5 unique matches you may not know have happened in WWE
In the past few years, several WWE superstars from different generations have collided in the ring in unique matchups that many thought would probably never happen. Goldberg, for example, went head-to-head against Bobby Lashley and Roman Reigns. Becky Lynch also faced her role model, Lita.
Meanwhile, there have been matchups that many fans might believe have never happened before. One of these bouts saw two future Hall of Famers go head-to-head for the first and last time ever. Brock Lesnar also went one-on-one against a Hall of Famer in a dark match that most wrestling fans probably never even saw.
Here are five unique matches you might not know have happened in WWE.
#5. Brock Lesnar vs. WWE Hall of Famer Mr. Perfect
Brock Lesnar and Curt Hennig reportedly did not have the best relationship.
The two wrestlers, who only spent a few months together in Vince McMahon's company in 2002, had a famous brawl on a plane after the Hall of Famer pulled a prank on The Beast Incarnate. During their fight, Lesnar and Mr. Perfect nearly opened the emergency exit door, which could have led to disaster.
While some fans may know about Lesnar and Mr. Perfect's fight on the plane, many may not recall seeing them square off inside the ring. The two wrestlers went head-to-head in a dark match on Monday Night RAW in January 2002, nearly two months before the former WWE Champion made his official main roster debut.
Although Lesnar dominated his opponent for most of the match, Mr. Perfect successfully hit The Beast Incarnate with the Perfect-Plex and pinned him for the victory.
In February 2002, the two wrestlers faced each other in two other matches at live events. While Mr. Perfect defeated Lesnar again in their second match, The Beast Incarnate finally scored his first victory over the Hall of Famer in their third and last bout.
#4. Bobby Lashley vs. Mickie James
The WWE Universe saw Bobby Lashley and Mickie James team up together to compete in the second season of the WWE Mixed Match Challenge four years ago. However, not many fans know that these two wrestlers have previously squared off against each other.
Lashley and James (FKA Alexie Laree) were part of WWE's then-developmental brand OVW when they had to face each other in the second round of the 2005 OVW Television Title Tournament.
Lashley initially asked James to withdraw from the tournament so he would not have to hurt her. However, the former Women's Champion refused.
Lashley's associate Ms. Blue then attacked James inside the ring. While the 42-year-old successfully defended herself against Ms. Blue, Lashley entered the ring and hit his opponent with a Running Powerslam before pinning her for the victory.
#3. Bryan Danielson vs. WWE Hall of Famer Molly Holly
Bryan Danielson and Molly Holly (FKA Lady Ophelia) are two of the biggest stars in WWE history. However, they competed on the main roster during two different eras. Hence, not many fans know that the two previously worked together in Vince McMahon's company.
Danielson and Holly's paths crossed 22 years ago when they were both in WWE's then-developmental brand Memphis Championship Wrestling (MCW). Nonetheless, they shared the ring only twice.
On October 18, 2000, the former WWE Champion and the former Women's Champion went head-to-head. Apparently, there is no footage of the match available on the internet. However, it ended with Holly defeating Danielson.
Later that same month, Molly teamed up with Spanky to defeat Danielson and Fabulous Rocker at another MCW event.
The former Women's Champion made her main roster debut in 2000 and spent nearly five years as a regular competitor before leaving in 2005. Meanwhile, WWE released Danielson from his contract in 2001 before he made his main roster debut. He later returned to the company in 2009.
In 2010, the company released the former WWE Champion from his contract again. However, WWE re-hired him later that same year. His third run lasted for nearly 11 years. In 2021, Danielson left Vince McMahon's company after his contract expired and joined AEW.
#2. Charlotte Flair vs. Sasha Banks vs. Bayley vs. Becky Lynch
Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, Bayley, and Becky Lynch are four of the most accomplished female competitors in WWE history. They are also known as the Four Horsewomen of WWE.
Many fans dream of seeing these four superstars go against each other in a Fatal-4-Way. However, some might not recall that that match happened nearly seven years ago.
At NXT TakeOver: Rival in February 2015, the Four Horsewomen squared off in a Fatal-4-Way match for the NXT Women's Championship. The bout lasted for over 15 minutes and saw each of the four competitors close in on the victory at one point. However, Banks was the one who walked out with the title after pinning Flair.
The four superstars also faced each other in a few other Fatal-4-Way matches at NXT live events before having their televised bout on TakeOver: Rival. They had another non-televised Fatal-4-Way at a live event in May 2015, which Banks also won.
Since joining the main roster, the Four Horsewomen have not competed against each other in a Fatal-4-Way match. While Flair and Banks are now active on SmackDown, Lynch is on RAW. Meanwhile, Bayley is currently out of action due to injury and is considered a free agent.
#1. Brock Lesnar vs. Batista
Brock Lesnar and Batista (FKA Leviathan) never faced each other on RAW, SmackDown, or any premium live event. However, many fans probably have no idea that this unique match between the two powerhouses did happen nearly 21 years ago in OVW.
Both The Beast Incarnate and The Animal were in OVW back in 2001. In July of that year, the two future Hall of Famers squared off.
Although Batista dominated his opponent for most of the match, The Beast Incarnate was very close to defeating The Animal. However, Batista's manager interfered and allowed the former World Heavyweight Champion to hit Lesnar with a vicious spear to steal the victory.
After the bout, Lesnar attacked Batista and his manager. However, The Animal successfully turned the tables on the former Universal Champion. Referees then had to interfere to stop Batista from choking out The Beast Incarnate.
Although Lesnar is currently active in Vince McMahon's company, Batista announced his retirement from professional wrestling a few years ago. Hence, the two wrestling legends will probably never face each other again.