Loss

Quite the angle. I think I've read before that the match wasn't supposed to go nearly this long, but there were some issues timing everything properly, and they started it too early in the show, so they had to fill time. Sting & Luger chase Nick Patrick out of the arena. When they get outside, they see Ted DiBiase in a limo. Sting throws a cinderblock through the window and the limo takes off. Sting and Luger steal a cop car and chase after them. At this point, it's clear DiBiase is NWO. Meanwhile, the match is going on in the ring between the Horsemen and Dungeon of Doom. After the Horsemen get the win, the NWO crashes the ring and starts attacking everyone. The Giant comes out, but chokeslams his fellow Dungeon of Doom members and embraces Nash. He is the fourth man. Randy Savage immediately hits the ring and knocks out Giant with a chair, does the same to Hall and Nash, corners Hogan, Hogan lowblows him to get out of it, then they spraypaint NWO on his front, and a yellow streak on his back. Then, they hit the broadcast booth. Giant tries to explain his motives for joining the NWO, but they get interrupted by the Horsemen and Dungeon and a huge brawl breaks out. The NWO gets the upper hand again, and they return. Giant attempts to finish explaining, but now, Hogan has started destroying the Nitro set (which apparently cost quite a bit to repair and wasn't at all supposed to happen). Also, supposedly, Giant was pretty upset about not getting to finish his promo because of all the interruptions. One of the more memorable (and I think one of the first) big NWO arena beatdowns with garbage being pelted everywhere.

This one is Hogan on his own and is a decent interview, but this line cracked me up. "Sting will be stung, Luger will be hung, Flair won't even be there and Arn won't be Arn anymore."

My least favorite FMW match on the set so far, but the explosions look good and Tanaka sure can take a beating. That's really all that stood out for me.

Owen is not doing commentary on this match.

It's less of a case of the WWF having a terrible year, and more that everyone else was having a better one. 1996 was a year with a lot of companies doing really good things. You'll notice even WCW doesn't have much presence on this list at the top level for me. Also, even the matches outside the top 100 are matches I liked quite a bit. There's just a lot of good stuff, and some has to fall below others. But yes, I expect Bret/Austin to do quite well on a rewatch.

Revised to include August: #1 - Megumi Kudo vs Combat Toyota (FMW 05/05/96) #2 - Mitsuharu Misawa & Jun Akiyama vs Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue (AJPW 07/09/96) #3 - El Hijo del Santo & Atlantis & El Dandy & Lizmark vs Blue Panther & Felino & Dr Wagner Jr & Negro Casas (CMLL 03/15/96) #4 - Shinjiro Otani vs El Samurai (NJPW 01/21/96) #5 - Wild Pegasus vs Black Tiger (NJPW 06/11/96) #6 - Volk Han vs Tsuyoshi Kohsaka (RINGS 08/24/96) #7 - Ultimo Dragon vs Shinjiro Otani (NJPW J*Crown 08/05/96) #8 - Kenta Kobashi vs Akira Taue (AJPW 07/24/96) #9 - Aja Kong vs Kyoko Inoue (AJW 08/30/96) #10 - Rey Misterio Jr & Ultimo Dragon vs Heavy Metal & Psicosis (World Wrestling Peace Festival 06/01/96) #11 - Dynamite Kansai & Kanako Motoya vs Mayumi Ozaki & Reiko Amano (JWP 06/16/96) #12 - Mitsuharu Misawa & Jun Akiyama vs Steve Williams & Johnny Ace (AJPW 06/07/96) #13 - Mayumi Ozaki vs Takako Inoue (JWP 05/18/96) #14 - Steve Williams vs Akira Taue (AJPW 04/20/96) #15 - Mitsuharu Misawa & Jun Akiyama vs Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue (AJPW 05/23/96) #16 - Genichiro Tenryu vs Yoji Anjo (WAR 07/21/96) #17 - Toshiaki Kawada vs Akira Taue (AJPW 03/31/96) #18 - Nobuhiko Takada & Masahito Kakihara vs Tatsumi Fujinami & Yoshiaki Fujiwara (UWFI 06/26/96) #19 - El Hijo del Santo & El Dandy & Dos Caras vs Blue Panther & Apolo Dantes & Emilio Charles Jr (CMLL 02/16/96) #20 - Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi & Jun Akiyama vs Toshiaki Kawada & Johnny Ace & Gary Albright (AJPW 04/20/96) #21 - Keiji Muto vs Shiro Koshinaka (NJPW G-1 Climax 08/05/96) #22 - Chris Benoit vs Dean Malenko (WCW Hog Wild 08/10/96) #23 - Mitsuharu Misawa vs Kenta Kobashi (AJPW 03/31/96) #24 - Great Sasuke & Tiger Mask IV & Shiryu vs Taka Michinoku & Super Delphin & Gran Naniwa (Michinoku Pro 03/16/96) #25 - Toshiaki Kawada vs Kenta Kobashi (AJPW 05/24/96) #26 - Dynamite Kansai & Takako Inoue vs Mayumi Ozaki & Kyoko Inoue (JWP 04/20/96) #27 - Rey Misterio Jr vs Dean Malenko (WCW Great American Bash 06/16/96) #28 - Ultimo Dragon vs Great Sasuke (NJPW J*Crown 08/05/96) #29 - Black Tiger & El Samurai & Gran Hamada vs Shinjiro Otani & Koji Kanemoto & Dean Malenko (NJPW 02/25/96) #30 - Rey Misterio Jr vs Juventud Guerrera (AAA 07/15/96) #31 - Masato Tanaka vs W*ING Kanemura (FMW 08/01/96) #32 - Shane Douglas vs 2 Cold Scorpio (ECW Matter of Respect 05/11/96) #33 - Yoshihisa Yamamoto vs Buzariashville Ramazi (RINGS 05/25/96) #34 - Rey Misterio Jr vs Psicosis (WCW Bash at the Beach 07/07/96) #35 - Manami Toyota vs Sakie Hasegawa (AJW 03/20/96) #36 - Nobuhiko Takada vs Shiro Koshinaka (NJPW 03/01/96) #37 - Psicosis vs Ultraman (AAA 03/16/96) #38 - Jushin Liger, Gran Naniwa & Gran Hamada vs Dick Togo & Taka Michinoku & Shoichi Funaki (Michinoku Pro 08/18/96) #39 - Riki Choshu vs Shinya Hashimoto (NJPW G-1 Climax 08/02/96) #40 - Bret Hart vs Shawn Michaels (WWF Wrestlemania XII 03/31/96) #41 - Jushin Liger vs Shinjiro Otani (NJPW 03/17/96) #42 - Vader, Owen Hart & Davey Boy Smith vs Shawn Michaels, Ahmed Johnson & Sid (WWF International Incident 07/21/96) #43 - Rey Misterio Jr vs Dean Malenko (WCW Monday Nitro 07/08/96) #44 - Shinya Hashimoto & Junji Hirata vs Kazuo Yamazaki & Takashi Iizuka (NJPW 06/12/96) #45 - Taka Michinoku vs Super Delphin (NJPW Skydiving J 06/17/96) #46 - Shiro Koshinaka vs Satoshi Kojima (NJPW G-1 Climax 08/06/96) #47 - Mitsuharu Misawa vs Akira Taue (AJPW 05/24/96) #48 - Shinya Hashimoto & Junji Hirata vs Yoshihiro Takayama & Yoji Anjo (NJPW 02/25/96) #49 - Rey Misterio Jr vs Juventud Guerrera (AAA 03/16/96) #50 - Shawn Michaels vs Owen Hart (WWF In Your House VI 02/18/96) #51 - Vader vs Antonio Inoki (NJPW 01/04/96) #52 - Chris Jericho vs 2 Cold Scorpio (ECW Doctor Is In 08/03/96) #53 - Jushin Liger & Black Tiger vs Shinjiro Otani & Koji Kanemoto (NJPW 02/15/96) #54 - Shawn Michaels vs Diesel (WWF Good Friends Better Enemies 04/28/96) #55 - Masa Chono vs Keiji Muto (NJPW G-1 Climax 08/06/96) #56 - Steven Regal vs Fit Finlay (WCW Uncensored 03/24/96) #57 - Rey Misterio Jr & Konnan vs Juventud Guerrera & Jerry Estrada (AAA 08/19/96) #58 - PG-13 vs Tracy Smothers & Jesse James Armstrong (USWA TV 02/17/96) #59 - Jushin Liger vs Dick Togo (NJPW Skydiving J 06/17/96) #60 - El Dandy & El Hijo del Santo & Silver King vs Negro Casas & Apolo Dantes & El Satanico (CMLL 02/10/96) #61 - Hayabusa & Masato Tanaka & Koji Nakagawa vs W*ING Kanemura & Mitsuhiro Matsunaga & Hidoh (FMW 01/10/96) #62 - Steve Austin vs Marc Mero (WWF King of the Ring 06/23/96) #63 - Shawn Michaels vs Owen Hart (WWF Monday Night RAW 08/12/96) #64 - Jushin Liger vs Great Sasuke (World Wrestling Peace Festival 06/01/96) #65 - Jerry Lawler vs Jeff Jarrett (USWA TV 04/20/96) #66 - Undertaker vs Mankind (WWF Summerslam 08/18/96) #67 - Rey Misterio Jr vs Juventud Guerrera (ECW Big Ass Extreme Bash 03/09/96) #68 - Ric Flair vs Eddy Guerrero (WCW Monday Nitro 05/20/96) #69 - Cactus Jack vs Mikey Whipwreck (ECW Big Ass Extreme Bash 03/09/96) #70 - Sabu vs 2 Cold Scorpio (ECW 04/19/96) #71 - Mayumi Ozaki vs Dynamite Kansai (JWP 08/10/96) #72 - Shawn Michaels vs Davey Boy Smith (WWF King of the Ring 06/23/96) #73 - Manami Toyota vs Yumiko Hotta (AJW 01/22/96) #74 - Black Tiger vs Shinjiro Otani (NJPW 06/05/96) #75 - Manami Toyota vs Kyoko Inoue (AJW 03/31/96) #76 - Psicosis vs Ultraman (AAA 01/18/96) #77 - Sting, Lex Luger & Randy Savage vs Ric Flair, Chris Benoit & Steve McMichael (WCW Monday Nitro 07/29/96) #78 - 2 Cold Scorpio vs Sabu (ECW Cyberslam 02/17/96) #79 - Genichiro Tenryu vs Naoki Sano (UWFI 08/17/96) #80 - Rey Misterio Jr & Perro Aguayo vs La Parka & Ultimo Dragon vs Cibernetico & Pierroth Jr vs Heavy Metal & Psicosis (AAA 06/02/96) #81 - Jushin Liger vs Koji Kanemoto (NJPW 01/04/96) #82 - PG-13 vs Tracy Smothers & Jesse James Armstrong (USWA TV 01/20/96) #83 - Shawn Michaels vs Vader (WWF Summerslam 08/18/96) #84 - Manami Toyota & Mariko Yoshida & Kaoru Ito & Yumi Fukawa vs Takako Inoue & Kyoko Inoue & Chapparita Asari & Tomoko Watanabe (AJW 02/12/96) #85 - 1-2-3 Kid vs Hakushi (WWF Monday Night RAW 02/05/96) #86 - El Dandy & Silver King & Lizmark vs Negro Casas & El Felino & El Satanico (CMLL 06/28/96) #87 - Jushin Liger vs El Samurai (NJPW 06/11/96) #88 - Genichiro Tenryu vs Tatsumi Fujinami (NJPW Battle Formation 04/29/96) #89 - Jushin Liger & El Samurai & Gran Hamada vs Shinjiro Otani & Koji Kanemoto & Taka Michinoku (NJPW 04/05/96) #90 - Shawn Michaels vs Marty Jannetty (WWF Monday Night RAW 07/01/96) #91 - Dean Malenko vs Steven Regal (WCW Monday Nitro 08/19/96) #92 - Steve Austin vs Savio Vega (WWF Beware of Dog 05/28/96) #93 - Rey Misterio Jr vs Juventud Guerrera (AAA 01/31/96) #94 - Wild Pegasus vs Shinjiro Otani (NJPW 03/20/96) #95 - Chris Jericho vs Pit Bull #2 (ECW Hardcore Heaven 06/22/96) #96 - Shinya Hashimoto vs Kazuo Yamazaki (NJPW 01/04/96) #97 - Shawn Michaels vs Davey Boy Smith (WWF Beware of Dog 05/26/96) #98 - El Dandy & Atlantis & Hector Garza vs Apolo Dantes & Dr Wagner Jr & El Felino (CMLL June 1996) #99 - Ric Flair vs The Giant (WCW Monday Nitro 03/25/96) #100 - Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs Dick Murdoch (PWFG 05/23/96) #101 - Ric Flair vs Randy Savage (WCW SuperBrawl VI 02/11/96) #102 - Mitsuhiro Matsunaga & W*ING Kanemura & Hido vs Masato Tanaka & Ricky Fuji & Tetsuhiro Kuroda (FMW 02/23/96) #103 - Nobuhiko Takada vs Shinya Hashimoto (NJPW Battle Formation 04/29/96) #104 - Aja Kong vs Combat Toyota (FMW 01/10/96) #105 - Rob Van Dam vs Doug Furnas (ECW Natural Born Killaz 08/24/96) #106 - Shawn Michaels vs 1-2-3 Kid (WWF Monday Night RAW 03/04/96) #107 - Steven Regal vs Fit Finlay (WCW Saturday Night 04/27/96) #108 - Atlantis & Lizmark & El Hijo del Santo vs El Felino & Bestia Salvaje & El Satanico (CMLL 40th Anniversary Show 04/19/96) #109 - Jushin Liger vs Black Tiger (NJPW 02/03/96) #110 - Shawn Michaels vs Hunter Hearst Helmsley (WWF Monday Night RAW 05/13/96) #111 - Road Warriors vs Rick & Scott Steiner (WCW Monday Nitro 03/11/96) #112 - Juventud Guerrera & Psicosis vs Volador & El Mexicano (AAA 01/12/96) #113 - Jushin Liger vs Dean Malenko (WCW Monday Nitro 05/06/96) #114 - Shawn Michaels vs Leif Cassidy (WWF Monday Night RAW 03/25/96) #115 - Dean Malenko vs Disco Inferno (WCW Bash at the Beach 07/07/96) #116 - Ric Flair vs Randy Savage (WCW Monday Nitro 02/19/96) #117 - Sting vs Scott Steiner (WCW Monday Nitro 05/27/96)

Kind of an important interview, as Austin challenges Bret for the first time. It's obvious by this point Austin has something special.

Not too much of a match. Wolfie D does a great promo before the match to refute some allegations the Dundees have made against him recently. The match goes a few minutes before Bill brings out a woman in a neckbrace saying Wolfie D beat her up. This distracts Wolfie D, giving Jamie the pin and the title. They try to beat him up more after the match and Jesse James Armstrong makes the save.

That's the dog collar match from the year before: Raven/Richards vs Pit Bulls.

This is probably a lost classic. Aside from Kudo/Toyota, it's the best Joshi match I've seen in '96, and one of the better matches on the set overall. They pace this like a classic world title match and the selling from both is phenomenal, with lots of staggering, barely hit moves, etc. It's the kinda thing that really puts over the match as a big deal. Some tremendous nearfalls and counters and a very involved crowd. I'm being vague and should review it in depth sometime, but this is awesome.

The biggest reveal during all of this is that RVD names Sabu as his partner to face Doug Furnas & Dan Kroffat.

This was excellent. DiBiase comes through the crowd during a Giant-Duggan match, holding up four fingers and saying next week, five. Bischoff thinks he's going to join the Four Horsemen next week, and at the time, I thought it was painfully obvious he was joining the NWO. Still, well done, and interesting in hindsight that he came in during a Giant match the week before that turn to make that promise. It does beg the question of why the Horsemen didn't immediately come out and say he's not with us, but at this point, things like that were few and far between. WCW babyfaces didn't look as stupid yet as they would start to look later.

Not my thing at all, but probably fun at the time. Good intensity, bad wrestling.

Really fun ECW style match. RVD should only be allowed to wrestle Furnas and Kroffat, as he has better chemistry with them than anyone. I wish they had stayed in the ring more, as the opening few minutes showed some real promise, but this was still good.

The camera work here is spectacular. My thought watching this was that this is a classic, although I'm still not as educated to this style as I'd like to be. This is given more time than most RINGS matches on the set, and there is some really incredible matwork on display. It doesn't feel like an exhibition though, as you get a strong sense of the struggle, and this is the closest thing I've seen to actual momentum shifts in this style. Probably a good first match to watch instead of whatever I watched first.

This is a good one. "Kiss" tries to hitch a ride to the show. They can't get anyone to pull over, so Blue Meanie tries showing a little leg. Terry Gordy and Brian Lee have a fun little exchange. Taz says Dr. Death (I think) better never show his face in ECW. The Gangstas get attacked by the Eliminators. Shane Douglas rides off in a limo with Francine.

This one is just Hall and Nash saying they are hanging out in Rome, but being near a building for The Denver Post. I'm sure this is a joke that went over my head. No Hogan here. Hall and Nash gloat about beating up Sting and Luger. Hall: "Lex Luger reminds me of a movie star ... Nice hairdo, Sting." Not much to this. Then, we get a Randy Savage Slim Jim commercial right after that.

Really great segment setting up the War Games main event at Fall Brawl. This is played so perfectly -- Sting and Luger teaming with Flair and Arn, when they all have a common enemy, all have been screwed over, is just great. Add in the years of feuds these guys have had and that's what makes it work. The unlikely teaming thing kinda died off as the NWO angle progressed, which is a shame, as it was one of my favorite aspects of the whole thing.

This was a personal pick of mine, and a match I always really liked. Tremendous mat clinic, as you'd expect with these two, and this was always a match I thought should have a full series of longer matches.

It always cracked me up that no matter what was going on at the time, be it a heel beatdown, an interview, a match, the Nitro music played and fireworks went off all the same. I prefer Arn's dead serious delivery to Flair's over-the-top style here.

Talk about it here.

Shoe said it all. Lots of close-ups of Shawn shirtless while softcore porn-sounding music plays. This should really go on the never-going-to-happen Wrestling Is Gay comp.

I know this wasn't a small angle, but it was so well done that it seems like it should have been much bigger. Bearer is explaining his turn and the lights keep flickering. Finally, the Undertaker's music plays and the crowd goes crazy, but he's carted out by druids. Bearer says he's passed away, and it appears that's the case (you know what I mean) until the bell sounds and Undertaker sits up, makes fire come out of all four corners of the ring and Mankind and Bearer head for the hills. This was a great segment.

You're right that these guys worked well together and were doing fine, and this match is overbooked with guys who didn't need the help. I also agree that the Boiler Room Brawl was more satisfying. These two had a great match in them that never came to the surface.

"The intense and unpredictable relationship between the Undertaker and Mankind seems to have been forged by fate ages ago." Someone should start a megathread of melodramatic quotes from WWE pre-match videos. This surprised me, but I really loved it. There was an ominous atmosphere about the whole thing, and it was great that the fans were still popping from a distance. The match worked within the context of the feud. Interesting concept, probably one best not done again, but again, it worked here. Paul Bearer's turn might have seemed like a bigger deal had Hogan not just turned in WCW. At that point, whether it was the intent or not, anyone who had been in a role a long time who turned seemed like copying. Amazing how strong Undertaker put over Mankind.