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Post by elliott on Dec 7, 2017 22:35:02 GMT -5
The Rock N Roll Express vs The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton & Stan Lane) w/ Jim Cornette (WCW WrestleWar - 02/25/1990)
This is one of my favorite matches of all time. Just a perfect tag match between two of the greatest teams ever. This feels like the defining match of their rivalry from a pure workrate point of view. I've always preferred this to the Southern Boys match. It would feel kinda weird not to vote for an Express vs Express match given how much I love tag team wrestling and these two teams and this would be the match.
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Post by Cap on Dec 8, 2017 8:35:31 GMT -5
Second
Great match and not a whole lot else to say about it. I am not sure it makes my list, but I would love to bring this rivalry and this match specifically into it. This match really stands out from an execution and timing standpoint. Another one of those tag matches that I am looking forward to taking a look at on a grander scale.
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Post by mvz on Jan 11, 2018 13:43:56 GMT -5
Agree with the thoughts expressed here by Elliot and Cap. I too love tag team wrestling and this is a definitive tag team rivalry. As is often the case with these teams, cool offense from the Midnights, great selling from the Rock n Rolls, and a hot finish. Plus some laughs. I expect it to be included on my list.
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Post by superstarsleeze on Jan 20, 2019 17:13:27 GMT -5
This match is the cure for depression. Just pure joy and an amazing heat segment. There are a couple 1986 matches from this rivalry that are overlooked but rest assured this is their best match. This is the best match in the clowning bump Heavy style they innovated. Rockers vs Rougeaus is close but these four are still the masters. This will make the list. Midnight Express vs Rock N Roll Express - WrestleWar 1990 I need to watch this match more frequently than every six years thats for sure!  What I think is so amazing about this match is its ability to seamlessly transition from comedy to dramatic wrestling. So many matches would have felt disjointed given this format, but that is why the Midnights and RnRs are the best of the all-time because of their deft execution of this layout. This has to be one of the best face shine segments in the history of wrestling. I have watched a lot of Midnights shining up babyface tag teams so thats really saying something now in 2019. It establishes the RnRs as clearly the best tag team, the Midnights bump & stooge in a way that keeps that million-watt smile on your face and it never feels like heel in peril. As the biggest "Sweet" Stan on the internet, is there a better Stan Lane performance? I dont think so. He is so on his game in this match. He takes the beginning of the match. He just makes Gibson look great. I love that spot where Lane goes for the monkey flip and Gibson fist drops him. It is just perfect fun wrestling. Then of course the Lane/Patrick confrontation that leads to great Cornette/Patrick confrontation that always puts an ear to ear smile on your face when you watch. Another great spot is Lane gets hit with an atomic drop and collides with Eaton. Then Lane shoves Eaton. It is so rare that there is dissension that does not lead to anything so that makes it stand out. Sometimes tempers flare it doesnt mean the team has to dissolve. I liked that touch. It is so good nobody has mentioned that cool spot where Morton climbs up on Eaton and delivers a fist drop onto Lane. That was a holy shit moment for me. They just jammed so many damn good spots in that opening segment. Honestly, it is not worth making an entire list. Really just watch it. It is just comedy gold and the Midnight Express cant buy a break. Morton looks so damn good in there. Next thing, you know Bobby Eaton and Ricky Morton slug it out and end up tumbling outside and Lane delivers a wicked slam and we enter Ricky Morton's bread and butter. The Midnights have so many MOVEZ~! but they never get lost in just tossing them out and everything is filled with great heelish behavior: the tennis racket shots, the eye-rakes and cutoffs. Again, like the the babyface shine, I dont think there is too much of a point of just listing move after move, but I think what makes that's this so good is how urgent the action is. They know that Morton is one of the greatest of all time so they are constantly tagging in and out. How many times did Morton have one member of the Midnight Express down, but the other cut him off. Stuff like ramming Eaton's head off the post, but Lane saves. Or Morton looks for an O'Connor Roll, but Lane had blind tagged Eaton and he hits a devastating neckbreaker. The spots looked great: Eaton's top rope elbow drop and Lane's powerslam, but it was the tension around the hot tag that makes this work. You really felt that agony of it being 2 on 1. Every time Morton would get the upper hand on one the other would save. It was exhilarating. Morton is in his element. The face in peril segment I believe is in excess of 10+ minutes. On second watch, I do think they go a little too long. The arm work at the end is strong but ultimately it is filler. The more Morton I watch the more I believe his penchant for really long face in peril segments is to the detriment of the match. I realized this time the finish is botched, but still the finish stretch was red hot and liked that Midnights had another nearfall with the racket shot before they went home. I am happy the Rock N Rolls go over because in such a feel-good match it was the perfect touch to have the Rock N Rolls pick up the duke. Is this considered the best RnR/Midnights match? I asked this back in 2013. I actually think I have now seen every major one now. I think some of the Condrey matches from 1986 on TBS are little underrated, but I dont think they match this level. Lane/Eaton are the ultimate workrate heel tag team and while I dont think workrate is everything, but when you add how selfless and how character-driven the Midnights are with this workrate you have a recipe for really amazing matches. To me, this match is the cure for depression. ****3/4 |
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Post by dkuchler31096 on Sept 22, 2020 20:11:38 GMT -5
Really good stuff here by both teams. Loved the expert pacing by both teams and the psychology. There really isn't that much to say that hasn't been said on this thread. Loved it. ****1/2
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Post by KB8 on Jun 22, 2023 4:30:28 GMT -5
This has always felt like the definitive MX v RnRs match. Whether it's the BEST or not I'm not sure, because I haven't seen some of those '86 matches in like 12 years. But when someone brings up MX v RnRs, this is the one that comes to mind. Maybe it's because it happened on PPV and it stands out in that respect, whereas some of the other matches are from the mid-80s on house shows or whatever. Doesn't really matter; this rules however you look at it. The early shine is basically perfect and I've always loved the bit with Nick Patrick putting his dukes up for a fight. Maybe it's just because we've been talking a lot about 80s WWF tags on the discord but it struck me as NOTEWORTHY that the shine was like 10 minutes long. We'd be calling that heel in peril if it happened in New York. Eaton threw one punch during this that came from DEEP south and Ross about fell out his chair and so did I. I mean even Cornette threw an absolute corker of a punch during the heat segment. Really this was a group of guys who'd mastered this particular type of wrestling match going out and making it look easy. Based on my stylistic preferences as a fan I really need to find a spot for this.
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