Top 5 best pure ladder matches in WWE history

Ladder matches are supposed to be one of the most dangerous type of matches in WWE. It might be quite common now a days and the novelty factor might be wearing off – but the match still packs a punch.The concept has come a long way since Razor Ramon and Shawn Michaels took a ladder to Wrestlemania X and stole the show. The triangle ladder matches between The Hardys, The Dudleys, Edge and Christian took its popularity to new heights.As time passed, the ladder match became considered as just another match. A pure ladder match relies on the ladder to tell a story, rather than using it to extend one.This list examines the five best pure ladder matches in WWE history.

#1 Edge & Christian vs The Hardy Boyz vs The Dudley Boyz - Wrestlemania 2000

The match that began the ladder revolution – or more specifically the TLC folklore. The Hardys vs Edge & Christian vs The Dudleys in a ladder match is a match that hasn’t been surpassed in 15 years since their initial encounter took place.

While their ensuing Summerslam and Wrestlemania 17 matches cannot make this list on a technicality (those were TLC matches, not pure ladder matches), the Triangle ladder match from Wrestlemania 2000 certainly can.

The match was devised as the way to determine exactly who the better team was and the six men tore the place down. The spots involving ladders were the best that the world had ever seen – Edge would spear a ladder-climbing Jeff Hardy from the top rope, Jeff would deliver a Swanton Bomb to a prone Bubba Ray Dudley from the top of a ladder.

But the enduring image is of Edge and Christian embracing their heel personas by climbing the ladder after Matt Hardy and sneakily pushing Hardy off the top of the two ladders on which a table was kept to resemble a platform and claiming the tag team titles.

There began the era of tag team wrestling that totally reeked of awesomeness.

#2 Razor Ramon vs Shawn Michaels - Wrestlemania X

Razor Ramon proved why WCW paid so much for him

The original ladder match – Razor Ramon and Shawn Michaels had a lot to fight over at Wrestlemania X.

Michaels was stripped off his Intercontinental title and Ramon beat Rick Martel to become the champ. But Michaels came back to the WWF soon enough, claiming that he was the real champion.

This lead to a ladder match with both titles on the line at Wrestlemania X.

The story was perfect and the match was spectacular. Ramon, before alcohol ruined his career, was on par with Michaels as a performer and the two proved it that night.

The enduring image is that of Michaels getting tangled up in the ropes after being pushed off the top of the table by Ramon. This would lead to ‘The Bad Guy’ retreiving both titles and becoming the Undisputed Intercontinental champion

#3 Edge & Christian vs The Hardy Boyz - No Mercy 1999

The Hardys would come out on top at No Mercy 99

The match that pitted two of the three tag team stalwarts of the 2000s for the first time in a ladder match – The No Mercy 99 ladder match between Edge and Christian and the New Brood – The latter being the Hardy Boyz – was a spectacle to watch.

The match was the finale of a best of five series where the prize for the winner was the managerial services of Terri Runnels.

Yeah, right – Despite the prize being so cheesy, the two teams fought their hearts out as they knew they were fighting for real estate on a talented WWF roster. The Hardys would finally emerge victorious but the crowd gave both the teams a standing ovation.

This match made Vince McMahon take notice of the potential that these tag teams had with a ladder and he decided to remove the deadweight from the rivalry.

Edge and Christian’s manager Gangrel was attacked by both tag teams the next night on Raw and nobody accepted Terri’s managerial services, taking them out of the equation.

The history of tag team wrestling would never ever be the same again.

#4 Jeff Hardy vs The Undertaker - Raw 2002

Jeff Hardy had the best ladder match of 2002 alongside the Undertaker

The first great ladder match since the tag team revolution ended in 2001. The 2002 Undisputed title match on Raw between Jeff Hardy and The Undertaker had it all – an intriguing story, a great match and a fitting finish.

Hardy had assumed his ‘lost soul’ persona and was in the process of fighting bigger and stronger men inorder to ascent to the top of the WWE. The man he put in his sights – The Undisputed champion himself, The Undertaker.

The buildup was classic in itself. After crushing Hardy once again, The Undertaker agreed to Hardy’s demand for another match quite easily – The only catch was that it would be the match in which nobody would want to face Hardy in – The ladder match.

The look of uncertainty on the Undertaker’s face when Hardy announced the match stipulation was classic and a great way to put the younger Hardy over.

The match was phenomenal and captured the imagination of the public in such a way that the fans thought that Hardy was actually going to win the match.

But the image of The Undertaker’s hand getting the death grip on Hardy’s throat while the latter was just inches away from claiming the title enroute to a Chokeslam and the expected Taker victory was a great endorsement to the match.

The respect shown by Taker to Hardy after the match put the icing on the cake.

#5 Edge vs Jeff Hardy - Extreme Rules 09

The climax of the Hardy – Edge ladder match

This match at 2009 was the final ladder match involving two of the greatest exponents of the concept – Jeff Hardy and Edge and the build up told an amazing story.

Here were a couple of guys who had given new meaning to the tag team division with ladder matches in the 2000s and now a decade later were fighting over the World Heavyweight title in the same match.

Jeff Hardy had already won a world title by then and Edge was the face of SmackDown, having won more world titles than anybody over the decade.

The match by itself was phenomenal, but the most memorable spot was the climax as Hardy trapped Edge between the ladder rungs and climbed up the ladder and stared at Edge’s face after retrieveing the title.

The look of helplessness on Edge’s face was befitting the occassion and the match helped the innovators of the concept to finish their rivalry in style.

Hardy would leave the company a few months later where as Edge would retire from wrestling in 2011.

This is not going to be the only time that Jeff Hardy and Edge are going to be featured in this list!