There are countless, incredible matches across the history of the WWE/F – but here we list matches that you should go out of your way to check out. Have a look and suggest your own in the comments below.
10. Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels – WWE Championship 60-Minute WWE Iron Man Match: WrestleMania XII
Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels is still one of the most epic rivalries in WWE history. The best proof of their intense feud has to be their WWE Iron Man Match for the WWE Title at WrestleMania. These two legends went toe-to-toe for 60 minutes without a clear winner, but then WWE Commissioner Gorilla Monsoon stepped in and pushed them even further.
In the end, HBK came out on top, finally making his “boyhood dream” come true. This match also set the stage for their infamous clash in Montreal at Survivor Series the next year. And we all know what happened there!
9. John Cena vs. CM Punk – WWE Championship Match: Money in the Bank 2011
This match, though. Everyone remembers the big moments in their legendary rivalry—Punk’s fiery pipe bomb where he called out Cena’s dominance and slammed WWE for holding back mid-carders, and, of course, the moment The Second City Saint kissed off Mr. McMahon with the title in hand. But let’s not forget the match itself—it deserves just as much respect as those iconic moments.
The spotlight was on Punk, feeding off his hometown Chicago crowd, but Cena’s determination to stand his ground against not just Punk, but an entire city, was just as gripping. It was all perfect. And yeah, blowing The Chairman a kiss goodbye was pretty cool, too.
I remember this match having that big match feeling where you aren’t quite sure what is going to go down. Summer of Punk – what a time to be alive!
8. The Dudley Boyz vs. The Hardy Boyz vs. Edge & Christian – World Tag Team Championship TLC Match: WrestleMania X-Seven
Who came up with the chaos that was TLC II? It’s hard to say where one team’s insanity ended and the other’s began in this wild, crash-course of a match that saw Edge & Christian keep their World Tag Team Championship against The Dudley Boyz and The Hardy Boyz at WrestleMania.
Everyone remembers the Swanton Bombs and Spears off ladders, but they forget that Rhyno, Spike Dudley, and Lita all jumped in too, turning it into a 9-way brawl. By the time Rhyno helped Christian grab the titles back, fans were pumped to see the champs retain and relieved the madness was finally over.
7. Bret Hart vs. The British Bulldog – Intercontinental Championship Match: SummerSlam 1992
The fact that the Intercontinental Championship Match headlined SummerSlam 1992, even with Ultimate Warrior vs. Randy Savage for the WWE Title on the card, says a lot. Throw in a Hart Family divided between two fan-favorite Superstars, and this unforgettable match turned into an emotional showdown that made the “No. 2 title” feel like the biggest prize.
With Bulldog in front of his home crowd, Bret Hart and Davey Boy Smith had Wembley Stadium shaking, while fans everywhere were on the edge of their seats for this wrestling masterpiece. If you haven’t seen it, you need to watch it ASAP.
6. The Ultimate Warrior vs. Randy Savage – Retirement Match: WrestleMania VII
Forget the disappointing ending for Savage—this match was an absolute gem. The pacing and execution were spot on, and it was easily Warrior’s best match. Sherri Martel was flawless, Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan were on fire, and the shots of Miss Elizabeth in the crowd were perfectly timed. It’s 20 minutes of pure, edge-of-your-seat drama.
Even if you know how it ends, you can’t help but get sucked in. The finish—five Savage elbow drops failing and then three massive shoulder blocks from Warrior to get the pin—was way ahead of its time. And that reunion at the end? Amazing. Actually, don’t forget the ending—Savage might not have gone out on top, but this was a Retirement Match worth every bit of the hype.
5. Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio – Cruiserweight Championship Mask vs. Title Match: Halloween Havoc 1997
What a lot of Rey Mysterio’s countless imitators seem to miss is that he didn’t pull off those incredible moves just because they looked cool. Mysterio’s smaller size forced him to develop that unique moveset. Just check out his best match ever against Eddie Guerrero at Halloween Havoc 1997.
When he jumped from the apron to the top rope, hit a moonsault, and turned it into a DDT on Guerrero, it wasn’t just for show—he had to do it. A straight-up attack wouldn’t work, so Rey found ways to create openings that others couldn’t. While there were nights where he might’ve been flashier, there was never a match where his high-flying style made more sense.
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4. Ricky Steamboat vs. Ric Flair – NWA World Heavyweight Championship 2-out-of-3 Falls Match: Clash of the Champions VI: Ragin’ Cajun, April 2, 1989
“That was my favorite of the three matches in our trilogy, because we put in 55 minutes. When you’re putting in that much time, the thought process behind it is you’ve got to have a couple guys who know how to do it. If you have guys that just have been working 20, 25 minutes every night, and then you tell them to go out there and do an hour, they may find it difficult.
Early on, I was schooled on putting in time, especially working with Flair. Of course, you’re going to have some moments where it’s going to be a low point of the match, but it’s designed that way so we were going to be able to get them back up later in the match. That’s the expression, ‘Take them on a roller coaster ride.’ – Ricky Steamboat.
3. Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat – Intercontinental Championship Match: WrestleMania III
Ricky Steamboat was only supposed to have a brief moment in the spotlight, but this match ended up defining the legacies of “The Dragon,” “Macho Man” Randy Savage, the Intercontinental Championship, and maybe even WrestleMania—or wrestling itself.
The match was beautifully simple, a back-and-forth battle that ended with a roll-up, which was pure genius. No unnecessary frills, just a fast-paced showdown that wraps up faster than a quick coffee break. It was all about efficient, back-to-basics wrestling, perfectly capping off the bizarre rivalry leading up to it.
Some purists argue that George “The Animal” Steele’s involvement in the finish robbed fans of a clean victory, which is a fair point, but if you’re after wrestling perfection, this match is as close as it gets.
2. Bret Hart vs. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin – Submission Match: WrestleMania 13
“I was 13 years old when this match happened, and I cannot state enough how much of a Bret Hart fan I was. I hated Steve Austin, and hated him for years after this match. I didn’t come around to respecting him until 2000 or 2001.
It took years for me to get over his rivalry with Bret Hart. I can’t pinpoint why I liked Bret so much. It wasn’t one thing. There was just something very humble and working-class Canadian about his overall presentation, and he looked so cool.
“But even I, Bret Hart’s staunchest supporter, found it hard to not get behind Austin in that match. There was this kid I grew up with who came over to watch WrestleMania 13. He loved Bret Hart just like me, but as the match was unfolding, he started to hate Bret and love Austin.
I was in denial, but couldn’t help but agree with those feelings. For me to even question my unabashed hero and almost side with whom I viewed as the ultimate enemy, how could one match do that?
“It’s a masterpiece.” Sami Zayn.
1. The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels: The 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania
“I’m on record as saying that it’s probably impossible to wrestle a perfect match, but I think it’s as close as I ever got. ‘Taker’s on record saying the same thing. Very proud of it.
“Everything aligned and came together. If you are fortunate enough, work hard enough, hit all your marks, don’t make any mistakes, you hold up your end, your guy holds up his end, and the situation, aura, awe, mystique and everything else falls into place, you get that match.
I am fortunate to have those things happen more times than not in my life, which is why I am continuously, unbelievably thankful and amazed at what I was fortunate enough to be a part of.
“After the match, we sat in a room by ourselves and just sat there quietly. We looked at each other, smiled and just took it in. It’s just one of those things that not a lot needs to be said. It’s one of those things you share with each other.” Shawn Michaels.
There we have it. 10 matches to see before you die. Remember, these aren’t the BEST matches of all time – they are cool matches to see before you, well you know! Thanks for reading.
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