WWE: Five matches that changed the business

2. Undertaker vs Jeff Hardy (Ladder match, 2002 RAW)

Again, this shows why the future revolved so much around the Undertaker, and always has, even though he wasn’t the centre of the attention, the focus of the main storylines. This was at a point when Taker was the WWE Undisputed Champion, and was involved in a feud with the Hardy Boyz which escalated after the Royal Rumble encounter, with the Hardys distracting Taker and getting him eliminated.

This match wasn’t taken seriously; as people thought Jeff would be fed to Undertaker, which wasn’t the case. The match made Jeff’s future in the business, and was the stepping stone for Jeff to get into the main event scene, and the current scenario only proves the point. Jeff went on to become a multiple time WWE/World Champion, and is currently the TNA World Champion.

The match was fast paced and was voted one of the best matches of the year, and it wasn’t a surprise. Taker and Jeff went at it, with Jeff nearly winning the WWE title on many occasions. Jim Ross’s commentary made the match all the more memorable, and just increased the passion seen in the match. But what made the match an epic wasn’t just the match itself, but in the end when Taker, after giving Jeff a choke slam after the match was over, came back to raise Jeff’s hand, showing him respect, which is the ultimate show of appreciation for any youngster in the business. If you have Taker’s respect, you have achieved ‘it’ in the business.

http://youtu.be/SFYmKo9YJUQ