WWE: 10 Best Raw Matches Of All Time

1. Tag Team Championship: Stone Cold Steve Austin and Triple H vs Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho (May 21st, 2001)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-SomfgOE0E In mid 2001 WWE appeared to be in great health from both a financial and creative standpoint. Wrestlemania XVII had emerged as their all time most successful PPV, their second biggest star Dwayne Johnson was off filming a legit Hollywood blockbuster, Stone Cold's heel turn had created a ton of exciting, fresh babyface opponents, and the upcoming WCW Invasion angle seemed sure to guarantee several dream matches between the two longtime rival brands. The company was so healthy in fact that a Raw main event pitting the power trip of Austin and Triple H versus the Canadian duo of Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit, was designed as an ultra competitive match for the tag team titles as opposed to a big name match contrived to use the now irrelevant gold as a way to boost a further angle. Played in front of an electric crowd, the four men followed suit by establishing a breathneck pace filled with tenacious stomps, brawling, mat wrestling and intense double teaming that was executed throughout by both teams. Rather than following the usual heel beatdown / hot tag formula the exhilarating contest was more akin to a revolving door sitcom with each man setting up the other in a fluid, stylish motion. An amazing sequence in the opening five minutes was testament to the superior timing on display as Benoit heroically fought off Austin and Hunter in the corner before being poked in the eye by the Rattlesnake, and reversing a punch into a crippler crossface submission. Meanwhile Jericho noticed Hunter stirring on the apron and decided to wisely intervene by taking him out with a springboard dropkick. With the ref then giving Jericho a good talking to however, it was Triple H who responded with some cunning of his own to bring in a steel chair inside the ring and plant Benoit over the head as the referee turned round to count a near fall. The match will be remembered however for one man's invincible courage as Triple H tore his quad just prior to the finishing stretch but valiantly powered through the pain to fall victim to the planned walls of Jericho submission on the announce table and then contribute to the final moments of the match which saw him hobble to the ring and accidentally smash Austin with a sledgehammer as Jericho covered the wwe champion for the winning pinfall. What separated the bout from most tag team contests was the sheer passion evoked from two top dogs trying to put a couple of fresh stars in their place and the wannabe main eventers relentlessly firing back to prove that they belong in the same ring. Despite Trips injury, it was a match that made everyone look good in their roles, and emphasised the awe inspiring competitive instinct and mat based intelligence innate within all those involved. Well there's my countdown and I can only hope that you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed researching and writing it up. Given the thousands of matches that have been broadcasted over Raw's illustrious history, there are bound to be differences in opinion, so please feel free to let me know which matches selections you agree with and which ones you think have been cruelly omissed.