I have been to six WWE live events in my life despite the fact that I didn't go to my first live event until May 2009. I have seen a lot of WWE matches in-person and many of them were really good. Although I expect to see many more WWE live matches in the future, I have decided to rank my favorite WWE matches I have seen in-person at live events. For this list, I have included every WWE match I have ever seen except for dark matches and house show matches. Basically, any match that was not televised is not on my list. I have seen about six dark matches and I went to a WWE house show that featured eight matches. Some of the non-televised matches were really good and one of them was a very good John Morrison vs. CM Punk match but the main reason why I'm not including those matches is because I don't remember them very well and I can't re-watch them if I wanted too. I have almost all of the other matches on DVD and the few that I don't have on DVD are matches I could find on YouTube.
Ranking these matches were difficult. I didn't rank them based on how good they were...I ranked them based on how much I enjoyed them. Choosing matches for the top ten was easy although the order of the top ten was a little bit tricky. All of the matches after the top ten were difficult to rank as the quality of the matches got lower but I'm fine with how my rankings turned out. I decided to rank each match based on memory and not re-watch every match. I plan to go to more WWE live events in the future so I will update this list someday and I might decide to change the rankings of some of the matches other than the new matches I will be adding to the list. By the way, all of the WWE live events I have gone to were in Chicago, IL at the Allstate Arena.
1. John Cena (c) vs. CM Punk (WWE Championship Match) Money in the Bank 2011
Kegger’s Reaction: This is arguably the best match of 2011. This match had a great crowd atmosphere. CM Punk and John Cena both performed well. Also, CM Punk, who is currently my favorite WWE Superstar, won the WWE Championship. This was an easy choice.
2. Justin Gabriel vs. Sheamus vs. Heath Slater vs. Cody Rhodes vs. Kane vs. Sin Cara vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Wade Barrett (Smackdown Money In The Bank Ladder Match) Money in the Bank 2011
Kegger’s Reaction: I loved this match. It was 24 minutes long and it was exciting for the entire match. There were very few boring parts and there were many awesome spots. I was so happy that Daniel Bryan won. Everyone in this match did a great job. I was impressed by Sin Cara.
3. Rey Mysterio (c.) vs. Chris Jericho (Intercontinental Championship Match) Judgment Day 2009
Kegger’s Reaction: This match was a classic. This was by far the best Jericho match I have ever seen in-person. This was the first match in the epic Jericho-Mysterio feud of 2009. This might have been the worst match out of the three Pay-Per-View matches they had…that’s how great the rivalry was. I loved this match. It is my favorite match of Judgment Day 2009. I loved the part of the match when Jericho reversed the 619 into the Walls of Jericho.
4. The Miz (c.) w/ Alex Riley vs. Daniel Bryan (U.S. Championship Match) Night of Champions 2010
Kegger’s Reaction: This was a very solid feud in 2010 and Daniel Bryan and The Miz had a great match at Night of Champions 2010. There were a few really good spots and I loved seeing Bryan making Miz submit to the LeBell Lock. I think this was the first WWE title change I saw at a live event.
5. Edge (c.) vs. Jeff Hardy (World Heavyweight Championship Match) Judgment Day 2009
Kegger’s Reaction: I was more interested in the Orton vs. Batista match at Judgment Day than this match but Edge vs. Hardy was a much better match. The best spots were when Edge jumped off the announce table and speared Hardy and Edge’s sick DDT off the top rope. This was Edge’s final Pay-Per-View win in Chicago and the last time he beat Jeff Hardy on PPV.
6. Sheamus (c.) vs. Edge vs. Chris Jericho vs. Randy Orton vs. John Cena vs. Wade Barrett (Six-Pack Elimination Challenge for the WWE Championship) Night of Champions 2010
Kegger’s Reaction: This was a really good match despite the fact Chris Jericho, arguably the most talented performer in this match, was eliminated in the first minute of the match! This wasn’t a classic match but I was a big Orton fan at the time so seeing Orton win automatically guaranteed that this match would be one of my favorite in-person matches. Also this match featured four future Hall of Famers (Edge, Jericho, Orton, and Cena) and two very talented Superstars still in their prime (Sheamus and Wade Barrett).
7. Alberto Del Rio vs. R-Truth vs. Jack Swagger vs. The Miz vs. Evan Bourne vs. Rey Mysterio vs. Alex Riley vs. Kofi Kingston (Raw Money In The Bank Ladder Match) Money in the Bank 2011
Kegger’s Reaction: This was not as good as the other MITB match at this Pay-Per-View but it was a very good match with some really good spots. The best spot was Evan Bourne doing the shooting star press off the ladder. It was a very exciting match.
8. Kane (c.) vs. Undertaker (No Holds Barred Match for the World Heavyweight Championship) Night of Champions 2010
Kegger’s Reaction: This match was a little bit boring and not as epic as I thought it would be but Undertaker is a legend so I do like this match a lot. It was cool seeing Kane defeat Undertaker which was very rare but Kane went on to beat Undertaker a couple more times after this match. This was one of the best feuds of 2010 and I was very excited about this match. It wasn’t a great match but Undertaker is definitely a future Hall of Famer and Kane is probably a future Hall of Famer too.
9. Cm Punk vs. Umaga Judgment Day 2009
Kegger’s Reaction: This is one of my favorite matches for a few reasons. First of all, this was the first official WWE match I saw in-person. Judgment Day was the first live event I have ever gone to and this was the first official match of the night. This was a really solid match. CM Punk and Umaga did a great job making this match look real even though I knew the match was pre-determined. Punk did a great job acting like Umaga’s offense was really hurting Punk and maybe it did hurt but if not, that was some great selling by Punk. As for Umaga, I loved how he didn’t sell a lot of Punk’s attacks. That sounds like a bad thing but Umaga was a really big guy so it was cool to see Punk have to do so much just to get Umaga off his feet. Punk would kick and punch Umaga a dozen times and Umaga would not go down. Punk would have to try to outsmart Umaga and do dangerous spots off the top rope in order to knock Umaga down. The end of this match was great. Umaga hit Punk with a sequence of moves that looked really painful and that led to Umaga getting the win. I wanted Punk to win this match but it was cool to see someone like Umaga dominate someone during a match and actually win. I was expecting Punk to make a comeback and pick up a surprising win because Punk was the face and Umaga was the heel but that didn’t happen. It felt like a real match and having Punk win would have made the match look unrealistic. Punk’s performance was amazing in this match and I’m glad this was the first official WWE live event match I saw. This was Umaga’s second to last PPV match in the WWE and unfortunately, he died shortly after he left the WWE. If you want to see the match, it is on YouTube. Click here to watch it. It was uploaded to YouTube this year and hopefully it won’t be removed.
10. Randy Orton (c) vs. Christian (World Heavyweight Championship Match—If Orton is disqualified, Christian wins the title) Money in the Bank 2011
Kegger’s Reaction: Randy Orton and Christian had many good matches during their feud and this was a good one too. It was not one of their best matches but it was enjoyable and it was the only time Christian beat Orton. It was cool to see Christian will the championship via disqualification and I think it may have been the first time the World Heavyweight Championship changed hands after a disqualification. I also enjoyed seeing Orton hit Christian with two RKOs on the Spanish announce table. I enjoyed this match a lot more than the Orton vs. Batista match at Judgment Day.
11. John Morrison vs. Shelton Benjamin Judgment Day 2009
Kegger’s Reaction: I liked this match. I wasn’t a great match but it had some really great spots. It was a solid match and a match that was very fun to watch.
12. Randy Orton (c.) vs. Batista (WWE Championship Match) Judgment Day 2009
Kegger’s Reaction: This wasn’t that good of a match but it was the first WWE Championship match I have ever seen and I enjoyed this feud. This was the first Orton vs. Batista Pay-Per-View match since Orton injured Batista with a punt several months earlier. Like I said, it wasn’t a great match but I was very interested in this match while it happened. Also, the fact Ric Flair made a surprise appearance after the match made it really memorable.
13. Edge & Christian vs. Alberto Del Rio & Brodus Clay RAW 3-28-11
Kegger’s Reaction: The best RAW match I have ever seen so far. It was cool seeing Edge and Christian team up for the final time ever. This was also Edge’s final match in Chicago. It was a very fun match and I loved seeing Edge spearing Brodus Clay for the win.
14. Chris Jericho vs. MVP RAW 9-7-09
Kegger’s Reaction: This was a decent RAW match. I loved seeing Jericho but it was not as good as the match he had against Rey Mysterio at Judgment Day. It wasn’t a great match but I’m a big Jericho fan so this match is a little bit higher than it should be. Kofi/Dolph at Night of Champions was a slightly better match but I was more interested in this match because of Jericho.
15. DX (Triple H and Shawn Michaels) vs. Chris Masters & Randy Orton RAW 9-7-09
Kegger’s Reaction: This wasn’t a great tag team match but I liked this match a lot because it was the first and only time I saw Shawn Michaels and Triple H in a match. I’m really glad I’m able to say I got to witness a Shawn Michaels match in-person. Also I was a big Randy Orton fan at the time and I loved the Triple H-Orton WrestleMania 25 feud so it was fun seeing those two in the ring at the same time.
16. Dolph Ziggler (c.) vs. Kofi Kingston (Intercontinental Championship) Night of Champions 2010
Kegger’s Reaction: Ziggler and Kofi did a great job in this match. Kofi had a very good near fall in this match and there were some nice spots. It wasn’t a classic match but it was enjoyable.
17. Christian (c.) vs. Jack Swagger (ECW Championship Match) Judgment Day 2009
Kegger’s Reaction: I think this is a fair spot for this match. It was a really good match and both superstars did a good job but it wasn’t a match I really enjoyed.
18. The Hart Dynasty (c.) vs. Cody Rhodes & Drew McIntyre vs. The Usos vs. Santino Marella & Vladimir Kozlov vs. Evan Bourne & Mark Henry (Tag Team Turmoil match for the Unified Tag Team Championships) Night of Champions 2010
Kegger’s Reaction: This was a fun match. I loved seeing Evan Bourne do the shooting star press. Santino got the crowd excited. Tyson Kidd had a really good moonsault spot in this match. It wasn’t a great match but it was exciting with all of the different tag teams. I was shocked to see The Hart Dynasty get eliminated first.
19. Jack Swagger & The Miz vs. Primo & Kofi Kingston Superstars 9-10-09
Kegger’s Reaction: This was an exciting tag team match. Primo and Kofi were awesome and The Miz did great too. I forget what Swagger did in this match but this match was a very enjoyable non-PPV match.
20. Dolph Ziggler & Sheamus w/ Vickie Guerrero vs. Daniel Bryan & John Morrison RAW 3-28-11
Kegger’s Reaction: I want to rank this higher because of Daniel Bryan’s involvement in the match but this wasn’t a very memorable match. It was a decent match but it was not a really special match.
21. John Cena vs. Cody Rhodes RAW 9-7-09
Kegger’s Reaction: The story of this match was that Cody Rhodes was going to make Cena tap out. Rhodes actually did some good submission holds and looked good against Cena. It was a decent RAW match.
22. Justin Gabriel w/ The Corre vs. Santino Marella w/ Kozlov, Big Show & Kane RAW 3-28-11
Kegger’s Reaction: This match was very short. I think it was only like three or four minutes long but it was very good despite how short it was. Great performance by Santino and it was awesome seeing Kozlov, Big Show, and Kane attacking The Corre.
23. Big Show vs. CM Punk Night of Champions 2010
Kegger’s Reaction: Good match but it was too short. CM Punk did a good job despite having Big Show as his opponent. I was mad that Big Show won. If this match was 10+ minutes instead of 5 minutes, I might have had it higher on my list.
24. Curt Hawkins versus Trent Baretta Superstars 3-31-11
Kegger’s Reaction: Trent Baretta had some really cool spots in this match. It wasn’t a great match but I did enjoy watching it.
25. Chavo Guererro vs. Evan Bourne RAW 9-7-09
Kegger’s Reaction: This was an okay match. Both of these guys are very talented so it was a fun match. I might have liked it a little more if Bourne did the shooting star press.
26. John Cena vs. Big Show Judgment Day 2009
Kegger’s Reaction: This was a boring match. I should have it lower on my list but I did enjoy it little bit. I enjoyed the “Cena Sucks” chants during this match and it was funny seeing Cena try to apply the STF to the Big Show and fail three times. I have to admit that seeing Cena hit the Big Show with the Attitude Adjustment was impressive. Also, the storyline going into this match was interesting. It’s a somewhat memorable match but for a main event PPV match, it should have been more enjoyable and it wasn’t.
27. Santino Marella vs. Big Show (Body Slam Match) RAW 9-7-09
Kegger’s Reaction: This was a really short match but it was very funny and entertaining. I enjoyed seeing Santino try to body slam the Big Show. I doubt I will ever see a Santino match that I will consider one of my top ten favorite matches but I have never seen a bad performance from Santino yet.
28. Sheamus vs. Yoshi Tatsu Superstars 9-10-09
Kegger’s Reaction: This was a decent match but it was nothing special. Sheamus did a good job beating up Yoshi. This was the first time I saw Sheamus in-person and it was before Sheamus became the WWE Champion.
29. Women's Champion Michelle McCool vs. Divas Champion Melina (Title Unification Lumberjack Match) Night of Champions 2010
Kegger’s Reaction: This was a solid divas match. It was short but there were a couple decent spots. The lumberjacks were awful though but in a funny way. They are supposed to throw the divas back in the ring and they didn’t do that. The best part was when Layla helped Michelle win despite the fact that they were fighting with each other leading up to the match. Not a bad divas match and it was so good that I have it higher than a lot of the men’s matches.
30. Big Show vs. Mark Henry Money in the Bank 2011
Kegger’s Reaction: I was looking forward to this match but I was very disappointed. The cool parts were Big Show kicking out of the World’s Strongest Slam and Mark Henry injuring Big Show’s foot after the match. Other than that, it was a short and boring match.
31. Wade Barrett (c) vs. Kofi Kingston (Intercontinental Championship Match) Smackdown 4-1-11
Kegger’s Reaction: This was after a very emotional episode of RAW and the fans were exhausted. The crowd was completely dead for this match but this match wasn’t that bad. The problem is that I don’t remember much about this match and I wasn’t very excited about it either so it’s near the bottom of my list of favorite matches.
32. Jack Swagger w/ Michael Cole vs. Jerry "The King" Lawler RAW 3-28-11
Kegger’s Reaction: This match was very quick and had a disqualification finish. The only things preventing this match from being at the bottom of my list are the facts I enjoyed seeing The King in a match and I liked seeing King trying to attack Michael Cole after the match.
33. Mark Henry vs. Big Show (Body Slam Match) RAW 9-7-09
Kegger’s Reaction: This was a quick match and wasn’t that good but I did enjoy seeing Mark Henry body slam the Big Show so it is not my least favorite match I’ve ever seen.
34. Eve Torres, Natalya, and Gail Kim versus The Bellas and Melina Superstars 3-31-11
Kegger’s Reaction: This wasn’t a terrible match but it wasn’t that great either. I don’t remember much about this match but I think it was a decent Divas match.
35. Cody Rhodes vs. Chris Masters Smackdown 4-1-11
Kegger’s Reaction: This was after the same episode of RAW that the Barrett vs. Kofi match occurred after. I remember very little about this match and because of that, it is one of my least favorite matches I have seen in-person.
36. Kelly Kelly (c) vs. Brie Bella (Divas Championship Match) Money in the Bank 2011
Kegger’s Reaction: This was a boring match to watch and it happened right after the Smackdown Money in the Bank match which is currently the #2 match on my list. I couldn’t get excited about this match and fortunately it was a short match.
37. Titus O'Neil, Byron Saxton, and Conor O'Brian vs. Darren Young, Jacob Novak, and Lucky Cannon NXT 3-29-11
Kegger’s Reaction: This match was the most boring match I have ever seen. It felt like such a long match. I’m not exactly sure how long the match was. It was probably between six and nine minutes long but it felt longer than that. I remember the fans doing a “This is boring” chant during the match. I don’t know how I didn’t fall asleep during this match. The only thing I remember about this match was how awful and boring it was. It had one of the deadest crowd reactions I can remember.
That's the end of my list and like I said, I hope to add more matches to this list in the future. RAW is coming to Chicago on December 26. I haven't decided yet if I will buy a ticket but there's a decent chance I will end up going to that event.
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