Sting vs. Triple H and the 10 Greatest Dream Matches in Pro Wrestling History

On March 29, at WrestleMania 31, fans will witness one of the few dream matches today's sports entertainment industry still has left to offer when WWE COO Triple H battles Sting in a grudge match.

During the Monday Night Wars, Sting was the franchise player of World Championship Wrestling, the man tasked with thwarting the New World Order and carrying the company on his back. Triple H, on the other hand, was rising through the ranks in WWE and establishing himself as the greatest heel in the industry.

It has taken 14 years for the Stinger to pop up on WWE programming, but now that he has, a handful of dream matches await beyond his showdown with the Game.

The long and illustrious history of professional wrestling is dotted with some truly iconic dream matches, the likes of which have fans talking decades before, and after, they occur.

From the Rock versus John Cena to Hulk Hogan versus Ric Flair, they are the pay-per-view quality main events that split the audience and serve as dreams come to life—the answers to the question of "what if they wrestled?"

There are other dream matches pitting all-time greats against each other that, for whatever reason, were wasted on free television or live events, never to be seen on a grand stage. Still, that does not make them any less exciting or historic.

Now, in light of Sting and Triple H's impending match, take a stroll down memory lane with these 10 phenomenal dream matches, ranked in order according to star power, quality, importance and setting.

10. Ric Flair vs. Kurt Angle

Ric Flair was well past his prime in 2005 but that did not mean the Nature Boy was incapable of digging down and delivering a fantastic performance when the time called for it. With the opportunity to battle the best worker of the current generation, Kurt Angle, Flair seized the opportunity and fans everywhere got their wish of seeing the two phenomenal wrestlers work together.

They wrestled a beautiful match, in which the somewhat over-the-hill Flair utilized his trademark chops to help stun the physically superior Angle. As an Elimination Chamber qualifier, it would determine who would get a shot at the WWE Championship at the upcoming pay-per-view.

Angle, channeling his inner Flair, used the official being distracted to his advantage, wrapping his hand in his Olympic gold medal and blasting his opponent in the face, which allowed him to pick up the tainted victory.

While not the five-star affair it would have been had it been earlier in Flair's career, the match answered the "what if?" question fans had been asking since the two competitors first came under the same banner.

9. Bret Hart vs. Hulk Hogan

In 1993, Hulk Hogan returned to World Wrestling Entertainment after a year-long hiatus and effectively cut the legs out from underneath reigning hero, and heavyweight champion of the world, Bret Hart.

The Hulkster's backstage politics proved too much for the Hitman, whose push as the top star in Vince McMahon's company was essentially put on hold thanks to the selfishness and ego of Hogan.

While it appeared that the two were headed toward a pay-per-view match at some point that same year, it never came to fruition. When Hogan jumped ship to WCW, it appeared unlikely that the match would ever happen.

Then Hart wound up joining Hogan in WCW, following the much talked about Montreal Screwjob, and it again appeared that fans may get that highly anticipated match between the two. Considering that the Ted Turner-owned company soon found itself on the receiving end of a beatdown by WWE and its edgier programming, it seemed to make sense that Eric Bischoff would pull the guaranteed blockbuster match out of his hat for one last great pay-per-view buy rate.

Instead, he booked the contest for free television.

That's right: Rather than making millions of dollars at a time when they could have used it, thus capitalizing on the name value of the stars to whom they were paying ridiculous salaries, Bischoff used up one of the last major dream matches available to him in hopes of popping a television rating.

On September 28, 1998, Hart defeated Hogan in a WCW World Heavyweight Championship match by disqualification.

They would never meet again.

8. Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar (WrestleMania 20)

Two of the most dominant, physically imposing stars in the history of professional wrestling did battle at WrestleMania 20, as Goldberg clashed with Brock Lesnar in a match that should have been a war of attrition.

Instead, with word leaking that both Superstars were on their way out of WWE following the event, the crowd inside Madison Square Garden turned on the bout, raining down on both competitors with jeers, opting instead to cheer special referee Steve Austin.

Still, the sight of those three icons sharing the same ring at the biggest event known to sports entertainment is a visual that is impossible to erase.

Goldberg would win the incredibly awkward, insanely entertaining match with a Jackhammer, but it was the two Stone Cold Stunners delivered by Austin that ultimately popped the crowd.

7. Sting vs. Hulk Hogan (WCW Monday Nitro 11/20/1995)

In 1995, Eric Bischoff and World Championship Wrestling made the calculated decision to launch Monday Nitro, a prime-time wrestling show that would compete directly with WWE Raw. In order to establish ratings dominance in the newly established Monday Night War, Bischoff regularly booked pay-per-view-quality main events.

One would be a dream match that fans of both companies had wanted to see for years: Hulk Hogan, the former franchise player of Vince McMahon's WWE, squaring off with Sting, WCW's top babyface talent.

It was a huge match, the likes of which could have headlined the biggest event of all time—and would two years later.

Before that, though, they clashed on Nitro.

Not eager to give away a clean finish to a match that could still make him a great deal of money at a later date, Bischoff booked a no contest after nine minutes of action.

Still, the idea that the two most popular wrestlers of the last decade would clash on free television, in the closest thing to a war between WWE and WCW that fans would see played out inside the squared circle for at least the next six years, was something truly special and further evidence of Bischoff treating his show like destination viewing.

6. Shawn Michaels vs. Kurt Angle

Shawn Michaels was arguably the best worker of his generation, a wrestler so talented he could get a four-star classic out of a broom handle.

Kurt Angle rose to prominence in Michaels' absence. A former Olympic gold medalist in amateur wrestling, he entered the world of sports entertainment and took it by storm, picking up the art form faster than any rookie ever had. He was a natural and, like Michaels, could get a phenomenal match out of much lesser workers.

What would happen if the two all-time great ring technicians and storytellers clashed on the biggest stage the industry had to offer?

Fans found out at WrestleMania 21, when Angle and Michaels battled in one of the night's most anticipated bouts.

For one half-hour, they delivered a contest full of reversals, counters, submissions and near-falls that instantly ranked as one of the best in event history.

Ultimately, it was Angle trapping the Heartbreak Kid in the ankle lock and forcing a tapout from the future Hall of Famer that established his dominance and allowed him to pick up arguably the biggest victory of his celebrated career.

They would meet again at the Vengeance pay-per-view a few months later, but it lacked the special feeling and meaningfulness of the original at the Showcase of the Immortals.

5. The Rock vs. Goldberg

In 2003, World Wrestling Entertainment was desperately seeking star power to help replace the retired Steve Austin and the departing Rock. Having brought in former WCW star Scott Steiner, who proved to be a massive failure, they set their sights on the biggest fish in that small lake, Bill Goldberg.

After years of speculation about the former heavyweight champion joining WWE, he finally arrived. One night after WrestleMania XIX, he interrupted the Rock's celebration, delivered a massive spear and laid the groundwork for one of the biggest dream matches ever.

The unquestioned face of late-1990s WCW, Goldberg was the last beacon of hope for that company. He broke out in 1998 and became a pop culture phenomenon, a star on the level of WWE's Attitude era icon Steve Austin.

The Rock, on the other hand, was wrestling's greatest crossover star—a legitimate Hollywood celebrity who was beginning to exit stage left and pursue more in the world of film. What better way for him to give back to the business that helped make him a star than by delivering one more major dream match by representing the Attitude era and Vince McMahon's sports entertainment empire against Goldberg?

At Backlash in April 2003, the Superstars clashed in a monumental showdown.

Unfortunately for Goldberg, so entertaining was the heel Rock that he completely overshadowed the newcomer and essentially ruined any opportunity he had of being the invincible beast, the complete wrecking ball and captivating persona that he was in WCW.

Goldberg still won the match, of course, but he was dead on arrival.

WWE never did really grasp the idea behind the character—nor did they use him particularly well. By the time his stint with the company came to an end the following year, it was in the best interest of everyone involved for them to go their separate ways.

Still, the Rock versus Goldberg was a huge match that fans had fantasized about for years.

4. Shawn Michaels vs. Hulk Hogan

Hulk Hogan represented the Rock and Wrestling era of World Wrestling Entertainment. Shawn Michaels represented the New Generation.

One was known for his credo of taking vitamins, saying prayers and working out, the other was known for wowing audiences with unmatched athleticism and showmanship.

At SummerSlam in August 2005, two of the greatest and most decorated stars to ever lace a pair of boots battled in the most hyped match of the year.

Michaels had delivered Sweet Chin Music to Hogan to set up the feud, then spent weeks reverting to the days of the angrier, edgier Heartbreak Kid, mocking the Hulkster and poking fun at his age and legacy. Hogan, as comfortable in his normal shtick as ever, said "brother" a lot and asked Michaels "whatcha gonna do?" to help sell the match to those fans stuck in a time warp.

In the nation's capital, in front of tens of thousands of rabid fans, Hogan overcame the proverbial crimson mask, not to mention a much more athletic Michaels, to pick up the win.

Hulkamania ran wild to close out the show, but a decade later, all fans seem to remember is Michaels overselling Hogan's offense and making him look like a joke.

3. The Rock vs. John Cena (WrestleMania 28)

Born of very real dislike between the two men involved, the match between the Rock and John Cena at WrestleMania 28 pitted two of the most popular heroes in WWE history in a clash of generations.

Dubbed "Once in a Lifetime," the contest was booked a year in advance, giving fans 12 months to prepare for the encounter.

The stars did not disappoint, delivering a match that wowed the fans in the Rock's hometown of Miami.

Cena was obviously in better ring shape, but it was his arrogance and cockiness that proved his downfall.

Late in the match, he attempted the People's Elbow but was greeted with a Rock Bottom and the biggest loss of his career to that point.

They would repeat the same match a year later at WrestleMania, hurting the effectiveness and uniqueness of the original.

2. The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan (WrestleMania 18)

The SkyDome in Toronto was home to the first showdown between sports entertainment icons the Rock and Hulk Hogan.

Two of the biggest mainstream stars ever produced by professional wrestling, they squared off in a contest pitting generation against generation, with no prize on the line but the right to claim superiority over the other.

A bone-chilling stare down kicked things off before the two all-time greats waged war in an enthralling, exciting and captivating match that saw the die-hard members of the WWE Universe watching from the edge of their seats as each man claimed near-falls over the other.

By the time Rock delivered the People's Elbow and picked up the victory, the crowd was exhausted, having invested every bit of energy they had in supporting their favorite Superstar.

The events that unfolded after the bell, including Hogan and Rock fighting off Scott Hall and Kevin Nash and the Hulkster turning babyface one last time, as well as the post-match pose down, really helped seal what was an epic night of entertainment by two of the finest to ever lace up a pair of boots.

1. Hulk Hogan vs. Ric Flair (Madison Square Garden, 12/29/1991)

For almost a decade, Hulk Hogan represented all things WWE. He was the face of the promotion, its champion and one of the biggest pop culture icons that the industry had ever produced. He was Vince McMahon's golden boy and a hero to millions.

Ric Flair was the franchise player of Jim Crockett Promotions and, later, WCW. A wrestler whose classic matches with Ricky Steamboat, Sting, Terry Funk, Harley Race and Barry Windham had earned him universal respect and love. He was wrestling's most celebrated worker.

When Flair left WCW following a bitter falling out with company president Jim Herd and chose to sign with McMahon's company, fans were elated about the possibility of seeing the sport's two biggest attractions squaring off in the dream match of dream matches.

With WrestleMania VIII on the horizon, surely McMahon would book the biggest match of all time for his promotion's most distinguished event.

Right?

Wrong.

Instead, he tested the match on the house-show circuit, including a December 1991 match at the storied Madison Square Garden.

Hogan and Flair battled back and forth before the Hulkster scored a count-out win over his opponent.

It was a lackluster finish to a match that should have meant so much more than it actually did.

So disappointing was the revenue from the match that the company changed its WrestleMania plans, separating the two legends. It would not be until 1994, when WCW acquired Hogan and booked him against Flair at its Bash at the Beach show, that they would actually compete on pay-per-view.

Hogan would win that match, which did phenomenal business for the company.