10 Best Champion Vs. Champion Matches In WWE History
When the best of the best go head-to-head it always gets results.
Champion vs. champion matches are always exciting.
Whether it's two world champions going toe-to-toe, brands colliding, or an underdog second tier champion taking on the top dog, a champion vs. champion match always throws up something interesting.
It's very important to get the booking right for this type of match. You don't want to make either champion look weak (it would devalue that belt), but equally you can't protect both performers with a no contest, as fans would see through it.
Also, you then have to consider how the result will affect both champions going forward. The winner will obviously come out looking like a star, but the loser will have serious doubts cast over them. Do you take the title off them? Use it as a catalyst for a character change? It's not an easy call to make.
Despite being an absolute booking minefield, WWE have put on plenty of champion vs. champion matches across its history and there have been some real doozies in that time.
This type of match always feels special and usually has a big stipulation attached to it, so it's hardly surprising that so many have gone down as classics. But which ten should you go out of your way to see?
Let's find out.
10. Randy Orton (WWE) Vs. John Cena (World Heavyweight)
At TLC 2013, Randy Orton and John Cena added another chapter to their legendary/boring rivalry.
Both men were top of the food chain on their respective brands. Triple H and The Authority wanted Orton to be the undisputed face of WWE and so made a match to unify both titles.
Orton and Cena closed the show in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match and made full use of the stipulation. They were put through tables, pulled off ladders, and Cena was even handcuffed to the bottom rope, which was ultimately his undoing.
The Viper secured the win by retrieving both belts from atop the ladder, becoming the first ever "WWE World Heavyweight Champion". Why they didn't go for a more unique name rather than a confusing combination of the two previous titles is beyond us, but the point is that Orton won.
This match was very entertaining, one of Orton and Cena's best. It also played into the larger story of Daniel Bryan, who would unseat Randy for the unified title at WrestleMania XXX.
Although, in hindsight, the fact that WWE introduced the Universal Championship two years later kind of undermined the whole point of this match.
It was still fun, though.