WWE provides pro wrestling fans with all the thrills and spills of an action movie, while delivering comedy, intrigue, and some seriously emotional moments along the way. Having coined the phrase “sports entertainment” in the ‘80s, every now and then, a hot feud is capped off by a match so great that it lives on forever in the hearts of viewers and sets the bar even higher for future confrontations.
We look at 25 of the most memorable matches in World Wrestling Entertainment history in this monumental—and likely contested—list. Looking beyond technique alone, we scoured the archives for the matches that have stood the test of time as far as drama, creativity, and that intangible X factor. Are your favorites here?
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Kurt Angle vs. Shane McMahon: King of the Ring (2001)
Whenever the Olympic gold medalist, Kurt Angle, battled the boss’s son, Shane McMahon, the chemistry was unmatched. Shane O Mac’s unorthodox style meshed perfectly with Kurt’s traditional no-nonsense approach, but they almost ended each other’s careers in a thrilling street fight at King of the Ring 2001.
Kurt expected to send Shane sailing through the plexiglass set toward the end of the match, but it would take numerous attempts to slam him through the partition, which was stronger than usual in order to withstand the arena pyrotechnics. Eventually, following some painful failures, Kurt did put the younger McMahon through the stage, providing the perfect payoff. In the nail-biting finish, Kurt picked up the win with a devastating Angle Slam from the top rope.
Charlotte Flair vs. Sasha Banks vs. Becky Lynch: WrestleMania 32 (2016)
More than 100,000 fans gathered at AT&T Stadium in Dallas for a record-breaking WrestleMania that saw Charlotte Flair secure her place in the history books, winning and being crowned the official women’s champion. Gone was the gaudy Diva’s title and in its place was born a championship that afforded the proper respect to the talented women of the WWE universe.
All three women ignored their own safety and pulled out some incredible (and incredibly daring) spots, including a stunning moonsault that saw Charlotte leap out of the ring and dive on to her opponents below. Each of the women attempted their finishing moves, but Charlotte was able to lock in her signature figure-eight submission hold and, thanks to her father Ric restraining Sasha Banks, was able to get Becky Lynch to tap out. While Charlotte may have been declared the official winner, all three pro wrestlers proved that girls are just as good the boys in the WWE ring.
Bret “Hitman” Hart vs. Owen Hart: WrestleMania 10 (1994)
Real life brothers Bret and Owen sought to prove themselves as the dominant sibling, locking horns in Madison Square Garden in the opening, and best, contest of WrestleMania 10.
This back-and-fourth bout harked back to training in their father Stu’s legendary “Dungeon” in Calgary and showed us that both Hart bothers could trade each other hold for hold. In a shocking upset, younger brother Owen picked up the win with a clever pin reversal. It was a surprising ending that only served to make the match even better.
Mr. Perfect vs. Bret “Hitman” Hart: SummerSlam (1991)
There’s no question that Mr. Perfect would have made a great WWE Heavyweight Champion, but in the early ‘90s, it was harder for the ‘smaller’ guys to find main event status. This is one of the reasons that the Intercontinental Championship became such a hot title, since it usually valued in-ring skill over size and popularity. And the match between Mr. Perfect and Bret Hart at SummerSlam 1991 is a prime example of what the IC belt was all about in the ’90s.
They may not have been in the main event, but that didn’t stop them from tearing the house down. Defeating Perfect with his Sharpshooter submission hold, Bret’s popularity would grow further, providing an important step to becoming the legendary world champion that he eventually became.
Tyler Bate vs. Pete Dunne: NXT TakeOver – Chicago (2017)
WWE’s United Kingdom championship has only existed since January 2017, but it has already produced a top 25 match. This contest perfectly illustrated the concept of “British StrongStyle” as the two combatants fought each other using a hybrid of technical prowess, stunning agility, and hard-hitting strikes.
In the end, the “bruiserweight” would win the UK title from Bate, courtesy of his Bitter End finisher. Both men should be applauded for stealing the show and providing one of the best matches of 2017.
Shawn Michaels vs. Bret “Hitman” Hart: Survivor Series (1992)
Bret Hart lost the intercontinental championship to his brother-in-law, the British Bulldog, at Wembley Stadium in the SummerSlam main event, but he would shock the world weeks later when he pinned Ric Flair on a house show in Saskatoon to become WWE Champion. How would fans react to the smaller title holder, at a time when Ultimate Warrior and Hulk Hogan were seen as more likely championship material?
The answer came at the 1992 Survivor Series when Bret Hart successfully defended the belt against Shawn Michaels, himself considered a smaller competitor for that day and age. Their technical exhibition opened the eyes of many fans and critics and paved the way for their Iron Man match at WrestleMania 12, and countless other classic (and controversial) bouts.
Charlotte gets a bad rap from fans who think the former Women’s Champ owes all of her successes to being the daughter of “Nature Boy” Ric Flair. In truth, while Charlotte Flair is the daughter of one of the greatest wrestlers to ever lace up a pair of boots, this only serves to put extra pressure on her to be the best. When you look at some of the greatest Women’s matches over the last few years, the Second Nature star’s name pops up time and time again, so it should come as no surprise that her recent Last Women Standing match with Becky Lynch made the top 25 just weeks after the match happened.
Becky proved herself a worthy champion deserving of main event status as she successfully defended her belt at Evolution against Flair and showed her aggressive side perfectly throughout the contest. It seemed like no furniture was safe, including announcers’ tables, in the making of this match and the closing moments where Becky powerbombs Charlotte to the outside of the ring, and through a table, will not soon be forgotten.
Sasha Banks vs. Bayley: NXT TakeOver – Brooklyn (2015)
The egotistical “Boss” Sasha Banks arrived at the ring flanked by her entourage as she sought to defend her NXT title against the lovable, and huggable, Bayley well before they ever made their main WWE roster debuts. It was a contest full of emotion as the former friends put it all on the line. The two ladies took some serious risks, but Bayley managed to hit the jackpot by reversing a hurricanrana from the top turnbuckle, earning her the NXT women’s championship.
Hardy Boyz vs. Dudley Boyz vs. Edge and Christian: WrestleMania 17 (2001)
The Tables, Ladders & Chairs match between these three teams at WrestleMania 17 is one of the most exciting all-out wars in pro wrestling history, pushing the boundaries of safety to entertain an ecstatic crowd. The synergy between each team, and the way they innovated their attacks with multiple ladders, was breathtaking.
In the finish, Edge hit a spectacular spear on Jeff Hardy, leaping from a ladder and hitting his hapless opponent, who was hanging from the belt well above the ring. This led to Edge and Christian securing the Tag Team Championships for themselves.
There’s no question that Triple H and Mick Foley brought out the best (and worst) of each other during their hellacious battles, both inside and outside of a WWE ring. But it’s their street fight at Madison Square Garden at Royal Rumble 2000 that is perhaps the crown jewel of a truly epic feud.
In this match, much like in his other confrontations with Foley, Triple H was able to shrug off the aristocratic Hunter Hearst Helmsley character that he’d originally entered the WWE with, instead proving himself to be as ruthless and as violent as his hardcore foe. In the end, Triple H secured victory with a pedigree into a large mound of thumbtacks to cap off an absolute classic.
NXT North American Championship 6 Man Ladder Match: NXT TakeOver – New Orleans (2018)
History was made in New Orleans when six men attempted to become the first NXT North American champion. In doing so, those competitors—Adam Cole, Velveteen Dream, Killian Dain, Lars Sullivan, EC3, and Ricochet—made absolute magic.
Both Ricochet and EC3 were making their first appearance in NXT, and they didn’t disappoint, while Lars Sullivan and Velveteen Dream proved themselves to be future mega-stars in WWE. In the finish, the highly popular Adam Cole was crowned as the inaugural NXT North American champion in a hard-hitting ladder match that seemed to defy gravity.
Shawn Michaels vs. Mankind: In Your House – Mind Games (1996)
Before the hard-hitting Attitude Era even kicked off, WWE fans got an early taste of extreme when hardcore legend Mick Foley battled the Heartbreak Kid way back in 1996. Despite the wave of brutal matches to come over the next decade, this one still stands out among the very best.
It was a contest that illustrated clearly why Shawn became known as the “Show-Stopper” while Mankind brought a level of excitement to the match that helped steer WWE toward a more mature audience. In the closing moments, Mankind suplexed HBK from the top turnbuckle straight through the table below. It was an incredibly dangerous move, but seconds later Shawn used a chair to assist in some Sweet Chin Music for certain victory, until Vader’s interference led to a disqualification. It was a cheap ending to an amazing match.
Super Cena is cheered and jeered in equal measure, but one thing that all WWE fans can agree on is that the guy can wrestle. At the 2017 Royal Rumble, the WWE poster boy even held his own against one of the most respected pro wrestlers in history, showing incredible agility and timing on the way to winning the WWE Championship from the ever-phenomenal AJ Styles.
What makes this match even greater is the fact that the action never spilled outside of the ring once, showing that truly epic contests can still take place between the ropes with no need for gimmicks or weapons.
Bret “Hitman” Hart vs. “The British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith: SummerSlam (1992)
It’s incredible to think that Davey Boy Smith never became a world champion in WWE, but his 1992 victory for the Intercontinental Championship could not have been more meaningful. The Bulldog challenged his brother-in-law Bret, before more than 80,000 fans at London’s Wembley Stadium in what is, perhaps, still the best match in SummerSlam history.
Despite Bulldog wrestling on home turf, the crowd became split down the middle while viewing this masterpiece. In the end, Davey was able to reverse a sunset-flip to pin Bret right in the middle of the ring. In the closing moments of the match, Bret showed himself to be a good sport by shaking the hand of the new IC champion, backed by his sister, Davey’s wife Diana.
At the height of the Attitude Era, a Hell in a Cell match between the Undertaker and Mankind was always going to be a war, but no one could have predicted the carnage that took place more than 20 years ago in Pittsburgh. The spot that everyone remembers happened just minutes into the match, when The Undertaker grabbed Mankind and tossed him 18 feet off the cell, sending him crashing into the announcers’ table below.
Defying the odds, Foley managed to continue the match, but soon found himself chokeslammed literally through the roof of the cell by Taker, this time landing in a heap in the middle of the ring. During the fall, a steel chair even landed on his head for good measure. The camera shot of Mankind grimacing in pain with a tooth lodged firmly in his nose is a scene that you won’t easily forget.
While not the best match in terms of technical prowess, the bout lives on for the heart and determination shown by both competitors, as they gave their all for the entertainment of the WWE universe.
Tommaso Ciampa vs. Johnny “Wrestling” Gargano: NXT TakeOver – New Orleans (2018)
Good friends made better enemies when Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano faced off in an unsanctioned match in New Orleans. The no-holds-barred confrontation was barbaric to say the least, but the drama between the former tag-team partners was electric throughout.
With his career on the line, Johnny eventually found victory by using Tommaso’s own knee brace against him, forcing him to submit by way of torturing STF. It was the perfect match ending to a feud that had been building for a whole year and was widely praised by pro wrestling critics around the world.
Hulk Hogan vs. the Ultimate Warrior: WrestleMania 6 (1990)
Billed as the “Ultimate Challenge,” the Ultimate Warrior overtook Hulkamania on April 1, 1990, retaining his intercontinental championship and gaining the WWE heavyweight championship after a match for the ages in Toronto.
In the months leading up to WrestleMania 6, it appeared that WWE could not contain the egos of two of the most popular superstars of all time, and so fans picked a side. Were you a Hulkamaniac or a Little Warrior? In the end, the older Hogan fell prey to the hungry, upstart Warrior. Interestingly, this match is one of the first main events to feature close-call finishes where each man kicks out of the others’ finishing maneuvers—a formula that is still very much used to this day.
Razor Ramon vs. Shawn Michaels: WrestleMania 10 (1994)
Although some critics may argue that their rematch at SummerSlam 1995 was better, the truth is that there may have been no more ladder matches at all on pay-per-view had Shawn and Razor not delivered a scintillating performance at WrestleMania 10.
Bret Hart is widely credited for bringing the ladder match to WWE, and both he and the Heartbreak Kid put on some awesome ladder bouts before management finally decided to bring the highly popular stipulation match to pay-per-view. To help celebrate the tenth anniversary of the “Show of Shows,” Shawn Michaels and Razor battled it out for the undisputed Intercontinental Championship. The match is highly regarded for the innovative ways that the ladder was used during this all-time classic, paving the way for future gripping ladder matches with the likes of Edge and Christian, the Dudley Boyz, and the Hardy Bothers.
Shawn Michaels vs. Ric Flair: WrestleMania 24 (2008)
Shawn would make magic one last time with Ric Flair in their WrestleMania 24 clash, as the student and mentor did battle with Ric’s career on the line.
There wasn’t a dry eye in the house when Shawn Michaels pinned his good friend, and childhood hero, ending the career of the “Nature Boy.” The moment where Shawn is seen to mouth the words “I’m sorry, I love you,” before blasting Flair with some Sweet Chin Music is perhaps the most emotional scene ever to take place inside a WWE ring.
Randy “Macho Man” Savage vs. Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat: WrestleMania 3 (1987)
Ricky “the Dragon” Steamboat rolled up Randy “Macho Man” Savage with a small-package pin to gain victory in one of wrestling’s best confrontations, becoming the new Intercontinental Champion in the process.
This match is nothing short of a masterclass for up-and-coming wrestlers and showed that the Intercontinental Championship was as meaningful as the Heavyweight belt, when considering the type of excitement that the IC division could generate. Steamboat’s smooth technique and Savage’s intense charisma made for one of the most fondly remembered bouts in WWE history.
When WWE bought WCW in 2001, there was an endless list of dream matches that were suddenly a potential reality. One such confrontation was billed as Icon vs. Icon when “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan battled The Rock at WrestleMania 18 in Toronto.
Having witnessed the epic encounter between Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania 6, and perhaps feeling some nostalgia for Hulkamania, fans swiftly turned on The Rock during the match, much to the surprise of the People’s Champ. What followed was a war between the old school veteran and the new guard of WWE in a story for the ages. Both superstars worked the crowd up to a fever pitch as Rock took home the victory. But it was Hulk Hogan who won the hearts and minds of the Toronto faithful. This match is studied by many aspiring wrestlers today for the artistry used by both men to tell a story inside the ring and is further proof that an immortal match requires more than just “flips and flops.”
Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant: WrestleMania 3 (1987)
There’s a lot of criteria to consider when ranking the greatest matches in WWE history, but without a gripping storyline, or emotionally invested fans, you are left with the same moves and holds week in and week out. When Hulk Hogan faced Andre the Giant before 93,000 fans at WrestleMania 3, there were no backflips or ladders, but the result was so entertaining that despite taking place more than 30 years ago, the encounter is still considered by many critics as one of the best in WWE history.
It’s true that Andre was suffering from health issues and wasn’t in his athletic prime during the match, but that only made the story more intense, as the younger and more popular champion would topple the Giant with what became the most famous body slam of all time.
Thanks to the interest in this main event, WrestleMania 3 was a huge success and helped lay the blueprint for many future WrestleMania confrontations to come.
Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels: WrestleMania 26 (2010)
The fact that the Heartbreak Kid and the Undertaker hold multiple spots on this list is testament to the chemistry that these two men always had in the ring together whenever they locked horns. One year earlier, Shawn Michaels had failed to break the Undertaker’s winning streak at WrestleMania 25, and so he would put his own career on the line to secure the rematch.
Once the bell rang, Shawn seemed to be at the top of his game, flying high in his attack on the Deadman. Much like in their original (and slightly better WrestleMania encounter), the feuding superstars were able to kick out of some seriously near falls to keep fans guessing as to who would come out on top. Undertaker kicked out of three superkicks, eventually defeating HBK following three Tombstones. Both the original match at WrestleMania 25 and this sequel one year later will go down in history as two of the best matches of all time.
Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels: WrestleMania 25 (2009)
This contest is often placed at the top of the list when it comes to the greatest matches ever, and it is without doubt one of the most nail-biting wars ever to grace WWE TV screens. In his first bid to end the Undertaker’s WrestleMania winning streak, the Heartbreak Kid made his entrance to the ring symbolling light, while the Deadman appeared though the flames to represent evil—a classic superhero storyline if ever there was one.
The Undertaker looked to be in serious trouble early on after diving outside of the ring and landing awkwardly on his head, but he managed to get back in the ring to beat the count of 10. What followed was an enthralling medley of each wrestler’s favorite finishing maneuvers, leading to some seriously close pinfalls. In the climax, HBK got caught in a devastating Tombstone after trying to blast ‘Taker with a moonsault, providing the Phenom with his 17th straight WrestleMania victory.
Bret “Hitman” Hart vs. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin: WrestleMania 13 (1997)
If ever a match had everything, it was the high-octane showdown between Hart and Austin in 1997 at WrestleMania 13. The contest went into fifth gear in the opening seconds and didn’t slow down until Austin passed out in a pool of his own blood, which in many ways became the foreshadowing of WWE’s hugely successful Attitude Era.
This “submission match” couldn’t rely on several near pin-falls to keep us gripped; instead, the two combatants fought in the ring, outside the ring, and even up the concrete arena steps where Austin took a viscous back-body-drop. This war had a great storyline, focusing on realism to hook us in: Could the up-and-coming Austin beat the legendary Bret Hart? Many people will have forgotten that although this match stole the show at WrestleMania 13 it was not the main event, which only serves to show its lasting impact.
Who can forget the iconic moment where Austin refuses to quit but is forced to forfeit the match with his head down in a pool of his own blood? It was a night that kick-started Steve Austin’s run as one of the hottest WWE superstars in history and set the direction needed to once again beat WCW in the TV ratings war.
