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Shawn Michaels was the pioneer of the ladder match in the WWE and many would argue that the list begins with HBK as #1. But is the case really that easily closed? In order to specifically determine such a notion, we have to take into account the different tastes that ladder match fans have developed over the years. At Wrestlemania X and Summerslam ‘95, HBK and Razor Ramon / Scott Hall stole the show with the first two ladder matches on WWE PPV. Michaels, in particular, was praised for his ability to incorporate the ladder into the story he was telling. To HBK, the ladder was no more than a very important prop to help him tell his story. As the gimmick has evolved over the years, the ladder has become the story. When Edge/Christian and the Hardy Boyz put their bodies and lives at risk at No Mercy ’99, the game changed. Those four hungry, young stars were looking to make their mark during a time when Steve Austin and The Rock were kings. To do that, they took unthinkable chances to garner the largest reactions. The ladder match became less about a unique way to do storytelling and more about intricately weaving as many stunts off ladders as possible in 10-20 minutes. To wrestling purists, this was not a welcome change. To the Attitude era enthusiasts brought up on pushing the envelope, it was the next big thing. Edge, Christian, the Hardys, and the Dudley Boyz took pushing the limits to a new level with their TLC matches in 2000 and 2001. Comparatively, they made the HBK-Razor and Rock-Triple H (Summerslam ’98) style ladder matches look ordinary. It also, in my opinion, allowed for the WWE to take shortcuts with their mid-card stars in the Intercontinental and Tag Team Championship divisions. Ladder matches garnered big reactions, so instead of building up strong personalities outside of the main-event, they could throw guys into a ladder match to ensure they got over. Jeff and Matt Hardy followed that formula and rode it for years, with Jeff riding it straight to main-event glory. The Hardys meant as much to the hardcore style of ladder match featuring non-stop bumping as HBK did to the story-driven style. Jeff, especially, deserves credit for being the greatest risk taker of the TLC bunch. He’s been in 17 ladder matches, many of which were featured bouts for the IC title during the various stages of his career. In many ways, he’s overtaken HBK as the guy that is synonymous with the match. Christian, Matt, and the Dudleys take a backseat to Jeff and the other guy on the short list for the best of the best, in this regard…Edge. It’s interesting to consider, now that there are two PPVs based around ladder matches, that the gimmick was largely used in the mid-to-upper mid-card for the first 12 years of its existence. It was Edge that brought it to the next level of prominence and helped it finally become a main-event level match. Before Edge, a ladder match had been the main-event of exactly one PPV before 2006 (a lackluster Austin vs. McMahons performance at King of the Ring ’99). Since Edge and John Cena tore the house down at Unforgiven ’06 (in the main-event), the ladder match has gone on last at six PPVs. The TLC match became Edge’s signature gimmick, but he was also a pioneer for the Money in the Bank incarnation of the ladder match. He was not the star of the three MITB matches that he was involved in, but he won the first one and popularized the “cashing in” concept. He ranks just behind Jeff with 16 ladder matches on his resume. For his main-event work in ladder matches (he made TLC a match reserved for a main-event usually involving the World title), Edge has to be considered for #1 on this list. Although Jeff Hardy and Edge are clearly the cream of the ladder match crop in the modern era by quantity and reputation, the very best reviewed ladder matches of the last twelve years actually belong to Chris Jericho. Since there is a divide between those that want the ladder to be a part of the story and those that want to see spectacular acts off the ladder be the story - sometimes to the detriment of the story told but certainly not to the excitement factor of the match - the key for any superstar involved would be to find the balance between storytelling and stunt. The superstar that seems to have found that balance is Jericho. He has been involved in nine ladder matches and most of them have not been the best we’ve seen from Y2J, but he’s been in two that are the perfect blend mentioned above. Against Chris Benoit at Royal Rumble ’01 and against Shawn Michaels at No Mercy ’08, Jericho provided us with two all-time classic performances that told wonderful stories, but didn’t hesitate to get creative and hardcore with the bumping to the point that it would hold up against some of Hardy’s exploits. He’s also the (storyline) inventor of the MITB concept. Money in the Bank, particularly when it was featured at Wrestlemania, is an avenue for stars to create names for themselves. Shelton Benjamin heads a second-tier class of ladder match performers that routinely made the most of the opportunity afforded to him in MITB. His superior athleticism always made him the type that one figured would shine with a ladder involved. At Mania 21, he damn near stole the show. What Edge meant to getting over the briefcase, Shelton meant to getting over the match. He was, therefore, featured in all but one Mania version of MITB. He also did quite well for himself in three other ladder matches featured on PPV. Rob Van Dam ranks right with Benjamin as a guy that simply could do things in ladder matches that few others could do. RVD may not have been many things, but he was a creative wrestler that could open up his arsenal when hardware was involved. His matches with Jeff Hardy, Christian, and Eddie Guerrero were never going to be mistaken as classics, but they were each very good in large part because of what he brought to the table. RVD also won MITB 2 and, while winning those matches isn’t that important in terms of performance factor, it does provide a segue into talking about CM Punk – a winner of two MITB matches. Punk is not a guy that has been involved in many ladder matches (just four total), but he was part of one of the best ladder matches of all-time against Jeff Hardy at Summerslam ’09. With Jericho seemingly retired for the foreseeable future, Punk is poised to take over as the main guy who understands what predecessors like Michaels and Jericho did in their ladder matches. Guys like HBK, Y2J, and Punk are the exception to the ladder match rule. The audience loves the “Holy Shit” and “Oh My Gods” moments, but the WWE needs a guy like Punk to make sure that every ladder match isn’t a random conglomeration of stunts. Punk has not done enough to separate himself from the considerable middle pack of performers for this gimmick, but one could imagine that he will in the near future. #1 - Edge – I may not have given Edge enough credit for his storytelling in ladder matches in the above. Whether it was against Ric Flair, Undertaker, Cena, or one of the Hardys, Edge had complete control. His experience in the TLC era made him the quintessential figure for the modern, main-event level ladder match, which would become the foundation for his legacy. #2 – Jeff Hardy – The bout with Punk in the main-event at Summerslam put the stamp on his overall body of work. A lot of his matches were in the mid-card or featured on TV instead of PPVs, so he needed the ’09 top level matches with Punk and Edge to boost his resume past just stuntman masquerading as wrestler in the TLC days. #3 – Shawn Michaels – His three ladder matches are arguably the top three of all-time, with the two bouts against Razor setting the original standard. Yet, in my opinion, the greatest ladder match of all-time is the match against Jericho in 2008. Unfortunately, three amazing matches are not enough to be the best, considering the competition. #4 – Chris Jericho – The master storyteller was involved in some of the best ladder matches in history. He’ll never be remembered solely for his work with the ladder, so I think his efforts are underrated. His two best are two of the best I’ve seen. #5 - Christian – Like Jeff and his defining TLC match at Summerslam, Christian needed his Extreme Rules, World title-winning ladder match to solidify his legacy. Captain Charisma was always overshadowed by his peers, but there’s no questioning how many excellent ladder performances that he’s had. Whenever given the chance, he’s made the most of it. #6 – Matt Hardy – The above five guys all had multiple successes in singles ladder matches, but Matt never did. At no point did he achieve great enough singles status to have main-event level ladder matches, so his work comes from multi-man bouts. He’s unquestionably a memorable performer, but he’s a notch below his peers. #7 – Shelton Benjamin – One of the most athletic guys I’ve seen in a WWE ring, Benjamin made his name in the Money in the Bank match. I would have been curious to see him in one-on-one singles matches back when he was motivated. #8 – Rob Van Dam – While I cannot remember him being in a truly standout ladder match, I can think of numerous RVD ladder matches that showcased his abilities to their fullest extent. Once the Hardcore division was gone, the ladder matches were the best environment for him. #9 – The Dudley Boyz – The five tag team TLC matches (including the unofficial first one at Mania 2000) all featured the Dudleys in some respect. Their contributions to the TLC era cannot be understated, as they – like RVD – came into the WWE with a willingness to put their bodies on the line. Without them, TLC doesn’t necessarily work. #10 – Chris Benoit – The Rabid Wolverine didn’t have many ladder matches, but the ones he was in were very memorable. He was involved in the classic with Jericho, the third official TLC match, and was one of the standout performers of the first Money in the Bank match. Honorable Mention Razor Ramon – He had just the two ladder matches in the WWE and many accused him of being carried by HBK. As Scott Hall, though, he did a nice job of carrying Goldberg to a pretty good ladder match in WCW. The Rock – The number of ladder matches that the Rock had during his career? Two. The number of ladder matches that the Rock had during his career that reached the four star level or better? Two. Eddie Guerrero – After the TLC era ended, it was guys like Latino Heat that kept the ladder match relevant with his efforts. The one chance he had for a great ladder match, he succeeded. He also had a damn good ladder match with Syxx / X-Pac in WCW. John Morrison – Without question, Morrison has the potential achieve at least RVD-type status. He’s already shown the ability to do things others can’t, but he’s also proven he can excel and have standout ladder matches with the right opponents. He just needs a chance. CM Punk – He was never a standout in the MITB matches that he was involved in, but he was amazing in his match with Jeff Hardy. Kofi Kingston – Like Shelton, Kofi has untouchable athleticism that allows him to show off when a ladder is involved. He nearly stole the show in three separate MITB matches already. Time will tell if he can do more. Triple H – He’s another guy that hasn’t been in many ladder matches, but when he’s in one, he does quite well for himself.
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