Showing posts with label The Undertaker. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Undertaker. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 24, 2020

Pro Wrestling Love vol. 50: The Greatest 100 WWF/WWE Matches of All Time

Hey Yo Stud Muffins & Foxy Ladies,

Pro Wrestling Love vol. 50:
The Greatest 100 WWF/WWE Matches From 1978-2014


A Couple GOATs

I wanted to do something special celebrate 50 volumes of Pro Wrestling Love. It has been almost a year since I published a Pro Wrestling Love. I have been watching pro wrestling, not as much as I would like, to build up more content, to come back more well-informed for the next round of voting at the Greatest Match Ever voting (http://gweproject.freeforums.net/) and most importantly help spread the love, the Pro Wrestling Love that is. 

With so many of us at home now because of COVID-19, I felt this was especially pertinent to publish such a list so that people can take the time to check out a match they have never seen before. That's also why I wanted to do a bare bones list. Sometimes, I just like looking at a list and a combination of wrestlers just catches my eye and the fact it made a list will drive me to watch it. You go into the match with no expectations other than someone thought it was good and so I hope that is what this list will be for you. A gateway to watch more great wrestling. 

This list would NOT exist without the motivation from the Place To Be Nation team (http://placetobenation.com) that held a poll on December 31, 2019 after a year long nomination process where voters were asked to assemble their Top 100 WWF/WWE matches of all time. This is my ballot. I watched AND reviewed about 565 matches when I last tallied. All 560 some odd reviews can be found at the Pro Wrestling Only Forums (http://forums.prowrestlingonly.com). I did not watch any matches before 1978. I decided that certain matches would be too recent to make my list. I do believe that a match needs to stand the test of time to be great. So I put a cut off at 5 years. So the last matches I watched were from December of 2014, in fact, one of those made my list. :)

I have been recording a podcast with Stacey/Jimmy Redman, but my constant travelling to work/COVID-19/her real life (CONGRATULATIONS! ;) ;) ). We each finished out bottom 50, but we will find time eventually to finish. If there is one thing, we have it is loads of time. So Stacey if you read this, NO RUSH, I just wanted to publish this as a celebratory piece for Volume 50. We will get that podcast series done and I have a blast each time I talk to Stacey. I do it for the love of pro wrestling! 

So without any further aideu, as you can see I am prone to a whole lot of adieu:

The Absolute, Undisputed One Hundred Greatest WWF/E Matches of 1978-2014


1. Bret Hart vs Stone Cold Steve Austin - WrestleMania XIII Submission Match
2. Daniel Bryan vs Triple H w/Stephanie McMahon - Wrestlemania XXX
3. Randy Savage vs Ultimate Warrior (WWF Wrestlemania VII 03/24/91)
4. John Cena vs Brock Lesnar - Extreme Rules 2012
5. Sgt Slaughter vs Iron Sheik - WWF, MSG 6/16/84
6. WWE Champion John Cena vs Umaga - Royal Rumble 2007 Last Man Standing
7. Brock Lesnar vs CM Punk - Summerslam 2013 No DQ
8. Bret Hart vs Owen Hart - WrestleMania X
9. WWF Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund vs Greg Valentine - WWF MSG 2/19/79
10. WWF World Champion Triple H vs Cactus Jack - Royal Rumble 2000 Street Fight
11. The Shield vs. Ryback & Team Hell No - WWE TLC 2012 TLC Match
12. John Cena vs CM Punk - RAW 2/25/13
13. WWF World Champion The Rock vs Stone Cold Steve Austin - Wrestlemania XVII
14. Edge vs Matt Hardy - Unforgiven 2005 Steel Cage 
15. Shawn Michaels vs Mankind (WWF Mind Games 09/22/96)
16. Shawn Michaels vs Undertaker (WWF Bad Blood 10/05/97)
17. WWE Champion Brock Lesnar vs Eddie Guerrero - No Way Out 2004
18. WWF Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund vs Ken Patera - WWF, MSG 5/19/80
19. WWF I-C Champion Randy Savage vs Ricky Steamboat - Wrestlemania III
20. WWE Champion John Cena vs CM Punk - Money In The Bank 2011
21. The Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels -WrestleMania XXV
22. WWE Champion Eddie Guerrero vs JBL - Judgement Day 2004
23. WWF World Champion Stone Cold Steve Austin vs Chris Benoit - SD! 5/31/01
24. The Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels - WrestleMania XXVI
25. Shawn Michaels vs Chris Jericho - Great American Bash 2008
26. The Shield vs Wyatt Family - WWE Elimination Chamber 2014
27. WWF I-C Champion Randy Savage vs Ricky Steamboat - WWF, Toronto 2/15/87
28. Sgt. Slaughter vs Pat Patterson - WWF, MSG 5/4/81, Alley Fight
29. WWF Intercontinental Champion Shawn Michaels vs Razor Ramon - WWF
 Summerslam 1995 Ladder Match Part Deux

30. World Heavyweight Champion Chris Benoit vs Shawn Michaels - RAW 5/3/04
31. Bob Backlund vs Greg "The Hammer" Valentine - MSG 4/23/84
32. World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus vs Big Show - Hell In A Cell 2012
33. WWE Champion CM Punk vs Daniel Bryan - WWE Over The Limit 2012
34. WWF World Champion Stone Cold Steve Austin vs Kurt Angle - Summerslam 2001
35. WWE Champion Brock Lesnar vs Undertaker - No Mercy 2002 Hell In A Cell
36. Steve Austin vs Dude Love (WWF Over The Edge 05/31/98)
37. WWF World Champion Bob Backlund vs Sgt. Slaughter -Philly 3/21/81, Steel Cage 
38. WWF World Champion Diesel vs Bret Hart - WWF Survivor Series 1995 No DQ
39. WWF I-C Champion Razor Ramon vs Shawn Michaels - WrestleMania X Ladder 
40. The Rockers vs Rougeaus - 10/89 London, England

41. Shawn Michaels vs Chris Jericho - WWF Unforgiven 2008
42. WWF Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund vs Pat Patterson - WWF MSG 7/30/79
43. WWF Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund vs Hulk Hogan - WWF Philly 4/12/80
44. Eddie Guerrero vs Rey Mysterio - Smackdown 6/23/05
45. World Champion Randy Orton vs Mark Henry - Night of Champions 2011
46. WWF I-C Champion Greg Valentine  vs. Tito Santana-Baltimore 7/6/85 Steel Cage 
47. World Heavyweight Champion Triple H vs Shawn Michaels - RAW 12/29/03
48. Randy Savage & Adrian Adonis vs Tito Santana & Bruno Sammartino - MSG 7/12/86 Steel Cage Match

49. WWF European Champion British Bulldog vs Shawn Michaels - One Night Only 97
50. WWF Womens Tag Team Champions Glamour Girls vs Jumping Bomb Angels - MSG 11/24/87

51. Brock Lesnar vs Triple H - WWE Summerslam 2012
52. NXT Champion Adrian Neville vs Sami Zayn - NXT Takeover REvolution 12/11/14
53.  The Shield vs The Brothers Rhodes w/Dusty Rhodes - Battleground 
54. WWE Champion Randy Orton vs John Cena - Breaking Point I Quit Match
55. The Dream Team w/Jimmy Hart vs Tito Santana & Ricky Steamboat - MLG 4/21/85
56. Bob Backlund vs Greg Valentine -  MSG 11/23/81 WWF Heavyweight Championship, No Holds Barred

57. WWF World Tag Team Champions Diesel & Shawn Michaels vs Razor Ramon & 1-2-3 Kid - WWF Action Zone 10/30/94

58.Randy "Macho Man" Savage vs Bret "Hitman" Hart - SNME 11/87
59. WWE I-C Champion Chris Jericho vs Rey Mysterio - The Bash 2009 Title Vs Mask
60. WWF World Tag Champs Stone Cold & HHH vs Benoit & Jericho - RAW 5/21/01

61. WWF World Champion Hulk Hogan vs Harley Race - MSG 6/22/87 Texas Death 
62. Cesaro vs Sami Zayn - NXT Arrival 2/14
63. Ricky Steamboat vs Jake Roberts - WWF Boston 8/9/86
64. World Heavyweight Champion The Big Show vs Alberto Del Rio - Smackdown 1/11/13 Last Man Standing Match

65. Strike Force vs The Islanders - 9/87 MSG
66. Rick Rude vs Ultimate Warrior - Summerslam 1989
67. WWF Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund vs Greg Valentine - MSG 10/19/81
68. Bret Hart vs Davey Boy Smith (WWF Summerslam 08/29/92)
69. WWE Champion Brock Lesnar vs Big Show - Judgment Day 2003 Stretcher Match
70. The Undertaker vs Triple H - WrestleMania XVII

71. WWF Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund vs Adrian Adonis - MSG 1/18/82
72. Rick Martel vs Tama - 7/87 MSG
73. WWF World Champion Bret Hart vs Undertaker - WWF One Night Only 1997
74. WWF Intercontinental Champion Greg Valentine vs Tito Santana - MSG 11/26/84
75. WWF I-C Champion Randy Savage vs Ricky Steamboat - Toronto 7/27/86
76. Shawn Michaels vs Batista - Backlash 2008 SGR: Chris Jericho
77. WWF Intercontinental Champion Tito Santana vs Greg Valentine - MSG 6/16/84
78. The Rockers vs Hart Foundation MSG 11/25/89
79. John Cena vs Batista - Summerslam 2008
80. WWE Champion John Cena vs Edge - WWE Unforgiven TLC Match

81. WWE I-C Champion Luke Harper vs Dolph Ziggler - TLC 2014 Ladder Match
82. WWE Intercontinental Champion Wade Barrett vs Sheamus - Main Event 5/29/13
83. King Sheamus vs John Morrison - TLC 2010 Ladder Match
84. World Heavyweight Champion Undertaker vs Rey Mysterio - Royal Rumble 2010
85. WWE IC Champion Randy Orton vs Cactus Jack - WWE Backlash 2004 Street Fight
86. WWF World Champion Hulk Hogan vs Sgt. Slaughter - MSG 6/3/91 Desert Storm 
87. Rockers vs Powers of Pain - WWF MSG 1/15/90
88. Dudley Boyz vs Hardy Boyz - WWF Royal Rumble 2000 Tables Match
89. WWF Tag Champs British Bulldogs vs Dream Team - 2/3 Falls SNME 10/86
90. WWE Champion CM Punk vs Mark Henry - RAW 4/2/12

91. WWF World Champion Hulk Hogan vs Kamala - MSG  1/19/87 No DQ
92. WWF Tag Champs Demolition vs The Rockers MSG 10/88
93. World Heavyweight Champion Mark Henry vs Big Show - Vengeance 2011
94. Shawn Michaels vs Mankind - WWF RAW 8/11/97
95. WWE Champion Kurt Angle vs Brock Lesnar - WWE Summerslam 2003
96. Greg Valentine vs Ronnie Garvin - WWF MSG 9/30/89
97. WWF I-C Champion Randy Savage vs Tito Santana - WWF, MSG 4/22/86 No DQ
98. Beth Phoenix vs Melina - WWE One Night Stand 2008 I Quit Match
99. Kurt Angle vs Rey Mysterio - Summerslam 2002
100. WWF World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan vs The Genius - SNME 11/89


  

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

Sunday, December 23, 2018

Pro Wrestling Love vol. 20: Best of WWE 2002-2004 (Eddie Guerrero, Brock Lesnar, Shawn Michaels)


Hey Yo Stud Muffins & Foxy Ladies,

Pro Wrestling Love vol. 20:
The Best of WWE 2002-2004

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 eighteenth volume of Pro Wrestling Love is the conclysion of the Top 12 countdown of the best matches to take place in WWE between 2002-2004. This is a transitionary era between the Attitude Era and the John Cena Era that begins in 2005. I define the Attitude Era as ending in 2001 because that is the last year Austin & Rock were full-time roster members and that was the end of WCW. The year 2005 sees the new generation of John Cena, Batista and Randy Orton take center stage. So what were the hallmarks of this transitionary era I would say three things: 2002 sees the WWF change its name to WWE, this is the peak of Triple H’s Reign of Boredom and the WCW midcard (Benoit, Guerrero, & Mysterio) contribute many of the great matches. 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.

Viva La Raza! Rest In Peace, Eddie. 


Top Six Matches of The WWE 2002-2004

#6. WWE Champion Brock Lesnar vs The Big Show - Judgement Day 2003 Stretcher Match


I have no clue why I watched this match. On paper, there was no reason to watch this match. No one to my knowledge has ever hyped it. It is a freakin' stretcher match. Has there ever been a great stretcher match? Then these two basically have the greatest Mid-South, Gordy vs Doc hoss fight of all time. I dont think this will make my list, but it deserves to be watched and discussed. 

Holy shit! This came out of left field! Bill Watts would have had a raging boner for this. Two big muthafuckas just throwing each other around. Both dudes are just pouring sweat because they are just ramming into each other and going all out. This is by far my favorite type of match. Super heavyweights just muscling each other around. Brock Lesnar is the great defender of the land. He is defending the honor of Rey Mysterio who was brutally attacked by Big Show at Backlash. The iconic moment is when Big Show slammed Rey strapped to a stretcher into the post. Then Lesnar saved Benoit from a similar fate. Thus the stretcher match was born. Cole & Tazz are all about the Andre vs Killer Khan stretcher match and that it was the 40th anniversary of the founding of the WWE Championship. Enough about that, these two just wailed on each other with that stretcher board. Brock is an athletic freak. One of the best bumpers in the history of pro wrestling period. He was flying around for the Big Show. Enough though Show was jobbed out to Brock at Rumble and to Undertaker, the beauty of Show is that no matter how shitty he is booked, he is instantly credible because of his size. Show delivers a MASSIVE chokeslam to Lesnar. Then a huge legdrop, Lesnar sell of this is amazing. Show tries to push him across. Lesnar wriggles free to Show blasts him and Lesnar goes FLYING. Brock Rocks! Then Lesnar just unleashes hell with the board, chokes the fuck out of Big Show with a cable cord, nasty moment as Lesnar tries to wheel Big Show across the line with the cord still tied around his neck, he yanks so hard that cord does not give so Show is WRENCHED off the stretcher. LESNAR SLAMS THE GIANT! THIS IS AWESOME! They get into a tug of war with the stretcher. Show jabs him in the ribs. Lesnar will not be denied. He just starts hurling his body at Big Show and until he sends him flying off the apron onto the stretcher, which Show bounces off of and onto the floor. Lesnar leaves. So this is a good time for Rey Rey to exact some revenge. 619 to the gut. Big Show slams him. Brock has a got a forklift! He is an expert forklift operator. BROCK DIVES OFF THE TOP OF THE FORKLIFT ONTO THE BIG SHOW! HOLY SHIT! HOLY SHIT! HOLY SHIT! LESNAR IS PUMPED! HE UNLEASHES THE BEAST! F-5! He puts the board on the pallet and then Show on the board and drives with him for the win. WOW! Super heavyweight slugfest that is just relentless. Never a dull moment, just two big uglies kicking ass. The dive off the forklift was such an insane spot and should be more iconic in my opinion. Watch this match. ****1/2



#5. World Heavyweight Champion Triple H vs Shawn Michaels - RAW 12/29/03
WWE Match of the Year, 2003

I promised a more fleshed out review of this classic and away we go, three years after the fact. :) I watched this match live in a hotel room in South Carolina and I will never forget that. Even at 14, I knew I saw something special. 

First 15 minutes: This is the best 80s NWA Touring Match to not take place in the 80s. It is Triple H doing his best Ric Flair impersonation (and I mean that with respect & admiration) against the literal hometown hero in Shawn Michaels (this takes place in San Antonio). Shawn Michaels outwrestles Triple H early. I am a mark for people holding onto their headlocks through a shove off. Shows struggle and grit. Nice job, Shawn. Triple H takes some big bumps for Shawn. HHH was very keen on throwing Shawn to the outside to reset and gain some space. However, on the first attempt this led to a skinning of the cat headscissors that brought Trips to the floor. Shawn hams it up with a Flair strut and the crowd is going wild. Flair gets pissed. Shawn decks him. Then it is an Asai reverse crossbody. It is cookin' San Antonio. Some other great spots in this red-hot shine are Triple H blocking a hiptoss so Shawn switches arms to the armdrag. That should be cribbed. It is shows resilience and the ability to think on your feet. Another spot that should be cribbed is Triple H is straddling the ropes and Shawn casually kicks the middle ropes into his balls. Triple H is pissed and Shawn wins another slugfest. This may not be Flair vs Garvin, but I like the frequency of the slugfests because it gives it a feel of struggle and it gives Shawn a bunch of mini-battles to win. Shawn takes a massive back drop over the top rope to floor to begin the heat segment as we go to commercial. Damn good heat segment. Lots of focus on the back, plenty of hope spots that make you believe Shawn is still in it and strong cutoffs. I like Shawn trying to punch his way out trouble because that had been working, but Triple H nails a backbreaker. Shawn is so tenacious. Triple H hurls him outside the ring and whips him hard into the steel steps. Both guys are playing their roles perfectly. Long abdominal stretch with Flair pulling on Triple H. They do that great Tommy Young spot where he breaks their clasp with a kick and Shawn hiptosses out. Triple H hits his massive high knee to cut off, but lands awkwardly. Great selling here from Triple H. It is just enough to clue you in that something is up, but not too much that it hurts the flow of the match. Shawn nails a kneecrusher and goes for the figure-4. It is really feels like 1986, baby! Flair rakes the eyes. Really great shine to open just chock full of fun spots. The heat segment was rock solid, but they added the wrinkle here with Triple H, the heel is the one with the injury. How will the back half of the match go?  


Back half: They built to an awesome crescendo in this. Like I said earlier I do like the frequency of the slugfests. It is action that means something rather being in a hold or just doing another highspot. They are mini-battles that advance the plot and show Shawn's pugnacious attitude. I really liked the testicular abuse that Triple H underwent. It is the perfect bit of 80s camp and lightheartedness that keeps the match entertaining. Today's pro wrestling is missing the gaga as Steve Austin would call it. Shawn accidentally falling and headbutting Triple H in the balls or the repeated inverted atomic drops were great. I love HHH Brody'ing Shawn on those. He did not take a bump instead he fed for the Flying Burrito to get the maximal effect out of that spot. Kudos to Triple H on a wise decision. Flying Elbow Drop! Tuning up the band and here is more gaga! We get a ref bump and the Championship belt shot...1-2-NO! Ref bump again! HHH exposes the turnbuckle but per Pro Wrestling #57 he who sets up the spot must take the spot means that HHH eats the unforgiving steel and is bleeding. Eric Bischoff, who I am 99% sure is a heel, comes out and counts 1-2-NO for the Hometown Kid! Shawn blocks the inverted atomic drop out of the corner, landing on his feet and decks The Game for 1-2-NO! Bischoff actually has a really good cadence and form. He is light years better than Hebner. HHH hits his facebuster for his nearfall. The finish see Michaels do the Flair Flip on the exposed turnbuckle, sell the back, BANG SWEET CHIN MUSIC! He falls into the cover and his shoulders are down to. 1-2-3! DRAW!

Great Dusty Finish as San Antonio explodes as they think Shawn Michaels had won and Michaels sells the moment really well. Normally I hate Dusty Finishes, but this match was so 80s it just needed that Dusty Finish to make it feel extra nostalgic. , Michaels was the plucky Hometown hero firing away punches and going for broke. Triple H bumped and sold his ass off for Michaels. They really built to the finish well and there was a ton of gaga to hold you attention. Just the perfect 1980s NWA Touring match ****1/2

#4. WWE Champion Brock Lesnar vs The Undertaker - No Mercy 2002 Hell In A Cell
WWE Match of the Year, 2002


If you described this finish of this match, most people would think you were describing a murder scene. Undertaker was drenched in his own blood and was spilling blood all over Lesnar. Brock was covered in Taker's blood by the end of it. 2002 was a pretty underwhelming year, but featured some of the all time best bladejobs in pro wrestling history. This match and the Nagata/Murakami match are the standout matches for 2002 to me. I don't yet, which I would place on the top of the heap. Violence is never been the strong suit of the WWF. Character-driven wrestling and Clash of the Titans is where Vince buttered his bread. Occasionally, he dipped into championship wrestling with Bret and out of control brawl with Austin. Austin's out of control barroom brawls are fun and entertaining, but they are not violent in the same way this is. This really feels like two men trying to maim each other very much in the vein of a southern blood feud brawl. It really is something different and something that Brock Lesnar excels at.

Brock has proven to be so versatile in his criminally short first run on the the WWE roster. In this match, he plays caged animal to perfection. At first, he is discombobulated and confused by the nature of the Hell In A Cell. He is young and inexperienced. Perhaps he has even bought into The Undertaker's mythos. This is Undertaker's boneyard. He tries to fight, but also tries to escape. There is a real sense of desperation. Taker is confident, but Taker is a veteran and knows how dangerous Brock is. Brock is stronger and quicker than him. He is virtually unbeatable. How many wrestlers could say they have that dual edge on Taker. Taker has his experience, his ability to withstand punishment and brutality on his side. Throughout the match, Taker almost never gained a fair advantage on Lesnar and was always using something to sustain that advantage.

I loved the duality of the cast. Undertaker's hand had been broken twice in the lead up to this match. The cast covered up a weakness for the Undertaker. Remove it and he is vulnerable. With it on, he had a weapon. It was this weapon that scored the first big blow in this war. Brock was sent reeling and was busted open. Paul E. was awesome with his shrieks of horror outside the cage. Taker laid down a savage beating on Brock using the cage, steps and cast at will. But Paul E. got to him. He just could not resist kicking Paul E.'s ass. One big boot into the cage sent Paul E. flying and he bladed. Then he got by the tie and pulled him into the cage repeatedly. I loved the spot where Brock went flying in trying to take advantage of the distraction only to eat the cage and send Paul E. flying. It was the perfect punctuation on the Taker shine. I loved that old school efficiency. You get the punctuation mark and you move on. It never lingers. Brock catapults Taker into the cage. He immediately pounces and throws Taker around. Nobody, but Brock could manhandle Taker this way. It is scary strength. My favorite spot of the match is Brock and Paul E. tying the belt around the cast hand and Brock going to town on the cast. It is so violent those swings ultimately snapping the belt. I loved the struggle over trying to rip off the cast. When he does Brock becomes cocky, he is swinging from the cell roof like Tarzan kicking Taker's ass. Without his cast, Taker pulls out another wily trick: the low blow. 

Again, Undertaker needed an underhanded tactic to bring Lesnar to heel. Lesnar is so great at heel selling and the style that reeks of cowering and desperation. Being more afraid to lose than you want to win. Big bumping Brock came out here with a crazy bump off a big boot from the apron into the cage. Taker hit a suicide dive, but it backfired as it took a lot out of him. Brock BLASTED him with the steps twice. I mean he fucking smoked him. Taker came out bleeding an absolute gusher. Between this and cast, I thought this a perfect example of a caged animal becoming extraordinarily violent. Up until here, the match was perfect. It does lose some points because Undertaker is able to use the bad hand to hit some rights and gain an advantage, which kinda sucks. I did like the finish run of Brock teasing a big move and Undertaker countering with a big move only to have Brock kick out. I hated the ref not counting because Brock grabbed the rope, when it was established pinfalls counted on the floor. That is shoddy. Undertaker having to level up each time to finally the Tombstone, which had the crowd going crazy was great build. I loved the tombstone reversal into Brock hositing Taker into a F5 from a totally awkward spot. One F5 and it was over. Oh how I long for this efficiency!

Writing this review, I think there are enough details that marr this match to stop from being my choice for 2002 match of the year and I would have Takayama/Ogawa over it too. However, this is easily, the 2002 match of the year. It is crazy to think that Brock Lesnar in his rookie year as champion had a WWE Match of The Year where he was the dominant force in the match. What is there left to say other than BROCK ROCKS~! ****1/2


#3. World Heavyweight Champion Chris Benoit vs Shawn Michaels - RAW 5/3/2004

Where the flying fuck did this match come from??? This was absolutely terrific! I think I may need to rewatch again because I cant believed how much I liked it. I am talking like "Best WWE match ever" contention after seeing it for the first time since I originally saw it. Shawn Michaels haters be damned. He fucking brought it in this match. This was his best offensive performance since the AWA. He knew he was going up against Benoit and just laid all his shit in and really brought to Benoit. I thought this was one of Benoit's all-time best selling performances. I really cant think of a better Benoit match in North America, but I have seen only a smattering of his matches since their original airing. For HBK, I think only Wrestlemania 25 or one of the Cena matches (I cant remember, which one I like a lot) can compete with this in terms of his post-comeback. I can't say enough how good I thought this was having just watched it.

Stone Cold says you can tell how great a match will be based on they lock it up and it was ferocious lock up. You expect that out of Benoit, but when I saw HBK lock up like that I knew the muthafucka meant business. They established right from the get go how serious Michaels was taking this as he went chop for chop with the heavy-handed Benoit. I liked Michaels keeping Benoit grounded early. It is exactly the perfect strategy against Benoit to sap that energy. Once Benoit got a head of steam, he crushed Michaels. If you let Benoit create movement, he will win and he is pouring it on snap suplex and backbreaker. Michaels actually uses a slugfest to hit his flying Burrito/kip up. Ballsy. Benoit teases the Crippler Crossface. I love the early finish run tease. Coming back from commercial, Benoit takes a hard, hard back bump into the turnbuckle. PITCH PERFECT SELLING! Awesome! Awesome. He takes a back body drop and is now in the ab stretch. Michaels works the back like a champ. I have never seen Michaels work such a great heat segment. He was laying those knees in and another whip into the turnbuckle. I loved Benoit busting a barrage of quick nearfalls for his hope spot. It was ballsy with the more "likeable" and "charismatic" also "weaker on offense"Shawn Michaels playing de facto heel against his polar opposite. It worked great! Michaels hits a wicked clothesline. Who is this man??? Top rope elbow and he is tuning up the band. Rolling Germans counter and when he sees HBK stirring it is a fourth one for good measure, but still misses the diving headbutt. Michaels going for the cover there was the right move, but only gets two. He goes back on top and Benoit unleashes a crazy onslaught of chops that Michaels sells so fucking well. This was just awesome to watch. Suplex to the floor! I am such a mark for that. Michaels nails a moonsault from the top to the floor, probably his best ever! They tease the double countout and when they both get up, Michaels shoves him into the post and busts Benoit open. Blood! Shawn hits a wicked dropkick. This is Shawn working like he is in All Japan. Michaels returns to the back and goes Liontamer, but too close to the ropes. Benoit reverses an Irish Whip (to send his back into the turnbuckles for a 3rd time) and in total desperation goes for his one bomb the Crippler Crossface, but he is too close to the ropes. Now Michaels feeling the desperation that he may be losing his grasp on the match and basically choking goes for Sweet Chin Music, but Benoit catches the foot looks Sharpshooter! If that was the finish, I think I would have gone the full monty, but when Benoit kicks him off there is a ref bump. Michaels hits Sweet Chin Music, but HHH pedigrees him to mar the match. Benoit gets a tainted victory.

Tremendous match. I cant praise Shawn's offense enough in this match. He went after this one and worked the best heat segment of his life. The finish stretch starting with the elbow drop was perfectly worked. Benoit was trying to avoid Sweet Chin Music at all costs, but was in too much of a hole to climb out of and then being ran into the post made it seemed insurmountable. I loved that his first move upon regaining the advantage was to apply the Crossface. It was avoid the Superkick and apply a finishing hold down the stretch for Benoit that was perfect strategy. Michaels was looking for finishing hold targetting the back or his bang bang Sweet Chin Music. Benoit's selling was off the charts good. Honestly, besides the finish I cant find much wrong with this match. Chris Benoit has the best RAW (this one) and Smackdown (vs. Austin, 5/31/01) matches in history. ****3/4


#2. WWE Champion Eddie Guerrero vs John Bradshaw Layfield - Judgement Day 2004

Well that's gotta be an 11 on the Muta Scale, it is one bloodier. It is a murder scene. If you think this match is just about buckets of blood, you would be dead wrong. A great throwback match to the hate-filled brawls that were the norm in 1980s US Wrestling. For me, this match represents where the divisions in wrestling fandom started. Scott Keith posted a lukewarm at best review of this match and was rightfully spit-roasted. Scott Keith had spent years espousing the virtues of 90s workrate and believed in those idols. He saw someone like JBL and dismissed him out of hand. I believe he went in with a star rating before he saw the match. Another example was an insane low ball rating of Brock vs Taker 2002 Hell In A Cell, three stars. It would be years again before I found those wrestling fans that saw great wrestling comes in all shapes and colors here at Pro Wrestling Only. Yes, workrate fans continue to dominate the internet, but I am so glad to found a place where brawling, traditional championship wrestling and shoot style are still revered. 


Eddie is red hot at Bradshaw after Bradshaw cuts a Donald Trump promo to huge heel heat. Can we go back to that America? Also according to the announcers, Bradshaw caused Eddie's mom to have a heart attack, but it is ok because Bradshaw is going to have her employed as his maid. What I love about this match is that is not a glorified weapons match that stands in for brawling. Today so many "brawls" is just an excuse to hit each other with weapons. Here Eddie just wants to keep punching JBL right in the face with a good 'ol fashion closed fist, throw him into some hard, metal objects and choke him with a cord. It is an asskicking that is personal. I love that JBL tries to leave it really puts over how major this asskicking is. Typically, you see a heel champion do that not a heel challenger. He rather foresake the championship than get beat up more now that's an asskicking. I thought the transitions were great. Eddie is concerned about the count and it breaks his focus and he ends up eating the steel steps. I thought Bradshaw was great in control of the match. He used his size advantage to control and dominate Eddie. Anyone who says JBL was slow or some other bullshit watch him run the ropes or feed those armdrag bumps. He was bumping huge for anyone but especially for his size. Eddie gets a plancha, but eats JBL's fallaway slam on the outside. The playing field is leveled. You feel that who over wins the next slugfest will be poised to win the match. Eddie is rocking JBL with chops, but JBL executes a desperation back body drop on Eddie who lands on the table. I like that move as a transition as JBL uses Eddie's own momentum to garner control of the match. It feels more like the babyface lost control of the match than the heel won control. You want an aggressive babyface and a reactionary heel. Bradshaw applies a bearhug to chagrin of workrate fans. Eddie begins his big comeback. He is just so damn charismatic. He runs over the ref by accident and here we go...Eddie throws JBL over the announce table and he approaches JBL to meter out more punishment...JBL CRACKS him with a steel chair. Blood is quite literally squirting out of Eddie's head. The blood was flowing for the next ten minutes. In my estimation, the most grizzly bladejob I have seen. He was wearing the literal crimson mask. The finish run is spectacular. One of the best of all time. JBL CRUSHES EDDIE WITH A CLOTHESLINE FROM HELL! THEN HE THROWS HIM DOWN WITH A POWERBOMB! Both moves looked killer. Eddie's shimmy shaking with all that blood was so electric. I love how Eddie gets all his receipts in and then some. Yes he loses by DQ, but he draws blood from the championship belt, he cracks JBL in the head with the steel chair and then the cherry on top is the chest beating, blood-soaked Frogsplash. Thats how you put a babyface over. Eddie looked like a world-beating asskicker. How the hell would you not want to root for him? JBL did a great job selling all this cowering and crawling while Eddie was relentless in seeking revenge. A classic hate-filled brawl with great babyface/heel dynamics that is taken to the next level by insane, copious amounts of blood that make it instantly memorable. ****3/4



#1. WWE Champion Brock Lesnar vs Eddie Guerrero - No Way Out 2004
WWE Match of the Year, 2004


The ultimate feel good moment in WWE History. I am so glad I was able to watch this live thanks to my Dad's cable box scrambler. Eddie Guerrero will always be one of my favorites. We all know the story, people like Eddie dont win the big one. He is just too small, but goddamn his personality is larger than life. His energy is infectious. His smile can light up an arena of 20,000 people. He is what a pro wrestler should be. Then on the other side of the ring, you got the Man! I love Brock! I am such a Brock mark. Shoot credentials, powerhouse with explosive quickness. It was all on display here. Two of the best ever just putting on a clinic that stayed true to their unique characters. 

There was no shine. Brock was just a dominant champion. He was throwing Eddie around at will, treating him like a ragdoll. Every Eddie comeback was met with a kneelift and then a violent throw. I loved that high knee into the corner. He basically made Eddie take his full weight. The announcers put over that the match was over before it even started. So many times they want to feed us that power vs speed story but Tazz outright says it Brock Lesnar is faster than Eddie. I love the brutal honesty. Brock Lesnar is a cocky shoot fighter and he is toying with Eddie. So what strategy does have Eddie at his disposal, well he goes the Mutoh/Tanahashi route. Mutoh/Tanahashi constantly fight wrestlers that are better them in a kayfabe sense Hashimoto/Nagata/Nakamura, but they negate their natural advantage by targeting the knee. Injure a body part you take away weapons and give yourself an opening. So Eddie drags Brock's leg over to the ringpost. Want to know why Brock is one of the greatest of all time watch how much he struggles to avoid this. Eddie gets his way wrapping the knee around the ringpost, but Brock is still a beast and uses pure leg strength to slam Eddie into the ring post. Thats the middle part of the match. Eddie trying to make use of this new opening and Brock cutting him off at the pass. I love that it takes so much for Eddie to EARN his advantage. Brock is a monster it is going to take a lot to keep him down. Brock is taunting Eddie & the fans by marching around with him in a musclebuster or going for a military press, but pride comes before the fall. Eddie wriggles free and hits the dropkick to the knee, but Brock lunges at him with a monster lariat. Brock just keeps coming with those suplexes. This is the original suplex city match. Brock goes for another crazy high knee, but Eddie moves and Brock takes a nasty tumble over the top rope all the way to the floor. As always we should take a moment to appreciate Brock the Bumper because goddamn if he is not one of the greatest bumpers of all time. I love he takes two hurricanranas from Eddie no problem and makes them look great. Eddie hits a plancha. Brock comes up limping, but Eddie still cant win total control as Brock is still ferocious. It was only as Brock mounted Eddie and told him he was nuthin that Eddie finally looked like he had a chance. He applies a VICIOUS heel hook. That was some RINGS shit right there. Then he applies an STF to a TREMENDOUS POP! Damn, I would never think the STF would be so over. You could tell in that moment the Cow Palace realized Eddie might have a chance. The rest of the match becomes about Brock trying to survive all these Eddie submissions. Brock was using kneelifts and throws to set up holds. The idea being to use the holds to sap energy and regain his own, but his leg was in a bad way. He was not as in control anymore. However, Eddie had injured Brock's knee, but he had not yet hit a home run to garner a pinfall. He crashed and burned on a missile dropkick attempt and a Frogsplash. Brock had a bloody nose from turnbuckle shot was clearly frustrated and was yelling at Eddie to "just die" (not exactly great in retrospect). He was rolling him into bridged pins but seemed to be running out of gas. Michael Cole does a great job putting over the heart of Eddie Guerrero. I am such a sucker for that story because it means we all got a chance in this world. Doesnt matter if you are the strongest, smartest, best looking, but if you believe enough and work hard enough, you can do it. Thats why this match seems so much to me and all wrestling fans. Brock Lesnar hits the F-5 but wipes out the ref. It looks like doomsday for our hero until Goldberg spears the hell out of Brock. They give Eddie enough offense after this that it does not feel too cheap. Eddie hits the tornado DDT on the belt and then Frogsplash to a MASSIVE POP! Has there ever been a better post-match celebration? Woooooooooo! This match always puts a huge smile on my face. If you ever feel blue, this is the match to watch it will make you feel like anything is possible. ****3/4