10 Wrestling Matches That Shaped Vince McMahon’s Vision Of Sports Entertainment

7. Razor Ramon Vs. Shawn Michaels - WWF WrestleMania X

Shawn Michaels, WrestleMania X
WWE.com

Razor Ramon and Shawn Michaels were not the first two men to contest a ladder match. They weren't even the first to do so in the WWF; that honour was shared by Michaels and Bret Hart, in 1992, the latter of whom had fought under the nascent stipulation in Stampede Wrestling. That territory presented the first ever iteration in 1978.

Ramon and Michaels were, however, the first to elevate it from curio to art form.

Like the ladder match itself, hardcore and garbage wrestling predated Razor and Michaels' classic. But, in their hands, the ladder was not a foreign object - it was a natural progression of wrestling's native language. Their fusion of weaponry and storytelling was spellbinding in itself, and it created scope for WWE to incorporate what it unfortunately rechristened the "toys" into a wide and ever-expanding oeuvre of gimmick matches.

Bizarrely, that scope limited the creative license it lent. With these dramatic shortcuts at its disposal, WWE in more creatively bereft years stretched out the natural shelf life of feuds. Every match, in 2017, must have a sequel - and with this new mode, WWE is able to substitute creativity for returns that are as diminished as they are, paradoxically, marketable.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!