Desert Island Decades

[JerryvonKramer]

Here's the scenario: for the rest of your life you can only watch footage from one decade starting on January 1st in the first year of the decade and ending on December 31st of the last year.

 

Assume you have access to all AVAILABLE footage. If it's out there, you can get hold of it. If it isn't, assume it is lost.

 

Which decade would you go for and why?

 

I foresee this being a straight 80s vs 90s fight, but I don't see a clear winner. 1989 is probably the best single year overall, followed by 1992.

 

There's an argument to say that the 90s subsumes the 80, because almost all of the big 80s stars were still active and you get a whole new generation of talent coming through in every promotion.

 

The argument for the 80s must start with the fact that, well, there's simply MORE of it in both quantity and variety. Every territory had TV and its own unique flavour.

 

You've also got to think about what you are LOSING. If you pick the 1980s, then you simply don't have access to matches from other decades. That means if 3-4 of your all-time favourite matches happened in the 90s, you won't see them ever again.

 

It's important to give your reasons here -- picking one decade over another should be a big decision. Consider what you are leaving behind and what you are taking and why.

[Cross Face Chicken Wing]

I'd go with the 90s. Not necessarily because I think it's the better decade, but because I've watched so much 80s stuff over the last five years. If I was stuck on a desert island, I'd want to see more stuff that I haven't seen before. I've seen very little of 90s All Japan, not much SMW, and very little WCW from 1991-93.

[El-P]

The nineties. Not because that's the decade I've been raised with, I don't care much about rewatching any WWF from that era, but I love the japanese wrestling from that decade, and I've not seen half of what I want from AJ, NJ, Zenjo, JWP, Mpro from that era. Love the old-school garbage leagues, especially FMW. Love the first two years of ARSION. Would like to watch more of Jd' and early GAEA. I love shootstyle which peaked in this decade with UWF-I, RINGS and the minor leagues of Fujiwara, Pancrase, and hell, add early PRIDE to it. I enjoy ECW a lot, and I'm going through SMW which is really fun too. I guess there's a shitload of great lucha during this decade, with the early years of Rey and co. I'm a children of the 90's in many more ways than just becoming a wrestling fan with WWF in 1990, and although I really enjoy to watch 80's wrestling (and don't care much about whatever happened after 2001), it's an easy decision to make. I guess what I would miss the most is all the puro from the 80's I haven't seen.

[Ricky Jackson]

I would take the 80s, mainly because of the variety, the fact there is so much territory/Japan stuff from that decade I haven't seen yet, and the wrestling presented is more or less my ideal style. I have very fond memories of the 90s, but I rarely revisit much from that decade, and just don't have much interest to do so these days. I also love what is available from the 70s and watch more footage from that decade than I do the 90s.

[anarchistxx]

I think with the 90s you get a bit of everything. Amazing heavyweight wrestling in AJPW, amazing junior wrestling in NJPW, AJW busting out the best women's wrestling of all time, hot feuds and angles in WWE and WCW, ridiculously entertaining garbage wrestling in ECW, memorable characters and feuds, fairly interesting stuff happening on the indies, feds like Michinoku Pro bringing the goods month after month, plus all the Lucha I've never got round to watching. Somehow it feels more exciting than the 80s and 70s for me.

[NintendoLogic]

I presented a similar question some time ago:

 

http://prowrestlingonly.com/index.php?showtopic=14200

 

The consensus was that 1988 to 1997 was the best ten-year stretch in wrestling history. For best individual year, I'd say either 1993 or 1995, with 1997 not too far behind.

 

If you look at my desert island match list in that other thread, 28 of the 44 matches, including the entire top ten, are from the 90s. So this is an easy call for me.

[jdw]

90s for variety, also for availability of that variety. There is still of lot of great 80s stuff that just didn't make tv/tape and instead is just arena matches.

 

One thing on the 80s that would be interesting is an estimate of what % of Lucha (EMLL & UWA) tv exists in US collectors hands?

 

A massive amount of Japanese TV (AJPW, NJPW, IWE, AJW) exists in collectors hands. My guess would be, if we were to compile everything from various sources (such as using Classics and commercial releases as a backfill), 85-90% of the NJPW+AJPW tv matches are available and in a fair number of cases in more complete form than aired on tv. A lot of AJW is available. I don't know if Dan ever has attempt to organize it was well as the AJPW/NJPW seasons sets have been, and perhaps it's too much of a beast... but good lord is there a lot. Surprisingly, a fair amount of 1980-81 IWE is available.

 

My guess is that well over 60% of all matches that aired on TV are available in Japan in the 80s are available, with some in more complete form than ever aired on TV (think of the Jaguar-Lioness / Chigusa-Devil combo).

 

Could you imagine if 60%+ of EMLL and UWA tv was available, with a premium on the major matches and with much of the missing stuff the more routine?

 

I think people's heads would explode.

[pantherwagner]

A lot of AJW is available. I don't know if Dan ever has attempt to organize it was well as the AJPW/NJPW seasons sets have been, and perhaps it's too much of a beast...

I did the match lists for the first 150+ discs and dates were mostly guesses. It was easy to date shows when there was a major landmark match, or a title change, but I'd say it would be impossible to have season sets. Other people may have different opinions but I like 80s AJW much more than 90s AJW. The more Bull Nakano I see the less impressive Aja Kong seems to be (and this is not a knock on her, she was incredible).

 

Could you imagine if 60%+ of EMLL and UWA tv was available, with a premium on the major matches and with much of the missing stuff the more routine?

There was no UWA TV in the 80s, and probably we only have 10% or less of the available 80s EMLL and that's considering we have a lot of 1989.

 

But holy shit, if we could somehow get our hands on metric tons of Dandy, Casas, Pirata and Santo in their early 20s. Satanico too, but as we all know, he was born old, so it's hard to think he'd have been 22 or 23.

 

For that same reason I will say 90s rather than 80s as it's much easier to watch most promotions in an organized way, to see wrestlers, feuds and gimmicks grow, etc.

[King Solomon]

This is an easy one for me, The 19FREAKIN80'S

 

You had Mid South and World Class at their hottest, the AWA during the Hogan-Road Warrior years, Mid Atlantic from the regional early 80's until the Natonal expansion of the mid late 80's, Georgia, Florida, Memphis during their most exciting years, The WWF had an awesome decade, All Japan at it's best with Brody and Hansen, New Japan, Pacific NorthWest during the Piper years, Montreal, Stampede and all points in between, the varierty was awesome!! You don;t get that variety in the 90's and you get quite a few bad years from the Big Two before things turn around. ECW was good for shock TV but had little staying power. The Japan stuff was awesome. I never got too much into Lucha. The 1970's would be a close second to the 80's.

[JerryvonKramer]

What's the argument for rating the 70s over the 90s?

 

While we're at it, who is the 1 voter for the 70s?

[Al]

I didn't vote in the poll, but if I had an argument for the '70s it's that most of the footage I haven't seen, and it's therefore fresh.

[Kevin Ridge]

Tough choice for me as there is so much of the 80's that I haven't seen. But if I need to make the safe pick then it will be the 90's as I really love AJPW from this time period and the late years of WWF. Still feel if there were to be yearbooks from the 80's I would be get to see a lot of new stuff that I would enjoy. I think a more interesting vote would be if all footage was available would people choose the 80's over the 90's.

[goodhelmet]

1980s all the way. LEts go down the list...

 

WWF

We are discovering tons of great WWF matches that were not on the original 1980s WWF set so it isn't like 1990s WWF destroys the 80s in match quality. Having said that, no year in the 80s comes close to the 1997.

 

NWA / WCW

I love tons of stuff from the 1990s WCW but I don't love anything as much as I love 1986-1987 Crockett.

 

JAPAN

I think I would take 1980s New Japan over 1990s New Japan easily but I think I would be a little depressed not having 1990s Kawada on my island. The one thing you have an abundance of is Japanese Indys. Phil and the DVDVR guys made an Other Japan set but there was tons of good Japanese Indys in the 1990s. Still, no match is as great as the 1984 Guantlet in my view. I couldn't live without that match on my island.

 

MEXICO

Because of available footage, this would be 1990s for sure. However, there are still tons of awesome lucha gems being uncovered by Phil, SLL, Alfredo, Bihari, etc. so I have hope lucha would still represent the 80s well.

 

TERRITORIES / INDYS

This is the tipping point for me. We have already done 1980s sets for Mid South, Memphis, AWA and Texas. I think all 4 of these sets smoke the ECW and SMW sets I made for the 1990s and I love those sets. That isn't even including Portland, the leftover territories, Puerto Rico, Canada and the World of Sport and Europe that has popped up. I know people that would vote for the 1990s on ECW alone but I don't thin kany of them have the love I feel for 1980s Memphis or Mid South. Fuck, could I live without 1980-1984 BUddy Rose on a deserted island? I don't think so.

[Johnny Sorrow]

Fuck, could I live without 1980-1984 BUddy Rose on a deserted island? I don't think so.

He did look like a cuddler then.

[ohtani's jacket]

How am I going to watch these matches? Do I have an unlimited supply of batteries? If I was on a desert island for the rest of my life wouldn't I want a woman instead of wrestling? Hmm?

 

80s AJW is so heavily clipped that it becomes frustrating after a while. I'd give all my non-essential organs for the complete 80s EMLL TV.

[MJH]

The more Bull Nakano I see the less impressive Aja Kong seems to be (and this is not a knock on her, she was incredible).

Except the key run for seeing how great Bull was is 1990-1992, when she was the 3WA champion and everyone else is suddenly much better against her than anyone else/each other...

 

But, yeah, it has to be the '90s...

[King Solomon]

I go with the 70's over the 90's beacuse of all the Legends that were in their prime. I also go with the 70's because of the variety of the various territories. The 90's started off pretty bad until the mid 90's turn around.

[jdw]

I go with the 70's over the 90's beacuse of all the Legends that were in their prime. I also go with the 70's because of the variety of the various territories. The 90's started off pretty bad until the mid 90's turn around.

The premise of the question was based on Available Material being able to be taken to the Island.

 

There was a variety of territories. There's very little available, especially of real matches (i.e. Arena matches in full / near full condition). Essentially just Japan and WWWF/WWF in volume, and the WWWF/WWF is a bit spotty: they have far more in the vault than has been release, which makes it not available. For other territories... it's really sparse. Hot beds like JPC, Florida, Georgia, St Louis? Real depth of lucha material, AWA and Joshi? Good luck.

 

I think a good / interesting / fun / great set by Will of the 70s will eventually be very cool. But the vast majority of it will be matches in Japan or matches in the WWWF. It also won't remotely come close to generating 300-360 disks like the 90s sets have (depending upon how many bonus disks get created down the road).

 

The 70s probably would have been a really awesome decade to be a wrestling fan is:

 

* there was as much TV as there was from 1984-93

* as many arena show and other big matches were filmed as in that period

* we had access to all of it

 

John

[Dylan Waco]

Not that I disagree with your broader point John, but a good 70's comp from Will is going to have a fair amount of really good Portland from 77-79 and should have a lot of great stuff from WoS.

[JerryvonKramer]

Wonder what the demand for a 16-disc "Best of Dory Funk Jr" set would be like ...

[jdw]

Like watching paint dry...

 

John

[FLIK]

Wonder what the demand for a 16-disc "Best of Dory Funk Jr" set would be like ...

I like Dory myself, wouldn't particularly want a 16 disc comp and I have to be in a certain mood to enjoy his style but his best stuff is up thear with almost anyones.

[goodhelmet]

What do you consider his best stuff?

[FLIK]

80s AJW is so heavily clipped that it becomes frustrating after a while.

Between what stuff did air complete or near complete & the large amount we've gotten through various classics airings i'd say it's not a problem. I'll take the 90's over the 80's either way but the clipping shouldn't be a major draw back for that era these days.

 

Real depth of lucha material, AWA and Joshi? Good luck

Yeah, for AJW, you can find a tiny bit of 78 footage if you look really hard and there's a fair amount of 79 out thear but that's it. Near impossible to find anything earlier except for the ocasional short highlight clip.

 

and should have a lot of great stuff from WoS.

To me the 70's is the best era for WoS too

[FLIK]

What do you consider his best stuff?

The Brisco matches are high up on my list, always liked him & Terry vs Brody & diffrent partners in All Japan, out thear pick & diffrent then his usual style but I thought him & his wife vs Carlos Colon & Fabulous Moolah in Puerto Rico was awesome.