#45
Gold Rush Tournament
Shelton Benjamin vs Shawn Michaels
RAW May 2nd, 2005
Before the match even begins, when Shawn Michaels is announced as Shelton's surprise opponent for the Gold Rush Tournament, the fans already know what they were in for, and the match certainly didn't disappoint. In one of the greatest free TV wrestling matches of all time, Shelton and HBK put on an absolute clinic from bell to bell. The amazing athleticism and catch-as-catch-can technical aspects culminate in one of the most unforgettable finishes in wrestling history. This is just the first of MANY HBK matches to come on this list.
#44
Last Man Standing Match
Kane vs Shane McMahon
Unforgiven 2003
When you see two names like Kane and Shane McMahon, you should know to expect nothing less than a brawl, a real Attitude Era-style match, especially with the Last Man Standing gimmick strapped to it. But this match was so much more than the numerous dull crowd brawls that took place throughout the Attitude Era. This match had crazy spots, such as Shane McMahon almost shoot dying from a leap off the stage, but also great storytelling, with Shane trying to get revenge for Kane hitting a Tombstone Piledriver on his mother. (LINDA TOOK A TOMBSTONE ON THE STAGE IN 2003)
#43
Light Heavyweight Championship Match
Dean Malenko (c) vs Scotty 2 Hotty
Backlash 2000
In what is undoubtedly one of my favorite PPVs of all time, Backlash 2000, this match is one that is often overlooked in favor of Jericho vs Benoit, Angle vs The Showster or the classic main event between Triple H and The Rock. But this match brought something to the table that was very rare for the WWF in the late 90s and early 2000s, and that was actual good light heavyweight or cruiserweight wrestling. It seemed for a bit like they would try to go in this direction in order to compete with the WCW, whose only real claim to victory over the WWF at this point was their exciting cruiserweight division (which they criminally misused), but that's another story. This match goes to show that when the WWF put their minds to it, they were perfectly capable of putting on light heavyweight matches that showcased athleticism and psychology all bundled into one perfect package. But unfortunately, this would be the last defense of the Light Heavyweight Championship on PPV until King of the Ring 2001, where Jeff Hardy would defeat X-Pac.
#42
WWE Championship Chicago Street Fight
CM Punk (c) vs Chris Jericho
Extreme Rules 2012
While I may not be the biggest fan of CM Punk as a person, there's absolutely no denying his ability between the ropes. But this match wasn't about technical wrestling, it was simply two guys who are great at what they do (best in the world, even? *wink*) having an all-out brawl. The atmosphere of Punk's hometown crowd combined with the real street fight aesthetic they brought to the table by wearing jeans and taping their fists added a ton to the match as a whole, and the rest was history from there. These two tore the house down on what, in hindsight, was a pretty stacked card. This match completely overshadowed their WrestleMania outing, and rightfully so. A match doesn't always improve with the addition of weapons, but at the level these two went to create an actual street fight feeling, it was hard for it to be topped by any regular match they could have had.
#41
Money In The Bank Ladder Match
Edge vs Shelton Benjamin vs Chris Jericho vs Chris Benoit vs Christian vs Kane
WrestleMania 21
When the idea for the Money in the Bank ladder match originally came about, it was hard not to be excited about it. Some of the greatest wrestlers of all time, all in one ladder match, for a gimmick that was fresh and intriguing, that being the Money in the Bank contract. Ultimately, this match helped catapult a fair amount of careers to the next level, namely Edge, Seth Rollins, Rob Van Dam, Kane and The Miz. But as it pertains to this match in particular, the first Money in the Bank remains my favorite. The action was nonstop, and they didn't resort to the trope that we see in almost every modern MITB match, where two guys fight in the ring and everyone else sells on the outside until it's their turn to run in the ring and either take a bump or hit a spot. This match kept the chaos consistent, and it's hard not to love that.
No comments:
Post a Comment