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Night Of Champions - A perfect card


tiger_rick

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So it's WWE Night of Champions on Sunday. But no-one cares. So this is a BUILD A CARD thread using great matches from the past.

 

Rules:

* You can only use each wrestler once. No Rollins-ing it.

* Any belt you like from any promotion in the world

* Max two matches with any type of belt, i.e. WORLD, MID-CARD, TAG, WOMENS, JUNIOR.

* About 5-8 matches but up to you.

 

RICK'S NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS

 

Match 1 - WWF Tag Team Titles - Demolition © vs. Hart Foundation (SummerSlam 1990)

 

Every card needs a hot opener. This means I can't use Bret again but given that it's by far the funnest tag title match in wrestling history (yeah, I said it meffs) then this is the one for me. The abyfaces are super over and while the champs are running on fumes a little bit, the crowd still desperately wants to see them lose. The Demos resort to switching a third (fresh) man and the ref, who is registered blind but is allowed to work here because we don't discriminate, doesn't notice. The LOD come out to ensure complete fairness and we crown new tag team champions to the joy of everyone. Great match and a great outcome. What a start.

 

Match 2 - ECW TV Title - RVD © vs. Jerry Lynn (Living Dangerously 1999)

 

Fancied a bit of a spot fest to keep the crowd hopped up. Chose between this and the Hardcore title match from Invasion. I unashamedly love this match. It's spotty as fuck but the moves are interesting and Lynn being a pretty classic babyface trying to upset the champion does tie it together. The baby asking for five more minutes only to come unstuck is a great old tactic. It became uncool to like Jerry Lynn but I always have. He's a grafter who did alright for himself despite being devoid of personality. Always knew his place and made others look good.

 

Match 3 - WWF Title - Triple H vs. Mick Foley (Royal Rumble 2000)

 

Got to take advantage of the two world title rule. Middle of the card I'm going for a strong heel win in a match the crowd will be talking about tomorrow but won't send them home in unhappy. There haven't been many better title matches than this ever. Trip's first realy outstanding match as a classic heel World Champion. It's gripping and it's brutal. He takes bumps he doesn't have to to try and hang with the lunatic Foley and suffers a horrible cut to his leg. This match was the making of him and Foley selflessly sacfrices himself to help make Triple H. I love this.

 

Match 4 - WWF IC Title - Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon (WrestleMania 10)

 

There's not a lot to say on this that hasn't been said before. Has there ever been a more thrilling match for a mid-card title? I can't think of any. This was breath taking at the time and the work is so great and the drama builds so well that I don't think its lost anything despite the stunts getting bigger down the years.

 

Match 5 - WWF Light Heavyweight Title - Scotty Too Hotty vs. Dean Malenko (Backlash 2000)

 

A nice comedown from all that excitement before the main event. This is often forgotten but it's easily my favourite cruiser/junior/lightweight match. It's not especially high flying but it's crisp from start to finish and Scotty, who was pretty under-rated, is every bit as good as Malenko. I think if all lighter guys worked like this, Vince would probably get behind it. It's like a blue print for what he wants to see. Snug work, good selling, occassional flying and a crowd who really care.

 

Match 6 - WWE Title - Brock Lesnar © vs. Eddie Guerrero (No Way Out 2004)

 

I wanted a really popular babyface win to round this off and it's not as easy as you'd think if you want match quality too. Austin turned heel at WM17, his first title win at WM14 wasn't great, the Ironman at WM12 was shit, Hogan's always shit, Bret's first win was a house show and the second was against Yokozuna, Triple H/Jericho stunk, Starrcade 1997 was toss, Benoit's a cunt, etc.

 

So it came down to Backlash 2000, WM6 or this and I'm not as big on WM6 as some and I already used Trips. I can't think of many stories WWE have told to build matches that have resonated as much as this one did. It just felt so real and Lesnar showed range we'd rarely seen to be just incredible as the antagonist.

 

I love Eddie's promos going in. They're up there with some of the best money lines we've heard. They're as memorable as "I have to beat you, Rock". The match itself is great and while the interference cheapens it slightly, it doesn't stop people going fucking apeshit. You've got to not think about what came next for both guys because it all went to shit but if the story ends with Eddie holding the title high on this night, it's magnificent. Thinking about Goldberg made me consider his title win over Hogan but while that had the incredible pop, it was missing the chase. This is all about that. It was only a few weeks but holy fuck did they make it mean something.

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Great idea. My card:

 

WWF Junior Heavyweight Championship

Tiger Mask © VS Dynamite Kid

Take you pick from plenty, around 1982-84

Cracking way to open the show, two fast-as-fuck guys trying to destroy their bodies (one of which, was ultimately successful doing that). I have seen plenty of matches between these two but no idea which is which, nor can I pick between them all. They're mostly all superb. Ideally, one of their shorter matches to whet the fans' appetite before we move onto some tag team action...

 

NWA United States Tag Team Championship

Brian Pillman & Z-Man © VS Midnight Express

WCW Capital Combat 1990

Love this match. Cornette hovering over in a cage as my favourite Midnights incarnation (Eaton & Lane) have a blast with a shit-hot Brian Pillman and Tom Zenk- who was probably in his prime during his early WCW days. I really got hooked into watching old Midnight Express matches about 10 years ago and this one stood out more than the others for me (of the title matches, anyway).

 

WWF Intercontinental Championship

'Rowdy' Roddy Piper © VS Bret 'Hitman' Hart

WWF Wrestlemania VIII (1992)

After a couple of fast-paced action-packed matches, let's slow it down a bit with a match that brought plenty of emotions out of a 9-year old PunkStep. It was one of the first face vs face matches I recall seeing and despite being a HUGE Bret fan, I loved Piper- especially as he was...errr...British. I wanted Bret to win the match, but I wanted Piper to give him a good go, yet to also keep it clean. The holding the ring bell moment was done fantastically, the crowd were so invested into it and I don't think I've ever shouted at the TV so much during a wrestling match, pleading Hot Rod to put the bell down. Then you had the aftermatch, where you had this horrible feeling in your stomach that Piper would switch and turn on Bret after, but the respect and embrace after was a wonderful moment. Carbomb's tears from this match are used to aid hydropower in running a number of small poor villages, so this match has made an impact for the better on our world, too.

 

WWF World Tag Team Championship

TLC match- Dudley Boyz VS Hardy Boyz VS Edge & Christian

WWF Wrestlemania 17 (2001)

Can't remember who were the champions going into this, Dudleyz I think? Could've picked their Wrestlemania 2000 match or the first TLC, but this one wins it for me if only for the brilliant run-ins. All three are brilliant spot-fests, but Rhyno goring people the fuck through tables, Spike acid dropping fools and Lita hitting hurricanranas and moonsaults all over the shop just add to the insanity. Just absolute pure fun from start to finish, something good to follow the emotionally draining Bret/Piper match.

 

GHC Heavyweight Championship

Mitsaharu Misawa © VS KENTA Kobashi

NOAH Navigate for Evolution (2003)

One for the air_raids. Was in two minds whether to put this as the main event, because it's a proper main event match- long, slow-burning with near falls aplenty. It was my first match of theirs I'd ever seen (before I'd seen any of the 1990s Kings Road classics, in fact) and still my favourite. As well as being a real intense, hard-hitting match that AJPW in it's prime would be proud of, it had the added bonus of Kobashi completing his return from his seemingly career-ending knee problems. It was a real heart-warming story to see him and Misawa put on another stormer when many thought they wouldn't be able to have such a match again.

 

WWF Hardcore Championship

Rhyno © VS Raven

WWF Backlash 2001

Need something quick after that, something to keep the fans alert. What a way to do it, what a fantastic little match between these two! Easily my favourite match from either wrestler's WWE days, perhaps my favourite matches from them full stop. I think this might've been the first time they'd ever wrestled each other, as their paths never crossed in ECW? Could be wrong. The hardcore division was brilliant in 2001- the Crash 24/7 storyline had passed (although initially it was brilliant, it became stale very quickly), Kane/Show/Raven triple threat at Mania was so much fun and then a few months later RVD had a fantastic title run. I would've put the RVD/Jeff Hardy match from Invasion in here, but I already played my Jeff card in the TLC match. Back to the match, some innovative and in some cases downright funny spots were the highlights- the gore through a shopping trolley in particular.

 

WWE Heavyweight Championship

John Cena © VS CM Punk

WWE Money In The Bank 2011

Definitely my favourite match over the past 10 years and certainly one of my favourite matches of all time. It takes a lot for Meltzer to give a WWE match five snowflakes, which says it all. The build-up of course was every bit important as the match itself, but the match had to deliver also. It really bloody did. Another proper main event match that grew and grew, near falls and some cracking spots. Cena was on top form but this was also CM Punk at his very, VERY best. He was in the form of his life for this. The crowd were incredible and added so much to an already great match, it really was a case of everything coming together and coming together in a big way. With the brilliant video package at the beginning and Punk's goodbye kiss to Vince at the end, it's a perfect way to round off my card.

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Edge & Christian v Dudley Boyz v Hardy Boyz

Tag Team Titles

WrestleMania X-7

2001

 

Let's get the crowd into a frenzy right off the bat with one of my favourite matches in history. It's got everything and there's very little that can be said about it that hasn't been said already and probably said a million times at that. Some incredible action from three of the best ever. 

 

Trish Stratus v Lita

Women's Title

Unforgiven

2006

 

The whole build to this centred on Trish leaving at the end of the night. What better to cap off her career than against her biggest enemy, best friend, in her home town. It probably wasn't their best match but it was one that stands out for emotional purposes. And to think it was less than a decade ago that women were given time to work with and had a story people could invest in.

 

Rey Mysterio v Ultimo Dragon

J Crown Championship

War War 3

1996

 

I don't know if this one counts as the J Crown was essentially eight titles but this match from two of the greatest of all time has always been a fave of mine because it's not full of the usual fast paced stuff. I always loved Dragon's manager as well and Rey's spiderman outfit was ace. It starts with Dragon dominating with more powerful moves than the typical fast paced cruiserweight stuff, yet there's enough to keep the fans happy. His heel work really was top notch from an in-ring point of view. Rey injects some real speed late in the bout, building to the climax of Dragon finally retaining his title(s) after several near falls.

 

Undertaker v Rob Van Dam

Hardcore Title

Vengeance

2001

 

A fun little match in the middle of the card to keep energy levels high. Mixing it up with involving the crowd and Undertaker ending the third longest reign in history with that choke slam off the stage was a welcome sight from him personally. It was nice to see him with a mid-card singles title for once. 

 

Triple H v The Rock

Intercontinental Title

SummerSlam 

1998

 

Another gimmick match with a quality ladder match between two men who were just starting to come into the prime. For me it is arguably one of the best ladder matches of all time and it had the added bonus of being part of the excellent DX v Nation of Domination feud. Unlike most of today's ladder matches, the action centred on wrestling to begin with rather than going straight for ladder spots. Even when the ladder becomes involved, it isn't just climbing, being stopped by opponent then repeat it. They actually use it properly as a weapon.

 

Daniel Bryan v Batista v Randy Orton

WWE Title

WrestleMania XXX

2014

 

Let's end the night on an absolute high. This match has that feel good factor that promoters strive for. The crowd were right behind Bryan that night and to top off such a long story with such an emotional finish is how I'd want this pay-per-view to end. 

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Spent my drive home from work thinking about my card. Good thread!

 

 

I've kind of gone exclusively for WWE championships here, but for my kick off show, I'm going to throw in:

 

TNA Tag Team Championship

AJ Styles & Christopher Daniels vs. LAX

TNA Something, 2005

I always remember being this a great match. I really liked the Styles/Daniels team - more than I liked their matches against each other - and LAX were shit hot at the time. And this was from the time I enjoyed TNA more than WWE, so it gets included. But just on the kick off.

 

 

The main show is as follows:

 

WWE Intercontinental Championship

Ultimate Warrior vs. Honky Tonk Man

Summerslam 1988

A quick squash and a big pop on the title change to set us off on the right track. Not much to say about this really, but I want something short and sharp to start the show.

 

 

WWE Cruiserweight Championship

Matt Hardy vs. Rey Mysterio

SmackDown, 2003

I've gone for the SmackDown main event over their WrestleMania match, because, well, it was better. I loved early-brand-extension SmackDown, and Rey and Version 1 were two of its highlight. Here we've got a cracking wrestling match with some nice high flying to follow Warrior's win, and you get the big emotion of Rey winning the title to end.

 

 

NXT Women's Championship

Fatal Four Way

Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte vs. Becky Lynch vs. Bayley

One of the Takeovers, 2015

I wanted a women's match in there somewhere, and this is one of my matches of this year full stop, so I'm having it. All four of these girls were fantastic here, some great rivalry and big moves involved, and a multi-person match gives the undercard so far a bit of variety...

 

 

WWE European Championship

X-Pac vs. D'Lo Brown
Judgment Day, 1998
… I haven't actually seen this match, so to be honest I don't know if it's any good or not. But I wanted the European Title in there somewhere, and I like X-Pac, and I like D'Lo, so this will do nicely. Once I've posted this I'll go and watch it on the Network, and reserve the right to change it to either X-Pac/Shane or D'Lo/Venis if this one turns out not to be up to much.
EDIT: Just watched it. It's alright! Neither man's best, but the fact it's mostly worked at D'Lo's pace means it'll work quite well as a breather match before the main events...
 

 

WWE World Tag Team Championship

TLC IV

Kane & The Hurricane (technically) vs. Jeff Hardy & Rob Van Dam vs. Bubba Ray & Spike Dudley vs. Chris Jericho & Christian

Raw Roulette, 2002

Remember this one? It was bloody great! Other people have picked TLC 2, but I've already used Matt Hardy. I'd be tempted to say TLC 3, and lose the Matt match, but that one's got Benoit in it, so no ta. This one I remember watching at the time and loving. It's not so hugely over the top it'll take the shine off the main event, but it's got plenty of great spots and stunts, and it'll get everyone nicely hyped for...

 

WWE Championship

Royal Rumble

The 1992 Royal Rumble Match

YES. I'm blowing my load on my main event. Flair, Bulldog, Million Dollar Man, Haku, Michaels, Boss Man, Piper, Jake the Snake, Undertaker, Savage, Sid, Hogan… Yes please. My Night of Champions, to steal air_raid's gimmick, is definitely Fair to Flair.

 

 

 

I'm quite tempted to watch this little selection on the Network some time.

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I think this might've been the first time they'd ever wrestled each other, as their paths never crossed in ECW? Could be wrong.

 

They crossed paths a few times when Raven & Dreamer were tag team champions feuding with the Impact Players with Rhino as their backup. The main of November To Remember 99 was Dreamer/Raven/Sandman v Storm/Credible/Rhino. Also, Raven's last match on "ECW On TNN" was a failed shot at Rhino's TV title in which he looked really fat and extra shit.

 

GHC Heavyweight Championship

Mitsaharu Misawa © VS KENTA Kobashi

NOAH Navigate for Evolution (2003)

One for the air_raids.

 

Fuck, yes. This is my favourite Puro match ever and in my top 5 favourite matches ever. In addition to what you've said, you've also got the factor that Kobashi had NEVER pinned Musawa for a singles title, ever. Plus, speaking as a fan at the time, we knew that they were likely to never have a big singles match like this again. And they never did.

 

The 1992 Royal Rumble Match

YES. I'm blowing my load on my main event. Flair, Bulldog, Million Dollar Man, Haku, Michaels, Boss Man, Piper, Jake the Snake, Undertaker, Savage, Sid, Hogan… Yes please. My Night of Champions, to steal air_raid's gimmick, is definitely Fair to Flair.

 

You fucking bastard. When I read the brief but before I started my own card, I was going to try and piece together a card with this going on last. Well, I can't do that now.

 

"NOT THE RUMBLE 92"

 

(1) Intercontinental Title : Mr Perfect VS Bret Hart (SummerSlam 91)

 

It's a really tight midcard title match that doesn't outstay its welcome and for all the importance, doesn't feel too heavy-going, if that makes sense, and works nice for me for an opener.

 

(2) NXT Womens Title : Sasha Banks VS Bayley (Takeover : Brooklyn)

 

Sorry, but this is too obvious. Great build, great story told bell to bell. It's my only choice for a Womens title match without going all obscure and Joshi on you all.

 

(3) World Cruiserweight Title : Cruiserweight Battle Royal / winner challenges Chris Jericho (Slamboree 98)

 

I've put this here because the battle royal gives you chance to calm down after the previous matches intensity. Every show needs a bit of fun, and for storylines and payoffs, this always was a load of fun for me. I wanted to keep it to 8 matches so I bumped Joe/Daniels/Styles and left this for the sake of building a card rather than just listing 8 spectacular matches.

 

(4) WWF Tag Team Title : Owen Hart & Davey Boy Smith VS Shawn Michaels & Steve Austin (26/05/97 Raw)

 

This just stood out in my mind as a shitload of fun tag team title match with excellent heat and proper 1997 chaotic post-match shenanigans and was a really easy choice once I scrapped my first draft of Austin/Rock IC title (IYH:DX) and Cena/Shawn (Mania 23) for the WWE title on last.

 

(5) WCW World Heavyweight Title : Diamond Dallas Page VS Sting (26/04/99 Nitro)

 

This is widely regarded as an awesome match in what was otherwise becoming a pretty bleak time for WCW. Honestly, I sometimes feel that in comparison to the match the same two blokes had for the belt the night after Mania 14, this one was a little overblown and lacked some of the suspense (for me personally) but it's still a dynamite match. I felt somehow compelled to omit the other one because even though he wasn't defending it, DDP was the U.S. champ at the time. And this is the better known/wider discussed one anyway.

 

(6) United States Title : Raven VS Bill Goldberg (20/04/98 Nitro)

 

I wanted something shorter to break up some of the longer matches, and this is perfect. It's my favourite 5 minute match of all time and as a happy coincidence was for a midcard title. Easy selection.

 

(7) WWE/SmackDown Tag Team Title : Edge & Rey VS Kurt Angle & Chris Benoit (No Mercy 2002)

 

This was my first selection. A superb tag team match featuring four genuine world class wrestlers. I don't know if four men on the level that these four were have contested a tag team title match in the company since. It's a stunning match and I knew this was my semi-main before I started considering the rest of my show.

 

(8) WWF Championship : Triple H VS The Rock (Backlash 2000)

 

Could have been the best "end of chapter" type title change ever, if they hadn't fannied around for another two months. It's sill the archetypal Attitude Era main event with twists, turns, chaos and run-ins, and it's a suitably big-time MAIN EVENT!!11 for a card of huge magnitude. Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart or Steve Austin don't go on last because this does..... yeah, I'm happy with that.

 

Yeah.... that'll do me. Hardcore title backstage shenanigans from Mania 18 interspersed between the matches for good measure, maybe.

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(4) WWF Tag Team Title : Owen Hart & Davey Boy Smith VS Shawn Michaels & Steve Austin (26/05/97 Raw)

 

This just stood out in my mind as a shitload of fun tag team title match with excellent heat and proper 1997 chaotic post-match shenanigans and was a really easy choice once I scrapped my first draft of Austin/Rock IC title (IYH:DX) and Cena/Shawn (Mania 23) for the WWE title on last.

Yeah, that's a cracker. I struggled to see WWF from late 1994 when the girl who used to tape it for us moved until early 1997. I only followed through VHS releases and from begging someone to lend us WM12. I remember picking up some of the late 1996 videos and being utterly confused as to who the hell anyone was. One of the first shows I was able to see in 1997 was WM and then the Bret heel turn. From there, I stuck with it. I think this match, and episode of Raw, was probably the first time I thought they were really onto something. I didn't really know about the ratings war until I discovered PowerSlam a month or two later but Raw was just screaming HOT at that time.

 

WWE World Tag Team Championship

TLC IV

Kane & The Hurricane (technically) vs. Jeff Hardy & Rob Van Dam vs. Bubba Ray & Spike Dudley vs. Chris Jericho & Christian

Raw Roulette, 2002

Remember this one? It was bloody great! Other people have picked TLC 2, but I've already used Matt Hardy. I'd be tempted to say TLC 3, and lose the Matt match, but that one's got Benoit in it, so no ta. This one I remember watching at the time and loving. It's not so hugely over the top it'll take the shine off the main event, but it's got plenty of great spots and stunts, and it'll get everyone nicely hyped for...

I need to see it again. I remember thinking it was great. Wasn't it around the time Kane was going to lose the mask and he won it on his own? I thought Kane was great around that time but it came to a screeching halt with the HHH feud. Remember liking TLM 3 too. Think that was the Benoit one. Not seen either since they aired though.

 

WWE Heavyweight Championship

John Cena © VS CM Punk

WWE Money In The Bank 2011

I nearly went with this to get something modern in. It's just outstanding. Cena/Bryan from SummerSlam '13 is probably better but the post match angle cripples it as a "crowd leaves happy" event.

 

Edge & Christian v Dudley Boyz v Hardy Boyz

Tag Team Titles

WrestleMania X-7

2001

Just watched the first one from SummerSlam 2000. First time I've seen it in ages. It's a heart in mouth stunt show. Some of the table bumps are epic but D-Von taking a flat back bump (or trying to) from the wire that holds the belts up was fucking sick. Seem to remember WM17 being an even better match so definitely need to watch it again.
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