1. Edge & Christian vs. The Hardy Boyz vs. The Dudley Boyz (WrestleMania 2000)
There really is something to be said for the original, however unofficial it might be in the grand scheme of all things TLC. The Triangle Ladder match at WrestleMania 2000 was, let's face it, a TLC match simply missing the name "TLC." In every respect, it was the first actual TLC, with tables, ladders, and chairs galore. It can be somewhat confusing, especially for younger fans, when WWE history reflects back to the year 2000 and calls the Summerslam match "TLC 1" and zooms to Mania 17 for "TLC 2." Technically, they may as well be called "TLC 2 and 3," respectively, given what went down at Mania 2000. They look very much the same, with the exception being that the Triangle Ladder match was near epic length for a Ladder match at well over twenty minutes. No matter the official order, Edge, Christian, the Dudleys, and the Hardys made themselves legends that night. They stole the show from megastars like Rock, Triple H, Foley, and the McMahons. They were young and hungry and they allowed their desire to rise to the top of the business to fuel an undeniably brilliant performance. Even though it was smack dab in the mid-card of the year's biggest show, it was somewhat oddly not treated as anything less than a main-event. What arguably separates it from everything that followed it these last 15 years is that they wrestled it like a main-event. They paused in between some of the eye-popping action, allowing a proper response beyond just "Wow." Even if you had seen Michaels vs. Ramon in 1994, it mattered not. The three teams completely re-wrote the expectation for Ladder matches - of all varieties. Initial reaction reigns supreme, here. Maybe you could argue that the original has been topped. Yet, if you think back to the first time you ever saw this match, then everything that has come since has merely been competing for second place.
"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.
