Well Known Wrestlers Without Well Known Matches?

[zappafrank 0]

Who are some of the wrestlers who are well known, but when you think about it, really have no classic or identifiable matches (or feuds) to their name?

 

The 1st one that comes to mind for me is Booker T. Aside from his WCW "Best of" series with Benoit, what has he really done (aside from jobbing to HHH at WM XIX when a large portion of the audience thought it would be his time)? None of his Harlem Heat feuds or matches stand out, his run as WCW champ was nothing special, and aside from the Goldust skits and King Booker, you really can't point to a match or feud and say, "This is what Booker T is all about."

[DrVenkman PhD 0]

There's a lot of talented guys from the E that would fit that bill. I'm sure Ted DiBiase or Rick Martel tore the house down somewhere at some point, but as far as a "well known" match, nothing immediately comes to mind for those two as "must see ****+ bouts".

[Guest]

Kane. Everything notable he's done involved him doing the job.

[Diamonddust 0]

Jake Roberts...

 

Will always be known more for his abilities before a match (Talking the people into the arena) than the actual match.

 

 

[cabbageboy 0]

Jake's stuff vs. Macho was really good, though I dunno if any of the matches are flat out classics. As far as Martel goes, I think the match from Oct. 1993 with Razor Ramon is a really excellent match, and he had all sorts of good matches with the Can Ams and Strike Force. Surely he had some classic matches as AWA champion.

 

Ted DiBiase has always been overrated to me. He had some decent matches with Savage in 1988, but I can't think of anything else that great.

[Guest the_last_rites]

Kane. Everything notable he's done involved him doing the job.

 

I dunno, the Inferno matches are pretty much identified with Kane. One wrestler I can think of that fits this bill is Ken Shamrock.

 

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

Kane. Everything notable he's done involved him doing the job.

 

I dunno, the Inferno matches are pretty much identified with Kane. One wrestler I can think of that fits this bill is Ken Shamrock.

 

I'll agree to that, but only on the grounds that the Lion's Den matches never really caught on.

[The Buzz 0]

Raven had a lot of matches I liked, but I'm trying to remember if he's had a match that everyone considers classic. Would some of his work with Dreamer in ECW be considered classic? Possibly the stuff with Benoit and DDP in WCW?

[Jingus 0]

Raven's matches with Benoit were prime stuff, especially the one at Souled Out '98. He also had a great one with Jericho at Halloween Havoc that year.

 

Reading this topic did instantly bring someone to mind: I dare you to name a really great standout match featuring IRS.

[alfdogg 0]

Ric Flair's had some classic battles with IRS in the past.

[Brocklock 0]

How about Abdullah The Butcher

[tekcop 0]

Abby's had a bunch of great matches back in the day.

 

I think Dibiase is the penultimate wrestler everyone knows, but can't name a single classic of his.

[Guest]

That's because much like Kane, he jobbed. Often. If we were talking about great angles, there would be tons for Ted.

 

The smark crowd (for the most part, if they don't, they should) knows about his matches with Duggan in Mid-South, but after that, no, nothing stands out. Joe Mark couldn't tell you a single one. If he had went to the NWA, we'd definitely be able to pick a well-known match out of what would have been many great ones.

 

Here's one that didn't job all the time and even won a World Title, Rick Rude. I mean, he beat Warrior at WM 5, but do most people know (or care) and was it even considered a big deal at the time? No. He's one of the only heels in the 80's WWF that was able to elevate himself without doing a single notable thing in the ring(at all, really, meaning he was one of the only heels to be elevated, PERIOD), even though he won matches. I'm not counting guys that were already hot acts who turned heel, like Savage. Hennig doesn't count either, his notable success started in 1990.

[Mr. S£im Citrus 0]

Do you have to win the match for it to be considered memorable? Because that 30-minute Iron Man that Rude had with Steamboat was pretty good.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Rick Rude had the matches with the Ultimate Warrior, definately career highlights.

 

For DiBiase, it's the multi-gimmick match against Jim Duggan.

 

 

[Diamonddust 0]

Jake's stuff vs. Macho was really good, though I dunno if any of the matches are flat out classics. As far as Martel goes, I think the match from Oct. 1993 with Razor Ramon is a really excellent match, and he had all sorts of good matches with the Can Ams and Strike Force. Surely he had some classic matches as AWA champion.

 

Ted DiBiase has always been overrated to me. He had some decent matches with Savage in 1988, but I can't think of anything else that great.

 

In regards to Savage/Roberts, I always felt the stuff leading up to the match (Roberts making Savage's life a living hell) was better than the actual in-ring encounter.

[cabbageboy 0]

DiBiase might have some classic matches on his resume, but the problem is that hardly anyone has seen any of it. Unless you lived in parts of Texas, Oklahoma, or Louisiana you might not know much about Mid South (UWF). To me DiBiase was all about the Million Dollar Man gimmick. From what little I have seen of his pre 1987 work it's quite odd to hear him being announced from Omaha and being a regular guy.

[Diamonddust 0]

In DiBiase's defense, he did reach the finals of the Wrestlemania IV World Title tournament and was slated to win it all at one point before it was decided they didn't want a heel going over in the main event among other things. So technically, he main evented a Wrestlemania since he was the top heel in the company at that point.

[Guest Smues]

In DiBiase's defense, he did reach the finals of the Wrestlemania IV World Title tournament and was slated to win it all at one point before it was decided they didn't want a heel going over in the main event among other things. So technically, he main evented a Wrestlemania since he was the top heel in the company at that point.

 

I thought it was because Honky wouldn't job the IC belt to Savage so they pushed Savage to the world title instead.

[Cheech Tremendous 0]

In DiBiase's defense, he did reach the finals of the Wrestlemania IV World Title tournament and was slated to win it all at one point before it was decided they didn't want a heel going over in the main event among other things. So technically, he main evented a Wrestlemania since he was the top heel in the company at that point.

 

I thought it was because Honky wouldn't job the IC belt to Savage so they pushed Savage to the world title instead.

 

I know that's been long accepted as the reason for Savage getting the belt over Dibiase, but doesn't that seem funny to anyone? I can't really see Vince sitting there thinking that he can't piss Honky off so might as well give Savage the belt and throw out six months worth of main event booking plans.

 

And how much does that suck for Ted Dibiase? Booked to win both the NWA and WWF titles at certain points in his career and loses out both times because of politics.

[Ravenbomb 0]

Actually, I always thought Jake Roberts vs. Ted DiBiase was kind of an underrated match. I wouldn't go so far as to call it a classic, and I'd definately say the stuff leading up to it, Roberts' pre-match promo especially, were better, but I think it's a pretty damn good match.

[Guest]

Do you have to win the match for it to be considered memorable? Because that 30-minute Iron Man that Rude had with Steamboat was pretty good.

I say yes, but you really don't have to. And I forgot about that match.

 

I know that's been long accepted as the reason for Savage getting the belt over Dibiase, but doesn't that seem funny to anyone? I can't really see Vince sitting there thinking that he can't piss Honky off so might as well give Savage the belt and throw out six months worth of main event booking plans.

Vince didn't want Honky showing up on NWA TV with his belt. It was the right time for Savage to get the belt anyway.

[EdwardKnoxII 0]

Do you have to win the match for it to be considered memorable? Because that 30-minute Iron Man that Rude had with Steamboat was pretty good.

 

I liked alot of Rude's WCW work. His WWF stint doesn't really stand out to me outside of the match with Warrior.

[Diamonddust 0]

Do you have to win the match for it to be considered memorable? Because that 30-minute Iron Man that Rude had with Steamboat was pretty good.

 

I liked alot of Rude's WCW work. His WWF stint doesn't really stand out to me outside of the match with Warrior.

 

Rude was probably the best example of WCW taking a WWF guy and making him bigger than he already was.

[EdwardKnoxII 0]

Do you have to win the match for it to be considered memorable? Because that 30-minute Iron Man that Rude had with Steamboat was pretty good.

 

I liked alot of Rude's WCW work. His WWF stint doesn't really stand out to me outside of the match with Warrior.

 

Rude was probably the best example of WCW taking a WWF guy and making him bigger than he already was.

 

Exactly. That time period when the Dangerous Alliance was fighting Sting, Steamboat, etc is one of my favorite periods in WCW.

[The Buzz 0]

I don't know if we are talking about Mike Rotunda's entire career or just his IRS run, but his match with Sting over the tv title pretty much defined what Rotunda was in my opinion. I'm surprised how much I like Rotunda's NWA stuff compared to his WWF and WCW/nWo work.

[OldSchoolWrestling 0]

I don't know if we are talking about Mike Rotunda's entire career or just his IRS run, but his match with Sting over the tv title pretty much defined what Rotunda was in my opinion. I'm surprised how much I like Rotunda's NWA stuff compared to his WWF and WCW/nWo work.

Was this during his time with the Varsity Club? Those were good times.

[DerangedHermit 0]

Kane. Everything notable he's done involved him doing the job.

 

I remember a quite good match between him and Albert on a Smackdown for some reason.

[Guest RyechnaiaSobaka]

In DiBiase's defense, he did reach the finals of the Wrestlemania IV World Title tournament and was slated to win it all at one point before it was decided they didn't want a heel going over in the main event among other things. So technically, he main evented a Wrestlemania since he was the top heel in the company at that point.

 

I thought it was because Honky wouldn't job the IC belt to Savage so they pushed Savage to the world title instead.

 

I know that's been long accepted as the reason for Savage getting the belt over Dibiase, but doesn't that seem funny to anyone? I can't really see Vince sitting there thinking that he can't piss Honky off so might as well give Savage the belt and throw out six months worth of main event booking plans.

 

And how much does that suck for Ted Dibiase? Booked to win both the NWA and WWF titles at certain points in his career and loses out both times because of politics.

 

Well, let's see. Honky was the Intercontinental Champion and he goes to a meeting in Connecticut to talk about dropping the belt to Savage, and the whole conversation is between Vince McMahon, Randy Savage, and Elizabeth. The finish is hitting the flying elbow in the center of the ring and a three count. Savage picks up Liz on his shoulder and walks around the ring with her, which seems to be quite ridiculous for winning the Intercontinental Title (again), but nevertheless.

 

So Vince finally turns to Honky and Jimmy Hart and tells Jimmy that he'll pull Honky out of the ring and they'll go to the back where Honky "won't be seen again." So Honky asks what this means for him career-wise, and Vince says we'll rebuild you. You rebuild an Intercontinental Champion? Even if he only became champion because of the whole Butch Reed situation, they could have taken the belt off of him shortly after that. They chose not to. Honky drew, and Vince is going to "rebuild" him after killing his character on national network television? That wasn't part of Honky's deal, and at this time stars weren't jobbing on national television because they were running two or three shows at a time.

 

Ultimately it was just really bad for Honky. He would have ended up, as he says, on first match with Lanny Poffo or S.D. Jones instead of making serious money doing a program with someone like Savage as IC champion. So he called Jim Barnett, who told him not to drop the title on TV, and when Honky told Vince that he had done that, they changed the finish for the Savage match. Macho Man ended up winning by count out, as it were.

 

So, because they had promised to push Savage super hard, they had to make changes with their booking. DiBiase was apparently promised the WWF title but they yanked it back from him and were going to put it on Savage instead. The real source of DiBiase getting screwed was not Honky refusing to job the title to Macho Man on national TV, but actually because Vince had promised to push Savage so hard. Let me ask you guys this question: say Macho Man takes the IC title from Honky and DiBiase wins the WWF title at WrestleMania IV -- what are the chances Macho Man ends up taking the belt from DiBiase on a program right after, doing a belt-for-belt thing? I'd say the chances are good, because the IC title for the 2nd or 3rd time for Macho Man is not "a rocket on your ass ... gonna send you to the moon," which Honky claims is what Vince told Savage he'd do starting with the Honky job on TV.

 

So DiBiase's champion for how long anyway? Not very long, and he ends up getting beat in the center of the ring himself at a PPV more than likely. He never becomes Million Dollar Champion, which means all the storylines associated with that are thrown out the window. DiBiase shouldn't complain about not having a worked title in any case; apparently he was compensated like a champion in any case. He did plenty fine for himself.

 

At the center of all of this really is that these people need to stop getting so bent out of shape about worked titles. Bret Hart has the same problem.

 

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

The chances of Savage getting the WWF title off of DiBiase would have been nil, because the plan was for whoever won the title at WM IV to drop the title at WM V to Hogan. DiBiase or Savage, it didn't really matter, because the title change back to Hogan was planned before he had even lost the belt in the first place.

 

And how much does that suck for Ted Dibiase? Booked to win both the NWA and WWF titles at certain points in his career and loses out both times because of politics.

 

He was also supposed to win the UWF world title before the company was sold to Jim Crockett.