If you had to choose 3 matches....
 

I saw this question on the Facebook and thought it would be interesting to see how everyone on here would answer. Lets say you have a complete "wrestling virgin" (they had never seen professional wrestling before) and they asked you to show them "what is so great about wrestling". You have access to every match throughout history, which 3 matches would you show that person to "win them over"?

The first one I'd show would be the most 80s Hogan vs Monster match I could find. Hulk Hogan vs Bundy or Earthquake or Andre. Basically, gigantic men, crowd going insane for Hogan, no sell, punch, big boot, leg drop and the all American good guy triumphs over the big, mean, ugly bad guy.

Second would be almost the complete opposite, a match from mid 90s (before he was unmasked) between Rey Mysterio vs either Benoit or Malenko. Where the Hogan match was the "spectacle", this is high work rate aspect of pro wrestling. Rey in his prime flying around the ring against the crisp, sharp technique of Benoit or Malenko.

Third match would just be a "personal favorite" from the Modern Era, and it would be Brock vs either AJ or Bryan from the past two Survivor Series. The cocky, MMA fighter vs the undersized opponent. Honestly..... if they can't enjoy Brock bouncing AJ's head off the mat like a basketball or Bryan just repeatedly Soccer kicking Brock's face, I don't think anything can win them over

Randy Savage Vs. Ted Dibiase WM4 Tournament Finals
Macho Man Vs. The Ultimate Warrior CAREER ENDING MATCH
Sasha Banks Vs. Bayley TakeOver Brooklyn.

lol what the hell is this list.

Al Snow vs Bossman Kennel in a Cell has to be on the list. If you can watch that and not be immediately turned off to further wrestling you're the kind of person who would keep watching through anything

Austin and HHH vs Benoit and Jericho - Monday Night Raw

Benoit vs Kurt Angle - Royal Rumble

Gargano vs Ciampa - NXT Takeover any of them really.

Finn vs Lashey, the 7th time
Finn vs Lashley and Lio, the 2nd time
Finn vs Lashley, the 12th time

Austin vs. Dude Love with Vince as the Ref, Over the Edge

Eddie vs. Rey, Halloween Havoc 97

Joe vs. Kobashi

Hogan vs Rock WM18
Taker vs Mankind HIAC
HBK vs Austin WM14

Finlay vs Tajiri for the Smash Title 2.19.12
Bret Hart vs. Mr. Perfect Summerslam 91
The Rock vs Hogan Wrestlemania X8

Why the third one?

The whole spectacle with HBK/Austin/Tyson, plus the crowd. I ain't about to show some noob a 3 minute workrate match

A royal rumble match. Probably the first one Batista won.

Kurt and Brock XIX

Undertaker/Mankind where Mankind almost dies.

I mean the Tyson involvement was huge but it was largely an A to B match and Michaels grinding through being in horrific pain. It was effective and helped transition into the next boom period but the match itself was largely forgettable.

I'd be more inclined to show Austin versus Bret, especially as a nice contrast to Hogan versus Rock.

Austin v Bret is a good choice.

I guess I'd have to say...

1. Royal Rumble 1992. I was but a wee boy when my aunt rented this VHS to show me The Undertaker. I still remember Ric Flair's performance so I'd have to have this on there.

2. Hell in a Cell 1998. I won't ever forget seeing this, one of the craziest things to happen ever.

3. Okada/Omega Dominion. It's the evolution and the elevation of the business, I can't even imagine not having Omega on this list tbh.

Hogan vs Andre WM 3
Brock vs Cena Extreme Rules 2012
HBK vs Taker WM 25

Macho Man vs. Steamboat at Mania 3
Rock vs. Hogan at Mania 18
Omega vs. Okada IV at NJPW Dominion 2018

For something more comedy or segment based, would show the Austin-Booker T grocery store brawl from a 2001 Smackdown episode.

Ain't no rookie wrestling watcher gonna wanna sit through an hour and a half of Okada-Omega

Cactus Jack-Triple H Royal Rumble 2000
Shawn Michaels-Razor Ramon WrestleMania X
Bret Hart-The British Bulldog In Your House 5: Season's Beatings

Nice picks. I love that Bulldog/Bret blood bath.

If I’m showing someone wrestling today for the very first time, there’s no way they’d sit through the pacing of wrestling in the 80s. So sorry Flair, Steamboat, Savage. You’re out.

1) Hogan vs Rock - Wrestlemania X8. The absolute pinnacle when it comes to showing the pageantry of wrestling.
2) HBK vs Undertaker - Wrestlemania 25. Similar pageantry but also incredible in match storytelling
3) Dudleys vs Hardys vs E&C - TLC - Wrestlemania X7. As the best example of the holy shit portion of wrestling.

Bret vs Bulldog at Wembley

You might as well just set up a corkboard and throw a dart at three random Cena vs Orton matches in the history of ever.

Triple H vs Shawn Michaels - SummerSlam 2002
Triple H vs Undertaker - WrestleMania XXVIII
Triple H vs Daniel Bryan - WrestleMania XXX

Hell in a Cell 1998
Angle vs. Benoit from RR '03

I'm then torn between Austin vs. Bret from Mania 13, the 1992 Royal Rumble and Brock/Cena.

Hogan vs Rock is considerably slower-paced than Steamboat/Savage/Flair matches. And all those 3 matches have great crowd involvement. Particularly Savage Steamboat that's in front of 8,000,000 people (according to the WWE) at the Silverdome.

Granted, the goosebump factor of Hogan/Rock far exceeds the other matches, but you're the one who discussed pacing you motherfucker.

Yeah you’re probably right. Still a great list though. I did good.

I did a better job cutting a promo on your list.

That extreme rules match was amazing.

Problem with those Cena/Orton matches is
1. No Finn
2. No Lashley

I would go with
Hollywood Hogan vs Goldberg. The crowd was hot. Two big men in a slow moving match
Bret Hart vs Mr Perfect from Summerslam. Great show of technical wrestling
Undertaker vs Mankind - Hell in a cell....- total shock value and you can explain to the wrestling virgin...'this is real, how can it be fake!

I'd show Brock vs. Cena to people if they cared who Brock and Cena were, either from knowing them from UFC or Hollywood. If they didn't really care about UFC or Cena being a movie star, I might sub it out for another one. But it's a good shout, even if the ending is weird with whatever Cena was doing there, haha.