You might’ve stumbled across this iconic picture of the WWE RAW roster from 2008. There’s no denying that the red brand was stacked with top tier talent in said year. You had stars like Triple H, Shawn Michaels, and Randy Orton at the top of their game.
The mid-card featured the likes of CM Punk, Rey Mysterio, and Jeff Hardy. These men gave fans some of the best matches on WWE television in 2008. That being said, let’s take a look at some of the best WWE RAW matches of 2008 (in no particular order):
Chris Jericho vs. Jeff Hardy (WWE Intercontinental Title Match – March 10)
Jeff Hardy had an amazing run as WWE Intercontinental Champion in 2008. The Daredevil picked up clean wins over the likes of Umaga and Shawn Michaels on WWE RAW. One of his great matches came against Chis Jericho in March 2008.
Jericho kept Hardy at a disadvantage for the greater part of the match. The champion survived several near falls to keep the match going. However, a miscalculated Swanton Bomb allowed Y2J to win the title with a Code Breaker.
Jeff Hardy vs. Shawn Michaels (WWE RAW – February 11)
Vince McMahon billed this encounter as a dream match for WWE RAW viewers back in 2008. Both men extremely over with fans at the time and both wanted to prove that they were better than each other.
Shawn Michaels dominated the early goings of the match-up with his technical prowess. The Heartbreak Kid used his game plan to keep Hardy at arm’s length. However, a Twist of Fate followed by the Swanton Bomb sealed the win for the Daredevil.
Rey Mysterio vs. Evan Bourne (WWE RAW – October 27)
Evan Bourne emerged as one of the most exciting high flyers on the WWE roster in 2008. The real-life Matthew Joseph Korklan vowed the WWE Universe with his amazing agility and aerial offense.
Bourne got the opportunity to test his offense against one of the very best in the business in Rey Mysterio. The pair had a fun 12-minute match that saw them exchange some creative moves with each other.
Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels (Last Man Standing Match – November 10)
Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels give WWE RAW fans feud of the year in 2008. The program picked up momentum after the Heartbreak Kid’s emotional win over Ric Flair at WrestleMania 24. It got extremely personal after Jericho (inadvertently) legitimately punched Michaels’ wife, Rebecca Curci, in the face.
After having one of the best No Mercy matches of all time at No Mercy 2008, the bitter rivals met in a non-title Last Man Standing Match in England. This bout turned out to be one of the best WWE RAW matches of 2008. Michaels delivered an elbow from the top of the ladder onto the heart of Jericho through the table.
The Heartbreak Kid even survived an attack from JBL. Jericho took advantage of the opportunity to knock him out with the world title belt. Michaels recovered and put him away with the Sweet Chin Music, but Y2J used the ring ropes to break his fall. JBL used the distraction to hit Michaels with a steel chair – giving Jericho the win in the process.
Jeff Hardy vs. Umaga (WWE Intercontinental Title Steel Cage Match – January 7)
I remember watching this match when it first aired and being absolutely blown away by Jeff Hardy’s death defying performance. The Charismatic Enigma made a Hall of Fame-worthy career out of jumping off the ladders and steel cages.
This Steel Cage match took place amid Hardy’s feud with Randy Orton over the WWE Championship. This match saw the Daredevil put his Intercontinental Championship on the line against Umaga.
Hardy entered the match as the underdog. He took a brutal beating from the Samoan Bulldozer. Orton’s presence on the outside also prevented him from escaping the cage. In the end, Hardy put away Umaga with a huge Whisper in the Wind from the top of the cage.
Also read: Best WWE RAW Matches Of 2009
