Matt's Mat Musings: My 100 Favourite Wrestling Matches, Part 1
I really wanted to get writing again to get through these weird times, but every time I try and write about movies I just get depressed about cinemas being closed. So with that in mind, I reverted back to my first love, professional wrestling. The thing is, I literally don't remember a time when I wasn't a wrestling fan. My household was one of the first in Burnley to get a satellite dish and cable so I've been watching the WWF since before I have memories, and that early introduction soon grew into a passion for the entire medium. I choose that word, "medium", with great consideration when it comes to trying to explain my love for the wrasslin' business to my non-fan friends. In my opinion, the essence of pro-wrestling is as a medium for the telling of dramatic stories and conflicts, between dynamic personalities, that blur the lines between truth and fiction utilizing a language of physical combat. All of my favourite matches tend to be some combination of characters, story and physical content. There is truly no other medium of storytelling quite like it.
So with that in mind, and the hounds of boredom at the door, I decided to compile a list of my 10 favourite matches of all time, a list that quickly ballooned into over 100. Rather then just keep that list to myself, I figured why not inflict it on all of you, and if I'm going to do that, I might as well write a little about each match and heck, why not include a link to each match where possible.
So, as to not overwhelm you all, here's part one of my top 100 wrestling matches of all time. I hope this provides anyone who reads it, with a pleasant distraction in these trying times and I'll get the next part online tomorrow.
100) Rob Van Dam vs Jerry Lynn ECW Hardcore Heaven 1999
The sad truth of the matter is that, away from it's ultra-edgy 90's setting, most of ECW's content between the ropes has not aged well. That being said, if you were to distill the best of what the company had to offer, specifically dynamic personalities, state of the art technical wrestling and wanton violence, down into one match, this would be it. Rob Van Dam seemed ahead of his time in 1999 but the truth is that Jerry Lynn would have the bigger impact on subsequent generations of talent. These two men had a lot of matches but none were better than this. That being said, RVD's time wasting bollocks at the start irritates me to this day.
Full Match (1/2): https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6cd78
Full Match (2/2): https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6cdol
99) Bret Hart & Owen Hart vs The Steiner Brothers WWF WrestleFest 1994
This is quite simply a masterclass in tag team wrestling. Bret Hart was my favourite wrestler in 1994 and the Steiners are one of the greatest tag teams of all time so this was a dream match for me and the reason I wore the VHS out. My older self can also appreciate the magnificent talent Owen possessed and how horribly underutilized he was before his life was tragically cut short. As great as this match is, the screwy finish does spoil things a bit. That being said, there are worse ways to spend 25 mins.
Full Match: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x30cjo8
98) Samoa Joe vs The Necro Butcher IWA:MS Something To Prove 2005
This match. This bloody match. A quick history. In 2005, Samoa Joe was hot off a near 2 year run as ROH Champion and widly regarded as the best unsigned talent in the world. The Necro Butcher was a CZW mainstay notorious for his ultraviolent deathmatches. In storyline, Necro had roughed up a couple of Joe's student and Joe was looking for revenge. In reality, Joe didn't want to be associated with Butcher and had to be convinced to take this match. The lesson we should all learn, is that you should never cross a large Samoan. Throw in CM Punk and Eddie Kingston on guest commentary and you've got one of the most unique and memorable matches the US indie wrestling scene ever produced.
Full Match: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMU5S9VHhJM
97) Cody Rhodes & Goldust vs Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns WWE Battleground 2013
In the ring, this is just a really solid tag team match, but the drama around the match makes it something special. The storyline was this, The Authority were on a power mad rampage and had decided to target the Rhodes family. They fired Cody. They fired Dusty Rhodes as NXT GM and they put Goldust through hell. This match sees Dusty as cornerman while his sons team up for the first time to fight The Authority's lapdogs, The Shield. Rollins and Reigns, with Ambrose in the corner, all live up to their roles but this match is all about the Rhodes boys. From Goldust proving he is one of the all time best workers, Cody showing the seeds of the babyface fire that would blossom in AEW and Dusty taking Ambrose to the learning tree, the Rhodes family are all exceptional and with the right finish, this one provides genuinely feel good vibes.
Full Match: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tex0xDWGcPI&t=403s
96) The Undertaker vs Mankind WWF King Of The Ring 1996
As a child, I was never an Undertaker fan, and by the mid 90's I was thoroughly bored by his act. Cactus Jack on the otherhand, had haunted my nightmares in early 90's WCW, and caused me to turn tape trader in the mid 90's thanks to his work in ECW and Japan in the mid 90's. So it's safe to say, I had mixed feelings when Cactus went to the WWF and transformed into Mankind, only to be matched with the Undertaker. I shouldn't have worried as this match is an absolute blinder, and not only proved Mick Foley as one of the best workers in the business but also thoroughly reinvigorated The Undertaker and provided his first truly great wrestling match. They would go on to have more "memorable" encounters (ominous foreshadowing for later in this list) but this is the match that kickstarted a truly epic feud.
Full Match: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5teyv8
95) Shawn Michaels vs Triple H WWE Taboo Tuesday 2004
This may be a surprising inclusion in this list but it exemplifies what is truly unique about the storytelling potential of pro-wrestling. First, a little back story. Throughout the late 90's, Michaels and HHH had been inseperable both in the ring and behind the scenes. When Michaels was forced to cut his career short in 1998 due to injury, his buddy HHH seized on the opportunity to edge his way closer to the main event, a task he achieved throughout the early 2000's. Then, miraculously, in 2002 Michaels was able to return to the ring. The two then embarked upon an extended feud and many memorable matches (more on that later in the list) almost to the point of exhausting the rivalry. Meanwhile, in an attempt to innovate, the WWE introduced the Taboo Tuesday PPV, a show where fan vote would decide the stipulations and competitors in the matches. Triple H as defending champion, was faced with the possibility of facing either former champion Chris Benoit, rising star Edge or old rival Shawn Michaels. So confident were management that the fans had grown tired of this feud that when Michaels legitimately tore his meniscus the night before the event, they didn't withdraw him from the selection and guess what? The fans chose Michaels. Rather than just cancel the match or rig the voting results, the match between HHH and a one-legged Shawn Michaels went ahead, and reader, it was great. An absolute masterclass in psychology and "selling" (the art of communicating pain to the audience) so successful that it's easy to overlook how little they actual did in the match. An extended figure four leglock is one of the most dramatic sequences of the year and a tribute to both men. Well worth a watch.
Full Match: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xk45rh
94) Sting & Lex Luger vs The Steiner Brothers WCW SuperBrawl I 1991
You could easily copy and paste what I wrote about the previous Steiner brothers match on this list for this entry, but there is slightly more going on here. Sting and the Steiners had a long history as allies, and Luger was legitimately Sting's best friend. But Luger had a history of being an egotistical heel and bad blood with the Steiners. Subsequently the drama levels in this match, surpass the Hart match and the finish is stronger. It also has one of the greatest wrestling promo videos ever to build hype for a match that has no real reason to be taking place. Another favourite from my childhood and the main reason I bought SuperBrawl on VHS.
Full Match & Promo Video: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3aej73
93) Doug Williams vs Eddie Guerrero FWA Revival 2002
On the surface, this is just a great technical match between two men at the top of their craft, but the history behind each man merits it's inclusion on this list. I first came across Doug Williams in the late 90's quite by accident, and he blew my mind. I've always had a fondness for technical wrestlers and here was a Brit who was every bit as good as the talent I followed in WCW and the WWF. With every passing year I hoped he would get the recognition I felt he deserved, but seemed ever elusive on the UK independent scene. Meanwhile, Eddie Guerrero was headed in a very different direction. Widely regarded as one of the greatest in-ring performers of all time, nagging injuries and a recurring drug problem had seen Guerrero fired from WWE, with the promise of a potential return. At this stage, Eddie had got clean and was determined to earn his way back to the big leagues. As a result, when Williams and Guerrero clashed in this one night tournament, both men had a lot to prove, and prove it they did. After this match, Williams' stock would rise and he would become a regular on both the US indie scene and also in Japan, while Guerrero would be back in the WWF by the summer and both men earn their success in this match.
Full Match: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNfaRA8pYvE
92) Nigel McGuiness vs Tyler Black ROH Take No Prisoners 2008
I'll get more into Nigel's career later in this list, but at this stage I'll simply say that Nigel McGuiness was one of the greatest wrestlers Britain has ever produced and was largely underappreciated due to his proximity to talent such as (Daniel) Bryan Danielson and Samoa Joe. His reign as ROH Champion, despite it's length, was met with mixed responses from ROH's notoriously fickle audience. That being said, this is the match where Nigel proves beyond a shadow of a doubt he had what it took to be a long term champion. In this match, he takes a promising rookie (the future Seth Rollins) and makes him look like a true main eventer by the end of the match. An outstanding job by both men and a true feather in Nigel's cap.
Full Match: https://www.bilibili.com/video/av45830703/
91) Rebecca Knox vs Daizee Haze (Best 2 Out Of 3 Falls) Shimmer Vol. 5 2006
Shimmer Women Athletes was (and still is) the premiere women's independent wrestling promotion in the United States. Almost all of the critically acclaimed women in the WWE at present, have passed through Shimmer at some stage, to the extent that former long-term Shimmer champion, Sara Del Ray, is a current top trainer at the WWE Performance Center for both men and women. Further proof of Shimmer's impact is that one of the competitors in this match, Rebecca Knox, is now much better known as Becky Lynch (one of the WWE's top stars) and as good as Knox is in this match, she's blown away by Daizee Haze. Haze retired around 10 years ago with little fanfare but in her time she was one of the best in-ring performers in wrestling and this is a crowning match for her. Throw in my favourite match stipulation and you end up with what was at the time, the best women's technical wrestling match I'd ever seen. It may seem fairly tame by today's standard, but it was gold at the time.
Full Match: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNrL5oGskvU&t=1628s
That's my first installment done, I'll get the next one up tomorrow so that those of you so inclined can watch some of these matches, and I can drag this out as long as possible to keep myself sane.
So with that in mind, and the hounds of boredom at the door, I decided to compile a list of my 10 favourite matches of all time, a list that quickly ballooned into over 100. Rather then just keep that list to myself, I figured why not inflict it on all of you, and if I'm going to do that, I might as well write a little about each match and heck, why not include a link to each match where possible.
So, as to not overwhelm you all, here's part one of my top 100 wrestling matches of all time. I hope this provides anyone who reads it, with a pleasant distraction in these trying times and I'll get the next part online tomorrow.
100) Rob Van Dam vs Jerry Lynn ECW Hardcore Heaven 1999
The sad truth of the matter is that, away from it's ultra-edgy 90's setting, most of ECW's content between the ropes has not aged well. That being said, if you were to distill the best of what the company had to offer, specifically dynamic personalities, state of the art technical wrestling and wanton violence, down into one match, this would be it. Rob Van Dam seemed ahead of his time in 1999 but the truth is that Jerry Lynn would have the bigger impact on subsequent generations of talent. These two men had a lot of matches but none were better than this. That being said, RVD's time wasting bollocks at the start irritates me to this day.
Full Match (1/2): https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6cd78
Full Match (2/2): https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6cdol
99) Bret Hart & Owen Hart vs The Steiner Brothers WWF WrestleFest 1994
This is quite simply a masterclass in tag team wrestling. Bret Hart was my favourite wrestler in 1994 and the Steiners are one of the greatest tag teams of all time so this was a dream match for me and the reason I wore the VHS out. My older self can also appreciate the magnificent talent Owen possessed and how horribly underutilized he was before his life was tragically cut short. As great as this match is, the screwy finish does spoil things a bit. That being said, there are worse ways to spend 25 mins.
Full Match: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x30cjo8
98) Samoa Joe vs The Necro Butcher IWA:MS Something To Prove 2005
This match. This bloody match. A quick history. In 2005, Samoa Joe was hot off a near 2 year run as ROH Champion and widly regarded as the best unsigned talent in the world. The Necro Butcher was a CZW mainstay notorious for his ultraviolent deathmatches. In storyline, Necro had roughed up a couple of Joe's student and Joe was looking for revenge. In reality, Joe didn't want to be associated with Butcher and had to be convinced to take this match. The lesson we should all learn, is that you should never cross a large Samoan. Throw in CM Punk and Eddie Kingston on guest commentary and you've got one of the most unique and memorable matches the US indie wrestling scene ever produced.
Full Match: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMU5S9VHhJM
97) Cody Rhodes & Goldust vs Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns WWE Battleground 2013
In the ring, this is just a really solid tag team match, but the drama around the match makes it something special. The storyline was this, The Authority were on a power mad rampage and had decided to target the Rhodes family. They fired Cody. They fired Dusty Rhodes as NXT GM and they put Goldust through hell. This match sees Dusty as cornerman while his sons team up for the first time to fight The Authority's lapdogs, The Shield. Rollins and Reigns, with Ambrose in the corner, all live up to their roles but this match is all about the Rhodes boys. From Goldust proving he is one of the all time best workers, Cody showing the seeds of the babyface fire that would blossom in AEW and Dusty taking Ambrose to the learning tree, the Rhodes family are all exceptional and with the right finish, this one provides genuinely feel good vibes.
Full Match: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tex0xDWGcPI&t=403s
96) The Undertaker vs Mankind WWF King Of The Ring 1996
As a child, I was never an Undertaker fan, and by the mid 90's I was thoroughly bored by his act. Cactus Jack on the otherhand, had haunted my nightmares in early 90's WCW, and caused me to turn tape trader in the mid 90's thanks to his work in ECW and Japan in the mid 90's. So it's safe to say, I had mixed feelings when Cactus went to the WWF and transformed into Mankind, only to be matched with the Undertaker. I shouldn't have worried as this match is an absolute blinder, and not only proved Mick Foley as one of the best workers in the business but also thoroughly reinvigorated The Undertaker and provided his first truly great wrestling match. They would go on to have more "memorable" encounters (ominous foreshadowing for later in this list) but this is the match that kickstarted a truly epic feud.
Full Match: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5teyv8
95) Shawn Michaels vs Triple H WWE Taboo Tuesday 2004
This may be a surprising inclusion in this list but it exemplifies what is truly unique about the storytelling potential of pro-wrestling. First, a little back story. Throughout the late 90's, Michaels and HHH had been inseperable both in the ring and behind the scenes. When Michaels was forced to cut his career short in 1998 due to injury, his buddy HHH seized on the opportunity to edge his way closer to the main event, a task he achieved throughout the early 2000's. Then, miraculously, in 2002 Michaels was able to return to the ring. The two then embarked upon an extended feud and many memorable matches (more on that later in the list) almost to the point of exhausting the rivalry. Meanwhile, in an attempt to innovate, the WWE introduced the Taboo Tuesday PPV, a show where fan vote would decide the stipulations and competitors in the matches. Triple H as defending champion, was faced with the possibility of facing either former champion Chris Benoit, rising star Edge or old rival Shawn Michaels. So confident were management that the fans had grown tired of this feud that when Michaels legitimately tore his meniscus the night before the event, they didn't withdraw him from the selection and guess what? The fans chose Michaels. Rather than just cancel the match or rig the voting results, the match between HHH and a one-legged Shawn Michaels went ahead, and reader, it was great. An absolute masterclass in psychology and "selling" (the art of communicating pain to the audience) so successful that it's easy to overlook how little they actual did in the match. An extended figure four leglock is one of the most dramatic sequences of the year and a tribute to both men. Well worth a watch.
Full Match: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xk45rh
94) Sting & Lex Luger vs The Steiner Brothers WCW SuperBrawl I 1991
You could easily copy and paste what I wrote about the previous Steiner brothers match on this list for this entry, but there is slightly more going on here. Sting and the Steiners had a long history as allies, and Luger was legitimately Sting's best friend. But Luger had a history of being an egotistical heel and bad blood with the Steiners. Subsequently the drama levels in this match, surpass the Hart match and the finish is stronger. It also has one of the greatest wrestling promo videos ever to build hype for a match that has no real reason to be taking place. Another favourite from my childhood and the main reason I bought SuperBrawl on VHS.
Full Match & Promo Video: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3aej73
93) Doug Williams vs Eddie Guerrero FWA Revival 2002
On the surface, this is just a great technical match between two men at the top of their craft, but the history behind each man merits it's inclusion on this list. I first came across Doug Williams in the late 90's quite by accident, and he blew my mind. I've always had a fondness for technical wrestlers and here was a Brit who was every bit as good as the talent I followed in WCW and the WWF. With every passing year I hoped he would get the recognition I felt he deserved, but seemed ever elusive on the UK independent scene. Meanwhile, Eddie Guerrero was headed in a very different direction. Widely regarded as one of the greatest in-ring performers of all time, nagging injuries and a recurring drug problem had seen Guerrero fired from WWE, with the promise of a potential return. At this stage, Eddie had got clean and was determined to earn his way back to the big leagues. As a result, when Williams and Guerrero clashed in this one night tournament, both men had a lot to prove, and prove it they did. After this match, Williams' stock would rise and he would become a regular on both the US indie scene and also in Japan, while Guerrero would be back in the WWF by the summer and both men earn their success in this match.
Full Match: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNfaRA8pYvE
92) Nigel McGuiness vs Tyler Black ROH Take No Prisoners 2008
I'll get more into Nigel's career later in this list, but at this stage I'll simply say that Nigel McGuiness was one of the greatest wrestlers Britain has ever produced and was largely underappreciated due to his proximity to talent such as (Daniel) Bryan Danielson and Samoa Joe. His reign as ROH Champion, despite it's length, was met with mixed responses from ROH's notoriously fickle audience. That being said, this is the match where Nigel proves beyond a shadow of a doubt he had what it took to be a long term champion. In this match, he takes a promising rookie (the future Seth Rollins) and makes him look like a true main eventer by the end of the match. An outstanding job by both men and a true feather in Nigel's cap.
Full Match: https://www.bilibili.com/video/av45830703/
91) Rebecca Knox vs Daizee Haze (Best 2 Out Of 3 Falls) Shimmer Vol. 5 2006
Shimmer Women Athletes was (and still is) the premiere women's independent wrestling promotion in the United States. Almost all of the critically acclaimed women in the WWE at present, have passed through Shimmer at some stage, to the extent that former long-term Shimmer champion, Sara Del Ray, is a current top trainer at the WWE Performance Center for both men and women. Further proof of Shimmer's impact is that one of the competitors in this match, Rebecca Knox, is now much better known as Becky Lynch (one of the WWE's top stars) and as good as Knox is in this match, she's blown away by Daizee Haze. Haze retired around 10 years ago with little fanfare but in her time she was one of the best in-ring performers in wrestling and this is a crowning match for her. Throw in my favourite match stipulation and you end up with what was at the time, the best women's technical wrestling match I'd ever seen. It may seem fairly tame by today's standard, but it was gold at the time.
Full Match: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNrL5oGskvU&t=1628s
That's my first installment done, I'll get the next one up tomorrow so that those of you so inclined can watch some of these matches, and I can drag this out as long as possible to keep myself sane.
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