The Ladder Match has been one of the staple gimmicks of WWE ever since it was made famous thirty years ago, and since then there have been several classic bouts featuring some of the greatest talents of all time. The combination of carnage and spectacle truly makes this gimmick one-of-a-kind.
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When looking at the best matches of the bunch, it is certainly subjective. But when discussing those elite matches, the star ratings from Dave Meltzer can be taken into account (and often are). His match ratings are a good indication of which matches rank among the greatest in the gimmick's history.
10 The Hardy Boyz Vs Edge & Christian, No Mercy 1999 (4.5 Stars)
This match was hugely influential as it marked the very first ever tag team Ladder Match in WWE history. It also began the path to these four men becoming legends of the industry, as they weren’t huge stars prior to this, but won the crowd over in a huge way.
The spots in this match were excellent, but they were built to and spread out so that it didn’t become over-the-top or too exhausting. Jeff Hardy in particular stole the show, notably with a huge leg drop in which he jumped over a ladder.
9 Money In The Bank Ladder Match, Money In The Bank 2014 (4.5 Stars)
The six men in this match worked terrifically to produce one of the best Money in the Bank Ladder Matches of all time. Seth Rollins would win this match, defeating Dean Ambrose, Dolph Ziggler, Jack Swagger, Kofi Kingston, and RVD, starting his run as one of the best briefcase holders ever.
The feud between Rollins and Ambrose was the main focus, but everyone else did their job well to help make this a blast overall. The finish saw Rollins win due to interference, which felt quite cheap, but it didn’t ruin a thrill-ride full of a liquid action and brutal moments.
8 NXT Tag Team Title Four-Way, NXT TakeOver: 25 2019 (4.5 Stars)
For a match which had eight men involved, this was structured superbly. The vacant NXT Tag Team Championships were on the line, and this match gave yet another classic contest to the lineage of these belts.
The Street Profits became stars in NXT following this match, as they pulled off a huge upset win despite the favorites being the Undisputed Era. Whilst it took a little while to get going, the audience were electric by the time the match closed.
7 Money In The Bank Ladder Match, WrestleMania 21 (4.5 Stars)
This was the very first Money in the Bank Ladder Match, and whilst there have been several flashier versions since, the inaugural match holds a strong place in the hearts of many for kickstarting the MITB gimmick.
That being said, this was still a whole lot of fun, with Shelton Benjamin stealing the show and showcasing what a tremendous athlete he is.
6 Finn Balor Vs Kevin Owens Vs Rey Mysterio Vs Seth Rollins, WWE Raw 2021 (4.5 Stars)
In a very rare, televised Ladder Match, these four men delivered in one of the best Raw main events of the last few years. In terms of bumps, Kevin Owens stood out as he consistently put his body on the line to create several great moments.
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Whilst there wasn’t too much story to the match, the innovative spots more than made up for it, with it feeling even more special due to it taking place on an episode of Raw. Seth Rollins managed to pull out the victory, but everyone shone during this contest.
5 Chris Jericho Vs Shawn Michaels, No Mercy 2008, (4.5 Stars)
This was a hugely personal feud which developed into a battle for the World Heavyweight Championship, with it hanging in the balance in a highly anticipated match which featured one of the better stories told in a Ladder Match.
It was methodical, violent, and the hatred between the two men was readily apparent. This ended up being the perfect stipulation to finish their feud, and the ending in which the pair played tug-of-war over the title was fantastic.
4 Men’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match, Money In The Bank 2021 (4.75 Stars)
Everything in this match was near-perfect, even with the Money in the Bank concept growing staler as the years go by. The field of Big E, Drew McIntyre, Seth Rollins, Riddle, John Morrison, Kevin Owens, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Ricochet provided a wide range of some of the world’s best athletes, and they delivered.
There were countless innovative spots, mind-blowing bumps, and a lot of psychology too which can be sometimes missing from multi-man ladder matches. Perhaps it was a little too much of a spot-fest to warrant such a high rating, but it was still enjoyable with a popular winner in Big E.
3 Shawn Michaels Vs Razor Ramon, SummerSlam 1995 (4.75 Stars)
Whilst it wasn’t quite as incredible as their WrestleMania match, this is still up there with the best Ladder Matches in history. The character work, particularly from Michaels, was brilliant, and the way they incorporated the ladder into the story of the match was great.
Despite a slight botch during the finish, this was still a brilliantly well-paced match which took its time to utilize strong psychology, and it more than paid off for being structured in that way.
2 North American Title Match, NXT: TakeOver New Orleans 2018 (5 Stars)
This is just one of two Ladder Matches to ever receive the full 5 stars from Dave Meltzer, but it is certainly deserving of it. Six unique individuals battled in this chaotic car crash full of insane stunts and massive bumps.
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Adam Cole managed to outlast Killian Dain, Lars Sullivan, Ricochet, Velveteen Dream, and EC3 in a match which went at 100mph and featured so many highlight reel worthy moments. Ricochet in particular shone in his NXT debut, though everyone else looked great too.
1 Razor Ramon Vs Shawn Michaels, WrestleMania 10 (5 Stars)
This was the match that many date back to as the one which truly started the legacy of the Ladder Match and several other gimmick matches for that matter, and it is easy to see why. Some of the stunts and unique uses of the ladder had never been seen before in wrestling, with this helping to revolutionize the stipulation today.
The pair told a great story and meshed wonderfully, with the crowd thoroughly invested in who would be crowned as the Intercontinental Champion. This was a special bout, and it rightfully received 5 stars.
