Original subtitles

I've never sen anything like this in my life.

From high above.

Oh.

Oh.

The ladder match.

One of WWE's most brutal and death-defying spectacles.

Anything goes.

No pitfalls or submissions.

And there's the prize hanging

in the center of the ring.

In this match, competitors must climb rung

by rung to retrieve their ultimate prize.

Zack's got the title.

Zack wins the championship.

But be careful, because the long way down to the canvas

is more than precarious.

Look at the carnage, it's absolutely stimulating.

Today, we look back at some of the best ladder

matches in WWE history.

This is WWE's Greatest Moments.

Please, for the love of God.

Oh, my God.

If you smell-

Oh, my God.

What the hell are you doing?

Absolutely unbelievable.

Hulkamania is here.

Welcome to WWE's Greatest Moments.

I'm Michael Cole.

And on this edition, we're looking back at the wildest and

most memorable ladder matches in WWE history.

It's real simple.

You get the ladder, you climb it, and you are the man.

The ladder matches origins can be traced

back to Stampede Wrestling in the 1970s.

A promotion founded by the legendary Stu Hart.

It's called a ladder match, yes, sir.

Stu's son, Bret, would compete in several ladder

matches within Stampede Wrestling.

And when he ultimately arrived in WWE,

he would bring the unique match type with him.

In 1992, WWE would have its first-ever ladder match.

Bret Hart would take on "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels

with The Hitman's Intercontinental Championship

suspended high above the canvas.

What a matchup this is going to be.

The only thing that counts is get on that ladder,

climb up to the very top, and get the belt.

For that moment in time,

it was fantastic.

I thought it was monumental, Bret and I going out there

and doing that match.

Shawn Michaels would love nothing

better than to get his hands on the intercontinental title.

Wow, what a last-minute save.

Pretty cool how easy the match

was to sell to the fans.

They understood right away.

It actually turned out to be a pretty good match.

Talk about unusual matches.

We've got them for you right here.

It was the opportunity for us.

Personally, I think the first time everybody might have

looked at me as the guy that could carry the main event.

Oh, look at that.

Michaels, he's down outside the ring.

Now he can get it.

Yes.

It was just the right time,

and the right audience, and the right night and everything.

You know, it was always one of my-my great matches

that I was most proud of.

Everyone certainly will remember this

ladder match for quite some time to come.

Perhaps no superstar has showcased greater

resilience in the face of adversity than the unpredictable

Mick Foley.

Not for a split second

did I think about calling it quits.

In 1999, Foley, as his fiendish alter-ego

Mankind, was the WWE Champion, and embroiled in one of the most

heated rivalries in WWE history, with "The Great One" The Rock.

Mankind, The Rock plans on making

your death wish come true.

Mankind and The Rock could come to blows one

more time in a hard-hitting ladder match on Raw.

Mankind, Rock, WWE title.

Ladder match, climb the ladder,

take the championship belt down, you win the title.

You didn't get a chance to see

a ladder match on Raw all that often.

It was a really unique situation that had everybody watching

at the edge of their seat.

This one won't be pretty.

Both of these men have dished out a tremendous amount of

punishment against each other in recent weeks.

Rock, suplex on the steel ramp.

I was pretty banged up,

but we still had a good match.

Like, we couldn't help it, we had the chemistry there.

Oh, my God.

Oh, no.

Man, oh man, look out.

Mick was always wanting to do something that was

going to be great for the match, great for you,

and great for him.

His whole run with Rock was so entertaining.

Mankind delivers Mr. Elbow.

The rivalry that I had with Mick Foley,

uh, was very special.

That was one of the most incredible nights

I have ever had.

Mankind is tied up in the ropes.

And The Rock climbing the ladder.

The Rock has the championship belt.

It was a really physical match.

I'd be hurting for quite a while after that.

Mick Foley would do anything for the audience.

He had everybody's respect.

That may be as good

as I've ever seen right there.

There is no daredevil in WWE history quite

like "The Charismatic Enigma" Jeff Hardy.

Oh, God.

Over the course of his career, the audacious

superstar established himself as the master of the ladder match.

Perilous and jaw-dropping stunts aplenty.

Swanton Bomb.

Goodnight.

But while Hardy impressed with his courageous

offense, there was always an opportunist ready to strike.

"The Rated-R Superstar" Edge proved he was no slouch

when it came to ladder matches.

Oftentimes doing anything it takes to reach glory.

Jeff Hardy is not World Heavyweight

Championship material.

At Extreme Rules 2009, these two would collide

for Edge's World Heavyweight Championship.

Two greatest ladder match competitors

are about to square off for the first time ever one-on-one

in this environment.

We knew it was going to be violent,

but it was going to be something people didn't forget.

These ladders are just not going to give.

Jeff Hardy willing to crash and burn,

willing to climb higher, fall further than any opponent.

The world loves an underdog story.

When I think about that match,

I always think about

us falling off the ladder, breaking another ladder.

Oh, God, no.

The ladder.

Oh, my God.

Bodies and ladders are broken.

Oh, look at this.

Edge pulled between the rungs of the ladder.

When Edge was trapped in the ladder, it was--

it was kind of genius.

Hardy's climbing.

Edge is hung up.

He can't move.

Hardy's climbing.

Jeff Hardy.

Winning the world title as a singles competitor.

Part of me wants to say that's my favorite moment of all time.

The Hardy party has started.

Two must-see athletes of the early 2000s were

undoubtedly Rob Van Dam and Eddie Guerrero.

RVD and Latino Heat took WWE by storm.

I am gonna show you, ese,

who is the better wrestler.

Their greatest asset may have been their

show-stopping, big-match performances.

No contest proves this sentiment greater than Van Dam and

Guerrero's battle on a 2002 episode of Raw

for the Intercontinental Championship.

A ladder match is extremely dangerous.

For the Intercontinental Championship, it's worth it.

The intercontinental title hanging above the ring.

The ladder will come into play, obviously.

What made the match so special was

the chemistry that-that we have.

We're like-minded in the right ways.

Oh.

Oh, God Almighty.

Have you ever seen a move like that, JR?

Oh, my God.

Oh.

In a- In a match like that, you need to be using

that weapon, that prop to the best of your ability,

and that's exactly what they did.

And now Van Dam.

Look at this.

Suplex into the ladder.

Eddie did a senton over the ladder.

Oh.

Oh.

Oh, my God.

Did you see that?

That-That was punishment.

And it moved one of my ribs.

And no matter how many, uh, chiropractors and doctors I went

to see, we were never able to move it back in.

He's teetering.

Can he do it?

Van Dam trying to get the title, and he's done it.

Van Dam has done it.

It felt amazing winning

the intercontinental title.

Everybody still remembers that match.

You know, the fans still talk to me about it.

That stays, and that's something that

is a different kind of honor.

And Van Dam is the new Intercontinental Champion.

In 2008, "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels

was at the end of his illustrious career but looked to

win championship gold one final time.

In his way was the arrogant World Heavyweight Champion,

Chris Jericho.

Shawn Michaels told me about a month ago

that I would never be him, and he was right.

I'm better, and I'm also the new World Heavyweight Champion.

Throughout the year, HBK and Y2J had been

engaged in a rivalry defined by viciousness and brutality.

Oh, my God.

Oh, my God.

At No Mercy,

it is gonna be "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels

versus Chris Jericho

for the World Heavyweight Championship in a ladder match.

Months and months of these two men

embroiled in a personal rivalry has come down to this for the

World Heavyweight Championship.

Jericho in a ladder match.

That is a match that people have wanted to see.

These ladder matches can be so brutal.

Look, the disfiguring has already begun.

I think some of the best work

in both of our careers.

People got into it so much-

I mean, God, it was real.

Don't ever count out--

Oh.

Oh.

Jericho pinning Shawn Michaels under that ladder.

Sometimes ladder matches are fun.

People jumping all over the place.

This was brutal.

These are two guys who don't like each other.

Jericho realizing he's in trouble.

Oh.

Look at the strength.

Oh, my God.

Chris Jericho.

Oh, my God.

The psychology, the storytelling,

getting somebody like Chris to be able to do that

with made our matches fantastic.

Jericho on one leg climbing the ladder.

And Shawn Michaels on the defensive.

It's a race to the top.

They're both up there atop of the ladder,

both grabbing at the title at the same time.

Teeter-totter, teeter-totter.

The championship's been unhooked.

It's a tug of war.

Hangs in the balance.

All the marbles.

What a dramatic moment.

A headbutt.

And Jericho-

A headbutt by Jericho.

retains the championship.

My gosh, what a war.

In the summer of 1998,

Triple H, backed by D-Generation X,

and "The People's Champ" The Rock,

with the Nation of Domination in tow, were in a heated rivalry

over the Intercontinental Championship.

The Rock is the best damn Intercontinental Champ

there ever was.

Rock, you wanna bring ladders into the ring?

Let's bring the ladder to Madison Square Garden

and let's see who the real man is, Rock.

The Rock, the Intercontinental Champion,

and Triple H compete in a ladder match.

The intercontinental title was a title that was very,

very important to the both of us, to me and Hunter.

Both of us wanted that belt, both of us wanted that spot.

Two of the great young athletes are gonna

strut their stuff here.

There was no competition in pro wrestling

that rivaled The Rock and Triple H at that time.

I don't think I've ever seen

any more intense competition.

They were literally fighting to see who

was gonna be the guy in this company.

We wanted to be the best at all times,

and I think that just pushed us to being better.

Triple H, can he find it?

Yes.

He did it.

He did it.

Triple H did it.

It was our big moment.

That certainly was one of the most outstanding

ladder matches.

Putting that match on at an event as big as

SummerSlam, it projected both of us into that main event tier.

The Undertaker is without question one of the

greatest superstars in WWE history.

The Undertaker is the WWE Undisputed Champion.

And while the American Badass found

unparalleled success in most match types,

he had never competed in a ladder match.

But during his Undisputed WWE Championship reign in 2002, The

Undertaker would tread into uncharted territory.

That little punk, Jeff Hardy, when I leave that

ring tonight, he won't be able to stand up.

On Monday Night Raw, he would defend his title

against one of the greatest ladder match performers

in WWE history, Jeff Hardy.

The younger talent was very intimidated working

with me because they were watching me

when they were kids.

Jeff Hardy giving up size and strength and power.

It was such a beautiful story of the underdog

versus the legend.

Man, I beat him like he owed me money.

Whoa.

Oh, no, no.

You're breaking this kid in half.

Like, he took an ass kicking during that match.

This is getting sick.

The biggest story of that match is to never give

up because I kept getting up.

Look out.

No.

Oh, Jeff Hardy.

He's giving The Undertaker everything he's got.

Jeff Hardy fighting back.

Climb the ladder, kid.

Make yourself famous.

One more step.

Jeff-- oh, my God.

Oh, God, no.

No, no, no, no.

Not Chokeslam.

Oh.

Off the top of the ladder.

And The Undertaker has won one hell of a fight.

One of my favorite things about that match

is me saying at the end--

I'm still standing.

Kind of just get chills thinking about it and so proud of that

match for Undertaker that he gave me that opportunity.

He earned a mount of respect

from The Undertaker.

In 2024, Undisputed WWE Champion,

Cody Rhodes, was in the midst of the greatest run

of his professional wrestling career.

But Rhodes' dream year would become a nightmare when

he was brutally attacked and temporarily sidelined

by the dangerous and uncontrollable Kevin Owens.

Oh.

Kevin, no.

KO aimed to take everything from Rhodes,

including the title he held so proudly.

And Owens did just that, stealing the championship from

Cody Rhodes, who in retro form was defending

the famed Winged Eagle title.

What the hell is wrong with you?

I am the true WWE Champion.

Kevin Owens, ladder match.

The American Nightmare challenged KO

to a ladder match at the 2025 Royal Rumble,

with both titles suspended high above the ring.

Indianapolis wants to see these two beat

the hell out of each other.

The Winged Eagle title is a big deal

to fans and to wrestlers.

So, me walking around with that title, Cody walking around

with his version of the title just led to a perfect storm

for the ladder match.

They promised to punish one another here tonight.

Just having ladders as part of it too is

obviously going to add another level of intensity and risk and

more ways for us to hurt each other.

I had seen ladder matches before,

but never to the extent like those two used it.

He's taking a beating tonight.

There's gonna be those matches that require you

to do something that scares you to death.

Bone versus steel,

there's only ever one winner.

Nothing more real than that.

Alabama Slam.

Exploding throughmthe ladder.

Kevin Owens turned inside out.

Cody Rhodes is near the top.

I reveled in that moment.

One title, Rhodes takes down another.

Cody Rhodes wins.

An unbelievable battle,

an incredible win for the American Nightmare.

In the late 1990s,

the WWE tag team division was on fire.

But no two teams broke out stronger than the death-defying

Hardy Boyz and the cerebral Edge and Christian.

These tandems would naturally lock horns, eager to establish

themselves as the top team on the totem pole.

Oh, my God.

Oh.

And at No Mercy 1999, the Hardys and Edge

and Christian would look to settle their score

in the first-ever tag team ladder match.

The first team to climb the ladders and get the

bag hanging from the top is the winner of the $100,000.

Whenever people ask us,

who is your favorite opponents in the ring as a tag team,

it's always Edge and Christian.

Oh.

My God, a dropkick.

This is gonna get interesting, because if they

think that's something,

we've got a lot more in store.

I've got a feeling we're gonna see

it all in this match, JR.

These guys are gonna do everything

in their power to get that money.

That was the moment that we became the ladder

competitors in wrestling matches.

Look out.

Look at this.

Oh.

What the heck?

Jeff Hardy, the ladder teetering.

He can't get--

He got it.

God Almighty.

The Hardys have won the match.

Christian and Edge have nothing to be ashamed of.

What a magnificent effort by those two.

We'd never received a standing ovation before.

Oh, it blew me away.

It was a defining point for all four of us,

because we all went from WWE wrestlers to WWE Superstars.

What an amazing display.

We've now reached our number one moment,

and buckle your seat belts because it's about to get bumpy.

By the mid 1990s, a new generation of WWE Superstars

that had merged in the direction of sports entertainment was

heading towards showcasing technical skill in the ring.

Two massive contributors of this new generation were

"The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels

and "The Bad Guy" Razor Ramon.

Say hello to Razor Ramon.

In late 1993, HBK was stripped of the

Intercontinental Championship, and Ramon would win

the vacant title.

Yet, the combative Michaels refused to acknowledge

the Bad Guy as the true champion.

The World Wrestling--

Intercontinental Champion is back in town.

Challenged him to a ladder match at the

historic WrestleMania X.

All titles would be suspended high above Madison Square Garden

and only one superstar would walk away

as the rightful Intercontinental Champion.

For first time ever at a WrestleMania,

a ladder match.

We were confident that even if things went wrong,

we'd still tear t he house down.

Scott was a very talented wrestler,

and Shawn could have a great match with a broomstick.

Shawn's not using the ladder

to get the belt.

He's using it to destroy Razor Ramon.

It may be the best ladder match.

Shawn Michaels from high above.

Oh.

Oh.

You don't know that that's going

to be a picture that--

that's going to be showing forever.

It took my showbiz to another level when

you get to walk out, you know, you're crawling up the ladder

and, you know, it's just--

to do it with a guy who's a dear friend.

Yes, yes, yes, yeah.

We were young and having no idea

that it was going to be some monumental thing

from that point forward.

I mean, it was one of the best matches.

They set the bar for what a ladder match would become.

That may have been the greatest thing

I've ever seen.

Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon defined

what the ladder match could be on that night,

laying the foundation to one of WWE's most iconic matches.

To this day, the ladder match is one of the most exciting and

innovative matches audiences can witness.

Well, that'll do it for this edition

of WWE's Greatest Moments.

We hope you enjoyed this look back at some of the best ladder

matches in WWE history.