You won't believe that these matches Actually Happened!...
Wrestling dream matches are few and far betweenâŚor are they? Here are ten dream matches that actually took place.
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1. Hulk Hogan vs. Bret Hart: Nitro 98
Given WCWâs deep talent roster, itâs no surprise Hulk Hogan worked dream bouts in the promotion. As weâve covered in previous videos, Bret Hart claims Hogan was supposed to wrestle him and drop the WWF Championship in 1993. That didnât happen but fans got to see the two battle during the 28 September 1998 edition of Nitro. Unfortunately, the match was a short dud that saw Bret Hart injured and stretchered out. Sting would take âThe Hitmanâsâ place only for Hart to return and attack the Stinger, yet another questionable WCW swerve and a waste of what could have been a true dream match.
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2. Triple H vs Bret Hart: RAW 1997
âWhile Triple H wasnât a main event player yet, he was no curtain jerker in 1997. Working alongside Shawn Michaels in D-Generation X. On 6 October 1997, Triple H battled WWF World Champion Bret Hart in a match designed to continue the heat between DX and the Hart Foundation. While this match didnât go to a conclusive finish, it was still entertaining, featuring interference from Shawn Michaels and Chyna that allowed Hunter to claim a count-out victory.
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3. Hulk Hogan vs. Rick Rude: House Shows January 1988
Wrestling lore has it Hulk Hogan didnât want to work with âRavishingâ Rick Rude because the âRavishing Oneâ worked stiff. They did lock up though in January 1988, working a live event at the Boston Gardens and another in Vancouver, British Columbia. While itâs hard to say how a program between the two would have played out, the Boston match can be found on the video Hulk Hogan: The Unreleased Archives, giving fans an idea of how Hogan and Rude worked together.
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4. Steve Austin vs. Eddie Guerrero: Smackdown! 2000
Eddieâs star was on the rise but he wasnât a WWF main event player yet when he faced âThe Texas Rattlesnakeâ in November of 2000. Still, that didnât stop him and âStone Coldâ from having short but action-packed match that was heavy on brawling. Two years later, the WWE set the stage for what looked like an Austin vs. Guerrero feud, but that year, Austin walked out on the WWE after they asked him to lose clean to Brock Lesnar on free TV and with no build-up.
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5. Brock Lesnar vs. Chris Benoit: Smackdown 2004
âThis battle between two wrestling machines saw the Beast Incarnate battling the Rabid Wolverine on the 4 December 2003 SmackDown!. What Benoit lacked in height, he made up for in fight, giving Lesnar more than he bargained for, and getting Lesnar to tap out in the Crippler Crossface. The only problem was there was no referee to make the call as heâd been taken out accidentally. Lesnar grabbed a chair, blasted Benoit, and got a TKO win. Despite the screw job ending, this was a captivating bout and one you should check out if you havenât seen it.
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6. Razor Ramon vs. The Undertaker: House shows 1992 & 1993
âThe Bad Guyâ was still playing a bad guy when he tangled with âTaker in September 1992, taking a powder after âThe Dead Manâ nearly hit the Tombstone on him. The two scrapped again, this time in early 1993 when Razor walked out again, after a chokeslam by the Undertaker must have made Ramon take the âdiscretion is the better part of valorâ route. The second Razor/Undertaker match can be found on the WWF Coliseum video, WWF: Smack âEm Whack âEm.
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7. AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura: Wrestle Kingdom 10
âYes fans, before their controversial match at WrestleMania 34, this did happen and it was everything you hoped for and more. Nakamura was IWGP Intercontinental Champion when he defended the title against âThe Phenomenal Oneâ at New Japan Pro Wrestlingâs Wrestle Kingdom 10. The leader of the Bullet Club fell to Nakamura in a 24-minute classic. New Japan Pro Wrestling fans were shocked when they learned A.J. Styles, Doc Gallows, Karl Anderson and Shinsuke Nakamura were leaving the promotion for the WWE. Donât be surprised to see A.J. and Nakamura battle again, this time in the WWE.
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8. Goldberg vs. Randy Orton: RAW 2003
The 18 August 2003 RAW featured Randy Orton taking on Bill Goldberg. The Evolution member undoubtedly hoped to soften Goldberg up for his upcoming SummerSlam match with World Heavyweight Champion Triple H. With âStone Coldâ Steve Austin serving as guest enforcer, Goldberg overcame Ric Flairâs interference, pinning Orton after hitting the Spear and Jackhammer. A win by Goldberg seemed inevitable but it was still an entertaining match.
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9. Rob Van Dam vs. Shawn Michaels: RAW 2002
Shawn Michaelsâ return to action was highlighted in a battle of the high-flyers as âThe Show-Stopperâ battled âThe Whole F-n Show,â just weeks after Michaels won the World Heavyweight Championship at the 2002 Survivor Series. This match could have been one for the ages but instead served as a way to continue the program between Michaels and Triple H. What the fans did see of HBK and RVD was memorable, with both men showing what made their matches so electrifying.
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10. Brock Lesnar vs. Hulk Hogan: SmackDown! 2002
âHogan-haters complain the Hulkster never put anyone over but thatâs not what happened during this 8 August 2002 SmackDown! episode where Lesnar kicked out of Hoganâs Legdrop of Doom, knocked him out with a bearhug, then delivered a bloody post-match beatdown. Hogan wasnât at the height of his abilities, but he was no jabroni either, having recently held the WWE Championship.
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Ten dream matches that actually happened. Have you seen these matches? If you havenât, be sure to check them out.