Guest Austin3164life Report post Posted July 1, 2002 It's tought to pick one since Austin had good chemistry with almost everyone, but I think it's a tie between these two.... Austin vs. Hart (WM 13) Austin vs. Angle (Summerslam 01) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Some Guy Report post Posted July 1, 2002 Rock vs Austin WM 17 was also great. Austin vs. Owen Summerslam 97 was great until the piledriver. Austin vs Benoit from SD! Austin vs Dude Love from Over the Edge 98 Damn this guy had a ton of ***** matches. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Nevermortal Report post Posted July 1, 2002 Oh jeez, there's just too many... Uhh...ok, since I just re-watched it, Austin vs. HHH, No Way Out 2001. But then you gotta consider the Submission Match from WM13, His matches with Foley in 1998, the match with Benoit from Canada, his match with Rocky at WM X7... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Big McLargeHuge Report post Posted July 1, 2002 It's close between his match with Benoit at Smackdown last year and his forgotten classic with Bret as SurS 96... *closes eyes and randomly chooses* Bret/Austin at the 96 Survivor Series gets my vote. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest RickyChosyu Report post Posted July 1, 2002 Austin/Trips doesn't come close to anything else he did. That may be one Austin match that I really had trouble watching; just sloppy putrid crap that by some merricle recieved high praise. Maybe it was the stealing from better matches; then again, Jericho/Trips did the same thing in their HIAC match, and recieved minimal praise. Yeah, it's a mirracle alright. Anyway, Austin/Bret from SS '96 still holds true for me. Austin/Angle was a tribute to that match in many ways. Austin/Dude was a great brawl, but nothing I would call best ever. Vs. Benoit from Edmonton is probably the closest thing to rival Austin/Bret. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Nevermortal Report post Posted July 1, 2002 Austin/Trips doesn't come close to anything else he did. That may be one Austin match that I really had trouble watching; just sloppy putrid crap that by some merricle recieved high praise. Maybe it was the stealing from better matches; then again, Jericho/Trips did the same thing in their HIAC match, and recieved minimal praise. Yeah, it's a mirracle alright. Eh, one man's trash is another man's treasure. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest wolverine Report post Posted July 1, 2002 My vote goes to Austin vs. Bret from WM 13 at ****3/4. Austin vs. Bret from Survivor '96 a close second at ****1/2. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest bps "The Truth" 21 Report post Posted July 1, 2002 The WrestleMania 13 match is at the top of my list. Then again it pretty much is at the top of my all time list too... The Hollywood Blondes had some good matches. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest TheSmarkzone Report post Posted July 1, 2002 My vote goes to Austin vs. Bret from WM 13 at ****3/4. WHAT?! No *****?! Anyway... I'm gonna go with WrestleMania X-7, vs. The Rock. I was there live, and as good as it was on pay-per-view, it was a whole different match sitting in the 2nd row. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest TheSmarkzone Report post Posted July 1, 2002 Austin/Trips doesn't come close to anything else he did. That may be one Austin match that I really had trouble watching; just sloppy putrid crap that by some merricle recieved high praise. I agree wholeheartedly (I assume you are talking about the 3 Stages of Hell match from No Way Out 2001). I still, for the life of me, cannot understand how a wrestling purist like Scott Keith could give this garbage match a ***** rating. It was like a weapons match in a video game. They just hit each other over the head with as many foreign objects as they could in a 45-minute span. There was NO psychology. It was not *****, I give it *** tops. The real ****+ match that night was between The Rock and Kurt Angle. I give that match **** 1/2 - **** 3/4. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest RickyChosyu Report post Posted July 1, 2002 The Hollywood Blondes had some good matches. I haven't seen much, the Blondes Vs. Flair/Anderson Tag Title 2/3 falls match from Clash XXIII is pretty choice, especially for the Horsemen in '93. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest eiker_ir Report post Posted July 1, 2002 the WM 13 match for me..... other good ones : WM 17 vs. Rock, SS 96 vs. Bret and SummerSlam 2001 vs. Kurt.... bye Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Austin3164life Report post Posted July 1, 2002 I haven't seen much, the Blondes Vs. Flair/Anderson Tag Title 2/3 falls match from Clash XXIII is pretty choice, especially for the Horsemen in '93. Hollywood Blondes vs. Flair/Anderson from Clash of the Champions. I want to find that match so badly. It's highlighted on Austin's last video, and I'm so interested in that. That, and Austin's match with Steamboat for the TV Title...... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest RickyChosyu Report post Posted July 1, 2002 Austin/Trips doesn't come close to anything else he did. That may be one Austin match that I really had trouble watching; just sloppy putrid crap that by some merricle recieved high praise. I agree wholeheartedly (I assume you are talking about the 3 Stages of Hell match from No Way Out 2001). I still, for the life of me, cannot understand how a wrestling purist like Scott Keith could give this garbage match a ***** rating. It was like a weapons match in a video game. They just hit each other over the head with as many foreign objects as they could in a 45-minute span. There was NO psychology. It was not *****, I give it *** tops. The real ****+ match that night was between The Rock and Kurt Angle. I give that match **** 1/2 - **** 3/4. To their credit, they went out there and tried to tell a story, but they failed on every levle, as far as I'm concerned. First the story is Austin trying to out-wrestle HHH (which was supposed to be Hunter's strength) and he does, but it's all sloppy and poorly done, and the arm work goes no where and Austin just finishes with a Stunner. The injurred arm would dissapear until HHH would miraculously remember it existed so Austin could back drop him through a table in a horribly contrived spot. In fact, almost the entire brawling portion is horribly contrived, and what the hell was the point of Austin ussing the Barbed Wire 2X4? Why have a cage match if it's not escape rules? The pull weapons out of contrived locations (how did JR not notice a sledge hammer under the table?) and hit each other with contrived shots leading to a contrived finish. Keith has a tendancy to praise matches resulting from a good feud and ignoring the match itself, rating too much based on crowd heat and supposed "storyline" elements. If he would watch the match and look at how it's structured, he would notice that it is a pile of crap. I was loving Rock/Angle from the same night until Big Show made his presence felt. I just couldn't get into it after that. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest bps "The Truth" 21 Report post Posted July 1, 2002 There is, of course, a reason that HHH vs. Austin doesn't hold up (actually...there are 2). 1. The match was coming at the end of a long feud between the two...a feud that started with HHH getting built up for the title in the summer of 99 and when Austin returned from injury...they made HHH the mastermind of the atack. They had a match when he returned that ended with HHH getting killed in his car...no selling and coming back the next night. So anyway...as you'll recall this was the blowoff to all of it. They also weren't allowed to lay a hand on each other for a while before the match...so when they did...the crowd was hot for it. Psychology has little place in that match IMO. It was what it was supposed to be...2 guys beating the shit out of each other for 40 minutes. And it ruled. 2. I don't think its just me that looks back on many of those "classic" HHH matches and sees that he wasn't the greatest like I had originally thought. His comeback has exposed alot to me. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest RickyChosyu Report post Posted July 1, 2002 There is, of course, a reason that HHH vs. Austin doesn't hold up (actually...there are 2). 1. The match was coming at the end of a long feud between the two...a feud that started with HHH getting built up for the title in the summer of 99 and when Austin returned from injury...they made HHH the mastermind of the atack. They had a match when he returned that ended with HHH getting killed in his car...no selling and coming back the next night. So anyway...as you'll recall this was the blowoff to all of it. They also weren't allowed to lay a hand on each other for a while before the match...so when they did...the crowd was hot for it. Psychology has little place in that match IMO. It was what it was supposed to be...2 guys beating the shit out of each other for 40 minutes. And it ruled. 2. I don't think its just me that looks back on many of those "classic" HHH matches and sees that he wasn't the greatest like I had originally thought. His comeback has exposed alot to me. 1) That goes with the point I was trying to make; re-watching matches is a good practice because it allows one to see what the true quality of the match is. While I was psyched to see Austin/Trips when it first happened (the feud was very well-done), after watching it again I couldn't think of a single match less deserving of Match of the Year. Feud of the year, maybe, but not match of the year. That's why Flair/Taker from this year didn't win MOTY; the feud itself was good, but the match didn't deliver, to say the least. That match wasn't good, and neither is this. 2) Psychology shouldn't have had a place in the match, but that didn't stop them from trying to shove it down our throats as much as they could, to the point that it ruined what could have been potentially fun. From before the match even happened HHH was spouting off in his rare form what each fall symbolized, so there was plenty of attempts at psychology from those two, rest assured. First, Austin "wresltes" HHH while doing absolutely nothing particularly good just so JR can point out how "technical" he is which is supposed to be a suprise. I think HHH worked the leg in there somewhere too; not like Austin remembered to sell that after five minutes either, so it's neither here nor there. From the blown spots, to the recycling of spots, to Hunter forgetting his arm injury, the entire "technical" aspect blew, and was about as much forced psychology (ie: bad psychology) as I could stand. The weapons portion was just that: the two of them hitting each other with weapons. At least HHH had the curtousy to take few sick back bumps on the ramp to attempt justification of this as a "street fight." The prop shots killed it. The cage portion was more of the same, and everytime I see the finish to this the more I hate it. What a load of crap. 2. I beg to differ. Watching HHH/Angle from a month before, it's obvious that he was a top ten guy, easy. Not only does HHH manage to turn Angle babyface and himself heel (even though the fans perceptions were the opposite of that), but he managed to work a layered, psychological match in midst of run-ins, cat-fights, and the usual MchMahon zanyness. The problem with HHH/Austin is that the stipulations and psychology that followed them was totally forced, and the two were so concerned with popping the crowd with garbage that they didn't allow themselves to just "work" and see what happened. What HHH/Austin had in lumps and blood, HHH/Angle had tenfold as much structure and smart pacing of moves. Say what you will about his year 2000 being over-hyped (though I disagree), but HHH totally out-did his "match of the year" for 2001 just a month before. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest thebigjig Report post Posted July 1, 2002 WHAT?! No *****?! I agree with Austin/Hart at WM getting ****3/4 only because I hated how Austin sold the leg injury for a few minutes, then forgot about it only to start selling it again a little later. That's always bugged me about that match. It was great intense brawling, but not perfect Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest bps "The Truth" 21 Report post Posted July 1, 2002 I always thought that the way the match singlehandeldy changed the direction of the company and made them Billions as an aftermath made up for forgetting to limp for a while. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest wolverine Report post Posted July 1, 2002 Austin vs. HHH from No Way Out 2001 is a good cure for insomnia. One of the most overrated matches ever. Not even close to Austin-Benoit from Smackdown. Or Austin-Angle from Summerslam. HHH sucks. Oh yes he does. (And he hasn't had a good PPV singles match in WWF since 10/00 against Benoit). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest AM The Kid Report post Posted July 1, 2002 Austin/Hart, Wrestlemania 13. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest thebigjig Report post Posted July 1, 2002 I always thought that the way the match singlehandeldy changed the direction of the company and made them Billions as an aftermath made up for forgetting to limp for a while. Andre vs. Hogan at WrestleMania III brought the company to new heights as well, but there's no way I'm going to ignore the work rate and call it a masterpiece I personally don't give two fucks about the match changing the direction of the company. I'm not bashing it either, I'm just saying that I don't view it as a perfect ***** match. Personally I prefer their SS match Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest bps "The Truth" 21 Report post Posted July 1, 2002 Andre vs. Hogan at WrestleMania III brought the company to new heights as well, but there's no way I'm going to ignore the work rate and call it a masterpiece um...it was the biggest ppv ever...but it was all downhill from there. So no. I personally don't give two fucks about the match changing the direction of the company. I'm not bashing it either, I'm just saying that I don't view it as a perfect ***** match. Personally I prefer their SS match The SS match didn't have an ending. How can that be perfect? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest papacita Report post Posted July 1, 2002 I liked HHH/Austin. I was pretty hyped to see it after the build it got leading into NWO (w/ them not being able to touch each other), but I didn't have cable at the time, so I never actually got around to seeing it until the Summer. The only problem I had with the match was that HHH went over when Austin was going into WM for the Title. I don't think it was MOTY though. As for Austin's best matches...I always liked the KOTR 97 match with HBK, which was a lot better than people ever gave it credit for (hell, it deserves * for the "Special Olympian" alone). Bret/Austin from WM is a given, I liked Rock/Austin (a little bit of overkill at the end, though), and pretty much any match he and Pillman had after the Blondes' break up in 94. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest RickyChosyu Report post Posted July 1, 2002 I always thought that the way the match singlehandeldy changed the direction of the company and made them Billions as an aftermath made up for forgetting to limp for a while. I don't understand where you came up with that. A month later Austin/Trips were teaming and the ratings tanked as a result. Also, it's not as if Trips went anywhere with that big win, as his heel run was killed by a bate-and-switch heel/face turn that killed the fan interest, and his injury mercy-killed the whole debacle. I don't see how you could view that as making money. I mean, if you want to make Hogan/Andre comparisons, it's RIGHT THERE because in both cases the downward spiral started immediately afterwards. And Wolverine, like I said before, HHH's PPV match with Angle at the Royal Rumble was at least good, if not very good in quality. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest AlwaysPissedOff Report post Posted July 1, 2002 Might as well add my own... Survivor Series 96 wit Bret Smackdown with Benoit SummerSlam 2001 with Angle WM 13 with Bret WM 17 with Rock Over The Edge 98 with Foley Clash of the Champions 2/3 Falls with the Horsemen WarGames 92 when he was in the Dangerous Alliance January RAW against Angle(when Angle was champion) October RAW against Angle(the one where he got the title back) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Some Guy Report post Posted July 1, 2002 I forgot about the HBK match at KOTR 97, their WM 14 match was pretty damn good as well and it had a good finish. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest thebigjig Report post Posted July 1, 2002 Andre vs. Hogan at WrestleMania III brought the company to new heights as well, but there's no way I'm going to ignore the work rate and call it a masterpiece um...it was the biggest ppv ever...but it was all downhill from there. So no. I personally don't give two fucks about the match changing the direction of the company. I'm not bashing it either, I'm just saying that I don't view it as a perfect ***** match. Personally I prefer their SS match The SS match didn't have an ending. How can that be perfect? I was referring to Austin/Hart at Survivor Series which if I remember correctly did have a finish with Hart pinning Austin And I didn't say it was perfect, I said that I preferred it over their WM encounter But as for Hogan vs. Andre, it wasn't all down hill from there. I don't see where you get that from. It led to the rematch before WM 4 which drew a record setting television audience. WM 4 wasn't a huge success but things didn't start going downhill for the WWF until after WM 6, three years later Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest BionicRedneck Report post Posted July 1, 2002 Austin vs. Bret Hart (WM 13) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest CoreyLazarus416 Report post Posted July 1, 2002 I always thought that the way the match singlehandeldy changed the direction of the company and made them Billions as an aftermath made up for forgetting to limp for a while. I don't understand where you came up with that. A month later Austin/Trips were teaming and the ratings tanked as a result. Also, it's not as if Trips went anywhere with that big win, as his heel run was killed by a bate-and-switch heel/face turn that killed the fan interest, and his injury mercy-killed the whole debacle. I don't see how you could view that as making money. I mean, if you want to make Hogan/Andre comparisons, it's RIGHT THERE because in both cases the downward spiral started immediately afterwards. I think he was talking about Austin/Bret from WM13... As for best Austin match...I really haven't seen anything prior to Royal Rumble 1998 of his work aside from Austin/Bret at WM13 and a 2/3 Falls match in WCW against Dustin Runnels, but of all I've seen, Austin/Bret from WM13 owns. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest RickyChosyu Report post Posted July 1, 2002 I don't understand where you came up with that. A month later Austin/Trips were teaming and the ratings tanked as a result. Also, it's not as if Trips went anywhere with that big win, as his heel run was killed by a bate-and-switch heel/face turn that killed the fan interest, and his injury mercy-killed the whole debacle. I don't see how you could view that as making money. I mean, if you want to make Hogan/Andre comparisons, it's RIGHT THERE because in both cases the downward spiral started immediately afterwards. I think he was talking about Austin/Bret from WM13... So it would appear. Oh well, there goes another minute I'm never going to get back, I guess. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
