100 Greatest WWE Matches Of All Time (Ranked)
11. Razor Ramon vs. Shawn Michaels (WrestleMania X)
There's an old saying in wrestling: 'There's more drama behind the curtain than there is in front of it'. That's not strictly true, but there was certainly an equal measure of the stuff heading through WrestleMania X at MSG. Shawn Michaels had decided to literally take the Intercontinental Title home with him following a suspension, and that forced the WWF to craft a new belt they could give to Razor Ramon.
Once HBK returned, they turned this into a storyline and had Shawn claim that he was the true IC Champ. This necessitated the ladder gimmick at 'Mania; both titles would be hanging high above the ring, and the real-life buddies would have to scratch, bite and claw their way up towards them to win. This was the very first ladder match on WWF pay-per-view, so it felt like a big deal (and likely annoyed Bret Hart, who had reportedly come up with the idea) and had everybody's attention.
According to both workers, Shawn and Razor only had one prop ladder to work with on the night. In other words, they would've been screwed had something happened to it or the hinges loosened enough to make it impossible to climb. That didn't run through their minds until midway through the match though.
Other ladder bouts have bigger bumps and faster demolition derby-style pacing for sure, but 'Mania X's original is a historic reminder of the simplicity such gimmick matches need. It deserves to be lauded for the sheer amount of creativity and daring on display. Fans hadn't seen anything like this in 1994.