Christian Vs Alberto Del Rio – Ladder Match – 2011
Following the untimely retirement of Edge after WrestleMania 27, the WWE decided to push his real-life best pal Christian up the card in his place, resulting in a brilliant ladder match with Alberto Del Rio that saw Christian capture his first, and only, World Heavyweight Championship in the WWE.
The match was a ladder match that Edge himself would have been proud of, as both men put on a great show on what was a great night of wrestling. The ending saw Christian win the title with a little help from Edge in what was a feel-good moment for the fans and everyone involved.
Edge Vs Jeff Hardy – Ladder Match – 2009
Edge and Jeff Hardy main evented the first ever Extreme Rules PPV in a match that was billed as being ten years in the making.
Both men have a long and storied history in ladder matches and the company used this as one of the key selling points for the duo’s big encounter. Both men delivered on the night delivering a thrill ride of a match that would set the standard for the Extreme Rules’ pay per views that would follow it.
Hardy eventually won the match but was cruelly denied a run with the World Heavyweight Championship when CM Punk cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase after the bell rang, stealing Hardy’s newly won title from him and beginning one of the year’s most exciting feuds in the process.
Evolution Vs The Shield – Six Man Tag Match – 2014
The original and many would argue the best match between The Shield and Evolution was a cross-generational master class that saw the new guard overthrow the old in brutal fashion.
The Shield Vs Evolution was fantasy booking of the highest order, and unlikely most fantasy matches, everyone involved delivered on the night and the match truly lived up to the event’s name. While The Shield had been on a meteoric rise since their debut 18 months before this, this match was the one that really established them as main event stars.
Sheamus Vs Daniel Bryan – 2 out of 3 falls – 2012
A month before this match, at WrestleMania, Sheamus had defeated Daniel Bryan in 18 seconds, ending his first ever World Heavyweight title reign. Fans were, understandably pretty pissed about the result, expecting Bryan to be given more time to perform on the grandest stage of all.
That was all dealt with one month later, however, when Sheamus and Daniel Bryan took part in what is one of the best matches of both men’s WWE careers. Given time here, both men put everything on display, with Sheamus showing that he could really deliver in the ring when it was required of him.
The match has a bit of everything, from hard-hitting brawling to mat-based technical work and on top of that, it also told a great story. This is easily one of the best matches in the event’s history.
Brock Lesnar Vs John Cena – No Holds Barred – 2012
This was Brock Lesnar’s first match back in the WWE following his 8-year absence and is one of the best of his second run with the company. Lesnar had returned to the WWE with a new no-nonsense attitude. Having spent years away from the company becoming a huge star in the UFC, Lesnar’s in-ring style was vastly different from what it was in his first run.
Lesnar laid waste to Cena in this match in what is the most brutal match in a PPV that’s whole gimmick is brutal matches. It was also one of the rare occasions we got to see blood in a WWE ring in the PG era.
Lesnar decimated Cena, only for Cena to pick up the victory – a decision that baffled fans, but kind of makes sense when you consider the company didn’t know how long Lesnar was sticking around for.
Honorable Mentions
John Cena Vs Batista – Last Man Standing – 2010
CM Punk Vs Rey Mysterio – Hair Match – 2010
Chris Jericho Vs Rey Mysterio – No Holds Barred – 2009
Roman Reigns Vs The Big Show – 2015
Liam Hoofe – What is your favourite Extreme Rules match? Let us know in the comments below, and let me know on Twitter – @liamhoofe
