Top 10 WWE matches in under 10 Minutes

Best squash match of all time?

Now, more than ever before, the professional wrestling business relies on the action inside the ring. With one or two exceptions, most of the WWE’s current roster do not make a name for themselves by squashing much weaker opponents in a matter of seconds, at least not as often as the stars of old used to.

This is partly because the level of technical wrestling is currently at its very highest standards. If you want to make a Superstar in professional wrestling, especially one the fans will respond well to, they need to be capable of lasting at least 15 minutes in the ring with the industry’s best workers.

Back in the day, however, short, high-energy matches were all the rage. Hulk Hogan became a legend, not by flying around the ring for 20 minutes, but by showboating to the audience and making a very simple move like a bodyslam feel as impressive as a hurricanrana. We do still see the occasional short match in today's product, and if done correctly, they can be just as impactful as the longer ones. Here are 10 of the best WWE/F matches of all time that lasted under 10 minutes: 

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#1 Chris Jericho Vs. Daniel Bryan – NXT Season 1

The early days of a mega-star.

Today, NXT is a widely respected sub-brand of WWE television, showcasing some of the best upcoming stars of the sport, as well as former independent talents trying to make their name in the world’s biggest wrestling promotion. Back at its inception, however, things were a little different.

The concept of early NXT was more akin to a reality TV show like American Idol, where after competing in various kinds of tasks and activities, not all of them wrestling matches, a Superstar would leave the show each week until a final winner was crowned. 

The competitors were also paired up with WWE ‘Pros’, who tended to mentor them through the show and occasionally use their rookies to further their own storylines on the main roster. The very first season of NXT saw the debut of one of WWE’s most popular Superstars of all time.

Formerly known as Bryan Danielson, an ROH and independent scene legend, WWE’s own Daniel Bryan would make his first significant appearance for the company, under the tutelage of The Miz. This was by far the best Rookie/Pro pairing of the lot, as the heel Miz would argue that Bryan wasn’t worthy of being his apprentice while the rest of the audience knew it was Bryan who should have been tutoring The Miz when it came to pro-wrestling. 

On one of the first ever episodes of NXT, the WWE Universe, at least those not familiar with indie wrestling, were introduced to Daniel Bryan and his advanced abilities inside the ropes. Chris Jericho, the World Heavyweight Champion at the time, made an appearance on the show as the Pro to eventual winner Wade Barrett. Bryan and Jericho exchanged words and ended up filling the main event spot of the night.

As you’d expect, the match, albeit short, was a technical masterpiece that perfectly summed up what the American Dragon was all about. There was even a nasty spot in which Bryan attempted a suicide dive through the ropes and was slammed into the announce table by the champ.

This is a fun match to go back and watch, especially considering the storied career Bryan would go on to have in the company.