10 Matches You Must See to Appreciate Pro Wrestling: A Casual Fan's Guide

To be honest, I have no idea why a casual wrestling fan might randomly tune into WWE Raw or Smackdown every once in a while. 

Maybe he or she is an old fan trying to get into it, or simply someone who was bored and accidentally flipped it on while watching TV one day. 

But for those casual fans who haven’t really seen much wrestling in the past and are just trying to get into it, you’re going to need a reason to stick around and watch what my dad likes to call a “male’s soap opera.” 

In order to do that, though, you are going to have to learn to appreciate pro wrestling for the wonderful art form that it is. 

Want to do that? Well, then watch these 10 matches that I’m about to introduce you to. 

These aren’t necessarily the 10 best matches ever. Rather, they are a wide range of match types (great ones) that show the diversity of wrestling and why it appeals to so many different demographics.

Modern Match with a Ton of Hype: Cena vs. Punk at Money in the Bank (2011)

John Cena vs. CM Punk for the WWE Championship at Money in the Bank in 2011

If you want to see what a raucous crowd, a great storyline and an electric atmosphere can do for a match, then look no further than this instant classic between John Cena and CM Punk.

Cena has a reputation as a bad wrestler (an undeserved one, I might add), but he and Punk delivered one of the best matches in recent WWE history at Money in the Bank last year.

For more than 30 minutes, two of the WWE's top stars went at it, with the top prize in all of the WWE on the line.

The Chicago crowd could not have been better, partly because Punk was the hometown hero, but also because it was a 5-star match that left wrestling fans buzzing about it for months.

A casual fan may be looking for a reason to watch the WWE on a consistent basis, and this match is something that should definitely keep him interested in modern wrestling.

Tag Team Encounter: The Battle of the Expresses at WrestleWar in 1990

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express vs. The Midnight Express at WrestleWar in 1990

Today's tag team wrestling doesn't even compare to what we saw in the 1980s, '90s and the early 2000s.

So if you want to see some quality tag team wrestling, I suggest going way back to more than 20 years ago and watching teams like the Andersons, the Rockers and, of course, those two in the video.

The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) are perhaps one of the most under-appreciated tag teams in wrestling history, and they put on an incredible match against the Midnight Express at WrestleWar in 1990.

The two Expresses had a long-running rivalry throughout the 1980s and into the 1990s, but this was probably the best of the bunch.

Watch it, and see what tag team wrestling should look like.

Cruiserweight Classic: Guerrero vs. Mysterio at Halloween Havoc in 1997

Rey Mysterio vs. Eddie Guerrero in a Mask vs. Cruiserweight Title Match at WCW's Halloween Havoc in 1997

The best Cruiserweight match ever? The best match in WCW history? 

I say yes to both.

Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero crossed paths a number of times throughout their careers as both rivals and friends, but never were they more "on" than they were at Halloween Havoc in 1997.

Guerrero put his Cruiserweight title on the line, and Mysterio put his mask on the line in an action-packed, extremely fast-paced bout.

It only lasted about 15 minutes, but it's probably the best relatively short match that I've ever seen.

Attitude Era Showdown: The Rock vs. Stone Cold at WrestleMania X-Seven

“Stone Cold” Steve Austin vs. The Rock in a No DQ match for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania X-Seven

Many consider the Attitude Era to be the best period in wrestling history, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that the best WWE PPV ever, WrestleMania X-Seven in 2001, was headlined by a battle between the Attitude Era's two biggest stars, The Rock and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.

These two men are synonymous with pro wrestling, and if you aren't aware of their contributions to the business, then you might not even be able to consider yourself a casual fan.

The Rock and Austin had three unforgettable WrestleMania matches, but this is the one that sticks out. This is the one that every wrestling fan needs to see.

It's a perfect story of two guys fighting for one spot at the top of the WWE, and it resulted in a perfect match that was one of the most hyped and highly anticipated bouts of all time.

'Holy S#$*' Match: TLC Match at WrestleMania X-Seven

Edge and Christian vs. The Hardyz vs. The Dudley Boyz in a TLC Match at WrestleMania X-Seven

Remember how I said that WrestleMania X-Seven was the best pay-per-view in WWE history?

Yeah, well, this is another reason why.

I like to call this the "Holy S#$*" match because I honestly can't tell you how many times I say that every time I watch this bout, even though I've probably seen it like 25 times.

The risks that Edge and Christian, the Hardyz and the Dudley Boyz took were nothing short of insane, and it resulted in some of the most amazing spots in wrestling history, including Edge spearing Jeff Hardy from about 20 feet in the air.

Do yourself a favor and watch this match. If you can't appreciate what these WWE stars were willing to do for the entertainment of the fans, then you never will.

Gimmick Match for the Ages: Austin vs. Hart at WrestleMania 13

Bret Hart vs. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin in a Submission Match at WrestleMania XIII

The impact that this match had on professional wrestling cannot be overlooked.

It was the defining moment in the rise of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. It was the moment that helped turn him into arguably the biggest star in WWE history.

And it just so happened to be one hell of a match.

A true technical classic, Austin and Bret Hart battled in a wonderful bout that told an incredible story and kept the fans entertained throughout.

At least for a while, it was the best gimmick match I had ever seen and a brilliant way to get a guy over without even having to have him win.

The Feud of All Feuds: Flair vs. Steamboat at WrestleWar in 1989

Ric Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat for the NWA World title at WrestleWar in 1989

Flair vs. Steamboat is considered by many to be the best feud/series of matches in wrestling history.

It spanned across two decades and featured a number of unbelievable matches (such as that 2 out of 3 Falls Match at Clash of the Champions in 1989), but their NWA World title bout at WrestleWar in 1989 tops them all.

I can't, for the life of me, find a link to this full match online, but do whatever you can to get your hands on this match, watch it and then watch it again.

This is a prime example of why some call Flair the greatest all-around performer in wrestling history and Steamboat one of the best in-ring performers in wrestling history.

Every prospective wrestler should strive to do what Flair and Steamboat did at WrestleWar.

Triple Threat Treat: Benoit vs. HHH vs. HBK at WrestleMania XX

Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Benoit in a Triple Threat Match for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XX

I generally don't like Triple Threat matches because they're often too formulaic and I find that one of the wrestlers almost always tends to hurt the flow of the match.

That being said, they can work brilliantly if done right.

Exhibit A: Benoit vs. Triple H vs. Michaels at WrestleMania XX.

It's insanely hard to tell a great story and keep things flowing smoothly during Triple Threat matches, but Benoit, HHH and HBK were undoubtedly able to that in this three-way dance for the World Heavyweight title.

No wonder why they are all considered to be among the best wrestlers of all time.

Old School Classic: Savage vs. Steamboat at WrestleMania III

Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat for the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania III

The WrestleMania III match that everyone always talks about is, of course, Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant because of Hogan's unforgettable body slam on Andre.

But the best match at that show? Easily Savage vs. Steamboat for the Intercontinental title.

The pacing and style of the match was much different from what we see today, but it was yet another fantastic match between two of the best in-ring performers that pro wrestling has ever seen.

It's arguably the greatest Intercontinental title match ever, probably one of the top five 'Mania matches ever and a match that defined the careers of both Steamboat and Savage.

Like I said, while it's a bit different from today's style, it's a sight to see, nonetheless.

Modern Classic: The Deadman vs. the Heartbreak Kid at WrestleMania 25

The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 25 

I tend to change my mind on things like this all the time, but to this day, I still think that Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 25 was the best match I've ever seen.

Going into the bout, everyone knew that Taker was going to win, but he and HBK worked their asses off to make us think otherwise.

It was a back-and-forth encounter that featured a few risky spots (Michaels' moonsault, Undertaker's suicide dive, etc.) and some of the best false finishes of all time.

The drama and excitement surrounding this match was nearly unparalleled, thanks in large part to the excellent performances by both Undertaker and Michaels.

Some prefer their WrestleMania 26 match (which was also phenomenal), but for me, this is their bast match, the best WrestleMania match ever, and possibly the best wrestling match ever as well.