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Official Match/DVD/Show Discussion Thread - Tradition Continues & Bobby Eaton

771K views 10K replies 278 participants last post by  JustJoel 
#1 ·
Reboot initiated. Appropriate PPV tagline, tbhayley. Point for you if you can guess it.

Previous thread: The Big Bang

THE CAL SCALE

NO = -1
DUD-* = 0
*1/4-** = 0.5
**1/4-**3/4 = 1
***-***1/4 = 2
***1/2 = 3
***3/4 = 4
**** = 5
****1/4 = 6
****1/2 = 7
****3/4 = 8
***** = 9
As always, watch MENG, Evil Doink, & The Undertaker goodies on the regular. And you know what, Bobby Eaton ffs. Lets nip this in the bud and get everyone to worship immediately.
 
#7,182 ·
I am downright giddy Brock is staying. No matter what, when I hear his music hit and see him walk down the ramp with that beanie and his fight shorts on, I know shits about to get real and the excitement is tangible. Brock will always be a big deal for me, he's just one of those guys I will always love watching. Also, when Brock is on and he's at his best, and he has a good baby face to work against, he's capable of turning in all time great heel performances on the regular. His matches with Eddie, Taker, Benoit, Punk, Cena, and Angle are all classics in my eyes. Brock just gets it, and I think he's probably the best athlete to ever be a pro wrestler, all due respect to Kurt Angle.

Just the way Brock moves around in the ring and bumps doesn't seem real to me. How can a guy his size move like that? Plus, Brock usually does 2-3 things in a match that just make you say "Holy $&@! that's not possible!" Just little things, like how he jumps right up on to the apron when making his entrance from the floor, or that time he jumped up and stomped that piece of wood from the announce desk on Punks back. He gets some serious air and hang time, stuff you see only in the NBA, and he does it like its nothing. Brock also did the single most impressive feat of strength I've ever seen in the ring. During his HiaC match with Taker, he wrestled 25+ minutes at a non stop pace, bled all over the place, and STILL, when it came time for the finish, he had Taker in the position for a Tombstone, thought "Nah", and just straight jacked Taker up in the air, tossing him like he's a sack of flower, caught him in the firemans carry, and hit him with the F5 to end the match. That's unfreakingbelievable. I don't even know how it's possible to do that to a 300+ lb man, let alone while you're covered in sweat after wrestling a 25+ minute blood bath of a match. Nothing has ever impressed me so much.

So, to sum it up, I'm glad Brock's back because simply there is no one else even remotely like him in the WWE these days. He's a true one of a kind. Let's hope WWE doesn't get cheap again and will actually pay his dates so we see him more than once in a blue moon, but I'm not holding my breath.
 
#477 ·
Just watched Lesnar/Cena, and man, I liked it 10x better than their overrated ER match. This one had the CLEAR CUT storytelling and sharp focus. Such a simple and effective match with brilliant pacing, Lesnar was an outstanding aggressor, and Cena sold for him exceptionally. I loved the Taker callback from Brock, that was gold. Details matter. As far as MOTYC list goes, I only have Virus/Titan, Styles/Suzuki and Nakamura/Tanahashi (IA) ahead of this match. With this match being fucking great, just imagine what Bryan/Lesnar could be, I mean Bryan is half Cena's size, would sell even better for Lesnar, and unlike Cena, has the full throttle support from the crowds.

****3/4
 
#6,444 ·
I loved Bryan/Reigns. The whole thing is just a metaphor for the relationship between WWE and Bryan and his fans. The match is good because Roman sucks and Bryan is the best. Bryan knows he's better the entire match and we know Bryan is better. He does all this cool and smart stuff the entire match and then Reigns is just like "PUNCH" and Bryan goes down. And that just keeps happening. Bryan has this super smart strategy where he adapts to what happens in the ring constantly. Reigns is just "PUNCH!" "SPEAR!" and the 3 other moves that he did. Bryan is clearly better, loses in a way that we see coming (but we all saw the outcome coming the day it was booked) and we're mad. It's some next level stuff from a story aspect.

It's also a pretty amazing carry job by Bryan. I guess Reigns had some good looking elbow strikes but nothing else that he did was super impressive and he mostly just punched Bryan a bunch. Bryan on the other hand played a compelling character who you could read his thoughts from the looks on his face and the way he carried himself in the ring.
 
#8,597 ·
Speaking of uploads, just updated my list of Dailymotion video links. Majority of these are set to private so they won't appear on my channel:

Steve Austin Vs Kurt Angle - SummerSlam 2001

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k1p6zxqwNuxuCXb2i5F

Eddie Guerrero and Tajiri Vs Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Hass - WWE Smackdown May 22nd 2003

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/kyGu6iOY54QVeg6MlGT

Eddie Guerrero and Tajiri Vs Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Hass - WWE Smackdown May 29th 2003

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k7L178BRt0xwso6MpTb

Eddie Guerrero and Tajiri Vs Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Hass - WWE Smackdown July 3rd 2003

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/kWYIfVsMdGdaXf6MtBn

Eddie Guerrero and Tajiri Vs Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Hass - WWE Smackdown July 3rd 2003 - Aftermath

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k6srNRmNm7ZN6W6MvX8

WeeLC

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k3zC2ScMgC9Qzo7pmXB

Sheamus & Christian Vs The Real Americans - WWE Raw Feb 10th 2014

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k3GqqQRFbRrOw07X14g

FCW - Seth Rollins vs Dean Ambrose I - FCW 15 Championship - FCW 15 Match - Aug14-11

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k57J6ptcU9fDMe7ZggB

Chris Benoit vs Bobby Lashley - Raw 11.6.07

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k5vDLVHQs8v88A8eQ5u

Randy Orton Vs Edge - WWE Raw Dec 13th 2004

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/ko3P2FuCHLsocU8obJY

Finlay Vs Rey Mysterio - WWE Smackdown 24th March 2006

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k5XTRImp2ZPAy38CCRz

Kevin Steen Vs Jerry Lawler

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k2B3yzOTHfAGJ496Eep

Jack Jester Vs Drew Galloway - ICW Championship - Fear & Loathing VII November 2nd 2014

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k7qLxH6H6oBpbn9iBOe

Night Of The Grudges 2 8.20.05 Nigel McGuinness vs Colt Cabana

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k4pU5CWxAGTBV29q8DU

Steven Regal Vs Billy Kidman - WCW Nitro July 12th 1999

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k6s8KA6BeqVDFkaUKky

FCW - Dean Ambrose vs Damien Sandow - FCW 15 Championship - Dec11-11

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/kWWHxQLJlmLwOhaWIKu

Christian Vs Regal - ECW August 25th 2009

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k3JtI4tAqRPUN8aYpJ8

Jack Swagger Vs Yoshi Tatsu - ECW 22.12.2009

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k7d1oFV54BPtvf5lAkg

Jake Roberts Vs Dirty White Boy - Smoky Mountain Wrestling 07/05/1994

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k1dCrOO5XxRWee5mWxx

Cody Rhodes & Goldust Vs The Real Americans - MSG 26.12.2013 Cage

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k7t7VQVa1CMLk05u9lf

Daniel Bryan Vs The Big Show Vs Mark Henry - WHC WWE MSG 18.03.2012

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/kdkPJfa7XXHdTG5wx6e

Cesaro Vs Sami Zayn - NXT Arrival 27.02.2014

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k3uxyq8530PYwc5Fd2d

The Undertaker Vs Haku - WWF Raw January 29th 2001

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k6EV1cge4MnDx065OAN

Mark Henry Vs Chris Benoit - WWE Smackdown May 26th 2006

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/kO6jUKE2A93uEg6Mg6K

Orton Vs Jericho - WWE Raw July 5th 2004

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k52MZ4j2t4l52b5dSHW (private)

Shelton Benjamin Vs HHH - WWE Raw March 29th 2004avi

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k4V7XxVHPyk4az5d9qE (private)

Benoit, Jericho & Edge Vs Evolution - WWE Raw August 2nd 2004

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k3CQ3qE6a1kcKI5daxq (private)

Rock and Orton segment - WWE Raw June 21st 2004

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k1BXJ1EgzUyTJv5d9Sz (private)

Chris Benoit Vs Kane - WWE Raw June 28th 2004

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k2ntLoTQ7b8Cmf5d4NU (private)

Evolution vs Foley, Benoit, Shelton & HBK - WWE Raw April 12th 2004

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k51s7Se7gn5uBY5d3i7 (private)

Highlight Reel with Benoit & Flair + Henry Vs Benoit - Raw February 2nd 2004

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k2dyVp3DakkRTj5cNp8 (private)

Benoit, Jericho & Edge vs Evolution - Raw June 14th 2004

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k40LAuV2HbSQjs5cM44 (private)

Chris Benoit Vs Ric Flair - WWE Raw February 9th 2004

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k7bT45kPaDbEyu5cLhj (private)

Edge & Chris Benoit Vs La Resistance - Raw May 31st 2004

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k3od9BiromV3ae51fUb (Private)

Shawn Michaels Vs Randy Orton - Raw June 7th 2004

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k5N1lLOTFzK0sc51fu3 (Private)

Edge & Chris Benoit Vs Randy Orton & Batista - Raw May 17th 2004

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k4Hm8kdgTlqqre50aRC (Private)

Chris Benoit Vs Shawn Michaels - Raw May 3rd 2004

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k2ULkUkyoDP1mA50agQ (Private)

Chris Benoit Vs Shawn Michaels - Raw February 16th 2004

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/kuirLH6QHGxxiV4WfsF (Private)

Randy Orton Vs RVD - Raw January 12th 2004

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k5U6cCtecMLXdW4WeA5 (Private)

Triple H Vs Edge Vs Chris Benoit - Raw November 29th 2004

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k5cOPWGFf4CIQv4WdQg (Private)

Chris Benoit Vs Randy Orton - WHC Match - Raw August 16th 2004

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k23LarpwQG5mvT4W6i4 (Private)

Shawn Michaels vs Venom - TWA 2000

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k2PDhaGG3tUhpu4T6YU (Private)

The Undertaker Vs The Big Show - Last Man Standing - Cyber Sunday 2008

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/kLgYDzON7hELq14QzOS (Private)

CZW_ROH - Team ROH vs Team CZW - The 100th Show

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k4kGuiJScj2TWI4Q1GJ (Private)

Joe vs. Punk III

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k7eG0OCaljmhkt4PYoc (Private)

Bryan Danielson vs Takeshi Morishima - ROH Glory By Honor VI Night 2

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/keTj0PXoULmNOA4PM70 (Private)

Cody Rhodes & Goldust Vs The Shield Vs The Usos - Hell in a Cell 2013

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k7peorzOZIUgUp4PHBl (Private)

Goldust Vs Seth Rollins - WWE Main Event 23.10.2013

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k2uM6XOe1NHnST4OCmJ (Private)

Gilbert Melendez Vs Diego Sanchez - UFC 166

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k26A99GSZfJdyX4NCwI (Private)

Christian & Tommy Dreamer Vs Vladimir Kovlov & Ezekiel Jackson - ECW 08.09.2009

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k25bMA4KDK3bQN4N9ee (Private)

FCW - Dean Ambrose vs Damien Sandow - FCW 15 Championship - Dec11-11

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k7GwJAIEA6R5fb4MIjJ (Private)

Impact 4.13.2006 - Christopher Daniels vs Samoa Joe

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k7MOkPzONCzNxL4MHGF (Private)

Goldust Vs Sheamus - wwe.superstars.2009.08.13

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k7kiO46lJjKgD64MHu3 (Private)

FCW - William Regal vs Dean Ambrose II - July15-12

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k3jRtwpIWU51DI4MHep (Private)

FCW - William Regal vs Dean Ambrose I - FCW TV - Nov6-11

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/kzxHU4gA5yW2zW4MGoG (Private)

Christian Vs William Regal - ECW 19.01.2010

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k4H8o2dmwt03nr4MFL8 (Private)

Christian & Kane Vs William Regal & Ezekiel Jackson - ECW 26.01.2010

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/kZR862mqgGdeXe4MFlv (Private)

Sami Zayn Vs Jack Swagger - WWE.NXT.2013.9.4.HDTV

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/ks58nUYOcx6Xsq4MF3V (Private)

Sami.Zayn.vs.Antonio.Cesaro.2.Out.Of.3.Falls.Match.720p.(from 2013-08-21.NXT)

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k5d7Frtu679mEs4LWFA (Private)

The Shield Vs The Rhodes Family - WWE Raw 14 October 2013

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k7EkZ9CETAUp1i4LWf1 (Private)

The Shield Vs The Rhodes Family - WWE Battleground 2013

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/kdPVwbTfC28BtB4LVxV (Private)

Chris Benoit Vs Triple H - Iron Man Match - WWE Raw July 26th 2004

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k4uGbg91R8alIV4Ktiu (Private)

The Undertaker Vs Kurt Angle - WWE Smackdown 04/09/2003

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k4LZRH02Lko6Xl4KhjX (Private)

John Cena vs. CM Punk_ Raw, Feb. 25, 2013 (Full-Length Match

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k6qIm66LHeDRvu4xq1B (Private)

Regal & Finlay Vs Hardy & Gunner SD June 16 2006

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/kmKoEvKRDF95r44q35D (Private)

William Regal Vs Kassuis Ohno - NXT April 11th 2013

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k6IcZhWpO1ovAG3YaSR (Private)

The Undertaker Vs Mr Kennedy - Nurnberg Germany 08.11.2006

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k66b627YjNUJ673VyRC (Private)

Cena Vs Umaga Raw July 17th 2006

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xyj9dd_cena-vs-umaga-raw-july-17th-2006_sport

Cena Vs Shelton Raw July 10th 2006

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xyj970_cena-vs-shelton-raw-july-10th-2006_sport

Piper Story (Funny story from a legends of wrestling roundtable)

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xxu6hk_piper-story_sport

Finlay Vs The Undertaker - Smackdown 09.03.2007

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k2y8khvvZHfJ7V3OaDW

The Shield - Smackdown 18.01.2013 (Promo)

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k1wigayEocztdP3JP6w (Private)

Damien Sandow & Antonio Cesaro Vs Tyson Kidd & Justin Gabriel - NXT 16.01.2013

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k40j4sJy4tuRnO3JvwI (Private)

Team Hell No & Dr Shelby - Raw 14.01.2013 (Promo)

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k3Ujo7PUTylQGo3J269 (Private)

Big Show & Antonio Cesaro Vs Sheamus & Randy Orton - Smackdown 04.01.2013

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k1mHP3NbZDkyZS3ISrV (Private)

CM Punk Vs Ryback - TLC - Raw 07.01.2013

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/kaX2WNpbJJPq6s3ISg3 (Private)

John Cena Vs Dolph Ziggler - Raw 07.01.2013

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k4E1rKKACxspxV3IRXZ (Private)

Devon Vs Joseph Park - TNA Genesis 13/01/2013

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k3EmJCuv7f1cC03IQmZ (Private)

The Big Show Vs Alberto Del Rio - Last Man Standing - Smackdown 11.01.2013

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/keFHQZ8bHKCpZt3IEBi (Private)

Sheamus Vs Dolph Ziggler - Main Event 09.01.2013

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k44l3OiQD9gZht3I6qZ (Private)

Punk & Rock promo 07.01.2013

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k7zeGj30ihkuzs3HFD6 (Private)

Scotty 2 Hotty Vs Dean malenko Vs Taka Michinoku - WWF Sunday Night Heat April 23rd 2000

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xw...u-wwf-sunday-night-heat-april-23rd-2000_sport

Scott Steiner Vs Cruiserweights - WCW Nitro Feb 5th 2001

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xw5kvn_scott-steiner-vs-cruiserweights-wcw-nitro-feb-5th-2001_sport

HHH Vs Big Show - Raw Feb 13th 2006

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xvyws9_hhh-vs-big-show-raw-feb-13th-2006_sport

Triple H Vs Ric Flair - WWE Raw Febuary 6th 2006

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xvuvhw_triple-h-vs-ric-flair-wwe-raw-febuary-6th-2006_sport

Rockers vs. Brainbusters (Superstars – 12/10/88)

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xvtz6e_rockers-vs-brainbusters-superstars-12-10-88_sport

Rockers vs. Brainbusters (Spectrum – 12/18/88)

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xvu017_rockers-vs-brainbusters-spectrum-12-18-88_sport

Rockers vs. Brainbusters (Boston Garden – 1/13/89)

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xvu109_rockers-vs-brainbusters-boston-garden-1-13-89_sport

Rockers vs. Brainbusters (MSG – 1/23/89, audio issues)

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xvu256_rockers-vs-brainbusters-msg-1-23-89-audio-issues_sport

Rockers vs. Brainbusters (LA Sports Arena – 1/29/89)

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xvu328_rockers-vs-brainbusters-la-sports-arena-1-29-89_sport

Rockers vs. Brainbusters (Superstars – 2/18/89)

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xvu3b4_rockers-vs-brainbusters-superstars-2-18-89_sport

Rockers vs. Brainbusters (SNME – 3/11/89)

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xvu43q_rockers-vs-brainbusters-snme-3-11-89_sport

Rockers vs. Brainbusters (MSG – 3/18/89)

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xvu4mc_rockers-vs-brainbusters-msg-3-18-89_sport

Rockers vs. Brainbusters (Boston Garden – 3/18/89)

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xvu56g_rockers-vs-brainbusters-boston-garden-3-18-89_sport

Rockers vs. Brainbusters (Prime Time Wrestling – 3/27/89)

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xvu5ve_rockers-vs-brainbusters-prime-time-wrestling-3-27-89_sport

Rockers vs. Brainbusters (SNME – 11/25/89)

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xvu69j_rockers-vs-brainbusters-snme-11-25-89_sport

Windham Vs Tenryu

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xuty9o_windham-vs-tenryu_sport

Mr Perfect Vs Ronnie Garvin MSG March 1989

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xthl0y_mr-perfect-vs-ronnie-garvin-msg-march-1989_sport

Ricky Steamboat Vs Steven Regal No DQ - WCW Main Event 8.8.93

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xo...teven-regal-no-dq-wcw-main-event-8-8-93_sport

Dusty gets distracted (funny comentary)

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xkxkqh_dusty-gets-distracted_shortfilms

Bret Hart & British Bulldog Vs Owen Hart & Jim Neidhart from 19th October 1994

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xbxrwx_bret-hart-british-bulldog-vs-owen-h_sport

Arn Anderson Vs Steven Regal - WCW Superbrawl 20.02.1994 CD1

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xbukoi_arn-anderson-vs-steven-regal-wcw-su_sport

Arn Anderson Vs Steven Regal - WCW Superbrawl 20.02.1994 CD2

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xbulcn_arn-anderson-vs-steven-regal-wcw-su_sport

Lesnar meets CM Punk and Mr Kennedy on SD in 2003

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8xmjt_lesnar-meets-cm-punk-and-mr-kennedy_sport

Dean Malenko Vs Taka Michinoku - Smackdown April 6th 2000

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7y8nk_dean-malenko-vs-taka-michinoku-smac_sport
 
#8,606 ·
Thanks for this! I decided to check out the Ziggler/Sheamus match from Main Event because I'd never seen it before and wow, what a match! Great stuff, especially for Main Event. I hope they get a proper match at a PPV soon (preferably without a dumb gimmick).
 
#9,558 ·
The argument for Flair's formula was never said better than by Loss over on PWO:

There is definitely a Flair formula, and to me, it's what makes him great. Your opponent gets the best of you early on (pretty much everyone), most of the time with a side headlock (Taylor, Reed, Sting, Steamboat). A change in momentum causes his opponent to miss a move or make a key mistake (Koloff, Sting, Luger, Steamboat), often times affecting the leg or knee, which creates an opening for Flair to begin working on the guy's leg to set up the figure four.

While in the figure four, he will typically hold the ropes when the referee isn't looking and get a few nearfalls off of it until the babyface finds the resolve to turn the move over, which the announcer will inevitably point out is the only known counter (Windham, Steamboat, Sting, Luger). In the middle of their comeback, the babyface will catch a thumb to the eye from Flair. Flair will then climb to the top rope, only to get slammed to the mat (Nikita, Luger, Sting, Kerry).

At some point, some chops may be thrown in. His opponents will either shrug them off (Road Warriors, Sting, Luger, Nikita), chop back (Steamboat, Garvin), or sell them and punch him in retaliation (pretty much everyone else). The next few minutes will see the babyface hit a series of offensive moves and get a *really* close nearfall, which will totally reel in the crowd. There may be a 10-count of babyface punches while standing on the middle rope in the corner (Sting, Luger, Kerry), after which Flair will walk to the center of the ring in a daze and fall on his face. Within a few minutes of this happening, Flair will find a way to win the match either with his feet on the ropes (Luger), his opponent's feet on the ropes (Kerry), or a handful of tights. The match will then be over.

There are slight variations on that, but that's basically the Flair formula.

It's great!

I understand pointing out that Flair is formulaic and repetitive, because he is. What I don't understand is the presumption that

(A) that's a bad thing
(B) that's somehow different from almost every other great heel who has had a similar role
(C) the matches are *SO* clung to that formula that if you've seen one Flair match, you've seen them all


I think a common problem with Flair matches is that they judge him based on those same few matches over and over. You know the ones, Harley Race at Starrcade '83, the Dusty Rhodes feud, and the Steamboat series. WWE is completely unaware he had any other matches or opponents at any point in the 80s. It's no wonder people are sick of them. They will occasionally throw us a bone and provide a rare match (Barry Windham on Worldwide) or a match that has never before been released (Ricky Morton) and sadly, no one talks about it. All anyone wants to talk about is fucking Wrestle War '89 and Clash VI. Enough. Please. I'm a huge Flair fan, and I'm sick of those matches. Move on.

But let's talk about each of those points:

(a) That's a bad thing

Why? Why is it bad to have signature spots or have similar archs in the way two matches are laid out? Flair wrestled a ridiculous schedule in the 80s, and to expect him to sit down and watch a bunch of Terry Gordy matches while he's in Puerto Rico because he's wrestling him the next night in Dallas at the Sportatorium is patently insane.

Seriously, look at this schedule, and tell me when Flair is supposed to study a bunch of tapes of his opponents:

http://www.wrestling...atches1985.html

Specifically focus on April and May. Also, keep in mind that schedule is probably missing some dates, and also doesn't account for flying to all the TV studios where he probably didn't even have a match, but had to catch a redeye to do a two minute promo to hype a show taking place in two weeks.

Yes, every NWA champ is bound to this schedule, so I think if someone is going to somehow state that this is bad thing, the onus is on that person to look at another NWA champ with a similar schedule, take a week or two week block of time where they were wrestling in a different place pretty much every night, and point out how different (and good) all of those matches are.

Flair's point of view, for the record, was always that because he saw Ray Stevens once live and was disappointed that he worked a "different" type of match and he didn't get to see any of the signature spots, he vowed he would always do the Flair show so fans weren't disappointed that they didn't get to see him do his trademark spots, some of which happened to be bumps.

(b) That's somehow different from almost every other great heel who had a similar role

We've discussed this. Every wrestler in the history of wrestling is repetitive. That doesn't mean there can't be variety, which leads to:

(C) the matches are *SO* clung to that formula that if you've seen one Flair match, you've seen them all

Sometimes the opening matwork was a side headlock, in the cases described above, and sometimes it would be a hammerlock or an armbar. Sometimes Flair would mix in some arm work (Wahoo, Luger at Wrestle War '90). Sometimes, he would throw in the "Let's both tumble over the top rope" spot, and sometimes he wouldn't. Sometimes he would be carefree and animated at the beginning of a match (Luger at Starrcade '88 and Clash XII) and sometimes he would be more serious (Funk at Bash '89).

If you look at the Garvin matches, you'll find that there are definitely differences between a Flair/Garvin match and a Flair/Sting match. They're barely alike at all. If you watch the Flair/Jake match from the Mid South set, you'll see a match pretty unlike any other Flair match you're likely to ever watch. You might also watch Flair get suplexed to eternity by Scott McGhee in Florida and have trouble finding a similar match.

It's worth taking the context of these matches into consideration as well. The goal was often the big picture, and Flair's job was typically to make the babyface look like he's good enough to be the world champion. Because Flair was so good at this is the reason he's talked about as the best wrestler ever -- you're not likely to find too many wrestlers in history who are on his level at getting over the big picture. You will find better mat workers, better fliers, wrestlers with more offense, wrestlers whose matches are generally much more internally logical, wrestlers who are maybe better and less annoying sellers, but who else is able to pull what they have together so well, in a way where they were able to produce consistently, in long matches against a wide variety of opponents?

If you're going to argue that as he entered the 90s, he failed to make changes in his style that might have kept him fresh, I'm inclined to agree with that. When I make the case for Flair, I make the case for the 80s Ric Flair, and I think when people make an argument against Flair by focusing on his 90s or 00s stuff, they're either missing the point and need to watch more Flair, which is probably the majority, or they're purposely using bad examples to make their point, which is probably a minority.

I think one of the problems, however, with overly focusing on how dated Flair's stuff was by the 90s, is that he was still better than the majority of those around him, and there was really no one pushing him to improve at that point. I remember very well the first time I saw Flair and thought he looked old, and it was when he was trying to keep up with Steve Austin and Brian Pillman at the June '93 Clash.

Going back to the 80s, I also agree that how Flair was booked made him stale by the time the decade was winding down. He needed fresh opponents in the worst way, and you do see new life breathed into him in 1989. It was the first time in ages (maybe it never even happened at all in the Crockett years) where the promotion not only decided they were going to treat Flair as their centerpiece, but also that they were going to seek out new opponents to come in and face him. They did that with Steamboat, then they did it with Terry Funk, and it revitalized him. Perhaps had he been booked to have new rivalries consistently during the Crockett era, we wouldn't be having this conversation.
 
#9,564 ·
The argument for Flair's formula was never said better than by Loss over on PWO:

Fabulous write up, but it just bangs my point home even more. Ric Flairs matches aren't anymore alike than just about every top hand in wrestling feom the 1980's to modern day. You could type up a "Ric Flair match formula" like the guy did on PWO for Undertaker, John Cena, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Rey Mysterio, and probably several others. Doesn't make their matches all the same or mean they are less talented, just means they know how to have a great match with their character and enjoy using the same loose outline and then adding in lots of different spots and story elements for variety. Like chess pieces on a chess board.

Now, here is another question: if we establish that the majority of the main event performers of the last 30 or so years have had a basic match outline they tend to use in most of their matches, who are some of the exceptions?

The first two guys that came to mind for me are Mick Foley (earlier years, not the stuff from 2004-2006 when he was on his last legs) and Chris Benoit. Eddie probably too, because he worked totally different matches when facing Rey, Benoit, JBL, Lesnar, Big Show, Angle, etc.
 
#207 ·
Wrestlemania 30

Daniel Bryan vs. Triple H w/Stephanie McMahon

I’m really struggling to come up with a reason why this wasn’t a perfect match. The winner going into the main event justified this being a wrestling match and not just violent brawl between guys that hated each other. Triple H and Bryan both understand that winning the match would hurt the other more than brutally beating them or anything like that. So they had a wrestling match where both of them tried to win. That one fact made Triple H trying to win by count out a genius move instead of a really stupid move because Triple H is supposed to hate him more than anything.

The match escalated perfectly. Bryan tried to beat Triple H on the mat early on and they had some really good exchanges that were just refreshing to see in a WWE ring. Triple H avoided the injured shoulder of Bryan at first as he tried to beat him at his own game.

Which bring me to Triple H’s fucking amazing heel performance. Wait, he didn’t cheat or anything, why is it a great heel performance? It was an amazing heel performance because he’s an arrogant bastard that thinks he’s better than Bryan and can’t even imagine that Bryan winning was possible. He has his wife announce him to the ring, come out to an over the top entrance where he really looks like the King of Kings and then tried to beat Bryan all on his own with no help. Most heels act arrogant but they usually end up cheating. Triple H didn’t because he was so confident that he KNEW he was going to win and that he didn’t need to take any short cuts. Also he had Stephanie at ringside with him and she was just fantastic. She never got involved in the match physically but the way she was talking trash to Bryan from bell to bell was just amazing.

Anyway, after the good technical stuff early on we see Bryan take a huge dive off the top rope onto the floor. It was a big bump that he took and I loved that he just went for it all early in the match. It just shows how he was desperate to win and wasn’t holding back. He didn’t go for the big move early but as soon as he had the chance he took a big risk. Once that big dive took place there was a noticeable change in the intensity of the match as things really picked up. That’s another thing that I love about the match; it just builds and builds until at some point you realize you’re seeing something amazing.

Things do pick up and Triple H has a chance to injure the arm and Bryan takes a big bump on the announce table. From there an amazing control segment starts where Triple H goes right after the injury. The control segment was good because the offense looked great and Bryan really looked like he was in a lot of trouble. This wasn’t Bryan’s best selling performance by any mean, it’s really the only thing I can knock in the match, but it was good enough and you got the impression that there was shoulder pain consistently when he was on offense.

Bryan makes his comeback, it’s great, and then you get the build up to the big finish that was just amazing. They didn’t spam finishers but did a lot of stuff that built up to the end. I loved seeing things like Triple H hitting a Dragon Suplex on Bryan and just seeing things that you don’t normally see in the WWE anymore. Bryan kicking out of the pedigree was amazing, especially because it was right after a spinebuster and there wasn’t even the slightest hesitation for the pin. Everything was built up well and the ending didn’t disappoint and the match ended at the right time.

Obviously I loved the match. I just wrote an absurdly long review for it because there was just so much stuff that I loved and wanted to talk about. This is the other type of Wrestlemania classic. Not the one where the guys do all of these amazing things and have an “epic” match but the kind where 2 talented workers get to just have a kickass match in the ring.
****3/4


The Shield vs. Kane and The New Age Outlaws

What an ass kicking. I don’t think Kane or NAO got in any offense at all. This lasted about 3 minutes and was all Shield. It was actually a pretty great beat down for the few minutes that it got. Probably better that it went down this way.
*1/4


Andre The Giant Battle Royal

As far as Battle Royals go this was pretty fantastic. You didn’t get one of those long periods of time where nothing happened and nobody was eliminated. There was a constant stream of eliminations and a lot of them were really memorable. Ziggler was pretty hilarious in this as he wore his bright pink t-shirt just so he would stick out in the ring. To his credit he was all over the place during the match. Anyway the pacing was good and the match was genuinely fun to watch. The ending was also pretty fantastic because it really looked like WWE was creating a new star with this match. No things didn’t work out but nobody can take away this moment from Cesaro and for that night he looked like he was going to be a huge star very soon. If we’re talking straight Battle Royals I’m not sure if I can name one that is better. If they are this quality every year I have no problem seeing this on the main card at every Mania.
***


Bray Wyatt w/Harper and Rowan vs. John Cena

I’m having a really hard time rating this match. There was really good psychology and story telling from Wyatt and Cena. Wyatt wanted to break Cena and have him snap. He wanted to make Cena stop being Cena and do something out of character. That’s a really cool concept and Wyatt antagonizing Cena worked well and Cena did a good job with body language and facial reactions to make it look like he was close to snapping. On paper that all sounds good right? And it probably would have been a good match if they went 15 minutes. However, this went far too long and while it told a cool story it was boring. That’s really the best word that comes to mind for me and I hate to admit it because it should have been great. It seems like they put together a 15 minute match and tried to stretch it out for like 25 minutes. The pace was bad and it wasn’t enjoyable to watch.

There were some things that I really did like. Cena’s proactive approach to Harper and Rowan was fun. If he had the chance he would take a shot at them before they had the chance to get involved in the match. It worked and it made Wyatt look better in defeat because Harper and Rowan weren’t particularly effective despite being there. Harper and Rowan didn’t look too stupid either. I mean when Cena just dives at them when they are standing at ringside it’s not really their fault or anything. Of course this was all erased in their matches after this but for this one night the Wyatt Family didn’t look stupid.

I hate rating matches that I know were worked well but just weren’t that enjoyable to watch. It’s like if someone is making a pizza and they make it perfectly but the cheese on the pizza has gone bad. I want to credit them for doing a good job making the pizza but it’s really hard to ignore the fact that the pizza doesn’t taste good.
**1/4


The Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar w/Paul Heyman

This is horrible to watch. I don’t really mean that in a bad way though. I don’t think there’s some single emotion that wrestling is supposed to make you feel so I’m fine with really anything that holds my interest from bell to bell. And this held my interest the entire time as it was one of the saddest things that I’ve ever seen in a wrestling ring. And no I don’t mean sad in a bad effort or anything like that. I mean sad in that I wanted to cry when it was over. I hadn’t seen this since I was in attendance and I have to say that knowing what happens here puts this match in a different perspective. It’s the death of the Undertaker.

I could write a review from a kayfabe perspective and it would probably be identical to what I’m about to write. Brock Lesnar destroys the Undertaker in a match that is just sad to watch. Things were going OK until the Undertaker took that horrible bump on the outside. He was totally out of it after that point and I have no idea how he continued. He was fucking calling the match when he was probably half conscious. Lesnar beats the shit out of him and just doesn’t stuff. Undertaker shows some signs of life throughout the match but other than a few strikes and one Tombstone (where going back you just wish it was the finish) it was all Lesnar. The ending is one of the most shocking moments in wrestling history and is something that I’m never going to forget.

I never want to watch this again but I couldn’t look away. The Undertaker debuted in WWE a month before I was born. He was a constant in wrestling for as long as I can remember and this was the weakest I’ve ever seen him look. They had a story going with Shawn and Triple H were he would look more and more human until Wrestlemania 28 when he looked like unbeatable Undertaker once again. He not only looked human here but he looked like an old broken man.

This is pretty much impossible to rate as I’m not sure if something like this has ever happened in a wrestling ring before. I also don’t like the idea of rating a match when the guy that called it had no business even being in the ring. I’m glad I watched this again because it’s a totally new experience seeing this when you know that it’s the end of the Streak. Not to get crazy with the ratings but I don't know if I want to give this a DUD or 5 Stars. How do you rate a match that makes you feel overcome with sadness but is also something that you sit there watch and can't look away.
:(:(:(:(:(




Divas Championship Invitational
AJ Lee(c) vs. Nikki Bella vs. Brie Bella vs. Eva Marie vs. Naomi vs. Topless Cameron vs. Summer Rae vs. Natalya vs. Rosa Mendez vs. Summer Rae vs. Layla vs. Aksana vs. Emma vs. Alicia Fox vs. Tamina

I think this might be the worst time to ever go out there and have a match. Everyone was pissed before this even started. This was fine for what it was. If you were in the match you got a spot. Some of them were OK. Nothing great and some of the people in the match had no business being in a Wrestlemania match.
1/2 *



Triple Threat Match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
Randy Orton(c) vs. Batista vs. Daniel Bryan

The feel good moment that the night needed to end with. And it was a pretty great ride getting to that moment. Bryan was in total lunatic mode as he would attack both guys with reckless abandon. They naturally responded with taking him out of the match whenever they had the chance. Now this is the confusing part of the review so be warned. It wasn’t good when Orton and Batista were along in the ring together. But that’s kind of good isn’t it? I mean the whole point of the fans rallying behind Bryan is that they didn’t want to see guys like Orton and Batista in the main event. It was only fitting that they didn’t do so well when they were alone in the ring together. I mean I didn’t like seeing but wasn’t that bad because it was bad…. Moving on.

Bryan makes his early rally and locks in the Yes Lock and from there it looked like the fix was in again against Bryan as Triple H, Stephanie and referee Brad Armstrong all make their way in. Batista hits a Batista and when Bryan kicks out at 2 he brings the crowd back to life and they just explode. Bryan taking out the Authority that wasn’t in the match was great and you felt like he could ride that high to a win. Of course the match takes a different turn as Batista and Orton again try to take him out of the match. We see a brutal table bump and Bryan is put on a stretcher. There was this awkward moment where Batista seemed stumped as to what he should do because Orton took a bad bump too and needed some time I think. Well they get in the ring together and it wasn’t great. Bryan getting back in the ring to start the finishing stretch was amazing. Everyone nearly had a heart attack at a Batista nearfall and the end of the match was the culmination that had been built up for 8 months.

I really enjoyed the match despite the down points. And it ended in one of my favorite moments ever. I remember Eddie and Benoit in the ring at Wrestlemania 20 but I wasn’t really old enough to appreciate how good they were and how special that moment was. Daniel Bryan is my favorite wrestler and seeing him win the main event of Wrestlemania after beating Triple H in the same night is just amazing. He’s the guy that made look outside the WWE for wrestling, I’ve seen him wrestle in front of 200 people in a disgustingly hot venue, I stopped watching WWE for months after he was released, and now I saw him have one of the best one night performances ever.

The match had all this cool stuff and a ton of drama but it told a consistent story of one guy trying to rise against the Authority on his own. And for this night he was able to do it all on his own. The match wasn’t a masterpiece like Bryan’s first match but this was a ton of fun and the suspense was brutal at times.
****

Great showing and fitting for a Wrestlemania. The whole show is a rollercoaster ride. It starts off high with the cool opening segment and Bryan beating Triple H cleanly and it brings you to the lowest low when the Streak ends only to pick you up again at the main event. Battle Royal was fun as well. It’s a real shame that I didn’t enjoy Cena/Wyatt very much or we would be getting close to one of the best Manias ever.
 
#694 ·
WWE should introduce a wrestler, or even better - a stable called THE ODDS already, and put him/them in eternal feud with John Cena.
 
#740 ·
Better late than never; my thoughts on SummerSlam 2014:

Fun opener between Miz and Ziggler. Clocked in at just about the right time because as Cody said working longer matches isn't one of Mizanin's strengths. Enjoyable back and forth sprint with Ziggler finally getting what felt like a meaningful PPV win. Really liked that nearfall off the Skull Crushing Finale. At first I thought Miz completely no sold the Fameasser but on the replay you could tell he kind of ducked under it and it came off beautifully. The moneymaker stuff worked too. Didn't think the match they had on Raw a few weeks ago (or whenever) was anything more than decent. This outing was actually good.

Paige/AJ was pretty good. Definitely better than last month's effort. Paige's aggression and character work was the best stuff I've seen from her since she got called up to the main roster. That finish was dope.

Rusev/Swagger delivered in spades. Totally felt like a big match and both men put in praise worthy performances. Great selling all around, especially from Rusev who is quickly becoming one of my favorite guys to watch. It's a rare thing these days for me to actually care about a mid-card feud but this program has been done really well. Two thumbs up.

I don't think Ambrose/Rollins was great or anything like that but fuck me it was fun as hell. No problems from me about how they used the stipulation. They turned a match type I generally can't stand into something wild and original so they got my appreciation for that. I can see why some people wouldn't like it but I totally dug the chaotic nature of it all and would definitely put it in the 'better than good' category. Can't wait for the next installment.

Wyatt/Jericho was completely mediocre. I have nothing more to say.

Steph in that outfit! :mark: Steph roughing up Brie! :mark: THAT CUTOFF TO BRIE'S ATTEMPTED DIVE HOLY SHIT!!! :mark: :mark: Stephanie doing MOVEZ~ :mark: Steph selling :mark: HHH bumping for a diva!! :mark: Heel turn from the hotter Bella! :mark: :mark: Seriously though that punch by Nikki looked great. PEDIGREE 1-2-3 :mark: ****3/4

Orton/Reigns was better than I expected it to be. Much better. It wasn't a great match but I thought Orton looked motivated and sharp and I didn't find anything wrong with Roman's performance either. I quite liked the part where Reigns tried to take out Orton with the sleeper (or was it a headlock?). Some of the counters down the stretch were sweet and Orton actually came out of this looking pretty darn good despite a clean loss. Very solid.

The main event was surreal. I don't think much needs to be said about this other than that I basically loved it. Lesnar was incredible. From the ridiculous amount of suplexes, to those vicious knees, to his facials and overall demeanor, to mocking Taker by SITTING UP~!!1!1! and laughing. Man he was a joy to watch. Cena did what was required of him and did it very well. They didn't quite reproduce the magic of Extreme Rules 2012 but it was another one of a kind match between the two. Fuckin awesome.

Overall I thought it was a great show from top to bottom. Wyatt/Jericho was the only match that disappointed me and even that wasn't BAD. Would definitely re-watch this event.
 
#741 ·
Better late than never; my thoughts on SummerSlam 2014:

Fun opener between Miz and Ziggler. Clocked in at just about the right time because as Cody said working longer matches isn't one of Mizanin's strengths. Enjoyable back and forth sprint with Ziggler finally getting what felt like a meaningful PPV win. Really liked that nearfall off the Skull Crushing Finale. At first I thought Miz completely no sold the Fameasser but on the replay you could tell he kind of ducked under it and it came off beautifully. The moneymaker stuff worked too. Didn't think the match they had on Raw a few weeks ago (or whenever) was anything more than decent. This outing was actually good.

I don't think Ambrose/Rollins was great or anything like that but fuck me it was fun as hell. No problems from me about how they used the stipulation. They turned a match type I generally can't stand into something wild and original so they got my appreciation for that. I can see why some people wouldn't like it but I totally dug the chaotic nature of it all and would definitely put it in the 'better than good' category. Can't wait for the next installment.
- I never looked out for it on the replay but even when it happened live, he made it seem like he took the move, bounced off the mat and just grabbed whatever he could to hit the SCF. Sort of like the Punk/Taker Mania sequence with the GTS and Tombstone. The way he sold it on the cover made it seem that way. Whichever way it was, it still looked great. :p

- Wait til you watch RAW. :agree:
 
#5,273 · (Edited)
2014 has not been the best of years but looking back at it, it has been historic, shocking and it definitely had some memorable moments. It's the year Daniel Bryan, one of the indy wrestlers, main evented Wrestlemania and won the top prize. It was almost as emotional as Chris Benoit/Eddie Guerrero closing Wrestlemania a decade earlier IMO. I still remember the next night on RAW where the crowd chant "you deserve it!" while Bryan is in the ring. He was speechless, was living the dream. So glad he didn't announce his retirement yesterday. Rock/Hogan/Austin being in the same ring at once was also a special moment. It was just awesome to see three of the biggest stars in pro-wrestling history drinking beer at Wrestlemania 30. There was some shocking moments like the streak finally ending. Bad or good, it was definitely a major headliner in wrestling news. I know Brock hasn't been handled very well since then but looking at the moment alone, it was definitely unpredictable and shocking. Giving it to Brock isn't the worst decision as he did squash Cena a few months later which was unique. Brock is a legit fighter and a top star so it wasn't an awful decision for him to break the streak but it would have been nice to see Taker retire unbeaten at Wrestlemania. Another shocking headline was Punk leaving and criticizing the company after he left. Made huge headlines.

There were nice historic moments like Ultimate Warrior finally returning to RAW and getting inducted into the Hall of Fame deservedly. It was nice to see one of the biggest names in pro-wrestling to return after so many years out. I think almost 20 years, not too sure. I'm still shocked at his passing. His final 3 days of his life were well documented as well. Saturday night he was in the HOF ceremony, Sunday he was at Wrestlemania and on RAW, he cut that emotional but eerie promo. I think it was on Tuesday he was died. I feel sorry for his wife and kids. Sting finally debuting in the WWE was a legendary moment and once again, it was one of those 'I'll believe till I see it' moments. So many years of speculation, he finally stepped foot inside a WWE ring.

Then you have the Network and NXT. Network isn't doing great business so far but it is still a good feature to have. I haven't subscribed to it but I've heard more good reviews than bad so that's another positive thing to look forward to the future I guess. Speaking off the future, NXT definitely gave us a glimpse of the future. Kevin Owens (or Steen), Sami Zayn, Finn Balor, Neville, Itami and etc. will be great additions to the main roster and the NXT PPVs this year have been great. 2014 for all it's problems, definitely wasn't a poor year IMO. It was a significant roller coaster year when you look back at it. It's a shame what they have done to the Wyatt Family, Ambrose (to an extend), Swagger and Cesaro but it's a common mistake in the WWE.

That was long lol. Probably my longest post in this forum.
 
#7,485 ·
People not liking Sting/Triple H just make me feel like they take things too seriously. It was super fun and it was something similar to what I would do with my action figures when I was a kid. Those are all the guys I grew up watching and seeing them all in the ring together was really cool. Sure the match was overbooked but it should have been overbooked. The match was 2 of the guys from the Monday Night Wars going to battle. And they had a match that was a straight callback to WCW and the WWG during that time period. It reminded me of a main event that you would see on Raw or Nitro at the time. Honestly it reminded me of Rock/Foley from Raw where Foley wins the title. Each guy has a squad of allies at ringside and there is just a ton of stuff going on.

Nash selling his quad when he fell was worth at least a full star on it's own. Hall taking a backdrop when the dude either has or had a fucking pacemaker is probably worth a half star on it's own as well. Maybe another full star for Shawn Michaels hitting SCM on Sting. Match was fun and nostalgic.

And it made sense for the NWO to help Sting. I know they were rivals but the match was booked as WWF vs. WCW. In every kid's fantasy booking rivals from the same company would work together. So the NWO helped Sting.
 
#9,623 ·
Been a wrestling fan since 1987 & i thought about sharing my thoughts regarding random & different topics:

* I'm not sure how many people here had the chance to witness Jack Brisco work but he is one of the greatest pro wrestling in history. His technical wrestling skills are off the chart & he was so smooth & crisp in the ring. I highly recommend checking his epic battle with Dory Funk JR in Japan that went to 60 minutes in a 2 out 3 falls.

* Harly Race in the 70's was the definition of a true wrestler. What a champion that it is impossible to see him in a bad match. I remember him carrying a jobber named Omar Atlas to a damn good match. Harly was innovator as well & ahead of his time. There is no one with a more bad ass look than him.

* Despite the big praise for Bret Hart world wide, still he is still underrated !!!! His ability to have variety style of matches with big many & different opponents is bar to none. He was absolutely phenomenal in the ring.

* Dynamite Kid in Japan in the early 80's was a miracle. A brilliant worker that was ahead of his time. Dynamite was a true innovator and revolutionised the in ring performance. Do your self a favour and watch his matches against Fujinami, Cobra, Koboyashi & Tiger Mask.

* Generation of Cesaro, Sami Zayn, Daniel Bryan & CM Punk is better than generation of Rock, Steve Austin, HHH & Kurt Angle.

* Jushin Thunder Liger is the greatest Japanese wrestler of all time. What's amazing you may watch 100 Liger's matches on a row & non of them will have the same finish.

* NXT era is 1000 mile better than attitude era.


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#982 ·


The Great American Bash 2006

WWE's GAB shows get a pretty bad rep, and it's not always warranted. This show is a prime example! Though this WAS a Smackdown 2006 PPV. You have the Smackdown 6 in 2002/2003 ruling the show, then you have the Smackdown 2006 killing it!

Oh hey, Black Stone Cherry's Lonely Train as the theme. Another 06 SD PPV that got me into a band!

And let's not forget, this PPV was HUGELY screwed up due to a bunch of people being kept off the show due to "elevated enzymes in the liver". So the fact I think highly of the show in light of those circumstances shows just how SD in 2006 could do very little wrong! In the wrestling aspect, anyway :p.


Paul London & Brian Kendrick Vs The Pitbulls - WWE Tag Team Championship Match

:lmao JBL bitching at the fact they have a Spanish Announce Team on a Great AMERICAN Bash show :lmao.

Pitbulls are Noble and Kash btw. In case you thought the old ECW team was back. One of them would have to be back from the dead at this point I think.

No fancy shit to start this one off, instead they end up scrapping on the mat to fight for control, then locking up and trying to gain control that way, and then they throw some punches too :mark:. London is losing the more brawling style this match is turning into, so he quickly changes his strategy and throws out a dropkick and from there is able to take Kash down a few times and tag Kendrick in to keep up the momentum.

Interesting to see these two styles meshing like this. Londrick flying around, and even though Noble and Kash CAN do that stuff too, they know they can't do it AS WELL as Londrick so they try and work the match to their strengths which would be fighting and controlling a body part.

DOUBLE SUICIDE DIVE~!

Man, every time you think The Pitbulls are gonna have a nice long control segment, London and Kendrick just keep coming back with high flying moves to create enough distance between them and their opponents to make a tag. And then London tries to skin the cat and gets dropkicked to hell :mark:. Now that was a pretty spectacular transition spot tbh. NOW we can finally get a good FIP :mark:.

Great teased hot tag spots. Kash almost accidentally lets London tag out, but stops him just before, then decides to play around with him and let him go for a tag a couple of times, then pulls him back and smashes him in the face with forearms :mark:.

HOT TAG~! Kendrick owns everyone :mark:.

In the end, the teamwork for London and Kendrick shines through and they pick up the win. Good match, liked how they didn't stick to the basic STF but instead played around with it a little and gave us something well worth watching :).

Rating: ***1/4
CAL SCALE - 2


Khali is screaming some incoherent shite then picks up Daivari and shakes him around because he's mad.

TEDDY LONG~! He probably just jerked off to that tag match 8*D. Anyway, he's out here to tell everyone that Lashley is unable to compete tonight. Finlay and Regal come out and want Long to declare Finlay the winner, but instead he makes a US title match between the two friends! :mark:


Finlay Vs William Regal - WWE United Championship Match

Lashley not being able to compete is actually for the best :D.

Regal being the veteran he is and knowing Finlay so well, looks under the ring first to make sure Hornswoggle isn't there. Then they both decide to leave the ring and not wrestle... and Finlay tries to roll Regal up! Regal decks him in the face and gives him a stern talking to :lmao.

Well now they got that out of the way, it's time for them both to actually compete! Pretty epic Collar and Elbow tie up! They go to the mat, roll out to the floor, then walk up the steps and back into the ring, while still in the hold!

Oh man, the Regal/Hornswoggle stuff is amazing :lmao. Hornswoggle grabs Regal's leg, then smacks Regal in the back of the knee with the Shillelagh forcing Regal to run away and hide on the steps like that women in the old Tom and Jerry cartoons when she'd see Jerry and jump on a chair :lmao. Then Regal turns around and Swoggle is staring at him, so Regal makes one of his awesome faces and runs the fuck away back into the ring :lmao. Only Regal could make a Hornswoggle spot epic!

Speaking of epic; REGAL AND FINLAY BEATING THE SHIT OUT OF EACH OTHER :mark:.

Finlay takes the WORST Half Nelson Suplex I've ever seen... then Regal gets his hand bitten by Hornswoggle and Finlay targets the hand :mark:. Teddy Long probably jerked off to the tag match and I'll probably jerk to this later :p. THIS IS AWESOME *clap clap clap clap clap*.

Man, Cole and JBL are really, really putting over Regal and Finlay :mark:. Going into their backgrounds and saying how TOUGH they both are and how awesome it is that they are both on Smackdown. I miss those times. God I <3 SD 2006!!!

Crazy to think that when I first watched this match (live in 06), I thought it was shit. I was disappointed as FUCK with it. Then I re-watched for my Smackdown 2006 project and fucking LOVED IT. And now I think I'm gonna end up loving it even more!

Fans chant BOOORING because they are fucking retarded, and Cole covers for it by saying they want Lashley, hence the boring chants.

Love Finlay's apron spots :mark:. Gets his opponent caught up in the apron cover the fucking beats the living shit out of them.

Regal is now missing a boot! And of course, Finlay makes sure to STOP THE SHIT out of the exposed foot! Not sure how the boot came off, but Cole says it was likely Hornswoggle, and moments later, he pops up and hands Finlay the boot! Finlay smacks Regal in the face with his own boot and retains the title!

This. Fucking. Rules. God I absolutely cannot wait to see both Regal and Finlay's single matches with Benoit on PPV this year too :mark:.

Rating: ****1/4
CAL SCALE - 6


REY AND CHAVO~! Of course they talk about Eddie all the time.


Gregory Helms Vs Matt Hardy

Fuck me the hits just keep coming! I know I said this PPV was really good and whatnot, but honestly I didn't remember most of the card this time around. This might end up being fucking GREAT lol. Certainly off to one hell of a start!

Helms is the CW champ, but Hardy ain't light enough to compete for it so this is just a straight up match. Both guys were absolutely killing it every week on SD around this time. More examples of the awesome talent SD 06 had!

These two go way back, all the way to the old Omega promotion days, so they have almost a natural rivalry going and can be put in a none title match like this and still make it come across as important because of their history. Especially now that Helms is heel and the CW champ and going out every week with a chip on his shoulder and proving people he's as great as he claims to be.

:mark: Hardy mocking Helms by striking the Hurricane Pose :mark:.

Helms regains control and really takes it to Matt, grounding him and working the head and neck, and being in complete control of the match. Every time he stepped in the ring in 2006 it seemed like it was trying to prove something, and it resulted in one hell of a CW title run.

SWINGING NECK BREAKER FROM THE TOP ROPE~!

Great Hardy comeback with some sweet counters :mark:. Eye of the Hurricane countered into a Twist of Fate countered into another neckbreaker :mark:.

Awesome finishing stretch, with the neck and head work coming into play for the finish! Helms + Hardy + Smackdown 2006 = :mark:.

Rating: ***1/2
CAL SCALE - 3


Khali is hunting down Undertaker, who shows up and goes on the attack, only for Big Show to run him down! Teddy Long is pissed, and decides to switch out Khali for Big Show! Khali also had that liver shit.


The Undertaker Vs The Big Show - Punjabi Prison Match

So what the fook is a Punjabi Prison Match? Well, a cage made out of bamboo, with doors that open on a timer or something... then another cage around it that you have to escape to win. Stupid? Yeah. But it's BIG SHOW VS UNDERTAKER so who cares? :)

Show is, well, terrified. He's in this unique structure for the first time, against the fucking UNDERTAKER. And when you corner a scared animal, he tends to react violently, and Show is no different. Takes the fight right to the Dead Man at the start, hoping to keep that momentum going and prevent Undertaker from punching his face in.

Undertaker punches his face in.

Huh, Undertaker tries to climb out of the first cage... despite it having spikes on top... and FOUR DOORS TO ESCAPE THROUGH.

Ha, JBL just used my caged animal analogy.

Undertaker and Show are beating the fuck out of each other :mark:.

CHOKESLAM COUNTERED INTO A DDT~!

One door is opened, but 60 seconds run out before anyone can escape so now it's CLOSED FOR GOOD.

Show rips a fucking noose or something from the cage and uses it to wear down 'Taker. I guess they thought this match could be so horrible based on the concept that they'd better give the wrestlers something to hang themselves with :side:.

Another door opens and oh noes nobody escaped and it's CLOSED FOR GOOD.

CHOKESLAM~!

So this has definitely had some great stuff so far. 2 giants punching each other in the face is always going to appeal to me in some form haha, but man oh man there is a LOT of slow down here. Show was REALLY out of shape around this time, which is part of the reason he left the company at the end of the year. Had he been in better shape this might have had a better pace. But hey, at least Khali wasn't in the match!!! :p

UNDERTAKER IS BLEEDING~!

Fuck me. Despite the fact there are still TWO DOORS LEFT... Show tries to climb out. Both of them have made that retarded mistake now.

HOLY SHIT UNDERTAKER SUPERPLEXED BIG SHOW~!

UNDERTAKER ESCAPES THE FIRST CAGE THROUGH A DOOR~!

:lmao Undertaker looks to climb the second structure, then randomly decides to try and kick a hole in it instead :lmao.

Big Show is free! Throws Undertaker through a randomly placed table, then puts Undertaker back into the ring right as the last door is closing for good!!! Smart by Big Show!

Luckily for Undertaker, Big Show, as I just mentioned, is out of shape so he can't exactly climb the cage quickly :p.

Undertaker climbs out, and reaches over to the second cage as it higher up that Show! They battle on the side of the cage, and Undertaker uses a randomly placed rope (WHAT IS IT WITH ALL THESE FUCKING OBJECTS IN THE CAGE LOL?) and swings himself at Big Show! I bet Paul Burchill ain't happy with that! :p

LEG DROP THROUGH ANOTHER RANDOMLY PLACED TABLE~!

BIG SHOW IS BLEEDING~!

CROSS BODY FROM THE FIRST CAGE ONTO THE BIG SHOW, SENDING THEM BOTH THROUGH THE SECOND CAGE~! Undertaker somehow wins! :p

Well, I don't think this match sucks like a lot of people do, but it's still nothing special. Like I said, it's too slow in parts. Cut 5 minutes or so off the match and this would have been much better. They did what they could with a new (shitty) gimmick match and not much time to plan what they were gonna do thanks to Show being Khali's replacement.

Rating: **3/4
CAL SCALE - 1


Awful Booker T and Sharmell backstage segment. Urgh. King Booker was so damn bad.


Kristal Vs Ashley Vs Michelle McCool Vs Jillian Hall - Bra and Panties Match

FAP FAP FAP NO.

Rating: NO
CAL SCALE - -1


Miz interviews Kennedy. Is that the worst pairing EVER? :lmao


Batista Vs Mr Kennedy

Originally supposed to be Henry Vs Batista, but Henry got INJURED and was unable to compete. Nothing to do with his liver lol.

Batista is PISSED. PISSED. He's returning to the ring since he got injured in January, and the guy who injured him, Mark Henry, got injured before Batista could gain revenge. So poor Mr Kennedy is just fodder for the ANIMAL :mark:.

Kennedy gets his face smashed into the steel steps and he is BUSTED OPEN. So Batista takes it upon himself to PUNCH THE OPEN WOUND :mark:.

Mr Kennedy isn't happy about being busted open and goes to leave... then runs back in to surprise Batista and gets fucking RUN OVER :mark:.

Man, Kennedy's cut is fucking bad lol. It seems to fire him up and he is able to actually gain the advantage! Anyone who was around to see my Smackdown 2006 Project reviews will know I constantly praised Kennedy with how he was able to create openings for himself during matches and take full advantage, and this is yet another match where he demonstrates that talent.

:mark: Batista takes a beating from Kennedy but is still pissed off he ends up firing back and absolutely fucking MAULING Mr Kennedy, so much so the referee calls for the bell! Mr Kennedy wins!

For Batista though, this wasn't about winning or losing. This was about destroying someone and taking out his anger and frustration from being injured and having to give up the WHC 7 months ago.

SPINBUSTER~!

SPINEBUSTER~!

SPINEBUSTER~!

BATISTA BOMB~!

So this kinda rules. Kennedy looked good, Batista looked good, and the match did its job. Batista is BACK and looks unstoppable, while Kennedy looked strong and even technically got the win!

Rating: ***1/4
CAL SCALE - 2


Rey Mysterio Vs Booker T - World Championship Match

Bah, I wish I could NO this match. Stupid main event title match.

Fucking SHUT UP Bradshaw. I'm surprised he can talk so much while having Booker's black cock in his mouth. SLURP SLURP SLURP.

More EDDIESPLOITATION to start the match as Booker screams EDDIE CAN'T HELP YOU to Rey in hopes of getting the crowd to support Rey.

Here we go! The first ever Hell in a Cell match. The Undertaker, fighting for revenge. Shawn Michaels, fighting to survive. Also, something that is often forgotten about this match, the #1 contendership for the WWF Championship at Survivor Series is on the line too!

Before the match starts, we see referee Earl Hebner padlock the cell door shut, as Shawn pleads with him to let him out. No chance Shawn. You danced with the devil, and now you are about to get burnt!

With the door locked, the match can begin. HBK circles the ring, as The Undertaker slowly stalks his prey. After everything Shawn has done to him over the last couple of months, The Undertaker wants to put Shawn through a lot of pain, and is going to take his time doing it. He sees no need to rush, no need to run after Shawn, because unlike Ground Zero, he has nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, and no one to save him.

After playing a bit of cat and mouse, The Undertaker catches up to Shawn in the ring, and here we go! Nothing fancy, just ‘Taker grabbing Shawn by the back of his head, and ramming him into numerous turnbuckles. Shawn sells them like he just hit concrete, which some people would state he is overselling, but personally I loved it, and felt it made The Undertaker seem like a vicious powerful monster, which WWF were really turning him into at the time.

Shawn takes a beating for a couple of minutes, with ‘Taker working over the arm, hitting Old School, and even going for a cover at one point. Was The Undertaker trying to win? No, I don’t think he was. He gave Shawn a beating a month ago at Ground Zero, and Shawn never gave up, so he knew it would take more than what he had done so far to put HBK away. So why go for a cover? Because he can. He is showing Shawn that HE is in control, not Shawn. Also, kicking out of a pin attempt with a 300+ pounder on top of you wastes energy, and just helps The Undertaker more. A question some of you may be thinking is “why did Shawn kick out?”. Good question, because let’s face it, if Shawn didn’t kick out, the match would be over and he would escape the possibility of worse pain. Going back to what I said earlier, this match is for the #1 contendership. Shawn, like everyone in the WWF, wants the WWF Championship. Winning this match will place him in a title match, where he is one step closer to being champion once again. Then there is the fact Shawn is an arrogant heel, and beating The Undertaker will feed his ego, and give him bragging rights forever more.

The Undertaker decides to step things up a bit, as he grabs Shawn by the throat, seemingly going for a Chokeslam! Shawn senses this, and desperately fights his way out, sending ‘Taker into the corner. He mounts him, and begins to punch ‘Taker in the head. The Undertaker throws Shawn off, and he flies half way across the ring, again perhaps overselling, but IMO putting The Undertaker over even more. Shawn is a resilient man though, and he quickly gets to his feet and charges over into the corner to mount the Dead Man once again.

Every time Shawn attempts any offense, The Undertaker just shrugs it off and continues his epic assault on the “Sexy Boy”. The fight goes to the outside, and things are about to get brutal. ‘Taker imposes his will on Shawn, using his size and power along with the deadly cell walls to inflict more pain and damage. A couple of spots I always enjoy are when The Undertaker picks up Shawn, then smashes him back first into the ring post, turns around and smashes him back first into the corner of the cell, turns around again and smashes him in the ring post once again, then turns around one last time to send him back first into the corner of the cell. The other is when ‘Taker goes for a powerbomb, but Shawn seemingly reverses it, punching The Undertaker repeatedly in the face, only for The Undertaker to turn around and repeatedly smash Shawn into the corner of the cell again! When Shawn drops to the floor, you can see the marks on his back left by the cell, showing you that he really did hit the cell, and he hit it hard.

The underlying story of this match continues, with Shawn using the cell to attempt an escape from the pain and destruction The Undertaker has on his mind. He tries his best to climb up the cell wall to get away, but The Undertaker is tall enough to reach up and drag Shawn back down, back to hell.

Again the cell comes into play in this match, this time providing Shawn with an opening he so desperately needed. ‘Taker whips Shawn into one of the cell walls, then comes running at him, only to smash face first into the cell himself! I’m unsure if it was Shawn being able to dodge the attack, of if the sheer force of The Undertaker’s Irish Whip caused Michaels to bounce off and dodge the attack, but either way it created an opening, and HBK took it!

Just as Shawn appears to have the advantage, The Undertaker fights back. But as quickly as he re-gained control, he loses it! Shawn knocks The Undertaker off the apron, and sends him into the cell, then follows it up with a suicide dive, again driving The Undertaker into the cell! He isn’t giving ‘Taker time to recover, as he climbs the cell once again, this time to drop an elbow! Shawn is looking strong in this match now. He has used his speed, quickness and high flying ability to gain control, and is now using dirty tactics to keep that control. One of my all time favourite spots (not just from this match, but in general) right here, as Shawn hits a Piledriver to The Undertaker, ON THE STEEL STEPS! It makes one hell of a sound, and just looks incredible.

But even after all of that, The Undertaker crawls back into the ring. Again, this is putting over The Undertaker as an unstoppable monster, while at the same time, showing how resilient and CREDIBLE Shawn Michaels is when he is in the ring with the bigger, stronger opponent. Shawn doesn’t like the fact The Undertaker is still coming after him, so he pulls out a steel chair! This epic feud all began with a steel chair shot, and Shawn hopes to end it with one. I say one, but Shawn hits ‘Taker twice for good measure, and makes the cover! 1…2… NO! The Undertaker is not going out like that again. He still needs to extract his revenge on Shawn, and a steel chair isn’t going to do it this time.

The match starts to change from this moment on, as The Undertaker back body drops Shawn over the ropes, and onto a camera man. Shawn begins to beat the hell out of the camera man, laying him out on the floor. Why did he do it? I believe because he knew it would force the referee to open the door for EMT’s to attend to the guy, and the open door would allow Shawn to escape.

Until then though, Shawn must keep The Undertaker at bay. HUGE elbow drop from the top, followed by Sweet Chin Music! While all of this is happening, the door has been opened too! This is the part where I now feel the door being opened was a contingency plan, IF his superkick was not enough to put down The Undertaker. After all, what would be better than pinning The Undertaker in this match, instead of running away?

Of course, things don’t quite work out for HBK, as The Undertaker sits right up from Sweet Chin Music! Shawn is shocked, and makes a run for the door before it’s closed again! The Undertaker follows him out and catches him, sending him into the cell wall on numerous occasions, and busting him open too!

Shawn is lucky once again to find a small opening, but what is he going to do with it now? Inside the cell, he was unable to put the Dead Man away with his finisher. Outside of the cell, he was still unable to get away from the monstrous beast. The only thing left, if for him to CLIMB to the top of the cell! Unfortunately for Shawn, The Undertaker, even at 330lbs, near 7 feet tall, is able to follow him up there too!

Both men are now on top of the cell, and Shawn attempts a Piledriver up there, but instead gets a back body drop onto the steel! If that wasn’t bad enough, The Undertaker lifts him over his head, and slams him from over 7 feet in the air to the steel! Right hand now by The Undertaker, and Shawn nearly falls off the edge! He holds on, while The Undertaker has something sick on his mind. He stomps on one hand, he stomps on the other hand, and…

“Incoming!”

Shawn Michaels has nothing to hold on to, and falls back from halfway up the cell, through the announcer’s table! It crashes under the weight, and Shawn is a bloody mess on the concrete floor! It’s not over yet though, as The Undertaker climbs down, and slams him onto the floor!

While the majority of this match has been about The Undertaker being an unstoppable, almost un-human DESTRUCTION MACHINE, it’s also all about Shawn showing off just how damn resilient he is. After everything The Undertaker has done to him, he is STILL able to get up, and following the story of the match, does his best to get away from The Undertaker.

The Dead Man catches up to him once again, and throws him back into the cell, and the referee padlocks it shut one more time! Shawn is bleeding even more it seems, as it is flowing from the head of the Heart Break Kid.

The Undertaker has complete control now. He senses the time is right to put away the man who cost him the title, and starts it all off with a Chokeslam from the ropes! WOW! That isn’t enough though, as ‘Taker goes to the outside, and brings in a steel chair! As I’ve said before, this feud started with a chair shot, and The Undertaker wants it to end the same way. SICK chair shot to the bloodied head of Shawn Michaels, and payback is a BITCH! Undertaker signals that the end is here, but the lights go out, and we hear the eerie music of the man we discover to be… KANE!

Kane RIPS open the cell door, takes out the referee, and then stands face to face with his brother The Undertaker. He raises his arms, then brings them down to release fire from all 4 corners, just like The Undertaker has been known to do! The Undertaker is distracted, allowing Kane to hit a Tombstone!!!

Paul Bearer wakes the referee up, Shawn raises his head from the pool of blood he was lying in, and covers the Dead Man! A slow count, but The Undertaker is OUT of it. Shawn Michaels has WON!

Holy Shit! Every time I watch this match, I love it more and more. I love everything about it. From the way they build off the Ground Zero match with Shawn trying his best to simply get away, to the epic debut of Kane, which gives Shawn the big win, making him more credible going into the Survivor Series to fight for the title, while at the same time keeping The Undertaker credible from this loss, and further building The Undertaker/Kane feud that had been slowly boiling for months now.

People have been talking about Hell in a Cell matches for years, comparing them, ranking them, praising them and dissing them. I’ve seen people make excellent points as to why another cell match is more brutal, or why another cell match has more action, or why another cell match has better storytelling ect ect. That’s all good, people have different opinions, and that’s what makes us individuals. However, I do disagree with their opinions. I strongly believe that no other Hell in a Cell match has better storytelling, action, or even brutality. Sure, it might not be as straight up brutal as Brock Lesnar/The Undertaker, but it doesn’t have to be IMO. The fact that it’s built around one man just destroying the other makes it brutal to me. Then the blade job from Shawn, the fall from the cell, and the puddle of blood in the ring where Shawn is makes it just as brutal to me. It is only one of two cell matches that combines those three factors into the match (the second being The Undertaker Vs Edge, SummerSlam 2008), instead of just using two of the three, or in some cases, one.

This was the first ever Hell in a Cell match. I strongly believe that is has never been matched, and probably never will. It set the standard, and is the measuring stick not only for Hell in a Cell matches, but every other gimmick match too IMO. It shows perfectly how to combine storytelling, action and brutality into a single match, as well as how you put over both men involved, and even put over a completely new wrestler that has never been seen before the match (Kane). This was the first ever Hell in a Cell match, and I strongly believe it is the GREATEST MATCH OF ALL TIME. *****.

Huh, what? Oh, sorry. Booker T Vs Rey Mysterio. Chavo costs Rey the title because he sucks. Like this match. Rey was alright in it, but man Booker sucks hard. Didn't help that most of the time Rey got any offence in, it seemed to be some shitty set up to a 619. You could make a drinking game out of it; take a shot every time Rey sets up a fecking 619. You'd be smashed before the match is over. Which probably helps immensely.

Rating: 1/2*
CAL SCALE - 0



Overall CAL SCALE - 13
 
#1,292 ·
Can Cal or Hayley do a PPV ramble for a TNA PPV maybe? Like Turning Point 2005 or something from that time period?

Basically the time when Joe was killing everyone :mark:

And really curious to see how Cal rates some Jarrett matches :p Double J- The real king of kicking out at 2 :banderas
 
#2,234 ·
Damnit I believe in this roster to put on a good product because we have all seen it happen when this group is fully healthy and in full force but the booking and creative right now is abysmal to the point where these last strings of Raw coming out of SS have been nothing short of painful. Real simple shit could've fixed this build too: Build Henry with some badass qualities and let him roll instead of making him a larger substitute for Swagger and giving him generic material. DONT COAST ON ROLLIN's BRIEFCASE OUT OF LAZINESS AND KILL THE POTENTIAL MOMENTUM OF ROLLINS/Ambrose (which I remind was a white hot feud). That was ugly because now even when Brose gets his, the steam has been taken out a bit since Reigns has already "got" Rollins clean as a whistle and now it will seem like Brose is scrap picking. Don't get me started on this treatment of the Wyatt Family and bless Heyman for trying but this content has just obliterated the grand start Lesnar/Cena had as a program since this has been lumped into Cena revenge story 1,000. Orton has been mishandled. I understand no Bryan derailed alot of energy but cmon man this stuff isn't unfathomable. It really is crazy the superiority in flow to a show (albeit 1 hour) and how much better at building NXT is. The difference in management and right now quality is very stark. Sorry for complaining but this irks me when watching for three hours with no wish to stop watching. I just want competent wrestling and I see a roster where that CAN happen but right now it isn't and I can't just say it is all because of no Bryan/BNB
 
#3,738 ·
Randy Orton(c) Vs Batista Vs Daniel Bryan (WWE World Heavyweight Championship - Wrestlemania XXX)

So I took a hiatus from wrestling around Wrestlemania XXX and while I watched this live, I never paid attention to it where I could really review it, so I'm going to look at this in retrospect and see how it hold up. The first thing I noticed about the match is how well Orton did as the 'general' of the match, with Bryan being less significant due to his match with HHH earlier in the night. Orton was floating around and working at a faster pace whizh always works better for him, as he maximized what he could out of Batista in their segments and really gave Bryan a focused beating where he could. Props to Orton here for rebounding from his lackluster Wrestlemania XXV performance and really being the driving force behind this match. Batista was just fine here; I found that he was a good obstacle for Bryan to overcome and the triple threat was a throwback to Wrestlemania XX, but as basic as Batista was at times he was still effective.

Bryan was great as the injured and defiant babyface, selling to perfection the entire match. The crowd seemed to be burnt during the first portion of the match but really heated up when GAME shows up and gets major heat from the audience. For a match that was designed to suspend the obvious belief that Bryan was going to win the title, they did a great job with the nearfalls and stacking the odds to a point where only Cena would have predictably overcame them, with all of Evolution and Stephanie McMahon getting involved and trying to screw Bryan over here. I felt that everybody did their jobs correctly and that everything clicked here, with a few really big nearfalls and spots that made the match feel 'big', as well as fluent work all throughout to prevent the match from being 'spotty'. I really enjoyed this actually, as we get to see Bryan fight through as much adversity as humanly possible while getting great/solid performances from the rest of the guys here and a brilliant driving heel performance by Orton. HHH in the authority position continuing to stack the odds against Bryan was great too, as this match was the best Wrestlemania main event since XXVI and will probably always be overshadowed by the HHH/Bryan clinic that was put on earlier and the ending of the streak. This is a near classic in it's own right.

****
 
#4,355 ·
Rockers vs. Brainbusters (Superstars – 12/10/88)

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xvtz6e_rockers-vs-brainbusters-superstars-12-10-88_sport

Rockers vs. Brainbusters (Spectrum – 12/18/88)

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xvu017_rockers-vs-brainbusters-spectrum-12-18-88_sport

Rockers vs. Brainbusters (Boston Garden – 1/13/89)

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xvu109_rockers-vs-brainbusters-boston-garden-1-13-89_sport

Rockers vs. Brainbusters (MSG – 1/23/89, audio issues)

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xvu256_rockers-vs-brainbusters-msg-1-23-89-audio-issues_sport

Rockers vs. Brainbusters (LA Sports Arena – 1/29/89)

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xvu328_rockers-vs-brainbusters-la-sports-arena-1-29-89_sport

Rockers vs. Brainbusters (Superstars – 2/18/89)

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xvu3b4_rockers-vs-brainbusters-superstars-2-18-89_sport

Rockers vs. Brainbusters (SNME – 3/11/89)

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xvu43q_rockers-vs-brainbusters-snme-3-11-89_sport

Rockers vs. Brainbusters (MSG – 3/18/89)

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xvu4mc_rockers-vs-brainbusters-msg-3-18-89_sport

Rockers vs. Brainbusters (Boston Garden – 3/18/89)

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xvu56g_rockers-vs-brainbusters-boston-garden-3-18-89_sport

Rockers vs. Brainbusters (Prime Time Wrestling – 3/27/89)

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xvu5ve_rockers-vs-brainbusters-prime-time-wrestling-3-27-89_sport

Rockers vs. Brainbusters (SNME – 11/25/89)

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xvu69j_rockers-vs-brainbusters-snme-11-25-89_sport

Watch them all because... why not? :p
 
#4,728 ·
Lmao Snow is actually a ton of fun to watch, atleast the stuff I've seen which is mainly from his AE/Hardcore division run. He wrestled those hardcore matches smartly for the most part and they were almost always worth a watch.

BTW congrats on becoming a mod bud! You've been the MVP of this thread for as long as I've been here, I say it's way over due. Hope they didn't stick you in the TNA section or something :p. I felt bad for Hayley when he got stuck there.
 
#5,075 ·
They're having him copy Miz way too much now. It was great at first because it came at moments you weren't expecting. Now they're constantly having the camera on him and he's copying literally everything Miz does. It's taking away from the greatness that is his gimmick.
 
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