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Understandably, WWE has shied away from intergender wrestling in the past two decades. While the Attitude Era was edgy, the transition to the PG Era made the prospect of pitting men and women against each other undesirable for a company that was trying to appeal to all ages.
Superstars like Chyna and Lita had some fantastic feuds with their male counterparts during the late '90s and the early 2000s. Though these rivalries were somewhat tasteless in nature, they led to fun match-ups.
Still, some fairly recent interactions on WWE programming have brought intergender wrestling back into the company. Nia Jax's involvement in the Men's Royal Rumble Match in 2019 is a prominent example, but it was a one-off appearance.
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Even on the latest episode of WWE RAW, the company teased a possible clash between Alexa Bliss and Randy Orton, though they didn't wind up fighting each other.
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On that note, let's look back at some of the best intergender matches that WWE has presented in its prestigious history. To be fair, none of the matches on this list are genuinely great because the superstars involved were quite restricted in these bouts.
#5 Becky Lynch vs. James Ellsworth (WWE SmackDown, November 2017)
Becky Lynch vs. James Ellsworth deserves a spot on this list because it's the only intergender wrestling match of the current era. It was more of a one-sided beating than an actual match, though.
Ellsworth, Carmella's crony at the time, had been interfering in her matches by distracting the other female superstars. Naturally, Lynch wanted to get some revenge.
Lynch took on Ellsworth in a singles match on this special episode of WWE SmackDown. Several members of the women's division supported Lynch at ringside. "The Man" easily defeated Ellsworth, as she gave him a resounding beating. Lynch ultimately made Ellsworth tap out to the Disarm Her.
Then, Carmella delivered a superkick to her sidekick to end their association for the foreseeable future. They reunited when Ellsworth returned during Carmella's title defense against Asuka at WWE Money in the Bank 2018.
Though Lynch's bout with Ellsworth was billed as an intergender wrestling match, Ellsworth didn't get any offense in. It was evident that WWE was still hesitant to press the button and promote a full-fledged match between a man and a woman.
#4 Dean Malenko vs. Lita (WWE RAW, December 4, 2000)
The only reason this match from WWE RAW is at the fifth spot this list is that it's only five minutes long. This WWF/WWE Light Heavyweight Championship bout featured Lita going all-out against a technically formidable opponent in Dean Malenko. The two produced a exceptional match, though they weren't given a lot of time to do so.
They didn't waste a single second, as the entire contest was filled with eye-opening action. It's a widely accepted fact that Malenko is one of the best pure wrestlers in the history of the business. So Lita's ability to hold her own in a match with "The Man of 1,000 Holds" is incredible. Lita was a trailblazer, and this match is just one example of her brilliance.
The contest was filled with quick reversals. Lita kept finding ways to break out of Malenko's offense in order to execute some of her own. But the four-time WWE Women's Champion came up short, even after she delivered her signature Moonsault. Malenko ultimately locked Lita in the Texas Cloverleaf to secure the win.
#3 Chyna vs. Jeff Jarrett (WWE No Mercy 1999)
In one of the most important WWE matches in the history of intergender wrestling history, Chyna challenged Jeff Jarrett for his WWE Intercontinental Championship. The story between the two was quite simple. Jarrett was portrayed as a sexist man who didn't believe Chyna could defeat him. Chyna, of course, was fiercely determined to prove him wrong.
The bout was a Good Housekeeping match, which is a variation of a no-disqualification contest. The two Superstars went on to have a fantastic bout that was all about violence and big spots. There was hardly any traditional wrestling in the contest, but nobody wanted to see it in the first place.
The crowd was firmly behind Chyna, and the fans wanted her to give Jarrett a brutal beating. Some viewers have criticized the build-up to this match. Still, WWE delivered a feel-good ending, as Chyna emerged victorious.
Even today, the match is quite polarizing. Many fans dismiss it because they think it promotes intergender violence. But the bout has also drawn plenty of praise, as it gave mixed wrestling the opportunity to shine on a big platform.
#2 Lita and Trish Stratus vs. Christian and Chris Jericho (WWE Armageddon 2003)
This bout featured Lita and Trish Stratus, two of the all-time great female athletes in WWE. The duo clashed with two of the company's best stars, Chris Jericho and Christian. With these four stars, this contest was bound to be terrific. The match was based around another story of sexist men looking down on women.
The crowd booed the two men for their disrespectful behavior, and Lita and Stratus had one key advantage. While the female stars got along well, their male counterparts couldn't stay on the same page.
While the match itself had some problematic moments, it was elevated by an electric crowd. The fans erupted when Lita hit Christian below the belt. But the ending of the contest did not favor the female competitors.
Jericho was looking to take Stratus down, though Christian rolled her up for a sneaky win. Jericho was clearly displeased with Christian for stealing the win. The tension between Jericho and Christian tension played out in the months to come. This match ultimately proved to be a catalyst for their singles clash at WWE WrestleMania 20.
#1 Chyna vs. Chris Jericho ( WWE Survivor Series 1999)
During the Attitude Era, WWE stars Chyna and Chris Jericho had a memorable rivalry. Among their three consecutive pay-per-view matches for the WWE Intercontinental Championship, this contest was the best one. It was also one of the longest matches Chyna had in her WWE career. It lasted nearly 14 minutes.
While her bouts with Jeff Jarrett were more hardcore, this series with Jericho was fairly traditional. These two Superstars shared genuinely good in-ring chemistry, and their matches felt perfectly natural. There were a few instances when Jericho showed sexist behavior in the match, but for the most part, these stars simply wrestled.
The primary downside of the match was the fact that Chyna was booed by the crowd after she retained her title. Though she was a face, the fans favored Jericho, a popular heel.
But this reaction doesn't take away anything from the quality of the in-ring action. The bout is still warmly remembered today. Many fans consider it to be one of the best matches in Chyna's incredible career.
