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WWF/WWE's 5 Star Matches


AJS269

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Rockers vs Brainbusters from Shawn Michaels 2nd DVD box set. It's like a 9* match or something. I don't know if the ratings applies to non-PPV matches from WWE (I have only glanced through this thread) but that along with Taker/Michaels WM25, Michaels/HHH SSLam 02 and some others I have seen mentined are about as close to perfect as you can get.

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Great shout on HBK/Diesel for a 5*. HBK was on fire when he was the champ, but he was outdone by Nash that night, who put on what I've always considered as one of the best solo performances in a wrestling ring. Not that HBK wasn't his usual awesome self, but it was Diesel being at his absolute best that tipped this one over the edge. Basically typified what a methodical performance should be.

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One thing you notice when these type of threads spring up is how often people mention a hbk match, pretty much any hbk match to the point it makes me think that he really is the best of all time i mean this is a guy who can have the 5* matches mentioned here and others whilst also dragging good matches out of the likes of khali or chris masters.. amazing.

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What was his problem with Warrior/Rude at Summerslam '89?

 

That match was absolutely tremendous. Now that I think of it i'd probably give it top marks too. Great build, great match story, great performances, hot crowd & grand occasion, spectacular moves, satisfying ending - it epitomised everything that was great about the WWF around that period. Schiavone was also on top form. Even the tiny things you don't notice first time round like the referee selling the concussion for the rest of the match just adds to what was a near flawless piece of TV imo.

 

Another couple I would make a case for;

 

Rockers vs Orient Express, Royal Rumble 1991. This was basically a meaningless match to get the crowd pumped for the real stuff. You'd be kind to say that these two teams were even 3rd tier in terms of their spot in the tag division, and it was no #1 contenders match or anything like that. Yet they put on a match so entertaining, exciting and had the crowd so rabid that you'd think it was one of the biggest matches of the year. Granted it helped that they could play off the whole patriotic/xenophobic/jingoistic theme which was building around that time with the Iraq War, but they used that in their favour and carved out what in my opinion is the best tag match ever in the WWF. It's often said that it was the perfect opener, but it was a lot more than that. I'd describe the Rockers WM7 match as the perfect opener but to me this was about as close to the perfect tag match as you're likely to get, in the WWF at least. The story, drama, pacing, workrate, execution, innovation, flying, finish, colour, setting, result, Gorilla & Piper adding to the excitement - it was all here, I couldn't see anything about this not to like.

 

HBK vs Mankind, Mind Games. I think most of us would agree that there's little to criticise about the work itself. It tends to be the ending which lessens the praise of this somewhat and drags ratings down a bit. However, I seem to be in a minority who didn't really mind it that much. Sometimes the circumstances are such that you need a cheap ending and that was the case here. IMO, the post match shenanigans and Takers return compensated pretty well anyway, and for me, the dq didn't detract much if anything from the match.

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It says a lot that you could put that Rockers/Express match on in any promotion in the world in this day and age and it'd probably wow the crowd just as much as it did then. It also features one of my favourite endings to a tag match ever, only topped by Styles and Red doing their Rana/Styles Clash thing, when Marty goes from the Catapult into the Sunset Flip. Amazing. I don't know if I'd give it full marks. There's a bit after The Rockers do their stereo dive that everyone seems lost and if you're gonna go full marks, I reckon a match has to be perfect.

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And some of the ROH matches he gave ***** to are ridiculous.

 

Too true. Do Fixer vs Blood Generation for instance, while a breathtaking and exciting spotfest which is enjoyable, is a complete murder of psychology at the end with people diving back in about 90 seconds after taking a sheer head drop, and managed in no way shape or form to make me care about who was going to win.

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Another couple I would make a case for;

 

Rockers vs Orient Express, Royal Rumble 1991. This was basically a meaningless match to get the crowd pumped for the real stuff. You'd be kind to say that these two teams were even 3rd tier in terms of their spot in the tag division, and it was no #1 contenders match or anything like that. Yet they put on a match so entertaining, exciting and had the crowd so rabid that you'd think it was one of the biggest matches of the year. Granted it helped that they could play off the whole patriotic/xenophobic/jingoistic theme which was building around that time with the Iraq War, but they used that in their favour and carved out what in my opinion is the best tag match ever in the WWF. It's often said that it was the perfect opener, but it was a lot more than that. I'd describe the Rockers WM7 match as the perfect opener but to me this was about as close to the perfect tag match as you're likely to get, in the WWF at least. The story, drama, pacing, workrate, execution, innovation, flying, finish, colour, setting, result, Gorilla & Piper adding to the excitement - it was all here, I couldn't see anything about this not to like.

 

This match is 15* awesome

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The Streak:

 

Undertaker vs. Jimmy Snuka: *

Jake Roberts vs. Undertaker: 3/4*

Giant Gonzalez vs. Undertaker: *1/4

Undertaker vs. King Kong Bundy: -*

Diesel vs. Undertaker: **1/4

Sycho Sid vs. Undertaker: *1/4

Undertaker vs. Kane: *1/2

Undertaker vs. Big Bossman: DUD

HHH vs. Undertaker: ***1/2

Ric Flair vs. Undertaker: ***

Undertaker vs. Big Show & A-Train: *1/4

Undertaker vs. Kane: *1/4

Randy Orton vs. Undertaker: ***1/2

Undertaker vs. Mark Henry: *1/2

Batista vs. Undertaker: ****

Edge vs. The Undertaker: ****1/4

Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker: ****3/4

Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker: ****3/4

Triple H vs. Undertaker: ****1/2

 

Some others I found interesting, some of which have been mentioned:

 

5/31/98 Steve Austin vs. Dude Love ****1/2

4/25/99 Steve Austin vs. Rock ****1/4

10/17/99 Matt Hardy/Jeff Hardy vs. Edge/Christian (Ladder) ****1/2

1/21/01 Chris Jericho vs. Chris Benoit (Ladder) ****3/4

2/25/01 Triple H vs. Steve Austin (2/3 falls � Straight wrestling, Street Fight, Cage) ****3/4

4/1/01 Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit ****1/4

4/1/01 Edge/Christian vs. Matt Hardy/Jeff Hardy vs. Bubba Ray Dudley/D-Von Dudley (Tables, Ladders & Chairs) ****3/4

5/21/01 Chris Benoit/Chris Jericho vs. Steve Austin/Triple H ****3/4

7/21/02 Rock vs. Undertaker vs. Kurt Angle ****1/2

10/20/02 Kurt Angle/Chris Benoit vs. Edge/Rey Mysterio ****3/4

12/4/03 Brock Lesnar vs. Chris Benoit ****1/4

12/29/03 Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels ****1/4

5/16/04 John Cena vs. Rene Dupree *** :laugh:

3/10/09 Primo Colon vs. The Miz ***1/2

 

The first two of those 2001 matches to get ****3/4 aren't that good, and really make a case for the HBK/Taker matches getting five. I'd give him the TLC bout, though the tag where HHH tears his quad isn't.

 

 

Those 2002 bouts are fine, fine stuff, and the two December 2003 TV matches were a real treat.

 

I listed Primo/Miz, as I distinctly remember it being the point I noticed Miz was improving. One of WWECW's forgotten gems.

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It could have been alright, it just stuck out on the list at the point I was reading. It's a bit depressing how the number of big names drop off the list as you go down, past the 2001-2 point especially, and I'm still a fan of the WWE product in general.

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5/16/04 John Cena vs. Rene Dupree *** :laugh:

Funniest one for me is Awesome/Tanaka at ONS. :omg: :

 

I might have gone with that, on first viewing at least.

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