Guest Posted August 12, 2017 Share Posted August 12, 2017 A friend in his early 40s has started taking an interest in wrestling for the first time, so I've been preparing a list of matches on YouTube/Dailymotion that will introduce him to what wrestling is and can be, before letting a 3-hour episode of Raw scare him off for life. So far he's only seen Savage vs Steamboat from WrestleMania III, and he absolutely loved it. He's enamoured with Steamboat, so I might show him one of his NWA/WCW matches with Flair but I'm not familiar with their series - which one would you recommend? Next on his homework list is Hogan vs Andre from later that night, to show him a contrasting style of the same era and help him understand what Hulkamania was all about, as he only remembers the Hulkster from non-wrestling appearances. The rest of the list is looking like this: 1992: Bret Hart vs Davey Boy Smith (SummerSlam) 1994: Razor Ramon vs Shawn Michaels (Ladder match, WrestleMania X) 1997: Bret Hart vs Steve Austin (Submission match, WrestleMania 13) 2002: The Rock vs Hollywood Hogan (WrestleMania X8) 2002: The Undertaker vs Jeff Hardy (Ladder match on Raw) 2005: Shawn Michaels vs Kurt Angle (WrestleMania 21) 2005: Eddie Guerrero vs Rey Mysterio (??? - I want to include the promo Eddie cut holding Rey's mask, but which match should I pick?) 2009: Chris Jericho vs Ricky Steamboat, Roddy Piper, and Jimmy Snuka (WrestleMania 25 - for Steamboat rolling back the years) 2010: Shawn Michaels vs The Undertaker (WrestleMania 26, including the Running Up That Hill buildup video) 2010: Randy Orton vs Wade Barratt (Survivor Series - I know you all hated the scenario but in a vacuum I like it) 2012: Triple H vs The Undertaker (Hell in a Cell, WrestleMania 28, including the silent promo from the year before) 2016: Sammy Zane vs Shinsuke Nakamura (NXT TakeOver: Dallas) 2016: Brock Lesnar vs Goldberg (Survivor Series) Glaring omissions that I can see are a tag team match and something more central to the Attitude Era, but I'll need your suggestions for those and anything else you think should be represented. Maybe something fun from ECW? And a good women's match, since it's the TV series about GLOW that first got his attention. Remember this isn't necessarily a "best of" list though, and anything better observed through a smark's eye like the Montreal Screwjob or the Cena/Punk feud will just be confusing to a newcomer. Further to enhancing mine, if your list would look completely different, let's see that too. How would you "break in" a new fan willing to absorb your selections with an open mind? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merzbow Posted August 12, 2017 Share Posted August 12, 2017 One of the first two TLC matches has to be on there, like them or not they're a major point in wrestling history and will show him a whole different side to the WWF/E. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Tommy! Posted August 12, 2017 Paid Members Share Posted August 12, 2017 For ECW go for Awesome VS Tanaka. Heatwave 98 or the ONS match I'd assume are easiest to find. Rock VS Austin should be there, WM17 or 19. Add in the Patterson & Briscoe evening gown match, see if he's a lifer. Edit: I'd show anyone who wanted to know more the match that made me a speccy-nobby-no-mates about the panto in pants, HHH VS Foley at the rumble 2000. The match, the crowd, the finish and even that press match package to carmina burana is amazing. I can't here that without thinking of Jr saying 'for a man who has wrestled on nails, and barb wire this'll be a day at central park'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Arch Stanton Posted August 12, 2017 Paid Members Share Posted August 12, 2017 I think I'd find wrestling so inaccessible as a newcomer if I just set about watching a string of unrelated matches. It always was, and still is, the characters and the angles that caught my attention. If I wanted to introduce wrestling to an adult taking an interest, I'd be looking for classic promos and angles first, then the matches that came from them. I'd be tempted to point him in the direction of Lucha Underground for something that is not ancient, features lots of fun characters, great wrestling action and quality production values. Oh, and if you wanted to stick Rey vs Eddie on your list, go for 1997 not 2005. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 12, 2017 Share Posted August 12, 2017 2 hours ago, Arch Stanton said: I'd be looking for classic promos and angles first, then the matches that came from them. I'm very much up for this, hence... 2 hours ago, Arch Stanton said: if you wanted to stick Rey vs Eddie on your list, go for 1997 not 2005. ...going for 2005 with the mask promo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grecian Posted August 12, 2017 Share Posted August 12, 2017 I'd add Hogan vs Warrior your list, that has to be on there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2Xtreme_lives Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 I'd be tempted to put both halloween havoc and a 2005 Eddie vs Rey match in there. I would also put a Kane match in there as well something that shows the character off a bit perhaps Kane and Xpac from Armageddon 99 or something vs Taker with a promo showing the lightning bolt and flames etc. Even if you show him the best of Raw 1-3 compilations that came out just to give him the vibe of the attitude era and what it was about, so much changed and would give him a flavour of some of the characters Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members LaGoosh Posted August 13, 2017 Paid Members Share Posted August 13, 2017 The Shield vs The Wyatt Family is a must. Two of the coolest gimmicks of all time, intense, great action, full of badass moments and a super hot crowd. The Shield vs Ryback & Team Hell No - TLC, for similar reasons. Don't see how anyone can't get into either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon-Carr_92 Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 With Rey v Eddie, I think you're on about the Dominick storyline after he beats him badly after a Tag Team Match (Playa) so think that was in the run up to The Great American Bash 2005 where he said if Rey beat him, he wouldn't share the secret which he obviously did anyway. I'd put Mankind Vs The Rock on Raw when he won for the first time seeing how that was a hell of a moment. You could barely hear Tony Chimal's announcement because the crowd were going so wild. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonworden Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 Is the end goal to get him invested in watching shows? Ifeel so I'd take some raws and get him to watch it through. Plenty from 2000 or many of the post mania raws although he might get lost Individual matches I'd recommend triple h Vs rock at backlash, Shawn Vs razor either ladder match, mind games Vs mankind and more recently dunne Vs bait, shield Vs evolution Cena Vs AJ and possibly a baily Vs banks match Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil is brill Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 15 hours ago, Uncle Zeb said: 2002: The Rock vs Hollywood Hogan (Submission match, WrestleMania X8) This wasn't a submission match, just a bog standard singles match. Add Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart from Wrestlemania X to the list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 1 minute ago, neil is brill said: This wasn't a submission match, just a bog standard singles match. D'oh, I added that to the wrong line - it's the Hart/Austin match above it that was a submission match of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porkchopcash Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 You mention two matches from Mania 3, you should also show him the Piper/Adonis match and the build. Harts v Bulldogs 2/3 falls SNME feb 87. Rockers V Orient Express from Royal Rumble 91 Brainbusters v Harts SS89 Rockers and Tito v Martel and Rouguea's SS89 Duggan/Demolition v Andre and Twin Towers SS89 Goldberg v The Giant from Nitro and also v Raven from Nitro 98 Some Sid Squashes from WCW 89 Why not show some classic angles from SOW...... El Diablo v Sid Bezerker/Taker Flair attacks Piper and Vince gets hit with chair Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FUM Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 Has there ever been any sort of UKFF Top 50/100 matches poll? As a guy who loves a list, it'd be pretty good to see/watch through and would help out with threads like this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members John Matrix Posted August 13, 2017 Paid Members Share Posted August 13, 2017 16 hours ago, Arch Stanton said: I think I'd find wrestling so inaccessible as a newcomer if I just set about watching a string of unrelated matches. It always was, and still is, the characters and the angles that caught my attention. If I wanted to introduce wrestling to an adult taking an interest, I'd be looking for classic promos and angles first, then the matches that came from them. I'd be tempted to point him in the direction of Lucha Underground for something that is not ancient, features lots of fun characters, great wrestling action and quality production values. Oh, and if you wanted to stick Rey vs Eddie on your list, go for 1997 not 2005. I'd agree with this in principle, however, my early exposure to wrestling was through a friend of mine recording episodes of Superstars off Sky, so I wasn't exposed to 5* classics week in week out, however, the first 'PPV' match I ever saw, without the benefit of any build up whatsoever was The Rockers Vs The Orient Express at the '91 Rumble and i'd stick that on this list any day of the week. Despite already knowing that wrestling was pre-determined etc, I was utterly convinced the Express were just a nasty pair of bastards doing it for real. Fantastic match. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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