7. Eddie Guerrero vs. Brock Lesnar (No Way Out 2004)
With WrestleMania XX being erased from public existence, Eddie Guerrero's win over Brock Lesnar to become WWE Champion in February 2004 remains quite possibly the best example in modern pro wrestling history of how much hard work can pay off. A long, winding road led to Latino Heat getting a chance to main-event. He was anything but the prototypical WWE Champion, while his opponent at No Way Out was the redefinition of the prototype WWE Champion. It should not be mistaken as a perfect match, but it certainly has a magnetic quality about it even today. The dichotomy of Lesnar's skill set against Guerrero's is fascinating. The only thing that Eddie had on Brock was experience. Lesnar was the greatest athlete in WWE history when he was 25 and 26 years old. He had the size and strength advantage, but he was also twice as fast as Guerrero. The story of the match was Eddie overcoming the odds and there has, perhaps, never been a more striking physical difference between two wrestlers in a WWE main-event.
"The Doc" Chad Matthews has written wrestling columns for over a decade. A physician by trade, Matthews began writing about wrestling as a hobby, but it became a passion. After 30 years as a wrestling fan, "The Doc" gives an unmatched analytical perspective on pro wrestling in the modern era. He is a long-time columnist for Lordsofpain.net and hosts a weekly podcast on the LOP Radio Network called "The Doc Says." His first book - The WrestleMania Era: The Book of Sports Entertainment - ranks the Top 90 wrestlers from 1983 to present day, was originally published in December 2013, and is now in its third edition.
Matthews lives in North Carolina with his wife, two kids, and two dogs.
