# What are the best matches and bouts in the different sports? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [May 24, 2015, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-matches-and-bouts-in-the-different-sports/720754 "2015-05-24T23:03:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![journeyman\_southpaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5e9695/32.png) [@journeyman\_southpaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/journeyman_southpaw)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-matches-and-bouts-in-the-different-sports/720754/41 "2015-05-27T17:28:47Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > **journeyman\_southpaw** , I’m surprised at the lack of love for The Ladder Match: [Razor Ramon v. Shawn Michaels.](http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xnye0z_shawn-michaels-vs-razor-ramon-ladder-match_sport) Weirdly, I think this was also in '93. One that 99% of wrestling fans have probably forgotten: [Benoit/Malenko v. NWO](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4Pr9KKcWFk) in WCW in a cage in 1999. This is the only time I can remember jumping out of my chair and yelling during a pro wrestling match. Yeah, I could have kept going and going but I thought it was already pushing it to name four-five when most posters were naming just one. Michaels’ Hell in a Cell match vs. the Undertaker at Bad Blood '97 [also got five stars](http://starratingslist.blogspot.ca/2009/09/wrestling-observer-5-star-ratings-list.html) from Meltzer and some fans rank that one higher on their personal lists, so you couldn’t go wrong picking either of those. ---
**Author:** ![Doyle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doyle/32/439_2.png) [@Doyle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doyle)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-matches-and-bouts-in-the-different-sports/720754/42 "2015-05-27T19:06:23Z")
[Dwight Muhammad Qawi VS Jerry Martin](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HystVpW5Po) ---
**Author:** ![Stormcrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/0ea827/32.png) [@Stormcrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stormcrow)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-matches-and-bouts-in-the-different-sports/720754/43 "2015-05-27T19:21:07Z")
> [@cmkeller](#): > > Maybe this is just my personal fandom speaking, but I think I that’s it’s without bias that I name the 2014 AL Wild Card Game as a credible candidate for the most exciting baseball game ever played. Down 7-3 going into the bottom of the 8th inning, the Kansas City Royals, playing their first post-season game in 29 years, strung together singles and stolen bases, pinch-hitters and pinch-runners to tie the score at 7 by the time the 9th inning ended. After scoreless 10th and 11th, the Oakland A’s took an 8-7 lead in the top of the 12th. But in the bottom of the inning, the Royals tied the game on an improbable Baltimore chop, and then won it on a single just under the glove of the A’s diving third baseman. > > As a Royals fan, I was, just a week earlier, hoping the Royals would win the division and not have to play the Wild-Card Game to make it to the next round of playoffs. In hindsight, I’d hate to have been robbed of the experience of that game. I was going to come in here to mention this game specifically. It’s probably the most amazing baseball game I’ve ever seen. ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-matches-and-bouts-in-the-different-sports/720754/44 "2015-05-27T19:40:45Z")
Another baseball one: 2011 World Series game 6. Down 3-2 in the series, the Cardinals needed to win to force game 7. They were down 2 in the ninth, down to their last strike, when David Freese tied the game with a two-run triple. The Rangers scored two in the 10th; in the bottom of the 10th the Cardinals were once again down to their last strike when they tied it again. They won it in the 11th and went on to win game 7. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-matches-and-bouts-in-the-different-sports/720754/45 "2015-05-27T20:49:10Z")
1980 Miracle on Ice Caused my cat to go into labor. ---
**Author:** ![Shearer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/57b2e6/32.png) [@Shearer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shearer)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2015, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-matches-and-bouts-in-the-different-sports/720754/46 "2015-05-28T01:36:20Z")
Football: Brazil v Italy 1982 Rugby U: New Zealand v France 1999 Cricket: Ashes 2005 Golf: Ryder Cup 2012 ---
**Author:** ![Shearer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/57b2e6/32.png) [@Shearer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shearer)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2015, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-matches-and-bouts-in-the-different-sports/720754/47 "2015-05-28T01:42:18Z")
I was trying to think of a great Golf major but they don’t stick in my mind for some reason. The 1999 Open is in there, but that’s purely because of one hole. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2015, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-matches-and-bouts-in-the-different-sports/720754/48 "2015-05-28T02:33:17Z")
**Canadian Football League: 1989 Grey Cup: Saskatchewan Roughriders v. Hamilton Ti-Cats.** The Ti-Cats had finished the season first in the East Division with a 12-6 record and were heavily favoured. The Riders had finished third in the West with a 9-9 record, but in the playoffs had knocked off the Calgary Stampeders in the semi-final, then surprised everyone in the Western Final by beating the best team in the league that year, the Edmonton Eskimos who had a 16-2 record. At first it looked like the Ti-Cats would walk away with it, holding a lead all through the first half. Then the Riders began to surge, but the Ti-Cats replied. At one point, the two teams had five drives in succession which all ended in touch-downs. The Riders were leading in the last minutes, until Champion for the Ti-cats made an amazing diving catch in the end-zone, playing with a broken rib, to tie the game: 40-40, with 44 seconds left. The Riders got the ball and QB Steve Austin engineered a spectacular drive to put the Riders in field goal position, with two seconds on the clock. It came down to Dave Ridgeway, the place kicker for the Riders. His nickname was “Robo-Kicker” for his coolness and accuracy. Even so, with the game riding on his foot, he was nervous. His holder, Glen Suitor, distracted him while they were waiting for the play to be blown in, by pointing out a pretty girl in the front row of the stands. According to some versions, Suits just said he wondered what she was thinking, but in another version, he said to Ridgeway: “look at her; she’s got nice tits.” Whatever Suits said, it worked. On the last play of the game, from 35 yards out, Robo-kicker made the field goal and gave the Riders their second Grey Cup. Many commentators say it was the best Grey Cup ever. Fifteen Grey Cup records were set in the game, notably the most combined points scored by both teams, 43-40. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2015, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-matches-and-bouts-in-the-different-sports/720754/49 "2015-05-28T13:07:15Z")
> [@Shearer](#): > > I was trying to think of a great Golf major but they don’t stick in my mind for some reason. The 1999 Open is in there, but that’s purely because of one hole. Tiger’s last major win was pretty good to watch. The one where he tore a tendon or ligament in his knee (ACL?) and played through it. ---
**Author:** ![Jman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jman/32/4416_2.png) [@Jman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jman)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2015, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-matches-and-bouts-in-the-different-sports/720754/50 "2015-05-28T14:15:03Z")
> [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](#): > > I have to think that Super Bowl XLIII is one of the best, if not the best, Super Bowls. A 100-yard interception return at halftime from James Harrison swung 14 points on the scoreboard, the Cardinals came back from 10-down to take the lead, culminating with a 64-yard Larry Fitzgerald reception with 2:37 left, and the Steelers responded with an amazing toe-tap touchdown from Santonio Holmes. Even then the Cardinals had a chance, but LaMarr Woodley sacked Kurt Warner and caused a fumble which the Steelers recovered. The Cardinals had the Steelers beat in every statistical metric except the scoreboard, and by a lot. > > Yes, I’m biased, but it was a great game by anybody’s standards. I too am biased, but agree with you 100%. What an incredible game. Huge swings, multiple comebacks and one of the greatest touchdown catches of all time. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2015, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-matches-and-bouts-in-the-different-sports/720754/51 "2015-05-28T17:30:45Z")
How about the race horses Affirmed and Alydar? ---
**Author:** ![mascaroni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mascaroni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mascaroni)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2015, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-matches-and-bouts-in-the-different-sports/720754/52 "2015-05-28T17:39:43Z")
Rugby union: I’d go for Wales 8 France 9 in the 2011 World Cup semi-final. Despite having captain Sam Warburton sent off after 19 minutes (quite rightly IMHO - his tackle could have easily left Clerc a quadriplegic), and losing Adam Jones to injury they really took the game to France. Some might say that France were in second gear, but there was only one point difference. Obviously, Jonny Wilkinson’s drop goal in 2003 was great (I was told that I looked like ‘a little boy who was about to cry’ when it happened), but, overall England underperformed in the game. ---
**Author:** ![davidw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c4cdca/32.png) [@davidw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidw)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2015, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-matches-and-bouts-in-the-different-sports/720754/53 "2015-05-28T18:10:47Z")
A few of boxing matches that haven’t been mentioned: Hearns vs Leonard 1 Corrales vs Castillo 1 Barrera vs Morales 1 ---
**Author:** ![davidw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c4cdca/32.png) [@davidw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidw)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2015, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-matches-and-bouts-in-the-different-sports/720754/54 "2015-05-28T18:13:13Z")
Best NFL game I ever witnessed was the Miami Dolphins vs the San Diego Chargers in the 1981 playoffs. ---
**Author:** ![Wallaby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@Wallaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallaby)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2015, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-matches-and-bouts-in-the-different-sports/720754/55 "2015-05-29T05:51:52Z")
As a track fan - I have to say the 1988 Olympics 100m final. Carl Lewis is close to the greatest track and field athlete of all time (he may be a bit of a knob off the track). Ben Johnson was the only guy who was really challenging him in the 100. The build-up was fantastic. The race itself was great - fantastic contest, plus a world record. Yes, it’s a shame that 6 of the 8 competitors were later linked to drugs - but at the time, those 9.79 seconds were probably the greatest sporting experience I’ve had. ---
**Author:** ![mcgato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@mcgato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcgato)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2015, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-matches-and-bouts-in-the-different-sports/720754/56 "2015-05-29T14:47:42Z")
> [@Shearer](#): > > Football: Brazil v Italy 1982 The first world cup match that I ever watched on TV. > [@AK84](#): > > 1982 WC SF. [France v W Germany](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Germany_v_France_(1982_FIFA_World_Cup)) The second world cup match that I ever watched on TV (OK, it was just the 1 hour recap of it). Based on those two matches, I figured that soccer was truly the greatest sport in the whole world. I still enjoy the sport, but subsequent years have rarely come close to those two matches. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2015, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-matches-and-bouts-in-the-different-sports/720754/57 "2015-05-29T15:43:08Z")
Well, the problem there is that the two WCs that immediately followed were mostly dominated by teams that backpassed and played keep-away (other than Argentina.) It might have been the most boring era of world football. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2015, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-matches-and-bouts-in-the-different-sports/720754/58 "2015-05-29T17:26:22Z")
> [@cmkeller](#): > > Maybe this is just my personal fandom speaking, but I think I that’s it’s without bias that I name the 2014 AL Wild Card Game as a credible candidate for the most exciting baseball game ever played. > [@Stormcrow](#): > > I was going to come in here to mention this game specifically. It’s probably the most amazing baseball game I’ve ever seen. I actually was going to nominate [2009’s Game #163](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_American_League_Central_tie-breaker_game) between the Tigers and Twins as the most riveting I’d ever seen, but I’d agree with you two that last year’s AL Wild Card merits at least a tie, and maybe wins out for how wild it turned out to be. ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2015, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-matches-and-bouts-in-the-different-sports/720754/59 "2015-05-29T18:22:03Z")
For hockey, probably not THE single greatest match of all time, but it should at least be in the discussion, is the so-called “Easter Epic” between the NY Islanders and the Washington Capitals, April 18-19th, 1987. Game 7 of the Patrick Division Stanley Cup playoffs. Went into quadruple overtime. 16 year old Caps fan me watched every second of it, and finally went to bed very disappointed when the Islanders scored midway through the 4th overtime. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2015, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-matches-and-bouts-in-the-different-sports/720754/60 "2015-05-29T18:44:41Z")
For tennis, there’s [Mahut-Isner Wimbledon 2010](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isner%E2%80%93Mahut_match_at_the_2010_Wimbledon_Championships). Two evenly matched players going well above and beyond the call of duty. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-matches-and-bouts-in-the-different-sports/720754.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-best-matches-and-bouts-in-the-different-sports/720754.md?page=4)