WWE'S ULTIMATE IRON MEN

With the premiere of the much-anticipated Iron Man 2 storming theaters this weekend, WWE.com looks at Superstars who have gone the distance in forging their distinguished ring legacies.

Shawn Michaels

HBK, The Showstopper, Mr. WrestleMania. Add another moniker to Michaels' already impressive list: Marathon Man. Perhaps no battle better exemplifies Michaels' resilience than the first-ever 60-Minute WWE Iron Man Match pitting him against Bret Hart at WrestleMania XII. Not only did Michaels--and Hart, for that matter--display amazing endurance, the two even took the match into overtime before HBK could prevail. The win earned him the WWE Title and a spot on WWE.com's list of Iron Men.  

Bret Hart

"I'm the best there is, the best there was, and the best there will ever be." - Bret Hart
Hart's words are hard to argue, especially since he was not only an accomplished technical wrestler but also possessed an enviable stamina. At the famous WrestleMania XII 60-Minute WWE Iron Man Match against Shawn Michaels, Hart proved he could go the distance. And while he eventually lost in sudden death, the "Excellence of Execution" showed fans, and the WWE roster, his true mettle.

John Cena

John Cena has defeated many of WWE’s top Superstars and has done so in a variety of matches, often times with the WWE Title at stake. In 2009 alone, Cena made Big Show tap out in a Submission Match and defeated Randy Orton in an “I Quit” Match.  However, Cena’s endurance stood the true test at WWE Bragging Rights 2009 in his Anything Goes WWE Iron Match against The Viper. Fighting through an astounding 11 falls in one hour, Cena reestablished himself as The Champ by applying a his usual hustle, loyalty and respect – and an iron-clad fortitude.

Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat

"The Dragon" helped cement his reputation as one of the Iron Men of sports-entertainment at WCW's 1992 Beach Blast. In Alabama's Mobile Civic Center, Steamboat defeated Rick Rude 4-3 in a 30-minute Iron Man Challenge. Steamboat also offered fans what's widely considered one of the most memorable matches in WWE history when he bested Randy "Macho Man" Savage at WrestleMania III for the Intercontinental Championship.

Triple H

Throughout his career, The Game has shown plenty of mettle to be considered an Iron Man, but it was Judgement Day 2000 that solidified his standing. Triple H faced off against The Rock in a 60-Minute WWE Iron Man Match that saw Undertaker's return to the ring. After exhaustive combat between The Game and The Rock, The Deadman entered and proceeded to destroy any of Triple H's DX cohorts that got in the way. As a result, special guest referee Shawn Michaels disqualified The Rock, allowing Triple H to capture his fourth WWE Championship.

Randy Orton

Randy Orton is amongst the top WWE Superstars who have participated in an hour-long confrontation of this kind. At WWE Bragging Rights 2009, in the first-ever Anything Goes WWE Iron Man Match, John Cena barely defeated The Viper – six falls to Orton’s five – for the WWE Championship. But Orton’s relentless offense, and the use of TV monitors and even the pyrotechnics display, left a battered Cena hoping he never would have to face the Apex Predator for 60 minutes ever again.

The Rock

During his time in WWE, The Rock battled some of the fiercest and most legendary ring competitors, including The Undertaker and The Brahma Bull’s opponent at three separate WrestleManias, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. But when The People’s Champ competed against Triple H in a 60-Minute WWE Iron Man Match at Judgment Day 2000, he made a compelling case as the Ultimate (and most electrifying) WWE Iron Man, taking The Cerebral Assassin to his limit but just falling short when The Deadman’s interference gave The Game one final fall over The Rock.

The Road Warriors

Arguably one of the most dominant tag teams in WWE history, Animal & Hawk found themselves pushed to the limit at 1989's Starrcade. Armed with memorable haircuts, distinctive face paint and spiked shoulder pads, The Road Warriors defeated the Steiner Brothers, Doom and The New Wild Samoans to secure their legacy and emerge victorious in the Iron Team Tournament. Also known as the Legion of Doom, the team suffered a devastating blow when Hawk passed away in 2003.