*Official* Pro-Wrestling Thread II

[Athlai]

Austin can barely walk these days, it'll be an absolute train wreck

 

[Jarquis]

It’ll be undertaker vs John Cena - a three minute showcase of the highlights

 

[sledger]

Ah okay fair enough. I thought I remember him mentioning on a podcast of his that he credits his current health to no more time in the ring

That's also probably true tbf

 

[Jarquis]

12. The Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels, Wrestlemania 25

I think of this as the archetypal 'modern' WWE big match. Then I realise it's from the decade before the decade before the current one and I realise I'm old. Anyway, it's a famously great Wrestlemania spectacle match. There's a scary spot about 2/3rds of the way through where Taker botches a big dive out of the ring and lands on his head. A nasty moment but it actually enhances the match as it solves a potential problem with this match up of how to make it credible that Michaels might win. After that spot Taker is (probably legit) shaken and HBK can start going toe to toe with him. It bridges the match neatly from the cagier cat and mouse games of the first half to the 'throw every big move they have at each other' finishing stretch.

11. Eddie Guerrero vs JBL, Great American Bash 2004

In the build up JBL had been an obnoxious troll, race baiting, class baiting and making personal (verbal) attacks on Eddie's family. One thing which often annoys me in wrestling is when a match is made out to be a massive blood feud with both guys screaming about how much they hate each other ...then when they get in the ring they just trade headlocks and holds and wrestle like it's any other match. Not an issue with this one. When the match starts Eddie just wants to hit JBL in the face. He abandons his usual technical style and just brawls and batters his opponent. That's how you sell a blood feud. Oh and speaking of blood, Eddie here hits surely the nastiest blade job in company history and bleeds an outrageous amount. Make sure you don't stop watching at the bell, as the sight of a crazed, blood-covered Eddie continuing to beat down JBL in the aftermath is cathartic.

Spoiler: The list so far

20. Bret Hart vs Shawn Michaels, Survivor Series 1997
19. The Rock vs Stone Cold Steve Austin, Wrestlemania 17
18. 123 Kid & Razor Ramon vs HBK & Diesel, Action Zone
17. Brock Lesnar vs Eddie Guerrero, No Way Out '04
16. The Revival vs DIY, NXT Takeover: Toronto
15. HBK vs The Undertaker, Bad Blood '97
14. Daniel Bryan vs Kofi Kingston, Wrestlemania 35
13. Bayley vs Sasha Banks, NXT Takeover: Respect
12. HBK vs The Undertaker, Wrestlemania 25
11. Eddie Guerrero vs JBL, Great American Bash '04

Wasn’t the blade job Judgement Day? And the GAB was their Texas bull rope match?

 

[Athlai]

This ladder match for Revolution is sounding juicy.

Wardlow - Keith Lee - Hobbs +3 more

 

[Jarquis]

Let out an audible ‘oh ****’ at the chair shot that precedes the blade job. Yikes

 

[Red_Ink_Squid]

Wasn’t the blade job Judgement Day? And the GAB was their Texas bull rope match?

Thanks, good catch. Now fixed - it is Judgement Day I meant.

 

[Red_Ink_Squid]

10. Eddie Guerrero vs Rey Mysterio, Smackdown, June '05

Ok I really like Eddie. If the previous match on this list was one of the best babyface performances ever, here he is as an ATG heel. Eddie has turned on his best friend, as all of Rey's friends eventually do with the inevitability of the tides. These guys wrestled a bunch of times in this series and at the time of this match we haven't yet hit the soap opera stuff about Rey's son, we're at the 'Eddie has become obsessed because he can't beat Rey' stage. These are two of the greats and this is just about my favourite Smackdown! match ever.

9. Sergeant Slaughter vs The Iron Sheikh, Boot Camp match, June 1984

This is peak 80s WWF, wrestling as a live action cartoon stuff. The heroic GI Joe (Yay!) vs The Foreigner (Boo! U-S-A! U-S-A!). So be prepared for that. But if you can roll with the silliness this is so good. Both guys take crazily theatrical bumps for each others offense and boot camp rules means no DQ and weapons are play so look out for The Sheikh using the most dastardly one of all ...his sinister 'loaded' boot. So much fun.

There's another boot camp match between these two floating around the web that's not nearly as good, so link to the right one here for anyone who wants to check it out:

Spoiler: The list so far

20. Bret Hart vs Shawn Michaels, Survivor Series 1997
19. The Rock vs Stone Cold Steve Austin, Wrestlemania 17
18. 123 Kid & Razor Ramon vs HBK & Diesel, Action Zone
17. Brock Lesnar vs Eddie Guerrero, No Way Out '04
16. The Revival vs DIY, NXT Takeover: Toronto
15. HBK vs The Undertaker, Bad Blood '97
14. Daniel Bryan vs Kofi Kingston, Wrestlemania 35
13. Bayley vs Sasha Banks, NXT Takeover: Respect
12. HBK vs The Undertaker, Wrestlemania 25
11. Eddie Guerrero vs JBL, Judgement Day '04
10. Eddie Guerrero vs Rey Mysterio, Smackdown!
9. Sergeant Slaughter vs The Iron Sheikh, Boot Camp

 

[duffer]

Halloween Havoc 97 still my favourite Eddie vs Rey match although there are a few great ones.

 

[Athlai]

Yeah I never loved the WWE version of Eddie vs Rey because I liked the WCW version so much more.

 

[duffer]

WCW heel Eddie was God tier.

 

[Red_Ink_Squid]

That Halloween Havoc match is fantastic, some of the spots are still staggering today, a quarter of a century later. Their WWE feud is mostly a few levels below that, but that Smackdown match is better than any of the PPV matches they had in '05, worth checking out if you've not seen it since it happened.

 

[sledger]

The idiotic stipulation aside, the Eddie v Rey Summerslam ladder match in 05 is actually really good. In fact that entire card was very strong.

 

[Kraken]

The idiotic stipulation aside, the Eddie v Rey Summerslam ladder match in 05 is actually really good. In fact that entire card was very strong.

haha isn’t that the same card where HBK completely oversells everything Hogan does to a hilarious degree

 

[sledger]

haha isn’t that the same card where HBK completely oversells everything Hogan does to a hilarious degree

Haha yeah, a regrettable incident for all involved.

 

[Heboric]

Difficult to choose which side, both were dicks, but it was funny

 

[honestbharani]

HBK definitely made it intentionally funny, so he gets my vote there. And his promos in the leadup were just amazing.

 

[Aritro]

Can we have everyone's lists of their favourite pay-per-views of the 21st century? As I've mentioned before, I didn't watch any wrestling for 20 years so I have a lot to catch up on. WWE, ROH, NJPW all welcome. Plus Impact or whatever else.

Also, can someone from this side of the pond let me know what Fite TV membership will allow me access to old ROH pay-per-views? Not arsed about having access to AEW shows as I torrent those anyway. I'd only be getting the membership to watch old ROH shows. Fite actually seems to have a better archive than the ROH website.

 

[Red_Ink_Squid]

8. Edge vs Matt Hardy, cage match, Unforgiven 2005

A tale of bad romance and revenge as Edge had both in kayfabe and IRL cheated with Hardy's girlfriend Lita, who was now Edge's onscreen valet. Edge was well above Hardy in the company hierarchy at this point and was being groomed for a title push. He'd already won a short (but good) match at Summerslam where Hardy had suffered a (kayfabe) freak accident/concussion and Edge had repeatedly kicked him in the head to win via ref stoppage. But Hardy got one more shot at revenge against his former friend here which was longer and more competitive. Hardy just wants to tear strips off of Edge and comes out swinging nasty punches that don't look particularly pulled. Meanwhile Edge just wants to escape the cage and get the hell outta Dodge. I think this is comfortably Edge's best ever singles match and way better than it looked on paper at the time.

7. Stone Cold Steve Austin vs Kurt Angle, Summerslam 2001

So business wise Austin's heel turn was a flop. The crowds didn't want to boo him and ratings dropped. It coinciding with the terribly botched invasion angle didn't help. But quality wise, Austin was on fire all year and was plain magnificent in the role. Here's a prime example as he flips convincingly during the match between menacing and sadistic and vulnerable and paranoid in a way that puts over both the match and his opponent in a big way. Angle prior to this match had mostly been a goofy heel but is surprisingly great here playing against type as the fiery underdog who won't stay down. Match highlights include a bloodied Angle with a dazed faraway look in his eyes dragging Austin into the ring screaming 'Woooo!' over and over again like a crazy person and JR on commentary somehow mistaking a moonsault for the ankle lock. It's a great match.

Spoiler: The list so far

20. Bret Hart vs Shawn Michaels, Survivor Series 1997
19. The Rock vs Stone Cold Steve Austin, Wrestlemania 17
18. 123 Kid & Razor Ramon vs HBK & Diesel, Action Zone
17. Brock Lesnar vs Eddie Guerrero, No Way Out '04
16. The Revival vs DIY, NXT Takeover: Toronto
15. HBK vs The Undertaker, Bad Blood '97
14. Daniel Bryan vs Kofi Kingston, Wrestlemania 35
13. Bayley vs Sasha Banks, NXT Takeover: Respect
12. HBK vs The Undertaker, Wrestlemania 25
11. Eddie Guerrero vs JBL, Judgement Day '04
10. Eddie Guerrero vs Rey Mysterio, Smackdown!
9. Sgt Slaughter vs The Iron Sheikh, Boot Camp
8. Edge vs Matt Hardy, Unforgiven'05
7. Stone Cold Steve Austin vs Kurt Angle, Summerslam '01

 

[Athlai]

Not sure I'd even have that match in Edges top 5 singles personally.