WNS Column: Shane McMahon's Top 5 Matches

During my most recent binge watching of the WWE Network, I did not find myself watching every Bam Bam Bigelow match I could handle, or the best of Heath Slater, no, I've been watching Shane McMahon's classics. From the infamous, GIF-worthy skip he does before delivering a punch, to his Shane O'Mac jerseys, I miss Vince's son on my television screen.

Without any formal wrestling training over the course of many years, Shane O'Mac is pretty damn good. Known for his dangerous stunts, the younger McMahon has hit spots that most full timers would not be able to. Granted, he did not have to go out and wrestle again the next day, but the things he did were still pretty incredible. And even though he is no longer in the business, putting his body on the line for the sake of the crowd showed how dedicated he was to sports entertainment and the WWE. So here it is, my top five matches of Shane McMahon.

5.) Shane McMahon vs. Steve Blackman, SummerSlam 2000

Admittedly, this isn't even that great of a wrestling match. It was more of a showcase of Steve Blackman's badassness. In fact, this becomes Blackman versus Test and Albert (who didn't love a little T and A back in the day?) in the middle of the match. The reason this match made the list is for the HUGE fall McMahon takes at the end. After Blackman finally disposes of Test and Albert, Shane is backed into a corner, with his only escape being to climb the 40 foot stage. Unfortunately, he forgets “The Lethal Weapon” also has the ability to climb, with a kendo stick in hand nonetheless. Holding on for dear life, Blackman whacks McMahon with the kendo stick a few times, resulting in this classic bump:

For the love of God, Shane McMahon must've fell fifty feet!

3 stars out of 5.

4.) Shane McMahon vs. Vince McMahon, WrestleMania 17

The classic father versus son street fight. This family feud culminated in Houston, on April 1, 2001 at WrestleMania 17-the greatest pay-per-view of all time.

The best part of this match you ask? No, it wasn't Stephanie's awful crimped hair. And it wasn't Shane's jersey, which read “Vince, We Have A Problem.” It was the fact Vince wore an entire sweat suit get-up, yet decided to wrestle in dress shoes. I digress.

The match itself includes everything you would want in a good soap opera: a father and son beating the living hell out of one another, an open affair between a rich businessman, Vince McMahon, and a hot, young blonde, Trish Stratus, and the wife being in a coma-like state, only to awake and kick the husband right in his family jewels. Wow, they just don't make storylines like this anymore (i.e. The Great Khali and Fandango fighting over who is the better dancer.) Mix all that Day of Our Lives drama with Shane hitting a Coast to Coast on Vince, and the end result is this battle.

(Skip to 2:40 for the Coast to Coast.)

3.5 stars out of 5.

3.) Shane McMahon vs. Randy Orton, No Way Out 2009

Just For Men Touch of Gray Shane McMahon takes on Randy Orton in this No Holds Barred match. This contest was a microcosm of the McMahon Family/The Legacy rivaly. Orton versus Shane sounds like a mismatch on paper, but give The Prodigal Son weaponry and the score is evened. 

The visuals in this match are incredible. Randy Orton is bloodied early on, after taking a commentator's monitor to the skull. Also, The Coast to Coast returns in the match, but this time creating an even bigger highlight. After smashing Cody Rhodes' face in with the trash can, McMahon gets up to deliver an elbow off of the opposite turnbuckle to Randy Orton, who is sprawled out on a ringside announcer's table. Unfortunately for Shane, the discombobulated Orton is able to regain his senses just in time to roll out of harm's way.

Shane's greatness is diplayed in this match by rocking swishy, athletic pants everyone wore in the fourth grade, McMahon delivering the weakest spear in the history of the WWE, and his Dolph Ziggler-like sell of the RKO.

4 stars out of 5.

2.) Shane McMahon vs. Shawn Michaels, Saturday Night's Main Event

The sinful son verus the Heartbreak Kid. This is match is also a street fight, a reoccuring theme of this column. I'm okay with that though, because Shane being superplexed off a ladder onto two tables outside the ring is what sports entertainment is all about.

The Coast to Coast is also in this match, and if you cannot tell by now, I am a total mark for this move. This go around, Shane catches his dad's face with the trash can on accident, for Michaels rolled out of the way at the last second.

Jim Ross' commentary and Vince's facial expressions take this match to the next level. It also doesn't hurt to have Shawn Michaels-arguably the greatest performer of all time-in the match as well.

Shane McMahon is able to secure a victory in the match, in his own version of the Montreal Screw Job. After applying the Sharpshooter to Michaels, Shane's diabalical daddy demands the bell to be rung, and Shane is announced victorious via submission.

4 out of 5 stars.  

1.) Shane McMahon vs. Kurt Angle, King of the Ring 2001

The McMahon-Angle story was a major theme for this pay-per-view. Shane helped the Olympic champion win his opening match against Christian, but later, things took a turn for the worst when The Boy Wonder screwed Angle out of winning the King of the Ring crown. Thankfully he did, because the result was this classic.

This 25 minute street fight is highly entertaining, filled with big bumps, blood and pure wrestling. Yes, most street fights throw pure wrestling out the window, but the match balanced grappling and head rattling shots from weapons.

On paper the fight looks like it be a one sided beating by Angle, but McMahon held his own. At one point placing the Angle Lock on Angle himself. He even showed his inner-Billy Kidman, executing a perfect Shooting Star Press...only to land on a trashcan.

And everyone has seen the biggest bump from this match. The belly to belly suplex Angle gives McMahon through the glass will live in infamy.

I cringe every time I watch Shane's head hit the concrete after the glass does not shatter. 

Not only does this go down as Shane McMahon's best match of all time, I'd argue this is one of the top matches from the Attitude Era.

4.5 out of 5 stars.

What do you guys think of Shane O'Mac? Love him or hate him? Leave your comments below. Don't forget to follow me on the twittersphere, @ttrill_.