Pro Wrestling Love vol. 31: Best of WWF 1988-1992 (Randy Savage, Ultimate Warrior, Rockers)

Hey Yo Stud Muffins & Foxy Ladies,

Pro Wrestling Love vol. 31:

The Best of World Wrestling Federation 1988-1992

Objective:  Break up the Greatest Match Ever Project (hosted at gwe.freeforums.project.net) into more manageable chunks to help me build my Top 100 List for the project.

Motivation: Contribute to the discussion around these matches to enrich my own understanding of pro wrestling and give a fresh perspective for old matches and even hopefully discover great pro wrestling matches that have been hidden by the sands of time.

Subject: This thirty-first volume of Pro Wrestling Love is the Top 6 countdown of the best matches to take place in World Wrestling Federation between 1988-1992. The time period is set because it is the second half of the Hulkamania Era. The year 1988 is the beginning of the PPV era with Royal Rumble and Summerslam starting in 1988. Also in 1988, Vince’s vision of becoming a fully nationalized promotion comes to fruition and the style has changed from the bloody, gritty territorial WWF to the colorful, cartoony WWF. I chose 1992 to end it as it was the year of transition from the Hulkamania Era to the New Generation with Hulk Hogan being phased out after Wrestlemania VIII and Bret Hart winning the World Championship. You can revisit past Pro Wrestling Love Volumes at ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com. You can check out the full version of these reviews in ProWrestlingOnly.com by going to the forums and finding the folders associated with the date of the match.

Contact Info: @superstarsleeze on Twitter, Instagram & ProWrestlingOnly.com.

Greatest Moment In Pro Wrestling History

Honorable Mentions

WWF World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan vs The Genius – SNME 11/1/89

“Ravishing” Rick Rude vs “Rowdy” Roddy Piper – MSG 12/28/89 Steel Cage

WWF World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan vs Sgt. Slaughter – MSG 6/3/91 Desert Storm

WWF World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair vs Randy Savage – Wrestlemania VIII

The best of the main event scene features a motley assortment of some of the most famous pro wrestlers in history. I LOVE the two Hogan matches listed here. The Genius match is one of the BEST Comedy matches of all time and the Desert Storm Match against Slaughter is the most American thing ever and I still mark out for Camo Hulk & the FIREBALL~! Rude vs. Piper is one of the best Piper matches of all time and a great steel cage match. Flair vs Savage has a slow start but a roaring finish where Macho Man completes his comeback from retirement and defend the honor of his women to win the WWF Championship.

Greg “The Hammer” Valentine vs Tito Santana – MSG 11/22/88

Greg “The Hammer” Valentine vs “Rugged” Ronnie Garvin – MSG 12/30/88

Greg “The Hammer” Valentine vs Blue Blazer – Boston 4/22/89

Greg “The Hammer” Valentine vs “Rugged” Ronnie Garvin – MSG 9/30/89

Greg “The Hammer” Valentine vs “Rugged” Ronnie Garvin – MLG 10/8/89

Greg “The Hammer” Valentine vs “Rugged” Ronnie Garvin – Royal Rumble 1990 Submission Match

Greg Valentine had an interesting career after the break up of The Dream Team in 1987. He rejoined Jimmy Hart and began a feud with the over the hill George “The Animal” Steele and the decrepit Don Muraco who had become so bloated he couldn’t move. It was a waste of Valentine. Valentine had plenty left in the tank as noted by reprising his rivalry with Tito Santana, a great veteran vs rookie match with Blue Blazer (Owen Hart) and of course his crazy stiff, brutal feud with “Rugged” Ronnie Garvin, which was a Crockett dream feud come to life. I have no idea why Vince had these two feud for a year and even have a grudge match on PPV at Royal Rumble 1990 but thank God and I am so grateful because this was the feud that kept on giving.

WWF World Tag Team Champions Demolition vs The Rockers – MSG 10/24/88

The Rockers vs The BrainBusters – MSG 1/23/89

Rick Martel & Fabulous Rougeaus vs Tito Santana & Rockers - Summerslam 89

The Rockers vs Fabulous Rougeaus – Paris 10/13/89

The Ultimate Warriors (Ultimate Warrior, Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart, The Rockers) vs The Heenan Family (Andre The Giant, Arn Anderson, Haku & Bobby "The Brain" Heenan) - Survivor Series 1989

The Rockers vs Powers of Pain – MSG 1/15/90 – WWF Match of the Year, 1990

The Rockers vs Orient Express (WWF Royal Rumble 01/19/91)

To me the WWF of 1988-1992 was the WWF of the Rockers they were the workhorses of the promotion constantly having great matches with a wide variety of opponents. They had great sprints and babyface vs heel matches with the BrainBusters & Fabulous Rougeaus. They had a great spotfests with Orient Express. Two of their best matches were the power vs. speed and David vs Goliath contests against Demolition in 1988 and the 1990 match against the Powers of Pain. The Demolition match was the second best match of 1988 and the Powers of Pain match was the 1990 WWF Match of the Year. It pained me greatly to leave off this match from the list. Rockers vs Powers of Pain is one of the most entertaining matches of all time and I highly recommend it.

Royal Rumble 1992

What can I say about this match that has not already been said? This is the culmination of the 1980s. Ric Flair running the gauntlet through his greatest challengers, the greatest WWF rivals that we all dreamed of him fighting and the stars of the 90s. It is a fantastic way to spend an hour.

Top Six Matches of WWF 1988-1992

#6. WWF Women’s Tag Team Champions Jumping Bomb Angels vs Glamour Girls – Boston 3/5/88

WWF Match of the Year, 1988

So I may have gone a tad bit overboard in my praise for this match on Tag Teams Back Again (Whoomp There It Is!), but this match still rocks and I think at the very least it is as good as the famous MSG match. It is a little bit shorter than I remember. I loved the babyface shine of this match. The Angels just overwhelm the Girls attacking from all angles at high-speed. That short arm scissors sent me back into Mark Out City! You gotta see this Short Arm Scissors! The Girls were great stooges and bumpers for the all-out assault of the Jumping Bomb Angels. I liked the double Abdominal Stretch and Gorilla was very impressed by the proficiency of the Angels. I thought where this match really stood out was the heat segment. One Angel missed a senton and immediately tagged out, but this left the other Angel in the danger of a double team. Earl Hebner was BARKING at all the women during this chaotic heat segment but he could not be everywhere at once and he totally lost control. The Girls were awesome with tons of double teaming, choking and hair pulling. The other Angel desperately contested this but Hebner was being a blockhead. I really liked her apron work. We get that classic strong bridge from the Angel in Peril. The best part of the match was that the Glamour Girls used the tag rope liberally to choke out the Bomb Angel. I was marking out. Then there was just great stuff. Like the false hot tag and all that great gaga. Martin misses an elbow drop. HOT TAG! HIGH KNEES GALORE! She just starts throwing her ass at them like Asuka would. Leliani Kai thinks she is really smart for avoiding a crossbody but eats a missile dropkick! Big pop! 1-2-Judy Martin saves. Backslide in the fracas gets three! Move over Rockers vs Demolition, this is the WWF Match of the year for 1988! Great high-energy tag team wrestling with an awesome heat segment.

#5. The Rockers vs. Hart Foundation – MSG 11/25/89

For my money, the most underrated match in WWF history. This is an amazing transformative babyface vs babyface match where you see tempers flare and by the 20 minute time limit blood is boiling over. To me, easily the best Hart Foundation match and the second best Rockers match in the WWF a close second to the Rougeaus match in London. Making this one of the best tag team matches in WWF history.

This match is equitable without trading spots back and forth with not rhyme or reason. If there is one thing that is Bret's bread and butter it is the face vs face matches. He is an incredible subtle heel. Most babyface vs babyfaces matches establish a sense of equality between the combatants. Heels are usually inferior in some way to their face counterpart which incites their underhanded tactics. Not to be disappointed, this match at the beginning is very symmetrical. Bret hits a move. Marty hits that move. Bret misses an elbow. Marty misses an elbow. So on and so forth, you can sense that brimming tension from experience you just are waiting for the Hart Foundation to get so frustrated they cheat. It is that tension that keeps you in suspense becuase just dont know when it is going to happen. Anvil actually has a really good sequence with Shawn. Shawn attempts to shoulderblock Anvil, but cant. He smartens up and tries a high cross body and Anvil catches him, but Shawn rolls through into a pinning combination. Once again, there is that sense of frustration. Anvil just needs to get a hold of this quick little bugger and Shawn is frustrated that Anvil is so much stronger that it creating such an obstacle. When Marty comes in, he gets steamrolled and Anvil feels like he finally go it. Then Marty hits a drop toe hold into a front facelock. Marty breathes a sigh of relief and Anvil is like "Fuck, again". Anvil gets frustrated tags out and Bret misses an elbow. Eventually Bret gets an atomic drop and he tags in Anvil. Finally, Bret has enough and he slides and buries the knee in Shawn's back while he is running the ropes, vintage Hart Foundation. It blows off Act One of the Tension.

One thing I really like about this is that while it is super segmented like most Bret matches there is more of a sense of struggle. Shawn is not just a rag doll for the Harts he is fighting back and getting pinning combination of the Harts. He just cant get to his corner. Anvil is working the lower back with power holds and Bret is employing his usual crisp offense. Shawn is easily the best FIP they have ever had. This is the best Hart Foundation heat segment I have seen. Anvil misses the slingshot splash and they got me on that one.Instead, it was a missed elbow by Bret that gave Shawn the opportunity for tag to Marty.

I didnt think the crowd was in step with Marty, but it was a good hot tag by Marty. He was focused on getting pinfalls as opposed to big spots, which I think fans are used to. Backslides, cross bodies, and sunset flips not vicious holds, but quick barrage to try win the match and again a lot of suspense. When Bret grabs with a double leg takedown and stomps him in the gut. Finally breaking the momentum of Marty. He sells the breather so well. It expresses "I weathered that storm. Damn that little fucker is fast". Bret ducks and Marty high cross bodies nothing but the concrete floor in a nasty bump. Marty tags out quickly. Shawn gets steamrolled by Anvil and bumps out of control for that one. Still only 2. Now standing dropkick by Shawn gets 2. It is just a barrage of nearfalls back and forth between Shawn and Bret. Shawn wrangles Bret into an abdominal stretch. Anvil comes in break this up and Marty is hot comes in shove Anvil. Bell rings signaling a draw. Both teams go at it, but mid card babyfaces come out to break it up. The tension comes to boiling point, but it is not allowed to spill over.

This one is a well-structured three Act play. You see the frustration that neither team can get the advantage, which ends with Bret burying the knee in Shawn's back. Act II is FIP, which has the usual tension of when will Shawn get the tag. Act III was a just a barrage of nearfalls where you were wondering who would get the duke and if maybe someone's temper would get the best of them. Instead we were robbed of a finish, but in a good way that made you want to see it climax later. 

#4. WWF Intercontinental Champion Bret “Hitman” Hart vs “British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith – Summerslam 1992

WWF Match of the Year, 1992

We talk about Ric Flair carrying broomsticks to great match, but in no match is the phrase "carrying a broomstick" more apropos than here where Bret Hart carries Davey Boy's mindless body to not just a great match but the best match to take place in the WWF in 1992. It is very clear that Bret is forced to work into a chinlock to call the next sequence and then return to the chinlock to do much the same. Bulldog was sloppy at times and I would imagine very dangerous to work with. Bret looked pissed in his usual understated manner. Some of those strikes coming off the ropes looked extra stiff. The boot in the corner looked brutal. Then the Bret plancha to the floor may have been the most dangerous Bret spot ever because Davey Boy was out of position and Bret just said "Fuck it" and then yanked him down by the neck. Bret basically was getting in his payback for Davey Boy being blowed up and forgetting the entire match. 

Since we are in full Bret Hart ring general mode, we get a superb NWA Champion touring match. Bret was the heir to Lou Thesz and should have led the NWA into the 1960s with his amazing penchant for thriving as a champion in babyface vs babyface matches as a subtle heel in hard fought contests. Things like being subtly outwrestled early and resorting to a hard back elbow to escape a hammerlock is so old school I love it. Nowadays thats a meanginless spot, but built right you can come off like King Prick. Of course, a lot is added that "NWA Champion" Bret Hart is taking on the Hometown Hero, British Bulldog in front of the rabid Wembley Stadium so it adds that NWA touring Champion feel of the match. I thought the shine was pretty good and I think Davey Boy was still coherent at the time. The shove that sends Bret spiraling out of control to the floor was superb. Bret sold it well and it really put over the British Bulldog as a force to be reckoned with. Bulldog working in and out of an armbar while going for early pinning combinations was a smart way to put him over as a challenger looking for a win. The Crucifix Pin is always over in my house. Like I said, Bret was very chippy in this match in contrast to Bulldog working holds & pinning combinations. The Brain posits that these two are on equal footing because neither man is too bright. He was resorting to hard back elbows and a stiff kneelift ala Nick Bockwinkel. It is these subtle touches that heels Bret in the match, but not in the long term once the match is over.

The silver lining of Bulldog being a zombie was that Bret was forced to put himself in positions to overcome Bulldog's offense. Usually Bret would ragdoll his opponent  but here he actually set Bulldog in motion and then would cut him off masterfully. Bret quashing the next Crucifix pin attempt was great. That boot in the corner was stiff as hell. I really liked Bret's bulldog. There's a great sequence where Bulldog press slams Bret off the top rope but then misses an ugly splash from the top rope. Bulldog ends up on the outside and thats where the crazy Bret plancha happens. Theres a very obvious moment where Bulldog is zonked out of his mind as he is just standing taking Bret's offense and Bret cant get him to bump until he hits a dropkick and Davey Boy's instincts kick in. Bret is so good at offense and just grinding out a match. He is in his element after the plancha cemented his advantage. Bret cant negotiate the pinfall after any of his Five Moves of Doom so he resorts to bieling Davey Boy by the hair and this draws the ire of the partisan British crowd. Great spot as Bret really puts Bulldog as the wronged babyface. Bret goes back to the chinlock to call a sleeper sequence. The "three arm" drop is such an epic moment in wrestling and signals the Bulldog comeback. Bulldogs blows a spot they have done a thousand times in Hart Foundation vs Bulldogs matches where Bulldog military presses Hart and falls back with him so that he crotches himself on the top rope. Like I said it was probably very dangerous for Bret to be working this match and I was surprised he let Bulldog press slam him again. Delayed Vertical and Running Powerslam only get two. Usually this would be the death knell for the hometown hero. Hit your finish and kickout means the heel is taking this. Bulldog hits a superplex for two. Bret is really calling for all the stops. One thing I noticed in this match was there was a lot of rushing. They were not really milking the moments as much as they could and I think it is because one was a zombie and the other was freaking out that he was in there with a zombie. Bret's Bridging German was a cool spot that you dont see often from him. Bulldogs kicks out and as they lied in a heap Bret applies the Sharpshooter! Honestly, if you didnt the finish but know the rhythm of pro wrestling with Bulldog blowing his wad (running powerslam) this should be the finish. I feel like Bret was working the smarts here in a good way. Bulldog makes to the ropes and then the iconic finish with Bulldog kneeling down on a sunset flip attempt for the win and a MASSIVE ROAR is let out from the British Faithful!

Bret proves why he is one of the all-time great ring generals here as he works the touring NWA champion babyface vs babyface match against a Hometown Hero Zombie. There are too many chinlocks (that are more jarring in how they break the rhythm) and general sloppiness to say this contends as one of the best matches of all time. Still, even with no sliding scale this match is incredible. Bret is the king of the babyface vs babyface match playing the subtle heel to perfection here. The match is built perfectly I loved how Bret had to earn his heat segment in the middle match. So many cutoffs and it was the plancha really won him that control. The finish stretch was electric and I loved the Running Powerslam nearfall before the Sharpshooter. I think that really added to the drama. One of the best individual performances in the history of pro wrestling as Bret Hart proves why he is an all-time great in the business.

#3. WWF Intercontinental Champion Rick Rude vs The Ultimate Warrior – Summerslam 1989

Every heel in the wrestling business should watch how Rick Rude sells. Heel selling is rapidly becoming a lost art. I should NOT feel sympathy for a heel. I should either be pointing & laughing OR wanting to see the babyface kick more ass. Rick Rude is the master of this. Every cringe and expression of pain, I get a little bit of joy and I want to see the Warrior pour more on. Warrior is pissed because Rude & The Brain stole the Intercontinental Title from him at WrestleMania V and this is his revenge match. He is full controlled anger, stalking King of the Jungle mode. Lots of Warrior no selling to establish he feels NO PAIN! There is a crucial difference from no selling & not selling. "No selling" is a form of selling. It signals to the audience "I am a badass muthafucka and I am here to kick ass" or it is to announce the comeback. Not selling is when some tool takes a shot then just keeps moving to finish out the sequence. "No selling" is a powerful tool in the arsenal of a babyface and should NOT be decried. 

I LOVE the first highspot of this match. Warrior literally chucks Rude out of the ring. Warrior from a Military Press THREW Rude out to the floor. It was insane! Warrior throws Rude into the apron face-first. This is that heel selling I was talking about earlier. Belt shot by Warrior on the back of Rude again great Rude selling. Warrior is a man possessed. The Irish Whips into the corner, then the reverse atomic drop and then Warrior making Rude do a seat drop, these are all spots that in Rude's wheelhouse for selling. Rude really put on a heel selling clinic. Warrior had scored one move from the top, a double axehandle so he goes back for more, but Rude knocks him off the top. We get the reverse chinlock as is customary in Rude's matches. This is the only low point of the match. One thing, I should note is I liked Warrior's selling. He was just going down to one knee and NEVER bumping. He is looking to fight back. He is down not out. Kudos to Tony Schiavone pointing this out. This is actually a great match to point out the difference between babyface and heel selling. Also, I like the feeling that Rude's control is tenuous. We know that Warrior is an overwhelming force of nature. You know that Rude is just hanging on by a thread. Warrior starts to show life when he pries the hands of Rude open to avoid the Rude Awakening, which would have curtains. But Rude wraps him up in a sleeper. Warrior breaks free, but in the fracas the referee gets run over. Warrior unleashes a badass onslaught of offense: clotheslines, powerslams and even a piledriver! However, the ref being knocked out means he could not get the pinfall. On the piledriver, Rude got his foot on the rope once the ref awoke from his slumber. Running powerslam...WARRIOR SPLASH EATS KNEES! Wow! Rude goes for a piledriver...WAIT...is that a...GANSO BOMB?!?! Rude hits a safer version that but it was really not that safe. Warrior could have easily been spiked on his head! WOW! Now Rude unleashes a badass assault of offense, fist drop and a conventional piledriver. Now Roddy Piper is here. I have seen their steel cage from later in 1989 and I highly recommend it. I dont know what the beef was and Tony was pretty vague. It seems a way to protect Rude who they saw as a top flight heel still and didnt want to lose clean to Warrior, which is surprising as Warrior would be the Man in less a year. I dont think Hogan would have needed help to win his match. Rude hip swivels at Piper. So Piper lifts up his skirt to reveal a pair of his bare ass cheeks! Woah I didnt need to see that! Rude gets up on the turnbuckles in anger and Warrior comes gives him a German suplex! Nice! Warrior Shouldertackle! He really launches himself! PRESS SLAM! WARRIOR SPLASH! 1-2-3!

Very fun, popcorn action blockbuster. In a era bereft of great matches, this match stands out as something really great special. Rude looked phenomenal here both on offense and selling. Hell even Warrior looked way better than usual, some great offense and selling when necessary. The bomb throwing at the end was awesome and riveting. It felt like I was watching All Japan at the end. I would still say Rockers vs Rougeaus is my WWF Match of the Year for 1989, but this is a close, close second. Highly recommended.

#2. The Rockers vs. Fabulous Rougeaus – London 10/10/89

WWF Match of the Year, 1989

This is pro wrestling. I know pro wrestling can be a lot of things, but this really captures the fun, light-hearted aspect of wrestling that develops into a dramatic story: can Shawn Michaels make the tag? It is such a simple hook. I often feel compelled to dig deeper to prove that this is a more impressive match. In this match, it is beauty is how shallow it is. It is two pricks trying to show up the good guys. The good guys goofing on the bad guys and having fun at their expense. The crowd is laughing along right with them. This level of entertainment and fun is what is missing from most WWF face control segments. Until the pricks can grab a handful of hair, then it becomes a dramatic effort from Michaels to get the hot tag to escape an incredible onslaught from the dastardly, underhanded bad guys. The amount of offense Michaels takes and his selling is the drama that most their WWF heat segments are missing. The go home stretch calls back to the opening with the good guys using the bad guys own dirty tactics against them to pick up the victory.

Who are these guys and what did they do with the Rougeaus? The Rougeaus have been the most underwhelming tag team that I have seen in my viewing. Their heat segments tend to be borefests and Raymond seems devoid of any charisma. In this match, the Rougeaus look like the best WWF heel tag team ever in this one match. They stooge and bitch out like the Busters and they have the offense of the Midnight Express in this match. I understand the beginning can be tedious for some, but I like bullshit. You will see that Marty does want to lock up twice, but each time Jacques calls him a chicken and goads him into doing the relatively easy feat of athleticism. I am a sucker for heels that congratulate themselves over simple feats. However, now the Rockers get the idea how they can really show up the Rougeaus with Shawn's moonsault and shaking the ropes for Jacques. How much Jacques throws his head being rammed into the top turnbuckle is awesome. I laughed again (only thing I laugh at each time).

I love how Jacques scurries away into the protective embrace of Raymond. The MX used Cornette to bitch out for them, but here the Rougeaus do it themselves. The leg work is incredible and the best Rockers control segment with all the switches without tags. Jacques, the ref and crowd just make this segment so great and another stretch where I can not stop smiling. Then while Jacques is arguing, Marty will let Raymond to get to the corner, but Jacques wont be there. Then when Jacques makes a mad dash for the corner, Marty yanks him away. I just love that stuff. Hell, even Raymond is great for all his work within this hold and constantly keeping it moving. Eventually, Jacques grabs Shawn's hair and Raymond rams a pretty nice knee into Shawn's back transforming this match from light-hearted to a dramatic affair. Already, you can tell Rougeaus are game for what I consider the best heat segment in WWF 80s tag wrestling. Shawn takes his Flair Flip bump into the turnbuckle and bumps huge off a double chop. The stars are just aligned in this match as Shawn is having his best FIP and the Rougeaus are just fucking on. Raymond's savate kick sends Shawn tumbling over the top rope and they start working on Shawn's back. They do the Boston Crab/knee combo and then Raymond throws Shawn onto Jacques' knee. Seriously, where the hell have these Rougeaus been. "We are really seeing the Rougeaus at their absolute best." - Tony. Tony always knows what's up. Jacques does a fake clap for a tag and the crowd boos the shit out of him. I love this crowd! Raymond busts out the rolling short arm scissors into a pin combination and Shawn reverses. I love this match!

Jacques knees Raymond by accident and lets out a nice, hearty "Fuck!". Here comes Marty doing his best Rick Martel. Hands above his head, so energized just hitting anything in blue and yellow including the Mouth of the South. Raymond trips him from the outside allowing Jacques to get a piledriver. Now the Rougeaus go for the coup d'grace the Megaphone, but Shawn is able to get it and hit Jacques for Marty to get the pin. Once again, the Rockers give the Rougeaus a taste of their own medicine.

I love the MX/RNR Wrestlewar '90 match and I really don't think this is far off of it. This is my pick for the best WWF tag team match of all time (Austin/HHH vs Benoit/Jericho is close). It has the best control and heat segments with an actual, logical finish with a really good transition that bridges light-hearted with dramatic. The criticism I know is that there is a lot of bs in the beginning, but I enjoyed it and it played into the control segment well with the Rockers still fucking around with the Rougeaus and it sort of fuels the Rougeaus fire to really kick their ass even though they were the ones that instigated it. Shawn is really off the charts selling and bumping for the Rougeaus. I liked this finish stretch even more than the Paris match because it is not trading piledrivers. It is actually using the Megaphone against the Rougeaus. It is really fighting fire with fire. From showing up Rogeaus at the outset to using their Megaphone against them and everything in between, the Rockers proved they could beat the Rougeaus at their own game. 

#1. “Macho Man” Randy Savage vs The Ultimate Warrior – Wrestlemania VII Career Match

Even though, I have seen it a zillion times and I knew it was coming, they still got me. It was right when Liz hopped over the barricade, it was like I was in the dustiest room imaginable. It wasnt the embrace or putting her on the shoulder because I knew all that was coming. I had forgotten about the rope holding spot. I just had a good cry. Greatest moment in pro wrestling history. I am not even sure it is close. For a moment to consistently make me cry just shows the incredible power. 

I have reviewed over 1800 matches at this point. I breakdown these matches logically really going into the minutia of what works and why it works. To me, the best matches are not for critical thinking. They are not the matches that appease the mind. They are the matches that make you feel. That move you. That hit you in the gut and tug on the heartstrings. Thats why this match is ***** all the way and I honestly think any rating less than that is severely underrating the match. As so many others have pointed out the Randy Savage & Miss Elizabeth story arc from Wrestlemania II to Wrestlemania VIII is incredible. What makes it so good you dont even have to see the intervening moments. You can just watch those seven matches and you get the complete story of a man that is loaded with character development, action, twists & turns and ultimately the feel good ending of him winning the WWF Title from Ric Flair. The climax of that story is right here at Wrestlemania VII. After the jealous explosion at Wrestlemania V and Elizabeth getting a modicum of revenge with the help of the American Dream at Wrestlemania VI, this is where it all comes to a head. The Macho Man vs The Ultimate Warrior where one man's career will be over.

I think you can assert that this is the most influential match of all time, at the very least the most influential WrestleMania match on other WrestleMania main events. "I'm sorry, I love you" comes right from this playbook. Now, it is not even WrestleMania main events but many WWE matches and indy matches that incorporate this style of cinematic storytelling. This is not an original thought many have picked up on the fact that Shawn Michaels popularized the style, BUT it was the Macho Man Randy Savage who innovated it. This is the pinnacle of Randy Savage's vision as a storytelling. To me this is the biggest reason, Vince McMahon loved Randy Savage so much is that they shared the very same vision of what pro wrestling could be. It could be a entertainment platform that truly captures every aspect of humanity. Vince loves moments. Pro wrestling even though it is a dynamic sport, Vince saw the value in distilling it into static images. I dont think there is a more powerful image than Randy hoisting Elizabeth on his shoulder. To me that is the pinnacle of Vince McMahon's vision of pro wrestling. Love is the most human experience. It is often sorely lacking in pro wrestling and even all these years later there is no greater love story. 

Am I ever going to talk about this match? The match sees Randy Savage in full Memphis heel mode and Ultimate Warrior is in stalking avenging angel mode. Warrior was very careful not to blow up during this match. His movements were all measured and never wasted. He understood the moment and it could be explained in kayfabe that he was cautious given the stakes of the match. Normally, I dont include the managers in the title of the match, but this was effectively a handicap match and Sherri worked OVERTIME in this match. She was every bit a part of this match as Savage and Warrior. They established pretty early on that Savage was outgunned by the bigger & stronger Warrior so it would take a team effort to take him down. Savage loves the spot where his opponent chokes him and lifts him high up in the air, but this time he is thrown into Sherri. They tried many distraction tactics but they all failed against Warrior who was laser-focused in this match. Warrior was absorbing the punishment and returning it tenfold. Warrior was basically playing King of the Jungle carved out the center of the ring while Savage and Sherri were two hyenas trying to dislodge him. Try as they might, they were always thwarted. Warrior was very static. Savage and Sherri were supplying the energy: bumping 'n' running. One really impressive spot that I had forgotten about was when Warrior caught the Macho Man in his arms on a top rope crossbody. Then set him down and slapped him, the ultimate sign of disrespect.  

I loved that both transitions to Macho Man offense were because of Warrior leaving his feet. Warrior had the game plan of letting Savage come to him and then counterattacking, but twice Warrior went for big shouldertackles and missed. He deviated from the gameplan and had to pay for it. Sherri was brutal on the outside. You could argue that Sherri actually got more offense on Warrior than Savage did! Neither heat segment lasted all that long as the Warrior was simply too strong. Eventually one Sherri's distraction tactics paid off and Savage dropped Warrior throat first on the ropes. Some really good selling from the Warrior choking. Savage did his famous snap his opponent's head over top rope as he jumps to the floor. Savage was so damn good in this match and so was Sherri.

At this point, Savage drops the FIVE Top Rope Elbows and this is when it kicks into cinematic territory. That is such an insane number especially since one usually gets the job done. Then Warrior KICKS OUT! What I love about his match is that it is not just about Savage/Sherri/Elizabeth they give some room for Warrior to have character development. Remember, Warrior defeated Hogan at the previous WrestleMania, yes Savage cost him the WWF title at Royal Rumble, BUT the Warrior had NOT faced real adversity in match before. So when Warrior runs this his usual comeback complete with the Press Slam/Warrior Splash AND The Macho Man kicks out, that became a moment when we could learn a lot about the Warrior. Warrior showed vulnerability unaccustomed to a WWF babyface at the time. He looked up to the Heavens and wondered what he needed to do. He started talking to his hands and he realized that he might not have what it takes to get it done. Warrior was going to walk out on the WWF downtrodden if it was not for Savage's hubris attacking the Warrior. Sherri held Warrior for Savage to come crashing down on Warrior as he was on the railing. Warrior shoved Sherri and Savage took that bump chin-first on the steel railing. That was a nasty, nasty bump. He really threw himself into it. Macho Man had pretty much knocked himself out and was a victim of his own pride & greed. Warrior hits three King-Sized Shouldertackles that Savage sold beautifully. Then in emphatic fashion, Warrior, King of the Jungle, but one foot on the chest of the Macho Man and won the match 1-2-3! 

I love it all! All the gaga with Macho Man & Sherri trying every nefarious trick in the book to beat the Warrior. I loved Warrior's controlled anger. He was focused and here to win. Then the finish run starting with the FIVE Elbow Drops, Warrior Splash->Kickout->Warrior Self-Doubt, Savage eating the steel, Warrior's one foot cover is one of the most perfect endings to a pro wrestling match. Is it a technical marvel? Of course not! Thats missing the point. The match itself is an amazing roller coaster ride and then add in the greatest post-match in the history of pro wrestling, it is an iconic match that is the pinnacle of Vince McMahon's & Randy Savage's story telling and continues to influence pro wrestling to this day. 

Pro Wrestling Love vol. 3: Best of WCW in 1995-2001 (Eddie Guerrero, Rey Mysterio, DDP)

Hey Yo Stud Muffins & Foxy Ladies,

My mom has been talking a big game about what she is going to do with her retirement money. She keeps pushing that she wants to buy a pizza shop or a deli. Today, she switched gears to opening up a shoot catch wrestling promotion because she was afraid that they were going to force Becky Lynch into letting Charlotte win. Now this is an idea I can get behind!

Pro Wrestling Love vol. 3:

The Greatest Matches of WCW in 1995-2001

Objective:  Break up the Greatest Match Ever Project (hosted at gwe.freeforums.project.net) into more manageable chunks to help me build my Top 100 List for the project.

Motivation: Contribute to the discussion around these matches to enrich my own understanding of pro wrestling and give a fresh perspective for old matches and even hopefully discover great pro wrestling matches that have been hidden by the sands of time. You can reach me on Twitter and Instagram @superstarsleeze or at ProWrestlingOnly.com as Superstar Sleeze to continue the discussion. 

Subject: This third volume of Pro Wrestling Love finishes the Top 12 countdown of the best matches to take place in World Championship Wrestling from 1995-2001 (hey  I completed something!). The years were selected based on Hulk Hogan’s arrival in July of 1994 completely reimagining the company in his likeness. I would argue that similar reimagining happened when Vince Russo took over the booking in October of 1999, but WCW was so terrible from October of 1999 to end, March of 2001 that is not worth doing a separate blog on that. You can revisit past Pro Wrestling Love Volumes at ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com. You can check out the full version of these reviews in ProWrestlingOnly.com by going to the forums and finding the folders associated with the date of the match.

Ratings: The #1 match is a mortal lock for my final list. The #2 match will most likely be my #100, just a personal favorite match of mine. #3 is gonna be a heartbreaker for me, but I think it is on the outside looking in. Then #4-#6 won’t make the final list. As you will see, I will really rave about all six matches and you will probably think it is crazy that only two of these matches will make the list, but that’s how much amazing wrestling is out there.  

The Father's Day Brawl!

The Top Six Matches of World Championship Wrestling from 1995-2001

#6. WCW United States Champion Diamond Dallas Page vs Chris Benoit – SuperBrawl VIII

WCW Match of the Year, 1998

For a critically acclaimed wrestler, Chris Benoit lacks a clearly define canon. I think a lot of people would blame WCW and their promotional machine for that. A lot of critics would claim that WCW was not an environment conducive for Benoit to put on classics, to put on good matches yes, but not classics. Benoit always remained over in WCW even when he was not being pushed. His 1997 was pretty pedestrian aimlessly feuding with the Dungeon of Doom and being affiliated with a dying Four Horsemen. In late ’97, he started a feud with Raven and his Flock and this began Benoit’s first singles push. His Souled Out ’98 match with Raven is pretty damn good and Benoit is over huge even with a lack of push. DDP was coming off his major feud with Savage and just won the United States Championship from Curt Hennig. These two did a respect feud going into SuperBrawl. My Dad loved to mock this feud because of how much they said “respect”. My Dad still makes fun of babyface vs babyface feuds where “respect” is a major part.  

As far as I know, I am out on an island by myself with rating this match so highly, but I am a-ok with that as this is just an absolute war. I said it above that DDP is well-known for his pre-planned matches, but they never feel rehearsed or forced. This match is a great example of that. Everything from an Irish Whip to the final Diamond Cutter was earned. Both men were like the Russians at Stalingrad, there was no retreat only marching forward. I once heard the difference between babyfaces and heels is that babyfaces always move forward and heels retreat. I love the simplicity of that statement. As these two men are babyfaces I love that both men are always moving forward. This is a great babyface vs babyface match. The rough and tumble collar and elbow tie up, both men tenaciously looking to apply their finishers early, lots of great mirroring going on. It was two men totally invested in winning the championship and when the wrestlers are invested in winning the fans will be too. Two spots that I think really speak to how much struggle was in this match. Benoit eats a jawbreaker and then just keeps coming with chops and kicks. He was not not selling, he was fighting through the offense. Babyfaces always move forward. Other spot is when Benoit fights like hell on an Irish Whip attempt and turns it into a snap suplex. To me this is pro wrestling. There is a really, really good nearfall sequence that was pretty novel in 1998, but would be the perfect trigger now for a “This is awesome” chant, the difference is this match those nearfalls were earned. The best spot of the match was Benoit shoves DDP off a Diamond Cutter attempt and Page immediately uses that momentum to climb to the top rope and leap 3/4s of the away across the ring and wipe out Benoit. The urgency! The desire to win! The out of control nature! I just love it. Struggle, urgency, energetic, chaotic and an investment towards winning all things I love and this match had that in spades.

#5. Rey Mysterio Jr. vs Psicosis – Bash At The Beach ‘96

Rey and Psicosis came up together on the Tijuana scene. They were the Tom & Jerry of Lucha in the 90s. Psicosis the bigger of the two was the rudo. He was like a modernized Midnight Express. Tons of great bumping and stooging spots. I will never get tired of watching Psicosis go ass first into things. However, once Psicosis gained control just like the Midnight Express he had amazing, breath-taking offense. Just like MX even though he was so good, you never wanted to cheer for him. Not to mention, I think Psicosis may have the best costume in pro wrestling history. One part was how good he was as a rudo but the other part was being paired with maybe the greatest babyface of all time, Rey Mysterio Jr. What a phenomenon! I am so lucky to seen Rey’s run in WCW live. It was so revolutionary. His offense was sublime and completely shifted the paradigm. His selling is where he made his money because as much as everyone remembers the offense, it is the selling that made you invest in the man not the spots. That’s when you make money, when people are invested in you not your spots.

Rey and Psicosis had a vaunted, critically acclaimed classic in their home promotion of AAA on September 22, 1995. They would go onto have touring matches in ECW and in WAR. This would be the last of their touring matches as they would find a home in WCW. I have not seen the AAA match in years and cant remember it, but for my money at this time this is the best incarnation of their match. It is a true testament to how influential and important this match is that it is still promoted as one of the great PPV match openers on the same show that Hulk Hogan turned heel and joined the NWO. It easily could have been overshadowed, but that’s how good and revolutionary this match was.  

It would have been so easy for Misterio and Psicosis to just hit a myriad of mind-numbing highspots to astonish and amaze a virgin audience, but what make these two among the all-time greats is how they transition and build to those highspots for maximum senory impact. As I described before, Psicosis is the consummate heel. He knows when to let Rey shine and when to get heat for himself. It is so important to be selfless as a heel and Psicosis was so good about that with Rey Rey. In addition to Psicosis going ass first into hard objects, my other favorite Psicosis highspot is his gorgeous tope over the top rope just wiping out his opponent. On the flip side, Psicosis eats a crazy monkey flip on the apron into the post. For his part, Rey sold his ass off, great verbal selling, which is not used enough. When it came time to amaze, he certainly did with amazing hurricanranas. Even though the highspots are amazing and getting these two over with the new audience, their desire to win the match stops this from becoming just a spotfest and also the fact there is a great thread of neck psychology which is a touchstone that Psicosis keeps going back to whenever Rey goes on a fast break and the match looks to be getting away from him. Misterio’s Twisting Corkscrew Asai Moonsault is the crown jewel spot of the match. They had been blowing everyone’s minds all night and had established Psicosis as the nasty heel and Rey as the sympathetic babyface and then Misterio hits this and the crowd and their announcers all lose their minds. As revolutionary as this match was in terms of highspots, the reason it remains timeless is because of how character-driven it is. It is Tom & Jerry of pro wrestling putting on their masterpiece.  

#4. WCW Cruiserweight Champion Dean Malenko vs Rey Mysterio Jr.
Great American Bash ‘96

WCW Match of the Year, 1996

A very polarizing match that I obviously fall in the camp of it being a classic match. This is Rey’s debut match not the previous match and I think that’s something a lot of people take issue with. I agree with them in a perfect world that you flip the order of these matches chronologically, but I don’t think this takes away from the greatness of this match.

The fledgling WCW cruiserweight division needed a shot in the arm otherwise it was going to go the way of the WCW Light Heavyweight division. It got exactly what it needed in the form of Rey Mysterio, a true overnight sensation. I think another thing critics take umbrage with is total lack of shine in this match. That is a very valid point. A debuting babyface needs that shine to get himself over with the fans. It is his way of introducing himself to the audience. It gives the fans a reason to cheer him and want him to win. Normally, I would be very upset about this, but the heat segment and comeback are so elite that this match remains to me one of the best matches in WCW history. The lack of babyface shine keeps it from being an all-time great match however.

They have a simple, but effective match. It is match all about space. Rey is trying to squirm away from Malenko and create space to enable his high flying offense versus Malenko wrangling Rey and suffocating him with his trademark chain wrestling. It is the perfect clash of styles. I love that opening Greco-Roman Knucklelock arm-snap thing Malenko does. It transition perfectly into an awesome Malenko heat segment where he worked the arm relentlessly with great variety. Dean controlled the bulk of the match, but he did not gobble Mysterio up. With no shine, it was important that Rey got in his hope spots and that is exactly what happens. Dean does a great job conveying frustration not being able to put Rey away. So when Rey can finally cut loose, he unleashes an arsenal of aerial maneuvers that wow the crowd and also demonstrate why Malenko was working so hard to ground Rey. The finish rages to a very satisfying climax.

The Star of my Mom's Shoot Catch Wrestling Promotion

#3. WCW World Heavyweight Champion Diamond Dallas Page vs Sting – Nitro 4/26/99

WCW Match of the Year, 1999

GOOD GOD! Diamond Dallas Page knows how to lay out a classic. I wish he was a producer in WWE we would have so many good World Championship matches. Another feather in DDP’s cap is that he had all these other great matches as a babyface, the blue collar hero, People’s Champion, Die Hard, but here just less than month removed from turning heel, he is totally rocking it as a heel. On the other hand, Sting had an atrocious 1998 and honestly looked like one of the worst wrestlers I have ever seen. Here he was back to being the Sting of old that kid all hopped up on sugar and I mean that as a compliment.

This match is a great example of the positive feedback loop that can exist between wrestler and fan. The wrestlers delivered crowd-pleasing spots early popping the crowd, the wrestlers fed off this energy the crowd sensed this was popping even bigger and bigger and then all together there is absolutely incredible explosion at the end of this well. We start off as all great matches should with a long and strong babyface shine. DDP was bumping and running for the Stinger making him look like a million bucks. Sting was creating so much movement and energy. Fargo and the Stinger were vibing hard. I am a total sucker for the finisher teases. DDP sells his failed Diamond Cutter attempt by trying to walk out of the match, which I think was the perfect time for that spot. The transition to the heat segment was perfect: Sting doing the ten count punches in the corner, the ref is admonishing him because that is illegal and DDP nails a low blow. Textbook heel work there. The heat segment showcases the new heel viciousness of Page. Loved the finish stretch, DDP was really on the cutting-edge of US workrate the way he worked in so many nearfalls into his matches. They really crescendo into a raging climax. The failed Diamond Cutter late and the top rope Stinger Splash felt huge. By accident, Sting hits a safer version of the Ganso Bomb! This match really had it all. Sting blocking the Diamond Cutter and then dropping Page with the Scorpion Deathdrop to win the championship to one of the loudest pops you will ever hear is a great feel-good moment. Just an amazing Clash of the Titans, big fight feel that really did a great job with babyface/heel dynamics. Just a pure babyface vs. pure heel with a traditional layout, but the escalation was so perfect that everyone just lost themselves in the moment.

#2. Ric Flair vs Randy Savage – Great American Bash ‘95

WCW Match of the Year, 1995

The Father’s Day Brawl! This is perhaps my most out their pick that I will make out of all 100 matches that I will place in my Top 100. It will most likely come in at #100 as a way for it stand out. This could be my favorite match of all time as it features my two favorite wrestlers of all time. I have never heard anyone talk this match up besides me. It is so shocking to me. This match is not hidden by any means. It happened on a major PPV in the second biggest company. It features perhaps the two most popular wrestlers among wrestling critics. Yet I usually see ratings such as this was very good and baffles me because there is just so much hate and emotion in this match. This is a visceral and violent brawl. It is so chaotic. It feels like a shoot at times. The way Savage decks Flair from behind without any prompting and without Flair having any knowledge that it was going to happen was insane. That is so rare in pro wrestling. That’s what I mean when I say this felt like a legitimate barroom fight. Savage had every reason to be so pissed off because Flair had been going after his father, Angelo Poffo. The Macho Man was defending the honor of his dad on Father’s Day. He was just relentless opting for punching and choking in lieu of traditional wrestling moves. Constantly lunging at Flair, suffocating Flair even when he is begging off and even fighting from his back when his knee so injured he cant stand. This was Savage in all his Wildman glory. However, as great as the Macho Man was, this is still Ric Flair in there and Flair is still The Man. He bumps all over the place for Savage. He also knows he is in a fight and he brings that same violence back at the Macho Man. He suckers the Macho Man into checking on his father and clips the knee. The kneecrusher across the steel railing is perfect. They settle into that perfect rhythm. Savage desperately fighting from his back because he cant stand and Flair so smug attacking the knee at will. There is a very emotional spot as Angelo Poffo is pleading to the referee that Flair is cheating to try to save his son’s leg from being snapped in half. The finish sequence is a tour de force. Savage is fighting on one leg and but manages to get enough control to hit the Big Elbow, but he picks Flair up at two because that’s not enough. He grabs the ring bell and he wants to maim Flair and one can only assume the same way he did to Ricky Steamboat and crush his larynx. Savage ends up crashing and burning on the guardrail. I still remember how concerned those front row fans were because he hit so hard. The finish is superb Flair is a scumbag and decks old Angelo Poffo, Savage is forced to check on his dad and Flair knocks Savage out with the cane. Tremendous pro wrestling! You have never seen this before. Check it out. If you have, watch it with fresh eyes and be prepared for one of the most chaotic, intense brawls you will ever see, it really does feel like a shoot at times.  

#1. WCW Cruiserweight Champion Eddie Guerrero vs Rey Mysterio Jr.  

Halloween Havoc ’97

WCW Match of the Year, 1997

Matches like these are always the most daunting in my mind to review. How do you add to all the thousands of words written and spoken about this classic? In my estimation, what makes this match stand out is how crisp everything is. I am not super into execution. I care more about character and plot development than being able to execute things perfectly. It really stood out to me on my most recent watch just how perfect everything was even though they were moving at such a high speed. Rey and Eddie were just clicking and both happened to have the night of their lives on the same night. I was also surprised how short it was. They pack so much in there that you believe it a 20+ minute match classic, but it is actually closer to 13 minute match.

The beauty of Rey is for all his crazy highspots nothing ever feels artificial or forced. There is no waiting for Rey standing there with a thumb up your ass. There is no overly orchestrated setup. It is Rey using his environment to create opportunities to go on offense and add weight to his blows. Rey was just so perfect on this night. Truly poetry in motion! Eddie was wrestling out of his mind on this night. This heel run is one of the best of all time. He was his sadistic best in this match. The sneer and scowl were on full display here and that translated into a medieval ass-whuppin’ on Rey. I loved how over Eddie was a heel at this point, big “Eddie Sucks” chants throughout the match. The stakes of this match are also high as Rey had to put his mask on the line to get this championship opportunity. The mask is attached to the bodysuit because of a previous incident on Nitro where Eddie tore it off causing Rey to lose the mask. So when Eddie is tearing at Rey’s mask all the while torturing Rey’s back, you cant help but want Rey to make that amazing comeback and kick Eddie’s ass. 

Unfortunately for Rey fans, for every breath-taking Rey hope spot, Eddie had a very literal breath-taking counter for Rey where he would knock the wind out of Rey with dropkicks, suplexes and even a massive powerbomb. The eventual Rey comeback, after Eddie slid into the post on a charge, was awesome and the crowd was him on every highspot. The finish stretch with the hurricanranas from crazy angles, missed Frogsplash and the forever famous Splash Mountain into a hurricanarana remains one of the all-time great stretches in pro wrestling history. Eddie was a mean son of a bitch in this match and Rey is the ultimate underdog. A perfect pair of characters combined with two men who were having career nights together and the stakes could not be higher with title vs mask. They could not fire a bad shot in this match.

I think after all this talk about American wrestling, it is high time we get the Japanese involved, what do you all say? Pro Wrestling NOAH is up next!

Pro Wrestling Love vol. 2 Best of WCW in 1995-2001 (DDP, Randy Savage, Goldberg)

Editor's Note #1: Chris Benoit will be mentioned throughout this blog. I do not seek to glorify the man Chris Benoit. Chris Benoit was an evil man that murdered his wife and child. Chris Benoit is a part of wrestling history and will be discussed as a part of wrestling history. 

Editor's Note #2: Originally Volume 2 was going to finish the countdown started in Volume 1 of the best matches to take place in the WWF between 1993-97 however I have not found time to rewatch the Mind Games match between Shawn Michaels and Mankind. I will keep putting out content until I feel I can do that classic match justice at which point I will release those final rankings.

Hey Yo Stud Muffins & Foxy Ladies,

Pro Wrestling Love vol. 2:

The Greatest Matches of WCW in 1995-2001

Objective:  Break up the Greatest Match Ever Project (hosted at gwe.freeforums.project.net) into more manageable chunks to help me build my Top 100 List for the project.

Motivation: Contribute to the discussion around these matches to enrich my own understanding of pro wrestling and give a fresh perspective for old matches and even hopefully discover great pro wrestling matches that have been hidden by the sands of time.

Subject: This second volume of Pro Wrestling Love begins the Top 12 countdown of the best matches to take place in World Championship Wrestling from 1995-2001. The years were selected based on Hulk Hogan’s arrival in July of 1994 completely reimagining the company in his likeness. I would argue that similar reimagining happened when Vince Russo took over the booking in October of 1999, but WCW was so terrible from October of 1999 to end, March of 2001 that is not worth doing a separate blog on that. You can revisit past Pro Wrestling Love Volumes at ridingspacemountain.blogspot.com and eventually at PlaceToBeNation.com. You can check out the full version of these reviews in ProWrestlingOnly.com by going to the forums and finding the folders associated with the date of the match.

I LOVE THEIR '97 RUN!

The Misses: I would say one of the surprises of this countdown was the dearth of highly touted matches from 1996-97 WCW when their vaunted midcard consisting of Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, Dean Malenko, Chris Jericho, Rey Mysterio, and Ultimo Dragon among others was firing on all cylinders. The one obvious match makes the list of course (*cough* Eddie vs Rey *cough*), but this is actually a really wide open list. You would think that the biggest company in America for two years with one of the best rosters in history would have been picked apart, dissected and have a canon established. However, besides Eddie vs Rey, can you automatically say what the next match is that would make the list. The combination of the popularity of the company and the popularity of its wrestlers among wrestling critics make for a more interesting column than one would expect.

For instance, Chris Benoit generally considered one of the best wrestlers of 90s does not have any obvious matches to make this list. He will have two that make the list, but I don’t think going into this match that any of the matches were mortal locks.  Two of his more highly touted matches were the brawl against Kevin Sullivan at Great American Bash ’96 and his overwrought ode to progressive rock with Dean Malenko at Hog Wild. I find the GAB match to be more of a fun, plundah brawl than something incredibly amazing, even if Dusty gives a ***** performance on commentary. The Malenko match reminds me of those overly long prog rock songs where the focus is how many notes or time changes they can fit in a song rather than having a strong hook and entertaining the audience. The last major Benoit match I want to bring up is the Booker T Best of Seven Series, which I lived through. This has become very fondly remembered from WCW and really made Booker T a singles star. Booker T has never done much for me as a wrestler and I thought the Final Match was good, but nothing more.

The only two other matches I wanted to bring up that had a bit of reputation going into this countdown involve Ultimo Dragon. As you can imagine as an 8 year old, diehard WCW fan, I was pretty huge fan of masked wrestlers. Psicosis and La Parka were my favorite, but Ultimo Dragon was not far behind. Unfortunately, for the most part, I do not think Ultimo Dragon has aged well. He will have at least one match from Japan that will make my Top 100 of All-Time, but overall I find his matches to be bereft of psychology. He is a phenomenal offensive wrestler. He has a deep arsenal and his execution is stellar. His offense still looks as good in 2018 as it did in 1996. However, in my opinion, offense is only one element of pro wrestling. His constant blowing off of selling and just running through spots without rhyme or reason make his matches ultimately an unfulfilling experience. His two well-regarded matches from this era are the World War III ’96 match against Rey Mysterio and Starrcade ’96 against Dean Malenko. The first match is a glorified squash match and just a total exhibition of Dragon at his offensive best. I have been harsh on this match in this match, but it is entertaining and enjoyable to watch, but there is no struggle. It looks like Dragon is having a training session showing off different moves while Mysterio acts as his tackling dummy rather than a contest with two men vying to win the bout. The second match with Malenko is just pretty boring with no real hook. I do like Ultimo Dragon so I will give him a shoutout and that his best WCW match was against Steven Regal at Slamboree 97 and that would make a Top 20 if I was doing a Top 20. 

I want to end this on a high note and I think the silver lining is that this will be a list that is a nice blend of matches you expect and some that come out of left field.

Lance Storm once used this picture on Twitter to explain to me that Ultimo Dragon deserved to be in the WON HOF. I am not convinced Lance fully understands how pro wrestling works. 

Honorable Mentions:

Scott Steiner vs Goldberg – Fall Brawl 2000

The best match from the Russo era not even Russo interfering with a plastic whiffle ball bat could completely ruin this.

Diamond Dallas Page vs Chris Benoit – Thunder 5/27/99

WCW World Champion Hollywood Hogan vs Diamond Dallas Page – Nitro 10/28/97

DDP was the best, consistent wrestler in WCW from 95 to the End. Yes, Rey and Eddie had higher highs, but they were short spurts compared to DDP would pretty much kicked ass from the beginning to the end of this era. DDP appears on this list more than any other wrestlers. These are two TV matches that have been lost to the sands of time that show DDP at his best wrestling matches that drip with effort. Also shoutout to Hollywood Hogan even as late as 97 he could still be a compelling, energetic pro wrestling. I can understand saying Hogan did not have many “great” matches, but he was NEVER boring and this was his best in the Hollywood character, brutha.

WCW World Heavyweight Champion Sting vs Chris Benoit – Nitro 9/20/99

Chris Benoit vs Eddie Guerrero – Nitro 10/16/95

In addition to the DDP Thunder match, here are a pair of TV matches from Chris Benoit that rule the school. The first is probably one of the best debut matches in the history of wrestling as Benoit and Eddie have a balls out, hard-hitting sprint and get themselves over immediately. The second is a glimpse into Chris Benoit, WCW main eventer as he takes on the very rare sighting of Heel Sting. This is during that one month heel run before Vince Russo nuked WCW one month later.

WCW Cruiserweight Champion Rey Mysterio Jr. vs Dean Malenko – Halloween Havoc ‘96

This match was the last match out. I loved the Malenko/Rey series from 1996 and it is easily Malenko’s best work from his career. The pairing was perfect to get Rey over as a total superstar from jump.

Chris Benoit & Dean Malenko vs Eddy Guerrero & Chris Jericho – Brian Hildebrand Tribute

This match would actually rank in the Top Six if I was just ranking it against the other matches on the list. However, technically, this is not a WCW sanctioned match even though it featured all WCW talent (Brian Hildebrand better known as Mark Curtis was a referee in WCW and this was a tribute show for him in 1998 after he tragically passed from cancer) so I decided against ranking it. It is a terrific match and I will be nominating it for the Greatest Match Ever project. Just a perfect understanding of tag team fundamentals by four of the all-time greats.

I couldnt find an image of Savage's picture perfect elbow from this match which was my Desktop background in late 1997.

  

The Twelfth to Seventh Best Matches of World Championship Wrestling from 1995-2001

#12. Randy “Macho Man” Savage vs Diamond Dallas Page – Spring Stampede 1997

If I was making a favorite matches of all time list, this would be near the top. Two of my all-time favorites just hit out of the park. There are some people prefer the GAB match or Halloween Havoc match, but nothing can top the opening match in this legendary feud. DDP was such a great character. He was the real People’s Champion. A blue collar dude from New Jersey that entered through the crowd because he was one of us. He really gave me those John McClaine Die Hard vibes. Macho Man was on top of his heel game. This was a total revitalization of the Macho Man character. He was completely unhinged at this time. I loved how he roughhoused everyone. He would pick on David Penzer and the refs like it was his job. He was a psychopathic bully. He really goes the extra mile to be despicable especially when he goes after Kimberly. This was a great feud and this opening salvo in the feud made DDP into a superstar. It was a very selfless moment when Savage put DDP over clean in the middle with the Diamond Cutter. I love once Savage comes to that he is so incensed that he grabs Kimberly by the hair and is ready to haul off and punch her right in the face. This is too much even for the New World Order. When Bischoff talks him out of it, he turns and decks Easy E. That’s how you get a new heel over. When he is ready to do something so vile, the other heels think he has gone too far.

Both these men are well-known for pre-match planning, but what is amazing about both men is their matches never feel rehearsed or mechanical. They come across as organic. I think whats really impressive about this match is even though the majority of the match is Savage kicking the ever loving crap out of DDP, it never drags because Savage uses the props at ringside so effectively. He is intimidating Buffer and Kimberly. He is attacking Penzer and a random cameraman. After three strikes, he piledrives the ref to Hell, rips his shirt open and then whips him with his own belt. This is a great showcase of the new Macho Man loose canon character. In parallel this is a great showcase for DDP as the gritty, gutsy common man fighting for his wife’s honor against this despicable psychopath. A perfect match to mint a new main eventer and it was the rebirth of the Macho Man.  

#11. Lord Steven Regal vs Fit Finlay – Uncensored 1996

If you are real quiet, you can actually hear Regal explode at the end of the match. Violent does not do this match justice. Often pro wrestling is simulated violence, but in this match these two willing allow one another to harm and maim. The closest comparison I can make is to those BattlArts matches where Ikeda and Ishikawa would just stiff the hell out of each other. It can be so brutal that it is actually disturbing to watch.

The beginning of this match is a great example of the style of pro wrestling I love as this was just dripping with struggle. They were fighting through each other’s offense. I love WCW in this period because it is so varied and unlike anything WWF would present at this time. They are hitting each other so hard and in every hold that it really feels each is trying to win. It never feels like my turn, your turn because every fucking turn is earned. I think Regal’s dropkick to Finlay’s head is just nasty. The finish is beyond brutal and it looks like it comes straight out of Mick Foley’s Theatre of Pain.  Finlay shatters Regal’s nose with a palm strike and blood comes pouring out like a faucet. That was the premature end to what was supposed to be a 30 minute draw. Let me tell you something brutha, that’s a way more memorable finish than a 30 minute draw. It could have used more of a narrative or character work to elevate it, but goddamn it is a gripping war.  

#10. New World Order (Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, & Syxx) vs 

Ric Flair, Roddy Piper, & Kevin Greene – Slamboree 1997

One of the biggest faults of the New World Order era was the dearth of feel-good matches, but here we finally get one in front of a jacked Charlotte, North Carolina. Ric Flair was making his return after a shoulder injury. When Ric Flair is on like this, he cant help but smile. It is just that contagious energy that you wish you could bottle up and sell. Hall and Syxx are the best scuzzballs ever. They went all in as trying to be the biggest heels of all time. I loved when Syxx, 212 lbs of disrespect, is strutting that Flair chops him mid-strut. This is just Flair on fire. A triumphant Flair performance that nearly matches Starrcarde ’93 in emotion.  Kevin Greene from the brand new Carolina Panthers was the perfect celebrity and gotta love his enthusiasm. This is just crowd-pleasing spot after crowd-pleasing spot. Even the heat segment is abrupt, it is all about cramming in as much feel-good Flair as possible. They do a great job towards the end making you believe the NWO was going to put themselves over again, but it was just a tease. The finish is just the most awesome possible, decisive, crowd-pleasing finish. That is a sentence that was not written enough during the NWO era. This is the ultimate, great feel-good, popcorn, Summer blockbuster match where Ric Flair gets his revenge for one night on the three biggest jackasses in WCW.

#9. WCW World Heavyweight Champion Goldberg vs Diamond Dallas Page 

Halloween Havoc 1998

CLASH OF THE TITANS! There are many great examples of DDP being a ring general in this time period, but there is no better example than this match. Goldberg had incredible aura around him at this time. He really felt like the baddest man on the planet. The Terminator come to life. However, there aren’t many great Goldberg matches around because he was such an anomaly in pro wrestling that it was hard to build a conventional pro wrestling match around a monster babyface that was coupled with the highly toxic WCW political environment. DDP cut through the bullshit came out with a way to have a compelling match with Goldberg that was longer than two minutes and made both men look great.

The World Heavyweight Champion vs People’s Champion, Rookie Phenomenon vs Hard Working Late Bloomer and The Terminator vs Die Hard. Everyone wants to know the answer to who would win John McClane or The Terminator. Goldberg is the super athlete: quick, powerful and impervious to pain. DDP never says die. One has to give. DDP knows he has one shot: Diamond Cutter. He goes for it early and often. I love DDP’s urgency. The best moment is when DDP avoids the spear and Goldberg eats the ringpost. It makes sense the only person that can do real damage to Goldberg is Goldberg. Goldberg shows some range with he is selling. He is stunned but is still moving forward because he is a monster knows no other way. DDP signals for the Diamond Cutter…BOOM! SPEAR! The Las Vegas Crowd and me lose our minds. Goldberg’s shoulder is too messed up for the Jackhammer…BANG! DIAMOND CUTTER! I was screaming “Pin Him, Dallas, Pin him” 15 years after this match happened that’s how damn great this finish run is. Those two moments serve as reminder on why pro wrestling is just the best. What makes this match so special in my opinion is that this match is so uniquely Goldberg and DDP there are no two other wrestlers could replicate this feel of Cyborg vs Blue Collar Hero that is the hallmark of excellent pro wrestling psychology.

#8. WCW World Cruiserweight Champion Chris Jericho vs Eddie Guerrero – Fall Brawl 1997

In late 1997, there were two amazing heels in US pro wrestling, one was Shawn Michaels and the other was Eddie Guerrero. The sadistic, scowling Eddie Guerrero in late ’97 was one mean son of a bitch in the ring, but he also knew the exact right times to be a sniveling, cowardly stooge. He was the consummate heel and he was over like rover. There were huge “Eddie Sucks” chants every PPV and Nitro match from this era. One thing I love about WCW fans compared to WWF is how into the midcard they always were. WWF fans were always obsessed with main event (and still are). For the most part, Jericho was a miss in WCW, his reach more often exceeded his grasp as he was going overly dangerous spots to get himself over and demonstrated a tenuous grasp on psychology which apparently was not taught to him until he joined the WWF.

Very classic pro wrestling layout, but what makes this so incredible is how good Eddie is at all parts of the match. From the outset, he does everything he can to shine up Jericho, bumping and stooging for Jericho. The transition to the heat segment is a snap of the neck across the top rope, but the heat segment features a lot of strong back work including his dad’s Gory Special and some really great Eddie character work. In classic WCW Jericho fashion, there is a very dangerous spot. He is going to powerbomb Eddie off the apron, but drops back with it into a hotshot. They both come down out of control crashing on each other. It was a gnarly spot, but in this case it worked in a kayfabe sense because at this point it was a hotly contested match and Eddie had been in control and Jericho needed something big to re-consolidate his advantage.  After this, they just throw bomb after bomb at each other in a way that feels smart and like two men trying their hardest to win the Cruiserweight Championship. A great example of Eddie’s character work and his range as a heel knowing how to flip the switch between coward and bastard and it always feeling organic.

#7. Bret “Hitman” Hart vs Chris Benoit – Nitro 10/04/99

This match was dedicated to Owen Hart after his death in World Wrestling Federation in May of 1999 and is a tribute to Owen Hart from his brother and from a fellow Albertan. I don’t want to take away from the true intention of the match, but this was also WCW’s goodbye to classic pro wrestling as Vince Russo would take over in a couple weeks and nothing on WCW TV would ever resemble pro wrestling again.

The story of the match to me is Bret keeps chip, chip, chipping away opening up a bigger and bigger lead on Benoit before one last Benoit gasp. There is a beautiful gradualism to this match. Two men paying tribute to someone they love by doing what they love. They start with classic tests of strength and as Benoit looks to assert himself it is Bret that counters with a Russian Legsweep. That is the story of the match is Bret countering Benoit throughout the match picking his spots and accelerating through the holes in Benoit’s offense. Benoit does a great timing his hope spots. Peppering them in early, but as his mistakes accrue and Bret’s offense take his toll they become fewer and further between.  The finish run is a spectacular fireworks display from Benoit that really rallies the KC crowd behind Bret. My favorite part of the match is how the crowd reacts to Bret applying the Sharpshooter. First, people are slowly rising to their feet inquisitive, then there is the steady build of noise and when he finally turns Benoit over there is a great pop. Just a beautiful pro wrestling match and a fitting tribute to Owen.

 Next time, we finish up this countdown. When will Rey Rey make his countdown debut? Will DDP have more matches in the Top Six? What is the surprise pick for the second best match to take place in WCW between 1995-2001? All this and much more in Pro Wrestling Love Vol. 3.