How did JBL defeat Eddie Guerrero at the 2004 Great American Bash?

John Bradshaw Layfield won the WWE Championship from Eddie Guerrero in a Texas Bullrope Match after SmackDown General Manager Kurt Angle reviewed the tape. Guerrero originally thought he won, but Angle proved Guerrero had propelled Layfield into the corner, meaning Layfield's back touched the final turnbuckle pad first.

What happened in the Tony D'Angelo versus Naraku match in 2026?

At the 2026 Great American Bash, Tony D'Angelo defended the NXT Championship against Naraku while wearing heavy face bandages due to a prior fireball attack. Despite Naraku targeting his burned face and the referee almost stopping the match, D'Angelo executed a deadlift Dead To Rights to retain the title.

How did Carmelo Hayes retain his NXT title against Ilja Dragunov?

Carmelo Hayes retained the NXT Championship by defeating Ilja Dragunov at the Great American Bash on July 30, 2023. Dragunov brought a stiff European style and absorbed brutal chops, but Hayes ultimately countered a running attack and hit Nothing But Net from the top rope to secure the victory.

Who did Big Van Vader defeat to win the WCW title in 1992?

Big Van Vader defeated Sting to win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship on July 12, 1992, at the Albany Civic Center. Sting suffered a deep laceration on his head after colliding with the ring post, allowing Vader to capitalize with a powerbomb to pin the champion and win the title.

When and where was the Texas Bullrope Match between JBL and Eddie Guerrero?

The Texas Bullrope Match between John Bradshaw Layfield and Eddie Guerrero took place on June 27, 2004. The controversial WWE Championship match, which ended Guerrero's title reign after Kurt Angle intervened, was hosted at the Norfolk Scope.

Top 10: american

The Big Picture

The Great American Bash remains the crown jewel of summer professional wrestling, a legacy born in Jim Crockett Promotions in 1985 before anchoring WCW and eventually finding a modern home in NXT. The latest 2026 iteration in Orlando proved that WWE is still willing to take massive booking risks to redefine its rosters for the hot summer months. From bloody cage matches in Greensboro to shocking title changes, this list ranks the ten most impactful moments in the history of the Bash.

The Top Ten Moments Ranked

10. John Bradshaw Layfield Defeats Eddie Guerrero (2004)

The Norfolk Scope hosted a polarizing encounter on June 27, 2004, as Eddie Guerrero defended the WWE Championship against John Bradshaw Layfield in a Texas Bullrope Match. Guerrero originally believed he won after touching the final turnbuckle, but SmackDown General Manager Kurt Angle intervened to review the tape. Angle proved that Guerrero had propelled Layfield into the corner, meaning Layfield's back touched the pad first. This controversial decision ended Guerrero's title run and launched Layfield's 280-day reign, though the flat finish deflated the Norfolk crowd.

9. Tony D’Angelo Retains the NXT Championship Against Naraku (2026)

On June 28, 2026, the WWE Performance Center saw a chaotic opener as Tony D’Angelo defended the NXT Championship against the mysterious Naraku. D'Angelo fought with heavy bandages covering his face and eyes after a fireball attack on NXT television earlier that week. The referee nearly stopped the match as Naraku targeted the champion's burned face, but the Don of NXT refused to quit. D'Angelo hit a deadlift Dead To Rights to score the pinfall at 13 minutes. While the match showed D'Angelo's resilience, the cartoonish injury angle felt out of place for NXT's premier summer spectacular.

8. Carmelo Hayes Defeats Ilja Dragunov (2023)

The NXT Championship match on July 30, 2023, delivered a physical masterpiece at the H-E-B Center in Cedar Park, Texas. Carmelo Hayes defended his title against the relentless Ilja Dragunov in a hard-hitting contest that showcased Dragunov's stiff European style. Dragunov absorbed brutal chops, keeping the crowd on the edge of their seats with his fighting spirit. Hayes countered a running attack and hit Nothing But Net from the top rope to retain the championship. This match ranks lower only because it lacked the historical gravity of a title change, but it remains the modern standard for NXT-era Bash matches.

7. Big Van Vader Defeats Sting (1992)

On July 12, 1992, at the Albany Civic Center, Big Van Vader challenged Sting for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. The match was a masterclass in physical storytelling, featuring Sting fighting desperately against his massive challenger. Sting's head collided violently with the ring post, opening a deep laceration that blinded him. Vader capitalized instantly, hitting a massive powerbomb to pin the champion and capture the title. This win marked the arrival of Vader as the dominant monster heel of the early 90s, changing the power dynamics of WCW.

6. Kendal Grey Defeats Lola Vice (2026)

The main event of the 2026 Great American Bash saw a historic upset as Kendal Grey defeated Lola Vice to capture the NXT Women's Championship in Orlando. The battle saw Grey nail her Shades of Grey move outside the ring, though it was not enough to put the champion away. Vice returned fire with a vicious guillotine choke, but Grey showcased incredible mat awareness to escape and reverse a submission into a clean pinfall. Following the loss, Lola Vice broke her silence on social media, receiving public support from her partner Damian Priest. This match ranks above the 2023 Hayes-Dragunov bout due to the shock factor and the clean coronation of a new champion.

5. The First-Ever WarGames Match (1987)

On July 4, 1987, at the Omni in Atlanta, Dusty Rhodes introduced the double-ring, double-cage WarGames match to the wrestling world. The chaotic brawl pitted Rhodes, Nikita Koloff, The Road Warriors, and Paul Ellering against Ric Flair's Four Horsemen and J.J. Dillon. Dillon legitimately suffered a separated shoulder during the match after a brutal fall, highlighting the danger of putting a manager in such a high-risk environment. The babyfaces secured the victory when Road Warrior Animal forced a screaming Dillon to submit. This established WarGames as the signature match of the NWA summer tour.

4. Dusty Rhodes Defeats Ric Flair (1986)

The Greensboro Coliseum erupted on July 26, 1986, as Dusty Rhodes challenged Ric Flair for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship inside a steel cage. This match was the culmination of a bitter feud that saw the Horsemen break Rhodes' ankle in a parking lot. Rhodes, bleeding from his forehead, weathered Flair's technical attack to hit a series of bionic elbows. He rolled up Flair to score the pinfall and win the title, sending the North Carolina crowd into absolute hysteria. While the match itself was relatively short, the sheer emotional release of Rhodes finally getting his revenge ranks it among the greatest moments in southern wrestling history.

3. Dean Malenko Defeats Rey Mysterio (1996)

On June 16, 1996, the Baltimore Arena bore witness to a historic cultural shift as the debuting Rey Mysterio faced Dean Malenko. Malenko, defending his WCW Cruiserweight Championship, worked a methodical, ground-based style that targeted Mysterio's arm to slow down the high-flyer. The crowd, initially unfamiliar with the masked teenager, was whipped into a frenzy by Mysterio's innovative springboard hurricanranas. Malenko eventually secured the win at 17:50, hitting a powerbomb and using the ropes for assistance. This match established the cruiserweight division as WCW's must-see attraction, ranking it above the 1987 WarGames match due to its lasting influence on modern in-ring style.

2. Sting Defeats Ric Flair (1990)

The Baltimore Arena was the site of a monumental passing of the torch on July 7, 1990, as Sting challenged Ric Flair for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. To prevent the notorious Four Horsemen from interfering, babyfaces like the Steiner Brothers and Paul Orndorff surrounded the ring, while Ole Anderson was handcuffed to El Gigante. Sting matched Flair's endurance and technical prowess in a drama-filled match that went over 27 minutes. Sting countered Flair's Figure Four attempt by rolling him into a small package for the clean pinfall. This victory cemented Sting as the franchise player of WCW and stands as one of the most perfectly executed babyface coronations in history.

1. Ric Flair Defeats Terry Funk (1989)

The absolute pinnacle of Great American Bash history occurred on July 23, 1989, at the Baltimore Arena, where Ric Flair defended his NWA World Heavyweight Championship against Terry Funk. Born from Funk's post-match piledriver on Flair at WrestleWar, the match was a bloody brawl that blended technical wrestling with raw violence. Both men traded stiff chops and headbutts, showing a level of intensity that remains unmatched in modern wrestling. Flair won the 17-minute war by reversing Funk's inside cradle attempt into a pinfall. The post-match chaos was just as legendary, with Great Muta attacking Flair until Sting made the save to ignite a summer feud. This masterpiece sits at number one because it perfectly balanced technical execution, intense storytelling, and a red-hot Baltimore crowd.

Honorable Mentions

The Steiner Brothers defeating Doom for the NWA World Tag Team Championship in 1990 just missed the cut, as did the legendary Sting versus Vader battle from 1992. Booker T defeating Rey Mysterio in 2006 to win the World Heavyweight Championship also deserves recognition, but it lacked the pure in-ring excellence of the matches ranked above.