Rankings of the best anything are always tricky, definitely subjective, and absolutely a lot of fun. When it comes to the best WWE matches of all time, however, there’s also another factor: There’s just so many of them.
Consider lists of the best movie or TV series. Yes, there are a ton of each over the years. But in any given year, there are maybe dozens of movies to consider, and great TV shows tend to last for several years, even in the modern streaming age.
WWE goes nonstop every tear, putting matches on Raw and SmackDown weekly and holding bigger premium live event cards monthly. That’s hundreds of new matches annually, and while some are unquestionably more significant than others, each one is a separate performance with its own unique context.
Just narrowing that list of potential candidates down could be a Herculean effort, but we found a way to reduce the work and make the resulting list pseudo-scientific at the same time. We came up with a formula that incorporates both Cagematch ratings and the Wrestling Observer’s star ratings to give each of the greatest WWE matches ever their own score.
The end product has a satisfying cross-section in terms of both types of matches and chronology, as it includes bouts from 1994 up through this year. Certain names appear multiple times — you’d expect nothing less from the likes of Shawn Michaels, for instance — but there’s also nice variety in terms of who made the cut overall.
And while we certainly have our own opinions about where certain matches should fall in the top 20, we decided to let the rankings remain where the numbers said they should fall. After all, debating lists like this is part of what makes being a pro wrestling fan so much fun. Where possible, we’ve included the full video of the match so you can relive them as you go.
Without further ado, here are the best WWE matches of all time, working from 20 up to No. 1.
20. Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena vs. Seth Rollins - Royal Rumble 2015
Date: Jan. 15, 2015
Venue: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia
Result: Brock Lesnar won by pinfall to retain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
19. Chris Benoit vs. Chris Jericho - Ladder match - Royal Rumble 2001
Image credit: WWE.com
Date: Jan. 21, 2001
Venue: New Orleans Arena, New Orleans
Result: Chris Jericho won to become the new WWF Intercontinental Champion
18. Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins - Hell in a Cell match - Hell in a Cell 2022
Image credit: WWE.com
Date: June 5, 2022
Venue: Allstate Arena, Rosemont, Illinois
Result: Cody Rhodes won by pinfall
17. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin vs. Triple H - Three Stages of Hell match - No Way Out 2001
(See the full match on WWE.com)
Date: Feb. 25, 2001
Venue: Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas
Result: Triple H defeated Steve Austin, 2-1
16. The Usos vs. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn - WrestleMania 39
Date: April 1, 2023
Venue: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California
Result: Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn won by pinfall to become the new Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions
15. Gunther vs. Sheamus - Clash at the Castle 2022
Image credit: WWE.com
(See the full match on WWE.com)
Date: Sept. 3, 2022
Venue: Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Wales
Result: Gunther won by pinfall to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship
14. Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle vs. Edge and Rey Mysterio - No Mercy 2002
Image credit: WWE.com
(See the full match on WWE.com)
Date: Oct. 20, 2002
Venue: Alltel Arena, North Little Rock, Arkansas
Result: Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle won by submission to become the inaugural WWE Tag Team Champions
13. Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart - Steel Cage match - SummerSlam 1994
Image credit: WWE.com
(See the full match on WWE.com)
Date: Aug. 29, 1994
Venue: United Center, Chicago
Result: Bret Hart won by escaping the cage to retain the WWF Championship
12. Chris Benoit vs. Kurt Angle - Royal Rumble 2003
Image credit: WWE.com
(See the full match on WWE.com)
Date: Jan. 19, 2003
Venue: Fleet Center, Boston
Result: Kurt Angle won by submission to retain the WWE Championship
11. Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels - WrestleMania 21
Date: April 3, 2005
Venue: Staples Center, Los Angeles
Result: Kurt Angle won by submission
10. Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart - WrestleMania X
Image credit: WWE.com
(See the full match on WWE.com)
Date: March 20, 1994
Venue: Madison Square Garden, New York City
Result: Owen Hart won
9. Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker - No Disqualification Streak vs. Career match - WrestleMania XXVI
Date: March 28, 2010
Venue: University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
Result: The Undertaker won, forcing Shawn Michaels to retire
8. Chris Benoit vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H - WrestleMania XX
Image credit: WWE.com
Date: March 14, 2004
Venue: Madison Square Garden, New York City
Result: Chris Benoit won by submission to become the new World Heavyweight Champion
7. Edge and Christian vs. The Hardy Boyz vs. The Dudley Boyz - TLC match - WrestleMania X-Seven
(See the full match on WWE.com)
Date: April 1, 2001
Venue: Reliant Astrodome, Houston
Result: Edge and Christian won to become the new WWF Tag Team Champions
6. Razor Ramon vs. Shawn Michaels - Ladder match - WrestleMania X
(See the full match on WWE.com)
Date: March 20, 1994
Venue: Madison Square Garden, New York City
Result: Razor Ramon won to become the Undisputed WWF Intercontinental Champion
5. Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker - WrestleMania 25
Date: April 5, 2009
Venue: Reliant Stadium, Houston
Result: The Undertaker won by pinfall
4. Drew McIntyre vs. Gunther vs. Sheamus - WrestleMania 39
Date: April 2, 2023
Venue: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California
Result: Gunther won by pinfall to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship
3. Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker - Hell in a Cell match - Badd Blood: In Your House
Image credit: WWE.com
(See the full match at WWE.com)
Date: Oct. 5, 1997
Venue: Kiel Center, St. Louis
Result: Shawn Michaels won to become No. 1 contender for the WWF Championship
2. CM Punk vs. John Cena - Money in the Bank 2011
Image credit: WWE.com
Date: July 17, 2011
Venue: Allstate Arena, Rosemont, Illinois
Result: CM Punk won by pinfall to become the new WWE Champion, and John Cena was (temporarily) fired
1. Bret Hart vs. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin - No Disqualification Submission match - WrestleMania 13
(See the full match at WWE.com)
Date: March 23, 1997
Venue: Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, Illinois
Result: Bret Hart won by referee stoppage
