20 Most Essential Matches (1982-2001)

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An ambitious undertaking to say the least, Alternative Wrestling's 20 Most Essential Matches (1982-2001) is the consummation of dozens of hours of research and reflection on pro wrestling's most momentous in-ring performances of the past two decades. Whether they featured astonishing athleticism or riveting drama, or simply kindled the business' historical fires, our aim is to recognize the most enjoyable bouts of wrestling's often-baffling, always-unpredictable recent past.

 

In compiling this melange of mat masterworks, we encountered one overriding dilemma: Pro wrestling evolves extremely rapidly and exists in a number of divergent forms. Consequently, we had a difficult time establishing a fair set of criteria that would allow us to include matches from across all of the historical and stylistic spectrums of the business. As a result, we felt compelled to make a few allowances.

 

First, pro wrestling exists all over the world, and comparing matches from different genres is frequently like apples and oranges: same position on the food pyramid, much different flavor. Second, the business advances at a staggering rate, and, realistically, matches that were exceptional within the context of the early-'80s did not showcase the same level of highly-evolved athleticism that distinguishes today's choicest bouts. With those mitigating factors in mind, we ultimately assembled the list while employing three main standards, in order of importance: relative aesthetic quality, influence, and magnitude. In that sense, we intend for this to be a collection of matches that are the most essential viewing for wrestling fans who seek to be well-rounded, as opposed to a grouping of the matches that featured the greatest frequency of topes con hilos and Japanese Ocean Cyclone suplexes. We certainly considered workrate an overriding variable, but we also placed great emphasis on a given match's historical significance and/or time-tested appeal.

 

Naturally, this endeavor is highly subjective, and it should be taken as such. Over the past 20 years, pro wrestling has featured a wealth of exciting, athletically-superior, and memorable in-ring action. The fact that we (reluctantly) had to exclude so many exceedingly gifted performers and truly classic matches only underscores how selective this process was. We certainly welcome any constructive criticism; our list is far from definitive, and if you have any complaints regarding any bouts you feel we are ignorant dunces for ommitting, or even want to submit your own mock list of your personal favorite matches, feel free to Email us.

 

Now, let us get all pensive and misty-eyed as we revist the 20 most indispensable matches of the modern era, shall we? It's time for AWR to commemorate pro wrestling's vast treasure trove of eminent in-ring exploits...

 

 

Tiger Mask (Satoru Sayama) vs. Dynamite Kid

WWF Junior Heavyweight Title

August 5, 1982; New Japan; Tokyo

 

The Kid himself partially credits his rivalry with Sayama for inducing the rash of injuries that rendered him paralyzed by age 38. And, in terms of sheer brutality, the series of bouts between the two men surely rank among the foremost in wrestling history. However, their historical significance extends far deeper. Largely based on the strength of the Dynamite-Sayama feud, the junior heavyweight division began receiving top billing on cards throughout Japan (and, in due time, throughout most of the world), and most prominent lighter-weight luminaries of subsequent eras -- including the great Jushin Liger, Chris Benoit, the Great Sasuke, Ultimo Dragon, Owen Hart, and countless others -- were directly inspired by the revolutionary action.

 

The vast majority of these historic, trendsetting encounters adhered to a distinctive mold that became an archetype for how to work a junior heavyweight match. First, after the two engaged in a breathtaking interval of state-of-the-art chain wrestling, Mask would briefly gain the advantage and tease taking to the air -- only to hold off and leave the fans arrested in anticipation for the next several minutes. Dynamite would gain the upperhand and work over his rival with a brutal battery of suplexes and stiff blows, before mounting the top rope and unleashing a flying headbutt and/or a flying kneedrop. Sayama would reverse the momentum (often by sending the Kid soaring over the top rope, at which point an unforgiving bump was awaiting Dynamite on the arena floor), then appease the crowd's anticipatory fervor by soaring through the air with a death-defying dive and/or the Space Flying Tiger Drop (handspring plancha). In this particular case, the Tiger performed a running dive over the top rope (virtually unheard of in Japan or the U.S. at the time), then followed up with the Tiger Driver (cradle piledriver) and a moonsault press for the win.

 

Within 25 minutes of one awe-inspiring move after another, the two masters had, once again, raised the already-lofty bar that they were singularly responsible for creating. Nothing even remotely as spectacular would present itself until Jushin Liger's accession as the best worker in the world in 1988 and 1989. And, as much as aerial wrestling has evolved in the past 20 years, no series of matches can ever boast of being as influential over an entire genre.

 

Also Recommended: Tiger Mask vs. Dynamite Kid, August 23, 1983

 

 

Ric Flair vs. Kerry Von Erich

NWA Title Cage Match

Dec. 25, 1982; World Class Championship Wrestling; Dallas, Texas

 

It's not altogether clear what was more scalding-hot at the time of this Reunion Arena World Title match: fan interest in World Class Championship Wrestling, or the elements on a typical day in the Lone Star State. Fritz Von Erich's wrestling promotion was riding high in a blaze of glory at the time of its annual Christmas Night mega-card, principally due to the teeny-bopper, faddish appeal of his down-home, God-fearin' offspring. Kerry, 22, may have been the youngest of the three active Von Erichs (Kevin was 26, David -- the best worker -- was 24), but he was also the most chiseled and charismatic, and, as the unofficial "Uncrowned World Champion," he ostensibly had the best chance of unseating Flair. In fact, all three of Texas' resident wrestling prodigies had already come oh-so-close to tasting the delectability of World Championship glory on several occasions, only to be thwarted at every turn by the "Nature Boy's" underhanded tactics. This time, though, Kerry had two of his friends presiding over the bout, to forestall any of "The Dirtiest Player in the Game's" infamous chicanery: Michael "PS" Hayes, the special co-referee, and Terry Gordy, the outside-the-cage enforcer.

 

The fever pitch of the crowd throughout the match, augmented by the presence of the charismatic Hayes, was a sight to behold; the record-setting gathering in Dallas truly believed that their hero was the rightful World Champ, and Christmas Night seemed the perfect time for him to bring home the one (golden) present they all had been pining. Von Erich was still fairly green, but Flair -- a year into his first World Title reign -- did an even more masterful job than usual, leading his foe to an absolutely enthralling match. The main story tangents were simple, but effective: Flair set up the figure four by honing his focus in on his younger opponent's knee, while Von Erich cudgeled the champ by raking his face across the cage and pounding him with flurries of punches. Flair bled a gusher, and it appeared inevitable that Kerry would lock in the vaunted clawhold. Finally, at just past the fifteen minute mark, Von Erich caught Flair as the latter came off the top rope and, as the "Nature Boy" faded from consciousness on the mat, the crowd went ballistic. Hayes, who had been animatedly consulting with Gordy over in the corner, made a strange, yet galling, move by rescuing Flair from the jaws of defeat and forcing Von Erich to release the hold, citing that the defending champ's foot had brushed against the bottom rope. The crowd hissed their disapproval over this unexpected turn of events, and Von Erich also seethed -- but only before Hayes punched Flair in the mouth and frantically urged that the challenger make the cover. Needless to say, Kerry and the crowd were thoroughly confounded by Hayes' abrupt, ambiguous actions.

 

Their confusion turned to rage moments later, when Hayes pushed Von Erich and then fled the cage. The thoroughly agitated Kerry went to follow and, as he poked his head outside the door -- WHAM! Gordy slammed it shut, crushing the challenger's skull and, accordingly, the hopes and dreams of every wrestling fan in Texas. The concussed Von Erich managed to fight valiantly for two more minutes, but referee David Thomspon ultimately stopped the match due to the "glazed-over look" in the hometown hero's eyes. Indeed, one of the most exciting matches of the decade had been capped off by one of the most successful angles of all-time. Not only did Flair retain, but more importantly, World Class became the most successful territory on the planet for the next two years, by way of the hottest feud of the decade: The Von Erichs vs. The Freebirds.

 

Also Recommended: Ric Flair vs. Kerry Von Erich, May 17, 1984

 

 

Lioness Asuka vs. Jaguar Yokota

3WA World Title

August 22, 1985, All Japan Womens; Tokyo

 

For the uninitiated, may this timeless classic be the pristine gateway that guides you into the wondrous world of "Joshi Puroresu" (female Japanese wrestling). Asuka comprised one half of the famed "Crush Girls" tag team (with Chigusa Nagoya) that was a cultural phenomenon among teenage girls in Japan in the mid-'80s; at its height, it put the WWF's contemporaneous "Rock 'n Wrestling Connection" to shame by drawing consistent ratings of 10.0-15.0, topping out at a mind-boggling 40.0+ for a network special. Yokota was one of the tandem's two main rivals, and she was also every bit the extraordinary worker as they were (she may well have been the greatest female worker of the decade).

 

The lightning-quick nature of the bout was reflection of each woman's frenetic style. After they nimble exchanged some matwork, Asuka applied a pair of suplexes, one of which sent Yokota bumping to the floor. The Lioness then attempted a plancha that missed its target, and she crashed to the concrete in an excruciating heep. That spot notwithstanding, the two ladies definitely sustained more damage to their necks and heads than any other body parts. The heel Yokota executed a running, jumping Tombstone (K-Driller), and when she attempted a superplex, Asuka turned it into a top-rope gordbuster -- sending her antagonist crashing head-first to the mat! Asuka attempted to follow up with a frog splash, but Yokota blocked it and won the match with a move that punishes the neck, of course: the backdrop suplex.

 

Although exceptionally brief, no match (female or male) has packed more by way of advanced, flawless, and physically-destructive spots more effectively into its (concise) timeframe.

 

Also Recommended: Lioness Asuka vs. Chigusa Nagoya -- February 26, 1987

 

 

Genichiro Tenryu & Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Riki Choshu & Yoshiaki Yatsu

International Tag Titles

January 28, 1986; All Japan; Tokyo

 

All Japan was basking in the glow of one of the most fruitful boom periods in company history at the time of this Tag Team Titles match. Two years prior, Choshu had just led a contingent of superstars from New Japan (which included Yatsu) in desserting New Japan's Antonio Inoki, whose pay scale they considered inequitable. Subsequently, Choshu emerged as the top drawing card in the country, and Tenryu and Tsuruta -- as two of All Japan's three most renowned and enduring stars -- were not far behind. Yasuda, for his part, was a promising young wrestler with a strong amateur background, which automatically made him a marketable commodity. Though he had yet to prove himself at a level commensurate with the three mega-stars with whom he shared the ring in this match, but that minor notoriety problem was nothing that a one-man show in a five-star match couldn't take care of.

 

Choshu and Yatsu failed to win the match, but they accomplished much more in participating in the best match of their respective careers. The two men played the unfamilar role of underdogs as Tsuruta and Tenryu abused Choshu's taped-up, broken ribs with a cruel collection of elbows, knees, and abdominal stretches. Yatsu was left virtually to fend for himself and, in doing so, he had before exhibited such proficiency of workrate. He withstood all of his opponents' rugged offense, even kicking out of a pair of crushing Tsuruta lariats. Ultimately, the two veterans overwhelmed their hapless opponent, who was without the benefit of Choshu's injured help for most of the bout. Nevertheless, in withstanding 24 exciting minutes of offense from two of the stiffest workers in the business and mixing in a litany of his own revolutionary moves that actually made his opponents' look bland by comparison, Yatsu had arrived as a true superstar.

 

Unfortunately for All Japan, their latest, hottest act did not last long atop the company, and he was almost completely out of the business five years later. His performance declined in 1987 and 1988 which, coupled with his futile efforts to place in the 1988 Olympic Games, caused his stock to drop appreciably. However, 1986 was his year, and this was his greatest performance.

 

Also Recommended: Genichiro Tenryu & Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Riki Choshu & Yoshiaki Yatsu, February 5, 1986

 

 

Akira Maeda vs. Tatsumi Fujinami

June 12, 1986; New Japan; Osaka

 

Not only was this one of the best matches of the '80s, but it was also the most successful instance of two wrestlers applying the shoot style in the pro wrestling arena. The legitimately hot-headed Maeda (who has roughed up Andre the Giant, Tiger Mask, Riki Choshu, Keiji Muto, and several others in real fights) was perhaps the hottest up-and-coming commodity in Japan at the time and, as the storyline went, represented a new breed of "invading" (UWF) shootfighters who despised the "phony" New Japan wrestler. For his part, Fujinami was one of the best workers in the world and, as NJ's second leading babyface, embodied all that Maeda and company disdained.

 

Fujinami did a magnificent job of adapting to the shoot style, which downplayed flashiness and was heavy on striking, mat work, and kneebar and armbar submissions. The initial stages witnessed both men exchange elaborate submissions, and the defending champion even stole several pages out of Maeda's book by using several vintage shoot-style submissions of his own. However, Maeda seemed always to emerge from the exchanges of holds in slightly better shape, and the drama was building steadily, with Fujinami as the homefield underdog.

 

At approximately the twenty-minute mark of what was to be a half-hour match, Fujinami was slouched over in the corner, and Maeda went airborne with a roundhouse kick to the face. Unfortunately, he misfired, catching his opponent with a hideous potato shot that gave Tatsumi a serious concussion. As blood came spewing out of Fujinami's face, the two men quickly decided to abort mission and go to a double-countout. Fujinami struggled to his feet and even managed to participate in a dueling side kick spot that gave both men an excuse to lie down for the ten count. Fujinami was supposed to win the match, but by participating in one of the most dramatic and instrumental matches of the '80s, his reputation came out ahead nonetheless. Had the final ten minutes of the match gone as planned, one can only wonder how exceptional it would have been.

 

Also Recommended: Akira Maeda vs. Don Nakaya Neilsen -- October 9, 1986

 

 

Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat

Intercontinental Title match

April 7, 1987; WWF WrestleMania III; Pontiac, Michigan

 

Within the fledgling insider wrestling media, one of the most popular sayings of 1987 was that "Hulk-Andre was what sold the show; Steamboat-Savage was what stole the show." Beforehand, the "93,173" fans who converged on the Silverdome in Pontiac, MI, hardly had it in mind that Randy Savage and Ricky Steamboat would provide the greatest return on their entertainment investment for that evening. "The Macho Man" vs. "The Dragon" certainly was a match that kindled widespread WWF fan interest fifteen years ago, but it existed ostensibly to buttress the mid-card underneath Hogan vs. Andre and -- to a lesser extent -- Roddy Piper vs. Adrian Adonis. By the time the thrilling Intercontinental Title classic reached its rousing conclusion, however, those other two matches had become nothing but the cream cheese on this particular card's bagel, and the new generation of WWF fans had just been treated to their first authentic workrate bonanza.

 

The massive crowd was electric from the first, due in large part to the storyline that Savage had "crushed" Steamboat's larynx with a ring bell, along with the "X" factor of the Savage-Miss Elizabeth-George "The Animal" Steele love triangle playing out at ringside. Savage attempted to smite Steamboat's suffering neck throughout, including by draping "The Dragon" on the top rope and dropping a flying elbow onto the challenger's ailing jugular area. Steamboat weathered the assault and delivered a series of chops, before connecting on a crossbody block for the first of sixteen two counts between the two men. Once again, Savage brought the action to the floor, throwing Steamboat across the timekeeper's table and into the crowd, before delivering the a double ax-handle from the top to the floor and bringing him back in the hard-war with a snap mare from the top rope. Steamboat ultimately reversed the momentum with a backdrop over the top rope, then notched seven more two count with a flying chop, a sunset flip, an inside cradle, a double-leg takeover, a small package, and two roll-ups, respectively. After an irish whip reversal, referee Earl Hebner took a bump and Savage clotheslined the challenger. Savage dropped the big elbow and, with the referee out of commission, attempted to drop the ring bell onto Steamboat from the top rope. However, Steele pushed the agressor from the perch, allowing Steamboat to cradle the distracted Savage for the pin, after slightly more than seventeen minutes. Some 1980s matches were better aesthetically, but the few that were couldn't match up to the magnitude of this, the WWF's paramount televised pure wrestling bout of the decade.

 

Years later, Steamboat related a story of his and Savage's attending the company's post-WrestleMania party the next night and being swarmed by fans congratulating them on the splendor of their previous night's work. Meanwhile, Hulk and Andre may have been chiefly responsible for the card's shattering all existing business records, but the two main eventers garnered comparatively little attention. As a microcosm, that episode aptly captures the legendary quality of the bout more than anything else.

 

 

Ric Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat

Two-Out-of-Three Falls NWA World Title

April 2, 1989; NWA "Clash of the Champions"; Nashville, Tennessee

 

The pinnacle of perhaps the greatest series of matches in the history of wrestling. Steamboat, the perennial noble babyface whose wife and young son often accompanied him to the ring, made the perfect foil for Flair -- the dirtiest player in the game, the prodigal son who talked big and backed it up with his ten pounds of gold. And while the stark contrast between their personalities played an central role in fashioning their rivalry, they will forever be inextricably linked in history for one reason: The matches. Textbook studies in build, pacing, match storytelling, execution, intensity, drama, and maximizing the long-range impact of even commonplace moves.

 

This most seminal of bouts took place at the seventh Clash of the Champions special on TBS. In the opening minutes, the two maestros made a simple headlock more entertaining than most modern exchanges of breathtaking high spots, in the process working a fall that could rightfully make a list of this type on its own merits. But there were still two falls to go, and, of course, the distinguishing characteristics of the feud were on display throughout: The countless swings in momentum, the vein-popping knife edge chops (Chris Benoit's look comparatively feeble), the deluge of two-counts and narrow escapes -- all of which built perfectly to the bout's famous climax. In the third, most fast-paced fall, with the match tied one-one, each man swapped still more furious chops -- exhausted and teetering though they were. Flair, of course, tried to cheat his way to victory, connecting with a low blow to gain a momentary advantage. However, the always-resiliant Steamboat recovered in time to thwart a Flair crossbody attempt by thrusting him from the top rope, then clinching in a double chicken-wing -- the same move that made the "Nature Boy" submit in the second fall. In one last moment of desperate exertion, the cagey Flair fell backward in an effort to lock Steamboat in a pinning predicament -- only to get caught with his own shoulders pinned to the mat. Struggling mightily after fifty-five minutes of intense action, Steamboat managed to keep Flair's shoulders down for three. It was pandemonium as "The Dragon" celebrated yet another triumph, drenched in sweat, the picture of fatigued bliss.

 

He should have known better -- Flair always came out on top when all was said and done. Upon further review, the referee determined that the "Nature Boy's" foot was in the ropes, before ruling the match a draw and, ergo, ensuring another classic rematch at the next PPV, "WrestleWar '89." The inconclusive finish notwithstading, the two men had once again demonstrated how peerless they truly were: They could take a crowd from a state of rapt attentiveness to one of uninhibited delirium by the time any given one of their matches reached its apex. For highly-evolved wrestling artistry at its most fully realized, the feud -- and this match in particular -- may never be topped.

 

Also Recommended: Ric Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat, NWA "Chi-Town Rumble '89"; Ric Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat, NWA "Wrestlewar '89"

 

 

Ric Flair v. Terry Funk

NWA World Title "I Quit" Retirement Match

November 15, 1989; "NWA New York Knock-Out;" Troy, NY

 

The best brawl of the 1980s also marked a very rare instance of an opponent actually stealing the show in a match against the "Nature Boy." The then-45-year-old Funk already enjoyed a reputation as one of the best workers in the history of the business, but he had been inactive on U.S. shores for most of the decade. On the night of this NWA PPV in "WWF country," however, the Funker was bent on establishing himself as one of the leading in-ring impresarios of a new generation -- one that, six months earlier, appeared to have all but left him behind.

 

Few wrestlers have ever been able to sell like primo Funk, and his willingness and ability to make Flair seem so very potent must have been a breath of fresh air for the "Nature Boy," who had spent 1984-1988 almost exclusively doing the same -- usually at his own expense. To wit: Funk bumped over the top rope for a Flair chop; slid across a table, hitting his head on a chair as he hit the floor; had a virtual paroxysm as he exhibited the agony of the figure-four leglock; and, on the whole, spent the entirety of the 18:34 fray doing what is known in modern wrestling parlance as "showing ass." Funk also spent ample time on the offensive, chiefly by working over Flair's "injured" kneck with neckbreakers and piledrivers, both in the ring and on the floor. Flair refused to quit and, once back inside, caused the crowd (and Jim Ross, doing his characteristic superlative work) to erupt in a frenzy as he alternated between chopping Funk's chest and kicking him in the leg in rapid-fire succession. In between surgical chops, the defending champ continued to inflict bone-chilling punishment on the challenger's knee, before administering the figure-four. Two minutes later, Funk finally quit, effectively terminating his illustrious NWA wrestling career.

 

It was going to take an authentic five-star bout, featuring outstanding performances by both men, to explain Funk's quitting with his career on the line, and he was so convincing in conveying the throes of Flair's finisher that not a single observer questioned the outcome. The match represented the final classic thread in the garment of Flair's glorious 1989: the best single year of memorable in-ring performances in the history of wrestling. On the other hand, Funk had only been active in the NWA for six months that year, but his exemplary series of matches, interviews, and angles in that span made it one of the best of his career as well -- and one that made him a celebrated figure to a generation that had written him off long before.

 

Also Recommended: Flair vs. Funk -- July 23, 1989, NWA Great American Bash

 

 

Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Jumbo Tsuruta

June 8, 1990; All Japan; Tokyo

 

Perhaps the most important match of the decade for All Japan and promoter Giant Baba, this battle between Puroresu legends was the quintessential synthesis of Old Guard vs. New Guard storytelling. Having just lost his top star, Genichiro Tenryu, to rival Antonio Inoki and New Japan, Baba found himself in exigent circumstances; he was running a distant second in the promotional war against Inoki, and his top remaining star, Tsuruta, was aging rapidly. He realized that his promotion direly needed a changing of the guard, and on the afternoon of this Budokan Hall show, he resolved to make Mitsuharu Misawa, 27, his new top star.

 

Less than a year removed from his four-year formative stint as "Tiger Mask II," Misawa had been one of the best workers in Japan for some time, and the fans were, by now, clamoring for Baba to elevate him to his rightful perch atop the company pecking order. And, if nothing else, the applause this Budokan Hall crowd showered upon him from the outset renoved any existing doubts regarding how prevalent their support was for him. The impudent Misawa conveyed his sense of determination by slapping his older opponent and generally treating him with a disprespect befitting a brazen youth attempting to establish his notoriety. The great Tsuruta, 39, reacted with typical grumpiness and attempted to control the pace of the match with his deliberate, ultra-stiff ground attack. Nobody executed a lariat with more authority than Tsuruta, and that, coupled with his full range of knee-lifts and suplexes, was so convincing that, at many points, the crowd seemed certain the end was near for their great, young hope. However, Misawa continually buddled Jumbo with his diving, flipping, dropkicking repetoire, and once he unleashed his own exacting ground offense, he was on the verge of a breakthrough.

 

In the end, one of the match's main threads of story proved pivotal: Misawa was younger, faster, and more dexterous, and for almost every move Tsuruta attempted, he somehow managed to execute a counter. After nearly 25 minutes of intense action, Tsuruta gave Misawa a cross-body block and notched a 2.9 count, before Mitsuharu reversed it into the pinfall. The crowd exploded with an emotion rarely ever seen in pro wrestling, and All Japan's fans were hankering so fervidly for a Misawa victory that many members of the audience were crying after the dramatic conclusion. Even the perpetually-unflappable Misawa at first choked back tears as he celebrated with fellow young guns Kenta Kobashi, Toshiaki Kawada, and Akira Taue, before momentarily composing himself and then giving way to a fleeting toothy grin. It may not have been a Triple Crown Title match, but it might as well have been: Misawa's emergence as the top star in the company remains legendary.

 

Also recommended: Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Mitsuharu Misawa, September, 1, 1990

 

 

Keiji Mutoh vs. Masahiro Chono

G1 Climax Tournament Final

August 11, 1991; New Japan; Tokyo

 

For New Japan and legendary booker Riki Choshu, the 1991 version of its annual heavyweight G1 Climax tournament was an opportunity to consummate a year-long transition period. The 1990s were in full swing, and it was time for a trio of new mega-stars -- Masa Chono, Masa Chono, and Shin'ya Hashimoto -- to usher in a new era by displacing the aging breed of '80s main eventers -- represented by Tatsumi Fujinami and Choshu himself. So, after a semifinals that saw Mutoh conquer Hashimoto (who had, in turn, ousted Choshu in the opening round) and Chono oust Fujinami, the sell-out crowd at Tokyo's Sumo Hall was abuzz. This was to be a historic encounter between the two wrestlers who would carry the promotion to dizzying new heights of prosperity.

 

The two finalists fed off the appetent crowd by combining for the best match of their respective careers, as well as one that built slowly over a half-hour stretch. Chono was the more charismatic of the two, while Mutoh was the better worker, but each one incorporated a superb array of drama-building moves and sequences. After an impressive demonstration of sound mat work, with an elbowdrop and backdrop suplex thrown in for good measure, Chono revved up a crowd that was already agog by taking to the air with a tope suicida and a plancha -- moves so uncharacteristic for him that the crowd came unglued. Chono continued with a series of piledriver variations, but Mutoh returned the favor and went for a moonsault. The high risk misfired in the worst way possible, as Chono moved out of harm's way and proceeded to lock on his finisher: the STF. The crowd came unraveled, chanting wildly for Mutoh as he struggled to reach the ropes, finally doing so after nearly two minutes in the agonizing hold. Minutes later, Mutoh reversed Chono's suplex attempt into a snap suplex, then went for a missile dropkick: Chono attempted to perform a mid-air dropkick in response, but Mutoh somehow managed to adjust in mid-air and avoid the collision. After a German suplex, he connected with the missile dropkick and, following two more momentum reversals, attempted another moonsault. Much to his detriment, his ribs found Chono's knees on the way down, and Chono executed a neckbreaker powerbomb for the win at around the 30 minute mark.

 

New Japan was about to embark on its most profitable run ever, as its series of dome shows in the mid-'90s set several impressive attendance and revenue records (including over $8 million in combined ticket and merchandise revenue on several occasions). All of that astounding success traces itself, in part, to this, the greatest New Japan heavyweight match of all-time, and the bout that marked the arrival of Chono and Mutoh as the promotion's unquestioned kingpins.

 

Also Recommended: Keiji Mutoh vs. Masahiro Chono, January, 4 1993

 

 

Jushin "Thunder" Liger vs. El Samurai

Top of the Super Juniors Tournament Final

April 30, 1992; New Japan; Tokyo

 

Jushin Liger had already firmly ensconsed himself at the top of the junior heavyweight workrate totem poll at least three years before this legendary tournament final match. Conversely, El Samurai was a highly-regarded up-and-coming high flier who had already attained status as one of the best workers in the company, but he was not yet nearly at Liger's lofty level. The New Japan booking troupe trusted that, by booking him Samuari to reach the tournament finals and wrestling a great match against the renowned Liger, Samurai would become the latest break-out junior circuit star. However, even they never could have forecast that, ten years later, the bout would remain entrenched as one of the best junior matches in wrestling history.

 

The two men largely eschewed traditional early-match mat work and instead opted to brawl with reckless abandon. Samurai even attacked Liger with a glass bottle and piledrove him on the concrete, ala Dynamite Kid in the aforementioned August 23, 1983, Tiger Mask match. Liger became fed up with his opponent's dirty tactics and retaliated by monomaniacally palm thrusting and capo kicking Samurai into oblivion. Samurai responded with an even more furious succession of cuffs in the corner, before Liger broke out some of the best aerial offense of his career, complete with a rolling senton bomb from the top rope to the floor (which, for the time, was absolutely mind-blowing) and a moonsault from the top rope to the floor, onto the sprawled Samurai. In the end, Samurai attempted a top-rope hurrancanrana, but Liger reversed it into a power bomb, before following up with a top-rope 'rana of his own for the win.

 

After twenty minutes of the best singles match of either man's career (which is a bold statement, particularly in Liger's case), New Japan had yet another junior heavyweight legend in its charge. Although Liger was clearly the better performer, Samurai became an instant star, and he even dethroned Jushin "Thunder" to win the first of two IWGP Junior Heavyweight titles in a rematch two months later.

 

Also Recommended: Jushin Liger vs. Naoki Sano, January 31, 1990

 

 

Razor Ramon vs. Shawn Michaels

Intercontinental Title Unification Ladder Match

March 20, 1994; WWF WrestleMania X; New York

 

In 1994, the WWF was stagnating, both artistically and financially. In addition to losing approximately $4 million that year, the company was still struggling to establish its post-Hogan, steroid-trial-era creative identity, and the results were often disconcerting.

 

Leave it to Shawn Michaels to thrive in the middle of the turbulence. Michaels not only made himself a legend through his incomparable performance in this match, but he created a legitimate star out of his buddy Scott Hall, who hitherto had been vacillating between the upper mid-card and the lowest rung of the upper-card. Not that Razor didn't hold his own: "The Bad Guy" received a veritable thrashing from the ladder-weilding Michaels and took the second highest quotient of spine-crunching bumps of anyone on the card. Michaels was the one who needed to have spinal surgery four years later, though, and no better example exists of wherefore he did than this masochistic performance. Not only did he take numerous punishing bumps from atop the ladder, but he dropped elbows and splashes from the perch, as well -- and that was during his warm-up phase. By the time Ramon won the match by shoving over the ladder, causing Michaels to land crotch-first on the top rope and remain entangled there, the "Heartbreak Kid" had withstood so much punishment that even Mick Foley had to be in a state of awe while watching.

 

Over five years later, the Hardy Boys and Edge & Christian emerged and outstripped Michaels' spectacular stunts, but they couldn't touch the drama of this, arguably the greatest match in the history of the WWF.

 

Also Recommended: Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon, WWF "Summer Slam '95"

 

 

"Wild Pegasus" Chris Benoit vs. The Great Sasuke

Super J Cup Junior Heavyweight Tournament Final

April 4, 1994; New Japan; Tokyo

 

The culmination of one of the most incredible nights of pure wrestling action in history, this genre-defining bout renovated the Dynamite Kid-Tiger Mask formula into 20:10 of some of the greatest junior heavyweight wrestling ever seen on this planet. Every kick, chop, headbut, suplex, powerbomb, backflip, moonsault, twist, turn, and bump was delivered with intense precision, drew mind-boggling crowd heat, and occured within a perfect drama-building context. Sasuke played the part of an even-more-spectacular Satoru Sayama, even employing such Sayama as the moonsault press and the hand-spring, twisting plancha . Benoit transcended even his idol, the Kid, suplexing his opponent all over the ring and, ultimately, finishing him with a riveting top-rope gutwrench suplex.

 

What is most remarkable about the match's exceptional quality is that it was the final round of the most grueling annual tournament in wrestling, so both men had already wrestled two arduous matches earlier in the night. In particular, Sasuke's quarterfinal and semifinal bouts -- against El Samurai and Jushin Liger, respectively -- were, in their own right, both brutal Match of the Year candidates that firmly established the death-defying junior heavyweight as a legendary figure in Puroresu. Benoit, meanwhile, won the bout and an accompanying assortment of trophies, belts, and other goodies that commemorated his tournament victory. In his post-match, made-for-home-video interview, the man now known in the WWF as the "Canadian Crippler" stated, "This is the greatest honor of my career." On the contrary, Chris: The honor (of viewing your masterful performance) was all ours.

 

Also Recommended: "Wild Pegasus" Chris Benoit vs. El Samurai -- 1993 "Top of Super Juniors"

 

 

Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Toshiaki Kawada

Triple Crown Title

June 3, 1994; All Japan Pro Wrestling; Tokyo

 

Two of the most dominant stars in the history of wrestling, Misawa and Kawada have wrestled many classic matches in the course of their illustrious feud. This match, notable for its layers of psychological nuance, was the pinnacle.

 

Both men debuted at roughly the same time (Kawada in 1982, Misawa in 1984), with each rising through All Japan's ranks at a corresponding rate. They even briefly formed a tag team, only to split up when Misawa captured the Triple Crown title in 1990. Kawada had since challenged for Misawa's championship numerous time, but he invariably lost each one of those encounters. Steadily, his jealousy and frustration mounted, and the deep-seeded feelings came to a head in this Triple Crown bout, before a rabid pro-Kawada crowd at Budokan Hall.

 

The match showcased a superior level of multi-dimensional story-telling from the outset: Initially, the former partners thwarted each other's attempts to connect with high-impact offense because they knew each other so well. However, Kawada's frustration, resulting from years of failure, soon manifested itself, as he opted to forego wrestling a respectful scientific match in favor of embarrassing his foe by kicking the champion in the face as he lay on the mat and standing on his head instead of holding onto a half-Boston Crab. The provoked Misawa responded in kind, systematically and forcefully working over Kawada's knee, which Misawa and Kenta Kobashi had "injured" in a tag team match several months earlier. The resolute Kawada fought back with an energetic, fierce flurry of offense, which sent the crowd into a frenzy. Misawa narrowly withstood the beating, and once Kawada had expended most of the energy remaining in his ravaged body, the champion capitalized by unleashing his own vast array of offensive moves. However, the determined challenger refused to quit: Misawa scored with several devastating maneuvers that had earned him victories in numerous previous high-profile bouts, and each time, Kawada narrowly kicked out of the ensuing pin attempt. At the match's climax, with the crowd clamorously chanting his name, the exhausted, frantic Kawada fired off one last-gasp series of kicks. Misawa, bloody and battered in his own right, withstood the blows and at long last finished off his foe with the Tiger Driver '91, a move he hadn't used in three years, and one that only underscored the monumental importance of winning on this night. Fans of crowd heat, brutality (both mens' blood was hardway), and -- above all else -- psychology should look no further.

 

Also Recommended: Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Kenta Kobashi, February, 1997

 

 

American Love Machine" Art Barr & Eddie Guerrero ("Los Gringos Locos") vs. El Hijo del Santo & Octagon

Double Hair vs. Double Masks

November 6, 1994; AAA "When World Collide" Pay-Per-View; Los Angeles

 

At the time of this legendary match, hardcore wrestling fans and critics were absolutely certain that one member of the legendary Los Gringos Locos tandem would inevitably enjoy a long, prosperous career as one of the greatest heel performers in the history of both Mexican and U.S. wrestling. And it wasn't Eddie Guerrero. "American Love Machine" Art Barr, the son of long-time Oregon promoter Sandy Barr and 1990 WCW prelim wrestler "The Juicer," was a proverbial five-tool wrestler whose blend of talent and charisma likely equalled even that of Shawn Michaels at the time. His routine as an insufferable, anti-Mexican jerk packed the Hispanic AAA fans in by the thousands and, invariably, roused their nationalistic passions to a riotous degree. It seemed only a matter of time before promoters in the U.S. took notice of him and pushed him to the moon, and in the wake of this five-star classic, his phone started ringing off the hook.

 

Aside from the hilarious heel antics of Barr and Guerrero (whose performance was also magnificent), the match was three falls of non-stop action. The first fall saw the heel dominate, winning with a super-frankensteiner over Santo, while Barr put down Octagon with the Frogsplash (Lucha tag matches are contested under elimination rules, more or less). In the second fall, Los Locos eventually disposed of Santo, before Octagon made a miraculous one-on-two rally and pinned Guerrero and Barr within the space of 30 seconds. The third fall was the most dramatic of all, with Santo fighting for the mask he and his father (the most famous luchadore ever) had sported for almost half a century. Barr successfully put Octagon out of commission with a Tombstone Piledriver (a move Mexican fans consider crippling, thus, it's banned) behind the ref's back, before Love Machine arch-rival Blue Panther interfered by squashing Barr with a piledriver of his own. Guerrero and Santo were left mano-y-mano, with Santo enduring all of Eddy's brutal Puroresu-style stiff offense. The second-generation superstar, with his family honor and legacy at stake, ultimately reversed a suplex attempt into a roll-up and a thrilling 1-2-3.

 

All four men performed almost flawlessly, but the 28-year-old Barr stole the show -- no small statement given the caliber of his co-performers. His heel charisma and energy were so incredible that even the ever-temperate Mike Tenay, who (excellently) handled the English commentary with Chris Cruise, seemed exasperated by his tactics. Unfortunately, one is left only to wonder what might have been. In a twist of cruel irony, not only was this Barr's most famous match, but it was also his last: He died in his sleep 17 days later, with those new offers from U.S. and Japanese promoters only starting to pile up.

 

Also Recommended: Los Gringos Locos & Konnan vs. El Hijo del Santo, Octagon, & Blue Panther, April, 1994

 

 

Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi vs. Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue

Real World League Tag Titles

June 9, 1995; All Japan; Tokyo

 

This 43-minute magnum opus saw the historic Misawa-Kawada rivalry reach new epic heights. Misawa entered the match in the midst of his third Triple Crown title reign, having just reclaimed the championship from Stan Hansen in May. Conversely, Kawada was still feeling the sting of having never beaten his bitter rival, as well as of recently having his own Triple Crown reign cut short by Hansen that March.

 

To further spice up the already-savory drama surrounding the bouth, Kobashi entered the match with his knee heavily taped and, not surprisingly, the challengers spent the majority of the bout ruthlessly assaulting the wounded limb with all manner of lethal kicks and submissions. As the story went, Kawada intended to impart revenge for his own knee injury, as described in the June 3 Misawa-Kawada bouth. Kobashi did a superlative job of selling the injury, and when he finally hit his signature moonsault and made a tag to Misawa nearly forty minutes into the match, the crowd heat reached an ear-shattering decibal level. Unfortunately for Misawa, he was by then in a hapless state: With his ailing partner virtually useless, the immutable challengers eventually overwhelmed him. Kobashi could do little more than selflessly lay on top of Misawa in a futile effort to rescue his partner from Kawada's and Taue's unmerciful attack. This spectacle continued for several minutes, and many times -- just as it looked like Kawada would finally pin the near-impregnable Misawa -- Kobashi would make a gallant save.

 

Finally, with the Budokan Hall crowd having reached a feverish pitch, Taue took out Kobashi with an especially forceful Nodowa Otoshi, leaving an opening for Kawada to demolish Misawa with his second High Angle Powerbomb of the match. Just before Kobashi could make one more save, Kawada covered his helpless rival and registered the 1-2-3. After half a decade of frustration, Kawada had finally pinned Misawa. And he did it -- fittingly enough -- after what was likely the most dramatic match in wrestling history.

 

Also Recommended: Misawa & Kobashi vs Kawada & Taue, October 15, 1995

 

 

Steve Austin vs. Bret Hart

Submission Match

March 24, 1997; WWF "WrestleMania XIII"; Chicago

 

A five-star, half-hour, gross and glorious brawl that, more than any other match, defined the "WWF Attitude" era, set Austin on fire as a babyface, and marked the beginning of the end for Hart in the WWF. The 39-year-old Bret was still near his prime as a worker and performed magnificently. This was arguably his last truly great singles match in the WWF, and it was only fitting that the "Hitman," the consummate in-ring dramatist, helped tell a story emotionally gripping enough to make most Hollywood scriptwriters envious. However, if this were an action-adventure motion picture, Austin's performance was positively Grammy-worthy. "Stone Cold" was at his pre-neck-condition athletic peak and had so completely grown into his character that his every movement glistened with a dynamic, bad-ass gusto that his physical limitations have prevented him from replicating ever since (as great as he still is).

 

At the outset, the two men brawled up into the stands, before making their way back to the ring and thrashing each other some more around the ringside area. Back in, Hart seized a momentary advantage, before Austin walloped Hart over the back with a chair, doing so with a piquancy such that much of the Rosemont Horizon crowd turned in his favor right then and there. Hart reversed the tide and bloodied the Texas Rattlesnake on the rail, before unleashing an feral assault on his opponent's face and legs. Of course Austin fought back, performing his staple rapid-fire series of kicks to Bret's face in the corner with more enthusiasm and swagger than he's ever displayed in any match -- ever. When Hart finally locked him in the sharpshooter, his face a proverbial crimson mask, his energetic (but ultimately futile) attempt to escape was unparalleled in its intensity, and he likely won over more fans during those two minutes than many WWF wrestlers do in an entire career.

 

Long before guest referee Ken Shamrock stopped the match after Austin "passed out," Stone Cold had already captured the crowd's imagination with his revolutionary brand of defiant charisma. The fact that he did so during a match that featured such masterful storytelling made the turn all the more triumphant. The wrestling world hasn't been the same ever since.

 

Also Recommended: Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin, WWF Survivor Series '96"

 

 

Rey Mysterio, Jr. vs. Eddie Guerrero

Mask vs. Cruiserweight Title

October 26, 1997; WCW "Halloween Havoc '97"; Las Vegas

 

WCW showcased so many spectacular Cruiserweight matches between 1996 and 1998 that, eventually, few of them stood out above one another -- between Nitros, Thunders, and pay-per-views, the four-star matches abounded and almost became commonplace. Thus, that this one match stood affirmatively above them all illustrates just what a modern masterpiece it really was. Intricate, innovative sequences, all executed with flawless fluidity and psychology, building to an electrifying finish.

 

At 13:51, it may be the shortest AW Essential, but it still packed as powerful a punch as any. In the most incredible spot of them all, with Guerrero stationed on the outside of the ring, Mysterio executed a running flip dive over the top rope, rotated his body, and turned it into a hurracanrana. A whole host of dives, dropkicks, and other stiff and acrobatic moves followed, with Guerrero playing the bullying antagonist to perfection. After Eddie executed what may well be the single greatest powerbomb in the history of the wrestling industry, he scaled the ropes and missed his frog splash attempt. Mysterio, the challenger, responded by attempting his own finishing move -- the hurracanrana -- only to see Guerrero turn it into a backbreaker. The crowd was abuzz as the champion set up for the top-rope powerbomb (Splash Mountain), and they erupted in cheers as Rey reversed it into an awe-inspiring 'rana and scored the pin.

 

Any match that Eddie Guerrero himself ranks as the greatest of his career is a must-see of the highest caliber, and Mysterio would no doubt express similar sentiments.

 

Also Recommended: Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Eddie Guerrero, "World War III '97"

 

 

The Rock vs. Steve Austin

WWF World Championship

April 1, 2001; WWF "WrestleMania X-7"; Houston, TX

 

It's not too often that the top two drawing cards of the most profitable generation in U.S. wrestling history engage in a classic battle on the biggest "sports-entertainment" event of the year. Well, actually, it's happened twice, to be exact, but the second match was the better of the two, and it was also the most memorable. At what was not surprisingly the most profitable extravaganza in the history of wrestling, 67,925 fans at the Astrodome reacted rabidly as The Rock and Austin put on a terrific half-hour, no-disqualification match that was absolutely chock-full of tasty twists and turns.

 

Over the course of the half-hour match, both men bladed, exchanged each other's signature moves numerous times, and cleverly staged several false finishes that made reference to famous past matches -- all of which they did for maximum emotional impact. Even Vince McMahon's interference at the end of the bout couldn't spoil the fun, though it did come awfully close: Vince was supposed to be a strong enough heel to turn the crowd against Austin, but the massive Houston throng instead cheered wildly for everything their fellow Texan did. Meanwhile, the Rock received a hearty round of boos every time he mounted any sort of offense. Even after Stone Cold worked the match in the psychological heel role, needed the hated McMahon to break up the Rock's post-People's Elbow pin attempt, held the Rock while Vince walloped the defending champ with a chair, failed to hold Rocky down for a three-count after a stunner, clobbered his opponent with a chair for another false-finish in an extremely heel-like move, and then finally earned the pin after psychotically "snapping" and laying waste to the "People's Champ" with a succession of cruel chair shots to the stomach and back, the stubborn crowd STILL gave the home-state hero one of the biggest pops in the history of wrestling when he finally regained the title.

 

Although the disastrous Austin heel turn will always characterize it, the match itself marked the financial high-point of the mind-bogglingly successful WWF Attitude.

 

Also Recommended: The Rock vs. Steve Austin; WrestleMania XV

 

 

Keiji Mutoh vs. Genichiro Tenryu

Triple Crown Title

June 8, 2001; New Japan/All Japan; Tokyo

 

It was the height of the (fairly disappointing) New Japan vs. All Japan storyline that carried both companies through 2001, and 39-year-old Keiji Mutoh was somewhat of an afterthought. He had been one of New Japan's top two stars and best performers for more than ten years, but his stock had dropped appreciably in the past few years, thanks to his declining performance rate and general staleness. He was showing signs of moving down the card, and surely that trend would continue during the latter part of 2001. His opponent in this Budokan Hall match, Genichiro Tenryu, was one of the best workers on the planet in the 1980s, but he was on the wrong side of 52-years-old at this point, so his physical attrition was even more pronounced. Despite being a great performer for his age, he had already been phased down the card in New Japan several years before, and he only held the Triple Crown Title because of All Japan's post-Pro Wresting NOAH talent dearth. This match figured to include a wealth of good nostalgia but a poverty of great wrestling, with the winner's championship reign sure to end at the next month's Budokan Hall show.

 

Instead, the exceptional quality of the match sent shockwaves undulating throughout the Japanese wrestling world, and the winner still held the title as of February, 2002. From the outset, the men set the shockingly frenetic pace of the match, with Mutoh reversing a Dragon Screw attempt by Tenryu into the Shining Wizard, his newest finishing maneuver. Mutoh then attempted a moonsault less than two minutes into the bout. The match only built from there, with the elderly Tenryu even performing an incredible tope suicida and the erstwhile Great Muta responding by executing a Dragon Screw Suplex from the apron to the floor. Mutoh proceeded to maul Tenryu's knee with dropkicks and a Dragon Suplex-into-a-figure-four spot (many observers have labeled him the "Japanese Ric Flair" -- only with better moves), but his aging foe responded with his own Dragon Suplex-into-a-figure-four-spot and followed up with a staggering Spider Suplex and a diving elbow for a 2.9 count. Mutoh answered with another Shining Wizard, but it didn't phase Tenryu, who connected with a Northern Lights Power Bomb and, moments later, officially became the oldest (and, perhaps, the heaviest) man ever to execture a top-rope hurracanrana. Tenryu attempted yet another Northern Lights Bomb, but Mutoh reversed it into his third Shining Wizard of the match -- only netting him a 2.9 count. Mutoh still had one last-resort option remaining in his manifold bag of tricks: The moonsault. The crowd came unglued as the challenger pulled out this trusty, old favorite, finally scoring a pin on the resilient Tenryu, winning him the Triple Crown Title for the first time.

 

All Japan had planned all along for Mutoh to be a transitional champion, but, in the wake of this five-star match, the crowd reaction to his reign was so exceedingly strong that he held the belt until April, 2002, and has been the hub of the Japanese wrestling scene the past nine months. Incredibly, it was a classic match between two men who had combined to live nearly half a century that catalyzed the resurgence.

[TheOriginalOrangeGoblin 0]

What's HBK/Razor doing there? If you wanna put WM 10, then put Bret/Owen.

[Tawren 0]

Way too many overrated matches there.

[The Mandarin 0]

The ladder match was amazing for it's time, but you're going from '82 to 2001. That match, in my mind, doesn't carry the historical impact that it once did, now that the ladder match is overused.

[Coffin Surfer 0]

Both men debuted at roughly the same time (Kawada in 1982, Misawa in 1984), with each rising through All Japan's ranks at a corresponding rate. They even briefly formed a tag team, only to split up when Misawa captured the Triple Crown title in 1990.

 

 

Misawa didn't win the Triple Crown in 1990, he won it on 8/22/92 from Hansen.

 

Misawa and Kawada wrestled as a tag team until early 93, if they broke up in 1990 they wouldn't have had those excellent to great matches with Gordy/Williams and Jumbo/Taue.

 

This guy doesn't know what the hell he's talking about. Dozens of hours of reasearch......my ass!

Edited October 29, 2003 by Coffin Surfer

[Guest Ray]

Razor Ramon vs. Shawn Michaels

Intercontinental Title Unification Ladder Match

March 20, 1994; WWF WrestleMania X; New York

 

 

 

the greatest match in the history of the WWF.

 

Uh....I don't think so. It wasn't even the best match on that card.

 

 

The ladder match was influential, but that is NOT a good thing.

[chaosrage 0]

No Guerrero/Malenko? I'd put that on instead of Rey/Guerrero.

 

And it's kinda weird that it's got two Austin matches but only one HBK and Hart.

 

But I like it, it sounds good.

[chaosrage 0]

What's HBK/Razor doing there? If you wanna put WM 10, then put Bret/Owen.

Bret/Owen was great but there wasn't really anything in it, outside of maybe the upset win that would have people go back and say "this is the match that started something" or a worker go back and say "I need to watch this to help prepare for this specific match". If you think about it, it wasn't that different from some of Bret's other big matches, like with Mr. Perfect. I think it was missing something to put it into that super special level that way too many put it in.

 

HBK/Razor gave a lot more of a lasting impression and totally overshadowed Bret/Owen on that night. It was years ahead of its time. One of the first crazy matches WWF ever had. Although some might not see that as a good thing. However Owen/Bret doesn't have any historical significance at all except for Owen winning.

 

If you want to put a Bret/Owen match on there, it's gotta be the cage one since that was about 10x better as well as innovative and the most realistic and best cage match ever.

[Guest Loss]

I realized that we all have our favorite styles, but I don't think some of you are getting the point here. This was not an attempt to list the 20 greatest matches of all time. I saw it more as an attempt to pick 20 matches that were historically significant and good to great more than anything else, and if that was the goal, it was accomplished. A wide variety of styles was represented and while I don't necessarily consider every match on this list a classic, it's hard to call any of them bad.

 

Good read.

 

My only criticism reading this was that it read like a thesaurus was desk-side while this was being written.

[Michrome 0]

A lot of that stuff didn't belong. Funk vs. Flair, HBK-Razor, Austin-Rock have no place on there, just to start.

[Guest Loss]

Why? Because they weren't the best matches of all time? I didn't totally agree with the match selection either, but I think the goal of this may have been a little different from what is being interpreted.

[Tawren 0]

It's called 20 Most Essential Matches. That basically means 20 best.

[Guest Loss]

Nah. I'd say this list is more like going to Safeway and buying the managers choice Peanut Butter than going to AFI to find out the best movies of all time.

 

It reads more like "If you haven't seen these matches, you should" than "These are the 20 best matches ever."

[Guest BAR]

Hmm, bad research. The other Dynamite/Sayama match he's talking about is 21/4/83. I prefer it to 5/8/82.

[Coffin Surfer 0]

"No Guerrero/Malenko? I'd put that on instead of Rey/Guerrero."

 

Which Guerrero/Malenko are you talking about, even than it doesn't matter, since none of them reached the level of Rey/Guerrero from Havoc 97, which is without question the greatest match to happen on U.S. soil.

 

"Ric Flair v. Terry Funk

NWA World Title "I Quit" Retirement Match

November 15, 1989; "NWA New York Knock-Out;" Troy, NY

 

The best brawl of the 1980s "

 

Not really, when you consider that there have been better brawls in the same company during the 80s. Take the Tully vs. Magnum "I Quit" match for instance, which blows away the Funk/Flair "I Quit" match in pretty much every way. A far better choice for this sort of list, especially when you already have three Flair matches(which I think is enough to tip most people off that this isn't a GREATEST list).

Edited October 29, 2003 by Coffin Surfer

[Guest wildpegasus]

Which Guerrero/Malenko are you talking about, even than it doesn't matter, since none of them reached the level of Rey/Guerrero from Havoc 97, which is without question the greatest match to happen on U.S. soil.

I'd put Bret vs Austin at Wrestlemania, Bret vs Austin at SS (have to watch it again though) Bret vs Benoit Tribute match, Benoit vs Eddie from WCWSN, Flair vs Steamboat 2/3 falls, Benoit vs Angle at the Rumble, Steamboat/Rhodes vs Anderson/Zbysko at the Clash, Benoit vs Malenko Hog Wild, Bret vs Owen at Wrestlemania/Summerslam and others around the same level or higher than Rey Mysterio Jr. vs Eddie Gurerrero.

[chaosrage 0]

Which Guerrero/Malenko are you talking about, even than it doesn't matter, since none of them reached the level of Rey/Guerrero from Havoc 97, which is without question the greatest match to happen on U.S. soil.

 

I might give you match of the night. It's great, but for one thing, it's fucking short, and for another, Mysterio does the same kind of selling in it everyone always bitches at RVD about. That match is sooo overrated on this board.

[Guest Choken One]

I liked this article or whatever, I didn't get a THESE ARE 20 GREATEST MATCHES ever feeling...I for the most part agree with his selections as these are crucial matches but if you trying to show SIGNIFICANT matches, you have to include Hogan/Sting and Hogan/Andre Hogan/Savage and even Yoko.Hogan (if only for the significance of the murder of Hulk Hogan).

 

Mankind/Undertaker HIAC would also have to earn a spot as it MADE Mick Foley famous and put the HIAC on the map for good (just like Shawn and Ramon did for the Ladder)

 

I won't even try to say anything about Puro but I'm sure there are a few neglected matches there as well.

[Coffin Surfer 0]

Which Guerrero/Malenko are you talking about, even than it doesn't matter, since none of them reached the level of Rey/Guerrero from Havoc 97, which is without question the greatest match to happen on U.S. soil.

I'd put Bret vs Austin at Wrestlemania, Bret vs Austin at SS (have to watch it again though) Bret vs Benoit Tribute match, Benoit vs Eddie from WCWSN, Flair vs Steamboat 2/3 falls, Benoit vs Angle at the Rumble, Steamboat/Rhodes vs Anderson/Zbysko at the Clash, Benoit vs Malenko Hog Wild, Bret vs Owen at Wrestlemania/Summerslam and others around the same level or higher than Rey Mysterio Jr. vs Eddie Gurerrero.

I'd put both the Bret/Austin matches(SS, Wrestlemania) near it, since they are some of the better heavyweight U.S. matches. You could make a good argument for them being better than Rey/Eddy because of the storytelling elements, but than again Rey/Eddy told a pretty good story itself.

 

Sting/Vadar from Bash is of course up there as well, as one of the best American heavyweight matches. Excellent performance from Vadar in carrying Sting to a match of that level.

 

I wouldn't put either Bret/Owen match as high as Vadar/Sting or Bret/Austin. But I will say Wrestlemania X>Summerslam Cage match.

 

Micheals/Foley from Mindgames is another good one, that I would put up there with the better U.S. heavyweight matches. And yes, I would Micheals/Ramon Wrestlemania X over Bret/Owen.

 

With the exception of Vince's nonsense, Wrestlemania 17 Rock vs. Austin is another very good match. They do one of the best jobs of building to the nearfalls/submissions I've seen out of the WWF.

 

Bah to Beniot/Angle at the Rumble. Smart start, before they went finisher crazy to pop the crowd.

 

Flair/Steamboat Clash would be that high if it wasn't for the redundant and for the most part by the numbers final fall. They also don't do very good job of progressing the match in the first fall.

 

I haven't seen Beniot/Eddy(WCW), Beniot/Malekno, Bret/Beniot, or the Clash tag match in years(most since they originally aired), so I'll have to hold off my opinion on them for the time being.

 

If you would like me to go deeper into the comparisons, and why I feel certain matches are better, I would be more than happy to when I get the free time.

[Coffin Surfer 0]

Which Guerrero/Malenko are you talking about, even than it doesn't matter, since none of them reached the level of Rey/Guerrero from Havoc 97, which is without question the greatest match to happen on U.S. soil.

 

I might give you match of the night. It's great, but for one thing, it's fucking short, and for another, Mysterio does the same kind of selling in it everyone always bitches at RVD about. That match is sooo overrated on this board.

I don't have a problem with the length of the match. Given the pace, and the build, it all fits together rather smoothly. If there is a rule that match must be 30 mins to be great, I certaintly don't abide by it.

 

I've never seen RVD in a match as good as this.

 

Rey did a pretty good job of putting over Eddy's wear down offense inbetween transitions like the very brief double k.o. spot after the springboard DDT. As in most junior or lucha matches, some selling is sacrificed to keep the pace up. Still most of the transition sequences are smarter and longer than most heavyweight matches.

 

For instance, Eddy crouching himself after missing the baseball slide, gives Rey plent of time to go back on offense with a plancha, which gives him even more time to sell.

 

The flapjack/wheel kick transition near the end, where Rey slowly crawls to the outside and gingerly stands up is another good transition sequence. Or even the missed Frog Splash before Rey's final desperation reversal. Despite the frantic pacing of the match, both guys do an excellent job of putting over the other's attacks.

Edited October 29, 2003 by Coffin Surfer

[Michrome 0]

Rey-Eddy the best match ever on U.S. soil? Off the top of my head, matches that are far better:

 

Flair-Steamboat (Chi Town)

Flair-Steamboat (Wrestlewar)

Flair-Steamboat (Clash)

Flair vs. Funk

Mahnum T.A. vs. Tully

Wargames 1 (GAB 87)

Wargames (Wrestlewar 92)

Bret-Flair (Ironman)

Bret-Owen (Wrestlemania X)

Flair-Vader (Starcade 93)

Sting-Vader (Bash)

Bret-Austin (Survivor Series)

Bret-Austin (Wrestlemania)

Steiners vs. Sting/Luger

Steiners vs. Hart Foundation

Benoit vs. Regal

Benoit vs. Hart

Benoit vs. Malenko

Flair vs. Whindam (Crocket Cup)

Flair vs. Windham (Worldwide)

Midnight Express vs. The Fantastics (Clash 1)

Bryan Danielson vs. Paul London (4/12/03)

 

Rey-Eddy was a really great match, but I think U.S. fans overrate it because they haven't seen a lot of great lucha. It's pretty much all spots, and they turn the spots into a nice story, but the cliched ending and spotty nature of it keeps it from being any higher than ****1/4 for me.

[Coffin Surfer 0]

Rey-Eddy the best match ever on U.S. soil?

 

Bryan Danielson vs. Paul London (4/12/03)

 

Rey-Eddy was a really great match, but I think U.S. fans overrate it because they haven't seen a lot of great lucha. It's pretty much all spots, and they turn the spots into a nice story, but the cliched ending and spotty nature of it keeps it from being any higher than ****1/4 for me.

I should probably change my wording to the best match on U.S. soil that I've seen. Since I obviously haven't seen everything, bad choice of words on my part.

 

Speaking of which, I haven't seen any ROH, but it's on the to get list.

 

I would be the first to admit that I haven't seen alot of Lucha, but I really wouldn't consider myself a "fan" of U.S. wrestling, since 90% of what I've watched out of the past three years has been from Japan.

 

I do understand what your saying. If someone has never seen lucha, it would be easy to overrate the match. I agree very much.

 

But regardless, were discussing U.S. wrestling not all of North Amercia. And in the U.S., I haven't seen a match that works quite as well as Rey/Eddy.

 

I don't agree with the spotty observation. The spots are all set up well, built to nicely, and progress the match, so I really don't have a problem with them.

 

I do agree with the cliched ending observation. Rey finished Juvi several times with this in both Mexico and ECW, and it would have been nice to see something different, but oh well.

[Tim Cooke 0]

Who wrote this since no site or credit was given (as is usual in these parts). The list is so inaccurate with facts that any of the choices are just icing on the cake.

 

I would say someone like Nutty or Crimson Mask wrote this, but I know they didn't since it doesn't have Dory Funk or Jack Brisco on it.

 

Tim

[Guest wildpegasus]

Micheals/Foley from Mindgames is another good one, that I would put up there with the better U.S. heavyweight matches. And yes, I would Micheals/Ramon Wrestlemania X over Bret/Owen.

 

With the exception of Vince's nonsense, Wrestlemania 17 Rock vs. Austin is another very good match. They do one of the best jobs of building to the nearfalls/submissions I've seen out of the WWF.

 

Bah to Beniot/Angle at the Rumble. Smart start, before they went finisher crazy to pop the crowd.

First, I want to say that I have Rey Jr. vs Eddie pretty high up on my list. I love it but just don't feel it's the best US match out there.

 

Personally, I can't stand either 2 of these bouts. I'd never be able to watch Mankind/Michaels a 2nd time and Rock/Austin while being smart at points is so off the deep end in realism I give it negative stars. That's how much I hate it. If you point out anything to make me appreciate Mankind/Michaels a little more I'm listening.

 

I also disagree that Benoit and Angle just rolled out finishers to pop the crowd. The headbutt for instance was built up to greatly by teasing it the whole match. When Benoit finally hit it on his 3rd attempt the crowd went nuts. The super long distance of the headbutt also fell right into the story of Benoit desparately wanting to win the title after 17 years. Benoit struggling to make it to the turnbuckle was also nice here.

 

The spot where Benoit has Angle in the crossface, ANgle pushes up with his free arm, Benoit counters with a roll through only to have Angle counter with the Angle slam was not random. This was a play off of the first Benoit vs Angle PPV match (after Benoit's surgery) and the triple threat match between Benoit/Angle/Mysterio on Smackdown.

 

The spot real close to the end where Benoit tries to counter the anklelock by turning it into the crossface (the spot where Benoit flips around and puts his free leg on Angle's arm forcing him down into the crossface) Benoit had done this successfully earlier in the match. However, this time Angle holds on. It shows he was learning during the match. Smart.

 

Benoit's spot where he grabs the anklelock on Angle when Angle was clinging on the ropes was smart because it gave him an immediate advantge. (However momentarily)

 

Angle's laying anklelock at the end of the match was a good idea because he needed something new to defeat Benoit. Benoit on his quest to become champion for himself and his family couldn't be defeated by ordinary means. The laying anklelock was also a good climax to the match and sets the stage beautifully for an eventual rematch.

[Guest wildpegasus]

[

 

Sting/Vadar from Bash is of course up there as well, as one of the best American heavyweight matches. Excellent performance from Vadar in carrying Sting to a match of that level.

Did you see the King of Cable finals? This is real faint in my mind but I remember being really impressed with it.

 

Quote Coffin Surfer

I wouldn't put either Bret/Owen match as high as Vadar/Sting or Bret/Austin. But I will say Wrestlemania X>Summerslam Cage match.

 

Wildpegasus-The reason I love Bret vs Owen in the cage so much is that it had me on the edge of the seat the whole way through. The way Bret and Owen went through the door or even over the top of the cage like they REALLY wanted to made it for me. If there was a screwup there we probably would've had a new champion. The spots in this match were all intelligent particulary where Owen's going for the door while Bret's going to escape over the top. Both of them get too scared that the other will win if they proceed with their own individual escape route so they both decide to stop and they end up meeting each other in the middle of the ring. Brilliant. Almost the whole match was perfect. To tell you the truth I find it hard to rate against some of the other top US matches because it's not a normal match or for that matter even a normal cage match. Still, I believe it deserves mention among them. I haven't seen a cage match that's surpassed it yet.

[Guest Black Tiger]

Both men debuted at roughly the same time (Kawada in 1982, Misawa in 1984)

 

WRONG Misawa debuted in 1981, he went to Mexico on a learning excursion and returned in August of 1984 as Tiger Mask II.

 

I think Coffin Surfer hit the nail right on the head.

 

Wrestlemania III took place in March of 1987, I want to say 27th but it may have been the 24th.

[Coffin Surfer 0]

First, I want to say that I have Rey Jr. vs Eddie pretty high up on my list. I love it but just don't feel it's the best US match out there.

 

Personally, I can't stand either 2 of these bouts. I'd never be able to watch Mankind/Michaels a 2nd time and Rock/Austin while being smart at points is so off the deep end in realism I give it negative stars. That's how much I hate it. If you point out anything to make me appreciate Mankind/Michaels a little more I'm listening.

 

I also disagree that Benoit and Angle just rolled out finishers to pop the crowd.

That's fair enough. When it comes to comparing the best U.S. matches, it can be tricky considering that there alot of solid matches worked in very different ways.

 

You should probably give Chris' review of Micheals/Mankind a look at airraidcrash. I'm pretty sure it can explain the match better than me. It's not a great match, but it's still good.

 

Rock/Austin is very good if you can look past the on/off again rules and all the interferance.

 

Beniot did do a great job of building to the headbutt, as well as the Scoprion Deathlock at the beginning. That's something you don't see in the WWF very often(in fact, not at all), very All Japanesque. But still, Beniot can't wrestle for two. Angle does alot of things that bug me in the match, the missed Lariat overkill transition comes to mind. And I really dislike all those crossface/anklelock counters at the end, but I did think the Angleslam counter to the crossface was well done. I don't know, the jury is out on this one until I can watch it again.

[Coffin Surfer 0]

Some quick comparisions.

 

Flair-Steamboat (Chi Town)-I really like this match, but like most Flair/Seamboat matches it gets stuck in neutral and has trouble progressing. Eddy/Rey doesn't have that problem.

 

Flair-Steamboat (Wrestlewar)-See Chi Town but not as good.

 

Flair-Steamboat (Clash)-Third fall is too flawed to properly compete with a match as solid as Eddy/Rey.

 

Flair vs. Funk-Bash match is good, and the I Quit match is just above average thanks to no selling face Flair. While Eddy/Rey stands out as one of the best WCW crusier matches, neither Flair/Funk match can stand out as the best NWA heavyweight match.

 

Mahnum T.A. vs. Tully-A true masterpeice. Though sadly, it can't even hold up to the Kawada/Taue blood baths in the early 90s(which aren't even great matches). But as far as NWA brawls go, it doesn't get much better. As far as Eddy/Rey goes, I think the more advanced and deeper match wins out here.

 

Wargames 1 (GAB 87)

Wargames (Wrestlewar 92)-I like them, but Eddy/Rey is more complex and it only has two people in it.

 

Bret-Flair (Ironman)-Never saw, but I would like to, need to.

 

Bret-Owen (Wrestlemania X)-Nowhere near as advanced as Eddy/Rey(and I'm not just talking about moves).

 

Flair-Vader (Starcade 93)-Your joking right.....right?

 

Sting-Vader (Bash)-I love Vader, and I love this match. But honestly, Eddy/Rey is actually the better power vs. speed match.

 

Bret-Austin (Survivor Series)

Bret-Austin (Wrestlemania)-You can make a good argument for either being better than Eddy/Rey.

 

Steiners vs. Sting/Luger-Good sprint, and not much else.

 

Steiners vs. Hart Foundation-Solid tag match, probably better than the one above that gets more love.

 

Benoit vs. Regal-Was this even taped?

 

Benoit vs. Hart

Benoit vs. Malenko-Haven't saw either since they originally aired. I would love to look at them again after all these years, but I probably wouldn't like them as much as I did than, considering I've seen so much more wrestling now.

 

Flair vs. Whindam (Crocket Cup)

Flair vs. Windham (Worldwide)-Some good stuff here. Neither is as complex as Eddy/Rey, but still very good.

 

Midnight Express vs. The Fantastics (Clash 1)

Bryan Danielson vs. Paul London (4/12/03)-I haven't seen either. I need more Midnight Express in my life.

 

Obviously it's tough to fairly compare a match as modern and advanced as Eddy/Rey with some of these matches. You can be nice and use the era excuse, but still alot of 70s stuff smokes Flair/Steamboat 89 too.

[Guest wildpegasus]

You should probably give Chris' review of Micheals/Mankind a look at airraidcrash.  I'm pretty sure it can explain the match better than me.  It's not a great match, but it's still good.

 

 

 

Beniot did do a great job of building to the headbutt, as well as the Scoprion Deathlock at the beginning. That's something you don't see in the WWF very often(in fact, not at all), very All Japanesque.  But still, Beniot can't wrestle for two.  Angle does alot of things that bug me in the match, the missed Lariat overkill transition comes to mind.  And I really dislike all those crossface/anklelock counters at the end, but I did think the Angleslam counter to the crossface was well done.  I don't know, the jury is out on this one until I can watch it again.

Actually, in my fit of rage for the Rock/Austin match I put down Michaels vs Mankind at Mindgames. It's good but not the type of match I'd go out of my way to watch again.

 

About the Benoit vs Angle match, the overuse of missed clotheslines was a problem with me as well. 2 would've been okay but if I remember right there was more than that. Maybe a simple scoop slam atttempt with an escape out the back by Benoit who would go into the crossface or a snap suplex attempt turned into a crossface would've been nice here. Not that I could've done better though! I know people also have problems with the noselling german suplex reversal spots here but I thought it was okay since it was done fairly early in the match when they would be more fresh. It was a good game of oneupmanship which seemed to be a common theme throughout.

 

I don't mind all the anklelock/crossface reversals at the end simply because Benoit along with Angle is touted as the best technical wrestler in the WWE.

[Guest wildpegasus]

Benoit vs. Regal-Was this even taped?

Yes, it's on a handheld. I got it from one of the Phil Shnieder comps at www.deathvalleydriver.com. The handheld is done well but since it's a comp tape on EP it isn't in the best condition ever. Not bad but not very good. Still, it gives the match an underground feel which makes the match all the better. I imagine lots of other tape traders have it as well. Fantastic match by the way.