Biggest Matches In Wrestling?

[BomberPat]

I was going to title this "Dream Matches", but I think it's potentially something a little different to that...what do people think, now or over the next couple of years, are the biggest matches that could still conceivably be booked in wrestling? They will most likely be under a WWE banner, as that's the biggest platform, and most likely be matches never before seen (or only seen in a vastly different context), and unlikely to happen but still somewhat plausible (so, for example, your match can include Conor McGregor, as an unlikely but not unthinkable participant in a future Wrestlemania match, and it would be plausible, but unlikely, that someone like Steve Austin or Hulk Hogan may manage one last match).

For me...

The Rock vs. Brock Lesnar - this was one was thrown around as a Wrestlemania main event for a couple of years after the Rock/Cena matches; I think perhaps the bloom is off the rose in terms of this being a huge draw, as back then it would have felt like one of the biggest names in Hollywood taking on a major name in UFC, but I'm not sure if Lesnar still carries the same amount of UFC credibility, or is still as much of a draw, as back then. Even so, while it's happened before back in the day, I think this might be arguably the biggest "dream match" WWE still have available to them, certainly in terms of mainstream exposure.

The Rock vs. Dave Batista - Another one along the lines of above; for mainstream and crossover appeal, you can't really beat two bonafide Hollywood stars competing at Wrestlemania. May well be the biggest box office ticket WWE have going for them while still using "wrestlers", rather than bringing in a non-wrestling celeb.

[tiger_rick]

I asked this of the Squared Circle guys on their latest mailbag show. If you take The Rock out of the equation, I think there are no dream matches. There are matches that will be good and matches that I'll anticipate but absolutely nothing I'd call a dream match. Cena vs. Undertaker was the closest but that relied on it being for the streak. They pissed on Cena vs. Reigns.

Agree on both of Pat's. I'd add Rock/Reigns and Rock/HHH one more time. I just don't see anymore. I'm not into anyone in NJPW or ROH or anything so that's not going to help.

[BomberPat]

That they hot-shotted Cena/Reigns when they did is still one of the more baffling decisions of recent years for me. How Vince ever signed off on that being anything less than a Wrestlemania main event is beyond me. That it happened on the same PPV (I think) as Strowman/Brock, and around the same time as Cena/Strowman happening on RAW, was unforgivable - that's three potential big Wrestlemania first-matches all down the pan.

It is nigh-on impossible to think of anything that doesn't rely on The Rock, and I'm not even particularly a fan of the guy, he's just by far the biggest star there is - but it speaks volumes that I can't think of anyone on the current roster that I think would generate interest opposite him.

As for NJPW/ROH/etc., I leaned towards putting something like Kenny Omega vs. AJ Styles on here, but the problem with that is that Kenny Omega showing up in WWE would be big, but for who? People who are already watching. The only people who know who Kenny Omega is are the people already going out of their way to watch more wrestling, and 99.9% of them will also be watching WWE, certainly around Wrestlemania season. It's not going to win any new viewers, or get any mainstream headlines, the way someone like The Rock still could with the right opponent.

Roddy Piper said it years back - they stopped having to rely on bringing in movie stars, because they created their own.

[CleetusVanDamme]

Triple H vs Cena for the 16/17th (whatever the record is) world title's my go to dream match since they pissed the streak away. Would be pretty hard to write, Trips is a few behind, and there'd need to be a vacated title or a tournament to set it up, but it'd be huge, in and out of kayfabe.

 

[Grecian]

Brock Lesnar vs Bobby Lashley - could be booked as some kind of wrestling / MMA cross-over deal.

Undertaker vs AJ Styles - given the state of Taker, AJ could drag him to something resembling a good match to finally bow out.

Charlotte Flair vs Asuka - probably the biggest women's match going?

 

 

[Guest]

When discussing the Manhattan centre prices this week, I said the only match I’d have paid that money for would be Punk vs Austin 

[The King of Old School]

Realistically, there's nothing really left anymore, or at least for a long time anyway. Everything has been done.

There was potential over the next couple of years for 3 huge matches, but the fact they blew Cena/Reigns, Strowman/Brock and Cena/Strowman in the space of a month or so was baffling.

Sure theres stuff involving The Rock with one or two which could be dream matches, but they are not going to happen.

[LEGIT]

I'd honestly like to see a Daniel Bryan/Brock match, David V Goliath style. Maybe not a huge match publicity wise compared to a Rock match, but if Bryan is ever fit enough to wrestle Brock, it would create a great buzz for wrestling fans. And it would no doubt be a great match.

I wonder if we'll ever see WWE champion vs UFC champion. I'd imagine that would be huge. Unlikely, given that someone would have to do the job, but with more and more crossover from wrestling to UFC I wouldn't say it's out of the question.

[Undefeated Steak]

Hard question, really. Would've been easier to answer a few years ago. I mean, there's a 99% chance that these could ever happen but weirder things have happened in wrestling so I'll throw them out there anyway.

Lesnar vs McGregor and going by how well Austin looks these days, another Rock vs Austin match. Fuck it, if we're living in a world where Austin wrestles again, I'll say Punk vs Austin. Again, it'll likely never happen but could you imagine the last two spots of the Royal Rumble match still left and Austin and Punk came out? Imagine the promos and build they could have up until Wrestlemania.

Other than that, I can only really go with what Bomber said, and agree with what Rick had to say about any possible Cena Undertaker match. While we're on the topic, not having Cena vs Undertaker for the streak is one of the biggest missed opportunities ever. EVERYONE wanted to see that. Easy to forgot just how hot that streak was towards the end. It saved Wrestlemania on more than one occasion. 

[patiirc]

I'd quite like to see Miz vs Brock, just because of the sparing that they have had, pre Summer Slam etc.

 

Moving on Pentagon  Dark,/ junior whatever he is at the moment vs Roman Reigns could be fun 

[Statto]

10 hours ago, BomberPat said:

Rock vs. Dave Batista - Another one along the lines of above; for mainstream and crossover appeal, you can't really beat two bonafide Hollywood stars competing at Wrestlemania. May well be the biggest box office ticket WWE have going for them while still using "wrestlers", rather than bringing in a non-wrestling celeb.

This is the one that always springs to mind for me when discussions come up about the biggest match that WWE could conceivably do.

Rocky is obviously Rocky, but Batista is no small fish himself these days, following the GOTG roles.

Lord knows of either of them will ever wrestle again, but for me it’s unquestionably the biggest money match out there.

[Onyx2]

7 hours ago, CleetusVanDamme said:

Triple H vs Cena for the 16/17th (whatever the record is) world title's my go to dream match since they pissed the streak away. Would be pretty hard to write, Trips is a few behind, and there'd need to be a vacated title or a tournament to set it up, but it'd be huge, in and out of kayfabe.

 

I didn't realise how much I wanted to see this until you'd written it. The buildup for this would be spectacular, especially the video recap beforehand showing all 32 title wins between 'em. 

[AdamTH17]

I think you could shoehorn Daniel Bryan into a fair few, especially with guys that have risen to prominence within the WWE whilst he's been out on the shelf. I wouldn't classify modern day matches featuring himself and guys like AJ, Nakamura, Owens and Zayn wouldn't qualify as being dream matches per se, but they'd still be really fantastic matches to watch, and it's a shame we might not see him up against any of those guys. 

If Bryan does decide to go on his world tour of the indies post WWE contract, matches with guys like Omega, Ibushi, Negro Casas could all be put under the dream match banner for their respective promotions I think. If he hadn't been injured, I still think Bryan vs Lesnar at Summerslam 2014 could have been one of the biggest WWE matches in years. Bryan coming off of his Wrestlemania victory as the beloved fighting champion, Lesnar returning from ending the streak at Wrestlemania looking like a wrecking machine. One of the rare times I was gutted to not be witnessing that match. You could have done the exact same build and spots from the Lesnar/Cena squash, but with Bryan as the underdog being squashed and having to claw his way back into championship contention, culminating in a rematch at Wrestlemania 31. Fuck, I wish that match happened.

From a WWE standpoint, there really isn't much. None of the guys they have at the minute feel even remotely special or important enough to have a dream match with any of the old guards. The only exemption that springs to mind is something like Styles vs HBK. Two guys who have name value, haven't fought 50 times already and could probably deliver the goods in terms of in-ring quality. You'd have to rely on two part-timers who have managed to stay vaguely apart throughout the years otherwise, something like Batista/Rock or Brock/Batista would fill those criteria nicely. If you put enough smoke and mirrors on it, I'd probably even watch something concerning Cena vs Flair, especially with the record being on the line.

[drkopen]

18 months ago I would have said Bryan vs The Miz. They had that great exchange on Talking Smack and Miz started to use the kicks and get the no chant going. The back story is already there between the two if then.

[Loki]

The biggest one out there in terms of mainstream appeal has to be Rock v Batista.  Hollywood v Hollywood.

In terms of building big matches internally, I guess the brand split provides some possibilities.  If they do pull the trigger on Samoa Joe this year, a potential cross-brand Samoa Joe v AJ Styles would certainly get me tuning in.  Yes, it's something we've seen in TNA but for the vast majority of wrestling fans it'd be new, and those two have ALWAYS had great matches.

Another long-term build, but if they strapped the rocket on Bobby Roode, you could build to a Bobby Roode v HHH.  

Finally, if Angle is fit and ready to go, I think we'd all like to see Angle v Lesnar again.