There are a lot of old WWE PPVs that live fondly in the memories of fans, taking many back to a time when DQ finishes and consistent rematches weren’t the norm, with huge stars wrestling at each show. In the last few weeks, a man from one of the more famous Judgment Day PPV posters, Edge, named his new faction “Judgment Day”, which has prompted some fans to look back and remember the event.
When considering the best matches at the PPV, Cagematch.net offers fan voted ratings to determine which matches are up there with the greatest, which certainly comes in handy when deciding on rewatch value.
*Note: Any matches involving Chris Benoit will be ignored for this list, due to the incidents regarding his life.
10 Brock Lesnar Vs Big Show, 2003 – 7.52
This was a Stretcher Match for the WWE Championship, and it was surprisingly entertaining, with the two men making use of the stretcher stipulation, using the objects to batter one another, with several other unique spots throughout.
It does run slow at times, which is no surprise given who was involved in the match, but it was still fun, nonetheless, and it was certainly a good addition to their feud.
9 Edge Vs Kurt Angle, 2002 – 7.89
This rivalry was full of strong in-ring work, but this match had added stakes to it, with a Hair vs Hair stipulation, marking what would become the start of Angle’s look for the rest of his career.
The audience were hot, likely due to the impending baldness for one of the two men, with the crowd on the edge of their seat for every close pinfall and finish. It wasn’t a match of the year candidate by any means, but it was a great addition to the card.
8 Shawn Michaels Vs Chris Jericho, 2008 – 7.91
2008 saw Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho reinvigorate their rivalry, taking it to a new level in terms of personal animosity and violence. This was perhaps the weakest of their 2008 series, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t well wrestled and enjoyable in its own right.
These two have brilliant chemistry and could wrestle a good match in their sleep. This kicked off the rivalry in a solid way, leading to some classic moments and matches in the following months.
7 Rey Mysterio Vs Eddie Guerrero, 2005 – 8.00
There was some strong psychology in this match, with Guerrero working well to target injured areas on Mysterio’s body, playing his role as the heel perfectly. It certainly wasn’t the best in their series, but it was a fine addition.
This had a DQ finish, but it played into the wider story, setting up a rematch which was necessary. Of course, seeing a proper winner would have elevated the match even more.
6 Edge Vs Jeff Hardy, 2009 – 8.02
This was a well-wrestled main event for the World Heavyweight Championship, with the two men picking up from where they left off at the start of the year, with their title feud being interrupted by Matt Hardy. He came into play yet again, interfering and costing Hardy the match, leaving the finish feeling cheap.
This did lead to Edge and Jeff Hardy wrestling in a fantastic ladder match at the following PPV, which made it all worth it. This was still a good title match with the crowd going electric for everything Hardy did.
5 Rey Mysterio Vs Chris Jericho, 2009 – 8.38
Over several PPVs in 2009, Mysterio and Jericho fought over the Intercontinental Championship, with each match just getting better and better as the feud went on. This may have just gone over ten minutes, but it was an absolute blast.
It was quick, full of veteran psychology, and provided a great starting block for their feud to get going.
4 Triple H Vs Chris Jericho, 2002 – 8.46
This was a huge step up from their WrestleMania 18 main event, with this taking place inside Hell in a Cell, upping the intensity and animosity between the pair. Tim White would take a huge referee bump, Triple H and Chris Jericho used weapons to beat the hell out of each other, and the match ended up on top of the cell, providing a great visual.
It may not be the greatest Cell match of all time, but it is certainly in and around the top 10. There was some overbooking towards the finish, but nothing which took away from the match overall.
3 Eddie Guerrero Vs JBL, 2004 – 8.59
This was one of the matches that proved just how good of a main eventer JBL could be. He and Guerrero had a brutal, vicious, and bloody brawl for the WWE Championship, with everything feel like a real and authentic fight.
Fans won’t see a match like this in modern day WWE but is certainly worth a watch. It may turn some stomachs with the bloodshed involved, but it is still an absolute classic between two great WWE Champions.
2 The Rock Vs Triple H, 2000 – 8.73
This was one hell of an Iron Man match, and it was only the second televised one in WWE history, with it being a stark contract to the classic between Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart. This would finish 6-5, with it being jam-packed full of action.
Michaels was the Special Guest Referee, adding some intrigue to the match given his alliance to Triple H. The ending saw The Undertaker make his return to a huge ovation, with the finishing sequence summing up what the Attitude Era was all about in just a few minutes – fun and chaos.
1 John Cena Vs JBL, 2005 – 9.16
It seemed impossible for WWE to match the brutality of JBL’s with Guerrero, but he and Cena put up an effort which regards it as one of the best matches in Judgment Day history. Sometimes “I Quit” matches can be affected by pauses in the action, but JBL’s mic work and focus on the little details allowed those moments to add to the match.
This was one of the best matches during Cena’s first WWE Title reign, with him sustaining a lot of punishment, but managing to overcome the heel, with Cena playing a great babyface during this match. It was a classic and is right up there with Cena’s greatest showings in WWE.