10. The Hart Foundation Vs. Team USA (Canadian Stampede)
The dynamic created by the 1997 Hart Foundation storyline made for interesting viewing whenever the roster ventured north of the American border. Canadian Stampede's main event was a prime example of this inverted take on the WWF, with the heel Harts being treated like valiant knights against Steve Austin's uprising of Americans, all of whom were coolly booed. The ten-man tag took place with dozens of Hart relatives in the front row, and the atmosphere was like nothing else. Seeing the glee on Brian Pillman's face when his heel tactics drew deafening cheers is the sort of memory a man of his lovable madness should be remembered by. Brother Owen pins Austin to end the unpredictable wildness, a match in which ten men expertly played the opposite of their stated roles.
9. Stone Cold Steve Austin Vs. Dude Love (Over The Edge 1998)
Long before every main event of the time became an overbooked mess, this was the preeminent overbooked mess, and that's meant with the utmost praise. In 1998, it was unthinkable that Austin could survive a match with biased Vince McMahon as referee, because the evil boss as a referee was a new idea. It left the audience wondering just how the WWF Champion was going to eke this one out. Austin and Dude waged war all over the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, with Undertaker monitoring McMahon to ensure even-handed officiating. The brawl itself is spectacular and scintillating, and the ending sequence gets a crowd reaction like you've never heard. Bonus: Pat Patterson's biased ring intros for McMahon, Dude, and Gerald Brisco are still hilarious almost two decades later. A true audience match.
Justin has been a wrestling fan since 1989, and has been writing about it since 2009. Since 2014, Justin has been a features writer and interviewer for Fighting Spirit Magazine. Justin also writes for History of Wrestling, and is a contributing author to James Dixon's Titan series.
