Welcome to my newest contribution to Pro Wrestling Ponderings, “Wrestling Through the Ages.”  As a part of my love for wrestling, I subscribe to WWE’s Classics on Demand service.  For the most part, this column will review some of the things they present to us On Demand.  While the WWE’s current programming is not as great as it used to be, the greatest thing about Classics on Demand is their vast library of vintage (thank you Michael Cole) wrestling footage.  Their library includes the WWE’s past (obviously), WCW, ECW, AWA (American Wrestling Association), Jim Crocket Promotions, Smokey Mountain Wrestling, Championship Wrestling from Florida (CWF), Stampede Wrestling (CSW) based out of Calgary, and World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW).  Each Wednesday they present new programming for the enjoyment of those of us who love professional wrestling.  There is always a wide variety of shows to choose from each month, ranging from classic and current (usually about 4 months beyond) PPVs, Raw’s and Nitro’s from the beginning and the heart of the Monday Night War, a spotlight on the career of a different Hall of Famer each month, and many original programming exclusive to the On Demand service.  I am planning on reviewing some of the programming (be it original or classic) once or twice a month.  Here is the first of these reviews; I hope you enjoy it, as I think it’s an excellent place to start.

During the month of January, WWE Classics on Demand debuted a new program they’re calling “10 Count.”  The program is a countdown program hosted by Matt Striker.  What better way to kick off a new countdown program at the beginning of a new decade than by looking back at what WWE considers the top 10 matches of the 2000s.  The countdown would actually feature 11 full matches and 15 matches would receive honorable mention.  I’ll run through each of their top 10 matches and the 11^th “bonus match” (for lack of a better term).  You may agree with them or not, and I invite you to voice your opinions at the end, I’d love to hear them and what you’d pick as your WWE Matches of the Decade.

Before I get into the countdown itself, I’ll let you know the criteria the WWE used in choosing these matches:  Historic Impact + Pure Excitement + Crowd Reaction + In-Ring Skill.  I can safely say that all ten of the matches they chose fit the bill.  I personally don’t agree with some of their choices, or, more to the point, I think there were at least two matches that I feel could have made the top 10 and didn’t, but I’ll talk a little about that later.  Without further ado, WWE’s Top 10 Matches of the 2000s:

10. Unforgiven 2006:  John Cena vs. Edge – TLC for the WWE Championship:

This was a good choice for the top 10 for several reasons.  For one, John Cena enters “hostile territory” as the event takes place in Edge’s home town of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.  Cena was used to hostile territory by now, though, having gone into the ECW Arena earlier that year to face Rob Van Dam for the same title he looks to claim in this match.  The fact that this is a Tables Ladders and Chairs match adds to the excitement.  The fans were hot for Edge despite him being the heel and the match featured many high spots including Edge running up a ladder leaned against one of the turnbuckles to dive outside the ring onto Cena and in the final moments, Edge being FUed from atop a ladder through two tables, allowing John Cena to reclaim the WWE Championship.

9.  Backlash 2004:  Randy Orton vs. Mick Foley – No Holds Barred for the WWE Intercontinental Championship:

Going into the match, Randy Orton is coming off of Evolution’s victory over The Rock ‘n’ Sock Connection at Wrestlemania.  This is his Backlash debut and can, arguably, be noted as the unofficial start of the Legend Killer era.  Foley comes out in Cactus Jack attire with “Barbie” in hand (his baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire) while Randy brought along a 2×4 wrapped much the same.  The match is your basic brawl with trash cans, barbed wire, and blood mixed in.  Both men would use Barbie on the other; Foley would even douse Barbie in gasoline, but would be prevented from lighting it by then General Manager Eric Bishoff.  The fight goes to the stage where Orton gets thrown off, but in the end, this bloody, brutal contest would end with Randy retaining the Intercontinental Championship by RKOing Foley onto the barbed wire baseball bat.

8.  Vengeance 2005:  Shawn Michaels vs. Kurt Angle:

I was a little surprised by their choice here.  Any of the three match between these two from 2005 are great choices, first meeting at Wrestlemania that same year.  But it’s not the Wrestlemania 21 match that makes the list; it’s the rematch at Vengeance that gets number 8 on the countdown.  Plain and simple, this was just a fantastic wrestling match.  HBK and Kurt Angle are both two of the best men to enter the business.  The fans were behind Michaels from the beginning and both men put up a fine showing of their in-ring skills (and out of the ring skills).  Anything with Michaels and/or Angle involved is usually worth watching and pairing both of them together blew the roof off the arena.  Michaels came away the winner, lying atop Angle for several seconds after the bell, as both men were exhausted.  Shawn would even comment that this was match was everything it should have been.

7.  No Way Out 2001:  Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Triple H – Three Stages of Hell:

Three Stages of Hell are always brutal.  Adding excitement to the traditional 2 out of 3 falls match, usually each fall has a specific stipulation surrounding it.  This was no different.  The first fall was a regular match, the second fall was a street fight, and the final fall would be held in a cage.  Putting Austin and Triple H in any match is bound to bring a thrill to fans, but giving them three separate matches rolled together into one made this one that much more special.  Stone Cold would win the first fall, but Triple H would go on to win the next two and the match.  Both men would leave bloody and broken.  The street fight saw both men fight into the crowd and bring in every weapon imaginable except the kitchen sink (Triple H even utilizing his patented Sledgehammer).  This was definitely one of the more memorable moments of the 2000s.

6.  No Way Out 2004:  Brock Lesnar vs. Eddie Guerrero – WWE Championship Match:

I don’t think I need to say much about this match.  This was when the late, great, Eddie Guerrero would cement his place in history by defeating The Next Big Thing Brock Lesnar to claim the WWE Championship.  The Hall of Famer had beaten the demons that haunted him most of his life and the WWE acknowledged this accomplishment by decorating one of the greatest wrestlers out there.  Eddie put his heart and soul into this match with Lesnar; going in as the underdog based on obvious size disadvantages, but would claim the WWE’s top prize and hold the title for just over four months.

5.  No Way Out 2000:  Triple H vs. Cactus Jack – Hell in a Cell Career vs. WWE Championship Match:

Mick Foley is known for many things.  He’s a Hardcore Legend.  He will do anything and everything for the fans, including taking some of the most insane bumps ever.  And he’s known for taking several of those bumps within the confines of the Hell in a Cell match.  This was no different.  As Cactus Jack, he and Triple H would bleed and battle inside and out of the cell, making a door out of the side of the steel structure due to the door being solidly chained shut.  Foley and Triple H could find themselves climbing the cell, but before Mick would reach the top, Hunter would push him off onto the announce table.  Once on top of the cage, Cactus Jack would light a 2×4 wrapped in barbed wire on fire, using that as a weapon before Triple H backdropped him not only through the top of the cell, but partially through the ring as well.

***No Mercy 2008:  Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels – World Heavyweight Championship Ladder Match:

This is the bonus match of the countdown.  Basically Matt Striker explains that it was a tough decision narrowing the list down to just ten matches.  One of the names blatantly left off the list gracing the top ten was Chris Jericho.  So, we get a little outside interference from two of the best of the business.  This was arguably the feud of 2008.  Jericho had used Michaels to make his heel turn, smashing HBK’s face in the “Jeritron 2000” and battling HBK throughout the summer.  Both men have been involved in some ladder wars and this was no different.  Jericho would retain the title, but not without a fight.  The final moments of the match saw Jericho hung upside-down by his right foot and HBK’s former student Lance Cade would come in to run interference for Y2J.  Jericho would untangle himself and meet Michaels at the top of the ladder to engage in a tug of war over the World Heavyweight Championship, but Jericho would headbutt Shawn for the victory.

4.  WrestleMania X8:  The Rock vs. Hollywood Hulk Hogan

This is the dream match of the ages.  The two biggest icons of their respected generations meet one-on-one for the first time, for the last time.  Hogan would go into this match representing the New World Order, but this match would bring Hulk back to the Red and Yellow.  Hogan and Rock put on one hell of a match with the commentators talking about Hogan’s Skydome curse (referring to his losing the WWE Championship to the Ultimate Warrior at Wrestlemania VI).  The match had a lot of heat built into it with not only the historic meeting of two icons, but a lot of back and forth before Wrestlemania between the two of them.  I remember Hogan telling Hall and Nash to stay in the back; he wanted to do this on his own.  The Rock, the “future” of the WWE as he was billed going into this match, would defeat Hollywood.  The other two members of the NWO would come out to the ring and end Hogan’s leadership of the group by attacking him in the ring.  Rocky would come back to make the save and prompt Hogan to pose for the fans after.

3.  SummerSlam 2000:  Edge & Christian vs. The Dudley Boyz vs. The Hardy Boyz – TLC #1 for the Tag Team Championships:

This is another match that needs little to no explanation.  Mick Foley is credited as the brainchild of this match, putting Edge & Christian (the chair guys), The Dudley Boyz (the table guys), and The Hardy Boyz (the ladder guys) together for a historic series of matches.  It all began at SummerSlam 2000.  If you have never seen one of the Tables, Ladders, and Chairs matches between these three teams, then you need to go to YouTube, go to WWE.com, go to Netflix, go wherever, and find one.  Words fail to describe everything these matches were.  This one is listed as opposed to the second or third because of its historic impact more than anything else.  Each of the first three TLC matches was better than the last because all six (or eight as Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit were added to the mix for the third TLC) of these men went out trying to outdo the last match.  The end of the match saw Edge and Christian retain the Tag titles and all six men received a standing ovation.

2.  WrestleMania XXV:  Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker:

This was one of the most anticipated matches in recent memory.  For the first time at Wrestlemania, Shawn Michaels, Mr. Wrestlemania, would try to end the 16-0 Wrestlemania streak of The Undertaker.  The Phenom’s list of Wrestlemania victim’s is a veritable whose who of wrestling, but Shawn Michaels was not a name on it.  Michaels came to the ring descending from the heavens and clothed in white to counter the Undertaker’s darkness.  This match was the show stealer of WrestleMania last year.  Both men showed why they are Hall of Fame bound.  The Undertaker would retain his streak, making it 17-0 after a 30 minute epic that left both men exhausted on the mat at the end.

***Honorable Mention***

Besides the Jericho/Michaels Ladder Match from 2008, there were 15 matches deserving Honorable Mention.  They are as follows:

• WrestleMania XXIV – Money in the Bank Ladder Match
• Judgment Day 2000 – The Rock vs. Triple H
• Judgment Day 2002 – Edge vs. Kurt Angle
• One Night Stand 2006 – John Cena vs. Rob Van Dam
• Survivor Series 2002 – Trish Stratus vs. Victoria
• ECW 4/14/09 – Evan Bourne vs. John Morrison
• No Mercy 2008 – Triple H vs. Jeff Hardy
• SummerSlam 2002 – The Rock vs. Brock Lesnar
• The Bash 2009 – Rey Mysterio vs. Chris Jericho
• SummerSlam 2002 – Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H
• One Night Stand 2008 – The Undertaker vs. Edge
• Survivor Series 2002 – Elimination Chamber Match (Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Rob Van Dam, Kane, Booker T, and Chris Jericho)
• No Way Out 2009 – Elimination Chamber Match (Triple H, Jeff Hardy, Edge, The Undertaker, The Big Show, and Vladimir Koslov)
• Breaking Point 2009 – Randy Orton vs. John Cena
• WrestleMania XXIV – Shawn Michaels vs. Ric Flair

1.  WrestleMania X7:  Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. The Rock – No Disqualification for the WWE Championship:

The Rock and Stone Cold had a long journey getting to this point, having fought two years before at WrestleMania XV, again in a No Disqualification match.  These were the two headliners of the Attitude Era.  As the WWE was set to usher in a new era having bought out WCW, this was the culminating point.  This match told a great story in the ring.  The Rock would have to face greater odds towards the end of this match as Vince McMahon would shock everyone by coming to the aid of The Texas Rattlesnake.  Rocky would refuse to give up the fight here, but the odds finally defeat him as the tandem of McMahon and Austin would prove to be too much.  Stone Cold commented that this was his favorite match against The Rock.  Rocky would in turn say that this match was the way every WrestleMania Main Event should be, one-on-one.  This epic battle between two titans of professional wrestling is definitely one that people will look back on because of the fight that ensued and the outcome of the match.

My Final Thoughts:

I don’t know that I entirely agree with this list, and I’m sure I’m not alone.  All of the twenty six matches mentioned were great and should be mentioned.  But with so many great matches, it’s difficult to narrow it down to just 10.  The match between Shawn Michaels and Ric Flair at Wrestlemania XXIV probably would have been ranked high among the top ten matches of the 2000s had I been voting.  There are a couple matches that I would have at least given honorable mention to.  One that comes to the top of my head is Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho from WrestleMania XIX.  I would have at least replaced the Ladder Match from 2008 between them, if not officially ranked it.  I don’t want to take away from the No Mercy Ladder Match, by any means, it was a great match.  I personally enjoyed the story told between Jericho and Michaels at WrestleMania better, especially at the end when Jericho and HBK embraced only to see Y2J connect with a low blow.

In general, however, I have to give the WWE credit.  This is a fantastic list of epic matches that you’re guaranteed to remember from the last decade.  As I said before, I’m interested to hear others’ opinions on what they feel the best matches of the last decade were.  I’ll be back in February with another look at some of the programming featured on WWE’s Classics on Demand.  Until then, you can catch me here every Thursday for my “Angles” column and every Friday Night (or Saturday morning) for my review of Friday Night Smackdown.  Thanks for reading.