Before SummerSlam 1991, Bret "Hit Man" Hart was an unknown commodity as a singles wrestler. But compared to what you see on TV today, The Southern Boys versus The Midnight Express is advanced trigonometry." "The greatest thing for me was Kurt knew he had the background of an Olympic wrestler and I was the pro wrestler, and he knew we had to merge those two worlds. When Batista won the Royal Rumble, the fans turned on him and loudly chanted for Daniel Bryan every week. Early on, I was schooled on putting in time, especially working with Flair. . Ten years after main eventing the inaugural Starrcade, Ric Flairs legacy nearly came to an end at the 1993 edition of WCWs marquee event. That he did so after a bloody No Disqualification contest between himself and The Rock only added to the hurt, especially since Austin cemented his new allegiance with 16 blows from a steel chair to The Brahma Bull. In many ways it was a simple match in a relatively humble setting, but inside the ring, this was an epic. Kane then tortured Shane for weeks until they fought at Unforgiven and Survivor Series, with McMahon losing both matches, but proving he could hang with anyone. So many of the greatest matches are two top-tier performers going toe-to-toe in the ring thats what wrestlings built on. For me to even question my unabashed hero and almost side with whom I viewed as the ultimate enemy, how could one match do that? Rey Mysterio truly embodies what it means to be an underdog. Not only was this bout in Edge's backyard of Toronto, but it was also Cena's first foray into theunforgivingrealm of TLC Matches. The loathed "Nature Boy" earned both the ire and respect (begrudgingly) of WWE fans as he entered the 30-man clash at No. Yeah, we still dont know how he did it, either. Watching these two certified WWE Hall of Famers duke it out at Chi-Town Rumble should be near the top of every WWE fans bucket list. What resulted was 15 minutes of nonstop, rapid-fire collisions, dives and triple-team maneuvers that simply havent been duplicated on pay-per-view since. Every factor was working against John Cena's favor heading into his hot-blooded Tables, Ladders & Chairs Match against WWE Champion Edge. Kevin Nash and Scott Hall made a big deal out of it, and they had just started with the company. In an era when WWE destroyed all competition, TNA has managed to survive and thrive. Watch every Premium Live Event and get unlimited access to WWE's premium content - available to you anywhere, anytime, on any device. The 10 Best Women's Matches in WWE History - GameSpot After working hard for three months, he debuted as Bob Holly's cousin on Raw in 1999. Fans loved him and went berserk when he finally defeated Gary Wolfe of The Pitbulls for the ECW TV title. Pillman basically gets folded over his head and somehow survives enough to take a second powerbomb. No one gave him a chance, and his underdog story is one to remember. It became the feel-good story of 2019. However, in 2003, McMahon was not known much for his wrestling compared to recent years. It was his big debut in a big American company. Unagi Sayaka Has Become One of Wrestling's Best Underdogs Most are from WWE or companies now owned by WWE, but TNA makes anappearance. Mikey Whipwreck: How ECW Booked The Perfect Underdog Run - TheSportster For me to be involved in that thing was a great honor, especially with the way Sting was loved by the people, it was crazy. The two reigning champions were Stone Cold Steve Austin as the WWF Champion and The Rock as the WCW Champion. "Sid Vicious powerbombing Brian Pillman is one of those moments that could have gone horribly wrong for a person, but something you absolutely have to watch. MATTHEW ARTUS, To this day, Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels stands as one of the greatest rivalries in WWE history. MIKE McAVENNIE. ANTHONY BENIGNO, We defy you to think of the Hell in a Cell Match without picturing The Undertaker throwing Mick Foley off the side of the demonic structure and onto a table below. save . He was able to adapt to Sting and was one of his better opponents. Another unlikely star was Mikey Whipwreck, an undersized kid who somehow beat Sandman on TV in a ladder match to win the ECW World Title. BOBBY MELOK. Mysterio challenged Dragon for possession of the J-Crown, a collection of unified titles that the reigning champion wore to ringside with relish. But, like most other small wrestlers, he had heart. It was elementary that Flair soon applied the Figure-Four Leglock, but Rhodes fought through the pain, survived the Horsemens interference and caught the champion in a small package to win the title. The clash between Goldberg and Diamond Dallas Page over the WCW World Championship at Halloween Havoc 1998 was far from a mat wrestling classic, but it had the crowd at the edge of their seats all the same. In 2003, Vince McMahon was still one of the top heels in the game, and he was someone that fans loved to hate. Ranking the 20 Best Underdog Stories in WWE History | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors | Bleacher Report Home > WWE Ranking the 20 Best Underdog Stories in WWE History Alex. The top 25 matches of 2021 | WWE Was The Rock victorious that momentous March night in 2002? SAM ROBERTS, AS TOLD TO ZACH LINDER, There may not be another match that embodied WWEs Attitude Era more than "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and Dude Loves battle for the WWE Championship at Over the Edge 1998. On top of that, they were two of the best in-ring performers. Whipwreck returned to singles competition and had more unexpected success. Rob Van Dam vs. Jerry Lynn is like the sports-entertainment equivalent of the Arturo Gatti vs. Micky Ward boxing rivalry. It was back and forth the whole way, and one of the best matches I've had in my career. Hardy was clearly intoxicated and in no condition to conduct a match. Its also the ideal moment in WCW history modern enough to feel vital but old enough to still feel totally raw. He later requested the match be restarted after the referee missed The Kid's foot on a rope during a pinfall. After winning the Bound for Glory Series, Hardy's redemption was complete. Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels - WrestleMania XII WWE When you put on a bout between two of the best wrestlers from their era, or any era, you're bound to get one of the greatest matches. Beulah, a once-overweight girl they both knew as kids, became a Penthouse Pet. He started filmingZ! Always." Mr. Money in the Bank, Randy Orton, entered the arena with a knowing grin. 3 and bamboozled victory in the closing moments of an unbelievable final four dance with Savage, Sid and The Hulkster, himself. In experiencing his terrible back injury and the following surgeries and rehab, most fans were convinced he'd never be the same. This was about as pure a tag team match as youre going to find. Everyone seems to remember the bookend moments of their instant-classic rivalry, such as Punks hot-fire pipe bomb where he took Cena to task for his perceived dominance and trashed WWE itself for imposing a glass ceiling over underappreciated mid-carders, and of course, The Second City Saints kiss-off goodbye to Mr. McMahon with the title in hand. Although the showdown featured the finest in-ring performance of Goldbergs career, it became infamous after the pay-per-view ran long and was cut off before the matchs conclusion. The wince-inducing clash established that Hell in a Cell was WWEs most sinister stipulation when both rivals took the fight atop the structure before HBK tumbled off the side of the Cell and through the Spanish announce table. The 25 Greatest Matches in WWE History From unforgettable WrestleMania main events to the "Women's Revolution." by Scott 'Future' Felstead Courtesy of WWE WWE provides pro wrestling fans with all the thrills and spills of an action movie, while delivering comedy, intrigue, and some seriously emotional moments along the way. Thats the tell-tale sign of two guys who know what theyre doing. Besides having to call every move and counter as if my voice was being sped up by audio editing, I witnessed firsthand some of the most amazing sequences in history. SAM ROBERTS, AS TOLD TO ZACH LINDER, They say records were made to be broken, but even as John Cena inched closer and closer to Ric Flairs 16 World Championships, it seemed unlikely that The Cenation Leader would tie the mark heading into the 2017 Royal Rumble. After years of hard work, Christian finally became the wrestler he could be. There was so much reality there, and it was awesome to see how it all played out. In 1989, Flair was Kanye 15 years before "The College Dropout" hit shelves. "You cant predict chemistry. Maybe "The Nature Boy" thought that getting inside "Macho Man's" head would make Savage lose focus, get disqualified and in doing so, fail to win the WWE Championship. CM Punk had the crowd behind him from the moment he debuted in ECW, thanks to his Indy cred. Overcoming those "deficiencies" took hard work. Plus, get every WWE Premium Live Event and the worlds best TV and movies. New York City's legendary Madison Square Garden was the epicenter for an unprecedented five championship title changes at Survivor Series 2002, the last of which came about after six Superstars put their very careers on the line in the first-ever Elimination Chamber Match. It took years for me to get over his rivalry with Bret Hart. One of the most infamous commentary moments during the Monday Night Wars happened the same night as the Fingerpoke of Doom on WCW Nitro. Thats a level of tag team expertise you dont see anymore. Many of the Attitude Era and Ruthless Aggression stars like "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, the Dudley Boyz and more were ECW alumni.In a time of massive wrestling companies, a small, Northeastern promotion crafted a legacy that lasts to this day. JOHN CLAPP. What we have done, however, is watch every single match on the award-winning WWE Network. Whipwreck, unlike most other wrestling underdogs on this list, actually had his amazing story play out on ECW television. The athletic Charlotte captured the NXT Womens Championship against a ring veteran, giving the WWE Universe a taste of what wasto come in the Women's Division. Four of WWE's Superstars of Tomorrow left an indelible mark in the minds of the WWE Universe at NXT TakeOver: Fatal 4-Way. He seemed to be becoming this main event-caliber guy, which is weird to think about in the perspective of 1991. Yet that's exactly what Bam Bam Bigelow did, setting up this personal slugfest between two of the toughest men in ECW, right in Bam Bam's hometown of Asbury Park, N.J. From the get-go, Tazz and Bam Bam tore into each other like two predators on a National Geographic documentary. Both duos represented four of WCWs most popular stars at the time, making this a unique and rarely seen battle of fan favorites. Yet Hulk Hogan saw something in Hardy. Fans expected Gargano to easily retain the belt, but Ruff defeating him created a special moment. Daniel Bryan is still my favorite opponent, and I just hope we get to have more matches like that. That made the arrival of Zack Gowen something that was instant gold. ZACK RYDER, AS TOLD TO ZACH LINDER. ", If you like watching two men beat the tar out of one another, this is just the match for you. Forget it, dont set aside the ending he didnt go out on top, but this is every bit a worthy Retirement Match. It's a matter of my physical prowess against his technical and high-flying ability. "But then you think, 'Hes been away for four years. That was the question on the minds of many in the WWE Universe throughout the winter of 2014. But something funny happened. Mick Foley described the bout best when he told WWE.com that his clash with Austin was, "The kind of match you could show to someone and say, 'This is why Im a wrestling fan.' With chants of This is awesome! raining down, the two carried out several outstanding sequences until Bryan, the United States Champion, finally snapped the LeBell Lock onto his opponent, forced the irate Intercontinental Champion to tap out, and cemented both of their well-earned reputations. Whipwreck, unlike most other wrestling underdogs on this list, actually had his amazing story play out on ECW television.He is truly the ultimate underdog. Published Oct 13, 2021 When talking about great underdog stories in wrestling, Mikey Whipwreck's rise to the top in ECW is one of the best. As a fan, knowing he was coming back to have a match was probably the most excited Id ever been. Need a crash course on why a dedicated sect of sports-entertainment fans is still holding out hope for the resurgence of a Cruiserweight Division? And when that identity is put on the line in a match, it makes that bout incredibly personal. So, the Cincinnati-born competitor tried to employ a ground-and-pound attack against the Japanese titleholder. It was funny to watch the guys looking at Rey like, 'You gotta be kidding me. However, Mankind managed to defeat The Rock and win his first world title. Next: 9 Wrestlers Who Are Vegan Or Vegetarian, Eddie Guerrero Vs. Brock Lesnar & 9 Other Great Underdog Matches, Every Version Of X-Pac, Ranked From Worst To Best, 5 Up And Coming Children Of Wrestling Stars Who Have It (& 5 Who May Not), Every Version Of Kofi Kingston, Ranked From Worst To Best. Flair even went so far as to provide altered photos to WWE Magazine long before the advent of Photoshop or TMZ. Mysterio ended up pinning Orton and won his first world championship. Gillberg was perhaps one of the biggest underdogs in WWE history because he never really won any matches. In the weeks leading up to the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, The Wyatt Family cost the members of The Shield an opportunity to compete inside the sinister structure for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Their first meeting resulted in Sting being sidelined with injuries. DEAN AMBROSE, AS TOLD TO ZACH LINDER, As the old adage goes: "Its not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game.". Home Wrestling Eddie Guerrero Vs. Brock Lesnar & 9 Other Great Underdog Matches By Shawn S. Lealos Published Aug 24, 2020 Underdog stories can be some of the most inspirational angles in pro wrestling. In 103 career matches with Pumas, Dinenno has scored 41 goals and added 11 assists. "Imagine competing at a WrestleMania against your brother. He did manage to capture the WWF Light Heavyweight Championship though in his only win as Gillberg. That night, September 1997, was just the perfect place, the perfect time, and a great opponent in Triple H, who took it to the next level and allowed me to have that moment in the sun. Foley never had the look that Vince McMahon likes and preferred a more blood-and-guts style of wrestling. The match took place at WrestleMania XX and was a triple threat against Shawn Michaels and Triple H, making a win even more unlikely. Out of all of the Superstars on this list, it was Rey Mysterio who has made his career in the United States based on being the ultimate underdog. "I thought I would collect on the Lloyd's of London policy that would kick in after a 450-pound man sandwiched me. Top 5 underdog storylines in WWE history - Sportskeeda For another, he was facing AJ Styles, who was 3-0 against Cena as a singles competitor going back to their first battle seven months earlier. Most wrestling fans will remember his 88-second sham of a matchagainst Sting at Victory Road in 2011. Sometimes a Superstar can be an underdog not by design but by choice. KEVIN POWERS, Daniel Bryan was riding high on a wave of "Yes!" Flyin' Bryan added altitude to his arsenal that elevated the contest into a truly memorable encounter. But WWE wasnt quite ready to believe the hype. Tommy Dreamer had one epic feud with Raven in ECW. They should have pleaded for Ricky to do something about it. After years of putting on great matches, Chris Benoit was finally given a World Heavyweight Championship match. Not all underdog matches see the underdog win. Whenever Sting and Ric Flair are together in any kind of match, they attract eyes, but to me, this entire match was just a story about Brian Pillman. used it to his advantage, forcing Blanchard to quit and reclaiming the U.S. McMahon wanted to defend his mom Linda, who Kane hit with the Tombstone Piledriver. The 8 Best Underdog Wrestlers In WWE Wrestling History - Ringside Intel Sometimes, the long way is the best. We were having a blast and the crowd was electric. See them all and youre pretty well-covered. 2023 WWE Money in the Bank predictions. We havent seen every single match ever. It was a shocking sight that reminded the WWE Universe that The Phenom was most certainly mortal. BOBBY MELOK. So I trained like nobodys business. McLemore, best known for his brief collegiate endeavors at the University of Kansas, did not appear in the NBA last season, though he averaged over 10 points a game in 64 games in Portland in 2021-22. Through the duration of the match, Shawn was the underdog, and you didnt know if hed be able to pull it out. Both men knew it would, as they threw their best at one another in this grueling 60-minute contest. The two competitors engaged in a ferocious brawl where it seemed that neither would ever relent. He went into the Royal Rumble match, and despite only standing five-foot-six, he won the Rumble. The celebration, however, would prove short-lived. And after battling in enough five-star classics, they knew each others moves like the backs of their hands. 10. But in his feud with the nWo, he most definitely was. With virtually no money, ECW had video games, merchandise and even made primetime cable television. By 1997, Austin was on his way to super-stardom. Chris Benoit is another small wrestler who had to work incredibly hard to win a world championship. The frills were minimal, the pace was fast beginning to end, it goes down quicker than an actual cup of coffee and the showcase was meant to be on the back-to-basics efficiency that settled the often-bizarre rivalry preceding it. And it was only fitting that The Ultimate Opportunist himself, Edge, wound up seizing the briefcase in the end by utilizing a steel chair as the decisive equalizer. They executed it like two veterans do." HBK ultimately reigned supreme, allowing the "boyhood dream" of Mr. WrestleMania to finally be realized. "The Nature Boy" came prepared for Steamboats unquestioned tactical superiority. WWE likely isn't interested in Ryder and simply doesn't want to give him a push. After many months away from the WWE Universe, the Superstars of Raw and SmackDown left the ThunderDome and hit the road, returning live action to arenas around the world. Orton won, but Teddy Long reinserted Mysterio, making it a three-way match. Purists balk at the role George "The Animal" Steele played in the final outcome, claiming it denied the WWE Universe a truly decisive victory. It made me feel like we had seen the last of Shawn Michaels, and it was very sad. The match ended with The Kid getting the win, changing his name to the 1-2-3 Kid. Eddies championship victory at No Way Out was and still is one of the most emotional moments in wrestling history. Chris Benoit vs. Chris Jericho - Ladder match - Royal Rumble 2001 Image credit: WWE.com Date: Jan. 21, 2001 Venue: New Orleans Arena, New Orleans Result: Chris Jericho won to become the new. "I love the match. You can trace the moment NXT became must-see television to the second the final bell rang in this jaw-dropping 2-out-of-3 Falls Match between Sami Zayn and Cesaro. But he, and we, will always have New Orleans. The early stages were carried by the likes of Rey . He has worked as a journalist for over 20 years, first in the world of print journalism before moving to online media as the world changed. By the time Rhyno helped Christian get the titles back for him and his buddy, the WWE Universe was both thrilled to see the champs retain and relieved that the mayhem was finally over. SHAWN MICHAELS, AS TOLD TO ZACH LINDER, Sports-entertainment fans can be a jaded bunch. And yeah, it was pretty cool when he blew The Chairman a kiss goodbye, too. Guerrero, who only stood five-foot-eight, went into No Way Out 2004 with a chance to win the WWE Championship from the dominant and almost unbeatable Brock Lesnar. "Obviously, the challenge was whether I could top the previous match. SCOTT TAYLOR. That happened when The Undertaker put hisUndisputed Championshipon the line against Jeff Hardy on a July 2002 episode ofMonday Night Raw. 25. "The greatest thing about that rivalry is that each week it changed, because there was no destination in sight, and one of the things that got added to it as the rivalry was progressing was Chris getting white-hot and winning the World Championship. One of those wrestlers was The Sandman, who was not a good wrestler at all, but had massive amounts of charisma and was a great brawler. Cody Rhodes defeats Dominik Mysterio. Lock and he got [disqualified]. Pinfalls, submissions and even disqualifications played a hand in the final result, which was highlighted by Angle fighting desperately and futilely for a comeback in the final 15 minutes. "Up to that point, there had been only one other Ladder Match, and it had been on Coliseum Home Video. After a three-count by special guest referee Triple H, Bryan hoisted the title in victory. There will be a lot of underdog stories on this list, but few of them were as grueling or as gratifying as Sami Zayns 18-month battle to become NXT Champion, which culminated in this classic between himself and the reigning champion, Neville. Which do you think is best? I put enormous pressure on myself to come through, and I thought I had the best all-around performer in the business in Edge to try to do that with. However, it was their third clash at Starrcade 1992 that truly defined their rivalry. "Kurt came with a reputation. The bout started with all four men brawling around ringside. 25 Greatest RAW Matches. 1 contenders hand at the bout's outset. Before "Stone Cold" Steve Austin was the face of WWF, he was fired from WCW and ECW. These were the two biggest wrestlers in the world at the time, and somehow, Chris Jericho went into Vengeance and beat both The Rock and Stone Cold and became the first-ever Undisputed Champion. I didnt know who I wanted to win, but the moment when Razor climbed up and grabbed both titles became such an iconic moment, especially for me as a kid, because I was there. 90 comments. Dont blink. He began a very high-profile feud with Vince McMahon"Stone Cold" Steve Austin would constantly harass Vince, but as the boss, Vince had all the power. JAMES WORTMAN. The Dragon played the long game and tied the bout up at three falls with less than 10 minutes left, and reversed a sleeper hold into a pinfall to take the lead as time ran out in the grueling contest. ANTHONY BENIGNO. "The physicality and our different styles have created a great chemistry.