10 WWE Lockdown Era Matches That Deserved A Live Crowd

If we were to have the delight of seeing this match take place again there is only one thing I would change about it: the result. The fact that Flair took the NXT title after winning the Royal Rumble, then proceeded to lose the belt without being pinned and move back to the main roster before taking time off benefitted absolutely nobody.

However, none of that detracts from how fantastic the 'Mania match between Flair and Ripley was. Having the opening slot at The Grandest Stage Of Them All can actually work in your favour - look at Rollins vs. Lesnar from the previous year - as the crowd is at their most ready for some quality action, having probably sat through a pointless and awful pre-show.

Ripley and Flair went out to make themselves heard - literally. Rhea, in particular, sounded like she was being pelted with invisible cannonballs throughout the match. The two women went move-for-move during a 20 minute belter; another nicely put together match with a shocking ending that could have done great things for both competitors, had they swapped brands there and then.