WWE has always been known to go full throttle when it comes to their PPVs. For over thirty years, we have seen superstars from Hulk Hogan to Bret Hart to Shawn Michaels to Stone Cold to The Rock, all the way to John Cena and countless other stars who have given everything on the mat to entertain the WWE Universe. Those legendary battles and moments in WWE PPV history have provided us with years of pure euphoria.
Looking back over the history of WWE PPVs, we have selected 15 of the best matches in WWE PPV history — a task more difficult than the construction of the atom bomb.
15. The Rock vs. The Undertaker vs. Kurt Angle – Vengeance 2002
With a chaotic pace and drama from false finishes, The Rock would sneak a win after hitting a Rock Bottom on Angle to become a 7x WWE Champion.
14. Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart – SummerSlam 1994
The two Hart brothers would face off in a cage match for the WWE Championship, a match that would go down as an instant classic. The climax of the match was every bit as suspenseful as expected. Both men were on the side of the cage trying to escape to victory until Bret smashed Owen’s head into the steel cage causing Owen’s leg to became trapped between the cage’s bars and allowing for Bret to fall to the ground and retain his title.
13. Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker – In Your House: Badd Blood 1997
This Hell in a Cell match would serve, as a precursor to the epic battle Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker would have over a decade later. But this was not chopped liver. In fact it was a five star match and how could it not be when it features two unworldly legends?
The bout to determine the No.1 contender had such precision and physicality. But what is most memorable is the ending. While a bloody Michaels laid unconscious, The Undertaker signaled for his finisher. But at that moment, the lights went out, organ music hit, and Kane would make his debut as he ripped the door off the cell and proceeded to hit Undertaker with the Tombstone Piledriver. Michaels crawled over and pinned Undertaker to grab the victory.
12. Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit – Royal Rumble 2003
Kurt Angle entered as WWE Champion when he faced off against Chris Benoit at Royal Rumble in 2003. Both performers delivered an epic 20 minutes of mat wrestling and technical wrestling skills that had every fan standing on their feet. WWE viewers were enthralled with the countless suplexes, false finishes, and reversals. But the finish was what made it truly gratifying.
Benoit locked the Crippler Crossface on Angle only to have Angle counter it into an Ankle Lock, forcing Benoit to tap out. Despite the loss, the crowd gave Benoit a standing ovation for the excellent two-man performance.
11. Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels – WrestleMania XXI
WrestleMania XXI saw another dream match featuring two masters of their craft. Angle and Michaels put on wrestling showcase equipped with more reversals than a politician’s stance on a subject. Michaels with his patent high-risk aerial maneuvers and Kurt Angle’s submission expertise made for some great drama, which was fitting for a WrestleMania hosted in Hollywood.
After dazzling the crowd, the former Olympic gold medalist would become victorious when his devastating ankle lock became too much for the former WWE champion, Michaels to bear.
10. The Undertaker vs. Mankind – King of the Ring 1998
The Hell In A Cell gimmick match between Mick Foley’s Mankind character and The Undertaker may be one of the most horrific beatings a wrestler has ever taken. The only thing that may be on par with the pain Mankind endured in this match would have to be The Passion of The Christ.
All jokes aside, this match was more of a love letter to Mick Foley’s love of abusing himself. We saw The Undertaker toss Mankind off the top of the cell with no regard for his body only to be followed by a choke-slam through the cell onto the canvas, and dropped on a barrage of thumbtacks. That is true sacrifice to entertain the fans.
9. CM Punk vs. John Cena – Money In The Bank 2011
This WWE Championship match would garner one of the highest honors when it earned a 5 star rating from Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer. The build-up of the Punk-Cena match had the entire WWE Universe fired up.
CM Punk would hit us with his infamous ‘pipe bomb’ promo to blur the lines of reality and Punk’s storyline of his contract running out and leaving the company made it even more compelling. Punk would seek the WWE title in his hometown of Chicago. The crowd erupted with one of the loudest pops in PPV history rivaling the crowds of the Attitude Era. John Cena and Punk proceeded to give us one of the most unpredictable and genuinely exciting matches to grace the WWE ring in over a decade.
Despite both men kicking out of each other’s finishers, the title bout would conclude when a distracted Cena got hit with Punk’s GTS finisher. Punk would win the title, evading an angry Vince McMahon by running through the crowd of Chicagoans with the championship raised high in the air.
8. Edge & Christian vs. The Hardy Boyz vs. The Dudley Boyz – WrestleMania X-Seven
Without a doubt, this is the best tag match in the history of the sport, well, at least in terms of high-flying action and pure brutality. The Tag Team division was hotter than a firecracker and no other tag teams captured The Attitude Era quite like this trio of teams.
This Tables, Ladders and Chairs match for the tag title would be a sequel to the previous SummerSlam — and boy, did it live up to expectations. There were bodies flying through the air, going through tables and enduring the worst hell imaginable. The most memorable image left with fans had to be Jeff Hardy suspended in the air holding on to the tag titles, getting hit with a spear from Edge midair and falling to the canvas with a sickening thug. Edge and Christian would go on to win the tag titles yet again.
7. Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant – WrestleMania III
In terms of in-ring working, this match has no business on such a list, but the cultural significance and the pop that ensued cannot be denied as an iconic moment in WWE history.
Andre the Giant, coined as “The Eighth Wonder of the World,” went fifteen years without a loss before running into Hulk Hogan. Everything looked bleak until Hogan scooped up Andre with the body slam that shocked the world. Only The Hulkster could lift such a massive beast.
Hogan’s finishing leg drop would be the final nail in the Giant’s coffin. With Hogan victorious, Hulkamania ran wild throughout the Silverdome, brothers.
6. “British Bulldog” Davy Boy Smith vs. Bret Hart – SummerSlam 1992
The setting for this Intercontinental Championship could not have been hotter or more electrifying. Over 80,000 strong filled the outdoor Wembley Stadium in London, England to see SummerSlam 1992 where the Intercontinental Championship would be the evening’s main event. That was unheard of for WWE, especially when the card featured stars “Macho Man” Randy Savage facing off against The Ultimate Warrior for the WWE championship.
Bret Hart and Davy Boy were both fan favorites, and not only that, but brother in-laws as well. To add to the family feud, Hart’s sister and Davy Boy’s wife, Diana Hart, was ringside adding even more drama to the title bout.
Hart, the current champion at the time, would later reveal in his autobiography that the Bulldog forgot the entire match — every spot and every single thing he was supposed to do. Hart had to carry him throughout the match. Despite that screw up, a masterpiece was unfolding in front of the raucous crowd.
The roars of fans echoing and horns blasting resembled the sounds of an intense soccer match with hooligans. Hart and Bulldog showcased their technical wrestling abilities. The match was back and forth until Hart attempted a sunset flip only for Bulldog to counter it and pin Hart for the Intercontinental Championship.
5. Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart – WrestleMania XII
Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels gave us perhaps the biggest rivalry in professional wrestling both in and out of the ring. The hatred each one contained for the other had built up to unhealthy levels where it would serve as an appetizer to the infamous Montreal Screwjob over a year later.
Bret Hart entered as the WWE champion, but Michaels was the hottest thing in the WWE at the time. The build-up was great with training montages that rivaled a Rocky film. Hart and Michaels were the two faces of the WWE’s New Generation, both carrying the ball for the company and having two completely different fan bases. To see two of these showstoppers in a 60 minute Iron Match for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania seemed like something out of a dream.
The match would be a work of art that ended in regulation at a 0-0 tie. Hart had already left the ring with the belt before being ordered back for sudden death. With an extra chance at the strap, The Heartbreak Kid would connect on some Sweet Chin Music for the 1-2-3 capturing his first reign as WWE Champion.
4. Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. The Rock – WrestleMania X-Seven
The main event at WrestleMania 17 was a battle of two wrestling gods for the WWE Championship. There are no two superstars as iconic as Stone Cold and The Rock — and that includes Hogan, my friends. This battle of mega stars is what Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Warrior’s 1991 showdown should have been but trying to match the elite status of Austin and Rock is a tall order.
The buildup for the Austin-Rock pay-per-view title match was something out of this world. Each week The Rock and Austin would one up each other and cut each other down on the microphone and WWE even gave us some amazing promos with Limp Bizkit’s “My Way” as the soundtrack. This was when it wasn’t embarrassing to listen to Limp Bizkit either. The level of hype seemed impossible to live up to but they did not disappoint.
The Rock entered Houston’s Astrodome as champion. However, Austin would leave with the belt after seeking the aid of devilish owner Vince McMahon by using multiple chair shots to defeat The Rock. It was one of the most unexpected heel turns in WWE history.
3. Bret Hart vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin – WrestleMania XIII
There are moments in time when you can pinpoint a change in eras. This was that moment. The Bret Hart and Stone Cold feud would reach epic proportions in a Submissions match at WrestleMania 13 that saw the rise of Stone Cold Steve Austin, who would become the poster boy for WWE’s Attitude Era.
Hart, a submissions specialist, entered the match as the traditional babyface, where Austin was the heel, yet was getting more cheers than Hart. A change was occurring.
UFC star Ken Shamrock would serve as the guest referee, who only made the setting that much more appealing for a crowd that now desired realism.
The match was brutal. Hart worked Austin’s left leg with precision throughout the contest, which saw a rowdy crowd pop when Hart put a figure four leg lock on Austin around the turnbuckle while hanging down to the floor. The physicality continued in and out of the ring until Hart locked Austin into his finisher The Sharpshooter. The strong-willed Austin; with blood dripping down his face, refused to submit before finally passing out. A frustrated Hart despite winning the match, continued to beat a helpless Austin after the bell had rung. The fans were completely behind Austin and in this rare occurrence saw a switch of babyfaces and heels in the same match. As a result, Stone Cold would go on to become the biggest star the WWE had ever seen.
2. The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels – WrestleMania XXV
The two iconic superstars put on a show for the ages that delivered a classic match fitting for the 25th anniversary for WrestleMania. Shawn Michaels, appropriately nicknamed “Mr. WrestleMania,” sought to end The Undertaker’s 16-0 record at WrestleMania.
The two icons had the crowd in the palm of their hands and lead them to believe the match was going to end at any moment. Fans honestly believed The Deadman’s WrestleMania steak was in jeopardy. This match had it all: superkicks, tombstone piledrivers, power bombs, counter after counter, and at one point, the 7-foot Undertaker went diving over the ropes, crashing to the floor. When do you ever see a guy that size attempt such a perilous maneuver?
Michaels looked to be in control as he climbed to the top turnbuckle to attempt a moonsault, only to be caught in mid-air by The Undertaker for a Tombstone Piledriver for the astonishing victory. The bar was set so high that night that it will be difficult for anyone to ever surpass such a performance.
1. “Macho Man” Randy Savage vs. Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat – WrestleMania III
Over 90,000 fans filled the Pontiac Silverdome to watch WrestleMania III. The main attraction being billed was Hulk Hogan taking on the legendary Andre the Giant, but it would be Randy Savage and Ricky Steamboat for the Intercontinental Championship stealing the show and culminating the end of their memorable feud.
Both Savage and Steamboat were not the typical giants fans had grown accustomed to, so both competitors used their speed, agility and high-flying ability to get over with the crowd.
The pace was non-stop and with over countless false finishes, the fans were sucked into the drama being created in the ring. The in-ring masterpiece concluded with Steamboat rolling up Savage for the win, ending Macho’s 414-day reign as Intercontinental Champion.
Photos courtesy of WWE
Joshua Caudill is a writer for CraveOnline Sports, a surfing enthusiast, an unhealthy sports fanatic, and an expert on all things Patrick Swayze. You can follow him on Twitter @JoshuaCaudill85 or “like”CraveOnline Sports on Facebook.
