Best: Shawn Michaels vs Mankind (In Your House: Mind Games)
HBK’s first WWE Championship reign wasn’t the greatest from a story standpoint, but thankfully, it did produce some fantastic matches. The best of which came from an unlikely source when Michaels defended against Mankind in Philly. Mankind was the antithesis of Shawn Michaels, and that allowed them to work a perfect blend of both their styles.
Being in Philly, this match resembled more an ECW style of contest than WWE’s New Generation. It was gritty and sloppy, containing several spots that made the audience cringe. There was a fast-paced style that had both men going at a full clip for the match’s duration. It was a shame that they were given a return match to this classic.
Worst: Diesel vs Mabel (SummerSlam 1995)
1995 was not a kind year for WWE. The crowd was down, the money dried up, and the match quality suffered. The great PLE main events were few and far between, and we can look no further than SummerSlam to see this.
Diesel was able to have great matches, but not when paired with a man like Mabel. There were too many limitations in this match, making it impossible for any entertaining wrestling to occur. It was a punch/kick type of match that had no drama associated with it. It ended with a whimper, and the crowd left Pittsburgh dejected.
