Ranking Every “I Quit” Match in WWE History
John Cena and Rusev will have their work cut out for them come Payback.
In what is being billed as their third and final encounter, John Cena and Rusev will meet at WWE Payback for the United States Championship in an "I Quit" match. Needless to say, Rusev will be at a distinct disadvantage come May 17 given Cena's whopping 4-0 record in the matchup, but it wouldn't be the first time that a Superstar has resorted to underhand tactics to force their opponent to utter the two demeaning words.
Established in 1985, the first ever "I Quit" match was contested between Magnum T.A. and Tully Blanchard at NWA Starrcade. It wasn't until ten years later that the special stipulation was brought to WWE for Bret Hart vs. Bob Backlund at WrestleMania 11, and since then, "I Quit" matches have become a mainstay.
Often used to settle scores, the match has concluded countless feuds over the last two decades featuring the illustrious likes of The Rock, Triple H and others. From the brutal bout at 1999's Royal Rumble event to Jack Swagger and Alberto Del Rio's outing at Extreme Rules 2013, fans have born witness to some of the best as well as some of the worst "I Quit" matches of all-time, and it remains to be seen where Cena and Rusev's battle will fall on this list after this Sunday.
15. Mr. McMahon vs. Stephanie McMahon: No Mercy 2003
Man on woman violence, albeit inappropriate, was effective in small doses in WWE during the Attitude Era, but a match pitting a father against a daughter was simply crossing the line.
For years, Vince McMahon and Stephanie McMahon had never seen eye-to-eye, ultimately culminating in an "I Quit" match at 2003's No Mercy pay-per-view. The stipulation stated that if Stephanie lost, she would have had to resign as the general manager of SmackDown; however, if Vince lost, he would have had to resign as the Chairman of WWE.
They had history together, sure, but to have them face off in such a heinous match was unnecessary. To further devalue the stipulation, it was later added that Stephanie didn't have to force her father to utter the two demeaning words in order to win; she could also pin him or make him submit.
Vince was relentless in his attack on the Billionaire Princess, resorting to choking her with a lead pipe in order to emerge victorious. It wasn't until Linda McMahon threw in the towel for her daughter that her husband emerged victorious.
It was uncomfortable to watch and spelled the end of Stephanie's on-air character for the next five years.