The Re-Rewatchening
May 6, 2021 11:48:41 GMT -5
Post by nintendologic on May 6, 2021 11:48:41 GMT -5
As several of you know, I undertook a project last year where I watched and ranked what I considered at the time to be my 200 favorite matches. Over the course of the project, many old favorites endured, others fell off, and several new discoveries made it onto my list. As a result, I am now roughly 99% certain which matches will be on my 2021 GME ballot. I just need to work out the order. To that end, I plan on providing more in-depth reviews of each of the matches on my prospective ballot. For my previous rewatching project, I tried to approach the matches with fresh eyes and avoid preconceived notions, so my reviews tended to be semi-impressionistic observations on themes and moments that jumped out at me. I have a better idea of where I stand now, so I'll be doing more of a sales pitch this time around. Also, rather than assigning a star rating, I'll be placing each match into one of four tiers. The tiers are as follows:
Tier 1: The creme de la creme. The desert island matches I absolutely couldn't do without. ****3/4-***** range.
Tier 2: Matches that are a clear step down from the top tier while remaining locks for my ballot. Maybe the lows are lower or the highs aren't quite as high. ****1/2-****3/4 range.
Tier 3: Matches whose placement on my ballot is more tenuous. Maybe it's a match that fills a particular niche for me or has plenty of cool moments but is somewhat lacking in depth. If I need to make room on my ballot for something new, these are the matches on the chopping block. Solid ****1/2 range.
I'll also keep a running tally of the matches in each tier in the OP. With any luck, I'll have this completed by the 2021 deadline. I can already sense that the 2026 GWE (which I don't plan to participate in) is diverting people's attention and energy from GME, so I'm hoping this will stand as my definitive statement on match reviews.
Tier 1
Jerry Lawler vs. Bill Dundee (Memphis, 6/6/83)
Jumbo Tsuruta/Genichiro Tenryu vs. Riki Choshu/Yoshiaki Yatsu (AJPW, 1/28/86)
Jushin Liger vs. Naoki Sano (NJPW, 8/10/89)
Mitsuharu Misawa/Toshiaki Kawada/Kenta Kobashi vs. Jumbo Tsuruta/Akira Taue/Masanobu Fuchi (AJPW, 10/19/90)
Vader vs. Sting (WCW, 7/12/92)
Vader vs. Sting (WCW, 12/28/92)
Akira Hokuto vs. Shinobu Kandori (AJW, 4/2/93)
Jerry Lawler vs. Bill Dundee (Memphis, 6/6/83)
Jumbo Tsuruta/Genichiro Tenryu vs. Riki Choshu/Yoshiaki Yatsu (AJPW, 1/28/86)
Jushin Liger vs. Naoki Sano (NJPW, 8/10/89)
Mitsuharu Misawa/Toshiaki Kawada/Kenta Kobashi vs. Jumbo Tsuruta/Akira Taue/Masanobu Fuchi (AJPW, 10/19/90)
Vader vs. Sting (WCW, 7/12/92)
Vader vs. Sting (WCW, 12/28/92)
Akira Hokuto vs. Shinobu Kandori (AJW, 4/2/93)
Mitsuharu Misawa/Kenta Kobashi vs. Toshiaki Kawada/Akira Taue (AJPW, 12/3/93)
Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Toshiaki Kawada (AJPW, 6/3/94)
Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Akira Taue (AJPW, 4/15/95)
Mitsuharu Misawa/Kenta Kobashi vs. Toshiaki Kawada/Akira Taue (AJPW, 6/9/95)
Mitsuharu Misawa/Jun Akiyama vs. Toshiaki Kawada/Akira Taue (AJPW, 5/23/96)
Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin (WWF, 11/17/96)
Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Kenta Kobashi (AJPW, 1/20/97)
Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin (WWF, 3/23/97)
Kenta Kobashi vs. Jun Akiyama (AJPW, 7/24/98)
Steve Austin vs. Kurt Angle (WWF, 8/19/01)
Kenta Kobashi vs. Yoshihiro Takayama (NOAH, 4/25/04)
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada (NJPW, 4/7/13)
Brock Lesnar vs. CM Punk (WWE, 8/18/13)
Mitsuharu Misawa/Kenta Kobashi vs. Toshiaki Kawada/Akira Taue (AJPW, 6/9/95)
Mitsuharu Misawa/Jun Akiyama vs. Toshiaki Kawada/Akira Taue (AJPW, 5/23/96)
Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin (WWF, 11/17/96)
Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Kenta Kobashi (AJPW, 1/20/97)
Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin (WWF, 3/23/97)
Kenta Kobashi vs. Jun Akiyama (AJPW, 7/24/98)
Steve Austin vs. Kurt Angle (WWF, 8/19/01)
Kenta Kobashi vs. Yoshihiro Takayama (NOAH, 4/25/04)
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada (NJPW, 4/7/13)
Brock Lesnar vs. CM Punk (WWE, 8/18/13)
Tier 2
Jerry Lawler vs. Terry Funk (Memphis, 3/23/81)
MS-1 vs. Sangre Chicana (EMLL, 9/23/83)
Midnight Rockers vs. Buddy Rose/Doug Somers (AWA, 8/30/86)
Riki Choshu vs. Yoshiaki Fujiwara (NJPW, 6/9/87)
Tatsumi Fujinami/Riki Choshu/Akira Maeda/Kengo Kimura/Super Strong Machine vs. Antonio Inoki/Yoshiaki Fujiwara/Seiji Sakaguchi/Kantaro Hoshino/Keiji Mutoh (NJPW, 8/19/87)
Ric Flair vs. Terry Funk (WCW, 7/23/89)
Stan Hansen/Genichiro Tenryu vs. Jumbo Tsuruta/Yoshiaki Yatsu (AJPW, 12/6/89)
Vader vs. Keiji Mutoh (NJPW, 8/10/91)
Mitsuharu Misawa/Toshiaki Kawada vs. Jumbo Tsuruta/Akira Taue (AJPW, 11/29/91)
Rick Rude vs. Ricky Steamboat (WCW, 6/20/92)
Genichiro Tenryu/Koki Kitahara vs. Shiro Koshinaka/Kengo Kimura (WAR, 10/23/92)
Stan Hansen vs. Toshiaki Kawada (AJPW, 2/28/93)
Bret Hart vs. Mr. Perfect (WWF, 6/13/93)
Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart (WWF, 3/20/94)
Shawn Michaels vs. Mankind (WWF, 9/22/96)
Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio Jr. (WCW, 10/26/97)
Shinya Hashimoto vs. Kazuo Yamazaki (NJPW, 8/2/98)
Kenta Kobashi/Jun Akiyama vs. Stan Hansen/Akira Taue (AJPW, 12/3/99)
Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Jun Akiyama (AJPW, 2/27/00)
Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Jun Akiyama (AJPW, 2/27/00)
Toshiaki Kawada/Masanobu Fuchi vs. Yuji Nagata/Takashi Iizuka (NJPW, 12/14/00)
Kenta Kobashi vs. Yoshinari Ogawa (NOAH, 11/1/03)
Eddie Guerrero vs. Brock Lesnar (WWE, 2/15/04)
Mitsuharu Misawa/Yoshinari Ogawa vs. KENTA/Naomichi Marufuji (NOAH, 4/25/04)
Kenta Kobashi/Go Shiozaki vs. Genichiro Tenryu/Jun Akiyama (NOAH, 4/24/05)
Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio (WWE, 6/23/05)
Samoa Joe vs. AJ Styles (TNA, 12/11/05)
Samoa Joe vs. AJ Styles (TNA, 12/11/05)
John Cena vs. Umaga (WWE, 1/28/07)
AJ Styles vs. Minoru Suzuki (NJPW, 8/1/14)
Tier 3
Giant Baba vs. Billy Robinson (AJPW, 7/24/76)
Dynamite Kid vs. Tatsumi Fujinami (NJPW, 2/5/80)
Jerry Lawler vs. Dutch Mantell (Memphis, 3/22/82)
Sgt. Slaughter vs. Iron Sheik (WWF, 6/16/84)
Jim Duggan vs. Ted DiBiase (Mid-South, 3/22/85)
Ricky Steamboat/Tito Santana vs. Greg Valentine/Brutus Beefcake (WWF, 4/21/85)
Ted DiBiase vs. Dick Murdoch (Mid-South, 12/31/85)
Hart Foundation vs. Killer Bees (WWF, 2/17/86)
Randy Savage vs. Tito Santana (WWF, 4/22/86)
Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat (WWF, 2/15/87)
Lex Luger/Barry Windham vs. Arn Anderson/Tully Blanchard (NWA, 3/27/88)
Stan Hansen/Terry Gordy vs. Genichiro Tenryu/Toshiaki Kawada (AJPW, 12/16/88)
Lex Luger vs. Ricky Steamboat (WCW, 7/23/89)
Hart Foundation vs. Killer Bees (WWF, 2/17/86)
Randy Savage vs. Tito Santana (WWF, 4/22/86)
Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat (WWF, 2/15/87)
Lex Luger/Barry Windham vs. Arn Anderson/Tully Blanchard (NWA, 3/27/88)
Stan Hansen/Terry Gordy vs. Genichiro Tenryu/Toshiaki Kawada (AJPW, 12/16/88)
Lex Luger vs. Ricky Steamboat (WCW, 7/23/89)
Ultimate Warrior vs. Rick Rude (WWF, 8/28/89)
Rock & Roll Express vs. Midnight Express (WCW, 2/25/90)
Riki Choshu/Kensuke Sasaki/Shiro Koshinaka/Kuniaki Kobayashi/Kantaro Hoshino vs. Animal Hamaguchi/Masanobu Kurisu/Super Strong Machine/Tatsutoshi Goto/Hiro Saito (NJPW, 6/26/90)
Steiner Brothers vs. Nasty Boys (WCW, 10/27/90)
Riki Choshu/Kensuke Sasaki/Shiro Koshinaka/Kuniaki Kobayashi/Kantaro Hoshino vs. Animal Hamaguchi/Masanobu Kurisu/Super Strong Machine/Tatsutoshi Goto/Hiro Saito (NJPW, 6/26/90)
Steiner Brothers vs. Nasty Boys (WCW, 10/27/90)
Mitsuharu Misawa/Toshiaki Kawada/Tsuyoshi Kikuchi vs. Jumbo Tsuruta/Akira Taue/Masanobu Fuchi (AJPW, 10/15/91)
Barry Windham/Dustin Rhodes vs. Steve Austin/Larry Zbyszko (WCW, 2/29/92)
Mitsuharu Misawa/Toshiaki Kawada/Kenta Kobashi vs. Jumbo Tsuruta/Akira Taue/Masanobu Fuchi (AJPW, 5/22/92)
Kenta Kobashi/Tsuyoshi Kikuchi vs. Doug Furnas/Dan Kroffat (AJPW, 5/25/92)
Ricky Steamboat/Shane Douglas vs. Barry Windham/Brian Pillman (WCW, 12/28/92)
Genichiro Tenryu/Takashi Ishikawa vs. Tatsumi Fujinami/Hiroshi Hase (WAR, 2/14/93)
Cactus Jack vs. Paul Orndorff (WCW, 2/21/93)
Mitsuharu Misawa/Kenta Kobashi/Tsuyoshi Kikuchi vs. Toshiaki Kawada/Akira Taue/Yoshinari Ogawa (AJPW, 6/3/93)
Mitsuharu Misawa/Kenta Kobashi/Tsuyoshi Kikuchi vs. Toshiaki Kawada/Akira Taue/Yoshinari Ogawa (AJPW, 6/3/93)
Genichiro Tenryu/Takashi Ishikawa vs. Shinya Hashimoto/Michiyoshi Ohara (NJPW, 6/14/93)
Barry Windham vs 2 Cold Scorpio (WCW, 6/16/93)
Stan Hansen vs. Kenta Kobashi (AJPW, 7/29/93)
Dustin Rhodes vs. Bunkhouse Buck (WCW, 4/17/94)
Stan Hansen vs. Kenta Kobashi (AJPW, 7/29/93)
Dustin Rhodes vs. Bunkhouse Buck (WCW, 4/17/94)
Shawn Michaels/Diesel vs. Razor Ramon/123 Kid (WWF, 10/30/94)
Vader vs. Dustin Rhodes (WCW, 11/16/94)
Mitsuharu Misawa/Kenta Kobashi vs. Steve Williams/Johnny Ace (AJPW, 12/10/94)
Bret Hart/British Bulldog vs. Owen Hart/Bob Backlund (WWF, 2/26/95)
Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Toshiaki Kawada (AJPW, 7/24/95)
Bret Hart vs. British Bulldog (WWF, 12/17/95)
Mitsuharu Misawa/Jun Akiyama vs. Toshiaki Kawada/Akira Taue (AJPW, 12/6/96)
Aja Kong vs. Manami Toyota (AJW, 8/20/97)
Kenta Kobashi/Jun Akiyama vs. Toshiaki Kawada/Akira Taue (AJPW, 10/11/98)
Bret Hart vs. British Bulldog (WWF, 12/17/95)
Mitsuharu Misawa/Jun Akiyama vs. Toshiaki Kawada/Akira Taue (AJPW, 12/6/96)
Aja Kong vs. Manami Toyota (AJW, 8/20/97)
Kenta Kobashi/Jun Akiyama vs. Toshiaki Kawada/Akira Taue (AJPW, 10/11/98)
Kenta Kobashi/Jun Akiyama vs. Stan Hansen/Vader (AJPW, 12/5/98)
Daisuke Ikeda vs. Alexander Otsuka (Battlarts, 4/26/99)
Kenta Kobashi/Jun Akiyama vs. Yoshihiro Takayama/Takao Omori (AJPW, 10/30/99)
Hiroshi Tanahashi/Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Minoru Suzuki/Kensuke Sasaki (NJPW, 12/11/04)
Yoshihiro Takayama/Minoru Suzuki vs. Yuji Nagata/Naofumi Yamamoto (NJPW, 10/9/06)
Yoshihiro Takayama/Minoru Suzuki vs. Yuji Nagata/Naofumi Yamamoto (NJPW, 10/9/06)
Kensuke Sasaki vs. KENTA (NOAH, 7/18/08)
Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus (WWE, 4/29/12)
Kazuchika Okada vs. Togi Makabe (NJPW, 6/22/13)
Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus (WWE, 4/29/12)
Kazuchika Okada vs. Togi Makabe (NJPW, 6/22/13)
Hirooki Goto/Katsuyori Shibata vs. Yuji Nagata/Tomoaki Honma (NJPW, 6/21/14)
Katsuyori Shibata vs. Tomoaki Honma (NJPW, 8/3/14)
Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns (WWE, 3/29/15)
Brock Lesnar vs. AJ Styles (WWE, 11/19/17)
Darby Allin vs. Brian Cage (AEW, 1/13/21)
CM Punk vs. Eddie Kingston (AEW, 11/13/21)