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Few Matches in the history of WWE are more dangerous and destructive than Last Man Standing match. Usually taking place as a grudge match between two opponents who had been feuding for months, this bout sucks the life out of even the toughest of the participants and forces them to fight till their last breath.
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Just like Hell in a Cell and the I Quit Matches, last man standing matches have also carved out a legacy of its own over years. At Money in the Bank, Shinsuke Nakamura and AJ Styles will finally settle their low-blow issues when they battle in a Last Man Standing Match.
Over the years, WWE has been home to over 30 matches of this type, some of which have gone on to be regarded as the best of all time. Whether or not Styles and Nakamura will produce a gem of a match, only time will tell, but until then, here are the 10 best Last Man Standing Matches in the history of the promotion.
Honorable Mentions
Triple H(c) vs Shawn Michaels - World Heavyweight Title (Royal Rumble 2004)
One of the most violent Last Man Standing Matches in the history of the company, this match came during the latter half of the 2 year long rivalry between the former DX mates. The match, which ended in a draw when the two bloodied superstars failed to answer the count of 10, is often overshadowed by their classic Summerslam bout and Hell in a Cell Match.
The Big Show(c) vs Alberto Del Rio - World Heavyweight Title (Smackdown 2013)
The first of the two Last Man Standing matches between the two superstars, this match, while not as violent as other matches on this list, is highly remembered for Del Rio's memorable face turn. The pop that Del Rio got when he won the title after tripping the announcer table onto Big Show certainly was the highlight of his face run in the company.
Triple H vs Ric Flair (Survivor Series 2005)
The culmination of this memorable feud between the Mentor and the Pupil, the decimation of Ric Flair at the hands of Triple H was the most merciless sight of the night. Flair got minimal offense throughout the match as HHH busted him open, decimated him, and finished him off with a sledgehammer strike to win the match.
#10 Mankind(c) vs The Rock (St. Valentine's Day Massacre: In Your House)
The feud between future tag team partners in Mankind and The Rock was the center of focus of the WWF programming in early 1999. Their infamous Survivor Series tournament was followed by probably the most famous WWE Title victory in the history of Monday Night Raw. After trading the prestigious title in a brutal I Quit match at Royal Rumble and in a Parking Lot brawl at Halftime Heat, the first ever Last Man Standing match was scheduled for St. Valentine's Massacre Day.
With the WWE Title on the line, the two went through hell for over 22 minutes. Tables were broken, skulls were cracked and action even spilled to the backstage area as the two tried to keep each other down. The Rock was at his best here, putting the mic on during the match to play with Mankind.
After failing to keep each other down despite hitting their respective finishing moves, the two knocked each other down with simultaneous chair shots to the temple to end the contest at a draw, hence allowing Mankind to retain the title.
#9 John Cena vs Bray Wyatt (Payback 2014)
Bray Wyatt's feud with John Cena was both a career-defining and a career-destroying feud for The Eater of the World. Even though Wyatt's popularity was soaring in such a way that fans had started proclaiming him as the next Undertaker, his loss to John Cena at 'Mania and their Last Man Standing Match at Payback was a literal burial of Wyatt in WWE.
Although Wyatt emerged victorious at Extreme Rules, he came out of the feud looking way weaker than he was before the feud. Both Cena and Wyatt were accompanied by The Usos and The Wyatt Family. A big portion of the match took place inside the ring only until their accomplices interfered.
Chairs were used by both of them and Cena went through a table. Even the steel steps were used when Cena just threw them at Wyatt. A long brawl between the two came to a halt when The Usos and The Wyatts interfered, with Harper and Jimmy going through two tables. The production witnessed the end of the match, as Cena buried Wyatt with two equipment crates to keep Wyatt down for the ten count.
#8 Edge vs Chris Benoit (Backlash 2005)
Edge's Money in the Bank victory at WrestleMania 21 might have changed his fortunes for the better, but it came at the expense of Chris Benoit, whose arm was injured by Edge at 'Mania. The two kept feuding and brawling during the next month, which included another attack by Edge on Benoit's arm after a loss to him.
In order to allow them to settle their difference once and for all, Eric Bischoff scheduled a Last Man Standing match between the two at Backlash 2005. With a lot of bad blood boiling between the two, the initial goings of the match featured plenty of hard-hitting maneuvers, with both trying to take advantage.
The match became evenly poised during the middle phase as the action spilled into the crowd and at ringside. Edge, in specific, took a lot of punishment as he was hit by a German Suplex from the top of the ladder. Even that couldn't keep him down, as he fought back with 2 spears and a shot with the brick to Benoit's head to win a 19-minute slug fest.
#7 Triple H(c) vs Randy Orton - WWE Title (No Mercy 2007)
The rivalry between Triple H and Randy Orton was revisited several times between 2004 and 2010, but it was their rivalry in 2007-08 that produced the best in-ring work from the two superstars. It all started at No Mercy 2007, which produced inarguably the best match of their rivalry when the two faced in the main event in a Last Man Standing Match.
Even though the duo faced each other in another match with the same stipulation in the final match of this phase of their feud, it pales in comparison to this classic. Even though HHH was fighting his third match of the night and Orton his second, neither was ready to give up as the action spilled outside the ring from the word go.
HHH got minimal offense in the middle portion as the Orton kept knocking him down constantly. Choked with cable and smashed with TV, HHH fought back by sending Orton through the announce table. Busted open after an RKO onto a steel chair, HHH fought back by crushing Orton's skull between steps and a chair. However, an RKO on the announce table brought an end to his match and his championship reign.
#6 Batista(c) vs John Cena - WWE Title (Extreme Rules 2010)
It took WWE a whole 5 years after 'Mania 21 to bring together their top two stars, Batista and John Cena, from that period for a sensible feud. While the two had a rather eventful one-off match at Summerslam 2008, there was no real animosity between the two at that time as both of them were fan favorites. A lot had changed by the time 'Mania 26 came around.
Not only was Batista in the middle of his impressive heel, there was a strong bad blood brewing between the two megastars. In what turned out to be Batista's final feud as an active wrestler, the two faced each other in 4 consecutive pay per view matches for the WWE title, including a match at 'Mania and this Last Man Standing Match at Extreme Rules
Fondly remembered for its finish, this match was their best outing together. Equally balanced throughout, both competitors tried their best to keep other down. Despite taking a lot of punishment, including going through 2 tables and the barricade, Cena fought back to win the match by wrapping Batista's leg around the ring post with a duct tape and preventing him from getting on his feet.
#5 Undertaker(c) vs Batista - World Heavyweight Title (Backlash 2007)
No feud in the history has benefited two superstars more than the feud between The Undertaker and Batista did to them back in 2007. Not only did it help establish Batista as someone who can wrestle a good match on any given day, it brought a much need life to the character of The Undertaker, who was reeling in the mid-card for most of 2006.
Easily the best feud of 2007, this big men rivalry produced four phenomenal one-on-one matches over the period of 8 months. The fact that their Last Man Standing Match at Backlash was the least impressive of their bouts and yet managed to make it at #5 on this list clearly demonstrates the chemistry that these two had in the ring. This match was pretty much same as their 'Mania contest - A hard-hitting brawl with limited use of foreign weapons.
Once the action moved outside the ring, a shot to the head with steel steps busted Batista open after which he was hit with a leg drop through the announce table. Even their finishers couldn't keep the opponents down in the ring as the action moved to the stage. A spear off the stage knocked both superstars out and ended the match in a no contest.
#4 Dean Ambrose(c) vs Kevin Owens - Intercontinental Title (Royal Rumble 2016)
Few wrestlers in WWE can call themselves more violent or extreme than Kevin Owens and Dean Ambrose. While Ambrose's persona of Lunatic Fringe was based on his character during his stint on Independent circuit, Kevin Owens was, well, being himself - The Cocky vile heel. Bringing them together brought out the best out of the two wrestlers.
While their match at TLC for the Intercontinental Champion couldn't live up to the expectation that everyone had from them, their grudge match at Royal Rumble 2016 was definitely a treat for the fans. Despite the presence of the Rumble match, which saw the debut of AJ Styles, it was this Last Man Standing match for the title that stole the show from under the nose of 30 other superstars.
A wild brawl from the word go, the match witnessed the extreme sides of both the competitors. Barricades and kendo sticks were shattered in the early goings. Steel met flesh as Owens went back first into two chairs and Ambrose went into the steel steps. Both superstars went through tables at different points as well. Owens tried to hit a moonsault on Ambrose through onto several chairs but instead went through a pair of tables that ended his quest for the title.
#3 John Cena(c) vs Umaga - WWE Title (Royal Rumble 2007)
If the today's generation was left fascinated by the destructive nature of Braun Strowman during the initial stages of his singles run, our generation had the same fascination with Umaga when he debuted back in 2006. Aggressive, Agile and Destructive, this Samoan Bulldozer, accompanied by Armando Estrada, was running wild through the entire Raw roster before he came face to face with John Cena.
Even though Cena somehow defeated him with a roll up at New Year's Revolution to end his undefeated streak, it was Royal Rumble in 2007 that witnessed the end of this fantastic David v Goliath rivalry. The inclusion of the injury angle, where Umaga had injured Cena's spleen before the match, added more intrigue to their Title Match at Rumble 2007.
Cena took a lot of beating throughout the match. Both men tasted steel as both went face first into the steel steps, which also busted Cena open. Umaga, too, got his head squashed between ring post and TV monitor before crashing through the announce table. After smashing Umaga with the steel turnbuckle, Cena wrapped the rope around his neck, knocking him out for the 10 count and claiming the win.
#2 John Cena(c) vs Edge - World Heavyweight Title (Backlash 2009)
Just like Randy Orton and Triple H's rivalry that spanned for almost 6 years, it was really hard to separate Edge and John Cena for too long between 2006 and 2009. While their initial matches revolved around the WWE Title and featured the memorable TLC encounter at Unforgiven 2006, a lot had changed when they again came face to face three years later.
Not only was it for a different World Title this time, both had matured million times in the ring and the feud was way more personal this time out. Their feud, which also involved Vickie Guerrero and Big Show, saw the two exchange the title at No Way Out and at 'Mania 25. However, they saved the best for their final one-on-one match - A Last Man Standing Match at Backlash 2009.
For over 28 minutes, both superstars tried everything they had to keep their opponent down. Both men felt steel piercing through their bodies, tried running through the crowd and even got hit by finishing movers, but still managed to answer the count of 10. Right when it seemed Cena was about to dispatch Edge, a massive chokeslam from Big Show into the spotlight rendered Cena unable to answer the 10 count.
#1 Triple H vs Chris Jericho (Fully Loaded 2000)
Old is Gold - This saying holds so true for this Last Man Standing Match between Triple H and Chris Jericho from Fully Loaded 2000. 18 years have passed since that 2nd ever match with this stipulation, and we are yet to see a match that could outmatch this masterpiece match produced by two of the greatest of all time.
The underrated phase of the memorable rivalry between HHH and Y2J, the two were at odds with each other at that time because of one Stephanie McMahon. Easily the best contest between these two veterans, this phenomenal clash is often overlooked in front of their 'Mania 18 main event and its sequel, the memorable Hell in a Cell Match. Despite being on a B-level pay per view, this was a showcase of the talent the two superstars possessed.
A fun brawl from the opening bell, HHH's offense revolved around Jericho's injured abdomen for the majority of the match. Even after so much pounding, Y2J kept fighting back to stay in the match and busted HHH wide open. Even simultaneous TV monitor shots on the head couldn't keep them down. However, it was HHH who had the last stand as he backdropped Jericho through the announce table to bring an end to an instant classic.
