#1.) vs Shawn Michaels – No Mercy 2008
2008 was undoubtedly the greatest year in Chris Jericho’s career. He had an incredible heel turn and developed a new persona that he had never displayed before, and the likes of which he never has since. The new, suit-wearing, soft-spoken Jericho had the feud of the year with Shawn Michaels and things got personal when Jericho accidentally knocked Michaels’ wife Rebecca out.
This resulted in an unsanctioned match that was the very definition of a grudge match. Michaels won the bout after knocking Jericho unconscious, but their feud was far from over. Once Jericho had become World Heavyweight Champion, their feud had resumed and it resulted in a ladder match which many considered the match of the year.
It was an all-time classic, with Michaels and Jericho making unique use of the ladder, not as an instrument for high spots, but for incredible storytelling. It was an incredible, psychological match that saw Jericho triumph over Michaels.
