William Regal is one of the best wrestling managers out there, he is charismatic, wise, and a great technical wrestling mentor, so it's no wonder the fans love him. It was thanks to William Regal that Jon Moxley and Bryan Danielson teamed up to create one of the coolest stables today, the Blackpool Combat Club.
While Regal gets a lot of praise for his work as a manager, his in-ring career is often overlooked, but he actually deserves more credit than he gets. Regal won 20 titles through various promotions and delivered several top-notch matches. So here's a look at the 10 best matches of William Regal's career, ranked.
10 Vs. Christian - WWE Breaking Point 2009
At Breaking Point 2009, William Regal challenged ECW Heavyweight Champion Christian. This was a flawless technical match, every move was smooth and clean, just what you could expect from two amazing performers.
The match lasted 10 minutes, but they made good use of the time to tell an enjoyable story. Unfortunately, the crowd didn’t care about the match, and today this is still an underrated bout. In the end, Christian defeated William Regal to retain the title.
9 Vs. Sting - WCW The Great American Bash 1996
This was an excellent match, in which Lord Steven Real overshadowed none other than Sting, one of the greatest wrestlers in WCW history. Why did Regal overshadow Sting? Because Regal did amazing character work, he dominated the match with great offense, showing his excellent technique.
However, in the final part of the match Sting made a comeback, performing his signature moves, and finishing Regal off with a Scorpion Death Lock. It was a solid match from start to finish.
8 Vs. Ricky Steamboat – WCW Fall Brawl 1993
Fall Brawl 1993 was a mediocre PPV, and frankly the only great thing about it was the match between Lord Steven Regal and Ricky Steamboat. The storytelling was excellent, as Steamboat had taped ribs, and Regal focused his attacks precisely there.
Steamboat sold his injuries as if he was dying, but fought back like a true babyface. The match ended when Sir William hit Ricky Steamboat with an umbrella, allowing Lord Steven Regal to score the win.
7 Vs. Daniel Bryan – WWE Superstars
William Regal was one of Bryan Danielson's trainers, in fact, he was much more than that, he was a mentor and over time they became friends. They are currently in All Elite Wrestling, but many fans forget that they have faced each other one-on-one.
On the November 10, 2011, episode of WWE Superstars, master and apprentice delivered a banger. It was a simple story, told to perfection, the spots were simple, but executed flawlessly. Bryan ended up defeating Regal. This match is a hidden gem.
6 Vs. Kassius Ohno – WWE NXT
On the April 10, 2013, episode of NXT, William Regal faced off against Kassius Ohno (also known as Chris Hero). Certainly, this match was slow-paced, as we can't demand too much from Regal, who was literally wrestling one of his last matches.
But just because it was slow doesn't mean it was boring, Regal brutally worked Ohno's arms and fingers, it was even painful to watch, Regal's technique is simply amazing, and Ohno's selling was very good. Ohno also showed good offense, but in the end, it was not enough to defeat Regal.
5 Vs. Ultimo Dragon - WCW Slamboree 1997
At Slamboree 1997, Steven Regal faced off against World Television Champion Ultimo Dragon. This was an excellent match, once again, Regal's submission work is impeccable, while Ultimo Dragon was great as well. The fans were invested from start to finish, so the atmosphere was nice.
Sonny Onoo betrayed Ultimo Dragon, which allowed Regal to take advantage. Regal applied the Regal Stretch and forced Ultimo Dragon to tap out, making him the new World Television Champion.
4 W/ Dave Taylor Vs. The Hardys Vs. MNM Vs. Brian Kendrick & Paul London – WWE Armageddon 2006
This was arguably the best WWE tag team match of 2006, a fatal four way Ladder match in which William Regal teamed with Dave Taylor to take on The Hardys, MNM (Johnny Nitro and Joey Mercury) and Tag Team Champions Brian Kendrick and Paul London.
It was a mind-blowing match, with dangerous spots, and fast-paced action. Certainly, this stipulation was not Regal's specialty, but he had a solid performance here.
3 Vs. Shinya Hashimoto - NJPW Battle Rush 1995
Lord Steven Regal had a few matches in Japan in the 1990s, and definitely the best of them was against Shinya Hashimoto on the third day of NJPW Battle Rush 1995. This was a technical and hard-hitting match at the same time, both men had outstanding performances.
Regal countered everything here, which was amazing, Regal worked Hashimoto's arm greatly, but the best was when Regal attacked Hashimoto's injured nose. After 19 intense minutes, Shinya Hashimoto defeated Lord Steven Regal to retain the IWGP Heavyweight Title.
2 Vs. Dean Ambrose – FCW TV
Like Bryan Danielson, Jon Moxley is one of William Regal's disciples, and they also had a sensational match. However, considering that this match took place in Florida Championship Wrestling, it may not be well known, but it was fantastic.
The in-ring psychology is incredible, Regal shows his experience and does tremendous technical work, as well as great character work, while Dean Ambrose shows his trademark fighting spirit, and unleashes his brutal offense on Regal. The ending could have been better, though.
1 Vs. Antonio Cesaro – WWE NXT
The best match of William Regal's career has to be his confrontation against Antonio Cesaro on the December 25, 2013, episode of NXT, which curiously was the last match of his career. What better way to end your in-ring career than with the match of your life?
This was a perfect Christmas present for wrestling lovers, as Regal and Cesaro delivered a masterpiece. Everything about this match was brilliant, the storytelling, the maneuvers, the selling, the character work, everything.