Chess Knight

I'd throw in the 7/29/99 Ishikawa v Ikeda.

What I don't understand about lucha names are some being in English. "Blue Panther"? Why not "Azul Pantera" (or whatever the actual translation would be if that isn't it)?

I got excited and thought someone was wrestling with an EarthBound gimmick.

Savage match at Slamboree and DDP match at (Something) in 1998 were matches I liked a lot, but they aren't great. I wouldn't say he any GREAT matches in WCW, including anything with Benoit. The Owen Tribute is good, but too "your turn, my turn" for me.

I didn't think Hashimoto/Takada was anything close to 96 MOTY, but it was great. Hashimoto sweeping Takada's leg is probably one of my favourite spots in history.

I fucking adore Spring Stampede 1994 and am not sure I can say I've seen a better show than that. Jack/Sullivan v Nastys, Vader v Bossman, Rhodes v Buck, Flair v Steamboat are all really great matches.

Last time I saw it I thought Hashimoto/Kawada 2/22/04 was MOTY and the best Japanese match of the 2000s. I don't know if I'd think the same if I watched it again, but I don't doubt I'd say it was really fucking great.

I think at this point Misawa, Kawada and Fujiwara are the only Japanese wrestlers I'd have above Hash. I probably should have Tenryu there, but, I kinda don't. I think he and Hash are fairly lateral.

I just finished watching the show a half hour ago and it was fun top to bottom. I kinda wanted Bucks/Druggys to end after a while but London looked good and is a guy I wouldn't mind watching in 2013 a few times. Gallows needs every match of his to make youtube. Or, better yet, a WWE rehiring. Why fire him? I don't get it. He should be in Wade Barrett's position right now, and could pull off Barrett's gimmick approximately fifty seven thousand times better than Barrett. Just approximately. I can't think of a Rhino match I like more than the Callihan match, but Rhino isn't a guy I've sought a lot of. Man Sami's output of good this year was pretty nuts.

Is it hyperbolic to say WWE ECW in 2009 was one of the most consistent shows at producing good matches, possibly ever? Maybe it helps that I'm not a guy who typically watches full shows, but I find myself wanting to with ECW that year. I spent time a couple months back watching every match Christian had that year (though I'm not done yet) and it's kind of staggering how good his matches week after week were. Throw in Finlay, Bourne, Henry, Goldust, Regal and other dudes who weren't always wrestling Christian and there are a great fuckton of good matches during that time.

Sid's promos on the 92 yearbook impressed the hell out of me. He was basically the type of dominant big man on the mic that you want a guy like that to be. I was shocked at how coherent they were, and if I were watching it at the time with this mindset I would have been somewhat amped for Sid/Hogan because of the promos.

Nobody's mentioned Pirata Morgan

I don't understand why other wrestlers' opinions are even brought up in this way of thinking. Bret Hart said the Dynamite Kid is the greatest of all time and that Ric Flair wasn't that good. Why on Earth would I change my opinion based on that? I watched 90s WWF Flair and thought he still looked really great. I watched 80s NJ Dynamite Kid and wanted to turn it off. I'm not going to think during it 'well Bret Hart loves this, so......' And I won't reconsider placing Flair in a top 5 all time because Bret has problems with his formula. Hell, some of the things a wrestler looks for in another wrestler is a bit of the opposite that a fan can look for. I recall Bret complaining that Flair's chops hurt too much. I, as a fan, would actually want him to work stiffer. If I was a wrestler I'd want my opponent to work stiffer as well. Some wrestlers that aren't Bret Hart also would. Then there's complete BS like Bret Hart saying 'Mexican wrestlers fly around but aren't really tough'. The bloodiest brawls I've seen in wrestling happened in Mexico. No and none at all. Sorry but I'll take a Wrestler's opinion over a fans a lot of the time. They worked in the industry and breathed it. Their opinion carries more weight than a bunch of guys overanalyzing and overthinking the room on message boards. Can I ask what this means? I've read it from so many people so many time and it's always been really annoying. I've never understood what people meant by it. What are people overanalysing? The 'contrarian' point is just as annoying but I at least know what that means.

No joke, around ten minutes ago I posted a thought on another forum saying Chuck Taylor is probably my least favourite human to ever exist. I just really, really fucking loathe him.

I fucking hate Vampiro.

After finishing the 96 yearbook I didn't think Flair was top 75 in the world that year. If I actually looked through the listing and named wrestlers I actually kinda doubt he'd be a top 100. I mean that set is a better collection of matches than any I might ever see again, some stuff from 96 was even left off of it, and 96 is one fucking stacked year in general. Still, Flair had some good matches in 96 and that was it. The Giant matches were fun as hell. I liked all the Savage matches other than the impossibly boring cage match. His match with Eddy on 5/20 is your Flair MOTY and they had another good match at Hog Wild. Bits and piece of good and honestly my favourite promo man of 96, but I think it's clear by that point he wasn't 'THE Ric Flair' any more.

I actually sort of prefer Japanese wrestlers that aren't as emotive as others. Something about the Misawas and Kawadas and Taues and Tenryus just makes me pay more attention to them than a guy like Kobashi who clearly has more showmanship. When the announcer says 'Misawa Mitsuharu' Misawa just puts his hand in the air while warming up. Kobashi will hold his wrist, looking like he's in anticipation of the announcer saying 'Kobashi Kenta', then Kobashi will throw his fist in the air and have a certain look on his face. I can't exactly say why but the less enthusiastic guys have something about them I prefer. Tenryu is great because he's usually in that mood of "doesn't matter who this guy is, I'll just break his nose. Whatever. I don't give a shit." They all use the perfect facials for the right times and I'd say they all have a certain charisma, but I love their stoicism and how it stands out in a profession where people tend to needlessly yell their head off like a Super Saiyan. I get that the yelling and the 'fire' can get people into it more, but I look those stoic guys and think they're badass.

Ooh fuck. Lance Storm. I think I dislike him more than I should because he has this incredibly bizarre following of being a technical marvel, but even if everyone in the world didn't like him I couldn't bring myself to. Man I cannot stand 98% of the Lance Strom I've sat through. Where did he even get this 'master of his craft' label in the first pace? At least someone like the Dynamite Kid did some moves and stuff to where that type of moves-y fan would point and say 'look at THAT! A Bridging Whatever Suplex Piledriver Deluxe!'. I don't remember any instance where Lance Storm appears to be more of a technical mat wizard or guy with a more stacked moveset than John Cena.

Arn/Vader v SNS is from the 4/24/95 Saturday Night. It's a pretty awesome tag and even if not saying all that much, it's probably a WCW MOTYC for 95.

Mick Foley yelling 'WahDeh' every time he throws a punch.

Shit, where did Truth get that injury? I don't remember any spot in the match where that could have possibly happened. They were very clearly chanting 'we want Ryder'. There were 'woo woo woo's in there too.

I've never really gotten why people hate Kane's top rope clothesline. It's not something I like at all, but people seem to rat on it a lot as one of the worst things in wrestling. It's like HHH holding the head when he punches. If anything the worst thing about HHH's punches is he yells 'DOOHJ' on every one.

I'm pretty sure the guy actually takes them down himself when someone dislikes his videos or something. He turns it into a Jesse Ventura conspiracy channel or something.