9 Awesome Wrestling Matches that Ended in a Draw

source// wwe.com

If you were to ask the average WWE fan what their opinion is on a match ending in a draw, a whole lot of them would probably go and tell you to eat a dick. Two (or more) superstars being “tied” for the win is about as bad as the Fingerpoke of Doom. Okay, maybe not quite that bad, but bad nonetheless.

Believe it or not, it can be done without making both sides – and the company – look bad. The logistics of the match can get a little messy when a draw is the end result, but as long as everyone involved is on the same page, and the scripted finish makes at least a modicum of sense, crowds won’t start rioting once the bell rings and both guys’ hands are raised.

That’s not to say that some fans won’t feel a little cheated by these non-decisions. After all, the words “draw” and “tie” are usually synonyms for “anti-climactic”. Still, there are some examples out their when this type of finish actually elevates the wrestlers and does more good than bad.

Whether the result were good or bad is really up to you, but these nine matches were awesome. They just couldn’t choose a clear winner…

9. Royal Rumble Match 1994

Of all the matches you’d expect to end in a draw, The Royal Rumble seems like it would naturally be on the exemption list. How do you end this type of contest, where a competitor is eliminated by getting chucked over the top rope, in a damn tie?

Well, the answer to that should be pretty clear to anyone who remembers the 2005 debacle with John Cena and Batista, when both men hit the floor at the same time and caused some very real confusion from the refs and brought about the very real fury of Vince McMahon.

But unlike that unscripted mess, the Lex Luger-Bret Hart Royal Rumble co-win was actually planned that way.

It was a great way to build up a feud between the two superstars, who were both fighting it out for the spot of “top guy” as Hulk Hogan’s recent departure had cleared the way for some new blood to make an impact in the main event scene.

The crowd was obviously baffled by the finish, even after president Jack Tunney came out to explain the result. Suffice it to say, they haven’t scripted a Rumble draw ever since (which is why Vince was so pissed in 2005).

That match was still a tremendous launching point for several of the New Generation superstars, particularly Diesel, who received a tremendous reaction from the crowd, even though he was a heel at the time. Sadly, it will always be remembered more for its unusual finish than for the quality work of the participants.

8. Bret Hart Vs. Diesel – Royal Rumble 1995

Just one year after Bret Hart was involved with the strange Royal Rumble draw, they decided it would be a good idea to have The Hitman come out non-victorious once again in a similar fashion after his match with Big Daddy Cool.

There were been a number of incredible matches between these two during the New Generation era, as they had a sure ability to bring out the best in each other. Though their bout at Survivor Series this same year probably takes the cake as the best of the bunch, their match for the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble certainly gets some of the frosting.

It had its flaws to be sure, with the most egregious of them coming at the very end of the match, when about half of the locker room came out to interfere in the proceedings, beating down both men.

That’s what ultimately led to it being declared a draw, which was a bit of a disappointment for fans who wanted to see these two genuinely have it out for the gold (though the ensuing handshake and hug was an excellent touch, as it was a nice us-against-them type of response after getting their asses kicked by everyone else in the building).

7. Triple H Vs. Shawn Michaels – Royal Rumble 2004

What is it about the Royal Rumble pay-per-view that brings out the sudden need for parity among its competitors? Just a year before the infamous Cena/Batista clusterkerfuffle, and on the ten year anniversary of the Luger/Hart draw, the WWE creative team decided that neither man in the HBK versus HHH Last Man Standing Match would emerge victorious.

And yet, surprisingly, the finish really didn’t matter. Despite the fact that this was a big match on a big PPV with the World Heavyweight Championship on the line, the amount of blood, sweat, and tears both guys put into this one was enough to make the result a satisfying one, especially since it meant an inevitable rematch down the road at WrestleMania.

Just don’t tell that to the crowd in attendance, whose chants were less than favorable that night.

Also, while Triple H was getting carted off, with the members of Evolution by his side for support, Shawn Michaels demanded the medical staff let him off the stretcher so he could walk back up the ramp on his own like a badass. So even if you were disappointed by the way this one ended, you at least had to acknowledge that this moment was a pretty nifty way of declaring HBK the true Last Man Standing.

6. Randy Orton Vs. Edge – Over The Limit 2010

Any match that ends without a clear winner will always its detractors, but there may not be a WWE fan alive who thinks the double count-out to end this match was a satisfying way for things to wrap up.

In a match that reportedly saw Randy Orton dislocating his shoulder right before the scripted finish, fans in attendance and at home were left confused at the way the latter half of this one played out. Orton, who is no stranger to shoulder injuries, appeared to injure it when he got dropped onto the barricade. But that was likely worked, using the disadvantage to position Orton as the underdog.

And holy hell was the crowd into that. They’d had some great matches before Over the Limit, but this one was a nearly flawless example of playing the crowd like a fiddle. But while pounding the mat in preparation for an RKO, Orton apparently put a little too much oomph it, popping his shoulder out, resulting in an awkward exchange that featured Orton walking around like a gorilla and Edge pretending that getting lightly tapped with a boot is the same thing as getting punted.

Since Orton couldn’t hit the RKO with his dangly arm, they adjusted the finish to Edge missing a Spear and nailing his head on the barricade, leading to a double count-out. It was a disappointing finish that, unfortunately, pretty much killed the momentum of what promised to be an excellent feud between Edge and Orton.

5. Kurt Angle Vs. Shawn Michaels – Raw Homecoming (2005)

J.R.’s assertion that “you’re about to see a classic” and Coach’s belief that “you can hype it up all you want and it’s still going to be under-hyped” wasn’t just hyperbole. This 30 Minute Iron Man match was a top-to-bottom masterpiece, and both performers were near the very top of their game.

They took no time getting after it, as the usually showboating Michaels decided to forgo all the pretenses and charged right after the Olympic Gold Medalist. It wasn’t always the prettiest match, but the intensity never died down from the moment the opening bell was rung. This was an exhibit on tenacity and resiliency, with reversals and near-falls aplenty.

And just when it seemed like there was going to be a last-minute submission by Angle to secure the win, Michaels was able to roll out of the Ankle Lock. Then it looked like HBK was going to take the match with some Sweet Chin Music but, unfortunately, there was only one second left on the clock by the time Michaels went for the pin.

That, ladies and gentlemen, is how you turn a tie into high drama.

4. The Steiner Brothers Vs. Bret & Owen Hart – 1994

One of the few WWE tag team matches to ever end in a draw, The Steiner Brothers vs. The Hart Brothers also remains one of the most exceptional (and seriously underrated) tag performances in WWE history.

In terms of technicality, it’s hard to find a better example of how to incorporate amateur wrestling moves into a pro wrestling match and still keep it exciting. And just to go all-in on the technical aspects of this matchup, Mr. Perfect was in on commentary.

Scott Steiner, for one, has never looked better that he did here, showcasing his incredible strength while proving he could execute complex moves just as well as his brother. His time in the ring with Owen was especially illuminating, as their styles contrasted in very entertaining fashion.

All told, this match was a 30-minute classic and somehow the double count-out decision wasn’t even a disappointment. It actually felt kinda right. This match certainly requires more patience than today’s matches, but if you’re willing to watch things breathe and escalate naturally, you can’t go wrong here.

3. Terry Funk Vs. Sabu Vs. Shane Douglas – ECW The Night The Line Was Crossed

Back when ECW still stood for Eastern Championship Wrestling, there was certainly no shortage of guys on the roster who were willing to bring the extreme side of things into the ring. Chief among them: Sabu and Terry Funk. But, perhaps surprisingly to fans at the time, it was Shane Douglas who would really elevate this match into ‘classic’ territory.

Billed as an American Three Way Dance, which had a time limit of 60 minutes and some unusual, Royal Rumble-style rules regarding how the competitors were introduced into the match, this ended up being the bout that put ECW on the map. It blended classic wrestling psychology, technical maneuvers, and a dangerous hardcore element that made it impossible not to get engrossed by.

The whole thing turned into mesmerizing bedlam in the last ten minutes, with The Bad Breed and Sherri Martel all interfering in a major way, while Funk beat down the referee like an insane person. Also of note, Sabu began his long and storied tradition of botching the hell out of every high-risk maneuver he ever tried.

It was messy, and only got messier once the time limit ran its course and no clear winner was decided. But the crowd certainly didn’t seem to mind, erupting at the announcer’s statement that the match had “no winner”. It didn’t matter. It was about the action in the ring, not whose hand was raised at the end of it.

2. Samoa Joe Vs. CM Punk II – Ring of Honor (2004)

Nowadays, if a match were to last for 60 minutes and, at the end of that time, no one came out the other end the winner, there would be a full-scale mutiny in the building. But rewind to 2004, where a young Samoa Joe and CM Punk did exactly that in Ring of Honor, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a disappointed fan in the stands.

Of course, it helps when the two wrestlers going at it have an almost endless bag of tricks from which to choose from, and excel at multiple styles of wrestling. Creating a blend of Japanese martial arts, technical submissions, and old-school wrestling psychology, these two told an Oscar-worthy story inside the ring.

If you were to count the number of different holds performed in this one match, it would take longer to list than that time Chris Jericho decided to name all 1,004 holds he knew on an episode of WCW Nitro. And sometimes that level of persistent technicality and never-ending reversals can get tiresome (as one disgruntled fan expressed around the halfway mark of the match, to which Punk replied that he could leave, drawing a generous pop from the rest of the crowd), but these guys made it work.

And with the exception of that one jerk mentioned earlier, the entire crowd was vocalizing their support and admiration of the match for pretty much the entire time. The result didn’t matter as much as the performance.

1. Sting Vs. Ric Flair – Clash Of Champions 1988

It simply does not get much better than this matchup. Ever. Draw or no draw, The Stinger vs. The Nature Boy remains an undisputed classic, and a prime example of an established superstar helping to launch the career of a young up-and-comer.

Even though Ric Flair has excelled at portraying an ego-maniac for the majority of his career, there may not be a more humble, steadfast company man than The Nature Boy in the history of sports entertainment. Not so coincidentally, Sting has followed in his footsteps as a loyal and dedicated professional.

Back in 1988, Sting had risen up the ranks of the NWA in just a few short months. It was clear the top brass had a lot of faith in his abilities and wanted to give him a major push into the spotlight, which is why they booked him opposite Flair.

The match itself was a picture-perfect showcase for the young Sting, with Flair selling every hammerlock like it was ripping the life out of him. It was as intense as they come, and the blend of high-flying (but logical) aerial maneuvers from Sting and the technically precise (and somewhat desperate) tactics of Flair meshed extremely well.

When the 45 minute time limit had expired, it made sense for this one to end in a hard-fought draw. Sting was still a little too fresh-faced to be taken seriously as the man, but having him convincingly go the distance with the top guy in the company made him an instant star, even without claiming the title.