The Greatest Match From Every WWE WrestleMania
17. WrestleMania XIX: Shawn Michaels Vs Chris Jericho
Shawn Michaels’ 2002 return to active duty is one of the great wrestling comebacks.
Not only had he mended his disruptive ways as an individual, his in-ring work was just as good if not better than ever. His feud with Chris Jericho was a master vs student affair, and there can be few rivals of Michaels with whom he has had greater chemistry.
Their clash here is the highlight of one of the great WrestleManias, and for fans of work rate and originality, it doesn’t get a whole lot better. This is a topsy turvy and entirely unpredictable match: Jericho is the younger star, Michaels the returning hero. Between this and the non stop momentum shifts, this could easily have gone either way.
Jericho is in his most comfortable skin here as an achingly cocky heel, and his villainy, including a post-match low blow, whips up the crowd expertly. Michaels, meanwhile, delights in showing the world that he hasn’t lost a step. The set up is simple and the stipulations un-flashy - it’s just two of the best pros of the era putting on an absolute masterclass.