'%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,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFQABAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABQb/2gAIAQEAAAAAolf/xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAC/9oACAECEAAAAB//xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD/9oACAEDEAAAAE//xAAiEAACAQMCBwAAAAAAAAAAAAACAwEABAYFExIhJDJDUdH/2gAIAQEAAT8AxXFCZuvviErdDFrTbg9nBAQEc5j3ExTsU0jdPpj7p85/a//EABURAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAB/9oACAECAQE/AI//xAAWEQADAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQL/2gAIAQMBAT8Apn//2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
1998 was the year of great change in almost every corner of the wrestling world. In WWE and WCW in particular, the entire landscape of wrestling had changed, in some cases for the better and in some for the worse.
In WWE, both Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels had left the company, which allowed for new wrestlers to rise to the top. The Austin Era had officially begun at WrestleMania XIV, while Triple H and the Rock were hot on his heels as rising stars. The Undertaker, who was in the world title picture the year before, was now embroiled in more personal feuds. Mick Foley was proving to the world he was an excellent character worker, balancing two contrasting gimmicks at the same time in Dude Love and Mankind.
But not all changes are good. WCW’s booking was undergoing a strange shift, and there were some really weird creative decisions that year. But it wasn’t all bad for WCW, as one of their matches appears at least once on this list.
In Japan, there wasn’t that much novelty from any of the big companies. New Japan was still doing their own thing with their great cruiserweights and submission-centric main eventers. All Japan, meanwhile, had somehow managed to take two wrestlers that had fought each other many times before and still make their match up seem fresh and exciting. That is how you book a company well and is also a testament to the two performers’ skills as wrestlers.
So which matches in 1998 earned the most praise? Read on…
#5 Triple H vs. The Rock – Ladder Match – SummerSlam 1998
In this match, Triple H & The Rock brutalized each other with a ladder-based offense as they both fought over the Intercontinental Championship. Rocky was the heel in this match and showed just how vicious he could be by destroying Triple H’s leg with both a ladder and a steel chair. HHH, being the brave hero in this match, took an absurd amount of punishment, including a back body drop onto the folded ladder itself. In 1998, Triple H & the Rock were upper mid-carders that were quickly working their way up the ladder (no pun intended) when this great match happened. They were the leaders of their respective factions, and both were just as good in their promos as they were in the ring.
As the match went back and forth, Rock and HHH both hit their signature moves and came fingertips away from winning the belt. But in the end, outside interference on Chyna’s part allowed Triple H to win. And when he grabbed that belt, the crowd went absolutely nuts, screaming as if they had just witnessed the greatest match of all time. It wasn’t, but it was a testament to Triple H’s popularity nonetheless.
Triple H and the Rock would clash many, many times in the coming years. Given how they had such good chemistry in this match, it shouldn’t surprise anyone they had such great matches in subsequent years.
#4 Billy Kidman vs. Juventud Guerrera vs. Rey Mysterio – Triangle match
This cruiserweight triangle match was riddled with clever spots and interesting double-team moves. Alliances started and ended in seconds, creating a never-ending sense of suspense and unpredictability. Mysterio hit a wide variety of incredible moves, many of which he simply came up with on the fly as he was flying through the air. He also hit a picture-perfect Asai moonsault at one point, much to the crowd’s delight.No list of great matches is complete without crazy junior heavyweight action. In this case, Rey Mysterio continued his feud with a now unmasked Juventud Guerrera, while also having to deal with Billy Kidman, one of the unsung heroes of WCW’s dying days.
Kidman and Juventud were just as impressive, moving around the ring with lightning quickness. Kidman also hit a perfect Shooting Star Press from the top rope to the floor, which was simply outstanding. There were countless pinfalls throughout the match, which made it feel faster-paced. Finally, the ending was surprising with controversy arising thanks to Eddy Guerrero’s involvement.
Ironically, all three of these cruiserweights would end up in WWE by 2006, yet only Rey achieved anything resembling the same level of respect for his craft as he did in WCW. Even when WCW was going down the drain, they still had some degree of respect for the cruiserweights (at least until 1999), whereas WWE treated them more like jokes.
#3 Steve Austin vs. Dude Love – Over The Edge
Vince did this by making himself the referee for the match, fast-counting for Dude Love, and adding a stipulation that Austin was not allowed to touch Vince otherwise, he’d lose the title. Then there were Vince’s stooges Pat Patterson & Gerald Brisco who were at ringside, whom you knew were going to cause shenanigans. This match is one of the best examples of the Austin vs. McMahon story at play. The story here was that Dude Love was McMahon’s next handpicked champion, and Vince would do anything to ensure Austin lost the title.
These elements together created one of the best wrestling stories ever. Austin had to overcome overbearing odds but did so in a badass way. Every time Austin gained any bit of momentum, Vince changed the rules to his and Dude Love’s advantage. Yet Austin kept fighting and fighting, bringing the audience to their feet with every punch he threw.
He was the hero overcoming the odds and the fans adored him for his determination and toughness. Special thanks need to go to Jim Ross, who sold Austin’s toughness with pure joy. Jim Ross sold this match as a titanic confrontation, and the emotion in his voice made this a rollercoaster ride of a match.
In a moment where shenanigans make things better, referee Vince got hit with a chair and could no longer officiate the match. Another ref came in and got attacked by the stooges, who in turn got demolished by the Undertaker, who was acting as the ringside enforcer to make sure things were done right. Then, Austin proceeded to get some much-deserved poetic justice, lifting an unconscious McMahon’s hand to get the three-count.
It may not be a grappling classic, but damn if this isn’t an awesome and emotional story.
#2 Kenta Kobashi vs. Mitsuharu Misawa - October 31, 1998
Throughout the 1990s, Misawa was All Japan Pro Wrestling’s #1 wrestler and Kobashi was either #2 or #3, depending on the year. They were tag team partners for many years and faced each other in singles competition many times as well. We’ve already touched on this match once before, so all you need to know is this: Kobashi and Misawa are legendary wrestlers the likes of which will never be seen again.
They were both tough as nails and were also two of the smartest and most ‘logical’ wrestlers in the world. Their matches – including this one – are famous for their logic, storytelling and psychology. They knew each other so well at this point that they could block and predict each other’s moves perfectly.
This led to some amazing reversal sequences and pinfalls that came out of nowhere, which translated into spectacular wrestling matches.
This match is a masterpiece in terms of showing toughness and having elements of a match build on top of one another. This isn’t just a slugfest where two wrestlers trade power moves back and forth; there are logic and meaning behind every move, and this is applied to a wrestling match that goes over forty minutes in length.
It’s an old-school tough man contest with some brutal moves that showcase how superhuman wrestlers can be. It’s a must-see for true wrestling enthusiasts that definitely earned its title of Match of the Year for 1998.
#1 The Undertaker vs. Mankind - Hell in a Cell - King of the Ring 1998
Within the first three minutes of the actual match, the Undertaker throws Mankind off the top of the cell, leading JR to scream his now-famous lines, ‘GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY! GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY! THEY’VE KILLED HIM! AS GOD IS MY WITNESS, HE IS BROKEN IN HALF! If you were to say the name ‘The Undertaker’ to a non-wrestling fan, this is likely the first thing that would come to mind for them. Because this is the greatest moment in the Undertaker’s career and is the most frequently-referenced and revisited moment in WWE history.
This spot could’ve easily killed someone, yet Mick Foley was still moving after falling sixteen feet into an announcer’s table. The audience watched in utter shock as Foley’s body landed with a sickening thud before he was stretchered out of the arena.
Then, astonishingly, Foley got up and returned to the ring on his own and climbed back up the cell as if the above-mentioned fall never happened. What happened next was the most infamous botch in wrestling history.
Undertaker chokeslammed Mankind and the cell’s roof gave way, causing Mankind to fall through the cell onto the ring canvas. Many people thought he was dead (including Undertaker himself), yet Mankind got up to his feet again, and Undertaker climbed down with a broken foot.
Both wrestlers kept going despite Foley suffering two of the most devastating falls in wrestling history. This was toughness on display, plain and simple, and the audience loved every minute of it.
The match continued for another ten minutes and included more hardcore violence. Foley even introduced thumbtacks, only for the Undertaker to throw him into said bed of tacks not once but twice.
Once the match ended, both the Undertaker and Mankind received a standing ovation for the sheer brutality and craziness that was put on display in this now-legendary match.
