BigBadMick

Agree completely. Poor Randy! Gets a lot of abuse but to me he works hard and has periods of really strong work. I remember someone saying it seems like he and WWE are in a loveless marriage but it's not fiscally possible for them to extricate themselves. Sometimes he lets that contempt shine through, because he has impunity. Compared to everyone else threading on eggshells, him and Lesnar make me laugh.

Sorry for dragging this up a month later but part of what I'm getting at is - do you have faith that you would get more enjoyment from everything going forward than you would from what's gone before? I get as much enjoyment from rewatching/re-evaluating wrestling as I do from the live experience (I'm sure I'm not alone in that regard around here)

Oh, forgot that I watched the Flair-RazorvSavage-Perfect and World title match at Survivors too. The tag match was ok, nothing earth shattering. Pleasantly surprised by Hart-HBK. I'd remembered it as technically sound but long and a little dull. Found it much more exciting and fast paced this time round. For what it's worth, I'd guess that prior to last year I hadn't watched any of these since the mid-90s.

Watched some WWF and WCW 92 last year. Rumble 92 - Watching it now, it's pretty slow and dull in large parts imo. Don't know if I've seen a massively pimped, beloved match fall further in my estimations. The IC matches at Wrestlemania and SummerSlam held up very well though, as did Savage-Flair at 'Mania. My opinion of WCW PPV output remained unchanged. SuperBrawl, WrestleWar and Beach Blast all strong shows (Steiners-Doc Gordy was still solid, not great imo). Things get dodgy with GAB and Havoc (although Pillman-Steamboat and the tag title match on Havoc are enjoyable), and as stated earlier, I enjoyed parts of Starrcade - even the battlebowl matches and battle royal weren't terrible. Anyway. that's my two cents.

Has Parv a subtle Welsh accent? Apart from an odd pronouncation of 'heard', he's London/south of England all the way with me

Ok, I haven't completely given up on this. Gotta defend this month's issue. Write ups on TNA Sacrifice, NJPW Dontaku, DG Dead or Alive and RoH/NJPW War of the Worlds that actually make me want to watch all four (or parts thereof at least). A really good interview with Fergal Devitt (interviews are one of PS's strongest suits in general). An appraisal of Bray Wyatt's career so far (all very positive and optimistic about his future).

Although I agree that 92 was a year of 2 halves. For better or worse, the Watts era was very distinct from it's predecessor.

Starrcade? ok, it wasn't the greatest show ever, but Sting-Vader and the tag title match beg your pardon.

This is starting to sound like a thread we should start if it doesn't already exist?

Yes. Not to mention, better draw too. Drawing power aside, that's an element of wrestling that doesn't interest me, my recent journey through late 80s NWA into early 90s WCW led me to a different conclusion. I definitely appreciate Luger and find him to be a really good worker in that time frame. However, my opinion of Sting has been raised a lot during this rewatch. He knew how to capture the crowd and make them care, he was a really good worker (I'd say that he and Luger were on about equal footing in this area during these years) and he was a great babyface in peril. I've found recently that drawing power and how well a promotion is doing financially can be a massive distraction when trying to enjoy the product. Reading Observers from early 90s WCW is all doom and gloom, not quite ignoring but certainly overshadowing the great matches going on all the time. Don't know if it's watching wrestling in an inappropriate bubble, but as long as the on screen product is entertaining with crowds hot as hell, why should behind the scenes turmoil detract from that? Perhaps this belongs elsewhere, don't mean to derail.

Yes. Not to mention, better draw too. It's funny because if you travel out into the "regular" wrestling internet, most fans would immediately laugh at this and say Sting was better in every way because that is how they've been conditioned to think. Despite overwhelming evidence that Luger was much better in a lot of areas in a lot of timeframes. That's what's so cool about PWO. Agreed. There's a pointless, lazy dig at Luger in the review of WCW Greatest Matches DVD in this month's Power Slam that's infuriating.

Money Inc v Doc and Gordy might have been one of the most interlinked, historically intriguing tag matches possible. DiBiase-Doc, DiBiase-Gordy and Doc-Rotunda all have his backstory. I would guess Rotunda-Gordy paired off sometime too?

Really enjoyed this lads. Shelley, Styles, Joe, Briscoes, Edge, Michaels, Steen - Thanks for the memories! I've recently rewatched Cena's 2007 ppv run and it was spectacular.

Enjoyed this one a lot guys. Also really liked Justin laying into sanctimonious souls that wonder how you could possibly find time in your life for tv/games/whatever. As if their pathetic dull wretchedly dreary lives of quiet desperation are any less pathetic dull and wretchedly dreary than ours.

You're not a fan of Jericho's pre-interview stuff either then?

Wait, don't shoot! Here's the thing, I'm not ashamed that I watch wrestling. I don't scream it from rooftops but don't go out of my way to hide it either. This is a slightly different issue... I sometimes wonder if the (considerable) time I devote to wrestling could be better spent reading, watching films/documentaries, learning something about the world. I suppose part of it is the fact that I'm a painter, so I've little intellectual stimulation during my days. Anyway, whatcha all think? Does too much wrestling ever make you feel guilty. Again, please don't shoot - just asking!

2005 was very good, no question. I'm halfway through 2008 ppvs and it's another top contender already

Really laying into Meltzer there Chad!

Cool, and well argued. A gentle reminder that this is a best PPV thread. Best tv is another kettle of fish for another thread.....

I'll make the case for 07. Cena had his best year ever imo. Obviously Orton, Edge, Michaels and Umaga brought the goods, but he had shockingly strong matches with Khali and Lashley too. The Benoit-MVP trilogy, the 4 Batista-Taker matches, 2 Orton-Michaels matches (really vicious limb work by HBK), Hardys-Cade Murdoch were all highlights too. The No Way Out main was far better than I remembered it, and Edge-Batista series was really solid. Oh, and that last section of the Royal Rumble - glorious! The Orton-HHH last man standing was as good as anything I've seen those two put together. And HHH-Umaga street fight was intense. And a really solid Survivor series elimination match. AND finishing out the year with HBK-Kennedy and HHH-Hardy

I've been going through the decade on and off since the middle of last year. Before starting to rewatch, I would have thought 00 and 01 were obvious choices, but 07 made a big impression lately. 08 and 09 have a lot of fond memories for me too, looking forward to rounding out the rewatch. I think WWE had strong matches here and there in 03 and 04 but complete shows were weak. 05 was a better year, but I feel they faltered slightly in 06 (DX-McMahons, no thanks). Oh, and 02 was a glorious mess, as the p2b boys are cataloguing. Anyway, I'd be curious to hear everyone's opinion.

Could agree more. No interest in hunting, but Bisch and Austin kickin back with a beer or two makes easy listening. And makes me thirsty....

' Vince probably went into "WHO THE HELL DOES HE THINK HE IS?!!? I'M VINCE MCMAHON DAMMIT! I CREATED HIM!!" mode. Brock probably wanted less days on the road, better travel accommodations (I think it was reported he either wanted to fly on the private jet or have his own small private plane), better payoffs....not entirely unreasonable things, and Vince felt like he was being held hostage and forced to negotiate with a terrorist. ' Among my friends, if this was an email it would be a keeper!

It struck me as unusual too.

Why's that, Johnny?