The Super Terrific Wrestling Hour – The Mt. Rushmore of WWE Matches

Greetings, all.

Hope all is well.

This week I’m flying solo, and this week I thought we’d take a look at a topic that should generate some interesting results in the comments section: the Mt. Rushmore of WWE Matches. We always hear people talk about the Mt. Rushmore of wrestlers [Bruno, Hogan, Austin, Cena], but what about the Mt. Rushmore of matches? For me, they aren’t the greatest matches in terms of quality, but in terms of landmark status. How important they are to history, what they changed. I’m really interesting in seeing what you guys have to say.

These are in no particular order, for the record.

Alright, without further ado, let’s get it…

Hulk Hogan vs Andre The Giant – WrestleMania 3
At the time, the biggest match of all time. Andre The Giant was of course the biggest attraction wrestling had ever had, and arguably all of sports, rocking a kayfabe 15 years undefeated streak. He was beloved and untouchable, hence why when he sided with Bobby Heenan, it blew people away. Challenging good friend Hulk Hogan after callously ripping off his cross and shirt, Andre cemented the biggest match in his or Hogan’s history, and it was pretty damn great. The match had a great build, match quality not so much, but a great moment with the bodyslam, of course. This match made WWE what it is today, cementing it, and making Hulk Hogan the most popular human alive in 1987 [that’s an actual fact, his face was the most recognizable in the world in 1987]. The match was such a big deal, that their rematch, almost a year later on SNME drew a rating record.

Bret Hart vs Stone Cold Steve Austin – WrestleMania 13 – Submission Match
This match was the moment where the constant sparks of what Stone Cold was to become caught and turned into a blaze. The WWE had their mega star.
I started watching wrestling in 1995, right off the bat I loved Razor and Diesel. Once they were gone, it was Sid. I dunno, I just dig the big dudes with the cool finishers. As 1997 crept on though, I realized I was starting to dig Stone Cold Steve Austin. I liked how much trash he talked, and how often he could back it up. He was the first wrestler I legit liked as an “over time” kinda thing. That said, the match at WM13 is arguably the greatest match of all time. An absolutely perfect barn-blazer that took a heel & face and by the end, saw them swap places. It catapulted Austin into the stratosphere, seeing that by this time next year, he’d be world champion. Back when the WWE actually let people earn their rise with a slow burn.
The image of Austin locked in the Sharpshooter with the blood cascading down his face is as iconic a moment in WWE has any other.

The Undertaker vs Mick Foley – King of the Ring 1998 – Hell In A Cell
Behold, the birth of the spectacle. The car crash. The unbelievable.
For better or for worse, the Hell in a Cell match from KOTR 1998 changed the landscape of the business for at least half a decade, with matches getting bigger, deadlier, and wrestlers taking bigger risks. Before Mick flew off the top of the cell, no one even thought that was a possibility. The biggest bump we saw up until then was Shawn falling off the side of it. That said, it’s not just that bump. It’s the one through the cell, it’s the thumb-tacs, it’s Mick going non-stop. Honestly, I didn’t watch that match for 10+ years because I thought it was a one-bump match, it’s actually a hell of a lot better than I remember.
This match definitely gave birth to the mayhem of match styles such as TLC, and the “big spot”, which, while created a lot of legendary moments and legendary performers, also cut some of those careers short unfortunately.

John Cena vs The Rock – WrestleMania 28
This is the highest grossing WrestleMania of all time, and the reason for that is John Cena vs The Rock. A match bigger than either wrestler ever had, or ever will have. A match bigger than the sport has ever seen. The year prior, The Rock had returned after an almost decade lay-off to host WrestleMania, and in his first promo made sure to diss Cena, which the crowd of course ate up. He then cost Cena the title at WM, and the next night on Raw, they were off to the races for a year long build.
In an era where kayfabe is dead, the WWE played Weekend At Bernie’s with the corpse, having them openly feud on twitter, in interviews with the media, and honestly, it was refreshing. It also showed that it’s what fans want. We don’t want to be told before every show that “the actors portraying the characters do not represent them” or whatever bullshit.
The match was pretty damn good too. The Rock & Cena had pretty solid chemistry, and The Rock moved just fine for a guy who’d been out for 10 years and was about 30lbs heavier. Not everyone loved it, but everyone showed up for it.

How say you, gang?

Any questions, comments, drunk-ramblings, feel free to send them my way, I always dig hearing from you, the beautiful people.

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