Greatest WM Match Ever: Round 1 (Kamala Bracket)
This is the fourth eight match bracket up for voting. The first bracket, known as The Berzerker bracket is RIGHT HERE and the polls for that bracket are closed. For the second four match bracket, known as the Al Wilson Bracket, the polls are now closed. The Mideon bracket, opened on Monday is RIGHT HERE and will be open until Wednesday. If you haven’t voted, go now. Get your votes in before it closes.
We’ve got four head to head matchups. Vote how you want by picking the match that you feel is better. It’s your choice. Each poll will be open for 48 hours. Please add comments in the section provided below. Here’s the link to the graphic in case you want to see what’s coming up: http://www.thejohnreport.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/greatestmatchfinal.png
Now let’s get on with this bracket. I’ll post the matchups, the videos (thanks to my buddy Edswoggle for helping with some of these) and of course the polls. The rest is up to you.
THE KAMALA BRACKET
#1) The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels @ WM25
The 2009 match of the year pretty much all over the place saw the two longest tenured performers in WWE face off at the 25th Mania. The result was a show stealing match thanks to some of the best nearfall sequences ever and that one awesome facial expression from the Undertaker where he was like, “WHAT THE FUCK?” A classic in every sense of the word. Couldn’t find the whole match, so we’ll go with the awesome video package about it.
VERSUS
#8) The Undertaker vs. Triple H @ WM17
A straight up wrestling match between two of the all-time greats at a time when HHH didn’t have any torn quads to deal with. The match is evenly booked from start to finish until the Deadman manages to end things in dominating fashion. My one gripe here was the really long ref bump that led to the brawl into the crowd, but otherwise it’s a solid match.
The winner of that matchup faces the winner of this one:
#4) Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit @ WM17
At one point on commentary in this matchup, announcer Paul Heyman talks about how great the technical wrestling is during the match. And he’s right. There are holds, counter holds and a finish that took a lot of people by surprise. One of the best matches ever on what is arguably the best PPV ever.
#5) John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels for the WWE Title @ WM23
For the second year in a row, John Cena went into WrestleMania as the WWE Champion and for the second year in a row he was facing off against one of DX’s founding members. It was supposed to be HHH (said by HHH in a HBK DVD), but he was hurt, so Michaels filled the void and as expected did an admirable job.
———-
#3) Ultimate Warrior vs. Randy Savage in a Retirement Match @ WM7
Savage walked in as one of the top heels of the company for a few years and he walked out as arguably the biggest babyface on the roster. Plus, he carried a blown up Warrior to one hell of a good match. When you can scan a crowd of wrestling fans to show people crying at how touching a moment you have all you can really do is say job well done. If you want to know why Savage was one of the best ever, watch this match.
Macho King Randy Savage v. Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania VII
VERSUS
#6) Money in the Bank Match (won by Ken Kennedy) @ WM23
The third Money in the Bank match was won by a rising star in Mr. Kennedy. There were plenty of great spots in the match including the ridiculous splash through the ladder performed by Jeff Hardy on Edge. A sickening bump that probably shortened the careers of both men. It’s a beauty of a match, an almost forgotten one.
Money in the Bank from Wrestlemania 23
The winner of that matchup faces the winner of this one:
#2) Chris Benoit vs. Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels for the World Title @ WM20
The best triple threat match ever? A lot of people would say yes. This was Benoit’s best shot at winning the World Title and he’d have to do against two main event regulars. It was the coming out party for the Rabid Wolverine with a hot New York crowd behind him every step of the way.
VERSUS
#7) The Rock vs. Steve Austin @ WM19
This was the third WM match between these two legends with Austin winning the first two. We knew at the time that Rock was sticking around a bit longer while Austin was likely taking time off. What we didn’t know (at least the majority of us) was that this was the last match in Austin’s glorious career. And he went out with a bang.
————–
This is the end of round one. Tomorrow we go onto round two of The Berzerker bracket.
Thanks for reading, watching and voting!
Taker-HBK, 2010 match of the year? While it could be, I’m pretty sure the match we’re talking about was in 2009
Thanks. I fixed it. I swear sleeping for only 4 hours and then posting this stuff isn’t a good idea.
@John Canton
You think Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker might have a 2010 match of the year at WM26? By the way John, do you think Shawn and Taker will close the show like they should? Or will that honor go to Cena and Batista (*tears dripping from right eyeball*)??
Personally, to this day I still cannot watch a Chris Benoit match, so I found myself at a bit of a disconnect with the poll results here. On some abstract level I recognize that his matches with Angle and HBK/HHH are every bit as good now as they were at the time. But I feel like Butterbean vs. Bart Gun was a greater match than either of them.
1. The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels > The Undertaker vs. Triple H
This is an obvious choice because everyone has named The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels as the best WrestleMania match of The Undertaker’s career and maybe even the best overall match of his career. I don’t think John should have put an Undertaker match up against an Undertaker match because that is just unfair to the wrestler. Undertaker vs. Triple H could have easily stumped other matches like “Cena vs. Michaels” or “Warrior vs. Hogan”, etc.
2. Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit > Shawn Michaels vs. John Cena
Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit can easily be Angle’s 2nd best WrestleMania match right next to Angle vs. Michaels. I think this is an obvious choice as Michaels vs. Cena wasn’t even the best match on its show (It was actually #3 next to Batista vs. Undertaker & Money in the Bank ladder match.
3. Money in the Bank III > Randy Savage vs. Ultimate Warrior
Money in the Bank III is easily the 2nd best MitB ladder match (even if the poll said the 2nd one was better). Savage vs. Warrior, although a good match, has nothing on this awesome 8-man ladder match. Although Randy gave it his all, Warrior just seems pretty limited in the ring and you can notice that during the match. Its sad that the current poll has Savage vs. Warrior winning… its like if people forgot about this match. (PS. I doubt WWE will ever mention it again now that only four of the wrestlers (Edge, Orton, Finlay and Matt) are still with them and the other four all jumped to TNA (Kennedy, Jeff, Lashley and Booker).
4. Chris Benoit vs. Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels > The Rock vs. Steve Austin
Really hard one, but the best WWE triple threat of all time (TNA has a better one in Styles vs. Daniels vs. Joe) has to stump The Rock vs. Austin when the match isn’t even the best they’ve had at WrestleMania. The Rock vs. Austin as a standalone match is still great, but it does not top the excellent technical wrestling achieved by Benoit, Michaels and Triple H. A lot of people will vote against it because Benoit was the winner, but it still doesn’t change the fact its the best.
Wow, can’t believe Rock/Austin at WM19 is outdoing Benoit/HHH/Michaels. That was one of the few matches in the last 10 years that I truly marked out for. All I wanted to see was Benoit winning the title, and I didn’t know if he was gonna do it. I guess I was just a huge Benoit fan, but it was a fantastic match.
I know things have changed w/ all the Benoit stuff, but will I remember he and Eddie hugging at the end for the rest of my life? Yes. Will I remember Rock/Austin at WM19 for the rest of my life? Probably not.
I don’t care what people say Chris Benoit was one of the greatest wrestlers of his time. I loved every match that guy put on and he was a great worker. I know a lot of people can’t but i can seperate his in ring work from what happened outside the ring. To those who disagree that is your right, we all know what he did.
That being said how could i ignore his great match with Angle or the Triple threat match.
Taker/Michaels > Taker/HHH though Taker/HHH is a really fun match. That’s one of my favorite Triple H matches, but man, Michaels/Taker have great f’n chemistry.
Picked Michaels/Cena over Angle/Benoit. However, I agree that Michaels/Cena was not the best match on the show. Taker/Batista was. I just feel like Angle/Benoit isn’t as great at WM X7 especially in comparison to their later greatness.
Savage/Warrior over MITB, EASILY. It kinda saddens me that the MITB matches, while fun, are considered great matches over classics like Savage vs Warrior. The story telling between Savage and Warrior was just amazing, with both just unable to beat the other. They destroyed themselves and made a match worthy of the retirement stipulation. And every wrestling fan cried when Randy and Liz got back together.
Benoit/Triple H/Michaels over Rock/Austin 3. I recently rewatched the triple threat and it still holds up, though it’s admittedly hard to root for Benoit. I liked the Backlash rematch more. Rock/Austin is awesome, especially considering Austin’s health, but it’s not as good as the triple threat.
@ Tony : «Picked Michaels/Cena over Angle/Benoit. However, I agree that Michaels/Cena was not the best match on the show. Taker/Batista was. I just feel like Angle/Benoit isn’t as great at WM X7 especially in comparison to their later greatness.»
Taker/Batista was good, but too short. I feel the HBK/Cena match is underated, probably because Cena is in it, but it was a very good match. Saw it a few times. I’m a huge fan of Angle and Benoit was a very good technical wrestler, but at some time, I felt like I was watching the Olympics and not WWF/WWE. I like technicals wrestling matches when it is weel done, but I don’t feel this one was. They could have done a better than that. Maybe I feel they spent too much time holding on the ground.
I don’t know where to say it, but I wish we could have vote for Orton vs Undertaker. Would not have made it to the finals, but I think it’s one of the best WM match Undertaker had. Mainly because of the intensity and because they made it in a way that Orton came so close. I really like Orton so that may be why, but I like that match better than Batista/Undertaker or Edge/Undertaker and I like Edge as weel.
@Alex
I liked Cena/Michaels a lot actually and I’ve liked Cena more than most wrestlers this decade. He tends to put on quality matches. I like Cena’s in ring work more than Triple H and a number of other guys and obviously I love Michaels’ work. I just remember watching Wrestlemania 23 and thinking that Taker and Batista wanted to show why they should have been the main event and really put it all out there. Part of the reason I liked it so much was because I didn’t expect it to be that great and yet it was.
Michaels vs Cena should be removed simply for Cena’s really, really, really lame entrance.
Whoa, whoa, whoa. Did someone actually just say that they like Cena’s in-ring work more than Triple H (or anyone for that matter?) Cena is an asbolute joke in the ring. And comparing him to any main eventer from the 90′s isn’t even a comparison.
Went with Warrior and Savage over MITB…Can’t vote for a gimmick match in a poll for the best match of all time. All the ladder, MITB matches, etc., should be lumped in a “Paul Heyman – Bumps Sell” NIT tournament.
I love the Darth Randall name- VINTAGE J&SBSB reference!
Sorry I couldn’t find a better version of Warrior vs. Savage- couldn’t believe the lack of it on YouTube; didn’t even think of MySpace, but I never EVVVVVVVEEERRRR go on there anymore, so I didn’t even think to.
Oh, and I voted for HBK vs. Cena over Angle vs. Benoit- the match had my interest more as a Wrestlemania match. Had this tourney been about the wrestlers in the matches and not about the actual matches THEMSELVES, I would’ve voted for it. If I want to watch some Angle vs. Benoit VINTAGERY, then I’ll watch their match from RR’03
@Anonymous
Yes, I think Cena’s been very good for awhile. He has had quality matches with not just top level guys like Michaels and Triple H, but with Khali and Umaga too (though Umaga was pretty good in his own right). Sure I don’t like the way Cena’s booked and his promos can make me roll my eyes, but he can and usually does deliver in the ring.
HBK/Taker vs HHH/Taker: Both solid outings to say the very least, and the match of 2009 to come close to how I feel about it. I’m reluctant to say “Match of the Decade” not on the matches merits, because it is DEFINITELY a contender, but I figure I’m probably missing something in my head. Thank god I’m off these pills tomorrow. OH GOD…THE VOICES
Angle/Benoit vs HBK/Cena: Both great matches, the former being better than the latter. Amazing display that honestly does pale in comparison to the matches they’d have later, but still, absolutely nuts. HBK/Cena will forever have the memory of HBK flipping out when he gets pissed off Cena wasn’t selling the leg. That’s totally worth something. Voted Angle/Benoit. Workrate was definitely more solid based on that memory alone. :P
Warrior/Savage vs MITB WM23: Feel bad for voting for the MITB, because the former match was really, really, really solid. As John put it, it’s a textbook display of why Savage was so good. Only reason I gave it to MITB 23 was the workrate, again. Shit was nuts. If Savage/Warrior goes over by vote, though, I would completely agree. It was just obvious how much Macho Man was carrying Warrior. For a more modern comparison, refer to HBK/Hogan.
Benoit/HBK/HHH vs Rock/Austin WM19: I literally marked the fuck out when Benoit won, and while we all feel an inner deep wound whenever we see Benoit, I choose to remember him as he was, and as everyone around him knew him. People snap, it fucking sucks, but they do. I hope the rest of the family finds answers doing that brain research. I watched a few specials on it, it’s pretty interesting stuff. ANYWAYS, best triple threat ever IMO, a great show of athleticism, and a warm moment at the end when the two hardest workers at the time stood face to face almost 20 years after they started, both world champions. For that moment alone, WWE, thank you. As far as Austin/Rock goes, great match, again if it wins I won’t bitch about it. I would also like to say “Thank You” to Austin for this final showing that we didn’t know about. He pulled out all the stops and put over my favorite Rock ever, heel Rock. If you haven’t watched it yet, I demand you do so now. Voted for the Benoit/HHH/HBK match.
Whoa – While Savage was the star of Warrior/Savage, Warrior did his part too. That’s part of what makes it so great – Warrior stepped up his ability to tell a story instead of just being the usual clod. The talking to his hands, not knowing what else he can do to win, and the way he pinned Savage all added to the match. Warrior’s no Steamboat, but he deserves some credit for a good performance there.
None of this really matters though… Undertaker vs. Michaels is winning the Kamala bracket
I don’t agree about Cena. Dude has a very limited arsenal in the ring and most of the time he is carried by his oppenent, especially if he’s in there with a guy like HBK, HHH, Jericho, etc. I will agree he has improve somewhat over the years, but he will never be anything better then average. He is still pretty awkward in the ring and is not fluid at all, even after all these years.
I had a hard time choosing between the triple threat match at WM 20 bet. Trips, HBk and Benoit and the Austin/Rock match at WM 19. Both matches were great. I had to go with Austin/Rock, though.
HBK/Taker > HHH/Taker
Angle/Benoit > Cena/HBK
MITB > Savage/Warrior
Benoit/HHH/HBK > Rock/Austin
#1 is no contest. #2 is also not much of a contest–HBK tried his best but I thought his match w/Cena was not too good. The 55 minute match they had on Raw in England the next month was 1000000x better….in fact was prob the best match of 2007. Angle/Benoit was excellent as to be expected–too bad they only got 10-11 minutes. #3? MITB was a solid match. Not spectacular but quite good. I chose it mainly cuz I HATE the Warrior, HATE everything he did, and simply will never vote for any of his matches cuz they all were garbage. #4? Benoit/HBK/HHH was the best triple threat match of all-time IMO, and ranks very highly among WM main events. The ending w/Benoit getting HHH to tap, his show of emotion, the hug w/Eddie, JR’s talking on the mic while all of that was happening….was possibly my most favorite moment as a wrestling fan. I was brought to tears for the first (and only) time in my 20+ years following wrestling. Such a great moment. What happened to Benoit later on shouldnt take away from this and everything else he accomplished in the ring. Btw Rock/Austin was quite good as well and I might have picked it if it was matched up w/something else. Wasnt as good as their match at 17 but I did think it was as good as the one they had at 15.
What happened to Benoit later on shouldn’t take away from what he accomplished? Have people already forgotten? He didn’t make illegal downloads on the Internet. He dug his knee into his wife’s back until there were bruises and he choked her to death with a cord. He made her seven year old son sit with her body for hours, saying “Mommy, mommy.: Then he drugged and suffocated the child. He did it in a slow, deliverate way, then went out and greeted the neighbors and made phone calls before hanging himself from a weight machine. He did not get caught with a joint. And as though that weren’t bad enough, he did it knowing that it would permanently tarnish the wrestling business and publicly disgrace everyone he knew. To never watch wrestling again strikes me as an overreaction. But how could anyone be so emotionally dead and morally void as to enjoy his matches and celebrate him just three years later?
Because I’m able to seperate the two. Nobody is condoning what he did. He lost his mind–we’ll never really know what happened…personally I think he probably had some brain damage that led to some kind of mental breakdown….whatever it was, it happened and it was a disgusting thing.
But lets say you have a friend that you know for a long time. You are very close with him/her. You grew up w/this person and we’re good friends with him for 20 years. Then one day you get a phone call saying that your friend killed him/herself and also murdered the person he/she was dating. Would that mean you would forget that person ever existed or forget your friendship and the good times you had w/that person didnt mean anything? You seperate the two. You are resentful and angry w/that person for what they did….but at the same time you dont forget the closeness and the relationship the two of you had. A bad event doesnt make something that already happened not exist. You know what? I lived thru this experience before because I DID know someone who did exactly what I typed above. This person hasnt been strucken from my memory and never will be. I will always treasure the relationship we had and all the good times we had. Unfortunately, he chose to go down a certain path…I resent him for that but it doesnt change how I feel about him and the positive affects he had on my life.
Its kind of the same thing w/Benoit. Obviously I didnt know him personally, but I seperate the Benoit I knew as a fan watching him in the ring…and the Benoit that snapped and murdered people/killed himself.
Thats how I view it at least.
@Tony
That’s why I compare it to HBK/Hogan. :P Hogan and Warriors styles are eerily similar. They’re more about conveying the character to the fans to draw the sympathy, not so much about the selling or the high flying craziness, but about telling a story. It takes two to tango. It’s just in the case of Savage/Warrior and HBK/Hogan, one side is deeply outclassed by the other, and it shows.
That being said…Hogan has had a storied career with a ton of epic moments, emotion, attachment, and feeling, all off the same basic moveset. They saw it in Warrior, and he had it, but he didn’t utilize it all the time…and it seemed as the years went by he went a little crazier and crazier. Or eccentric, whichever word you prefer.
I also don’t deny Warrior had talent. I also believe Hogan had talent, and to some degree still has talent…just needs to learn how to share spotlights. Anyone got an old VHS of Sesame Street for em’, brother? Their talent just wasn’t as grandoise as some of the more athletic competitors of their age. Savage was a beast, and I’m unsure there will ever be another like him, no matter how hard Jay Lethal tries. :P
That being said, we can also agree to disagree, I’m cool with whichever.
@Tamara
At least Hogan could make up for his limited in-ring skills by cutting killer promos. Hogan knew how to sell himself and sell his matches. Warrior sucked ass on the mic too IMO–his promos were always stupid. I’m sorry the guy was just awful in every way. How he became popular is one of the biggest mysteries in wrestling history to me. And I was a kid when he had his big run and unlike most kids my age….I hated him the whole time.
I am with Mike , i am also able to seperate it. If you can’t don’t vote for his matches.
Im swaggerjacking Alex’s style
The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels > The Undertaker vs. Triple H
-WM25 probably does have the best WM match of all time. I only have seen it once and that was live. I will watch it again early in the day before WM26 starts. I still love UT/HHH at 17 but there is no way it can compete this round.
Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit > Shawn Michaels vs. John Cena
-These matches were not the best at their respective Wrestlemanias but Angle/Benoit was better than Cena/Michaels
Randy Savage vs. Ultimate Warrior > Money in the Bank III
- Money in the Bank 3 was NOT better than Money in the Bank 4 but what can you do. Can’t really argue why Savage/Warrior is better. It just is to me.
The Rock vs. Steve Austin > Chris Benoit vs. Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels
-The upset special (or it should be). Rock/Austin Act 3 may be 2nd place in the WM trilogy but it had the best moments from the 3 matches and even bested the moments of HHH tapping to the Crossface and The Eddie/Benoit reunion as champions after 4 years of being in the WWE.
The Rock pandering to the Seattle crowd. The Rock putting on SC’s vest. The Rock’s emotion in his face after 3 rock bottoms to pin Austin clean FINALLY at Wrestlemania after jobbing the first 2 times. Rock telling Austin he loves him and pushing Earl Hebner out of the way before he did it. The fact that Austin sucked up his pride in his final match and lost to the Rock after quitting the WWE 9 months earlier.
Benoit/HHH/Michaels was the best match of WM20 and the best Triple Threat ever (sorry TNA) but “Act 3″ was better.
(Oh yea and the buildup for Rock/Austin WM19 was some of the best moments of the last decade. Hollywood Rock was the best heel of the decade. Even better then Heel HBK against Hogan during Summerslam. Remember the Rock’s concert. His banter with the Hurricane. The Hollywood theme song! And Rock/Austin made Limp Bizkit cool for the 2nd straight time with that song Crack Addict during the video package before the match….ROCK AUSTIN WM19 IS BETTER THAN THE TRIPLE THREAT!)
@Alex
@Alex
For the record, lashley wasn’t in that money in the bank, cuz that was the year of the lashley w/ trump vs umaga w/ vince match. cm punk was the other person in that match…