20 Greatest WWE SmackDown Matches Ever

12. Triple H Vs Rikishi (January 9, 2000)

Triple H - despite literally owning the spare keys to the WWE kingdom - is the most insecure wrestler in the company's history. Few have achieved what he has in his often self-penned work of fiction, yet he continues to bestow achievements upon himself in an effort to be considered on the same level as Rushmore-worthy stars Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock.

For about 18 months between 1999 and 2001, his superlative matches almost got him there. This fondly-remembered WWE Championship match with Rikishi was a perfect example of why he was so good. The former Fatu wasn't yet undergoing a dance dance revolution, but 'The Game' was at this point expert in sowing seeds of doubt with any opponent.

Contributor
Contributor

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