25 Best WWE Raw Matches Ever

16. Shawn Michaels Vs The 1-2-3 Kid (March 4th, 1996)

CM Punk John Cena
WWE

Sandwiched in between Shawn Michaels' Royal Rumble victory and his WrestleMania 12 WWE Title win over Bret Hart, 'HBK' took on one the 1-2-3 Kid in hidden gem from a period glistening with them. The 'Show Of Shows' match between irrefutably the two best wrestlers in the company was framed to exploit just that, establishing a competitive element to the countless contests the two combatants were caught up in before the big event.

Predictably, Shawn edged it with this quiet classic, but Clique buddy Kid was on typical form carrying his end of the load. He took one of the biggest bumps as the house lights went out! Michaels backdropped a charging Kid from the ring midway through his entrance dance - Shawn couldn't have looked any cooler in the kickoff.

Unusually the larger of the two (and with the 1-2-3 as a recently-turned heel) Michaels was able to utilise more crowd-pleasing power offence, press-slamming his foe one minute whilst reverting to believably sympathetic babyface the next. That it all took place at a breakneck clip only enhanced the skill on offer, particularly when Michaels evaded a top rope legdrop with unfathomable precision to score with a match-winning Superkick.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 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. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, 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