WWE.com: "The 100 best matches to see before you die"

[Papa Pillman]

WWE.com released this article:
http://www.wwe.com/classics/100-best-matches

It compiles the 100 best matches available on the WWE network.

Here's the list for those who can't be assed to click through the slideshow:

100. Chris Jericho vs. Triple H - WWE Fully Loaded 2000
99. Golbderg vs. DDP - WCW Halloween Havoc 1998
98. Great Sasuke, Gran Hamada, & Masato Yakushiji vs. Dick Togo, Men Teioh, & Taka Michinoku - ECW Barely Legal
97. Shawn Michaels vs. Marty Jannetty - Raw on May 17, 1993
96. Natalya vs. Charlotte - WWE NXT Takeover
95. Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant - WWE WrestleMania III
94. Cactus Jack vs. Triple H - WWE Raw on September 22, 1997
93. Ric Flair vs. Lex Luger - WCW Wrestle War 1990
92. Team Hell No & Randy Orton vs. The Shield - WWE SmackDown! on June 14, 2013
91. Dean Malenko vs. Scott Taylor - WWE Backlash 2000
90. Ric Flair vs. Kerry Von Erich - WCCW Christmas Star Wars 1982
89. Adrian Neville vs. Tyson Kidd vs. Tyler Breeze vs. Sami Zayn - WWE NXT Takerover: Fatal 4-Way
88. Nasty Boys vs. Maxx Payne & Cactus Jack - WCW Spring Stampede 1994
87. Billy Kidman vs. Rey Mysterio vs. Juventud Guerrera - WCW Starrcade 1998
86. Christian vs. Randy Orton - WWE SummerSlam 2011
85. Rick Rude vs. Ricky Steamboat - WCW Beach Blast 1992
84. Tajiri vs. Super Crazy - ECW Guilty As Charged 1999
83. Ric Flair, Sid, Arn Anderson, & Larry Zbyszko vs. Sting, Steiner Bros, & Brian Pillman - WCW Wrestle War 1991
82. Steve Austin vs. Dude Love - WWE Over the Edge 1998
81. Dean Malenko vs. Ultimo Dragon - WCW Starrcade 1996
80. Midnight Express vs. The Fantastics - NWA Clash of the Champions
79. Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan - Extreme Rules 2012
78. Harley Race vs. Ric Flair - NWA Starrcade 1983
77. DDP vs. Randy Savage - WCW Spring Stampede 1997
76. Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels - WWE WrestleMania XIX

75. Money in the Bank Ladder Match - WWE WrestleMania 21
74. Steve Austin vs. Ricky Steamboat - WCW Bash at the Beach 1994
73. Undertaker vs. The Rock vs. Kurt Angle - WWE Vengeance 2002
72. Midnight Express vs. Southern Boys - WCW Great American Bash 1990
71. Bret Hart vs. Sean Waltman - WWE Raw on July 11, 1994
70. Ric Flair vs. Dusty Rhodes - NWA Starrcade 1985
69. Rey Mysterio vs. Ultimo Dragon - WCW World War 3 1996
68. Greg Valentine vs. Roddy Piper - NWA Starrcade 1983
67. Steve Austin vs. Triple H - WWE No Way Out 2001
66. Undertaker vs. CM Punk - WWE WrestleMania XXIX
65. Hart Foundation '97 vs. Steve Austin, Goldust, Ken Shamrock, & Legion of Doom - WWE Canadian Stampede
64. Dolph Ziggler vs. Daniel Bryan - WWE Bragging Rights 2010
63. Sting vs. Cactus Jack - WCW Beach Blast 1992
62. John Cena vs. CM Punk - WWE Raw on February 25, 2013
61. Cesaro vs. Sami Zayn - WWE NXT on August 21, 2013
60. Tazz vs. Bam Bam Bigelow - ECW Living Dangerously 1998
59. Team WWF vs. The Alliance - WWE Survivor Series 2001
58. Dean Malenko vs. Rey Mysterio - WCW Great American Bash 1996
57. Steiner Bros. vs. Sting & Lex Luger - WCW SuperBrawl
56. Undertaker vs. Triple H - WWE WrestleMania XXVIII
55. Vader vs. Sting - WCW Starrcade 1992
54. John Cena vs. Daniel Bryan - WWE SummerSlam 2013
53. Mick Foley vs. Edge - WWE WrestleMania 22
52. Kurt Angle vs. Brock Lesnar - WWE SmackDown! on September 18, 2003
51. Vader vs. Ric Flair - WCW Starrcade 1993

50. Undertaker vs. Mankind - WWE King of the Ring 1998
49. The Rock vs. Steve Austin - WWE WrestleMania XIX
48. Hulk Hogan vs. Ultimate Warrior - WWE WrestleMania VI
47. Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H - WWE SummerSlam 2002
46. Team Hell No & Ryback vs. The Shield - WWE TLC 2012
45. Chris Jericho vs. Rey Mysterio - WWE The Bash
44. Shawn Michaels vs. Mankind - WWE Mind Games
43. Elimination Chamber Match - WWE Survivor Series 2002
42. Kurt Angle vs. Brock Lesnar - WWE WrestleMania XIX
41. Mike Awesome vs. Masato Tanaka - ECW Heat Wave 1998
40. The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan - WWE WrestleMania X8
39. Eddie Guerrero vs. Dean Malenko - ECW Hostile City Showdown 1995
38. The Shield vs. The Wyatt Family - WWE Elimination Chamber 2014
37. Shawn Michaels vs. Undertaker - WWE Bad Blood 1997
36. Ric Flair vs. Mr. Perfect - WWE Raw on January 18, 1993
35. Vader vs. Cactus Jack - WCW Halloween Havoc 1993
34. Jushin Liger vs. Brian Pillman - WCW SuperBrawl II
33. Edge vs. John Cena - WWE Unforgiven 2006
32. Sting's Squadron vs. Dangerous Alliance - WCW Wrestle War 1992
31. Rob Van Dam vs. Jerry Lynn - ECW Guilty As Charged 1999
30. Tully Blanchard vs. Magnum TA - NWA Starrcade 1985
29. Hardyz vs. Edge & Christian - WWE No Mercy 1999
28. Brock Lesnar vs. CM Punk - WWE SummerSlam 2013
27. Ric Flair vs. Sting - NWA Clash of the Champions
26. Triple H vs. Cactus Jack - WWE Royal Rumble 2000

25. Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels - WWE No Mercy 2008
24. Ric Flair vs. Randy Savage - WWE WrestleMania VIII
23. Undertaker vs. Triple H - WWE WrestleMania XXVII
22. Royal Rumble Match - WWE Royal Rumble 1992
21. Randy Orton vs. Mick Foley - WWE Backlash 2004
20. Ric Flair vs. Terry Funk - NWA Clash of the Champions IX
19. Razor Ramon vs. Shawn Michaels - WWE WrestleMania X
18. Mr. Perfect vs. Bret Hart - WWE SummerSlam 1991
17. Ricky Steamboat vs. Ric Flair - NWA Wrestle War 1989
16. Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart - WWE WrestleMania X
15. John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar - WWE Extreme Rules 2012
14. Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels - WWE WrestleMania 21
13. Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels - WWE WrestleMania XXVI
12. The Rock vs. Steve Austin - WWE WrestleMania X-Seven
11. Ric Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat - NWA Chi-Town Rumble
10. Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels - WWE WrestleMania XII
9. John Cena vs. CM Punk - WWE Money in the Bank 2011
8. Dudleyz vs. Hardyz vs. Edge & Christian - WWE WrestleMania X-Seven
7. Bret Hart vs. Davey Boy Smith - WWE SummerSlam 1992
6. Ultimate Warrior vs. Randy Savage - WWE WrestleMania VII
5. Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio - WCW Halloween Havoc 1997
4. Ricky Steamboat vs. Ric Flair - NWA Clash of the Champions VI
3. Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat - WWE WrestleMania III
2. Steve Austin vs. Bret Hart - WWE WrestleMania 13
1. Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels - WWE WrestleMania 25

I actually think this is a pretty well put together list- worlds better than I was expecting to see.

Most glaring milk cartons for me:

Top from ECW: Awesome/Tanaka November to Remember '99

Top from WCW: Flair/Hogan Halloween Havoc '94

And the best WWE not accounted for:
Bret/Owen SummerSlam '94
HBK/Hall SummerSlam '95
Lesnar/Eddie No Way Out '04
Flair/HBK Mania 24
Awesome/Tanaka One Night Only
Punk/Bryan Over The Limit 2012

And atleast ten Benoit matches from across all three companies that weren't included for obvious reasons.

Thoughts?
Milk Cartons of your own?

 

[M]

That cena Bryan match is #54 I think.
Pretty good list especially the top 30 or so, they're actually matches you should see if you like wrestling which makes this list automatically better than the usual they have. Eddie v rey being so high is the only thing I'm iffy on. Really really good but not better than anything else in the top 10

 

[Vega]

First of all, Batista - Taker, Edge - Taker, Orton - Taker, HHH - Taker at X-Seven.
A lot of Benoit's of course, but that's to be expected. Against Jericho, against Angle, against Jericho and Angle, with Jericho against TMPT, against Lesnar, Raven, at XX, you get the idea.

Not all are deserving, but some more that spring to mind: Edge - Jericho, RVD - Hardy, Hart - Austin I, Hart - Piper, Hart - Diesel, NWO Formation, Sheamus - Morrison, Punk - Hardy.

 

[#tamale]

I guess I can die now.

Eddie v rey being so high is the only thing I'm iffy on. Really really good but not better than anything else in the top 10

Racist

 

[M]

Racist

Mcist

 

[HBKistheHOF]

I agree that overall the list is actually very well put together & I really liked that whoever helped compile the list included matches from a lot of different years & eras.

The main things that stood out to me were leaving off Daniel Bryan vs. Triple H from WM this year. That match was absolutely incredible & I would easily put it near the top of the list. The other was including The Shield's match with Orton, Bryan & Kane over their matches with the likes of Evolution, "The Sword" (Cena, Ryback & Sheamus), The Undertaker & Team Hell No, their Mania matches, etc. The match with Team Hell No & Orton was great & the reaction after The Shield finally lost was awesome too but overall it wasn't as good as some of their other matches & it was actually one of the few moments in the run of The Shield that probably could have been booked a little better considering it just happened at a random Smackdown with no real build when The Shield losing was a big deal. & considering the list of guys that The Shield had beaten by that point, it was a pretty random choice for the team of Orton & Team Hell No to be the ones to finally beat them.

I also agree with all the "milk cartons" mentioned in the OP that were missing & I would have liked to have seen Ambrose & Rollins' match from either Summerslam or HiaC on the list. Also I'd put Bryan/Cena, the 1st Elimination Chamber & the 1st HiaC match from Badd Blood all at least ten spots higher. I'm sure I'd change a bunch other ones too but besides what I previously mentioned I'm pretty much just be nit-picking & adding in more of my own personal favorite matches. So all in all, good list.

 

[#tamale]

Too much Flair. Not enough Austin, Cena, or Bret.

 

[Papa Pillman]

Too much Flair.

Too Much ?

Blasphemy.

 

[Wolf Pac]

31. Rob Van Dam vs. Jerry Lynn - ECW Guilty As Charged 1999

It was RVD vs. Lance Storm at Guilty As Charged 1999, so either they mean that or RVD vs. Lynn at Living Dangerously 99, Hardcore Heaven 99 or Guilty As Charged 2001. I'm guessing LD or HH 99.

I would put either Austin vs. Rock from WM X7 or Flair vs. Steamboat from Chi-Town Rumble at #10 instead of the Ironman at WM 12. Not saying Bret vs. Shawn was a bad match, I was just entertained more by 20 minutes of action than 60 minutes of rest holds and no falls.

Milk cartons - Apart from ones already mentioned, The Rock vs. Triple H (Summerslam 98, Backlash 00, Judgment Day 00, take your pick), Hart vs. Diesel (Survivor Series 95) and Michaels vs. Diesel (Good Friends, Better Enemies) come to mind. Have these guys got something against Kevin Nash or what? I don't see him in one match on that list.

 

[Papa Pillman]

It was RVD vs. Lance Storm at Guilty As Charged 1999, so either they mean that or RVD vs. Lynn at Living Dangerously 99, Hardcore Heaven 99 or Guilty As Charged 2001. I'm guessing LD or HH 99.

They actually fixed it and have it correctly listed now as the Hardcore Heaven match(which is my definite favorite of their series).

 

[Hulk Hogan's Brother]

Quite a few Eddie Guerrero matches are missing:

Eddie vs Brock No Way Out 2004
Eddie vs Angle WrestleMania 20
Eddie vs JBL Steel Cage Smackdown 2004

I'd also have Shawn vs Austin from KOTR 1997

EDIT: Also, we don't have Savage vs Warrior from Mania so that kind of hurts the credibility of this list.

 

[ABMorales787]

They were clearly going for diversity on that list rather than an actual "best of" list. A well done one too.

 

[Rusty]

John Cena vs the Rock, once in a lifetime????? Jesus, CM Punk v Brock Lesnar shouldn't be on there at all.

 

[The Butcher]

Remember kids: if you don't watch these before you die, your spirit will remain Earthbound and wander the mortal plane until you finish off the list.

 

[jmt225]

Well I guess it's official now - Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania 25 is easily the most overrated match of all time.

This list fucking sucked. There's only one non-WWE match after 30 that didn't involve Ric Flair. Are you kidding me? I love Flair as much as the next guy, but fuck... give me a break.

 

[klunderbunker]

I called Undertaker vs. Shawn one of the best matches I've ever seen when I saw it live. It's probably the second best match they ever had.

 

[#tamale]

You can tell this list was made by someone who believes Shawn and Ric are the best wrestlers ever. Shawn has 11 matches and Ric has 13 matches in that list. Bret only has 6 matches, Austin only has 7, and Cena only has 5. That's just absurd. I'll somewhat buy into Shawn, but there is no way Flair has had more entertaining matches then Bret, Austin, and Cena.

Well, at least they didn't include Flair's "retirement" match against Shawn.

Too Much ?

Blasphemy.

It has to do with my hatred of all things Flair. Yes, it's irrational and bias, but I can't help but hate the guy.

 

[BaconBits]

The list could be better, but it's still a pretty good list. I mean, if you're a wrasslin' fan and you watched these 100 matches I'd bet you'd enjoy it.