Your Favorite 3 Matches of ALL Time

[amazing_blue]

The six man hell in a cell match from Armageddon 2000. You had The Rock, Stone Cold, Kurt Angle, BikerTaker, HHH and Rikishi all in the epic steel structure. If only Rikishi's spot had been filled by Kane or Jericho...it might have been even better.

HHH vs. Stone Cold in the first ever "three stages of hell" match at No Way Out 2001. The physical punishment the two men went through here was incredible. One of the most brutal matches ever.

Shawn Michaels vs. Marty Jannetty for the Intercontinental title on RAW in 1993.

 

[HBK/RKO]

It is extremely hard to name just 3 matches but here we go

Shawn Michaels vs The Undertaker, WM25 - this one is obviously a no doubter and a fan favorite among everyone on this thread. This was an instant classic and to me personally the best wrestlemania match ever. HBK had me believing he might pull the win out for a minute and no undertaker opponent has ever done that for me. He put even more doubt in my mind at WM 26 which wasn't better but way more emotional with everything on the line.

The Undertaker vs Kurt Angle, No Way Out 2006 - I cannot believe no one mentioned this match it was epic and should have been on wrestlemania instead of the Mark Henry match. This match would be talked about so much more if it happened at wm but anyway it was exciting from beginning to end and had a controversial finish.

Shawn Michaels vs Kurt Angle, WM21 - not much to say about this yet another wm classic for both men and Kurt Angle's favorite wm match of his to date. Tons of finishers and suspense and I honestly didn't know who was going to win.

 

[ashe draven]

1st 2 choices are not hard at all, picking a 3rd is tricky-

Bret Hart/Shawn Michaels WMXII- ironman match, two of the best EVER and my fav match of all time. nothing has come close, one for the ages.
Chris Benoit/Kurt Angle RR '03- this was a damn masterpiece for the world title, no gimmicks, just two technical marvels tearing the fn house down! got a well deserved standing O and its very close to my heart w/ my love of the art.
Dudleys/E&C/Hardys WM2000- just epic in terms of tag team wrestling. 3 HOF teams destroying their bodies in a astronomical bar raising match. i had a lot of 3rd choices, but this makes the most sense to me.

 

[Psyclone]

It's harder to name 3 favorites if you're older. Simply because you've seen so much more quantity....I'll go with these 3:
#1 - 1992 Royal Rumble - Perhaps the greatest collection of Wrestlers in 1 match ever. Flair winning the WWF title solidified that he was the greatest and could do it in both companies. The build up was great, especially how they implemented a young Undertaker and let him beat Hogan for the title a few months earlier. WWF dropped the ball on their biggest main event ever, they knew Hogan was leaving after WMania 8 and Flair was the champ. They could've had Flair pin him clean. But Vince's way has always been to reward "his own" and squash the guys he's signed. 2 decades later - funny how Hogan was always the snake. Wonder if Vince regrets not cashin in on a Hogan/Flair Mania 8 main event?

#2 - Wrestlemania 6 - Hogan/Warrior was one of the very first times the 2 top faces of a company would headline the biggest show and they marketed this to perfection. The title for title concept was brilliant as well.

#3 - Wrestlemania 25 - Shawn Michaels V. Undertaker. This was, in my opinion, both wrestlers greatest match. Michaels sold this match like he was still in his prime. The only thing that could've topped this is if they had both retired following last year's mania because Taker hasn't got much left. He's basically sticking around to go 20-0 next year vs. Cena and everyone knows it.

dear god I thought I was the only one that was going to name the ric flair royal rumble as one of my top 3...

Anyways, I'm going to state my top 3, and these may not be the best "wrestling" matches, but these are the one's that resonate most with me, and ones that I remember and will probably always remember..

3) Flairs aforementioned Royal Rumble win... This is the first match that I distinctly remember... This is the first one that I remember almost from end to end, with the finale seared into my memory forever.... Watching Ric go over Hulk, Macho and Sid at the end, especially from number 3, left a lasting impression on me that made me Never EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEVer forget this match..

2) Mankind vs Undertaker Hell in a Cell... This one was just insane... This was something that I was unable to fully absorb instantly and I rewatched it multiple times (on VHS baby..) to fully absorb it all... It sticks with me..

1) Taker vs shawn Wrestlemania 25... Best match I've ever seen.... period..


Notables I left out

Bret v Owen Wrestlemania X
any of the first 2 TLC matches with the dudleyz Hardyz and Edge and Christian... (as well as the tables match with the dudleyz vs the hardyz at the royal rumble..)
Bret vs Shawn (iron man match..)
Macho man vs Ricky steamboat (wrestlemania 3) I didn't watch this live, but watched it after the fact.... damn good match..

 

[The Rob]

1) Shawn Michaels v.s The Undertaker, WrestleMania XXV.

This seems like a safe pick, I know, and I've seen that it's been featured plenty of times in this thread. But I can't recall watching anything (and I mean anything, wrestling or non-wrestling related) that had me as gripped as this did. It was one of those few matches which I watched, and was on the edge of my seat through-out. I didn't know what to expect going into it. Obviously it was going to be good, but it turned out to be the greatest story that has ever been told in a wrestling ring, at least in my opinion. Sure, false finishes don't always make a great match but on this one occasion, it worked to perfection. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Once Taker spiked himself on the floor, I thought it was over, but then he got back in there, carried on and what he and Shawn produced from there was sheer, unadulterated magic. The thing that makes this my all time favourite match is that, no matter how many times I've watched it since, its like I'm watching it for the first time, and my heart is beating quickly, I'm on the edge of my seat. If I ever get that feeling I had when Shawn kicked out of the tombstone again, I'll count myself as lucky, cause that feeling of 'oh my fucking god, I honestly cannot believe what I have just seen' was something I'll never forget. If a match warranted 11 out of 10, this does. Beyond perfect.

2) The Undertaker v.s Mankind, Hell in a Cell, King of the Ring 1998.

Again, a safe pick. But this is not only the best Hell in a Cell match of all time, but perhaps the greatest gimmick match of any kind of all time. If your looking for one match that defines just how brutal Hell in a Cell is meant to be, this is it. Two of the craziest spots in this history of the business, followed up by what was a very complete contest inside the cell itself. Normally HIAC matches start slowly inside and get much more intense once it's ventured outside and/or ontop. But this was different. It had all the mega intense stuff right at the start, and once it got inside the cell, it never really slowed down. I personally love the Hell in a Cell match. Having that involved on a PPV immediately adds something special to that PPV. This was pretty much the match that got me into wrestling.

3) Triple H v.s Booker T, World Heavyweight Championship, WrestleMania XIX



















...nah just kidding.

3) Kurt Angle v.s Brock Lesnar, WWE Championship 60 Minute Iron-Man Match, Smackdown 2003

I was pretty new to wrestling when I watched this, and it is one of the things which kept my interest in wrestling growing. It was an amazing hour of wrestling, with an awesome ending and because I was a huge Brock Lesnar fan, I was so excited to see Brock win the title again.

 

[Theo Mays]

1. Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart (Ironman Match WM12)

-This is the first match I truly remember getting into as a little kid watching wrestling. I was 7 years old, but I had been watching WWF all my life. Like I said though this is the match that drew me in. Hart was my favorite as a kid and I was on the fence with HBK. I wasn't sure if I liked him or despised him. This match though was incredible. Great back and forth action and you never knew who was going to win. When the match ended with zero falls I wasn't sure what was up. Then the match went into sudden death and HBK won. On that day I became a fan of HBK (until the whole screwjob thing, which I'm long over). When I rewatch the match I still get that little kid feeling sitting there watching it.

2. Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin (Submission Match, WM13)

-Is it clear who my favorite performer is? This match had all the drama. This match got Austin over as a star and the iconic image of Austin's bloody face will be forever cemented into our heads. This also transformed Bret Hart into a full fledge heel. The match had so much emotion and drama. Two of the best of all time and they made you believe they actually couldn't stand each other. Truly an epic duel.

3. Undertaker vs. Edge (WM24)

-You knew Taker was going to win, but besides HBK the next year I believe Edge had the best chance at ending the streak. The match is pretty damn underrated in my mind and I watch this match every chance I get. Edge and Taker put on a great Mania main event and it was filled with excitement and drama. If you mix those two elements into a match you are bond to have a classic on your hands.

 

[JuviJuiceIsLoose]

1. Bret Hart vs Mr. Perfect: Summerslam 1991 for the WWF Intercontinental Championship

I know this seems like an odd choice. Especially since most people think that the match they had at King of the Ring 2 years later was better because of Curt's back being in better condition. I just think that because the Intercontinental Title was on the line, at a time where its credibility was almost at an all-time high, and the match took place at the World's Most Famous Arena in Madison Square Garden. I just love this match.


2. Rey Mysterio vs Eddie Guerrero: Halloween Havoc 1997 for the WCW Cruiserweight Championship


To me, this is a case of 2 guys who know each other extremely well and trust each other a great deal, in their primes IMO, doing things in the ring that have never been done before, and haven't been done since. You wanna talk about a perfect match where everything clicks. In-Ring Chemistry, Crowd reaction, the fluidity of the moves. Everything about this match was amazing. It's jaw-dropping! It's a damn shame that the Brass at WCW could look at a match like this and not see dollar signs with 2 workers like Eddie and a masked Rey Mysterio! Bischoff actually thought Rey was more marketable without his mask! Complete insanity!


3. Ricky Steamboat vs Macho Man Randy Savage: Wrestlemania 3 for the WWF Intercontinental Championship

This match, along with my #1 is probably the reason why I'm such a mark for the Intercontinental Championship. Ricky said that he and Savage rehearsed this match spot for spot months in advance, and you can see how much their hard work paid off. What is left to say about this match that hasn't already been said? 24 years after this match took place, and it's STILL on the top of the Greatest Matches in the history of Wrestlemania!

 

[byrnside]

My list of favorite matches is constantly changing, but this one is pretty consistent.

World Heavyweight Championship Match from RAW, San Antonio, 2003
Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels

HBK was the huge underdog in this going up against The Game in the peak of the Evolution days. At the beginning Michaels skins the cat and tosses Trip's over the top rope and starts to taunt Flair with a strut. Flair on the outside was classic Flair and comedic gold. Back and forth contest that truly put two of the best on display. They just showed me how important story-telling and in-ring psychology are in a wrestling match, as these two tended to do. 10,000 chops through out and just as many "Woo's" from the crowd. The ending is probably the best part as Earl Hebner gets knocked down and Eric Bischoff comes in to officiate. After about a 20 min. match, an exhausted HBK out of nowhere [of course] hits Sweet Chin Music and collapses on Triple H for Bischoff to count the 3. HBK is in the ring celebrating and the hometown crowd is going nuts! JR is literally screaming about "believing in miracles," etc. etc. Pretty awesome. Until Bischoff comes in and says Michaels shoulders were also down causing a draw, therefore Triple H retains the title.

Intercontinental Championship Match from Wrestlemania VIII
Roddy Piper vs. Bret Hart

Pretty intense match for this time period. The build-up was awesome as Piper is one of the all-time great promo men. They played up being long time friends pretty well. Specifically in the pre-match promo. Bret gets really bloody as the two friends temporarily turn enemies. At one point Piper is going to attack Hart with the ring bell but has a change of heart. Pretty cool ending that I feel like a lot of people don't remember when Piper has Hart in the sleeper hold and Hart uses the turnbuckle to push off and land on Piper, pinning his shoulders for the win. Also ended a 17 year long reign of nobody pinning Piper.

Wrestlemania XXV
Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker

Not really a lot more that I can add that others haven't mentioned. Despite what some others were saying, I think both guys did a tremendous job, prime or not.

 

[FunKay the Inevitable]

I recedntly took a look at some of my favourite matches and I have to say the list that I thoguth I might write here has changed quite a lot. Here are the matches

Steve Austin vs. Kurt Angle - SummerSlam 2001
This was big match when I first started watching and I loved the build-up to it. Steve Austin had stabbed the WWF in the back to join the Alliance while Kurt Angle went nuts attempting to regain the championship. That led to this bloody, brutal encounter. This had excellent brawling, superb storytelling and the two even had some good technical battles here. They went at each other for roughly twenty minutes and they had one hell of a fight.

Randy Orton vs. Cactus Jack - Backlash 2004
This was another match that had an excellent story going into it. Foley had become obsessed with getting a one-on-one match with Orton and here was his opportunity as he was no longer Mick Foley, but he was instead Cactus Jack. He took a young Randy Orton into his first ever hardcore match and he left him a shaking, shivering wreck. Foley did get his revenge, but it was Orton who won the match and got the rub. Both men got closure as Orton continued on his path to superstardom and Foley got his vengeance.

John Cena vs. Umaga - Royal Rumble 2007
An odd one yes, but this is my favourite matches not the best I've seen. This was all about a great story inside of the match. John Cena was a wounded man and was in Umaga's match choice, Last Man Standing. He had a very slim chance of winning, but he wasn't going to simply give in to the 'Samoan Bulldozer'. No, he and Umaga had a terrific power vs. power match where both men did their best to try and crush the other and keep him down. In the end it was a combination of intelligence and power that kept Umaga down as Cena choked Umaga out.

 

[stmarks2002]

3. Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit WM17
- wrestling at its finest; both wrestlers put on a clinic

2. Kurt Angle and Shane McMahon KOR 2001
- spotfest, Angle suplexing Shane through the glass

1. Bret Hart and Stonecold WM13
- words can not express the greatness and significance of this match to me and what it did for pro wrestling. This was the night that SCSA finally became a star and attitude era was born. I can never forget the imagine of SCSA spewing blood and screaming trying to get out the sharpshooter.

Honorable Mention
Bret and Perfect Summerslam 91
HBK and Angle WM21
RVD and Jeff Hardy Invasion 01

 

[wrestling89]

Greatest match of all time was the Royal Rumble 92 match, bar none.


But my 3 favorite?

1. 1989 Great American Bash. War Games. LOD, Dr Death, and The Midnight Express vs The Fabulous Freebirds (Gordy, Garvin, and Hayes) and The Samoan Swat Team.

This match had the greatest set up of all time. All 10 of these men (including the 3 managers) wanted to kill their opponents. From the NWA Tag Team title tournament where both the SST and LOD eliminated each other and The Birds beat the Midnights right after Paul E knocked out Cornett. The whole tough man war between DOc and Gordy, and of course the Samoan Funeral on Ellering and the Marrieta Massacre. Good stuff!!!!

The match itself was pretty brutal. They don't even come close to writing stories like they did in 89.

2. Wrestlemania 3. King Kong Bundy, Lord Littlebrook, and Little Tokyo vs Hillbilly Jim, Little Beaver, and the Haitti Kid. The commentators were Monsoon, Jesse, and Bob Ueker.

Man this match was just jokes everywhere. In the end Bundy beats the hell out of Little Beaver. Talk about fun!

3. Summerslam (2001 I think). Tables, Ladders, and Chairs 2. Dudleyz vs Hardys vs Edge and Christian. This match was just great.

 

[Wolf Pac]

Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels - Wrestlemania 21
OMG, this was an incredible match. They both put each other through everything, they looked like warriors in the match and the finish was one of the best. I just loved how HBK wouldn't tap and was doing everything to get out of it but Angle just kept holding on. I was convinced Shawn would break out of it as it was locked on for like 2 mins and he wouldn't tap. Also I liked the build up behind it, 1996 belonged to these two. Shawn won his first WWF Title, he was carrying the company and Kurt won the Olympics.

Austin vs. The Rock - Wrestlemania 17
Both of these guys are my top 2 favourite wrestlers. They just went at it and pulled out stuff we never even seen em do before like going hardcore, pulling out submissions on each other, even bringing back two previous WM finishes. And of course Austin's heel turn is iconic. The build up was great, they had an excellent interview with JR on the SD before it and both men would even hit the others own finishers on each other on Raw & SD and hearing My Way by Limp Bizkit play in their pre-match promo just sent chills down my spine, it was epic.

I'm actually stuck on a third tbh but I would either go one of these two matches from WM 10, Bret vs. Owen or Shawn vs. Razor. Or AJ vs. Joe vs. Daniels at Unbreakable.

 

[MMK]

(I do not by any means, think these are the 3 BEST matches of all time. They're just my personal favorites)

3)Summerslam 1990: Demolition vs Hart Foundation: Best 2 out of 3 Falls.
The three greatest tag teams of all time converge in one match. As the Harts take on Demoltion and the LOD arrive in the WWF.

2)Survivor Series 1988: Team Demolition vs Team Powers of Pain. 10 of the greatest tag teams battling in out. And it featured the very rare double turn, when Powers of Pain turned heel and Demoltion dumped Mr.Fuji and turned face.

1)Survivor Series 1987: Team Strike Force vs Team Hart Foundation.
Once again we had 10 of the greatest tag teams of all time. I loved these classic tag team only Survivor Series matches. And the finish to this one with the Killer Bees doing the old switcharoo with the masks was fantastic. Gotta love that Young Stallions theme music at the end!