1. Razor Ramon vs. Shawn Michaels - WrestleMania X
There have been flashier, more athletic and breathtaking Ladder matches in the two decades since Razor Ramon and Shawn Michaels fought for the right to call themselves the undisputed Intercontinental champion but none perfectly encapsulated everything the match was better than those two did on March 20, 1994 at WrestleMania X. Ramon and Michaels introduced the match type to an worldwide audience, much of which had never seen one before. In the process, they immortalized themselves by delivering one of the greatest WrestleMania performances of all-time. Michaels controlled a large portion of the match by working on the ribs of his opponent. He battered and beat Ramon with the ladder before climbing it and leaping off with a big splash drove the wind from the 2014 Hall of Famer. Ramon, showing great resilience, fought back. With every strike he made, Michaels would bump around the ring, making Ramon look like that much more impressive. The finish saw Michaels become trapped in the ropes in a great spot that enhanced the drama of the match. Ramon capitalized on the opening, ascended the ladder and retrieved both Intercontinental titles and became the undisputed titleholder. It was, arguably, the shining moment of Ramon's career in WWE and the match that indicated that Michaels could star for the company as its top performer in the very near future. http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xlmqsl_015-shawn-michaels-vs-razor-ramon-wrestlemania-x-1994-ladder-match-wwf-intercontinental-championship_sport The Ladder match at WrestleMania X set the stage for every other match on this list and made future incarnations of the bout, such as TLC and Money in the Bank, possible. Without it, there is no telling if stars such as Edge, Christian and the Hardy Boyz would have had the opportunity to achieve the stardom that they did. A true landmark match in the history of WWE and still, some 20 years later, the best of its kind.
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.
