Righteous Rankings: Ladder Matches Part 2

Welcome back to the Righteous Rankings! Last week I broke down the greatest ladder based matches 6-10. Now right here on part two of the countdown, you can find out the top 5 greatest ladder based matches of all-time!

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Ranking: #5

Match: TLC VII (The Undertaker vs Edge)

Event: One Night Stand 2008

This match may have not been the last chapter in this storybook rivalry but it was the turning point for them. Coming off a couple huge matches including the main event at Wrestlemania XXIV, these two came into this match with pure hate. Vickie Guerrero set a stipulation that if The Undertaker lost then he would be retired from the WWE forever. This sparked the fifth best ladder based match of all-time.

THE START: For the first half of this match, there was hardly any chair shots and absolutely no tables involve what so ever. But there was still plenty of action and the ladders did there fair share of damage by being used a weapons in many ways.

THE BREAKING POINT: The Undertaker seemed to dominate much of the match but it was Edge who got the first big table move. After multiple chair shots on The Undertaker, Edge was able to set him on a table and put him through it after jumping off the announce table.

THE FINISH: A ladder was set up across the ring to the crowd barrier and The Undertaker found a way to use it. He grabbed Edge by the neck and chokeslammed him into the ladder which ultimately should have been the match ending move. However Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder both came out to stop The Undertaker just as he started to climb the ladder. The Undertaker was able to chokeslam both through tables but Edge was back on his feet by this point. The Undertaker put him out again though by hitting a Last Ride to put Edge through not one but two tables! The Undertaker started climbing the ladder again but this time it was Chavo and his manager to stop The Undertaker. He overcame the odds again by taking them out with chairs and started to climb the ladder again. Unfortunately Edge was able to get back up and tipped the ladder which sent The Undertaker outside the ring and through four tables! Edge then climbs the ladder and claimed the Heavyweight Championship.

NOTE: The Undertaker may have lost but he did return later on after Edge and Vickie Guerrero had some relationship problems. The Undertaker took on Edge at Summerslam in a Hell in a Cell and ended up not only winning but he hit the Last Ride of the ladder and put Edge straight through the ring to hell.

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Ranking: #4

Match: TLC III (Benoit & Jericho vs Dudleys vs Hardy Boyz vs E&C)

Event: Smackdown 2001

Coming off of TLC I and II, it had some huge shoes to fill and it turned out to be a great match. With more men than the Money in the Bank, King of the Mountain, and seven man match, it is the largest match on this countdown as far as participants.TLC III was also easily one of the greatest matchs in Smackdown history.

THE START: The match started off a little slow and un-fluent but picked up quickly and thats when the ladders came in and started to play a big part in beating down members. Benoit also jumped from the top turnbuckle to the outside of the ring to put Hardy through a table but Hardy moved just in time. Benoit went through the table and left from it on a stretcher.

THE BREAKING POINT: This match was explosive so its hard to pick a single moment. All men dropped off the top of the ladders leaving nobody on their feet so Benoit made his way to the ring. He tried to climb the ladder but got sandwiched by two chairs from E&C. But true breaking point had to be Hardy putting Bubba through the announce table after jumping off a MASSIVE ladder.

THE FINISH: Jeff Hardy hit a Twist of Fate on Bubba off the ladder which opened up an easy climb to victory. Jericho stepped up but got taken off the ladder halfway up by a Spear from Edge. Luckily for him, his partner Benoit was able to capitalize and climb the ladder to victory.

NOTE: The match was the end to the whole Dudleys, Hardy Boyz, and E&C TLC run but it wasnt the end for them in this countdown. TLC III was one of the greatest matches in Smackdown history but not the greatest TLC match. The elite in this countdown are now getting started.

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Ranking: #3

Match: Ladder Match (Chris Jericho vs Chris Benoit)

Event: Royal Rumble 2001

This match was set as just another ordinary WWF Intercontinental Championship match but when the ladder match stipulation was added it meant high stakes. Then when the match aired it just about stole the show from Angle taking on HHH and the 2001 Royal Rumble which was won by Steve Austin.

THE START: The beginning of this contest was straight back and forth for a while. Both men exchanged brutal shots from the ladder and it was anyone's match. It seemed that every time one of these men hit a decisive move, it was followed up and answered by a move from their opponent.

THE BREAKING POINT: Benoit locked in his submission deep in the match and got Jericho to tap out even though the match couldn't end by submission. This must have boosted his confidence of something because from then on he was able to dominate this close match for a while. That while ended when he went for a HUGE crossbody splash from the top of the ladder and ended up hitting nothing but the mat.

THE FINISH: Benoit thought he had the opening he needed to win so he went for it. He started to climb but Jericho was on his feet by the time he reached the top so he got dumped off the ladder all the way to the outside of the ring. Jericho then set up the ladder again and won the match. Not a great ending but it capped off this great match.

NOTE: Jericho only kept that title a few months later by losing it just four nights after Wrestlemania but the real surprise came at Judgement Day. Jericho teamed with Benoit and they went on to get into the tag team title picture. They ended up carrying out a decent title reign as tag partners and in creating the third greatest ladder based match of all-time.

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Ranking: #2

Match: TLC I (Dudleys Boyz vs Hardy Boyz vs Edge & Christian)

Event: Summerslam 2001

This match marked the first ever TLC match. When it was announced, nobody knew what we had in store but I assure you that not one person who watched this match was disappointed at what they got. What they got was one of the single handed greatest matches of all-time. Not just on the ladder countdown but in the entire history of WWF, WWE, and TNA.

THE START: The match starts off heavily focused on implicating the chairs. Just about everyone takes a chair shot and it makes for an entertaining match. Not to mention that the ladders got used just as much as a stationary weapon and a striking weapon as people were getting dropped by ladders left and right.

THE BREAKING POINT: There is two moments in my mind that stick out in my mind as the logical breaking points of this match. The first is when Jeff Hardy went to hit a Swanton Bomb on Bubba but ended up going through a table on his own instead. But just moments later Bubba took a worse hit by climbing a huge ladder only to end up getting tipped off, going through four tables on the way down.

THE FINISH: Jeff Hardy tried the climb to victory again but Devon got Bubba's revenge and dumped Hardy through four tables. But the table's couldnt hold Hardy back as he headed up the ladder again in time to battle it out with Devon. The ladder got taken out from underneath them and they were left to fight while hanging above the ring. Hardy fought Devon off but E&C were right there to throw a ladder at Hardy that knocked him down to the ring. E&C then climbed up the ladder and got the belts.

NOTE: The match finish was definitely unique but this was just the start to this rivalry. You might be thinking that second place if the first loser but these guys in this match were able to take first place as well. You will know what I am talking about in a split second.

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By this time your finger nails should be completely chewed off. Most fans should be able to tell the winner before scrolling down but if you're not aware then you definitely need to check this next match out. The moment of truth is here and without further or do... drum roll.

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Ranking: #1

Match: TLC II (Dudley Boyz vs Hardy Boyz vs Edge & Christian)

Event: Wrestlemania X-7

If you thought "how could the triple threat tag team match be ranked at just #2?" Then you thought it should be #1 and it is. The first match was so great that they felt they needed to do it again and surprisingly it was able to deliver even bigger at the grandest stage of them all.

THE BEGINNING: It could only be imagined that the top ranked match would be full of action from start to finish and that was exactly the case. The beginning of this match had people going through tables like crazy and people flying off ladders in every direction. Even Rhino gored somebody though a damn table!

THE BREAKING POINT: The moment that set the tempo for this contest was without a question, Jeff Hardy diving off the biggest ladder there and landing a Swanton Bomb. The move was single handedly enough force to put Rhino and Dudley through a table that was waiting ringside.

THE FINISH: Jeff Hardy had the match in reach and was even hanging from the belts. But with a little directional help from Bubba, Edge was able to spear Jeff Hardy from the belts straight down to ring with impact. Bubba then went to battle it out with Matt Hardy at the top of the ladder but Edge was still there to tip the ladder and send them both through ringside tables. The ladder then got set up again and Christian was able to out climb both Devon and Rhino. He handed Edge the belts and that concluded the greatest ladder based match of all time.

NOTE: Yes it is the top ranked ladder based match of all time but this match definitely ranks among the elite of the greatest matches in wrestling history. In the end E&C were able to pull off two great wins to cement themselves into ladder match history forever.

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Hope you enjoyed the countdown and thanks for reading. Tune in again next week where I will be breaking down the top 10 greatest summerslam matches of all-time!

Comments

1. Comment #1

   john cena you are the best wwe just like big show,rey,john morsen,kofi kingsten,edge,kane,jtg,
   chis masters,bret.hart and the undertaker and not the peoples champ the ROCK HE IS DUM SAYING YOU SUCK LIKE FRODY PEPELS

   Posted by matthew/.k on Tuesday, March 08, 2011

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