Best televised match ever

[PsychoBlack]

Very rarely is their a classic match put on free television. They are usually few and far between or in a cluster without it being another one for a very long time. Which of these Televised classics are the best?

I believe that it comes down to one of two matches. The first being Chris Benoit vs Steve Austin on Smackdown in 2001. Paul Heyman showed his brilliance here allowing two excellent performers to go at it here with neither having to carry the other. This match showcased Austin's ability to roll around on the mat with the best of the best and Benoit was able to show that he was ready to compete with the big stars of the company.

My next choice is Brock Lesnar vs Kurt Angle in the 60 minute Iron man match from 2003. This is another Heyman masterpiece. An Iron man match is the type of thing that gets pulled out every once in a blue moon and to put it on free TV was such a different Idea. The storytelling in this match was off the charts with Brock realizing that he had 60 minutes to wear down Angle, so, he decided to sacrifice a fall to disqualification wearing down Angle's body for the rest of the match while Angle refused to give up and almost came out with the win, but, time expired as he had on the ankle lock to get the last fall to tie

 

[Stone_Cold_Stunner]

i gotta go with Lesnar Angle 60 Minute Iron Man Match just great one hour of Angle Lesnar the 3 matches they had in 2003 are just awesome this maybe the best but only due to the Botched Lesnar shooting stat press spot from Mania

 

[Davi323]

HBK vs. John Cena on Raw in April of either 07 or 08. It was an hour long match that wasn't an iron man match. it was a single fall, and it went that long...because HBK is HBK, and he could still pull an hour long match out of his 40+ year old body.

I would also nominate Ric Flair vs. Barry Windham waaaaaaaay back in the 80s, when the NWA was on between 9-10am on saturday mornings. That particular show had one match. Hour time limit, and Barry Windham had Flair beat for the NWA world championship, but pinned him a half second too late. 1......2......dingdingding..3. Time limit expired as the ref was bringing his hands down for the 3 count. Absolutely brilliant timing on the finish.

 

[LSN80]

Cena and Michaels in April of 2007 in England. I remember vividly that they kept promising Randy Orton vs Edge "later" in the show, and I remembered thinking, "Is this a 3 hour Raw?" It was one of those matches that almost had me believing wrestling was real, due to its length and other matches being bumped from the card.

The only thing that made this match a little predictable was that it was non-title, and Cena had made HBK tap out at Wrestlemania. it didn't take away from the match however, as the match was spectacular, and it really cemented Cena as "the man", because he showed he could go toe to tow with a man had been there and done that. Even in a loss, I think this match was one of the defining moments of Cena's career. I loved their Wrestlemania match, but I think this one topped it. How often can you say a match on free tv is better then the Wrestlemania main event? Not often. This was my personal favorite.

 

[#hamler]

Brock Lesnar vs. Kurt Angle
60 Minute Iron Man match September 18, 2003

The highlight of Brock Lesnar’s very short lived career in the WWE was the lengthy feud with Kurt Angle. During their great feud, they put on great gimmick matches and traded numerous times between heel and face. Many people remember Brock beating Kurt Angle at Wrestlemania 19 as the highpoint of not only their rivalry but Brock's career aswell.

However the real highlight of this feud was the 60 minute Ironman match which to me is the single best Smackdown, WWE and wrestling match ever televised. It was hard to predict the outcome. Brock was going in as the challenger but with a lot of momentum from previous wins. Kurt Angle was the Champion and at the time seemed unlikely he'd lose the WWE Championship on national tv.

The match started with back and forth with Brock gaining the first victory. This match was very back and forth and showed both of their great skills clearly. The ending of this very epic encounter, came when Brock barely pulled out a victory. Kurt snapped on the Ankle lock in the closing seconds. Brock held on long enough to gain the victory and win his 3rd WWE Championship. Brock Lesnar beat Kurt Angle 5 falls to 4.

It was an encounter which really showed the amateur backgrounds of both athletes. i t shows that the WWE put a lot of faith into these athletes. They gave them a full hour to really show what they're made of. Kurt really put Brock over here. This match really stood out to me. A great match. The greatest in Televison History.

 

[Calderownz]

Eddie Guerrero Vs. Rob Van Dam - Ladder Match for the Intercontinental title on Raw. I loved the match, had it's moments with actual wrestling and told a decent story. Very solid match.

Bill Goldberg Vs. Hulk Hogan - WCW World Heavyweight title on Nitro. Not the best scientific match by any means, but for it's significance, it was a solid spectacle.

Kurt Angle Vs. Lance Storm - on Smackdown! Beautiful little 5-7 minute match. It can be found on youtube I think. Brilliant match.

Kurt Angle Vs. Brock Lesnar - 60 Minute Iron Match on Smackdown! Obviously was given the right amount of time, helped the feud and a brilliant match.

 

[harrythem]

Kurt Angle Vs Undertaker on SmackDown back in 2005 I believe. Was a solid match (best non gimmick match of Takers career to that point) and, even with a screwy finish, was still an amazing match. Could have the year wrong but I know for sure it was in Feb.

 

[Dyno Kid]

Boy it's hard to chose but I'll list a few:

Sting vs Ric Flair Clash of Champions I: Great 45 minute draw that helped to make Sting into a legit star in one match !

Midnight Express vs the Fantastics from the same show: Wild brawling and fast paced match between these 2 rivals. Best match on the first Clash show !

Midnight Express vs the Fantastic from April 1988: Great 50 plus minute T.V. match with a super hot crowd that watches the Fantastics win the U.S. tag titles !

Ric Flair vs Rick Steamboat from Clash of Champions VI in April of 1989: The champ Steamboat retains the World title in this great 2 out of 3 falls classic !

 

[ThUnDeRpHoEnIx]

I'll go with others and say the Shawn Michaels vs John Cena match in 2007.That match was just plain awesome.I could watch it over and over again without getting bored.

 

[Twiztid Rodimus]

I agree with all those posted. But I figured I'd mention some other gems that didnt get mentioned.

John Morrison vs Jeff hardy 7-31-2009:
This match was on Smackdown and could have easily been a great PPV match.
[youtube]0wVKV7Exoig[/youtube]
[youtube]yxArzvg4dwI&feature=related[/youtube]

Paul London vs Brian Kendrick (Beat the clock match)
This match was SO under rated, and almost never mentioned. There was even a boring chant, which is friggin pathetic.
[youtube]WtJyqmAP90c[/youtube]

And another classic from the soon to be retired William Regal vs the wrestler who will not be named
[youtube]Y2gnoQTFd08[/youtube]

 

[Dyno Kid]

Man, how did I forget to mention the classic 1 hour blood-bath between Nick Bockwinkel and Curt Hennig that took place on ESPN back in 1986 ? Great match and it really took Curt to that main event level !