Thus:
What are your favorite hot starts in pro wrestling history / most inventive opening maneuvers?
Anytime wrestlers start with a chop battle is hella cool, though someone posted a Japanese match where it was essentially two people hitting each other as hard as they could for 15 minutes and it struck me kinda blah.
Sheamus v. Cesaro wasn't bad this past Sunday and I liked how they essentially just ran at each other full force, opening-of-the-x-men-cartoon style.
I'm not sure if it counts as a 'hot' start, but I'm of the mind that the opening to Cena v. Brock was one of the more creative openings in recent memory, with Cena essentially getting slapped around like me in a movie review post. The whole match just had an entirely different vibe, and when Brock took that tumble over the top rope it was one of those strange organic moments that added to the mystique of the match.
What say you, Otters?
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Co-sign on the Lesnar/Cena start. The blood alone drew me in like a hungry lion as iv been craving for it since since the venture back into PG
ReplyDeleteMatch starts are easy, especially when the face has had it up to here with that dastardly heel - bum rush that coward! Make him hide in the ropes, take a powder or stand behind the ref! You're MAD, John Cena!
ReplyDeleteI liked Austin and Angle (SummerSlam 2001) beginning their match in the aisle.
ReplyDeleteThe "Matrix Minute" at the start of Amazing Red vs Low Ki in early ROH.
ReplyDeleteRoyal Rumble 2003, HBK comes out number 1, Jericho is out at #2...and ambushes him from behind, beats the shit out of him, busts him open, all while #3 Nowinski chills on the outside, Jericho tosses out HBK with ease, and in the first two minutes of the Rumble, there's your first highly anticipated WM19 match right there.
ReplyDeleteTaker going up in flames at Elimination Chamber: tough to start hotter than second degree burns on your body
ReplyDeleteOh, the start of the legendary Mankind-Undertaker Hell in a Cell. There was something extra unhinged about Foley at the beginning of the match that foreshadowed just how nuts it would be.
ReplyDelete"Cena essentially getting slapped around like me in a movie review post. "
ReplyDeleteCan't read this anymore.
Oh, that's a good one. I love the way Austin throws the belt, too, basically saying "fuck this, let's go now, asshole."
ReplyDeleteCan't get a better start than the Shockmaster.
ReplyDeleteOld school test of strength.
ReplyDeleteI think it's a sign Im getting old when that moment shouldve been the first thing to come to me.
ReplyDeleteYou are absolutely right. I was drawing a blank today when trying to think of them.
ReplyDeleteThe start of Sting/Cactus at Beach Blast 92 with the brawl on the ramp
ReplyDeleteCorrect me if I'm wrong, but isn't that GIF from the middle of a match?
ReplyDeleteGod how shitty that must have been then to just wait around in one of the pods after that
ReplyDeleteThe singing of the Russian national anthem as performed by Nikolai Volkoff.
ReplyDeleteI thought we agreed we weren't doing Otters anymore.
ReplyDeleteNot the start of the match, but the start of the Bret/Austin segment in the Royal Rumble - Austin's look of shock, followed immediately by him daring Bret to bring it on, and then they go at it.
ReplyDeleteMankind/Undertaker's probably a tough start to a match to top.
He's just trying to facilitate a full heel character. Unfortunately, it is all X-Pac heat.
ReplyDeleteI don't think Meekin ever agreed to that...
ReplyDeleteHow about the start of their King of the Ring match in '96? Undertaker appears on the top rope with a clothesline, then pushes Mankind to the corner and fucking whales on him a dozen times, showing intensity, and speed that he never had before.
ReplyDeleteIt was like a new level of Undertaker.
I like Austin being cocky and begging for more and then Hitman's music hits.
ReplyDeleteOhhhh fuck.
Also, Austin leaning against the turnbuckle getting ready to kill Bret in their April 21 streetfight is amazing
The feud really brought Undertaker from a novelty act to being a player again. He was pretty much in his own world doing the same old thing with a new monster for years there.
ReplyDeleteA good brawl to start a match before the bell rings can always get the crowd going. I'm think Survivor Series 1997, Hart/Michaels.
ReplyDeleteLance Storm/Jerry Lynn matc in ECW where they did the most awesome series of near-fall reversals like 27 times right at the start of the match
ReplyDeleteThe start of the Diesel/Shawn No Holds Barred match - Shawn skips the dancing and walks to the ring with purpose, not even taking all his ring attire off before they start trading punches.
ReplyDeleteFor years I was caught up in the "Foley will do anything, he's awesome!" feeling about that match. Now I watched it and just think he's insane.
ReplyDeleteI'm not usually one to remember a lot of moments for a long time, but that one is my favourite and has stuck with me forever. Austin all cocky until Bret's music hits.
ReplyDeleteI think that worked because the crowd hated Shawn so much they didn't particularly care if Bret beat him in the ring or out of it, as long as he put a beating on him.
ReplyDeleteThe beginning of the 92 Rumble.
ReplyDeleteAnyone else read that title as "Hot Sharts"?
ReplyDelete...
Just me, then? Okay.
No. Not just you, my friend.
ReplyDeleteHot Sharts is a name I used to dance under.
ReplyDeleteIt made me care about him for the first time since the Yokozuna stuff. The entire "humanization" of the Undertaker was fantastic stuff, and made Mick look like a killer.
ReplyDeleteYou've never seen matches start right in with a figure-four?
ReplyDeleteSlamboree '98 where Malenko wins the battle royal for a Cruiserweight title shot, unmasks and then explodes on Jericho with more passion in five seconds than we've seen Malenko have in his entire career.
ReplyDeleteAlso Ultimate Warrior just destroying Honky Tonk Man at SummerSlam '88, hitting the ring running and smashing HTM with punches as the crowd goes nuts.
I wish more of them did.
ReplyDeleteThere was a Triple-Threat a few years back with HHH, HBK, and Cena (I believe). The talk leading up was about how DX would team up against Cena. As soon as the bell rang, HBK superkicks the shit out of HHH and then starts with Cena.
ReplyDeleteI also love the Triple-Threat at SummerSlam 2000 where HHH goes after Angle, Pedigrees him through the announce table, and gives him a concussion all before Rocky even makes it out.
Cena's reaction to the superkick made that moment. Completely slack-jawed.
ReplyDeleteShield started matches pretty well, the hot brawl, clearing the ring, standing tall. One that stands out to me is Shield/Wyatts where they started to go to their corners after the face off and Ambrose just snapped and flew onto Bray and the brawl began.
ReplyDeleteToo bad WWE decided to say fuck it and go back to boring Undertaker in 2004, just with the same style he had perfected before.
ReplyDeleteTest full on spearing Shane outside of the ring to start their Love Her or Leave Her match at SS99. It looked incredibly painful.
ReplyDeleteShawn immediately superkicking Triple H at the start of the triple threat match with Cena at Survivor Series 2009. Awesome.
ReplyDeleteMike Von Erich dropkicks Brian Adias into his manager just before the bell rings and rolls him up for the 3 second pinfall victory. No hotter start than that.
ReplyDeleteThe Rock/Undertaker/Angle match from Vengeance '02.
ReplyDeleteRocky and 'Taker start off with a big staredown. Angle is perplexed that one no is paying attention to him, so he starts waving his arms and jumping.
Also, picking a match from last Sunday is the equivalent of saying your favourite match was between Melina and Alicia Fox.
ReplyDeleteI remember that and loved it.
ReplyDeleteWithout sounding up my own butt I just wrote 4000 words on WWE Yesterday and my brain essentially decided it wasn't allowed to think about wrestling anymore, and couldn't.
ReplyDeleteThat Action Zone tag match between Razor/Kid and HBK/Diesel. That thing blew up in minutes with finishers being thrown around immediately, then slowed down to a helluva tag match.
ReplyDeleteTwo of mine are from TNA.
ReplyDeleteThe first is the AJ/Abyss cage match where Abyss is climbing up the steps, and AJ comes flipping over the top rope, and through the door -- I still have no idea how he cleared it. Then, not 20 seconds later, Abyss goes to throw him into the rail, and he instead slides under it.
The second match was the first AJ/Joe/Daniels three-way. The "kick-off" where they take turns kicking Daniels in the back, Daniels jumps up yelling "stop kicking me!!!" and they both kick him.
My final one is from Steenwolf. Generico and Steen come into the ring, stare each other down. Generico spits at Steen, Steen "snot-rockets" Generico, and then they start wailing on each other. That's some long-term hate, too, since they'd started their feud two years earlier.
DOOM BUGGIES, BITCH!!
ReplyDeleteAnd write under.
ReplyDeleteNah that would be Noodle Barone.
ReplyDelete-Hart/Austin WM13
ReplyDelete-Warrior walking in at WM7
-Hogan beating on Sid with the music still playing at WM8
Mankind climbing the Hell in the Cell at KOR 98'.
ReplyDeletei like that time that one guy shoot pooped on the other
ReplyDeletehe shoot shot-poot
Abdullah being picked as Sting's tag partner for the Lethal Lottery at Starrcade 1991... and doing a "me and you, we're gonna be okay!" smiley face toward Sting and then brutally attacking him. That match was a fun 5 minute free-for-all.
ReplyDeleteTwo favs pop in my head:
ReplyDelete1. Falls count anywhere from Spring Stampede 94
2. Steiners/Nasties HH '90. That belly-to-belly off the top rope was that deal.
I loved Diesel and Bret Hart undoing the top turnbuckles in their respective corners at the beginning of their No DQ match. It was like two cowboys drawing their guns.
ReplyDelete^^ Also the Sabu-esque return by Super Dragon after that match is one of the gnarliest things ever. God I love PWG
ReplyDeleteIm still bitter my mom "forgot" to tape that episode of action zone for me. Took me til when it finally hit the internet years later before I ever saw it
ReplyDeleteFair enough.
ReplyDeleteBret/Owen at Summerslam 94. I love that the WM X match started out as a "pure" wrestling match, but the cage match starts with immediate escape attempts and fists to the face.
ReplyDeleteCo-sign the Ultimate Warrior run-in. I always liked arrogant heels issuing open challenges, thinking that the biggest threats have already been eliminated, and then immediately realizing that they've made a huge mistake.
ReplyDeleteWatching SummerSlam 2005 now, and the first time Matt Hardy gets his hands on Edge is pretty intense. Though I still can't believe Hardy allowed that real-life incident to become a wrestling story line. Anything for the business, I guess...
ReplyDeleteRegal vs. Stasiak in 2001. Meat rushes into the ring like a madman and runs straight into 'the power of the punch.' Regal calmly removes the brass knuckles, the bell rings, Regal covers and literally wins in three seconds.
ReplyDeleteAt least it paid off well for him in the end.
ReplyDeleteSeconds 1-15 of the Danielson/Sheamus Wrestlemania match.
ReplyDeleteI like that suggestion the most, I also think I remember someone throwing out "Heavenly BoDies" but that's more syllables than just flat out saying "Blog of Doom" so it probably wouldn't work.
ReplyDelete...that irks me for some reason - like people who say "Mickey D's." It's the same number of syllables as "McDonald's," it didn't take any less time to say at all! That's not a nickname, it's just stupid!
Can't he be both awesome AND insane?
ReplyDeleteThis makes me think of Foley's first book, when after the C4 match he said he could practically smell his burnt flesh while on the plane home. Must've sucked even more for the Undertaker, he got to be in a big plastic box with that smell still fresh.
ReplyDeleteOh I did as well.
ReplyDeleteI considered making up a nasty share story but reconsidered.
The look on Cena's face....
ReplyDeletePunks sermons in between entrants in the 2010 Rumble.
ReplyDeleteThat was fantastic and threw out all the "DX vs. Cena" scenarios out the door.
ReplyDeleteThought of another one: the Vengence 02 triple-threat where Rock and Taker are shit-talking to each other while Kurt Angle feels left out, tries to get their attention to start the match, then finally shoves them yelling "I'M KURT ANGLE! YOU *WILL* PAY ATTENTION TO ME, NOW COME ON!"
ReplyDeleteCue Rock and Taker double-teaming Kurt and tossing him out of the ring.
I loved that
ReplyDeleteNot really the start of a match... Cool bit though.
ReplyDeleteI've always thought survivor series 09 was a very underrated ppv
ReplyDeleteI think the "this is awesome!" chant before the match even started was amazing - because I am sure many of us here felt absolutely the same (I know I did).
ReplyDeletethe Canadian Stampede ten man tag brawl: Hart and Austin beating on each other, the former getting the upper hand and stomping Austin in the corner and building literally SHAKING.
ReplyDeleteGlad I read all the posts rather than just adding that one myself. Until it all went wrong that's a really good match.
ReplyDeleteThat and Bragging Rights were pretty good events; nothing classic but they both were top to bottom ***-***1/2 stuff
ReplyDeleteThe rest of that match was a downer, though.
ReplyDeleteHoly crap that was awesome! I've watched a ton of ROH, but never saw THAT before.
ReplyDeleteIt's still awesome now, but imagine how awesome it was in 2002.
ReplyDelete