JKWebb

This was fantastic! Rick Martel is probably my favorite in-ring babyface performer ever, and this match is a perfect illustration of why. The selling of the left leg is phenomenal and the fire up double axe handles on the back are beautiful. Not much to add review-wise, but hell this was a blast.

I love Rick Martel and I can already tell this journey is going to add on to that. I thought this match was really good! Race probably could have done a better job selling the left arm during the second and third fall (especially with all the concentration on it from the first fall), but that's a minor complaint to a really fun match here. Martel is really over and I agree with the fun moments noted above and Race's reaction coming out of the sleeper. Great way to kick this off - pumped for a deep dive into Portland! I love Rick Martel's firery left arm haymakers in this match! He really looks like he's going to pop that left arm off of Race at some points.

I agree. Top 3 (WWF), and definite WWF MOTY contender here. I loved this. I'd have to think about it. The presence of both guys off the charts here. Loved the post-Match brawl as well and digging then Lawler/Dundee comparison.

I thought Rogers was really bad here. There's one part of the match where he gets knocked down... He stands up immediately bent over and feeds his head right into Taylor.. Maybe Taylor was supposed to pull him up by his hair... But he wasn't ... It was a very exposing spot... I remember noticing a few other spots that just seemed rather amateur... One that stood out was when he was on the top rope and Taylor was supposed to grab him and slam him off... Like the Flair spot... But problem was Taylor didn't really grip him or it looked rather weak when he did and Rogers just kind of screamed for a while and then threw himself off the top rope... That's what stood out to me here anyway....maybe I should rewatch it sometime

Really enjoyed reading the review from garretta, and there isn't really much to add after all the other great reviews (that I agree with). This blew me away. Kind of like Pete, I wasn't very high on the finish at first. But, after reading the reviews and thinking about it a bit more it was PERFECT. I thought this had a chance to be my favorite Lucha match of 1990, and it is. I didn't think (going in) that it would end up being my MOTY, but it is. This would make an all-time top favorite matches list for me, and I'll definitely come back to it. I love the comparison from Chad of the lucha version of Magnum/Tully, because I was actually thinking that during the match. I really loved the exhausted and brutal head-butt exchange in the corner. Man, it felt so emotional, Dandy falls back then quickly uses all his strength to pile back on him for some biting to the forehead. It's just bloody and brutal. As mentioned, it's like they couldn't think of anything else to do to each other. The selling of Dandy of his exhaustion and desperation, it's just a thing of beauty. Great ***** - Classic. Coming back to add that Loss listed this as #11 on his list of the top 100 matches of the 90's. http://placetobenation.com/countdown-top-500-matches-of-the-90s-50-1/2/

Great show! I got a huge feeling last week they'd go with TJP, and they did! This tournament has been a blast and last night did not disappoint. Great story - emotion - Awesome reveal it was for the belt - love the look of the belt - Fantastic. Looking forward to this division on Raw.

Another one that might be a close call, but 04/10/1990 Savage vs. Tenryu is a blast ... I agree about Piper-Bret peachchaos.

Sting vs. Larry Zbyszko - 03/10/1991 - A really fun match that I'd add to my list from above.

Great match. Great moment - over 4 for me!

Ric Flair vs. Koko Ware - 11/18/1985 - It's been about a year since I last saw this, so it might actually be rated higher than I'm giving it credit for here. But, it seems like a match that is really great, that usually isn't discussed as an all-timer. The uncensored 1997 main event is not that great of match, but it's really fun (especially the finish with Sting) - the memory I have of all my friends going nuts after he dropped from the rafters has made this a match that I will go back to. Luger was so over in this match. Jerry Lawler vs. Nick Bockwinkel - $500 per punch - 01/01/1984 Randy Savage vs. Austin Idol - 05/14/1984 I love Savage vs. Dibiase from June of '88 MSG as well, but I would probably have it higher than ****, but not much or right at it... It is definitely a favorite - similar to the Koko Ware match, I think it could go over ****. Hulk Hogan vs. Curt Hennig - XWF - 11/14/01 I know there are some Sting, Savage, and Piper matches I'm not thinking of... and plenty others... I'll have to think more about it... -Hogan/Earthquake - Loved Hogan/Slaughter too... but, I think I'd rate it above 4.. I'd have to rewatch it -is a personal fav -Flair/Savage (WCW) - I'd go over four for Mania 8 -Raven/Goldberg - US Title/Nitro - love the previously mentioned DDP/Raven stuff too - Savage/Raven as well, but I'd go over 4 for the Spring Stampede match... ... that's off the top... maybe more to come...

I think this might be my favorite lucha match of the year thus far. My most anticipated match is the upcoming Dandy/Satanico match, so we'll see how it turns out, but I loved this. This was a non-stop bloody brawl. I loved the way the match begins. Morgan goes to work on Faraon before he even steps in the ring and that sets up this brawl perfectly. I actually loved the finish of this match with Morgan unable to continue due to loss of blood. This is just brutal. Awesome. Great selling. ****3/4 Coming back to add this hit #61 on the list put together by Loss. placetobenation.com/countdown-top-500-matches-of-the-90s-100-51/2/ This is one of two matches that really put Lucha on the map for me. I was enjoying and getting into throughout the 1990 YB, but after this match (and one other), I knew that I had become a true fan and I've been taking deeper dives into Lucha ever since.

AJ is having one of the best years for a wrestler that I can remember.

Haha, yeah I was saying the ZSJ match was my favorite of his (in CWC), but to clarify, it's nowhere near my favorite of the tournament. I didn't hate it like Johnny. One of my problem's with ZSJ is his lack of emotion. I also agree that Kota has to be in the final. I don't think I was paying attention to the brackets when I stated TJP would win. They do really seem behind him though.

I kind of got the feeling, while watching last night's episode, that we are heading towards a TJP upset. They really seem behind him. I don't think they'll put the win on Kota if he truly is not going to come in full time. I think the Sabre Jr. match from last night was probably my favorite one of his thus far in the tournament. I enjoyed it. The CWC has just been a blast.

Listening to he podcast now, and really enjoying it. One thing I'll say is that I miss finishes like this. I know there are some complaints to it being anti-climatic, but I prefer this finish to someone taking 5 attitude adjustments before they can't kick out at the last possible second anymore ... If you're conditioned to think that someone might not kick out of a punch or a slam into a cage then you hang onto these pinfalls just like you might do in a modern day match when the "finishers" sequence starts kicking in... Except it feels less predictable this way ... For me anyway

I would love to see 10/19/1985 Tully Blanchard vs. Magnum TA. Clips shown 11/02/1985 (the episode with clips is actually on the network). The clips look awesome. I don't think the match has been released.

I loved this. A bloody slugfest. It really escalated as they were slugging it out fatigued on their knees, just really brutal. Since others have compared... I don't think this was as good as Magnum and Tully, the Final Conflict, or Sawyer/Duggan from Mid-South... However, I don't want that to take away from this. This had a lot of hype, and I do think it delivered. Those are all-time classics, and I do think this is close to that level.

I decided to go about this a little bit differently. Instead of ranking all the matches from each month, I'm just going to list some of my favorite matches, moments and takeaways as I progress through the Yearbook. I just made it to November, so I'm going to start the list now. I'll complete it after Nov. and Dec., and I'll list my definitive match of the year at that point. Jan. - Liger vs. Sano 01/31 - This is a ***** match for me. It blew me away. I actually watched it twice back-to-back which is not something I typically do. The first time I watched it, I thought it was great. I thought about it for a little bit, watched it again, and loved it even more. The beating Liger takes is just insane, with his mask barely hanging on, you can feel the emotion in his comeback. He flips his lid at the end, and it's glorious. I give the rating to the entire segment. I love the execution of the shooting star press in the match, as it looks really painful. That move is not always pulled off in a way that it looks like it is that impactful. In this match, it looked vicious. I had watched some Lucha in the past, but not a deep dive like the Yearbook has provided. I didn't really feel it initially, but I'll get to that in a bit. My runner-up match was Rockers vs. Powers of Pain, but I also want to give two thumbs up to the DDT that Arn Anderson lays on Great Muta 01/12. Feb. - Ric Flair vs. Lex Luger (02/25) - I've always loved this match, and prior to viewing this Yearbook I always considered it my MOTY. This is one of my favorite all-time Flair performances. I actually got chill bumps when the injured Sting came to ringside on crutches, slaps luger and gets in his face, gets him hyped like Mick would have done for Rocky. The entire entertainment value of that match and segment is off the charts. The Midnights and the Rock and Rolls are the clear runner-up here for me, but I want to give a shoutout to Larry Zbyszko vs. Masa Saito 02/10. I loved seeing Saito getting fired up throwing out some really cool offense on Larry. I still prefer wrestling to shoot style wrestling, but Takada vs. Fujiwara opened my eyes here. I realize the appeal, much like a real fight, is caught in those adrenaline rush moments when someone fires back after being held down and you know it can end at anytime. March - Jerry Estrada vs. El Satanico (03/23) - I feel like I jumped into Lucha with the 6-man tags, but really should have started with singles bouts. Once I started watching more singles matches, the style began to click with me more. I then found myself enjoying the trios matches more and more as I dug deeper into singles and became acclimated to the style. This match, while not the greatest of all-time, or anything near that, it served as an eye-opener for me. Although it is not 1990, I viewed Atlantis vs. Villano III 03/17/2000 shortly after gathering my thoughts on singles lucha, and it was randomly based off of the ****3/4 and ***** thread here on the board. That is the match that really opened the door to my true enjoyment of lucha. I absolutely love that match and I've been pretty obsessed with watching more and more after viewing that. That can be attributed to my interest building while watching this set. April - I may be the outlier here, but my match of the month is Randy Savage vs. Tenryu 04/13. This a dream match for me. I love seeing Savage and Sherri work their style in this environment, and I love seeing Tenyru chop Savage like a madman. I thought the Hogan/Hansen match was really fun as well, and the Pioneer match reminded me of the movie Bloodsport... May - I loved the Lawler/Snowman angle, man was it great. My match of the month would be Misawa/Kobashi/Taue vs. Tsuruta/Kabuki/Fuchi (05/26). I really loved the exchanges between Kobashi and Jumbo during this match. I also really loved the Luger/Flair match from 05/05. Those two have great chemistry, and I don't care what anyone says, the ponytail is cool! The crowd was super hot and added to it. June - El Dandy vs. Angel Azteca - (06/01) - A great match, and so much has already been said about it. Amazing work on the mat. At this point, I'm really looking forward to 12/14 Dandy/Satanico to compare the two (as to which is my favorite). My runner-up would be Misawa/Jumbo 06/08. July - Midnight Express vs. Southern Boys - Another old favorite that stands the test of time. (07/07) - I love Eddie Gilbert, and he does not disappoint with his promo work this month. Jeannie Clark kind of got on my nerves. August - Misawa/Kawada/Kikuchi vs. Tsuruta/Taue/Fuchi - Kikuchi would not stay down, and he was fantastic here. The lariats were brutal, and the Misawa/Jumbo hate was on point. I loved the chemistry between Kawada and Jumbo as well. Taue looked vicious. I loved the brawling surrounding the match towards the end. Kobashi vs. Jumbo takes the runner-up with a nostalgia shoutout to the payoff of Hogan vs. Earthquake. September - Misawa vs. Tsuruta (09/01) - My match of the year to this point, and my second ***** match of the year. Flair and Luger return with another really fun match at the clash, but I'd give the runner-up to Misawa/Kawada vs. Jumbo/Taue 09/30 - Great match at a fast pace. Taue really stood out. Eddie Gilbert continues to be a favorite. I love the run over Jerry Lawler segment, and I can say that Memphis is my favorite show of the year for promos and storylines. I saw the Memphis 80's set prior to this, so I'm sure that helps. Whenever Memphis TV is on, I'm glued to the set. Shoutout to Rayo de Jalisco vs. Cien Caras (09/21). October - Speaking of Memphis, the Jarrett/Gilbert Angle was fantastic! It felt so organic. It might be my favorite TV segment of the year, and Eddie Gilbert is king. Misawa/Kawada/Kobashi vs. Tsurta/Taue/Fuchi (10/19) take the runner-up slot. I think it is my favorite 6-man thus far. Thinking back on it, all I can picture are those brutal kicks to Kobashi with his nose busted open. October was a great month. I loved the Lynn/Kid match, but I think my runner-up would be the Steiners vs. Nastys from Halloween Havoc. I really enjoyed the USWA World title tournament as well. Good performances all around. Edit: accidentally listed 2 runner-ups but my MOTM was actually 10/26/1990, Dandy/Satanico. I actually think it is my favorite lucha match on the set so far. On to November and December.... Well, a short-lived run for Dandy/Satanico, as my favorite lucha match on the set became Pirata Morgan vs. El Faraon (11/16/1990), and this was easily my match of the month coming at ****3/4 for me. I'll roll with the Lightning Kid vs. Wellington Wilkins Jr. match as the runner-up. I really liked Lawler/Gilbert and Lawler/Funk, and Dibiase/Warrior was fun too! November was a fun month, topped by that bloody brawl with off the charts selling from Pirata Morgan and El Faraon. I'm already into to December... but I'll wait and save my final thoughts once I complete 1990. I've got some other areas I want to dive into after this (Portland and All Japan 80's), but I'm looking forward to a deep dive into 1991 after that. This set has definitely been an inspiration for deeper dives into Lucha as well.

Akiyama was great in this match. The front necklock looked vicious. It looked like he was going to pop his head off his shoulders. The selling throughout the match from Akiyama was fantastic, and as mentioned the crawling through the knee strikes was a really good way to build emotion to the finish. I really enjoyed this match.

This just came out of nowhere and made my night! Memphis is just the best at these types of angles, and this was perfect. Easily one of my favorite segments of the year, and I'm looking forward to more Eddie Gilbert. Not much I can add that hasn't been said, but damn this was great!

This was cool to see. When the match started, and the Rocky music hit for Lawler, I really wanted to be there. The match started off slowly with some traded body slams, but it gets going with a punch that sends Hennig over the top rope. Lawler pulls out a stunner, but ultimately Hennig cheats to win. They restart the match after Lawler argues with the ref, and Lawler pulls off the roll-up win. As Matt stated, it never gets out of second gear, but it's still fun to watch. I read the review before I watched the match, so I was looking for him to raise his hands and saw it as a good farewell moment as well.

Great show, I'd go - 1. War Games 2. Rude/Steamboat - Beach Blast 3. Vader/Sting - Starrcade 4. Vader/Sting - GAB 5. Anderson/Windham - 6/6/92 (Rude/Steamboat @ Superbrawl is right there too) 1. Steamboat 2. I feel like Rude had more high end matches, but I just love watching Arn Anderson around this time... so all in all I think I'd have him at 2 here for the entire year... 3. Rude 4. Windham 5. Eaton

The Co-MVP's of this match are AA and Steamboat for me. The match really kicks in during the first fall after Arn's great selling of the uppercut from Dustin Rhodes. I like how they go right back to another punch to the face when Arn's goes to the outside, and then he gets rolled back in to Steamboat. Also loved the look on Arn's face the first time Koloff gets tagged in. During the third fall Arn's DDT sets up the fantastic FIP sequence. Steamboat is great here, but so is Arn delivering the punishment. Really enjoyed the match!

Does anyone know which of these matches (listed by peachchaos) is the one where they are working over the nose of Ricky Morton? It may not be one of these. I can't find the date for the match, but I know it is following the Flair/Morton match from 07/05/1986. It's Ole and Arn vs. Rock n Rolls... it's a great match, with great selling from Ricky, but I'm not sure what the date is. Trying to figure it out if anyone knows... I'm sure it is around the same time as the Ole vs Ricky match from 10/11/86... After I fist posted this, I found a write up about it stating it was from TV in July of 1986... I'm assuming it's the Worldwide match listed above...

I wonder if there is any footage of the Sting/Hansen house show matches out there? I know I've seen a photo. I assume not.