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Nostalgia is a tricky thing. It can make you believe that the good old days were a lot better than they were. Whether or not pro wrestling was better in previous eras or not is a debate that has no clear cut answer, and leads to endless disagreements.
However, when a wrestling match exceeds all expectations and becomes a true classic, wrestling fans are often in agreement. Whether a technical wrestling masterpiece, or a good bloody cage match, these legendary matches are indelibly etched upon the souls of wrestling fans who have beheld their glory.
And when the match happens to also be for a world title, it lends an extra air of pomp and circumstance which creates a truly magical experience.
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Here are seven of the best world title matches in wrestling history, in no particular order.
1.Jay Briscoe (C) vs. Jay Lethal
The time: July 19, 2015
The Title: Ring of Honor World Championship
The contenders: Jay Briscoe and Jay Lethal
For long time fans of Ring of Honor, the evolution of Jay Briscoe has been a sight to behold. He began as a brawler with some technique, but developed into one of the premier wrestling wizards in the sport today.
In fact, Jay got so good he spent nearly THREE YEARS without being pinned or submitted. His one loss in that time came during a Ladder Match with Adam Cole, and even then, Cole needed heavy interference. So when World Television champion Jay Lethal was set to lock horns with Briscoe with the big belt on the line, fans were salivating.
The match was pure ROH magic, a technically precise yet brutal affair that had the fans in attendance on their feet almost from bell to bell. Highlights included Jay Briscoe hitting Lethal with his own finisher, a top rope cutter from Lethal, and Jay Lethal choosing to be a double champion and NOT vacate the ROH Television title.
The full match is available at www.rohwrestling.com, but here are some highlights.
2. The Undertaker (C) vs. Edge
The Time: March 30, 2008 - Wrestlemania
The Title: WWE World Heavyweight Championship
The contenders: Undertaker and Edge
Fans were expecting a decent match out of these two fixtures of the Attitude Era. However, what they got was wildly beyond any expectations they might have had.
The two men wrestled each other in a brutal contest that featured every major move and spot in their respective repertoires. Highlights include Undertaker hitting a Last Ride outside the ring, Edge nearly submitting the Deadman with a modified Scorpion Death Lock, and a fantastic finish that left Edge bleeding from the mouth.
While the two characters involved didn't create great sparks, their in ring work was pure genius, and the match solidified Edge as a no questions asked main event talent while adding to the legacy of the Undertaker in one fell swoop.
3. Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Eddie Guerrero (C)
The Time: October 26, 1997 - WCW Halloween Havoc
The Title: WCW World Cruiserweight Championship
The contenders: Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio Jr
During WCW's run of dominance during the Monday Night War with WWE, one of the highlights of their programming was the Cruiserweight division.
Developed and booked by cruiserweight legend Dean Malenko, it was WCW's most competitive and dazzling subset. Featuring Lucha Libre stars as the backbone of the roster, it's not surprising that two Latino sensations wound up putting on arguably the best match the division ever had.
The build up to their match was just as phenomenal, with Eddie Guerrero breaking a cardinal Lucha Libre rule and unmasking Rey Mysterio. During the match Guerrero would repeatedly try to take off Rey's Mask, which was technically against the rules as it was a mask vs. title bout. Highlights include Misterio delivering a perfect dragon-rana and Eddie utilizing every dirty trick in the book to hang on to his belt.
4. Mike Awesome (C) vs. Masato Tanaka
The Time: November 7, 1999 - ECW's November to Remember
The Title: ECW World Heavyweight Championship
The contenders: Mike Awesome and Masato Tanaka
Mike Awesome built his career primarily wrestling in Japan for the FMW promotion (Frontier Martial Arts Wrestling). FMW was sort of like a far east ECW, in that the matches featured a great deal of hardcore elements and sheer brutality that would make modern wrestling fans blanch.
After years in the far east, Awesome finally came to an American promotion, ECW. When he was asked by ECW chairman Paul Heyman who he would like to defend his title against, one name was at the top of the list: Masato Tanaka.
Nearly as big and powerful as Awesome himself, Tanaka was one of the few men who could stand up to the brutality the Gladiator brought to bear. Highlights include cringe inducing chairshots, smashed announce tables, and an amazingly resilient Tanaka.
5. Sting vs. the Great Muta (C)
The Time: November 22, 1992
The Title: The IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
The Contenders: Sting and The Great Muta
Looking back, wrestling fans consider the feud between the Great Muta and Sting to be one of the greatest rivalries the sport has ever known. Similar to each other, and yet distinctly different, Muta and Sting took each other to a higher level that left fans thirsting for more.
It was Muta who ended Sting's first reign as NWA World Television champion, a title he had struggled for years to obtain. While the two were evenly matched, it seemed a lot of the time as if Muta had Sting's number, and often got the better of the bleached blonde surfer dude from California.
Years later, they would clash again in Japan, and this time the belt would be the prestigious IWGP Heavyweight title. The clash did not disappoint, and features signature moves from both superstars as well as some top notch brawling.
6. Hulk Hogan (C) vs. The Ultimate Warrior
The Time: April 1, 1990 - Wrestlemania 6
The Title: The WWF World Heavyweight Championship (The IC Title was actually not on the line, despite some revisionist history by wrestling journalists)
The Contenders: Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior
In the 1980s, there was no bigger star than Hulk Hogan. Nuns cloistered away in convents nestled deep in distant mountain ranges with no television service knew his name. Hogan had defeated nearly every opponent to lace up the boots and challenge him, even Andre the Giant. After a year away from the title Hogan became champ a second time at Wrestlemania 5.
But the 1980s had drawn to a close, and the WWE was looking for their next big thing. Hogan agreed that it was time for him to step away from the world title picture for a time, and his chosen successor was none other than the Ultimate Warrior.
Warrior had been on a tear for years, capturing the IC belt from Honky Tonk Man in a ridiculously short match. If you were looking for a man to take on the immortal Hulk Hogan, you couldn't do much better than the Ultimate Warrior.
The match went on for over thirty minutes, which was a long time for both men. Highlights include... well, the match was more known for generating emotional response from the fans than technical wizardry. Still, the crowd was on their feet when Warrior lifted Hogan up into the lights for his gorilla press slam finisher.
7. Nature Boy Ric Flair (C) vs. Ricky the Dragon Steamboat
The Time: May 7, 1989 - NWA WrestleWar
The Title: The NWA World Heavyweight Championship
The Contenders: Ric Flair and Ricky Steamboat
Back in the 1980s, Ric Flair seemed almost unstoppable as champion. His guile, trickery, and technical wrestling turned away every contender to his title, including men like Road Warrior Animal, Dusty Rhodes, and Sting.
And if there were anyone who could possibly be in danger of defeating Flair, the Four Horsemen would see to it they did not.
Flair's latest victim/contender was Wildfire Tommy Rich, hitherto the youngest man to hold the NWA world title. Flair punked out Rich on multiple occasions, usually with outside interference.
Tommy Rich went and got a mystery partner to help fend off Flair's numbers game, and wound up bringing in Ricky Steamboat. Steamboat pinned Flair in a tag team match, and of course instantly catapulted to the head of the line for a title shot.
The match between the two men is considered the gold standard for classic wrestling matches. Highlights include almost every second from bell to bell, as the two athletic men in their prime put on a phenomenal wrestling clinic that is still talked about today.
There you have it: seven of the best world championship matches of all time. Questions or comments? Please leave them below the article, and thanks for reading!
