10 Best WWE Matches To Show To New Fans

Despite millions of enthusiasts around the world, pro wrestling is an acquired taste and still very much a niche market. Whether right or not, the sport still faces the stigma of being "fake." More informed fans know there's a clear difference though between something being "fake" and predetermined.

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For many diehard fans, trying to convince their friends that wrestling is cool can be an uphill battle. When a new wrestling fan is created, however, there's nothing like showing them some of the classic matches they've missed out on over the years. This handful of unforgettable matches can turn any new wrestling fan into a hardcore fan in no time.

10 Hulk Hogan Vs. The Ultimate Warrior: WrestleMania 6

WWE's Golden Era can be a slippery slope for new wrestling fans. On one hand, the era featured perhaps the greatest, larger-than-life characters in wrestling history. On the other hand, the work rate back then was significantly slower than in modern-day wrestling. That can sometimes be a hurdle for new fans.

Today's fans have a shorter attention span and sometimes don't have the patience to watch a story be told in the ring without endless high spots. The WrestleMania 6 bout between Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior is sure to hook any fan though. The match had star power and told an incredible story, while never getting too slow. There aren't too many fans who won't enjoy this classic.

9 Cody Rhodes Vs. Seth Rollins: Hell In A Cell 2022This match is the most recent one on the list but has already gained legendary status. In 2022, Cody Rhodes shocked the world when he left the promotion he helped start from the ground up, AEW, to go back to WWE. That decision immediately proved to be the right one as Cody was welcomed back like a hero at WrestleMania 38.

Just before Hell In A Cell 2022 though, Cody's fairytale return would hit a snag in the form of a torn pectoral muscle. Despite the gruesome injury, Cody and Seth Rollins would put on a masterful Hell In A Cell Match. Both men delivered but Cody's toughness that night is the stuff legends are made of.

8 CM Punk Vs. John Cena: Money In The Bank 2011By 2011, the majority of the WWE audience had grown tired of John Cena's vanilla "Never Give Up, "Hustle, Loyalty, Respect" act. That's not to discredit all the amazing things Cena accomplished during his WWE career, but even Hulk Hogan got stale after a while. WWE fans were begging for a new hero to rally behind. Enter, CM Punk.

Punk's rise to the top of the wrestling business was capped off at Money In The Bank 2011 ​​​​when he defeated Cena to win the WWE Championship. The video package leading into the match is incredible and the match itself was beautifully executed by both men. Any new fan wondering why Punk had such a strong following needs to watch this classic to understand.

7 Kurt Angle Vs. Shawn Michaels: WrestleMania 21There have been several dream matches over the years that fans unfortunately never got. High on that list was Bret Hart vs. Kurt Angle. While the wrestling world would never get to see that classic, it did get something perhaps better, Shawn Michaels vs. Kurt Angle. This match was every bit the classic that one would've expected.

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On the grand stage of ​​​​WrestleMania 21, Michaels and Angle stole the show and put on a wrestling clinic. The match started with some mat wrestling but quickly picked up the pace. In the end, Angle would make HBK tap out to his Ankle Lock, capping off one of the greatest ​​​​WrestleMania matches ever.

6 The Rock Vs. Hollywood Hogan: WrestleMania 18

Hulk Hogan has had quite a few classic encounters during his legendary career. Perhaps his best performance took place at WrestleMania 18 against The Rock. The main allure of this match heading into it was that just a couple of years prior, no one would've thought it was possible.

When both men stepped into the ring that night, something unexpected happened. The crowd decided to cheer the heel Hollywood Hogan and turn on The Rock. From there, Hogan and Rock put on a psychological clinic and the crowd ate it up. Without the sound on, this match is average at best but when all senses are engaged, it will give any fan goosebumps.

5 "Macho Man" Randy Savage Vs. Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat Some pro wrestling matches get over big during their eras but ultimately don't stand the test of time, getting lost in the shuffle. Then, there are truly special matches that age like a fine wine, delivering excitement regardless of when they're watched. "Macho Man" Randy Savage vs. Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat at WrestleMania 3 is one of those special matches.

This back-and-forth masterpiece stole the show at ​​​​WrestleMania, which says a lot, considering the main event that night was Hulk Hogan vs. Andre The Giant. With 19 near falls, this match had fans on the edge of their seat. Many fans still consider this the greatest WrestleMania match ever and they might just be right.

4 The Undertaker Vs. Mankind: King Of The Ring 1998Some wrestling purists hate that the bar for physicality has been raised over the years because it's made casual fans more bloodthirsty. This has led to fewer fans appreciating the art form of pro wrestling and simply looking for a car crash. Despite the negative long-term effects that escalated violence had on pro wrestling, some matches need excessive violence to properly tell a story.

The Hell In A Cell Match between The Undertaker and Mankind at King Of The Ring 1998 is a prime example of that. Yes, the match is brutal and not for the weak at heart, but anyone who's watched it knows it had to be that way. It's still, undeniably the best Hell In A Cell Match ever and features the most dangerous high spot in wrestling history.

3 The Undertaker Vs. Shawn Michaels: WrestleMania 25For over 20 years, The Undertaker dominated the biggest show in wrestling history, WrestleMania. 'Taker managed to amass a 21-0 record before finally falling to Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 30. Five years before that though, Undertaker had what many fans consider to be the greatest match of all time against Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 25.

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This bout is a masterclass in pacing, psychology, and execution. The two wily veterans put on a spectacle that night, stealing the show in the process. They'd run it back the next year with very similar success but for fans of pure traditional wrestling, their ​WrestleMania 25 encounter is hard to top.

2 The Hardy Boyz Vs. The Dudley Boyz Vs. Edge & Christian: WrestleMania 17As luck would have it, the Hardy Boyz, The Dudley Boyz, and Edge & Christian just so happen to have competed in three of the greatest Ladder Matches ever. While their previous two efforts at WrestleMania 2000 and SummerSlam 2000 were game-changing, their WrestleMania 17 TLC Match was unforgettable.

This was the second-ever Tables, Ladders, and Chairs Match, but it's easily the most famous. The match's highlight came when Jeff Hardy was hanging from the hook that held the WWE Tag Team Championships only to be Speared mid-air by Edge. That clip has been played over and over by WWE over the years, for good reason.

1 Bret "The Hitman" Hart Vs. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin: WrestleMania 13Some matches are brutally entertaining. Some matches are technical masterpieces. Bret "The Hitman" Hart vs. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin at WrestleMania 13 was a hybrid of both. There is almost no wrestling fan around who has seen this match and not enjoyed it. It featured two of the best workers and storytellers ever to step inside a ring.

Furthermore, it featured the greatest double turn in wrestling history. Bret Hart entered the match as the babyface while Austin was the heel. By the end, Austin was the company's new top babyface. Austin wouldn't look back and neither would the wrestling business. If there's one match to show a new WWE fan, it's this one. It truly had it all.