Random great TV matches that are never mentioned

[Jindrak Mark]

Everyone knows Randy Orton and Christian have great chemistry due to their 2011 feud but they had a great match on Raw in early 2005 during that weird period when it was clear they had given up on Randy as the top face but before he had turned back heel.

There’s an all-action triple threat tag from an MSG Raw in 2009 with HHH/HBK v Jericho/Big Show v Cena/Undertaker that has one of the hottest crowds you’ll see for a Raw main event. That kind of star power in a regular TV main event would be unthinkable today.

During the invasion angle with the stacked roster they threw out a bunch of potential PPV matches on TV and they all got lost in the shuffle. Some of them are gems though. Booker v Jericho in a WCW title match. Rock v Lance Storm for the same title. Austin v RVD in a Smackdown main event. The Rock v RVD. Kurt Angle v Lance Storm. The Smackdown taping the day after the infamous Bagwell/Booker debacle had a good world title match with Booker and DDP.

Undertaker and John Cena had a great Smackdown main event in June 2004 that was unique in that it was one of the only times Taker ever played heel post-2002. Paul Heyman had kidnapped Paul Bearer, stolen the urn and was using it to control Taker and make him attack babyfaces. Something along those lines anyway. Taker cheats to win by using Cena’s chain as a weapon.

Evolution had some banger tag matches on Raw.

Elimination: Evolution (Randy Orton, Ric Flair & Triple H) defeat The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray Dudley, D-Von Dudley & Spike Dudley) (14:38)
WWE RAW #529 - TV-Show @ Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

Chris Benoit, Mick Foley, Shawn Michaels & Shelton Benjamin defeat Evolution (Batista, Randy Orton, Ric Flair & Triple H) (19:09)
WWE RAW #568 - TV-Show @ Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois, USA

Edge, Shelton Benjamin & Tajiri defeat Evolution (Batista, Randy Orton & Triple H) (17:32)
WWE RAW #571 - TV-Show @ America West Arena in Phoenix, Arizona, USA

Elimination: Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho & Edge defeat Evolution (Batista, Randy Orton & Ric Flair) (34:33)
WWE RAW #577 - TV-Show @ Nutter Center in Dayton, Ohio, USA

Chris Benoit, Randy Orton & Shelton Benjamin defeat Evolution (Batista, Ric Flair & Triple H) (17:58)
WWE RAW #591 - TV-Show @ Tucson, Arizona, USA

Chris Benoit, Edge & Shawn Michaels defeat Evolution (Batista, Ric Flair & Triple H) (15:30)
WWE RAW #594 - TV-Show @ Manchester Evening News Arena in Manchester, England, UK

[Mozenrath]

New Day vs AJ Styles and Chris Jericho was really damn good.

[chazraps]

This might be a hot take, but the Shield vs Wyatts rematch on Raw is superior to the PPV match for me.

December 1991 Superstars has a Rockers vs Legion of Doom banger that's all you could want out of a TV match.

WCW Saturday Night in August 1995 or so has a tag team title match where Bunkhouse Buck and Dick Slater defended against the Blue Bloods and it's so f***ing good. The crowd wind up behind Buck and Slater as the de facto faces and they play their parts perfectly.

[Instant Classic]

Cena vs Orton’s first match was at Eddie Guerrero’s tribute show

Batista vs Roman Reigns on a Raw

[fw91]

Ambrose/Rollins vs Hardy’s the night after Summerslam 2017

[JoDaNa1281]

Alex Shelley vs. Chris Sabin vs. AJ Styles on an episode of Xplosion in October 2004.

[WinOwensWin]

Aug 29, 2022 19:13:40 GMT -5 chazraps said:

This might be a hot take, but the Shield vs Wyatts rematch on Raw is superior to the PPV match for me.

By far, and the EC 2014 match is FANTASTIC. One of the matches I'm REALLY disappointed was never released on DVD. Their three match series (including the Main Event one) was just fantastic. 6 men who really had perfect chemistry.

[chronocross]

The Rock & Edge vs. Chris Benoit & Eddie Guerrero on the August 1st, 2002 Smackdown. One of the rare times where Rock taps out as a babyface to Benoit's crippler crossface.

[Convoy]

John Morrison vs. Evan Bourne on an April 2009 draft week episode of ECW. It was right after Miz first turned on Morrison, but before the latter appeared as a face on Smackdown, so he's still playing a heel when he beats Bourne clean in an awesome match. I remember my partner, who has never been a wrestling fan, loved the match and instantly became a fan of both guys.

[Jake, The Jake, Jake]

Chad Gable and Rusev had a great one on Smackdown in 2017 when neither man was really going anywhere at the time.

[WinOwensWin]

Razor Ramon .vs. Shawn Michaels from the August 1st 1994 RAW was a really good match that really fails to get mentioned in most lists of best RAW matches.

[lucas_lee]

Doink the Clown vs Randy Savage and the 2 out of three falls match vs Marty Jannetty was great too.

[MrElijah]

Owen vs. Bulldog European Championship Tournament Final is one of the best RAW matches ever.

Any time you got the Dangerous Alliance against some combo of Sting, Steamboat, Dustin Rhodes and Barry Whindham during that feud in Late '91/'92.

[agent817]

Shawn Michaels vs. Shelton Benjamin on Raw in January 2006. I know that anybody who was watching during the mid-2000s will always talk about their match on Raw from May 2005, but this match was almost as good.

[canceled4truth]

Damian Priest, Sheamus and Drew McIntyre had an absolute clinic of a triple threat for the US title on Raw last summer that no one really talked about.

Quick edit: Turns out WWE just uploaded the full match on YouTube yesterday, LOL. Go watch it!

[fg]

Aug 31, 2022 7:08:02 GMT -5 lucas_lee said:

Doink the Clown vs Randy Savage and the 2 out of three falls match vs Marty Jannetty was great too.

On a side note, both times Doink lost and was POed that he did which was rare back than considering that they pushed Doink as a mega heel.

[Deleted]

The New Blood vs the ECW Originals on ECW the Tuesday after WM23 was much better than their WM23 match.

Shawn vs Cena in London was much better than their WM23 match too.

Any of Cena's US Title Challenge matches against Cesaro, Zayn, Neville, etc were great too.

[Ben Wyatt]

I remember Billy Gunn and HHH having a really good title match on Raw in September of 99

[johnnyk9]

Before their SummerSlam 1993 six man tag Bam Bam and The Shrinkers have a decent 6 man tag with Tatanka and The Gunns on Wrestling Challenge that it cuts off the end and airs the finish the following week

[agent817]

Okay, what I am about to mention are not mentioned with good reason, but at the time, you can't deny how good some Chris Benoit matches on free TV were.

vs. Shawn Michaels on Raw in February 2004.
vs. Ric Flair from that same month.
vs. Brock Lesnar on Smackdown in December 2003.
vs. Randy Orton on Smackdown in January 2006.

Hell, his match vs. Bret Hart on Nitro in 1998 was good. I know that the Owen Hart tribute match was talked about more, but that other match was still good.