10 Wrestling Matches One Second Away From Perfection

8. London & Kendrick Vs David Taylor & William Regal Vs MNM Vs The Hardy Boyz (WWE Armageddon 2006)

Bret Hart Mr Perfect
WWE.com

Awesome as much because it ostensibly wasn't even supposed to happen let alone the fact that it simply ruled as a stunt-and-bump show, Armageddon 2006's four-team ladder war for the WWE Tag Team Championships may have flown under the radar as a genre gem had it not been for what turned out to be a rather life-changing split second.

When Joey Mercury's face was exploded by an errant (and even when it goes well, the margin for error still makes it worth avoiding) seesaw ladder spot, the contest entered the corridor of infamy rather than any kind of hall of fame. Mercury was a mess, and his rehabilitation contributed to issues he had with medication in the years that followed. The impact on his life was more than just a grisly visual for the night. The impact on the match was that it became almost entirely meaningless.

More's the pity - six of the eight took some utterly insane risks, and last two men David Taylor and William Regal were fish so far out of their water that it was mined for one of the more joyous (and safest) spots of the night.

It totally holds up, though cover your face even tighter than the former MNM man did if you're of a squeamish disposition.

 
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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, Fightful, POST Wrestling, 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