Top 100 Matches Of Past 50 Years: 60-41

With the success of our Top 100 Wrestlers Of All Time list, we’ve decided to go even bolder. We’re going to rank the top 100 pro wrestling matches of the past 50 years!

Our ranking differs from the PWI 500 because we use math. Well, at least we try to. Just as we did before, we all submitted our own list of the top matches of all time, and each ranking represents points. For example, #1 = 100 points, #2 = 99 points, etc. At the end, we’d calculate which had the most points and assign ranking from there.

We narrowed the list down to the past 50 years because it’s quite challenging to find readily available footage from the 1960s and earlier (all of these matches except for one were televised). In a future Twitter Spaces, we’ll all break down the criteria we used in crafting our own lists. We’ll also bust each other’s balls over our choices and their absurdly low or ridiculously high rankings.

Here are 100-81.

Here are 80-61.

60. Jerry Lawler vs. Terry Funk, Empty Arena Match

Cinematic wrestling began in Memphis almost 40 years before the COVID-19 pandemic. Jerry Lawler and Terry Funk brawled throughout the empty Mid-South Coliseum, with only their grunts and Lance Russell as the soundtrack. And unlike all the copycats, this had a realistic, logical finish: “My eye!” – John Corrigan

59. The Wyatt Family vs. The Shield, Elimination Chamber 2014

“This Is Awesome” chants echoed before the action even began. Maybe Minneapolis is full of soothsayers because the six-man tag lived up to the hype. Everybody got a chance to shine, the pace never slowed down and the psychology made sense. After a year of outnumbering everyone on the roster, The Shield was dissected until just Roman Reigns was left. “The Big Dog” made a valiant effort, but eventually succumbed to the Wyatt Family. – John Corrigan

58. Do Fixer vs. Blood Generation, Supercard of Honor 2006

Before ROH Supercard of Honor 2006, not many people knew about Dragon Gate. Afterward, everyone knew about Dragon Gate! The most important 6-man tag team match of all-time features Dragon Kid, Genki Horiguchi and Ryo Saito against CIMA, Masato Yoshino and Naruki Doi. Don’t blink or you’ll miss something you’ve never seen before in this 20-minute sprint, which heavily influenced the modern style of moves rather than storytelling. – Steven Jackson

57. Kazuchika Okada vs. Kota Ibushi, Wrestle Kingdom 14

Many thought like Tanahashi and Okada years before, this was going to be the passing of the torch to Kota Ibushi. Well, that wouldn’t come for another year, but this barnburner made us crave his win even more. For nearly 40 minutes, these cornerstones of NJPW illustrated why diehards consider Japan to host the best wrestling in the world. – Neal Wagner

56. Vader vs. Sting, SuperBrawl 1993

You won’t find a better strap match. Vader and Sting had one of the greatest rivalries in WCW history, taking David vs. Goliath to new heights. With both men arguably at their peak, they produced a bloody, highly physical battle. – Juan Bautista

55. Eddie Guerrero vs. Dean Malenko, August 26, 1995

If you’ve followed my work for The Wrestling Estate, you know I make no bones about the fact that Eddie Guerrero is my personal G.O.A.T. in wrestling. Dean Malenko was no slouch himself and packed the technical mastery of a Chris Benoit into a smaller frame. “The Guerrero-Malenko Classic” as this match would later be dubbed is legendary for being the best singles performance for both men up to this point, as well as their final match in ECW.

Those last four words are usually the kiss of death for outbound wrestlers, as the ECW fans, some of the “smartest” in wrestling, would typically let wrestlers have it if they knew they’d signed bigger contracts to go to WWF and WCW. That didn’t happen on August 26, 1995. Instead, Malenko and Guerrero, two of the all-time greats, won the fans over with a smorgasbord of wrestling action and were showered with praise afterward. – Jack Goodwillie

54. Johnny Gargano vs. Adam Cole, NXT TakeOver: New York

Never have I seen a crowd who was very much behind one man to win when the bell rang, but lost their minds when the other won. Hearkening back to the glory days of the NWA, this was two out of three falls for the vacant NXT Championship and a clean wrestling match until the referee went down. Then, Undisputed Era interfered, but Gargano fought off the odds and emerged victorious. It’s the best match in NXT history. – Neal Wagner

53. Dory Funk Jr. vs. Jack Brisco, February 8, 1972

Jim Ross has often claimed Jack Brisco and Dory Funk Jr. had the greatest series of matches. Not many are available to watch in 2021, but this 60-minute draw from 1972 is up on YouTube. And good, ol’ J.R. may be right because nearly 50 years later, the action still holds up. With remarkable stamina, these all-time greats take you back to when pro wrestling resembled a sport. When’s the last time a headlock was this exciting? – John Corrigan

52. Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Psychosis, Bash at the Beach 1996

My favorite WCW cruiserweight match of all-time. The division was firmly put on the map with this seesaw matchup, which gradually builds to an explosive climax. For the mainstream American audience, this match was an introduction to lucha libre. – Steven Jackson

51. Eddy Guerrero and Art Barr vs. Octagon and El Hijo Del Santo, When Worlds Collide

This is the greatest two-out-of-three falls tag team match in lucha libre history. I love this match and can’t do justice to it (nor can anyone else) in a few sentences. Find it and watch it and love it. – Steven Jackson

50. Ric Flair vs. Sting, Clash of the Champions

One of the most important matches in NWA/WCW history, Sting’s challenge to Ric Flair’s NWA World Championship was the start of a feud that would go on for nearly 15 years. It was the match which made Sting into the star he is today. You’d be hard-pressed to find a better TV match in the ’80s. – Steven Jackson

49. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada, NJPW Invasion Attack 2013

I know people love Okada vs. Omega, but Tanahashi vs. Okada is the true top rivalry in modern-day NJPW. It marked a changing of the guard for not just the company, but the entire wrestling world. After their match at NJPW Invasion Attack 2013, I shouted from the rooftops that “NJPW is the greatest promotion in the world.” – Steven Jackson

48. Jay White vs. Kota Ibushi, Wrestle Kingdom 2021

This was Ibushi’s second match of the weekend while Jay White had the night off. The idea was that White would walk over Ibushi to win the title that the “Golden Star” had only won himself less than 24 hours beforehand. As the match went longer, Ibushi kept fighting and fighting and White grew more concerned of his grip on a title that wasn’t his yet. Ibushi would win after over 45 minutes of drama. It was an early match of the year candidate that still stands as of this writing. – Neal Wagner

47. Kerry, Kevin & David Von Erich vs. Fabulous Freebirds, July 4, 1983

They’ve had so many matches throughout the ‘80s, but none better encapsulate the hottest rivalry in Texas than this barn burner on the Fourth of July. The rabid atmosphere is unlike anything you see today: the Freebirds, decked out in their Confederate sequined robes, enter to “Georgia On My Mind,” drawing nuclear heat; the Von Erichs trudge through their adoring fans, proud to represent the Lone Star State and hellbent on punishing their arch rivals. The story of the match is simple, as the Freebirds rely on dirty tactics and illegal double teams to isolate each of the brothers. But in the end, the Von Erichs’ resiliency overcomes all. – John Corrigan

46. Harley Race vs. Terry Funk, July 1, 1977

When Harley Race passed away in the summer of 2019, fans and peers alike shared this match on social media, praising both legends’ abilities. For 20 minutes, Race and the Funker exchange holds, which sounds like a snoozefest but is quite the contrary. With both their facials and body language, they’re able to convey multiple emotions, sucking you in before the first punch is thrown. In NWA fashion, it’s two out of three falls: Race takes the first with an abdominal stretch, Funk rebounds with a backslide and that third fall ends in controversy. – John Corrigan

45. Pat Patterson vs. Sgt. Slaughter, May 4, 1981

No count outs. No disqualifications. No pinfalls. Not even a referee! Pat Patterson and Sgt. Slaughter went to war in this Alley Fight, bleeding buckets all over Madison Square Garden. Whipping each other with a belt, rocking each other with brass knuckles, they went extreme more than a decade before ECW emerged. Eventually, The Grand Wizard couldn’t watch his client take any more abuse, so he threw in the towel and guided the dazed Slaughter out of the arena. Caked in blood with his “I Love New York” T-shirt, Patterson soaked in the adulation of the fans. – John Corrigan

44. Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho, WrestleMania XIX

People like to say this match “stole the show” at WrestleMania XIX, but there’s not a world that exists where this match wasn’t destined to be great. There’s an expression related to mixed martial arts where “styles make fights.” Well, styles also make great pro wrestling matches, and for Shawn Michaels, wrestling Chris Jericho must have been like wrestling his shadow. The match not only featured the technical mastery you’d expect from a Michaels-Jericho match, but also some traditional babyface/heel work from two of the best to ever do it.

As time has passed, I’ve also grown to really appreciate the finish where Michaels, who was just a teensy bit better than Jericho on this particular night, pinned him with a backside roll-up. The only question is where this match stacks up in the careers of both men. Well, this match – not the unsanctioned fight at Unforgiven 2008 – is the crown jewel of Michaels-Jericho matches. Furthermore, this match is in the same ballpark as Michaels’ matches with Bret Hart and Kurt Angle. They belong in that tier juuuuuust beneath his matches with The Undertaker. – Jack Goodwillie

43. Ricky Steamboat vs. Ric Flair, March 18, 1989

While this encounter isn’t traditionally considered part of their epic trilogy of matches, I have a soft spot for this one because house shows are becoming a lost art in modern wrestling. WWE had been going through the motions with them for years, as they’re more for the wrestlers to sharpen their skills and for WWE to placate smaller markets. The idea that anything and everything can happen at a live wrestling show needs to exist in order for house shows to be effective.

On this night, however, the fans in Landover, MD got a real treat, as they got to see Flair vs. Steamboat live and in color. It’s crazy how someone happened to be in attendance and get the whole thing on film, because this could have easily been lost to time. It’s also notable for being the first match to surpass five stars in the mind of Dave Meltzer, a precedent that has since become the norm. Some may complain about the quality of the recording, but it gives the match its charm. This should be mandatory viewing for anybody who considers themselves a fan of old-school wrasslin’. If you haven’t seen it, it’s available on YouTube, no Peacock required. – Jack Goodwillie

42. Roddy Piper vs. Greg Valentine, Starrcade 1983

The gold standard of strap, bullrope and dog collar matches. In his last big outing before jumping to WWE, Roddy Piper left it all in the ring with nemesis Greg Valentine. They develop some creative uses for the chain, torturing each other in a gory slugfest. – John Corrigan

41. Nick Bockwinkel vs. Curt Hennig, Nov. 21, 1986

Grab a 32 oz. Slurpee, plop in the recliner and turn your phone off because you’re in for a helluva ride. For 60 minutes, the crafty veteran (Bockwinkel) and the hungry up and comer (Henning) put on a technical clinic. The stamina of these two is breathtaking, as their psychology, pacing and physicality keep you on the edge of your seat the entire hour, especially at the dramatic ending. Believe it or not, this aired on free TV! – John Corrigan