WingedEagle

Do we have any idea how this was addressed in commentary as the matches and style were progressing?

Ax was slow as hell. Smash's offense on a quick tag FELT like demolition. He came in and wrecked ish up. At least it felt that way when I was 8-9.

CORRECT. Put it in Sumo Hall in '91 and its magic. This? Garbage.

I think Summerslam is the better match right up until the finish. Mania is vastly superior on that note as well as for storyline purposes that I can can see why some may think of it more highly because of that. Finishing counts!

I can't argue with that point, but I love the way Nakamura rocks the look, the MJ pants and the whole gimmick. Absolutely mark for his gimmick all of the time. It doesn't exactly jibe with how he worked the Sakuraba match, but I think he's pretty consistent in his style and approach once the bell rings every time out that it doesn't take away from the overall presentation.

I don't recall the date offhand, but if it helps, check out the one where Danielson's eye is injured.

Man I LOVED this one. At the end of the year it was kind of overshadowed by some of the IWGP title and G1 matches, but last January this was so exciting and different from anything going on in the Tanahashi/Okada realm that I was sure it'd be a top MOTY finisher. No complaints that it didn't get there, but this built incredibly well and was so smartly laid out.

Did he ever even meet her? Or was he just saying she's overrated?

Pretty sure the answer is no. But for those of us invested in the product at the time, this was as hot and awesome as it gets. I can understand someone who came along later or was out of the loop then not being as invested or finding this as amazing as it came off at the time. Post-Mania with the Foundation, HBK coming back and Austin a bigger focus get most of the '97 love, but man those Raws leading into Mania were something else. You had Shawn giving up the belt, Hart unofficially going heel and cursing out Vince on live television, Austin raising hell every week. Things took off like never before here. It all played into how the match at Mania came off.

Fair point, Magnum/Tully is nowhere near any GOAT list for me, though I think its awesome. That heat and violence is off the charts. I feel like I'd appreciate it a ton more if I were growing up and following the product at that time. Maybe then I'd look at it like that era's Bret/Austin.

Ouch. Enjoy the next month. Shut it all down after that.

This has to end. I passed the bar many years ago. No reminders.

Rock/Cena was the finish I was most adamant about going into the match, because there was no talk that Rock had signed up for any more matches. The moment he won you knew they were doing it again in NY, but right up until then I was sure Cena was going over.

I think Lana would be better served with a character like Titus. Opportunity for some solid chemistry there. The Rusev thing is not going to work. If you want a Russian heel (I know, he's from Belarus, but we know the deal), go for a Putin-type heel and have someone in a suit that carries himself like a big deal with great facials who is carried by someone strong on the mic. The save, foreign menace of the month isn't very 2014 HD.

The Bryan doc on the network blew me away. One of the best things they've ever produced. I'd go so far as to say they'd be well served dedicating an hour of Raw to it. Doing something this great once or at most twice a year for someone on the roster is how you lock them in at a certain level. My wife couldn't care less about wrestling and she found the entire thing riveting. This type of work needs a bigger stage.

Given the results of the DVDVR poll, I don't expect a lot of support on this one, but what about the Duggan/Dibiase 1000 gimmicks on a pole match from Mid South? Recently watched it for the first time on the WWE's Mid South set and it wasn't at all the classic I was anticipating. This is probably a case of the match being built up to such impossible standards through hearing about it over the years, but I expected the violence of Tully/Magnum mixed with Cactus/HHH and some all time heat. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the hell out of it. But when it was done I thought I'd watched a really great brawl, not an all time classic.

I didn't want to go that far initially without thinking back to what else would be on that level, but as it was airing this is exactly what I was thinking.

Great, thanks!

Where can I find it on demand?

This guy needs to roll down the sleeves on his flannel shirt and catch the next bus to hell out of Brooklyn. His writing is more insulting to people who like wrestling than anything TNA has done.

Man all I can think about is his poor family, and how at the HOF he said the greatest thing he's ever done was be a dad. Hope they can find some peace eventually.

I think this is a key point here and why I'm not only optimistic about his opportunity at the top of the card, but also never dread his matches. He may sell and build heat in angles, but they've booked him very strongly in matches against any and all opponents. Between his series of kicks culminating with the wind up, the dives, top rope moves, yes lock and running knee, the guy is anything but impotent in the ring and rarely goes over weakly. Once the bell rings he's basically wrestling as his opponent's equal.

WM4 redux!!

I don't know if Heyman is a heel or face at this point and I don't care. Brilliant.

She's pretty, but needs to give back Sheamus's gimmick and steal someone else's. The Lorde look is for radio.