Classic matches from RAW or Smackdown

[ProWrestlingFan]

This thread is to discuss the classic matches that have happened either on RAW or Smackdown (No PPV matches)

Austin vs Benoit, Smackdown 2001 - One of the best Steve Austin matches.

Kurt Angle vs. Brock Lesnar, 60 minute Iron Man Match, 2003 Smackdown - This match was a classic. Both Angle and Lesnar gave it all. Totally a PPV caliber match.

Kurt Angle vs The Undertaker, Undisupited Championship, Smackdown 2003 - Epic and a very underrated match in my opinion.

Shawn Michaels vs Shelton Benjamin - Gold-Rush Tournament Qualifying Match, 2005, RAW- Great match and an epic Sweet Chin Music to Shelton Benjamin at the end.

HHH vs Edge - World Heavyweight Championship - RAW 2005 - It was a great match. This match should have happened at Wrestlemania.

Randy Orton vs Rey Mysterio, World Heavyweight Championship, 2006 Smackdown - Great match and one of the best Randy Orton matches in my opinion.

Shawn Michaels vs John Cena - 2007 RAW - One of the best Cena matchs. It was a 1 hour classic.

What are your favorite classic matches that have happened either on RAW or Smackdown ?

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[justinept]

These are some obvious choices, in my opinion.

Ric Flair vs. Mr. Perfect; Loser Leaves Town - January 93 - This was the first truly great Raw match that I remember watching. It was epic, ending Flair's first run in the WWE and making Mr. Perfect a viable entity again.

Shawn Michaels vs Marty Jannetty - Raw, May 93 - HBK's first great singles match. He'd win 11 Match of the Year awards from PWI, but this match earned him his first.

Steve Austin vs Vince McMahon - Raw, April 98 - I believe this was the match that finally put the WWE over the top, downing Nitro in the ratings for the first time in 80-plus weeks.

The Rock vs Mankind; WWF Title - Raw, December 99 The match that put our asses in the seat, right? This was one of the signature moments of the Attitude Era.

Undertaker vs. Jeff Hardy; Ladder Match for Undisputed Title - Raw, January 02 - More than anything else, this match made Jeff Hardy a star. It'd be a number of years before he truly ascended to the top of the WWE mountain, but to me, this was the first sign that he'd get there.

 

[IHW]

I liked the more recent Edge vs. Christian match on Raw a short while back. It was a classic feel good moment for me.

HBK vs. Shelton Benjamin is that match I always think about when watch Shelton these days. The end was one of my favorite endings from HBK in his later years.

The big one is HBK vs. Cena in 2007. It was my favorite vs. my little brothers favorite. It was truly epic.

 

[HBKperfect23]

Perfect/Flair was the first big match one RAW I can remember

Shawn Michaels/Marty Jannetty-The one mentioned above was a great one, PWI Match of the year. Ill also add the one they had in July.

Bret Hart vs 1-2-3 Kid-RAW 94 face vs face championship match

Shawn Michaels vs 1-2-3 Kid-RAW 96 this was also for the title. The kliq worked so well together.

Flag Match RAW 1997 Bret, Owen, Bulldog vs Austin, Dude Love, Taker what a great hostile crowd. Loved this feud

Shawn Michaels and Steve Austin vs Owen and Bulldog-What a pop when HBK/316 won the titles. Owen and Bulldog are my most underrated team ever...one of the best ever.

Austin/Dude Love vs Owen and Bulldog-Even tho it had the same ending as the one above.

Shawn Michaels vs Owen Hart IC champion vs Euro champion in 97. I think these two could have been great together in a long term program. Especially in 97 when they could both work heel.

X-Pac vs The Rock for the IC title, height of the DX/Nation feud and Rock just cost HHH the Euro title earlier that night. So many near falls for X-Pac

Rock vs Mankind: Mankinds first title win. Loved when DX came out/Austin came out. highlight of match for me was when BA Billy Gunn jumped in after Shamrock.

Jericho/Benoit winning the tag titles over Austin/HHH: Classic underdog prevailing match, wish HHH didnt get hurt

HBK vs Shelton, Gold Rush Tourny, Best Super Kick ever

Rockers vs La Resistance: Rockers reunion, Im a mark for them.

Kurt Angle vs Marty Jannetty: this was a MOTY candidate IMO. Janetty still had it.

97RAW and 01RAW were the best times in my opinion. Im sure im missing some. Also Im sure im missing some from the SD6 in 03. I stopped watching RAW/SD from 06-11 so im sure theres some in there too.

 

[Leviticus]

My favorite by far was John Cena vs Shawn Michaels in 2007, I had no clue how it was gonna end after going for so long, and even though I was cheering for Cena the whole time, I was completely fine with the outcome. This was one of those matches that at first I didn't expect to much because they had just faced off at mania, but it surpassed their mania match to me and is still one of my favorites today.

 

[ProWrestlingFan84]

There are quite a few by looking at the posts. One that always stands out in my mind is the Undertaker vs Jeff Hardy Ladder Match. It was a match where Hardy just had the crap beat out of him bet kept on coming. Quite the cool thing post match with Undertaker giving Hardy the ok in the end especially in the middle of Taker's Bad ass biker gimmick.

Another match which I think happened in early Raw from 93 is the 3rd qualifying match for KOTR between Doink and Mr. Perfect. This was when Perfect was face and Doink was still his awesome heel evil clown. They had already had 2 matches end in draws and this was the final match to settle who qualifies.

 

[DanielPuder]

Shawn Michaels vs Marty Jannetty - Raw, May 93 - HBK's first great singles match.

Great match, but he had some great singles matches with Bret Hart, Tito Santana, and Davey Boy Smith before this one.

I also wanna throw the Edge/Flair bloodbath from Raw '06. Great match. Can't really disagree with many of the choices so far.

 

[Fisheatppl]

One of my all time favorite matches, and its been a while so I might get some details wrong, was RVD and HBK vs. Evolution in a 2 on 3 handicap tag match, which lasted past the end of Raw by about 10 to 15 minutes, and eventually had RVD and HBK winning. Not much was made of it, but I remember it going down, was wondering why it was late, and was ecstatic when HBK and RVD actually got the job done. It was an amazing match that I always remember as one of my favorites.

 

[Beastmode 24]

I agree about Cena/Michaels from Raw in 2007..i honestly believe this was Cena's greatest match, as he and Michaels tore the house down. I believe that this would be my favorite match that WWE has had outside of the US.

 

[Wrestlemania 20-0]

Eddie guerrero vs JBL for the world heavy weight champion in steel cage match very unique.
Eddie guerrero vs John Cena in a parking brawl match very brutal.
it's for smackdown.
for Raw the match between Triple H and Kane when this last after losing is demasqued.

 

[TheHeartbreakPunk]

Im gonna think of some more recent matches

Shawn Michaels vs. John Cena on raw- Not much needs to be said as the posters above have said it all

Christian vs. Randy Orton on smackdown- This was an amazing match, and set up the beloved christian heel turn... remember, all he wants is one... more...match

 

[theBusiness]

TLC 3 from SmackDown 2001 is the best SmackDown match of all time IMO. Those whole last 2 weeks of May 2001 were INSANE. We had 3 of the best TV matches ever in those 2 weeks. TLC 3, Austin vs. Benoit, and quite possibly the best tag team match of all time, Austin/HHH vs. Jericho/Benoit. SmackDown 2002-2003 had the best pure wrestling roster of all time with Angle, Benoit, Eddie, Lesnar, Edge, Rey, etc. We'll never have another roster like that again.

Another absolute classic is Owen vs. Davey Boy in 1997. Arguably the best Raw match in history.

 

[HitmanFan4ever]

im gonna have to go with shawn michaels and marty janetty in 1993. this was classic story telling at its finest with a fast paced tempo. i believe its the best non ppv match in wwe/wwf history

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

Owen Hart v British Bulldog
RAW IS WAR
Berlin, Germany
26/2/97

[YOUTUBE]0axLFbemIU0[/YOUTUBE]

Match to crown the first ever European Champion, between the 2 current tag team champions. 2 of the best in the world at the time.

An absolutely brilliant match, with alot of respect shown between the partners and close friends. The match was given nearly 20 mins and is an underrated classic which can be forund on the Best of Raw 15th Anniversary 3 disc DVD set

 

[theBec2101]

they re were alot of great matches the HBK and Shelton one stands out just for the finish alone. Its a shame they couldnt figure out what to do with Shelton.
i would also include these two to the list everyone has said
123 Kid vs Rozor Ramon series
1sr ever TLC match on Raw

 

[Latinoeddy]

A lot of good matches have already been named, The 1-2-3 Kid vs. Bret Hart RAW 1994 match and John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels RAW 2007 match are my two favorite RAW matches, and Stone Cold vs. Chris Benoit on Smackdown May 2001 is my favorite Smackdown match. I'm going try and not mention any others that others have not mentioned.

Brock Lesnar vs. Chris Benoit Smackdown (December 4, 2003) - This was a totally awesome TV match. Benoit is a tremondous seller and Brock looked like a beast, but an evil beast that you wanted to see tap out to the crossface. The finish rules especially because of Benoit's selling like he's in the worst pain of his whole life. This was one of the first times Brock used the Brock Lock IIRC. Chris Benoit came out looking like a million bucks after the match, though.

Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit vs Rey Mysterio and Edge Smackdown (November 7, 2002) - They had an awesome match at No Mercy, and this was the rematch. Only this match is 2 out of 3 falls and it's on free TV~! Great match with the top four of the Smackdown six. Probably not as good as the No Mercy, but I loved the story of Benoit and Angle's team breaking down throughout the match. The crowd was hot too. It's sad this match will probably never be released on DVD.

One match that I want to mention that didn't happen on either RAW or Smackdown, but was a WWE TV match was the Christian vs. Jack Swagger ECW match that happened on February 2009. Great match. One of Christian's best TV matches and definitely Swagger's best.