'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
In the modern wrestling era, title matches are expected to take place at least once a month in most promotions, which feature monthly super shows.
With at least twelve title defenses per year, per title belt, the idea of a championship match can be diluted. That's why it's so special when athletes manage to overcome this over-saturation and put on a spectacle that becomes one for the ages.
Whether it's speed vs. size, brains vs. brawn, or technical ability vs. technical ability, these championship matches rise above the norm. They truly deserve the title 'great.'
#10 Edge and Christian vs. The Dudleys vs. The Hardys--TLC WWE Tag Team Title Match
A match so legendary it's still the standard for 'extreme' wrestling bouts, the TLC match from Summerslam 2000 was as innovative as it was breathtaking.
Three different teams with wildly different styles brought their A game and then some as they battled for the WWE tag team titles hanging high over the ring. The Dudleys represented hardcore brawling, grinding their opponents to a pulp with hard-hitting moves. Utilizing aerial wizardry and supreme tag team dynamics were the Hardys, the newest addition to the WWE roster. Finally, Canadian technicians Edge and Christian rounded out the trio of teams and were the only full-on heels in the match.
The action was fast and furious, the stakes as high as the rickety ladders the fearless wrestlers perched upon. These six athletes risked life and limb for the entertainment of the masses and emerged from the titanic struggle changed men.
#9 Samoa Joe vs. AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels--X Division Championship
Back in 2005, the X Division was one of the things that put TNA on the wrestling map. Featuring athletes capable of both supreme athleticism and technical wizardry, the X Division truly lived up to its motto: It's not about weight limits; It's about NO limits.
The biggest stars of the X Division at the time were the Fallen Angel Christopher Daniels, Samoa Joe, and some guy named AJ Styles. Perhaps you've heard of him.
Three-way dances are one of the most difficult match types to perform well, and the three wrestlers delivered with a stunning contest that left fans breathless....and demanding more.
#8 Eddie Edwards vs. Davey Richards--ROH World title
Not all title matches are contested between bitter enemies.
Sometimes, two friends or allies will find themselves competing for the same title. That happened at Best in the World 2011, an ROH PPV that featured a titanic clash of tag team champions turned rivals.
Eddie Edwards and Davey Richards had garnered great success as the American Wolves but were also outstanding singles wrestlers. It took Jim Cornette a lot of sweet talking to convince the friends to do battle in an ROH ring.
Once the match actually began, it was obvious the two men were putting on an instant classic. Even a decade old, this match still shines as innovative and breathtaking.
#7 Ric Flair vs. Sting--NWA World Heavyweight Championship
While the WWE aired Wrestlemania IV on PPV, the NWA offered up Clash of the Champions for free on cable network TBS.
The idea was to entice those who were unwilling or unable to see 'Mania with a free show of PPV caliber matches. It marked the first time Ric Flair and Sting would lock up for the NWA world title.
The young upstart with face paint took Flair to the absolute limit, resulting in a clash so amazing it is still talked about today.
#6 Rob Van Dam vs. Jerry Lynn--ECW World TV Title
While ECW featured wrestlers like Sandman and New Jack who mainly attacked their foes with weaponry, it was also the home of supreme technical masters like Dean Malenko and Taz.
Two of wrestling's finest locked up in an amazing contest for the ECW World TV title. Champion Rob Van Dam seemed unstoppable, with his martial arts acumen, high flying, and mastery of technical wrestling.
Challenger Jerry Lynn was one of the few men who could match RVD blow for blow, and was even referred to as the "New F'n Show." Their match from Hardcore Heaven is still held up as an example of what two smaller, faster athletes can accomplish.
#5 Shawn Michaels vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin--WWF World championship.
Stone Cold Steve Austin was pro wrestling's first anti-hero, receiving all the cheers despite the fact that he cheated, cursed, and generally behaved in a boorish manner.
His clash against HBK for the WWF title was significant as the end of an era. Michaels was a throwback to the days of white meat babyfaces. His heel turn and alignment with DX were a result of the changing tastes of the wrestling audience. Austin came in as the underdog despite strong booking, and it looked like special enforcer Mike Tyson was firmly on DX's side.
The result is a match that was an instant classic. Michaels put on a great performance despite needing back surgery, and Austin never looked better.
#4 Mike Awesome vs. Masato Tanaka--ECW World heavyweight title
Steel chairs scrambled brain cells, powerbombs shook the ring, and bodies smashed wooden tables into kindling in one of the most brutal hardcore matches ever filmed.
Mike Awesome and Masato Tanaka put on one of the craziest, most hard-hitting bouts in any era. The two men had a storied rivalry in Japan before coming to ECW to continue their feud. Their bout for the ECW title cannot be described adequately; It must be seen to be believed.
#3 Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant--WWF Championship
In one of the biggest--literally--matches of all time, one of the most dominant wrestlers of the 1970s took on the most dominant wrestler of the 1980s in a contest for the ages.
Hulk Hogan was booked as the underdog even though he went into the match as champion. According to the kayfabe storyline WWE spun, Andre had NEVER been slammed, let alone pinned or made to submit. Their struggle in front of a world record setting live audience is still considered by many to be the most watched and discussed wrestling match in history.
#2 Okada vs. Omega--IWGP Championship
It was Chaos vs. Bullet Club, the old guard vs. the upstarts, in this instant classic bout from 2017, the match that put Kenny Omega on the map.
From high flying, death defying spills to technical holds to stiff blows, this match had it all, and featured two of the greatest wrestlers in the world plying their craft.
#1 Ric Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat--NWA World title
The trilogy of matches between Ric Flair and Ricky Steamboat is the standard by which all other wrestling matches are judged.
And with good reason, for it featured two of the finest ring generals the sport has ever known facing off in a match that was solid from beginning to end. Family man babyface Steamboat and playboy Flair seemed perfect foils of one another, and their styles matched up so well the outcome was never certain until the final bell.
There you have it: Ten of the best championship matches of all time. What other title matches do you think belong on the list? Comment and let us know.
Send us news tips at [email protected]
