10 Best Champion Vs. Champion Matches In WWE History
1. Harley Race (NWA) Vs. Bob Backlund (WWWF)
Imagine a match taking place today between Brock Lesnar and Kazuchika Okada, or The Fiend and Chris Jericho. It would never happen, right? Well, in 1978, the equivalent did.
Bob Backlund became WWWF (World Wide Wrestling Federation) Champion by defeating Superstar Billy Graham in Madison Square Garden. Three days later, a match of epic proportions was made when Backlund was booked to face National Wrestling Alliance world champion, Harley Race, and both titles were on the line.
The NWA is the oldest wrestling federation in America and was the company Vince McMahon Sr. split away from to form the WWWF in 1963. These two top champions going face-to-face was a huge event and something of a dream match.
Race and Backlund both had a lot of responsibility on their shoulders. This was a time when wrestling was still very protected and presented as a legitimate sport, so if a company's top champion lost to another company's top champion, that would reflect very poorly on them.
To get around this, the match went to a time limit draw with both men wrestling sixty minutes. Back in those days, that was actually quite common.
Neither man was embarrassed by losing their championship and the finish made them both look like titans. It was a match of epic proportions in every way.