5 Greatest wrestling matches to end in a draw

Wrestling matches can have a variety of results that affect how fans view it in their memories. There are winners and losers in most cases. This can be decided by pinfall, submission, disqualification, or countout. However, there are rare occasions when a contest doesn't have a defined winner in the outcome.

Regardless of the promotion, there are rules in place that can give different outcomes which can be satisfying for the fanbase. In AEW and NJPW, their wrestling encounters have set time limits that an outcome has to be decided within.

Sometimes in wrestling, a draw can be just as gratifying for the fans to experience and fulfill them in ways that a simple winner and loser can't offer. While the two competitors can't prove who the better man is, it adds a lot to their ongoing feud and leads to better matches down the road.

In this article, let's look at the five greatest wrestling matches to end in a draw.

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#5 Bret & Owen Hart vs. The Steiner Brothers - Wrestling Challenge 1/11/1994 (World Wrestling Federation)

One of the greatest rivalries in wrestling history was the brother feud between Bret "The Hitman" Hart and Owen Hart. It started at Survivor Series 1993 when Bret caused his brother to be eliminated from the traditional Survivor Series Elimination Match. This sparked the jealousy of the youngest Hart brother, but the family worked on things over the holidays.

Bret and Owen decided to work on their relationship in the ring as a tag team. They set their sights on the WWF Tag Team Championships at Royal Rumble 1994. Before they got there, the Hart Brothers faced another great wrestling family, the Steiner Brothers.

On the January 11th, 1994 episode of WWF Wrestling Challenge, Bret and Owen Hart squared off with Rick and Scott Steiner.

It was a tag team wrestling clinic in every sense. The exchanges with Bret and Scott showed why both men went on to long main event runs. There were crisp sequences with Owen picking up the pace from Bret and meshing very well with both Rick and Scott.

The finish saw Scott dive onto Bret and Owen dive onto Rick on the floor. It was a crash-and-burn sequence that wouldn't look out of place in modern-day wrestling.

All four men were counted out, leading to the draw. This was the best ending as neither team should have taken the loss. Despite never getting this bout again due to Owen turning on Bret at the Royal Rumble, this is a forgotten gem.

#4 Kazuchika Okada vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi - G1 Climax 28 Night 17 8/10/2018 (New Japan Pro Wrestling)

The centerpiece feud of New Japan Pro Wrestling over the past decade has been Kazuchika Okada vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi.

Tanahashi is the man responsible for the re-emergence of NJPW as a force in the professional wrestling world. The Ace was the initial rivalry that introduced Okada as "The Rainmaker" to the New Japan fanbase.

When the two rivals met at the G1 Climax 28 tournament, both men were at different stages of their careers. Tanahashi was looking to re-establish himself as The Ace of New Japan Pro Wrestling and get back to the Tokyo Dome main event at the Wrestle Kingdom.

On the other hand, Okada had just lost the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in a dramatic battle with Kenny Omega that ended his record-breaking 720-day reign. Okada and Tanahashi faced each other in the A Block Finals of the G1 Climax 28. They have had a history of time limit draws in this tournament, but Okada needed the win to move on to the finals, while Tana just had to avoid defeat.

It was an excellent encounter to revel in with the high stakes involved. Every spot and move had meaning and logically led into the next sequence. It was an emotional final few minutes with Tanahashi evading the Rainmaker and hitting the High Fly Flow, but Okada kicked out as the 30 minutes expired. It was yet another classic to add to the transformative feud.

#3 Ric Flair vs. Sting for the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship - Clash of the Champions 3/27/1988 (National Wrestling Alliance)

There might not be another performer in wrestling who has put on more time limit draws than Ric Flair. The term, "working a Broadway," came based on Flair's ability to work hour-long matches. Whether it be against Barry Windham or Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, Flair has earned the moniker of "The 60-Minute Man."

Ric Flair has also helped establish quite a few wrestling superstars that he has faced in the squared circle. When fans think of those stars, Sting is usually at the top of their list. Their long-standing rivalry kicked off at the first Clash of the Champions in 1988.

The event took place on free television in direct competition with WrestleMania IV on pay-per-view. It was Sting's first high-profile contest of his wrestling career.

Despite it taking place in Greensboro, North Carolina, or should we say "Flair Country," the fans favored the Stinger and wanted to see the title change.

It was a well-wrestled encounter that saw Sting use his strength and speed to overcome the trademark face of the National Wrestling Alliance. Flair was a consummate ring general here and guided Sting to his best match to date. The two men showed the tremendous chemistry that made it one of the greatest feuds in WCW history.

#2 Kenny Omega vs. Bryan Danielson - AEW Dynamite Grand Slam 9/22/2021 (All Elite Wrestling)

The latest entry to the iconic wrestling matches to end in a draw happened recently. The AEW Dynamite Grand Slam opened with a dream match years in the making, with Bryan Danielson making his in-ring debut for the company against AEW World Champion, Kenny Omega.

These two men are widely considered two of the very best wrestlers of their generation. Danielson came to All Elite Wrestling looking to prove himself against the greatest that the company had to offer, so he started with the Best Bout Machine. The atmosphere in New York City's Arthur Ashe Stadium was unreal and extremely loud for this encounter.

Kenny Omega and Bryan Danielson put on a professional wrestling masterclass. Their contest had everything that fans would want. It had intensity, hard-hitting strikes, good mat work, high spots, incredible sequences, and a molten hot crowd reacting to every big moment.

It was a 30-minute time limit draw, but it never felt that long. Time sped by with the fantastic chemistry that Danielson and Omega put on display. They created wrestling magic together in one of the best matches of the year.

The time limit draw was the perfect result because neither man could afford to lose and builds anticipation for a rematch. It was one of the greatest AEW Dynamite matches ever.

#1 Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship - Dominion 2017 6/11/2017 (New Japan Pro Wrestling)

The legend of Kenny Omega as an all-time great in wrestling added a lot to his time limit draw with Bryan Danielson last week. His legacy was molded in NJPW. Omega had very brief stints in the company along with Kota Ibushi as well as in the junior heavyweight division, but his full-time run began in 2014 when he joined the Bullet Club.

Kenny Omega became known as "The Cleaner" because he planned on cleaning up the junior heavyweight division. He defeated Ryusuke Taguchi to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 9. Omega went on to have two reigns overall, but he wasn't satisfied with success against the juniors at New Japan Pro Wrestling.

Following his loss of the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 10, Kenny Omega turned on AJ Styles to take on the leadership of the Bullet Club. He went on to win the IWGP Intercontinental Championship soon after before losing the gold in the first ladder match in company history. This was just the tip of the iceberg for him.

Kenny Omega went on to become the first gaijin to win the G1 Climax tournament and earn an opportunity to main event in the Tokyo Dome at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 11.

The Cleaner put on one of the greatest matches in the history of the wrestling business against IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada at the event. It was a bout that put NJPW on the map worldwide

This led to a rematch just six months later at Dominion 2017 between Omega and Okada. It would take a lot for these two men to achieve their greatness at the Wrestle Kingdom 11, but somehow they did just that. Their previous meeting went 47 minutes long, and they wanted to surpass that.

Kenny Omega and Kazuchika Okada reached a level of excellence that 60-minute wrestling matches hadn't previously obtained. The pacing here was outstanding where fans didn't even realize that the contest had reached the final five minutes until the ring announced called it. The selling from each man was tremendous, with Omega's collapse before Okada hit the Rainmaker being the standout moment.

As the battle went deeper, the two competitors created great drama that had the fans hanging on every wrestling move. Cody Rhodes added to this with his tease of throwing in the towel to save Omega. This led to a fantastic nearfall and a dramatic final sequence. Omega hit his big moves, but Okada hit the Rainmaker and crawled to the pin as time expired.

This was a beautiful professional wrestling match that remains as one of the greatest in NJPW history and in the entire business. They had wonderful callbacks to their Wrestle Kingdom 11 showdown and amazing storytelling that captivated everyone watching.

That's why Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega at Dominion 2017 is the greatest wrestling match to end in a draw.