Top 50 Matches Since 2000: 50-46

Being bored and unable to sleep, I came up with the idea to list my 50 favorite matches of the past 15 years, since 2015 is just wrapping up. The past 15 years have been almost my entire wrestling viewership, being that I am only 18 years old, therefore this is the period of wrestling that I am most familiar with. If you agree or disagree with my terrible wrestling opinions, feel free to let me know on twitter. Without further ado, let's all read how wrong I am.

#50

Last Man Standing Match

Chris Jericho vs Triple H

Fully Loaded 2000

If you follow me on twitter, which I assume you do if you're reading this, then it's no secret that Chris Jericho is my all time favorite wrestler, so it's only right to start the list with one of my favorite Chris Jericho matches! This was Jericho's first real high-profile pay-per-view match against a main eventer, and he didn't disappoint the fans or the company. His performance as the resilient babyface against Triple H as the monster heel took a classic wrestling trope and used it to its full potential, allowing the story of the match to completely take over and make up for a lack of crazy spots that you might come to expect from an Attitude Era gimmick match. The match took fans through emotional ups and downs, ultimately ending with Triple H picking up the victory in a match that earned Chris Jericho a main event spot for years to come.

#49

The Brotherhood vs The Shield

Battleground 2013 

 

 Speaking of matches that allowed the story to take over, this entire match was completely story-driven. The emotional connection that they were able to add into the match with the buildup did half of the work for the match, and the actual in-ring performances took a backseat to the emotions planted by the feud and the pre-match promos. And now, with the passing of Dusty Rhodes, the match and its ending have become even more heartwarming. It really is crazy now to be able to watch Dusty's last real moment of glory in a wrestling ring.

#48

WWE Championship Elimination Chamber Match 

Randy Orton (c) vs Daniel Bryan vs John Cena vs Sheamus vs Christian vs Cesaro

Elimination Chamber 2014

 

I've always found it odd that this match is seemingly overlooked. Not only was it six great performers running through an incredible series of great spots combined with having absolute control of the crowd, but it was also the perfect setup to a multitude of WrestleMania matches. Typically, a pre-WrestleMania pay-per-view is just a glorified episode of RAW or SmackDown, with basically nothing but storyline advancement rather than decisive match finishes. But this match did much more than that, as not only Bray Wyatt's interference but also the ending sequence between Randy Orton and Daniel Bryan added to both the match itself and the card for the next month's WrestleMania.

#47

Extreme Rules Match

Edge, Mick Foley & Lita vs Tommy Dreamer, Terry Funk & Beulah McGillicutty

ECW One Night Stand 2006

The relationship in 2006 between Edge and Mick Foley is some of my favorite storytelling and easily one of my favorite storylines of the past 15 years, and more if it will be seen on this list later. But almost the forgotten match of that 2006 run came at ECW One Night Stand, in a 6-person intergender Extreme Rules tag team match, as Edge, Foley and Lita faced Terry Funk, Tommy Dreamer and Beulah McGillicutty in a match that was possibly more brutal than the WrestleMania 22 match that everyone remembers fondly. While I'm not necessarily a fan of the hardcore style that ECW is so commonly known for, this match didn't cross any lines for me, and it maintained a level of storytelling that a lot of early ECW matches simply didn't have. This match is a bit of an attraction as well, as Foley and Funk weren't exactly young, and both Dreamer and Beulah hadn't been together in a ring in a very long time at that point.

#46

 Intercontinental Championship Match

Chris Jericho (c) vs X-Pac vs Eddie Guerrero vs Chris Benoit

No Way Out 2001

Good fatal-4-way matches in the WWE are few and far between. They're typically more like two singles matches going on in one ring, and are almost always unmemorable. To a certain degree, I think you could apply the latter of those statements to this match, as it seems to be widely forgotten about among fans, which I find odd due to the fact that it contains so many of the internet's favorite wrestlers. The action is fast and hard to follow, but not in a bad way, as the frantic action and fast pace of the match builds excitement. Each wrestler gets shine before the eventual finish, which comes at just the right time so as to not allow the match to overrun its course. There's nothing better than a match that is short, sweet, and to the point.