The Shimmy 1.07.08: The Top 50 WWE Matches of 2007

Posted by Andy Clark on 01.07.2008

Awards season continues as The Shimmy presents the Top 50 WWE Matches of 2007!

Welcome, boys and girls, to the column that should have been last week. We've seen a wealth of Top 10s and even a Top 100 list this year, but this should be the only Top 50 list floating around. For the third year in a row I bring you my Top 50 WWE Matches of 2007. The writers here at 411 all seem to have their specialties. Larry is the TNA guy, Ari is the ROH guy. Me? I like to consider myself the WWE guy. Sure it's not that hard to be the WWE guy but I doubt you'll find a more devoted ‘E fan around. For those of you that are new to my Top 50 list, I realize full well that not all 50 of these matches are five star classics. These are just 50 WWE matches that have entertained me greatly over the past year. For those of you that will accuse me of being a WWE homer and having no taste in wrestling, save your breath. You won't do me any great insult by calling me a WWE fan so don't bother. Over the course of a year it is entirely possible that a match may have slipped my mind. Feel free to point out any match that I may have forgotten. There were quite a few matches that I wanted to include here but didn't have room for, and given the debacle with the 411 Year End Awards I figured an Honorable Mentions category would be more trouble then its worth. So without any further ado, I present to you the Top 50 WWE Matches of 2007.

50. Rey Mysterio vs. Finlay (SmackDown, 11/9)

Rey Mysterio and Finlay had a fun little feud this fall and I enjoyed all of their matches. This was probably the best non-gimmick match that they had and it even included a finish and some nice psychology. It's a shame they went with the Finlay face turn so soon because I would have liked to have seen more from these two.

49. World Heavyweight Title, Punjabi Prison Match: The Great Khali© vs. Batista (No Mercy)

So I'm a mark for the Punjabi Prison. Sue me. Khali enters his first match on the list (and was JUST short of making the No. 50 spot as well) but I think this is more a testament to Batista than anything. I mentioned a few weeks ago that Batista was Mr. Reliable in terms of carrying SmackDown and this match helps that theory. For his part Khali did pretty well in this match as the big lumbering monster and the finish to the match was probably hotter than anyone anticipated.

48. WWE Title Match: Randy Orton© vs. Triple H (No Mercy)

While this didn't quite have the drama of their Last Man Standing Match later in the evening it was still a fine match and a nice addition to the card. With John Cena out and WWE not being able to come through with their scheduled main event they decided to give us the benefit of three title matches, starting with this one. I think the thing I like about this match is that it really had a surprise ending. Triple H not only winning the WWE Title in the first match of the show 20 minutes after Orton was awarded it was one thing, but doing so with a simple rollup was a thing of beauty.

47. World Tag Team Title Match: The Hardys© vs. Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch (Backlash)

The Hardys and The Redneck Whirling Dervish had a nice feud this spring and this was the first match in that series. I think a lot of people were surprised that Cade & Murdoch got a PPV payday but it turned out to be a very good idea. The two teams would go on to have an even better match a month later at Judgment Day.

46. WWE Title, Triple Threat Match: John Cena© vs. The Great Khali vs. Umaga (Raw, 6/4/07)

I hated the Cena-Khali Falls Count Anywhere Match from the night before and this match was a million times better. Cena and Umaga had already proved to have great chemistry in the ring and Cena and Khali had already had 1 ½ good matches (counting the squash at SNME as the half), and plus there was the bizarre attraction that was the "Worst Prom Date Ever" of Umaga and Khali. This was a very fun match and a real underappreciated gem of 2007.

45. World Heavyweight Title, Triple Threat Match: The Great Khali© vs. Rey Mysterio vs. Batista (Unforgiven)

Unforgiven was not a pretty PPV but this match was a saving grace. I don't think the originally scheduled Khali-Rey match would have been nearly as fun as this match, so it's a good thing they added Batista (see what I mean about being Mr. Reliable?) At the time I don't think anybody really thought Batista was going to win the title back so it was a nice surprise to see Batista pick up the win. Batista and Rey also proved to have some good chemistry together and Khali ended his surprisingly decent World Title run with a good match.

44. Six Man Tag Team Match: Chris Benoit & The Hardys vs. MVP & MNM (No Way Out)

Much like Unforgiven, No Way Out was a pretty bad show. No Way Out managed to have two saving graces to it though and this match was one of them. I was pleasantly surprised at how they managed to make a throwaway match on the Road to WrestleMania into a compelling opening match. This was the first glimpse at what Chris Benoit and MVP could do together and this was also the last time The Hardys and MNM would hook up in tag team competition.

43. WWE Title, Championship Challenge: John Cena© vs. Bobby Lashley vs. Randy Orton vs. Mick Foley vs. Booker T (Vengeance: Night of Champions)

This match was too short to really be any better than it was, but it was still action packed enough to come in at No. 43 on my list. I really liked the interaction between Cena and Foley, and seeing Orton and Foley mix it up again brought back fond memories of their feud in 2004. They also did a great job of setting up Cena-Lashley for the next month's show, a match you may find later on in the list.

42. World Heavyweight Title, Triple Threat Match: Batista© vs. Undertaker vs. Edge (Armageddon)

Personally, I think this match had the potential to be much better but as it was this was still a good match. Batista and Undertaker continued to bring the goods and Edge played the cowardly but smart heel perfectly. The execution of the triple Edges was a little lacking, but the action was fast and furious and a lot of fun to watch.

41. WWE Title Match: Randy Orton© vs. Chris Jericho (Armageddon)

I really didn't have high hopes for this match heading in, but boy was I wrong. Jericho proved that he can still go and Orton managed to slide into the John Cena role of Mr. Consistency as he delivered yet another great PPV performance. Jericho managed to do that one great thing in a wrestling match: make a believer out of the fans even when you don't have a chance of winning. I didn't believe for one second that Jericho would win the title heading into this show, but by the time Jericho locked in the Walls of Jericho I was starting to think maybe he could pull it off. The DQ finish was certainly a bummer but it lead to the greatness that is the Jericho-JBL feud so it's all good.

40. Women's Title Match: Melina© vs. Mickie James (Backlash)

For the second year in a row I have a women's match on my list. For most of the year there hasn't been too much to write home about as it relates to female wrestling in WWE, but this match is a shining gem. Melina and Mickie James always seem to have good matches with one another but I think this is the best one. Great counterwrestling highlighted this match, a great addition to a great PPV.

39. United States Title Match: MVP© vs. Matt Hardy (The Great American Bash)

This is what really kickstarted the whole MVP-Matt Hardy feud. At the time I figured it would be a short feud leading to a Matt Hardy title win. Little did a know we'd be in store for a very long term feud, perhaps even longer than WWE initially wanted. After seeing this match I can understand why people would be impatient for the blowoff. This was one fine match and I can't wait until we finally get to see these two hook up one more time.

38. World Tag Team Title Match: Rated RKO© vs. DX (New Year's Revolution)

Why does Triple H always manage to tear a quad during a great tag team match? While this match isn't nearly as good as Triple H's first quad-terror (haha, get it?) it's still pretty impressive. DX was finally being portrayed seriously in a feud and Rated RKO was the fucking truth and this match had all the makings of an instant classic. It may very well have become an even better match had they not had to drop back and punt due to Triple H's injury. As it stands this is still a great match and yet another underappreciated gem of 2007.

37. World Heavyweight Title, Steel Cage Match: Undertaker© vs. Batista (SmackDown, 5/11)

Batista and Undertaker have produced gold all year long, and while this was not up to the standards of their other matches, it was still quite good. I think the thing that hurt this match was the fact that everyone knew that Taker was losing the title in some fashion anyhow. Well, they should seeing as how WWE spoiled the thing like crazy. Given Taker's injury the fact that they were able to pull off the match in the first place is pretty miraculous. Thanks to the wonders of editing the finish with both men coming down the cage at the same time was very well done.

36. John Morrison & The Miz vs. Jimmy Wang Yang & Shannon Moore (ECW, 12/19/07)

I believe this is the most recent addition to the list and I was sorely tempted to move it farther than this. For the record their first match just barely missed the Top 50. Morrison & Miz have been absolutely great as a tag team, putting on good showings against Matt Hardy & MVP, Jesse & Festus (another match that almost made the list) and here against Jimmy Wang Yang & Shannon Moore. The quality of these matches, and this match in particular, has actually made me care about Shannon Moore again. I greatly look forward to their 15 Minutes of Fame Match on Tuesday.

35. WWE Title Match: Randy Orton© vs. Shawn Michaels (Cyber Sunday)

A lot of people dismiss this match for the DQ ending, but I found it to be quite entertaining. Hell, of all the DQ endings we've seen this year this was probably the best one (even though I didn't really mind the Orton-Cena or Orton-Jericho ones too badly). That shot to the nuts was a thing of beauty and they managed to take this match and build on it perfectly for their Survivor Series encounter. In many ways this match was just an appetizer to the Survivor Series main course.

34. Intercontinental Title, Steel Cage Match: Jeff Hardy© vs. John Morrison (New Year's Revolution)

This is a match that kind of got lost in the shuffle as the year went on. This was the singles blowoff to the Hardy-Morrison feud for the IC Title, and while I didn't enjoy it quite as much as their Ladder Match it was still a fitting finale. This was one of the last shots of singles greatness (aside from the MITB qualifier and the match with Cena) for the Johnny Nitro persona, and I'm glad the entertaining Hardy-Morrison feud got to pay off inside a Steel Cage on PPV.

33. ECW Title, Last Chance Match: John Morrison© vs. CM Punk (ECW, 9/4)

Much like the Taker-Batista Steel Cage Match, this is hurt by the fact that everyone knew the outcome in advance. Still, I think we would have had the same outcome had they waited a week and had the match at Unforgiven like originally planned. Personally, I didn't really care for any of their previous title matches, but I enjoyed their 15 Minutes of Fame Match that lead to this. I suppose they were building to their best match yet because this was quite a showcase. This was probably CM Punk's best WWE match (aside from MITB which also featured seven other people) and it's great that he busted out such a performance for his big title win.

32. World Tag Team Title Match: The Hardys© vs. Lance Cade & Trevor Murdoch (Judgment Day)

I mentioned this match earlier and I feel that it's the best match that these two teams had this year. The action was great throughout and Cade & Murdoch had been built back up to being a legitimate threat to the titles. It also helped that this PPV was a pretty lackluster show so a solid up-tempo match like this stood out.

31. Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Handicap Match: Triple H, Jeff Hardy, Rey Mysterio, & Kane vs. Umaga, Mr. Kennedy, MVP, Finlay, & Big Daddy V (Survivor Series)

While WWE severely overrated this match in their own Top 5, that doesn't mean it wasn't fun. I mean really, who doesn't love a Survivor Series Elimination Match? This match probably would have been ranked higher if "overcoming the odds" story just wasn't so predictable and cliché. Triple H & Jeff Hardy made a badass team though, and Umaga's spinning uranage on Rey Mysterio was awesome. It's great to get at least one of these matches per year, and here's hoping for more next year.

30. Chris Benoit vs. MVP (SmackDown, 4/13)

This is the match that recovered MVP some credibility after the weak finish to their WrestleMania match. This was one of the best TV matches of the year and a reason that people didn't start turning on MVP early on. Both men continued to show what they could do, and while it wasn't quite up to the level of their WrestleMania or Backlash matches it was still damn good.

29. John Cena & Shawn Michaels vs. Batista & Undertaker (No Way Out)

Very few times can WWE present a tag team match that's worthy of being in the main event of a PPV. Actually very few times can ANY company present a tag team match that's worthy of being in the main event of a PPV. They managed to do that here with four of the biggest names in wrestling today, and three of the biggest names in wrestling period. The bulk of the match was pretty standard actually and was weighed down by JBL having to call the match solo (although he did a good job under the circumstances) but by the end the sucker picked up the hot finish it needed to have. Batista giving Taker the spinebuster was a great moment and if WWE had wanted to go to a full scale heel turn with Batista that would have been the perfect moment to do it. This was a great way to get pumped for WrestleMania.

28. World Heavyweight Title, Triple Threat Match: The Great Khali© vs. Batista vs. Kane (The Great American Bash)

And this is the shocker of the year. Really great match here that will never get the props it deserves due to the participants. I remember JT doing the instant analysis for this show and I was pleasantly surprised to see that he agreed with me. Was it the most technically sound match of 2007? Of course not. But damn if it wasn't fun to watch! This was a great way to kick off Khali's title run and, as we learned at SummerSlam, the addition of Kane to the match was a wise move.

27. Intercontinental Title Match: Umaga© vs. Jeff Hardy (The Great American Bash)

This match is where I think Jeff Hardy really made himself into a legit player. While the match was pretty much Umaga beating the hell out of Jeff and Jeff making a desperate comeback, the way they did it was so well executed that you forget that it's just basic wrestling booking. The crowd was hot for this contest and the Jeff Hardy comeback win. I think their effort really showed the next night on Raw when Hardy got an incredible pop for coming out and attacking Umaga when he was about to squash Candice Michelle. Great match between these two in a year where they had a couple of them.

26. United States Title Match: Chris Benoit© vs. MVP (WrestleMania 23)

I wasn't nearly as enamored with this match at first as everyone else, but I eventually came around. The thing I hated was the way MVP jobbed to the flying headbutt when they never put that move over as an actual finisher. I would have much preferred Benoit to win with that cradle out of a superplex spot that was pretty cool. The bulk of this match was a very good technical match and it set the stage for a great Backlash match between the two.

25. John Cena vs. John Morrison (ECW, 6/26)

In the wake of the Benoit tragedy WWE presented a show that was intended to entertain us. We saw the return of Roddy Piper, he saw CM Punk battle Elijah Burke in a 2/3 Falls Match and we saw this great Champion vs. Champion Match. This was the first ECW show for John Morrison as ECW Champion (come to think of it it may have been his first ECW show period) and he went up against the reigning WWE Champion John Cena. Even though Morrison lost cleanly to the STFU, the way he hung in there with the champ really helped put him over. I still think they should have given Morrison the surprise win just to REALLY get him over, but since the night was supposed to be uplifting I understand the decision to let the face win.

24. World Heavyweight Title, Last Chance Match: Edge© vs. Batista (Vengeance: Night of Champions)

This was really a tale of two matches. While the first part of the match was good, it really wasn't anything we hadn't already seen in their Judgment Day match. As the match went on, however, the intensity level grew. You could sense the desperation in Batista and the crowd was hot was the finish. Teddy Long saving Batista's chances only to have the ball bounce the wrong way at the last second was great. A lot of people didn't like how they did the count out finish, but I actually think it was a more effective finish than a pinfall would have been.

23. Extreme Rules Match: The New Breed vs. ECW Originals (ECW, 4/3)

The New Breed vs. Originals match at WrestleMania was mediocre at best, a feel good moment but nothing more. The Elimination Match that followed this one wasn't very good either and was overshadowed by the CM Punk storyline. This match though was what this feud was all about. The Originals got to thrive in their own environment and the New Breed got a big win. This match also contained the best Elijah Express ever.

22. Stretcher Match: Rey Mysterio vs. Finlay (Cyber Sunday)

I'm not sure many people expected this match to be quite as good as it was, and normally that's a good thing. Rey and Finlay beat the hell out of each other here and managed to fit in some unique spots with not only the stretcher but also the pole that was set up for the potential Shillelagh on a Pole Match. This match was leaps and bounds better than the Orton-RVD Stretcher Match from One Night Stand and was another great entry into this short feud. They also managed to ad lib beautifully with the finish after the planned finish was apparently botched.

21. World Heavyweight Title, Hell in a Cell Match: Batista© vs. Undertaker (Survivor Series)

This feud benefited early on from having low expectations and was hurt later on by having high expectations. This was a great match to be sure, but not quite as epic as it probably should have been, or at least as epic as we were expecting. These two managed to tear into each other inside Hell in a Cell, and much like most of these top matches the finish was heated. Edge's interference at the end was also a nice touch as it created mega heel heat for Edge, made us want to see Edge-Taker in the future, and left the door open for more Batista-Taker matches if they wanted to go that route. After seeing what they've done in 2007 that's not a bad thing.

20. WWE Title Match: John Cena© vs. Umaga (New Year's Revolution)

Going in to this match I don't think people had high hopes. Cena still carried the stigma of not being a good wrestler despite having a great 2006 with the likes of Edge, Rob Van Dam, and Triple H. Umaga had not shown any signs of having a good match since he came in to WWE less than a year ago. And yet these two went out there and shocked everyone by having a great underdog-big man match that culminated with Cena ending the undefeated streak of the Samoan Bulldozer. They would go on to shock us even further later in the year.

19. United States Title Match: Chris Benoit© vs. MVP (Backlash)

And here is the best of the bunch. WrestleMania was very good but had a shitty ending. The SmackDown match was good but didn't have the big feel of the PPV matches. Their Judgment Day match was utterly atrocious and a Worst Match of the Year Contender. This match, though, was an awesome show of technical skill. I think this is the match where MVP really came into his own. I still question the decision to hold off on MVP's title win for another month, but that doesn't take away from how good this match really was.

18. World Heavyweight Title, Steel Cage Match: Edge© vs. Batista (One Night Stand)

I really didn't have much of an interest in this match coming in. The Edge-Batista feud seemed played out after just one month and we had just seen Batista compete in a Steel Cage Match against Undertaker. Plus, a World Title has never changed hands inside a Steel Cage in WWE history, so I wasn't expecting anything groundbreaking. Not only did they manage to blow the Taker-Batista match out of the water but they managed to restore my faith in this feud. Would it surprise anyone for me to say that it had a hot finish? This match continued Batista's streak of close-but-no-cigar finishes that plagued him for most of 2007.

17. WWE Title Match: John Cena© vs. Bobby Lashley (The Great American Bash)

The thing I liked most about this match was the build. WWE did a great job of making this feel like a big time match and in the process it made Bobby Lashley seem more important in the grand scheme of things than he probably was. This was a hard hitting match that probably did more for Bobby Lashley's career than the Battle of the Billionaires did. I've been waiting for years for Cena to deliver the FU from the top rope, and while it didn't come off as smooth as I'd liked it was still a cool spot. Chalk up another great match for Cena.

16. WWE Title Match (Sweet Chin Music Banned, Title Change on DQ): Randy Orton© vs. Shawn Michaels (Survivor Series)

A lot of people really liked this match and for good reason. It's not higher up on the list because I felt the beginning of the match was insanely boring. I don't care if it's good MMA work, I'm not watching MMA, now am I? Once they started getting into the flow of the story of HBK not being able to hit Sweet Chin Music things started getting good. I liked that Michaels busted out submission moves from some of the all time greats to try and win the match as that was a nice nod to past submission greats. This was a much needed win for Orton's title reign and it made him look like a badass. Well, until Michaels superkicked him after the match, but whatever.

15. Street Fight: Triple H vs. Umaga (Cyber Sunday)

This was another one of those matches that I didn't have high hopes for that surprised me. These two didn't exactly set the world on fire at No Mercy so I didn't expect them to do much different here. Fortunately the Street Fight stipulation allowed them to have a crazy brawl which is exactly what needed to happen. Despite losing Umaga looked a lot stronger in this match than he had in recent months, and Triple H had the third great match of his return run.

14. World Heavyweight Title, Last Man Standing Match: Undertaker© vs. Batista (Backlash)

I'm not nearly as fond of this match as a lot of people are but it's still a good match. A lot of people feel that this is the best match these two have had but I disagree. Rampant no selling of finishers early on, a predictable draw, and cheesy pyro during the big finish hurt this match for me. Still, even with its deficiencies there is no way this match goes farther back on the list. They still beat the hell out of each other and they still provided a compelling piece of entertainment. Cheesy pyro or not this was still one of the best matches of the year.

13. World Tag Team Title, Ladder Match: The Hardys© vs. The World's Greatest Tag Team (One Night Stand)

I think it's safe to say that The World's Greatest Tag Team's Raw run was pretty disappointing. They never got a shot to do much outside of being JTTS but for whatever reason WWE decided to give them an opportunity here. Benjamin & Haas took the opportunity to heart and had a great Ladder Match with the kings of the Ladder Match. Shelton Benjamin proved that he is absolutely insane by performing the AWA Special from the top of a ladder. That definitely hurt the next morning. It's a shame that pretty much as soon as One Night Stand was over TWGTT was quickly forgotten and eventually disbanded with a whimper. Here's hoping Shelton Benjamin finds success in ECW.

12. Street Fight: Shawn Michaels vs. Edge (Raw, 1/22)

For the second time in three years Shawn Michaels and Edge have met in a great Street Fight on Raw. While I'm partial to their 2005 encounter this one is still a must see. This match is really what started Shawn Michaels on his roll that would lead to the WrestleMania main event. Edge has shown that he can bring the goods in these hardcore matches and that he has great chemistry with Shawn Michaels. This was a great way to kick things off on the Road to WrestleMania and is even included on the new Raw 15th Anniversary DVD.

11. Edge vs. Randy Orton (Raw, 4/30)

One week earlier John Cena and Shawn Michaels had competed in a 56 minute classic. The previous night at Backlash Cena, Michaels, Edge, and Orton had a fantastic Fatal Four-Way Match. Then there was this match. You don't get a much better triple play than that. This was a rare heel vs. heel match although the crowd seemed to lean towards Orton. This also occurred shortly after Orton got in trouble for trashing a European hotel room, and if there is anything we've learned about Orton over the last few years it's that he knows how to step it up when his career safety is on the line. This was without a doubt one of the best free TV matches of the year, one that unfortunately was forgotten by many.

10. WWE Title Match: John Cena© vs. Shawn Michaels (WrestleMania 23)

This match really only has two things going for it: the big match feel and one of the best finishing sequences in recent memory. It's really that finishing sequence that nets it a Top Ten finish, because the bulk of the match comes off as rather forced. I don't know who said it, possibly JD Dunn, but it felt like they were trying to force and epic match instead of just going out there and wrestling an epic match. The pacing was way too slow for a match like this and Michaels' attitude was a very distracting factor. The fans got behind Michaels because he was the old school fan favorite that was getting one more shot at the big time. Then, perhaps a combination of his actual miffed-ness at the pre-match streaker and the story WWE was trying to tell, he came off as a real douche bag. Still, I'm harping on the negative things in this match. It's a testament to the good in the match that I can complain about so much and still feel comfortable putting it in my top ten. As I said the finish to the match was great, and once you get past the fact that they went about the pacing and HBK's attitude wrong you can see that there is a very solid match taking place.

9. 2007 Royal Rumble Match (Royal Rumble)

I'm normally leery about putting the Rumble match in these countdowns because they are so unique that it's hard to compare them to other matches. This year's edition though really comes in two parts: the actual battle royal portion of the match and the epic Shawn Michaels-Undertaker confrontation at the end. For eight minutes two of the all time greats battled essentially in another match. It was great to see these two go at it in such a hotly contested match up. This was almost a WrestleMania main event in and of itself.

8. WWE Title Match: John Cena© vs. Randy Orton (SummerSlam)

This was the saving grace of a very lackluster show. Cena competed in yet another contest with a big match feel and Orton was primed and ready to achieve his destiny and win a World Title at SummerSlam for a second time. Not too long ago this match was seen as a potential WrestleMania main event and after watching this match you can see why. There were quite a few convincing nearfalls including when Orton hit the RKO out of nowhere but was not able to capitalize. This was the start of what would be a great feud that unfortunately was not able to be concluded due to Cena's injury. At least we were able to get this big time SummerSlam match.

7. Money in the Bank Ladder Match: Edge vs. Randy Orton vs. Matt Hardy vs. Jeff Hardy vs. CM Punk vs. Mr. Kennedy vs. Booker T vs. Finlay (WrestleMania 23)

A lot of people will be upset that I put this match this high on my list because they felt it didn't live up to the high standards of the previous two Money in the Bank Matches. To that I say phooey. Yes, I just said phooey, deal with it. This was a great match that was kind of broken into two parts: the fast and furious opening minutes with all eight men scrambling to beat down their opponents and the slowed down second half following the removal of Edge and Jeff Hardy. Both parts were great and followed in the great albeit short tradition of MITB. There hasn't been a match in recent memory that has provided as many memorable spots in one match quite like this one. Jeff Hardy's dive off the jumbo ladder onto a prone Edge is possibly his sickest bump yet, maybe even better than his Bound for Glory dive. This match also really put Mr. Kennedy and CM Punk over big by having them be the final two men to battle it out for the shot. This win really saved Kennedy's main event push (well, at the time anyhow) and had things gone differently we may be talking about Mr. Kennedy main eventing WrestleMania XXIV.

6. World Heavyweight Title Match: Batista© vs. Undertaker; Guest Referee: Stone Cold Steve Austin (Cyber Sunday)

Technically this match was probably the best match Undertaker and Batista had against each other in 2007 but it lacked the big match feel that the remaining match on this list had. The nearfalls were excellently done and these two proved just why people clamored for them to face each other time after time. Austin was smart enough to not overshadow the match and just let these two go at it. I'm glad Batista managed to get the clean win over Undertaker to tie up their series and in a year of losing efforts this was a big win for The Animal. This match also helped Cyber Sunday become one of the most surprisingly good PPVs of the year, gaining four matches on this list.

5. World Heavyweight Title Match: Batista© vs. Undertaker (WrestleMania 23)

Speaking of a PPV that had four matches on this list that brings me back to WrestleMania 23. Like I said before, I think the Cyber Sunday match was technically the better match, but this match was much more of a big deal. At the end of the day I think this match should have closed out WrestleMania instead of Cena-Michaels, but I'm sure at the time Cena-Michaels seemed like more of a sure thing. Most people had low expectations for this match and those expectations were not only met but far surpassed. This is what WrestleMania is all about: a great match, a big match feel, an awesome moment, and a hot crowd. This was WWE's feud of the year and it all started here. Excellent work by both men and a great contribution to WrestleMania's storied legacy.

4. WWE Title, Fatal Four-Way Match: John Cena© vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Edge vs. Randy Orton (Backlash)

If Batista-Taker is the match that was actually booked for WrestleMania that should have main evented that show then this is the match that should have main evented WrestleMania that was never booked in the first place. There was a period this spring where these four men rocked Raw on a consistent basis, pretty much a modern day version of the SmackDown Six (albeit with two less people and for a shorter period of time). This was a tremendous match that made all four men look great and make us all itch to see more of Cena-Michaels. Edge and Orton also primed themselves for a big second half of 2007 where each man would go on to win two World Titles by the end of the year. The finish was great with Michaels accidentally giving Cena the win and once again being robbed of his title win. Backlash clocked in with a record five matches on this list, one match shy of being the entire PPV card.

3. WWE Title, Last Man Standing Match: Triple H© vs. Randy Orton (No Mercy)

Going in to No Mercy there were only two people that I didn't want to see win the title in the wake of John Cena's injury and they were Triple H and Randy Orton. Nothing against either man, but one of those two walking out with the belt was just too obvious. Needless to say I was a bit disappointed when these were the two that competed for the title. Still, earlier in the night they had a fun match with a nice title win for The Game which I covered early. This match though was outstanding. The nightlong storyline came full circle and Orton looked great in a winning effort. I don't care that Triple H had been in two previous matches and had hurt ribs, Orton still looked like a beast. There were numerous Last Man Standing nearfalls and I even found myself cheering for Orton as the match went on. That RKO on the table was the perfect way to finish it, especially since it's what presumably took out John Cena. Great, great match.

2. John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels (Raw, 4/23)

And here we go. You had to know that this list was going to come down to two matches, the only question was which one I had first. Well, to be honest with you I didn't know until a few days ago. When I first submitted by votes for the 411 Year End Awards this was my MOTY. The bulk of the match was substantially better than their WrestleMania match, the crowd was into it, it had that epic feel without being forced, and the fact they nearly went Broadway was just damn cool. Cena proved the naysayers wrong (although now those same naysayers are just turning on the match so they don't look like hypocrites) and Michaels proved that he could still go. If only there were a way to combine the beginning and middle of this match with the finish of the WrestleMania match we might have one of the greatest matches of all time.

1. WWE Title, Last Man Standing Match: John Cena© vs. Umaga (Royal Rumble)

So you know how I told you I initially voted for Cena-Michaels as my Match of the Year? On the last day of voting I flipped my vote and went with this one. This match managed to beat out Bryan Danielson vs. Nigel McGuinness by one vote for 411's Match of the Year. So for those of you that are pissed that this match one, you have me to thank. Truth be told it wasn't intentional, but damn did it feel good to see those final vote tallies. Back in January I really had no desire to see this match. Sure, Cena and Umaga had a surprisingly good match at New Year's Revolution, but was Umaga really deserving of getting two WWE Title shots in a row? And how was Cena going to defeat Umaga in a convincing fashion without making him look bad in the process? Well, we found out. I said earlier that the Triple H-Orton Last Man Standing Match had plenty of nearfalls for that kind of gimmick, well this match wrote the book on Last Man Standing nearfalls. Both men went full throttle to give us an incredible, brutal, emotional match that managed to make it through the course of 2007 still fondly remembered. Controversy be damned, this is the Match of the Year.

Andy! Andy! At Last You Have Some Feedback!

Chris Jacobs normally has nice things to say:

I get that you "think" Mankind shouldn't have been picked, but the fact that the fans picked him means that majority rules. Management didn't pick Mankind, then your statement wouldn't be so bad, but to say that every fan that wanted to see them is wrong, since it is literally what most of the fans wanted to see. In that aspect, the choice was obviously right, and Im glad it wasn't just one more cactus jack appearance.

Carlito's chamber match also was terrible, man you got some issues. Cena, Carlito, Masters, all of them couldn't wrestle to save there lives, and they are the final three??? Not to mention that Masters loses via roll-up, and so did Carlito. So the last to elmiminations in the dreaded chamber where school boy roll-ups. That does not make it a good match at all, the ECW one may be the only chamber match that this one surpasses, but that in no means makes it good.

We'll have to agree to disagree on the Elimination Chamber Match. I thought the end of the match was very unique as no one expected Carlito and Masters to be the final two challengers. The rollups also played into the Carlito-Masters partnership which at the time was pretty intriguing. And come on man, the whole "Cena can't wrestle" thing is really played out at this point.

As for Mankind winning the Taboo Tuesday vote, I merely said that Dude Love would have matched up better with Carlito from a character standpoint. And you're right, majority does rule. But I think we've learned that sometimes the majority doesn't use good judgment, look at our President.

The Shimmy Likes It Raw!

What's on tap for tonight's show?

Coming from the Mohegan Sun Arena it's the return of Raw Roulette! What kind of wacky matches are we in store for? Blindfold Match? Cage Match? Midget on a Pole Match? Tune in to find out!

Well, that does it for me. Feel free to use the comments section to tell me how much I suck. I'll be here next week. Until then, don't die. Clark…out.