The PG Era is considered by many to be the worst era in WWE history. That says a lot, as even the vilified New Generation era has bright spots, but the PG Era catered almost too much to a children's demographic for anyone above the age of seven to enjoy. Because of its bad reputation, some of the best matches from that era have gotten lost in the shuffle.
It's tricky to pinpoint the actual timeline for the PG Era. While WWE became PG during the summer of 2008, it never stopped being PG, meaning that some historians have different opinions on when the PG Era officially ended. After all, while WWE is still PG to this day, there was a period when WWE was significantly family-friendly compared to more recent years. For the sake of convenience, this list will focus on matches between the mid-2008 beginning and 2014, when the Reality Era began.
10 Kaitlyn vs AJ Lee - Divas Championship Match
Payback 2013
It's easy to pinpoint the start of the Women's Revolution back to the work that the Four Horsewomen did together in WWE in 2014-15 and then would subsequently be brought to the main roster, but it's easy to forget the groundwork done right before them. In an era where women's wrestlers were still Divas and forced to endure short bathroom break-length wrestling matches, Kaitlyn and AJ Lee miraculously had a feud that exceeded expectations for Divas at the time.
Their shining achievement came at Payback, where AJ Lee cemented her legend status when she started her record-setting 295-day reign as champion. The brute strength of Kaitlyn matched against the swift agility of AJ Lee made for a fun 10-minute bout (which, by Divas standards at the time was practically an Iron Man match). It's quite easily the best women's match of the PG Era that paved the way for the Four Horsewomen to change the game.
9 King Sheamus vs. John Morrison - Ladder Match to Become Number One Contender to the WWE Championship
TLC 2010
Fresh out of winning the King of the Ring tournament, and one year after his Tables Match upset over John Cena for the WWE Championship, King Sheamus seeks gold again. Meanwhile, John Morrison - who Sheamus beat in the finals of KOTR - beat Sheamus one-on-one at Survivor Series. To settle the tie-breaker, the two decided to have a Ladder Match with the number one contendership to the World Title up for grabs.
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It's easy to dismiss the Ladder Match concept when there's been so many. It becomes harder to reinvent the wheel when it seems like everything's been done with that wheel in decades prior. Still, they manage to pull off some innovative maneuvers in one of the more entertaining Ladder Matches that no one talks about. Despite suffering a devastating Brogue Kick while tangled in a ladder, Morrison overcomes to win it all, facing The Miz for the title the next month on Raw in a similarly underrated bout.
8 Rey Mysterio vs. Dolph Ziggler - Intercontinental Championship Match
SummerSlam 2009
At the dawn of the PG Era, Nic Nemeth - previously seen as the caddy of Kerwin White (aka Chavo Guerrero) and most notably Nicky of the Spirit Squad - was rechristened as Dolph Ziggler. He'd slowly climb up the proverbial ladder, making a name for himself month after month. His biggest challenge yet under the new moniker would come as he challenged Rey Mysterio for his Intercontinental Championship in the opening match of WWE's second biggest event of the year.
This is where Dolph Ziggler's Show-Stealer nickname was born, as he and the Master of the 619 truly stole the show and set the tone for the rest of the night. From start to finish, this one is action-packed. Ziggler may not be much bigger than Mysterio, but he hits hard, and uses his amateur background to ground the high-flyer whenever possible. It's subtle storytelling that plants the early stages of Ziggler becoming a staple of WWE programming.
7 Sheamus vs. Big Show - World Heavyweight Championship Match
Hell in a Cell 2012
Big Show has become something of a running meme in the wrestling community, constantly joking about how often he's switched between being heel and face. By the 2010s, Show had lost the same aura he once had as The Giant in WCW, but in late 2012, WWE decided to push Paul Wight back into prominence. Motivated by a new monster push, Big Show had an incredibly fun main event run against Sheamus for the World Heavyweight Championship.
Their best match from that run is undoubtedly the night that Big Show won his first World Title in several years. The bout is the very definition of a hoss fight. Show uses his size to whip the smaller Sheamus everywhere from the ring to the commentary table, while Sheamus uses his brute strength to pound away at his challenger. This is a must-see for anyone who enjoys the spectacle of two mastodons colliding with each other.
6 Randy Orton vs. Goldust - Singles Match
Monday Night Raw, September 9, 2013
As the most popular stint of his career was as a comedy act, Dustin Rhodes has found a second life in All Elite Wrestling, where he can play a legitimate contender who can be taken seriously. That was easier said than done for him in WWE under the Goldust moniker, but the closest that WWE came to treating The Natural seriously in spite of the paint was in 2013. WWE Champion Randy Orton had been constantly disrespecting the Rhodes family name, getting both Dusty and Cody fired. Goldust returns to get his brother's job back and to slap some sense into The Viper.
Gone are the stuttering and the suggestive gestures. Goldust is strictly business, and considering the stakes of the storyline, the crowd surprisingly treats it seriously. This allows him and Orton to have a solid contest, one where Orton's constant wearing down of the vet demands an eruption of cheers as Goldust mounts a comeback.
5 Randy Orton vs. Christian - Steel Cage World Heavyweight Championship Match
SuperSmackDown, August 30, 2011
The WWE Universe often cites John Cena as the man who gave Randy Orton his best matches, but Christian deserves a mention in that conversation. The two spent 2011 having crisp chemistry, each match managing to surpass the previous. Their classics at Over the Limit, Money in the Bank, and SummerSlam all receive rightful praise, but one match that doesn't get talked about is the Steel Cage match that marked the conclusion of their multi-month rivalry.
The usual crisp chemistry is on display once again, with the Steel Cage serving as practically a third character in the match, or at the very least, a neutral weapon. Most notably, it showcases one of the most vicious-looking RKOs ever delivered as Orton nails Christian with an RKO off the top rope to put an exclamation point on this feud for good.
4 John Morrison vs. Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz- Submissions Count Anywhere United States Championship Match
Hell in a Cell 2010
Right before cashing in his Money in the Bank contract to win his first WWE Championship, The Miz had a target on his back. He still had to contend with his NXT "rookie" Daniel Bryan, who defeated him for the US belt, while also dealing with the tag team partner he betrayed in John Morrison. With the United States Championship between them, they'd settle things in a Triple Threat under Submissions Count Anywhere rules.
The result may have been a foregone conclusion considering that only the champion is a submissions specialist, or even has a submission-based finisher. Nonetheless, that didn't stop the match from being a fun ride. The competitors took full advantage of the No DQ stipulation, notably with The Shaman of Sexy leaping off the PPV structure to dive onto his opponents.
3 The Miz vs. John Morrison - Falls Count Anywhere WWE Championship Match
Monday Night Raw, January 3, 2011
Mere months after partaking in their Submissions Count Anywhere bout, the former WWE Tag Team Champions would tussle once more to ring in the new year. This time, though, it would be an actual Falls Count Anywhere match, and this time, it would be for The Miz's newfound WWE Championship. During their feud, Miz tried to paint a narrative that his success had truly eclipsed that of his ex-partner, suggesting that Morrison had effectively become the Marty Jannety to his Shawn Michaels.
Morrison proceeded to deliver a performance that proved the opposite. Both men were the newest main eventers of the PG Era and this match proved they belonged in that picture. Morrison sends himself crashing through a table following a missed Starship Pain, giving the champion an opening to retain.
2 Sheamus vs Daniel Bryan - Two Out of Three Falls World Heavyweight Championship Match
Extreme Rules 2012
Daniel Bryan's 18-second title loss to Sheamus at WrestleMania 28 still lives on in infamy as not only one of the shortest World Title matches in WrestleMania history, but the prelude of the YES! Movement due to the crowd's uproar at seeing Bryan lose. Because this match is the grander of the two, no one remembers the rematch they would have a month later at Extreme Rules.
The two work something of a slower pace to start, easing into things to take their time with the Two out of Three Falls stipulation. The match is actually far more technical than one would expect out of Sheamus' usual brutish style. The WrestleMania match proved to be an unforgettable moment, but their Extreme Rules rematch proved to be a gem of a wrestling masterclass, showcasing the best of both men's abilities.
1 The Miz vs Jerry Lawler - Tables, Ladders, and Chairs WWE Championship Match
Monday Night Raw, November 29, 2010
Throughout his first reign as WWE Champion, critics constantly questioned if The Miz was worthy of the main event spot he was in. Even today, critics are harsh on how much The Miz deserved to be a main event champion, but it's this match that remains as proof to the matter, as well as his crowning achievement. His character work and promo abilities are undeniable, but his in-ring ability has always been disputed. The performance he delivers here is strong enough to make the crowd believe, if only for a moment, that Jerry the King could do the impossible by becoming champion.
Lawler was in his 60s and well past his prime, so no one should have rightfully believed he had a chance here. Thankfully, Miz makes for a proper dance partner to keep the WWE Universe invested. People hated the cocky WWE Champion, and adored the nostalgia act, offering a Pay-Per-View quality classic, with some TLC mixed in for good measure.
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