100 matches that dont suck

[Guest Matt]

Im not gonna hype this as "these are the greatest bouts ever contested on the face of this, our mother earth; and should you spared but a week til death it must become upon your highest priority to view these matches straight through unto your zero hour."

 

But I will say that I have seen a lot of matches, and these 100 stand out as the creme de la creme for MY viewing pleasure. I will however be so bold as to declare that none of these matches suck.

 

(also, on a side note, joshi matches are not included in this list as i feel uncomfortable listing men's and women's wrestling in a greatest matches list.Also they are in no particular order)

 

1.) Tiger Mask vs. Dynamite Kid (August 82-Not the MSG show)

 

2.) Tiger Mask vs. Dynamite Kid (4-21-83 2/3 falls)

 

3.) Magnum TA vs. Tully Blanchard (I-Quit Steel Cage)

 

4.) Ric Flair vs. Barry Windham (Crockett Cup 1987)

 

5.) Ric Flair vs. Rick Steamboat (Chi-Town Rumble 1989)

 

6.) Ric Flair vs. Rick Steamboat (Clash 2/3 falls)

 

7.) Ric Flair vs. Rick Steamboat (Wrestlewar 1989)

 

8.) Ric Flair vs. Terry Funk (I-Quit, Clash of the Champions VIII)

 

9.) Jushin Liger vs. Naoki Sano (1-30-90)

 

10.) Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Jumbo Tsuruta (6-8-90)

 

11.) Raven vs. Chris Benoit (Souled Out 1998)

 

12.) Cactus Jack vs. Sting (Beach Blast 1992)

 

13.) Ric Flair vs. Sting (Clash of the Champions I)

 

14.) Royal Rumble (Royal Rumble 1992)

 

15.) Sting/Nikita Koloff/Dustin Rhodes/Ricky Steamboat/Barry Windham vs. Arn

Anderson/Bobby Eaton/Steve Austin/Larry Zbysko/Ric Rude - WCW "Wrestlewar

`92" (5/17/92 - Wargames)

 

16.) Jushin Liger vs. El Samurai (TOSJ 1992 Finals)

 

17.) Bret Hart vs. Davey Boy Smith (Summerslam 1992)

 

18.) Cactus Jack vs. Vader (Halloween Havoc 1993)

 

19.) Ric Flair vs. Vader (Starrcade 1993)

 

20.) Nasty Boys vs. Cactus Jack & Maxx Payne (Spring Stampede 1994)

 

21.) Shinjiro Ohtani & Chris Benoit vs. Great Sasuke & Black Tiger (Junior Tag League 1994)

 

22.) Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart (Summerslam 1994)

 

23.) Los Gringos Loco vs. El Hijo Del Santo & Octagon (AAA When Worlds Collide)

 

24.) El Hijo Del Santo/Octagon/Rey Misterios Jr. vs. Fuerza Guerrera/Psicosis/Juventud Guerrera ( 4-30-95)

 

25.) Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon (Summerslam 1995)

 

26.) Cactus Jack vs. Terry Funk (Duel Of The Wilds 1995)

 

27.) Black Tiger vs. Jushin Liger (TOSJ 1996 Finals)

 

28.) 10 Man Tag Match (These Days 1996)

 

29.) Chris Benoit vs. Shinjiro Ohtani (4-20-1996)

 

30.) Rey Misterio Jr. vs. Psicosis (Bash At The Beach 1996)

 

31.) Jushin Liger vs. Brian Pillman (Superbrawl 2)

 

32.) Sasuke/TMIV/Shiryu vs. TAKA/Naniwa/Delfin (3-16-96)

 

33.) Chris Benoit vs. Dean Malenko (Hogwild 1996)

 

34.) Shawn Michaels vs. Diesal (Good Friends, Better Enemies

1996)

 

35.) Taka Michinoku vs. Hayabusa (11-16-96)

 

36.) Great Sasuke vs. Taka Michinoku (Crush Night 1996)

 

37.) Ultimo Dragon vs. Dean Malenko (Starrcade 1996)

 

38.) Koji Kanemoto vs. El Samurai (TOSJ 1997 Finals)

 

39.) Taka Michinoku vs. Great Sasuke (Canadian Stampede 1997)

 

40.) 10 Man Tag Team Match (Canadian Stampede 1997)

 

41.) Rey Misterio Jr. vs. Eddie Guerrero (Halloween Havoc 1997)

 

42.) Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker ( Badd Blood 1997)

 

43.) Hayabusa vs. Masato Tanaka (5-19-98)

 

44.) Koji Kanemoto vs. Dr. Wagner Jr. (TOSJ 1998 Finals)

 

45.) Jushin Liger vs. Shinjiro Ohtani (2-9-97)

 

46.) Shiima Nobunaga, Judo Suwa & Sumo Fuji vs. SAITO, Dragon Kid & Magnum

TOKYO (Elimination Match) (Toryumon, 1/31/99)

 

47.) Magnum TOKYO vs. The Great Sasuke (Toryumon, 2/7/99)

 

48.)Juventud Guerrera vs. Blitzkreig (Spring Stampede 1999)

 

49.) Bret Hart vs. Chris Benoit (Owen Hart Tribute)

 

50.) Mutoh vs. Nagata (G-1 Climax Finals 2001)

 

51.) Misawa vs. Kawada (6-3-94)

 

52.) Misawa vs. Kobashi (1-20-97)

 

53.) Bret vs. Owen (Mania X)

 

54.) Kawada & Taue vs. Kobashi & Misawa (6-11-95)

 

55.) Sasuke vs. Benoit (J-Cup 94 Finals)

 

56.) Real World Tag League Finals 1996

 

57.) Michaels vs. Ramon (Mania X)

 

58.) Bret vs. Austin (Mania 13)

 

59.) Michaels vs. Mankind (Mind Games 96)

 

60.) Kobashi vs. Hansen (7-31-93)

 

61.) Dragon vs. Ohtani (J Crown semis)

 

62.) Real World Tag League Finals 1993

 

63.) Misawa vs. Kobashi (10-21-97)

 

64.) Misawa vs. Kawada (1-22-99)

 

65.) Austin vs. Triple H (No Way Out 2001)

 

66.) Benoit vs. Samurai (TOSJ 1993)

 

67.) Williams vs. Kawada (5-16-94)

 

68.) Steamboat vs. Savage (Mania III)

 

69.) Cactus vs. Triple H (Royal Rumble 2000)

 

70.) Kawada vs. Kobashi (6-12-98)

 

71.) Mankind vs. Taker (King of the ring 1998)

 

72.) Kawada vs. kobashi (1-95)

 

73.) Michaels vs. Hart (Mania XII)

 

74.) E&C vs. hardyz (No Mercy 1999)

 

75.) Dude Love vs. Steve Austin (Over The Edge 1998)

 

76.) Snow vs. Benoit (Double Tables)

 

77.) Akiyama vs. Kobashi (Great Voyage 2000)

 

78.) 6-Man (Barely Legal 1997)

 

79.) Benoit vs. Jericho (Royal Rumble 2001)

 

80.) Liger vs. Sasuke (J-cup 1994)

 

81.) Malenko vs. Guerrero (2/3 falls 8-26-95)

 

82.) Rock vs. Jericho (No Mercy 2001)

 

83.) Angle vs. Austin (Summerslam 2001)

 

84.) Austin vs. Rock (X-Seven)

 

85.) Misawa vs. Kobashi (6-99)

 

86.) Ladder Match (Mania 2000)

 

87.) Tenryu vs. Kawada (10-00)

 

88.) Jericho vs. Triple H (Fully Loaded 2000)

 

89.) Kawada vs. Kobashi (1-00)

 

90.) Liger vs. Dragon (J-cup Semis)

 

91.) Mankind vs. Rock (Royal Rumble 1999)

 

92.) Cactus vs. HHH (No Way Out 2000)

 

93.) Rey vs. Psicosis (J Cup 1995)

 

94.) Savage vs. Flair (Mania VIII)

 

95.) Sasuke vs. Dragon (J Crown Finals)

 

96.) Benoit vs. Owen (Stampede 1987)

 

97.) Rey vs. Juvi (Big Ass Extreme Bash)

 

98.) Shane vs. Angle (KOTR 2001)

 

99.) RVD vs. Lynn (Hardcore Heaven 1999)

 

100.) Misawa vs. Kobashi (10-31-98)

 

anyway, i'll be doing in depth explanations for these at gwpwrestling.com in the near future in a special series. feel free to henpeck, at least i'll know you're listening.

[Guest Tim Cooke]

I'm still not sure what the exact purpose of this list is, but here are a few comments.

 

* As far as all the matches not sucking, what is your definition of suck?  I can point to:

 

26.) Cactus Jack vs. Terry Funk (Duel Of The Wilds 1995)

65.) Austin vs. Triple H (No Way Out 2001)

91.) Mankind vs. Rock (Royal Rumble 1999)

98.) Shane vs. Angle (KOTR 2001)

99.) RVD vs. Lynn (Hardcore Heaven 1999)

 

as not being un watchable but not being close to a lot of the matches listed or not listed.

 

* Is this list a "best of" or a "personal best of"?  I think it is a personal best of but I am not too sure.

 

* Some of the matches strike me as odd choices for a list like this.  The Misawa v Kobashi 98/99 matches are far worse than their 1997 counterparts.  I just think that the addition of two other matches would have better rounded out a "best of" list rather than the 98/99 Kobashi v Misawa matches.  

 

* Two matches that aren't right.

 

36.) Great Sasuke vs. Taka Michinoku (Crush Night 1996)

- This match would either be Sasuke v Dragon from 10/11/96 Crush Night or Taka v Sasuke from 10/10/97 Mpro Live TV Special.

 

24.) El Hijo Del Santo/Octagon/Rey Misterios Jr. vs. Fuerza Guerrera/Psicosis/Juventud Guerrera ( 4-30-95)

- I am under the impression that this match never aired.  I know jdw saw this match live and has raved and raved about it, but I can't find it anywhere.  I have scoured Lynch's Lucha list numerous times but it doesn't seem to appear.  If in fact it did, I would love to get my hands on this.

 

I am a fan of lists that have explanation accompaning the actual choices (like 10 Desert Island Matches and Why) and so on, but one's like these puzzle me.  Not trying to bring you down or anything, but just some constructive criticism.

 

Tim

[Guest MoneyIvezaj]

78.) 6-Man (Barely Legal 1997) OVERRATED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

26.) Cactus Jack vs. Terry Funk (Duel Of The Wilds 1995) Best death match Ive ever seen

65.) Austin vs. Triple H (No Way Out 2001)whats wrong with this

91.) Mankind vs. Rock (Royal Rumble 1999)what  wrong with this besides stupid finish

98.) Shane vs. Angle (KOTR 2001) OK not bad

99.) RVD vs. Lynn (Hardcore Heaven 1999)whats wrong with this

[Guest HopeSpot]

No offense Tim you just posted a bunch of matches and didn't give an impression as to why you disliked them. Most stuff on that list has been analyzed to death, there's really nothing new you can say, I mean if someone says something about Sasuke borrowing from Tiger Masks style again I'm gonna fucking scream.

 

But I would like to hear why you dislike the Austin vs. HHH match from No Way Out.

[Guest Tim Cooke]

Little time tonight.........a lot more on these things tommorow sometime.

 

"No offense Tim you just posted a bunch of matches and didn't give an impression as to why you disliked them. Most stuff on that list has been analyzed to death, there's really nothing new you can say, I mean if someone says something about Sasuke borrowing from Tiger Masks style again I'm gonna fucking scream."

 

I just listed the matches that I didn't think fit on the list.  I've explained about them eslewhere and will do so tommorow if you would like to know.

 

"But I would like to hear why you dislike the Austin vs. HHH match from No Way Out."

 

Terribly paced, poorly executed, especially the 2nd fall to the finish.....the first fall is just average.  There is a lot more than that, but specifics will have to wait for later.  

 

"78.) 6-Man (Barely Legal 1997) OVERRATED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

 

Over rated in a sense that they did much better stuff in Japan, but still a fun match.

 

"26.) Cactus Jack vs. Terry Funk (Duel Of The Wilds 1995) Best death match Ive ever seen"

 

Check out the Homna v Yamakawa series or the 3/26/95?? JWP Streetfight (which I haven't seen yet) for a better set of deathmatches.

 

"91.) Mankind vs. Rock (Royal Rumble 1999)what  wrong with this besides stupid finish"

 

Average match, if that.  All brawling, no real substance.

 

"98.) Shane vs. Angle (KOTR 2001) OK not bad"

 

Dangerous match that relied on a few spots.  Sloppy mat work to open and no real focus.

 

"99.) RVD vs. Lynn (Hardcore Heaven 1999)whats wrong with this"

 

This is terrific if you like stalling, poorly laid out highspots, and a lack of any focus by RVD to try to make the match have some sense.

 

More tommorow, too much work to do tonight.

 

Tim

[Guest Matt]

I thought i made it perfectly clear my typing "MY" viewing pleasure in all caps that this is not an all encompasing list of excellent matches. the entire point is to list one hundred matches that I like and to influence someone to read my future gwpwrestling.com articles to tell you why. Never did i once even insinuate that this was a comprehensive list of any kind.

 

I said, and I quote

 

(Im not gonna hype this as "these are the greatest bouts ever contested on the face of this, our mother earth; and should you spared but a week til death it must become upon your highest priority to view these matches straight through unto your zero hour.")

 

I appreciate your differing opinion on the misawa/kobashi matches but, as i said these are 100 of my favorites.

 

the "Crush Night" match was a typo,it is supposed to be Ultimo Dragon. Must have been thing Taka for some reason

 

and, near as i can tell, i might have gotten the date wrong on the six man and took it for grabted that since i liked it so much, it was the match i heard about. I wouldn't put it past me.

 

Anyway, if this clears it up for you, cool. As i said, feel free to henpeck, even post your replacements, but wait for my explanations to badger me about my choices.

[Guest Pegasus Kid]

Is this list in an actual ranking system or just listed?  If this is ranked, I don't care if it is personal preference, you're off your rocker.  Let's take 6/3/94, which was insultingly placed at #51.  I'd say at least half of the matches between #1 - #50 aren't even in the same league as 6/3/94.  ####... I don't know how you managed to rank a rookie six man tag from Toryumon with blown spots left right and center over one of the best AJPW matches of all time.  But hey... if it's just a list, forget I said anything.  

[Guest Matt]

its not in any order, i can see your concern if it was

[Guest wolverine]

"65.) Austin vs. Triple H (No Way Out 2001)"

 

Most overrated match of the decade thus far.  The work is just so light and sloppy, it's really hard to watch.  But I'm not a fan of these types of garbagy brawls (with the exception of Bret-Austin WM 13, which is light years ahead of this).

[Guest Ace309]

*quibble quibble*

 

Okay, who said the Barely Legal six-man was overrated?

 

The action was excellent. There were numerous internal hooks - "Power Ranger" being too green (HA!), Gran Hamada doing his damnedest to impress the US TV audience, Great Sasuke going over yet again - along with nonstop Lucha-style action and a hot crowd.

 

Also, I still love Joey Styles' call of the Thunder Fire Power Bomb ("power bomb WITH AUTHORITY!!!!!!")... that made the finish for me.

 

You may resume discussing puro intelligently.

[Guest dawho5]

Well, HopeSpot, I am a Sasuke mark and a half, but I agree that a lot of his style is taken from Tiger Mask.  A lot of ALL junior heavyweight's styles are taken from Tiger Mask or Dynamite Kid.  Anyone who holds that against Sasuke is really nitpicking.  It's like people who don't like Benoit because he is too much like Dynamite Kid.  Why is it wrong to emulate great wrestlers?  How else do you pay tribute to people who have had such an impact on the business?

[Guest Pegasus Kid]

Whoever thought that the "Barely Legal" six man is overrated hasn't got a clue.  That was a great match (a tad overrated by Scott but still very good).  I'd probably rank it third in MPro tags under 12/96, 10/96 ten mans and just barely beating out 3/96 six man.

[Guest Tim Cooke]

"Whoever thought that the "Barely Legal" six man is overrated hasn't got a clue."

 

I wouldn't say that.  The Barely Legal match was a nice match and very fun, especially to watch since it happened on American Soil, but it is not a MOTYC nor close to the top in terms of MPro tags.

 

"That was a great match (a tad overrated by Scott but still very good)."

 

Well, he over rates a ton so that geos right through one ear and out the other.

 

"I'd probably rank it third in MPro tags under 12/96, 10/96 ten mans and just barely beating out 3/96 six man."

 

I would rank the ECW matches below the following:

 

10 Man Tags

 

10/10/96

12/1/96 (Samurai TV Debut Show)

12/9/96 Elimination (TV version of course)

12/16/96

3/16/97

 

6 Man Tags

 

11/12/96

1/14/97

1/21/97 (BattlArts 8 man)

 

A fair look to see just how "normal" the ECW matches are (which is a compliment to the MPro guys) is to watch the following matches in order.

 

10/19/96 6 man (around 15 minutes and really just another Mpro tag, but not much below the acclaimed ECW match)

 

11/10/96 6 man (again around 15-18 minutes and another Mpro 6 man, with the same elements of of the ECW match)

 

11/12/96 6 man (this one is basically the same version they ran at Barely Legal only with a ton of more crowd heat.....as compared to the mutant heat....easily as good if not better).

 

Tim, who only needs to see the 6/96 Mpro Comml release to have seen every single Mpro match in 1996/1997.

[Guest Loss4Words]

Oh what the hell. I'll comment on what I've seen.

 

"Tiger Mask vs. Dynamite Kid (August 82-Not the MSG show)"

 

Haven't seen this one or at least I don't know if I have or not, but it's Tiger v Dynamite, so I happily take your word for it.

 

"2.) Tiger Mask vs. Dynamite Kid (4-21-83 2/3 falls)"

 

Great match, I still don't know what the finish is though, despite watching this match a million times or so. Is it a DQ? A draw? A countout? Is my tape screwed up? What's going on?

 

"3.) Magnum TA vs. Tully Blanchard (I-Quit Steel Cage)"

 

Great intensity and hatred here. Magnum was such a star and would have been Hogan-level huge if he hadn't crashed into a utility pole.

 

"4.) Ric Flair vs. Barry Windham (Crockett Cup 1987)"

 

Good match, but very by-the-numbers. In this case, that's not a bad thing, but as great as Flair was, that Flair formula does tend to get tiring occasionally. I like the 01/24/87 match better, even though I love this match too.

 

"5.) Ric Flair vs. Rick Steamboat (Chi-Town Rumble 1989)"

 

My personal favorite of the series. Great work by both. It's all been said.

 

"6.) Ric Flair vs. Rick Steamboat (Clash 2/3 falls)"

 

Probably the second-best match of the series. Awesome pacing here and it's a little slow at times, but no major harm done.

 

"7.) Ric Flair vs. Rick Steamboat (Wrestlewar 1989)"

 

Great match, but too much extracurricular stuff. Steamboat also works the arm FOREVER! Still, I like it, but it's not the shining light it's often made out to be.

 

"8.) Ric Flair vs. Terry Funk (I-Quit, Clash of the Champions VIII)"

 

Good match, but I don't think Flair's the best brawler in the world and never have thought so. Also, I think that in '89, while Flair had a great year, he didn't sell very much as a babyface.

 

"11.) Raven vs. Chris Benoit (Souled Out 1998)"

 

I remember enjoying this match quite a bit when I first saw it live, but haven't seen it since. It's kinda short IIRC.

 

"12.) Cactus Jack vs. Sting (Beach Blast 1992)"

 

Also kinda short, but tremendously fun match. Foley called it his best match to that point, but I think he forgot about the Eddie Gilbert series when he said that.

 

"13.) Ric Flair vs. Sting (Clash of the Champions I)"

 

I'm a big advocate of this match, but others have pointed out flaws in it that I never noticed until I watch again. Great the first time, not quite the same after repeated viewings.

 

"14.) Royal Rumble (Royal Rumble 1992)"

 

Flair carries 29 opponents to a **** match. What more can ya say?

 

"15.) Sting/Nikita Koloff/Dustin Rhodes/Ricky Steamboat/Barry Windham vs. Arn

Anderson/Bobby Eaton/Steve Austin/Larry Zbysko/Ric Rude - WCW "Wrestlewar

`92" (5/17/92 - Wargames)"

 

Easily the best of the War Games matches with little details that I appreciate every time I watch the match that I didn't notice the first time around. All ten bust their asses!

 

"16.) Jushin Liger vs. El Samurai (TOSJ 1992 Finals)"

 

I'm a huge mark for this match. I don't understand how El Samurai could be considered subpar prior to '97 when he had this match with Liger and his tourney final with Benoit in '93.

 

"17.) Bret Hart vs. Davey Boy Smith (Summerslam 1992)"

 

Good, but not great. I think this is a little slow compared to most of Bret's work.

 

"18.) Cactus Jack vs. Vader (Halloween Havoc 1993)"

 

Good match, but overbooked and the bad WCW production hurt the story being told methinks. Vader disappears quite often during the match, which I think breaks up the flow.

 

"19.) Ric Flair vs. Vader (Starrcade 1993)"

 

Very emotional, yet very sloppy.

 

"22.) Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart (Summerslam 1994)"

 

Good psychology, but I don't like the pace very much. A little slow for Owen to say the least.

 

"25.) Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon (Summerslam 1995)"

 

Overkill on some of the highspots, but still a great match that did a great job of building off of the previous match.

 

"27.) Black Tiger vs. Jushin Liger (TOSJ 1996 Finals)"

 

Seen JIP and enjoyed it a lot. Guerrero v Liger? Hells yeah!

 

"28.) 10 Man Tag Match (These Days 1996)"

 

Awesome match, one of my favorite ever! *****

 

"29.) Chris Benoit vs. Shinjiro Ohtani (4-20-1996)"

 

Is this the cruiser tourney final? A little overrated, but still good.

 

"30.) Rey Misterio Jr. vs. Psicosis (Bash At The Beach 1996)"

 

I've heard they've had better, but I do enjoy this match. Rey was just phenomenal in his prime.

 

"31.) Jushin Liger vs. Brian Pillman (Superbrawl 2)"

 

Good match, but too short to get the praise it gets.

 

"33.) Chris Benoit vs. Dean Malenko (Hogwild 1996)"

 

GREAT, GREAT match hurt by the inbred crowd.

 

"34.) Shawn Michaels vs. Diesal (Good Friends, Better Enemies "

 

Nash's best match ever by far. Shawn works for 70.

 

"39.) Taka Michinoku vs. Great Sasuke (Canadian Stampede 1997)"

 

Overrated. Nitro was doing better stuff on a weekly basis around this time.

 

"40.) 10 Man Tag Team Match (Canadian Stampede 1997)"

 

Awesome match, one of my personal favorites! Good story and unbelievable atmosphere.

 

"42.) Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker ( Badd Blood 1997) "

 

Goes overlooked by many for reasons I don't understand. One of the very best matches I've ever seen with great internal storyline and logic and tremendous selling and bumping by Shawn.

 

"43.) Hayabusa vs. Masato Tanaka (5-19-98)"

 

Have it. Need to watch it.

 

"45.) Jushin Liger vs. Shinjiro Ohtani (2-9-97)"

 

Wasn't terribly impressed the first time I saw it. Need to see it again.

 

"49.) Bret Hart vs. Chris Benoit (Owen Hart Tribute)"

 

Benoit carries Bret early on exceptionally well, which motivates Bret to turn it up toward the end. Good stuff.

 

"52.) Misawa vs. Kobashi (1-20-97)"

 

Once again, have it. Need to watch it.

 

"53.) Bret vs. Owen (Mania X)"

 

Awesome match!! A personal fave and about a million times better than Summerslam.

 

"55.) Sasuke vs. Benoit (J-Cup 94 Finals)"

 

Great action anyway, but even better if you followed the Sayama-Dynamite feud in the early 80s.

 

"56.) Real World Tag League Finals 1996"

 

Awesome match. Akiyama impressed the hell out of me here.

 

"57.) Michaels vs. Ramon (Mania X)"

 

A great, great match helped by the novelty involved.

 

"58.) Bret vs. Austin (Mania 13)"

 

One of the three best matches of the 90s.

 

"59.) Michaels vs. Mankind (Mind Games 96)"

 

One of the 15 best of the 90s. Unbelievable stuff.

 

"60.) Kobashi vs. Hansen (7-31-93)"

 

Love this one. Kobashi in '93 owned me.

 

"66.) Benoit vs. Samurai (TOSJ 1993)"

 

Awesome match. I miss Benoit.

 

"68.) Steamboat vs. Savage (Mania III)"

 

Good, but highly overrated. Too choreographed looking at times and too short. They condensed about 40 minutes worth of action into 14 minutes, which I thought was a little much. I actually think Benoit and Jericho had better PPV matches in 2000 and 2001.

 

"69.) Cactus vs. Triple H (Royal Rumble 2000)"

 

Good, but slow-paced in spots. I like the match though.

 

"70.) Kawada vs. Kobashi (6-12-98)"

 

Didn't care for it, but it was the first AJ match I ever saw, which may not have been wise.

 

I'll do the rest later when I have more time.

[Guest wolverine]

"52.) Misawa vs. Kobashi (1-20-97)"

 

Once again, have it. Need to watch it.

If you have this, you really should put it in, like right now.  You'll be able to see why it's the second best mens singles match in history....

[Guest J*ingus]

Oh what the hell, if Loss4Words can do it, so can I.  I'll leave out the ones I haven't seen.  

 

1.) Tiger Mask vs. Dynamite Kid (August 82-Not the MSG show)

2.) Tiger Mask vs. Dynamite Kid (4-21-83 2/3 falls)

If it's Billington vs. Sayama, you KNOW it's good.  Some matches are better than others, but all of them rock.  I'm with L4W on the 2/3 falls match, what the hell was the finish there?  

 

3.) Magnum TA vs. Tully Blanchard (I-Quit Steel Cage)

The pinnacle of old-school hardcore, put all the WWF cage matches to shame.  

 

5.) Ric Flair vs. Rick Steamboat (Chi-Town Rumble 1989)

6.) Ric Flair vs. Rick Steamboat (Clash 2/3 falls)

7.) Ric Flair vs. Rick Steamboat (Wrestlewar 1989)

Three of the best matches ever held, period.  The standard against which I judge all others.  

 

8.) Ric Flair vs. Terry Funk (I-Quit, Clash of the Champions VIII)

Probably was Funk's last great non-hardcore performance, but was just slightly above average by Flair '89 standards.  

 

11.) Raven vs. Chris Benoit (Souled Out 1998)

A good stiff match, but a little overrated, probably because of how hard to find it is.  

 

12.) Cactus Jack vs. Sting (Beach Blast 1992)

Remember back when Sting could wrestle?  Good match, ahead of its time.  Even now when I watch it, I'm amazed that Sting actually made that huge leap at the end.  

 

13.) Ric Flair vs. Sting (Clash of the Champions I)

More of a "historic moment" than a great matchup.  Was still better than anything over at WMIV, though.  

 

14.) Royal Rumble (Royal Rumble 1992)

Lots of people forget that Flair spent a LOT of this match either sitting in the corner or wrapped up in the ropes.  Still probably the best Rumble though, especially loved the ending where the crowd turned on Hogan.  

 

17.) Bret Hart vs. Davey Boy Smith (Summerslam 1992)

A classic Bret Hart match, which means that I can't really point out any one thing that made it great, but still loved it.  

 

18.) Cactus Jack vs. Vader (Halloween Havoc 1993)

Not their best match, but probably the one that's easiest to find in better quality, so not bad.  

 

19.) Ric Flair vs. Vader (Starrcade 1993)

Dear lord I love this match.  Fuck Hogan/Andre, THIS is how you do a David vs. Goliath match.  

 

20.) Nasty Boys vs. Cactus Jack & Maxx Payne (Spring Stampede 1994)

One of the few good matches to ever come out of the Nasties.  Cactus had better ones teaming with Sullivan, though.  

 

22.) Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart (Summerslam 1994)

I didn't like this one, just because of the stupid WWF "escape to win" cage rules.  It bores me to death when the entire match is made up of guys trying to get out and being cut off.  

 

25.) Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon (Summerslam 1995)

IMO, not as good as the WMX match, but is still pretty decent even by today's skyhigh ladder match standards.  

 

26.) Cactus Jack vs. Terry Funk (Duel Of The Wilds 1995)

I'm assuming this is the barbed wire match they had in the tiny half-empty arena?  If so, it was a hell of an effort by both guys, probably the best deathmatch that Cactus ever did in Japan.  

 

33.) Chris Benoit vs. Dean Malenko (Hogwild 1996)

Overrated, cheap finish, and the dead crowd and glaring sunlight didn't help.  Still, it's half an hour of Benoit vs. Malenko, so it's not terrible or anything.  

 

34.) Shawn Michaels vs. Diesel (Good Friends, Better Enemies

1996)

I seem to be alone in thinking that their WMXI match was a lot better than this one, Nash actually worked hard in that one, while here he just stands there while HBK bounces off of him.  

 

37.) Ultimo Dragon vs. Dean Malenko (Starrcade 1996)

It's UltimO, stupid WCW, not UltimATE.  Kickass match, and I'd like to give a big FUCK YOU to my fellow Nashvillians for not recognizing it as such.  Maybe they should've just kept Dean heel, and brought in Ultimo as a babyface?  Also historically notable for the only time that all nine major cruiserweight titles were united.  

 

39.) Taka Michinoku vs. Great Sasuke (Canadian Stampede 1997)

A good match, but nothing special compared to what the luchadores were doing on Nitro every week.  

 

42.) Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker ( Badd Blood 1997)

Once again, a bit overrated because of how rare it is.  Keith can keep this one, I'd rather have the KOTR '98 match.  

 

43.) Hayabusa vs. Masato Tanaka (5-19-98)

I'm not sure which match of theirs this is, but pretty much all of the ones between these two are okay.  Proof that FMW was at one time more than just a garbage fed.  

 

49.) Bret Hart vs. Chris Benoit (Owen Hart Tribute)

I think people like this one so much just because of the circumstances, i.e. being Bret vs. Benoit for the first time in tribute to Owen.  As a match, it's not any better than what Bret was regularly doing from 94-97.  

 

51.) Misawa vs. Kawada (6-3-94)

I won't even comment on this one, I piss off too many people whenever I do.  

 

53.) Bret vs. Owen (Mania X)

Damn near perfect.  The ending still chokes me up.  

 

55.) Sasuke vs. Benoit (J-Cup 94 Finals)

Tiger-Dynamite for the next generation, and I mean that in the nicest possible way.  All the more impressive when you consider that it was the third match of the night for both of them.  

 

57.) Michaels vs. Ramon (Mania X)

This match shows its age now in our post-Hardy era, but is still one helluva contest.  Interesting to note the finish, and how how Shawn was already weaseling out of doing a clean job.  

 

58.) Bret vs. Austin (Mania 13)

I wouldn't even say that this was the second-best match between the two, I think it's extremely overrated.  

 

59.) Michaels vs. Mankind (Mind Games 96)

Surreal to see both of them in the same ring.  Good match, too bad it was thrown together with no buildup or blowoff.  

 

60.) Kobashi vs. Hansen (7-31-93)

This match kicks YOUR ass.  (And mine too.)  Kobashi was just hitting his main event peak, and Hansen was still stubbornly refusing to age or slow down, and they just beat the shit out of each other.  

 

66.) Benoit vs. Samurai (TOSJ 1993)

Eh, it's Samurai, whom I've never really cared for.  Didn't suck, but was forgettable.  

 

68.) Steamboat vs. Savage (Mania III)

Great match, but is overshadowed by ridiculous Best Match Ever hype that I don't think it lives up to, both men have done better work.  

 

69.) Cactus vs. Triple H (Royal Rumble 2000)

Foley's last great performance, and Hunter's first one.  I wish this could've been his retirement match.  

 

71.) Mankind vs. Taker (King of the ring 1998)

Incredibly emotional match, even more so in hindsight.  People talk about the big bumps, and forget that both guys went in there and pounded each other silly for ten more minutes.  

 

72.) Kawada vs. kobashi (1-95)

This is the 1-hour draw, right?  If so, eh.  It's one of those matches that you just know is going to go broadway in the first five minutes, when they spend way too much time stalling & selling.  I've seen better out of both.  I did like the ending where Kobashi was desperately crawling around the ropes, though.  

 

73.) Michaels vs. Hart (Mania XII)

See above, but you knew this one was going an hour before it even got started.  

 

74.) E&C vs. hardyz (No Mercy 1999)

Watching it now, it seems stale, but still holds up despite months of TLC.  Reinvented the term "spotfest".  

 

75.) Dude Love vs. Steve Austin (Over The Edge 1998)

What's the big deal about this one?  I didn't find all the overbooking or rule-changes to be funny at all, and both wrestlers have had better matches, including against each other.  

 

78.) 6-Man (Barely Legal 1997)

It's '97 MPro, what can you say?  F'n awesome, especially with Joey Styles calling the action.  

 

79.) Benoit vs. Jericho (Royal Rumble 2001)

It's hard to keep an audience's attention these days with just a one-on-one ladder match, but these guys did just fine.  Wild bumps, they fuckin' killed each other out there.  

 

80.) Liger vs. Sasuke (J-cup 1994)

Liger is God, and Sasuke is at least an archangel.  These guys are so good that they even turn the blown finish into something entertaining.  

 

81.) Malenko vs. Guerrero (2/3 falls 8-26-95)

Weird thing: I love the work of both guys, but just never quite got into their feud with each other.  The effort is there, but I never felt that the emotion was.  

 

83.) Angle vs. Austin (Summerslam 2001)

If Austin sticks around in the WWF for a few more years, this feud could end up being this generation's Flair-Steamboat.  And this was the best match of the series.  Fucking A.  

 

84.) Austin vs. Rock (X-Seven)

Miles better than their crappy effort at WMXV, a great storytelling match with incredible heat and good work from both men.  

 

86.) Ladder Match (Mania 2000)

I maintain that this was really the first TLC match.  Was overshadowed by later efforts, but was still not bad.  

 

88.) Jericho vs. Triple H (Fully Loaded 2000)

Why can't either of these guys wrestle like that anymore?  Not the greatest booking, yay HHH wins clean again, but good effort and better bladejobs from both guys.  

 

91.) Mankind vs. Rock (Royal Rumble 1999)

Ugh.  Hard to watch.  Emotional and intense as hell, but not entertaining per se.  

 

92.) Cactus vs. HHH (No Way Out 2000)

Well, it didn't suck, but it's probably Patterson's booking that we can thank for that, as neither guy actually did a whole lot during this match.  Not even close to the Rumble match in terms of effort.  Why couldn't Cactus have had one brief comeback after the fall through the cell?  

 

94.) Savage vs. Flair (Mania VIII))

They chose Hogan-Sid over this?!  Fuck you, WWF.  One hell of a match, probably the last really good one Savage would have until he met DDP.  

 

97.) Rey vs. Juvi (Big Ass Extreme Bash)

Garbaged-up with hardcore spots for the ECW crowd, not as good as some of their efforts in Mexico.  

 

99.) RVD vs. Lynn (Hardcore Heaven 1999)

There's a smark backlash against this match now, calling it an overrated piece of crap, slow, too much stalling, etc.  Well, I still like it, even though the Living Dangerously match was better.  RVD and Lynn bring out the best in each other.

[Guest Tim Cooke]

Just a few questions/comments for my own curiosity, as I like to understand where people are coming from.

 

"5.) Ric Flair vs. Rick Steamboat (Chi-Town Rumble 1989)

6.) Ric Flair vs. Rick Steamboat (Clash 2/3 falls)

7.) Ric Flair vs. Rick Steamboat (Wrestlewar 1989)

Three of the best matches ever held, period.  The standard against which I judge all others."

 

No doubt 3 of the best ever.  My question comes with using these matches to judge all others against.  Do you just judge US Pro Style matches against these?  What exactly do you judge and put up head to head when comparing?

 

The reason I ask is that though these matches are great and still hold up well today, they don't compare to how matches work today.

 

For instance, I can see the 1/28/86 Tsuruta/Tenyru v Choshu/Yatsu and easily compare it to any of the Misawa/Kobashi v Kawada/Taue classics for the mere fact that though they are stylistically different, their roots are the same.  

 

I never saw anyone build off of the Flair/Steamboat matches.  Bret didn't, Michaels didn't.........so i am just wondering how logically that all builds up.

 

"19.) Ric Flair vs. Vader (Starrcade 1993)

Dear lord I love this match.  Fuck Hogan/Andre, THIS is how you do a David vs. Goliath match."

 

This match shows how great Vader is.........probably Ric's last competitive ****+ match.

 

"37.) Ultimo Dragon vs. Dean Malenko (Starrcade 1996)

It's UltimO, stupid WCW, not UltimATE.  Kickass match, and I'd like to give a big FUCK YOU to my fellow Nashvillians for not recognizing it as such."

 

The WCW fans got it at the time.  It was way over with the crowd.  

 

"42.) Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker ( Badd Blood 1997)

Once again, a bit overrated because of how rare it is.  Keith can keep this one, I'd rather have the KOTR '98 match."

 

Why would you take the 6/98 one more?  I don't care for any of the HIAC's but the Taker/Michaels at least has some wrestling, even if it is contrived.

 

"51.) Misawa vs. Kawada (6-3-94)

I won't even comment on this one, I piss off too many people whenever I do."

 

Please comment, I love to hear other sides of stories to see if I am missing anything.

 

Also, why do you like the first Ladder match over the second between Michaels/Ramon?

 

Just curious

 

Tim

[Guest Loss4Words]

The two main complaints I always hear with 06/03/94 are that the wrong guy went over and the finish wasn't exactly to everyone's liking. I haven't seen the match, so I can't judge for myself. Anyway, the other 30.

 

"71.) Mankind vs. Taker (King of the ring 1998)"

 

Tremendous little emotional rollercoaster for me, but not much of a match. Great bumping and I respect the hell out of Foley for going through with this, and I can be entertained by it, but that doesn't mean it's a great match. It's a great stunt display IMO.

 

"73.) Michaels vs. Hart (Mania XII)"

 

Good match that I think gets a lot of undue flack. It's wrestled in more of an early 80s style and probably would have been a better match in 1983 than in 1996. Still, I enjoyed it.

 

"74.) E&C vs. hardyz (No Mercy 1999)"

 

Energetic spotfest, but not much else.

 

"75.) Dude Love vs. Steve Austin (Over The Edge 1998)"

 

Great match that is victimized by how much this booking style has been overdone since then. Better live than in retrospect.

 

"76.) Snow vs. Benoit (Double Tables)"

 

Great match, but more of an exhibition I think than anything else. I didn't sense hatred, so while I don't consider it a classic, it is definitely very, very good.

 

"78.) 6-Man (Barely Legal 1997)"

 

Loved the hell out of this one until I saw a little more '96/'97 M-Pro. Still think it's great, but I've seen much better. I also enjoy the 02/16/97 fan-cam match more than this one.

 

"79.) Benoit vs. Jericho (Royal Rumble 2001)"

 

Great match that I don't think gets its due from many people. Great spots, great storytelling, great action, great bumping ... one of the best matches of 2001.

 

"80.) Liger vs. Sasuke (J-cup 1994)"

 

Great, definitely better than that overrated Battle Formation '96 match they had.

 

"82.) Rock vs. Jericho (No Mercy 2001)"

 

Tremendous match. Jericho was SO on here and the Rock blew a few spots, but all in all, a great effort and probably Jericho's best performance ever, factoring out Fully Loaded 2000 or his 07/07/95 match with Ultimo Dragon.

 

"83.) Angle vs. Austin (Summerslam 2001)"

 

Excellent match until the horrid finish.

 

"84.) Austin vs. Rock (X-Seven)"

 

Underrated match on several fronts. The nearfalls are unbelievable. Good pacing and psychology here that goes deeper than most traditional WWF main events. A wussy bladejob and crappy heel turn, but those are minor issues as far as I'm concerned.

 

"85.) Misawa vs. Kobashi (6-99)"

 

Saw it recently and enjoyed the hell out of it. Great match.

 

"88.) Jericho vs. Triple H (Fully Loaded 2000)"

 

I actually wasn't terribly impressed with HHH here but Jericho busted his ass. Great babyface work and that staggering camera shot where Jericho's nearly unconscious but is standing up telling HHH to give him more is a moment for the ages.

 

"91.) Mankind vs. Rock (Royal Rumble 1999)"

 

Liked it the first time I saw it, but found it less and less enthralling with each viewing. Too contrived.

 

"92.) Cactus vs. HHH (No Way Out 2000)"

 

Great match, but the first half is too inconsequential.

 

"94.) Savage vs. Flair (Mania VIII)"

 

Great heel work and great face work, but not an all-time classic. I like the way this match is structured though.

 

"95.) Sasuke vs. Dragon (J Crown Finals)"

 

AWESOME MATCH! Two faves go all out.

 

"96.) Benoit vs. Owen (Stampede 1987)"

 

Is this the handheld on the RF comp? If so, gotta love it. Similar to Benoit v Snow at Double Tables, but probably better technically.

 

"97.) Rey vs. Juvi (Big Ass Extreme Bash)"

 

Great match. Nuff said.

 

"98.) Shane vs. Angle (KOTR 2001)"

 

Great heat and drama, but a little on the contrived side.

[Guest J*ingus]

"No doubt 3 of the best ever.  My question comes with using these matches to judge all others against.  Do you just judge US Pro Style matches against these?  What exactly do you judge and put up head to head when comparing?"

 

Well, maybe I worded that wrong.  I don't really compare the different styles of wrestling, they're just too dissimilar.  I just meant that these three matches combined were my favorite of all time.  

 

"I never saw anyone build off of the Flair/Steamboat matches.  Bret didn't, Michaels didn't........."

 

Yeah, I know, and it's a shame.  Austin-Angle is the only one since then that's even come close in terms of a feud between the two top stars.  

 

"The WCW fans got it at the time.  It was way over with the crowd."  

 

I just don't think that the southern crowd gave the match anywhere near the reaction it might've gotten elsewhere.  Imagine that match in Philly, for instance.  

 

"Why would you take the 6/98 one more?  I don't care for any of the HIAC's but the Taker/Michaels at least has some wrestling, even if it is contrived."

 

I just never thought the first HIAC was the MOTYC that everyone else claimed it was.  It was slowly paced, with a screwjob ending.  I mean, if you're gonna do what's basically a glorified American deathmatch, I think the 6/98 match was about the most extreme match that they could've done under those circumstances.  

 

"Please comment, I love to hear other sides of stories to see if I am missing anything."  

 

Not missing anything, it's just a personal vendetta of mine.  I saw this match, and while I didn't think it sucked or anything, it just didn't blow me away.  I appreciated the effort, but thought it dragged at times, and was very repetitive, it seemed Misawa and Kawada both threw about a thousand elbows/kicks each.  Later on, I read up on the background for the match (thanks Pegasus, now what's the link to the Rolling Germans site proper?), and I understood a lot more about what went into it.  But that just kinda pissed me off again, because lots of puro fans talk about "comprehending" or "understanding" that match and the AJPW style in general.  My viewpoint is, if a match can't grab me the first time I see it without a few pages of exposition first, why is that better than a match that I can enjoy just going in cold?  

 

"Also, why do you like the first Ladder match over the second between Michaels/Ramon?"  

 

I liked the style of it better, with Michaels and Hall both taking the bumps.  In the second one, HBK mostly did his pinball impression while Razor posed a lot.  The same reasoning why I like Shawn's WMXI match with Diesel better than their Good Friends, Better Enemies match, it was just more even in terms of the effort from both men.