young Bucks (Revolution, 2020)

While the Young Bucks and Omega were at this point very-much household names, this would be the match that established "Hangman" Adam Page as a bona fide superstar. While of course rising to fame along with the three in Japan being in the Bullet Club, it would be this match that made Page a main-eventer, with his rise culminating in capturing the AEW World Championship from, of all people, Kenny Omega the next year. All the participants emptied out everything in their respective arsenals, with Page ending the match by using Omega's One-Winged Angel finisher to get the win for his team.

#17: Mankind vs. Undertaker (King of the Ring, 1998): 

It can't be overstated how tough the Undertaker is, as he basically did this entire match on one leg as he was dealing with a broken foot at the time. However, when we look back on this, it all comes down to Mick Foley, as he endured two of possibly the most dangerous spots in wrestling history, flying off and through the Hell in a Cell. A lot of people have this match ranked higher, but this makes the list in terms of the sheer brutalness of the events that took place. In reality, for a 25-minute match, there is probably only six or seven minutes of actually grappling, with most of the time checking to see if Foley had survived the horrific falls he was put through.

#16: CM Punk vs. John Cena (Money In The Bank, 2011):

A match that had possibly the best build-up of the last 20 or so years, CM Punk would take on John Cena for the world title in Chicago, Punk's hometown. If you were not aware of this going in, it was made evident by the crowd in attendance, who went bat-shit crazy upon the arrival of their native son, who at the time was meant to be a heel. The match had been billed as possibly Punk's last in a WWE ring, as noted by his "pipe bomb" promo, which blurred the lines of kayfabe and reality in one of the landmark moments of modern professional wrestling. The match itself was very entertaining as well. Cena was booed unmercifully, and despite the "you can't wrestle" chants, made a very strong showing. Despite Mr. McMahon's best efforts at the end to win the match for Cena, Punk would emerge victorious and escape through the crowd with the belt.

Young Bucks vs. Lucha Bros. (All Out, 2021):

Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels (Badd Blood, 1997)

Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels (Wrestlemania XXV, 2009)

Steve Austin vs. Bret Hart (Wrestlemania 13, 1997)

Mick Foley vs. Randy Orton (Backlash, 2004)
Rey Mysterio, Jr. vs. Eddie Guerrero (Halloween Havoc, 1997)
Chris Benoit vs, Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels (Wrestlemania XX, 2004)
Bayley vs. Sasha Banks (Takeover: Brooklyn, 2015)
Kenny Omega vs. Kazuchika Okada (Dominon, 2018)
A.J. Styles vs. Samoa Joe vs. Christopher Daniels (Unbreakable, 2005)
Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat (Wrestlemania III, 1987)
Kenny Omega vs. Kazuchika Okada (Wrestle Kingdom XI, 2017)
Razor Ramon vs. Shawn Michaels (Wrestlemania X, 1994)
Ric Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat (Chi-Town Rumble, 1989)
Hardy Boyz vs. Dudley Boys vs. Edge & Christian (Wrestlemania X-Seven, 2001)