100 Matches You Really Should See...

[wandshogun09]

Speaking of Benoit, just realised it's actually six years this weekend since that whole 'tea's ready' tragedy happened. Like a few others, I don't really have a big problem watching Benoit matches back now. There's points in some matches which are uneasy viewing to me though. Like the diving headbutt off the cage on Angle, or the ladder match vs Jericho where he dove through the ropes into a chair shot. The headbutt-fests with Regal would probably be similar for me. But it's nothing that makes me think 'I really can't watch this'. I definitely don't actively seek his matches out though, and he was a favourite of mine for a while.

[Lion_of_the_Midlands]

Not watched a Benoit match since. For me it would be like reading through the notes of all of Harold Shipmans patients and looking at the cases he got the diagnosis and treatment right on. I know its not a direct comparison but it is, for me uncomfortable.

[Sphinx]

Not watched a Benoit match since. For me it would be like reading through the notes of all of Harold Shipmans patients and looking at the cases he got the diagnosis and treatment right on. I know its not a direct comparison but it is, for me uncomfortable.

Wuss.

[ShortOrderCook]

#87Franz Van Buyten vs Dave Taylor, Pirate Fight, Hamburg, 10/05/86WATCH IT HEREWHY SHOULD YOU WATCH IT?BigRob says;

This is a long, long match, with almost no wrestling holds.

[ShortOrderCook]

#86Stone Cold Steve Austin vs Spike Dudley, WWF title, WWF Smackdown, 14/06/01WATCH IT HEREWHY SHOULD YOU WATCH IT?HarmonicGenerator;

This was during a time where Austin was - I think - at his best, during his heel run that I enjoyed more than anything he did as top face. Austin was going round his a petition, and insulted Molly Holly, who Spike was courting at the time (one of wrestling's all-time great romances, if you ask me), so Spike ripped up his petition. This set up a match, and while Austin vs. Benoit or vs. Jericho during the same time are better remembered, this was a cracking little match, with Spike cementing himself as WWE's preeminent pre-Mysterio super-underdog

WHAT DO I THINK OF IT?I tend to really enjoy a little mini-feud on the side of something bigger for some reason. Particularly if it includes or leads to the lower card guy receiving a big hope title match. Triple H vs Jericho in 2000 and Brock vs Rey in 2004 are others I've enjoyed but Spike vs Austin is also a favourite. I agree with Harmonica on the Mysterio underdog deal with Spike and also on Austin being at his best as a heel here. This was during the period where they were trying many tactics to get the fans to hate Austin, beating up the Hardys and Lita with chairs. Slapping JR about and now picking on Spike and his girlfriend. Although they may have been a touch of desperation tactics and I did enjoy comedy Austin I really feel against the Hardys and Spike was his strongest heel stuff. Here, he is magnificent. Utterly vicious, the first minute of so where he just pounds the shit out of Spike are just tremendous and brutal. The match is probably just the right length of time and Spikes comebacks and hope spots are perfectly timed. Great Stunner to finish it too. Austin seemed very briefly really reinvigorated at the point, with his new character direction. I thought Stone Cold snapping, becoming more vicious and ultra paranoid was a great character progression for him and he played it awesomely, picking on The Hardys and Spike fit into that nicely. Liked the continuity of the chair attacks in the same style as how he took the title from The Rock any time he truly lost it. Austin was shit-hot at this time and this was the height of his heel work. I also really liked the Romeo and Juliet romance + family feud style angle. So it was nice to see it get featured in a prominent position on the shows.

[wandshogun09]

Austin vs Spike was actually the first match I thought of when this thread popped up. It was a great little self-contained, show long storyline with Austin going about all night with his clipboard, pestering people backstage to sign it. If I remember right he asked Big Show through a cubicle door while Show was having a shit, complete with comedy fart noises and Austin wafting the stench away with his clipboard. Then the bit with Spike and Molly was Austin at his bullying prick best.

Austin: You just sign it and then have your little bimbo girlfriend sign it too.Spike: What did you just say?Austin: Molly...she's a bimbo, haven't you heard?

Then Austin running into Regal's office, almost in tears, holding the ripped up petition. I'm a big fan of Austin's 2001 heel run. In hindsight it wasn't the best timing to turn Austin with Rock about to take time out to go to Hollywood, but it was brilliant TV. He played the unhinged nutter to a tee. One minute he'd be pissing about with Kurt Angle in some ridiculous comedy skit backstage, then later in the show he'd snap and be kicking Michael Cole's ribs in. He seemed proper schizo and you never could tell when he'd flip next. He was quality in the ring at that time. His TV matches with Benoit, Jericho, Angle, RVD and Matt Hardy were really good, and there were some fun tag matches with Angle, Rock, Jericho etc in there as well.In a similar vein to Austin vs Spike (maybe someone sent this in already) I'd recommend tracking down the episode of Smackdown from Sep 2001 with Austin vs Tajiri. It's similar to the Spike and Molly thing in that it all starts with Austin being a cretin to Torrie, with Tajiri bravely stepping up to stick up for his missus. Austin was even more of a cunt here though. I think this was just before Unforgiven in 2001 because the whole neck injury bit with Angle was tied into this Tajiri/Torrie stuff. Good stuff.

[Twatters]

. Then the bit with Spike and Molly was Austin at his bullying prick best.

Austin: You just sign it and then have your little bimbo girlfriend sign it too.Spike: What did you just say?Austin: Molly...she's a bimbo, haven't you heard?

Then Austin running into Regal's office, almost in tears, holding the ripped up petition. I'm a big fan of Austin's 2001 heel run.

I don't really remember the match, i'll watch it tonight. But this little backstage bit, me and my brother used to love so much. Austin's delivery of the bimbo line and then his reaction to Spike ripping up the petition are hilarious.

[Big Rob]

#89 -'Million Dollar Man' Ted DiBiase vs The Blue Blazer, WWF Saturday Nights Main Event, 16/2/89

It wasn't anything groundbreaking, but it was really a crash course in to how to make the most of your TV time. In the space of 7 minutes, they got in promos for both guys, entrances for both guys (no "jobber entrance" like even Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton have got in recent weeks) and a short but competitive match. Gotta agree with that finish, Ted had a tasty powerslam the majority of the time, but it really looked like a credible finish here, and I dug that it was the finish rather than a setup for another move. Owen wasn't the important guy here, but the moves he got in all looked good, including that lovely top

[Onyx2]

Spike Dudley vs. The Redneck Adonis

 

Thank you so much for reminding me of this match. What an absolutely perfect little thing it is, advancing so much with so little.

 

On paper it's a typical throwaway TV filler. But there's a reason for all of it. Austin is at his deranged best, going completely postal on Spike. Look at the needless aggression in the corner stomps! Spike manages infinitesimal offence to the most enormous of pops. Stone Cold still yet manages to squeeze in a shill for the PPV, busting out both opponents' signatures. And to have him run out of town at the end is exactly how that should finish. Brilliant.

[Onyx2]

Watching Hogan work matches in Japan is always fascinating as it tells you a lot about why he does the things he does for the US crowds. It makes you realise that, even by the mid 80s, he'd streamlined his act of all unnecessary material. He can do mat wrestling, chain wrestling, he can work different styles and use different moves, he just doesn't need to most of the time.

A drop toehold. TWICE in a match. Amazing. Shame he wins with a floppy cross body. That match is battle of the lariats in Japan. The announcer freaking out for the "AX BOMM AH!" is like JR calling a Stunner. Great. And yeah, Hansen was probably gaijin number 1 (or ichiban, if you prefer) at this time so his pop destroys Hogan's. Shame he got about 12s of offence in though.

[Professor Paul's Bin]

I was going to nominate the Spike Dudley Vs Austin match which was one of the best parts about 2001 but I completely forgot to send my nominations off before the closing date. The WWF dvd "The Best of the WWF 2001" has a short segment which reflects all the highlights of this storyline which is worth watching. Despite it not being the best planned time for Austin to turn Heel he was in fact brilliant. I'd really like to rewatch the year 2001 just to see Austin heel as it probably gets better with age. Loving the thread ShortOrderCook. Looking forward to seeing the other nominations.

[ShortOrderCook]

#85Kenta Kobashi vs Mitsuharu Misawa, Pro Wrestling NOAH, 01/03/03WATCH IT HEREWHY SHOULD YOU WATCH IT?SuperCena snuck it to say;

Aside from Rock vs. Austin, WMX7, this is probably my favourite match ever, and with it taking place in Japan, I believe it can be classed as being a match that not everybody will have seen. Taken out of context (as in, not needing to know the characters or build-up) I would say that it is the greatest match ever; a beautiful build up to an equally beautiful finish.

WHAT DO I THINK OF IT?I'm pretty certain this is a fairly well seen match around here but I'm also fairly certain it's not been seen by just as many if not more than have and I'm one of those that hadn't, so it qualifies. I don't know much of these fellas, nor have I really seen much of their work. I've had the odd dabble, I certainly know of them and that they are huge names in Japan. I've always been put off watching Misawa and never really given him a chance due to, if I'm completely honest, how he looks. He's a funny looking bastard. No real physique to speak of, looks as though he's about 50 and he wears absolutely horrid green tights. He's a far cry from what I want to see from a wrestler on the aesthetic front. That's not to say I only like my wrestlers jacked, I don't at all, I like them to be all shapes and sizes. I don't know what shape Misawa is though and I don't want to know. I think he reminds me of a toad. Kobashi on the other hand, is an absolute beast. Within the first few minutes the human toad has won me over. They both move really impressively for their size and in Misawas case his age. Not that I actually know how old he is here. Those thoughts are further cemented as the match goes on.The mention of Rock-Austin by SuperCena seems apt. It feels like its that big of a meeting and its that big main event style of a match. It's a hard-hitting encounter. Head-drop and chop city for a large part, which I think comes with the territory. Kobashi has got some right meaty chops on him but he must also have a head made of granite. Misawa takes the advantage early on and as mentioned busts out some surprisingly swish offence. He loses the advantage though around the 9 minute mark when he damn near decapitates himself. A brutal landing, but incredibly there's more brutal to come later on. Kobashi is all over him following this and dishes out some brutal shit on the outside himself. It all becomes quite evenly matched from there, no man controlling the match for any extended period of time. Kobashis control ends when Misawa pulls his own brand of Hulk Up/Lawler Strap down routine and its there where it really begins to heat up. There's a section where they stop off in suplex city for a bit and Kobashi gets dropped on his head roughly 617 times. But that's not the worst of it, they end up on the ramp and well, I won't ruin it but Misawa has another suplex for Kobashi and it is an absolutely mental spot. There's discussion in another thread of the mental bumps Foley took and the damage they did to him, this up there with them. A real clash of the titans is how the match comes across to me, it's builds nicely and doesn't actually feel as long as it is. Kobashi even busts out a reverse Attitude Adjusment as well.

[air_raid]

I didn't put it on my list because as the main event GHC Title match of a huge Noah show, it wasn't near obscure enough, but this particular Misawa/Kobashi match is my favourite match of all time from anyone, anywhere, ever. They had other matches in 1997 and 1999 especially that are far more lauded as "better" by Puro fans, but this was my favourite because of the emotions involved.

 

Taken out of context (as in, not needing to know the characters or build-up) I would say that it is the greatest match ever; a beautiful build up to an equally beautiful finish.

 

That's completely mental to me. Out of context, it's not even the greatest match the two men ever had with each other. They had better matches in their primes. The match is totally about the context for me. The whole history and backstory of the two men - their 18 months as tag team champions, Kobashi's status as "nearly-man" while Misawa (and to a lesser extent Kawada) was dominating the Triple Crown, the massive tag team title collision between Kobashi/Akiyama and Misawa/rat boy, the exodus from All-Japan, Kobashi's injury and long road to recovery, and of course the fact that he'd never pinned Misawa in a singles title match, ever. I remember leading into the match at the time, thinking "This is it. This one one last massive match between the two."

 

Still, it's still worth watching out of context for me because it's a great example of what makes Puro great to those that invest in it. Watch the crowd reactions, listen to the noise. It's the caring about it that makes the difference, not the length of matches or what they physically do to each other, as much as people like to suggest it's all about really hitting each other or stupid head drops. It's the way that the Japanese companies are so adept at making the fans give a shit about who wins. People in attendance are in tears at the end of that match.

 

OK, so this match happens to feature stupid head drops. But that still doesn't detract from the way the match builds, peaks, ends. It's definitely my favourite finish to a match of all time.

 

<-- click on 'spoiler' to show/hide the spoiler

 

Lariat...... kick out.

Brainbuster...... kick out.

The Burning Hammer..... yeah, kick out of that, bitch.

 

 

[close spoiler]

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Kobashi even busts out a reverse Attitude Adjusment as well.

 

Why, I oughta....

[wandshogun09]

Air_raid, there's a good chance I'm chatting shite here but didn't Kobashi pin Misawa in a Champions Carnival match (I think in 2000) in All Japan? I could swear he did but my timing might be all to cock.

 

Also, you're probably the man to ask, was this 2003 match the last Misawa vs Kobashi singles match?

 

Edit - ah forget the first bit, I missed that you specified he'd never pinned him in a title match.

[air_raid]

Also, you're probably the man to ask, was this 2003 match the last Misawa vs Kobashi singles match?

 

Certainly was. The last decisive pinfall between the two however occurred in Kobashi's return from cancer on the 02/12/2007 Budokan show in the Kobashi/Takayama v Misawa/Akiyama main.

 

Slightly OT but I finally got around to watching Kobashi's last match the other night. Powerful stuff, especially the noise coming out of the crowd when Muto encourages Kobashi to go up for one final moonsault.