Hawk 34

Bullshit! If he really wanted to do that, he should have jobbed clean to Orton at SummerSlam. How? Doing the job to a guy that clearly will never reach whatever potential he had, that would be Hogan's decision to write the end of his legacy? Hogan has done many questionable things but not putting over Orton isn't one of them. Hogan's writing his own ticket now. Hogan will always draw and as long as "big" names continue to hang around, Hogan will thrive. If Hogan did 2-3 of these events a year, he'd make a good paycheck and run his own deal. Just think of the names outside WWE that Hogan could pair with for a draw.

Most here already knew the finish and didn't need to add anything or were just enjoying the match instead of posting second by second thoughts.

I think being taped made me more interested in seeing this. Had I gone into it blind, I would have expected the bullshit finish.

Cena did better in the endurance match with Shawn then HHH did. That's gotta sting for Hunter.

Good finish. Just falls on Cena as he lands. Good match. Probably the front runner for WWE MOTY.

Lost in all this excitment for an HOUR of wrestling (and if you count it, we've only had 10-12 minutes total of non-wrestling on the show) is the eight man elimination on ECW. I figured they could have done that at Backlash instead, though.

They couldn't do this at WM? I guess promoting the Mustang was more important.

Yes but as far as regular not pre-determined length matches, I believe it's that eight man tag match back in 2004 that went 45 minutes. Not sure how long Shawn-HHH went in 2003 but it sure felt long as hell.

nm

Quite a step up from Randy Johnson and the Jackass guy.

That seemed more of a Christian promo, rather then a Edge promo. At least Edge changes his promo style on a weekly basis to suit the purpose.

Just from what it reads, sounds like that should have been the WM match minus the finish of course. Glad to see it got time.

You would see very little interest in anything with TNA. If it folded, WWE might made the effort to buy it cheap to bolster the collection and to mock it as often as possible. Aside from Joe, Styles and a couple other mid-card acts, I wouldn't see WWE interested in them. They might make another play for Sting in order to do a one-off nostalgia program but he never went for it before and I'm assuming at his age now, he's even less interested in the idea but maybe getting a HOF package deal in place might sweeten the offer.

I hardly noticed it being shorter. It always feels abrupt.

Ken Leung.. He's been in Rush Hour, Inside Man, Red Dragon, Saw and some episodes of Law and Order among other stuff.

Hardy and Sabu are total surprises. Hardy because he has been quite consistant and solid in his role and Sabu for keeping his job despite seemingly damaging actions. I might just throw Sandman in there as well, but he's gotten some heat as well like Sabu although that seems to more of a personality then rather then the stuff Sabu has done.

We've seen many examples of how getting cut can help a guy out in the long run but we've seen just as many if not more cases of it doing nothing in the way of improvement.

I wonder if people get pissy because tonight's show heavily involved a pissed asian with social issues. I always enjoy a Paulie episode and this was a good one.

I think we could include the times the belt color was changed, so that would include Warrior. Rock had a belt modification but he didn't use it. Various wrestlers were given new belt designs although not specific to them.

In The Land of Women was a solid enough chick flick and I figured with all the thrillers and kids fare, it would have done better. What is the industry expectations for Austin's movie next weekend? I feel secure saying it'll be the highest gross of the WWE films.

I don't think I've noticed it spin in awhile but maybe I'm not persnickety enough like most here to care about it. It never bothered me in the least. Just another champion designed modification that isn't a big deal.

I'm shocked given the people here, that no one has yet to bitch about none of them wearing the title or that the old guy gets center stage.

That was just zamp out nuts. Converted two people with that main event tonight. Awesome stuff.

20. Bret Hart over Yokozuna (WMX) -This is a bit of a different selection but I’ve always seen this match as the definitive match that put Bret over as the signature main event act for the WWF. Even during his first title reign, he still lacked that aura that could put him in a category with Hogan. Heading towards his first WM main event, the focus was on Hogan and even after Hogan’s departure, Luger became the centerpiece of the promotion despite Hart clearly being the top face for the company. Bret’s victory over Yokozuna cemented him as the top dog for the company leaving Luger in the dust that night. 19. Eddie Guerrero over Brock Lesnar (No Way Out 2004) -The aftermath of Eddie’s reign being rendered short doesn’t expunge this moment. Guerrero was still a hard sell as a main event name although he was obviously quite over with the crowd. Mostly in part because of his size but also for his persona. This match established that Guerrero wasn’t just a high-flyer but a consummate wrestler by outsmarting the man whom had been nothing but dominant since his arrival just a couple short years before. 18. Sting Draws Ric Flair (COTC 1) -Sting drawing Flair put Sting over as a top shelf contender and propelled him from lingering mid-card act to main event. Granted, Flair made a lot of people look good and drew many others but Sting, whom in some respects failed to really reach the pinnacle of what he could have in this role was still a key component of NWA/WCW and this match, though technically not a “job”, did immensely to institute Sting’s place. 17. Mike Awesome over Taz and Tanaka -Yes. Taz was leaving and that wasn’t a secret but that doesn’t diminish the effect of what this night managed. In a rare example of a non-announced match/participant inserting himself into the match despite very little connection to the champion, Awesome reappeared in ECW as a surprise and instead of being a fall-boy to Tanaka as some might have expected, he went over each men. Taz bowed out quickly to each wrestler, leaving the title change to be the big issue rather then his impending departure. The dominant machine was put away almost instantly and that did much to bolster Awesome within the company. 16. Yokozuna over Hulk Hogan (KOTR 1993) -It wasn’t clean but that’s beside the point. Hogan didn’t just job. While that in itself was a rarity, he was never decimated in this manner. After years of monster heels vowing to destroy Hulkamania, Yokozuna did just that in a big way. To slam the door in the proverbial face of Hulkamania, Yokozuna finished him off with an emphatic leg drop and sent him back to cable TV. 15. Vader over Sting (GAB 1992) -Similar to the previous entry, the monster heel steamrolled through the top mega-baby face. Vader was a machine unlike any other and Sting was the perfect punching bag. Sting did a top shelf performance in taking a beating and putting Vader on the map for good. 14. Brock Lesnar over The Undertaker (No Mercy 2002) -It’s a dispute to determine which job did more for Lesnar, Undertaker’s or Rock’s. Some might even argue that The Big Show did more for Lesnar but that’s beside the point. Despite rushing through The Rock and looking like a million bucks in the process, in 2002, The Undertaker was the big man on campus. The Rock, appropriately enough was a supporting act. Lesnar was still young and the fan base was still adjusting to it. In the same vein of Vader-Sting, this was the match that established Lesnar. Beating the Dead Man in his yard was major for Lesnar. 13. Goldberg over Hulk Hogan (7.6.98) -The most famous night of Nitro and perhaps one of the biggest example of the mass stupidity from those in charge. However that shouldn’t hinder the significance of this night. After going through another relative big name in Scott Hall, Goldberg got the shot at Hogan on national television in front of a rabid home crowd. Hogan went down and put over Goldberg huge. In fact, if it hadn’t been given away for free, this could have easily been a mega draw that would have matched with some of the top WWF events. You can also claim that Goldberg did more with this job then Warrior did. Warrior was a victim of his own circumstance, Goldberg was ruined by politics and rampant stupidity. 12. CM Punk draws Samoa Joe (6.12.04) -Another example of a draw putting someone on the map in a specific manner. First off, Punk was already a established star for the ROH promotion but had spent the majority of that time beloved for his brilliant promo work and storylines with Raven, Daniels and Steamboat in addition to his excellent brawls. This match, the first and weakest of the infamous trilogy changed that perception in a significant way. This event occurred in Dayton, OH which was a poor market for the promotion and it’s generally accepted that this was going to be the final event held in that town. ROH was still hurting from the scandal that robbed them of many stars such as Chris Daniels and AJ Styles but in their departure arrived CM Punk whom stuck with ROH. This match shifted the company focus back on quality wrestling by creating a tremendous buzz for the promotion saving a viable market for ROH. At the same time, it cemented Punk’s status as a top wrestler for the company. 11. Batista over Triple H (Vengeance) -Triple H putting people over at WM has became something of a annual tradition aside from his stunning victory at WMXVI and his shut down of Booker T which is generally regarded as the most meaningless match in an impressive streak of WM matches for The Game. However, Batista was a surprise. Just months before, Batista was merely a back-up role to Triple H and Flair and played their muscle-man and showed little personality aside from his posh fashion sense. Something clicked and Batista shot up and the crowd clamored for him to take down HHH. WMXXI did a great job of putting Batista as the top dog but it was the decisive third edition inside the HIAC that gave Batista a huge standing. Like Warrior with Hogan, Batista wasn’t able to maintain the level he reached by that victory but the effort from HHH did much to give Batista that opportunity and credibility. 10. Tommy Dreamer over Raven (6.6.97) -Quite possibly the greatest storyline not just in ECW history but in the last 20 years of professional wrestling with only a handful of legitimate contenders to that claim. Like in other cases here, the losing party was on his way out but again that doesn’t discount this moment. After years of an incredible chase and battle-scarred hatred between these two, Dreamer got that long awaited pinfall victory over Raven. 9. Hulk Hogan over Iron Sheik (1.23.84) -Instantly put Hogan in the driver’s seat of the promotion for the next decade and propelled WWF to reach the first national mainstream boom for pro wrestling. Hulk came off looking like something from the future and truly larger then life. Sheik, the mega heel just put him over huge. 8. Austin Aries over Samoa Joe (Final Battle 2004) -Samoa Joe was PRO WRESTLING. Aries concluded his stunning and rapid rise in the ROH promotion. Many people wondered if Joe could never lose during his amazing reign. After putting down top stars in Homicide, Punk, Danielson, Styles, London and others, Austin Aries got his first shot and made the most of it. Aries was a top heel but his victory still remains one of the biggest pops in the history of ROH. Not only did Joe put over Aries in a big way by getting soundly defeated, he put him over in a honest manner after the match, cementing him as the head of the table in ROH. 7. Mankind over The Undertaker (KOTR 96) -Mankind came in completely different from anything we’d ever seen in pro wrestling and dominated the Dead Man. Undertaker easily went over big monsters and names but he was susceptible to Mankind. 6. Triple H over Mick Foley (Royal Rumble/No Way Out 2000) -This was a double dose. HHH was already the main eventer but still lacked that emphasis needed in a star. Foley gave that to Hunter in a gigantic way. Foley took two hellacious beatings at the hands of HHH and in the eyes of the fans, HHH was the real deal. It wasn’t Austin or Rock that sold HHH to the fans. It was Mick Foley. HHH took these wins and established a historic career. Without these two wins, HHH might never been the star he is. 5. Steve Austin over Shawn Michaels (WMXIV) -Like most of these selections, this was a foregone conclusion. This isn’t the match that put Austin on that map or at least on the road (that was the year before with Bret). This match ushered in his era, or rather kick started it into full overdrive. 4. Bret Hart over Steve Austin (WMXIII) -The one match that is included in favor of the loser. Austin was picking up steam before this match but without question, this made him. He didn’t defeat Bret but he didn’t take a pinfall or submit. This match did everything it could to change to climate of the business, Austin’s path and the direction we’d see pro wrestling take. The importance of this match is monumental. 3. Ultimate Warrior over Hulk Hogan (WMVI) -This should have begat a new era but it didn’t. It would turn into a brief holding position before Hogan resumed his place. That being said, this was big. In what was a supreme rarity, we witnessed the two biggest faces in head to head competition not just in front of a monstrous and rabid split crowd but on the biggest stage in the business. The match was orchestrated perfectly and made Warrior look like gold although it was well-crafted to keep Hogan strong. What keeps this so high on a list in spite of the blatant politics in the post-match and the staggering failure that followed is the moment itself. 2. WWE over WCW -It might seem silly since this isn’t actually a match but these two promotions waged war for many years and changed the reality of the business in a staggering manner. WCW lost the war and in doing so, altered WWE’s direction for years to come. Some would claim, for the worse. What this did however was connect decades of wrestling history into one collective unit. 1. Hulk Hogan over Andre The Giant -The biggest night perhaps ever in the history of the business with two of the biggest mainstream names to ever exist at the very height of the first national wrestling boom. Hogan was obviously a rock solid main event super star but this was the passing of the torch like no other. Andre was on his way down but he did tremendously well at getting Hogan look so good on such a huge level.

Done. Added top shows since last list. Might do a FIP list since I'm using these recent sales to bulk that collection up.