On April 26, 1999, WWE had a pilot episode of SmackDown, and four months later it became a weekly episodic show to go alongside Monday Night Raw. SmackDown has been a fantastic show, and in some years, the blue brand has been stronger than Raw. In other years, SmackDown has been underwhelming as it was seen as a filler show with recaps of Raw.
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The likes of The Undertaker, Edge, Eddie Guerrero, Kurt Angle, and Rey Mysterio have been viewed as SmackDown legends, and they have competed in some legendary matches on SmackDown. Wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer has followed SmackDown since the beginning, and he has picked out the best matches to take place on the blue brand. Not every match that Meltzer has rated at 4.25 stars will be included, but the notable ones will be mentioned.
10 Seth Rollins Vs. Edge - 9/10/21 (4.25 Stars)
Seth Rollins and Edge had a remarkable match at SummerSlam 2021, and they had a rematch on the September 10, 2021 edition of SmackDown inside the hallowed halls of Madison Square Garden. There is no surprise that the Visionary and the WWE Hall of Famer knocked it out of the park in a high-caliber wrestling match.
They almost wrestled for 25 minutes which is not the norm for a television show. Furthermore, Edge threw the kitchen sink at Rollins, but the Visionary leveled the scores in their rivalry by obtaining a monumental win over the Rated-R Superstar.
9 Kurt Angle Vs. The Undertaker - 9/4/03 (4.25 Stars)
Kurt Angle defended the WWE Championship against The Undertaker in the fall of 2003, and two of the all-time greats produced one of the best WWE Championship matches in the history of SmackDown. Both men enjoyed spells of dominance in this bout and they were no strangers to each other.
Undertaker cinched in the Triangle Choke and he attempted to incapacitate the reigning WWE Champion but Angle found a way to get himself out of trouble. However, Brock Lesnar brought this match to a halt as he attacked both competitors and the WWE Universe was far from happy as they booed the decision.
8 Sasha Banks Vs. Bayley - 11/6/20 (4.25 Stars)
Former two-time WWE Women's Tag Team Champions Sasha Banks and Bayley were no longer on the same page. Bayley's record-breaking 380-day reign as SmackDown Women's Champion was ended by the Boss at Hell in a Cell 2020 and Bayley was determined to win the SmackDown Women's Championship again.
Unfortunately, no crowd was in attendance during the COVID-19 pandemic as they would have received a standing ovation for their efforts. Bayley had her chances to regain the gold, but she was unable to do that as Banks forced her to submit to the Bank Statement.
7 Kurt Angle Vs. Brock Lesnar - 9/18/03 (4.25 Stars)
The September 18, 2003 taping was all about, Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar's hotly anticipated Iron Man match for the WWE Championship. Their title clash was arguably the best match in their series of matches. Angle and Lesnar generally have good matches together which has made their feud captivating to watch.
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Fans were heavily invested in their match, and what kept fans intrigued during the match was several tight acores. The scores were evenly poised at 4-4, but Lesnar managed to pick up the victory in the dying embers by going 5-4 up and he became a three-time WWE Champion in the process.
6 Roman Reigns Vs. Matt Riddle - 6/17/22 (4.5 Stars)
Roman Reigns became the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion at WrestleMania 38 when he defeated Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship to go alongside his Universal Championship. The Tribal Chief defended both titles on the June 17, 2022, edition of SmackDown against Matt Riddle for the first time. If the Original Bro failed to beat Reigns for the gold, he could not challenge for the title again as long as Reigns was champion.
This was a back-and-forth title bout with Riddle throwing the kitchen sink at Reigns. Riddle countered Reigns' Spear with an RKO. The WWE Universe was firmly in Riddle's corner but despite his courageous effort, Reigns remained the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion with a Spear in mid-air.
5 Roman Reigns Vs. Daniel Bryan - 4/30/21 (4.5 Stars)
The stakes were high in the Universal Championship match between Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan on the April 30, 2021, episode of SmackDown. If Bryan lost the match he had to leave WWE, and before the match began, Reigns' "Head of the Table" theme song was debuted.
They knocked it out of the park in a magnificent wrestling match, and the storytelling was at its finest. Bryan gave it everything as he always does, but he could not squeak out a victory with Reigns retaining the Universal Championship with a Spear.
4 Edge Vs. Eddie Guerrero - 9/26/02 (4.5 Stars)
On the September 26, 2002 taping of SmackDown, Edge and Eddie Guerrero collided in a No Disqualification match. These two were part of the SmackDown Six, and their chemistry together was magical as Edge and Eddie had some epic battles.
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This was a brilliant match, and Edge experienced problems with his neck in this match as he took a brutal bump off a ladder. Latino Heat had his chances to get another win over Edge, but Edge weathered the storm and he was victorious.
3 Gunther Vs. Ricochet - 12/16/22 (4.75 Stars)
Gunther beat Ricochet for the Intercontinental Championship in June 2022, and six months later, they battled once again over the Intercontinental Championship as Ricochet won the SmackDown World Cup. The Ring General and Ricochet were both in a rich vein of form and despite Gunther having the size and strength advantage, Ricochet looked impressive.
This was one of the best Intercontinental Championship matches in the history of SmackDown with both men at the top of their games. Ricochet gave it his all, but Gunther continued to have a stranglehold on the Intercontinental Championship.
2 AJ Styles Vs. Daniel Bryan - 6/12/20 (4.75 Stars)
AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan were unfortunate that their battle for the vacant Intercontinental Championship took place without a crowd because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Styles and Bryan have had several instant classics in the past, and this was arguably the best match in their series of bouts.
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Their match lasted over 30 minutes and it was a war of attrition. Bryan was a former Intercontinental Champion in his own right and he was close to winning it again but Styles got over the line with a Phenomenal Forearm to get his hands on the prestigious Intercontinental Championship for the first time.
1 Fatal-4-Way TLC Match For The WWE World Tag Team Championship TLC Match - 5/24/01 (4.75 Stars)
The only TLC match to occur on SmackDown was off the charts and it was a fatal-4-way TLC match for the WWE World Tag Team Championship. Chris Jericho and his partner defended the titles with TLC match specialists, Edge and Christian, the Hardy Boyz, and the Dudley Boyz looking to recapture the WWE World Tag Team Championship.
The action was breathtaking, and Edge speared Jericho off the ladder which was one of the best spots of the match. Christian was put through a table by the Dudleys who connected with the 3D. All four teams had a great outing but Jericho and his partner ran out as winners in a successful title defense.
