25 Best Wrestling PPVs Ever

11. WWF In Your House: Canadian Stampede

WrestleMania X Seven Poster
WWE.com

Best Match: The Hart Foundation Vs. Steve Austin, Ken Shamrock, Goldust & The Legion Of Doom

Worst Match: N/A

Headlined by one of the most novel main events in WWF history, Canadian Stampede was a first-class affair from beginning to end.

The opener - an exquisitely-worked match which was let down slightly by the usual non-reaction to Hunter Hearst Helmsley's pre-DX incarnation - was just about enough to engage the audience for the rest of the card, the quality and pace of which was escalated perfectly.

The match between imminent inaugural Light Heavyweight champion Taka Michinoku and venerable puroresu legend The Great Sasuke was, alongside Dean Malenko Vs. Scotty 2 Hotty at Backlash 2000, the very best the halfhearted division had to offer, a fairly depressing indictment of Vince McMahon's attitude towards the style.

Undertaker Vs. Vader was a marked improvement on Sycho Sid's WWF title exploits, but the main event is what has come to define the show. And with good reason: it was a pulsating, all-action affair which still managed to seamlessly advance future and recall past storylines in a dazzling affirmation of the WWF's sadly-missed predilection for shared universe storytelling.

Steve Austin's performance, in which he smashed the various Hart family members stationed at ringside with gleeful abandon to the audible disgust of the Canadian crowd, was a masterclass in heat generation and a string to his incredible '97 bow.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!