1. Vince McMahon vs. Shawn Michaels: No Holds Barred - WrestleMania 22
There are very few performers throughout sports-entertainment history that take an ass-kicking like Vince McMahon. Never one to shy away from paying his character's story arch off in the best and most appropriate way possible, McMahon takes a beating for the enjoyment and entertainment of the men, women and children that have helped him become the most powerful man in the industry. That was the case as he entered the historic AllState Arena in Chicago on April 2, 2006 for his No Holds Barred match against Shawn Michaels, a man he had taken to personally attacking and humiliating since the previous December. Promising that fans would see a Heartbreak Kid unlike any they had ever been exposed to, Michaels unleashed months of fury and anger on the man who signed his paychecks. He blasted McMahon with chairs, ladders, put him through and a table and punished him with a kendo stick. Things were not easy for the future Hall of Famer, though, as he had to fend off interference from both the Spirit Squad and Shane McMahon in order to finish Vince off with Sweet Chin Music and eliminate his biggest detractor from his life. Like a pimple on prom night, however, the Chairman of the Board continued to pop up and interfere in Michaels' career.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
