WWE.com: 50 Greatest RAW Matches In History

[Ruthless-RKO]

http://www.wwe.com/classics/classic-lists/50-greatest-raw-matches-list/

I know how much you all love these lists, especially when they're in numerical order...

Spoiler

50. World Tag Team Championship Match - The Undertaker and Big Show v The Rock N' Sock Connection - 8/30/99
49. Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Championship - Jeff Hardy v Johnny Nitro - 11/20/06
48. John Cena, Hulk Hogan and Shawn Michaels vs. Christian, Tyson Tomko and Chris Jericho - 6/27/05
47. King Of The Ring Qualifying Match - Mr. Perfect v Doink - 5/24/93
46. World Tag Team Championship Match - Booker T and Goldust v Chris Jericho and Christian - 12/23/02
45. TLC Match for the WWE Championship - The Miz v Jerry Lawler - 11/29/10
44. John Cena and The Undertaker v D-Generation X v JeriShow - 11/16/09
43. The Rock v Chris Jericho - 10/30/00
42. John Cena, Batista, MVP, Mr. Kennedy and Jerry Lawler v The Legacy, The Miz and Big Show - 5/25/09
41. Steel Cage Match for the WWF Championship - Sycho Sid v Bret Hart - 3/17/97
40. The Rock v The Hurricane - 3/10/03
39. Province of Quebec Rules Match for the World Tag Team Championship - The Steiner Brothers v The Quebecers - 9/13/93
38. Randy Orton v Dolph Ziggler - 8/29/11
37. No Holds Barred, Falls Count Anywhere Match - Mick Foley v Terry Funk - 5/4/98
36. D-Generation X v John Morrison and The Miz - 11/3/08
35. Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Championship - Christian v Rob Van Dam - 9/29/03
34. Tournament Final for the Intercontinental Championship - Razor Ramon v Rick Martel - 10/11/93
33. Steve Austin, The Undertaker and Dude Love v The Hart Foundation - 7/21/97
32. Triple H v Shelton Benjamin - 3/29/04
31. Steve Austin and The Rock v The New World Order - 3/11/02
30. Hardcore Championship Match - Al Snow v Road Dogg - 1/4/99
29. Intercontinental Championship Match - Edge v Randy Orton - 7/19/04
28. Falls Count Anywhere Match for the WWE Championship - The Miz v John Morrison - 1/4/11
27. Razor Ramon v The Kid - 5/17/93
26. Steve Austin v The Rock - 3/23/98
25. Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Championship - Rob Van Dam v Eddie Guerrero - 5/27/02
24. World Tag Team Championship Match - Owen Hart and British Bulldog v Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels - 5/26/97
23. CM Punk v Daniel Bryan - 2/27/12
22. Title v Mask Match for the World Heavyweight Championship - Triple H v Kane - 6/23/03
21. No. 1 Contender Tournament Match - Shawn Michaels v Shelton Benjamin - 5/2/05
20. WWF Championship Match - Steve Austin v Ken Shamrock - 9/14/98
19. TLC Match for the WWE Championship - Edge v Ric Flair - 1/16/06
18. The Rock, Cactus Jack and Too Cool v D-Generation X and The Radicalz - 2/7/00
17. CM Punk v Dolph Ziggler - 11/21/11
16. Women's Championship Match - Trish Stratus v Lita - 12/6/04
15. Fatal 4-Way Tag Team TLC Match for the World Tag Team Championship - Kane v Bubba Ray Dudley and Spike Dudley v Chris Jericho and Christian v Jeff Hardy and Rob Van Dam - 10/7/02
14. WWF Championship Match - Kurt Angle v Steve Austin - 1/8/01
13. Intercontinental Championship Match - Shawn Michaels v Marty Jannetty - 5/17/93
12. Street Fight - Steve Austin v Bret Hart - 4/21/97
11. WWF Championship Match - Triple H v Chris Jericho - 4/17/00
10. Tournament Final for the European Championship - British Bulldog v Owen Hart - 3/3/97
9. Falls Count Anywhere Match - Cactus Jack v Hunter Hearst Helmsley - 9/22/97
8. Triple Threat Match for the WWE Championship - Rob Van Dam v Edge v John Cena - 7/3/06
7. WWF Championship Match - The Rock v Mankind - 1/4/99
6. WWE Championship Match - Rey Mysterio v John Cena - 7/25/11
5. Ladder Match for the WWE Undisputed Championship - The Undertaker v Jeff Hardy - 6/1/02
4. World Heavyweight Championship Match - Triple H v Shawn Michaels - 12/29/03
3. WWF Championship Match - Bret Hart v The 1-2-3 Kid - 7/11/94
2. Loser Leaves WWF Match - Mr. Perfect v Ric Flair - 1/25/93
1. Shawn Michaels v John Cena - 4/23/07

Have to agree with most of them, I also went back to watch some of them to re-live the moments.. Some great matches in the list..

 

[Midnite Express 2009]

I'll start off by saying the list was pretty good BUT once again WWE shows its obvious obsession with John Cena by having a match featuring him as #1. Yet, the match that basically made Raw a must see was not featured, that being the 1st match between Austin vs. McMahon when Austin had his hand tied behind his back and Dude Love interfered. Sure, it wasn't an actual "match" but the whole show was built around this epic encounter and it didn't disappoint. Seemingly every John Cena match is predictable, boring, a snooze-fest, you get the picture. So was this REALLY a countdown of the best or just another "let's all pander to John Cena" list again?

 

[Nate DaMac]

I'll start off by saying the list was pretty good BUT once again WWE shows its obvious obsession with John Cena by having a match featuring him as #1. Yet, the match that basically made Raw a must see was not featured, that being the 1st match between Austin vs. McMahon when Austin had his hand tied behind his back and Dude Love interfered. Sure, it wasn't an actual "match" but the whole show was built around this epic encounter and it didn't disappoint. Seemingly every John Cena match is predictable, boring, a snooze-fest, you get the picture. So was this REALLY a countdown of the best or just another "let's all pander to John Cena" list again?

He was in 2 matches on the list and both of those matches were awesome. Fucking buffoon.

I don't have no real issues with it. I actually can remember most of these so I guess it's pretty spot on.

Wait a minute. Yeah there's one issue but it's understandable. The Tag Title Match between Triple H/Austin and Jericho/Benoit is easily top 5 but I get why it's not on this list, obviously.

 

[xavyer]

In my opinion, this match should have been in the top 3, the famous tag team match between Stone Cold and Triple H vs Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit for the WWE tag team titles, specially since Triple H finished the match despite having a serious injury, that match was excellent, it had everything, but is not there because of obious reasons, but out of those 50, the ones that i like is when Austin and Shawn Michales won the tag team titles while they were enemies, no one expected them to win, or at least i didn't, and the other one that i liked considering that i was expecting Dude Love to fight Triple H, and got Cactus Jack, that was an unexpected surprise, and i'm a little surprised that the one between Kane and Stone Cold for the WWE title the night after Kane beat Stone Cold in the First Blood match wasn't in the top 50, that match was awesome, and Stone Cold recovered the title the night after he lost it, i don't exactly remember the date, but to me, that match sould have been in that list......

 

[GutCheck21]

How about Mick Foley winning his first WWE/F Championship on Raw. I wasn't one of the fans who heard it on WCW and then changed the channel so I was watching from start to finish.. So when SCSA music hit and came to the ring and stunnerd The Rock and Foley got the 1..2..3 nobody expected it. It was shocking too the fullest and just unbelievable.

 

[Ross421]

I'm a little surprised that there were only 4(maybe more, I could have missed one) matches since 2010. I'm not that other matches didn't belong on there, but I feel like this young decade has had some pretty good matches on Raw, with CM Punk-Ryback in a TLC match this past Raw being extremely entertaining.

 

[SFC]

Biggest one I have a problem with there is Mysterio/Cena for the title being #6. At no point when I was watching that match live did I think it was a great match, nonetheless historic.

Solid list overall. Hard to disagree with the #1 match. I've had to go back in the past, and even with it being Cena, it was an absolute clinic.

 

[Kelso1ftw]

I totally agree with the top 5 except maybe move the Undertaker vs Jeff Hardy match up a spot or two. I really enjoyed that match and was one of my favorite matches of all time, it really made Hardy's career as a single's competitor. I was surprised by a few such as The Miz vs John Morrison for the WWE championship. Wasn't really a huge match-up in terms of superstardom, but I'll give them both credit as this was one of the high points in John Morrison's career.

 

[Da Solo]

It's a respectable list from WWE (which is a first), but there a couple of personal changes I would have made:

Rock vs Mankind or Taker vs. Hardy would have been no. 1

I wouldn't have minded putting Punk/McMahon in there somewhere in the 50-45's

Too many random tag matches

HBK vs Edge street fight is missing.

Kofi vs. Dolph last year is missing.

Regardless, this is actually possibly the most accurate list WWE ever put out

 

[Wolf Pac]

One that always gets overlooked, but even if it didn't it wouldn't have made the list anyway for the same reason Angle/Benoit and Austin & HHH/Benoit & Jericho didn't, is Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Chris Benoit. Not the one where they compete for the WWF Championship, the one where Benoit challenges Austin to a straight up wrestling match, thinking he isn't able to hang with him technically. Despite his neck injury, Austin put on such a solid wrestling match with Benoit, his performance took you back to the days of Stunning Steve Austin in WCW although Austin was a bit slow in this match but that's expected when you have the kind of neck injury he had. Austin proved he still had it in him to go technical.

 

[theHeadliner]

They left off Shawn Michaels vs Razor Ramon from August 1994. That was Shawn's return to RAW for the first time since WM10 and it was a great, long match.

 

[HBKperfect23]

They left off Shawn Michaels vs Razor Ramon from August 1994. That was Shawn's return to RAW for the first time since WM10 and it was a great, long match.

I forgot about this match. Just youtubed it. It without a doubt should be on the list. Shawn and Razor were money together.

 

[The Brain]

I'll start off by saying the list was pretty good BUT once again WWE shows its obvious obsession with John Cena by having a match featuring him as #1. Yet, the match that basically made Raw a must see was not featured, that being the 1st match between Austin vs. McMahon when Austin had his hand tied behind his back and Dude Love interfered. Sure, it wasn't an actual "match" but the whole show was built around this epic encounter and it didn't disappoint. Seemingly every John Cena match is predictable, boring, a snooze-fest, you get the picture. So was this REALLY a countdown of the best or just another "let's all pander to John Cena" list again?

Come on, you really want to go there? I'm sorry but this is a ridiculous post and it seems to me you're more guilty of a biased hatred toward Cena than WWE is pandering to him. I could easily see why you think something else should be at the top of the list but it's not like Cena vs. Michaels is an unreasonable choice. It was a great match and match of the year for 2007. Before you accuse WWE of pandering to Cena you might want to take a look in the mirror when it comes to objectivity.

As for your point of Austin vs. McMahon, you said yourself it wasn't even a match. This is a list of the 50 greatest matches so why on Earth would you list something that wasn't a match? Besides that, you're accusing WWE of having some sort of bias toward Cena and you list something involving the owner of the entire company and the wrestler they've revered more than anybody over the years. Just seems a little odd.

 

[sajsSAMynwa1892]

In my mind Jeff Hardy v The Undertaker in a ladder match was better than the official number 1, the fact that they were able to convince us that a mid-card(at the time) guy could beat one of the biggest names in the business for the title was a huge achievement, the match was gripping and the end was really nice and unexpected in the Undertaker showing his respect. There is a couple of matches that i think should be on there, Chris Jericho v John Cena in 2005 when Jericho got fired i felt was really good. I also didn't see The Rock v Eddie Guerrero from 2002 maybe i missed it but it would be a shame if it was omitted i really liked that match. Glad to see the Tag Team match with DX/the radicals v too cool/rock n sock was on there, if you havent seen the match watch it the crowd reaction is insane, especially when kane comes out. Benoits absence is understandable but the tag team match of him and Jericho v HHH and Stone Cold was pure class, again though, cant blame WWE for that one mind. For me though the whole list acts as a reminder of how damn good Shawn Michaels was, untouchable for me.

 

[tonykegger]

I thought they made a list similar to this before RAW 1000.

In my opinion, this match should have been in the top 3, the famous tag team match between Stone Cold and Triple H vs Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit for the WWE tag team titles, specially since Triple H finished the match despite having a serious injury, that match was excellent, it had everything, but is not there because of obious reasons

I don't know why they included the Radicalz match but not that match.

I'm a little bit surprised Punk-Ziggler is ranked a little bit ahead of Punk-Bryan. Punk-Ziggler was a very good match, but I thought Punk-Bryan was a little bit better. And if Punk-Ziggler was that high, where was Bryan-Ziggler from 2012?

 

[essdee19]

that number one is complete bullshitt just because a match is long doesnt mean its good no one speaks about that match but wwe

 

[Brocky maivia]

I'll start off by saying the list was pretty good BUT once again WWE shows its obvious obsession with John Cena by having a match featuring him as #1. Yet, the match that basically made Raw a must see was not featured, that being the 1st match between Austin vs. McMahon when Austin had his hand tied behind his back and Dude Love interfered. Sure, it wasn't an actual "match" but the whole show was built around this epic encounter and it didn't disappoint. Seemingly every John Cena match is predictable, boring, a snooze-fest, you get the picture. So was this REALLY a countdown of the best or just another "let's all pander to John Cena" list again?

Dude seriously? Thats just idiotic, how can you say that the only match of the year from raw didnt deserve to top this list? I heard great things about this match but never saw ig so decided to check it out. Big 4 ppv match quality or what!

Must admit i was surprised not to see Austin and Rock vs NWO so low on yhe list. The star poeer alone makes this an incredible match but at the end of the day i suppose it comes doen to what sort of criteria you wish to use, wouod easily be in top 20 for me thought

 

[pyrusane]

I'll start off by saying the list was pretty good BUT once again WWE shows its obvious obsession with John Cena by having a match featuring him as #1. Yet, the match that basically made Raw a must see was not featured, that being the 1st match between Austin vs. McMahon when Austin had his hand tied behind his back and Dude Love interfered. Sure, it wasn't an actual "match" but the whole show was built around this epic encounter and it didn't disappoint. Seemingly every John Cena match is predictable, boring, a snooze-fest, you get the picture. So was this REALLY a countdown of the best or just another "let's all pander to John Cena" list again?

that number one is complete bullshitt just because a match is long doesnt mean its good no one speaks about that match but wwe

You're both wrong. It's that simple. Not only was this a great match, possibly one of Cena's best matches ever, it wasn't even planned to go this way. A lot of people forget that there were originally supposed to be two matches in this time slot. Cena vs Michaels was scheduled to be slightly less than half this long, with the other match being Randy Orton vs Edge. Except Randy Orton trashed his hotel room the night before Raw and was sent home (this was during a European tour) so this 60 minute match was basically improvised to make up for that time. The fact that they went that long without preparing for it makes the actual quality of the match that much more impressive.

All that being said, I would have probably put this match at #3, behind Undertaker v Hardy and TMET v Benoit/Jericho (which really should be on here).

 

[RJJ]

They left out alot of great matches:

Booker T, Goldust, Rock, and Taker vs Unamericans and HHH should be on the list.

Rock vs Austin the night after survivor series 1998.

HHH & Austin vs Y2J & Benoit

Mankind vs Rock - ladder match

Shelton Benjamin vs HBK

Kurt Angle vs Benoit - Cage match

...and IMO Jericho vs HHH - 2000 should be number 1. Jericho pinning HHH is a moment I'll never forget.

 

[HBsam31]

Shelton Benjamin/HBK is one I am surprised they left off of the list. I would have ranked Jericho/HHH higher as another poster said. I have to admit as far as WWE top anything lists go I think this was one of the better ones. I can't argue with the number one as that was one hell of a match. Top to bottom a pretty good list.