Skip to main content

I Actually Prefer The OTHER Match

I was watching Summerslam '92 the other day and realized that I like that Warrior/Savage match more than I like their Wrestlemania 7 match even though I think most would say that the WM7 match is "better." Got me thinking this could be a good blog topic: times where two guys have a "definitive" match but you prefer a different one. Another example for me is that I prefer not only the Hell in a Cell match, but the Ground Zero match between Shawn and Undertaker more than I their two Wrestlemania matches. And while I disagree, I know there are people that like Bret/Austin at Survivor Series '96 more than they like the historic Wrestlemania 13 match. Hell, I know a guy that prefers Hogan/Warrior at Halloween Havoc over their Wrestlemania 6 match simply for the comedy factor. So are their any times where you prefer a lesser renowned match between two guys that have put on a "better" match elsewhere?

​I used to like that match, but then it got too mainstream and I now prefer another one that's too obscure for anyone else to have heard about.  Sorry, hipster moment there.  

My pick would definitely be the Shawn-Razor ladder rematch at Summerslam 95, which had the benefit of building off the first match and featured two guys who were a year wiser and more over.

Shawn v. Austin at WM14 was historic and pretty good, but King of the Ring 97 is a bonafide lost classic between them. 

That should get you started. ​

Comments

  1. Michaels vs. Triple H on RAW at the end of '03, as opposed to their 2002 Street Fight, Another one of the late '03 signals that Shawn had come ALL the way back from his injury.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Probably one of mine, too. I also really like their Taboo Tuesday match that's all about Shawn's busted leg, too.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hart v Michaels at S/Series 92 is much better than the Iron Man. But they got the Iron Man all wrong, as many would concur.

    ReplyDelete
  4. There are multiple Michaels/Flair matches I might like over the WM one, but all Michaels/Flair matches are enjoyed by me.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I prefer Angle/Benoit from Unforgiven 2002 to their Rumble classic.

    Cena/Brock SummerSlam over Extreme Rules.

    ReplyDelete
  6. The Michaels-Jericho ladder match from 2008; I like It much better than Mania 19.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I'll just get this one out of the way and save everyone some time.

    Instead of Cena/Punk at MITB '11, I like multiple other matches better. The Raw before Wrestlemania was a fantastic match, an easy ***** for me. I even liked the Summerslam match they had immediately following MITB, it was a better wrestled match.

    MITB was a great spectacle but the match wasn't as good as their other tries.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Cm punk john cena on raw before wrestlemania 29 was better than the one on Ppv in Chicago (although the atmosphere was second to none)

    ReplyDelete
  9. I'll do you one better: Their Unsanctioned Match at Unforgiven 2008 over Ladder Match.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Legit leg injury that night too, right?

    ReplyDelete
  11. Taker-Giant Gonzalez II at Summerslam 93 somehow managed to top their Mania thrill fest. Beat that.

    ReplyDelete
  12. YankeesHoganTripleHFanNovember 2, 2014 at 5:47 PM

    Everything is better then the Iron Man. Bastion Booger vs Visera was better then the iron man. The Iron Man sucked

    ReplyDelete
  13. Prefer the Ground Zero hbk-ut match over hell in a cell.

    Not sure what the consensus is on edge UT but I liked the tlc match over the wm one.

    Prefer the summer slam tlc over the wm 17 one.

    ReplyDelete
  14. YankeesHoganTripleHFanNovember 2, 2014 at 5:48 PM

    Shawn Taker at WM 26 over Shawn Taker at 25. It was just better for some reason.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I prefer Bret Hart vs Mr. Perfect from King of the Ring 1993 over Summerslam 1991 because I totally dug (my interpretation of) the former's story.


    Essentially, Bret is out wrestling Perfect by a hair, Perfect drops the wrestling thing to bend the rules a bit, and then Bret is barely able to hang on to win, with a last-ditch, last-second counter.


    Perfect, knowing that he was bested on both the wrestling, and fighting fronts, gives Bret the...perfect handshake after the match. Just aggressive enough to say "damn you...you got me. Good match."

    ReplyDelete
  16. YankeesHoganTripleHFanNovember 2, 2014 at 5:49 PM

    I see your Taker-Gonzales and raise you a Hogan vs Warrior at HH 98.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Aside from the finish, I liked Punk vs Cena from Night of Champions 2012 a lot. That's a match that doesn't seem to get mentioned much.

    ReplyDelete
  18. It even get a cameo in Hangover 3!

    ReplyDelete
  19. YankeesHoganTripleHFanNovember 2, 2014 at 5:57 PM

    "your father never beat my father." Dammit now I want to see Stu Hart vs Larry the Ax Henning.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Count me as preferring the Austin-Hart Survivor Series 96 to the Wrestlemania 13 match. I just love the "who's the best pure wrestler" type matches.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Yeah I think he hurt it in a main event schmozz segment on the go home show. Very good little forgotten match.

    ReplyDelete
  22. YankeesHoganTripleHFanNovember 2, 2014 at 6:01 PM

    i respect that. I prefer violence but I get it.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Rock/Austin at WM19 is my favorite of their WM Trilogy. The story is just so much better and the match is purely character driven. Also, this was a time LONG before it took three finishers to pin a guy. Rock giving Austin three straight Rock Bottoms was very emotional. The SMACK of the third one in particular is even more powerful in hindsight having it be Austin's last match.

    ReplyDelete
  24. I was going to say the same thing about the summerslam tlc.

    i am with the orginal emailer on the HIAC match, but i can't put there ground zero match in the same area as the other 3. It's a fun brawl, with a gopd story, but it's not as good as the other 3.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Flair/ Steambot had classics in 89, but there match on Main event was there best.

    /hipster

    ReplyDelete
  26. I actually like the Michaels/Taker HIAC quite a bit more than their Mania matches. The Mania matches, to me, felt more "manufactured" in comparison.

    ReplyDelete
  27. I always preferred Bret/Owen Summerslam 94 to the WMX match. Proved you don't need blood to end a blood feud and the match had such sheer emotion.

    ReplyDelete
  28. I don't know about you guys but the eighth iteration of Dolph-Kofi was the finest vintage.

    ReplyDelete
  29. That just happens to be the only Raw I've ever been to, and seeing that match live was the shit.

    ReplyDelete
  30. If I was given the choice to watch any of their matches right now (and with the WWE Network, I have such a choice, for only $9.99 a month) I would pick the Edge/Christian vs The Hardy Boyz Ladder match (the end of the Terry Invitational Tournament) over any of the TLC matches.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Agreed.

    To me, 25 was both guys trying to put on the "epic" match possible, pulling out all sorts of crazy spots, while 26 seemed like more of a real "grudge" between two guys wanting to beat each other.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Hart/Austin at Survivor Series is better than the WM13 match.
    Flair/Funk at the GAB is better than their I Quit match.
    Savage/Steamboat in Toronto on 2/15/87 is better than the WM3 match.

    Guerrero/Mysterio on Smackdown on 6/23/05 is better than the Havoc match.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Cena/Orton match #54562 was better than Cena/Orton match #23411.


    *drops the mic*

    ReplyDelete
  34. Look at the kids swinging on the jungle gym!

    I like the Bret/Owen lumberjack match from Action Zone, where Owen "wins" the WWF Title.

    ReplyDelete
  35. The worst part, for me, about them having 6000 matches, is thay I thought their Summerslam 2007 match, including buildup, was one of the best things I have ever witnessed live as a fan. Truly had no idea who was gonna win, and I love when that happens. The fact they've fought so many times afterwards hurts that match retroactively in my eyes.

    ReplyDelete
  36. I hated the cage match, and preferred the Action Zone match to it (obviously I have the WMX match tops)

    ReplyDelete
  37. I honestly don't even remember which match that was. I used to have almost encyclopaedic knowledge of WWE history, up to about...somewhere around 1999, when my interest started waning. Cena's reign is especially a big blur for me. Which match was that? Or the story/build up?

    ReplyDelete
  38. I agree...plus I wasn't too crazy about the whole 'fight into the crowd' bit, which I've *never* liked in any match

    ReplyDelete
  39. That one match where neither guy was interesting and did the exact same routine was better than the other matches where they were boring and did the same routine.

    ReplyDelete
  40. Oh, okay. That clears up....well, nothing, actually.

    ReplyDelete
  41. What WAS Cena/Orton match #1?

    ReplyDelete
  42. Bastion Booger never fought 'Visera'...or 'Viscera', either...he did however fight Mabel.

    ReplyDelete
  43. The best thing about their 45 year feud was when the pointed at the wm sign (rr I think) and the crowd just booed the hell out of them. That was awesome

    ReplyDelete
  44. Bret Hart v. Mr. Perfect. I prefer their KOTR match over SummerSlam. I know people recognize KOTR for quality, but it usually gets shuffled aside because Slam was Bret's "big breakout" moment, while the rematch was just a tournament semi-final.

    ReplyDelete
  45. Helped that there wasn't time being burned while Taker recovered from not getting caught by Snuka Jr.

    ReplyDelete
  46. YankeesHoganTripleHFanNovember 2, 2014 at 6:46 PM

    Well I was drinking an hour ago and couldn't remember how to spell Mabel...same thing though

    ReplyDelete
  47. Hm.... Hipster Scott would be interesting.

    ReplyDelete
  48. Actually, come to think of it, isn't hipster Scott just that dude that always posts Japanese wrestling matches?

    ReplyDelete
  49. The Ax was supposed to go over Stu but the match was in Canada.

    ReplyDelete
  50. The beauty is they are two totally different matches, it's almost unfair to compair them.

    ReplyDelete
  51. No! That was selling!!

    /sarcasm

    ReplyDelete
  52. But NJPW because they're too corporate and mainstream, man.

    ReplyDelete
  53. Bret/HBK Montreal is vastly underrated and IMO way more exciting than their Mania match.

    ReplyDelete
  54. HBK and HHH didn't seem to have any middle ground. Whenever they wrestled it was either a classic (this Raw match, Summerslam 2002) or a snoozefest (the HitC, Rumble 2004)

    ReplyDelete
  55. Bret/Shawn at 30 minutes was awesome. Bret/Shawn at 60 minutes was interminable. Really, the build for WM12 should've just been "these guys are going to have the best match in Wrestlemania history, check it out" and made it a normal one-fall bout that happened to go 40-45 minutes.

    ReplyDelete
  56. It's one of the best matches of the 90's. It's the best match of 1993 in fact.

    ReplyDelete
  57. 17 was their best....but I've really come to appreciate the 19 match based on the class shown by Rock at the end. 15 we can agree though was a steaming pile of shit.

    ReplyDelete
  58. Don't misunderstand. It made me laugh. Just too easy of a joke to sell.

    ReplyDelete
  59. The build for it was better for sure. In fact it's one of the greatest things they've ever done.

    ReplyDelete
  60. Agreed. I lean towards the NOC match as the one I enjoy most these days, though Summerslam is a criminally underrated effort.

    ReplyDelete
  61. Ive always thought that was scott under a pen name.

    slight TJ: Do hipsters even like TNA

    ReplyDelete
  62. If I was from anywhere else, I'd say Punk/Cena from the Feb. '13 Raw over their MITB match for being a modern wrestling clinic.

    ReplyDelete
  63. TNA is the Pabst BPR of wrestling.

    ReplyDelete
  64. I prefer Austin-Dude at Unforgiven to their match at Over the Edge, and Taker-Batista at Cyber Sunday to WM.

    ReplyDelete
  65. I would've been a fan of them both for life, if they would've done that again, last year.

    ReplyDelete
  66. Ross constantly talking about how this was the last time we'd see this match made it sound so epic.

    ReplyDelete
  67. Everyone goes on about Flair/Steamboat at Clash but I prefer Chi-Town Rumble over both the other matches of that trilogy.

    ReplyDelete
  68. Yeah, the whole damn point of Iron Man is to score as many falls as possible, having them go all the way at 0-0 defeats the purpose.

    ReplyDelete
  69. Watch SSW, and join the anti-hipster movement.

    ReplyDelete
  70. Give it time. They'll square off at probably 8 of the next ten rumbles and hundreds of other ppvs on top of that.

    ReplyDelete
  71. Adam "Colorado" CurryNovember 2, 2014 at 8:02 PM

    Can I still drink PBR? I know it's the so-called hipster beer, but fuck, it's a good beer, and only $8.25 for a 12er.

    ReplyDelete
  72. The rematch at Backlash that year blew WM 15 out of the water.

    ReplyDelete
  73. I prefer the Clash VI Flair vs Steamboat match to any of their other matches.

    ReplyDelete
  74. Yeah but we will probably never see the same atmosphere as in the rumble match this last year. Orton pointing to the mania sign, with his history, while already getting shit on would have been epic.

    ReplyDelete
  75. Adam "Colorado" CurryNovember 2, 2014 at 8:06 PM

    I think the second ladder match sucks, I much prefer the WMX one.

    ReplyDelete
  76. HHH/UT at WM17 (over either of their later matches). I liked this match more than everybody else did for some reason. The sledgehammer/last ride spot was great.

    Edge/Eddie on Smackdown in 2002 (over either Summerslam or Unforgiven matches). The fact that I even remembered a televised match from 12 years ago means it was pretty damn good. Highlight was Eddie jumping over a ladder to MDK powerbomb Edge. Looked even better than it sounds and the crowd was hot for the match.

    ReplyDelete
  77. There is a bar near me where you can get them for $1.

    ReplyDelete
  78. Having watched all 3 '89 matches in a row recently, I gotta go with the Chi-Town Rumble one as the best for me. It's longer than Wrestlewar, and the drama of rooting for someone to beat heel champ Flair after so long outweighed the faster pace of that one and the deeper psychology of the Clash match.

    ReplyDelete
  79. Yep, me too.

    ReplyDelete
  80. Yeah, the cage match is too repetitive for me...they each stopped each other from climbing over about 40 times it felt like.

    ReplyDelete
  81. I also like the Vader vs Sting match from Bash '92 more than any of their other matches, which were all awesome.

    I like Rude vs Warrior from WrestleMania 5 the most out of their matches, and Rude vs Sting from Clash 17 the most out of their matches too.

    I also like the HHH vs Shawn match from Raw in Dec 2003 quite a bit.

    I also prefer Flair vs Luger from WrestleWar '90 and also Capital Combat to their stuff from 1988.

    ReplyDelete
  82. The end of that match was great.

    ReplyDelete
  83. Actually, they didn't boo at all. It was just utter and complete silence... twice. Was quite amusing.

    ReplyDelete
  84. Their Rumble match pissed me off so bad. I was there live and I was so hyped for that match after seeing the last RAW of '03, and all they did was lie around and bleed. The Rumble match thankfully saved the night...though it's been tainted a bit since.

    ReplyDelete
  85. http://youtu.be/sk_qfke1wN0

    Fucking hilarious and vaguely related to the thread


    ReplyDelete
  86. I think most would say mania 5 was Rude and Warriors best.

    i agree with HHH and Micheals

    ReplyDelete
  87. THIS!

    I have nothing against the ladder match, but I definitely didn't get into it as much as others seemed to. The unsanctioned match, however... holy fuck, I love that match. Just so much raw hatred exhibited from Shawn, and with Jericho being in top form as a heel to boot. Just phenomanal.

    ReplyDelete
  88. The best part is that they made you hate Jericho so much and wanted to see Michaels kick his ass and(here's the crazy part) THEY DELIVERED! Shawn brutalized Jericho and left him laying. It was everything you wanted to see for months.

    ReplyDelete
  89. Hulk Hogan vs. Don Muraco - their first meeting in MSG. Hogan does mat work, hits a enziguri - although Muraco can't sell it -- and Hogan counters the tombstone pile driver in a unique way. Oh and Hogan jobs by count out too. Shockingly, a good little match between them.

    ReplyDelete
  90. A Hogan/Andre match from 1980/81 with Hogan in red trunks. I find that match more exciting than their WM 3 match. I think it is from Phili with Graham and Rudman on the mic.

    ReplyDelete
  91. No way, Rude/Warrior from Summerslam is worlds better than their WrestleMania V tilt.


    Or at least that would be the popular opinion.


    What do you think is the definitive Sting/Vader match, if it's not the title change from Bash '92?

    ReplyDelete
  92. We're gonna keep seeing that match until Cena's bus crashes into Orton's bus.

    ReplyDelete
  93. I always thought the mania match was move liked. You can have my smark card.

    i never said there bash 92 match wasn't there best. The only one I thought i couldd argue witn was the rude/warrior one, but i do like there starrcade one best. The triangle match with bossman is a close second.

    ReplyDelete
  94. Diff'rent strokes and all, but WM5 has a number of problems--namely a lot of blown spots by the Warrior. By SummerSlam the two had their chemistry down and the result is one of the lost WWF classics of the '80s. SummerSlam also has Rude's rope escape after Warrior hits a powerslam, one of the best-timed near-falls ever.

    ReplyDelete
  95. KOTR has a far more interesting story, with Perfect as a babyface acting as a heel. Plus Perfect's back is merely in very bad shape as opposed to being totally fucked.

    ReplyDelete
  96. Really? The wm17 match was passable and all thanks to hhh but I don't think anywhere near their other wm matches. The it was so out if shape and lazy back then. His best match was riding his bike to the ring. And that match was thrown together in the fly bc neither had anything to do. To each their own and all, interesting perspective.

    ReplyDelete
  97. Strap match @ SuperBrawl 3, no doubt

    ReplyDelete
  98. Chi-Town is my favorite two, and I think we are for sure in the minority as most others go with Clash and Wrestlewar

    ReplyDelete
  99. I love so much that Chicago Bear player (which I think was a guest of Flair), and it's clear he is a total mark and buys it as a shoot and he is legit pissed when Ricky wins

    ReplyDelete
  100. The worst part is, they still haven't even had at least one **** 1/2 match together

    ReplyDelete
  101. Dude that third rock bottom was amazing. The loud smack and Austin selling like he got shot with a gun point blank range, just amazing. Perfect end to a career. Plus the moment they had right after as well

    ReplyDelete
  102. Like Backlash the year later with Rock/HHH, should have just been the WM main event

    ReplyDelete
  103. Never been a fan of that match at all actually. Maybe I need to rewatch it

    ReplyDelete
  104. Still trying to figure out how that didn't leave Taker paralyzed

    ReplyDelete
  105. Was that the double pin finish?

    ReplyDelete
  106. I think that's really what made Bret Hart a great wrestler. Compare his matches against multiple opponents to, say, how John Cena or Hulk Hogan worked. Hart suited the way the match was constructed and worked to the story being told in the ring. It wasn't just "a Bret Hart match" with opponents slotted in.

    ReplyDelete
  107. ...vs what famous, definitive match the two had?

    ReplyDelete
  108. Very true, plus it has one of my favorite spots as the finish.

    HBK's cut throat and slap to Taker's face leading to the Tombstone always has me come out of my seat, no matter how many times I have seen it. However I do like the overall vibe of 25 better.

    ReplyDelete
  109. That last statement is a bold one, as Havoc '97 is one of the best Lucha-ish matches ever.

    ReplyDelete
  110. I always preferred the Terri Invitational Tournament Series.

    ReplyDelete
  111. Was that the one where Orton punt kicked Cena's dad?

    ReplyDelete
  112. I like all Randy Orton vs John Cena matches equally.

    ReplyDelete
  113. I prefer the Bret/Bulldog rematch at the Dec, 95 IYH to the Wembley match.

    ReplyDelete
  114. I'm more mystified by them than anything. Like a puzzle I'll never solve but can't stop playing.

    ReplyDelete
  115. I loved Their Summerslam 2007 match. It was great and the crowd was wild and into it. I can't tell you how pissed I was that the rematch at Unforgiven was a 10 minute fuck you to the fans.

    ReplyDelete
  116. It gets more boring every time I watch it. Still a good technical match but it honestly bores me for much of it.

    ReplyDelete
  117. Id also go Chi Town Rumble...

    ReplyDelete
  118. I like the Cena/Michaels WM match more than the RAW in London match.

    ReplyDelete
  119. I always liked Brock/Cena from way back in 2003. Brock was the guy, and Cena was entertaining as hell. 2012 was a much better match, but if I had to pick one right now to entertain me the most, I'd go back to the first one.

    ReplyDelete
  120. Their WM17 match seemed so much faster paced and I was never bored. Maybe it helped that I had low expectations and Undertaker winning wasn't a foregone conclusion at that point.


    I liked the WM27 match, too, but those early rest spots were so so goddamn long. I've never cared for the bloodless HIAC match. Shawn's soap opera theatrics turned it into unintentional comedy for me.

    ReplyDelete
  121. WWE can't seem to stop playing that puzzle, either.

    ReplyDelete
  122. True, and same reason I take Michaels over Flair. Oddly, also the reason I take Michaels over Hart; I just feel like I've seen Shawn in more different kinds of stories/matches than anyone else. Bret did about 15-20 different stories, which is probably the second most, but I feel like Shawn did like 40. Both had their big/little standby for when they got stuck with Sid, but both even managed to get two legit interesting and unique matches out of Diesel, and all four matches feel totally different.

    ReplyDelete
  123. Yeah. But everything leading up to it is great, so I don't mind.

    ReplyDelete
  124. The HIAC is one match I'd never show to my non-fan friends, for the simple reason that they'd laugh their asses off at Shawns entrance alone.

    ReplyDelete
  125. Breaking Point came close IMO.

    ReplyDelete
  126. Gunther the Nasty LoserNovember 3, 2014 at 12:16 AM

    Angle/HBK from Vengeance '05 > WM 21

    ReplyDelete
  127. Hold that 10 for Johnny B. BadNovember 3, 2014 at 12:51 AM

    I might agree with you there, but I'm not sure. Both of those are probably in my top 10. Their Night of Champions match is a classic as well.

    ReplyDelete
  128. Hold that 10 for Johnny B. BadNovember 3, 2014 at 12:57 AM

    Breaking Point was the snuff film match. It was incredibly interesting to watch b/c it was just so different than anything else I've ever seen. That said, I've yet to watch it since the night it aired on ppv. Maybe I'll give it another go on the (freaking awesome) WWE Network this week. (Even though they "over promised," I can't help but still be happy with what they "under-delivered.")

    ReplyDelete
  129. Hold that 10 for Johnny B. BadNovember 3, 2014 at 1:09 AM

    I'll see your in unsanctioned match, and raise you their Judgement Day match from that year. Just a really interesting match with lots of unique spots and counters in it.

    ReplyDelete
  130. Hold that 10 for Johnny B. BadNovember 3, 2014 at 1:12 AM

    I actually prefer Booger vs Bam Bam to Boogee vs Mabel.

    ReplyDelete
  131. Actually I liked the WM15 and the Backlash one more than their WM17 or 19 version, because the 99 matches had a story and fun booking, where the later ones were just because and didn't had anything special.

    ReplyDelete
  132. I liked 15 - just because it was Austin winning back the title in a Hogan/Flair fashion.

    ReplyDelete
  133. King Of Cable at Starrcade '92 was awesome, as well.

    ReplyDelete
  134. There will always be a place for this ending of this match http://youtu.be/kCc4RvLyoe4

    Although X-Eight is great. That match on Raw with Hogan winning stil brings tests to my eyrs

    ReplyDelete
  135. What is considered the definitive Rock vs. HHH match? Ladder match at SummerSlam '98? Backlash 2000? The Iron Man match?

    ReplyDelete
  136. than* than* than*

    ReplyDelete
  137. vote for Chi Town

    ReplyDelete
  138. Clash
    Chi-Town
    WrestleWar


    But that's nitpicking between a 10, a 9.99999 and a 9.999

    ReplyDelete
  139. November 13, 2005, Monday Night RAW (Eddie Guerrero Tribute)


    Cena over Orton by DQ in 3:38.


    IF we can count their developmental days, you can go all the way back to August 9, 2001. But they only faced off twice in developmental, and were on opposite sides in two tag matches. Fun fact: They split the two singles matches.

    ReplyDelete
  140. But it was wrestlemania, so it counted twice!!!

    ReplyDelete
  141. I think it has to be Backlash, because that is one of the greatest 'SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT' matches of all time. It took the 'overbook the shit out of it' blueprint of Dude Love/Austin from two years prior and made something amazingly thrilling out of it.

    ReplyDelete
  142. Was kind of strange that they had the big moment of Rock winning... Only for HHH to take the title back the very next month.

    ReplyDelete
  143. as good as austin v hart at survivor series was, wm 13 is my fav match of all time. fucking amazing everytime i watch it.

    ReplyDelete
  144. I thought most people liked their Summer Slam '89 match more.

    ReplyDelete
  145. I like Bret/Bulldog from In Your House more than their SummerSlam match.

    ReplyDelete
  146. Those two were just peanut-butter and jelly together - some of the best chemistry I've ever seen, right up there with Flair/Steamboat, Taker/Shawn, and Angle/Benoit.

    ReplyDelete
  147. And then for Rock to win it back the month after that by pinning Vince. I think SS 00 is the only time the Rock secured a 100% clean as a sheet victory over HHH...ever?

    ReplyDelete
  148. No, TNA is the Staind of wrestling. Too lame for both hipsters and non-hipsters, and not successful enough to be Nickelback.

    ReplyDelete
  149. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJzakCdc0gA
    This Hogan vs. Savage match is the best I've seen
    There's also quite a few Steamboat/Savage matches on youtube that are just as good or better than the WM3 one

    ReplyDelete
  150. Hart/Michaels at Survivor Series '92 & '97 over the Iron Man at WrestleMania 12.


    Brain Busters/Rockers in L.A. over their first MSG match.


    Hart/Perfect from '89 and/or King of the King '93 over the SummerSlam '91 contest.


    Sting/Vader from Starrcade '92 over the other four PPV matches.

    ReplyDelete
  151. Was it a clean win when he beat HHH for the IC title on Raw back in early 97?

    ReplyDelete
  152. Technically, IYH was probably a better match. Hindsight says Bulldog was on a 14-day coke binge or something and Bret totally carried him in the SS match, etc., etc., but the atmosphere at SS was such a big part of that match it's really hard to compare. London > Hershey, PA. Plus, I'm a sucker for the intrigue of face vs. face matches. Finally, the SS match had historical significance because (again, according to Bret) it was the first time he went on last on PPV and it convinced Vince he could be the Champion and main eventer. Bret-Bulldog at IYH was a throw-away match on the way to Bret vs. Shawn at WM XII.
    But I can definitely see why people would prefer the IYH match. Added bonus: no vuvuzuelas!

    ReplyDelete
  153. Oh shit, yeah it was - a snap rollup out of nowhere.

    ReplyDelete
  154. Yep, it was the start of the disastrous Rocky Maivia face push. It aired on a Thursday RAW, the same episode where Shawn lost his smile. Fun fact: this was HHH's last pre-Chyna match. She debuted at Final Four the next Sunday.

    ReplyDelete
  155. I go with the Clash. Just out of curiosity, is there anyone willing to argue a non-1989 trilogy Flair-Steamboat as their best match? I really liked their 94 Spring Stampede match but I don't think it compares to any of their encounters five years before. Maybe an old school Mid Atlantic fan could make a case for their late-70s and early 80s encounters?

    ReplyDelete
  156. This is just anecdotal but it seems that more people speak up for the KOTR match these days than the Summerslam match. On this board especially, the KOTR match gets a ton of love. Maybe its just a vocal minority, though, who knows?
    And of course, there's always that house show match in Alaska Bret talks about. It must not have been taped because otherwise you'd think Bret would have picked it for the Dungeon DVD.

    ReplyDelete
  157. The Sting vs. Flair Clash match has to be considered the best, even though they did have some pretty good matches after (1993 Saturday Night, 95 Halloween Havoc). Ironically, their "biggest" match--GAB 90, where Sting won the belt, was pretty disappointing. Does the match where Flair won the belt back in January 1991 (Meadowlands house show) exist on tape? I've heard it was pretty lackluster, too.

    ReplyDelete
  158. While all of them are great, I've always preferred Flair/Steamboat from Spring Stampede to the '89 series.

    ReplyDelete
  159. Noted below I like that one best especially how they tease a Dusty finish with the other ref counting the pin but then they affirm it's Steamboat for the belt, a great ending there.

    ReplyDelete
  160. Not sure of the quality of the match, but I remember reading that there were literally dozens of people there to see it due to a snowstorm.

    ReplyDelete
  161. but imo the one from Survivor Series 1997 is their best match.

    ReplyDelete
  162. wasn't the idea for that particular match to show that these two are pretty much equals and therefore cancel each other out?

    ReplyDelete
  163. even if you didn't know that Hart was leaving you had the feeling *something* was up.

    ReplyDelete
  164. Perfect was on such a roll - the match against Hart, the Raw matches against Flair and Doink - that it makes it even weirder that the SummerSlam match against Michaels didn't live up to the hype at all.

    ReplyDelete
  165. I think their Backlash match would be my favorite.

    ReplyDelete
  166. I'd go with the Iron Man match.

    ReplyDelete
  167. I've always prefered HBK/Angle from Venegance 2005 over their WrestleMania 21 match. Maybe it's by virtue of seeing it first, but it was a little smoother, and that ending was fantastic (though telegraphed).

    ReplyDelete
  168. That Cyber Sunday match is fucking fantastic. I might go as high as ****1/2 on that. Plus, a rare clean Undertaker job, and on a throwaway PPV no less. Those two had wicked chemistry.

    ReplyDelete
  169. I was obviously only a little twerp at the time, but I get the feeling that if I were a fringe-smark teenager watching, Vince not being on commentary would be an eyebrow-raiser.

    ReplyDelete
  170. I've had a similar analogy: WM 25 is the insane summer blockbuster while 26 is more of the Oscar-nominated drama.

    ReplyDelete
  171. And the Cherry on top was HBK being absolutely horrified by the brutality he committed in the aftermath.

    ReplyDelete
  172. I think knowing that the winner of that would be the one who didn't win at WM made that a tad worse. You really didn't know who would win at Mania 21.

    ReplyDelete
  173. I thought that one was great, as well. I went to a house show they main evented around this time, and it was really good.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment