10. Macho Man Randy Savage vs. Ricky The Dragon Steamboat - WrestleMania III
Many of the greatest feuds in wrestling history have been centered on very personal stories. People are drawn to things that they can relate to. If a man gets attacked from behind by another man and that other mans motives are to protect his position in his workplace, then it may not necessarily be the act itself that we can relate to, but simply the consideration of the act. Yet, we can also relate to the man that suffers the attack because most of us have been in his shoes; the victim who got his knees cut out from under him before he could accomplish his goal. People will do crazy things to protect themselves. They will throw others under the bus or even act out in a violent rage to ensure that they have covered their own backsides. This was the story at WrestleMania III with Savage vs. Steamboat. A story in the ring about who is the best works optimally only if the two wrestlers in each corner can actually make a legitimate claim to being the best. It became known for some time about twenty years ago that the best wrestler usually wore the Intercontinental title. Where did that begin? At the Pontiac Silverdome with Savage vs. Steamboat. Savage was so intense in everything that he did. As a heel, that intensity helped bring something extra to the assaults he laid down on his babyface foes. It helped that Steamboat was the consummate babyface, able to sell wonderfully the offense of his opponent and get the crowd behind him with his mannerisms. Those little things helped make what happened throughout this 15-minute match so special. If you have watched Savage vs. Steamboat and wondered what all the fuss is about, then you need to go back and watch it again by putting yourself into the mindset of an 80s era fan. It was a simpler time where moves with less impact meant a lot more and were able to garner a much larger reaction from people. Steamboat won the match with a small packageit was just that simple. This has been hailed by many as the greatest match in WrestleMania history and stands the test of time as a phenomenal contest between two of the all-time greats.
"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.
