The WWE (formerly the WWF) is the most successful pro wrestling promotion of all time and has produced legendary matches that mix athletic prowess with story-filled entertainment. Here are the 30 best matches ever.
30. Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels – WrestleMania XII
A face-off between the two best wrestlers from their or any era was destined to be among the greatest matches of all time. This match between Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart should have gone down among the five best ever. But both wrestlers infamously refused to take the first fall. Nonetheless, the match was unprecedented in its display of athleticism.
29. The Shield vs. The Wyatt Family – Elimination Chamber 2014
This match started as a staredown between two of the most ill-famed factions ever, The Shield and The Wyatt Family, on “Monday Night Raw.” The crowd was hungry for this feud. The futures of Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, Bray Wyatt, and the late Brodie Lee were on the line. Though the Wyatt family won, every wrestler emerged as a superstar.
28. John Cena vs. Daniel Bryan – SummerSlam 2013
Daniel Bryan had lost the world championship to Sheamus at WrestleMania XXVIII. He was back competing for the belt against WWE Champion John Cena, who picked him as his challenger for the main event of SummerSlam 2013. It was a clash of styles with Bryan, the world-class technical pro wrestler, against Cena, a natural sports entertainer. This match stands the test of time.
27. Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins – Hell In A Cell 2022
The blood feud between Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins made this match a candidate as an all-time classic. Hell In A Cell allowed wrestlers who hated each other the opportunity to settle their score, albeit putting their lives at risk. Props to Rhodes for wrestling with a completely torn pectoral muscle, which was amply apparent by his solid purple chest.
26. Stone Cold Steve Austin & Triple H vs. Chris Jericho & Chris Benoit – Monday Night Raw
The “Two-Man Power Trip” of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Triple H had just won the tag-team championship by defeating “The Brothers of Destruction,” Undertaker and Kane. Now they squared off against the most unlikely of challengers, the “Canadian Chrises” of Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho. Triple H was at his in-ring peak, finishing the match despite tearing his squad.
25. Royal Rumble 2010
This hour-plus battle of 30 participants delivered a match for the ages. CM Punk dominated early. A shocking moment came when Triple H was eliminated by his best friend, Shawn Michaels. The match also featured massive star power in the form of Cena, Batista, and Jericho. However, no one could have foreseen Edge’s shocking return and subsequent victory.
24. Triple H vs. Daniel Bryan – Wrestlemania 30
The opening bout between Daniel Bryan and Triple H had fans rabid. This will go down in wrestling history as one of the best opening matches. It was also Triple H’s last great match before retiring in 2022. Bryan went on to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship after defeating Batista and defending champion Randy Orton in a triple-threat match.
23. Bret Hart vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin – Survivor Series 1996
“Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s and Bret Hart’s feud spanned 1996-1997, creating the biggest draw of all time, and this Survivor Series battle was a pinnacle moment. Hart battled back from an extended absence. He eventually regained his title from Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 13. Nonetheless, this 1996 match was one of the finest examples of in-ring storytelling fans ever saw.
22. The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels – Wrestlemania XXVI
Among the greatest matches is The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 25. Michaels eliminated his best friend Triple H at the Royal Rumble, which cost The Undertaker the title at Elimination Chamber. In the end, Michaels went down swinging as he simultaneously lost the match and his career. It was an emotional finale for one of the greatest ever.
21. Kurt Angle vs. Brock Lesnar – WrestleMania XIX
In the early 2000s, Kurt Angle was on another level, reaching the peak of his abilities. Simultaneously, Brock Lesnar was “The Next Big Thing.” The match pitted two of the best athletes in WWE history in battle. Angle entered the match needing neck surgery. However, Lesnar wound up leaving the match injured after botching a shooting star press.
20. The Undertaker vs. Triple H – WrestleMania XXVIII
In another Hell In A Cell match, The Undertaker and Triple H faced off with Shawn Michaels as referee. The match promised the end of an era battle, and the blood feud between these WWE superstars didn’t disappoint. A Revenge of the Sith vibe and a Metallica soundtrack set a macabre mood. Despite several near-falls, Undertaker’s streak continued.
19. Ric Flair vs. Macho Man Randy Savage – WrestleMania VIII
“The Nature Boy” Ric Flair and “Macho Man” Randy Savage were two of the biggest superstars within an era dominated by huge personalities. Flair excelled at playing the bad guy, while Savage was the good guy fans loved to root for. Complicating their match was drama over their previous shared love interest. In the end, a bloody Flair overtook Savage.
18. Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Triple H – No Way Out 2001
The standout bout of this seven-match steel cage event was “Stone Cold” Steve Austin vs. Triple H. This Three Stages of Hell match was a modified 2 out of 3 Falls match. The hate between the opponents was palpable. Both left bloody, battered, and beaten, but Triple H landed on Austin for the win in the end.
17. Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Benoit – WrestleMania XX
Shawn Michaels was shoe-horned into the main event, making fans furious. The World Championship bout between Triple H and Chris Benoit became the first triple-threat main event in WrestleMania history and, simultaneously, the best ever, with nonstop action. Triple H and Michaels unsuccessfully teamed up on Benoit. In the end, Triple H tapped out to Benoit, who captured the title.
16. Shawn Michaels vs. Kurt Angle – WrestleMania 21
Even though the main event saw Batista challenge Triple H for the World Heavyweight Championship, John Cena walked away with the title. However, Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle stole the spotlight. Angle established himself as one of the best. Michaels was probably thebest ever. Was. Their back-and-forth bout ended with Michaels succumbing to Angle’s vicious ankle lock.
15. CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar – Summerslam 2013
Brock Lesnar was in a rut after losing to John Cena at Extreme Rules 2012. But his feud with CM Punk was the fuel that gave him his mojo back. Their Summerslam 2013 match was an expertly paced, old-school brawl that saw both wrestlers emerge as bigger stars, receiving a standing ovation afterward. Brock was a monster in this battle.
14. Brock Lesnar vs. Eddie Guerrero – No Way Out 2004
In this “David vs. Goliath” battle, veteran Eddie Guerrero was mounting a comeback, facing the most successful rookie ever, Brock Lesnar, a 6’3″, 290-pound mountain of muscle. It was a clash of styles (high-flyer vs. power wrestler). Guerrero couldn’t beat Lesnar fighting fair, so he did whatever it took and garnered his first and only WWE Championship victory.
13. The Dudley Boys vs. The Hardy Boyz vs. Edge & Christian – WrestleMania X-Seven
This latter match was one for the ages. This TLC II at WrestleMania X-Seven packed a plethora of jaw-dropping moments and they brilliantly coalesced into a unified story. What stands out most is each wrestler’s willingness to do anything to win. Infamously, Edge speared Jeff Hardy, who dangled 10 feet in the air from a ladder to save the match.
12. Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels – WrestleMania XIX
Before his 1998 injury, Shawn Michaels was among the greatest in-ring performers ever, and his 2002 return proved that. He faced another G.O.A.T. contender, Chris Jericho. The match featured no gimmicks or weapons, focusing on pure wrestling talent. Jericho was trying to break out of his hero’s (Michaels) shadow, who capitalized on his arrogance. Michaels won with a simple roll-up.
11. Triple H vs. Cactus Jack – Royal Rumble 2000
Although Triple H was a multi-time champion by the end of the millennium, he wasn’t connecting with fans at the main event level. That changed as he faced off against Cactus Jack, a figure that was violence personified. This bloody battle was the greatest Street Fight of all time. Both wrestlers emerged with a new level of respect from fans.
10. Bret Hart vs. British Bulldog – SummerSlam 1992
They say great wrestlers can make a broomstick look good, and Bret Hart proved that adage. British Bulldog (Davey Boy Smith) was “high as a kite” on the plane flight. Within a few minutes of the bell, Smith was toasted. Hart essentially had to wrestle himself and put on a classic. Smith was victorious, but Hart was the real hero.
9. Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart – WrestleMania X
It was a battle of brothers as Bret Hart faced sibling Owen Hart. The younger Owen wanted to break out of his older brother’s shadow. Bret was already a former WWE Champion. What followed was a classic match that was essentially a pro wrestling clinic. Bret underestimated his baby brother and lost to a rollup.
8. Royal Rumble 1992
“Nature Boy” Ric Flair, then 43, entered the ring ranked #3 and had at least ten years on most of his opponents. But Flair wrestled at full speed for more than an hour. The other 29 guys also delivered the goods. But in the end, flair emerged as the victor and champion. Among Royal Rumbles, this contest ranks #1.
7. The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels – Badd Blood 1997
There was blood aplenty at Badd Blood in the first-ever Hell In A Cell match. The WWE put a roof on the cage to prevent escape. But after a cameraman got “injured,” Michaels escaped. Undertaker followed Michaels on top of the cage and bloodied him. The lights went black, and Kane emerged. Michaels crawled over Undertaker and stole the win.
6. Macho Man Randy Savage vs. Ricky The Dragon Steamboat – WrestleMania III
Truly one of the greatest WrestleMania events ever, the standout match was Savage and Steamboat wrestling in a fast-paced, athletic classic. The battle never slowed down for a single second throughout its 15-minute runtime. This match was way ahead of its time and still holds up today. It’s noteworthy more for its storytelling rather than moves.
5. The Rock vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin – WrestleMania X-Seven
Undoubtedly, one of the greatest feuds in WWE history is “Stone Cold” Steve Austin vs. The Rock. Unquestionably, their standout match occurred at WrestleMania X-Seven, as both wrestlers were at their peak. Fans expected Austin to do anything to beat The Rock. And he did the unthinkable. In the end, he aligned with his arch-enemy, Vince McMahon.
4. John Cena vs. CM Punk – Money In The Bank 2011
A generational battle for the WWE Championship: The match represented two schools of pro wrestling. (1) John Cena, the musclebound, clean-cut babyface favored by mainstream “sports entertainment” fans. (2) CM Punk, the tattooed-down-with-the-system indie wrestler idolized by a large segment of the fans who felt ignored and alienated. Both men put on the best match of their careers
3. Razor Ramon vs. Shawn Michaels – WrestleMania X
Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart was unforgettable at WrestleMania X. But the “match of the night” was Razor Ramon vs. Shawn Michaels for the Intercontinental Championship in a ladder match. At the time, fans had never seen anything like this. Both wrestlers used the ladder not as a prop but as a strategic weapon. Razor Ramon emerged as the victor.
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2. The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels – WrestleMania 25
The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels contests have been some of the greatest “David vs. Goliath” battles ever, and this was their greatest. There were no gimmicks and no stakes other than Undertaker defending his streak. It was just pure pro wrestling, with character command, craft, and suspenseful execution. Want to introduce someone to pro wrestling? Show them this match.
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1. Bret Hart vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin – WrestleMania 13
It wasn’t the main event, but Bret Hart vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin made history as the best and most brutal brawl of all. They faced off in a No Disqualification Submission match. A feud had brewed across several events and culminated in this bloody, violent masterpiece. Hart won but emerged as a villain, while Austin became the hero.
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