3. The Hardy Boyz vs Edge and Christian – 1999
At Wrestlemania 2000 and the following SummerSlam, The Hardy Boyz, The Dudley Boyz, and Edge and Christian competed against each other in two of the most iconic hardcore matches of all time. The first match, a Triple Threat ladder match at ‘Mania led to the first ever TLC match at SummerSlam. Both matches were hailed by fans and critics as some of the most brilliantly innovative matches of all time and made four of the six competitors superstars. But about six months before WrestleMania, Edge & Christian, along with The Hardy Boyz, set the wheels in motion for both of those matches with this classic from the 1999 No Mercy.
Battling in a ladder match for a briefcase holding $100,000 and a contract for the managerial services of Terri Runnels, these four future world champions went at it tooth and nail in the first match of its type. After an enthralling 16 and a half minutes, all four men had given everything they had and sacrificed their bodies, as well as their well-being, for the sake of the business. The Hardyz prevailed, but really, everyone was a winner that night.
Because the two future matches were on larger stages, this match tends to get forgotten, which is a shame. It’s just about as good as the more popular two, but those two wouldn’t have existed without this one. Call it a “spotfest”, call it a “train wreck”, but this battle did more for the tag team division in that era than any other match could of. And the fans in Cleveland ate up every moment. Who could blame them?