WWE PPVs: 10 best pay per view events

Pay-per-views in WWE, since its inception, have served as the platform for highly anticipated and exciting feuds in the business of pro-wrestling.

Amidst the weekly dose of Monday Night RAW and Smackdown, which is now live on Tuesdays, the monthly events are slotted in for the fans to witness the high-profile battles between the company's big names.

Different eras of the WWE have hosted several memorable PPVs. Of course, with the exception of the big 4 (SummerSlam, Survivor Series, Royal Rumble and Wrestlemania), the pay-per-view events have generally fluctuated over the years.

Brand split in the Ruthless Aggression Era saw PPVs being distributed between RAW and Smackdown.

Also read: WWE PPVs schedule list for 2017

This was followed by discontinuation of some of the classic events in the PG era. Active or not, these specials served as platforms for some of the most intense clashes in WWE history. Based on their significance, we rank the top 10 WWE pay-per-views.

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#10 Armageddon

The inaugural event took place on December 12, 1999, at Florida where the main card involved Triple H against Vince Mcmahon in a No Holds Barred match. The former emerged as the winner courtesy of a betrayal from Vince's daughter Stephanie.

The brand name was later changed to Vengeance in 2001 following the 9/11 attacks but WWE retained the name in 2002. After the brand split, it was held under the RAW banner only in 2003 after which it became exclusive to Smackdown from 2004 to 2006. Later, it was available to all three brands including ECW before getting replaced by TLC in 2009.

The standout feud that elevated the PPV's reputation was the unforgettable six-man Hell in a Cell match for the WWE title where champion Kurt Angle defended the belt against The Rock, Undertaker, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Triple H and Rikishi amongst intrusions from the team of Vince Mcmahon, Pat Patterson and Gerald Briscoe.

#9 No Way Out

No Way Out commenced a year earlier than Armageddon in 1998 as part of the In Your House event and eventually it was included as one of the official WWE PPV events in the year 2000. The brand extension made it exclusive to Smackdown from 2004 and was held every February until 2008 following which it was replaced by Elimination Chamber. The most significant thing about this event? The final pitstop to the grandest event of the year, Wrestlemania.

Fans have witnessed several big storylines and magnificent battles at No Way Out. The first edition's main card featured an epic eight-man tag team match between Team Austin (Steve Austin, Owen Hart, Cactus Jack and Chainsaw Charlie) and Team Triple H (Triple H, Savio Vega and the New Age Outlaws).

A couple of high-profile matches in The Rock's career also took place at No Way Out. His feud with Kurt Angle for the WWE championship in 2001 and the Wrestlemania X8 rematch against Hulk Hogan in 2003 were the main events that resonate among the fans till date.

But No Way Out's greatest moment definitely belongs to the Late Eddie Guerrero, who in 2004, fulfilled every underdog's dream by defeating Brock Lesnar to win the WWE title. Frog splashing his way to victory became one of the most iconic scenes in WWE history as Eddie won his sole WWE belt before his death in 2005.

#8 Backlash

While No Way Out was the final milestone in the road to Wrestlemania, Backlash served as the aftermath of the grand event where superstars would usually get a chance at redemption. Held in April, the event began in 1999 as part of the In Your House event before becoming the final event to be recognized as an official WWE PPV.

The first edition stood out as one of the best pay-per-view of all time as WWE looked to mend ways with its fans after a lacklustre Wrestlemania XV. Feuds involving The Undertaker as the leader of the Ministry of Darkness and the Wrestlemania rematch main event between the two pillars of the Attitude Era, Stone Cold and The Rock, for the WWE championship were the pinnacle points of this PPV.

Post-Attitude Era remembers this event as the war ground for intense rivals John Cena and Edge. The two squared off in 2006 and 2007 respectively engaging in triple-threat matches for the WWE championship and later in 2009 for the World Heavyweight championship.

Backlash also stands out for its 2004 edition which involved then upcoming superstar and Evolution member, Randy Orton against Mick Foley in an epic hardcore match.

#7 King of the Ring

Originally considered as one of the Big Five events of the year, The King of the Ring came to be recognized as an official PPV event in year 1993 before which it was held as a single-elimination tournament since 1985.

The format involved sixteen wrestlers battling it out in a one-on-one single elimination bracket. Final few remaining matches would be held at the event until the eventual winner was crowned. The PPV continued until 2002 before it was discontinued only to be revived until recently in 2008, 2010 and 2015.

Perhaps, the greatest revolutionary speech that turned WWE's landscape completely came in the 1996 King of the Ring when Stone Cold delivered a stunning victory speech that is credited to have kicked off the Attitude Era of the WWE.

"Talk about your psalms, talk about John 3:16. Austin 3:16 says I just whooped your a**!"

And then, Austin 3:16 was born which undeniably became one of the greatest catchphrases in WWE history.

#6 No Mercy

If there is one PPV that has seen its fair share of unforgettable matches outside of the Big Four, it has to be WWE's No Mercy. First held in 2003, the Smackdown exclusive event continued annually until 2008 before it was revived this year.

The first event was held in 1999 in Manchester that involved Stone Cold, Undertaker and Triple H in an Anything Goes match. With all the odds stacked against Austin, he managed to defeat his challengers even after intervention from the Corporate, Kane and X-Pac.

No Mercy 2000 saw another vicious battle between The Rock and Kurt Angle where the latter won the bout to claim the WWE title. But the event's history pages were written by two long-standing rivals Brock Lesnar and Undertaker whose back-to-back feuds in 2002 and 2003 laid the foundations for their modern day clashes.

#5 Elimination Chamber

Elimination Chamber, which was originally introduced as a professional wrestling match by Triple H and Eric Bischoff in 2002, later became a PPV event based on its sheer popularity. In 2010, WWE decided to replace No Way Out with the Chamber and the change was well received by the fans as it gradually became one of the most eventful modern-day specials.

Contested by six superstars inside the demonic chain-linked steel structure, the concept of two participants kicking off proceedings while four others held in the inner chamber and being unleashed at different points of the bout was fascinating. Several champions have been crowned at this PPV where both the WWE and World Heavyweight championship were defended.

Pertaining more towards the PG era, fans have witnessed some epic encounters involving superstars such as John Cena, Edge, CM Punk, Randy Orton and more. Cena has been victorious on two occasions while Orton, Edge and Punk have picked up one win each. The last Chamber event was held in 2015 and it was won by Ryback who walked out as the Intercontinental Champion.

#4 Survivor Series

Moving on towards the bigger playground, we now look into the Big Four PPVs of the WWE and our first entry into this list is the Survivor Series. One of the original pay-per-views produced by the WWE and the second-longest running show after Wrestlemania, the foundations of this event is based on the traditional four or five-man tag team elimination matches that came to be known as the traditional Survivor Series matches.

Following the success of WM III, WWE cashed in on the Hulk Hogan and Andre The Giant rivalry as they realised the immense potential of the PPV market. Held for the first time in 1987, the PPV became an annual phenomenon and one of the landmark events in a wrestling fan's calender.

The biggest impact? The Montreal Screwjob. Pro wrestling's most infamous incident occurred on the night of the 1997 Survivor Series when Vince Mcmahon manipulated the result in favour of Shawn Michaels and betrayed Bret Hart. Survivor Series also witnessed one of WWE's most interesting and ambitious storylines decided in the year 2001 where Team WWF (Vince) and Team Alliance (ECW and WCW owned by Stephanie and Shane respectively) feuded to end the Invasion angle, thus restoring WWE's status as the only pro-wrestling organisation.

#3 SummerSlam

In the eyes of the WWE itself, this is their biggest pay-per-view creation after Wrestlemania. Dubbed as the "Biggest event of the Summer", SummerSlam is the first PPV among the Big Four that is held in a wrestling calendar year.

Since the inaugural event in 1988 held in Madison Square Garden, WWE fans have been subjected to a plethora of stunning bouts over the years making it one of the most watched specials of all time. Brock Lesnar's dominating career commenced at SummerSlam itself after he defeated Rock for the WWE title in the 2002 event. In 2000, Shane Mcmahon won the crowd over by his epic fall from the Titantron during his Hardcore title feud against Steve Blackman.

Add to that the recent destruction of John Cena on two occasions- first by the invading Nexus and then by Brock Lesnar's 16 suplexes and we have one of the best efforts of WWE in recent times.

#2 Royal Rumble

"The road to Wrestlemania begins tonight!" When you hear those words from the announcers' table, you know that Wrestlemania season is upon us. And it all starts at the Royal Rumble.

One of the best WWE pay-per-view to look forward to, the Royal Rumble kicks off the Wrestlemania hype as it gives us a solid picture of what storylines will unfold at the grandest event of the year. The most important feature of the PPV is the 30-man Battle Royale that allows the winner a ticket to Wrestlemania, meaning that superstar gets a shot at the title match in April.

Easily the best thing about this event are the surprises that WWE throws every year. Shocking returns of former superstars have occurred in every edition. Fans have been baffled at times with the winners that have emerged from the contest.

Number of records have been made in this format over the years. Stone Cold Steve Austin holds the record for most number of wins (3). Kane is attributed to have eliminated the most men in the history f the Royal Rumble. While Santino Marella holds the shady record of lasting only about 1 sec in the match before he was eliminated.

#1 Wrestlemania

And finally, we look at the marquee event of sports entertainment, Wrestlemania. Dubbed as the grandest event in pro-wrestling, it is every superstar's dream to walk into the ring and be a part of this colossal event.

WWE made history in 1985 when it began its flagship PPV and turned it into their longest-running and most successful event for 32 years continously. The company has generated massive revenues worldwide through it owing to its merchandise sales, media and popularity. It has served as a bridge between the wrestling and the mainstream world which is evident from the constant appearances of popular figures over the years.

A brainchild of Vince Mcmahon, the event has produced numerous heavyweight and iconic clashes which has turned superstars into global icons of today. From Hulk Hogan to Stone Cold and John Cena, every superstar have cemented their legacy on the grandest stage of all.

You would be lost in a maze if you were to pick out the most memorable moments from the PPV. However some that standout certainly deserved to be mentioned. Wrestlemania is incomplete without mentioning Mr. Wrestlemania himself, Shawn Michaels, who easily outperformed his locker room counterparts when it came to the biggest stage. From his epic entrance using a zipline to defeating Bret Hart in a hard-fought Iron Man match and giving the fans one of the greatest matches of all-time against the Undertaker, the Show stopper certainly stomped his feet in Wrestlemania's legacy.

Talking about records, no feat is greater in the history of pro-wrestling than that of The Undertaker's 21-0 at Wrestlemania. Be it Hogan body slamming Andre The Giant or The Rock feuding against Cena, Wrestlemania is truly the grand daddy of all events in the WWE.

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