20 Most Epic Wrestling Matches That Weren't Supposed To Be Epic
3. Rob Van Dam vs. Jeff Hardy (InVasion 2001)
A decade ago, WWEs public service announcement urging their fans, Dont try this at home, featured many quotes on commentary from Jim Ross. That was a dangerous era. The current product has a few talents that are re-opening a broader playbook, but most of the wrestling is tame compared to the early 2000s. Interestingly, though, roughly half of the quotes from J.R. in the PSA are from the same match Rob Van Dam vs. Jeff Hardy for the Hardcore Championship at InVasion. And why? Because the level of creativity and brutality was off the charts. Hardcore took on several different meanings in its pro wrestling existence, but by the end of its era it had become an environment where thinking outside of the box was both characterized and celebrated. RVD and Jeff Hardy were two of Hardcore wrestlings most influential minds. Together, they walked onto a stage set by the largest PPV audience in history for a non-WrestleMania and completely / utterly stole the show. WWE vs. WCW/ECW was not the most memorable happening from InVasion because RVD and Hardy put together the finest Hardcore match this side of Van Dams matches with Jerry Lynn in ECW. It was epic. http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x43ejy_jeff-hardy-vs-rvd-invasion-2001_news "How do you learn to fall from a 20 foot ladder?" "How's he able to stand? That's what I want to know."
"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.
