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2) "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels (c) (W/Diesel) vs "The Bad Guy" Razor Ramon In a Ladder Match for the WWF Intercontinental Championship -Mania X
This is an IC title classic from Madison Square Garden and this one might be the very best.
It was innovative, revolutionairy and is often talked about weekly if not daily everywhere still to this day.
Shawn Michaels and Scott Hall brought in new ways to do a Ladder Match, and this match is the main reason that this gimmick match still puts on countless classic's today.
This match took place on the same night as the amazing Bret and Owen Hart match so it had a tough act to follow. Anyone who got Wrestlemania X agreed that it was worth the price just for those two matches alone and even just ONE of them most fans would love to see, for them to both happen on the same night is downright incredible.
There were two belts hanging from above as both men claimed to be the real IC Champion, this match would determine the official and undisputed IC Champion once and for all. First person to get both titles is Champion and yes, you can use the Ladder as a weapon.
I've came around on this match, I used to claim it was one of the most overrated matches in history, I still feel there is a select fanbase who do tend to overrate this match to this day, but it is a classic well deserving of praise so there is no problems there.
So it's safe to say I both enjoy and appreciate this one a lot more now then I did in the last decade, it was only the first few years and these days when I can truely enjoy it. As foon as Jericho-Benoit happened at the 01 Rumble I thought it was better then this one in every way, and I still believe that.
However this one isn't far off and neither is there Summerslam 95 match a year later for that matter, but this is the here and now. This is the match that Dave Meltzer gave five stars right away and many Wrestling historian's praise just like Savage-Steamboat.
Here we go, it's Michaels, it's Ramon, it's the Wrestlemania X Ladder Match for the IC Title!
This is the match where Vince McMahon uses his "UnnnnnBEEEEELieeeevaaaableeeeeee" line about a hundred times.
Shawn Michaels ties up with Ramon and hooked the leg but Ramon kicked him off, off the ropes Shawn couldn't hit a hiplock and he hit a thumb to the eye of Razor and then did a flip back but Razor didn't let this offense from Shawn phase him and he hit a Rock Bottom of sorts to Shawn Michaels and the place popped. Back up immediately (a very fast moving match) Michaels ran off the side ropes and ducked two clotheslines before hitting a swinging neckbreaker in his favor! Shawn not with an offensive move after Ramon got one. HBK then went to slam Razor's head to the top but Razor did it to him before a shoulder block. Razor charged right back for Shawn but he elevated him over the top rope to the outside. Razor caught a big clothesline from Diesel a few minutes into the match and this wasn't fair obvioussly.
Earl Hebner had to do something so he decided to throw out Nash. Kevin Nash aka Big Daddy Cool the bodygaurd of the Showstopper was thrown out of the Garden and the big man was mad. It`s down to Shawn and Ramon, one on one now after Diesel hit a clothesline on Ramon.
Shawn Michaels should seemingly be in control but this distraction bought Hall time and Razor hit a right hand. A big right in the corner, Ramon irishwhipped Michaels to the corner and he flipped upside down before going back to the center of the ring and Razor Ramon hit a clothesline to the outside on Michaels. Razor with a hard shot and then moved the mat by the ring. The concrete exposed and Michaels hit some kicks to Ramon out of desperation before throwing him back in the ring. Both men exchanged right hands.
Razor Ramon had Shawn Michaels set up for the Razor`s Edge but Michaels countered and intelligently backdropped Razor Ramon over the top rope, not only countering Razor`s finisher but backdropping him over the top rope on the exposed concrete back first in the process!
Awesome stuff.
Shawn Michaels had boughten himself more time. Michaels then headed to the Ladder set up in the entrance way now with Hall down. Michaels scooped up the red Ladder and then brought it towards ringside. Ramon went back in meanwhile while Michaels dragged the Ladder near the ring. Razor Ramon got up and hit Shawn with an uppercut. Adrenaline pumping for Razor for him to withstand the backdrop onto concrete and get up and maintain an offense. Razor had the ladder but Shawn all of the sudden hit a baseball slide to Razor into the Ladder!
Shawn used the Ladder as a weapon against The Bad Guy!
Michaels repeatedly hit the mid-section intelligently of Ramon taking out the air of the Bad Guy which would of course then make it difficult for him to climb the Ladder, good psychology by Shawn. Shawn had worked over Ramon with that back shot on concrete, the baseball slide into his face, and multiple Ladder shots to the mid section and then he scooped up the Ladder and slammed it on Ramon`s back. Razor gasped for air over the top rope and Shawn threw the Ladder at Razor Ramon and it hit his back!
Shawn tried to open the Ladder as he had Razor where he wanted him.
HBK set up the Ladder mid-ring. Michaels climbed the Ladder and Ramon caught the ankle of Michaels. He also caught Shawn`s tights exposing his ass for the 43rd time in a Wrestling Match. Don`t worry, I don`t count that was just an estimate.
Shawn kicked him off and bare assed he dropped an elbow to Ramon from the top of the Ladder. McMahon says he made a YOU KNOW WHAT of himself.
Shawn Michaels moved towards Ramon and slammed him back first on the bad back straight on the canvas!
Michaels flew off the Ladder onto Razor Ramon with a SPLASH! Again, this is one of those highlights areial moves shown in a ton of videopackages just like Muraco off the Cage, or Savage in the air at Wrestlemania 3. All three were IC title matches.
Good spot though.
Shawn climbed the Ladder again and this time the powerful but hurt Ramon got to his feet and shook the Ladder and Shawn Michaels bounced off hitting his throat on the top rope and he went flying.
McMahon oversold what was going on in the match but it was perfectly executed, especially for its time. Michaels irishwhipped Razor to the ropes, he ducked, then off the second rope a double collision. Both men down, as is the Ladder and hanging above the match is the Ladder. Another nice visual image, good shot of them all laying down in a war.
Shawn Michaels got up and placed the Ladder into the corner vertical. Michaels wanted to use the Ladder as an offensive weapon but Hall reversed the irishwhip and sent HBK into the Ladder in the corner and he went flying to the outside and over. Shawn Michaels then got rammed with the ladder horizontal by Hall twice. Shawn Michaels went sailing into the ring post after another hard Ladder shot by Razor.
Razor down and catapolted Shawn Michaels into the Ladder and he hit it, held on and fell back. Ramon threw Shawn Michaels back in the ring and grabbed the Ladder.
Razor Ramon rammed The ladder right into the jaw of Shawn Michaels and he went sailing over the top rope. Not many can sell a shot like that like Hickenbottom could and he just fell out to the bottom.
Razor climbed the Ladder and almost got to the top but Shawn Michaels jumped off the top rope and he stopped Scott Hall from climbing to the top as he leaped off and made sure Razor Ramon fell off. Both men tried to climb at the same time now with the Ladder up again, Shawn was a step higher. Razor Ramon suplexed Michaels off the top of the Ladder! The Ladder snapped but Shawn Michaels was down. Razor Ramon set the Ladder up again. Shawn dropkicked the Ladder and sent Razor off of it. HBK set up the Ladder in the middle or went to but he just pushed it over and it fell on Hall. Michaels then irishwhipped Razor and he ducked and then Shawn caught the superkick off the side ropes to Razor`s jaw and Hall appears to be out! Michaels had Hall down and HBK signalled that it was over. Michaels set up Razor for his own Razor`s Edge but he turned it into a Piledriver which would be just as effective you`d think. Michaels pulled up the Ladder that was twisted and bent.
Michaels, the Heartbreak Kid from the corner dropped down with the Ladder onto Razor in the center of the ring! Great move. Shawn Michaels opened up the Ladder again and put it in position. Ramon was under the Ladder for the second time and Shawn Michaels climbed up. Razor pushed up and got to his feet and Ramon shook the Ladder and bounced off the side ropes and pushed the Ladder! Shawn Michaels fell off! HBK fell off groin first onto the top ropes and then got his foot stuck in the ropes!
New York City was behind him!
Razor who had been down and out had all the time now to climb to the top!
Razor Ramon climbed the Ladder!
In the end Razor Ramon defeated Shawn Michaels by capturing the IC title at 18:47.
This match put both men on the map, especially Shawn Michaels.
One of the greatest matches ever.
Extremely significant and one of the most famous matches ever in Wrestling History.
A Wrestlemania Classic and a Golden match for the IC title.
**** 3/4
1) Y2J Chris Jericho vs `The Rabid Wolverine` Chris Benoit (c) in a Ladder match for the WWF Intercontinental Championship -Royal Rumble 2001
This one is a CLASSIC in every sense of the word. The very reason it is number one is because the pacing is much, much better then both Michaels-Hall matches. I liked most aspects about this one better then the previous ones involving them.
Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit wasted absolutely no time getting things going as both men gave each other shots in the middle of the ring, the brawl had begun!
Both men met each other with hard right hands and then Jericho irishwhipped Benoit to the other side of the ring.
Chris Jericho met Benoit in the middle with a reverse elbow. Benoit was chopped in the corner by Jericho and then kicked at him and he irishwhipped Benoit to the other side but he reversed it and then Jericho caught Benoit with a boot, and then Benoit attempted to expose the injured arm with a Crossface attempt.
Jericho though rolled out and tried to slap on a Walls of Jericho but Benoit got out.
Chris Benoit threw Jericho hard shoulder first into the corner. Benoit with a hard chop to Jericho and then he scooped him up and hit a shoulder breaker, following up on the shoulder to the corner, nice strategic wrestling by the best ever in the squared circle.
Benoit sent Jericho to the ropes but he came off with a flying forearm! Benoit rolled to the ring apron and then stood there, Jericho leaped up to the top turnbuckle and leaped off trying to knock Benoit off the apron but he caught nobody as Benoit resourcefully ducked RIGHT in time and Jericho landed hard on the floor after jumping from the top turnbuckle!
Chris Jericho was hurt as Benoit had that well scouted, Jericho used the ropes to springboard and he looked to dropkick but couldn`t. Benoit then like a machine knew where to go and walked towards the ladder but Jericho followed him up with a shot, but Benoit irishwhipped Jericho into the solid steel exposing Jericho`s hurt shoulder some more.
Benoit is the king of psychology, for real. He can adapt to any environment.
Jericho ran up to Benoit to try and stop him from putting the Ladder in the ring, but Benoit was a step ahead. Benoit threw Jericho hard into the steel steps, shoulder first! He still followed up on the shoulder, amazing!
Benoit climbed the ladder but Jericho scooped him on his shoulders and landed back first. Jericho chopped Benoit in the corner and sent him in there and delivered a clothesline. Jericho picked up the ladder, put it together and then nailed Benoit in the head with it. Jericho`s shoulder still hurting him but he caught Benoit right in the head. It`s tough watching Benoit take head shots given what we now know, but this isn`t the best match if you don`t like that type of thing. Chris Jericho rammed the ladder into Benoit`s gut twice hard in the corner while New Orleans chanted for Y2J! Benoit holding his gut on the canvas and Jericho kicked at the hurt stomach region of Benoit and then he got irishwhipped hard by Benoit hard and he was catapolted hard face first into the ladder set up in the corner and he went to the outside! Amazing!
Benoit then with a suicide dive and Jericho caught him with a chair shot as he flew between the ropes, UNBELIEVABLE.
Jericho hit head first into the ladder, then Benoit dove out and met a chair in mid-air to break his fall. That would be unpleasent.
Jericho on the outside set Benoit up and dropped him abdomen first onto the security wall, the gut that had been hurt earlier. Jericho then off the apron glided with the Ladder and Benoit moved just in time and he avoided the contact of the Steel Ladder and Jericho just fell. Benoit charged towards Jericho and hit him head first with the Ladder.
Benoit then with a couple of shots to the face and back with a Steel Chair to Chris Jericho.
One of the most violent matches I`ve ever seen here.
Benoit with an irish whip followed by a knee to the gut of Jericho. Benoit gets the ladder back in the ring and Jericho is down. Chris benoit set up the Ladder in the corner of the ring, and King brought up a good point. How long could this match last at this pace. No LADDER match EVER has had this pace, EVER. Period. It`s not even debatable. Benoit sent the ladder right into Jericho`s face. Benoit placed the Ladder in the corner and sat it up there and went to ram Chris Jericho into the Ladder, but Jericho dropped to his feet and pushed Benoit into it and hit a dropkick. Jericho now placed the Ladder in the corner and gave Benoit a shot to the head and then Jericho placed one leg of Benoit over the rung of the middle ladder. Jericho then fell backwards as both guys put there body on the line!
Incredible!
Benoit landed with his leg inside the ladder, and Jericho landed back as well. Chris Jericho then picked up the Ladder and Benoit dropkicked it right back in his face! Benoit to his feet first and then picked up Jericho and gave him a nice back suplex. Benoit then put the ladder up top of the corner of the ring and Jericho reversed an irishwhip and sent Benoit head first into the corner of the Ladder. JR said it was rattling there brains, well in Benoit`s case it was for real and Benoit`s head had hit the ladder directly on multiple times.
Jim Ross suggested that this ladder match was taking Ladder matches to another level, I`d fully agree.
If this wasn`t amazing enough, Jericho hung off the apron and caught Benoit under the chin with the Ladder as he sprung it up when Chris Benoit got to his feet.
Jericho with a missile dropkick to Benoit with the ladder and it might of hurt his knee!
Jericho placed the Ladder in the middle of the ring with Benoit down!
Jericho began to climb but Benoit slowly got to his feet and levelled his kidneys with hard forearms!
Benoit then with a suplex to Jericho over the top rope, and Y2J landed pretty much on his head right in front of JR and King! Amazing, it just didn`t stop. Ever.
Benoit climbed the ladder slowly and Jericho just got back in the ring but Benoit kicked him off. Chris Jericho tried to reach Benoit up there and then he got him and pulled back with a ton of tork! A version of the Walls of Jericho to Benoit on top of the Ladder! Awesome and new, the fans loved it! It looked even better when Jericho`s legs were grabbed by Benoit so both men were hanging over the Ladder with the submission hold locked on!
Jericho shoved Chris Benoit off the ladder and Benoit fell on his already damaged head.
Benoit still somehow had the strength to kick Jericho off the Ladder!
Chris Jericho kicked the ladder and made it flat again and then he rammed into Benoit again up high. Beyond amazing says Ross. Jericho kicked at Benoit`s bruised head and Jericho climbed up high and Benoit caught him with a crossface when Y2J jumped from the top. Jericho tapped out but it didn`t mean anything because you have to grab the belt.
Benoit then sent Jericho left shoulder first into the post following up on his bruised shoulders. Jericho followed up on Benoit`s bruised cranium and sent him face first into the ladder and he tried to block it realizing he couldn`t afford another shot to the head.
Y2J still gave him one though. He rammed the ladder hard into Benoit.
Benoit though with the ladder set up knocked Jericho off and Benoit leaped from the top and Jericho avoided the headbutt, and Benoit headbutted the Canvas.
Okay this is incredible.
Benoit must have recieved a dozen concussions in this match alone. You saw that Benoit dive clip likely on the news during the Benoit tragedy, it`s a good thing this match made the Ladder DVD before that tragedy.
Benoit knocked Jericho off the ladder while he climbed, JR says this is the damndest match he has ever seen!
Benoit climbed the ladder but Jericho caught him with shots to the spine with a chair. Benoit kicked Jericho off the ladder and he bounced off the side ropes and he knocked Benoit off the ladder to the outside of the ring.
Benoit had just recieved one too many shots.
This bought Jericho the break he needed to capture the title.
Jericho after the match said Benoit was the toughest bastard he had ever faced.
Words don`t do this match justice, it`s one to be watched and studied and enjoyed, I`ve seen this so many times and I respect it more with each viewing.
In the end Jericho captured the IC title to become the New Intercontinental Champion to end the brutal war at 18:44.
Nothing but QUALITY and the BEST.
Chris Jericho`s 2nd best match ever to Y2J-HHH LMS from Fully Loaded 2000 and a top 5 for Benoit.
Some of the best innovative offense you`ll ever see with the ladder mixed with the best bumping in my opinion. This is not only my favourite ladder match but I consider it to be the very best just ahead of the famous Hall-Michaels series in 94 and 95.
#1 on the list. Yes it's bittersweet, because although I consider it the creap of the crop...nothing says Benoit died to entertain us more then this.
**** 3/4
There were more candidates that are honorable mentions, my Ladder Match DVD review has quite a few from the links below:
http://www.wrestlingforum.com/7759049-post3086.html DISC 1
http://www.wrestlingforum.com/7762551-post3150.html DISC 2
http://www.wrestlingforum.com/7820312-post3842.html DISC 3
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Thank you for reading and participating in these lists.
Austin101's Top 15 Ladder Matches..(Countdown...)
Re: Austin101's Top 15 Ladder Matches..(Countdown...)
