Hey, here's a good one from a Mr. Mallonee:
In honor of Daniel Bryan's impending multiple match performance at WM 30 who do you feel had the best performance at a PPV when they wrestled more than once? My personal favorite is Kurt Angle at King of the Ring when he fought Christian, Edge, and Shane-O Mac all in one night but I thought you and the Blog of Doom might have other ideas.
Actually I think you nailed it. I generally have an issue with Wrestler vs. Non Wrestler matches - for example even though Hogan and Vince had a great match, I thought it was weird that while Hogan is old he's still a 'wrestler' whereas Vince just sort of has matches occasionally. In a kayfabe sense, Hogan should dominate Vince. See also: Flair vs. Vince, and so on.
Now of course to have an entertaining match that can't happen, but it's a thing that can take you out of the narrative at least a bit.
Which is why I loved the above mentioned Kurt Angle pick. Since Angle had already wrestled twice, it would make sense to believe he was tired and weakened, and it gave Shane a fighting chance - though most of the match was Angle engaging in legalized assault and battery of a person smaller and less athletic than he is - which is generally how I do it too.
And my history is maybe fuzzy, but this was THE PPV that made Angle a legit star. If wiki is to be believed following this event the 'Invasion' started proper, and it was Angle as the proverbial American Hero against the evil WCW.
Aside from that, I'd imagine some of the folks doing doing crazy Japanese death matches deserve some credit. I don't have the testes to watch the Funk vs. Foley exploding ring match, and I don't know how good it was, but I'm assuming both dudes were so insanely tired and beat up that any actual match they had would be a victory in and of itself.
Speaking of Foley, it probably doesn't count but didn't he run in for the finish of the Austin v. Kane match at King of The Ring after taking those insane bumps?
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With a tear in my eye, I say Bret Hart at King Of The Ring 1993. Three good matches.
ReplyDeleteAgreed on Bret's KOTR run. I'd also mention the WMX double match with Owen and Yoko.
ReplyDeletebtw: Bret Hart seemed to have several ppvs on which he went on for more than once (maybe even more than any other WWE/F worker, especially "top stars"?): Royal Rumble 1994, WrestleMania X and Royal Rumble 1995.
ReplyDeleteBret Hart - Summerslam 1993.
ReplyDeleteDoink followed by Jerry Lawler.
"They're [referees] arguing with Owen Hart! Who cares about Owen Hart?! Get Bret Hart off the King!" - Bobby Heenan.
Plus that In Your House where he fought Lawler and Hakushi.
ReplyDeleteBret was my pick but the talk about Angle may have swayed me a little. It didn't "make" Angle in my mind because I already bought him as a major star but I was a big time mark for Angle back then so YMMV I guess.
ReplyDeleteI think it made him 'legit' to quasi-marks in that here's this kind of dorky asshole guy doing some real hardcore stuff. It's like when Yoda goes from adorable muppet to adorable wise muppet with super powers.
ReplyDeleteThe only man to ever wrestle in multiple WWE championship matches at consecutive Wrestlemania: Yokozuna.
ReplyDeleteThis record is about as unbreakable as Johnny Vander Meers consecutive no-hitter record.
Bret at Kotr 93 had 2 really good matches sandwiched around a great one. Savages matches wm4 were fine but Bret went out and put on good matches to carry the show
ReplyDeleteHogan - WM IX
ReplyDeleteOne Man Gang - Wrestlemania IV.
ReplyDeleteHaving just seen the Test/Stephanie wedding episode of RAW a few days ago, I will vote for Test wrestling Triple h in a match, and then wrestling with his choice of anti-perspirant during the wedding.
ReplyDeleteand, at least technically, against Doink and Lawler at SummerSlam 1993.
ReplyDeleteThat is an impressive and equally cringe worthy gif.
ReplyDeleteDidn't the glass not even break at first?
ReplyDeleteFor a non-wrestler, Shane had the balls to take the most ridiculous bumps. I guess he picked that up from Vince.
I remember an episode of Smackdown in 1999 where Triple H was forced to wrestle multiple gimmick matches by Vince.
ReplyDeleteHe always took a leap of faith.
ReplyDeleteDamn right
ReplyDeleteYou mean because he was a non-wrestler Shane had the balls to take the most ridiculous bumps. He never had to go out and perform the next night on a house show.
ReplyDeleteI fucking LOVE tournaments in wrestling. Even if the tournament turns out shitty, I still have fun trying to figure out the multiple ways the bracket will fill out. Thats why I miss King of the Ring so much. It was fun and an easy way to make somebody look great without having to put a title on them. I esspecially like one night tournaments. Seriously, why doesn't the WWE do tournaments/King of the Ring anymore? Or even a tournament to decide the #1 contendor to a belt? It's an easy way to fill up a RAW. Hopefully as they add more original content to the Network they'll put a KOTR /tourney mini PPV on there.
ReplyDeleteJYD at the Wrestling Classic!!
ReplyDeleteOnly because Moondog Spot (who also gutted out two ballsy performances on that show) made him look so good.
ReplyDeletePat Patterson wrestling three times in one night to win the IC Title.
ReplyDeleteHey guys, somebody help me out.
ReplyDeleteThis new girl at work said her dad wrestled with The Undertaker during the mid-80s in a tag team and his name isn't Dan Spivey. She can't remember his name because she's never met him and never cared to.
HELP.
- Funk at Barely legal.
ReplyDelete- danielson/ low ki/ Daniels at round robin challenge
- sting at starcade 89
- Austin - king of the ring. If just for returning from the hospital to finish.
I would love if they did a 64 man tournament that would go over the course of a few weeks. If I booked one, every match would tell a story that would affect something later on in the tournament.
ReplyDeleteThis is the correct answer.
ReplyDeleteDoes HHH in 3 title matches count?
ReplyDeleteThey make Daniel Bryan wrestle more than once too often and in really physical matches. He's going to burn himself out like Punk.
ReplyDeleteMean Mark Calloway? Wasn't he called that for awhile?
ReplyDeleteAlso I'd be weary of of things like, her absentee dad wrestler person said to her? Also is she on crack? She could be on crack.
Because somebody has to be "that guy", Bret didn't actually wrestle twice at the '95 Rumble. He only did run-ins during the Rumble match.
ReplyDeleteThough you could make the argument that carrying Diesel to a four-star match counted as two :)
Anyways.
ReplyDeleteTriple H at WrestleMania XXX.
ReplyDeleteYes, I am from the future. Avengers 2 is the tits.
It was probably from his WCCW days. I think he tagged with Eric Embry and maybe Phil Hickerson during those days.
ReplyDeleteTriple H: "That's the plan."
ReplyDeleteHim tagging with Embry totally seems like it happened.
ReplyDeleteoops, you're right. don't know why I mixed that up in my memory.
ReplyDeleteEmbry in WCCW, past that I have no idea.
ReplyDeleteStark bites it right?
ReplyDeleteMe too. Big one night tournament mark.
ReplyDeleteWow you guys are bringing it on the Ottie Award stuff! So many responses!
ReplyDeleteChris Jericho at the December 2001 PPV. He beat Steve Austin and the Rock in 2 matches on the same night to become the first Undisputed Champion.
ReplyDeleteYears later, Kevin Nash went up to Bret and said, with a tear in his quad, that it was the greatest performance he'd ever seen.
ReplyDeleteWhoever wrestled more than once in those Crockett Cup tournaments.
ReplyDeleteMankind in the Survivor Series tournament, more for his performance as a character than for his ring work. I really liked the gradual disintegration of his tux both to show the effects of his previous matches and as foreshadowing that he wasn't really the "corporate" pick to win the tournament.
ReplyDeleteI remember thinking that the Wrestlemania 10 match with Bret was one of the only matches with Yokozuna I ever really enjoyed, plus maybe one of the greatest opening matches ever, I'd vote for Bret on this one.
ReplyDeleteFrom a one-night storytelling perspective, I honestly think the high point of the WWE's output was that Survivor Series. I've never seen anything they've done that has ever matched it.
ReplyDeleteOH yeah, without question. Thats literally the match I show anyone who questions wrestling being a complete work. Occasionally you get a guy saying the concrete was fake, which makes me wonder what the hell Shane's skull X-Ray looked like after this shitshow and whether that would be considered fake as well.
ReplyDeleteThat match is still one of my favourites though. Even with C grade move execution, there was some high tension, a lot of emotion, and it was clear Angle wanted to beat Shane so bad that he would do just about anything, while Shane wanted the win so bad he tried to withstand everything and take advantage of any lapses in Angle's attack. That, ladies and gentlemen, is called "Great in-ring storytelling". See also: Cena, John v Punk, CM, Bryan, Daniel and Lesnar, Brock.
Edge no way out 2009
ReplyDeleteI really like this idea. It seems like it would be perfect for the summer months when it's a bit dull.
ReplyDeleteThe only answer is Bret at WM
ReplyDeleteThe Russo Swerve (that worked) that launched a thousand Russo Swerves (that didn't).
ReplyDeleteThis is kinda a dumb question, non offense. There are only like 5 plausible answers amd Bret at WM is the only intelligent answer
ReplyDeleteThe booking if that ppv, within a vacuum, is the best wrestling booking ever. Imo
ReplyDeleteBret at King of the Ring '93 is the only answer. Three matches at ***1/2 or greater (one being ***** in my book) with three very different opponents, resulting in three very different matches, with three different finishes... none of which were the Sharpshooter.
ReplyDeleteDrops mic.
Booker T when he first won the WCW title. BATB 2000, I think
ReplyDeleteDisagree. Bret at KotR is a valid choice, as is Angle. And, while obviously Bret vs. Owen is a classic, Bret vs. Yoko is pretty crap. Some people might prefer two or three really good matches to one great one and one shitty one.
ReplyDeletePlus, I'm sure there are a bunch of crazy Japanese tournament performances that are awesome and I just don't know about.
*About to post about how, like most "best of" things, Shawn is the clear winner, then realizes he can't remember Shawn ever meaningfully doing double duty*
ReplyDeleteI'll concede Bret at KOTR might be better. I can't give that angle match a ton of love, the shane match is just not my cup of tea
ReplyDeleteFuck, he had enough problems pulling single duty at times.
ReplyDeleteWat?
ReplyDeleteI hate Jim Cornette for telling the story of Hickerson and Condrey pretending to be gay as part of a prank and Phil had the prank reversed on him.
ReplyDeleteHornswaggle
ReplyDeleteYou have not watched enough wrestling... which makes this one of the only places where that statement can be considered a burn.
ReplyDeleteThe head of one of the hospitals I work at is named "Jorge moffat." You don't live in tampa, do you?
ReplyDeleteI'll concede Bret at KOTR. Forgot about that one. What do you think are better than those 2 (WM and KOTR) performances?
ReplyDeleteAgreed. After Rock turns heel and you look back on his road to the finals, you realize that the booking was genius.
ReplyDeleteHey am I correct in recalling you said you didn't care for Bulldog vs Bret at Wembley? I just watched the December 1995 iyh and it has a Bret vs DBS match I know I must have seen but remembered nothing at all about it and it was fucking phenomenal. Pretty close to the whole 5 stars I'd say. Someone might even be able to talk me into calling it Brets 3rd best match ever
ReplyDeleteThere was that one time when Goldberg won the US title and then the WCW title in one night.
ReplyDeleteYea man. I like it all well enough but I just can't get *invested* enough in it to think it's the 5 star classic people think.
ReplyDeleteNext time I watch the network I'll check out the IYH match. I don't think I've ever seen it actually
I'd go with Angle from KotR 2001. That Shane/Angle match is still one of my favorite matches ever
ReplyDeleteThat never happened. He was the reigning US Champion beating Raven on Nitro in April, then went on to beat Hollywood Hulk Hogan for the World Title in July.
ReplyDeleteBret Hart is such a colossal douchebag, that like Randy Orton and CM Punk, I think he should be eliminated from almost all compliments.
ReplyDeleteIts way way better.
ReplyDeleteNothing is better than Bret's KOTR performance... for any wrestler ever. I personally prefer Bret's double duty appearances at SummerSlam '93 and Royal Rumble '94 over WMX. The whole Bret/Doink/Lawler thing is **** for my money... and the match & story are a better performance at the Rumble. Not saying WMX is bad by any means... it's amazing... but it may be Bret's worst multiple match PPV performance from '93-'94... which really shows you just what an incredible level he was on at the time.
ReplyDeleteHaloween Havoc 99 (the first Russo PPV). He beat Sid for the US Title, then World champ Sting put out an open challenge & Goldberg answered. He then vacated the title almost immediately and a 64 man tournament was booked for it (Russo).
ReplyDeleteBret at KOTR '93. It's not even close.
ReplyDeleteI don't have to work a house show tomorrow night. And I would never take those bumps.
ReplyDeleteIt's definitely better than the Wembley match.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing that bothers me about Bret's King of the Ring win, which I watched last night for the first time since it probably happened (hence not remembering this bit happening), is Bam Bam pinning Bret to win the match, then having Hebner come out to dispute the finish.
ReplyDeleteUmmm
ReplyDeleteI could probably go back and forth on those week to week as to which one is better. I'm partial to the IYH one because of the blood, and the la magistral cradle finish.
ReplyDeleteRound Robin Challenge is quintesential ROH for year one
ReplyDeleteThe one where Condrey shoved his dick in Hickerson's mouth? That was funny as hell.
ReplyDeleteThat's not true, he told me he is a swell guy.
ReplyDeleteThat was one of the funniest "road stories" I've ever heard. It had Austin cracking up.
ReplyDeleteUh?
ReplyDeleteBret in 93 is the only one that really stands out for me.
ReplyDeleteduring the last years the summer months were often not dull at all.
ReplyDeleteWhy? What's wrong?
ReplyDeleteHonorable mention to HHH at No Mercy '07. The LMS with Orton is arguably the best match those two ever had, and the earlier matches with Orton and Umaga are decent, albeit fairly short.
ReplyDeleteAnd even before that. The falling out between Vince and Shane that conveniently left Shane as a referee.
ReplyDeleteNow whenever I see either of them that's all I think of. I think Cornette told that story to make people forget the banana story lol b
ReplyDeleteGreat PPV, and the best month of TV ever leading up to it.
ReplyDeleteFirst rule of BOD: We do not speak positively about HHH.
ReplyDeleteSecond rule of BOD: We DO NOT speak positively about HHH.
Bret Hart @ King of the Ring 1993.
ReplyDeleteLegit LOL and an upvote for the hominymn or how ever the fuck you spell it...
ReplyDeleteMost non-wrestlers would never even dream of taking bumps like those, especially those who didn't *need* to.
ReplyDeletePhil deserved it on stupidity alone.
ReplyDeleteActually, in a typical Russo move, I don't believe Goldberg technically won the title. Goldberg came out and the announcers all declared it was a non title match, then he was announced as champ after the match and left with the title, but then the next night Sting claimed he never agreed to defend the belt, and I believe the ruling was Sting was stripped of the title because he attacked the referee. Goldberg wasn't technically the champ because Russo.
ReplyDeleteThe Foley/Funk 1995 KOTDM final generally gets a bad rap for the failed ring explosion spot (to somewhat quote Foley from his book, it was like two bottle rockets going off), the match itself was awesomely brutal. Foley had about a 0.9 Muta bladejob and from what I remember had the first use of exploding barbedwire boards (to which Foleys arm is still miscolored from).
ReplyDeleteIn regards to Foley's appearance in the first blood match, how fucking irresponsible of Vince and whoever else shoved him out there just to take more punishment
Another typical ridiculous WCW move. 2 of the biggest babyfaces in the history of the company wrestling an unannounced, 3 minute match for the title
ReplyDeleteYeah but as others have said, Goldberg didn't officially win the strap from Sting that night. At least in the history books anyway.
ReplyDeleteYeah the matches we got leading up to that ppv was ridiculous:
ReplyDeleteTMPT vs Benoit/Jericho, TLC III, Benoit vs Austin, Benoit vs Angle in a fucking steel cage, Austin vs Jericho and special mention to the DDP reveal that netted DDP a ridiculous POP from the crowd before Taker and wwe buried him for retarded reason at the ppv and beyond.
The lead up to Over the Edge 98 rivals it, but Survivor Series 98 is one of best built up PPVs of all time.
ReplyDeleteIf you listen to the crowd during DDP's reveal, you can basically here 10 000 people shitting themselves with excitement and saying 'IT'S DDP' out of sync with each other.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this. I fucking hate that Angle/Shane match and a lot of Shane's stunt shows for precisely that reason. A guy who wrestled once a month needlessly raised the bar for everyone else. Also that match opened with Shane outwrestling Angle on the mat, which is hands-down one of the dumbest match layouts I have ever seen in my life.
ReplyDeleteHe had to defend the US title against Scott Hall to get his shot against Hogan that same night. Mild confusion.
ReplyDeleteHaven't seen this one mentioned, but how about Kidman at Starrcade '98? He wins the triple threat against Rey and Juvi, and then Eddie comes out and challenges Kidman as a means of showing the two LWO guys how it's done. I think he gets bonus points for not only working twice, but working twice at a cruiser pace. It was pretty much the only good wrestling on the show, to boot.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really good one. It seemed like WCW was going to push Kidman harder and as a more legitimate force than they had any cruiserweight champ but, then, they WCW'ed it.
ReplyDeleteDean Malenko winning the battle royale as Ciclope, then facing Jericho immediately for the title!
ReplyDeleteOr he'd lose his title shot at the next PPV! Even though you coudl see right through what was going to happen, that was still a lot of fun.
ReplyDeleteA real jam up guy as far as I'm concerned!
ReplyDeleteNot to be That Guy, but the sudden intrusion of 9/11 feels made Angle into the proverbial American Hero during the Invasion. In fact, initially Austin was almost the sympathetic one, as he realized spending time around Kurt and Vince was turning him into a softy who plays guitars and hugs people. If there was any reason for Austin to spend months after his heel turn burying the character of "The Rattlesnake" in those backstage vignettes, it was so that he had a plausible reason to abandon the company for "WCW/ECW" when he could wrestle again.
ReplyDeleteShane McMahon did turn Angle into a respected, tough-as-nails legit challenger in that match, though. Which is probably the most rub a non-wrestler has ever given in the North America scene.
It's actually a homograph. A homonym is same sound, different spelling. A homograph is same spelling, different sound.
ReplyDeleteWho are you to doubt him?
ReplyDeleteWe must then find out if she has really white trash bleached hair and wear a way too revealing singlet with stars on it.
ReplyDeleteIt was amazing timing and acting by everybody when Bossman came down to throw his club to Shamrock and Rock had to stretch a bit to grab it. At the time it just looks like a great job heading off a screwjob by a smart face instead of a well done plan with Bossman and Rock.
ReplyDeleteEverythings going along just fine then Bret runs into the pole and BOOM, gets up to a huge puddle of blood on the mats. The white parts of DBS tights were as red as the red parts by the end.
ReplyDeleteThat pop whenever I would watch that debut on YouTube gives me chills, it was insane.
ReplyDeleteOutstanding.
ReplyDelete