As officially announced via commentary by Jerry "The King" Lawler, Monday, December 29, 2014's episode of Monday Night Raw marked the first appearance by Christian since he officially became an inactive member of the WWE roster. Over a near 20-year career in World Wrestling Entertainment, Christian distinguished himself as a standout competitor who was uniquely equipped with the ability to steal the show from anywhere on the card. Unlike other competitors who save their blow-away material for top-tier feuds, Wrestlemania headlining opportunities or TV main events, Christian instead had great matches that opened shows, were solidly in the mid-card, and very rarely ever headlining the show. Being a "peep" for "Captain Charisma" oftentimes involved being emotionally invested more in a match for the Intercontinental or Tag Team Championship (of course, you can't mention Christian without Edge) more than it meant caring about the World Heavyweight or WWE Championships. It can be argued that when Christian went to TNA from 2006-2009 is when he proved his main event worth, his 2009 return to WWE and 2011 capture of the World Championship thus not just making him a "Grand Slam" champion, but also one of the best overall WWE performers of all time. Thus, these aren't just ten of the best matches of a career, these are ten matches that define a legendary legacy.
Besides having been an independent professional wrestling manager for a decade, Marcus Dowling is a Washington, DC-based writer who has contributed to a plethora of online and print magazines and newspapers writing about music and popular culture over the past 15 years.
