Greatest Match in WWE History?

[Strand Peanut]

I will say also, Cena vs Umaga might the most underrated great WWE Title match in WWE history.

This match was praised when it happened, and it has continued unabated since. It's also the goto defense for a Cena Can Wrestle discussion.

 

I'm not trying to argue taste, or single out this poster, but this match has never been under rated. Or under the radar.

 

Sorry, I just see it often mentioned over theyears when this match comes up.. always leaves me a little puzzled.

[jushin muta liger]

 

I will say also, Cena vs Umaga might the most underrated great WWE Title match in WWE history.

This match was praised when it happened, and it has continued unabated since. It's also the goto defense for a Cena Can Wrestle discussion.

 

I'm not trying to argue taste, or single out this poster, but this match has never been under rated. Or under the radar.

 

Sorry, I just see it often mentioned over theyears when this match comes up.. always leaves me a little puzzled.

I feel like this has been buried a little bit when people talk about great Cena matches over the years. And I'm not talking about PWO posters, I'm talking about in terms of the Internet fans collectively. It wasn't on the top 100 matches WWE.com had and I thought they did a good job considering the circumstances of their work environment.

[Parties]

Largely compiled from my Smarkschoice “Best WWF/E” ballot from 2008, with new stuff added. Ten favorites in bold:

 

Pre-Expansion:

Backlund-Valentine (MSG '79)

Backlund-Patera (MSG '80)

Backlund-Patera (Texas Death '80)

Backlund-Hogan (Philadelphia '80)

Backlund-Muraco (Texas Death '81)

Backlund-Slaughter (Cage Match, Philadelphia Spectrum '81)

 

The Hogan match is underrated despite doing well on the DVDVR set.

 

Titan Sports:

North-South Connection vs. Briscos (MSG '84)

Santana-Valentine (MSG '84)

Santana-Valentine (Cage Match '85)

Slaughter-Sheik (MSG '84)

Slaughter-Sheik (Boot Camp)

Hogan-Schultz (Tuesday Night Titans '84)

Windham-Murdoch (Philadelphia '85)

Savage-Santana (MSG '86)

Savage-Hogan (MSG '86)

Savage-Steamboat (Boston '86)

Savage-Steamboat (Toronto '86)

Savage/Race/Adonis vs. Steamboat/Piper/Junkyard Dog (MSG '87)

Garvin-Valentine (MSG '89)

 

I've gained an appreciation for this era and all the good workers that came in via the departed territories. I like the multi-man opportunities for them to bounce off each other and wish there had been better trios during the MSG era. There's a six man with Mr. Fuji working a match in the mid-eighties with Muraco and someone against Steamboat and I think JYD from I think Toronto that is really fun.

 

New Generation/Attitude:

Bret vs. Doink/Lawler (Summerslam '93)

Shawn Michaels/Diesel vs. Razor Ramon/123 Kid (Action Zone '94)

Austin-Bret (SS '96)

Austin-Bret (Submission Match)

Austin-Rock '03

 

For Austin-Hart I prefer the Mania match. Probably the best WWE example of something that's more legendary in hindsight. Against all odds I love the '03 Austin-Rock match, far moreso than '01. It's shorter, more intense, and historically major.

 

Post-Austin:

Benoit-Regal (Velocity '05)

Eddie-Mysterio (Smackdown '05)

MNM vs. Mysterio/Batista (Cage Match, Smackdown '05)

Benoit-Finlay (Judgment Day '06)

Benoit-Finlay (SD '06)

 

Post-Benoit:

Cena-Umaga '07

Big Show-Mayweather '08

Cena-Lesnar (Extreme Rules)

Bray-Bryan (Rumble '14)

Wyatts-Shield (EC '14)

 

I also really loved the whole presentation of Cesaro-Kofi on Main Event: it's not good enough to be among the best, but a miracle match for Kingston and the whole promo at the end made for a cool, totally unexpected showing. I like Big Show vs. Mayweather more than most and it's a total spectacle, but it had a unique energy and is highly underrated among recent memory.

[sek69]

 

Maybe I'm just a big Patterson mark, but the Slaughter/Patterson alley fight at MSG is way up there for me.

I also really really love this match.

 

 

 

Is it just me or does it seem like Pat Patterson is one of the most underrated guys around? It's weird because everyone is on board that he's good, but whenever you watch a match of his it's like "wow this is really fucking good". I guess it's either a case of there not being a lot of footage available since his California stuff is all but lost, or most people's memories still are of him as part of the Stooges, but it's always a surprise how good he was in the ring.

 

 

(also it makes them not putting old (W)WWF MSG shows up on the Network more frustrating since there's bound to be a few gems in there to be found)

[...TG]

Interesting that I don't see a lot of love for Steamboat-Savage from WM3 in this thread. I don't love it (not a Steamboat fan) but it's usually up there in company-approved lists.

[flyonthewall2983]

The best match of WrestleMania III was Can-Am Connection/Orton & Muraco.

[jpchicago23]

Angle v Benoit is a fantastic match and one I forgot. It's also one of those matches that became popular to bash online so people started joining in on it I think.

[fakeplastictrees]

Not sure Angle/Benoit makes my top 10 all time matches from the promotion, but very possibly my favorite from at post-Mania 17 until maybe Cena/Umaga, if not later. Speaking of Mania 17, Rock/Austin is definitely on that list for me.

 

People talk about Angle/Beniot from RR, but I think their WM17 match was better and I believe they had a match at No Mercy (?) that was built around who was the better submission expert which of course lead to the match ending in a roll-up. I was reading through this thread and was disappointed this match wasn't mentioned as it would definitely be in my top 20 easy. Some really good choices in here. A top 100 WWE matches of all time list would be extremely interesting. Question: How many 'comedy' matches would make the list? WeeLC for example and the blindfold match Santino did on Raw some years ago- seriously the best blindfold match EVER.

[WingedEagle]

Interesting that I don't see a lot of love for Steamboat-Savage from WM3 in this thread. I don't love it (not a Steamboat fan) but it's usually up there in company-approved lists.

 

I might've loved it if I watched it in or close to '87. By the time I was old enough to appreciate good wrestling, which was years after having this touted as a GOAT, it seemed like a good match. Say about 3-3.25 stars? I wonder if its similar to Michaels-Razor at Mania 10 in that it felt state of the art when it took place but following years filled with matches that met or exceeded the original, which loses much of its luster when looked back upon.

[Wade Garrett]

These are my Top 30 in order by date which I continue to add to as the years go by. Some end up being bumped but it's been very few. If I did a watch over the next month I could come up with a number #1.

 

04.21.80 Patera-Patterson

05.19.80 Patera-Backlund

01.10.81 Slaughter-Backlund

05.04.81 Slaughter-Patterson

06.06.81 Hansen-Backlund

05.21.84 Slaughter-Iron Sheik

06.16.84 Slaughter-Iron Sheik

12.28.84 Murdoch/Adonis-Brisco Bros

02.16.85 Murdoch-Windham

06.21.85 Steamboat-Valentine

07.06.85 Valentine-Santana

07.20.85 Steamboat-Orton Jr

04.22.86 Savage-Santana

07.26.86 Steamboat-Savage

08.09.86 Steamboat-Roberts

09.30.89 Valentine-Garvin

10.31.89 Anderson/Blanchard-Jannetty/Michaels

04.05.92 Flair-Savage

11.17.96 Austin-Hart

03.23.97 Austin-Hart

02.25.01 Austin-HHH

10.20.02 Lesnar-Taker

04.29.12 Lesnar-Cena

07.22.13 Bryan-Cesaro

08.18.13 Bryan-Cena

10.14.13 Rollins/Reigns-Rhodes Bros

02.23.14 Ambrose/Rollins/Reigns-Wyatt/Harper/Rowan

03.03.14 Ambrose/Rollins/Reigns-Wyatt/Harper/Rowan

04.07.14 Bryan-HHH

08.17.14 Lesnar-Cena

[Grimmas]

Angle v Benoit is a fantastic match and one I forgot. It's also one of those matches that became popular to bash online so people started joining in on it I think.

No, it just stunk. It was a total look at us do moves aren't we cool match.

 

I don't care if every single person on earth loved that match, I think its awful!

[JerryvonKramer]

 

 

Maybe I'm just a big Patterson mark, but the Slaughter/Patterson alley fight at MSG is way up there for me.

 

I also really really love this match.

 

Is it just me or does it seem like Pat Patterson is one of the most underrated guys around? It's weird because everyone is on board that he's good, but whenever you watch a match of his it's like "wow this is really fucking good". I guess it's either a case of there not being a lot of footage available since his California stuff is all but lost, or most people's memories still are of him as part of the Stooges, but it's always a surprise how good he was in the ring.

 

 

(also it makes them not putting old (W)WWF MSG shows up on the Network more frustrating since there's bound to be a few gems in there to be found)

We pimped him bing on Titans as the MVP of 1979 a year or so ago. He has a string of great ones with DiBiase, Backlund and Patera. I prefer him as a heel, but his performance in that Slaughter feud is also great.

 

Patterson seems like one of the best workers of the 70s to me. A very expressive performer.

 

The trouble is that outside of his New York runs, I don't know if anything else is out there. He doesn't seem to be on the LA/San Francisco footage I've seen available.

[BigBadMick]

Bret Hart vs Owen hart at Wrestlemania 10

Bret Hart vs Steve Austin at Wrestlemania 13.

Undertaker vs Mankind at KOTR 98.

Shawn Michaels vs Kurt Angle at Wrestlemania 21

Shawn Michaels vs Undertaker at Wrestlemania 25

 

It's all subjective of course. If I wanted to make arguments why the above matches weren't good, I could. But these 5 matches to me are brilliant each for different reasons. Hart / Austin at WM13 may be my favourite ever WWE match.

Interesting - I prefer Taker-Michaels at WM 26 - shorter, tighter, more at stake.

 

Anyone with me?

[iamthedoctor]

Too much love for Austin isnt always a good thing. I know he saved the WWF from crumbling down in the 1990s alough to be fair that was a team effort with other guys.

 

He always seemed limited in his work in the WWF even before the neck injury something you didnt see in WCW.

 

Bret/HBK should be up there as a top match.

[Fantastic]

Too much love for Austin isnt always a good thing. I know he saved the WWF from crumbling down in the 1990s alough to be fair that was a team effort with other guys.

 

He always seemed limited in his work in the WWF even before the neck injury something you didnt see in WCW.

 

Bret/HBK should be up there as a top match.

 

Austin's big matches had amazing heat. If only the wrestling had been better (which it couldn't be, given the limitations Austin had following the injury at Summerslam 97), there might be some of his matches in the "greatness" category. Certainly, a straight up wrestling match between let's say, a 100% Austin vs. 2000/2001 Triple H could have been legendary. Instead, we simply got brawls or gimmick matches (like the three stages of hell, which was quite good admittedly).

[soup23]

I like WM 26 Shawn/Taker better than 25. Felt like more of a fight to me and more focus on a body part selling. I also genuinely thought the ending was in question too which is a component for me in evaluating Taker matches.

[JerryvonKramer]

My two least favourite hyped matches of all time. WM26 one especially. I think I gave it **.

[Yo-Yo's Roomie]

I also prefer the 26 match to 25, and haven't seen a really good argument why 25 is better. When I did my big ranking of all the Mania matches, I think I had the 26 match at 5 or 6, and the 25 match down around the 40s.

[WingedEagle]

Too much love for Austin isnt always a good thing. I know he saved the WWF from crumbling down in the 1990s alough to be fair that was a team effort with other guys.

 

 

Not exactly the place for it, but I think his role in turning things around was as much a single-handed effort as any. If you want to include another performer there I can see giving the nod to Vince for arguably the greatest heel ever and being the perfect foil for Austin's character, but he was pulling a ton of weight.

[concrete1992]

Bless those that think WM26>WM25 for Taker vs Michaels. Watched them back to back one, which was a first viewing for both, and the 26 one played off so much better for me. Pretty much steals a routine from the first match and then adds to it. PLUS, I don't need to see Taker almost die on a dive.

[JerryvonKramer]

Can someone explain to me why they like the WM26 match? I've seen it a couple of times and really despise it. Awful. The worst of modern main event style. I find it really surprising how high people whose opinions I respect are on it.

[fakeplastictrees]

 

Bret/HBK should be up there as a top match.

 

 

I hope you are not talking about their WM12 match? My top 100 WWE matches of all time DO NOT INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:

 

HBK/Taker WM25

HBK/Hart WM12

Razor/HBK WM10

 

I just see too many faults with all those matches that don't make them enjoyable outside of the first watch (and even then I didn't enjoy the WM25 match). HBK and Taker cosplaying an ROH Edwards/Richards match did nothing for me. The forced epic? No thank you!

[Coffey]

If someone had The Shield Vs. The Wyatt Family from Elimination Chamber 2014 on their list, I wouldn't bat an eye. That match was, in my opinion, perfect. Great atmosphere, great work, good finish.

 

I just recently watched Mr. Perfect Vs. Bret Hart from King of the Ring '93, after someone here pimped it, and that match is also great.

 

Bret Hart Vs. Steve Austin from Wrestlemania 13 came to mind. I also love Rock/Hogan from WM19 for purely selfish & nostalgic reasons. I was emotionally drained after that match. Shit was a roller coaster for someone that grew up from being an eight-year-old Hulkamaniac.

[Sidebottom]

Can someone explain to me why they like the WM26 match? I've seen it a couple of times and really despise it. Awful. The worst of modern main event style. I find it really surprising how high people whose opinions I respect are on it.

 

Sometimes it's hard to explain why you like something. It would be like me trying to explain why Phil Collins' "One More Night" is one of my favorite songs in contrast to millions of others. Perhaps it conjures memories, a couple of words hit true, a few cords pull heart muscles. It's all so samey to everything else and as I wrote earlier, at the end of the day it's subjective.

 

26 for me felt like an epilogue of the 25 one. The 25 one I rate highly as I remember watching it at the time on the edge of my seat. When Taker twatted his head I honestly thought they'd be going home straight afterwards. If memory serves, a big move was hit very shortly after which I naturally thought would be it. I'm not a fan of the repeated kick out culture of big moves, but in this context of thinking the match would end quickly I found it gripping. Then the match kept going and going... fluid, intense... to me it was brilliant.

 

Haven't watched 26 since it happened whereas I've had repeated viewings of 25. I'll have to get round to watching it again soon.

[MJH]

I think with WWE, more than any other company, talking of "greatest match ever" is a tad complicated because it's so often about the big moment; Bret/Perfect from KOTR is a wonderful, tight pro-wrestling match, one of the better face-vs-face-till-one-guy-turns-when-he's-getting-the-lesser-of-it matches I've seen, etc... and it's a far better "match" than, to pick an obvious example, Savage/Warrior at Mania 7, but where Bret/Perfect is really a nothing match in the grand scheme of things, Savage/Warrior is this big, famous event unto itself and much more of what WWE is really about when you get down to it. Similarly, and I haven't watched it in a good number of years now to say with any certainty, Bret/Austin at Survivor Series may be a better bell-to-bell match than Mania, but Mania is so much more than just the match and I doubt I have to point out why it's far more famous than the MSG one, y'know?

 

And so given the above, I think it's about what matches best combine (or balance) both elements. Austin/Rock at WM17 is a great pick to me: you have a really strong "match" of Austin's growing desperation that builds perfectly into him turning; and you have this massive event that culminates one of the hottest periods in the history of the business.