Tetsujin's Ultimate List

Ok, this is it. I'm gonna drop my list, but I'm not simply gonna put the 100 matches at the same time. Also, I'm starting from #100 to #1, so it's funnier to follow (like the actual GME list), and a couple lines trying to explain my ranking per each match. Let's start:

100-91:

#100: Giant Baba vs The Destroyer (JWA - 5/03/1969): I put this at my #100 in a symbolic way. That doesn't mean I don't think this match is as good as a "top 100 matches ever" member should be, but honestly I could think of a dozen worthy matches to close my list better than this one. Hell, I don't even like Giant Baba. So, why this one? Well, it's by far the oldest match I'm considering for this project, and seriously, working a match in 1969 in a way that 2021 fans can still love it, it's crazy to me. Destroyer's performance is one of the absolute best ever, combining technique, selling and comedy like no other. So yeah, I felt I had to recognize this match somewhere in my list, and the final spot sounds like the perfect place.

#99: Kenta Kobashi vs Mitsuharu Misawa (AJPW - 31/10/1998: I almost leave this match out of my final ballot, which is CRAZY considering how much I've always enjoyed this particular match. I still do, but I have at least three of their other matches above this one, so didn't feel in the mood to include another one. But man. This is the equivalent of two bulls colliding with each other, they're both at the peak of their muscles and it shows. What doesn't work with me is the bit of excess after the TD91 kickout and the less interesting charater dynamic between the two (they're basically equals here, instead of one of them being better than the other and the other trying to turn the tables). Still a classic.

#98: Masakatsu Funaki vs Tatsuo Nakano (UWF II - 27/07/1989): When it comes to sub-ten minute matches, it's gonna be really hard to be as good as great over-ten minute matches, because the last ones have more time to tell what they want and do more entertaining stuff. That said, a short match that sintetizes what it wants in a record time and does it wonderfully has incredible merit to my eyes, maybe even more than the long matches that reach great status. This is one of those matches because, in record time, you receive everything you need to know about both wrestlers, and you inmediately feel the need to root for Nakano against the dickhead Funaki. Super stiff strikes and one of the all-time great finishes do the rest and garantee this match a lock for my list. It might deserve a higher rank, but sadly I didn't had enough time to revisit (ironic, I know, this is a very short match).

#97: Arn Anderson/Tully Blanchard vs Barry Windham/Lex Luger (NWA - 27/03/1988): another example of damn good short matches that absolutely made the best of the time they were given. Luger hides his limitations in this sprint, and the other three are great workers (Arn specially kills it here), so yeah, not a minute longer than needed, and it has everything! Cheating, great face-in-peril segments, a cool hot tag, fun details courtesy of Doble A, a very hot crowd... Extremely simple, yet extremely functional. A very underrated 80s NA tag team in my humble opinion. Go rewatch this.

#96: Team NJPW vs Team UWF (5x5 Gauntlet Match - NJPW - 1/05/1986): when building long, multiman matches (think about Gauntlets, SVS, Rumbles, Scrambles, Wargames, whatever), the key to me is to mix great ringwork with great booking. If you just let a lot of wrestlers do great ringwork, the match might burn out quickly because of bad pacing and/or lack of a story to get involved in; if you book the match greatly but the ringwork doesn't deliver, you only have a highlights video for YouTube. This is one of those multiman matches that totally nails that balance, and therefore becomes a masterpiece. I specially love Fujinami's performance and think it's one of the greatest ever produced, so yeah, absolutely great match, even with some little down periods here and there.

#95: Nick Bockwinkel vs Wahoo McDaniel (AWA - 28/03/1983): Bock had a lot of contenders for my list, but at the end I could only find room for two. You already know the other one (and will have to wait a lot to see it on this countdown), but I went with Bock/Wahoo to fill muy last spots. This is an absolutely out of control brawl in the more believable way 80s Northamerican wrestling can get. Bock sells like crazy and Wahoo's fighting spirit fires you up almost as much as him. The ending is kinda brutal. Again, too simple, yet too efective.

#94: Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs Kazuo Yamazaki (UWF II - 24/07/1989): in a year where Ric Flair consolidated himself as a living legend, and Jumbo and Tenryu produced one of the most important matches for modern ringwork, it's no surprise this hell of a match usually goes under the radar. But holy fuck. I think this is my favourite Fujiwara performance: he has so much charisma, works the crowd wonderfully, and trolls Yamazaki to bring the absolute best out of him. Kazuo's rage and killer kicks are enough to sell you the possibility of an upset, he's really learning and becoming better as the match goes on, and Fujiwara starts to get a bit nervous. I absolutely love this story and, again, this is a match I feel I had to put higher, but sadly due to lack of time didn't rewatch.

#93: Christopher Daniels vs Samoa Joe vs AJ Styles (Triple Threat Match - TNA - 11/09/2005): crazy, crazy, crazy nonstop action (no pun intended) only damaged by Joe going for the ending spots sooner than it should have, leaving the trio with no other choice that to improvise the rest of the bout. They saved the match, obviously, but it's hard to see this as perfect when you have the Muscle Buster so early into the match and they kick out of other things after that super protected finisher. If you ask me, AJ is the best guy of the match, he shines througout the whole thing and it's obvious that he was going to become an all time level wrestler.

#92: Steve Austin vs Bret Hart (Submission Match - WWE - 23/03/1997): what? So low? I know, I know, but listen. I love this match, and obviously I recognize its historical value. But it always bothered me the fact that Bret took the ringbell and did absolutely nothing with it, leaving it at the apron for the whole match, only because it was required for a future spot later. That's not good pyschology, and it might look like a nitpick, but considering the reputation this match has... I guess nitpicking is allowed. Other than that and a not-as-good-as-I-remembered selling by Austin, this is a wonderful match and might be one of the ten most important matches ever. But, when it comes to pure best, sorry but this feels much closer to the bottom than the top for me.

#91: Jaguar Yokota vs La Galáctica (AJW - 27/02/1985): this is my favourite discovery for 2021 GME. Do you like joshi? Go watch this. Do you like lucha? Go watch this. Do you like bloody brawls and interferences? Go watch this! Galáctica looks like the greatest heel ever in this match, and Jaguar counterattacks with everything she has to stay on top. Also, one of the only few times in history I would say a countout finish actually benefits the match and fits the story. Just the best of two wrestling worlds colliding to produce an hybrid masterpiece of a match. I don't think it is as good as other classic joshi bouts, or another classic lucha brawls, but the merit is in the mix of those two great styles.