Which is the most important match in a feud

[zhangmeijie 0]

 

 

With the right build up and a series of encounter or tag matches the last match can be (cliche time) a pressure cooker. Both guys or teams one upping each other for weeks, or with a proper build months. In a way the first meet is really just the warm up act. Or is it, the first match could make or break the series if fans are not gripped from the outset will the fued even pick up? So which is more important to you the first match, something in the middle or the blow off match?

 

The final match, as far as i'm concerned it is the blowoff to the fued and it's what people will remember

 

you could have 5* matches all the way through a feud and have a crappy last match and people will remember that feud for the last match which was crappy,

 

the same goes for if there is a feud with average matches the whole way thourgh untill the final match which turns out to be excellent, people will remember that

[Corey_Lazarus 0]

Blowoff, with the first match very close to it in its importance. The blowoff is where the feud needs to culminate, where everything that you've seen thus far pays off, be it spots used throughout the series or a massive bloody brawl to close the last chapter of a bloodfeud. It's what ultimately leaves those who have watched the whole feud with their opinion, because if the blowoff is great then the whole feud seems that much better, but if the blowoff is atrocious then it can ruin the entire feud (see: Raven vs. Jarrett, "Destiny," from April '03 in TNA).

 

But the start of it is so close that it may actually even be a tie. For example, take Matt and Jeff Hardy. The WWE has tried to make them feud three times already, with the third time being the charm. The first time we got a sub-par match that was more lame matwork from Matt (no pun intended) back in '01 because of Jeff's inability to land properly after flipping over the top rope, thus temporarily blowing out his knee. The second time? I don't even remember there being a match, considering Jeff was on Raw and Matt on SmackDown. If there was, then it obviously wasn't memorable in the least bit. But this time it's working. Matt can cut a decent promo, and Jeff has learned how to show emotion through his body language. Their first match in this feud at WM25 was one of the few ***+ matches on the entire show, and it was everything it needed to be: Jeff trying to get those few crazy highspots in as a means of both entertaining the crowd and taking the risks that his character needs to take, and Matt gaining the advantage (and the win) due to Jeff missing the mark on these attempted risks. Now? The feud is getting hotter and hotter.

[zhangmeijie 0]

Blowoff, with the first match very close to it in its importance. The blowoff is where the feud needs to culminate, where everything that you've seen thus far pays off, be it spots used throughout the series or a massive bloody brawl to close the last chapter of a bloodfeud. It's what ultimately leaves those who have watched the whole feud with their opinion, because if the blowoff is great then the whole feud seems that much better, but if the blowoff is atrocious then it can ruin the entire feud (see: Raven vs. Jarrett, "Destiny," from April '03 in TNA).

 

But the start of it is so close that it may actually even be a tie. For example, take Matt and Jeff Hardy. The WWE has tried to make them feud three times already, with the third time being the charm. The first time we got a sub-par match that was more lame matwork from Matt (no pun intended) back in '01 because of Jeff's inability to land properly after flipping over the top rope, thus temporarily blowing out his knee. The second time? I don't even remember there being a match, considering Jeff was on Raw and Matt on SmackDown. If there was, then it obviously wasn't memorable in the least bit. But this time it's working. Matt can cut a decent promo, and Jeff has learned how to show emotion through his body language. Their first match in this feud at WM25 was one of the few ***+ matches on the entire show, and it was everything it needed to be: Jeff trying to get those few crazy highspots in as a means of both entertaining the crowd and taking the risks that his character needs to take, and Matt gaining the advantage (and the win) due to Jeff missing the mark on these attempted risks. Now? The feud is getting hotter and hotter.

 

 

I don't recall any second Matt/Jeff feud. I don't know about your opening match theory, I mean it's well thought out and all, but if the opening match is the pits and the second match on is good then it's still a success story.

[Epic Reine 0]

Jeff was picked over Matt in the summer of '02 to face RVD over who would face Benoit for the IC title at Summerslam. Matt got jealous and cost Jeff the match and title oppourtunity and then jumped to Smackdown later that week. Jeff got a measure of revenge at the '03 Royal Rumble by running in and immediatley targeting Matt and even hit him with the Swanton. There wasn't a real "fued" per say but both men were on opposite sides of the heel/face spectrum.

[zhangmeijie 0]

Jeff was picked over Matt in the summer of '02 to face RVD over who would face Benoit for the IC title at Summerslam. Matt got jealous and cost Jeff the match and title oppourtunity and then jumped to Smackdown later that week. Jeff got a measure of revenge at the '03 Royal Rumble by running in and immediatley targeting Matt and even hit him with the Swanton. There wasn't a real "fued" per say but both men were on opposite sides of the heel/face spectrum.

I really don't recall any of that.

[cabbageboy 0]

Yeah I don't recall Matt screwing over Jeff back then at all. I do recall their botched 2001 feud however. Matt is a decent goofy heel but he just doesn't have enough on the mic to get over as a serious minded heel.

[Epic Reine 0]

It happened:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYvCFt1AbZM

[zhangmeijie 0]

It happened:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYvCFt1AbZM

I believed you that it happened. I just didn't remember it.

[Masked Heel 0]

Getting back on topic its gotta be the blowoff match that is the most important. The story has to be built up well from the beginning for the blowoff to mean anything though, its like watching a movie that has a really good ending but if the first hour of the movie sucks you might end up walking out before you ever get to the good ending. The ending is the last thing you remeber though so ending is still more important

[zhangmeijie 0]

Getting back on topic its gotta be the blowoff match that is the most important. The story has to be built up well from the beginning for the blowoff to mean anything though, its like watching a movie that has a really good ending but if the first hour of the movie sucks you might end up walking out before you ever get to the good ending. The ending is the last thing you remeber though so ending is still more important

In an unusual move I am going to use an exact movie to back up your statement. The movie knowing. The story was built up well, and so it looked like the blowoff / ending was going to be good. As you said that is important. Then there was the last 12-15 minutes, it sucked beyond belief. So now all I remember is the bad ending.

[liverbird 0]

...Knowing was fucking horrible...