10. Christian vs. Shelton Benjamin - Ladder Match For ECW Championship (TLC 2009)
Christian as ECW Champion in 2009 could have been seen as a demotion. He had just returned from a "treasonous"-seeming departure for TNA, and instead of being immediately shuttled up the card, he instead was slotted as the champion of WWE's third brand, ECW. It's possible that this was done in order to have the performer prove his worth to the company, but on another level of importance. Thus, Christian's matches when he's ECW Champion are especially impressive, as the evolved ring general gets tremendous performances out of everyone with which he wrestles. Shelton Benjamin's stop and start pushes up and down the card always frustrated his WWE fanbase. This match showcases Benjamin's "Money In The Bank"-hewn ladder skills and incredible athleticism, with TLC-era Christian throwing in some of his own unique brand of brutality for a great match that holds up even five years later.
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.
