#FiftyMatches: Y2J And The Glass Ceiling

Chris Jericho vs. Triple H

Last Man Standing Match

Fully Loaded 2000
July 23, 2000

"...the end may be near for Chris Jericho." -Jim Ross.

There are few things that frustrate me in professional wrestling as much as the career of Chris Jericho.

#FiftyMatches: Reinventing The Iron Man Match

Triple H v. The Rock

WWF Championship

Iron Man Match

Judgement Day 2000
May 21, 2000

"The intimidating hour."

- Jim Ross

Just like The Rock throwing punches with his right hand, the World Wrestling Federation was sticking with what worked during the months following WrestleMania 2000. The company really had no choice. Mick Foley was now retired. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin's return to in-ring action following neck surgery was months away. The Undertaker, as it would turn out, was close to returning from his own injury, but he was not back yet.

The WWF responded to this shortage of main event talent by hitching its wagon to its two hottest young stars. This was the third pay per view main event in a row featuring The Rock and Triple H, and in many ways it's the climax of their in-ring rivalry.

#FiftyMatches: ECW's Last Stand

Mike Awesome v. Tazz

ECW World Heavyweight Championship

ECW on TNN
April 14, 2000

"Tazz is here to stand up for ECW!”

- Joey Styles

It's sad that it came to this for Extreme Championship Wrestling. Hemorrhaging talent at an impossible rate, the company found itself in a terrible situation. Its champion, Mike Awesome, had signed a contract with World Championship Wrestling. His departure suddenly left ECW searching for a new champion, and Paul Heyman mustn't have liked the options he saw inside the company he'd built into the third largest professional wrestling promotion in the United States.

#FiftyMatches: Stealing The Show

Dudley Boyz v. Hardy Boyz v. Edge & Christian

WrestleMania 2000

Tag Team Championship

Ladder Match
April 2, 2000

2000 Pro Wrestling Illustrated Match of the Year

"...And what do you think of these young studs in the WWF?"

-Jim Ross

Like storm clouds gathering on the horizon, you could see this match coming. The definition of "high risk" in the World Wrestling Federation was being redefined by the Hardy Boyz, the Dudley Boyz and Edge & Christian.

#FiftyMatches: Making "The Game"

Triple H v. Cactus Jack

WWF Royal Rumble 2000

WWF Championship

Street Fight
January 23, 2000

"How much more could either of these men given us tonight?"

- Jim Ross

The dawn of the 21st century brought with it the breakout performance for the man who would carry the WWF/WWE through the coming decade and beyond. Somewhere between being labeled an undeserving champion and becoming the scourge of the Internet Wrestling Community, Triple H was the most respected performer among professional wrestling's most dedicated and demanding fans. Before injury derailed the prime of his career, Triple H was almost universally praised as a technical marvel, with toughness to match. That reputation did not materialize overnight.

Ric Flair: Brilliant In Any Form

I was honored to be a guest on Anthony Valvo's (@TheMisterV) podcast this week on Wrestleview.com. When the new episode of "The Teacher's Lounge" is posted I'll be sure to put a link up here.


During the word association portion of the interview, I was offered up the name Ric Flair. What can you say about Flair that hasn't already been said? In my search for something original to say, I had to shill one of my favorite YouTube videos of all time.

What can you say to that? The only thing that comes to mind for me - "The Winnipeg Arena's gonna be on fire." Just engrave that one my tombstone right now.

A great thing about guys like Ric Flair is that the enjoyment for fans never ends. There's always something new to experience. I've spent hours watching old promos and matches from Flair on YouTube, and I don't consider it time wasted.

April 2, 2012 - It Begins

It's taken months to get to this point, but the launch of Fifty Matches That Defined The Decade (2000-2009) is finally upon us. The first match will be posted to this blog on Monday, April 2, 2012.


It made sense to wait until after WrestleMania. Competing with the WWE hype machine is pointless, and the coming weeks and months can be a slow time for wrestling fans. Hopefully, looking back on the first decade of the 21st Century will be an entertaining diversion, and something for you to look forward to.


This will not be a "countdown" (though I did rank the matches that I'm including in the list). Instead, the matches will be presented chronologically. This makes sense to me for a couple of reasons. First, I wanted this to be more about appreciating the matches themselves and their place in history than about one being better than another. Second, it's the quickest way to remove any doubt for those who would pounce on me for excluding one of their favorite matches. If you see a match from a date that is later than you one you want to see, you know it's not included. Feedback from fellow fans is really what I'm craving with this project, and I'd hate to see anything get in the way.


Once again, the first match will be posted here Monday, April 2, 2012. Then, you'll be able to look forward to a new match (or two) every Monday until we're complete.


Between now and the first post (or even after it), if you'd like to send an email making an argument for or against a certain match, feel free. I like to think of myself as a pretty flexible guy. You may be able to make me agree with you.


Cheers.