Top 100 NWA/WCW Matches (1982-2001)

[slabinskia 0]

5. WARGAMES WRESTLEWAR 92

 

The wcw match of the 90s and imo it's not even close.This was the blowoff to the fued with the dangerous alliance.It helps that I like 8 of the 10 guys in the match.Nearly everyone is bleeding by the end.This was the last great wargames match before it got watered down.Glorified violence at its best.

 

4. WARGAMES GREAT AMERICAN BASH 87

 

Some may prefer the match above but imo,you can't beat the original.Next to the royal rumble,this is my favorite gimmick match.It also involves alot of average wrestlers and plays to their strengths.Dusty,koloff,road warriars,none of which are good workers,were made to shine in this match.The best idea dusty rhodes ever came up with.

 

3. RIC FLAIR VS KERRY VONERIC 12/25/82

 

For those that have seen it,this is a pretty famous match.A cage match with michael hayes as the ref.I would put voneric fourth on the list of flairs best opponents but this one outshines even most of flairs best work.It also led to the famous voneric/freebirds fued but that is more of a world class thing.Regardless,this is a must see for any wrestling fan.

 

2. RIC FLAIR VS BARRY WINDHAM BATTLE OF THE BELTS 2

 

Another match where I'm unsure how many have seen it.It prabably should have been on the flair dvd but vince might not own the footage.A bad ending but the match is so good that you can't really take points off for it.Some will complain about me putting flair matches over some of the late 90s wcw but I just can't see putting anything ahead of this.It's that good.On second thought,there is one match that is better than this.

 

1.RIC FLAIR VS RICKY STEAMBOAT CLASH OF THE CHAMPIONS VI

 

As if there was any doubt.This is the best north american match I have ever seen.It's not easy to watch a 60 minute match(56 minutes) without getting bored once.They don't resort to pointless brawling.They wrestle.They use some very clever holds and counterholds to keep you into the match.I can go on forever about this one.Have there been better matches than this ?Most likely but I haven't seen them.This is in a class by itself.

[Coffin Surfer 0]

Again, I'm not gonna rip somebody's list so I'll just post my top ten to offer more food for thought.

 

 

NWA top 5

 

1. Tully vs. Steamboat Starrcade 84 ****1/2

-Tully is perfect as the scheming overmatched heel, the look on his face when he spots Steamboat favoring his ribs is one of those brilliant small touches that seperates classics from great matches. Oh yeah and Steamboat wrestles like he gives a damn for once.

 

2. Fantastics vs. Midnight Express Clash I ****1/4

-Elevating their fued to the next level, they cross up their usual formual with brawling, tables, and chairs. Even Cornette turns things up by replacing his comedy routine with vicious brutality during the post match beatdown.

 

3. Tully vs. Magnum I Quit ****1/4

-Tully is still very much the overmatched heel but instead of using comedy stooging to put over Magnum he works the match as an out of control surreal brawl that he's on the losing end of. Yes, the ending is also famous.

 

4. Flair vs. Steamboat Chi-Town ****

-Wrestlewar is a bore, and while Clash has some fantastic moments where they turn it up and elevate the fued they still have a bad habit of falling back on the routine, especially in the worthless final fall. This match is routine as well but it make sense as their first major match in years. Both guys are in their element, doing what they do best. It's also the fastest and most exciting of the bunch.

 

5. Flair vs. Lugar Starrcade 88 ****

-Both guys are so animated here that it's easy to forgive them for the repeated sequences and cliche spots. It's Flair's match of course but Luger had such a great sense of his character he could still add to the match with things like reacting to a hammerlock with a confident smile that says,"Is this all you got old man, hah countering this is too easy." And of course Flair isn't shy about small details either with his cry of "Old God!" at the five minute annoucement being one of the best comedy spots ever.

 

 

WCW top 5.

 

1. Wargames 92 ****1/2

-You know the deal. Everyone bleeds, brings the hate, brings attention grabbing spots, bumps nicely and there's a cute little story involving a Russian and Sting. Oh and the Dangerous Alliance crumbles over a miscommunication.

 

2. Dustin/Windham vs. Zybsko/Austin Superbrawl 83 ****1/4

-Windham and Dustin bring the hate and relentless bumping while Zybsko proves you can stooge and still be aggressive. Austin is basically a prop and his generic act leading to the finish couldn't be more anticlimatic but hey, everything else is gold.

 

3. Eddy vs. Rey Havoc 97 ****1/4

-Eddy oozes arrogance and bitterness, the action is top notch, the face in peril rules, and Rey has always been an excellent sympathy seller and bumper.

 

4. Midnights vs. Southern Boys Bash 90 ****

-The Express at their comedy best with plenty of time to try various stratgies on the superior faces who always seem to have their number. The match feels like a constant battle for momentum and oh yeah, it has a red neck Kung Fu shodown.

 

5. Dustin vs. Vader 94 ****

-Vader bullies Dustin who snaps and gives the big guy a run for it. Dustin was a better worker than Sting and it shows as this just barely edges out the Bash and Strap match despite it's considerably shorter length.

[GODSON 0]

Good list

 

I still think Flair/Barry Worldwide match and Flair/Steamboat Clash is the top 2. As for the recent WCW stuff, I put Malenko/Benoit hog wild match pretty high as the number 1 match post 92.

 

As for the top 50 WWF feuds. We already know what your number 1 pick will be because you mention it in the top 100 WWF matches,Hart vs. Austin but I think Austin vs. Vince should be number 1. Consider it a little more before posting it.

 

Forget ECW, do a top 50 RIng of Honor or TNA matches of all time. I think you can find better material.

[Just John 0]

I'd also be interested to see a top 50 Japan matches list.

[slabinskia 0]

The 50 fueds will be next.This is from 86-2005 so hogan/piper doesn't qualify.I haven't even seen much tna or roh so I am not the one to make a list for that.As far as japan goes,Ive seen tons of 90s all japan but thats it.The ajpw stuff from that time period though is top notch imo.Any other thoughts on the wcw list before I start the fueds list ?

[Guest CookieMueller]

I was in attendance for that Wrestlewar 92 match, and it's always cool to see it get mentioned in fan's favourite matches. It remains one of my all-time favourites to this day. That card also had the Stieners v. Fujinami/Iizuka and Pillman v. Zenk matches, making it one of the all-around best shows I've attended.

 

Good list. I enjoyed reading it, and will read the feuds list too.

[DCAllAmerican 0]

I'd also be interested to see a top 50 Japan matches list.

http://www.deathvalleydriver.com/Bestof90s/bestof90s.html

[cabbageboy 0]

Just wondering but what was the Vader/Dustin match from? I don't know if I've seen it. I think the best Vader match I've seen is vs. Sting from Starrcade 1992, King of Cable finals.

 

As far as Wargames goes, most of the pre Bischoff era ones are really cool but there is one problem that every one of them has, namely that the finish always is mediocre. There are too many guys in the two rings to fully put over one guy submitting and most of the time it is hard to tell when a submission occurs.

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

It must be from one of the Clash of Champions.

 

I remember watching it and them playing up going into the match that the 2 men had no issue...and then being blown away by the match. Dustin never looked that good before...or IMO after. And both guys came off like a million dollars.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

One tag match I was surprised to see omitted (unless I missed it)...Steiner Bros. vs MVC for the tag belts (I think on a Clash of the Champions). Really solid match, from what I remember.

[cabbageboy 0]

Yeah but there was always kind of the opinion that the Steiners/MVC matches were a bit of a slight letdown, so maybe it wasn't included for that reason.

 

People forget this but Dustin Rhodes was a really solid worker during his early 90s WCW run (1991-94). The sad aspect of his career is that his peak as a worker and his peak as a performer on the mic with charisma didn't coincide. By the time he was Goldust he had added the sizzle to the steak as far as a gimmick and mic work goes, but he had put on weight and wasn't as good in the ring. Of course the Goldust gimmick itself didn't lend itself to good matches either.

[slabinskia 0]

I remember when I did these lists. Looking back on it, there isn't much I would change. There were several different eras in nwa/wcw so it all depends on what style you like the most. I always like the Crocket years the most so the matches with flair, the express teams, wargames were the matches I had at the top.

[Guest]

Ok, I browsed the list. I'm just going to go by matches I've reviewed and rated, and say which I'd have higher and which I'd have lower. Higher or lower meaning at least 10 spots difference.

 

71. RIC FLAIR VS VADER STARRCADE 93

 

Higher. Much, much higher, at least 40-50 spots higher. But, I can see why someone wouldn't rate it as highly.

 

57. STEINERS VS MIRACLE VIOLENCE CONNECTION CLASH OF CHAMPIONS XIX

 

I wouldn't have even put this on the list. Super disappointing.

 

98. GOLDBERG VS DIAMOND DALLAS PAGE HALLOWEEN HAVOC 98

 

Top 80.

 

81. RICKY STEAMBOAT/SHANE DOUGLAS VS BRIAN PILLMAN/BARRY WINDHAM STARRCADE 92

 

Around top 45. Pillman and Windham beat Douglas like a dog, and well, it's a hell of a match. WCW's tag team wrestling in 1992 is unmatchable.

 

Everything from 30-25 I'd put higher. Flair/Sting from Clash I I'd move down. Too repetitious to be classified in the top 20, at least for me. We'll call it #21. I haven't seen the Russians lose the tag belts to the RnR's, so I can't say anything about it being too high. I can't believe that the King of Cable final isn't on here. That's all. Hopefully one day I'll have watched and rated enough of these matches to do a list of my own.

[slabinskia 0]

I was going through the wcw threads over at smarkschoice and I thought I would revisit this thread I started. Looking back on it, there is a good amount I would change as some stuff doesn't hold up for me anymore while other matches were left off my list either because I didn't remember much about them or I forgot them completely. What does everyone else think of my list now compared to when it was done ?