10 Best Wrestling Ladder Matches Of All Time
4. Chris Benoit Vs. Chris Jericho - Royal Rumble 2001
For much of the year 2000, Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho feuded. Though Jericho managed to beat Benoit from time to time, "The Canadian Crippler" dominated the feud, scoring wins over Y2J at Backlash, Judgment Day, and SummerSlam. It looked like he had the popular athlete's number.
By the 2001 Royal Rumble, Benoit was once again Intercontinental Champion, but Jericho was still breathing down his neck. Benoit let Jericho pick the stipulation for their next match, and when Y2J suggested a ladder match, fans started to get their hopes up.
The bout itself did not disappoint. Given that multi-team ladder and TLC matches were getting popular, there was an onus on the men to really play up the drama inherent in a one-on-one feud blowoff. They succeeded, taking advantage of the ability to sell and let big moves have an impact rather than move onto the next high spot.
That's not to say there weren't high spots, though - both men smashed each other with the ladder, used high-risk moves, and in the lasting image from the match, Jericho wrapped Benoit in the Walls of Jericho over the top of the ladder. Soon afterwards, he capitalized on the assault and grabbed the belt.