10 Wrestling Matches One Second Away From Perfection

3. Razor Ramon Vs Shawn Michaels (WrestleMania X)

Bret Hart Mr Perfect
WWE.com

Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon didn't devise or invent the Ladder Match at WrestleMania X, and WWE were wrong to gleefully perpetuate that myth for so many years.

And why lie? The truth was engaging, absorbing and amazing enough.

Fought over the disputed and once-prestigious Intercontinental Championship, this revolutionised not only what a Ladder Match could be, but what a stunt match could look like between just two wrestlers and very few bells and whistles other than the titular prop. Michaels and Ramon beat the f*ck out of each other with the dangerous implement of destruction, but at no point did it not seem in service of their respective attempts to win the secondary strap.

The violence was immaculately performed too, elevating the contest's status as an instant classic. All apart from an ending salvo where a trapped Michaels actually escaped from being tied in the ropes long enough that he believably could have stopped 'The Bad Guy' from scoring victory. Had the camera missed this - or Shawn simply undersold the situation instead of trying to give the New York faithful one last memorable moment - the pair probably would have gotten away with it.

Neither will lose sleep over it, of course. Not least when a follow-up presented a far greater gripe...

 
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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