10 Best WWE Matches Of All Time

When it comes to physicality, there might not be a better WWE match than WALTER vs. Ilja Dragunov from the October 29, 2020 edition of NXT UK. With the NXT UK Championship up for grabs, these two men put on a brutal and emotional war over the course of 25 minutes.

In what was the most violent match to ever take place inside a WWE ring, WALTER and Dragunov chopped and beat the hell out of each other in an absolutely enthralling contest. The violence, selling and storytelling are all top notch with the empty arena aesthetic just adding to the compelling action that was unlike anything WWE fans had ever seen.

9. Bayley vs. Sasha Banks - WWE NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn

When it comes to drama, emotion and character work, Bayley vs. Sasha Banks for the NXT Women's Championship at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn may be the pinnacle.

Setting the standard for in-ring excellence for the WWE women's division, the two ladies had every fan inside of a sold-out Barclays Center on the edge of their seats for the riveting battle that went on before their eyes. Leaving many fans in tears by the end, Bayley captured the NXT Women's Championship from Banks in WWE's greatest women's match of all time.

8. Edge & Christian vs. The Hardy Boyz vs. The Dudley Boys (TLC II) - WWF WrestleMania X-Seven

The best description for this match is "a human demolish derby." In what may be the peak of ladder matches in WWE, Edge and Christian, The Hardy Boyz and The Dudley Boys somehow were able to top their showstealer from WrestleMania 2000 and the first TLC match from SummerSlam 2000 with the second ever Tables, Ladders and Chairs match.

With cameo appearances from Lita, Rhino and Spike Dudley, all six men put on an absolute car crash of a bout that used every weapon and every sequence to perfection. Edge's spear to Jeff Hardy as he hung in the air has been replayed for years after. This one match has been the template for every ladder and TLC match since then, but still has not quite been matched to this day.

7. Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns - WWE WrestleMania XL: Night Two

The term "cinema" has been attached to The Bloodline saga for many years, but there might not be another match that truly defines the word in the genre of pro wrestling quite like Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania XL: Night Two.

Culminating Cody's "finish the story" arc and the near four-year title reign of Reigns all in one match, the two men put on a thrilling tale over the course of 33 minutes. Featuring all-time greats like John Cena, The Rock and The Undertaker, this was the "Avengers: Endgame" of pro wrestling.

It may just be the happiest ending to a pro wrestling show ever with Cody capturing the WWE Title and celebrating with his family and friends to the roar of 72,000 in attendance in Philadelphia.

6. Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. The Rock - WWF WrestleMania X-Seven

The standard of WrestleMania main events was truly set in 2001, when two of the biggest WWE superstars of all time, Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock headlined their second Mania together. After Austin had been sidelined with a serious neck injury, he stated he would do anything to get back to the top.

In his absence, The Rock rose to prominence and filled his shoes superbly, earning his seat at the top of the industry. When the two megastars met in a sold-out Houston Astrodome, the atmosphere was electric and stayed that way for the entirety of the 28-minute bout.

Both men used each other's finishing moves and took the fans on a wild ride with twists and turns. With Vince McMahon at ringside, Austin did the unthinkable and aligned with his arch nemesis, being handed a chair by the owner of the company that he beat The Rock down with 16 times to finally dethrone him for the WWE Title.

The shocking ending only adds to the legend of this match as Austin shook hands with "The Devil" as the new champion.

5. Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels - WWE WrestleMania 21

Dream matches are something that the pro wrestling business has been built on for years. At WrestleMania 21, WWE delivered just that when Kurt Angle went one-on-one with Shawn Michaels.

The two best wrestlers of their generation went at it in a bonafide wrestling clinic. With thrilling in-ring action and brilliant storytelling, Angle and Michaels proved why they are both once-in-a-lifetime talents and delivered a fantastic encounter with ebbs and flows unlike anything seen before on the Mania stage.

The selling and desperation of Michaels meeting the intensity and technical brilliance of Angle made the perfect WrestleMania match in many ways. This epic encounter went well over 27 minutes, but it never feels like it with Angle finally getting the submission win courtesy of an ankle lock in the end.

4. CM Punk vs. John Cena - WWE Money In The Bank 2011

Stakes are an important factor when it comes to building a truly engrossing in-ring battle. The stakes might have never been higher for a WWE Championship match than John Cena defending against CM Punk in the challenger's hometown of Chicago at Money In The Bank 2011.

Heading into the event, Punk had announced that his WWE contract was set to expire and he planned on leaving with the company's top prize. Then "The Second City Saint" cut his career-defining "Pipebomb" promo that changed the promotion forever.

The Chicago crowd in All State Arena provided Punk and Cena with an electric atmosphere while both men put on a tremendous bout that had every fan on the edge of their seats for nearly 34 minutes. With neither man able to put the other away, it took a distraction from Mr. McMahon and John Laurinaitis to give Punk the opening to hit the Go To Sleep to capture the WWE Championship.

The closing scene of Punk avoiding an Alberto Del Rio Money In The Bank cash-in and then blowing a kiss to McMahon as he escaped through the crowd with the title may be the most thrilling final moments of any WWE major show in the company's history.

3. The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels - WWE WrestleMania 25

In a match of "Heaven vs. Hell," Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker at WrestleMania 25 was every bit of the dream meeting that WWE hyped it up to be. Over 11 years from their last match together, this battle had a totally different feel than their previous bouts.

Michaels had left a legacy of the best matches at "The Show of Shows" and earned the moniker of "Mr. WrestleMania." Meanwhile, The Undertaker walked into the event with a remarkable 16-0 undefeated streak at Mania. This was the two single greatest performers at "The Showcase of the Immortals" going at it.

Over the course of over 30 minutes the fans were taken on an unbelievable rollercoaster with both men leaving it all in the ring. From Taker's missed dive to the outside landing on his neck to every nail-biting nearfall, this is what pro wrestling perfection looks like.

In an incredible match, Michaels pulled out all the stops to give "The Deadman" his first loss at the biggest show of the year, but he couldn't get the job done. Taker would hit a second Tombstone after countering a moonsault from HBK to improve to 17-0 at WrestleMania. This was a simply amazing encounter that added to the legacies of both men and the event itself.

2. Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker (Hell In A Cell) - WWF In Your House: Bad Blood 1997

Despite some fans preferring the WrestleMania 25 encounter, Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker helped usher in one of the most important feud-ending stipulations in the history of the business in 1997.

At In Your House: Bad Blood 1997, the two legends concluded their initial rivalry in the first ever Hell In A Cell Match. After months of Michaels using D-Generation X to fight off "The Deadman," HBK was trapped inside the steel cage with a roof on it with his bitter rival.

For 30 minutes, Michaels and Taker battered each other and set a standard of violence for the Hell In A Cell Match in a thrilling and stunning battle. "The Phenom" bloodied his smaller rival in a contest that didn't stay inside the 15-foot high cage and wound up on top of the cell by the end.

Following Michaels taking a death defying fall off the cage through a table, it looked like Taker was about to put "The Heartbreak Kid" away once and for all when his long lost brother Kane was ushered to the cell. Kane ripped the door off and stood toe-to-toe with Taker before dropping him on his head to give Michaels the victory in this bloody war.

This instant classic solidified the Hell In A Cell as the ultimate match type that has went on to conclude some of the most personal feuds in the company's history. The quality of this bout made fans anticipate their WrestleMania clashes more than a decade later even more.

1. Bret "The Hitman" Hart vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin (Submission Match) - WWF WrestleMania 13

Bret "The Hitman" Hart has been part of technical wrestling clinics and pure wrestling contests that has helped him earn the nickname of "The Excellence of Execution." However, "The Hitman" has never been in a straight up fight like he was when he faced Stone Cold Steve Austin at WrestleMania 13.

Culminating their six month rivalry leading into the event, WWE added a Submission Match stipulation to their bout in Chicago. Wanting a referee who could handle the unbridled rage of both men, UFC fighter Ken Shamrock made his debut as the match's referee.

This epic encounter was unlike any Submission Match before or after it. The intensity was at a boiling point with both men's hatred for each other evident right from the opening bell. The fight went all around the Rosemont Horizon with a raucous crowd hanging on every punch and kick thrown.

After colliding with the barricade, Austin came up bleeding with the bloodshed painting the canvas and giving him the complete adulation of the crowd. Despite Bret being the consummate company man and ultimate babyface, it was Stone Cold who had the fans' support as the proceedings reached its conclusion.

Following 22 minutes of absolute violence, the two men found themselves in the center of the ring with Hart locking on his signature Sharpshooter submission. With blood pouring down his face in one of the most iconic images in WWE history, Austin would not quit and found himself going unconscious until Shamrock called for the bell.

Giving Bret the win, it wasn't enough for "The Hitman" who wanted to end Austin's career until the UFC fighter had to pull him away.

This marked the greatest double turn in pro wrestling history as Bret Hart cemented himself as the most hated man in WWE, while Steve Austin became the top babyface and leader of a brand new era for the company. This started Stone Cold's true rise to the very top of the industry as he came out looking like a defiant, never-say-die hero in defeat.

Arguably the biggest boom period in company history, "The Attitude Era" had truly arrived following this matchup and added to the legacies of both men in the process. This iconic clash has been timeless for the phenomenal performances of both legends on this evening and truly deserves the moniker as the very best WWE match in the history of the promotion.

Honorable mentions: Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat vs. Macho Man Randy Savage - WWF WrestleMania III, Owen Hart vs. Bret Hart - WrestleMania X, Razor Ramon vs. Shawn Michaels (Ladder Match) - WrestleMania X, Andrade Cien Almas vs. Johnny Gargano - NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia

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