10 Greatest Ladder Matches In WWE History

Although hardly the cleanest match on this list, The Undertaker vs. Jeff Hardy (from a 2002 edition of Raw) was a brilliant example of storytelling - the reason WWE began booking ladder matches in the first place, thanks to Shawn, Razor, and co.

The Undertaker was in the midst of his 'Big Evil' heel run, as well as an Undisputed Championship reign, while Jeff was garnering babyface crowd reactions far larger than one would expect from his place on the card. The waters were tested with a title shot, and the response he received was a clear sign of his future popularity.

Jeff baited the champion to begin the match, coaxing him out of the ring before dropkicking the ladder into his face. Although 'Taker quickly assumed control, several hope spots kept the crowd on the edge of their seats, most notably when Hardy chair-shotted his way out of the Last Ride, giving him a (seemingly) clear lane to the title.

Instead, Undertaker recovered and spiked him from the ladder en route to retaining his title - but the aftermath lingers just as long in the memory. Returning to the ring after a moment's consideration, 'Taker raised his opponent's hand out of respect. It was the perfect face turn, and the icing on the cake of a wonderful match.