13. The Undertaker vs. Mankind - King Of The Ring 1998
As much as happiness and joy are covered in this list, wrestling also has a history of eliciting both an overwhelming sense of dread among fans. That was certainly the case in June 1998 when Undertaker and Mankind entered The Igloo in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for the latest chapter in their rivalry. Taking place inside Hell in a Cell, the bout promised to be their most violent to date. No one could have ever foreseen just how violent it would be. Mankind would be sent crashing off the top of the cell, crashing through the announce table at ringside and apparently having his career (if not more) ended. A tenacious and sympathetic fighter, he climbed his way back to the top of the cell despite a dislocated shoulder, only to be chokeslammed through the ceiling of the cage. With his opponent's limp body unconscious on the mat below, Undertaker could only look 20-feet down at the chaos and bodily harm he had dealt out. But Mankind was not finished. As dread overtook the audience, and worry about the man behind the mask's well being set in, they could only watch as he was further pummeled, sent into thumbtacks and finished off with a Tombstone piledriver. Fans were left aghast by what they had just seen, the violence unlike anything that had ever taken place inside a WWE ring. It was a horrific match to watch live and one that still leaves some covering their eyes.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.