8. Vince McMahon vs. Triple H: No Holds Barred Match - Armageddon 1999
If this list has taught us anything to this point, it is that McMahon and Triple H have a long and storied history full of love, hate and everything in between. It was hate that fueled their match at Armageddon in December of 1999. For months, McMahon had targeted The Game, attempting to keep the disrespectful, vile and dangerous villain from reigning over WWE as its heavyweight champion. As the personal aspect of the feud intensified, Triple H sank to disgusting lows, going as far as to have Vince's daughter Stephanie drugged before marrying her at a drive-thru chapel in Las Vegas. It was a the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back and led to a No Holds Barred match between the two at Armageddon, with the stipulation being that a loss for Triple H would lead to the annulment of his marriage to Stephanie. The match was a physically intense battle between two men with deep hatred for one another. McMahon and Triple H battled throughout the arena, into the parking lot and back to ringside. Despite overwhelming odds, McMahon had managed to stand toe-to-toe with the former heavyweight champion and survived to see the conclusion of the somewhat lengthy match. Unfortunately, an ill-timed distraction from Stephanie left the door open for Triple H to blast her father with a sledgehammer and score the win. McMahon was left in a heap in the center of the ring, unaware that his daughter and new son-in-law had been in cahoots the entire time. McMahon's defeat and the revelation of Triple H and Stephanie's unholy wedlock ignited the McMahon-Helmsley Era in WWE and led to some of the company's finest television.
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.
