As it's WrestleMania Weekend and Ireland's own Becky Lynch is taking part in the main event, we're counting down some of the greatest wrestling matches in history.
In and around the Attitude era, possibly even earlier, WWF / WCW was just about the coolest thing to watch on TV. Staying up to watch WrestleMania, Royal Rumble and SummerSlam were some of our childhood highlights.
So, while we're waiting for the "Show of Shows" to take place, here's our ten favourite wrestling matches of all time.
10. THE ROCK Vs. MANKIND - "I QUIT" MATCH
In what was considered to be one of the most violent matches in wrestling history, Mick Foley took a whopping ELEVEN shots with a chair to the face by The Rock. The match was documented as part of 'Beyond The Ring', which showed Foley's real-life wife and children watching the match from the ringside. The kids, unsurprisingly, were stricken and panicked when they saw their father being beaten over the head with a steel chair.
9. BRET HART Vs. YOKOZUNA - WRESTLEMANIA IX
And yet, somehow, Hulk Hogan won. Amazing.
8. TRIPLE H Vs. CACTUS JACK - ROYAL RUMBLE 2000 STREET FIGHT
We distinctly remember seeing this on Channel 4 in the middle of the night and the sight of Cactus Jack getting a face full of thumb-tacks made us nearly hurl. It kicked up a notch.
7. UNDERTAKER Vs. KANE - THE INFERNO MATCH
THEY SET THE RING ON FIRE. ON ACTUAL FIRE.
6. TEAM WCW vs. nWo Hollywood vs. nWo Wolfpac - WCW FALL BRAWL WARGAMES
We’d have killed to be in the room when this match was being pitched. Such was the ridiculousness of early '00s wrestling, someone actually let this go ahead. Eight men entered a three-tiered cage in teams of four, with the World Heavyweight Championship hanging above the final steel square. Throw in a few bolt cutters, some ladders, the odd acoustic guitar, smidgen of kendo sticks and you got a stew going. God bless you, Monday Night Nitro and WCW, and your idiotic gimmicks.
5. JAKE THE SNAKE ROBERTS Vs. MACHO MAN RANDY SAVAGE - THAT TIME THE SNAKE BIT SAVAGE
Fine, it's not really a match, but this was pretty horrific all the way back in the early '90s and it's still bad now. An actual snake, defanged and depoisoned, biting a man on TV. We never recovered.
4. RAZOR RAMON Vs. SHAWN MICHAELS - THE FIRST LADDER MATCH
Who didn't love it when Shawn Michaels was a heel? And didn't he have the best theme music ever? There isn't a wrestling fan alive who doesn't know the words to 'Sexy Boy'. This match, however, was pretty revolutionary. That was a full, steel ladder that was getting bet off Ramon's back. In fact, this match is why we're scared of ladders.
3. HARDY BOYS Vs. THE DUDLEY BOYZ Vs. EDGE & CHRSTIAN - WRESTLEMANIA X-SEVEN
Tables, Ladders, and Chairs. It seems so obvious now, but until these tag teams came along the world was deprived of all of that TLC goodness. At Wrestlamnia X-Seven, Jeff Hardy simultaneously put two men through two tables, Edge speared Hardy from on top of a ladder, and somehow neither of them won. FIX!
2. THE ROCK Vs. STONE COLD - WRESTLEMANIA X-SEVEN
Another one from Wrestlemania X-Seven here, as every young wrestling fan's two favourite stars faced off in a good aul’ fashioned No DQ match. Long story short, The Rock gave Austin a Stunner, Stone Cold gave him back a Rock Bottom, Vince McMahon was there for some reason, and in the end he became pals with Steve, helping him win before they shared a beer. It was all too much for out little brains at the time, we still can’t forgive The Rattle Snake.
1. HULK HOGAN Vs. ANDRE THE GIANT - WRESTLEMANIA III
Hulkamania, truly and honestly, running wild.
