Cap's Watching Project Reports

Butcher-Dragon is another match for the life of me I can't find. Which is a shame because Butcher has been an awesome discovery during this project. The Joe match for sure makes my list and the Low Ki match is a contender.

Thanks!

Round 7: High Stakes

Ugh… If it isn’t one thing its another, isn’t it? I have been in an ongoing fight with my 7 year old macbook pro and my old phone, causing me a plethora of uninteresting inconveniences that kept me from not only writing about wrestling, but largely from watching much wrestling til this past weekend. Needless to say, this has made me an irritable dork. Anyway, I am going to try to keep writing and engaging this project but the semester starts next week and so inconsistency will be my only consistency for a while.

ANYWAY! Onward!

I hate when people say “wins and loses don’t matter”. I can’t think of anything more utterly ridiculous to say about wrestling. Its like saying “who lives and dies in Star Wars doesn’t matter” or “who does and doesn’t fuck their siblings in Game of Thrones doesn’t matter”. Those are the exact things that matter. You hear this line of bullshit from people who think fans should just shut up and enjoy the show. To be honest, the spirit of the sentiment is fair. Fans can certainly be overly critical and Twitter is a megaphone for self important dipshits who don’t like wrestling as much as they like hating wrestling or feeling like an expert about wrestling. However, the statement itself is categorically false. Wins and loses are the heart and soul of this silly thing we love. They are the brick and mortar of wrestling as a storytelling art. If they don’t matter then wrestling doesn’t matter. Great wrestling has stakes… the higher the stakes more it matters and the more we invest.

It doesn’t always have too be a mask or a title or a streak or the custody of a child that is on the line. Sometimes the highest stakes are internal, when a man or woman has poured so much into a match, into winning that even a plain ol’ wrasslin’ match can feel like life or death. That said, I wanted to focus on the use of stakes for this round and in turn I took a look at matches that lay the stakes out externally. I took a look at:


Atlantis vs Villano III (Mask vs Mask – 3/17/2000)
Jerry Lawler vs Bill Dundee (Loser Leaves Town – Southern Heavyweight Title – 6/6/1983)
Randy Savage vs Ultimate Warrior (Retirement Match – 3/24/1991)
Los Gringos Locos vs El Hijos del Santo/Octagon (Double Hair vs Double Mask – AAA Tag Title – 11/6/1994)
Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels (4/5/2009)

I am going to specifically discuss the stakes, emotion, and action.

The Stakes

This sort of winds up being a catch all category if you think about it. If you are you looking specifically at the stakes of the match you are looking at the drama those stakes create and the urgency that enforces them throughout. You are looking at how the story plays out to the end. External stakes give us something (sometimes material) to attach the importance of the match to, but in reality this section winds up being a combination of urgency and drama. In each case something is on the line that hypothetically brings out the best (or worst) in the wrestlers involved.

There may not be a better vessel for “stakes” in wrestling than a mask. Masks feel like they have even more value than careers. Besides, we know that the majority of career-matches don’t actually spell the end of a wrestler’s career (see two of the matches on this list), but an unmasking can’t be undone. Even when it is (Rey Mysterio), we know… we have seen his face and it will never quite be the same. Both of the matches where masks are on the line here come with maximum drama and urgency. Atlantis and Villano felt about as high-stakes as you can get. From Villano’s early offense to Atlantis stringing together submissions late, Every hold, move, punch, kick felt like it was half out of an contempt and half out of fear. I particularly think Villano deserves a lot of credit for cementing the drama late in the match as he was in survival mode. They lean hard into the desperation to keep their masks and that is when this type of match is at its best. Apuestas matches with hair at stake an be as good as any mask vs mask match of course, but I always feel like the stock drama is a little less. Hair grows back. How many times has Casas been shaven for fuck sake? That is why at the opening bell I thought Villano/Atlantis started a little hotter than Santo/Octagon vs Los Gringos Locos. However a little bit of storytelling in the falls fixed that real quick. The early domination from Gringos Locos created a situation in which Santo would lose his damn mask if fucking Octagon didn’t beat both members of Los Gringos Locos. Of course that didn’t quite happen, but between the excellent layout of the match and the top shelf heelin’ from Barr and Guerrero the stakes of this match really make it shine, even when you know what happens. In reality there was more on the line with Villano/Atlantis and they work like it, but Santo, Octagon, Barr, and Guerraro milk a lo of drama from the hair of Los Gringos Locos.

Now in hindsight the next two matches meant almost nothing, or the stakes laid out before the match meant nothing. Both Savage and Dundee wound up back in their respective companies in pretty short order. Hell Dundee wasn’t finished having loser leaves town matches with Lawler in Memphis, not by a long shot. But you wouldn’t know that during the matches themselves. For all of the love Savage/Steamboat gets, I think Savage vs Warrior is a far superior match and that comes from someone who could very reasonably be called a workrate mark (I’m not, but I’d get it if someone called me that). This match has a big match feel if there ever was one. Savage always moves with urgency. He might be my favorite “between the moves” wrestler ever, but he was absolutely lightning in a bottle in this one. I’ve heard this called the first of the modern WWE main event style and it makes sense. Modern fans might be used to massive stars kicking out of multiple finishers on the big stage, but that wasn’t the case in 1991. Savage going for multiple elbow drops only to watch Warrior get up was really something special. Hell, Savage kicking out of the splash felt like just as big a deal even on rewatch 27 years later. It wasn’t just the finishers but how they were timed and placed in this math so beautifully. The action was good here, great even, but this the importance of winning was really driven home with the layout and the timing of everything. While Warrior pulled his weight this was truly a masterpiece performance from Savage. There are a lot of similarities between this and Dundee/Lawler. This LLT match has a wonderful flow to it. They are moving with fire right from the get go because – in theory – its all on the line here. Dundee’s early offense is great but I like that he can’t keep the control for very long. He has to work hard to get to a solid segment of control, which makes it feel less formulaic. Given that Lawler is known, even at this point, as a slow starter, that fire early means a lot, even though he ultimately loses a lengthy bit of control to Dundee These two are the masters of getting more out of less, but I feel like they both dig into the toolbox here, really throwing everything at each other. They work with real purpose and just when you think Dundee might have this thing in the bag Lawler digs himself out of that hole in a way that could only be motivated by fear for his career. The stakes come alive in that comeback as Lawler will just not be booted out of town.

I could have doubled the stakes with a retirement vs streak match, but upon rewatching both of HBK’s and Punk’s Mania matches with taker, I came away thinking this was truly the best representation of the streak to consider. Say what you will about how it ended and the earliest chapters, there was a time when Taker’s match at mania meant just about as much as most masks. While there was technically more on the line in their second encounter, I do think this did more with the stakes of the match here. This feels bigger as HBK takes his first strike at ending the streak. This is particularly potent as they push the narrative that Taker has never bested HBK one-on-one. I really like that they play on that throughout as HBK plays mind games with the cat and mouse and Taker sells his growing concern that he can’t beat Michaels with his mannerisms throughout. The way this was worked, with the power vs speed was really compelling, especially early on. As painful as it is to watch, even Taker lawn darting on his fucking dome gets across how important the match is. In fact everything is done in this big dramatic way that doesn’t always come off clean, but it does come off meaningful. My favorite such moment is this big reversal DDT from Michaels later. I actually think if he hit it clean it wouldn’t have meant quite as much within this narrative. Finally, I even like the light vs dark stuff in hindsight. It is cheesy, but its very WWE pro wrestling in a good way. This match isn’t perfect, despite what the WWE company line is on it, but it really does tap into both men’s careers and the importance of the streak to Taker and HBK.

Emotion

I am going to start with a truism. The post-match of Warrior/Savage is the greatest post-match in the history of wrestling. That covers a lot of ground, a lot of wild brawls and bloody beatings. However, if you can watch Savage reunite with Elizabeth after (theoretically) losing his career at WrestleMania without getting a little emotional you are a objectively a monster. The WWE may not be my favorite promotion. It may piss me off and go through periods where I feel disconnected from the product, but when they are on they do high-end emotion really well…. REALLY well. I actually think that the emotion in the match itself sort of ebbs and flows a bit. Warrior considering walking out at one point was more confusing and eye-rolly than anything. Some of the pacing when he was on top took me out of that element of the match just a bit, but as an exclamation point at the end of a match, nothing really comes close to this and that includes a god damned unmasking.

And about that unmasking, it isn’t at all an indictment on this match. Villano III and Atlantis absolutely bathe in emotion in this match. The crowd is white hot and both men give emotional performances, selling with their body language and facial expressions (even through their masks). Once they get the blood flowing this match is just oozes with life (figuratively and literally). They even use a long-ish doctor spot that added to the fear that the beloved Atlantis might have met his match. I think this is why this was one of the first lucha matches I ever really loved and a match that helped open lucha libre up to me. Yes, these are two men well past their physical prime, but they move and wrestle with such passion that I find it hard to not get sucked up in the story they are telling. Every time I watch it I say “that’s it” at least once before the finish. They just hook me in and by the time Villano taps out I am usually ready to come out of my chair. Lawler and Dundee accomplish something close to this in their match. Again, these are two masters in building drama. The biggest thing here is the comeback that Lawler mounts in the final frame. The crowd here is absolutely on fire for Lawler at the end. If I take myself back in time and think about the stakes here, they almost make you imagine a world without Lawler before giving you the relief that he isn’t going anywhere That is emotional storytelling at its finest. Both of these matches aren’t movezzzz matches; they are timing and emotion matches. They sell wonderfully and communicate with the audience in a way that I think is legible across time and space.

I think Santo/Octagon vs Los Gringos Locos registers as highly emotional, but not quite in the same way as some other matches. This is a good Santo performance, but it isn’t a true “Santo Performance” if you know what I mean. Most of the emotional investment here is derived from how utterly punch-in-the-facable Barr and Guerrero are and how Octagon really works that flash comeback in the middle fall. My issue with this is that it didn’t quite milk that long enough. I always feel like this match ends a touch early and a touch abruptly. We never see Santo go full world class Santo, particularly when it is down to just he and Guerrero. That is what keeps this in my bottom half (a top end 4.75* match and not a 5* match). This is just a match that draws its emotion from unexpected places always leaves me feeling like they left something on the table in this regard. Maybe that was by design, but given the circumstances, this is all we have.

Taker/HBK didn’t main even this Mania, but it has main evented two sections so far. This time its because I think this was the weakest match when it comes to emotion and emotional investment. I am not sure if this will make sense, but this match is high on drama but low on emotion. It is sort of a WWE syndrome in a way. They know how to create high drama, but sometimes it comes off just artificial and forced enough to keep me from being truly emotionally invested. That is HBK in a nutshell to me. As physically gifted as he is, there is something just hammy enough to keep him from producing what I think of as all time great, but not hammy enough for me to think its actively bad (most of the time). In that, this was very much an HBK match. I love it, but it has a pretty hard ceiling because it never gets me right in the feels like the other matches on this list do and like just about every match on my list will do to some extent.


Action

No match is all drama, all emotion – no action. Drama doesn’t come out of nowhere or exist in a vacuum. These matches have varying degrees action, but I would categorize them as all delivering in this category. Atlantis vs Villano III is a case study is old man action. These dudes are so massively impressive for their age. If you came out of left field with no background in lucha and you looked at them you might assume this was going to be a short painful-to-watch match. You would be dead wrong. Is it Ospreay vs Ricochet? No, of course it isn’t. But this is an action packed match with well timed dives and nifty lucha reversals and submissions. From Villano diving through the ropes and clunkely blasting Atlantis to bust him open to Atlantis coming off the top to the outside to the slick transitions at the very end to the finish, I wouldn’t call this an offensive spectacle, but I also wouldn’t say that offense was a weakness. It is interesting to watch this side by side with the tag match in question. In terms of athleticism there is no real comparison. Eddie and Barr were a brilliant tag team. They got under the fans’ skin and then backed it up in the ring. Santo and Octagon are great here as well. We get a dominant but strong first fall, a very exciting and dramatic second fall, and competitive third. They particularly ebb and flow into the realm of chaos in this match through the action space they create. Not everything goes “right” here though. There is a top rope doomsday rana that looked like it almost ended in death. However, the action and its escalation seem to beg a little more time and a more emphatic finish.

No one will ever accuse a WWE Main Event style match of lacking action. In this case we may have the genesis and the pinnacle (at least according to the WWE narrative) of the genre. I want to start with a confession about Savage. One of my pet peeves is when Savage goes a little too far in avoiding the fight. It is a classic heel Savage move to start a match and I completely get it, but because he is so fluid and such a pleasure to watch I can get very frustrated when he pushes that sometimes. We don’t get any of that here. Savage is on the attack in much of this match. Sure he makes his angles and he is sneaky at times, but Savage is bouncing around the ring, jumping off the top, and really laying everything in. This is an all-time Savage performance. But credit where credit is due. I think Warrior brings the match down just half a notch in a few places, but this is probably his best match (at least that I can remember). He feels more dynamic and a little less stiff than normal. The action is relatively fluid and captivating. In this match and of course it driven home with the multiple finishes. Then we have Taker/HBK. This is another one no one will confuse for a spotfest, but these two certainly didn’t hold back too much either. The super kick is always best when it is used as a flash move, more out of nowhere than a revved up punctuation mark. It is a far better “outa nowhere” finisher than the RKO and HBK is actually really good at selling it as a desperation move. This had good stiff punches, big men diving on their domes, and some really good counters. My biggest problem with HBK matches is when they become too contrived. This one felt less so to me on this watch.

Finally, it doesn’t get much more meat and potatoes action than Lawler/Dundee. These two told stories with just a few tools in their toolbox, but when you are master craftsmen you only need a few tools. This time Lawler and Dundee have a few extra tricks up their sleeves, but it is the punches, the bread and butter if you will, that gets the job done. I love Dundee flying over the top on the missed knee (better than Brock) and the bulldogs. The dynamic between Dundees walking combos and Lawlers haymakers was wonderful near the end. Particularly I have to point out how effective the uppercut at the end from Lawler was. There might not have been a better spot in the entire lot of matches. This is a fight and it comes off as a fight, through and through. In that, the action in this is top notch.

In all, I would say all of these matches delivered on action with Dundee/Lawler and probably Savage/Warrior topping the group, followed closely by Vilano/Atlantis and then Santo and Octagon/Gringos Locos.


Atlantis vs Villano III (Mask vs Mask – 3/17/2000)
Current Rank: 42
Trending: Even

As I mentioned before, this was probably the first lucha match I ever really loved, I ever came away in awe of. Nothing really changed this time around. What this might lack in terms of conventional notions of action or athleticism it more than makes up for in emotion and drama. The stakes in this match are so high. They hitch their wagon to those stakes and ride it greatness. They milk each move, each dive, each submission for everything it is worth. The pacing and the selling are wonderful. This is a big fight with a big fight feel from beginning to end. What really puts this over the top is the home stretch. Villano hanging on for his life is pure theater. Atlantis can’t finish with the stretch muffler hold and every time I see it I think that’s it. That is how you know a spot or a sequence is effective, when it gets me even well after I have seen the match multiple times. Ultimately, this match is probably about where it should be. It might move up or down just a bit as other things move around it, but I came away thinking this is a solid top 50 match.

Jerry Lawler vs Bill Dundee (Loser Leaves Town – Southern Heavyweight Title – 6/6/1983)
Current Rank 66
Trending: Up

This is sort of a strange one. For the longest time I felt like their second LLT match was the better one. I still suspect that might be true, but I don’t think I ever really realized quite how much we were missing from that. I don’t think we are missing quite as much of this one. In any case, I feel like I have a better sense of this match on rewatch. I also feel like the gap between the two closed a good bit. This match is on the rise. The combos here are great. The strikes are stiff. The emotion is raw. The flow of this match is incredible, on par with Villano/Atlantis. I feel like this is a match on the rise a bit. I have always had this as a 5 star classic, but I came away from this watch, focusing particularly on the way stakes are used to create drama, with a new appreciation for this match, for the urgency in every movement, and for just how carefully everything is put together here. I could watch these two punch each other in the mouth all day and this is absolutely class work, could creep into the top 50 or 40.

Randy Savage vs Ultimate Warrior (Retirement Match – 3/24/1991)
Current Rank: 80
Trending: Up and Even and Down (I’ll Explain)

I said it before and I will say it again, if you don’t get emotional during the post match here you aren’t a fucking human, you don’t like wrestling, and I don’t want you in my life. This is in the conversation for greatest all time single performance from Savage. Warrior pulls his weight, but this is the Randy Savage show. He carries Warrior to a class match and works his ass off doing it. He executes; he tells a story; and finally he tugs at the heart strings. This gets a few bonus points for being historically significant, not in that it retired Savage, clearly it didn’t, but in that it is arguably the genesis of the WWE Main Event style, a style that would go on to dominate the American wrestling landscape. Watching this match with these other high-stakes match I came away with an elevated opinion of it on the whole. In that, my opinion of the match is on the rise. I don’t like to dwell on star ratings (and I already have too much here), but it may help make this point. I have always thought of this as one of the top 3-4 matches that I have at 4.75. Even though it is on the rise, it isn’t quite enough to bump it to 5. I feel securing this match being a sort of gatekeeper. In turn, I sort of wind up breaking even on the list because it is already one of my top rated non-5 star matches. Now for the real tragedy, I actually suspect this will fall a bit as I watch more stuff for this project. There are still some small blind spots to jump into still and some stuff I haven’t watched in far too long. So in the end, I think I like this match more than ever, but it wasn’t quite enough to move the needle on it, and in turn it might actually lose some ground. However, there is a 0% chance this ever gets bumped off my list. Its too great, too important, and too beautiful for that.

Los Gringos Locos vs El Hijos del Santo/Octagon (Double Hair vs Double Mask – AAA Tag Title – 11/6/1994)
Current Rank: 81
Trending: Down-ish

This match is both brilliant and a touch disappointing to me in a way. I don’t mean that as a “real” criticism as much as a nit-picky personal hang up. The way the first two falls were worked might be all time level excellence. Octagon needing to beat both Barr and Guerrero to save not only his own mask but arguably the most valuable mask in wrestling history is a brilliant piece of drama. The dominance and heel-work of Los Gringos Locos here amplifies that. Its truly top tier stuff. My issue here comes with the finish. I tend to disproportionately value finishes and this one always leaves me a touch flat. It isn’t that the finish is bad, but it just doesn’t live up to the rest of the match. In some ways that is the danger of a 2/3 falls match. There is a clear demarcation that can draw your attention to these things. Ultimately, that might be even more amplified by the stakes of the match. There is drama for sure, but it wanes from the earlier falls a bit. This is another one that is in that gatekeeper shelf for me with Warrior/Savage. Its part of the 3-4 matches that are at the very top of my 4.75 star rating. Anything that exceeds it probably gets 5. In that it will likely fall a bit just because I will probably run across more 5 star matches as I watch new stuff for this project, but my general feelings on the match are more or less the same. This is a brilliant piece of work, with one flaw in my eyes.

Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels (4/5/2009)
Current Rank: NR
Trending: Even

I said earlier that this match held up better than I expected, that I liked it more on this go around than I ever have before. Before this I always preferred at least the second HBK/Taker match and the Punk match to this in terms of my favorite “Streak Matches”. That changed here. Maybe my tastes are changing a bit, but I got why the WWE champions this match so much, why it is put in the pantheon of the all time greats for them and for so many others. That said, this still has no chance of making my list. I really like it. I think it’s a great match with lots of drama. It is a great performance from both men. It really plays up the stakes of the match and the history between Taker and HBK in a way that accents the action in the ring and I love that. I also really like the way it moves from cat and mouse to two all time greats throwing everything they have at one another. It just doesn’t connect with me the way some other matches do. It just doesn’t highlight some of the features of wrestling that I prefer. I wouldn’t bat an eye if this was on someone’s list. I wouldn’t even really bat an eye if it were #1, but it’s staying off my list.

Here is my ballot for the first GME project, with comments.

100. Necro Butcher vs Super Dragon (No DQ – 2/9/2006)

This was my heart-pick. Its probably the last time it will find its way onto my list because the competition is just so stiff, but this is a comfort food match. Its just such a fun, messy, violent brawl. Its Necro and Super Dragon at their best in a lot of ways. Even the botched table spot is a net positive in this match. Just good clean fun for the whole family.

99. Vader vs Nobuhiko Takada (8/18/1994)

I for one love seeing Vader in shoot style matches. I think he adds a layer to those matches that gives them gravitas. His grappling isn’t amazing or anything, but it doesn’t need to be. He can deliver and take a beating. In that, Vader and Takada were made for each other. This has always been my favorite of the trio. It is where I think they hit their stride and balanced their strengths perfectly. Chances are this could move up in the future or at least weather the storm of added matches as I fill in blind spots.

98. Eddie Guerrero vs Brock Lesnar (WWE Undisputed Title – 2/15/2004)

Let me put into perspective how much I like this match. I think it is one of the top 100 matches of all time and I pretty actively don’t like Goldberg’s interference in it. If Eddie had beat Brock clean or via his own antics this match might be a top 10 for me. Both men do some of their best work here and perfectly play up the size, speed, and technique differences between the two. This was a legitimately high-end match wrapped up in a feel good moment.

96. Pirata Morgan vs El Faraon (Hair vs Hair – 11/16/1990)

I always say Morgan has a cheat code to great matches and it’s his ability to blade his fucking eye. It’s just…. Brutal. There is no way around it. This is a fantastic lucha brawl. It has everything I like about lucha brawls and then some. Visceral violence and that feeling that maybe they should let up on one another followed by them not at all letting up on one another.

95. Invader I vs Al Perez (Street Fight - 10/26/1986)

Elliot turned me onto this match at the beginning of the project. It is – without a doubt – one of the craziest brawls I have ever seen. It was just outside my top 100 for the longest time and then at the last minute I added it because I couldn’t escape the chaos of the match. If you haven’t seen it go watch it and you will know what I am talking about.

94. Daniel Bryan vs HHH (4/6/2014)

This is probably the best match I have ever seen live. To me, it was so much more than the match itself. It was the company being forced (I still think they were forced) to recognize Bryan as a main event talent. It is the true payoff of one of the most organic stories in company history. It is going from seeing Bryan for the first time live in a small room in Dayton Ohio to seeing him in front of nearly 80,000 in the Super Dome. My friend and I talked about this after and he said it felt like HHH was drawing form some 90s AJPW heavies and Bryan was drawing from NOAH Jrs in a way. All of that blended into the WWE universe… and I’ll be damned if it didn’t work wonderfully.

93. Sting’s Squadron vs The Dangerous Alliance (WarGames – 5/17/1992)



There was a time in my life I would have told you this is the greatest match in wrestling history. It isn’t so much that my opinion of the match has gone down, but that I have watched a lot more wrestling and my tastes have changed just a bit. Now it sits in a unique pocket of matches that I have just below 5 stars, but represent sort of gatekeepers. In some ways these matches – this one especially – are some of my favorite matches and matches with high rewatch value for me. This is high art. It has everything: a compelling story, clear but interesting characters, and lots of drama. I often refer to matches as must-see, but this is canonical.

89. Los Gringos Locos vs El Hijos del Santo/Octagon (Double Hair vs Double Mask – AAA Tag Title – 11/6/1994)

85. Randy Savage vs Ultimate Warrior (Retirement Match – 3/24/1991)

This is the best 4.75 star match there is in my book (more accurately my dorky spreadsheet). Its an all-time performance from Savage. Warrior has his working boots on, but I refuse to see this as anything but a masterful carry job by Savage. It is also followed by the best post match in wrestling history (at least top 3). I am not afraid to admit that I have teared up watch Liz embrace Savage here. No wrestling match that gets me there emotionally will ever drop off this list.


I know star ratings can be a bit of a touchy subject for some people. Some like them and some have – for whatever reason – developed a deep and singular hatred for them. Regardless, for simple reference – all matches after this point are matches I have rated as *****.

*************

84. Shinsuke Nakamura vs Kota Ibushi (IWGP IC Title – 1/4/2015)

This is a match that even my wife genuinely likes. It just sort of hits on every level from curtain to curtain. From Nakamura’s entrance to the absolutely insane physicality of the match to Ibushi going all psyocopath Ibushi… I just love the way this builds. Modern NJPW can be somewhat hit or miss for me and even the really good stuff doesn’t quite make top marks for my personal tastes. This is different. It takes the best of the style and does something slightly different with it I think. This stands out for me in a big big way.

83. Pat Patterson vs Sgt. Slaughter (Alley Fight – 5/4/1981)

I get annoyed with WWE canon as much as the next super-dork, but this is a match I sort of think they got right. They don’t hype it quite as much as they used to, but this feels like a match that is remembered more fondly in WWE lore than it is in the corners of internet wrestling fandom where I roam. Maybe I am wrong on that, but it’s a match I absolutely adore all the same. Look, I am a vampire. I love my blood and this one has plenty of it and then some.

82. Koji Kanemoto vs El Samurai (Super Juniors Final – 6/5/1997)

Sometimes I feel like I am on an island with this match. It doesn’t seem to be heralded as much as some other 90s NJPW Jr.s matches, but to me it is one of the best. El Samurai was great at taking ass beatings in the mid to late 90s and Koji Kanemoto was great at given em out. Put that together and you get one hell of a match with some great mask ripping (I am a sucker for mask rips) and some high drama action down the home stretch.

81. Kenny Omega vs Kazuchika Okada (2/3 Falls – IWGP HW Title – 6/9/2018)

I know I just said that modern NJPW isn’t – in general – my favorite style and here at #81 is the most modern NJPWy match of them all. I guess at the end of the day when you execute something perfectly and you do what it is you do as well as it can possibly be done… I have to give that credit. I think this match is beautifully put together. I think it paid off the rivalry really well. I think the progression of the pins was compelling. I just thought it was great. It was like this match just willed itself into being one of the best matches ever, despite the hype, despite the divisiveness over it… I love it.

80. Ricky Steamboat/Jay Youngblood vs Sgt. Slaughter/Don Kernodle (Cage Match – NWA Tag Titles – 3/12/1983)

What a fucking brawl this is. What a good ol fashion 80s territory, square-up fight this is. This match just has a feeling to it from start to finish, a feeling of hatred and unpredictability. I think Slaughter and Kernodle are perfect foils for the plucky but capable Steamboat and Youngblood. Its got big fight feel with down-home fist fight aesthetics.

79. Aja Kong vs KAORU (AAAW Title – 2/13/2000)

Aja Kong gives out the ass beatings for a living. Its what she does. She gives out the ass beating of a lifetime here. KAORU is just ragdolled and destroyed in the worst way possible. Then, all the sudden, KAORU fires back and somehow looks like every bit Kong’s equal. This is rising tides (violence) raising all ships (wrestlers). Both women took their lumps, but both felt like absolute stars at the end of it.

78. Buzz Sawyer vs Tommy Rich (Cage Match – 10/23/1983)

I know the opinions on this are somewhat mixed. The anticipation was off the charts. Nothing could have possibly lived up to it. I once thought the hype for the match affected my love of it (for the better obviously), but I looked back on it a few times and I think it holds up with some of the best 80s territory brawls, a style I have a lot of time for. This has a lot of hatred, relatively simple action, but it really does create an atmosphere that feels special. Caged animal Buzz Sawyer vs the southern white knight in Tommy Rich. This is wrestling, baby.

77. Kenta Kobashi vs Mitsuharu Misawa (Triple Crown Title – 6/11/1999)

So this one gets some flack for being classic excess from the style and I think that is fair, but I think there is also a pretty strong chess match between the two hidden underneath all that action. It starts hot and nothing really feels cooperative. I wish I didn’t have so many matches beween these two on my list, but you love what you love.

76. El Hijo Del Santo and Villano IV vs Angel Blanco and El Hijo Del Solitario (2/25/2012)

What a fantastic tag team match. It is a great combination of flash high flying and brawling where the flying sort of backfires. Santo and Villano lose because Santo goes for the high flash move, misses, and this is their downfall. Its cool to see them work that into this high chaos match. The post-match brawl is fantastic too. Villano is doing these pseudo-karate strikes and its amazing. Top stuff.

75. Roddy Piper vs Greg Valentine (7/9/1983)

This match made me revisit this feud and, in some ways, helped raise my opinion of the more well-known dog collar match. At a point I thought this was the better match. Regardless, it is absolutely fantastic. Piper tries to cut Valentine’s head off with a rope. The brawling is absolutely chaotic. WWE’s Hidden Gems really has been a godsend (ugh… I think I just accidentally called Vince God. I need a shower).

74. Ted Dibiase vs Jim Duggan (Loser Leaves Town – Coal Miners Glove – Tuxedo – Cage Match – 3/30/1985)

This is the most comically over the top thing ever set up, but here somehow – in that 80s wrestling way – it works. When I first saw it I probably thought it was a top 10 all time classic. While some of that wore off a bit, this sort of wrestling should always have a place in our lives.

73. Shinobu Kandori vs Devil Masami (7/14/1988)

God I love this match… Young lion Kandori going after the queen of the fucking jungle. Masami is the vet. She is bigger, stronger, and on the surface she is meaner. Over time, Kandori’s fangs come out though and you get the feeling that she might be every bit Masami’s equal. The end of this match puts it over the edge. The homestretch here is brutal and crazy and everything I love in my wrestling.

72. Steve Grey vs Clive Myers (11/20/1975, [air11/22/1975])

I sometimes joke that this is the match that proves I am not ALL blood and guts in my wrestling fandom. This is such a graceful and athletic contest. It isn’t without its teeth, but come on… that isn’t the selling point here. Grey is my favorite worker in the style and watching him keep up with and frustrate Myers is really a blast.

71. Kenta Kobashi vs Samoa Joe (10/2/2005)

The hype for this was unreal… other worldly. Kobashi coming to ROH to fight Samoa Joe – face melting hot stuff. There is a zero percent chance they could ever live up to it, and somehow they kinda did. They gave the fans what they needed. They played the hits as it were, but they also put everything in the package of an absolute classic. Death wish Kobashi and Peak Joe… what’s not to love?

70. Sgt. Slaughter vs Iron Sheik (Bootcamp Match -6/1/1984)

I use to not be as high on this match as others. I thought it was great, but one of the best 100?! And then I picked it up for the rewatch project and it realized how foolish I had been. This is a masterpiece of storytelling. Its raw and simple, but so effective. I might even be a little low on it if I am being honest. I can see me moving this into the next tier.

69. Andrad Almas vs Johnny Gargano (NXT Title – 1/18/2018)

This match – as an all-time classic – sort of came out of nowhere. Gargano, rightfully, gets a lot of credit for this, but Almas is the star of the show to me. He grounds everything so well and elevates the action masterfully. This has the right amount of NXT drama for me, just enough to play off the energy of those crowds but not too much… ya know?

68. Kenta Kobashi vs Steve Williams (8/31/1993)

Do you like watching big hosses drop each other on their fucking domes? Do you like to see full grown men try to murder each other with suplexes? If you answered yes to either of these questions, this is the match for you. I like Steve Williams a good bit, but I always find his matches coming up a bit shorter for me vs general public opinion, but this match breaks through that weird glass ceiling I have for him. Absolute classic.

67. Manami Toyota/Toshiyo Yamada vs Dynamite Kansai/Mayumi Ozaki (2/3 Falls - WWWA Tag Titles – 11/26/1992)

My second favorite of this trilogy. It is go go go go, but in the best way possible. The energy level here drives this in a big way. Ozaki and Toyota seem like they have their own little chess match going on here while Yamada and Dynamite are laying into one another. This is such a blast of a match and somehow, someway leaves enough on the table for two more matches and – in my mind – one more all-time classic.

66. Mitsuharu Misawa vs Akira Taue (Champions Carnival Final – 4/15/1995)

A younger me didn’t fully appreciate Taue. For a long time he felt like the distant forth on the list of pillars. I wouldn’t say this match turned it around for me on its own, but it was certainly a big part of solidifying my shifting opinion. Taue’s on a rampage and looking to hit that killer choke slam that got him to the dance. Misawa looks legitimately scared of it. It’s really nice to see Taue excel as a singles worker here since most of his praised classics are tag or multi-man matches.

65. Ric Flair vs Ricky Steamboat (NWA Title – 5/7/1989)

This was my favorite Flair/Steamboat match for the longest time. I loved the learned psychology, the sprint, the compact greatest hits version of their match that this was. In the past two years I very much changed my tune, but I still think this is a fantastic match. It feels like it is sort of a turning point in NWA title matches, Flair fully turning the corner for the more modern TV product.

64. Akira Hokuto vs Meiko Satomura (4/29/2001)

This is really one of only four matches that I feel personally like I overrated in hindsight. In this case, I haven’t revisited the match or anything, just going through the master list repeatedly and watching some new stuff, this feels a touch high. That said, I still think this is a really great vet vs young gun match. The intensity and physicality are top notch. There isn’t anything this match does absolutely better than everything else, but it didn’t really have any weaknesses either.

63. Terry Funk vs Jumbo Tsuruta (NWA Title – 6/11/1976)

I was a little surprised to see that 2/3 of my Funk matches were NWA Title matches and not Terry Funk being a crazy person in Memphis or Japan. NWA Champ Terry Funk is something I really enjoy because you get those glimmers of crazy that add a layer to this much more serious and buttoned up style. Jumbo – despite his reputation in some corners of wrestling fandom – is someone I think actually has a lot of personality too, especially when he has someone great to work off of. This was a classic to me from the minute I laid eyes on it. A thing of beauty.

62. Jumbo Tsaruta and Genichiro Tenryu vs Riki Choshu and Yoshiaki Yatsu (NWA International Tag Titltes – 1/28/1986)

Jumbo’s Back! “Fun” and “great” don’t often exist in a match in equal parts, but I think they do here. This is a blast from start to finish, but it is also so wonderfully put together and executed. I love the rib work in this match. I like the way the chaos sort of ebbs and flows in a way that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Man…. 62 might be too low.

61. Jerry Lawler vs Bill Dundee (Loser Leaves Town – Southern Heavyweight Title – 6/6/1983)

I said in the comments on the master list, I have gone back and forth between this and 85. Ultimately, I think 85 is a better match (more to come), but this might be the more purely great clash between the two. There are no bells and whistles here really. This is two dudes fighting and its everything I want it to be. This match is a masterclass in psychology and attention to detail.

60. Ric Flair vs Terry Funk (NWA Title – 7/23/1989)

I have a lot of matches on my list with great post-matches. I already said Liz and Savage was the best (and it is), but in terms of action this is near the top. It doesn’t hurt that it also features the greatest call in the history of the business. Let’s not get too hung up on the post match. This match blends wrestling and chaos in a way only Terry Funk can and rides Ric Flair’s unreal momentum in 89.

59. Volk Han vs Kiyoshi Tamura (1/22/1997)

This project served as my excuse to finally dive into shoot style and now I am wondering what took me so long. This feud was always the feud I heard about. I have probably watched their trilogy 2-3 times since first laying eyes on it because there is just so much to digest. Every time I sort of feel a bit differently about it. This strikes me as the cleanest and most technically sound match. I also really like the dynamic of Han frustrating Tamura. Since I don’t have the third match on my list, I’ll mention here that it fell to just outside the top 100 because I enjoy the layout of the first two with Han being the master and Tamura working desperately to keep up (even in failure) more than I enjoy them working as equals.

58. Manami Toyota/Toshiyo Yamada vs Dynamite Kansai/Mayumi Ozaki (WWWA Tag Titles – 4/11/1993)

Sometimes I watch a match and I say this is proof that God exists and loves us very much. This is one of those matches. To me, this is the Dynamite show. She really steps up here and looks like an undeniable super star. That isn’t taking anything away from anyone else either. Everyone is on in this match. It edges the first one out primarily because of the quick pin fall and what it did to the urgency of the match. Everything matters, every move, every submission, every pin feels like it might be the end of the world.

57. Adrian Street vs Jim Breaks (2/12/1972)

I would say I am still new to the style and it is a bit out of my wheelhouse, but good British grappling is impossible to deny. For a while, this was my default top match in the style. Breaks is great – as he always is – but Adrian Street is on another level here. Him jumping back and forth between flamboyant mind games and really gritty grappling makes this match jump off the page. The story and psychology here are absolutely on point to. A true classic.

56. Jim Duggan vs Buzz Sawyer (No DQ – 11/11/1985)

This match jumped from not really in consideration to the mid 50s during this project. I hadn’t watched it for years. This isn’t so much a match in the traditional sense. The bells to start and end the match are worthless. This is a fight that starts the second the camera starts rolling and finishes when it cuts out. I am from West Virginia. I have seen this before, just two big ol boys trying to murder one another. I love me some Jim Duggan, but Buzz Sawyer brings a real sense of danger here. He switches back and forth between murderer and borderline chickenshit heel masterfully. Buzz viscerally screaming as people separate the two at the end is an all-time pro wrestling moment.

55. El Hijo del Santo vs Negro Casas (UWA World Heavyweight Title – 5/17/1991)

Another match I think might be too high here. I once had this in the top 10 and it slid pretty hard. The thing is, on first watch this really stood out as something a little different between the two. I still think that. I still think it’s great. I really love the toothiness of the grappling and their disrespect for one another between falls. Once again, it isn’t about not liking this match’ it’s about how damn good so many matches are. I don’t see this falling off my list, but it might slide a bit more next year.

54. Terry Funk vs Harley Race (NWA Title – 7/1/1977)

This match – by itself – mad the NWA streaming gimmick totally worth your time. This was a fucking gem. Beautiful balance between two wrestlers, a master class in escalation, and one of my favorite finishes ever. Funk working for that spinning toe hold and Race throwing bombs at his face in a race to see who gets finished first… brilliant.

*************

This is probably the cut off where – barring one exception (more to come) – nothing below this line is something I could imagine ever falling off the list. As I add matches I have never seen or haven’t taken place yet, some stuff will fall off. It would take a pretty big shift in my tastes to knock anything ranked higher than 54 off my list.

*************

53. Black Terry vs Wotan (8/21/2016)

Look, y’all need to get on this match. I get it… its violent and might be off-putting to some, but come on. This is two tough as nails dudes gong 100% and throwing hands at a show that looks like its at a state fair. They roll around and brawl in fucking gravel! Wotan winds up with a bloody hand print in his back! And don’t be fooled by this violence. There is a really nice ebb and flow to this match. Black Terry’s 2016 was unreal and this was his greatest achievement.

52. Billy Robinson vs Jumbo Tsuruta (NWA United National Title – 3/5/1977)

Billy Robinson is an absolute pleasure to watch. He is one of those guys who might actually be the best wrestler ever and we just don’t know it. This is a classic match in the purest sense. It starts slow and ends with both guys fired up and going all in on one another. I think Robinson is sort of singular. He is a well-travelled heavyweight making the rounds in the 70s who can throw some hands and is fluent in almost every type of grappling. Jumbo losing his shit when the bell rings before the pin is classic. This is some pure wrestling goodness.

51. Gilbert Cesca vs Billy Catanzarro (1960s)

If you have ever seen me on a message board you have probably seen me say this, but I don’t ever know what to do with this match. It’s the only match of the style I have ever watched so I don’t have the even small context available to me. That is something I plan to fix before next year’s ballot. At the same time, this is indisputably great. Discovering it was mind blowing. Stylistically it blew up everything I thought I knew about trend setters. It would be like finding tape of one of the greatest, most gifted, most politically nuanced rappers ever that no one had really heard of and then finding out he or she was doing it French cafes in the 60s. WHAT!? What a find.

50. Billy Robinson vs Giant Baba (PWF Title – 7/24/1976)

This is the match that finally got me to “get” Giant Baba. I had never really disliked him, but this really sharpened my appreciation for him and what he brought to the table. I have probably watched this match 3 times since that first time and every time I like it more than the last. These two were masters of playing off their strengths and weaknesses and working that into the story. This is wrestling as high art. I might be too low on it.

49. Negro Casas vs El Dandy (CMLL Middleweight Title – 7/3/1992)

I am not entirely sure what to say about this match other than it was fucking awesome. El Dandy was so good in the early 90s its sort of unreal and Casas has been so good for like 50 years. This is a wonderful technical match that really shows off just how good both these guys are. For all my blood and guts love, I can’t deny good classic title bout lucha when it is done this well.

48. Steve Grey vs Johnny Saint (1/28/1980 [air: 2/2/1980])

In the last few months I moved this up to my top rated classic British match. This is like a fine cocktail. It’s a perfect blend of elements that wind up exceeding the sum of their parts. Here we get technique, clear but not over-stated storytelling, and just the right amount of no-more-of-this-shit aggression. Johnny Saint is the face of the style in my mind, but Steve Grey is my boy… Seeing him get the best of Saint and prove their last match was the perfect garnish for this refreshing drink of a match.

47. Holy Demon Army vs Mitsuharu Misawa/Jun Akyama (Tag League Final – 12/6/1996)

I get why some people like this match a bit more than I do. I also get why some people prefer Akyama to Kobashi as Misawa’s partner. They are wrong, but I get it. This is high octane violence from start to finish. I particularly like the selling in this. Jun and Kawada stand out in that regard. Kawada does that kick out where you just barely pop your shoulder up almost out of instinct, but there is no energy behind it. I am a sucker for that. Beautiful stuff.

46. Kenta Kobashi vs Mitsuharu Misawa (GHC Title – 3/1/2003)

Look. I get it. I get why this isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Its excessive. In hindsight, knowing what we know about Misawa, lots of these late 90s and early 00s matches especially are hard to watch. This was Kobashi during his death-wish phase. Despite it all, I can’t help but love this match. It builds off their feud so wonderfully. The counters and the mixture of caution and aggression are deceptively nuanced. They are fishing for bombs because they know that is what is going to take. The torch might have already been passed if we are being honest, but Kobashi took with authority here.

45. Daniel Bryan vs John Cena (WWE World Title – 8/18/2013)

For my money this is the best version of a match the WWE has leaned on pretty heavily over the past 5-6 years, the indie darling vs sports entertainer match. Stylistically everyone stayed in their lane a bit better than usual (looking at you, Cena) and they avoided overbooking it. Ultimately, the match was much stronger for it. It very much feels like a WWE main event organized by the best mind in modern wrestling, Bryan. Its two of the best wrestlers of our era at their best on a big stage. The execution is absolutely perfect and Cena puts Bryan over clean as a sheet in the middle of the ring. Thing of beauty.

44. Greg Valentine vs Roddy Piper (Dog Collar Match – U.S. Title – 11/24/1983)

Seeing this get a #1 vote was a little surprising, but also not at all surprising. I wasn’t always this high on this match. I’ll be honest. There is a fine line between great and #44 match EVER and for the longest time it sat well on the other side of that line. Over the last few years though I found myself returning to this for one reason or another and every single time I came away puzzled as to why I hadn’t come around on this more before. This is just pure violence and intensity. I always like when a little bit of sloppiness and lack of coordination is woven into a match because real fights are sloppy and not very coordinated. I actually think you can see it in the best 90s AJPW matches too. They bring that here and work it into the very fiber and psychology of the match, just brilliant.

43. Kiyoshi Tamura vs Yoshihisa Yamamoto (6/24/1999)

Full disclosure, I am low on this. Organizing this project really motivated me to watch and rewatch a lot over the last two weeks. In turn, I got to my second watch of this after the submission deadline. It will be a good bit higher next time around. When I came out of my initial shoot dive this was one of 3-5 matches that I knew were going to be on this list. It has all the slick work of top shoot matches, but feels even less… umm… friendly. Coming right up to that edge of wondering how much joy each man is taking in actually hitting the other, this is an all timer.

42. John Cena vs Umaga (Last Man Standing – WWE Title – 1/28/2007)

I don’t want to like this match as much as I do, let alone rate it as high as I do. I am not really sure why either. I never liked the Umaga character. Despite Fatu’s skill, this persona seemed antiquated to me and this always felt like a match that should bring out Cena’s worst and not his best. But here we are. Somehow, some way these two produced a singular match in the WWE pantheon. It feels like two larger actual monsters clashing for the amusement of the people. The only other matches that really capture that ethos in the same way feature far more limited wrestlers. In that way, this might be the most successful Vince-match I can think of.

41. El Satanico vs Pirata Morgan (Hair vs Hair – 11/26/1993)

So let me start by saying I love this match. I really do. I got to a rewatch a few days after I submitted my ballot and came away confident it is an excellent match. I did not come away happy that I rated it #41 though. Of the four matches I think I overrated, this nags at me the most. This one is going to fall significantly. I don’t have any massive criticisms or anything. This is incredible and it is right up my ally. It just lived a larger in my mind. All that said, Satanico is one of the greatest wresters of all time and Pirata Morgan can blade his eye, so yea… this is still amazing.

40. Negro Casas vs El Hijo del Santo (Hair vs Mask – 9/19/1997)

This is high art. I will admit that you probably have to like lucha to really like this. I don’t think you have to like lucha to like some of the other highly rated lucha matches (or at least to appreciate them). The best match from one of the 3-4 greatest feuds of all time, this is just a timeless classic. It is a technical masterpiece and a wonderful example of how to build drama. Having three matches featuring these two on my list makes me want to revisit that one from the 80s set, which was always one of my favorites even if I didn’t think it was the best.

39. Jerry Lawler vs Bill Dundee (Loser Leaves Town vs Hair – Southern Heavyweight Title – 12/30/1985)

I can see why people like the 83 match more, but also… why!? Two words: Eye… Patch…. Two more words: Bleacher…. Fall…. In some ways this match has some bells and whistles to build the drama, but my god they are awesome bells and whistles. Dundee’s combos here make me think he was the real best puncher in history. I wish this wasn’t clipped. Clipped matches trigger what little OCD I have from time to time, especially when it its more than I can fill in easily in my mind. Even still, this is an all-time classic.

38. Atlantis vs Villano III (Mask vs Mask – 3/17/2000)

Did someone say all-time classic? I heard someone on a podcast say years ago that Atlantis mask matches on Anniversario shows were a far bigger deal that Taker streak matches. I can’t argue with that. The investment of the fans and the wrestlers is just off the charts. This match is dripping with emotion and drama. Seriously, it could ruin your computer or tv if you aren’t careful. This might not be the most translatable lucha mach. For those who have trouble with lucha I can see this not coming off so hot, but it really helped me break into the style. In turn, it will always stand out in my mind as a truly beautiful piece of work.

37. Devil Masami vs Chigusa Nagayo (WWWA All Pacific Title – 8/22/1985)

The female version of a classic 80s title match. Nothing looks comfortable here, the strikes and the holds all look menicing. Devil Masami looks like the baddest human being – man or woman – alive. Nagayo is fighting underneath, like she is wont to do. Its 30 minutes of brutality where both feel like they somehow won and somehow lost. This is a classic in every sense of the word that I think holds up with the best title matches of decade. I might even be a touch low on this.

36. El Dandy vs Angel Azteca (NWA Middleweight Title – 6/1/1990)

El Dandy’s 1990 was good…. Real good. This was a technical masterpiece where each pin and each pinfall attempt really built on one another. The leg work here on Dandy is fantastic and his selling matched it perfectly. It gets a little gritty as it goes, and we wind up with a nice balance between technique and hatred.

35. Kenta Kobashi vs Mitsuharu Misawa (Triple Crown Title – 10/31/1998)

Look, I wish I didn’t have this many Misawa/Kobashi matches on here too. I need to rematch this and ’99 at some point for the next project, but my guess is that they aren’t going anywhere. I know it’s like saying you like pizza… its not a hot take or anything, but I just like this feud. This feels like the match where they lean heaviest into Kobashi being physically superior and Misawa trying to survive his onslaught. That is until the Ace hits a tiger driver to the floor and Kobashi is never quite the same. These matches can be excessive, sure, but they are all chess matches at the same time and I am here for ‘em.

34. Shinjiro Otani vs El Samurai (UWA World Jr LHW Title – 1/21/1996)

This has always been one of my favorite Jr. matches. This is grappling full of piss and vinegar. Just hatred through and through. Otani’s facial expressions are the real selling point here. He is fantastic in this match. The fluidity, the counters, the kickouts into submissions… god this match is so good and so timeless. It isn’t the flashiest Jr. match, but I think it holds its value better than most.

33. Volk Han vs Kiyoshi Tamura (9/25/1996)

I know I am on a bit of an island thinking this is their best match, but I am ok with that. I can see my opinions on the order of their trilogy changing over time, much like (but probably more so than) my thoughts on the Flair/Steamboat trilogy have changed. I just like the sort of frantic feel of parts of this, how much of an underdog Tamura is. He is outmatched and outclassed, but it is the way they give us glimmers that he is going to be Han’s equal that is the real story. I especially like when he gets Han in a little trouble here and there and the energy surges in the match. This just has an “it” factor about it. They told a challenging story and knock it out of the park.

32. Bret Hart vs Steve Austin (I Quit Match – 3/23/1997)

This is another match that at one point in my life I would have called the best match ever without batting an eye. I still think it’s up there, obviously. Very few matches have this degree of difficulty in terms of what they were trying to accomplish and what they pulled off. This launched the biggest star in American wrestling history. It solidified the turn of one of the era’s most iconic babyfaces and it provided maybe one of the most memorable visuals in wrestling for an entire generation. To me, this is THE wrestlemania match, the one against all others are compared.

31. Mayumi Ozaki vs Dynamite Kansai (Street Fight – 3/17/1995)

This was somewhat a late add for me, maybe the last month, but I am really fairly confident that this belongs here. One of the hardest things to accomplish in wrestling is a true sense of chaos, a true feeling that things are coming unhinged. That is what you get here. This is absolutely insane from start to finish. Dynamite looks like a god damned world beater/monster and Ozaki matches that by playing an absolutely terrifying sociopath. They are tearing the ring apart, kicking each other down stairs, spitting blood at the ref, and trying to murder one another with chains. The complaint I see for this is the flash finish, but honestly, I don’t know where they could have done to escalate the violence any further, so I am good with it.

30. Bryan Danielson vs Low Ki (3/30/2002)

No single match is probably more responsible for launching the current version of my wrestling fandom than this match. I remember thinking it was absolutely incredible the first time I watched it. It was so refreshing. Two guys who clearly knew how to wrestle, loved wrestling, but were both bringing something so unique to the ring. They had one eye on tradition but were thinking outside the box. Who knows how many times over the past 16 years or so since that best of American Dragon DVD came in the mail, but every time it completely holds up. It ebbs and flows in a somewhat unique way, but the escalation of the drama and the payoff still totally feel unique and compelling.

29. El Satanico vs El Dandy (Hair vs Hair – 12/14/1990)

You know who is really good at getting his ass beat before the bell rings? El Dandy. He is really really good at that. Until the very lucha-esque finish here, I think this might be the most translatable lucha match I can think of. It is just two guys beating on each other and selling to the moon and back. Dandy’s selling, especially, is great. Satanico is a deliberate prick, such a wonderful rudo. This is just absolute goodness all around.

28. Aja Kong vs Yumika Hotta (WWWA World Championship - 1/24/1994)

Have I mentioned that I like violence and blood and brutality in my wrestling? If that wasn’t clear by now the fact that I have this as the 28th greatest match ever should make that crystal clear. God this is everything I love in wrestling. Two women going out there and beating the shit out of each other in a way that would make most men’s stomachs turn. If that wasn’t enough you get a mutilated hand just getting worked over by Aja Kong of all people. This is hard to watch and it creeps right up against that line of being off putting, but never quite crosses it. God I love wrestling.

*************


27. Stan Hansen vs Toshiaki Kawada (2/28/1993)

Coming into this project I might have considered this for a top 5 spot. On rewatch and putting it up against some of the other truly high end matches it dipped a good bit, but its still pretty incredible. I think the home stretch here is what does it. Hansen clotheslining Kawada so hard he falls out the damn ring is wrestling at its finest. Kawada does a lot of things really well, but what he does best is sell a KO shot and he gets a few chances to sell death here. It makes me happy.

26. Bryan Danielson vs Nigel McGuinness (ROH Title vs ROH Pure Title – 8/12/2006)

This is another one that sort of dropped from that top tier at the last minute. I have probably watched this match 4-5 times and the last time was the only time my opinion of it wavered at all. Again, we are talking about the all-time greats so it isn’t like I thought it was a bad match, I just noticed some nitpicky things about it when watching it alongside other classics. But at its heart, this wasn’t about being a technically perfect match. This was about being a fucking show to blow off one of the best feuds in the company’s history in front of one of this hottest ever crowds… and they did that. Nigel busting himself open the hard way on that post is still hard to watch. I completely get people who are full on turned off by it, but to me that was Nigel going out and putting on all the line to make his masterpience and I can’t help but appreciate it (even if I never wanna see someone do it again).

25. Mitsuharu Misawa vs Toshiaki Kawada (Triple Crown Title – 6/3/1994)

I know… I know… blasphemy! I admit I haven’t seen it in a while, but I didn’t feel a real pressure to rewatch this. Its amazing. What else is there to say about it? This match is absolutely unreal. It might be the most flawless match on my list, but as you can see I am not about flawless. I have a match with the Necro Butcher botching a tiger driver through a table on my list. This match is every bit the match people say, one of the two real high marks in a multi-generational rivalry. A masterpiece.

24. El Hijo del Santo vs Negro Casas vs El Dandy (Hair vs Hair vs Mask – 12/6/1996)

I don’t want to discount the role of Casas here, but I think its only fair to point out that the meat and potatoes here is about Dandy vs Santo. Some of the early stuff before Casas gets his falls and gets out of town was great. Casas shit eating grin as he left definitely added something to the impending doom that loomed over the final fall between Santo and Dandy. Then…. The blood doth flow. These two put a beating on each other and I loved every minute of it. This is one of the matches I loved before I really understood it. I think I wrote to my friend that I didn’t get how the falls worked, but it didn’t even matter.

23. Shinobu Kandori vs Bull Nakano (Chain Match – 7/14/1994)

I’ll die on this hill. This match is fucking perfect and that includes the crowd brawls. I don’t give a shit if they were walking with each other with their hair or whatever. This match is pure brutality and chaos between two of the best wrestlers ever and I hang on every second of it. I think their use of the chain is second to none (and that applies to all people tied together matches) and Kandori standing tall against the bully but eventually falling to a sort of desperate Bull dropping chain wrapped leg drops off the top is as good as wrestling gets… period.

22. Mitsuhara Misawa vs Jumbo Tsuruta (9/1/1990)

Two things. First, I love this match and think it represents some of the must nuanced and complex in ring story telling ever. It features grumpy old man Jumbo snatching the torch stolen from him back and I love ever second of it. Second, this – along with Satanico/Morgan – is probably my biggest regret in terms of high votes. I think this slides down my list pretty significantly to be honest next time around. Again, this is no knock on the match. I can think a match is absolutely fantastic and think #22 is a bit high for it at the same time. I’ll be putting this on the rewatch project list for next year for sure and we will see if I was right to put it here.

21. Stan Hansen/Terry Gordy vs Genichiro Tenryu/Toshiaki Kawada (AJ Tag Titles – Real World Tag Finals – 12/16/1988)

Terry Gordy has always been my favorite Hansen partner. The dynamic here is fantastic. You have two big bruisers vs the sage vet and the young gun looking to really prove his value. This is a blitz of a match where everyone so genuinely feels like they are in a fight for their lives out there. I sort of liken the energy to Andre vs Hansen in a way. With all pace and urgency this match has the dynamic keeps its integrity and nuance.
There is a little run here between 20 and 13 where the difference is razor thin. I can see a lot of shuffling here over the next year (or years).
20. Jushin Thunder Liger vs El Samurai (Super Juniors Final – 4/30/1992)

El Samurai is out here pulling a Sgt. Slaughter with three big time high profile matches to his name. He jumped Liger and to get the advantage. Little does he know he is just poking the dragon. The hate is absolutely palpable here. We get mask rips, wicked looking submissions, some bombs, and a whole lotta drama. I feel like I have seen people shit on this match before, but I don’t know whats not to love.

19. El Satanico vs Gran Cochise (NWA Middleweight Title – 9/14/1984)

I can’t argue with anyone who thinks this is the greatest match ever. It might be the greatest technical showcase in wrestling. I feel like Satanico got a lot of love in certain pockets of the internet over the past few years (maybe since GWE) and this has made him kind of a posterboy for “hip” or smarky contrarian fans. I have seen it a hand full of times. If loving Satanico is wrong I don’t wanna be right. This is a masterpiece. Both Cochise and Satanico are on another level in this one.

18. Tully Blanchard vs Magnum TA (Cage Match – US Title – 11/28/1985)

I am a little surprise this one didn’t top at least one list or at least didn’t make a top 10. In many ways this seems to be the epitome of blood feud blow off. Nothing too fancy, just two guys beating the shit out of one another. One is a chicken shit and the other is a walking tall babyface. They are fighting over the affections of a woman and trying to carve each others eyes out in front of screaming fans….. Are you not entertained?!

17. El Hijo Del Santo vs Espanto Jr (Mask vs Mask – 8/31/1986)

I believe Elliot mentioned that this match – more than any other – feels like a clash of super hero vs super villain. You got kids cheering on Santo when he is at his worst. You got blood flowing and over the top lucha-ness in all the best ways possible. This is a match that lingers with you. In comparing it to other top tier matches I found some things to nitpick about it, but it leaves an impression on me that so few matches do. It’s a match that sort of pops into my mind when I am talking or thinking about wrestling more often than I think it should. It’s just visceral good storytelling with a massive payoff.

16. Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs Nobuhiko Takada (10/25/1990)

Since I turned 30 a few years back I started recalibrating my heroes. I needed to set the bar further out a bit. There is this guy I work with who I get a drink with every Thursday and is retiring next year, gives zero fucks, and throws mad shade during meetings. There is Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Finally, there is Yoshiaki Fujiwara. I wanna be like Fujiwara when I grow up. Put across from him the guy who might just be my favorite shoot style wrestler and what else could you get but a fucking classic. This climbed up my list in a big way over the life of the project as I realized just how well it stood up against some of wrestling most classic matches.

15. Jumbo Tsuruta vs Genichiro Tenryu (Triple Crown Title – 6/5/1989)

I honestly don’t know what to say about this match that hasn’t been said 1,000 times over. There is a reason this appeared on so many ballots. It is pure greatness, ahead of its time in terms of its pacing and the story being told via that pace. Two greats who were made for one another putting on their best work.

14. Nick Bockwinkel vs Curt Hennig (AWA Title – 11/21/1986)

I started this project with Elliot and Grimmas and it looked completely different. Those fucking heathens refused to recognize the indisputable greatness of this match. While I admit it fell out of my top 10-12 where it had sat for some time, it was never going to fall far. A brilliant Broadway performance from both men. Bockwinkel’s masterpiece of storytelling and drama. Hennig showing he belongs in the conversation with some of the best to ever do it. This is wrestling as high art. I will say I sort of think of this, Tenryu/Jumbo, and Misawa/Kawada in the same way. I really don’t have anything to say about them. They are (almost) universally adored and appreciated. In many ways I think they are perfect, but perfect isn’t the only thing that makes a match great. I like when things aren’t perfect, they feel a little off the rails, but they are great all the same. And it isn’t always a matter of polish. Its hard to describe really. I think that was one of my biggest take aways of this project.

13. Stan Hansen vs Carlos Colon (Texas Bullrope Match – 1/6/1987)


I know 10 is a nice round number, but I think of my top 12, because this feels like another significant step up for me. There are a few matches above this line that might find their way into this tier, thus expanding it, but for this go around I really found myself thinking in terms of the top 12 being a key dividing line.

12. Sangre Chicana vs Perro Aguayo (Hair vs Hair – 2/28/1986)

If we had more prime footage Sagre Chicana might run away with my list. There is no move I pop for harder in all of wrestling then his haymaker, comeback left hand. He is the perfect minimalist lucha brawler. Here, Perro Aguayo is a fantastic foil. This has a lot of the same attributes I love about the more famous Sangre Chicana vs MS-1 match. Its filled with violence, malice, and urgency and by the end you are hanging on every kick out.

11. Shinobu Kandori/Akira Hokuto vs Bull Nakano/Aja Kong (3/27/1994)

This match features four of my favorite 90s joshi workers telling one of the most complex and layered stories I can think of in wrestling. It is a beautiful bit of business. Two bitter enemies teaming to take on the most imposing team imaginable, antagonizing each other to fight these monsters…. I am for it. I get why this is the top joshi match or even tag match for a lot of people. Its kinda got a little something for everyone. Plus, this match gives us a little taste of a pairing we never got in one on one (to my knowledge) as we get to see Aja and Kandori clash.

10. Kiyoshi Tamura vs Tsuyoshi Kohsaka (6/27/1998)

This match isn’t quite as slick as the Tamura/Han matches and it might not have the sort of pseudo-things could get out of hand feeling of Yamamoto/Tamura but everything done in this match is with the intent to maim the other man. The dynamic of Tamura trying to solve the puzzle and never quite being able to get in the exact right position is fantastic. I love the leg locks and how each one feels like they could be devastating. The escalation of this is spot on the striking at the end crescendos perfectly.

9. Stan Hansen vs Kenta Kobashi (4/16/1993)

Hear me out… I know this doesn’t get the hype that the July match gets, but I think it is just about as good. It doesn’t hit the ground running in the same way, but it does build in a really masterful way. I like Kobashi’s legdrop spot here a little better than his elevated version in the July match. The biggest thing here is that this is probably my favorite finish in all of wrestling. It’s a fantastic kill shot finish. Kobashi looked like he is legit out for a second. The only reason this doesn’t actually jump the July match is that it makes me like the July match even more because they have lots of interesting callback spots. These two were made for one another. I could watch them wrestle all day.

8. Eddie Guerrero vs John Bradshaw Layfield (WWE Title – 5/16/2004)

This is my vote for best WWE/F match ever. It might be tempting to reduce this to being all about the blade job, but I think it is far more than that. Eddie Guerrero puts on an all-time performance from curtain to curtain. His facial expressions, selling, offense, anger, mannerisms, it’s all perfect. For his part, JBL plays his roll well. He uses his size. He wants no real part of Eddie in a fight until he has a significant advantage. Of course, all that said, the blood can’t be ignored (literally). Eddie’s comeback covered in blood is epic. When does his shimmy it is the – in my opinion – the best moment in all of wrestling. Add in the race and class threads in the narrative, Eddie as champion, and a fantastic face DQ and you get a sure fire top 10 match for me.

7. Stan Hansen vs Andre The Giant (9/23/1981)

A genuine clash of titans. King Kong vs Godzilla. A match where Stan Hansen is the outsized underdog and can almost even get sympathy, this is so unique and special. It’s just an absolute blast from start to finish. There isn’t a single thing about this match I don’t like. The frantic fight, the way they lock in some holds, the restart. I think this should be required viewing… for everyone… not just wrestling fans, EVERYONE.

6. Ric Flair vs Ricky Steamboat (2/3 Falls – NWA Title – 4/2/1989)

For the longest time I had this #2 in my Flair/Steamboat feud, but when I sat down with it as part of this project I really felt blow away by it. It weirdly felt fresh to me. The execution, timing, and storytelling here are second to none. I tend to like my wrestling a little grittier and violent than this, but I just sort of stand in awe of this match to be honest. I don’t care if its cliché to love this match or have it as one’s top U.S. match, I find this match undeniable.

5. Stan Hansen vs Kenta Kobashi (7/29/1993)

My favorite pairing building off their other top-10 match with what sort of feels like a long sprint. Hansen and Kobashi were made for one another. While they both have more well known rivals, I can’t imagine an opponent for either man more suited to build off their strengths and weaknesses. This match might even jump as high as #3 in the future. Absolute brilliance.

4. Holy Demon Army vs Kenta Kobashi/Mitsuharu Misawa (Tag League Final – 6/9/1995)

There is nothing to be said about this. I get that 90s AJPW isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. I certainly get the boredom of loving matches that are universally loved. But damn…. This is just so good, a master class in story-telling, offensive wrestling, and tag team chemistry.

*************

In the closing days of the project, these were the final three matches I genuinely considered for #1. I entertained the notion that many of the previous matches could be on top of the list, but the final three are the only matches that got serious thought.

*************

3. Kenta Kobashi vs Mitsuharu Misawa (Triple Crown Title – 1/20/1997)

Even among the other Kobashi/Misawa clashes this match feels different. In a world where many matches feel like a big deal, this stands out as having a big-match feel. The dueling arm work gives this another layer because it is worked into their dynamic so well. In my eyes, this is the peak of the style. I thought pretty seriously about moving it all the way up to #1 for a little bit. Ultimately, the two matches finishing ahead of it were involved in a photo finish at the end while this was penned securely in at #3. Even still – aside from #3 being pretty damn good – Kobashi vs Misawa is about as good as it gets and this is as good as they get.

2. Sangre Chicana vs MS-1 (Hair vs Hair – 9/23/1983)

From the first time I saw this match till the day before I submitted my ballot, it was my default #1 match. In the final hours I sat in my living room, watched this back to back with Kandori vs Hokuto, and made my decision. Ultimately, I felt compelled to drop this match to #2, but it would be inaccurate to call this anything but the greatest match in history. From Sangre Chicana getting busted open and beat down in front of his chain-smoking mother in the front row to his left haymaker comeback to the final stretch muffler to finish… this is a perfect pro wrestling drama and violence.


1. Shinobu Kandori vs Akira Hokuto (4/2/1993)

Unseating Sangre Chicana vs MS-1 is no easy task, a task only two of the baddest women on the planet were up for. This match is exhausting. It truly wears me out when I watch it. It plays on the emotions in a number of ways and there isn’t a single moment where you lose sight of their mutual distain and desire to maul one another. I think what this boiled down to is a feeling of investment. I can’t think of another match where it feels like the competitors have more emotionally invested. In some ways that is the real strength of some of the AJPW classics, even more so than the bombs and the kickouts, it’s the feeling of profound investment in beating the person across from you and proving you are the best. It’s also why I love Lucha brawls, even more so than the blood and chaos. More so than the stiff strikes, it’s even what I love about shoot style matches. It may be the single biggest “it” factor in making a match truly great to me and no match has more of “it” than this one. This is truly theater. Hokuto fights back from the injury scare earlier with the blood streaking through her blonde hair… Kandori puts on a bully performance of a life time… and 26 years later, I’m here for it. This is timeless and it’s the greatest match ever.

Top 10 Matches of the Year: markoutmountain.wordpress.com/2020/01/01/matts-top-10-matches-of-2019/

Top 20 Matches of the Decade: markoutmountain.wordpress.com/2020/01/03/matts-top-20-matches-of-the-decade/

Bret vs. Owen from WM X didn't make the list?

You mean my top 100 ever? I really like the match, but I am just a touch lower on it than most.