10 Best Wrestling Ladder Matches Of All Time
Climb the rungs, grab the gold!
Though most wrestling fans think of the ladder match as an innovation of the early 1990s, the bout was actually developed much earlier. The first-ever ladder match took place in Stampede Wrestling in September of 1972, when Dan Kroffat (whom many credit as the innovator of the concept) took on Tor Kamata with a prize of cash suspended above the ring.
In 1983, Bad News Allen and Bret Hart battled in a ladder match for Stampede, and when Hart ended up in WWE, he suggested the idea to Vince McMahon. That led to the first appearance of the stipulation in the company, when Bret defeated Shawn Michaels with the Intercontinental Title on the line in July of 1992.
Since then, the gimmick has become more and more common, but it's also gained a reputation as a display for both athleticism and carnage. It's a double-edged sword in the sense that competitors have to keep pushing the envelope in order to outdo those who came before them, but at the same time, the incredible feats they accomplish are immortalized.
Here's a list of the top ten ladders matches in wrestling history (minus TLC matches). It's not hard to look at these and see what a legacy they've left.
Honorable Mention
Before we start the list, let's get the controversy out of the way. No, the Razor Ramon vs. Shawn Michaels ladder match from WrestleMania X - likely the most famous ladder match of all time - is not in the top 10.
It's a very good match, don't get me wrong, but it's more valuable as a legend than an actual bout. It was the first major ladder match ever contested, and to this day, it's had more influence over the genre than just about any other. At the same time, though, its reputation is worth more than the actual in-ring action. Yes, there was drama, but there was also drama in Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart on the same show. The latter match (not the ladder match) was far stronger and has held up far better.
So yes, Razor Ramon vs. Shawn Michaels does deserve acknowledgement on this list simply because it paved the way for every match that was ranked. In terms of pure quality, though, it doesn't make the cut.
10. The Hardy Boyz Vs. Edge And Christian Vs. The Dudley Boyz - WrestleMania 2000
Though the TLC - or tables, ladders, and chairs - match was first created in 2000 and was born out of the feud between Edge and Christian, The Hardy Boyz, and The Dudley Boyz, the first meeting between the three teams occurred at WrestleMania that year and was a "standard" ladder match.
Of course, it was only standard in terms of the rules. In reality, there was nothing run-of-the-mill about the six-man car wreck that stole a rather tepid show of shows. For the first time, the carnage that is commonplace today was on full display. There were multiple ladders involved, more than a few tables, and tons of unbelievable dives all around the ringside area.
The most memorable spot from the match came at the very end. As The Dudleys and The Hardys fought in the aisle, Jeff climbed a tremendous ladder and hit a Swanton Bomb off the very top onto his foe. That had the unexpected effect of leaving Edge and Christian as the only team that wasn't shorthanded, and they were then able to retrieve the titles and score the victory.