SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
Crown Jewel has become the event where we expect to see champion-versus-champion matches, which have always been a rarity in professional wrestling. Over the last four years, Crown Jewel has been the destination for these matchups. Before that, Survivor Series was the event where we saw champions collide during the brand supremacy era. In the years and decades before these concepts became annual traditions, a champion facing another champion was a special occasion or attraction.
There are pros and cons to champions facing off against each other. The biggest advantage is that it pits two wrestlers with established credibility against each other, both carrying the distinction of being current champions. The downside is how the match plays out. Often, one champion looks superior, which inevitably makes the other look inferior. In this week’s article, I’ll look at three champion-versus-champion matches where both wrestlers came out looking better.
Then: Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart (WWF Survivor Series: Nov. 25, 1992)
Prior to the Invasion angle in 2001, champion-versus-champion matches were very rare. In fact, the two most notable examples were Hulk Hogan vs. The Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania VI and the often-overlooked gem of Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart at Survivor Series 1992. In the fall of 1992, the WWF was on the verge of entering a new generation, with Bret Hart as the newly crowned WWF Champion and Shawn Michaels as the newly crowned Intercontinental Champion. The two champions faced off in the main event of Survivor Series that year.
While certainly not as famous as their Iron Man match at WrestleMania XII or as infamous as their match in Montreal at Survivor Series 1997, this contest is a great showcase of two of the best performers in professional wrestling at the time.
In the early stages of the match, Bret uses his intelligence and technical ability to keep Michaels at bay. Michaels continuously tries to use shortcuts, but Bret is able to outwrestle and outsmart him. The tide finally turns when Shawn executes a hot shot, sending Bret throat-first into the ropes.
From there, the match slows down significantly, with Shawn repeatedly working a front facelock. Just as the action threatens to become too slow, the two continuously execute quick hope spots to keep Bret alive and the audience invested. When Bret resumes the offense, the audience is ready for the comeback and cheers each of his trademark moves.
Similar to the wrestling style we see today, the wrestlers trade big moves back and forth toward the finish. In a preview of one of the most important sequences from their Iron Man match, Shawn makes a mistake by jumping off the top rope, only to be caught by Bret, who applies the Sharpshooter. Unlike at WrestleMania XII, where Shawn holds on until the 60 minutes have elapsed, he taps quickly here, securing the victory for Bret Hart.
This match is a phenomenal example of classic professional wrestling psychology, with an easily identifiable shine, cut-off, hope spots, memorable sequences, and effective false finishes. Moreover, Shawn and Bret demonstrate how to combine technical wrestling with well-executed spots while leaving very few holes in their performances. They consistently make the match feel like a genuine contest rather than a performance.
I applaud the finish as well. Bret beats Shawn, proving that he was the better wrestler that night. However, Shawn remains so competitive throughout the match that, while Bret was better on this occasion, there is still a question left unanswered: Who was the better wrestler overall?
Now: Drew McIntyre vs. Roman Reigns (WWE Survivor Series: Nov. 22, 2026)
Drew McIntyre vs. Roman Reigns at Survivor Series 2020 took place at the height of the ThunderDome era, when WWE had finally figured out how to present exciting events without a live crowd. The match also occurred at an interesting point in both men’s careers.
Drew was the top babyface on Raw, finding success by defeating top-level heel challengers following his return at SummerSlam. Roman Reigns had recently established his Tribal Chief character and was the leading heel on SmackDown, just beginning his reign of dominance.
A champion-versus-champion match, particularly during the era of brand exclusivity, is supposed to pit the two best wrestlers in the company against each other. As we’ve seen, that isn’t always the case. In 2020, however, Drew McIntyre was unquestionably the top star on Raw, and Roman Reigns was the top star on SmackDown. This match showcased two of WWE’s biggest stars in a contest to determine who was truly the superior champion.
Optics aren’t everything in professional wrestling, but they matter. Drew McIntyre and Roman Reigns standing face-to-face with their championship belts in hand, staring daggers at each other, looks like main-event professional wrestling. Both men have the size, physique, and presentation of main-event superstars. At the time, both were in their physical primes, and they had also begun to master the nuances of their characters and the presentation required for a main-event title match.
As the babyface, Drew takes the lead early, but Roman fights back with strikes and a fistfight, showing that neither man is willing to back down from the challenge. As he often does in his main-event matches, Roman secures an advantage and exploits it with methodical heat.
This is where Roman is at his best. His strikes are perfectly timed and look impactful and vicious, while the downtime allows the camera to capture his facial expressions and arrogance. Drew McIntyre also demonstrates what made him such an effective babyface at the time. He’s a big guy, but he sells like a babyface, displaying both pain and determination. His facial expressions consistently communicate the grit required to keep fighting.
The pace picks up with a traditional babyface comeback. Drew fires out of the corner with a series of clotheslines, an overhead belly-to-belly suplex, and a jumping neckbreaker before getting back to his feet. This builds the momentum and intensity of the match while signaling that we’re entering another stage of the contest.
During this stretch, we get the Roman Reigns special: a great sequence built around his trademark moves, ending with an emphatic near fall. The action is allowed to breathe after each of these perfectly executed sequences, making the next one feel even more impactful.
The match spills to the outside, where Roman delivers two Samoan drops through the announce table before hitting a massive spear through the barricade. He throws Drew back into the ring and goes for the pinfall, but Drew demonstrates his toughness by kicking out.
Drew attempts to fight back, but Roman catches him with another impactful spear. Drew kicks out once again, displaying tremendous babyface resilience and proving that he’s on Roman’s level.
In a desperate counter, Drew catches an overeager Roman with the Claymore, but the impact sends Roman into the referee, preventing Drew from securing the victory. At this point, we get the familiar Bloodline interference, with Jey Uso allowing Roman to hit a low blow. Jey then delivers a superkick before Roman applies the guillotine, forcing Drew to pass out and giving Roman the victory.
This was a great main-event-level WWE match. While Roman went over, the interference in the closing moments left fans questioning who was truly the better wrestler at that point. Roman retained his championship, but Drew never looked inferior. Both men came out of the match looking like legitimate main-event stars.
Forever: AJ Styles vs. Brock Lesnar (WWE Survivor Series: Nov. 19, 2017)
A lot of negative commentary surrounded the brand supremacy concept behind Survivor Series in the mid-2010s. I can understand why. The feud often felt artificial, with wrestlers fighting for pride in an idea that was manufactured rather than organic. That said, these events produced some extremely fun matchups and great matches.
One of the best was SmackDown Champion AJ Styles vs. Raw Champion Brock Lesnar at Survivor Series 2017. While we never got a proper feud between AJ and Brock, we got one hell of a match.
The first five minutes of the contest are completely one-sided, with Brock dominating and brutalizing AJ Styles. While this may seem typical of a Brock Lesnar match, AJ’s smaller stature and incredible selling make it far more interesting. In addition, his performance builds significant sympathy for AJ and highlights his courage in continuing to fight despite the overwhelming odds.
When Brock misses a running knee in the corner, AJ takes advantage of the opportunity and uses the time-tested strategy of cutting down the limbs of the massive oak tree. This allows him to establish believable offense against Brock. From there, AJ showcases his athleticism, only to be brought down repeatedly, with each exchange escalating the audience’s investment in the contest.
An important aspect of professional wrestling is sticking the landing and ending a match in climactic fashion. In this case, the final three sequences do exactly that.
First, AJ traps Brock in the Calf Crusher. Brock puts over the move with a phenomenal sell. The counter is simple, brutal, and incredibly effective: Brock secures AJ’s head and slams it against the mat like a basketball.
AJ still fights back, however, and hits a tremendous Phenomenal Forearm for a believable near fall. The sequence gets the audience on the edge of its seat, expecting and hoping for the upset.
In the final sequence, AJ attempts the Phenomenal Forearm again, but Brock showcases his incredible power by catching him perfectly on his shoulders and delivering an emphatic F-5 for the victory.
One risk of booking a champion-versus-champion match is that one champion may come out looking weaker after losing. In this instance, however, the action was so good, the drama was so high, and AJ’s performance was so admirable that Brock’s victory didn’t diminish him. Even in defeat, AJ managed to get over with the audience, creating one of the most memorable champion-versus-champion matches of all time.
