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Pier-six brawl. Slobber Knocker. Knockdown drag-out fight.
No matter what you call them, some wrestling matches go beyond the normal parameters of what is expected in sports entertainment. These thrilling brawls might include fighting outside the ring extensively or using foreign objects to establish dominance. Or they might be a standard wrestling match that has been kicked up several notches, to the point where it seems more like a street fight.
The WWE has certainly had its share of these magnificent brawls. From the Classic Era all the way to the modern age, WWE has pitted some of the most dangerous, athletic, and just plain vicious superstars against each other in battles for the ages.
These matches stand out not just because of the skill involved in the performance, but the sheer brutality of the contest. Here are the top ten best WWE brawls of all time. Some of the matches might surprise you!
#10 Edge vs. Shawn Michaels -- Street Fight, Raw February 28, 2005
During the Ruthless Aggression era, the WWE superstars often lived up to the namesake.
Shawn Michaels had only recently returned to wrestling full time after spending years rehabilitating a nagging back injury. After dropping the WWE championship to Stone Cold Steve Austin, fans had to wait a long time to see the Heart Break Kid in action.
That year, Michaels was set to take on Kurt Angle at Wrestlemania, but this match might actually be much better than that particular contest. Edge had also returned from an injury, and both superstars were determined to prove that they could still go with the best of the best.
The brutality of the match and the amazing performances by both men make this one a can't miss affair.
Michaels donned the crimson mask during the explosive affair and hit the superkick out of nowhere to claim victory.
#9 Victoria vs. Trish Stratus -- Hardcore match, Survivor Series 2002
During WWE's 'classic' era, women's wrestling returned to significance due to the Rock N Wrestling connection. Music star Cyndi Lauper accompanied Wendi Richter to the ring at Wrestlemania, where she dethroned the Fabulous Moolah.
However, after that women's wrestling all but disappeared from the WWE. Except for a brief run by Alundra Blayze (Madusa), women's wrestling was relegated to pure titillation. Bra and panties matches, evening gown matches, and the like were the flavor of the day.
But at the end of the Attitude Era, Trish Stratus and Victoria engaged in one of the most brutal contests in women's wrestling history. Eschewing technical wrestling, the two women battled with stiff strikes, foreign objects, and plain old brutality. It definitely set the stage for women's evolution, which was in its zygote stages at the time.
Even though the match lasted for under ten minutes, they ensured that all the props were used to make this a memorable match. Victoria emerged victorious after using a fire extinguisher to blind Trish.
#8 Justin "Hawk" Bradshaw vs. Big Van Vader -- WWE In Your House: Breakdown
If there's one thing WWE deserves some criticism for, it is the way they handled the career of international monster heel Vader during his run with the company.
Instead of pushing Vader as the unstoppable force he was, WWE instead gave him a comedy gimmick where he was seen to be struggling with compulsive overeating. However, for his final WWE pay-per-view appearance, Vader returned to his roots for a hard-hitting, smash-mouth contest against the up-and-coming star Bradshaw.
"Tonight, you get the old Vader," quoth The Mastadon to Bradshaw. What followed was a contest nearly as brutal as Vader's old brawls with Stan Hansen in Japan. Brutal strikes, outside brawling, and plenty of strong style influence make this a rare, forgotten gem of a match.
Bradshaw is also known to be one of the toughest guys in the business and this was just an example of what he was capable of doing.
#7 Shane McMahon vs. The Big Show -- Backlash 2001 Last Man Standing match
Back in 2001, Shane McMahon became something akin to a full-time wrestler. While he didn't hold many titles during his run, he did engage in some of the most memorable matches of the era.
A lot of people talk about Shane's death-defying leap at Summerslam of the same year, but they tend to forget that he did the same thing during this brawl some nine months earlier. Despite giving up a lot when it came to his size, Shane didn't back down an inch from the Big Show and displayed his usual daredevil streak by leaping off of high places to come crashing down on Big Show.
This is an instant classic and is one of the better matches which Big Show was involved in. Both men were many years younger than today, and it shows in the polish and swiftness of this match.
J.R would ideally describe this as a 'bonfide slobberknocker'.
#6 Undertaker vs. Rob Van Dam -- Hardcore title match Vengeance, 2001
After spending many years portraying the Lord of Darkness character, Undertaker was ready for a new creative direction.
He was reborn as the American Bad Ass. While he still went by the name Undertaker, the new Dead Man had a completely different personality. Instead of speaking in a monotone, he was animated, alive, and very charismatic.
The Undertaker would collide with WWE newcomer Rob Van Dam at Vengeance in 2001. Both men realized that their contest was being overlooked because of a stacked card featuring the best of the Attitude Era, so they strove to make their bout as memorable as possible.
The sheer brutality of the strikes, the smashed tables, and rattled brain cells make this one a can't-miss match.
The dead man emerged victorious after choke-slamming RVD off the entrance ramp through a pile of tables onto the concrete floor to pickup the Hardcore title.
#5 Big Show vs. Nature Boy Ric Flair -- ECW (WWE version) 2006
The short-lived ECW revival put on by WWE was rife with many problems. Creative teams kept getting shuffled about, as well as the talent. Sometimes it seemed like WWE would move an established Raw or Smackdown superstar to the ECW brand simply because they didn't know what else to do with them.
That seemed to be the case when Big Show joined ECW. Determined to prove he was a 'hardcore giant,' Show would take on the legendary Nature Boy Ric Flair in a match so bloody and brutal we can only show you black and white photos of the affair.
The ageing Nature Boy and Big Show both bled profusely throughout the hard-hitting contest and made many long-time ECW fans happy with the amount of innovative violence.
One thing you never do is write Ric Flair off and the Nature Boy defied his age to put on the match of a lifetime.
#4 Kurt Angle vs. Shane McMahon -- King of the Ring 2001
Shane McMahon makes yet another appearance on our list of top brawls, and that's not an accident.
In 2001 Shane engaged in a brutal street fight against Olympic Gold Medalist Kurt Angle. The match ranged all over the arena and featured plenty of insane spots, like when Angle suplexed his boss's son right into a glass wall.
What's truly insane is that the glass wall was SUPPOSED to be sugar glass, but the WWE prop master had ordered the wrong thing and Shane went through the real glass. Shane O'Mac ended up needing multiple stitches, and the match was so brutal that Vince McMahon nearly stopped it in its tracks.
If you ever wondered whether or not Shane McMahon paid his dues in the wrestling business, we suggest you watch this pure slobber knocker of a brawl.
They took a leaf out of every hardcore book and then wrote their own at the end of this insane bout.
#3 Tommaso Ciampa vs. Johnny Gargano NXT Takeover New Orleans
Just in case you thought the list was all matches from years ago, here's our most recent entry; The Unsanctioned match between Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa at NXT Takeover New Orleans.
The build-up to the match could not have been better. DIY was an incredibly popular tag team and faced some of the best that NXT had to offer, such as the Authors of Pain.
Their break up and the betrayal by Tomasso Ciampa set the stage for this brutal contest which, kayfabe wise, the NXT management refused to sanction. It's a classic example of a match that is pure destruction without resorting to blood or gimmicky props. This match is still held up as the gold standard in WWE today.
The NXT is often seen discussed as one of WWE's best shows and a match like thus just goes on to show you why.
#2 Mankind vs. Undertaker -- Hell in a Cell
For our number two on the countdown of WWE's best brawls, we go to the venerable contest between Undertaker and Mankind, contested inside (and outside, and on top) of the Hell in a Cell steel cage.
This match has so many brutal, jaw-dropping moments that it takes your breath away. From scripted moments like Undertaker throwing Mankind off of the top of the Hell in a Cell cage to unplanned bumps like Mankind being chokeslammed right through the roof and losing a tooth, this match was so memorable that many people erroneously believe it was the first Hell in a Cell, but Shawn Michaels and Undertaker hold that honor.
Still, this is hands down the BEST Hell in a Cell contest ever and has yet to be surpassed in the modern era.
Mick Foley has taken plenty of bumps in his life but this was unlike anything he had ever experienced. Pure carnage.
#1 Tables, Ladders, and Chairs Vol. 2.
In 2001, the wrestling world was abuzz with the fall of World Championship Wrestling. After a lengthy Monday Night War, during which time the WCW promotion actually dominated WWE in the ratings for three years, Vince McMahon's promotion came out on top.
McMahon would purchase WCW and an archive of video from the NWA days of Jim Crockett Promotions. Perhaps because the WWE stars knew that there would soon be an influx of former WCW talent, they pulled out all the stops at Wrestlemania X7.
No one worked harder than the six men involved in the Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match for the WWE Tag team titles. The Hardys, Edge and Christian, and the Dudley Boyz all vied for the championship in what remains the best brawl in WWE history. The fans at ringside can be seen in a state of total shock as the three teams mauled one another, all for the chance to capture that elusive Wrestlemania Moment.
There you have it; The Ten Top brawls in WWE history. Questions or comments? Please leave them after the article, and as always thanks for reading!
