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WWE: 20 Wishlist Matches We'd Love to See

Posted: Apr 1st 2011 By: mikeiles

A dream match between John Cena and the Rock at WrestleMania XXVII will go down as a historic tease, as both transcendent WWE Superstars are scheduled to appear at the annual extravaganza, however they will not be facing one another in a wrestling match.

As much as fans would love to see a past vs. present showdown between two of WWE's biggest stars in John Cena and the Rock, there are a multitude of possibilities when it comes to past vs. present dream matchups with popular stars from this generation and last.

Since the past allows us to assess the present and even the future, WWE superstars' styles of today can be easily compared to that of WWE hall of famers and stars of yesteryear.

Such comparisons are the next best thing to seeing the actual dream matchups live.

1. Andre the Giant vs. the Big Show

This match wouldn't be the five star-type contest that would get purists excited, but if WWE ever had the opportunity to put on this match up between its two largest stars, it would draw a wide array of eyeballs.

Big Show, in his hay day, was extremely athletic, and this would be one of those rare instances where he would be counted on to lead a match.

In order to for this historic showdown to live up to what would be low in-ring expectations, it would have been kept short, contained a lot of strikes and chops, and built up to when one or both men was to be finally knocked off his feet.

Sure, Dory Funk and Jack Brisco could roll around in their underwear for an hour and make pro wrestling traditionalists cry five stars out of their eye ducts. But Andre and Big Show would have the mass appeal and drawing power that few pairings could create.

The mass appeal would be fitting, both giants combine to weigh over 1,000 pounds.

2. Steve Austin vs. Randy Orton

If you've been paying attention, WWE has not-so-subtly been tweaking Orton's mannerisms and packaging to resemble that of Steve Austin's.

Orton has been referred to as the Viper (Austin was the Rattlesnake), he's integrated the Lou-Thez press into his offensive arsenal (as did Austin), he stomps mud holes in his opponents (an Austin trademark), and instead of his signature Christ-like pose in which he performs before every match, Orton has been raising both fists in the air the same way Austin did.

Only thing missing now is the leather vest.

Austin and Orton would be a great pairing for a standout technical wrestling match with textbook brawling sprinkled in when needed.

Both men have similar finishes that come out of nowhere, further adding to the tension and excitement that this match would bring.

Orton feuded with a handful of legends early in his career from Mick Foley to Hulk Hogan to the Rock, however we never saw Austin v. Orton.

The chemistry between Austin and Randy Orton present day would certainly be fun to watch.

3. Shawn Michaels vs. John Morrison

We've seen these two in the ring before, but never in a full fledged feud, with each match having he potential of becoming a match of the year candidate.

John Morrison, despite the fact that he couldn't cut a promo if he was knife and the promo was margarine, has drawn comparisons to Shawn Michaels.

The comparisons have more to do with Morrison's innovative in-ring style, and less to do with his mic skills (or lack thereof).

Either way, Morrison-Michaels would excite arenas all across the country, and with a ladder thrown into the mix, the true dream match would have been created.

4. Ricky Steamboat vs. Kofi Kingston

Ricky Stemaboat's unique high flying style mixed with maneuvers inspired by his karate background are very similar to Kofi Kingston's own unique style.

Kofi Kingston's style does not necessarily gel with every WWE Superstar on the roster as one would assume it does, however with the veteran Steamboat leading the way (even in present day), these two could stage a well-paced classic filled with exciting moments.

5. Eddie Guerrero vs. CM Punk

An in-ring match between CM Punk and Eddie Guerrero would be brimming with accolades before it ever even happened.

However, given Guerrero's embrace of lying, cheating and stealing mixed with CM Punk's code of straightedge, the build up to this match would be nothing short of spectacular.

Guerrero's own real life struggles with substance abuse that sadly lead to his untimely death would figure to be a point of emphasis in CM Punk's promos, as they were in Punk's feud with Jeff Hardy back in 2009.

6. "Rowdy" Roddy Piper vs. The Miz

The Miz has yet to have a critically acclaimed match that played a part in defining his career, however a feud between Miz and Piper wouldn't even be about the match?it would be about the promos.

Both Miz and Piper are as excellent on the stick as they are obnoxious, and a 20 minute exchange between these two on live television would be ratings gold.

Miz's short lived Miz-TV segment on WWE TV, like a host of other WWE talk show segments, was a direct rip off of Piper's Pit.

Bringing back the real Piper's Pit, only to have Miz as a guest would be entertainment at its best.

7. Shawn Michaels vs. Rey Mysterio Jr.

These two worked each other on the RAW tribute dedicated to the life of Eddie Guerrero, however it is a near travesty that Michaels and Mysterio never had a long term feud that would have manufactured a series of memorable matches.

Michaels and Mysterio have shared wonderful chemistry in the ring during the two times they've met, just as Jericho and Mysterio did.

It is a shame WWE couldn't fully capitalize on such chemistry with more matches between the two.

8. Shawn Michaels vs. The Rock

While this doesn't technically qualify as a "past vs. present" matchup, rumblings of the Rock possibly returning to the ring in the not-too-distant future would make any buy rate pop should Michaels ever agree to come out of retirement and work the People's Champion.

The Rock has previously expressed interest in working with Rey Mysterio and Shawn Michaels, as he never got to work with either of them during his in-ring career.

9. Ricky Steamboat vs. Rey Mysterio Jr.

Ricky Steamboat could have a great match with anyone, and Rey Mysterio Jr. has to be considered in that same class of wrestler.

Mysterio and Steamboat would light up the ring with an array of high flying spots and innovative offensive maneuvers.

Mysterio would be able to work his classic "Lucha Libre" style against a pro like Steamboat, further adding to the quality of an already brilliant on-paper matchup.

10. Hulk Hogan vs. John Cena

One does not have to look hard to find similarities between John Cena and Hulk Hogan.

Both were, and are, mega-stars and the respective faces of WWE. Both have had their in ring work questioned, yet when it came to a big time match, each was capable of delivering a standout performance.

Familiarity bred discontent with each man, as their popularity began to wear on older fans seeking change at the top of the pecking order of pro wrestling.

The discontent manufactured an eventual heel turn for Hulk Hogan, while John Cena continues to acknowledge his audible detractors while remaining a baby face.

A Cena-Hogan tilt would be the match that sold itself. Again, this wouldn't be a classic chain wrestling match, but it sell a lot of tickets and would surely have been talked about for decades to come.

11. "Macho Man" Randy Savage vs. Triple H

Triple H and Randy Savage have potential for a series of great matches given their styles. Triple H's more calculating, traditional style would have been perfect for the Savage's athletic, in-your-face yet deliberate attack.

Real life rumors could be incorporated into a feud between Savage and Triple H, as a given match between the two could have Stephanie McMahon's services on the line.

12. Chyna vs. Beth Phoenix

In a contest that would decide the strongest woman in the world, Beth Phoenix and Chyna's impressive physiques and powerful styles would be the estrogen equivalent to the unstoppable force meeting the immovable object.

13. Jake "The Snake" Roberts vs. Randy Orton

Randy Orton's psychotic viper character was inspired by the original master of psychology in Jake "The Snake" Roberts.

Jake Roberts was known for slithering around the ring, incorporating his snake moniker into his real life mannerisms.

Orton and Roberts previously had an encounter that ended with Orton delivering an RKO to Roberts.

With enough rehab and treadmills, Jake Roberts could return to WWE for a one-off with Orton, stemming from that intense showdown.

14. The Rock vs. John Cena

One can always dream, and this is one of the few matches on the list that still has an outside possibility of happening.

Although Cena and Rock will not meet at WrestleMania XXVII as the high grandeur of the pay-per-view may otherwise suggest, a possible match could take place down the road at SummerSlam in Los Angeles with enough begging and pleading of the Rock from Vince McMahon.

15. The Ultimate Warrior vs. Sheamus

Sheamus has carved out a niche in WWE as an excellent brawler, a skill that is much harder than it looks.

The Ultimate Warrior's reckless style in the ring was best suited for tactical technicians like Rick Rude and Randy Savage, or fierce brawlers a la Sgt. Slaughter.

Sheamus-Warrior could hide Warrior's shortcomings in the ring with a no holds barred war that would elevate Sheamus as a heel.

The Ultimate Warrior would just have to remember to sell.

16. Mr. Perfect vs. Jack Swagger

Jack Swagger is one of the most under-utilized talents in WWE, with a polished mat wrestling style that is ready made for a classic encounter with a handful of other athletic superstars on the WWE roster.

Mr. Perfect would be a great candidate to engage in a technical match with Jack Swagger where the two would exchange mat wrestling maneuvers in a catch-as-catch can classic.

Joe Hennig, Mr. Perfect Curt Hennig's son, works very similarly to his father, so perhaps he and Swagger could have the chemistry that Perfect and Swagger would have had.

17. Bret "The Hitman" Hart vs. Edge

This battle of Canadian heroes would not only be a dream match in the great white North, but a global attraction that would span generations.

It's no secret that Edge holds the utmost respect for Bret Hart and the Hart family. The two share great respect as Canadian wrestling legends.

Such respect could be relied upon for a feud between Hart and Edge only to have Edge turn heel, where he works best.

Hart and Edge would be flawless in the ring together, with each superstar being able to carry his own weight. Just imagine Edge countering Bret's patented elbow in midair with a spear!

18. The Ultimate Warrior vs. Triple H

That way, Triple H could make up for that WrestleMania XII squash match that still has to be eating away at him to this day.

19. Randy Savage vs. John Morrison

This would not only be a matchup of two exciting WWE superstars, but a showcase of two of them more impressive wardrobes in the history of the company.

The pageantry of sports entertainment is not lost on neither Morrison or Savage, and the combination of outfits involved in athletic contests between these two flamboyant stars would be disclaimer to a warning to all individuals suffering from epilepsy.

20. The Undertaker vs. Andre the Giant

The Undertaker is the master of working with big men who create an otherwise terrible on-paper matchup with the 6'11" Undertaker.

As Bret Hart described in his book, the Undertaker could "make a silk purse out of a sow's ear" when it came to matches with big hoss', when it seemed as if the two would be limited in the ring given their cumulative size.

A WrestleMania encounter between Taker and Andre the Giant is one of the few matches that would make Taker's undefeated winning streak at Mania even more legendary.