50
The Road Warriors
vs. The Rockers
WWE Hall of Famers The Road Warriors (Hawk and Animal) and The Rockers (WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty) were two of wrestling's all-time top tag teams. In a brief WWF match in December 1991, LOD won after miscommunication between The Rockers, teasing their dissention.
A few months back, we counted down the Top 50 Dream Matches using wrestlers from different eras or different promotions that would make for fun fantasy matchups. This time, it's a bit of a different twist.
Here, we're at looking at matches between legendary wrestlers that actually happened - some even on pay-per-view! - but because of where one or more of the wrestlers were situated on the card, it didn't necessarily seem like a "dream match" at the time it was booked.
Did all of these turn out to be fantastic matches in execution? Of course not -- and some of them were downright terrible, partially answering why we never saw them again. But it's always fun to look at what might have been versus what actually was, just in a different setting.
While it's always tough to judge matches that happened in a different context.... in ranking the Top 50 Dream Matches That Actually Happened, Canadian Bulldog's World looked at the following criteria:
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Were the wrestlers involved of current or future Hall of Fame caliber? Some of the top prospects for the WWE Hall of Fame are listed here, but you can also look at current competitors who will likely end up in the HOF one day.
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Is the match obscure, or has it been shown to death already?
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How likely are you to track it down on YouTube or the WWE Network after hearing the match took place?
-
Would the average wrestling fan pay good money today (or in theory, today) to see this match?
Ready? Here we go!
Years before Hulkamania became a global phenomenon, Hulk Hogan was a heel managed by Fred Blassie in the WWWF. He challenged then-World Champion Bob Backlund for matches in the U.S. in Japan circa 1980. During one bout overseas between the WWE Hall of Famers, Hogan lost via disqualification.
49
Hulk Hogan vs. Bob Backlund
The Rockers and The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson) were two of the top tag teams in the mid-80's/early 90's. In 1988, the teams found themselves in the CWA promotion (Michaels & Jannetty were The Midnight Rockers are working heel) and feuded over the vacant AWA Tag Team belts.
Any picks missing or misplaced? Leave your feedback in the Comments section below...
Before he was really a household name, CM Punk took on WWE Hall of Famer Terry Funk at a Ring of Honor show in September 2003. The two had already met in tag team action in TNA, but their only a singles encounter was a Hardcore Match where the referee stopped it because Punk refused to release a hold.
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Two of the world's best junior heavyweights, Owen Hart and Jushin Liger did battle several times in Japan in the early 1990's. During one bout in 1991, Liger dropped Hart on his head by delivering a DDT from the top rope. That was enough to give Liger a pinfall over The King of Harts.
48
Owen Hart vs. Jushin Liger
WWE Hall of Famers Jerry "The King" Lawler and Jesse "The Body" Ventura had a series of matches in Memphis circa 1983 when Lawler was feuding with Jimmy Hart and Andy Kaufman. In one notable match that featured a man in a chicken suit, Hart recruited Ventura to help win Lawler's Southern Heavyweight Title.
During his last run in the WWF in July 1996, WWE Hall of Famer The Ultimate Warrior battled Glen Jacobs, who would later become Kane, in a match on Monday Night Raw. At the time, Jacobs had the unfortunate gimmick of wrestling dentist Isaac Yankem dds, and fell victim to the Warrior in short order.
46
The Ultimate Warrior vs. Kane
WCW icons Sting, Lex Luger and The Steiner Brothers had a one-off match at the SuperBrawl pay-per-view in 1991, and it turned out to be one of the best matches of the early 90's. Nikita Koloff ran to ringside to attack rival Lex Luger, but ended up hitting Sting with his chain and costing Sting & Luger the match..
45
Sting & Lex Luger vs.
Rick and Scott Steiner
While Ravishing Rick Rude didn't receive many WWF Title shots against WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan, they did have a rare encounter in December 1988 at a live event in Boston. Rude appeared to have made Hogan submit in his backbreaker, but the match continued with Hogan getting the clean pinfall.
44
Hulk Hogan vs. Rick Rude
Two of the best brother teams of all time, WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart and Owen Hart met Rick and Scott Steiner in a match filmed for Coliseum Home Video in 1994. The match ended in a surprising double-disqualification which led to pull-apart brawling and, eventually, a handshake between all four.
43
Bret and Owen Hart vs.
Rick and Scott Steiner
The sole match between international high flyers Rey Mysterio and Jushin Liger was held at WCW's Starrcade '96 as part of a series between WCW and New Japan superstars. After about 15 minutes of solid action, Liger planted his Liger Bomb on Mysterio and rolled him up for the surprising victory.
42
Rey Mysterio vs. Jushin Liger
Ironically, both AJ Styles and Kevin Owens captured championships last week, but the two have clashed many times in the past. Owens (as Kevin Steen) defeated Styles for the PWG Championship in August 2005, and last year, the two met on a House of Hardcore show with Styles getting the victory.
41
AJ Styles vs. Kevin Owens
40
CM Punk vs. Terry Funk
Top 50 Lists
WWE Hall of Famers "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and Mr. Perfect met at a live event in Hamilton, Ontario in 1991 in a match recorded for Coliseum Home Video. Perfect was the Intercontinental Champion and lost by countout. Ironically, Piper's first wrestling match - also in Canada - was against Perfect's father.
39
"Rowdy" Roddy Piper vs.
Mr. Perfect
More than a decade before Brock Lesnar interfered in Hulk Hogan's birthday celebration, the two met on SmackDown in a one-on-one match held in August 2002. Lesnar dominated the match and made Hogan pass out from the pain of his bearhug and was beaten to a bloody pulp by The Beast Incarnate.
38
Hulk Hogan vs. Brock Lesnar
WWE Hall of Famer Razor Ramon and Triple H have been good friends for many years, and yet the two members of The Kliq never really had a major match or feud. They did clash, however, on Monday Night Raw in January 1996, and competed on the undercard at MSG before the famous Curtain Call Incident.
37
Razor Ramon vs. Triple H
WWE Hall of Famers Shawn Michaels and Mr. Perfect were two of the best all-around performers, so it's no surprise that they would eventually clash. That happened at WWF SummerSlam 1993 in a bout that wasn't as good as fans were expecting. Michaels won by countout, retaining his Intercontinental Title.
36
Shawn Michaels vs. Mr Perfect
WWE Hall of Famer Ricky Steamboat took on Triple H early in his career (when he was still known as Jean-Paul Levesque) on an episode of WCW Saturday Night in September 1994. Steamboat won the match by pinfall, but paid for it later when HHH attacked from behind and worked over Steamboat's arm.
35
Ricky Steamboat vs. Triple H
34
The Rockers vs.
The Rock 'n' Roll Express
WWE Hall of Famers Superfly Jimmy Snuka and Ricky The Dragon Steamboat were among the top babyfaces during the Rock and Wrestling Era, yet they faced each other in June 1981 in All Japan. Steamboat eventually became frustrated that he couldn't pin Snuka to the point where he shoved the referee and was DQ'ed.
33
Superfly Jimmy Snuka vs.
Ricky The Dragon Steamboat
The Undertaker and Vader were two of the biggest draws in wrestling in the early 1990's, but the time they did battle in 1998, neither was quite as dominant as they had been. In one contest, they battled in Madison Square Garden in a Casket Match that featured the surprise interference of Mankind .
32
The Undertaker vs. Vader
31
Steve Austin vs. Yokozuna
Believe it or not, WWE Hall of Famers Stone Cold Steve Austin and Yokozuna did battle on the preshow for SummerSlam 96. It was during the end of Yokozuna's run and the 600-pound Yokozuna fell off the turnbuckles while scaling them for his Banzai drop, allowing Austin to get the easy pinfall.
A few weeks before he clashed with Brock Lesnar in 2002 (see # 38), WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan took on Kurt Angle and beat him by disqualification. They battled again that year at King Of The Ring, with Angle getting a submission victory and once more in 2005, when Hogan won by disqualification.
30
Hulk Hogan vs. Kurt Angle
During their career peaks, Jeff Hardy and Owen Hart would have put on a high-flying exhibition, but when they actually wrestled in December 1995 on WWF Monday Night Raw, Hardy was a jobber and lost to Owen in less than three minutes. Afterwards, Jeff was attacked by Hart's tag team partner Yokozuna.
29
Jeff Hardy vs. Owen Hart
Lex Luger and The Undertaker clashed on pay-per-view and in a decent match, no less. It was at WCW's Great American Bash in 1990 and Taker was simply known as Mean Mark. The future Phenom was unable to win Luger's United States Championship, despite interference from his manager... Paul Heyman!
28
Lex Luger vs. The Undertaker
WWE Hall of Famers Bob Backlund and Shawn Michaels did battle several times upon Backlund's return to the WWF in 1992. When Michaels became Intercontinental Champion a year later, he defended the belt against Backlund right before SummerSlam '93 and The Heartbreak Kid won by pinfall.
27
Bob Backlund vs. Shawn Michaels
WWE Hall of Famers Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat and Bret "Hit Man" Hart were actually scheduled to compete at WrestleMania 2 before the match was changed to Steamboat vs. Hercules. But in March 1986, Steamboat and Hart had a tremendous match in Boston, which resulted in a victory for The Dragon.
26
Ricky Steamboat vs. Bret Hart
WWE Hall of Famers "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and Mr. Perfect matched up only once, on a Monday Night Raw from February 2002. Austin won the match handily in about five minutes after a Stone Cold Stunner, but the match was followed by an attack on Stone Cold by Scott Hall, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall.
25
Steve Austin vs. Mr. Perfect
WWE Hall of Famers Hulk Hogan and Jerry Lawler clashed in Memphis several times while Hogan was Sterling Golden, and other times when he was under the tutetlage of his Jimmy Hart. They were supposed to have another match in 2007 when WWE stopped Lawler from facing Hogan in Memphis.
24
Hulk Hogan vs. Jerry Lawler
The Rock and WWE Hall of Famer Edge met only once in a one-on-one situation, and it was on WWF Raw in 1999. Edge was mostly a tag team specialist at this point and The Rock had been World Champion several times already. After Rock made quick work of his opponent, he was blindsided by The Undertaker.
23
The Rock vs. Edge
Shortly after CM Punk captured the World Heavyweight Title for the first time in 2008, he was challenged by Batista, and the two decided to meet in a title match at that year's Great American Bash. The bout ended in a double-disqualification, and the two had a few other clashes on television.
22
CM Punk vs. Batista
WWE Hall of Famers Bret "Hitman" Hart and Randy "Macho Man" Savage first did battle during a November 1987 edition of Saturday Night's Main Event. Primarily a tag team wrestlers at that point, Hart worked over Savage's ankle to the point that Macho Man was favoring it, even though he enetually won.
21
Bret Hart vs. Randy Savage
Brock Lesnar and Randy Orton would go to have tremendous success, but they first clashed in September 2002 on WWE SmackDown. Lesnar was already WWE Champion, while Orton was the up and coming baby face. While Orton got a lot of offense in, ultimately Lesnar got the clean pinfall via a F5.
20
Brock Lesnar vs. Randy Orton
WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair and Kurt Angle met only once, and it was towards the end of Flair's active run as a wrestler. The match between the two submission specialists took place on Monday Night Raw in June 2005, shortly after Angle was drafted to the brand. Flair tapped out to Angle's ankle lock.
19
Ric Flair vs. Kurt Angle
Former WWF Tag Team Champions Davey Boy Smith & Dynamite Kid did battle in the early 1980's before the two became a tag team in Stampede Wrestling and later the WWF. Later when The British Bulldogs (no relation) returned to Stampede in 1989, the tag team broke up and briefly feuded.
18
Davey Boy Smith vs. Dynamite Kid
Long before each become top names and champions in WWE and TNA, Daniel Bryan (at the time Bryan Danielson) and Samoa Joe competed against one another in Ring of Honor and IWA Mid-South in both singles and tag team competition. The two grapplers traded wins at ROH shows in early 2003.
17
Daniel Bryan vs. Samoa Joe
Long before the trio had become World Champions in WWE, a mulleted Eddie Guerrero, an unmasked Rey Mysterio (Rey Mysterio Jr.) and a blond CM Punk met in a three-way dance in the IWA Mid South in 2002. Guerrero, who was in between WWE stints, won the match after defeating Punk by pinfall.
16
Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio
vs. CM Punk
Although WWE Hall of Famers Bret "Hitman" Hart and Hulk Hogan were originally scheduled to battle in the main event of WWF's SummerSlam '93, it would be years later in WCW when the match finally happened. In September 1999, they had a brief match on Monday Nitro where Hogan was disqualified.
15
Bret Hart vs. Hulk Hogan
WWE Hall of Famers Randy "Macho Man" Savage and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin would have, on paper, had a WrestleMania-caliber match. But their lone encounter took place on WCW Saturday Night in May 1995, when Austin was just "Stunning Steve". Savage won the match via clean pinfall in 5 minutes.
14
Randy Savage
vs. Steve Austin
One of the few matches on this list that was actually treated like a dream match when it happened, WWE Hall of Famers Ric Flair and Bob Backlund locked up in April 1982, when they were NWA and WWF World Champions, respectively. The title unification match in Atlanta ended in a double-countout.
13
Ric Flair vs. Bob Backlund
WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley and Sabu are both recognized as two of the most extreme hardcore competitors in history. They did battle a handful of times in ECW, oddly enough when Foley (then Cactus Jack) was on loan from WCW. One such match at ECW Holiday Hell had Sabu get the pinfall win.
12
Mick Foley vs. Sabu
Rumor has it that WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan nixed a feud with fellow HOF'er Jake "The Snake" Roberts in late-1986 when Roberts was getting more cheers than the WWF Champion. However, they did have four singles matches between 1986 and 1992, all of which ended with The Hulkster getting the win.
11
Hulk Hogan vs.
Jake "The Snake" Roberts
WWE Hall of Famers Ric Flair and Eddie Guerrero had two one-on-one matches held under very different circumstances. The first was at WCW's Hog Wild pay-per-view in 1996, where Flair pinned Guerrero for the win. They met again at WWE's King of the Ring PPV in 2002, where Flair due to outside interference.
10
The Road Warriors vs.
Rick and Scott Steiner
It seems like a Dream Match today for wrestling purists, but AJ Styles and CM Punk faced off more than a decade ago in Ring Of Honor. One memorable encounter was in February 2014 in the final round of a tournament to crown the ROH Pure Champion. Styles won following a top-rope Styles Clash.
9
AJ Styles vs. CM Punk
WWE Hall of Famers The Road Warriors (Hawk and Animal) met Rick & Scott Steiner twice in two-on-two competition. The first was part of Starrcade 90's Iron Team Tournament, in which The Steiners went over (but still lost the tourney). They also battled on Nitro in March 1996, with LOD going over.
8
Ric Flair vs. Eddie Guerrero
Not much is known about the lone match that took place between WWE Hall of Famers Hulk Hogan and Dusty Rhodes. According to several sources, it happened in December 1980 as part of as a New Japan Pro Wrestling show. Legend has it that Rhodes won over Hogan by disqualification.
7
Hulk Hogan vs. Dusty Rhodes
The two most controversial deaths in WWF/E history have more in common than their Canadian upbringing. Owen Hart battled Chris Benoit (competing as the masked Pegasus Kid) in New Japan Pro Wrestling in 1981, with Benoit getting the win. They also competed in the WWF in one of Benoit's try out matches.
6
Owen Hart vs. Chris Benoit
According to his brother Lanny Poffo, WWE Hall of Famer Randy "Macho Man" Savage pushed hard for a singles feud between himself and fellow HOF'er Shawn Michaels. They had to make do with a series of matches at live events circa 1992 where Savage won more often than he lost to the future HBK.
5
Shawn Michaels
vs. Randy Savage
Two of wrestling's biggest icons in the 1990's, Sting and WWE Hall of Famer "Stone Cold" Steve Austin had numerous encounters during their time in WCW. Up and coming as "Stunning" Steve at the time, Austin lost to Sting in August 1991 in the finals to crown a new United States Heavyweight Champion. In addition, the two clashed on WCW programming many times, especially in 1994 when Austin was pushed as a singles star.
4
Sting vs. Steve Austin
Although many have speculated over the years that John Cena will be The Undertaker's final opponent in WWE, the truth is that the two future WWE Hall of Famers have battled several times in the past. Most notably, a still-heel Cena challenged Undertaker to a match at WWE Vengeance in 2003, in which The Dead Man won handily. They had a rematch in 2006 on Raw, although it was marred by outside interference.
3
John Cena vs. The Undertaker
Two of wrestling's most well-known names and staples of the early WrestleMania era, WWE Hall of Famers Andre The Giant and "Rowdy" Roddy Piper did battle several times in the lead-up to the very first WrestleMania. In one encounter in September 1984, Andre simply booted Piper out of the ring and won the match via countout. The two also had several tag team matches with partners such as Paul Orndorff, Jimmy Snuka and David Schultz.
2
Andre The Giant vs. "Rowdy" Roddy Piper
1
Brock Lesnar vs. Batista
47
Jerry "The King" Lawler vs.
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
Although Brock Lesnar vs. Batista could likely headline a WrestleMania these days (if booked properly, of course), in 2001, both men were still rookies. They collided in the WWE developmental territory Ohio Valley Wrestling and were quickly programmed against each other. Despite how such a match might turn out today, Batista (competing as Leviathan) got the pinfall victory during their September 2001 contest in OVW.
