10 Longest Matches In WWE History

7 (Tie). Bob Backlund Vs. Greg Valentine (19 February 1979): 60 Minutes

Bob Backlund and Greg 'The Hammer' Valentine have a lengthy history. They wrestled each other countless times throughout their careers, with an October 1981 bout between the two that saw Bob's famous five-year title run interrupted. A dazed referee accidentally handed Valentine the belt in New York City, but Valentine was pinned in the ensuing rematch, and the record books show Backlund's reign as unbroken.

While that bout is perhaps their most famous, this is their longest. The duo had faced each other over a dozen times prior, but never to this extent, and as was commonplace for the era, they wrestled to a 60-minute time limit draw.

Such outcomes were a hallmark of Vince McMahon Sr.'s booking style. The idea was that it allowed the champion to retain without making the challenger look bad, and it worked for the time period. Still, Vince Jr. eventually did away with the practice as part of his sports entertainment revolution, and while countless wrestlers made their reputations on the back of such marathons, it's hard to imagine modern fans having the patience for these gruelling draws.