Opinion

Why Chris Jericho Is The Absolute GOAT

Published

7 years ago

January 10, 2018

As a kid growing up watching WWE throughout the Attitude Era, if you asked me who the greatest wrestler of all time was I would undoubtedly have said Stone Cold Steve Austin. The man who defined the most popular era in wrestling history and the reason we tuned in every week. But put 20 people in a room and ask them who the G.O.A.T is … you would likely get 20 different answers. Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, HBK and The Undertaker are just a few of the names that are regularly mentioned, but what actually makes somebody the Greatest Of All Time?

(Outside of being Jinder Mahal, of course.)

Is it how much money they made the company? How many championships they won? Their in ring ability and technical prowess? Their character? Ability to entertain and captivate? In my eyes its a mixture of all of the above, and its exactly why I believe Chris Jericho should hold the mantle of being the G.O.A.T.

A little bit of history first. Jericho made his wrestling debut way back in 1990, making a name for himself around Europe and Mexico but it wasn’t until he joined ECW in 1995 that he started receiving widespread attention. It was during this time that he caught the eye of WCW where upon signing he developed into the brash, whiny and cocky kid that we loved to hate … Europe and Mexico may be where he honed his craft, but WCW was where he truly became Chris Jericho.

WCW had a tendency to not realise what they had until it was gone, and Jericho became their latest in a loooong list of missed opportunities when he signed with WWE in 1999. In what I will always see as the one debut to have the single biggest impact on the company, Jericho debuted on RAW by interrupting The Rock as he was cutting a promo on the Big Show. If you want to get noticed what better way to do it than by going toe to toe with the face of the company? He instantly became must see TV, and that’s one of the best things about him, over 20 years in the business but still to this day he is just as relevant as that first night in 1999.

Im going to take a look at some of the reasons why I firmy believe Chris Jericho is the G.O.A.T :

An A4 piece of paper that’s more over than most of the roster

Always reinventing and evolving

One of the things that sticks out for me with Jericho is how much time he takes off, which you may think is a bad thing but its more the way he does it and what happens when he returns. Take John Cena and Brock Lesnar for example, when they take 6 months off they don’t bring anything new to the table after returning, they’re still just Cena and Lesnar. They go straight into the title picture and its just more the same old rubbish that pisses off the fans. But when Jericho comes back he isn’t labelled a part timer because he reinvents himself and mixes things up. Here’s some examples :

In 2007 after 2 years away, he came back with a new finisher – The Codebreaker – which he still uses to this day. Its a move which has become synonymous with the name Chris Jericho.
He then became even more arrogant and condescending than ever before, always wearing a suit, talking slowly and quietly with patronising tones. He was one of those heels who the crowd actually cared about hating.
More recently he went back to the Jericho of old by wearing the flashy jackets and being more of a rock star than ever before. The Ayatollah of Rock ‘n’ Rolla was back and better than ever.
Now we have arguably his finest creation and the stand out highlight of the last 12 months – The List of Jericho. The fans love it, it’s something we can join in with and is funny literally 100% of the time. Also, calling somebody a ‘Stupid Idiot!‘ really isn’t that good is it? It’s hardly insulting at all. But Jericho? He somehow made it every bit as good as The Rock calling somebody a Jabroni, Goldberg telling you that ‘You’re Next!‘, or Edge introducing the ‘You Suck‘ chants for Kurt Angle.
The Scarf. I know what you’re thinking … ‘how is a scarf a reinvention?’ and to be honest at the start i was thinking the same thing. But it was because Jericho made it so. He made a simple scarf part of his character, not just his look. It became something he would back and forth with other wrestlers over and it was another wildly entertaining and funny quirk.
Japan. After mastering North America, Jericho returned to Japan, where he’s become an out of control, disrespectful heel in the mold of another great gaijin, Stan Hansen.

His ability to keep things fresh and still be relevant after such a long time should be a wake up call for a lot of the newer guys on the roster, Jason Jordan for example, who hasn’t even begun to find himself yet. If this guy can get a reaction to A SCARF then what exactly is your excuse?

WWE would never … EEEEEEVER be the same again

An incredible CV

When you look at the names mentioned in the GOAT conversation, you start to see a trend emerging. They all had great singles runs and were great champions. Jericho has more than earned his spot alongside those names by winning a whole heap of championships down the years – Hardcore Champion, European Champion, U.S Champion x 2, Intercontinental Champion x 9, World Heavyweight Champion x 3 and who could forget when went down in history as the first ever Undisputed Champion by defeating The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin in the same night. He was also the fourth ever Grand Slam Champion and while in WCW won the Cruiserweight Championship 4 times and was the WCW TV Champion on one occasion. You can certainly say he has been there, done that and got the championship belt to prove it.

He has also been a part of some very memorable and super entertaining tag teams, winning the Tag Team Championships on 7 different occasions teaming with Edge, Chris Benoit, Big Show, The Rock and Christian. It just goes to show Jericho’s versatility, not only was he was able to carve out many successful solo runs but continued to achieve at the highest level as part of a team, even if those teams did end up capitulating and feuding with each other!

The company have clearly never lacked any faith in him despite his ventures outside of WWE sometimes taking precedent, his band Fozzy for example, and always recognised his passion, drive, commitment and ability to let him still be one of the top guys.

WWE SmackDown AJ Styles vs. Chris Jericho

Short Sleeves & Gloves vs Topless & Scarf in the battle of men who cant dress themselves properly

He’s all about the future

There comes a time in every WWE superstars career where they have to make way for the next bright young talent to take their opportunity, and Jericho is no stranger to this. He is a company man, he will always go out of his way to put somebody over if its in the best interests of WWE. He has been instrumental in helping to put over the likes of Dolph Ziggler, Braun Strowman, Shelton Benjamin, Cena, Owens and even Fandango in one of the biggest Wrestlemania upsets in history!

The most impressive thing for me in all of this is that he is still putting on these great matches to put other talent over at the ripe old age of 47 ! We saw this most recently at NJPW’s Wrestle Kingdom 12 show, the first time in a very long time that Jericho had competed in another companies ring, in an exhilarating match against Kenny Omega. Now strictly speaking, Omega doesn’t need Jericho to put him over as he’s already one of the best in the world right, but what Jericho did do was put NJPW over. Sure they’re a company on the up, but without many household names to speak of Jericho brings huge star power and helped to get a lot more eyes on the company than they ordinarily might have. If you haven’t seen this match or its build up yet do yourself a favour and find it online, Jericho was able to throw off the shackles of PG Era WWE and was able to be the non conformist, potty mouthed, deceiving and cheating heel that we all knew he had in him.

A huge advantage that Jericho has over other veterans is that over the years he has come to understand that sometimes a loss can be instrumental to building bigger crowd reactions in the long run and be beneficial for everybody involved as it gets the fans more invested in the rivalry. He doesn’t feel the need to always be on top, to always win his feuds or to look like the stronger man if it comes at the expense of better talents. Nothing makes him happier than helping to secure WWE’s future, the company that have given him so much over the years, by making the next top guy look good. He brings with him a crafty, wily veteran instinct into every match and doesn’t just give the other guy the win, but actually teaches them during the match and essentially trains them while on the job. He is right up there with Kane as one of the most sought after workers in WWE, as going face to face with him is an experience which makes everybody better in the long run.

The grandaddy of The List

One of the best talkers ever

Listen to any Jericho promo today and you would never think that it was once a very different story. There was a time when he was more Sycho Sid (I beg you to click this link) than Paul Heyman on the mic, but hard work, determination and the willingness to learn from those around him helped him to become one of the greatest talkers in WWE history. Although he honed the majority his ability in WWE you have to give a lot of credit to WCW, where he had to cut a tonne of 30 second advertisements informing the viewers of events in the local area. If it wasn’t for these videos his personality may well have gone unnoticed.

During his time with WCW, he cut one of the most infamous promos of all time which really put him on the map. He took to the microphone to mock the legendary Dean Malenko, whose superior technical knowledge had him dubbed as the ‘Man of 1,000 Holds‘. Jericho referred to himself as the ‘Man of 1,004 Holds‘ while unravelling an impossibly long list in the middle of the ring. Although nearly every other hold of the 1,004 were variations of arm bars, he opened an awful lot of eyes with this promo, playing the role of an arrogant, delusional heel to perfection. Before long, Jericho’s reputation as one of wrestling’s best trash talkers was cemented and we have been treated to some fantastic verbal spars with The Rock and HBK, and hilarious moments with Booker T, Kevin Owens and Stephanie McMahon to name a few.

That’s a 42 year old man doing that, I’m 28 and can barely run without dying

One tough S.O.B

Jericho is known for being the same outside of the ring as he is inside of it – tough as nails and willing to stick up for what he believes in. He has had some well documented real life issues with fellow WWE stars and once notoriously took on Goldberg in a backstage altercation. He and Sin Cara clashed while on tour in Europe for unknown reasons and he recently went face to face with Brock Lesnar at Summerslam, out of concern for his friend Randy Orton, and lived to tell the tale. So not only does he clearly have big brass balls but he’s also honourable to boot.

He has never backed down from a challenge, evident from his personal differences with other superstars, but also in terms of his career. He had a nice, cushy midcard place in WCW but gave that up to try and crack the big leagues in WWE. A massive gamble considering he had only been WCW TV Champion once before, and a Cruiserweight before that. What we’ve seen plenty of times in other sports is that moving up weight classes can be a terrible idea and have a huge dampening impact on a career. But nevertheless, Jericho stepped out of his comfort zone and made a break for it, and what a decision that turned out to be – it was a mere 2 years later that he was entrusted to become the first ever Undisputed Champion.

Always one for innovation, Jericho was the man responsible for creating the Money In The Bank ladder match and has appeared in the match 5 times since its inception in 2005. A veteran of many TLC, Elimination Chamber, Cage and Ladder matches he is no stranger to high risk matches full of spots and bumps. For a guy well into his 40’s he can still go in the ring with the absolute best, evident from his flying crossbody off of the top of a Steel Cage onto Bray Wyatt as recently as 2014 and allowing Dean Ambrose to slam him down onto hundreds of tacks in the Ambrose Asylum match. He has credited DDP Yoga as a primary reason for why he is still going after suffering a herniated disc injury in 2011 while competing on Dancing With The Stars, and claims to feel better than ever. Hopefully with this kind of support he can keep going well into his 50’s, I just don’t want it to become desperate and embarrassing like when Ric Flair was still trying to wrestle in 2011/12. Jericho’s legacy is too great to tarnish, I hope he recognises once enough is enough and finally gets inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame.

There’s absolutely no doubt in my mind that Chris Jericho is the Greatest Of All Time. Do you disagree? Do you know what happens when you disagree that Chris Jericho is the G.O.A.T? You know what happens when you say somebody else is?

Do you?

Non believers …. YOU JUST MADE THE LIST !!!

As ever, please comment and share !

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Opinion

Chairshot Staff Picks: WrestleMania 41 Las Vegas

Time for The Chairshot personalities to put their money where their mouths are! WreslteMania 41 predictions from the “expert” staff at TheChairshot.com and Chairshot Radio Network.

Published

6 hours ago

April 18, 2025

PC Tunney

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to the Chairshot Staff Picks. And what better setting than WrestleMania for this article to return! This 41st edition has one of the most stacked rosters in WWE history. So, without further ado, let us get to the predictions and prognostications…

AJ – The New Day
Andrew – The New Day – No one seems to hold tag titles long anymore.
Dave – The New Day – They have earned it.
DJ – The New Day – Feel tha Powah!
DPP – War Raiders – Big E distraction.
Jason – The New Day – We are not getting E in a working capacity though everyone wants it.
Patrick – The New Day – WWE doesn’t care about this match, so why should I?
Rey – The New Day – Its a New Day, bruh.
Rob – The New Day – New Day rocks and wins!
Greg – The New Day – New. Day wins. New. Day wins!

Tunney’s Take: War Machine – Yes, WAR MACHINE. I have personally had the pleasure of throwing back a few cold ones with these guys on more than one occasion. Not only being tag champs in WWE but defending the titles at Mania and against The New Day is really cool for me as a long-time fan. Would it be fun to see The New Day have another title run.. YES. I think it’s smarter to give the War Raiders a big Mania W.

Chairshot Pick: THE NEW DAY 9-2

AJ – Jade Cargill
Andrew – Jade Cargill – She needs to stay a dominant force.
Dave – Jade Cargill – Gotta gear her up for the long term.
DJ – No contest – Naomi puts another beat down on Jade.
DPP – Jade Cargill – Nervous for how this match will go.
Jason – Naomi – Way more runway with Naomi as a bad guy. Keep it going!
Patrick – Jade Cargill – Jade gets her revenge.
Rey – Jade Cargill – Best non-title feud going. Naomi should win but Jade sneaks by.
Rob – Naomi – Naomi gets help to win.
Greg – Jade Cargill – They ain’t beating Jade here.

Tunney’s Take: Jade Cargill – I imagine WWE sees Jade’s ceiling much higher than Naomi’s. What better way to keep Jade climbing the ladder towards a World Title than to pick up a decisive victory in Vegas!

Chairshot Pick: Jade Cargill 8-2-1

AJ – Jacob Fatu – “AJ does a pretty good LA Knight impersonation” – PC Tunney
Andrew – Jacob Fatu – I’m biased, Jacob for President.
Dave – Jacob Fatu – Getting gold back in the Bloodline is smart.
DJ – Jacob Fatu
DPP – Jacob Fatu
Jason – Jacob Fatu – Thanks for coming pal, YEAH!
Patrick – Jacob Fatu
Rey – Jacob Fatu – C’mon cuz! All gas no brakes with it. Yadadamean??
Rob – LA Knight – Solo costs Jacob.
Greg – LA Knight – Solo screws Jacob.

Tunney’s Take: Jacob Fatu – It has been quite the journey for the Samoan Werewolf. I feel like that journey and the positive turn around it has taken deserves to be rewarded. Let’s see what Jacob can do on his own. Plus, LA Knight is ready to challenge for a World Title.

Chairshot Pick: Jacob Fatu 9-2

AJ – Tiffany Straton
Andrew – Tiffany Straton – I hate Charlotte Flair, no objectivity here.
Dave – Charlotte Flair – Tiffy might be the future, but she kinda failed the litmus test.
DJ – Charlotte Flair – The Queen crowns the freshman.
DPP – Tiffany Stratton
Jason – Charlotte Flair – Tiff wasn’t ready for this spot. Charnos is inevitable.
Patrick – Charlotte Flair – Lol Charlotte wins.
Rey – Charlotte Flair – Tiffany SHOULD win but, if Charlotte can squash, she will.
Rob – Charlotte Flair – Charlotte gets number 15.
Greg – Tiffany Stratton – Lol Charlotte wins. (Actually she doesn’t)

Tunney’s Take: Charlotte Flair – Charlotte needs the title for the first time in her career. Tiffy has had a nice run but now needs to take that all important step of not losing momentum after losing the title. Despite the drama and lackluster build here, I see a really good match coming this weekend from these two.

Chairshot Pick: Charlotte Flair 7-4

AJ – El Grande Americano
Andrew – El Grande Americano – I’d like to see Gable gain some momentum. Rey is Teflon.
Dave – El Grand Americano – He needs a marque win much more than Rey.
DJ – Rey Mysterio
DPP – El Grande Americano – Grande wins with the switcheroo to prove he is not Gable.
Jason – Rey Mysterio – Unmask Grande at the end. It is fun but has a shelf life.
Patrick – El Grande Americano – TOTALLY NOT CHAD GABLE
Rey – Rey Mysterio – Someone’s mask is coming off and it ain’t Rey.
Rob – El Grande Americano
Greg – Rey Mysterio – Hall of Famer wins but doesn’t take the mask.

Tunney’s Take: Rey Mysterio – Go listen to DWI 471. DP, Greg and I lay out exactly what this match should be, FUN! Multiple Americanos!!!

Chairshot Pick: El Grande Americano 6-5

AJ – Jey Uso
Andrew – Jey Uso – Kinda booked themselves into a corner here.
Dave – Jey Uso – It just makes sense.
DJ – Jey Uso – Jey YEETS all over The Ring Genreal.
DPP – Jey Uso – Jey wins after normal Gunther beating.
Jason – Jey Uso – Land the plane man. YEET
Patrick – Jey Uso – Jey has earned this one.
Rey – Jey Uso – YEEEEEEEEEEEET!
Rob – Jey Uso – YEET
Greg – Jey Uso – If Jey loses we riot. We don’t cause he wins.

Tunney’s Take: Jey Uso – ‘Til sweat drop down my balls, ‘Til all these bitches crawl, ‘Til all… YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET YEET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Chairshot Pick: Jey Uso 11-0

AJ – Roman Reigns
Andrew – Seth Rollins – I can see Rollins being the last piece of Team Rock.
Dave – Roman Reigns – I can’t see Roman losing two years in a row.
DJ – Seth Rollins – Paul Heyman is a Seth Freakin Rollins guy.
DPP – Seth Rollins – The Rock helps Rollins.
Jason – Roman Reigns – Seth’s favor is a red herring. Make-A-Wish Brooks got his main, now look at the lights.
Patrick – Seth Rollins – Seth Rollins… Paul Heyman guy.
Rey – Seth Rollins – I smeeeeellllllll a new soul to sell.
Rob – Roman Reigns – Paul Heyman helps Roman win.
Greg – Seth Rollins – Brock Lesnar returns to help Seth win.

Tunney’s Take: CM Punk – I really have no idea here. I picked Punk because nobody else did. This is going to be professional wrestling cinema at its finest. The story is thick and neatly woven. All the participants are legends and so are the potential party crashers. Will The Rock stick his nose in here? Will Brock Lesnar return to play a factor? Obviously, Paul Heyman has a Plan A… but what is it? All these questions and more will be answered Saturday as night 1 will definitely go out with a bang!

Chairshot Pick: Seth Rollins 6-4-1

AJ – Iyo Sky
Andrew – Iyo Sky – Rhea vs Bianca doesn’t need a belt to be compelling.
Dave – Rhea Ripley – Going with Rhea barely, hoping Iyo wins.
DJ – Iyo Sky – Unfinished business.
DPP – Iyo Sky – Rhea and Bianca are too consumed with each other.
Jason – Iyo Sky – More layers to Rhea/Bianca. Iyo rules.
Patrick – Iyo Sky – Iyo stole the build and gets the win.
Rey – Iyo Sky – Smart money is on the underdog champ.
Rob – Iyo Sky – Iyo survives.
Greg – Bianca Belair – Naomi helps Bianca win and turn heel.

Tunney’s Take: Rhea Ripley – Rhea is the best women’s wrestler in the world. Give her the biggest win on the grandest stage of them all!!! Bianca needs to go full heel. Iyo has been amazing in this build.

Chairshot Pick: Iyo Sky 8-2-1

AJ – Dominik Mysterio
Andrew – Finn Balor – I can see a Judgement Day meltdown incoming.
Dave – Bron Breakker – Bron is about to become a MegaStar.
DJ – Bron Breakker – Judgement Day implodes.
DPP – Dominik Mysterio – Finn take the pin.
Jason – Penta – I literally do not care because the winner is us, the fans.
Patrick – Bron Breakker – The WWE doesn’t care about this matchup, so why should I?
Rey – Dominik Mysterio – Only match without a clear winner. I choose chaos.
Rob – Bron Breakker – Finn and Dom cancel each other out.
Greg – Dominik Mysterio – Dom steals the pin from Bron, on Finn.

Tunney’s Take: Bron Breakker – The case can be made for any of these four to walk away with the most prestigious non-World title in pro wrestling history. The short of it is though that the Main Event picture isn’t really readily accessible for Breakker right now. Let this IC reign go through the summer, to SummerSlam.

Chairshot Pick: Bron Breakker 5-4-1-1

AJ – Damian Priest – “AJ does a pretty good Drew impersonation” – PC Tunney
Andrew – Drew McIntyre – Priest has not been interesting in this face incarnation.
Dave – Drew McIntyre – Time for Drew to get that win back.
DJ – Fuck finish – To be continued at Backlash.
DPP – Drew McIntyre – Physical matchup!
Jason – Drew McIntyre – Either one is fine here.
Patrick – Drew McIntyre – With two eyes, Drew turns the tide.
Rey – Drew McIntyre – Low key match of the weekend.
Rob – Damien Priest
Greg – Damien Priest – Priest wins, Drew tweets about it half hour later.

Tunney’s Take: Drew McIntyre – With the addition of the Street fight rules, these two behemoths have a really good chance to have one of the best matches of the entire weekend (winks at Rey Ca$h-A-Mania)! I do wonder what is next for both of these talents moving forward. Priest has staled since leaving the Judgement Day and Drew seems stuck in the same cycle for a while now. Very interested to see what the summer holds for this pair.

Chairshot Pick: Drew McIntyre 7-3-1

WHO WILL BE RANDY’S OPPONENT?!?

AJ – Nick Aldis – Orton wins
Andrew – Orton and Aldis vs Solo and Tama – Orton and Aldis win
Dave – Someone is getting an RKO!
DJ – A segment w/ the Wyatt s6cks.
DPP – Rusev – Aldis introduces Rusev who defeats Orton.
Jason – Nick Aldis – You got one more in ya, bubba. Aldis wins!
Patrick – Nick Aldis
Rey – Solo then Rusev – Solo in a squash and Rusev MATCHKA(wins)
Rob – Nick Aldis – Aldis proves himself, Orton wins.
Greg – Nick Aldis – Orton beats Aldis, they shake after.

Tunney’s Take: I would really love to see a singles match between Orton and Aldis. More likely this is some type of involvement with Solo and Tama. Rusev as a surprise challenger would be cool but, I feel that would be better left for RAW. An impromptu Goldberg retirement match would be crazy and fun, yet highly unlikely and illogical. Whatever happens, best believe exactly what Dave Ungar said, “Someone is getting an RKO!”.

AJ – Logan Paul
Andrew – AJ Styles – Logan doesn’t need the rub and should stay upper mid card.
Dave – Logan Paul – It’s the smart move and would be a statement win for Paul.
DJ – Logan Paul – Kross gets involved somewhere.
DPP – AJ Styles – AJ wins a great high-flying match.
Jason – AJ Styles – Just enjoy it or get a beer, nerds.
Patrick – Logan Paul – Logan Paul will main-event Mania sooner than later…
Rey – Logan Paul – Pass the torch, my wily vet.
Rob – Logan Paul – Kross helps Paul win.
Greg – AJ Styles – Styles wins after Paul’s cheating backfires.

Tunney’s Take: Logan Paul – Logan seems to really have dedicated himself to becoming great in this business. Anyone with that type of goal must have a World title on their mind. Beating AJ at Mania will be a great springboard for Logan into the Main Event sooner than later (winks at Patrick O’Dowd).

Chairshot Pick: Logan Paul 7-4

AJ – Liv & Raquel
Andrew – Liv & Raquel – Not really a fan of Lyra, she needs more work.
Dave – Liv & Raquel – This Bayley and Lyra team makes no damn sense.
DJ – Liv & Raquel – Bayley crashes out.
DPP – Liv & Raquel – Bayley continues a potential heel turn tease.
Jason – Bayley & Lyra – Finish the story!
Patrick – Bayley & Lyra – The WWE doesn’t care about this matchup, so why should I?
Rey – Liv and Raquel – Bayley want a title but it ain’t the ones in this match.
Rob – Liv & Raquel – Champs retain.
Greg – Liv & Raquel – Liv and Raquel retain thanks to Carlito and maybe JD.

Tunney’s Take: Liv & Raquel – Liv and Raquel need to be kept as the cornerstone of the women’s tag division for a lengthier period of time. Building tag teams in this division is difficult enough, let alone without a North Star.

Chairshot Pick: Liv & Raquel 9-2

AJ – Cody Rhodes
Andrew – Cody Rhodes – They are mentioning it so much, I don’t think 17 happens.
Dave – Joh Cena – Record falls and we head to summer with a built-in storyline.
DJ – John Cena – Some kind of Final Boss involvement.
DPP – John Cena – Cena wins and retires on RAW.
Jason – John Cena – Story’s over, “Captain” BIG MATCH JOHN.
Patrick – John Cena – A record breaking night for Cena.
Rey – John Cena – They’d be really stupid to turn John just to lose. (Post-Mania: Rock, Cena, T Scott, Seth & Drew, TEAM Corporate)
Rob – Cody Rhodes – Cody surprises us with the W.
Greg – Cody Rhodes – Cody wins to piss off Rock and set the table for Cena to turn back face. Crowd is behind Cena all the way through.

Tunney’s Take: Cody Rhodes – They had me until the threat of retirement. Been there. Done that. Didn’t fall in love with it back then. I love John Cena. I love this final run. John will get his 17th just not here. I expect nothing less than an absolute GEM of a match here to close WrestleMania 41. This has all been, is, and will continue to be about Cody Rhodes. WM40 defeats Roman Reigns. WM41 defeats John Cena. WM42 defeats The Rock (The Final Boss).

Chairshot Pick: John Cena 6-5

In closing I want to thank everyone on the panel for participating with their picks! You can follow each prognosticator/podcaster on X @ the handles below. We wait all year for this so remember three things… be respectful of others, comparison is the thief of joy and HAVE FUN!

AJ – @PhenomenalAJB
Andrew – @IWCWarChief
Dave – @AttitudeAgg
DJ – @TheMindlessPod
DPP – @itsmeDPP
Jason – @JediFett
Patrick – @WrestlngRealist
Rey – @itsreycash
Rob – @rbonne1
Greg – @gregdemarco44
PC – @PCTunney
TheChairshot.com – @ChairshotMedia

For the latest, greatest and up to datest in coverage, opinions, and podcasts ALWAYS #UseYourHead and visit TheCharishot.com

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CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE’s PPV/PLE history)

TheChairshot.com PRESENTS…IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends

Patrick O’Dowd’s 5X5

Chairshot Radio Network
Your home for the hardest hitting podcasts… Sports, Entertainment and Sports Entertainment!

All Shows On Demand

Listen on your favorite platform!

About Chairshot Radio Network

MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)

TUESDAY - Musical Chairs (music) / Hockey Talk (NHL)

WEDNESDAY - The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling)

THURSDAY - Keeping the news ridiculous... The Oddity / Chairshot NFL (NFL)

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DeMarco: Top 5 Non-Title WrestleMania Matches In WWE History

Not all WrestleMania classics had titles on the line. Dive into the top 5 non-title matches that stole the show & defined legacies. #WrestleMania #WWEHistory

Published

2 days ago

April 16, 2025

Greg DeMarco

Shawn Michaels Kurt Angle WrestleMania 21

Not all WrestleMania classics had titles on the line. Dive into the top 5 non-title matches that stole the show and defined legacies.

WrestleMania is the Showcase Of The Immortals, but it’s not always the championship matches that steal the show—or define careers. In fact, some of the most iconic, business-defining, and emotionally resonant contests at the Grandest Stage of Them All didn’t feature a title at all. These matches succeeded because of character work, in-ring execution, and the kind of storytelling that sells tickets and moves merch.

Here are the five best non-title matches in WrestleMania history—at least, according to me!

5. The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan – WrestleMania X8 (2002)

This was never going to be a five-star technical clinic—but it was always going to be the moment. “Icon vs. Icon” was a tagline, sure, but it was also the reality: the biggest star of the ‘80s vs. the biggest star of the Attitude Era. And Toronto turned it into magic. Hogan walked in a heel but walked out immortal (again), with the SkyDome shaking on every punch, every look, every gesture.

What made this work was its self-awareness. Rock and Hogan read the crowd and flipped roles mid-match—Rock became the arrogant aggressor while Hogan Hulked Up to thunderous applause. It’s not often a non-title match headlines a card emotionally the way this one did, but it dominated every headline and highlight reel.

4. Owen Hart vs. Bret Hart – WrestleMania X (1994)

Sibling rivalries don’t usually lead to technical masterpieces, but then again, this wasn’t your average family drama. Owen and Bret opened WrestleMania X with a wrestling clinic that stood tall over a night packed with title changes. Owen needed to prove he was more than Bret’s little brother, and he did it by out-wrestling the best wrestler in the company. Clean. One-two-three.

It wasn’t just a great match—it was perfect storytelling. Owen’s victory, contrasted with Bret’s later world title win, set the tone for an entire year of brother-vs-brother tension. Bret became champion, but Owen had the moral victory—and all the bragging rights. This is proof that opening matches can steal the show.

3. The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels – WrestleMania 25 (2009)

If WrestleMania moments could be trademarked, this match would be the reason why. The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels wasn’t about championships—it was about legacy. Michaels wanted to be the man who ended The Streak. The build was steeped in biblical imagery: light vs. dark, heaven vs. hell. And the match? Pure perfection. Each man brought everything they had—near-falls, psychology, reversals that had 70,000+ people gasping in unison.

It was 30 minutes of generational storytelling that transcended pro wrestling. And here’s the kicker—it wasn’t even the main event. Yet it dwarfed everything that followed. Meltzer gave it 4.75 stars, fans gave it their hearts, and WWE gave it a sequel the next year. A match so good it forced the company to run it back—because lightning actually struck.

Now, if THIS MATCH is #3, what could possible be #2 and #1…

2. Bret Hart vs. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin – WrestleMania 13 (1997)

This wasn’t just a match—it was the turning point of an era. The Submission Match between Bret Hart and Steve Austin was as violent as it was poetic, with Ken Shamrock enforcing the rules and the Chicago crowd growing more frenzied by the second. The brilliance? The shift. Bret Hart, the traditionalist hero, grew darker and more self-righteous by the second, while the disrespectful anti-hero Austin refused to quit, even when drowning in his own blood. There was no title on the line, but the stakes felt bigger than gold.

The infamous double turn changed the business. Austin’s defiance turned him into the voice of a new generation of fans—blue collar, anti-authority, Attitude Era. Meanwhile, Bret would go on to lead the heel Hart Foundation. WWE didn’t need a championship to create a moment that catapulted Austin into superstardom and ignited the company’s hottest era. This match is business-first booking at its absolute best.

1. Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels – WrestleMania 21 (2005)

Dream matches often disappoint. This one didn’t. At WrestleMania 21, Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle went hold-for-hold and spot-for-spot with Mr. WrestleMania himself, and together they delivered a masterclass in in-ring psychology. Every sequence had stakes, every near-fall had meaning. It was a stylistic war: Michaels’ heart vs. Angle’s intensity.

Angle forcing Michaels to tap was a statement—it told fans that pure wrestling, not just spectacle, could still main-event caliber storytelling without any need for a title. Michaels sold the ankle lock like death, and Angle’s post-match collapse sold the moment as a hard-fought war. This is the kind of match that keeps purists up at night, smiling, and leaves the storytelling fans like myself as happy as can be!

10 Honorable Mentions (Not Honorable, Just For The Heck Of It)

Edge vs. Mick Foley – WrestleMania 22 (2006)
A hardcore war that solidified Edge as a top-tier main eventer. That flaming table spear is still played in every Edge highlight reel.
AJ Styles vs. Shane McMahon – WrestleMania 33 (2017)
Everyone expected smoke and mirrors—what they got was a surprisingly technical, high-energy opener that kicked off the show right.
The Undertaker vs. Triple H – WrestleMania 28 (2012)
“End of an Era” wasn’t just a tagline. The Hell in a Cell match, with HBK as referee, was a brutal epilogue to a generation’s legacy.
Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho – WrestleMania XIX (2003)
A student-teacher battle of wills. Jericho’s low blow post-match was the perfect heel punctuation to a career-defining contest.
Randy Orton vs. Seth Rollins – WrestleMania 31 (2015)
The greatest RKO of all time. That curb stomp reversal belongs in a museum.
Floyd Mayweather vs. Big Show – WrestleMania XXIV (2008)
More sports-entertainment than wrestling, but a crossover moment that made mainstream headlines and paid off with a great finish.
Roddy Piper vs. Adrian Adonis – WrestleMania III (1987)
A retirement match with big heat, a hot crowd, and Piper walking off into the sunset (for a minute).
The Firefly Funhouse Match – John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt – WrestleMania 36 (2020)
Cinematic weirdness at its best. A meta masterstroke that broke Cena down in layers.
Bad Bunny & Damian Priest vs. The Miz & John Morrison – WrestleMania 37 (2021)
Bad Bunny stunned everyone. He didn’t just belong—he elevated the show.
Rey Mysterio vs. Dominik Mysterio – WrestleMania 39 (2023)
Father vs. son in a grudge match that played perfectly off real-life drama and Hall of Fame weekend emotions.

Some of these matches shaped legacies. Others shifted eras. But all of them proved that the most memorable moments at WrestleMania don’t need a title—they just need truth in the storytelling and fire in the execution.