Power Ranking the Top 10 Best Matches Ever on WWE Main Event

This October marks the one-year anniversary of WWE's latest program, WWE Main Event. It debuted on October 3, 2012 on ION Television and has been making major waves in the WWE ever since.

Although the show has lost some of its luster over the last year, it still provides viewers with memorable matchups from time to time. From John Cena to 3MB, almost every active Superstar has made an appearance on the show at one point or another, which is why the program is must-see more often than not.

With WWE producing over five hours of wrestling on a weekly basis with Raw and SmackDown alone, it may be easy to simply overlook Main Event. If you are among those who don't tune in regularly, the following list just may make you reconsider.

In light of this special occasion (and with this being my historic 500th article on Bleacher Report), I will rank the top 10 matches to have ever taken place on the program in the last year. Prepare to discover multiple breath-taking bouts that you may have never even known existed.

Honorable Mentions

CM Punk vs. Sheamus (Oct. 3, 2012) - On the debut episode of WWE Main Event, then-World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus collided with then-WWE Champion CM Punk for the first time ever in a non-title match. These two in-ring warriors set the tone for what was to come on the show in the months that followed.

Sheamus vs. Cody Rhodes (Feb. 27, 2013) - You may have seen these two go one-on-one on Raw or SmackDown in the past, but those bouts pale in comparison to their clash on the February 27 episode of Main Event. Of course, Rhodes came up short, but he undoubtedly proved his worth against Sheamus that night.

Randy Orton vs. Antonio Cesaro (May 8, 2013) - To my knowledge, Cesaro has never defeated Orton in singles competition, and this match was no exception. However, Cesaro still took Orton to his absolute limit on this show and looked strong in defeat.

Alberto Del Rio vs. Cody Rhodes (August 14, 2013) - With Del Rio as the heel and Rhodes as the babyface, the dynamic couldn't have been better. Rhodes came close to defeating the World Heavyweight champion before ultimately tapping out to the Cross Armbreaker.

Dean Ambrose vs. Dolph Ziggler for the United States Championship (Oct. 16, 2013) - On the most recent episode of Main Event, Ziggler and Ambrose once again battled over WWE's star-spangled prize. At the end of this instant classic, Ambrose put away Ziggler for the three count to retain the gold.

10. The Miz vs. Kofi Kingston for the Intercontinental Title: Oct. 17, 2012

Two weeks removed from the debut episode of WWE Main Event, Kofi Kingston was set to take on The Miz for the Intercontinental Championship in what would be the first ever title match held on the program. This came after Kingston soundly defeated Miz on that week's episode of Raw, earning a shot at the gold in the process.

Although Miz and Kingston have squared off more times than I can count in the last four years, this particular bout stands out among the rest. With the Intercontinental title up for grabs, both of these valiant competitors put it all on the line in order to walk out of the arena as champion.

Back and forth they went before Kingston, out of nowhere, connected with the Trouble in Paradise onto Miz. With the win, Kingston became a four-time Intercontinental Champion and embarked on a reign that would last nearly three months.

9. Kane vs. Seth Rollins: May 15, 2013

Shortly following WrestleMania 29, Team Hell No engaged in a feud with The Shield, who were looking to take the WWE Tag Team championships from Kane and Daniel Bryan. The tag champs didn't take 'no' for an answer, though, and battled the black-clad trio at every turn.

On the May 15 edition of Main Event, Kane and Seth Rollins met in singles action for the first time ever. The two definitely didn't disappoint, either, as Rollins took the fight to Kane and came close to upsetting the former world champion on several occasions.

Although Rollins ultimately got himself disqualified via interference from The Shield, it was still a great match where the former NXT champion proved that he could hang with the best of them.

8. Chris Jericho vs. Cody Rhodes: June 26, 2013

From his return in the 2013 Royal Rumble match to his departure in mid-July, Chris Jericho had one of his best runs in WWE to date this past year. He had an infinite number of great matches, and there is no doubt that his match with Cody Rhodes on the June 26 edition of Main Event was one of them.

In their initial one-on-one encounter, Jericho and Rhodes had an exciting opening match that proved what both competitors were made of. Jericho solidified the fact that he is indeed the best in the world at what he does, while Rhodes showed the world that there is no denying he is world title material.

At one point, the second-generation star came close to securing the victory after connecting with a Cross Rhodes on Jericho, but the experienced veteran managed to kick out at the last possible second. Y2J would later lock in the Walls of Jericho for the hard earned victory.

7. The Shield vs. Mark Henry and the Usos: August 7, 2013

Needless to say, The Shield are the masters of the six-man tag team match. Although only an elite group of people have been able to overcome the black-clad trio in this type of contest, Mark Henry and The Usos decided to give it a shot on the August 7 edition of Main Event.

Despite being dominated for most of the matchup, Henry and The Usos battled back against The Shield and came close to scoring the victory. However, it was The Shield who emerged victorious after Seth Rollins nailed one of the Usos brothers in the back of the head with his patented curb stomp.

The Shield have competed in numerous matches on Main Event over the last year, but this one in particular was by far the most entertaining.

6. Dolph Ziggler vs. Antonio Cesaro: July 10, 2013

One of the biggest benefits of Dolph Ziggler turning face this past summer was the unlimited amount of fresh matchups he could now partake in. Of all the heels on the roster that fans were dying to see Ziggler face, Antonio Cesaro was without a doubt at the top of the list.

The two finally faced off on the July 10 edition of Main Event in what was one of the highly anticipated bouts of the summer. Cesaro's incredible offense meshed well with Ziggler's phenomenal selling skills, thus making for a must-see matchup. Before a victor could be determined, though, Jack Swagger ultimately interfered and cost Ziggler the contest via disqualification.

Say what you will about their respective positions on the card at the moment, but you can always count on Ziggler and Cesaro to put on an instant classic inside the squared circle.

5. Sheamus vs. Dolph Ziggler: Jan. 9, 2013

By this point, I have honestly lost track of how many times Dolph Ziggler and Sheamus have clashed in one-on-one action over the last years, but there is no questioning that their matches never cease to entertain me, personally.

I had zero intentions of seeing them face off yet again on the January 9 episode of Main Event, but I was soon in for a pleasant surprise. Not only was their match as equally entertaining as their past encounters, but it proved to be even better.

With the Royal Rumble in only a few weeks, both competitors were looking to make a statement going into the event. They did just that on this show by putting on a barn burner of a matchup that would later set the bar for the show for the remainder of the year.

Of course, Ziggler was on the losing end of the contest, but he managed to look even stronger in defeat than he did prior to the bout. Sheamus came out of it looking like the beast that he is, solidifying the statement that regardless of whether he is heel or face, he can dominate a wrestling ring like no one else can.

4. Kofi Kingston vs. Antonio Cesaro for the U.S. Championship: May 1, 2013

On the April 15 edition of Raw, Kofi Kingston ended Antonio Cesaro's reign as United States champion at 239 days and became a three-time holder of the star-spangled prize in the process. The match was mediocre at best, as I (among many others) knew they were capable of so much more.

Two weeks later, on the May 1 edition of Main Event, the two familiar foes finally had their chance to go all out in what was considered one of Cesaro's best matches to date. Despite reports billing him as "boring," Cesaro proved to everyone, including the powers that be, on that night that he is anything but.

For close to 20 minutes, Kingston and Cesaro went through almost everything in their respective arsenals in attempt to put the other away. Cesaro came within seconds of regaining the gold, but all it took was one resounding Trouble in Paradise to put away the Swiss sensation for the three count.

3. Alberto Del Rio vs. Dolph Ziggler: Feb. 13, 2013

Similar to with Sheamus, Dolph Ziggler has gone up against Alberto Del Rio countless times since the start of 2013, but many argue that their greatest match together occurred on the Feb. 13 edition of Main Event.

At the time, Ziggler was the Money in the Bank briefcase holder and Del Rio was the World Heavyweight champion, so this wasn't the first or last time these two would cross paths. Although the title wasn't on the line in this particular bout, Ziggler still took Del Rio to his absolute limit as if he were fighting for the prestigious prize.

With Big E Langton and AJ Lee in his corner, Ziggler had the advantage over Del Rio, but that didn't slow down the Mexican aristocrat in the slightest. The bleached-blonde Superstar brought his A-game in this match and showed the world (no pun intended) that he can back up everything he boasts about.

After reversing the Zig-Zag, Del Rio kicked Ziggler in the gut and followed up with the dreaded Cross Armbreaker for the victory. The live crowd erupted in excitement, which just goes to show just how hard these two worked to put on a gem of a match on this show.

2. Wade Barrett vs. Sheamus: Nov. 7, 2012

The first few months of Main Event are highly regarded as some of the best in the show's history, simply due to the fact the marquee matches on the program each week featured video packages for the Superstars competing in them. Most of the matches that took place on the show were made to feel important, and Sheamus vs. Wade Barrett was no exception.

Granted, they had faced off many times in the past, but never before in front of a capacity crowd in England. Barrett was believed to have the hometown advantage, but the bout was much more evenly balanced that one would have anticipated.

Leading into this contest, Barrett made note of the fact that he had never lost on his home turf of England. Sheamus looked to put that streak to the test by challenging the British brawler to a match on the Nov. 7 edition of Main Event.

With Big Show (who was feuding with Sheamus at the time) on commentary, this match had everything it needed to be an instant classic. The chemistry these two have together is simply indescribable, which was quite evident in this exhilarating contest.

Despite a strong outing against the world champ, Barrett was unsuccessful in overcoming the Irishman, but fans knew on that night that it wouldn't be long before these two were fighting over the most prestigious prize in the business.

1. The Miz vs. Dolph Ziggler: Nov. 21, 2012

Almost immediately after turning face on an episode of Raw in mid-November, The Miz engaged in a war of the words with Dolph Ziggler on WWE Main Event. Miz issued a challenge to Ziggler on the subsequent edition of Main Event, to which the bleached-blonde Superstar accepted, and thus the stage was set for the following week.

In what was their first-ever one-on-one encounter, Miz and Ziggler delivered a pay-per-view quality matchup on the eve of Thanksgiving. They received close to 30 minutes of in-ring time and traded their signature maneuvers non-stop in the final few minutes of the contest.

Back and forth they went, with the momentum rapidly shifting between the two Ohio natives. Just as Miz looked to close in on the victory with his patented Skull Crushing Finale, Ziggler outsmarted The Awesome One by slamming him face first into an exposed turnbuckle before connecting with the Zig-Zag.

I found this to be the best match in history of WWE Main Event, but, as with the rest of this list, it is purely based off my personal opinion. If you feel I failed to include a certain contest, be sure to notify me in the comments section below.

Furthermore, with this being my 500th article here on Bleacher Report, I would just like to say thank you to everyone who has continuously showed such strong support for my work over the years. It means a lot to me, and here's to many more articles to come.

GSM out.

Graham Mirmina, a.k.a. Graham "GSM" Matthews, is a journalism major at Endicott College. Visit his website at Next Era Wrestling and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.