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The Top 15 Matches in In Your House No Way Out of the Final Four St. Valentine’s Day Massacres 1) Undertaker vs. Kurt Angle ('06) (CMV1 rating - ****1/2) (CMV1 note - Simply put: this is one of the most underrated matches of all-time. No one ever talks about it. I guarantee they would talk about it had it happened at Wrestlemania 22 as it was supposed to before Batista got hurt and Angle won the World title. Yeah, it'd be right up there with other all-time classics. Unfortunately, it happened in mid-February and not late March/early April. AWESOME match) 2) Eddie Guerrero vs. Brock Lesnar ('04) (CMV1 rating - ****1/2) (CMV1 note - Good Lord was Guerrero good when he was on his game. Lesnar was an amazingly talented guy in his own right, as it definitely takes two to tango in creating a match of this rare quality. For just a short feud, it was an excellent feud between them, allowing for the match to get GREAT heat from the San Fran crowd and really tear down the house. They were an interesting mix of styles. We just don't see matches like this much anymore) 3) Triple H vs. Edge vs. Undertaker vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Big Show vs. Vladimir Kozlov in an Elimination Chamber Match ('09) (CMV1 rating - ****1/2) (CMV1 note - I thought this was arguably the best Elimination Chamber match that we've seen. The surprise of Edge losing the title in the early minutes provided an energetic boost that you don't get so early in most matches. The drama toward the end with Triple H and Taker and seeing those two work together again for the first time in nearly a decade was refreshing and unpredictable. Just a helluva match) 4) Triple H vs. Steve Austin in a 3 Stages of Hell Match ('01) (CMV1 rating - ****1/2) (CMV1 note - I've often knocked Austin's Attitude era style - even in this very column - but Triple H was such an elite worker that he complimented that style. Many have called this one of the best matches of all-time and I definitely do think that it's one of the better 2/3 falls matches in the WWE main-event history. Honestly, this could've been the main-event at Wrestlemania and no one would have batted an eye) 5) Triple H vs. Jeff Hardy vs. HBK vs. Chris Jericho vs. Umaga vs. JBL in an Elimination Chamber Match ('08) (CMV1 rating - ****1/4) (CMV1 note - An excellent edition of the Chamber match, with a good collection of talent. You pretty much knew that Trips was going to win, but Jeff did a nice job of making you think he might have an outside shot. Those two worked very well together at the end of the match) 6) Triple H vs. Cactus Jack in a Hell in a Cell Match ('00) (CMV1 rating - ****1/4) (CMV1 note – Foley ruled the Cell match in its early days, doing what I call “going the extra mile” to make his involvement memorable. Trips was in the midst of putting a stamp on his spot. Thus, the recipe made for a helluva match) 7) The Rock vs. Kurt Angle ('01) (CMV1 rating - ****) (CMV1 note - The Rock won the title back just in time for the push at Wrestlemania that led to Austin-Rock II. I always thought Angle and Rock worked well together and this was no exception. A helluva match to put a stamp on a GREAT PPV. It was the culmination of a multi-month feud - Angle took the title from Rock the previous October - and it felt like it) 8) Shawn Michaels vs. Owen Hart ('96) (CMV1 rating - ****) (CMV1 note – One of the most underrated and forgotten matches in HBK’s awesome history in wrestling. Owen was such a gamer, too. It makes you miss not just Owen, but the Owen type that was so good in the mid-card that he was often underappreciated. This was the best match that they ever had with one another and the closing chapter to one of my favorite feuds from the New Generation era) 9) Chavo Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio ('04) (CMV1 rating - ****) (CMV1 note - Right here we have the best Cruiserweight match that I ever saw out of the WWE. They gave them time to work, made their feud a focal point of the show, and they delivered in spades. I loved this match...I never wanted it to end. Rarely am I ever into every near fall in a match like I was with this one) 10) Edge vs. John Cena vs. Rey Mysterio vs. Kane vs. Chris Jericho vs. Mike Knox in an Elimination Chamber Match ('09) (CMV1 rating - ****) (CMV1 note - Rey Mysterio, in particular, was phenomenal in this match. The last few minutes between he and Edge were nothing short of breathtaking. Seeing Cena taken out was certainly intriguing, but once he was out you pretty much knew that Edge was going to be the winner. Perhaps saving Edge vs. Cena for the end would've been better) 11) Chris Jericho vs. Undertaker vs. John Morrison vs. Rey Mysterio vs. CM Punk vs. R-Truth in an Elimination Chamber Match ('10) (CMV1 rating - ****) (CMV1 note - In a year where there were only a handful of 4-star matches, these six really did their best to tear the house down. It was a mixed big of personalities. Morrison provided the flash, while Taker and Jericho gave us the substance. Punk talked a lot, which I usually don't like in matches...but it worked, here. HBK gave us the much anticipated ending that took the title off Taker and put it on Y2J) 12) John Cena vs. Sheamus vs. Triple H vs. Ted Dibiase vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Randy Orton in an Elimination Chamber Match ('10) (CMV1 rating - ***3/4) (CMV1 note - I thought this was a very good match, albeit not quite at the level of the SD version from the same night. Sadly, part of the problem with this match was the illogical booking that followed it just moments after it ended. Anyhow, Cena vs. Trips at the end kept it interesting and unpredictable) 13) John Cena vs. Kurt Angle ('05) (CMV1 rating - ***3/4) (CMV1 note - It wasn't quite as good as their No Mercy 2003 match, but it was still a very strong match for both. The biggest difference, I suppose, was that we knew Cena was going to win, which took a lot of the drama out of their near falls) 14) Randy Orton vs. Rey Mysterio ('06) (CMV1 rating - ***3/4) (CMV1 note - Very good match between these two that really showed that both were capable of being in the main-event the next month at Mania 22. Orton works really well with smaller guys that allow him to broaden his move set) 15) Bret Hart vs. Undertaker vs. Steve Austin vs. Vader ('97) (CMV1 rating - ***3/4) (CMV1 note – The first fatal four way match in the WWE, I believe, actually had a good storyline. These guys were the final four in the Royal Rumble, so when HBK had to forfeit the title, they got a chance to become champ. Definitely innovative for its time with some fun sequences. Unlike usual, they could also eliminate people by throwing them over the top rope) Honorable Mention Kurt Angle vs. Triple H ('02) (CMV1 rating - ***1/2) (CMV1 note - Angle was just starting the best year of his career when collided with the Game. Trips was still a little rusty looking during this match, but they still had quite a match in the 14-minutes they were given) Steve Austin vs. Chris Jericho ('02) (CMV1 rating - ***1/2) (CMV1 note - Much like their match from December '01, I really just didn't think that they clicked in the ring. Austin's style at that point was to brawl all over the place and his his key moves. Jericho just wasn't the right opponent for that. Plus, this match was all about the NWO coming out at the end) Mankind vs. The Rock ('99) (CMV1 rating - ***1/2) (CMV1 note – Not as good as their “I Quit” match from the month before, but it was a good match. The drama just wasn’t there from their Rumble match, for at that point it was pretty much a foregone conclusion that it’d be Rock vs. Austin at Mania and they needed to start hyping that up) John Cena and HBK vs. Batista and Undertaker ('07) (CMV1 rating - ***1/2) (CMV1 note - Despite not giving it a stellar rating, I really liked this match. It's not often that the Mania main-events are built through a match at the February PPV. I dug that strategy. The four worked a perfectly acceptable main-event tag match) Shawn Michaels vs. JBL ('09) (CMV1 rating - ***1/2) (CMV1 note - It told a good story, but I think you could tell that JBL was injured and ready to retire - physically. It just didn't feel like the culmination of a big storyline so much as just another match, to me) Undertaker vs. Batista vs. Finlay vs. Big Daddy V vs. Great Khali vs. MVP in an Elimination Chamber Match ('08) (CMV1 rating - ***1/4) (CMV1 note - Undertaker and Batista did their thing well, but the two lumbering big men kept this from reaching the standard quality of the gimmick. It was by no means a bad match, but you often fall into comparing one vs. the other when there are two on the same night. This was far worse than the Raw version, so there you go) Val Venis vs. Ken Shamrock ('99) (CMV1 rating - ***1/4) (CMV1 note – Venis was a guy that I always thought could get it done in the ring. He, like on many other occasions when given the chance, performed quite well in this match and these two really made you feel like their match meant something) Chris Benoit vs. Booker T ('06) (CMV1 rating - ***1/4) (CMV1 note - These guys wrestled so many times that their matches tend to blend in my mind, but there's no doubt that I recall this as a good match with plenty of good action. It set the tone for the two main-events that night) Chris Jericho vs. Chris Benoit vs. Eddie Guerrero vs. X-Pac ('01) (CMV1 rating - ***1/4) (CMV1 note - A rapid fire 4-way dance that got the crowd going and gave the main-eventers in the locker room notice that they had better bring it that night) Brock Lesnar and Chris Benoit vs. Team Angle ('03) (CMV1 rating - ***) (CMV1 note - I really wanted this match to be better than it turned out to be. I remember it for neck injuries; Edge suffered one before the match....Angle suffered one during it) Kurt Angle vs. Big Show vs. John Cena ('04) (CMV1 rating - ***) (CMV1 note - This match wasn't given enough time to evolve into something better, but it was quite good while it lasted) Bret Hart vs. Diesel in a Steel Cage Match ('96) (CMV1 rating - ***) (CMV1 note – Not the greatest cage match nor the greatest match between these two. In fact, of the four PPVs matches that they had, I think this was the worst. However, it was still intriguing, entertaining, and had a wild finish for that era with Taker coming out from under the ring and dragging Diesel through it) Steve Austin, Owen Hart, Chainsaw Charlie, and Cactus Jack vs. Triple H, Road Dogg, Billy Gunn, and Savio Vega ('98) (CMV1 rating - ***) (CMV1 note – A good match and a solid main-event that year, but not much more than that. This was lacking in Shawn Michaels, who would’ve been able to do more with this than his heel companions) Steve Austin vs. Vince McMahon in a Steel Cage Match ('99) (CMV1 rating - ***) (CMV1 note – I had to give this three-stars for the sheer awesomeness of the feud between the boss and the ultimate antihero. It was awesome back then to see these two finally step into the ring against each other for a match. This was also the place where Big Show made his debut and threw Austin through the cage) The Dudleys vs. Edge and Christian vs. Taker and Kane in a Table Match ('01) (CMV1 rating - ***) (CMV1 note - Not as good as the Rumble match between Hardys and Dudleys from 2000, but still a good version of this gimmick) Chris Jericho vs. Jeff Hardy ('03) (CMV1 rating - ***) (CMV1 note - Jericho had to put on his carrying shoes for this one. Hardy was such a mess back then. It showed quite often) Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio vs. The Basham Brothers ('05) (CMV1 rating - ***) (CMV1 note - Remember Doug Basham? People said that he might become a big deal. He did not become a big deal, but he and his storyline brother had a good match with Mysterio and Guerrero in '05) Chris Benoit and the Hardys vs. MVP and MNM ('07) (CMV1 rating - ***) (CMV1 note - Good mid-card match that helped boost what was an otherwise forgettable PPV) Third Tier Eddie Guerrero – To be honest, Latino Heat didn’t really do a whole helluva lot in February PPVs. The bulk of his work came in the mid-card and he did his best to be featured in a couple of the honorable mention matches above. Yet, the one-man committee here is a big fan of guys that maximize the chances that they are given and there’s no question that Guerrero made the most of his short run in the main-event scene, giving several memorable performances. One of, if not the best of the lot was his match against Brock Lesnar at No Way Out 2004. In one of my personal favorite moments in wrestling over the last 10 years, Eddie winning the WWE Championship was sure a sight to see. John Cena – Most of Cena’s work in February has come in the recent string of Elimination Chamber-themed PPVs. He had a very good match with Kurt Angle in 2005 that set-up his first WWE title match at Mania 21, but outside of that his singles work is sparse. Of course, he does extremely well in the EC matches because he’s always one of the main guys featured within their confines, so he makes his way into the top 9 by way of strong main-event work within that gimmick. He doesn’t appear on the above list until match #10, though, so his placement here in the third tier is more than fair. Shawn Michaels – It’s rare to see HBK in any other spot than the top tier, but he really just didn’t have much to offer in February. Due to his Raw brand affiliation, the majority of his second run in the WWE found him ineligible to compete on the usually SD-only event in February. His best work came years ago in 1996 during a very underrated match against Owen Hart. He had just one other match in the top 15 – another rarity – but he was also a notable participant in the #11 match, getting involved in the finish and kicking Taker with Sweet Chin Music to set-up their Wrestlemania return match. Second Tier Stone Cold Steve Austin – Much like Eddie in the third tier, Austin is really in this position because of his classic match with Triple H in 2001. He had some other solid work, but as we’ve usually concluded during this series, we expected to see more from him since he was the focal point of the company for a few years. Only the first Fatal Four way match keeps him from just a lone bout in the top 15. To his credit, some of his honorable mention matches were the best of everything outside the top fifteen. Again, though, he can thank that match with the Game for his placement. What a classic encounter that was… Rey Mysterio – Mysterio truly did push for his first top tier position. His work in February should not go without praise, for he was truly the fourth stand out wrestler for this month. In 2004, his match with Chavo Guerrero was, in my opinion, the most underrated match of the year and the very best cruiserweight match that the WWE has ever produced. Two years later, he had another underrated match, that time against Randy Orton. Three years after that, he put on a fantastic and memorable showing in the Elimination Chamber for the World title. I cannot say enough about the quality of work that Mysterio produced over the years for February Chris Jericho – While all of Chris Jericho’s top 15 work came in Elimination Chamber matches, he performed extremely well in all three. It was, however, his work that fell just below the top 15 that led to his inclusion as a second tier performer. Frankly, there were a lot of fringe performers this month. February has never been known as a particularly exceptional month for the WWE’s PPV outings, historically, so maybe that was no surprise. Jericho has had some amazing months – winning Mr. May and claiming numerous top tier spots – but this really wasn’t one of his finest. Nonetheless, he was able to outshine most of his peers to maintain his usual position of prominence in this series. First Tier Triple H – The journey that has been the Mr. PPV column series has pretty much coincided with Triple H’s hiatus from the ring. During this time, I have developed a greater appreciate for what Triple H has brought to the table these last 15 years. He once again has the record for the number of matches included in the best of – something he’s done pretty frequently. Such an accomplishment, as usual, puts him in contention for this month’s Mr. PPV title. Make no mistake about it – win or lose – Triple H has proven to me with his body of work on PPV alone that he is one of the greatest performers that the WWE has ever produced. Few have done with the consistency that he has over the last 12 years, in particular. Kurt Angle – I have been quietly hoping that there would come a month where Angle’s considerable skill would shine above everyone else’s so that he could earn a Mr. PPV title. This might very well be that month, as he owns the top spot and two other one-on-one matches in the top 15 (remember that the one-man committee favors singles matches over all else). Kurt Angle was the type of guy that might very well have won multiple Mr. PPV awards had he stuck around the WWE (even if it were on a more limited basis). I hope he comes back to finish his career in the WWE. He is one of my favorite wrestlers of all-time and it has been a pleasure looking back on some of his finest WWE work over these last 11 months. Undertaker – Could it be that in a month where Triple H has the chance to pull even with Shawn Michaels for the overall lead in the standings with three Mr. PPV awards apiece, the Undertaker swoops in to grab his second title and leave Trips permanently on the outside looking in, as we wrap up this column series and move on? The co-owner of the top match in February, the Deadman was also one of the more impressive performers in the top rated Elimination Chamber match on the list. Also of note was his involvement in the first Fatal Four way match. So, historically, Taker is right up there with his comrades in the first tier. I think it’d be hard to argue his being awarded the title of Mr. February. Mr. February TRIPLE H CMV1 note – It came down to Triple H and Taker, but it was the Game who was most impressive to me. The committee has always stated that it prefers singles match performances over all else, mainly because just two men are put to the test with their skills on display and Triple H’s best two singles matches on this list were two of the most memorable matches in February PPV history. I would venture to say that even though Taker-Angle and Guerrero-Lesnar were ranked higher on the list in terms of quality, Austin-Trips and Foley-Trips were the matches that more people would point to when they think of the WWE in February. So, I guess that’s it! It’s been a lot of fun writing this series – personally my favorite series that I’ve done since it combined my passion for writing columns with my passion for reviewing matches. Triple H pulled it out, edging out of a tie with Bret Hart to pull even with Shawn Michaels at three Mr. PPV awards apiece.
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