10 Best WWE Pay-Per-Views Of The Past Decade

6. No Mercy 2008

CM Punk Brock Lesnar
wwe.com

Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho concluded one of WWE's greatest ever rivalries in grisly fashion after 'HBK' literally couldn't prise the World Heavyweight Title out of Jericho's cold and virtually dead hands. The duo contested a tug-of-war atop a ladder at the climax of a battle that completely redefined the gimmick in the post-TLC era of multi-man spotfest shaped around the dangerous metal prop.

Batista and John Bradshaw Layfield were coasting in comparison, wrestling as they were earlier in the show to determine just who would face the winner of the clash the following month. Though that battle lacked the requisite punch a Championship deserved, SmackDown's equivalents almost stole the show from underneath the stars and scars of the Raw wars.

Whilst Undertaker and Big Show outperformed themselves away from headline pressures and Matt Hardy continued to astonishingly reinstall prestige in the ECW World Title, Jeff Hardy and Triple H continued their own multi-show rivalry over 'The Game's WWE Championship. It was a match emblematic of both men's dynamic summers on the blue brand.

Returning from a Wellness Policy suspension in the spring, Hardy was primed to finally join the upper echelon, whilst Triple H exhibited relative selflessness helping him get there with a string of outstanding performances against the 'Charismatic Enigma'.

 
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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett