The Greatest Season?

[Guest Choken One]

What was in your opinion the most effective "season" for a Professional Wrestler in North America in the Modern Era?

 

In terms of everything

+Quality Wrestling

+Drawing

+Creative

+Storylines

+Other intangibles

 

 

 

Ric Flair- 1989

 

An incredible year if there ever was one, Three masterpieces with Ricky The Dragon Steamboat, all highly regarded still 13 years later. Along with a Pair of incredible brawls with Terry Funk. In terms of pure Wrestling ability, this was an incredible year but however, His series with Steamboat drew horrible and nearly collapsed the NWA until he turned face against Funk and that revived the company for the time being.

 

 

Ric Flair-1992.

Simply Put, The Rumble Alone would have done him in but he went onto have a wonderful feud with Randy Savage for the duration of the year, including a brilliant legendary match at Wrestlemania. That would be his only singles PPV that year, He however tore it up on the house show circuit having great matches with a variety of people, including a famous Iron Man match with Bret Hart. The Angle with Savage remains to this day a classic in modern storytelling and that was just the first act, follow that up with his incredible character he portrayed in the summer of 1992 with his consultant Mr. Perfect pulling off one of the all time greatest mystery angles with a superb swerve at the end. He went off into the sunset blazing, having a great tag match at Survivor Series against Savage and his former consultant Mr. Perfect, which despite only nine days of hype/storytelling is still a remarkable and famous storyline. He finished his first long stint with WWF in an incredible loser leaves town match with Perfect, still remembered fondly by those who saw this match on TV.

 

Bret Hart-1994

Four Great PPV matches, two legendary Classics with his brother, a underappreciated one with Diesel and an old school match with Bob Backlund. Although the lack of drawing can't be directly attributed to Hart because of the scandal/trial that was killing the WWF at the time. Bret and his Brother Owen went down and gave an incredible story that will likely never be matched again.

 

Shawn Micheals-1996

A series of amazing matches (IYH with Owen, Iron Man, Good Friends, Mind Games), and various good TV matches as well. Drawing wise, he was a historical flop, while not as bad as the man before him, it still was very poor. The angle with Diana was a precursor to what would come later down the road for the direction of the attitude movement, never has an angle actually flat out said "Sexual Harassment," always implied but never said and never was the FACE the one accused of it. Sure some people flak this season because it's loaded with seemingly impossible comeback scenarios where Shawn would do what he does best, bump like a madman and then make the heroic comeback and win with his version of the FIVE MOVES OF DOOM! kip up-Flying forearm-Top Rope Elbow Drop-Tune the band-SCM.

 

Bret Hart-1997

After seemingly stuck in a hole after his match with Nash at the Rumble, He finally reemerged in the end of the 1996 year with an incredible match with Steve Austin showing NO signs of rust after a 6 month layoff. Character wise, Bret took one of the most daring and dramatic 180 turns of all time, no longer the nice Babyface, he was the anti-America self serving egocentric deluded fanatic. Flanked by his family and Brian Pillman he led the Hart Foundation against the crusade of an outrageous and obscenely lewd DX and most notably the hell raising antiauthority rebel in Steve Austin. While touching sensitive buttons with the US/CANADA angle...His work rate suffered slightly after a pair of sensational matches with Austin, of course WMXIII being one of the greatest and most important matches in history due to injuries. Then we ALL know about Montreal, so enough said there.

 

Steve Austin-1997

Perhaps the most unpredictable personalities in the history of the business, after an amazing performance in his double turn at Mania, He continued on with a rampage of sensational matches after another. His character like his nemesis, Hart was very edgy and against conventional wisdom, the supposedly bad and evil Austin became a hero like John Wayne to the blue collar American society. After suffering a near crippling neck injury, he returned with his character's hardness even MORE defined with his quick recovery.

 

Steve Austin-1998

While there was a severe drop in match quality, although that DOESN'T mean he didn't have his fair share of gems here and there, this was easily a MAJOR economic drawing period and Austin is squarely responsible for this.

 

The Rock-1999

He doesn't suck! After a year in the mid card as the leader of the Nation in 1998, The Rock quickly emerged as a rising star for the WWE, capturing the WWF title in late 1998, stunning the world by turning into the corporate champion Vince McMahon always wanted. Match Quality wise, Rock was pheromonal but it was his unique character blend of comedy and drama that gave form to some of the most enduring moments in wrestling history.

 

 

Triple H- 2000

From top to bottom, The match quality of this season likely stands above all others here. HHH, was the star of the show when WWE was making it's greatest finical income ever, ratings were never higher and the angles were crisp and creative and fresh as the Love Triangle tapped into a new market never believed possible, the female demographics.

 

Steve Austin-2001

While many rightfully consider the Invasion a complete and utter flop, there is no question that Austin had his greatest in ring quality season then 2001, a year after his major reconstructive surgery that benched him for a full year. He hardly showed any rust whatsoever, coming back two months into it, put on quality RAW matches with Benoit and Angle. He took it to a whole new level with HHH and The Rock putting on back to back classics, the Mania match is considered by MANY the defining moment of the Attitude era. He followed up with a rampage of incredible matches with Benoit, Angle and others. His character took a major makeover, no longer the antiauthority bad ass, he was the paranoid manipulative yet hysterically funny misguided leader of the Alliance. His in ring brilliance continued until he walked out in early 2002.

[godthedog 0]

That would be his only singles PPV that year, He however tore it up on the house show circuit having great matches with a variety of people, including a famous Iron Man match with Bret Hart.

from what i understand, the iron man match took place in early 93.

 

EDIT: i think i'll change my answer. though flair/steamboat was more consistent in match quality than bret/austin (especially since the SurSer match is disqualified, as it took place in 96), and the funk feud produced great stuff, i think bret beats him out by sheer volume.

 

with bret, you had:

austin feud/hart foundation saga, one of the best storylines in wwf history

WM13 match, about which nothing needs to be said

lots of other matches with austin, ranging from good to almost-great (revenge of the taker, canadian stampede, final 4)

very good patriot match

damn good taker match at summerslam, and a great one at one night only

 

steamboat had a pretty damn spectacular year in 89 too, between the semi-famous terry funk match & a great carry job with luger. i'd consider him flair's equal, and don't think he gets enough credit for that feud (or the year, for that matter). but maybe that's just because i like steamboat more & think he's more fun to watch.

Edited October 25, 2003 by godthedog

[Fökai 0]

from what i understand, the iron man match took place in early 93.

All credit goes to Graham and his jaw-dropping website...

 

WWF @ Boston, MA - Boston Gardens - January 9, 1993

WWF Tag Team Champions Ted Dibiase & IRS defeated the Nasty Boys after using the steel briefcase as a weapon; the challengers originally won the match and the titles but the bout continued due to the illegal man scoring the pin

Bam Bam Bigelow pinned Typhoon with the diving headbutt off the top

The Undertaker pinned Papa Shango with the chokeslam

WWF World Champion Bret Hart defeated Ric Flair in a 60-minute Ironman match 3 falls to 2; fall #1 - Hart pinned Flair with a roll up from behind; fall #2 - Flair defeated Hart via submission with the figure-4 and by using the ropes for leverage; fall #3 - Flair defeated Hart via submission with the figure-4 and by using the ropes for leverage; fall #4 - Hart defeated Flair via submission with the Sharpshooter; fall #5 - Hart pinned Flair by reversing a figure-4 attempt into an inside cradle at under the 30 second mark

[Guest The Old Me]

I'll take Austin 2001. Maybe because that wasn't so long ago, and it's the most fresh in memory, but I love the "heel" Austin. All paranoid and borderline psycho. And the matches were great to boot.

[TheOriginalOrangeGoblin 0]

I think, if more than match quality is considered, Hogan should be there for 1997(nWo) or 1986(Orndorff,Savage).

 

But out of these I say Flair in 92.

[razazteca 0]

Shocker 2002 - had 1000% Guapo in the never ending feud vs Guerreros del Inferino for the tag titles and the lightweight title.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

What was in your opinion the most effective "season" for a Professional Wrestler in North America in the Modern Era?

 

In terms of everything

+Quality Wrestling

+Drawing

+Creative

+Storylines

+Other intangibles

 

 

 

Ric Flair- 1989

 

An incredible year if there ever was one, Three masterpieces with Ricky The Dragon Steamboat, all highly regarded still 13 years later. Along with a Pair of incredible brawls with Terry Funk. In terms of pure Wrestling ability, this was an incredible year but however, His series with Steamboat drew horrible and nearly collapsed the NWA until he turned face against Funk and that revived the company for the time being.

 

 

Ric Flair-1992.

Simply Put, The Rumble Alone would have done him in but he went onto have a wonderful feud with Randy Savage for the duration of the year, including a brilliant legendary match at Wrestlemania. That would be his only singles PPV that year, He however tore it up on the house show circuit having great matches with a variety of people, including a famous Iron Man match with Bret Hart. The Angle with Savage remains to this day a classic in modern storytelling and that was just the first act, follow that up with his incredible character he portrayed in the summer of 1992 with his consultant Mr. Perfect pulling off one of the all time greatest mystery angles with a superb swerve at the end. He went off into the sunset blazing, having a great tag match at Survivor Series against Savage and his former consultant Mr. Perfect, which despite only nine days of hype/storytelling is still a remarkable and famous storyline. He finished his first long stint with WWF in an incredible loser leaves town match with Perfect, still remembered fondly by those who saw this match on TV.

 

Bret Hart-1994

Four Great PPV matches, two legendary Classics with his brother, a underappreciated one with Diesel and an old school match with Bob Backlund. Although the lack of drawing can't be directly attributed to Hart because of the scandal/trial that was killing the WWF at the time. Bret and his Brother Owen went down and gave an incredible story that will likely never be matched again.

 

Shawn Micheals-1996

A series of amazing matches (IYH with Owen, Iron Man, Good Friends, Mind Games), and various good TV matches as well. Drawing wise, he was a historical flop, while not as bad as the man before him, it still was very poor. The angle with Diana was a precursor to what would come later down the road for the direction of the attitude movement, never has an angle actually flat out said "Sexual Harassment," always implied but never said and never was the FACE the one accused of it. Sure some people flak this season because it's loaded with seemingly impossible comeback scenarios where Shawn would do what he does best, bump like a madman and then make the heroic comeback and win with his version of the FIVE MOVES OF DOOM! kip up-Flying forearm-Top Rope Elbow Drop-Tune the band-SCM.

 

Bret Hart-1997

After seemingly stuck in a hole after his match with Nash at the Rumble, He finally reemerged in the end of the 1996 year with an incredible match with Steve Austin showing NO signs of rust after a 6 month layoff. Character wise, Bret took one of the most daring and dramatic 180 turns of all time, no longer the nice Babyface, he was the anti-America self serving egocentric deluded fanatic. Flanked by his family and Brian Pillman he led the Hart Foundation against the crusade of an outrageous and obscenely lewd DX and most notably the hell raising antiauthority rebel in Steve Austin. While touching sensitive buttons with the US/CANADA angle...His work rate suffered slightly after a pair of sensational matches with Austin, of course WMXIII being one of the greatest and most important matches in history due to injuries. Then we ALL know about Montreal, so enough said there.

 

Steve Austin-1997

Perhaps the most unpredictable personalities in the history of the business, after an amazing performance in his double turn at Mania, He continued on with a rampage of sensational matches after another. His character like his nemesis, Hart was very edgy and against conventional wisdom, the supposedly bad and evil Austin became a hero like John Wayne to the blue collar American society. After suffering a near crippling neck injury, he returned with his character's hardness even MORE defined with his quick recovery.

 

Steve Austin-1998

While there was a severe drop in match quality, although that DOESN'T mean he didn't have his fair share of gems here and there, this was easily a MAJOR economic drawing period and Austin is squarely responsible for this.

 

The Rock-1999

He doesn't suck! After a year in the mid card as the leader of the Nation in 1998, The Rock quickly emerged as a rising star for the WWE, capturing the WWF title in late 1998, stunning the world by turning into the corporate champion Vince McMahon always wanted. Match Quality wise, Rock was pheromonal but it was his unique character blend of comedy and drama that gave form to some of the most enduring moments in wrestling history.

 

 

Triple H- 2000

From top to bottom, The match quality of this season likely stands above all others here. HHH, was the star of the show when WWE was making it's greatest finical income ever, ratings were never higher and the angles were crisp and creative and fresh as the Love Triangle tapped into a new market never believed possible, the female demographics.

 

Steve Austin-2001

While many rightfully consider the Invasion a complete and utter flop, there is no question that Austin had his greatest in ring quality season then 2001, a year after his major reconstructive surgery that benched him for a full year. He hardly showed any rust whatsoever, coming back two months into it, put on quality RAW matches with Benoit and Angle. He took it to a whole new level with HHH and The Rock putting on back to back classics, the Mania match is considered by MANY the defining moment of the Attitude era. He followed up with a rampage of incredible matches with Benoit, Angle and others. His character took a major makeover, no longer the antiauthority bad ass, he was the paranoid manipulative yet hysterically funny misguided leader of the Alliance. His in ring brilliance continued until he walked out in early 2002.

Triple H?

 

Triple fucking H?

 

You LIKED the love triangle?!

 

Jesus Fuck. I worry sometimes.

 

The love triangle was one of the worst angle's in recent memory. It should have gone as such:

 

- Kurt kisses Steph

- Steph promises to HHH that he's the only one for her

- Steph turns on HHH at Unforgiven and sides with Angle, thus making HHH a huge face.

- Build your angles from there.

 

Instead we got nothing, including a shitty blowoff match and no face turn for HHH or big heel run for Angle.

 

I'd like to see these numbers indicating that the female demo actually cared about an angle.

[Guest krazykat72]

Choken,

 

Shawn wasn't anything close to a "historical" flop. House show business rebounded during his reign. He was not a huge PPV draw, but he did ok(not great, not terrible) for the most part. The fact of the matter is that WWF house show business collapsed in 1992 when the 'roid scandal hit. I don't give Bret a pass for 1994. He was not a real big drawing champion, neither was Michaels, but I think you're unjustly critisizing Shawn and giving Bret a free pass. The nWo helped the wrestling rebirth immensely and Shawn's reign suffered due to it. Flair was never a big draw in the WWF, and as you correctly stated, that company didn't light the world on fire at the box office in '89.

In ring, I feel Michaels '96 and Flair '89 are the best, but in terms of historical significance, Austin '98-99 beats both. Match quality may not have been as great, but that will be remembered (in actualiy, the 98-'00 years) as perhaps the most successful years in company history.

 

-Paul Jacobi-

[Guest Man Of 1,004 Modes]

2000 was the year of HHH.

 

2 ***** matches with Foley.

 

Near **** WM match.

 

2 ****+ matches with Rock.

 

****+ v. Jericho at Fully Loaded.

 

Near **** Triple Threat at Summerslam

 

7 of the 8 major shows he had GREAT matches. He even had an AWESOME match vs. RIKISHI of all people on Smackdown. A *** or so match vs. TAKA MICHINOKU!!!

 

HHH now is shit, but you have to admit he busted his ass in 2000.

[godthedog 0]

why is everybody so surprised that triple h had a good match with taka? that wasn't even taka's best match in the wwf.

 

and the trips/rock iron man match is sorely overrated.

[TheOriginalOrangeGoblin 0]

As is HHH/Foley HIAC.

[bob_barron 0]

I think that match is more of a testament to how many people hated HHH back then and how they even wanted TAKA to win the title from him.

 

It's more atmosphere then anything.

 

HHH v. Foley HIAC IS overrated but I don't think HHH v. Rock is at all. I've watched that match many times on tape and it never gets old

[Guest Ray]

Toshiaki Kawada 92-96

 

EDIT: I just noticed the "North America"

 

Steve Austin 2001

 

2000 was the year of HHH.

 

Near **** WM match.

I don't see how the WM match was that good. I felt it was quite sucky.

[bob_barron 0]

A lot of people shit on the WM match for the retarded book and overuse of the McMahons but given all it had working against it- I thought they did a very good job

[Guest Choken One]

That really annoyed me...The fans got screwed with the 4 way...I still believe Rock/HHH should have been a straight up one on one showdown.

[Guest BAR]

Gotta go with Flair '89. Right promotion, right opponents, right man.

[Guest Choken One]

Right promotion?

 

How you figure that? Flair/Steamboat drew shit...no one was buying it at all...

[Guest BAR]

Well, let me re-phrase that. Right promotion for me, at least. I've always been partial to the old NWA.

[Guest Dynamite Kido]

2000 was the year of HHH.

 

2 ***** matches with Foley.

 

Near **** WM match.

 

2 ****+ matches with Rock.

 

****+ v. Jericho at Fully Loaded.

 

Near **** Triple Threat at Summerslam

 

7 of the 8 major shows he had GREAT matches. He even had an AWESOME match vs. RIKISHI of all people on Smackdown. A *** or so match vs. TAKA MICHINOKU!!!

 

HHH now is shit, but you have to admit he busted his ass in 2000.

2 ***** matches with Foley

 

There is no way that either of these were *****.

[Guest Man Of 1,004 Modes]

There is no way that either of these were *****.

.....Are you fucking kidding me? Sure, the HIAC wasn't 5-star, but it was in the neighborhood. But the Street Fight was WITHOUT A DOUBT one of the best matches I've seen.

 

It's one of maybe 3 or 4 matches I can watch over and over again without getting bored of it.

 

I'll replace the HiaC with ****+, but RR was DEFINITELY 5-star.

[Guest JumpinJackFlash]

Shawn Michaels had an excellent year in 96. He won the Royal Rumble. He beat Bret Hart for the title in one of the WWE's best matches. He had a MOTY candidate with :gasp: Diesel. He had a MOTY candidate with Mick Foley. He had a MOTY candidate with Vader. He held the title for 8 months. I'd say that's a pretty good year.

[Guest Man Of 1,004 Modes]

Shawn Michaels had an excellent year in 96. He won the Royal Rumble. He beat Bret Hart for the title in one of the WWE's best matches. He had a MOTY candidate with :gasp: Diesel. He had a MOTY candidate with Mick Foley. He had a MOTY candidate with Vader. He held the title for 8 months. I'd say that's a pretty good year.

Plus every PPV match he had that year was at least flirting with 4-stars.....except Sid @ SSeries. That was good, but not a miracle job.

 

He did have a really stupid feud about "molesting" Diana Hart and other women. Seems like that angle went nowhere after May.

[The Mandarin 0]

But the Street Fight was WITHOUT A DOUBT one of the best matches I've seen.

I hear that. I didn't watch the HIAC, but regardless, HHH-Foley is one of my favourite feuds of the last 5 years.

[Guest Man Of 1,004 Modes]

Only bad thing about the feud was him saying he would retire Foley.......2 or 3 times inside of one sentence. (UGH)

[Guest BAR]

There is no way that either of these were *****.

.....Are you fucking kidding me? Sure, the HIAC wasn't 5-star, but it was in the neighborhood. But the Street Fight was WITHOUT A DOUBT one of the best matches I've seen.

 

It's one of maybe 3 or 4 matches I can watch over and over again without getting bored of it.

 

I'll replace the HiaC with ****+, but RR was DEFINITELY 5-star.

I enjoyed both from the series. The HIAC was decent, maybe ***1/2. I enjoyed the RR match immensely, ****1/2 for me. Neither were 5*, though. The only reason that I don't give it a higher rating is that you can't compare it with the Misawa/Kawada series or the Misawa/Kobashi highlights. Also, the juniors have done a lot better.

 

But, even by NA standards I can't give it 5*. Bret/Owen, Bret/Austin, Flair/Steamboat, among others, were far superior.

[Jack_Bauer 0]

People will disagree with Triple H being there due to hating him so much for being a shit now.

 

I believe that his 2000 run was off the charts, and his matches with Jericho and Foley that year are among the best matches I have ever seen.

[Guest Man Of 1,004 Modes]

I find it a little funny he didn't mesh well with Angle at Unforgiven, but at least they made up for it at RR 01. (Even though Austin did the run-in)

[Guest Choken One]

Well...Many don't consider the Rumble match to be special either.

 

The whole Heel/Heel thing.

[Guest Man Of 1,004 Modes]

Well...Many don't consider the Rumble match to be special either.

 

The whole Heel/Heel thing.

True.

 

Plus it played second fiddle to the Austin/HHH Feud and even Stephanie/Trish.

 

UGH.

[HellSpawn 0]

I voted for HHh-200, but it could be a 3 way tie with Flair's 89 and Hart-97