9. Tag Team Tables Match Creates A New Definition For Visual Artistry In A Wrestling Ring
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3T-UQ7OPFg For fans that had never witnessed a Tables match prior to the WWE introducing the gimmick to its broader audience, the Hardy Boyz vs. Dudley Boyz match at the 2000 Royal Rumble was stunning. The WWE audience had been privy to several innovative matches in the decade before most notably the Ladder match and the Hell in a Cell. The pre-bout mindset prior to the initial WWE Tables match was somewhat tame in comparison to the excitement generated by the other firsts. When the opening bell rang, though, the stunts performed by four extremely hungry individuals desperate to steal the show and earn the respect of their peers (and management) built as much anticipation for the rest of the match in 10-minutes as most storylines could muster in a month of pre-PPV television. Table after table, crash after crash, all leading to the climax that saw Jeff Hardy produce one of his most time-tested video clips the Swanton Bomb off the New York Knicks player entrance through a table (and D-Von Dudley). It was one of the rare firsts in the WWE that has never been topped. Dozens of other Tables matches have taken place since the inaugural on January 23, 2000, but none of them have been able to match the energy of the Hardys and Dudleys. Each team had an uncanny understanding of how to be violent and put their bodies on the line like few others in wrestling history would, while also maintaining a degree of psychology. One of the best spots in that match took place when D-Von played dodge-Hardy. Matt saw a chance to take him out and leaped toward him as he lay prone on a table, but D-Von rolled out of the way just in the nick of time. Unfortunately, he rolled right into the path of another table, catching the eye of the daredevil, Jeff, who proceeded to launch himself with a suicide dive in his direction. D-Von escaped, unharmed, yet again. Both Hardys crash landed...and the anticipation continued to grow.
"The Doc" Chad Matthews has written wrestling columns for over a decade. A physician by trade, Matthews began writing about wrestling as a hobby, but it became a passion. After 30 years as a wrestling fan, "The Doc" gives an unmatched analytical perspective on pro wrestling in the modern era. He is a long-time columnist for Lordsofpain.net and hosts a weekly podcast on the LOP Radio Network called "The Doc Says." His first book - The WrestleMania Era: The Book of Sports Entertainment - ranks the Top 90 wrestlers from 1983 to present day, was originally published in December 2013, and is now in its third edition.
Matthews lives in North Carolina with his wife, two kids, and two dogs.