Pro Wrestling Power

This is in no way an objective list of the best-wrestled matches or the most important matches in history, but rather my own subjective list of my favorite pro wrestling matches I’ve ever seen throughout the years. Feel free to comment on this list and provide your own list in the comment section at the end of this post. (If you don’t like Hogan, I recommend not reading this list, as it will make you sick)

Honorable Mention: Randy Savage vs. Ricky the Dragon Steamboat- Wrestlemania 3

Rowdy Roddy Piper vs. Bret the Hitman Hart- Wrestlemania 8

Top 10

10. Hulk Hogan vs. Sgt. Slaughter- Wrestlemania 7

This was such an underrated match. The Savage/Warrior bout earlier in the show was a classic as well, but this was a worthy main event in my mind. Hogan reclaimed the WWF Title for the third time in a hard-hitting encounter that saw Slaughter take some great bumps and really sell for Hogan, who delivered his usual high-enery, entertaining performance in front of more than 16,000 fans at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena on March 24, 1991.

9. Hulk Hogan vs. Ultimate Warrior- Wrestlemania 6

This Wrestlemania main event featured the top two most popular wrestlers in the world at the time in a rare “face vs. face match” in Toronto. Officially, it was champion vs. champion, as Hogan put his WWF title up against the Warrior’s Intercontinental belt. The crowd was split 50/50 for Hogan and Warrior, and the two delivered a performance way behind their normal in-ring capabilities, with a big assist going to the superb booking of WWF agent Pat Patterson. Although Hogan lost, he solidified his Hall of Fame career on this night and allowed the Warrior to have his 15 minutes of fame too.

8. Hulk Hogan vs. The Rock- Wrestlemania 18

What really made this match was the incredible Toronto crowd, which literally erupted for every move of the match, especially when Hogan was on the offensive. The build to this match was also fantastic, but what really made it remarkable was that Hogan was supposed to be the full-fledged heel coming in, while the Rock was the face of the company at the time in early 2002. At least 90% of the crowd was completely behind Hogan from the get-go, and their intensity lifted both men up to a match that will never be forgotten. Hogan once again lost at a Toronto Wrestlemania, the same place he had lost to the Ultimate Warrior 12 years earlier, but Hulkamania was reborn on this day. Crowds around the country made their feelings known that they loved and respected Hogan more than any other WWF superstar ever in the next few months, while the Rock cemented his legacy inside the ring and soon found success outside of it on the big screen.

7. Hulk Hogan vs. Vince McMahon- Wrestlemania 19

I consider Wrestlemania 19 to be the best Wrestlemania of the last 10 years, and arguably the best ever. It had a solid undercard, and four advertised main events (actually five if you count the number 6 match on this list), which all delivered beyond anyone’s expectations. But it was Hogan vs. McMahon which really made this show special for me. McMahon dished out a surprising amount of brutal offense on Hogan, including Hogan’s own patented leg drop off of a ladder through a table. It was a great street fight that ended with Hogan using three leg drops to get the pin. After the match, Hogan and Vince’s son Shane had an intense stare down that I always felt should have led to a feud between the two of them, but it never came to be. It was still a nice touch on an epic match that could have been the main event of the show, but was ultimately overshadowed by Austin/Rock 3, Triple H/Booker T, Angle/Lesnar and the next match in this countdown.

6. Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho- Wrestlemania 19

I wasn’t a huge Shawn Michaels or Chris Jericho fan going into this match. I had missed most of Michaels singles main event singles run in the 90′s, and I had always just sort of overlooked Jericho. To say I was thoroughly impressed with both of them by the conclusion of this match would be an understatement. Once again, if it wasn’t for the most stacked card in history, this would have been a show-stealer. From a pure wrestling standpoint, it may be number 1 or 2 for me all time. I just wasn’t that into the build of this match or either man’s career going into Wrestlemania 19, but this masterpiece of a match shocked me and made me re-evaluate my appreciation for both men and their hall of fame careers.

5. Bret the Hitman Hart vs. Shawn Michaels- Wrestlemania 12

I have just recently begun to appreciate this match more as the all-time classic that it is. I didn’t see it live on pay per view. Actually, I think the first time I saw Wrestlemania 12 at all was about six years later in 2002. But this 60 minute iron-man match was near perfect. I love that it was booked to end 0-0 and go into sudden death, and I love the ending, with Michaels delivering two superkicks to Bret Hart’s jaw to win his first WWF title. If you haven’t seen this match, I urge you to give it a chance. It’s much different than your average 10 minute TV match or 25 minute pay per view match we get these days from the WWE, but it holds your attention throughout and really showcases both Hart and Michaels as perhaps the two best in-ring competitors of all time.

4. Ric Flair vs. Randy Savage- Wrestlemania 8

The build to this match and the feud between Savage and Flair, which involved Miss Elizabeth, made this match so much more than what it was, but just looking at the match itself, it was still incredible. Flair was on top of his game in this one, and brought Savage up to a level he may not have been at since he fought Ricky Steamboat at Wrestlemania 3. The announcing of Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby the Brain Heenan also deserves to be mentioned here, as it was exceptional throughout all of Wrestlemania 8. It added so much to the show, along with the atmosphere of the packed out Hoosier Dome. Savage got the win and regained the title for the first time in three years, while Flair gained a new level of respect from the WWF fans who hadn’t seen much of his work in the NWA and WCW.

3. Mr. Perfect Curt Hennig vs. Bret the Hitman Hart- Summerslam 91

My favorite wrestling show ever, Summerslam 1991, did not have any weaknesses in my mind. Some of that may be nostalgia, but looking back at that show, you just can’t deny how awesome it was. The Madison Square Garden crowd, the announcing of Heenan, Monsoon and Roddy Piper, the phenomenal WWF roster of mid 1991, and the added touch of “The Match Made in Heaven” with Randy Savage marrying Miss Elizabeth made this the perfect wrestling pay per view. While I loved every match on the card, particularly “The Match Made in Hell” that featured Hogan and Warrior against Sgt. Slaughter, Col. Mustafa and Gen. Adnan, the match of the night was Mr Perfect vs. Bret Hart. Hart’s singles run could not have gotten off to a better start as he won the Intercontinental championship from Hennig in what many consider to be the best match of either man’s career. Considering their resumes, that’s really saying something. This was a back and forth athletic encounter that makes you remember why you watch pro wrestling in the first place. A true classic.

2. Shawn Michaels vs. Undertaker- Wrestlemania 25

The perfect wrestling match. I don’t believe it can be done better than Michaels and Taker performed on this night. And luckily for Vince McMahon, it saved what was otherwise a terrible Wrestlemania. I should mention their Wrestlemania 26 rematch was spectacular as well and one of the greatest Wrestlemania matches ever, also on an otherwise bad card by the way, but it cannot touch this breathtaking piece of art. If you’ve given up on wrestling in the past 8-10 years, I don’t blame you. There hasn’t been much to get excited about since the WWF botched the invasion angle in 2001. But I implore you to watch this match on YouTube or get a hold of it somehow. If you ever enjoyed pro wrestling, you will love this match, especially if you are a fan of either Michaels or Undertaker. It’s so good that I won’t even spoil the ending for you. You’ll have to see it for yourself to believe that pro wrestling can still be this good again if it’s done by true professionals who give their all for the fans.

1. Hulk Hogan vs. Randy Savage- Wrestlemania 5

The Mega Powers explode! I’ll admit, this is just a personal favorite of mine, and in no way better as an in-ring match than some of the other matches on this list. But it features my two favorite wrestlers ever, in what was their best match among all of the classics they had throughout the years. This was the culmination of the perfect wrestling angle, and a feud that was built up with several different chapters throughout 1988 and early 1989. The raucous Atlantic City crowd, the announcing of Jesse the Body Ventura and Gorilla Monsoon, and the presence of Miss Elizabeth at ring-side certainly added to the drama, but Savage always brought out Hogan’s best inside the ring, and this night was no exception. (On a side note, this is probably my favorite Hogan leg drop ever. He got some serious air on that one, for a 35 year-old, 300-pound white guy anyway.) For me, nothing will ever touch this match. Believe me, by all rights Michaels vs. Undertaker at Wrestlemania 25 should have eclipsed this and all other matches, but I can’t ever drop Hogan vs. Savage out of my number one position. I could watch it every day and probably not get sick of it. This is, or should I say was, professional wrestling at its finest. If someone asked me why I’m a fan, I’d point to this match before any other.