9. Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon - SummerSlam 1995
One year after thrilling the wrestling world with a revolutionary Ladder match at WrestleMania X, Vince McMahon leaned heavily on Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon to help rescue a lackluster SummerSlam card in August of 1995. Originally, Michaels was slated to defend the Intercontinental Championship against his former bodyguard Sycho Sid. With such appealing matches as Diesel vs. Mabel and Bret Hart vs. Isaac Yankem, however, McMahon understood that his card needed that one match that could both spark some pay-per-view buys and steal the show. With little-to-no backstory accompanying it, Michaels and Ramon had no motivation to do anything other than deliver the best match on the show and that is exactly what they did. Ramon assumed the role of the heel as Michaels was clearly next in line for the main event babyface push. He used a few nuances that showed a darker side of the Ramon character and reminded fans that, though he had become very popular over the previous two years, he was still a bad guy. He ruthlessly targeted Michaels' left knee, slamming it with the ladder and drawing a mixed reaction from the Pittsburgh crowd while doing so. Michaels would recover, however, and the second-half of the match would pick up in intensity. The ladder became much more integral in the action and the intensity on display by both Superstars would set the rematch apart from the original. Michaels dumped Ramon to the arena floor with a back body drop and, after two attempts to retrieve the title, would finally grab hold of the belt and pick up his first ladder match win. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meARYZIsJuE The match paled in comparison to the original, largely due to a major continuity issues late in the match. Throughout the early portion of the bout, Michaels' knee is brutally and violently assaulted by Ramon. The last five or six minutes, however, he is mounting his comeback and hopping around the squared circle without regard for the injury that had been set up over the course of the match. Otherwise, the bout is still a tremendous followup to the classic WrestleMania X match.
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.
