Who Was The Best at Their Match?

[Midnite Express 2009]

In the history of professional wrestling, there have been a few wrestlers who created matches specifically for themselves and developed a reputation for being the best at these particular matches. Since this month's WWE PPV is Hell in the Cell, I want to know what wrestlers were the best all time at their particular matches. Listed below are a few stars, their matches and impact. Please chime in on the listing and feel free to including your own if I left some off.

The Undertaker: Hell in the Cell/Casket Match I'm giving The Undertaker double billing on this one because he's reflective of both the Casket Match as well as the Hell in the Cell. Of course, the lasting legacy will more than likely be HITC as opposed to the Casket Match because #1 he's been in more high profile HITC matches, #2 WWE really doesn't have Casket Matches anymore and #3, this is really the only match that was created for one particular superstar that transcended the match itself and became a PPV (the other match that turned into a PPV is listed below but was created for teams). The Undertaker's record in both matches is incredible as he had a Casket Match AND HITC match at separate WrestleMania's. No other man can lay claim to that. The list of his opponents is a who's who of legendary greats, hall of famers and futue hall of famers. Although others have entered Hell in the Cell, no one is as famous for the match and highlights, no matter when it's shown, will always show 1st the creator originator, The Phenom, The Undertaker.

Edge & Christian, The Dudley Boyz, The Hardy Boyz: TLC What can be said of these three teams in this match that hasn't already been said? From WrestleMania to Summerslam, they tore down the house with the most dangerous & breathtaking aerial moves off the ladder, the most wicked crashes through the table and the most bone jarring smashes to the back & head with the chairs (of course, WWE prohibits chairshots to the head). These three teams waged memorable wars with each other over the tag titles, even when the division was starting to phase out. It may have cut several of the superstars involved career's short, but it made the best of highlight reels for years to come. Of course, the match was a bit of a spin off of the Ladder Match, but it took what the Ladder Match couldn't do and did it with such effectiveness that each team was sensational after the fact. Like the Hell in the Cell, the TLC match briefly became a PPV a few years ago and even became a match featuring singles stars instead of tag teams. Since all three teams were involved in such a great series of matches, they all deserve top billing for their part in the matches.

Dusty Rhodes: Texas Bullrope Match Dusty Rhodes is the King of the Bullrope match. First introducing it in, of all places, Madison Square Garden in his series of matches against then WWWF Heavyweight Champion, Superstar Billy Graham, Rhodes mastered the Bullrope match and made it legendary while he was in the NWA. Not only facing Graham, Dusty Rhodes also had classic matches against Tully Blanchard among others, but none was more classic and more brutal than against Superstar which is remembered for Billy Graham hanging over the top rope with the bullrope around his neck and in a cruifix position. The American Dream made sure this match belonged to him and had an impressive win-loss record against his foes.

Bret Hart: I Quit Match Others were in I Quit Matches before Bret Hart, more famously Ric Flair & Terry Funk, but it was Bret Hart who took this match and made it his own. In his infamous WrestleMania match against Stone Cold Steve Austin, Bret Hart vowed to make Austin tap out. He didn't (Austin famously passed out) but he did take this match one step forward and made it an instant classic. Plus, Hart was a submission specialist and so it was a no brainer to have him in many I Quit Matches. Ironically, it was his last match in the WWE (not the WrestleMania match against McMahon) that ended up being a sort of I Quit match as he was screwed out of the WWE title by being called for submitting even though we all know he didn't. Even still, the name and the man go hand in hand.

Shawn Michaels: The Ladder Match Way before there was Money in the Bank, Shawn Michaels was the master and the best at the Ladder Matches. Introduced in Calgary 1st by Stu Hart, McMahon and Michaels decided to bring it to the WWE at WrestleMania X against Razor Ramon and the rest is history. Although Shawn Michaels lost, he still managed to gain the respect of everyone for his incredible bumps and his continued fighting. Ramon and Michaels had a series of Ladder Matches afterwards but none was more special than the 1st.

Andre The Giant: The Battle Royal Ignoring the fact that WWE always wanted to (and probably still does) tell that lie that Andre the Giant (a had never been slammed before Hulk Hogan did at WrestleMania III and (b was undefeated until that match, The Battle Royal was Andre's match years before the Royal Rumble was even thought of. Andre was usually the featured attraction in territories during the late 70s and early 80s and whenever they needed a top draw, the companies usually brought in the Eight Wonder of the World and would put him in Battle Royals. Unsure of how many he was in, I'm sure his win-loss record was spotless. Andre was tough to get over the top rope and if you youtube some of his matches, you can see why. King of the Battle Royal for sure. One man Andre The Giant.

If you have more, and I'm sure some do, please feel free to let me know what other matches and the best at the match should be listed. Thanks.

 

[CrazyChicksDigger]

Can we really pair Bret Hart and the "I Quit" match in this thread? I don't recall him being in any other high-profile I Quit match.

Also, to put Hell in a Cell along side a joke match like a Casket Match (one is a brutal bout that usually ends a feud, the other is a gimmick match done so that the loser doesn't have to get pinned). That's a major disservice to HIAC.

 

[Fansince1992]

Have to go with your first choice of The Undertaker and "Hell in a Cell"

The next argument is, was the Undertaker the best at this type of match? I'd say Mick Foley made those matches more memorable than Taker did. You could also throw Triple H in there aswell. These 3 really made those Hell in a Cell matches, but i do think Mick Foley was the main reason for Hell in a Cell , becoming one of the most talked about , and popular type of matches in the history of Wrestling.

 

[TheChosenOne10]

I think the I Quit match is becoming Cena's match. The guy will never lose one of those hes won 3 I believe (Miz, JBL & Orton).

But back on topic I would have to say Undertaker and HIAC. HIAC is for top guys and he is the one you think of. He was in the first HIAC and most memorable ones. His famous one with Foley, his one with Lesnar I believe is underrated and was an awesome HIAC, and his recent one with HHH was fantastic.

 

[Midnite Express 2009]

CrazyChicksDigger, I somewhat see your point about I Quit Matches & Bret Hart. As I was writing this I was going to put someone like Kurt Angle but I couldn't really remember how many submission matches/I quit matches he had.

As far as the Casket Match, I said I was giving double billing to The Undertaker for the creator of the match. You have to see what my criteria was for the best of their matches. Rather or not the match was a joke in your opinion is meaningless. What I was saying is that he created the match and was the best at it...

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

Casket matches have been pretty shit for the most part so why would I say that Undertaker is the best at a terrible match? As for Hell in a Cell, I'm not going with Undertaker or HHH. I'm tempted to go with Mick Foley but I'm going with the legend known as Batista. He may have competed in only two but I put those two in my top five of greatest cell matches ever. Batista has beaten both Undertaker and HHH which no one else can say they have done. I know someone is going to say that Edge interfered in one but if we're going to praise HBK for winning one, I'm going to praise Batista for winning that one.

Shawn Michaels is way down my list when it comes to the ladder match. He's only had three in the last fifteen years he was wrestling and one was part of a terrible Three Stages of Hell match. My pick for the ladder match is Rob Van Dam. He's beaten Jeff Hardy, Big Show, Christian, Eddie Guerrero, and Abyss.

 

[Wolf Pac]

You should definitely throw HHH in there with the Hell In A Cell, he was a helping hand in making that match big. He's been in just as much HIAC matches and put on just as many top notch quality HIAC matches as Taker has. Hell, even though we've seen Taker vs. HHH many times before WM 28, their Hell in a Cell match was considered a dream match because they are the masters of that match and they never faced each other in the match they made.

Shelton Benjamin: Money In The Bank - He's not with the WWE anymore but let's face it, when you mention Money In The Bank, he's the first person you're gonna think of because he got that over with his insane spots. The main highlights of the MiTB matches are his moments and the highlight of his entire career is the Money In The Bank match. He's never been in anything else as big or done anything else as big as the Money in the Bank match.

 

[ccotreau1]

I would also say Kane with the Inferno match, where almost every Inferno match involved Kane

Mankind with the boiler match, where like the Inferno match, most involved Mankind

 

[TheHorndogSays]

My vote goes to Dusty in the Texas Bullrope match. He made a match that honestly should be nothing more than a cheap gimmick match seem like a legitimate FIGHT that went away from the usual cheap finish of most strap matches where an opponent carried someone over their shoulder touching every corner with the opponent also touching every corner and slithering out to touch the 4th corner last. I've seen a few of dusty's original bullrope matches where his opponent would be knocked unconscious and Dusty would simply drag their body around the ring. Talk about a display of domination.

 

[shrimc]

Kane is the best Royal Rumble participant, most appearances in the Royal Rumble at 15, second most overall eliminations with 39, two behind Shawn Michaels, he had six consecutive eliminations in the 2001 Royal Rumble, the eighth most time spent in a Royal Rumble with 54 minutes and 49 seconds, he is in a four-way tie for most final four appearances with 5, and he has most eliminations in a single Royal Rumble with 11. The only thing he has not done is win it, but he has left as big an impact as anyone can. I also believe that he will surpass HBK's record and/or win at the 2013 Royal Rumble. He certainly deserves it, but then again Shelton Benjamin also deserved a MITB win.

 

[sanefan_har]

The Undertaker's HIAC matches were fun to watch. So i give it my vote. But like a previous poster mentioned, The I quit matches are becoming more of Cena's match because he never quits. Sad.

 

[Midnite Express 2009]

The Fabulous Freebirds: 6 Man Tag The Freebirds were one of the most entertaining teams ever in wrestling, especially in World Class Championship Wrestling where they had a legendary feud with the Von Erics. The Freebirds/Von Erics feud was tremendous because they could have them as singles, tags or 6 man tag matches and the introduction of The Freebirds Rule was revolutionary and perfect for this team of Hayes, Gordy and Roberts. They were the best at these matches and that's why they were given their own special name, invoking the clause whenever they wanted to have a tag team match and stating that any two of the three could essentially wrestle in a tag match. Also, as far as I can remember, they were the 1st three man combination in wrestling. Gotta go with the Freebirds on this one!

 

[HBKistheHOF]

The Undertaker: Casket Match/Buried Alive Match - While Taker's HiaC matches will no doubt last the test of time, I think the match that he "made" was the casket & buried alive matches. Cells & cages would have come & gone without Taker but the whole concept of burrying someone or placing them in a casket is the direct result of Undertaker & his character. Not to mention, if I am not mistaken, Taker has participated in every Casket match & just about every buried alive match.

Triple H: Elimination Chamber - Triple H has won inside the chamber more than any other competitor, Is the only performer to win back to back chambers, Is one of very few men to retain a championship inside the chamber, and once again if I am not mistake, I believe he is the only superstar to ever win both the World & WWE titles inside the chamber.

Kane: Inferno Match - As previously mentioned above, this was "the Devil's favorite demon"'s match. Kane is known for "fire & brimestone" & this was basically his counter to The Undertaker's casket match. Again if I am not wrong, Kane has also particpated in every inferno match.

Mankind: Boiler Room Brawl - Mick Foley's answer to the match stipulations from Taker & Kane. A dark dank pit where Mankind reigns supreme. Basically just his casket match or inferno match in my eyes. Again almost all, if not all, involved Foley.

Also I could see making an point for either Shelton Benjamin or Chris Jericho & the MitB. As well Batista for HiaC since he is the only one to ever defeat both Triple H & Undertaker inside the Cell.

My persoanl pick is for either HBK & the ladder match or Undertaker & the casket/buried alive match. HBK completely revolutionalized the ladder match & we probably wouldn't have a casket match w/o the Undertaker.

 

[Wolf Pac]

Shawn Michaels: Ironman Match - There have been Ironman matches before & many that have took place after WM 12, and some people (Kurt Angle & AJ Styles) who have competed in more Ironman matches than Shawn has, but the Ironman match will forever be assosciated with HBK for his match with Bret. You could make the argument it was assosciated with both Bret & HBK, but it will be most remembered for Shawn than Bret cause that was where the Boyhood Dream was achieved, which was a defining moment in wrestling history. No other person who has competed in the Ironman match will ever come close to knocking Shawn off as the King of the Ironman matches because of that one moment, it was larger than life.

Abyss: Monsters Ball - Whether the match took place at a house show, an episode of Impact, a PPV or even in another promotion, Abyss has been in every Monsters Ball match. This is Abyss' answer to the Casket & Inferno matches. TNA should bring in a Hardcore Title for Abyss and have it defended every year in a Monsters Ball match at Bound For Glory, it would be a nice new tradition and a reward for Abyss for all his hard work & sacrifice in the company. The guy is the Mick Foley of the company, he's always putting others over and he's likely never gonna get near any of the current titles in TNA again, so why not. Everytime he's held the other belts, he's always had a short title reign, but with the HC Title I can see him getting a well deserved long reign.

 

[theBec2101]

Hell in the Cell/Casket Match; I’ll go with Undertaker, but also could make the argument with Mick Foley as well. Also notable mentions would be HHH and HBK.

TLC/ The Ladder Match; have to put them together pretty much the same thing for the most part. Have to go with Edge. Not only did he win or compete in some of the greatest TLC matches and Ladder matches but also Money in the bank as well. Also notable mentions; HBK and Jeff Hardy

I Quit Match; I would go with the Rock or Mick Foley because of the most notable one where Rock screwed Mick Foley. But also you could say John Cena since he has been in the most. Rock and Mick Foley have been in 2 and John Cena has been in 4. Notable mentions also Bret and Austin, I know it was a submission match but it basically getting your opponent to tap or say he gives in.

Bullrope Match; Going with Eddy Guerrero because when he defeated JBL not only funny but one hell of a match. I also wouldn’t argue if you said Dusty Rhodes. Just my personal opinion is all. Also notable mention would be JBL, he has been in a few of them.

The Battle Royal; will agree with Andre the Giant.

Royal Rumble; I would go with Austin or HBK. But I also think Kane should be in there for the fact that he has the most eliminations and it is by a lot.

 

[HBsam31]

When talking about Ladder matches you have to mention HBK. He pretty much made himself a superstar in the ladder match with Razor Ramon at Mania 10. He later had another Ladder match with Razor that I don't think was quite as good, but was up there none the less. I would say there are guys that later made the match more of their own, but HBK had one of the best. As far as Hell in a Cell goes you have to mention The Undertaker. Everytime he stepped into that cell you knew something awesome was going to happen. He also had the first one with none other than HBK. Taker's opponents have sometimes have outshined him in those matches, but that is Taker's match. Also wanted to mention the Elimination chamber. HHH has won more than anyone else. I also believe he was the first to retain the title in that match. All of these could be debated, but these are my personal picks.

 

[FlairFan2003]

In the history of professional wrestling, there have been a few wrestlers who created matches specifically for themselves and developed a reputation for being the best at these particular matches. Since this month's WWE PPV is Hell in the Cell, I want to know what wrestlers were the best all time at their particular matches. Listed below are a few stars, their matches and impact. Please chime in on the listing and feel free to including your own if I left some off.


Shawn Michaels: The Ladder Match Way before there was Money in the Bank, Shawn Michaels was the master and the best at the Ladder Matches. Introduced in Calgary 1st by Stu Hart, McMahon and Michaels decided to bring it to the WWE at WrestleMania X against Razor Ramon and the rest is history. Although Shawn Michaels lost, he still managed to gain the respect of everyone for his incredible bumps and his continued fighting. Ramon and Michaels had a series of Ladder Matches afterwards but none was more special than the 1st.

[.

Just a note, although the origin of Ladder Matches is traced to Canada in the late 70s (Jake Roberts even did one), it was not HBK but Brett Hart who brought the idea to WWE, convincing HBK to work a few with him when they were on the house show circuit during his 1st run as WWE Champ. HBK definately made them famous, but he did bring the concept to WWE and WWE's first Ladder Match was Not HBK-Hall at WrestleMania.

This wasnt even the first Ladder Match in the US, that distinction belongs to Tully Blanchard vs Dusty Rhodes (1987 Great American Bash) in a match over $100,000 (suspended above the ring) inside a ring surrounded by barbed wire (Given Rhodes size and inability to take bumps off the ladder, plus both wrestlers reluctance to get hung up in the Barbed Wire, it's not a great match)

No doubt though that HBK really popularized the concept but if you include TLC as a form of Ladder Match then Edge gets the vote as the best one in this gimmick.


Hart also was the first to introduce The Iron Man Match into WWE, doing them with Ric Flair on the house show in late 92/early 93 (one of them, from Hartford CT, has long made the rounds as a bootleg from the arena online through the years - for the record Hart tapped out twice to the figure four but won the match 3 falls to 2)