10 Wrestling Matches Drew McIntyre Calls His All-Time Favorites
Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania 41
10. Gunther vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus (WrestleMania 39)
This Triple Threat match for the Intercontinental Championship took place on April 2, 2023, at SoFi Stadium and is defined by its strong style physicality. The bout saw a total of 25 combined beats of the bodhrán by The Celtic Warrior and thunderous chops that left all three men with visible bruising across their chests. Gunther secured the win by pinning Sheamus after a powerbomb, but McIntyre has stated in various 2026 retrospectives that this was his most complete war in a ring.
9. The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan (WrestleMania X8)
Known as the "Icon vs. Icon" outing this March 17, 2002, bout at the SkyDome in Toronto is the ultimate example of crowd psychology. Although Hogan was the villainous leader of the nWo, the 68,000 fans turned him into a hero, forcing both men to swap roles mid-match. The Rock eventually won with two Rock Bottoms and a People’s Elbow, but the match is studied today for how the performers listened to the audience to create a legendary atmosphere.
8. 2020 Men’s Royal Rumble Match
This match is a masterclass in two-act storytelling, with the first half dominated by Brock Lesnar’s record-tying 13 eliminations. McIntyre entered at number 16 and changed the landscape of WWE by eliminating Lesnar with a single Claymore Kick, a moment that received one of the loudest pops of the decade. McIntyre won the match by lastly eliminating Roman Reigns, lasting over 34 minutes and cementing his status as a top-tier main eventer.
7. Rob Van Dam vs. John Cena (ECW One Night Stand 2006)
Held at the intimate Hammerstein Ballroom, this match for the WWE Championship featured a crowd so hostile they famously threw Cena’s shirt back at him multiple times. The "Extreme Rules" stipulation allowed for the use of signs, chairs, and tables, which highlighted RVD’s high-flying ECW style against Cena’s WWE powerhouse approach. The finish involved a hooded Edge spearing Cena through a table, allowing RVD to hit the Five-Star Frog Splash for the historic win.
6. Masato Tanaka vs. Mike Awesome (ECW One Night Stand 2005)
The match felt like a spiritual successor to their notoriously brutal 1990s rivalry in FMW and ECW, this time unleashed on a global stage at the 2005 reunion show. It featured a horrifying Awesome Bomb from the ring apron through a table on the floor, perfectly embodying the fearless, daredevil mentality McIntyre deeply admires. Equally unforgettable was Awesome’s dive over the top rope to the outside, still regarded as one of the most astonishing displays of athleticism ever seen from a wrestler of his size.
5. Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Bret Hart (WrestleMania 13)
This submission match on March 23, 1997, utilized a double turn to perfection, shifting Hart to a heel and Austin to a face without a single word spoken. Guest referee Ken Shamrock presided over a bloody brawl that spilled into the Chicago crowd, ending with Austin passing out in the Sharpshooter while refusing to tap. It is statistically one of the highest-rated matches in WWE history, receiving a rare 5-star rating from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
4. Rhea Ripley vs. Charlotte Flair (WrestleMania 39)
Widely considered the best women's match in WrestleMania history, this bout for the SmackDown Women's Championship was a display of pure technical power. The match featured a high-stakes spot where Flair landed a German Suplex that saw Ripley flip a full 270 degrees onto her face. Ripley's win via an Avalanche Riptide from the second rope was a passing-of-the-torch moment that McIntyre highlighted for its perfect execution and pacing.
3. Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega (NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 11)
This 46-minute epic for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship on January 4, 2017, changed the industry by proving that long-form wrestling could still captivate global audiences. It was the first match to ever receive a 6-star rating from Dave Meltzer, noted for its escalation of violence and Okada’s legendary Rainmaker lariat. The match is the foundation of McIntyre's appreciation for international Strong Style and endurance-based storytelling.
2. Bayley vs. Sasha Banks (NXT TakeOver Brooklyn)
Taking place on August 22, 2015, this match is credited with legitimizing women's wrestling as a main-event draw for WWE’s modern era. The psychology focused on Sasha Banks stepping on Bayley’s hand to prevent her from climbing the ropes, a classic mean streak tactic. The match concluded with a top-rope inverted Frankensteiner and the Bayley-to-Belly, leading to a real-life emotional celebration between the Four Horsewomen in the center of the ring.
1. Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker (WrestleMania 25)
McIntyre, like many peers, considers this April 5, 2009, bout the perfect wrestling match because it contained no wasted movements. The storytelling focused on the 'Light of Michaels' trying to overcome the 'Darkness" of the Streak', featuring a legendary spot where Michaels pulled a cameraman in front of an Undertaker suicide dive. The finale, where Undertaker caught a mid-air Moonsault into a Tombstone Piledriver, remains the most iconic finishing sequence in the history of the sport.
