For a storyline that was far short of anything good, the match was a good surprise. By the final minutes of the match, you can almost sense the crowd holding their breath waiting to see what HBK would do next. A great example of his charisma was displayed on that night.
Was so awesome to see HBK finally wrestle again after not wrestling for 4.5 years. The reaction he got after he won the match (before he got sledgehammered :lol) was tremendously awesome and only rivaled by the reaction he got 3 months later at Survivor Series 2002 at MSG after winning the WHC.
Ziggler just wants to be the Champion. Del Rio pissed off at the fans for cheering the guy who took advantage of an injury and stole his World title. Del Rio like a shark smells blood, he wants revenge, he knows Ziggler has a concussion. And so he attacks the head. This is no wrestling match, this a brutal beating to Ziggler's skull. Dolph tries to keep the belt and kicks out, and kicks out until he just can't do it anymore. And he loses his dream.
He breaks down from crying that he is no longer the Champion. Del Rio hates everyone for doing what he thought was right.
What a spectacle. Something that I don't think a guy like John Cena could pull off.
Man that match was beautiful storytelling from start to finish. Hard to watch cause those kicks to the head look vicious. Which is a credit to both their ability in the ring. I still believe that was a better executed "double turn" than the famous Wrestlemania 13 one.
Warrior vs Savage at WrestleMania 7 or Austin vs Rock at WrestleMania 19. It's close between those two, but Warrior/Savage was pretty magical during a magical time to be a fan.
What these two matches have in common is that they were years in the making. Warrior/Savage you could argue started back during WrestleMania 5 when Savage and Liz broke up, and both were Hogan opponents in the previous two years, and were arguably #2 in succession to Hogan. Warrior always had that edge, though and Savage tried to take it from him, but he couldn't, yet Liz was still there waiting for him.
Austin/Rock III obviously started further back in 1998 and was the culmination between two rivals who were #1 in their class, with Austin winning virtually every match, this was The Rock's time to shine and he had to do it with Austin in poor health. In the end, Rock got his win and Austin had his farewell moment and you knew it was the last time you'd see these two face each other one on one.
Both were great matches that had a sense if finality to them, which you rarely get in wrestling these days, and both were also two of the greatest feuds the WWF/WWE ever did.
Flair's career was on the line. He was presented as uncharacteristically vulnerable and seemed to be in real fear of losing. Vader dominated for most of the match. Flair kicked scratched and struggled against the powerhouse. Then suddenly the dirtiest player in the game pinned vader with a simple roll up for the title and the continuation of his career.
Bret Hart vs. Chris Benoit WCW Monday Nitro Owen Hart Memorial Match
This match is obviously tainted now however these two guys went out put on a hell of a performance for brets late brother. They must have impressed someone because just weeks later Benoit and Hart Mainevented WCW Mayhem for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship.
I really liked Terry Funk at Barely Legal 1997. I'm not even a huge ECW guy but I love that show for Funk.
Whole story line in the lead up is that he's too old, can't do it anymore but he believes in himself and he goes out and fights. Manages to beat Sandman and Stevie Richards but is a bloody mess and can barely move let alone fight anymore. Raven the strongest champion ECW ever had comes out and the match begins with Raven just beating on Funk. You have all your typical ECW style brawling shit, Dreamer gets involved (Which is the one thing I hate) and Funk manages to pin Raven in the middle of the ring for the win and the World Title.
Post match Funk cries, PPV goes off the air and the entire building loses power. Not only did you have the rise of Terry Funk but you had the rise of ECW. Fantastic moment in the history of professional wrestling.
I almost cried when Austin was beating Rock with the steel chair at Wrestlemania. That's my favorite match because it was so impactful to me and I think Wrestlemania 17 from top to bottom is the greatest of all time.
For me, it'd have to be either Foley v. Rock in the I Quit match, or Foley v. Hunter in the steel cage match in what was it, 2000? That and Razor and Shawn in the ladder match.
Ultimate Warrior vs. Randy Savage @ WM 7
Shawn Michaels vs. Diesel @ IYH: Good Friends, Better Enemies
Bret Hart vs. SCSA @ Survivor Series '96
Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart @ WM 12
Shawn Michaels vs. HHH @ Summerslam '02
Shawn Michaels vs. Undertaker @ WM 25
Ultimate Warrior vs. Randy Savage @ WM 7
Shawn Michaels vs. Diesel @ IYH: Good Friends, Better Enemies
Bret Hart vs. SCSA @ Survivor Series '96
Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart @ WM 12
Shawn Michaels vs. HHH @ Summerslam '02 Shawn Michaels vs. Undertaker @ WM 23
There was a compilation of that feud on YouTube a year or two back (Might still be there but probably not)
Footage was bad, sound was bad but despite that I couldn't stop watching. Some of the best story telling in wrestling ever and I think it would easily be the best wrestler vs non wrestler feud ever.
The Angle-Lesnar Iron Man Match was an outstanding storytelling and character showpiece that is almost never mentioned as such, probably because the in-ring action was so good.
Other great examples:
Rock/Austin III
Austin/Angle I
Austin/Angle II
Rock/Jericho (No Mercy 2001)
Jericho/Michaels (Great American Bash 2008, Unforgiven 2008, No Mercy 2008)
The Angle-Lesnar Iron Man Match was an outstanding storytelling and character showpiece that is almost never mentioned as such, probably because the in-ring action was so good.
Other great examples:
Rock/Austin III
Austin/Angle I
Austin/Angle II
Rock/Jericho (No Mercy 2001) Jericho/Michaels (Great American Bash 2008, Unforgiven 2008, No Mercy 2008)
I'm glad that somebody mentioned HBK/Jericho because I completely forgot about their feud/storyline which is a shame because they worked so damn good together and put on some really great and entertaining matches that for some reason seem to get overlooked very often. On an unrelated matter, is it me or does anybody else think that 2008 was an overall pretty good year with some above average wrestling matches/storylines....?
Triple H vs. Cactus Jack (Royal Rumble & No Way Out 2000)
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