Ladder match
A ladder match is a type of match in professional wrestling, most commonly one where an item (usually a title belt) is hung above the ring, and the winner is the contestant who climbs a ladder and retrieves the item.[1] The ladder itself becomes a key feature of the match, as wrestlers will use the ladder as a weapon to strike the opponent(s), as a launching pad for acrobatic attacks, and frequently these matches include impressive falls from the top of the ladder.[1] However, there were very few matches in which the hung item must be used in a special manner in order to win the match, such as striking the opponent with the item (see Bam Bam Bigelow Vs. Scott Hall taser match, where one must strike the opponent with the taser, regardless of who retrieved the taser first).
Ladder matches are often used as a finale to storylines and it is more common to have symbolic briefcases (usually "containing" a contract for a future championship match) or championship belts hung above the ring. Ladder matches and their variants (such as TLC matches and Full Metal Mayhem) are often used in feuds that involve a dispute over possession of an item (such as a stolen title belt or the "paperwork" for the contractual services of a manager). Ladder matches are almost always fought under no disqualification rules.
Origins
The ladder match could have been invented by either Dan Kroffat of the Stampede Wrestling organization out of Calgary, Alberta, Canada or British wrestler Kendo Nagasaki. In September 1972, Stampede Wrestling held the first ever ladder match between Dan Kroffat and Tor Kamata, where the object to be grabbed was a wad of money.[2] In 1987, Kendo Nagasaki competed in a 'Disco Challenge' ladder match against Clive Myers on the popular World of Sport. The aim of this match was to retrieve a gold coloured disco record suspended above the ring.[3]
In July 1983, Stampede Wrestling held a ladder match in which Bret Hart faced off against Bad News Allen. Hart went on to join the World Wrestling Federation in 1984, and, in the early 1990s, suggested this type of match to promoter Vince McMahon, years before the gimmick achieved its eventual popularity.
The first ever ladder match in the WWF, in which Hart defeated Shawn Michaels to retain the WWF Intercontinental Title, was held in Portland, ME on July 21, 1992. The match was taped but never aired on television, and remained widely unseen until its inclusion on the 2007 The Ldder Match DVD and among the bonus material on the 2011 DVD and Blu-ray collection WWE's Greatest Rivalries: Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart. The two performers tell interviewer Jim Ross how the match was planned along with an intended ladder rematch that never materialized.
Ladder matches in World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment/WWE
| # | Match | Stipulations | Event | Date and location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bret Hart (c) defeated Shawn Michaels | Ladder match for the WWF Intercontinental Championship | WWF Wrestling Challenge | July 21, 1992 Portland, Maine |
| 2 | Razor Ramon (c) defeated Shawn Michaels[4][5] | Ladder match for the WWF Undisputed Intercontinental Championship | WrestleMania X | March 20, 1994 New York City, New York |
| 3 | Shawn Michaels (c) defeated Razor Ramon[6][7] | Ladder match for the WWF Intercontinental Championship | SummerSlam | August 27, 1995 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| 4 | Shawn Michaels (c) defeated Goldust | Ladder match for the WWF Championship | Xperience | August 24, 1996 Toronto, Ontario |
| 5 | Triple H defeated The Rock (c)[8][9] | Ladder match for the WWF Intercontinental Championship | SummerSlam | August 30, 1998 New York, New York |
| 6 | The Big Boss Man defeated Mankind (c)[10] | Ladder match for the WWF Hardcore Championship | Raw is War | November 30, 1998 Baltimore, Maryland |
| 7 | The Rock defeated Mankind (c)[11] | Ladder match for the WWF Championship | Raw is War | February 15, 1999 Birmingham, Alabama |
| 8 | Vince McMahon and Shane McMahon defeated Steve Austin[12][13] | Handicap ladder match for 100% WWF ownership | King of the Ring | June 27, 1999 Greensboro, North Carolina |
| 9 | New Brood (Matt and Jeff Hardy) defeated Edge and Christian[14][15] | Tag Team ladder match in the final of Terri Invitational Tournament to win Terri Runnels' managerial services and $100,000 | No Mercy | October 17, 1999 Cleveland, Ohio |
| 10 | Edge & Christian defeated The Hardy Boyz and The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von) (c)[16][17] | Triple Threat tag team ladder match for the WWF Tag Team Championship | WrestleMania 2000 | April 2, 2000 Anaheim, California |
| 11 | The Hardy Boyz (c) defeated Edge & Christian[18] | Tag Team ladder match for the WWF Tag Team Championship | Raw is War | September 25, 2000 State College, Pennsylvania |
| 12 | Chris Jericho defeated Chris Benoit (c)[19][20] | Ladder match for the WWF Intercontinental Championship | Royal Rumble | January 21, 2001 New Orleans, Louisiana |
| 13 | Kurt Angle defeated Chris Benoit (c)[21] | Third fall in the Best Two out of Three Falls Match for Kurt Angle's Olympic Gold Medals | Judgment Day | May 20, 2001 Sacramento, California |
| 14 | Rob Van Dam defeated Jeff Hardy (c)[22] | Ladder match for the WWF Hardcore Championship | SummerSlam | August 19, 2001 San Jose, California |
| 15 | Edge defeated Christian (c) [23] | Ladder match for the WWF Intercontinental Championship | No Mercy | October 21, 2001 St. Louis, Missouri |
| 16 | Rob Van Dam defeated Eddie Guerrero (c)[24] | Ladder match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship | Raw | May 27, 2002 Edmonton, Alberta |
| 17 | The Undertaker (c) defeated Jeff Hardy[25] | Ladder match for the WWE Undisputed Championship | Raw | July 1, 2002 Manchester, New Hampshire |
| 18 | Rob Van Dam (c) defeated Jeff Hardy (c)[26] | Ladder match to unify the WWE Intercontinental Championship and the European Championship | Raw | July 22, 2002 Grand Rapids, Michigan |
| 19 | Triple H defeated Shawn Michaels (c)[27] | Third fall in a Three Stages of Hell match for the World Heavyweight Championship | Armageddon | December 15, 2002 Sunrise, Florida |
| 20 | Eddie Guerrero & Tajiri defeated Charlie Haas & Shelton Benjamin (c)[28] | Tag Team ladder match for the WWE Tag Team Championship | Judgment Day | May 18, 2003 Charlotte, North Carolina |
| 21 | Rob Van Dam defeated Christian (c)[29] | Ladder match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship | Raw | September 29, 2003 Rosemont, Illinois |
| 22 | Chris Jericho defeated Christian[30] | Ladder match for the vacant WWE Intercontinental Championship | Unforgiven | September 12, 2004 Portland, Oregon |
| 23 | Kurt Angle (c) defeated Mike Haywood[31] | Angle Invitational ladder match for Kurt Angle's Olympic Gold Medals | SmackDown! | March 10, 2005 Roanoke, Virginia |
| 24 | Rey Mysterio defeated Eddie Guerrero[32] | Ladder match for the custody of Dominick | SummerSlam | August 21, 2005 Washington, D.C. |
| 25 | Edge (c) defeated Matt Hardy[33] | Money in the Bank loser leaves Raw Ladder Match. | Raw | October 3, 2005 Dallas, Texas |
| 26 | Sabu defeated Rob Van Dam[34] | Ladder match to become the No. 1 Contender for the ECW World Championship | ECW on Sci Fi | August 15, 2006 Washington, D.C. |
| 27 | Rob Van Dam defeated Big Show[35] | Ladder match for Van Dam to pick the date of his future ECW World Championship match | ECW on Sci Fi | October 24, 2006 St. Louis, Missouri |
| 28 | Jeff Hardy (c) defeated Johnny Nitro[36] | Ladder match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship | Raw | November 20, 2006 Baltimore, Maryland |
| 29 | Paul London and Brian Kendrick (c) defeated William Regal & Dave Taylor, MNM (Johnny Nitro and Joey Mercury), and The Hardys[37] | Fatal 4-Way Tag Team Ladder match for the WWE Tag Team Championship | Armageddon | December 17, 2006 Richmond, Virginia |
| 30 | The Hardys (c) defeated Charlie Haas & Shelton Benjamin[38] | Tag Team ladder match for the World Tag Team Championship | One Night Stand | June 3, 2007 Jacksonville, Florida |
| 31 | Jeff Hardy (c) defeated Carlito[39] | Ladder match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship | Raw's 15th Anniversary | December 10, 2007 Bridgeport, Connecticut |
| 32 | Chris Jericho (c) defeated Shawn Michaels | Ladder match for the World Heavyweight Championship | No Mercy | October 5, 2008 Portland, Oregon |
| 33 | Jeff Hardy defeated Edge (c) | Ladder match for the World Heavyweight Championship | Extreme Rules | June 7, 2009 New Orleans, Louisiana |
| 34 | Christian (c) defeated Shelton Benjamin | Ladder match for the ECW Championship | TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs | December 13, 2009 San Antonio, Texas |
| 35 | Dolph Ziggler (c) defeated Kofi Kingston and Jack Swagger[40] | Triple Threat Ladder match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship | TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs | December 19, 2010 Houston, Texas |
| 36 | John Morrison defeated King Sheamus[41] | Ladder match to become the No. 1 contender for the WWE Championship | ||
| 37 | Christian defeated Alberto Del Rio | Ladder match for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship | Extreme Rules | May 1, 2011 Tampa, Florida |
| 38 | Triple H defeated Kevin Nash | Sledgehammer Ladder match | TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs | December 18, 2011 Baltimore, Maryland |
| 39 | Dolph Ziggler defeated John Cena | Money in the Bank Ladder match | TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs | December 16, 2012 Brooklyn, New York |
| 40 | Adrian Neville defeated Bo Dallas (c) | Ladder match for the NXT Championship | NXT Arrival | February 27, 2014 Winter Park, Florida |
| 41 | John Cena defeated Alberto Del Rio, Kane, Sheamus, Cesaro, Bray Wyatt, Roman Reigns, and Randy Orton | Ladder match for the vacant WWE World Heavyweight Championship | Money in the Bank | June 29, 2014 Boston, Massachusetts |
| 42 | Dolph Ziggler defeated Luke Harper (c) | Ladder match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship | TLC: Tables, Ladders, Chairs and Stairs | December 14, 2014 Cleveland, Ohio |
| 43 | Daniel Bryan defeated Bad News Barrett (c), R-Truth, Dean Ambrose, Dolph Ziggler, Luke Harper and Stardust | Ladder match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship | WrestleMania 31 | March 29, 2015 Santa Clara, California |
| 44 | Seth Rollins (c) defeated Dean Ambrose | Ladder match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship | Money in the Bank | June 14, 2015 Columbus, Ohio |
| 45 | Finn Bálor (c) defeated Kevin Owens | Ladder match for the NXT Championship | NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn | August 22, 2015 Brooklyn, New York |
| 46 | The New Day (Big E and Kofi Kingston) (c) defeated The Lucha Dragons (Kalisto and Sin Cara) and The Usos (Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso) | Triple Threat Tag Team Ladder match for the WWE Tag Team Championship | TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs | December 13, 2015 Boston, Massachusetts |
| 47 | Zack Ryder defeated Kevin Owens (c), Sami Zayn, Dolph Ziggler, Sin Cara, The Miz and Stardust | Ladder match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship | WrestleMania 32 | April 3, 2016 Arlington, Texas |
| 48 | James Ellsworth defeated AJ Styles | Ladder match for a SmackDown Live contract and for a title shot at the WWE World Championship | SmackDown Live | November 22, 2016 Ottawa, Ontario |
| 49 | The Miz (c) defeated Dolph Ziggler | Ladder match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship | TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs | December 4, 2016 Dallas, Texas |
- Many ladder matches, while not officially recognized by the WWE have taken place at house shows. One featured Razor Ramon retaining the Intercontinental Championship against Shawn Michaels months before their WrestleMania X encounter. Another featured Razor Ramon winning the same title from Jeff Jarrett in Montreal in 1995, only to lose it back to Jarrett two nights later. Another featured Jeff Hardy retaining his World Heavyweight Championship against CM Punk in Denver, Co in 2009.[42] Three ladder matches took place at consecutive house shows in 2006, where each saw Jeff Hardy defend his Intercontinental Championship. The first of these three saw Shelton Benjamin, Johnny Nitro and Carlito as contenders. The next two nights did not feature Benjamin as he was too injured to participate.
- Similar to a Stairway to Hell match, during Triple H and Kevin Nash's ladder match, a sledgehammer was hung above the ring. The first participant to retrieve it could use it as a weapon. The only way to have won was by pinfall or submission.
- Participant list
| Superstar | Victories | Appearances |
|---|---|---|
| Jeff Hardy | 6 | 11 |
| Rob Van Dam | 5 | 6 |
| Chris Jericho | 3 | 3 |
| Triple H | 3 | 3 |
| Dolph Ziggler | 3 | 5 |
| Matt Hardy | 3 | 6 |
| Edge | 3 | 6 |
| Christian | 3 | 8 |
| Kurt Angle | 2 | 2 |
| Shawn Michaels | 2 | 6 |
| Bret Hart | 1 | 1 |
| The Big Boss Man | 1 | 1 |
| Vince McMahon | 1 | 1 |
| Shane McMahon | 1 | 1 |
| The Undertaker | 1 | 1 |
| Tajiri | 1 | 1 |
| Rey Mysterio | 1 | 1 |
| Sabu | 1 | 1 |
| Paul London | 1 | 1 |
| Brian Kendrick | 1 | 1 |
| Adrian Neville | 1 | 1 |
| Daniel Bryan | 1 | 1 |
| Seth Rollins | 1 | 1 |
| Finn Bálor | 1 | 1 |
| Big E | 1 | 1 |
| Zack Ryder | 1 | 1 |
| James Ellsworth | 1 | 1 |
| Razor Ramon | 1 | 2 |
| The Rock | 1 | 2 |
| John Cena | 1 | 2 |
| Kofi Kingston | 1 | 2 |
| Eddie Guerrero | 1 | 3 |
| Johnny Nitro / John Morrison | 1 | 3 |
| Goldust | 0 | 1 |
| Steve Austin | 0 | 1 |
| Bubba Ray Dudley | 0 | 1 |
| D-Von Dudley | 0 | 1 |
| Mike Haywood | 0 | 1 |
| Big Show | 0 | 1 |
| William Regal | 0 | 1 |
| Dave Taylor | 0 | 1 |
| Joey Mercury | 0 | 1 |
| Carlito | 0 | 1 |
| Jack Swagger | 0 | 1 |
| Kevin Nash | 0 | 1 |
| Bo Dallas | 0 | 1 |
| Randy Orton | 0 | 1 |
| Kane | 0 | 1 |
| Bray Wyatt | 0 | 1 |
| Roman Reigns | 0 | 1 |
| Cesaro | 0 | 1 |
| Bad News Barrett | 0 | 1 |
| R-Truth | 0 | 1 |
| Kalisto | 0 | 1 |
| Jimmy Uso | 0 | 1 |
| Jey Uso | 0 | 1 |
| Sami Zayn | 0 | 1 |
| The Miz | 0 | 1 |
| AJ Styles | 0 | 1 |
| Mankind | 0 | 2 |
| Chris Benoit | 0 | 2 |
| Charlie Haas | 0 | 2 |
| Sheamus | 0 | 2 |
| Alberto Del Rio | 0 | 2 |
| Luke Harper | 0 | 2 |
| Dean Ambrose | 0 | 2 |
| Stardust | 0 | 2 |
| Kevin Owens | 0 | 2 |
| Sin Cara | 0 | 2 |
| Shelton Benjamin | 0 | 3 |
Ladder matches in World Championship Wrestling
| # | Match | Stipulations | Event | Date and location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dusty Rhodes defeated Tully Blanchard | Barbed Wire Ladder match for $100,000 | The Great American Bash | July 18, 1987 Charlotte, North Carolina |
| 2 | Eddie Guerrero (c) defeated Syxx[43] | Ladder match for the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship | Souled Out | January 25, 1997 Cedar Rapids, Iowa |
| 3 | Goldberg defeated Scott Hall[44] | Taser ladder match | Souled Out | January 17, 1999 Charleston, West Virginia |
| 4 | Bam Bam Bigelow fought Scott Hall to a no-contest[45] | Taser ladder match | WCW Monday Nitro | January 25, 1999 Dallas, Texas |
| 5 | Scott Hall defeated Bret Hart (c), Goldberg, and Sid Vicious[46] | Four-way ladder match for the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship | WCW Monday Nitro | November 8, 1999 Indianapolis, Indiana |
| 6 | Chris Benoit (c) defeated Jeff Jarrett[47] | Ladder match for the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship | Starrcade | December 19, 1999 Washington, D.C. |
| 7 | Jeff Jarrett defeated Chris Benoit (c)[46] | Ladder match for the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship | WCW Monday Nitro | December 20, 1999 Baltimore, Maryland |
| 8 | The Jung Dragons (Jamie-San, Kaz Hayashi, and Yun Yang) defeated 3 Count (Shane Helms, Shannon Moore, and Evan Karagias)[48] | Six man tag team ladder match for a recording contract | WCW Nitro | July 18, 2000 Auburn Hills, Michigan |
| 9 | 3 Count (Shane Helms, Shannon Moore, and Evan Karagias) defeated The Jung Dragons (Jamie-San, Kaz Hayashi, and Yun Yang)[49] | Six man tag team ladder match for a gold record | New Blood Rising | August 13, 2000 Vancouver, British Columbia |
| 10 | Konnan and Rey Mysterio, Jr. defeated The Boogie Knights (Alex Wright and Disco Inferno)[48] | Tag team ladder match for a ceramic duck | WCW Monday Nitro | October 2, 2000 San Francisco, California |
| 11 | 3 Count (Shane Helms and Shannon Moore) defeated The Jung Dragons (Yun Yang and Kaz Hayashi) (w/Leia Meow) and Jamie Knoble and Evan Karagias[50] | Three-way tag team ladder match to determine the number one contender for the WCW Cruiserweight Championship | Starrcade | December 17, 2000 Washington, D.C. |
Ladder matches in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
| # | Match | Event, date and location | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sabu defeated Malice to become the No. 1 contender to the NWA World Heavyweight Championship | NWA:TNA Weekly PPV # 5 July 13, 2002, Nashville, Tennessee | ||
| 2 | Ken Shamrock fought Sabu to a no-contest in an NWA World Heavyweight Championship match | NWA:TNA Weekly PPV # 6 July 24, 2002, Nashville, Tennessee | ||
| 3 | Jerry Lynn defeated Low Ki and A.J. Styles to win the NWA X Division Championship | NWA:TNA Weekly PPV # 11 August 28, 2002, Nashville, Tennessee | ||
| 4 | Jerry Lynn defeated A.J. Styles to retain the NWA X Division Championship | NWA:TNA Weekly PPV # 14 October 2, 2002, Nashville, Tennessee | ||
| 5 | Syxx-Pac defeated Tony Mamaluke, Jose Maximo, Joel Maximo, Kid Kash, A.J. Styles, Ace Steel, Rick Michaels, & Chris Michaels to win the vacated NWA X Division Championship | NWA:TNA Weekly PPV # 15 October 9, 2002, Nashville, Tennessee | ||
| 6 | Raven defeated A.J. Styles to become the No. 1 contender for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. | NWA:TNA Weekly PPV # 36 March 19, 2003, Nashville, Tennessee | ||
| 7 | Dusty Rhodes defeated Brian Lawler | NWA:TNA Weekly PPV # 39 April 9, 2003, Nashville, Tennessee | ||
| 8 | Abyss defeated A.J. Styles to become No. 1 contender for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. | NWA:TNA Weekly PPV # 85 March 19, 2004, Nashville, Tennessee | ||
| 9 | Eric Young defeated Mr. Águila, Jerry Lynn, and Taichi Ishikari to advance in the TNA World X Cup. | NWA:TNA Weekly PPV # 95 May 26, 2004, Nashville, Tennessee | ||
| 10 | The Naturals (Chase Stevens and Andy Douglas) defeated America's Most Wanted (Chris Harris and James Storm) to win the NWA World Tag Team Championship. | NWA:TNA Weekly PPV # 102 July 14, 2004, Nashville, Tennessee | ||
| 11 | Jeff Jarrett defeated Jeff Hardy to retain the NWA World Heavyweight Championship | TNA Victory Road November 5, 2004, Orlando, Florida. | ||
| 12 | LAX (Homicide & Hernandez) defeated America's Most Wanted (Chris Harris & James Storm) in a Flag Match. | TNA Turning Point December 10, 2006, Orlando, Florida | ||
| 13 | Jerry Lynn defeated Jay Lethal, Sonjay Dutt, Austin Starr, and Senshi to become No. 1 contender for the TNA X Division Championship. | TNA Impact! February 22, 2007, Orlando, Florida | ||
| 14 | Abyss and Sting defeated Christian Cage and A.J. Styles for Abyss to face Cage at Hard Justice 2007. | TNA Impact! August 2, 2007, Orlando, Florida | ||
| 15 | Kaz defeated Christian Cage to become No. 1 Contender for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. | Genesis 2007 November 11, 2007, Orlando, Florida | ||
| 16 | Johnny Devine and Team 3D (Brother Ray and Brother Devon) defeated Jay Lethal and The Motor City Machine Guns (Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley) to retain possession of the TNA X Division Championship. | TNA Impact! December 6, 2007, Orlando, Florida | ||
| 17 | Kaz defeated A.J. Styles (the stipulation for this match was the loser had to wear a reindeer costume) | TNA Impact! December 20, 2007, Orlando, Florida | ||
| 18 | James Storm defeated Eric Young to win the TNA World Beer Drinking Championship | TNA Impact! March 4, 2008 Orlando, Florida | ||
| 19 | Gail Kim defeated Roxxi Laveaux to earn a future shot at the TNA Women's Knockout Championship1 | Sacrifice May 11, 2008 Orlando, Florida | ||
| 20 | A.J. Styles defeated Kurt Angle to win Angle's olympic gold medal | TNA Impact! August 28, 2008, Orlando, Florida | ||
| 21 | Sonjay Dutt defeated Jay Lethal for SoCal Val's heart | No Surrender September 14, 2008, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada | ||
| 22 | Abyss and Matt Morgan defeated Team 3D (Brother Ray and Brother Devon), LAX (Homicide and Hernandez) and Tanahashi and Volador to earn a future shot at the TNA World Tag Team Championship | TNA Impact! October 23, 2008, Orlando, Florida | ||
| 23 | Sojournor Bolt defeated Taylor Wilde to earn a future shot at the TNA Women's Knockout Championship | TNA Impact! November 6, 2008, Orlando, Florida | ||
| 24 | Alex Shelley defeated Chris Sabin, Jay Lethal, and Consequences Creed to retain the TNA X Division Championship | TNA Impact! February 23, 2009, Orlando, Florida | ||
| 25 | Amazing Red defeated Jay Lethal, Consequences Creed, Sheik Abdul Bashir, and Kiyoshi to become the number one contender for the TNA X Division Championship | TNA Impact! October 1, 2009, Orlando, Florida | ||
| 26 | Kazarian defeated Amazing Red, Brian Kendrick and Daniels to become the number one contender to the TNA X Division Championship | Destination X March 21, 2010, Orlando, Florida | ||
| 27 | Mr. Anderson defeated Kurt Angle to win the keys to the steel cage door at Lockdown | TNA Impact! April 5, 2010, Orlando, Florida | ||
| 28 | Jeremy Buck defeated Douglas Williams | TNA Impact! July 8, 2010, Orlando, Florida | ||
| 29 | Beer Money, Inc. (James Storm and Robert Roode) defeated The Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin) in the first match of the Best of 5 Series for the TNA World tag Team Championships | TNA Impact! July 15, 2010, Orlando, Florida | ||
| 30 | Rob Van Dam defeated Abyss to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship in a Stairway to Janice match | The Whole F'N' Show August 12, 2010, Orlando Florida | ||
| 31 | A.J. Styles defeated Sabu to win the keys to the cage for their respective team at Bound for Glory in their Lethal Lockdown match | TNA Impact! September 23, 2010, Orlando, Florida | ||
| 32 | Jeff Hardy defeated Mr. Anderson to win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship | Against All Odds February 13, 2011, Orlando, Florida | ||
| 33 | Matt Morgan defeated A.J. Styles, Gunner and Samoa Joe to earn ten points in the Bound for Glory Series | Impact Wrestling July 21, 2011, Orlando, Florida | ||
| 34 | Brian Kendrick defeated Alex Shelley, Jesse Sorensen, Kid Kash and Zema Ion to become No. 1 contender for the TNA X Division Championship. | Impact Wrestling September 29, 2011, Orlando, Florida | ||
| 35 | Bobby Roode defeated Rob Van Dam to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. | Sacrifice May 13, 2012, Orlando, Florida | ||
| 36 | A.J. Styles defeated Christopher Daniels, Kurt Angle and Samoa Joe to earn twenty points in the Bound for Glory Series | Hardcore Justice August 12, 2012, Orlando, Florida | ||
| 37 | Jeff Hardy defeated Austin Aries to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship | Turning Point November 11, 2012, Orlando, Florida | ||
| 38 | Jeff Hardy fought Bully Ray with a hammer hanging above the right, which ended in a no-consest | Impact Wrestling June 7, 2013, Atlanta, Georgia | ||
| 39 | Gail Kim defeated Taryn Terrell to be no.1 contender for the TNA Knockouts Championship | Impact Wrestling July 11, 2013, Las Vegas, Nevada | ||
| 40 | Sanada defeated Manik, Tigre Uno, Crazzy Steve, Eddie Edwards and Davey Richards to retain the TNA X Division Championship. | Slammiversary XII June 15, 2014, Arlington, Texas | ||
| 41 | The Wolves (Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards) defeated The Hardys (Jeff Hardy and Matt Hardy) and Team 3D (Bully Ray and Devon) to retain the TNA World Tag Team Championship | Impact Wrestling August 7, 2014, New York City, New York | ||
| 42 | Grado defeated Eli Drake | Impact Wrestling March 15, 2016, Orlando, Florida | ||
| 43 | DJ Z defeated Rockstar Spud, Mandrews, Braxton Sutter, Trevor Lee and Andrew Everett to become #1 contender for the TNA X Division Championship | Impact Wrestling July 12, 2016, Orlando, Florida | ||
(1) This match began as a Battle Royal but when it came down to 2 competitors it became a ladder match.
(2) The big red X, usually associated with the Ultimate X match, was used instead of a belt to win the match.
Ladder matches in Ring of Honor
Ladder matches in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla
| # | Match | Stipulations | Event | Date and location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scott Lost (c) defeated Joey Ryan (c) | Ladder match for sole ownership of the PWG Tag Team Championship (renamed PWG World Tag Team Championship in 2006) | The Next Show | September 4, 2004 Los Angeles, California |
| 2 | El Generico defeated Kevin Steen (c) | Ladder match for the PWG World Championship | Steen Wolf | October 22, 2011 Reseda, California |
| 3 | The Super Smash Brothers (Player Uno and Stupefied) (c) defeated Future Shock (Adam Cole and Kyle O'Reilly) and The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson) | Three-way tag team ladder match for the PWG World Tag Team Championship | Threemendous III | July 21, 2012 Reseda, California |
| 4 | The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson) (c) defeated Inner City Machine Guns (Ricochet and Rich Swann) and DojoBros (Eddie Edwards and Roderick Strong) | Three-way tag team ladder match for the PWG World Tag Team Championship | Ten | August 9, 2013 Reseda, California |
Ladder matches in New Japan Pro Wrestling
| # | Match | Stipulations | Event | Date and location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Elgin defeated Kenny Omega (c) | Ladder match for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship | Dominion 6.19 in Osaka-jo Hall | June 19, 2016 Osaka, Osaka |
Other variations
- King of the Mountain match – Used in TNA; essentially a ladder match in reverse, the winner (referred to as the "King of the Mountain") is the first person to attach the object specified beforehand (usually a championship belt) to the wire above the ring. However, wrestlers cannot go for the belt until they've scored a pinfall, after which the pinned wrestler must spend some time in a penalty box.
- Ultimate X match – Used in TNA; essentially a ladder match contested by the TNA X-Division. The match features a structure that consists of two wires strung above the ring, forming an 'X'. The wrestlers climb the structure that holds the wires, makes their way across the wires to the center of the structure, and retrieves the 'X' while hanging from the wires. Although very similar to a ladder match, ladders are rarely used as a part of an unwritten rule of sorts, with the on exception of Team 3D in X14.
- Full Metal Mayhem match- same rules apply as Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match, but steel chains can also be used.
- Stairway to Hell – Used mainly in ECW; in this variation of the ladder match instead of a title being suspended above the ring there's a weapon, usually a ball of barbed wire or a kendo stick. Once you've taken down the weapon you are then free to use it, you win the match via pin or submission the same as a singles match.
- Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match – Variation of the ladder match where tables and chairs are also permitted (and their use is encouraged). Referred to at times simply as TLC matches.
- Money in the Bank ladder match – Exclusively used in WWE; a Ladder match where multiple competitors try to climb a ladder to obtain a contract for a future World Title shot anytime within the next 12 months. Challenger chooses time and place. Match took place at every WrestleMania from WrestleMania 21 to WrestleMania XXVI, after which it was moved to the new annual Money in the Bank pay-per-view.
- Tables, Ladders, and Cervezas match – Exclusively used in WSX; variation of the Tables, Ladder, and Chairs match except instead of permitting chairs, cervezas (Spanish for beers) is permitted along with tables and ladders (and their use is encouraged).
- Tables, Ladders, Chairs, and Canes match - This match is a TLC match with the addition of Singapore Canes.
- Tables, Ladders, Chairs, and Stairs match - This match is a TLC match with the addition of steel stairs. It was so named because the 2014 TLC event also involved a Steel Stairs match.
References
- ^ a b "Inside WWE > Specialty Matches". WWE. Retrieved July 17, 2007.
- ^ "History of the Ladder match". OnlineWorldofWrestling.com.
- ^ http://www.wrestlecrap.com/icfyt/it-came-from-youtube-witness-the-disco-ladder-match/
- ^ "2007 Wrestling Almanac & Book of Facts". Wrestling’s Historical Cards". Kappa Publishing. 2007. p. 92.
- ^ "WrestleMania X results". WWE. Retrieved July 16, 2007.
- ^ "2007 Wrestling Almanac & Book of Facts". Wrestling’s Historical Cards. Kappa Publishing. 2007. p. 94.
- ^ "1995 SummerSlam results". WWE. Retrieved July 16, 2007.
- ^ "2007 Wrestling Almanac & Book of Facts". Wrestling’s Historical Cards. Kappa Publishing. 2007. p. 101.
- ^ "1998 SummerSlam results". WWE. Retrieved July 16, 2007.
- ^ "1998 Raw results". OnlineWorldofWrestling.com. Retrieved July 16, 2007.
- ^ "1999 Raw results". OnlineWorldofWrestling.com. Retrieved July 16, 2007.
- ^ "2007 Wrestling almanac & book of facts". Wrestling’s Historical Cards. Kappa Publishing. 2007. p. 103.
- ^ "Stone Cold WWE.com Profile". WWE. Archived from the original on June 27, 2007. Retrieved July 16, 2007.
- ^ "2007 Wrestling Almanac & Book of Facts". Wrestling’s Historical Cards. Kappa Publishing. 2007. p. 104.
- ^ "1999 No Mercy results". WWE. Retrieved July 16, 2007.
- ^ "2007 Wrestling Almanac & Book of Facts". Wrestling’s Historical Cards. Kappa Publishing. 2007. p. 105.
- ^ "WrestleMania 2000 results". WWE. Retrieved July 16, 2007.
- ^ "2000 Raw results". OnlineWorldofWrestling.com. Retrieved July 17, 2007.
- ^ "2007 Wrestling Almanac & Book of Facts". Wrestling’s Historical Cards. Kappa Publishing. 2007. p. 107.
- ^ "2001 Royal Rumble results". WWE. Retrieved July 17, 2007.
- ^ "Judgment Day 2001 results". WWE. Retrieved May 25, 2009.
- ^ "2007 Wrestling Almanac & Book of Facts". Wrestling’s Historical Cards. Kappa Publishing. 2007. p. 108.
- ^ "2007 Wrestling Almanac & Book of Facts". Wrestling’s Historical Cards. Kappa Publishing. 2007. p. 109.
- ^ "WWE Raw Results". OnlineWorldofWrestling.com. Retrieved September 23, 2008.
- ^ "WWE Raw Results". OnlineWorldofWrestling.com. Retrieved September 23, 2008.
- ^ "WWE Raw Results". OnlineWorldofWrestling.com. Retrieved September 23, 2008.
- ^ "Armageddon 2002 results". WWE. Retrieved May 25, 2009.
- ^ "2007 Wrestling almanac & book of facts". Wrestling’s Historical Cards. Kappa Publishing. 2007. p. 113.
- ^ "WWE Raw Results". OnlineWorldofWrestling.com. Retrieved September 23, 2008.
- ^ "2007 Wrestling Almanac & Book of Facts". Wrestling’s Historical Cards. Kappa Publishing. 2007. p. 116.
- ^ "March 15, 2005 Smackdown results". Online World of Wrestling.
- ^ "2007 Wrestling Almanac & Book of Facts". Wrestling’s Historical Cards. Kappa Publishing. 2007. p. 118.
- ^ "WWE Raw Results". OnlineWorldofWrestling.com. Retrieved September 23, 2008.
- ^ "ECW Wrestling Results". OnlineWorldofWrestling.com. Retrieved September 23, 2008.
- ^ "ECW Wrestling Results". OnlineWorldofWrestling.com. Retrieved September 23, 2008.
- ^ "WWE Raw Results". OnlineWorldofWrestling.com. Retrieved September 23, 2008.
- ^ "2007 Wrestling Almanac & Book of Facts". Wrestling’s Historical Cards. Kappa Publishing. 2007. p. 122.
- ^ WWE.com (June 2007). "One Night Stand 2007 results, June 2007". ONS07.
- ^ WWE.com (December 2007). "WWE Raw results, December 2007". WWE Raw.
- ^ "Results:Fumble finish". WWE. Retrieved December 19, 2010.
- ^ "Results:Morrison rises above The High King". WWE. Retrieved December 19, 2010.
- ^ http://www.prowrestling.net/artman/publish/WWEliveevents/article1007256.shtml
- ^ PWI Staff (2007). "Pro Wrestling Illustrated presents: 2007 Wrestling almanac & book of facts". "Wrestling’s historical cards". Kappa Publishing. p. 145.
- ^ PWI Staff (2007). "Pro Wrestling Illustrated presents: 2007 Wrestling almanac & book of facts". "Wrestling’s historical cards". Kappa Publishing. p. 149.
- ^ "1999 Nitro results". OnlineWorldofWrestling.com. Retrieved September 21, 2008.
- ^ a b [1]
- ^ PWI Staff (2007). "Pro Wrestling Illustrated presents: 2007 Wrestling almanac & book of facts". "Wrestling’s historical cards". Kappa Publishing. p. 151.
- ^ a b [2]
- ^ PWI Staff (2007). "Pro Wrestling Illustrated presents: 2007 Wrestling almanac & book of facts". "Wrestling’s historical cards". Kappa Publishing. p. 153.
- ^ PWI Staff (2007). "Pro Wrestling Illustrated presents: 2007 Wrestling almanac & book of facts". "Wrestling’s historical cards". Kappa Publishing. p. 154.