21 WWE Matches That Almost Got 5 Stars

A big problem that plagued Shawn's run as WWF Champion in 1996 was the fact that the fans' attitude toward good guys was changing. While in WCW, the nWo were changing the game and enticing audiences with their cool bad guy personas, over in WWE, Shawn Michaels continued to be the clean-cut babyface who could do no wrong. It wasn't a recipe for success, and Vince knew he needed to inject more edge, albeit gradually (and begrudgingly).

One of his first steps was to have a one-off match at September's In Your House PPV, where Shawn defended his title against Mankind. Before becoming the lovable goof, Mick Foley's original portrayal of the character was like that of a psychotic wounded animal à la Jason Voorhees or Leatherface. The character combined with Foley's brawling style forced Michaels to become a nastier, more brutal wrestler than before. As a result, this match is often lauded as one of the best of the era, featuring extreme (for the time) spots combined with a compelling story.

Perhaps the one thing that kept it from getting a full 5 stars was a DQ finish, but that should come as a small price for an otherwise classic match.