The Top 10 Matches Of Sid Eudy

On 26 August 2024, the wrestling world lost another great legend of the sport. Sid Eudy AKA Sid Justice, Sycho Sid and Sid Vicious was an almighty titan, famed for his ferocity, brutish strength, intimidating facial expressions and memorable promos. With such presence and charisma, Sid was hugely popular with audiences around the globe.

We at SmarkDown pay tribute to the legacy and memory of Sid Eudy. And are the Top 10 matches of Sid’s career.

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10) Sycho Sid Vs. The Undertaker – WWE Championship Match (WrestleMania 13)

Admittedly, this WrestleMania main-event is ranked very low in the history of WrestleMania main-events. And it did suffer from an appalling lack of build-up, due to the originally-booked rematch between Shawn Michaels & Bret Hart falling through.

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But despite the lack of a proper storyline – other than The Undertaker’s quest to become WWE Champion again after over five years – it remains one of the biggest matches of Sid’s career and his second & final WrestleMania main-event. The bout itself is worth watching for the sheer physicality between the two seven-foot-tall, three-hundred-pound titans, and The Undertaker finally getting his long-awaited return to the throne.

9) Sycho Sid Vs. Shawn Michaels – WWE Intercontinental Championship Match (WWE Raw – 11.09.1995)

Sid was one of Shawn Michaels’ most personal rivalries in the nineties, and it all started when Sid returned to the WWE in February 1995, becoming the new-bodyguard of The Heartbreak Kid. After Michaels’ failure to become WWE Champion at WrestleMania 11, Sid went Sycho on his boss, resigning with THREE brutal powerbombs on Michaels.

Fast-forward to the 11th September, 1995 episode of Raw, Shawn was again the Intercontinental Champion, and now had to defend his title against his ex-bodyguard. The two would have better matches together in the future, but this was a very good David-&-Goliath TV bout, with Shawn managing to prevail with Sweet Chin Music for the hard-fought victory.

8) Sycho Sid Vs. Mankind – WWE Championship Match (WWE Raw Is War – 03.03.1997)

After Sid won his second WWE Championship in February 1997, The Master & Ruler Of The World took on all-comers week-after-week leading up to WrestleMania 13. One of these challengers was the deranged & dangerous Mankind, who had a title shot in Berlin, Germany.

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As soon as the bell-rang, the two vicious wrestlers engaged in a ferocious brawl, with Sid hammering down on Mankind with thunderous blows and uncanny speed, and Mick Foley retaliating with vicious offence and the Mandible Claw. This bout is noteworthy for being such a rare-meeting between two legends, and Mankind again proving a legitimate threat to the WWE Title. Sid retained with the Powerbomb in a great brawl indeed.

7) Bret “Hitman” Hart Vs. Sycho Sid – WWE Championship Match (WWE Raw Is War – 17.02.1997)

In the chaotic run-up to WrestleMania 13, Shawn Michaels was forced to vacate the WWE Championship due to injury. Bret Hart was subsequently able to win his fourth WWE Championship at In Your House: Final Four, but had to defend the belt the next night on Raw against Sycho Sid, who was owed his rematch from losing the belt at the 1997 Royal Rumble.

It was very hard for The Hitman to have bad matches with anyone, and Sid put in a very good performance against Bret. After a back-and-forth tussle, The Hitman seemed poised for victory after trapping Sid in the Sharpshooter, but a wild chair-shot from Bret’s arch-nemesis Steve Austin turned the tide in Sid’s favour, allowing him to Powerbomb Hart and win his second WWE Championship.

6) Sycho Sid Vs. Bret “Hitman” Hart – Steel Cage Match For The WWE Championship (WWE Raw Is War – 17.03.1997)

The situation going into WrestleMania 13 became all-the-more-volatile upon Bret Hart losing the WWE Championship to Sycho Sid twenty-fours after winning it at In Your House. On the final Raw before WrestleMania 13, Bret would get his rematch against Sid for the WWE Title in a steel cage.

If the stakes weren’t high enough, both Bret and Sid were already booked to wrestle against Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Undertaker respectively. This brutal cage match became wilder as both Austin and the Phenom interfered on behalf of their respective opponents to try and secure a WWE Championship opportunity at WrestleMania. Eventually, Sid was able to prevail against Bret thanks to The Undertaker. And a furious Hitman cut a scathing promo afterwards, inciting a massive brawl between all four wrestlers.

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5) Sid Vicious Vs. Goldberg – WCW United States Championship (WCW Halloween Havoc 1999)

When Sid returned to WCW in 1999, he was determined to leave a trail of destruction in his wake. Capturing the United States Championship at Fall Brawl, Sid Vicious seemed unstoppable heading into the new millennium. Alas, the self-appointed Millennium Man hadn’t reckoned without Goldberg.

The one wrestler who could threaten and demolish Sid made for an exciting match on paper, and their US Title showdown at Halloween Havoc was a bloody, violent affair. With Sid having already been busted open earlier on in the night by Goldberg during a backstage brawl, the US Champion fought valiantly against the relentless Goldberg. Ultimately, Referee Mickie Henson was forced to stop the match when Sid was unable to continue, and award Goldberg his second US Title.

4) Sycho Sid Vs. Shawn Michaels – WWE Championship Match (Royal Rumble 1997)

The feud between Sycho Sid and Shawn Michaels had become beyond personal in 1996 when Sid attack Shawn’s mentor/trainer Jose Lothario at the Survivor Series, then hit Shawn with a TV camera before finally powerbombing The Heartbreak Kid to take the WWE Championship. In this highly-anticipated rematch at Royal Rumble 1997, Shawn at last had his chance for revenge.

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In this wild & chaotic showdown, Sycho Sid dominated the challenger throughout most of the bout. But The Heartbreak Kid refused to cave in. Eventually, after multiple referees being incapacitated by Sid, Michaels finally returned the favour by hitting the champion with a TV camera. Then he nailed Sweet Chin Music to reclaim the WWE Title and avenge his mentor in front of 60,477 of his proud, fellow Texans in Shawn’s hometown of San Antonio.

3) Sycho Sid Vs. Bret “Hitman” Hart – WWE Championship Match (In Your House: It’s Time)

Sid’s first WWE Title defence on pay-per-view since winning the belt at Survivor Series 1996 came a month later at In Your House. His opponent was none other than Bret Hart, who had earned the right to face the WWE Champion after triumphing over Stone Cold Steve Austin at the same event where Sycho Sid had won the championship.

As has been chronicled in numerous entries on this list, Sid and Bret would wrestle each other many times over the WWE Championship, but their best match together was definitely at It’s Time. In a back-and-forth match, The Hitman seemed poised for victory, and may have actually recaptured the gold if Austin and Shawn Michaels hadn’t interfered. Sid cemented his dominance over Bret with a Powerbomb, and would continue to do so over the next few months.

2) Sid Vicious Vs. Chris Benoit – WCW World Heavyweight Championship Match (WCW Souled Out 2000)

Obviously, this match isn’t discussed much nowadays because of the inexcusable Benoit Tragedy. But this bout for the vacant WCW World Title still remains a terrific match that is easily Sid’s best match throughout his whole WCW tenure.

With Benoit at the height of his technical prowess, and Sid again being a dominant, terrifying force, the two produced a masterful bout. After nearly fifteen-minutes, Benoit was able to catch Sid Vicious in the Crippler Crossface to win his only WCW World Heavyweight Title. However, Benoit would walk out of WCW twenty-four hours later with Dean Malenko, Eddie Guerrero and Perry Saturn for the WWE, and the WCW World Title was vacated once again.

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1) Shawn Michaels Vs. Sycho Sid – WWE Championship Match (Survivor Series 1996)

It was undoubtedly Sid’s finest hour. In Madison Square Garden, Sycho Sid had a one-on-one opportunity against WWE Champion Shawn Michaels. Ever since winning the title at WrestleMania 12, Shawn had turned back all challengers and was unquestionably the Wrestler of 1996.

But in the match of his life, Sid was finally able to take his place in history. With the MSG crowd firmly on his side (despite him being the heel), Sycho Sid became WWE Champion after an epic twenty-minutes, destroying both Shawn and his mentor Jose Lothario, and with the fans unanimously declaring him The Man, The Master And The Ruler Of The World.

What were YOUR favourite matches of Sid Justice/Sycho Sid/Sid Vicious? Please share with us in the comments below.

All of us here at SmarkDown pay our deepest respects and condolences to Sid Eudy’s family and loved ones.

REST IN PEACE, SID EUDY. 1960-2024

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