Now, more than ever before, the professional wrestling business relies on the action inside the ring. With one or two exceptions, most of the WWE’s current roster do not make a name for themselves by squashing much weaker opponents in a matter of seconds, at least not as often as the stars of old used to.
This is partly because the level of technical wrestling is currently at its very highest standards. If you want to make a Superstar in professional wrestling, especially one the fans will respond well to, they need to be capable of lasting at least 15 minutes in the ring with the industry’s best workers.
Back in the day, however, short, high-energy matches were all the rage. Hulk Hogan became a legend, not by flying around the ring for 20 minutes, but by showboating to the audience and making a very simple move like a bodyslam feel as impressive as a hurricanrana. We do still see the occasional short match in today's product, and if done correctly, they can be just as impactful as the longer ones. Here are 10 of the best WWE/F matches of all time that lasted under 10 minutes:
#1 Chris Jericho Vs. Daniel Bryan – NXT Season 1
Today, NXT is a widely respected sub-brand of WWE television, showcasing some of the best upcoming stars of the sport, as well as former independent talents trying to make their name in the world’s biggest wrestling promotion. Back at its inception, however, things were a little different.
The concept of early NXT was more akin to a reality TV show like American Idol, where after competing in various kinds of tasks and activities, not all of them wrestling matches, a Superstar would leave the show each week until a final winner was crowned.
The competitors were also paired up with WWE ‘Pros’, who tended to mentor them through the show and occasionally use their rookies to further their own storylines on the main roster. The very first season of NXT saw the debut of one of WWE’s most popular Superstars of all time.
Formerly known as Bryan Danielson, an ROH and independent scene legend, WWE’s own Daniel Bryan would make his first significant appearance for the company, under the tutelage of The Miz. This was by far the best Rookie/Pro pairing of the lot, as the heel Miz would argue that Bryan wasn’t worthy of being his apprentice while the rest of the audience knew it was Bryan who should have been tutoring The Miz when it came to pro-wrestling.
On one of the first ever episodes of NXT, the WWE Universe, at least those not familiar with indie wrestling, were introduced to Daniel Bryan and his advanced abilities inside the ropes. Chris Jericho, the World Heavyweight Champion at the time, made an appearance on the show as the Pro to eventual winner Wade Barrett. Bryan and Jericho exchanged words and ended up filling the main event spot of the night.
As you’d expect, the match, albeit short, was a technical masterpiece that perfectly summed up what the American Dragon was all about. There was even a nasty spot in which Bryan attempted a suicide dive through the ropes and was slammed into the announce table by the champ.
This is a fun match to go back and watch, especially considering the storied career Bryan would go on to have in the company.
Also read: 10 WWE Superstars with the most matches of all time
#2 Honky Tonk Man Vs. The Ultimate Warrior – Summerslam 1988
Throughout the years, there are those Superstars that most fans would have probably heard of, but might not be too aware of just how valuable an asset they were. The Honky Tonk Man is certainly one such example. Dressed as an Elvis impersonator, carrying an acoustic guitar to the ring and shaking his hips all over the place, Honky was your typical WWF Golden Era mid-card talent. He came from a time when wrestling didn’t take itself too seriously, and pretty much anything went in terms of gimmicks.
One thing you might not know about him is that he still holds the record for the longest Intercontinental Championship reign of all time. When you consider the greats who have held this belt over the years, that is some achievement. It’s hard to imagine that such a record will be broken in today’s WWE unless somebody breaks it by accident because the company have forgotten to think of a good enough set of feuds and matches for them.
As impressive as the reign was, the real impact was felt at its conclusion during the very first Summerslam back in 1988. Honky Tonk Man came to the ring and decided to issue an open challenge. Seeing as he had beaten everyone already, he was feeling pretty confident about himself and decided to flaunt his arrogance in front of the audience in attendance.
His face instantly dropped, however, as he witnessed the sight of The Ultimate Warrior sprinting down to ringside accompanied by that high energy guitar intro of his. Warrior was by no means the star he later became by this point, but fans knew that this was a mega-talent in the making.
The bout itself was a bonafide squash match that propelled Warrior to new and exciting heights. To come out and end such a long title reign in a matter of seconds fitted the Warrior’s persona perfectly. It was also a good way to hide his limited wrestling skills while still making him look like a future legend. If wrestling is all about getting the best reactions from your audience, this 30-second match is definitely up there with the greats.
#3 Randy Savage vs. Ted Dibiase – WrestleMania 4
After the global success of WrestleMania 3, the WWE knew they had their work cut out with WrestleMania 4. The show didn’t have to be as good as its predecessor – some would argue that the company still haven’t quite achieved that yet – but it had to stand out as worthy of being the biggest show of the year itself. And whatever your opinions about the matches, you have to admit that this show does stand the test of time.
The concept going into the show was that for the first time in almost 5 years, the WWF Championship was without a champion. In the WrestleMania 3 rematch between Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant a few months prior, Hogan was defeated thanks to a perfectly worked plot by Ted Dibiase, the Million Dollar Man. Andre would win the belt and hand it over to Dibiase as a sign of respect and devotion. WWF President Jack Tunney would then strip Ted of the belt and issue a tournament to take place at the show of shows.
Having the entire tournament play out on the PPV meant that the show was filled with very short matches that almost ended up blending into one. In fact, as crazy as this sounds, you could probably argue that WrestleMania 4 was a one-match card. After Hogan and Andre eliminated themselves, it was left to Macho Man Randy Savage to ensure the WWF title did not fall into the undeserving hands of Dibiase. The two of them met in the final in what was a relatively short but very memorable match.
Throughout most of the match, Savage had to contend with Andre the Giant and Virgil outside of the ring, as well as his main competitor. His own manager, Miss Elizabeth, was in no position to offer any physical assistance, so ended up going backstage to bring reinforcements. To the delight of the audience, out came Hulk Hogan himself who made sure Andre would not distract Savage too much. The match ended with Hogan hitting Dibiase with a chair behind the referee’s back to allow a new WWF Champion to be crowned.
This match was also responsible for creating The Mega Powers stable, consisting of Hogan, Savage and Miss Elizabeth which paved the way for a WrestleMania 5 dream match between the two a year later.
#4 Kurt Angle Vs. Rey Mysterio – Summerslam 2002
The debate continues as to which was the greatest Summerslam show of all time. Some would argue that Summerslam 92 from Wembley Stadium holds that coveted position, while others could claim that Summerslam 2002, 10 years later, has the edge. Whatever side of the argument you fall on, there are plenty of reasons to talk about both.
One of the less talked about matches on the 2002 card was Rey Mysterio Vs. Kurt Angle. It’s a testament to just how good this show was that such a well-worked bout between two legends actually found itself on the undercard. This match could easily main event Summerslam 2017, and fans wouldn’t be too upset about it.
On paper, fans must have been licking their lips at the prospect of seeing this one play out. One of the best technical wrestlers of all time was facing up to one of the best high-flyers of all time, and the two styles ended up complementing each other perfectly.
The match also told a great story, with Rey initially getting most of the offence in due to Angle’s inability to work his opponent out. Rey began the match by blindsiding Angle who was visibly struggling to keep up with the fast pace. Kurt would eventually switch the momentum and slowly became more used to dealing with Rey’s attacks. Some of the counter moves performed by Angle were sensational, and the two had the crowd on the edge of their seats from bell to bell.
The fact that this match was short really helped the show overall. Fans were on their feet by the end of it, demanding more of this kind of action. Thankfully, the rest of the show was able to deliver accordingly.
#5 Chris Jericho vs. William Regal – WrestleMania X-Seven
Similar to the previous match on this list, Chris Jericho Vs. William Regal at WrestleMania X-Seven does not get the recognition it deserves, owning mainly to how great the rest of the show was. When you have Undertaker and HHH going at it, followed by a historic main event between The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin, you have to bring out something pretty special if you want your match to be remembered.
Jericho and Regal were actually involved in a very entertaining feud at the time, with Jericho at one point putting something rather unpleasant in Mr Regal’s tea. After Jericho’s impactful debut on Raw earlier in the year, he needed a feud like this to let the WWF Audience know what he was about. Along with Regal, the two of them were able to mix backstage comedy with some highly impressive technical wrestling, making this one of the best undercard rivalries of the Attitude Era.
The match itself could easily have been 5 or 10 minutes longer, but what the two of them achieved in the ring really helped make WrestleMania X-Seven the much loved show that it is. In a way, it was a bit of a pre-cursor to the first match mentioned on this list between Jericho and Daniel Bryan. You can clearly see here how Bryan was able to learn so much from Regal, and it was a nice touch from Bryan to credit his former mentor during his retirement speech a few years ago.
#6 Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H – European Championship match on Raw 1998
Sometimes a match does not need to be a technical masterpiece for it be remembered fondly. This was certainly the case when fellow D-Generation X members Shawn Michaels and Triple H met on Raw for the European Championship back in 1998.
During the height of the first incarnation of DX, Shawn and Hunter would consistently make Commissioner Slaughter’s life a living hell. Getting in his face, mocking him for how much he used to spit on people while talking, and generally annoying everyone in a position of authority, the back and forth between the three of them made the latter part of 1997 thoroughly enjoyable TV.
Slaughter thought he had finally come up with a plan to get his own back on the pair when he announced that Michaels would be forced to put his European title on the line against his partner. Slaughter obviously hoped this would cause friction between them, and this is certainly how it looked initially. Throughout the show, they would cut back to Shawn and Triple H sitting separately backstage with Chyna attempting to calm them both down. When it came to the match itself, everyone thought a split might be on the cards.
In a hilarious sequence of events, however, the match was a complete farce. The two men circled each other for a short amount of time before Shawn fell suddenly on his back. After running the ropes for nearly a minute, Triple H would eventually jump on Shawn, lazily cover his best friend and win his first ever European Championship in the WWF. The mockery of the situation would continue, with Shawn pretending to cry in the corner and Triple H quoting Rocky II while holding up his belt shouting ‘Hey Sarge, I did it!’.
The two of them have had some classics over the years, but this match in particular summed up everything about DX back in 1997 and paved the way for a new type of WWF product into the 90s and beyond.
#7 The Hart Foundation w/ Danny Davis Vs. The British Bulldogs w/ Tito Santana – WrestleMania 3
While most of the WWE Universe still argue over which match was more important on the WrestleMania 3 card, the main event or the Intercontinental Title match, one of my personal favourites from that show is a 6-man tag match involving two of the greatest tag teams of the golden era.
Throughout much of 1986/7, the WWF had to suffer the crooked officiating of WWF referee Danny Davis. Davis would constantly show bias towards the heels during matches, and cost many Superstars a chance at winning various championships. The officiating had gotten so bad that Jack Tunney was forced to fire Davis from the company for life.
In an advancement of the storyline, Jimmy Hart, then the manager of the original Hart Foundation, decided to take Danny Davis on as a wrestler. This led to a match at WrestleMania 3, where Davis, and one of his many adversaries Tito Santana, would become involved in the rivalry between the Harts and the British Bulldogs.
Some think this match should have just been a straight up tag team match between the two pairs, but the inclusion of Davis and Santana actually turned this into a thoroughly entertaining bout. Davis would tag himself into the match and beat down on somebody who was already on the floor, before quickly tagging himself out again. This really got the crowd involved in the match, as pretty much all of the 93,000 people wanted to see Davis get his comeuppance.
The match actually ended with Davis getting a pinfall victory, which left the crowd shocked and angry. This short, comedic match is what professional wrestling is supposed to be about. It told a story of cowardice, heroics and ultimately injustice, and for that reason, WrestleMania 3 was made even better than it already would have been.
#8 Rey Mysterio Vs. JBL – WrestleMania 25
WrestleMania squash matches are risky affairs. If they work, they end up leaving the crowd feeling shocked and begging for more if done badly, you will just end up ruining your biggest show of the year. The Intercontinental Championship match between Rey Mysterio and JBL thankfully falls into the first category.
This match was pretty historic for two reasons. Firstly, it marked the first time the IC Championship was defended on a WrestleMania card for seven years. Between WrestleMania 18 in 2002 and WrestleMania 25 in 2009, the IC belt was nowhere to be seen, which is a shocking statistic when you think about how important the belt used to be.
The match is also the very last singles match JBL ever had. Bradshaw was coming off the heels of quite a long time in WWE’s main event scene and went into the show as a rather unpopular IC Champion. On paper, Mysterio was very much the underdog, but he proved almost everyone wrong in a matter of seconds.
Mysterio attacked JBL as soon as the bell rung, taking the champion by surprise. A 619 and big slash later, and a new IC Champion was crowned. This marked the start of a very impressive reign which involved a fantastic rivalry between Rey and Chris Jericho later that year.
Perhaps it was a pretty unceremonious way for the career of JBL to end, but it did help restore some credibility to the IC belt and gave fans something to cheer about on what was a pretty disappointing Mania show.
#9 Owen Hart Vs. The 1-2-3 Kid – King of the Ring 1994
The King of the Ring concept was a welcome addition to the WWF calendar back in the early 90s. In a time when the company still relied on its big four PPVs, holding his tournament was a nice way to give the spotlight to somebody other than the champion. Bret Hart was given the honour of winning the very first competition back in 1993, while it was his younger brother Owen who captured the crown a year later.
One of the most memorable matches of the card was between Owen and the 1-2-3 Kid – later known as X-Pac. The Kid had been assaulted by Jeff Jarret earlier in the night after Double J was eliminated in the first round. This meant that the Kid was at a strict disadvantage going in. Despite this, the two of them showed just how technically skilled they were inside the ropes, putting on a fast-paced, high-impact showcase in under 10 minutes.
Waltman has spoken about this match extensively throughout the later part of his career. According to the man himself, he was congratulated by Bret backstage who said it was one of the best matches he had ever seen. These were the days when Waltman’s career looked to be leading towards mega-stardom.
On his debut match on Raw in 1993, he defeated Razor Ramon in a huge upset and went on to face the likes of Michaels and Bret himself for the title. Waltman is now remembered more for his time in DX, but looking back to the mid-90s, you can see just how talented a wrestler he used to be.
#10 Goldberg Vs. Brock Lesnar – Survivor Series 2016
If you’re going to do a squash match, you need to make sure it really shocks the viewing audience out of their seats. It’s very well for a monster like Braun Strowman to come out and squash a jobber in under two minutes, but for the highest impact, it needs to happen when fans are least expecting it.
This was certainly the case with the main event of Survivor Series 2016 between Brock Lesnar and Goldberg. After defeating The Undertaker at WrestleMania 30, and annihilating John Cena at Summerslam later that year, Brock was at the beginning of one of the most dominant runs of his career, and indeed anyone’s career. There were even times when fans thought Vince was going too far, as it looked like nobody was ever going to be capable of defeating the Beast single-handedly.
So when Goldberg made his return a little under a year ago, the WWE Universe was understandably excited at the prospect of the two men meeting. This was a Superstar that made a career of crushing his opponents, and at least in his WCW days always looked pretty invincible. It was perfectly likely that Goldberg could be the one to finally vanquish the Beast.
Little did we know that the victory would take under two minutes. From the very start of the match, Goldberg brushed off Lesnar’s attack, delivered two spears to the Beast and finished him off with a Jackhammer. The crowd was left stunned with many of us asking what the hell we had just seen. It was a brilliant way to make Goldberg’s return feel special, and it led up to a very solid WrestleMania 33 match a few months later. As far as squash matches go, this is one of the most shocking, and therefore one of the best.
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