10 Best WWE Armageddon Matches

Today (December 10) marks twenty-one years since Armageddon 2000.

Mental. Only feels like eighteen years to me.

The last pay-per-view of what had been a massive year for the company, it was a bit of a letdown, in all honesty. Everything up until the main event had been disappointing, but what a main event it was.

The first-ever six-man WWE Title Hell in a Cell match pitted champion Kurt Angle against The Rock, Steve Austin, Triple H, The Undertaker and Rikishi. That's five of the biggest stars in the industry (and Rikishi) inside the Cell at the same time.

To give credit to Rikishi (who was really good), he did manage to steal the show by taking a massive bump off the side of the cage onto a flatbed truck at ringside.

It's one of the best matches in the history of Armageddon, a pay-per-view that ran between 1999 and 2008 (save for 2001 when it was replaced with Vengeance) and often boasted what could be considered some real diamonds in the rough, as the shows were typically not the greatest but boasted some really decent matches here and there.

10. CM Punk Vs. Rey Mysterio (2008)

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A good year-and-a-half before they had a long and memorable feud, Rey Mysterio and CM Punk met at Armageddon 2008 in the Intercontinental Title Number One Contender Tournament.

Both babyfaces were vying for a shot at William Regal and had a very tidy, back-and-forth match (as you would expect).

Mysterio had beaten The Miz and Kofi Kingston to secure his place in the finals, while Punk had seen off Gene Snitsky and John Morrison to get there.

The crowd were, understandably, a little reserved early on, since they weren't exactly sure who to root for. But they got into it more and more as it went on, which is a testament to the work of both men and their ability to draw people into their matches even if there isn't a gripping storyline behind them.

The early technical stages were crisp, before both men kicked it up a gear and teased hitting their finishers. Rey was grounded for a while, before coming back with a huge moonsault, as Punk regained control and tried to force the submission.

These two have always had good chemistry with one another and the finishing stretch was predictable exciting, with big moves and novel counters and some really close near falls.

In the end, Punk was able to hit the Go To Sleep for the win (bloodying Mysterio's nose in the process).

9. Randy Orton Vs. Rob Van Dam (2003)

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It was obvious come late 2003 that Randy Orton was on the path to the very top.

The Legend Killer had 'future World Champion' written all over him but, first, he needed to have a run with the Intercontinental gold, often seen as a stepping stone of sorts to the big one.

Standing in his way was multi-time IC Champ Rob Van Dam, the two clashing for the belt in a long match at Armageddon - with Mick Foley on hand as special guest referee.

You know the drill here - RVD does his stuff, namely flips and kicks and dives, while RKO does his stuff, namely dropkicks, clotheslines and chinlocks.

Lots and lots of chinlocks.

It lulled whenever Orton was clamping one on, yes, but the rest of the match was exciting and their styles meshed really well together. It was obvious watching this match just how much young Randy had come in such a short space of time.

And it was no surprise to see him RKO his way to victory, the first of three title triumphs for Evolution on the night (Flair and Batista would win the World Tag Team Titles while Triple H regained the World Heavyweight Title in the main event).

8. Triple H Vs. Mr. McMahon (1999)

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After Triple H married his unconscious daughter Stephanie, Mr. McMahon was, shall we say, a little bit miffed and vowed revenge on The Game.

The two men settled the score in the No Holds Barred main event of Armageddon 1999.

Considering who's in there and what the storyline and stipulations were, nobody should be going into this one expecting some sort of technical classic or anything.

It's a chaotic, sprawling brawl, the type that the Attitude Era specalised in, and it's an acquired taste. It's also long, clocking in at around the half an hour mark, so your tolerance may vary.

But it is compelling in its own way, and both men give it plenty of effort and take some lumps for the cause.

The match is most remembered for the ending and post-match reveal that showed Hunter and Steph were in cahoots the whole time, thus kicking off the McMahon-Helmsley era.

Really though, any match with WWE's Chairman falling fifteen feet off a scaffold is worth a curiosity watch, if nothing else.

7. Shawn Michaels Vs. Mr. Kennedy (2007)

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Shawn Michaels returned from an injury in the fall of 2007 and picked up right where he left off, having a series of great psychologically-sound matches with WWE Champion Randy Orton, before starting a programme with Mr. Kennedy.

Kennedy's career had, to say the least, been up and down but a singles pay-per-view outing with the Heartbreak Kid was a great opportunity to re-establish himself and remind people why he had previously been discussed as a future star.

This was all about the story, as the brash upstart tried to take down the seasoned veteran. Michaels used his instincts to control the pace early on, focusing on Ken's left arm and handy, which included HBK stamping down on his fingers as they were resting on the steel stairs.

The loudmouth got back into it by shoving Michaels back-first into the ringpost and set about working over the injured body part.

The action was scrappy at times and there was nothing fancy about the bulk of it, but it was solid all the way through.

After Michaels had come back with his usual and Kennedy got a close two count with a schoolboy and then a rolling fireman's carry, Kennedy made the crucial mistake of throwing a left hand, the pain leaving him vulnerable to Sweet Chin Music.

A hidden gem.

6. The Undertaker Vs. Edge Vs. Batista (2007)

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Edge, The Undertaker and Batista spent a big chunk of 2007 fighting one another, with both The Deadman and the Rated-R Superstar disappearing for a time due to injuries.

The trio basically were the World Heavyweight Title scene that year (as well as The Great Khali, of course) and had met many times in various singles matches.

At Armageddon, the three men finally met all at the same time in the show's main event, with The Animal defending the strap.

Running for a surprisingly low thirteen minutes, the bout was shorter than you might expect but they managed to pack a lot of action into the time they had and it was nonstop.

The ending was genuinely intriguing, too, as two fake 'Edges' (Brett and Brian Major AKA Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins) interfered on the Ultimate Opportunist's behalf and caused enough of a distraction that Edge could get his bearings and take advantage of 'Taker's tombstone on Batista, winning the World Heavyweight Title for the second time.

5. The Undertaker Vs. Randy Orton (2005)

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Randy Orton and The Undertaker feuded throughout most of 2005 and had matches at WrestleMania 21, SummerSlam and No Mercy (Casket), as well as on SmackDown.

The blowoff to their often silly rivalry came at Armageddon in, appropriately enough, Hell in a Cell.

By this point, the gimmick was synonymous with The Phenom, while Orton had yet to be involved in one. It didn't take him long to get into the spirit of things, however, as he got his backside kicked from pillar to post before getting almost decapitated with a steel chair.

As Michael Cole noted, that'll teach Randy to set 'Taker's casket on fire and blow up his car! Only in wrestling, folks. Or maybe Coronation Street.

Orton was able to get back into it and draw blood as well, before his dad Cowboy Bob Orton (stationed outside the cell), also got colour. That would prove to be a major talking point after the fact, as Bob tested positive for hepatitis C and The Deadman was livid when he found out.

As the match wore in they busted out bigger and bigger moves, with the Legend Killer hitting a cross body/splash through a table, an RKO and his own version of the Tombstone.

'Taker weathered it all and then hit father and son with Tombstones of his own and drawing a line under the dispute.

A really entertaining, wacky and, frankly, underrated Cell match.

4. Jeff Hardy Vs. Triple H (2007)

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Jeff Hardy was really starting to get hot towards the end of 2007, with fans chomping at the bit to see him make the step up towards the WWE Title.

In order to meet whoever the champion would be (Randy Orton was defending against Chris Jericho later on in the night) at the Royal Rumble, the Charismatic Enigma had to see of Triple H first.

This was an all-babyface encounter and started respectfully and evenly, before The Game used his power to take over and keep Jeff from flying around. That only lasted so long, however, and Hardy was able to pick his spots and give fans hope before, inevitably, being cut off once again.

The two men had nice, complimenting styles and their characters suited the story they were telling. Triple H was the cerebral, powerful veteran and multi-time champ, while Jeff was the plucky underdog.

At 15:23, it was the longest match of the pay-per-view and they were good for every second of the time they were given, crafting a grand topsy-turvy finale stuffed with big moves, counters and tense near falls.

Jeff managed to eke out a win, rolling up Hunter as he attempted a Pedigree, the result getting an explosive reaction out of the crowd and a wry smile out of HHH.

3. JBL Vs. The Undertaker Vs. Eddie Guerrero Vs. Booker T (2004)

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It's fair to say that WWE didn't care about Armageddon in 2004, cobbling together a weak, SmackDown-exclusive card that featured such gems as Santa Claus versus Kurt Angle, The Basham Brothers against Hardcore Holly and Charlie Haas and Dawn Marie versus Jackie Gayda.

Thankfully, the event ended on a high. In truth, it was a total one-match show, with the four-way WWE Title main event just about making it worth the effort.

In it, JBL defended against Eddie Guerrero, The Undertaker and Booker T, his three main rivals since winning the belt, all of whom he'd managed to successfully defend the title against, usually by nefarious means while escaping by the skin of his teeth.

It was a grand encounter, with 'Taker, Guerrero and Booker taking out their collective frustrations on the champ, before it all fell apart and they started fighting amongst themselves.

It was No Disqualification and ladders and chairs came into play. There were also a couple of gnarly announce table bumps, as most of the match was a brawl.

The highlights were undoubtedly the exchanges between The Deadman and Latino Heat, two blue brand stalwarts who, sadly, never had a televised singles match against one another (or any other significant interaction outside of this match).

Keeping with the theme of the last several months, JBL managed to just about escape with the title around his waist, thanks to some outside interference from Heidenreich.

2. Jeff Hardy Vs. Edge Vs. Triple H (2008)

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A year after beating Triple H in that number one contender's match, Jeff Hardy finally reached the summit, winning the WWE Title in a triple threat featuring The Cerebral Assassin and Edge.

The main event of Armageddon 2008 was the culmination of a long chase for the Charismatic Enigma, his road filled with false starts and mistakes (like his Wellness Policy violation in March of that year).

This was really all about the moment, but the match itself was a very good one.

It was really well worked and everyone got a chance to shine and get their stuff in. It looked like anyone could win it at any moment, and with Edge having only been in possession of the belt for about a month and bookie's favourite HHH in the mix, that really was the case.

Highlights included Hardy hitting a Whisper in the Wind on Edge, who was being held by Trips in an electric chair position, Edge hitting Hardy with a huge running Spear through the announce table and a breathless finale where they traded big moves and false finishes.

Jeff won after around seventeen minutes of thrilling action, pinning Edge (who had just been Peidgreed) after breaking up Hunter's cover with a Swanton Bomb.

1. Four-Team Tag Team Title Match - Armageddon 2006

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The Armageddon 2006 card was already loaded up with gimmicks - including an Inferno and Last Ride (hearse) match - before SmackDown General Manager Teddy Long decided to give fans an early Christmas present by turning the scheduled Tag Team Title match between champions Paul London & Brian Kendrick and William Regal & Dave Taylor into a ladder match, while also adding the Hardys and MNM for fun.

What transpired was chaotic in ways both good and bad.

The mix of teams and styles certainly made for an interesting dynamic and there was no shortage of creativity on display as all eight men bumped their backsides off and threw caution to the wind.

Matt and Jeff were, naturally, the most in their element, but MNM and the champs also shone on this stage. Regal and Taylor, for their part, found their groove after overcoming a supposed fear of heights.

The match is, regrettably, best remembered for the horrific injury Joey Mercury suffered when a ladder shattered his face on a see-saw spot. It led to his removal many minutes before the match ended and necessitated those remaining to call stuff on the fly, which is remarkable in a situation like this one with so many bodies and so much that could go wrong.

A total show-stealer, this was the longest match of the night and is worth going out of your way to see (or revisit if it's been a while). Just be aware that you will see a man's face explode.