What Is the Best WWE Match of the 21st Century? (Round 2)
Hello and welcome to the second round of "What is the best WWE match of the 21st century."
First of all, I would like to thank all those people that took some time and voted in round one. Without you guys, I wouldn't be writing this article now.
There were a few upsets in round one. Surprisingly, RVD's WWE championship winning match at One Night Stand 2006 missed out on advancing to the next round. So did Eddie Guerrero's WWE championship match with Brock Lesnar at No Way Out 2004.
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Another huge upset was the Triple H vs. Steve Austin street fight at No Way Out 2001 not making it through. The match lost by a single vote!
Due to popular demand, there will be a special bracket in round two just for those matches that originally missed out that people think deserve to be included.
Out of the 28 matches in round two, Shawn Michaels features in 9 of them! He really is the showstopper!
This time around I will give you some details from each match including some of the major spots and what the result of the match was.
Without further ado, here's your choices for round 2.
First Bracket:
Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho (Wrestlemania 19) - This match went for over 20 minutes and included Jericho countering a Sweet Chin Music into a Walls Of Jericho. Michaels won the match by countering a suplex into a roll up and a successful pin.
VS.
Chris Benoit vs. Kurt Angle (Royal Rumble 2003) - These two put on an absolute clinic in this match! There was counter after counter and Angle eventually got the win when Benoit tapped to the ankle lock.
Second Bracket:
Steve Austin vs. The Rock (Wrestlemania X-7) - The match was a classic and was the crown jewel of WWE's best-ever pay-per-view. Austin came away with the win, but nobody can deny that this was a great match. The image of Austin and Vince McMahon hugging in the ring after the match left everyone speechless.
VS.
Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels (3 Stages Of Hell match, Armageddon 2002) - One of the few 3 Stages Of Hell matches to ever take place in WWE, it was a classic. The match featured a street fight, a cage match, and a ladder match. It was a brutal encounter with Triple H getting hit by a barbed wire 2 x 4, which was on fire, in the head. Triple H came back and eventually won the match.
Third Bracket:
The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan (Wrestlemania X8) - Icon vs. Icon. This was the match that everyone world wide had wished would happen, and it delivered. It was an epic encounter with The Rock the winner by the end of it.
VS.
Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho (Ladder match, No Mercy 2008) - Jericho ended up losing part of a tooth when he was hit by a ladder, but he went on to win the match.
Fourth Bracket:
Randy Orton vs. Edge vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Matt Hardy vs. Finlay vs. CM Punk vs. King Booker vs. Mr. Kennedy (Money In The Bank, Wrestlemania 23) - This match will forever be remembered for one moment. Edge was lying unconcious on a ladder across the ring apron and barricade. Jeff Hardy was climbing a ladder in the ring, going for the briefcase when his brother Matt told him to jump on Edge. Jeff climbed higher up the ladder and crashed, along with Edge, through the ladder. Mr. Kennedy won the match, only to lose the case to Edge later on due to injury.
VS.
Shawn Michaels vs. Kurt Angle (Wrestlemania 21) - There were plenty of great spots in this match. Angle got the win after locking in the ankle lock and HBK tapped out.
Fifth Bracket:
The Hardyz vs. The Dudleyz vs. Edge & Christian (TLC 1, Summerslam 2000) - The original TLC match that can not be described. You've all seen it. You all know how great it was. Edge & Christian retained their title belts in an unbelievable match.
VS.
Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Rob Van Dam vs. Booker T vs. Kane vs. Chris Jericho (Elimination Chamber, Survivor Series 2002) - Eric Bischoff's greatest ever idea was in action for the first time at Survivor Series in 2002. The RVD spiderman jump was a great spot, as was his frog splash from on top of a pod. Shawn Michaels won this grueling match.
Sixth Bracket:
Shawn Michaels vs. Ric Flair (Retirement match, Wrestlemania 24) - This is the match where HBK's famous words "I'm sorry, I love you" came from. Michaels won the match after a Sweet Chin Music, and retired his good friend Ric Flair.
VS.
Triple H vs. The Undertaker (Wrestlemania X-7) - The best spot in this match has to be when Triple H was choke-slammed off of a scaffold and that was followed up by an elbow drop. Undertaker won the match and his streak went to 9-0.
Seventh Bracket:
Chris Benoit vs. Chris Jericho (Ladder match, Royal Rumble 2001) - This match had one of the best chair shots ever when Benoit dived through the ropes and gets hit in the face by a steel chair. Jericho locked in the Walls of Jericho on top of the ladder, and later won the match.
VS.
Triple H vs. Mick Foley (Hell in a Cell, No Way Out 2000) - Foley's career was on the line in this match, so it had to be good. Foley was sent through the roof of the cell and left a dent in the ring mat. Triple H won and Foley's career was over, for the moment...
Eighth Bracket:
Jeff Hardy vs. The Undertaker (Ladder match, RAW 2002) - Hardy put up a good fight, but ultimately lost to the dead man. Hardy kept getting up during the match, and he won the Undertaker's respect.
VS.
The Hardyz vs. The Dudleyz vs. Edge & Christian (Triangle Ladder match, Wrestlemania 2000) - This match is often thought of as the first TLC match because it was just that good. Edge & Christian retained after standing on a table that was on top of two ladders, and they used it as a platform to get the belts.
Ninth Bracket:
Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Benoit (Wrestlemania XX) - There was a lot of back-and-forth action in this match. Triple H and Shawn Michaels suplexed Benoit through an announce table, but he recovered to win the match.
VS.
Edge vs. John Cena (TLC, Unforgiven 2006) - Everything in this match was stacked in Edge's favor. He had the home crowd and was in a match that he was very familiar with. Cena ended up winning the match after delivering an FU from on top of the ladder, through two stacked tables.
10th Bracket:
Shawn Michaels vs. Shelton Benjamin (RAW 2005) - On RAW there was a gold rush tournament that resulted in these two facing each other. It was one of Shelton's best matches to date, and it ended with HBK winning when Shelton jumped from the top rope and got hit by a Sweet Chin Music in mid-air.
VS.
Kurt Angle vs. The Rock vs. The Undertaker (Vengeance 2002) - The wrestlers in this match performed each other's finishers and The Rock finished the match winning his seventh championship.
11th Bracket:
The Hardyz vs. The Dudleyz vs. Edge & Christian (TLC 2, Wrestlemania X-7) - This match built on the first TLC match to such a point that the participants didn't think it was possible to push the bar any higher. Jeff Hardy hung from the title belts and got speared by Edge from the top of a ladder. Matt Hardy and Bubba Ray were taken out at the end of the match after crashing through 4 stacked tables. Edge & Christian retained their titles after an excellent match.
VS.
Jeff Hardy vs. Edge (Ladder match, Extreme Rules 2009) - This is the most recent match on the list. We all know what happened, so all I'll say is that this match was one of the best ladder matches from the last five years.
12th Bracket:
Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker (Wrestlemania 25) - The best Wrestlemania match ever IMO. They had an absolute classic, and even now they are still recovering. At the end of it all The Undertaker won and kept his streak alive.
VS.
The Undertaker vs. Edge (Hell in a Cell, Summerslam 2008) - This match saved the pay per view. If there was ever a Hell in a Cell/TLC match, this was it. The two superstars utilised every square inch of the cell, and even managed to break out of it.
13th Bracket (Reader's Choice):
Undertaker vs. Kurt Angle (No Way Out 2006) - These two put on a classic match worthy of Wrestlemania. Angle got the win with a roll up pin.
VS.
Jeff Hardy vs. Rob Van Dam (Hardcore Title match, Invasion 2001) - This was the only title match on the card, and it delivered. Lots of high impact moves and plenty of reversals. RVD got the win after a frog splash.
VS.
Randy Orton vs. Cactus Jack (No Holds Barred match, Backlash 2004) - An absolute spotfest here. Awesome spot where Orton missed an RKO and landed on a pile of thumbtacks.
VS.
London & Kendrick vs. Regal & Taylor vs. MNM vs. The Hardyz (Ladder match, Armageddon 2006) - This is the infamous match where Joey Mercury legitimately got injured during a botched spot. London & Kendrick went on to win the match, but it'll always be remembered for what happened to Mercury.
VS.
Edge vs. Matt Hardy (Loser Leaves Raw, RAW 2005) - The feud between these two started when Matt's then girlfriend Lita had an affair with Edge. The rivalry ended in this ladder match when Hardy lost the match and was sent packing.
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