Guest Report post Posted May 5, 2002 So it's 1996. The WWF is just coming off having Diesel as the worst drawing champion in history. Bret Hart is the champion but only because Diesel vs. Bret Hart at Wrestlemania XII wouldn't draw well (it didn't anyway). Bret is unhappy he is a lame duck champion and is considering leaving for the WCW at about the same time that Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, and X-Pac are. Meanwhile in the WCW, Hulk Hogan's popularity is starting to wither big time as he is finally starting to hear boos and "Hogan Sucks" chants for the first time in his career as he fights the lame Dugeon Of Doom members including the Giant. Brian Pillman is on his way out but along the way, at SuperBrawl VI, he fights Kevin Sullivan in a Respect Match and says, "I respect you Bookerman!" sealing his exit and entry into the ECW. The cruiserweights shine as a cruiserweight title is made in March and the new 4 Horseman dominate. What does this have to do with the Best of 1996? I'm just basically giving the backstory since a backstory for a year hasn't been done yet. Anyway, when the year 1996 and wrestling are used in the same sentence I usually think of one thing: the nWo. The original nWo wreaking havoc through WCW has got to be the best of 1996. I hadn't heard of Steve Austin nor did I watch the WWF in '96, so I can't really say it from experience, but from what I've seen on tapes I also have to include: Steve Austin becomes Stone Cold at King Of The Ring 1996 with the infamous "Austin 3:16" speech (which is the first time I can remember someone saying "ass" on wrestling t.v.) Chris Benoit fighting Kevin Sullivan in the women's bathroom Kevin Nash powerbombing Eric Bischoff through the table. The debut of The Rock (then known as Rocky Maivia) Shawn Micheals coming back. Billionaire Ted's Wrasslin' WarRoom. That's mine. What's yours? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Tony149 Report post Posted May 5, 2002 Sweet post! 1996 started off slow in my opinion. The WWF & WCW were still close to each other in the ratings, but business for WCW picked up when Hall & Nash left the WWF. The nWo is one of the greatest angles, and stables of all-time. Hogan gave himself new life with his heel turn into "Hollywood" Hogan. WCW starts to beat the WWF every week in the ratings in the Summer of 1996. WCW would control the ratings for the next 88 weeks. 1996 was also the last year for the colorful face-paint wearing Sting. Although Sting let his hair go back to it's natural color. The colorful paint wearing Sting is replaced with "The Crow" black & white look. The Warrior returns at WM XII. Like his last two WWF runs, Warrior doesn't last long. By July he is gone from the WWF. Ric Flair gets hurt in the Fall of 1996. In my opinion Flair would start having a hard time getting back in shape. That's all I can remember for now. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest TheDames7 Report post Posted May 5, 2002 Don't forget the improvement in the quality of matches. In the WWF we had Bret-Shawn Ironman match, Shawn-Vader & Shawn-Mick @ Mindgames. In WCW, we had the GREAT Rey Jr. -Psychosis match to open BATB '96, Malenko defending his Cruiser title and making that title credible along with the influx of the cruiserweights. In ECW, the Raven-Dreamer fued got INTENSE~!, Raven-Sandman had some DOPE heat, & RVD feuding with Sabu. Dames - Feels Old Now. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Report post Posted May 5, 2002 Iron Man Match Uncensored Cage Debut of Loch Ness Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest razazteca Report post Posted May 5, 2002 the Nacho Man and the Huckster were some of the funniest characters of the Wrastling War Room. Ray Misterio Jr vs Dean Malenko for the Cruiserweight belt, put on some of my favorite Nitro matches. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Report post Posted May 5, 2002 Don't forget the improvement in the quality of matches. In the WWF we had Bret-Shawn Ironman match, Shawn-Vader & Shawn-Mick @ Mindgames. I totally agree with Vader - HBK & Mankind - HBK, but that Ironman match always gets me... I find most wrestling fans class that as the finest match of 1996, i cannot see the logic in that...fair enough, Shawn and Bret went a whole 60 plus minutes, i respect their fitness and ability to perform such a feat, but the match itself was a bore. Take a look at the HHH - Rock Ironman match at Judgement Day 2000, loads of falls in an exciting match. There was not ONE fall to spice up the Shawn - Hitman match, plus loads of rest holds and slow periods. I do accept the fact its a good display of the sort of athletes the WWF had accumulated by that time, but i refuse to think of it as even in the running for MOTY, even if the two participants recieved a Slammy Award for their efforts. If we are gonna talk Match of the Year for 1996, by all means look up Mick & Shawn, Vader & Shawn or Shawn and Sid...yes i did just type S I D (Survivor Series 1996). This has been the nostalgic Oriental Taker Mark Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Haku Report post Posted May 5, 2002 Undertaker & Mankind feud The whole n.W.o. angle was brilliant. Great matches Lots of debuts Austin, Rock, Mankind, Vader, I think HHH Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Report post Posted May 5, 2002 I forgot about Mankind, this is when I was a Foley fan. I never liked the Dude, but I kind of liked Cactus. His new Mankind was completely annoying, and whatever happened to George the Rat, did Socko eat him or something? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Caliban Report post Posted May 5, 2002 1996 was a great year... Great match between Owen and Shawn at IYH in February... Wrestlemania sucked... I thought the Ironman match was dissapointing... Great match between Diesel and Shawn Michaels in April... Diesel's last match in the WWF for a while... The Outsiders showing up on Nitro got me watching WCW for pretty much the first time... Great King of the Ring PPV from top to bottom... Shawn Michaels having a GREAT year in the ring, having good-great matches with EVERYONE. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest RickyChosyu Report post Posted May 5, 2002 Business-wise, '96 was one of the WWF's worst years of all time, but it sure did produce a lot of great matches, eh? Shawn Vs. Bret was amazing, in my opinion. Many people complain about this match being too slow, but I don't think that affected it at all. The booking was questionable, with neither guy getting any falls until overtime, but to me that only added to the drama and I loved the build up to it. Each guy played his role perfectly, and while the Rock/HHH Iron Man Match was booked to hide both men's weaknesses, I thought Bret/Shawn only exhibited their strengths. At the same time, I'm not about to expect everyone to have the patience to watch them trade wear-down holds for five minutes at a time. Sid/Shawn was good, but no where near MOTYR good. It was good for Sid, and that alone. A terrific carry job, but Sid in singles match winning match of the year is not something I'm willing to stomach. '96 was also a great year for juniors, as Dean, Rey, Psichosis, Eddy, Ohtani, and Benoit all tore it up in WCW. Benoit's brawl with Kevin Sullivan at TGAB was a true testiment to his versitility and how awesome a brawler he is on top of his technical skills. The interview afterwards where Flair and AA re-form the Horsemen is one of my all time favorite mark-out moments. Of course, then Mongo joined, and... '96 was also a huge break-out year for Steve Austin, who had many amazing matches that aren't remembered as much as they should be. Vs. Mero at KOTR was a great match, as were all his encounters with Savio Vega, which proved how good Austin could really be. The best match for him that year, however, was deffinately Vs. Bret at Survivor Series '96 which I still favor over their WM XII Submision Match that is far more famous. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Kahran Ramsus Report post Posted May 5, 2002 1996 is memorable for a few reasons. 1) It was the first time that I was more interested in WCW than the WWF, thanks to the NWO and more importantly, an undercard with the likes of Eddy Guerrero, Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko, Chris Jericho & the real Rey Misterio Jr (not the mini-me version of Konnan). 2) It was the beginning of the Attitude Era for the WWF, with the Austin/Pillman and Austin/Hart feuds that started in the fall. 3) This was the final year that we saw Shawn Michaels as a full-time wrestler. After his loss to Sid at Survivor Series he was a washed-up, often injured, former star with a bad attitude. 4) The beginning of WCW's rise to the top for the first and only time. People came for the NWO, and stayed for the undercard. Ironically, the same thing that made WCW number one, eventually killed it. 5) The Bret Hart walkout following Wrestlemania XII. It was the beginning of the end for Hart's career, and his sanity. 6) Steve Austin wins King of the Ring, and starts 3:16. Match of the Year: Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin (Survivor Series) PPV of the Year: Fall Brawl Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
