10 Most Disappointing Wrestling Ladder Matches Of All Time

When they're up so high, they have so far to fall...

By Jacob Trowbridge /

Ladder matches, when performed with gusto and precision, are granted the likelihood of being the most exciting match on the card. Who knew that a portable piece of aluminum could be so enthralling in the hands of professional wrestlers? And there have been some truly historic ladder matches over the years. Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon popularized the match type with a series of intensely satisfying duels, The Hardy Boyz and Edge & Christian used it to enliven the lackluster tag team division of their day, and recent Money in the Bank matches prove that there's no good reason to stop using ladders to entertain the fans. ...Except for all of the instances where they didn't go so well. Which, surprisingly, has happened quite often. Some wrestlers don't have any business being in the ring with this particular piece of hardware. The ladder is not everybody's best friend, and trying to force the issue is usually a recipe for disaster. Then again, some superstars who would seem like no-brainers for this match type (or have already proven that they're no slouches in ladder matches), can't always perform to the audiences's expectations. Because that happens. Because they're human. But that doesn't make it any less disappointing when the match ends and we're all left wondering just what the hell happened in the ring.

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