Elements of a Great Pro Wrestling Match

What makes a great match?

Remember that professional wrestling is an art form and that everyone has different taste.

Some fans are drawn in by a well-developed storyline, like that of a Mickie James and Trish Status, obsessive fan angle; while others crave hardcore blood-n-guts and wild brawling (Balls Mahoney, Vic Grimes, and New Jack need to make a living).

Many fans are impressed by work-rate, psychology, mat wrestling skill, innovative moves, speed, agility, and stiff striking, regardless of the angle that brought the two combatants together.

For the majority of us, a strong angle that logically brings together two capable in-ring storytellers and climaxes with an emotional, dramatic, technically impressive battle is the absolute best set of circumstances to leave us feeling like we’ve witnessed something special.

A great example of this convergence of both build-up and payoff is the heralded Jericho/Steamboat classic feud.

The match at WM 25 was off the charts in the work rate and quality departments and the storyline had great drama. Steamboat and the other legends sought revenge for Jericho’s heinous attacks against them. 

Looking for revenge, the legends fought Jericho in a handicap match.  Rowdy Piper and Jimmy Snuka were eliminated, shown that they were past their prime but Steamboat was another story. 

Like Susan Boyle, no one expected the Dragon to show great technically and skill for man his age, 56. 

The match was seen as one of the best matches at Wrestle Mania 25 and continued the storyline even with a rematch at Backlash.

All told, this might be one of the best examples of storyline and in-ring action melding to form a phenomenal pro wrestling moment.

However, it is possible to leave the masses believing they have witnessed a great match when an unforgettable moment is introduced. 

The Hogan/Andre title match from WM III contained an epic moment in pro wrestling history. Indeed it was, but the wrestling itself was terrible due to the limitations of both men.

Andre’s were no fault of his own, being brought about by his condition at the time, as his health was quite poor.  The lovable giant had no business wrestling but he was determined to pass the torch to McMahon’s next big thing, indicative of true professionalism.

Hogan, on the other hand, was limited by the fact that he’s a horrible in-ring performer and never wowed anybody with his moves.  Hogan played off of emotion and self-promotion.

So while the repercussions of the contest resonated for years throughout the WWE Universe, the actual match was bland.

Still, it certainly seemed like a great match at the time and the body slam was heard all over the world.

So which elements do wrestlers need to incorporate in order to perform a great match? Emotion, intensity, innovation, high-flying, technical prowess, self-destructive bloodshed, comedy, power, or speed? What’s the right combination?

Classic ECW fans witnessed a wacky spot-fest with huge risks, insane acrobatic feats and plenty of “holy s**t” moments but that wasn’t what made the promotion a beacon of great matches.   

However, the fans also preferred to see a more old school, mat based game of human chess. 

This was brought by wrestlers Dean Malenko, Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, Jerry Lynn, RVD, Terry Funk and other wrestlers who relied less on weapons but more on in-ring skill.

For many of us it’s hard-hitting intensity that catches the eye, the likes of which can often be found in matches between Kurt Angle and Samoa Joe.

Some fans look for comedy and zany antics, like the recent angle involving “Santana” Marella and DX vs the Spirit Squad.

No matter the buildup, if you take two huge names and put them in a match it is almost guaranteed to be great, Hogan/Warrior or Rock/Austin, Michaels/Hart, and Michaels/Austin.

Shawn Michaels’ name keeps popping up in the category of an amazing in-ring storyteller.

The Heartbreak Kid has a knack for making memorable moments, as evidenced by his last two Wrestle Mania matches, against Ric Flair and the Undertaker respectively.

Both bouts had a bit of that special feeling based on the mere fact that in each case the two legends hadn’t faced each other very often over the years, thus avoiding constant matches.

Now that I think of it, Michaels and Angle had a special sort of chemistry too, as did Angle and Lesnar. Their matches always seemed important and somehow more than the average one-on-one affair.

On the other side of the coin is a match where the viewer goes in with no expectations whatsoever, and is blown away by the quality of the in-ring action.  One prime example would be the John Cena vs. Jack Swagger match at the 2009 RAW draft special.

The result was basically a given, as anyone watching knew that Cena was not losing to the young ECW champion but watching the match you believed he could of pulled it off.

The ten minute match showcased Swagger’s great mat skills and gave creditability to the character when he constantly dominated Cena throughout the match. 

Also, Cena masters the role of the underdog so well.  His facial expressions and brawling skills are what sells the comeback kid personality that the character that Cena excels at. 

A great match that was at was expected to be a squash match.

Storyline vs. skill, big moments vs. modest venues, famous rivals vs. untested opponents; no one ingredient is more critical than another in the recipe for great matches.

It’s simple: any time you believe you’ve just seen a great match, you have.

If a contest entertained you, impressed you, or pulled you into the drama and emotion of the story, it was worth your time. If you found the violence, or comedy, or strategy of a match to your liking, it did its job.

If two wrestlers wowed you with incredible high spots, painfully realistic strikes, or incredible submission holds, then it was a great match for you.

That’s all that matters.