15. Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho - WrestleMania XIX
In December 2002, Jericho confronted Michaels and called him the Has-Been Kid, prompting HBK to super kick Y2J right in the face. Then, leading into the Royal Rumble in 2003, Jericho made it known that he intended to win the Rumble from the #1 spot, only to be disappointed when he learned that HBK had already secured the first entry. Jericho jumped Michaels from behind and quickly eliminated him from. Y2Js antics only escalated when Michaels jumped him later on in the Rumble and helped get him eliminated. The story eventually shifted to Jericho having once been HBKs biggest fan. Jericho wanted to prove that he was now better than Michaels and was intent on ending HBKs career. Quietly, fans wondered whether or not HBK would be able to hold up his end of the bargain in a non-gimmicked match, since he had not had a standard, feature length wrestling match since 1998. Michaels quickly answered any questions about his fitness level and health when he engaged in a fast paced game of one-upmanship with Jericho to start the match. In what can best be described as a game of chess between two master players, Jericho and Michaels went back and forth for nearly 23-minutes. There were times during the match where each showed off their wrestling acumen, while there were others where they each put their athleticism on display. Then, they proved why they were two of the best in the history of WrestleMania with the steady build to the climax. Jericho was cocky at times, even going so far as to use Sweet Chin Music on Shawn and mock his signature poses. Michaels did a great job of playing the veteran babyface, outsmarting Jericho on a few occasions and finding ways to counter a lot of Jerichos established offensive repertoire. After Jericho and Michaels had exhausted nearly every move in their playbooks, HBK scored the pin with a unique legs over the shoulders pinning combination. It was a match heralded as a highly successful return for HBK and a great showcase of what Jericho brought to the table, but it was often left out of the conversation for being one of the best WrestleMania matches of all-time. It ages like a fine wine and gets better with each viewing.
"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.
