15 Best WWE Smackdown Matches Ever

On the eve of its 15th anniversary, we countdown the best matches in Smackdown's history.

By Douglas Scarpa /

Tonight -- October 10th -- WWE€™s Smackdown program will celebrate its 15th anniversary. While Monday Night Raw is WWE€™s original primetime weekly wrestling program, Smackdown was created in 1999 to act as a second primetime broadcast. The show was quickly established as must-see television, much like Raw. By 2002, the WWE initiated a brand split which saw Raw and Smackdown acting as their own unique broadcasts. For a brief period of time, Smackdown was not only on par with Raw, but arguably better -- even beating the Monday night program in the ratings on a handful of occasions. Unfortunately, as time went on, Smackdown began to slide. While the show is still a mainstay of the WWE€™s television lineup, it€™s arguably no longer considered must-watch. Smackdown has since been derided and chastised by fans -- often being referred to as WWE€™s B-show. Despite this unflattering moniker, the program has produced a bevy of A-plus moments throughout its history. Chief among these historical moments are a wealth of memorable matches. With 15 years of episodes to comb through, we€™ve managed to pluck out 15 of the best matches in the show€™s history. Join us as we gaze through Smackdown€™s 15-year history and highlight the program€™s 15 greatest in-ring encounters.