Cena vs. Orton - A Celebration

The WWE fashions itself as a universe inhabited by awe-inspiring superstars. These stars sometimes align to create wondrous and memorable celestial events. But, like the cosmic occurences observed in the infinite rhealms of outer space, some moments are known to repeat themselves.

Take for instance, the superstars known as John Cena and Randy Orton.

Bruno On Ultimate Warrior’s Death: ‘A Tremendous Shock’ « CBS Pittsburgh

Bruno On Ultimate Warrior’s Death: ‘A Tremendous Shock’ « CBS Pittsburgh

Believe it or not, I do have a real job. Sometimes, it even allows me to explore my love for professional wrestling. Here's a link to a 20-minute phone interview I was able to do with Bruno Sammaratino. We discussed Ultimate Warrior, the new statue in his likeness and what it's like to watch WrestleMania with Harley Race.

When Paul Heyman Retweeted Me...

My Twitter account (@MainstreamMat) has about 250 more followers today than it did 48 hours ago. The reason is Paul Heyman.

Any thoughts, HustleTweeters? RT: @MainstreamMat Ranking @HeymanHustle's best promos isn't easy. How'd I do? http://t.co/zMuiUgEIoK …
— Paul Heyman (@HeymanHustle) April 17, 2014

Our favorite manager and master of the microphone shared my little blog post via his own Twitter account, and generated more feedback than I ever could have predicted. Thanks Paul. Now, let's take a look at what you had to say about my ranking of the Paul Heyman's Best Promos.

Finding Five-Star Commentary

We spend so much time as pro wrestling fans talking about the best performers in the ring, the best matches, the best shows and other superlatives. It can get a little excessive sometimes.

What occurred to me recently is that we rarely celebrate the best performances by announcers. Sure, you get the casual, widely-accepted "Jim Ross is the greatest of all time" opinion thrown around, but do those fans ever cite sources? Do they talk specifically about the matches and moments that make J.R. one of (if not the) best?

I found myself reflecting on what Jim Ross matches stand out as his best work, and that expanded to other prominant announcers in recent pro wrestling history. What are their best performances? How do you measure their quality? These are good questions to ponder.

I came up with a few candidates, but I'm going to need your help putting together a decent list. Leave a comment below or you can reach me via Twitter @MainstreamMat. We'll gather up the worthy candidates and maybe put them to a vote.

#FiftyMatches - The Rock Goes Hollywood

July 21, 2002

The Undertaker v. The Rock v. Kurt Angle

WWE Undisputed Championship

Vengeance 2002

"The most awesome triple threat match I've ever seen in my life!" -Jim Ross

On April 19, 2002 the first movie to feature The Rock in a starring role arrived in theaters.

And the people came.

#FiftyMatches: Hulk Hogan's Road To Redemption

The Rock v. Hollywood Hulk Hogan

WrestleMania X8
March 17, 2002

2002 Pro Wrestling Illustrated Match of the Year

"That was a match for the ages." -Jim Ross

On July 9, 2000, Hulk Hogan was humiliated, disgraced and forced out of World Championship Wrestling.

Less than two years later, he was headlining WrestleMania X8.

#FiftyMatches: The End Of The Invasion

Team WWF (The Rock, Chris Jericho, Undertaker, Kane, Big Show) v. The Alliance ("Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Kurt Angle, Booker T, Rob Van Dam, Shane McMahon)

"Winner Takes All"

Survivor Series 2001
November 18, 2001

"The stakes have never been higher in the history of this business." -Jim Ross

On Friday, March 23, 2001, the unthinkable occurred. The World Wrestling Federation purchased World Championship Wrestling. It was the end of a decades-long, and deeply personal, rivalry.

Three days later, on Monday, March 26, 2001, the purchase was revealed to the world. It was perhaps the most mind-blowing moment in the history of professional wrestling.

#FiftyMatches: The Summer Of Austin And Angle

“Stone Cold” Steve Austin v. Kurt Angle

WWF Championship

SummerSlam 2001
August 19, 2001

"Austin must be thinking, 'What in the hell must I do to beat this man?'" -Jim Ross

For all its faults, The Invasion story line did do some good. Perhaps no one benefited more from it than Kurt Angle. After injury put Triple H out of action, it was Angle who was chosen to fill the opening as "Stone Cold" Steve Austin's partner in crime. In the summer of 2001, Kurt Angle's star was on the rise like never before in the World Wrestling Federation. Before it was over, his position as a career main event performer would be secure.

#FiftyMatches: "WCW Is Back In Business!"

Booker T v. Buff Bagwell

WCW Championship

Monday Night Raw
July 2, 2001

"WCW is back in business!"

- Scott Hudson

It's not often that you see World Wrestling Entertainment take a backseat to another organization. In the long history of Monday Night Raw, it's happened on only two occasions I can recall. The first, was on February 24, 1997. The World Wrestling Federation brought in Extreme Championship Wrestling to help fill out an episode of Raw. At the time, ECW was promoting the first pay per view event in its history, and the two organizations had a mutual adversary in World Championship Wrestling.

#FiftyMatches: Kurt Angle, Pro Wrestling Prodigy

Kurt Angle v. Shane McMahon

Street Fight

WWF King of the Ring 2001
June 24, 2001

"Have you ever seen an athlete quite like Kurt Angle?" 

-Paul Heyman

In 1996, Kurt Angle was already recognized as one of the best amateur wrestlers in the world. He had won a gold medal at the 1995 World Championships. However, despite an amateur career that also included a Pennsylvania State Wrestling Championship as a senior in high school, two NCAA Division I Championships and four national championships, he was just another face in the crowd to most Americans. That all changed at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia.

#FiftyMatches: One Injury Changes Everything

"Stone Cold" Steve Austin & Triple H v.
Chris Jericho & Chris Benoit

WWF Tag Team Championship

Monday Night Raw
May 21, 2001

"The entire building is shaking! This is the greatest chance in the lives of Benoit and Jericho!" -Paul Heyman

At the time, no one could have imagined that the days of dominance for the World Wrestling Federation were coming to an end. The company was still settling into the comfortable new reality of having an industry all to itself. World Championship Wrestling and Extreme Championship Wrestling went out of business within weeks of one another. It almost felt like the WWF had planned all along to celebrate its final victory by putting on one of the most successful and well-received pay per views in history. After WrestleMania X-7, the WWF gleefully chugged onward. Alone.

#FiftyMatches: Nitro's Last Night

Sting v. Ric Flair

WCW Nitro
March 26, 2001

"Thank you Steve Borden. Thank you Ric Flair, for everything you've meant to this sport." -Scott Hudson

#FiftyMatches: "Stone Cold" Is Back

Triple H v. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin

2 Out Of 3 Falls

No Way Out 2001
February 25, 2001

"These guys are literally going to destroy each other"  -Jerry "The King" Lawler

Writing about the World Wrestling Federation in the year 2000, one storyline keeps popping up over and over again - The rise of Triple H.

In January 2000, he was an unproven champion still searching for a signature win. As the months passed, he earned the respect of fans. He held his own against The Rock, and dominated Chris Jericho and Kurt Angle. 2000 was the most successful year of Triple H's career, and he was in the perfect position for the biggest opportunity of his life inside the ring.

#FiftyMatches: Taking It To The Next Level

Dudley Boyz v. Hardy Boyz v. Edge & Christian

WWF Tag Team Championship

TLC

SummerSlam 2000
August 27, 2000

"How do you learn to fall off a damn ladder? You don't!" -Jim Ross

Feels like we were just here, doesn't it?

One thing these three tag teams definitely had not learned since their first encounter, less than five months earlier at WrestleMania 2000, was how to have a safer ladder match.

#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.

What Are We Doing Here?

Professional wrestling is in a constant state of change.  Every era has seen its share matches and moments that shifted the industry into new directions, but it's hard to imagine a time more tumultuous than the first decade of the 21st century.


From 2000-2009, seemingly everything changed.  The WWF became WWE.  It devoured its top rivals in a flash of industry cannibalism that left virtually no competition behind.  Over time, new contenders emerged and gave us new reasons to be fans.


After watching it all unfold, it seemed strange to me that the decade ended with little fanfare.  This blog aims to correct that omission with a list of 50 Matches That Defined The Decade.


What makes a match great and what makes it important are not the same.  We've all seen great matches that meant very little as time went by.  Just being a great match is not enough.  It needs to really matter in the history of professional wrestling.  That doesn't mean there won't be a lot of awesome matches on this list.  It's just something to remember as we get started.


In the interest of simplicity, I'm narrowing the field of selection to matches coming out of U.S.-based promotions.  I think it's great that professional wrestling is a global industry, but it just seems like too much to get into.  Perhaps for another list somewhere down the road.  For now, we'll focus on telling the story of professional wrestling in the United States during the first decade of the 21st century.


I'm fortunate to already be getting some support from friends in the Internet Wrestling Community.  I expect some great insight from them and anyone else who comes along to read this blog.


The start of the countdown should begin shortly after the start of the new year.  Stay tuned and thanks for stopping by!