The PG Era showed the largest shift in WWE programming since the Attitude Era began. Pressure from sponsors, along with other deeper reasons, forced WWE to move away from violent matches and adult-oriented programs. In its place was a greater focus on making the product more palatable to the entire family.
It was a move that was met with some resistance from the fans, but one that ultimately paid off in WWE’s favour. They didn’t need adult television and constant hardcore matches. All they needed were incredible matches with some of the best professional wrestlers on the planet. These matches rivalled any era in WWE, and as hard as it is to narrow down, below are the eight best PG Era matches.
Shawn Michaels vs The Undertaker (WrestleMania 25)
The Heartbreak Kid and The Man From Death Valley have been synonymous with big event matches for decades. They were known to turn it up when the lights were the brightest, and WrestleMania 25 is where we got to see the culmination of this.
Their WrestleMania 25 match was a masterclass in wrestling. It should serve as the blueprint for achieving a slow burn that builds into greatness. The tension during the match was incredible, and aside from a slight miscue, the match was absolutely perfect. Plus, it contained one of the most insane Tombstone kick-outs in wrestling history.
Shawn Michaels vs The Undertaker (WrestleMania 26)
Yes, these two matches will be on this list, and it’s hard to make an argument against it. What HBK and The Undertaker did at WrestleMania 25 was iconic. There was no way they would top that classic, but then something happened a year later.
This match was just as incredible as its predecessor. It was well wrestled by two of the best to ever do it, but it was its emotion that set it apart. This was HBK’s last chance to break The Undertaker’s streak. It was what had consumed him for months, and we all felt his desperation.
It was a feeling that bled from everything he did, and we were truly “heartbroken” when HBK was finally put down. There are few perfect endings to a match, but this one had one.
John Cena vs Daniel Bryan (SummerSlam 2013)
The winds of change had started to blow through WWE in 2013. A man named Daniel Bryan was receiving such a groundswell of support that the office could no longer ignore him. He was the best choice to battle John Cena for the Undisputed Championship.
Fantastic wrestlers showcased their skills here. There was some great chain wrestling, a fast-paced style that contained numerous false finishes, which had the world believing. It was as captivating as any match could get, and the eruption from the crowd, following Bryan’s unlikely victory, was the icing on the cake.
CM Punk vs Brock Lesnar (SummerSlam 2013)
Paul Heyman’s betrayal of CM Punk was something that couldn’t go unanswered. So much so that CM Punk decided to walk into the lion’s den and do battle with The Beast. It was a David and Goliath story that was a little bit closer than the biblical battle.
The No Disqualification stipulation helps to tip the scales in the favor of CM Punk. He was able to stand toe-to-toe with a larger Brock Lesnar and give us The Beast’s best match since his return.
It was such a compelling match that we really didn’t want it to end. CM Punk made us believe that he was going to topple Brock Lesnar, but his effort was all for not. In the end, Goliath won the battle in a standout match.
The Shield vs The Wyatt Family (Elimination Chamber 2014)
The Wyatt Family and The Shield represented the best up-and-coming stars of the PG Era. They were two dominant factions that cut a path of destruction wherever they went. No one group seemed to be a match for the trios. So, WWE put them together and gave them a blank canvas to paint with and paint they did.
This was a match that truly deserved the “fight forever” chant. It’s not often that a 6-man tag elicits such a response. Those matches are often clunky and slow. The Wyatts and Shield were anything but. They put together one of the best tag team matches in company history, and one that we didn’t want to be over.
Triple H vs The Undertaker (WrestleMania 28)
Triple H and The Undertaker are in a very select group that has had the privilege of facing each other three times at WrestleMania. Their first two match were fantastic in their own right, but it was at WrestleMania 28 when they cemented their trilogy as iconic.
Dubbed the “ End of an Era” match, The Undertaker and Triple H took their issues to the next level, inside Hell in a Cell. It took everything that made their other WrestleMania encounters great and turned up the intensity. This was an evenly matched contest that had two titans of the era going to war. The Undertaker was trying to keep his undefeated streak alive while Triple H was desperate to end it.
This match also had the added caveat of Shawn Michaels as the special referee. It said more drama than ever and also included the most insane false finish that any WrestleMania match had contained.
The Shield vs The Rhodes Brothers (Raw, 2013)
The drama that unfolded between the Rhodes Family and the Authority was a criminally underrated aspect of WWE programming. The Rhodes Family was humiliated by Triple H and company, and their jobs were put on the line in a tag team match that should be on everyone’s watch list.
As far as tag matches go, this one is one of the best. The action was fantastic and contained some great spots. The face in peril story was told perfectly, as The Shield continued to thwart the Rhodes Brothers at every turn.
What made this match great was the drama that surrounded it. Every fan in the arena was rabid for the Rhodes Brothers to win. They showed incredible desperation, with their jobs on the line, and the roar was deafening when Cody Rhodes pinned Seth Rollins. It’s a hidden gem in a very underrated storyline.
CM Punk vs John Cena (Money in the Bank 2011)
CM Punk’s rise to prominence in WWE can be traced back to his infamous “Pipe bomb” promo. He vented his frustrations with WWE, taking issue with most of the wrestlers in the locker room. His primary target is the WWE Champion John Cena.
Punk was bitter over Cena’s role in the company and vowed to leave with the WWE Championship at Money in the Bank. What followed was a history-making match, and one that was the best of either man’s career.
Punk brought out the best in John Cena. Cena could wrestle, yes, but he always stepped up his game when facing CM Punk. This match was fantastically wrestled by both men, and they leaned on the rabid Chicago crowd to amp up the intensity.
As they moved toward the finish, we were in shock that Punk actually won. No one could have predicted that WWE would have allowed its talent to leave with the WWE Championship. It was a 5-star match that ended in a way no one could have predicted.
