WINC Watchlist: Lita's Greatest Matches

Lita was a wrestler well-ahead of her time who debuted during the then-WWF's Attitude Era, but still managed to make a name for herself between the ropes in serious matches, not just the pillow fights and bra and panties matches of the day. She began her wrestling career in 1998 in CMLL before signing with WWE in August 1999 where she was first aligned with Essa Rios.

She became a quick fan-favorite as a member of Team X-Treme alongside then real-life boyfriend Matt Hardy and his brother, Jeff, and due to all-too-real world happenings, had a heel run alongside Edge. Over the course of her career, she held the WWE Women's Championship four times, including when it was still known as the World Women's Championship, and she had a 42-day run with the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships alongside Becky Lynch in 2023.

Lita put on plenty of exciting matches during her seven active years in the ring, and in 2014, she was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. She wrote her name in new chapters of history when she competed in the first-ever women's Royal Rumble in 2018, as well as at Evolution the same year. Some of her greatest matches in her career were alongside her real-life best friend, Trish Stratus, who she feuded with from 2000 throughout the end of Stratus' career in 2004.

She did things in the ring that not many women were doing at the time, and her high-flying, extreme style was must-see. An honorable mention to this list of Lita's greatest matches is her first championship victory over Stephanie McMahon in the main event of the August 21, 2000 edition of "Raw is War." It fails to make the proper list due to the involvement of The Rock and Triple H.

Lita wrestled the final match of her full-time WWE career at Unforgiven 2006 in a match against Mickie James for the WWE Women's Championship. Her retirement had been announced previously, much like her real-life friend Trish Stratus ahead of her final bout, so it came to no surprise to fans. While Lita's official send-off following the match left a lot to be desired, as Cryme Time came out "selling" her personal things, including her underwear, to humiliate her, the in-ring action itself was solid.

James took the fight to Lita to start off the bout, getting her in the corner to deliver hard strikes. The champion didn't stay down for long, but throughout the eight minute bout, the opponents were evenly matched in their aggressive styles. Lita locked in a sleeper hold, complete with body scissors to James trying to get her to tap, but the challenger was able to get to the ropes. James was then able to duck a cross body off the top rope by Lita.

Lita was able to kick out after numerous clotheslines by James and a big kick to her jaw and dodged the Stratusfaction attempt. Lita hit the moonsault, but James still held on. James was finally able to secure the win with a DDT, earning her second WWE Women's Championship of her career.

The post-match angle to put an end to Lita's in-ring career, for the time being, left a lot to be desired, but thankfully in the years following, she was able to get redemption from crowds who adored her, rather than the harsh Philadelphia crowd during her heel run. Lita dominated the field during her own time period, a notoriously difficult one for women, and would go on to prove she could still go over ten years later.

After retiring in 2006 to a less-than-positive response thanks to the actions of Crime Time following her match with James and the storyline surrounding her affair with Edge, Lita got a second chance in the ring alongside some of the best women of today.

After she appeared in the 2022 Royal Rumble, Lita boldly challenged Raw Women's Champion Becky Lynch to a match at Elimination Chamber. The women would go on to wrestle a match just over 12 minutes long, with Lynch leading one of her heroes to a solid bout.

Lynch went for the Dis-Arm-Her early, but Lita fought it off. Lynch hit back-to-back Becksploders, but Lita dodged the third into a DDT, giving herself time to get her feet back underneath her. The women traded strikes back-and-forth, and Lynch countered the Twist of Fate into a Dis-Arm-Her attempt.

Lita planted Lynch with a powerbomb and looked for the moonsault, but Lynch rolled out of the ring. The challenger looked for another moonsault after getting Lynch back down, but Lynch was able to lock in the Dis-Arm-Her, but turned it into a Manhandle Slam when Lita got too close to the ropes. Lynch attempted a moonsault of her own, but Lita got out of the way.

The Hall of Famer was finally able to hit the Twist of Fate and moonsault, but Lynch kicked out. As Lita got her back up, Lynch hit a second Manhandle Slam for the win.

While she may not have captured the title, the match kicked off more for Lita in WWE. Following a year-long hiatus, she returned to help Lynch against Damage CNTRL, and the pair would have a run with the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships. Lita, Stratus, and Lynch would have a six-woman tag match at WrestleMania 39, marking Lita's only second-ever appearance at the event.

Lita was involved in the first-ever women's steel cage match, a bout sometimes forgotten by history, alongside Victoria, thanks to the spin of the wheel on an edition of "Raw Roulette." Lita had made the jump from "SmackDown" to "Raw," and after rejecting general manager Eric Bischoff's advances, he wanted to make her life difficult. Bischoff had Women's Champion Molly Holly spin the wheel, and it was determined Lita and Victoria would be squaring off in the cage as Lita stood in the ring.

Lita took it to Victoria the second she got into the cage, smashing her into the structure multiple times. Victoria returned the favor, sending Lita face-first into the cage before hitting her with a spinning sidewalk slam. Victoria tried to escape through the door, but Lita was on her throwing right hands.

Both women attempted to escape the cage through the top and took vicious back bumps for one another when they ripped each other from the side of the structure and went crashing down to the mat. Lita hit Victoria with a powerbomb during one escape attempt, then hit her with a moonsault. Lita then tried to escape through the door, but her then ex-boyfriend in storyline, Matt Hardy, appeared and slammed the door in her face, allowing for Victoria to escape for the victory.

While the match did involve interference by a man, the historic bout featured some good, albeit short, in-ring action between two serious women's competitors at the time, while also playing into the "escape the cage" troupe that was popular in men's cage matches in that era. Lita had also just returned a little over two months prior from a 17-month hiatus due to neck surgery, so competing within the cage was a big deal for the star.

In a poetic end to their feud, WWE Women's Champion Lita lost her gold to Trish Stratus in the latter's retirement match at Unforgiven 2006 in Stratus' hometown of Toronto. Lita involved herself in her career-long rival's business in the weeks ahead of the pay-per-view when she leaked the news that Stratus was set to retire after Unforgiven. Stratus confirmed she was retiring, then challenged Lita to a match at the event for the title.

The women went to the final battle of their full-time careers in an 11-and-a-half minute match that was one of their best. Stratus tried to get a quick pin on Lita with a big clothesline, but her frenemy wouldn't stay down that easily.

When Lita left the ring, Stratus took the fight to the outside and jumped from the apron to her opponent, taking her out. The women brawled back in the ring, until a slugfest on the top rope sent them both crashing to the floor once again.

Stratus moved out of the way of a moonsault and tried to capitalize with a cover, but Lita kicked out. Stratus went for Stratusfaction, but Lita pushed her out of the ring once again. The champion had complete control of the match until Stratus rallied with a neck breaker. She hit Lita with a Stratusfaction, then a Chick Kick, but Lita kicked out again. In the end, Lita countered another Stratusfaction, but walked into a sharpshooter by Stratus and had no option but to tap.

Stratus retired a champion, and she and Lita would reunite in WWE throughout the years, with Stratus doing the honor of inducting Lita into the Hall of Fame. Their final match, the cumulation of years of work together during a time where things were difficult for women, was a memorable banger where both women put in solid work.

Lita's feud with Stratus was iconic for many reasons, and their main event match for the WWE World Women's Championship on the December 6, 2004 edition of "Raw" is one of those reasons. While Lita had competed in a main event match on "Raw" a few years prior, her bout with then-champion Stratus is often considered the first time women main evented a weekly show, as they were the entire focus of the bout.

The women had been feuding for years at that point, and both had been honing their skills during an era where it was difficult for women to get any TV time when it came to matches. While their match wasn't long by any means, they proved themselves in numerous big spots.

Stratus was wrestling with a "broken nose" and protective face gear, which she used as a weapon. The women tumbled out of the ring after locking up to start, but neither seemed fazed and they were quickly back outside after Lita sent Stratus over the top rope with a back body drop. She followed up with a suicide dive and took a nasty bump, landing on her head just a few years removed from neck surgery.

The champion was back in control, but Lita met Stratus on the ropes and hit a superplex. It was Stratus who regained momentum first, however, but Lita quickly rallied with a power bomb to combat Stratus' strikes in the corner.

In the end, it was Lita to hit the Twist of Fate, then a moonsault, to pin Stratus to win her second World Women's Championship. The match is considered one of the best of the time period, and one that inspired many female wrestlers of today. It's remembered fondly by fans, especially women, of a certain age.